Chapter 62 - Wanna Look Around the City?

<p>I pat Eniyala's back comfortingly and hold back her hair as her nausea wins. <br/><br/> "Bleeeegh."<br/><br/> "Are you sure you don't want me to—"<br/><br/> "No."<br/><br/> I throw the patting hand up in surrender. "Alright, alright, just asking."<br/><br/> The poor girl vomits one more time before leaning back onto her hands in exhaustion. "Ugh, I hate Mana Rebound," she complains flatly. <br/><br/> "I know the feeling, trust me," I reply, sliding to rest my back against the wall. It's the afternoon of the next day after the final match, and we still can't talk about the fight, as Eniyala is still angry about her loss and I can't help laughing at the Berserker's actual name, which only makes her angrier.<br/><br/> Apparently, this is also the second time Eniyala's was experiencing Mana Rebound, the first having been while I was asleep. This eased the still-lingering feeling of being cheated, though not much. <br/><br/> With that feeling still weighing on me, I finally spoke up. "So, those moves you used in the finals."<br/><br/> She looks at me tiredly. "Which ones?"<br/><br/> I inspect the toilet across from us, a thoughtful look on my face. "The axes and spider-walk-thingy. I mean, I thought you went all out with me, so seeing those was a surprise, I guess."<br/><br/> The woman laughs. "Just because I'm trying new things doesn't mean I'm trying harder. If I had used the chain-walk against you, you would have been too fast for me and ended it easily. And sure, maybe I could have, but I'm stronger upgrading a Spell I'm experienced with rather than trying to make a brand new Spell and figure that out."<br/><br/> "Oh, uh, that does make sense, now that I think about it," I reply, embarrassment burning my face slightly. <br/><br/> She snorts. "Of course it makes sense. It's true."<br/><br/> I wave her off, shaking my head, but I can't help a small smile from appearing on my face. "Shut up."<br/><br/> "Never," she says, pulling herself up slowly. I jump up and support her, walking her over to her bed. "So, if you're not vomiting and feeling like shit tomorrow, you wanna look around the city? We'll have tomorrow free before the award ceremony since—" I stifle a laugh. "Thequinies, is still paralyzed all of tomorrow."<br/><br/> She glares at me for a second, but sighs and shakes her head in defeat. "Yeah, I'll let Lynsel and Yorun know."<br/><br/> I scrunch my face up in a fake smile. "Yaaaay."<br/><br/> I didn't mind Lynsel tagging along, being the oversized guard (lap) dog he is, but I would've preferred if we could leave the emo kid behind. But, I knew I wouldn't win that argument, so I just took the loss with an extra grain of salt. <br/><br/> After ensuring that Eniyala had fallen asleep and was resting, I left to go find myself an outfit to buy for tomorrow, texting Lynsel to meet up with me in ten minutes.<br/><br/>- - -<br/><br/> "Oooh, like a double date?" Lynsel shrieks as I inform him of tomorrow's plans. I shake my head in exasperation.<br/><br/> "No, Lynsel. It's a group of us hanging out. We're all friends."<br/><br/> "Well, for now."<br/><br/> I shoot him a look as we walk along the clothes street. I stop at a store with unisex types of clothing, staring at the display outfits for a few seconds before pointing at the door. "I'm going in this one," I state to Lynsel, and he nods. "I see a few that I like, so I'll meet ya back here in about fifteen ta twenty minutes."<br/><br/> I nod, turning and walking into the store after I use the cube Lynsel carries to store a large pouch of Gold in my Inventory. Aside from my sword, the old dagger, the last Analyze Skillbook, and a few monster drops like the Amorphous Shape, I've begun keeping it mostly empty, leaving me plenty of space should I need it. <br/><br/> "I should get a sheath made soon," I note as I look around at the clothing options. 'Am I getting stingy about my Inventory now, too?'<br/><br/> Alyphia's presence pops so suddenly into my head and body that a feeling of queasiness spreads through me. "Ugh, hello."<br/><br/> 'You would look so cute in the one on the right!'<br/><br/> "You came just to suggest I buy a skirt?"<br/><br/> 'It is sooo cute!' She whines, and I shake my head. "Nope. You'd have to pay me what I earned in Lillock's money and then some to embarrass myself like that."<br/><br/> 'Pleeeeeease?'<br/><br/> I shout firmly in my head, 'NO!' and I can feel her frustration and get the vague feeling she's pouting like a child. In protest, she begins imagining me in the skirt, which in turn fills my head with the thought of me striking a girly pose with a comical blush on my face.<br/><br/> "Go away!" I whisper-yell, and she disappears with a giggle. Looking at two girls shopping nearby, I smile meekly, and they scoot away quickly from the guy yelling at himself quietly.<br/><br/> "I swear," I sigh, rubbing my eyebrows together tiredly.<br/><br/> Just then, I hear the store door open, and a hoarse voice barks, "On the floor, now!"<br/><br/> I turn to look, groaning at the scene. A man with a black, stretched-out sock on his face holds a gun out at the cashier, occasionally shifting it over to the three other customers and me. The two holes cut for his eyes are darker, either from sweat or tears.<br/><br/> One of the girls from earlier shrieks. "He's got a Magic Gun!"<br/><br/> "Heh. That's right. Now, on the floor!"<br/><br/> I sigh heavily. "One day. I can't get one day?!"<br/><br/>* * *<br/><br/>[Blooper!]<br/><br/> In the morning of the day after the final match…<br/><br/> "Help! Help! My pet Crested Roller got stuck in a tree! It's gonna fall!"<br/><br/> Klum, who had just gotten his bandages off and was just able to see with two eyes again, whips his head around, looking at the teary-eyed girl holding her hands up to try and catch a yellow animal that resembled an armadillo, but it's back looked rocky and rough, like the inside of a geode, or—<br/><br/> "It looks like bread crumbs," the boy wonders, walking up. When he recognizes the girl, he calls out, "Taisha!"<br/><br/> The small Elf turns her head and points up weakly to her pet with water-filled eyes. "Mister Wuke... Hewp meeee," she whimpers, and he rushes over to help. A small crowd had gathered, with a rhino man trying to coax the small, shivering animal to jump into his arms. It moves away from the scary creature, closer to the end of the branch. Its weight caused the branch to crack, and the poor thing clings to the stick as it breaks off, falling helplessly towards the ground. <br/><br/> The rhino is too slow to react, and all Taisha can do is shriek in horror as the unprotected side of the pet plummets. Only one person can move, and he dashes forward close to the ground, closing the distance at his max speed.<br/><br/> Yet, he's not fast enough, and time seems to elongate for him as he stretches his hand out.<br/><br/> And his foot catches in the slightest divot in the ground, his face falling towards the stone floor encircling the tree. 'Oh, not again,' is the only thing that passes through his mind.<br/><br/>[Cooldown complete!]<br/>[Activating Klum's Reincarnation…]<br/>[DEX increased by 200%.]<br/><br/> Whish!<br/><br/> In an extremely acrobatic maneuver, Klum scoops his hand around the belly of the pet, since he is now in range due to tripping. With his free hand, he plants it into the ground and twists his torso around. He brings his feet towards the ground, his heels skidding as his weight is suddenly thrown into them, and he spreads his legs to shoulder length in order to fix his posture, curling his front forward to finish off the nimble flip and spin in a balanced stance. The people around him all begin clapping and cheering, and the scrawny boy hands the little girl her pet.<br/><br/> "Here you — Urp! go," he says, holding back bile due to the rapid changing of his Dexterity. <br/><br/> Taisha smiles sweetly, wiping her tears away. "Thanks, Luke! You were so cool!"<br/><br/> The boy simply nods with a smile of his own, before walking off to find some water so that he can rinse his mouth out.</p>