Ascension: Online

After we finished cleaning our outer wear in the nearby river, we just held them in our hands to let them dry off as we walked. The three of us only wore our inner clothes, which felt a lot more comfortable. That said, if we were to run into any danger right now, we would be left without protection. The three of us together could probably take on any Magic Beast or Monster Tier IV and below though, as long as they didn't come in a massive pack.

And if they did, well… we run.

"So, what's the plan from here on out?" Ming Yi asked, loosening up slightly and becoming more talkative now that we were getting close with one another.

"First off, we should find one of the real zones," I replied. "That way, there's a chance we might meet up with some people we know, then figure it out from there."

"Naturally… but that's easier said than done," Koroth added with a deep sigh. "Where do we even go from here…?"

Suddenly, a yell and the sound of battle came from the distance, causing all three of us to turn in that direction.

"Hurry, block all the directions! Don't let it escape!"

I smirked. "Well. Towards the sound of action, of course."

*****

The three of us hurriedly ran to where we heard the sounds coming from, and by the time we arrived, the beast was already slain. It was a Tier III one, and four people stood around it with their weapons drawn. One of them spotted us, and quickly narrowed his eyes.

"… What do you want?"

"Relax," I said, raising my hands up to show that I didn't come here out of hostility. "I'm just searching for the nearest zone so I can meet back up with my teammates. I don't care about that beast you just killed — those points are rightfully yours."

"…" The male disciple glanced around at his allies, who I assumed to all be his teammates. They were lucky, having grouped together so quickly. This gives them a head-start to the others, who had to fight amongst themselves in hunting excursions to secure the most points for their own team.

"What do you say we form a deal?" I proposed, walking closer. "You lead the three of us to the nearest zone, and I'll help you take down any beasts we come across. Of course, all the credit will be going to you."

"This makes no sense," one of the girls said, stepping forward. She was a beauty on par with Hina-nee and Nadeshiko, with long blue hair and two ice-cold eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How is it possible for you to not know where the nearest zone is? We all received maps. If you're trying to trick us, at least come up with a more believable map."

"Uh, well, you see, what happened was…" I opened my System's inventory and pulled out the [Minigator Corpse x47] I had obtained from our little encounter in that booby-trapped cave. "… We were ambushed by these little bastards. They ate our maps."

For some reason, the corpses didn't turn into crafting materials like meat or bones, unlike all the other beasts I've slain in the past. I didn't know what this meant, but I couldn't access Aisa right now so there was no choice but to hold on to this question until we finish this test and return to the sect.

As I dumped the whole collection of blood-stained beast bodies on the forest ground, the four disciples and my own two allies widened their eyes in shock.

"W-What… so many Tier III Beasts…"

Huh? They're Tier III?

If they were all Tier III, then that means the 47 I slayed totaled up to… 141 points.

"T-This can't be. Where did you find a horde of Minigators like this?" The girl who had been doubting me just now frowned and demanded. "You must be cheating. There's no way you killed all of them in the short amount of time since the exam began. Show me your wristwatch."

I glanced down at my wristwatch, which displayed… nothing. Absolutely nothing.

No way… did it break while I was using Many Must Fall?

"Uh, sorry, but I think mine broke while I was fighting them,," I replied, showing her my wristwatch, which had a black display and nothing more.

"Hmph… you sure you didn't just break it on purpose to make us believe you?"

Man, this girl… she's so perceptive. Normally, I would admire such people, but not right now.

"If it's our strength you doubt…" Ming Yi began, stepping forward and pulling out his two katanas from out of his back. "… You're welcome to exchange some moves with me."

The boy from earlier stepped up and grabbed the girl's shoulder, whispering into her ear. "Mei'Er, we shouldn't waste energy with them. They seem pretty strong, so we might as well just take them along as bodyguards. We don't lose anything here. Besides, if they do try something, we can always just beat them using our numbers."

"… Don't call me Mei'Er like we're close," the girl said, shooting the male disciple a disgusted look as she slapped away his hand. "I never liked you, and I never will. I'm only being in your team because your father told mine to have me look after you… how repulsive. Don't touch me ever again, or I'll cut off your fingers."

I whistled in amusement, surveying this conversation with a smirk. The only thing I was missing was some good ol' popcorn.

This girl… she reminds me of Furuwa quite a bit.

The male disciple shuddered away like a coward, unable to withstand the girl's cold gaze, which then fixated on us.

"I'm up for the challenge… but a duel is no duel if there's nothing on the line. If you win, I'll accept this deal of yours. But if I win… you have to stay by me for the rest of this exam, helping me gain points while giving me all the credit. How about it?"

Ming Yi, Koroth, and I exchanged glances, before bursting out in laughter.

"W-What?" She asked, confused as her cheeks began to flush red from embarrassment. "What's so funny?"

"Man… she really thinks we're going to accept something like that, when we get nothing in return," I sighed, then stepped closer to her, stopping right before our bodies touched.

"Let me put it straight with you, miss. The deal I proposed for you is already horrible for us, as we're essentially getting nothing in return. I hope you realize we could very well just secretly follow you, and you would have no way of knowing. But since I was feeling nice today, I decided to offer you some free help. Yet you not only rejected that, but are now trying to capitalize on my generosity. How evil."

"… That may be so, but you already made the decision to show yourself like this. Now, if you try following us, we would know."

I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath.

"… I didn't want to have to do this."

'Blink.'

In an instant, I pulled out Dokujin and vanished from sight, teleporting behind the girl and setting the dagger on her neck before anyone could even react.

"W-Wha…" She froze in fear, sweat forming on her head as she tried to turn around but couldn't because of the knife at her throat.

"Do you see now? What I could do instead. So tell me… do you accept our deal of your own accord, or do I have to force you to?"

"When did he…" Ming Yi murmured in shock at my fast, unpredictable movements.

"I don't even know how strong he really is…" Koroth exhaled in wonder.

After some short hesitation, the girl finally whispered a single sentence.

"I-I accept."

I smiled. "Good."

Taking my dagger off her throat, I casually walked past her to return to the other two, but-

"…!"

I spun around in an instant, closing my hand around hers, which were holding a sword's handle tightly as she prepared to cleave down at me from above.

"… What are you trying to do?"

"N-Ngh… let… go of me!" She struggled to break free, but none of her teammates helped after seeing just what I was capable of, including the boy who probably liked the girl or something. Besides, my two allies were right next to us. If this girl's teammates joined the fight, they would too.

"… Don't force me to do something I really don't want to do, but can if needed," I warned, threat hidden deep in my voice. "I've killed before. And trust me, it's not pretty."

But despite my words, she continue to struggle against my firm grip, refusing to back down. Whether she was brave or just exceptionally stupid, I had no idea. In fact, she was so stubborn that I couldn't help but be a bit impressed. Even Furuwa would've backed down by now, since she knew I didn't just make empty threats I would never carry out.

I narrowed my eyes, then suddenly let go of her right when she was trying to pull free the hardest.

"Wha-" she stumbled backwards from the momentum, and I took advantage of her momentary loss of balance to strike her right on the back of her neck, knocking her unconscious immediately.

Her eyes closed and she fell into my arms softly. She was quite light… almost the same weight as Aisa. I turned to the boy from earlier, and raised an eyebrow.

"So? Do you accept?"

The disciple, along with the other two of them, hurriedly nodded.

I smiled.