Chapter 276: Diplomacy of the Mists
Coop took a second to appreciate the light show. It seemed like it was always the little things that brought him happiness, and this was no exception. The lustrous sprites shimmered before they faded into the Underlayer after he harmlessly swatted a reflexive attack away.
He was already in a pretty good mood after adopting a new strategy with Inheritance of the Mists. No longer was the advanced skill exclusively an ultimate move that he could only reasonably use for the conclusion of a kill or be killed scenario. Instead, it would be the key to saving as many settlements as possible from the Underlayer Event, and more importantly, might give Ghost Reef a better chance at the top spot while declaring their place in the world.
Therefore, Coop easily forgave the panicked attack from the stranger; there was no damage done anyway. It was his own fault for being too excited to find people wandering in the underground expanse. Did they need assistance? Were they lost? He could probably help either way.
The dreary Underlayer, full of nothing but stagnant air, comfortless dirt, and silence, was briefly decorated with silver filigree in the aftermath of his errant attempt to say hello. He openly smiled, barely suppressing a giggle as he embraced his inner child before he resumed greeting the two strangers. He thought it was inappropriate for him to treasure irrelevant little moments and simple pleasures during an apocalypse, but he didn’t care. His lightheartedness was a spontaneous personal rebellion against the tragedy of integration.
When he did turn his attention back to the pair of strangers in the aftermath of the ephemeral glitter bomb, he noted that neither of them had a particularly good complexion. He tilted his head slightly to the side in concern.
The silvery girl’s face was looking a bit too pink as she stiffly turned away from Coop and stared at her companion with wide eyes, expressing clear uncertainty. In her partner’s case, his skin was an even shade of reddish orange that made him seem kind of radioactive. The color was evenly spread on his entire body, glowing through his cream-colored shirt wherever his protective vest didn’t cover, extending from his fingers to his ears. Coop had never seen aposematism in a human, but maybe this was his first example.
Coop did his best not to openly stare. It would probably seem rude if he pointed their strange features out, so he just shrugged and started over.
“Hi!” He greeted cheerily, raising his empty hand again in a motionless wave. “If you’re looking for safety, you should go that way.” He stated clearly, pointing in the direction of Ghost Reef. He guessed he would need to make the arrows he absently drew in the dirt a bit bigger so they would be easier to notice for them to serve any purpose at all.
Coop smiled at them encouragingly, naturally feeling friendly, especially after his sparkly entrance. The man’s color was slowly returning to a more expected shade found in humans and he adjusted his glasses while Coop explained further. “You guys seem pretty fast, so I think it’ll only take like half a day before you reach Ghost Reef. My friends will make sure you can relax once you get there. No need to worry!”
He tried to calm them down with a few reassurances, feeling like he was advertising an all-expenses paid vacation. He basically was, considering the amenities of his tropical island. Should he suggest visiting the Clumsy Shark or was that too much?
The man looked at the still frozen girl and released the tension in the air between them with a hearty laugh at her flushed appearance before returning his bespectacled gaze at Coop as he calmed down. “You’re Coop, I’m sure.”
Coop was only a little surprised to hear his own name, given the context of meeting a solitary gladiator on a peaceful battlefield with no enemies in sight and a couple leaderboards that provided all the clues necessary to figure it out.