Chapter 42 - Indigo
*Latarro has saved another tribe of drakes migrating into Sector Eight. His presence wasn’t appreciated by the more tribalistic Realmers. The tribe leader says they don’t appreciate the unnatural influence of Trialists on their ability to progress.
“If we die, we die. This is how we drakes evolve and adapt to nature. You are holding us back.”
- Fucking maniacs, they brought their children with them. @Casualenjoyer1 (Realmer)
- Latarro the G. He knows what’s up. @ Ulyssyoyo (Unverified)
Milock was the second to react.
“What the hell is Latarro doing there? Oh, it’s not in a leveled zone, right.”
Barry had run into the room after Seffara. He’d caught the screen as it froze on Latarro’s face.
“Who’s this?”
Ryan was watching Seffara look on in concern. He was getting a bad feeling.
“He’s an Eighth. One of the most popular adventurers at the moment. Was only a fifth realm two years ago.”
Ryan knew Latarro’s story as one of the most promising pre-dragonslayers. Barry seemed confused.
“Just an eighth? And he’s popular?”
Oh, Barry really didn’t understand modern adventuring culture.
“Eighth realm adventurers are the most popular. You know Sector Eight. Large dinosaurs, floating mountains and picturesque valleys. Fights are huge and flashy while being slow enough for expensive slowmo cameras to record them. Also they’re not too far away from dragonslayer.”
Barry didn’t seem to like the idea that adventurers were as much celebrities as warriors. That a lower Sector had the most of the attention of the rest of the world.
For bored retail employees like Ryan and Milo? The Eighths had it all.
Sector Eight was where kaijus walked, where floating islands and secret monsters roamed. Where the environment wasn’t so hazardous that it would melt or destroy everything that wasn’t adventurer made.
Where the last permanent civilization with regular realmers could be found.
Where regeneration potion drops were the most common.
Imagine watching a team that worked together, bantered with each other, then read out comments from their fans. All while camping in the grandest of landscapes. Then they’d fight giant dinosaurs that had the chance of dropping a coveted regeneration potion. If it dropped?
They were instantly wealthy, celebrations of a single regeneration drop would hit trending in moments. Gear would be upgraded as everyone went to debate on the slots.
It had been Ryan’s personal parasocial paradise when he’d grown up.
Now? Ryan looked at the dashing figure of a perfect [Knight] walking in front of the cameras.
Seffara and Pinkie were far more impressive.
Ryan sniffed, feeling more than a little amount of envy. “Bet I could take him if I was in the sixth realm.”
Seffara hit him in the head.
“You dumbass, he’d take you apart. He’s deep into two Epics. He’ll probably merge them before he hits dragonslayer.”
Barry was impatient.
“Can we continue the video?”
–
The Realm
The blonde man walked with flowing locks that bounced perfectly. He held the room with his presence. Chieftain Ami wasn’t going to swoon at a literal white knight that had come to rescue her… but she was glad he arrived when he did. Latarro nodded at her.
“May I take the stage, Chief Enforcer Ami?”
Even his voice was like butter, she nodded at him, not trusting herself to talk and gave him the stage.
Latarro stood up on the stage and gave everyone a kind smile.
“Chief Enforcer Ami alongside Mayor Frelorn has done an excellent job in ensuring there were no casualties on the side of Realmers.”
He nodded at Ami and she tried not to blush. He paused for effect then went solemn.
“The fault in not being able to apprehend the blacklister known as Artigan lies in us, the adventurers, not anyone else.”
Nobody dared to interrupt his words. Not even that loudmouth orc Realmer. Latarro’s aura was like a warm gentle thing that embraced the soul and assured the room. Latarro would make this right somehow, that was what was being promised.
“We as adventurers must step up when monsters threaten public safety, we must do our duty, even if it means facing a difficult battle. The problem with Artigan is that he holds an Epic at realm two. I will help level the field with my Epic. To the unhappy Realmers and the Leafstalkers. I humbly request for you to give us a chance to make things right on our own.”
A reporter finally broke through, the same orc reporter seemed to have broken away from the trance. He was still respectful to the Eighth realm adventurer.
“Sir Latarro, how do you intend to level the field?”
“For any Second Realm adventurer that wishes to hunt this monster, and yes, this is a monster. I offer training. I have an aura Epic myself that can help inoculate against mental effects.” Latarro paused for effect, “I do not offer this lightly, you will not find many with an Epic that will offer this freely. But this is my resolve and I expect the same from you adventurers in return.”
The heroic man spoke with confidence in his soul. It blinded everyone in the room.
“Without his Epic this is just another second realm adventurer. With that and nightvision goggles his primary dangers should be neutralized. By the time the next instant Trial shows up, I expect every second realm adventurer to have stepped up to prevent this monster from climbing higher. Until then, me and my team will assist all of you in getting stronger.”
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Then he clapped his hands together. He looked to all of them, to every single camera. A hero, shining brightly.
“Adventurers! You are being called!”
It didn’t sound cheesy when he said it.
–
Earth.
“What’s his Epic?” Ryan asked Seffara.
She hesitated for a moment, then shook her head, “[Heroic Challenge].”
“Of course it is, fuck me.”
[Heroic Challenge] rallied those under the user to increase morale and boost confidence. The only person to have shared its description online was a twelfth realm dragonslayer. The people that had experienced it said that its effects lingered. It was a mental shift not a magical one, the experience would help against mental effects. It would surge them with confidence and empower them. Just the belief alone would hurt his own.
A complete and perfect counter to Ryan’s Epic.
–
Ryan lay outside on the wild grass that grew around Seffara’s compound. The sky was bright and beautiful and somehow looked smaller than The Realm’s sky. It felt constricting. He longed to be back in The Realm.
Challenge the world and it sends literal heroes after you. I should have expected that.
Ryan never liked Latarro, even before he became a blacklister, the heroic [Knight] threw him off. Like he belonged to a different time. There really shouldn’t have been anything to hate there. Latarro even paid respect to Seffara’s original hero group with his silver blue armor.
A real genuine hero. It rankled at him.
[Lesser Dangersense]
Ryan grabbed the flying rock from the air.
“Hey Seff, how’s it going?”
“You really did learn a skill huh.”
“Yeah, it shouldn’t be long now until I can activate [Dangersense] on my own..”
Ryan sighed and flopped back to the grass, looking up at the sky.
“he’s not going to just give up if I wait him out right?”
Seffara shook her head.
“I’ve met the kid, well, not a kid anymore. He’s like a puppy, no, a golden retriever.”
“What does that mean?”
“Means he’ll give it his all to chase down a target,” she clicked her tongue. “I could probably get him to back off but I’ll have to-”
“Don’t.” Ryan warned. “I’ll deal with it.”
Seffara crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.
“You’ll deal with an Eighth organizing an entire Sector after you?”
He stood and rolled his shoulders.
“Yep. Pretty easily actually, I’m going back into The Realm today, I’ll finish the next Trial now.”
Seffara was taken aback by his recklessness again.
“Are you crazy? You don’t even have a skill slot available, it’d be a waste.”
“I’ll learn [Dangersense] while I'm there. Besides, I think I learn faster with some level of danger. I need the comparison with the real [Dangersense] anyway,” he shrugged, “worst comes to worst, I’ll get another S-Grade and master two skills.”
Seffara still seemed to disagree.
“Worst comes to worst you get shot in the head and die, your intrusion plan is riddled with holes, just wait a few months and this will die down.”
“By then literally everyone will have practiced with [Heroic Challenge]. The fact that they think [Heroic Challenge] will inoculate them will hurt my Epic by itself… I think. If I hide for months and get labeled a coward? That would weaken it even more.”
He spoke quickly, almost as if he was convincing himself. He’d rechecked his notes.
| Note: Fear can cause significantly varying effects based on the individual and their perception of you.
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