Chapter 7
143.
A piece of surprising news made team FeLinE pause their winlist grind mission for now. If Dydae's descriptions are truly on point, then most likely the Odd Brawler is Mathus. Unless there is another Kemi who fits the same features. The team went to the town proper to check the so-called Mammothman in the registry, and they were able to verify Dydae's claim. FeLinE told Dydae that their rematch would happen after they met up with the Mammothman.
Later on, team FeLinE proceeds to check the Kemis living in the town's circumference. Almost everyone is in the brawling event, either watching or competing in Mud Brawl. That means, only a selected few stay in their places, the Odd Brawler should be one of those.
Starting from the nearest to the farthest route, the group thoroughly inspects the area. Team FeLinE thought that it would be an easy task but it gets more problematic as they continue. The Reptile-type Kemis are territorial, and with no rules to govern the realm, most of them are willing to do anything just to protect their place.
"What's up with them? They are all rude!" Darlli complained.
"Maybe they are just bitter because they cannot win in the Mud Brawl!" Lulu added.
"I think it's more of a defensive response. There aren't other towns or societies in this place, meaning everyone lives for their own sake." Yuna explained.
"I believe so too, it's like showing that they are tough so others will respect their boundaries, and not target them. Someone else could bully and take your resources if nyu look weak." Raven added.
"But that's bad and unfair," Darli argued.
"It is, morally, but it's legal since they don't have rules," Yuna answered.
"Then they should start making one, rules will make things right," Lulu said.
"That is not always the case, remember the rule they made in Noctambulist Land? They punished us for breaking their rules even though we were just trying to save everyone. Not all rules make things right and fair, it will always depend on who governs it." FeLinE:1000X explained.
"That's so complicated to hear but it makes so much sense…" Darli responded.
"I'm used to this kind of explanation from her," Lulu added.
After a couple more steps, the team reaches a big cave. Based on the burnt logs, and random self-craft materials like axes and spears, it's evident that someone is living inside.
"Well, this cave is big enough for a 7-foot-tall Kemi, this could be it," Raven said.
"Ahm, hello? Is anyone in there?" Yuna asked as they approached the cave.
"Obviously there is, that's why we are here, the Relic says there's a Kemi in this cave," FeLinE:1000X answered.
"I know that, I'm just being polite," Yuna replied.
A deep voice echoed from the cave saying, "Get away." In that instant, they realized that it was Mathus, though there was a little question in their minds. When they previously encountered him, Mathus had an aggressive tone, always yelling and ready to fight. But right now, the tone is way more passive.
"Mathus?" Yuna asked once more.
"How do you know my name?" Mathus replied.
"We heard that nyu are here, and we were just trying to confirm if it is nyu," Hana answered.
"That voice…" Mathus said as he walked out of the cave.
"Woah, he's huge," Darli commented.
"We can be taller if we combine our heights," Lulu told Darli.
"What are you all doing here? I already serve the punishment by facing the Krakquad. I guarantee you that I will never set foot in your realm again." Mathus said. His appearance alone tells Mathus tremendously changed. He is no longer the hot-headed beast that he was previously known for. Mathus also has multiple scars on his body, including a long one on his left cheek.
"What happened to nyu?" Yuna asked.
"I survived, desperately escaped for my life," Mathus answered.
"From the Krakquad?" Raven responded.
"That beast was toying me to death, throwing me in different directions as he tried to catch me over and over again. I was no match for him, for the first time ever, I experienced fear. Being the one who's hunted down, begging for the onslaught to end. And because I don't feel fatigued, that chase lasted for 3 whole days. I was fortunate enough that he got bored." Mathus said.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to instruct Kranki that way…" Lulu apologized.
"Don't be, I deserve it," Mathus replied as he turned his back and picked up his carving tools, proceeding to his daily routine.
"How do nyu end up here?" Yuna questioned.
"I ended up on an island and that's where I found a Runekey. I was afraid that the Krakquad might appear anytime, that's why I searched for the Ruin and entered this realm. I've been living here for months now." Mathus said while chopping some wood trunks.
"Why are nyu competing in Mud Brawl but not winning it all?" FeLinE:1000X intervened.
"The Krakquad humbled me, now I've been trying to challenge myself. I don't intend to win, I just want to regain my confidence by fighting different brawlers. What do you want with me anyway?" Mathus questioned.
"We need to complete the win list but they said that nyu only appear once in a while. We cannot afford to lose that much time." Yuna answered.
"That's none of my business. I've been humiliated enough, so please leave me alone." Mathus replied.
"Listen, there's something else that's coming, and it could be the end of us all. Nyu can stay here and hide, or nyu can help us stop this madness. It will affect nyu regardless of your decision, it's your choice." FeLinE:1000X said and then walked away, the rest of the team followed her.
While they were heading back, Raven curiously asked, "Aren't we going to convince him?"
"He is broken inside, no amount of bargaining will ever amount to his trauma. The only way to overcome his fear is to let him feel the gravity of the situation and eventually, he'll choose." FeLinE:1000X answered.
"But what if he does not do anything? That will be bad for us," Lulu responded.
"Then that's his choice. We'll find another way of obtaining the Mystical Runekey if that's the case." FeLinE:1000X replied.
"I guess we'll be improvising soon," Yuna commented.
144.
Since team FeLinE doesn't have any backup plans for now, they went back to the town proper to compete in Mud Brawl. It's too early for them to change their plans, but of course, they cannot fully rely on Mathus' appearance. Even if he appears, beating him will still be a problem.
Just like FeLinE promised, she gave Dydae the rematch that she'd been asking for. It hurts FeLinE's pride to lose in the match, but she intentionally made it look close and then surrendered. It won't affect her win list, plus Dydae will finally stop bothering her, it's a loss that FeLinE is willing to take.
Unfortunately for others, Raven and Yuna won their match against Dydae, and it's their turn to experience how persistent Dydae is. Usually, Dydae wanted a rematch before resuming her next match, but Dydae challenged Yuna immediately even after losing to Raven, it's because she thought FeLinE, Raven, and Yuna belonged to the same group. However, in the end, Dydae lost to Yuna as well.
"I should have just let her win…" Yuna said after the match.
"But the three of us should win to up our chances," Raven argued.
"Yeah… So we can easily let one of us win the whole thing if the three of us are the only ones left… But now we need to deal with Dydae…" Yuna replied as the two of them watched Dydae lash out in the mud.
The event continues and it has been the same old narrative. The challengers from different realms with low win records found a loophole in the rules in Mud Brawl. They will withdraw from the list, and then come back again after two days. It resets their win list record, and at the same time changes the competitors' list. It's like starting a new game, instead of asking for a rematch for every Kemi that they lost to. Also, it is a good strategy to prevent someone else from winning it all since the list will change every two days, which is frustrating for anyone who wants to complete the list. In order for someone to be the Mud Brawl champ, a competitor should hold a complete win list within 24 hours, not to mention, Mathus is also should be there by that moment.
Eventually, the day ended, and team FeLinE experienced why the competition was stagnant for the last 2 years, especially the last couple of months when Mathus joined the equation. With that, team FeLinE goes back to their camp, and rethinks their strategy.
"This is getting us nowhere…" Raven mentioned.
"Well to be fair, this is just our 2nd day, though we didn't make that much progress compared to yesterday," Yuna replied.
"At least we learned something today," Lulu said.
"That is true, gaining information is part of the progress," Yuna responded.
"But we also learned today that it is impossible to complete the list! How can someone make such a ridiculous game? They should update or change the rules at some point! They created it, why not fix it!" Darli complained.
"Aaaaand I don't have further arguments with that," Yuna said.
"FeLinE thinks that we should force our way to the elders," FeLinE:1000X suggested.
"The Mud Brawlers will probably stop us from doing so," Raven argued.
"Will they count the wins if FeLinE defeats them all at once?" FeLinE:1000X asked.
"The rules stated that it should be 1 on 1, that means they won't," Yuna answered.
"Plus Mathus isn't there, so even if they count it, the list will still be uncompleted," Lulu added.
"What should we do?" Darli asked.
"Maybe take a rest for now, my body is aching from the brawls earlier," Raven suggested.
"Let's just try again tomorrow," Yuna added as they all prepared for the nighttime.
Team FeLinE calls it a day without further discussions. It's better to regain their strength and look at a different perspective once they are good to go. As the morning started once more, team FeLinE decided to have an in-depth meeting. They won't participate in any Mud Brawl matches, and will only formulate a plan for the rest of the day. If playing by the rules won't get them anywhere, then maybe it's time to find an alternative.
The first part of their agenda is observation. Each one of them spreads out in the Realm to thoroughly analyze Hachtile. Despite Dydae persistently asking Raven and Yuna for a rematch, they stick to their plan until half of the day. After some hours, they meet up again to discuss their findings while eating lunch.
"How was it?" Raven asked the group.
"I've tried asking Dydae tons of hypothetical questions that might give us some insights, but I got nothing," Yuna answered.
"In exchange for a rematch?" Lulu also asked.
"Hai, but since she cannot give me any valuable information, I still rejected the rematch," Yuna replied.
"I figured that nyu'll do that, which is why I ignored her the whole time. I couldn't think of anything that would be worth the rematch. Maybe we can use that as an advantage soon." Raven said.
"Nyu must have a looong patience," Darli commented.
"According to the locals, the elders control everything here in Hachtile, which allows them to grant any wish from the victors. When FeLinE tried to locate the shrine for the Mystical Runekey, FeLinE reached the cave and saw multiple Lizardmen guarding the entrance. FeLinE thinks that the elders are living inside the cave, the Relic also showed 5 Kemis near the shrine." FeLinE:1000X said.
"That means we cannot just simply barge in, we might end up fighting those guards if we do so," Raven responded.
"Plus there are Templarites in dungeons," Lulu added.
"Speaking of Templarites, how come the elders stay there when Templarites guard the place?" Yuna questioned.
"Templarites? Is it like some sort of mercenaries?" Darli also asked.
"Templarites are like spirits, we cannot see them but we can feel them. They protect the Mystical Runekeys, but I guess Templarites only exist inside a dungeon. There are no Templarites in the shrine above the clouds in Nesuto." Yuna answered.
"I see… Then maybe the elders and the Templarites here are friends!" Darli said.
"It's either there are no Templarites in this dungeon or Darli's outlandish claim is true," FeLinE:1000X responded.
The conversation ended in a confusing state, putting them in a loop.
145.
Team FeLinE found themselves in another mysterious situation, it looks like there's more that they don't know. The discussion went lengthy as the team tried their best to formulate an optimal plan. But unfortunately for them, it feels like every angle is a dead end. The only way for the team to acquire the Mystical Runekey is by doing what the elders want, winning the Mud Brawl tournament.
The night came and the meeting was put on hold for now, they decided to take some time off because the ideas were not coming up. It is the same situation as yesterday which makes it more frustrating, the team is experiencing a mental block due to the gravity of the situation. It comes to the point wherein believing that tomorrow will be different is a far stretch, knowing that the tournament has been stagnant kills the team's motivation to succeed.
The daylight once again shines on the realm, and team FeLinE starts their morning with low self-esteem. Feeling like they were trapped in a looping circle and the lack of ability to break through lowers their confidence. Raven, Yuna, and FeLinE continue to participate in Mud Brawl while Darli and Lulu watch them.
"Why is everyone bummed out?" Darli asked Lulu.
"Maybe they are just stressed. It only took us a single day in Nesuto whereas it's our 4th day here." Lulu answered.
"Do nyu normally accomplish the mission in a single day?" Darli added.
"Not really, our first quest took more than a week. We spent a lot of days in BijouTerra." Lulu replied.
"Then what's the rush?" Darli questioned.
"Hmmm… That's actually a good question. Maybe things are getting into them." Lulu said.
"What if let's do something that will lighten up their mood! Even if this place is muddy, it's quite breathtaking if we change our perspective." Darli suggested.
"That's a nice idea! Let's do it!" Lulu agreed and the two of them immediately headed back to the camp.
Eventually, FeLinE, Raven, and Yuna also go back to their camp for lunch, and they are in for a treat. The camp was transformed into a lively vibe, not just something they could sleep in, but a hut that was also pleasing to the eyes. Decorated by different plants they gathered with the help of Gili, and the table is also set for a more fulfilling meal. The flowers may not be colorful but jungle plants are extremely huge, almost double the size of the regular flower size.
"Aaaa… What's with the setup?" Yuna asked.
"Welcome! Please take your seats, we prepared a meal!" Darli said.
"Darli noticed that everyone is quite down, that's why we decided to lighten things up! Let's take things easy and not be too harsh on ourselves." Lulu answered Yuna.
"That's sweet and thoughtful," Raven commented.
"FeLinE agrees, we unconsciously trying to match the same phase that we had in Nesuto," FeLinE:1000X said.
"Maybe we were just caught by the heat of the moment, resulting in a burnout. I guess we are truly too invested this time." Yuna added as she chuckled.
"Are nyu all just gonna stand there?" Darli questioned.
"Let's eat!" Lulu energetically said as they all started to enjoy their meal. Their food is still grilled fish since Darli and Lulu cannot cook complicated meals, but the ambiance of the place makes it different from the usual lunch.
Team FeLinE realized that overanalyzing things will only make things unbearable. Sometimes, all they need is a carefree spirit, it is the one that team FeLinE was missing when Kita was grouped with the other team. Luckily, Darli brings that energy, a free-spirited troublemaker.
After the refreshing time that they spent, everyone is back to their game, fired up and ready to continue. They may not be sure what's going to happen next, but at least they can try and prove that nothing is impossible for them. FeLinE, Raven, and Yuna went straight to the town proper and started their matches while Darli and Lulu proceeded to a different path. Wandering around won't be a problem for Darli and Lulu since Gili and Pily are always with them. It's their task to check if there's a corrupted Kemi anyway.
"Soooo, what are we doing next?" Lulu asked.
"We'll meet with Mathus," Darli answered.
"Say what now?" Lulu reacted.
"What?" Darli confusedly responded.
Lulu looked Darli straight into her eyes and said, "Nyu know what, I'll just trust nyu," removing all of the doubts in her mind.
"Great! That's the spice of adventure, not having any plan in the first place!" Darli replied.
Eventually, Darli and Lulu reach the cave where Mathus lives. Just like last time, Mathus is minding his own business, carving different tools for survival.
"What now?" Mathus asked as soon as he noticed Darli and Lulu.
"Nothing much, just checking," Darli answered.
"What are you up to?" Mathus repeated.
"I already answered your question, should I repeat it? We're just wandering around, doing nothing. Nyu can go back to your crafting adventure." Darli said.
"Yeah, that's what we are doing!" Lulu added.
Even with doubts in his mind, Mathus resumes carving.
"Sooo, what's fun about carving sticks?" Darli randomly asked.
"I thought you were not up to something?" Mathus replied.
"We're not, I'm just asking. Maybe I'll try it too if it's fun." Darli responded.
"There's nothing fun here, and stop asking me questions," Mathus answered.
"That sounds sad, are nyu sad? Oh, right, no questions. I'll just conclude that nyu are sad." Darli said.
"Look, I've been thinking about what that lifeless Catgirl said. I'll make my decision soon, no need to annoy me." Mathus told Darli.
"Nyu mean FeLinE? She may sound lifeless but nyu look way more lifeless here. No offense." Darli commented.
"At least he's planning to make a decision." Lulu supported Mathus.
"Nyu don't plan decision, nyu just decide. Just like how he decided to stay here and do nothing." Darli argued.
"These annoying little kittens… They are intentionally waking up my rage…" Mathus said to himself as he dropped his tools, "Fine, let's get this over with," he added.
Annoyed by the situation, Mathus goes straight to the town proper while Darli and Lulu follow him. He's been thinking about helping the Catgirls since yesterday, but his patience was pushed to the limit at that moment.
"THIS IS GONNA BE EXCITING!" Darli and Lulu both cheered as they tried to catch up with Mathus.
End of Chapter 7