Darkness.
No light, of course. No sound, either. No ground to support him, only an endless blackness
Yukio hovered, weightless, in a nowhere that stretched out in an eternal, suffocating expansExpanse The atmosphere—if he was even in an atmosphere—was bearing down upon him like a living monster, his senses formented by roaring in his ears.
"Where. am I?"
His voice didn't echo. It didn't even exist, devoured by the void in an instant.
Then, a voice, soft, playful, far, far too young for the burden it bore, whispered across the void.
"Nowhere in particular. Just in your own head."
Yukio twitched, turning towards the noise.
"I only brought you here because I couldn't really talk to you directly,"
The voice lingered, singing, taunting him. Her tone changed, tinged with a sneer he could imagine all too well.
"Anyway, I just wanted to give you a heads-up. I'll be sucking up all of the EXP that you gained, so don't freak out when you get down to level one, 'kay? You only have yourself to blame. I'm sick of relying on your mana for support. Sorry, but not so sorry, Yuki."
Yukio blinked,
"Wait—HEY! Hold up a sec! How do you even know my name, anyway? Who are you? Please tell me, better not be another deity playing games with me."
The girl laughed, a bright, melodic sound that for some reason radiated innocence as much as it did ancient.
"Oh, Yuki,"
She purred.
"You'll find out soon enough."
The darkness intensified, closing in from all directions until he was engulfed by it.
He woke up in a startled gasp.
Warmth. Linen sheets. The fragrance of lavender soap. Michibiki was nestled in his embrace, her head barely resting upon his chest, her breathing calm and at peace.
Yukio Let Out A Sigh While Gazing Up At The Ceiling
"…I really can't catch a break, can I?"
He closed his eyes again, this time drifting off into his exhaustion.
The morning bustled with activity. The dining hall of the inn was full of adventurers, exchanging tales, dishes banging together, aromas of coffee and grilled bread wafting everywhere.
A small table by the window showcased Yukio leaning over his plate of steaming tamagoyaki, his eyes aglow as he poked at his eggs with his fork.
"Man, this is perfect,"
He said.
"We're really starting off the morning on the right foot. What's the occasion? My birthday or something?"
Opposite him, Michibiki slowly stirred her coffee, her movements calm and measured. She didn't even look up.
"Don't be such a fool,"
She continued smoothly,
"Think of it as an apology for yesterday. But—"
Her golden eyes flicked up at him,
"—we're still continuing training today. You have to get back some XP."
Yukio's smile wavered. A flashback of that void from the previous night hit him like an icy wave. He froze for an instant and then quickly brought up his system window.
A faint shimmer materialized before him, as letters began to appear, illuminated by an ethereal glow:
----
[System window]
Name: Yukio
Class: N/A
Level: 1
Strength: 45
Defense: 20
Ability: 50
Vitality: 30
Mana: ???
Luck: ???
Intelligence: 40
Spirit: 88
Unique Skill: Wheel of Providence
----
Yukio's jaw fell open,
"That little brat…"
He groaned, hauling a hand down his face.
She cocked her head in interest, slid out of her chair, leaned down to peer at the screen over him, her hair caressing his shoulder.
"Well,"
She said, her tone playful,
"At least your stats increased. You're a lot stronger than most people of your age. That's an accomplishment, isn't it?"
He gazed up at her, his eyes half-weeping,
"Don't say that as if it's reassuring! I'll file a complaint in Fukui!"
"Good luck with that,"
She said, smiling.
"I'm sure the gods hear customer feedback in large numbers."
The streets of Gaelora began to hum by mid-morning—hawking cries of bargains, rickshas groaning over cobblestone streets, and skewered meats grilling to tantalizing aromas wafting through the air. Yukio trudged along in step with Michibiki, pockets full of his fists, his arrogance well and
"This is probably the Threads of Fate's fault,"
He grumbled, kicking a pebble.
"I thought it said half of my experience, but all of it."
He received a taunting smile from Michibiki.
"It's the price you pay to evolve. Growth always takes something back."
"Whoopty-do,"
Yukio sighed dramatically.
"I regret my choice. I wanna go to heaven."
Without missing a beat, Michibiki reached to pull his cheek.
"Too late, mister. You're stuck here until you die again."
Yukio winced, rubbing his face.
"Yeah, well, let's hope I don't."
The two finally stopped in front of a large stone structure that sported a thick wooden door and a large sign across it that proclaimed in bright letters: Ebonforge Smithy. Both of them blinked, saying in almost perfect sync,
"Wait—is she Tharos Ebonforge's daughter?"
Entering, they were met by the smells of steel and oil. Along the walls, weapons hung in perfect lines—swords, spears, shields, and even armor that shimmered ever so slightly with magic. Every single item of them all appeared to have a war story to tell.
Michibiki walked up to the counter and rang his bell. A muffled call came from the back, followed by a staccato beat of boot steps.
"Coming!"
Kaede appeared, a smudge of soot remaining on her cheek, her auburn hair tied up in a sloppy braid. Her bright, amber eyes sparkled as she caught sight of them.
"Huh, you actually came by! Morning, you two. What can I do for you today?"
She asked, putting her hammer down on the counter, reaching up to plant her hand on her hip.
Michibiki crossed her arms, her tone cool but friendly.
"New light armor for this idiot. He destroyed the one I bought him, so he's due for a replacement."
Kaede snorted
"Figures. You've definitely got the look of someone she babysits. I can see the brokenness in your eyes."
Yukio glared
"I'm only broke because I'm not allowed to hold money! I'm apparently too untrustworthy."
He even resorted to using air quotes.
"You are! You'd gamble away our entire savings in one night!"
Yukio folded his arms, grinning smugly.
"Hey, I have skills, I have luck, I could beat anybody in a game of chance."
Kaede raised an eyebrow in amusement.
"Oh really? That's the sort of talk I hear before people eat dirt."
She leaned in closer, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
"Tell you what, gambler—let's make this interesting. My rules, my shop. You're an adventurer, right? A bet, then. Whoever destroys the most monsters in trick shots wins. Loser buys drinks, does one thing for winner."
Yukio's smile widened.
"I like the sound of that. You're on."
Sighed Michibiki, pinching her nose bridge in exasperation
"Here we go again…"
Kaede laughed, already reaching for her smithing gloves.
"Can't wait to see how much trouble you get into, Yuki-boy."
The Adventurers' Guild was more noisy than usual that morning, until Yukio, Michibiki, and Kaede entered.
The talk stopped as if a switch had been turned off. Dozens of eyes turned to them—warriors, mages, and rogues who stopped drinking, stopped eating, to look at them.
Yukio blinked.
"What's with the funeral vibes?"
Kaede walked alongside him, her hammer slung over her shoulder, as she smiled quietly at his remark.
"Wonder what you two did?"
She teased, smirking
"Feels like you offended the entire guild."
Yukio smiled, waving away the attention.
"I don't know, but who cares? I sure don't."
From behind the counter, a familiar voice called out enthusiastically.
"Morning, you two! Oh—morning, Kaede!"
Emera waved, her bright smile penetrating the tension in the room.
"It looks like you've made some friends."
Kaede placed a hand on her hip, grinning back.
"You could say that"
"So,"
She continued, leaning on the counter,
"what quests are up today? I'm in the mood to make someone eat dirt."
Yukio snorted
"Come on, Try me! You're the one who's gonna be eating a fine dish of defeat, courtesy of yours truly."
Emera blinked in response to this, her face ranging between amusement and consternation.
"Oh? So you're teaming up as a party?"
"Looks like it,"
Kaede said with a shrug.
Emera pulled a stack of quest papers from the board and laid them out.
"Because you'll be with Kaede, you can handle something a little tougher than usual."
Kaede's eyes sparkled with excitement. One slip of paper was quickly seized by her before anyone else could get to it.
"This one. Troll hunt."
Michibiki leaned in to read what it said—and scowled as soon
"Are you mad? That idiot is unable to deal with a hobgoblin. What is he going to do faced with a troll?"
Kaede pulled the paper away, unfazed.
"Hey, he's the one who placed the bet. There's no reason to pull out now."
She turned to Yukio, her face set in a grin of pure challenge.
"Or are you scared, Yuki-boy?"
Yukio's eyelid twitch
"Pussy? Oh, you're so on"
His eyes flashed faintly red, a spark of his power awakening.
"That's what I like to hear."
She turned to Emera.
"We'll take the quest."
Michibiki pinched the bridge of nose, mumbling,
"Idiots. Both of you."
Emera stamped the quest with approval and slid the paper across the counter.
"Alright then. Try not to cause any property damage this time."
Kaede laughed, then clapped a hand on Michibiki's shoulder.
"Relax, I can handle a few trolls. I may not look like it, but I'm an A-Rank adventurer. You're in good hands."
Before either of them could argue, Kaede grabbed both Yukio and Michibiki by the wrists.
"Alright, dream team—let's go!"
And just like that, they were out the door, leaving behind a guild full of whispers and raised eyebrows.