"You? You took it?" Mirabella asked, still processing the word.
"Yes," Carl confirmed, staring back at her with wide, innocent eyes. "I saw it lying right there. I didn't even realize it was a skeleton at all. What happened? Is it important? If you want it, you can have it. I don't know what to do with it."
He tapped his Galaxy Bracelet, and a cluster of glowing Monster Cards appeared before them.
Mirabella stared at the skeletons monster cards, speechless, but to her shock, Carl continued:
"Mirabella, what are these? I have so many of them, but I don't know what to do with them."
He gestured to the Twenty glowing green cards and one purple card floated in the air, which he just brought out.
Mirabella blinked. Absorbing Monster Cards was fundamental knowledge; every player instantly learned how to do it upon receiving the bracelet. Yet, here was Carl, completely oblivious.
"Um... Do you have more of these?" she asked carefully.
"No, these are the ones I have." Carl answered.
"You... you just showed this wealth to me?" Mirabella asked, her frown deepening. In Galaxy Fall, flaunting unabsorbed cards was inviting a swift, silent murder.
"Yes. What's wrong?"
'Gosh, this guy is truly dangerously naive.' Mirabella thought. She decided a practical lesson was needed.
"What if I kill you right now and take these cards? What would you do?" she challenged him.
Carl blinked, momentarily confused, then fascinated. "Why would you kill me? These things are useless."
"Place your palm on one," Mirabella instructed.
Carl hesitated for a moment, then, trusting her implicitly, placed his palm on the purple card. To his shock, the card shattered into light and was absorbed into his body.
"I... I just entered Level 2!" he exclaimed, clenching his fists. "Wow, I feel so powerful! Now I get it!" He looked up at Mirabella, his eyes shining with newfound understanding.
"Good. Now absorb them all—"
"GRRRAAAA!!!!"
A deafening roar cut Mirabella off. The three turned right to see a colossal Skeleton Lion Boss—Level 15—stomping rapidly toward them.
"What the fuck?! How did a Boss get here?!" Mirabella swore, shock overriding her composure. Bosses rarely roamed outside their specific spawn points, or group.
"Run!!" she yelled at Carl.
Carl, instinctively obedient, stored his remaining cards and bolted.
GRAAAAA!!
To Mirabella and Cupcake's utter astonishment, the Skeleton Lion Boss completely ignored the Level 10 Mirabella and the Level 10 Cupcake, and accelerated after the fleeing Level 2 Carl.
"...?!"
"What in the world is happening?" Cupcake demanded, her tail bristling.
"I'm equally stunned," Mirabella replied, jumping onto Cupcake's back. "Follow them."
__
After only a few minutes of pursuit, Cupcake and Mirabella froze on the spot, watching the scene before them in utter surprise and disbelief.
Five different Boss monsters—two Skeleton Lions, a Stone Golem, and two mutated Trolls—were now chasing Carl across the open field, their combined roars shaking the ground.
GRAAAAAA!!
'What does that guy have?' Mirabella thought, staring intently. 'He's lucky he has an Assassin Bloodline, which grants him the initial speed to survive this long. But how is he still alive, and why is he a magnet? Is he some kind of Boss Lure Trait?'
"Shouldn't we help him?" Cupcake asked, clearly unnerved.
"Well... this is something entirely new," Mirabella said, a predatory glint entering her eyes. "I don't know what happened to him in my previous life, but with this skill, I can keep killing Bosses. This is a perpetual loot farm."
"But that will expose your true strength to him," Cupcake reminded her.
"True. But Carl is someone I can manipulate... I mean, trust, after some manipulation." She raised her hand, and countless sapphire-blue energy arrows materialized, humming with lethal force.
"Ahhh!!! Help! Why are you all chasing me?!" Carl screamed, pushing his Assassin-inherited speed to its maximum, the five Bosses gaining ground.
"I'm going to die! Mirabella, save me!!" he wailed as the maw of the Skeleton Lion Boss reached over him.
WHOOSH!!
BAM!!!
Each of the five Bosses was struck simultaneously in the skull by an arrow. The Level 15-20 monsters instantly dropped to the ground, dead.
"....?!"
Carl stopped running, panting heavily, and turned around to stare at the five collapsed Bosses.
"Wow!! These monsters are so weak! Good job, Mirabella!" he yelled, running back toward her.
Mirabella jumped down, quickly tapped her bracelet, and turned the five Bosses into purple Monster Cards. She then placed her palm on them, absorbing the power.
{EXP Gained: 250 Exp.}
'Ugh, I need that server upgrade to hit the zone and increase this EXP gain.' She grumbled inwardly, then turned to Carl with a serious expression.
"Okay, Carl. Whatever happened here must not be leaked to anyone. You know why?"
Carl slowly shook his head, still breathing heavily.
"Because we will die," she stated flatly.
"Huh?"
"There are countless powerful enemies hiding in the dark. If they discover I can kill these monsters this easily, or that you can outrun these monsters—especially if they realize you're a Boss Lure—you will be in immediate trouble. Do you understand that?"
Carl slowly thought about her words, finally connecting his recent near-death experience with real danger. He nodded. "I understand. Absolute secrecy."
"So can I absorb mine now? I want to be as strong as you!" he asked, eyes wide with ambition.
Mirabella smiled—a small, rare, genuine smile.
'Asset secured.'
She tapped her bracelet and sent a Guild Invitation to Carl.
DING!
Carl stared at the invitation, then his eyes widened in explosion:
"Wow!!! I just got an invitation to the strongest Guild in Galaxy Fall! The number one guild with one member! The Guild belonging to Spectral!" he exclaimed, accepting instantly.
"Gosh, he killed countless Bosses in the Beginner Round and even a World Boss! He is my idol! If he's a guy, I'll be his slave! A girl, I will be his toy!!" He cheered, throwing a fist into the air.
"I just hit the jackpot!!"
Mirabella and Cupcake stared at him in silent daze.
"Wait... How does he know me?" Carl suddenly stopped cheering, looking confused. "I'm only Level 2, wait, now; Level 3. There are more powerful players out there. Why me? Did he love me? No, I don't like men. Or is it something else?"
"Hey," Mirabella called out, regaining her composure.
Carl turned back to her, still reeling from his fantasy.
"I am Spectral."
Carl froze, his jaw slackening. He turned to Mirabella, shock wiping away the joy.
"What... what did you just say?" he asked in disbelief.
"I am Spectral. And don't even think I love you or anything of that sort," she said, her voice firm. "Just stay close, and make sure to keep your distance from Ethan, Angela, Miranda, and Alice. They are my enemies." She got on Cupcake, turning to leave.
"Mistress!!!"
Mirabella turned around in confusion, seeing Carl drop onto one knee, head bowed, an image straight out of a romance fantasy novel.
"Mistress?" Mirabella grimaced at the title.
"Mistress, from now onwards, I am your loyal servant! I will do anything you say! If you say I should go left, I will never go right!" he vowed.
"Gosh, you read too many Fantasy novels," Mirabella muttered, shaking her head.
"What next, Mistress?"
"Don't call me that."
"Okay, what next, Duchess?"
"Don't call me that."
"Um... What about Countess?"
Mirabella glared at him over her shoulder.
"Okay! Okay! What about, My Queen?" he asked, a smirk of triumph on his face.
Mirabella sighed, realizing this was the only way to move forward. She rode away on Cupcake. "Fine. Do as you like."
"Okay, My Queen!" Carl sprang up and sprinted to catch up. "What now, My Queen?"
Mirabella threw a pouch over her shoulder. Carl, demonstrating his Assassin agility, caught it effortlessly. He opened it, seeing the glint of gold.
"That's 5,000 gold coins. Once we get back to the city store, you will buy armor and a good weapon. Then we hunt. We have three months before the Server Upgrade and the next region of Galaxy Fall unlocks. We need to maximize our power before then."
"Wow... you're so rich! That's why you're the Queen!" Carl said, his mind already spinning with possibilities. He pointed at Cupcake. "How did you get this monster?"
The moment he said that, Cupcake slapped him across the face with her tail, sending him sprawling into the sand.
"Cupcake is not a monster. She is my partner and my family," Mirabella corrected, looking down at the bewildered Carl. "Show respect next time."
She then softened her tone, recognizing a chance to educate her new subordinate. "If you want a Companion, we will have to locate a Boss's nest, steal its offspring, and then raise it by fusing your Spirit Energy into it until it only recognizes you. That is the only way."
Carl sat up, wiping the sand from his face, his shock turning to deep curiosity.
"How do you know so much, Mirabella? Did you like, reborn or pass through time?" Carl asked, his casual question freezing Mirabella and Cupcake instantly.