COI C277

  At Isekai City, the female gang leader was shock. Not only she can’t trace Tabitha, she has a magic item powerful enough and impossible to lose her from a far distance. It should’ve also brought her and her friends back to Isekai City if she uses teleportation magic. Failed to interrogate her and failed to track her down with the cult leader’s elven magic. She starts to realize how she underestimate the Enders so badly. She rubs her face in disappointment as she took to social media to calm her down.

  “It’s been a few months after the drastic disaster happening in our city. The massive crystallized blizzard, the debris all around Mihayara district, and many public unrests happening to the population. But, today. Today is the day of the sight of great improvement. The city is getting rebuilt thanks to Taiyou Industries and many others who help assisting the project. Now the communities all around the city is now walking freely and working as normal. We also . . .”

  She stops the video as it didn’t help her ease her troubled state. For the one who is involved in the entertainment enterprise, this is her opportunity to have employees to make stories and shows about it. The idea to keep the citizens stay in this world would help to keep the city function after all the chaos had happened before. Sadly, her mind is fixated on Tabitha and her diabolical escape. Tempted as her eyes focus on the other recruit, with a swap of her device, she sees Miyusuki’s photo. An opportunity, she thought.

  Suddenly, a reminder pops up on her screen

  “Don’t you dare try ruining your image, ME!”

  The female gang leader gritted her teeth at her frustration peaked. Her expression was so mix, and the feeling of regret that she ever did trying to make that live stream.

  “FUCK! If it wasn’t for the views. I would have scare him off now and there”

  Another one pops up at her screen, it is her monthly revenue. The live stream where Miyusuki, his friends, and his guild members. Her face never felt so ironic.

  The thumbnail shows Miyusuki, the shield student. His friends, Ootadakimasu and UsweetA-(censored). His guild members, Myrrkei and Archivist. Not only it is popular, but the two viral Enders are together with him. The rat of the city, and the popular LED masked martial artist who was involved at the schools’ event in the water realm. This was her biggest break and luckily no gang was ever involved to get in her way. This what got to be her biggest debut as the multi-platformer streamer. She plays the stream as the playlist shows 2 hours each with the total of 12 videos. All of them reaching to the hundred thousand views with massive replays. She hopes this will ease her stress.

  …

  One week and a few days earlier, before the incident at the East Coast. Isekai City holds an assembly as thousands of its citizens gathering at Miahayara District. Desolated by the siege and numerous supernatural events had broken the district into barren ruins. Now rebuilt and still building as efforts across the districts had made it into powerful megastructures. Workers from Taiyou Industries, adventurers from the city guild, and the manpower from Chojima are all worked very hard to retake their city with limited resources they have.

  The advisor takes the stage. After months of frustration and gloom from the horrendous natural disasters of the dusts, he finally walks toward the mic eyeing at the morning sun.

  “Good morning, and thank you for all of your hard work in rebuilding the city. The train station at Taiyou Industry is steadily supplying the materials needed from Enders Bridge. Because of their cooperation, we are reminded once again that this world continues to aid us whenever is needed. Since the day of the siege, those Enders risk their lives to protect our dearest people from . . .”

  While the speech continues, among the crowd is two of the Dexter Guild. Repair boy and the researcher who is representative as an Archscientist. One who still wears his power armor, and the woman still wears her lab coat, purple gloves, and black boots. They were standing out at first. But thanks to their own technological equipment, they blend in as normal citizen as the researcher as an average businesswoman while Repair boy looks like an obese man both height and weight. Hearing the speech from the advisor slowly loses her interest then they leave without a care.

  The two head to one of the secret rooms made by Ironno himself. She scans the entrance and found to be complete. The tsk on her lips as she had to search them again. The Repair Boy asks her

  “His progress is improving even without Rh-0”

  “His name is now Haw, Repair Boy. I’m sure he won’t be coming back soon”

  “About the young boy?”

  “It’s high time that Raker Mawn guild should adapt the city’s innovation. A member from Isekai City should have traits valuable for them instead following traditions”

  “You don’t like the one who trained him keep fixing the secret rooms”

  “Clearly those materials, augh! Just ignore it”

  The researcher finds the secret room wasn’t finished. An unfinished room means no protection from her tracking device. She takes a look and finds where they are. There is also a note lying around as if Ironno already knew they are looking for them. She closes her tracking device and said to the Repair boy

  “Oh, are they now?”

  She picks up her personal device and looking at social media. There’s an event going on in the internet. The popularity of livestreaming is everywhere.

  Miyusuki has been busy helping Ironno rebuilding the secret rooms. It was boring at first, but after shipments after shipments of materials handed over to them. The curiosity of his eyes including his friends were neither exhausted nor dulled.

  “It’s hard to say we haven’t had a quest since that day but doing household chores after a catastrophe. At least we see some nice interior design”

  Usweet- said it jokingly as he is looking over the pictures he had taken at the secret rooms.

  One by one, it gives uniqueness on each one. From colors, themes, and posters. It feels like they are someone else’s rooms. Other than that, the rest of it had piqued their interest with the furniture and many things they can’t comprehend.

  “Interior design? Like you try seeing it for the first time . . . muffled*”

  “Ssh* Not another embarrassing words from your mouth, Ota”

  Usweet- uses his magic to block his mouth. Ootadakimasu removes it like it was tape on his mouth.

  “So, Shield Student. When are we are going to do a real quest?”

  Miyusuki was busy reading his notes. Ironno taught him for the entirety of the cycle is mostly rebuilding the secret rooms scattered all around Mihayara district and Taiyou Industries. Turning the pages to the end, he reads a dangerous reminder for himself. “Fuku City tunnel network, the venues are closely where the gangs are and the controversial reports about the returning citizens who defected”

  “Hey, Miyusuki. Ota is asking you. MIYUSUKI!”

  “AH!”

  Usweet- carries Miyusiki up after screaming at his ears then slams him with a suplex. Ootadakimasu looks away as ironically grins at the two.

  The train station sounds the horn as the train is coming. It’s been a while since they see the cargo train. To their surprised, the train is covered in crystallized debris and dusts all over. It’s been a while since the last dusts ever crystallized. Seeing it again as if something happened. They take a closer look and find out the train has special plating that would create crystallization from the dust. Lies inside left with bones they swiftly look away.

  Usweet- scratches his head. “When will the dusts go away?!”

  Miyusuki picks himself from the ground “We all know it will go away when the dark green moon arrived”

  “When will it that be?”

  Usweet- asks as he slowly goes to one of the passenger cargoes. Large numbers of adventurers and locals coming out as they step aside. One after the other, they try to look for Miyusuki’s guild members. After a short moment, the train is empty and there is no one left to spot. Ootadakimasu felt a bit disappointed

  “So uhm, where are they?”

  “Ironno said they were supposed to come here today”

  MIyusuki pulls out his gauntlet. As he checks it and forgot the power is out. Without Haw maintaining it, his gauntlet is nothing but an empty heavy glove. He doesn’t have enough energy to power it back up again. He sighs. They notice

  “Oh, cheer up. Teacher Haw would be back next week or so. Powering up that baby of yours and we can do a lot of stuff together again”

  “Thanks Usweet-“

  Ootadakimasu nods and gives Miyusuki a simple wave. The three continues to wait until the train begins to head back.

  One of them starts to overreacting “Why are we still waiting when everyone onboard at the train already LEFT!”

  Miyusuki and Usweet- step away from Ootadakimasu as he is the first burst out in anger. The two look at him worriedly.

  “Hey, Ota. I thought you don’t mind joining us, but why the outrage”

  “I was excited okay. After months of just focusing on the secret rooms, where are those Miysuki’s guild members and their adventurers. Remember the dangers we have pulled through and!”

  Ootadakimasu stares at the distance. Embarassingly tilted as he saw them. Miyusuki and Usweet- notices his expression changes and follow his direction. Two Raker Mawn guild member made it out from the empty passenger cargo. They checked it before, but there was no one there. People who boarded in noticed them as they got out. Rumors spread coming out from the empty passenger cargo. They ignored the passengers and go directly to the three boys.

  Myrrkei apologizes to Miyusuki

  “Never thought being late on the train made people acting up”

  Archivist with his LED mask shows disappointment expression “We were onboard screening. You can’t imagine how your security used during inside the train”

  “So, that’s why Ironno told us to wait longer even after the train stops. Why can’t he explain to us like that earlier?”

  The two Enders look at each other and said “Ironno can explain to you? Did he ever taught you what those secret rooms meant?”

  Myrrkei says to them as they never thought about it. Both Myrrkei and Archivist thought so.

  They head to Miyahara district. The district had already finished at the inner areas of the city. The other streets are nearly completion while the others are still need of fixing. The buildings are as clean as ever, but somehow on the street, even on the pavement sidewalks, there are messes that need to be clean. There is slime looks dark, heavily thick, and its big. Myrrkei points at it.

  “What is that thing?”

  “Oh that, they just found out during the siege or was it after. Those slimes are a menace. It eats mana and made others sick by skin contact. There are quests about it, but neither the adventurers and the locals weren’t able to exterminate it”

  Archivist leans to Myrrkei. Myrrkei pushes him slightly, not giving them the details that those black slimes were from Rune Isles. From what he remembered from his guild members’ reports. They were spilled out from the blood from his own guild members. None magic users are easily the best carriers as none of them have mana. To those who have can felt it as they feel weak and drained flowing through their limbs. This irresponsibility takes from his guild are very noticeable. Then his head hits him, in his thought

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  “That’s right, the lab . . .”

  Miyusuki stops as his shoulder pulled from Myrrkei “I’m shouldn’t be the one to be your trainer, but. What did Ironno helped you fix the secret rooms? Your awkward silence made me worry about a certain room I visit”

  Usweet- checks his device to find the picture of the secret rooms. He showed it to him as Myrrkei search it diligently. His eyes are straight forward as he clumsily swapping the photos and kept returning to the homepage. Usweet- felt annoyed and helps him.

  After multiple scrolls later, Myrrkei can’t find it.

  “Ironno didn’t helped you where I was in. Now, I’m getting worried”

  Archivist turns his mask expression into annoyance. It looks comedic when the two facing each other like that. The three almost smirk but realize that these Enders are serious. They can’t help but to join them. Finally, their expectation to go on a dangerous adventure is about to begin.

  The secret room, it was housed a blood lurker or what the city called them as black slime. It was able to feed itself because of the remains left behind from the monsters and the people from the siege. It is capable to hibernating and later blood hardened when it satisfies itself from the mana all around them. Luckily, they can’t survive much when exposing to the sun nor the Alga’s light. That’s why it rarely seen at Kinteinnou region except carried by the host. Myrrkei’s findings have been cultivating while he was away. Like most researchers, there are so many to discover and forgot about the other.

  When they reach the secret room, it was farther than they have expected. It is close to Mihayara for sure, but never would’ve thought the secret room had multiple secret passages and all of them were destroyed during the 4th moon cycle. Hidden near the underground utility room, there is more stains from the black slime. The three boys start to venture down, but they were stopped by Archivist.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I thought it was safe to go down. Secret rooms are mostly protected including the surrounding area”

  “True, but what if it is broken?”

  “. . .”

  “Thought so, Haw really needs to get to your school about it”

  They stood back and watch Myrrkei going down. The moment he reaches closely to the black stains. The stains expanded and a glob itself around him. Myrrkei struggled at first, then he quickly goes in and an explosion erupts. The flames go out and the black slime melted down into a pile of puddles. Myrrkei gets out drinking a powerful healing potion. They saw a glimpse of the gore and torn off flesh coming from him. The three boys react

  “What the actual fuck just we just saw?”

  Myrrkei replies “The sign of progress”

  To hear Myrrkei to say that in a serious tone, Archivist brushed it off as he told them

  “It’s better not to know. Let’s hurry inside and see why Myrrkei risking his limbs for this”

  Ootadakimasu and his abilities can detect the condition of his fellow teammates. He saw a glimpse on the damage Myrrkei had. The explosion has a weak combustion compared to an actual explosion. It only shows his limbs being torn off, not his body, nor his head. This black slime he heard about on the news say nothing about this.

  Myrrkei stands next to the table, there is a glass container already broken. Shattered and scattered all around the room. The room has multiple boxes, different textures and other magic materials wiped clean off with the same black stains. The secret room was destroyed leaving the specimen escape. From all the samples Myrrkei had been taken away, this one is the most valuable he hid.

  While he was idling about from this discovery. Archivist is nosing around the room until he finds a note written by Ironno. The paper is made from Enders Bridge and quality of the paper was able to survive this ordeal. Not a moment to read it silently, he blurted out

  “. . . He hid the last sample in this room . . .”

  Archivist catches an object before it hits him. He holds it tightly as a spectral figure almost released from the object. The three boys saw it. Archivist explains to them

  “There’s no need to concern about this. Myrrkei is a bit angry”

  Archivist retaliates as he bends his magic and using the sash to hold Myrrkei from any impulse reactions. Myrrkei turns around and tried to drink his potions to turn into a shadowy figure. He turns into the darkness, then engulfed himself into the jar. The jar emits dark void and a voice coming from Myrrkei

  “I always keep forgetting that you’re a martial artist”

  “It gets worse, you three. Do you want to know about this paper? It holds the origin of the black slime”

  “. . . Never would I ever so tried to write this down about this disease. The report had already sent to the guild. Yet, I am sure to keep some of the papers here. In the near future this specimen will be release to the city. These blood lurkers will seek the mana whomever it wanted. Strange fluid like creatures will cause damages to those citizens bare no skills on magic. Luckily, the sun touches the city and blessed by the gods’ embrace. It won’t be a problem for them to ever suffer such sickness. Just like us, the carriers . . .”

  “. . . I’ve returned to exchange words with Spokesman from the other day. Even him and his wife, Lilith, had no knowledge to get rid of it. It was belonged from the era had lost its knowledge about the blood lurkers. It will become the parasite of the city if it had to be them to do something about it . . .”

  The rest of the paper left blank as the last report was written at the last siege attempt. Archivist understands why Myrrkei is angry right now. He looks at the jar as the darkness looms around like it as it was haunting.

  Usweet- and Ootadakimasu stared at Miyusuki with suspicion as if he was involved too. The look of their eyes as Miyusuki quickly confessed

  “Why are you looking at me like we’re going to have another difficult quest?!”

  The two looks away as they didn’t show the right impression of him being guilty for his guild. Because of that, they ruined the suspense. Ootadakimasu admits

  “I guess we failed at peer pressures. Seriously though, the city had given a hefty bounty fighting against those black slimes. If they know it was your guild, you guys are definitely in trouble”

  Archivist agrees “Certainly, but that’s not what I’m concern about. I know Myrrkei and his negligence of certain research. This means we need to find the creature and destroy it”

  The jar changes darker as ever before. It emits a radiance as the jar disappeared and around it. The void crept in like darkness had consumed their sight. Archivist continues

  “The real question is where to start?”

  “May I intrude in your meeting?”

  They turn around sees two people entered the secret room. The three boys dazzled from the beauty of the researcher and at the same time intimidated by the power armor behind her.

  Miyusuki recognizes one of them. “Hey, that’s repair boy from the Dexter Guild”

  The researcher turns around and gleefully responds from him “The Repair Boy, you two never team up yet?”

  “No, ma’am. It was R-cord and McS4 who accompanied him”

  “Really, then if he is the same boy trained by Haw. The show me your gauntlet”

  Archivist shielded Miyusuki before he shows her the gauntlet.

  “But first, why are you here exactly?”

  The researcher laughs charmingly as she wears her oval glasses.

  “Oh, my manners. At first, we want to check on Haw’s recruit. The gauntlet keeps ringing my colleague here. However, we step into a room with a little surprise with the duyrbld here”

  “Du-what?”

  “Just called it black slime, Usweet-. We’ll never going to understand names with our UI’s translation”

  “I won’t mind having their names translated. I will make a whole lot easier, Ota”

  The researcher continues “As for getting into trouble, how about we can hide this little secret and make something out of it?”

  Usweet- is against it “Like how? It becomes a problem in the sewers. Those black slimes will cause problems and . . .”

  “You do know the payment on exterminating black slimes reaches to 6 to 7 figures”

  “You know what? I think she got a point” Ootadakimasu blatantly says it.

  Usweet- is furious “Getting profit from the Enders a mistake, are we going to accept like this . . .”

  “I’m not saying she is right. Let’s hear her out. From the records here, it is hard to get rid of those black slime. It’s been months now as many people across the city states had difficulty to stop it. And more importantly, why didn’t Enders Bridge help?”

  The researcher looks at him looking down as if she was impressed, but how silly is to see a young boy acting confident to easily destroy the common disease. It’s not, their true sizes are microorganism. Them to grow in size is thanked by the presence of magic and blood. The blood, there are sources it came from the demon.

  Researcher made them an offer “This room is the evidence that the Enders are the one who caused it. And I’m offering a different way to pay such inconvenience”

  Usweet- looks at her lab coat hiding away her sexy body figure. He hits himself as she looks at him confused

  “As Enders, we have to deal these problems fruitfully. As no one had a bright idea why we live near the Rune Isles with nothing to live on. Ahem* It’s like this. With the people called it, black slime, will indeed hinder the reconstruction. I can provide a little help, and proof . . .”

  She slips her hand from her lab coat and shows them a signed contract.

  “. . . There is an owner who offered nice 3 floors for us to settle. This is my share of the reward to you if you want to accept it”

  The paper shows a free paid 3 floors above the parking area. It wasn’t anything special but it’s free. Where the place is close to most commercial zones, this is the most ideal place for anyone to hang out. Both Usweet- and Ootadakimasu were both tempted, and Miyusuki thought it feels like a dream. His responds

  “Are you going to use us to test your experiment?”

  Repair Boy responds “As it always intended, we can also add some little help with your energy problem”

  Miyusuki looks at his gauntlet. To get it running again will helped him a lot as he needs it for his training. His shield is good and all, and some techniques taught by Sanquin herself. But there is something he wanted to try after months of his self-training. He turns to Archivist for his reaction. Archivist said to her

  “Let’s see what is this solution of yours. I hope it isn’t illegal”

  Researcher nods and raises her hand to the side as Repair boy places a box on her hand. She opens the box and shows them a provoking aura. A marble sized jewel possessing unnerving power with demonic essence within. She stares at the entrance where the puddles of fluid lying around. She bends to her knees and rolls the marble as it touches the fluid. The puddles begin to gather around it and the marble turns to life. The black slime is being mutated into a monster. The monster from Rune Isles.

  The monster is pulled into the room, both the Repair boy and the researcher closes the door letting them deal with it. In a tight small room, they prepared themselves into a fight. The secret room had been sealed off, as the darkness from Myrrkei continues to spread covered the room in total darkness. They tried to use light magic, but it was quickly consumed by the darkness. Archivist with his LED mask brightens only in one direction. They see the monster solidify from its slime body and behaves like a blob. Its rubbery mold movements going its weight at them.

  Darkness looms, the three boys could only hear blubbery noises and lot of crashing between boxes. They barely see as they tried to huddled themselves. Ootakadimasu links his hands on to Miyusuki and Usweet-, when he releases an aura. The blob creature latches on to him the moment his aura appeared. They suddenly jolted backward as they being slam against the wall. Ootakadimasu tries to resist it but it was too powerful by its own weight. The sound of the coin bouncing around into his view. The moment the coin touches him. The drain from the blob hardened and blocked absorbing his mana.

  A mask appeared showing a serious expression. Archivist grabs the monster and pulled back away from them. The LED mask remains blinking until the darkness consumed it.

  “Shield! Bring me a shield!”

  Miyusuki heard Archivist and brings out his runic shield. As he tried to give it to him. The dark presence made it harder for him to throw it. A hand reaches out to the shield where Archivist mask raying its light on the blob.

  “I’ll take that!”

  He disappeared as the sounds of battering mud kept going inside the darkness.

  Usweet- is confused as the tight room is getting messy. He summons his twin weapons trying to fight it. Flaying around as he hits mud. Hard texture of slime, molded like clay. His magic weapons can’t pierce through because of the mana it had. Frustrated, he tries to hit it more without anything harming it. The blob grabs him and pulled into its body. Usweet- suffocated from the innards of the blob. He sees a light coming from the mask. Archivist reaches him and pushes him out from the blob.

  He made it out throwing his weapons at the monster with his last attempt as an attack. The twin weapons slid inside the blob hitting something in the inside. There they see Archivist in the inside using Miyusuki’s runic shield and Usweet-‘s twin weapons. Setting himself into a stance as his mana flows as it being consumed. The moment it starts to hardened. He suddenly strikes hardened part of its body and surge of mana going to its core. A bulk of shock coming out as magic burst out in a flash of light.

  Sudden strikes after the other, the three boys watch him fight flickering between flashes of light. The LED mask starts to show clearer as it gives a crazy look hitting each hardened parts of the blob’s innards. The blob’s core is revealed, still fester to form. Miyusuki reacts and brings out his throwing daggers. He throws it but wasn’t hard enough to pierce deep. Archivist grabs it and slide the dagger on the runic shield. Concentrating the powers of the dagger and the runic shield combine. Creating a reaction fusing together between runes, and his mana.

  The runic shield pulses outward, creating the blob to expand. It pushes the three inside of it, sinking them in. Ootakadimasu didn’t pulled in, the coin attached to him only pushes him against the wall tighter than before. Usweet- and Miyusuki are trapped inside the blob. Archivist reaches to them and pinpoint at their heads sending his magic into them. Their heads flashes as their mind begin to react on its own.

  The two feels their mana is being sucked out. Both of them can see Archivist is pulling it out. They endure and hoping Archivist uses it against the monster. Then they feel their mana is coming back. The two opens their eyes and see all around them can see through the dark. They look at each other as they received some kind of night vision. The two follows their new profound instinct and reaches out their hands on the core. Their mana flows into it and begin to hardened. The innards start to hardened and the whole blob turned to stone.

  The jar falls on the ground and breaks. Myrrkei rematerialized himself from the shadowy figure and throws another potion to bring out his spectral spider. The ghost like glows removes the darkness. They see the blob in stone, starts to fall apart into dust. Miyusuki and Usweet- burst out from the blob. They take a heavy breathing after they managed to beat it. Usweet- pants at the surreal fight

  “I thought we are going to die”

  “Sigh* Archivist did all the work. Say, where is he?”

  Archivist bends the crumbling blob as he checks the embodiment of the blood lurker.

  “This is hard to believe, but the black slime is gone. It actually dies”

  Myrrkei shouts back “Of course it dies. It got mutated”

  “Mutated?” Miyusuki asks.

  The researcher comes in “Yes, mutation. A large chunk of bacterial organisms won’t do to stop it. Unless they are fused together in one core . . .”

  Myrrkei cuts her “It becomes a one entity. But. What you are using is forbidden”

  The researcher fixes her oval glasses and said “Is there any way to get rid something so small? What I show you is the sole solution to get rid of it”

  Myrrkei sees Archivist showing him the blood lurker is gone. He casts his mana circling around the messes proving her right. She continues

  “Anyway, if your city really needed to get rid of it. Or you’ll going to wait until it will happen”

  The Dexter Guild is giving them an opportunity. They presented a deal that Miyusuki and Usweet- are having a hard time to learn about this.

  Miyusuki said “Hey, Ootakadimasu. Why didn’t say anything? We are heading something . . . shady?”

  Both of them turn around and see Ootakadimasu is still against the wall. The coin kept him still. The researcher didn’t hesitate to email them.

  “If you can’t believe me, you will find out when you look over at Mihayara district. I’m sure someone else will warn you about it soon”

  The two leaves as Miyusuki and everyone else are left looking at the dead slime.

  Myrrkei looks disappointed, as he starts to see what’s going on. He admits “Honestly, the Dexter Guild had a point”

  Archivist heard him a sincere tone “Did they know something about this city?”

  “More likely knows about the citizens. I think they wanted our recruit to join”

  Miyusuki gasps “Why!?”

  Myrrkei gives his hand to him “Your device, and I’ll show you why”

  Miyusuki lends his device and Myrrkei uses it then returns to him. Miyusuki and Usweet- sees what’s happening at Mihayara district sewers. It’s already begun.