"So bright!!!"
That Arthur guy just suddenly shone so brightly enough to seal my sight right after him snapped his fingers. The light seemed to have dimmed, so dim as if I was on a dark place. I opened my eyes and found out that I was in a dark dim alley with a few lights on the alley and bright light coming the main road.
"I guess I really got sent to the past?"
"Hahaa.. I told you, didn't I? Do lower your eyesight before you move." that was Arthur's voice and it was seemed to be coming from inside of my head.
While dumbfounded, I lower my head only to find a black backpack. Kneeling to check the content, once again I was dumbfounded by the content. A few sets of clothes, a water bottle, some money and an ID card with my photo on it.
"You can hear me right, Arthur? What are these? And this set up, are you telling me to repeat my father's feat? And the ID only contain two words, Mu Qiu, on it." the content of the backpack had made me recalling the story old Grandpa Ye used to tease my father with each year.
"Those are your little ration. For the background story that will be the best. For name, there are many reasons. Enjoy, Glory God. See you after you win the championship."
"Don't just send me away with my nickname. Hey! Hey!! HEY!!!" he just left me. Just like that?
"Team Happy. Hm…"
First thing first then, leaving the alley. I walked towards the main road and looked around to find out where I was. "City H from twenty years ago, huh?" I thought, as I still somehow similar to the surrounding I deduced that. I turned and walked toward a building that was so familiar, Happy's building or should I say the real old exterior of Happy's HQ.
I entered the building and was stopped by the security who asked me what business I had, "Please call the boss. I am applying to be Lord Grim' successor." the security extended his hand towards my head which I stopped right away. "I dislike being patted." The security only smirked for a second before extending his hand once more which I hit to stop. "Uncle, you are a security!" Hearing a little ruckus right when they nearby two ladies asked about what just happened. Noticing the two ladies were Aunt Chen Guo and Aunt Tang Rou, before the uncle security could voice out his explanation, I dashed toward Aunt Chen Guo and told her my purpose "Hello A.. Boss. I am called Muqiu. Here to apply as Lord Grim's successor."
The security stopped bothering us but still standing nearby. Aunt Chen Guo just laughed it off while showing her annoyed stance "Little brat, did you know who was behind Lord Grim?"
"Of course I know. The legend of glory, Ye Xiu. The goal I am about to surpass." I gave them a warm smile. The short haired lady just laughed it off while the other got her anger boiling. It was obvious for Aunt Chen Guo since she was one of father's fans before he retired for the first time and had been respecting father for his efforts. I clapped my hands hard and brought their attention to me. I dropped my left hand to my waist and pointed my right index out while saying "How about a bet? Between me and your miss best rookie here. If I lose, it's your call on what to do with me. But if I win then she has to kiss me."
"You!!!"
"Calm down, boss. The conditions are a win-win for you guys. I lose as I lost even a match and we will be playing up to her stamina. But, since I have no card at the moment, you provide the account card for me. Miss Tang Rou is free to use any account. Even her Soft Mist. "
"You overestimated yourself and underestimated pro players. Do you EVEN KNOW who she is?"
"She is the pro player of Happy who also won season tenth best rookie, isn't she? What else do you want her to be?" Aunt wanted to tell me Aunt Tang Rou's rich background. ALAS, she met me. "I should only be here for a season after all. I will live my live the fullest and enjoy their company as their pier this time." I thought.
"This brat! You will tremble in fear when…" before the boss managed to complete her word, her best friend stopped her.
"Muqiu, right? Why should I bet with you?" The lady who blushed when I was talking about the bet, now had put on her serious face.
"Reason? Near to none, I guess. But, in addition I get to use the famous Lord Grim, Happy got the best of them all. I am free to be recruited whether I win or lose the bet. Most of all for Happy, its best rookie got a chance to fight to her best while repeating her first bet with her ex-captain." I taunted while pressing all her buttons.
"You seemed aware of our stories. It won't repeat as I am not the same don't-know-how-to-play me anymore."
"Miss Tang seems to be confident. But the confident has no backing. Why afraid on accepting the bet and challenge I proposed?"
"…"
"You over the line, little brat!"
"Guo Guo, It's ok. Who is afraid of who!" Aunt Tang Rou stepped forward after stopping Aunt Chen Guo.
"Then, where will we be having our little match?"
"Since you have no account card with you, we can only go back up. Guo Guo, what do you think?"
"Dinner can wait. He can escort and join us for dinner. I also want to see this arrogant brat beaten."
"Seem like I will be disappointing you for that since arrogant is for one who cannot back their words, otherwise it is called confident."
"Hmph… I will let you decide the contract if you really win."
"So generous. Boss never fails me."
"Speak so when you win, little brat."
"Then, two ladies, please." I walked toward the door and pushed it open to allow the two ladies back inside before following them upstairs.
Aunt Chen Guo stopped before the guild department room and asked me, "What class?" which I answered "Just borrow a sharpshooter and a battle mage." I gave her a smile after telling her the class. Without delay she entered the room and after a while she left with three cards on her hand.
Next room we were entering was the training room. Inside the room, there whole team members were still in front of their computer. The only one left only uncle Mo Fan. We took our seat and I was given the two cards I asked for.
"I never touched keyboard and mouse before, let me do some calibration first. A minute should be enough."
"YOU!!! What prank are you playing?!"
"Boss, just calm down and be prepared to be amazed."
"Hmph… Suit yourself." Aunt Chen Guo just went and sat on Aunt Tang Rou side.
I, myself, I logged in to the battle mage account and did some configuration and some swings before entered a random match. I did all things I wanted to test on the lucky blade master. As I defeated the blade master, I told them, "I am done. What room?"
"It's only thirty seconds. Are you sure it is enough?"
"I am sure."
Aunt Tang Rou without delay just told me the room's name which I entered with no delay as well. Inside the room was not her Soft Mist but a male battle mage. Both of our Battle mages were equipped with orange equipments set. The fight started.
Chasers flown, dragons rushed and vanishing.
First match done in eight minutes. Winner, me.
"How could this possible?" Aunt Chen Guo bewildered on the result.
"Again." ignoring her, Aunt Tang Rou told me.
Second match, six minutes, win.
"Again."
Third match, Three minutes, win.
"Hey. You asked for two accounts. Your sharpshooter stronger or weaker than your battle mage?" the boss curiously asked me.
"Slightly stronger." I gave her answer.
"This is your all?" this time it's Aunt Tang Rou turn.
"What if I say no?" I smiled
"Use your sharpshooter and use your all."
Without answering, I switched to the sharpshooter account and entered the same room.
Fourth match, one minute and one second.
"That's your all-out?"
Without reply I pressed ready and fifth round started.
Result, thirty seconds.
They fell in silence. Not long after the room fell in silence. Uncle Mo Fan had stopped his activity to check us out. Having found out the room had felt in silence, Aunt Chen Guo told the other man to test his luck on me. Uncle Mo Fan did as she asked.
Results, a minute, half a minute and lasty twenty nine seconds. All my wins. He was not using his Deception though. On his next tries, he used his Deception which resulting his two losses with right a minute each. He stepped down.
Aunt Tang Rou logged out and re-logged with her Soft Mist. "You told us, it's your win only when I admit my lost, right?"
"Right, I did."
Fifth round, forty second, win.
As she had left to switch, the room master was my sharpshooter. We start our match as she pressed ready.
Sixth, twenty second, my win.
She directly pressed ready as we completed the loading screen.
Seventh, Eighth, ninth, tenth,...
An hour had passed.
"An hour has passed. Still go? It will be bad for your health." I asked as I was concerned on her health as we played a total of ninety five matches including the first five. I matched the time to be a total forty seconds each match including loading and all which meant I won within thirty seconds mark since loadings took about three seconds while there are 3 seconds counter each round.
"It will be the same to you."
"Please rehydrate yourself if you are really intending to continue. If not I won't start the match."
She drank quite a few glasses of water as she had fought using her all the whole time which got worse as the time went.
"This will be harmful for the Team if we continue doing this. How about give me a requirement for you to admit defeat?" suggested me, to break the loop.
"Win me in ten seconds." She gave her requirement with confidence
"How about beat me within an hour of a coaching match? I will be using the battle mage." I gave a more constructing suggestion.
"Thirty minutes." her immediate answer made me remember about her strong competitive side.
Without further taunting I switched to the previous battle mage.
The match started, but this time I went far slower than the previous matches.
Soft Mist marched forward my character as I stood by. As she got close, Dragon Breaks the Ranks which I avoided just right outside its range along a quick poke using the blunt end of my spear. Her red spear stabbed the ground as she used the level 75 skill, Shattering the Lands.
I used my Circle Swing which got higher priority to lift her up from the ground before sending her flying with a palm. Soft Mist thrown with her back was now facing my way as I had sent her flying away as if Soft Mist was doing an acrobatic practice by doing somersault while in the air. As I initiated a level 70 skill, Rising Dragon Soars the Sky. Her trained ears caught the skill's sound and reacted by using the knockback of Falling Flower Palm. Just right when the palm about to shoot, the incoming dragon's mouth gave out a red and purplish black shines as if it had breathed two breaths in form of orbs. A red fire chaser and a purplish shadow chaser found their way to explode on Soft Mist and sent her flying right towards the dragon's range.
79%
Her HP lowered to 79% after the combo which decreased by another 2% after fallen from quite the height from the combo. The damage she had done was zero. She had yet to inflict any damage to my battle mage.
The fight was far from over since only two minutes had passed since the start. She might think only about twenty eight minutes left, but for me it was fifty eight minutes to go. My spear came thrusting towards her abdomen which she avoided while she returning a thrust of her own using a double stabs. First stab missed while second stab parried by me using a stabbing motion towards her Dancing Fire Flowing Flame. The parry had dropped my health from perfect as it was a normal attack. Her final stab was deflected which resulting an icy orb forming on her back. I continued a stab towards her once again which she avoided, but just right after she moved, my spear chased her and got me my own ice chaser.
"Bleed?!! How could it possible? It was only a hit!" Aunt Tang Rou shocked as her Soft Mist health kept on depleting from bleeding.
"One hit? Why do I feel a similar event had happened before?" the spectator Aunt Chen Guo also seemed to be shocked for a different reason.
"It was. I saw only a stab and a heard the sound of a stab." the victim explained her circumstances and experience she just experienced. The explanation only gave her only cheerleader a further shock.
"Only a sound but actually was two!!! That's what Yexiu done when getting that ornamental saber when he was still playing on his retirement announcement by Excellent Era!" Aunt Chen Guo recalled her die-hard fans memory of my parents, it seemed.
"You..." she faced my way while uttering only that one word. If I was right it was father's feat of doing that 24 combo to ensure the drop of the ornamental saber he needed that time for his silver weapon's upgrade. She said she remembered that because it was a guide about 100% chance of getting the saber.
As we were on a coaching match, I dropped my headphones after noticing her disbelieving face of nostalgia with a "What's wrong?" which somehow she denied, "Nonono.. it's nothing."
My little bet match still ongoing while me giving out many opportunities to grab. Dragons flown, craters anywhere, colorful explosions, spears clashing sound, all kind of sound had been echoing on our ears through the headphones for almost an hour. She had traded her majority of MP for my HP. The trade was a really bad one for her as well. 40% of my HP for her 90% of MP. Her Hp still on 73% while my MP almost full from the near to usage when we did our exchange. Another 5 minutes exchanges happened which depleted her whole MP while dropping 1% on both of my mine.
Soft Mist stopped moving. I raised my head over the monitors and saw Aunt Tang Rou's sour face. "Miss, our coaching match starts now." I raised my voice while sending the same words on public chat to let her see. My voice entered her ears penetrating the earphones and my speech bubble popped on her monitor entered her eyes. My spear was already descending towards her.
After a few rounds of normal attacks exchanges, I shouted a warning, "Palm!" Soft Mist reacted as she heard my warning. ALAS, my palm contains feints on the combo knocked her flying. She sent quite low but feet touched no ground. My spear swirled and I thrown a dragon towards her. As I gave her a chance to recover, she did and jumped sideward to avoid the dragon but yet, again she forgotten the possibility. My dragon turned and headed towards her. Soft Mist gulped by the dragon before the explosion sent her away towards my character. No follow up was done. Soft Mist only lied down without movement since the eyes of the two ladies were now on me.
"How can you able to do Dragon turns its head? What are you?" Aunt Chen Guo couldn't hide her boiling blood for seeing the once trademark move of my father started interrogating me while Aunt Tang Rou left speechless on her seat seeing her best friend now boss trying to crack me.
"I am a new manual Glory player." I answered her question.
"New player!? Who will believe that?!!!" my interrogator flared. "If you as a new player is capable of doing the move you just did, then what are the current players are?"
"Calm down, boss. I am new to this computer thing. I was already exposed to Glory for about three years now, I guess."
"Who are you kidding? Three years ?!!! How could that supposed to be enough?!" yet again she flared, this time with even more fierce fiery spirit burning on her.
Dumbfounded, I was struck about the technology and environment I was in. thinking "If this continue, it will be leading to me being from the future." with the mindset to change the topic naturally I went on attack.
"Boss. The team was on its first try when winning the challenger league. A team which was only made not long ago with somehow random players and filled with a lot of newbies like the two players here and even you yourself had somehow forced to participate on the journey. The said team won against many pro teams on that league which got far longer history and older than Team Happy itself. On top of that, Happy had become a dark horse defeating Excellent Era, the team that could be said as the favorite winner or the thoroughbred horse. Excellent Era of that time even got a new vice captain who will be the shot caller, Xiao Shiqin who is one of the Master Tacticians to its roster. Ignoring players, their resources, characters and foundation were far more solid than Team Happy as well. But still, Happy won the should be revival competition and joined the Alliance the next year.
So, boss. How was it not possible for me then?"
Speechless Aunt Chen Guo could only stutter a word of "I…" before shutting her mouth. Her best girl on her side could only hold her giggle.
From the side I could feel a gaze of amazement from the usually silent Uncle Mo Fan. This particular uncle of mine although not related by blood was the most closest to me of them all. Since this man had somehow respected me from be going agile on AR league. As the name suggested AR stands for Actual Reality. The teams registered either really rich or was the old league Teams. All the basic parameters had been basing on the player's actual status. That means no weak players exist on AR league in term of physique. As for me, regardless of class I played, I had always been showing the agility of what many loved to call ninja or assassin, even when I played the mage class like elementalist and witch.
Ignoring the gaze that turning to an adoring state. I launched my last attack to wham down the last nail of the coffin. "And there is more, boss."
The two lady now alarmed and focused on me after the boss complained "There is more?" which, of course, ignored by me.
"Adding to the facts I had mentioned about challenger league. You should be more open minded as Team Happy has just won its first championship cup on its very first year. Moreover, the competitors were even more challenging. The whole alliance of active teams which kept on growing. Tyranny which became even famous for creating a lineup of four veteran god-level players which leading to their nickname of Four Heavenly Kings. Samsara who had been spreading its wings strengthening their roster and on last season when defeated by Happy owned the number one of the old and the new. So, my achievement should be passable. I also wished the famous number one, ex-captain Yexiu to teach me even more."
"Xiao Tang, when will Mu Mu be back?" Aunt Chen Guo asked Aunt Tang Rou about mother's return. Judging from the date I saw on the computer three of them should return in two days until right before the start of the eleventh season.
"She said she will be back in three days."
"Boss, how about we register me to the team first?" I asked the boss to solidify my registration to Team Happy first as I was only allowed to register at Happy by that magic man who sent me here. Not like I would betray my parents' team and went elsewhere to fight the team.
"You got your ID with you right?" Aunt Chen Guo asked for my ID with led me to rustle through my right pocket before handing out my ID to her.
"You have yet to beat me." Aunt Tang Rou snatched my ID right before the one who should be receiving it grabbed the card.
Noticing her playful smile I used to see when we were together, I smirked myself.
"Miss Tang Rou seems yet to be satisfied. Then shall we continue?"
The faded playful smile reemerged once more. She stood up after putting down the headphones and walked towards my station. She stopped right next to me and whispered, "Let switch, win me using my current Soft Mist and I will give you an even better reward than what you asked."
Keeping a calm poker face, I teased her back while answering in a low voice enough for her to hear, "What reward did my sister Tang intended to reward me and what the better reward would be?"
"I was thinking on giving you a kiss on the cheek. The better reward would be a lips to lips kiss, a direct kiss."
"Interesting. I really did not mention anything about the detail of our betting. I accept, but no violence."
Satisfied, I also stood up leaving the confused lady and walked towards the seat she just left and sat on it. Our seat exchanges had left the oblivious audience entirely speechless from the seemed to be signing defeat warrant me. The boss lady, who was now sitting right next to me, frozen entirely as she was the most skill less out of the crowd. The skilled ex infamous scrap picker turned his head towards his monitor to recheck our conditions before turning his head slowly towards our way with disbelief.
Another half an hour had passed. In the room, no sound could be heard as the room had fallen in a depth silence. My screen showed the word "GLORY" which indicating the match won by Soft Mist which I controlled.
The audience eyes were on me before moving to the unfortunate fierce lady sitting across of me. Aunt Tang Rou fell in silence for a while before rose up from her seat and walked toward me. Staying seated, my eyes stayed on her the whole time. She drawn Soft Mist's account card then bent towards my face and pressed her lips to mine. Her kiss was more like a quick peck but I took an initiative by holding her smooth chin and gave her a longer deep kiss before parted away and whispered, "Remember, no violence."
Audience shocked to speechlessness after witnessing the team tigress somehow tamed. The said tigress could only honor her own words and blushed before leaving the room before leaving us in the room.
"Your captain, Su Mucheng will return in three days. We will wait until she comeback before registering you as our official member. Enjoy your trial time as our guest till then."
"I will take the offer then."
Thus the quite eventful two days passed just like that.
The captain, my mother, returned with her vice captain, Uncle Fang Rui, and of course as I had expected and known, the first captain of Team Happy and Excellent Era, my father Yexiu.
The three seniors tested me which, of course, bested by me, except my father who somehow able to hold on and defeated me on the first match. His APM peaked to 1000 APM on a certain period while I was averaging on 600 APM before his outburst. He was the third one to test me and he used Lord Grim. He raised his APM to combo me with a lot of his skills, from the low level sets and the umbrella's high leveled skills attached to it. As the first match was the same battle mage I used yesterday. I asked for a rematch after dinner to let father rest to his full stamina.
After dinner using the borrowed sharpshooter, I was able to defeat mother and Uncle Fang Rui in 50 seconds which was faster by 10 seconds when I was on the battle mage. The second match with father his Lord Grim defeated me with 2% HP left. It was indeed a pity.
For the time they were here before going to first global tournament, father taught me more the advantages of number. He drilled it to me in his hellish practice as he saw my capability was high for some reason. From 1v1, 1v2, 1v3, 1v4, 1v5 then directly jump to a dungeon team which were 10, 20, 50 then 100.
My registration was a bit cold since I asked for no exposure like father was with EE.
The season started and with the tutelage from father drilled into me, Happy won its second championship with no much resistance.
The night we won the final, Aunt Tang Rou dragged me to talk in private telling me that she interested in me as a man. But just right when I was about to respond, the guy who sent me here in the first place started talking again after a whole season of not talking.
"Hey, kid. It is time for you to get your reward and go back home in the future."
"You really a partypooper. Can I get a time with her first?"
"Don't worry. She will keep your promise if you know what to promise."
"…"
"BTW. I stopped the time for you while we are conversing. Think of it as a bonus from me. It will flow again after you interact with her again. Do it quick and neat."
As our little conversation came to an end, I made a lot of plays on my head thinking on what to do and promise.
"Sis Tang Rou, I see as woman as well. But we can't be together now. My time has come. If you are willing to wait and endure the pain of being alone until I find you again. I will directly repeat our first kisses to tell you that I am back for you. Would you willing?"
Aunt Tang Rou stunned as if she was frozen. Not long after her silence, she stepped forward and hanged her hands on my neck and pulled me towards her to give me a long deep kiss before whispering her answer directly to my ears, "Yes, I am willing. I will wait for you."
Hearing her answer I hugged her to embrace her with my warmth until that guy's voice sounding on my head
"It's time. Well done, boy."
My body started to glow before vanishing right in her embrace.
The last scene I saw was the fierce lady who has been with me for a long period of time, shed a river of tears on her beautiful cheek.
"Hey, boy. Don't shed a tear here. You will meet her soon enough. I will gift you your reward, the novel containing the story of your father's journey when he chose to retire from his old team. Complete it sooner and the sooner you will reunite with her. Her story also contained inside. You got a long time to read it as I will start regressing your body to the condition before I transfer you."
I read the book called Quan Zhi Gao Shou (The King's Avatar). Enjoying father's whole journey and comprehending the content to the best.
As I completed the book, a light glowed from the book making me dropped the book to cover my eyes from the blinding light right in front of me. As I opened my eyes, in front of me was a very familiar door, Aunt Tang Rou's private apartment door. I pressed the bell. Not long after the door opened and behind it Aunt Tang Rou. No, behind the familiar door was my beloved Tang Rou who kept our promise from 19 years ago.
As she opened the door, I entered the room and gave her a quick peck on her lips like she did and held her beautiful chin to hold it for me to give her the same long deep kiss I had given her 19 years ago.
Her tear glands wet her eyes and two streams of tear wet her cheeks.
We had the delayed session we would have that time as we started on filling each other emptiness.
The night sky had replaced the day sky without us noticing. I promised her that I would beat my father and be together with her the next day onwards.
We embraced each other before parting away under the veil the night sky and its coldness. But we only felt warmth with not even the slight of coldness. Even after we parted, I still felt warmness until I got home, exchanged a few greetings and words, and lastly on my bed until I fell asleep.
The next day, I woke with the best condition I ever was. Not long after I got on the floor, mother called to do our usual routine. I walked to the fated room and finally with the wisdom I obtained, my play became even more flawless. For the first time, I finally defeated my father, the living legend of Glory.
We went down for breakfast like usual and I went to my beloved Tang Rou's place.
Not long after that fated day, we married and lived happily like my parents.