Chapter 13: Demonic Progress
Brolu failed to imagine his sister being cute. There were moments when she smiled broadly, but it was all due to his training progress! It meant that Brolu only saw her honest smile at the end of hellish training that always made him fatigued and lifeless.
In a certain sense, his sister was like a sword and anything other than swordsmanship hasn't entered her eyes ever since her youthness. "It baffles me that you would think of a woman first before the game rune." Brolu honestly muttered in a way it would reach Tetsuya's ears.
And as his small talk wouldn't disturb his lazing, Tetsuya casually answered, "What's life without women?" It was a similar question to before, but the receiver was different.
Brolu just scratched the back of his head and wondered for a little. His answer was pretty lame despite the time spent on it, "Strength is more important, don't you think so? I know a merchant might not necessarily be interested in it, but if you aim at my sister-" A laughter stopped Brolu's speech.
This laughter was filled with the high ego that simply reminded Brolu about Tetsuya's craziness. His ears then began to record his words, "For you, that is. You train and train and train… As you absorb more strength and runes, the surroundings slowly turn to pose no threat. At this point, you feel invincible, but there is always a higher peak. Stronger runes, bloodlines, and then races… Demons, gods, dragons and any other… and then… me…"
"I will be leaving." Brolu's ears felt like bleeding from the last part of this speech. As he knew that Tetsuya was crazy, he also knew that comparing oneself to gods was just too abnormal. It might be due to the game rune system that this merchant felt this way, but it was not Brolu's job to correct him.
And even if he felt like doing so, Brolu found this to be nigh impossible.
That was why the young knight hopped off the carriage and went to help the bandits who scattered into a few teams. Some were indeed the horses while the rest kept an eye on the surroundings.
"Does the truth hurt?" Tetsuya raised his voice a little so that Brolu could hear him. He then continued his speech that got shortened due to Brolu's reaction. "There is always a higher peak and you will face many of those. Before you climb, you will experience brutal truth with your own body. I am sure you already have experienced it. But it's different from the beautiful race. If you properly nurture the feelings, they won't betray you, unlike your own power. Their feelings will continue to support you and that just feels amazing. Every woman possesses a unique charm and feelings. And I love being showered by those. I also like nurturing the feelings in my own way." Tetsuya then felt acute pain in his head.
"IN YOUR OWN WAY!" Ashley screamed. If she could punch this ego sovereign, then she already would! Her blonde streaks were floating in her soul form, violet eyes dilated so much it looked throbbing.
Her whole self could be summarized in a perfect sentence 'She was like a cat whose tail got stepped on'. In fact, Ashley raised her hands and her fingers folded slightly to look like claws.
The lady was clearly not liking her partner's way of nurturing the love. "In your own way meaning whenever you feel like it! It is just wrong because it's clearly your dick guiding you!" Ashley yet again stated her theory that was not so far away from the truth.
If Tetsuya ignored anniversary solely because he hated rules, then what else could guide him towards his own women? It is either the 'long separation' or his lust! It was so wrong that she scratched the 'screen' within Tetsuya's mind.
"Not even my manhood can control me," Tetsuya answered, his eyes closed to bear the pain.
"Asshole." Ashley then 'gently' reminded him. "I will make sure to guide you into the proper path! With me, you will see the other side of women that you never would notice due to your stupid principles!"
Tetsuya licked his lips as if wanting to refute, but she might be not wrong. "I will listen to you once." As Tetsuya liked to nurture feelings, he went with Ashley's mood. "My path is always right unless this world dares to plot against me. But the women I have always liked to have their own way. In a relationship, her way is my way. It is also right and if not, then my presence always made sure the things went our way." Tetsuya then closed his eyes leaving his partner speechless.
At the end of the talk, Ashley whispered to herself. "It should be 'The women I love' you asshole."
-
Coming back in time to The Tetsuya's summoning.
His summoning was abrupt and just too sudden for anyone to react. Tetsuya's mother, whose heart was way too gentle and fragile, paled and nearly lost consciousness when the unknown light appeared in the room.
She covered her eyes, gasped, and cried out.
During this, Tetsuya's mother could hear his surprised voice leaking out and then thoroughly disappearing. Following this surprise was the chorus of shocked women that were invited to the birthday party.
Those women were all his girlfriends, whether from school or part-time jobs. There were even one of his bosses…
Tetsuya began to thoroughly enjoy the beautiful race's attention after his eighteenth birthday passed.
Only then his mother's pain from losing her husband got suppressed by time and her son's good efforts. Before that, Tetsuya hadn't thought about relationships as he saw how painful it was.
Nonetheless, he was a prodigy in everything he touched, so once his mother got cured, Tetsuya just accepted every woman that entered his life. Just a few months after his eighteenth birthday, Tetsuya's last two years were filled with many exciting events!
And then, his mother lost another member of her family.
Not only that, but she also had to explain way more than just her son's disappearance.
It was because not only Tetsuya disappeared so suddenly, but all his 'friends' disappeared as well.
-
"I am Brolu! To fulfill my trial and bring peace to this land, I am here to take you down!" Brolu shouted at the bandit boss. It was the last bandit boss in the area! This bandit boss was supported by a group of fifty bandits, but Brolu's team amounted to more people!
His numbers nearly tripled the last bandit boss.
All those bandits were already on the good path and fulfilled the quests diligently just like the two strongest, Brolu and Tetsuya. While they knew that they weren't the ones chosen by the game rune, the bandits knew that game rune wouldn't abandon them!
As long as they supported the chosen ones, their lives could just get better and better. There was a loyal part of the bandits whose hearts belonged to Tetsuya, but they were aware of his identity.
"Ahhhh!" The last boss screamed, his eyes wide from the shock. Many bandits including the former bosses understood this expression which was like a huge limitation at the beginning. Of course, this boss' settings were also changed.
He lost to Brolu and allowed him to end his trial properly!
Once the last boss got beaten, Brolu confirmed that the last opponent had been influenced by the game rune and turned around.
His body then disappeared in the merchant's carriage.
"I have beaten the last boss… Now, I can go back to Mystic Academy, but the game rune's whereabouts… are still unknown." Brolu had been gaining so much strength and quests he didn't want to leave.
But, the game rune hasn't made an appearance and couldn't be used for greater gain. It allowed Brolu to learn more about his lineage and treasures, but… it was not enough! Brolu still couldn't imagine himself going against other older students.
He treated the game rune's quest like the strength to solidify his foundation.
"I don't want to leave, but there is a limit to the foundation. I hoped to gain the game rune and prosper in the academy, but I am confident I will have an easier path now with my sword and stronger runes!" Brolu nodded to Tetsuya who seemed to listen to his words. However, the crazy merchant was doing his usual job which was collecting the loot.
"Easier path and good foundation… That is all true, Brolu. But what if someone snatched your sword? You are all alone and I heard the nobles have some gangs around them." Tetsuya smiled to himself, his eyes on the items.
"It's not gangs… but I understand what you want to say." Brolu yet again nodded.
"So you just need loyal people around you… Don't you?" After Tetsuya said these words, five seconds passed, and then Brolu's eyes shook with the new quest. This quest was related to the slave business that Tetsuya wanted to destroy.
Now, after all this time, Tetsuya's progress could be called 'Demonic Progress' as he got more bandits, and Brolu's talent and lineage were just too good as even Ashley could raise her stats.
The loyalty rune was also inspected and everyone was gaining rewards to appropriate loyalty levels. There were even unique quests based on loyalty!
While Brolu wasn't so loyal like bandits whose minds were filled with strength and stamina points, he was a man that Tetsuya wanted to keep close for a while already.
He also wanted to visit the academy and meet the older sister. It wasn't like Tetsuya would be able to make her fall in love with him on the spot due to his world's principles. "Ah, this world likes to play with me so much. It betrays, changes the rules, and leads in a wrong way… But there is one thing I agree with this world and that is polygamy." Tetsuya's smile widened as he played with two broken swords.
Those broken swords suddenly shone and joined together.
[You have completed the first MOBA Item's recipe.]
"W-w-what?" Brolu's eyes popped off from this sight. He also forgot about Tetsuya's stupid words. And while he also would hear the thunder within his mind, Ashley was different as her partner succeed with the important quests.
This just escalated their progress and their status windows began to flash with many numbers!
"Good job, Tetsuya!" It was her turn to stroke his hair with her voice and due to her pleasant tone, Tetsuya indeed felt this way.