It was impossible to miss Harrison due to his.. Unique appearance. As well as the fact that he stood alone beside an exquisite fountain with an angelic statue that bathed in a radiant glow which served as the centerpiece, water erupted from the statue's wings, but rather than cascading down haphazardly, the fluid formed an ethereal, ever-shifting display of watery wings that seemed to dance upon the angel's back.
"Why the hell did you bring your little brother?" Harrison asked, clearly annoyed.
+50 Reputation
Current Reputation: -450/25000 [Infamous Scoundrel]
"One second, I think I forgot to do something.." Braxis quietly said as he turned around.
"Welp, surprisingly this quest was just that easy!" Braxis muttered, beginning to walk away. But he stopped dead in his tracks as a new prompt appeared.
"What are you doing Braxis? Quit playing around!" Harrison yelled out with anger.
Removing +50 Reputation..
-3000 Reputation
Current Reputation: -3500/25000 [Wretched Fiend]
Facing Harrison again, the prompt changed back to:
+50 Reputation
Current Reputation: -450/25000 [Infamous Scoundrel]
"Of course, why did I think it would be that easy," Braxis exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air.
"What's wrong with him?!" Harrison angrily yelled at Dante, thinking he knew the answer.
"Who knows, perhaps he did some drugs. Fuck if I know.." Dante replied, shrugging his shoulders.
"Okay.. Braxis, did you at least bring the item I asked for?" Harrison inquired cautiously.
"Of course I did! Uh.. Dante has your item. I mean, why do you think I brought him here in the first place?" Braxis lied through his teeth.
"If you were capable of placing an item on me without me noticing, I would be thoroughly impressed.." Dante said as he felt his pockets.
Harrison sighed, "This family is always such a bother…" he said as he rubbed his temples.
"The Izonite powder. I need it to craft a potion as backup since I'll be venturing into the Centuria forest for my senior project. I'm planning on killing Abarak." Harrison continued.
"Abarak!?" Braxis blurted out, recognizing the name. 'That guy is actually really weak! If I recall, he was one of the starting mini bosses depending on which faction you picked when starting the game,' he thought to himself.
"Izonite powder? Since when have you been in the corpse business, Braxis?" Dante asked, feeling as if he had just unearthed one of his secrets.
"Let's talk about that in a second, there's more important matters.." Braxis said as he attempted to divert the attention.
"Izonite powder aside, why are you so surprised about it being Abarak?" Harrison asked, intrigued.
"Let me grab a weapon, and let's go take him out right now. We don't need any potions let alone trashy Izonite powder," Braxis said confidently, leaving Dante and Harrison staring at him, utterly dumbfounded.
"Did something happen to your brother? Since when did he start acting so arrogantly?" Harrison turned to Dante and asked, puzzled.
"I-" Dante began, but Braxis quickly cut him off. "Arrogance? Why don't we put that to the test? If I can defeat you right here and now, barehanded, you're taking me to that monster," Braxis challenged, adopting a makeshift martial arts stance.
With a defiant flourish, Harrison drew his sword and declared, "I won't pull any punches. I'll put you in your place, and your arms won't be reattachable when I'm through, you filth."
Dante's lips curled into a wicked grin, barely able to contain his glee. "Feel free to slaughter him if you like. Trust me, he won't be mourned. Not even by Levant."
"And 'brother,'" Dante added with a sinister tone, "if you somehow survive, your defeat will only bring death by my hands." He stepped back, granting them the space to engage in combat.
"Your concern for me is as genuine as father's love for you, I reckon," Braxis taunted, targeting Dante's vulnerability.
Dante's Impression: -25
Dante's Impression Progress: -177/300
Enraged, Dante snarled, "You- To hell with it! You're fighting me too!" Overcome by fury, he brandished his daggers and prepared himself.
"Whoa, easy there, Dante! I didn't mean it, alright?" Braxis swiftly evaded, trying to defuse the situation.
"Should've thought twice before spewing trash," Dante hissed, relentless in his pursuit to skewer Braxis in the vitals.
"You're only proving my point about your immaturity by throwing this tantrum. Seems like you've got a lot to learn, little brother," Braxis retorted, expertly sidestepping Dante's onslaught.
Stung by Braxis's biting words, Dante halted his attack. "Fine," he spat, "Go have your damned duel with Harrison." And with that, he begrudgingly conceded to Braxis.
"I apologize for my younger sibling's antics. Shall we continue with our duel?" Braxis asked with a gentlemanly air.
"If you can actually defeat me, I'll be genuinely impressed," Harrison taunted, smirking at Braxis.
'I will too, good thing I don't plan on winning in the traditional way,' Braxis thought as he couldn't help but smile as he readied himself to enact his plan.
Harrison initiated the battle, thrusting his sword with lethal intent. Braxis, however, evaded the strike with ease, deploying his secret weapon.
Using his memory of how mana manipulation worked, along with the mana he gathered last night, Braxis could channel it through his body, boosting his agility. Levant's grueling training session had enlightened Braxis on maximizing his mana efficiency. It was his only way of surviving.
While Braxis danced around Harrison's attack, Dante began to sneak behind Braxis..
'What is that annoying bastard doing..' Braxis thought as he noticed Dante's movements.
Dante began to close the distance and lunged at Braxis's neck at high speed, Braxis barely dodged by jumping back before he was stabbed.
Braxis countered by grabbing Dante by the arm as he jumped back, throwing him over his back.
"Fuck!" Dante screamed out as he slammed into the ground, pain erupting throughout his body.
Attempting to use this vulnerable situation, Harrison charged forward with his sword, lunging towards the back of Braxis.
Braxis sidestepped and pushed Harrison forward, quickening his pace.
"No! I won't be able to survive his family if this blow lands!" Harrison screamed with a pale face as he realized that he was on a direct collision course for Dante's chest.
"You mutt of an older sibling, I'll never forgive you!" Dante screamed out as he used every bit of strength he could muster to back up from the sword.
Dante's Impression: -300
Dante's Impression Progress: -477/300
Right before the sword was about to stab into Dante, he couldn't help from falling unconscious from fear, pissing himself in the process.
But before the sword could stab into Dante as the two had expected, Braxis had made another move..
Braxis pulled the falling Harrison by his pants, directly taking him to the ground face first right into Dante's crotch.
Braxis looked at the sight of the pantless Harrison and Dante who was now piss soaked and unconscious.
'I'm definitely telling Levant about this one.. If only I had a camera.." Braxis said, shocked by Dante's actions.
"Well? Take me to Abarak." Braxis said to the embarrassed Harisson, as if what he did was child's play.
Harrison's Impression: -100
Harrison Impression Progress: -80/300
Struggling to suppress his fury, Harrison got up as he tried to slow down his accelerated heart rate.
"I can't believe you were willing to sacrifice your own brother," Harrison said with wide eyes as he deeply exhaled, still feeling exhilarated.
"Brother? That's laughable. Whatever, just take me to the damn boss already," Braxis said, his patience growing thin.
"Boss? What the hell are you on about?" Harrison asked, utterly baffled.
Braxis hesitated, realizing that game terminology might not resonate with the people of this world. "I meant Abarak. Are you taking me to him, or are we wasting time?" he snapped impatiently.
With a resigned sigh, Harrison got up, pulled his pants back up and sheathed his sword. "Fine, I'll take you there, but I'm not fighting. I'll be an observer. If you end up dead, it's on your head. Got it?" His tone brooked no argument.
"Fine by me. Let's get moving," Braxis replied confidently. Harrison nodded and led the way, venturing into the shadowy depths of the dense forest.
As they ventured deeper into the forest, the once-faint whispers of nature crescendoed into a symphony of life. The verdant canopy above, a living tapestry, filtered the sun's rays, casting dappled emerald light onto the forest floor. The air, thick with the earthy aroma of decay, was a heady cocktail that intoxicated their senses.
The path, which seemed to have been forged by a capricious river of ancient roots, twisted and turned like a serpent's dance. Towering trees stood sentinel, their gnarled limbs adorned with delicate mossy veils. The wind whispered sweet nothings through the foliage, as though sharing age-old secrets with those who dared to listen.
The undergrowth, a labyrinthine network of ferns and brambles, provided sanctuary for furtive creatures who cautiously observed the intruders from a distance. Vibrant wildflowers punctuated the sea of green, like scattered jewels in a forgotten treasure trove.
Their footsteps were muffled by a carpet of decaying leaves, like whispers lost in the annals of time. The atmosphere, both serene and eerie, was reminiscent of a forgotten cathedral where nature had reclaimed its dominion.