As Ioki's body was floating in this enigmatic realm, a sense of disorientation washed over his body. It wasn't physical pain that he felt, but rather a bizarre sensation that defied description. He can move his limbs but feels like something is missing...
Torn apart by the strange figure's powerful motion, the two halves of his being floated in this void as if suspended in time. Ioki couldn't see his own body, yet he was distinctly aware of his existence.
The proud figure stood there, his eyes still locked onto Ioki's fragmented form. His presence exuded an aura of otherworldly power and purpose.
With a guttural voice reverberating through the void, the figure spoke again, this time directly into Ioki's consciousness. "Remember this feeling. Engrave it unto your mind! One day, if you ever felt a wall stands between you and your goal, then tear it apart!"
Ioki's fragmented state makes coherent thought difficult. Memories of his time in Ashen Fantasy, the Kobolds, and his experiences with the Fortune Squad whirled in his mind like a chaotic storm.
"I---I am Ioki," he stuttered, his voice echoing through the void. "I will destroy everything that stands on my path," He said as if under the influence of the man's words.
The man seemed to ponder Ioki's response momentarily before he chuckled a bit. His fierce gaze softened slightly as if considering the words of this boy. Then, with a more contemplative tone, he said, "The path you tread is fraught with peril, Ioki. But, the more perilous the path we tread, the sweeter the fruit awaits in the end. Make amends with your other half. How will we wreak havoc if you can't amount to that much?"
As the man spoke, the two halves of Ioki's being began to draw closer together as if guided by an unseen force. Slowly, they merged back into one, knitting together like a tapestry being rewoven.
As Ioki's sense of self became whole again, the oppressive darkness around him shifted. The rainbows and shades of gray in the distance grew brighter, and a semblance of reality began to take shape.
"AAAAHHHHH!" Ioki screamed. His whole body is wet with cold sweat as it sweats profusely. He looked at his hands and touched his body in a panicked state to reassure himself whether his body was split in two or not.
He blinked several times, adjusting to the sudden change in surroundings. Instead of the dark void, he found himself nestled within the familiar confines of the Kobolds' cave. The soft glow of bioluminescent moss bathed the cavern in an eerie, bluish light.
Ioki's head still rested on the Death Spot's warm and furry belly. His eyes scanned the cave, and he realized that the entire Kobold pack was gathered around him, their eyes wide with astonishment and confusion.
Lilian and Reinhardt, who had been conversing nearby, turned their attention to Ioki. Their expressions mirrored the bewilderment of the Kobolds. Behind them, a man in dark armor carrying a Tower Shield in each hand could be seen.
"What in the world just happened?" Reinhardt muttered under his breath, his gaze fixed on Ioki.
Lilian shook her head in disbelief. "What happened, dear? Are you fine? This is the first time I ever saw someone have a nightmare in this game!" Lilian asked Ioki as she put her hands on Ioki's mask.
As Ioki slowly sat up, the Kobolds erupted into a cacophony of excited chatter, barking, and howling. It was as if they had witnessed something extraordinary beyond their comprehension.
The Death Spot approached Ioki with a cautious yet curious look in his eyes. He spoke in the Kobold tongue, his words filled with wonder. "Leader, what... what was that? You were muttering words while you were sleeping, and after that, some surge of energy could be felt on your body while you were on my stomach."
Ioki, still trying to piece together his own experience, managed a weak smile. "I'm not entirely sure. It was like a dream, but also not quite a dream."
The Kobolds exchanged glances, their tails wagging and ears perked up. They seemed to understand that something profound had occurred, even if they couldn't grasp the details.
Reinhardt stepped closer, his presence making the Kobolds wary, "Ioki, are you alright? You suddenly screamed..."
Ioki nodded, feeling relieved as he reconnected with his friends. "I think I am..."
With her characteristic wit, Lilian chimed in, "Well, whatever dream you had, it seems to have charmed our furry friends here. They look at you like you're some kind of mystical being."
Hearing Lilian's words, the Kobolds erupted into joyful barks and howls once again. They seemed to agree with her assessment.
Ioki scratched the Death Spot's head affectionately. "It looks like you guys were worried for nothing to this good-for-nothing Pack Leader of yours, huh?"
While Ioki was scratching the Death Spot's head, he couldn't help but shift his attention to the newly arrived man beside Reinhardt.
"Are you fine, brother?" The man in dark armor asked with a caring tone.
Ioki scanned at the man before he slowly realized there is only one person who calls him brother, "Mr. Turtle?!"
"Yep! In flesh!" Mr. Turtle replied.
Compared to what Ioki thought of Mr. Turtle. Mr. Turtle doesn't seem to be covered with green equipment. Instead, his armor was dark with golden spikes coming out of it, and each of his hands were equipped with a massive metallic silver shield.
Ioki stood up and rushed at Mr. Turtle before hugging him, "Mr. Turtle! Thank you so mu--- AWWW!" Before he could finish his sentence, the prickly sensation of the spikes in Mr. Turtle's armor had damaged him first.
"You need to be careful, brother! This thing deflects damage and inflicts Curse if you are unlucky!" Mr. Turtle replied as he chuckled, amused seeing Ioki's expression.
"Can you please remove those equipment first?" Ioki asked as he caressed his body that was pricked.
Mr. Turtle opened his equipment menu, and then suddenly his dark armor was gone, revealing brown clothing covering his muscular body. His arms were relaxed now as the heavy shield he carried was also stored.
His buzz cut compliments his jawline perfectly, Mr. Turtle's eyes were round, and he had a characteristic of a kind person drawn all over his face with the way he smiled and everything.
After seeing his armor was gone, Ioki sauntered toward Mr. Turtle and hugged him tight.
Seeing this, Mr. Turtle doesn't know how to react... This is probably the first time he ever had someone show affection so openly to him. Another person's life has begun to change thanks to Ioki without him realizing it.
Lilian could be seen opening her mouth and silently mouthed some words, "HUG. HIM. BACK!" She demonstrated a hugging motion with Reinhardt as her partner.
Mr. Turtle slowly put his arms around Ioki's small body and hugged him, "Umm, brother? Why did you hug me out of nowhere? Hehe, I mean..." He was lost for words as he awkwardly smiled and stared at Ioki's cowl.
Ioki pulled his cowl back and then looked up, "If it's not for the both of you, then I probably won't enjoy my time here... I'm really thankful for you and DarkFlame! And besides, I always wanted a big brother!" Ioki said as he smiled wide.
Lilian put her hand on her chest and covered her mouth with the other, "Reinhardt... C---can we just adopt him?"
"Lilian!" Reinhardt shouted.
"I simply enjoyed your LIVE, no need to be like that!" Mr. Turtle tried to reply.
Ioki released his hug and walked back toward the Kobolds again, "So, I assume you came here to give me the 10,000 Golds?"
"Well, yeah! After all, I lost the bet, didn't I, bro---" Mr. Turtle tried to explain the reason he came, but Ioki raised his hand with an index finger in a hushing motion.
"Call me, Ioki. Or better yet, start calling me your little brother. How about that, big brother?" Ioki asked as he put on a smile.
Mr. Turtle smiled back at Ioki, "Sure, I guess I could call you that, little brother!"
Ioki's mouth went wide as he smiled upon hearing Mr. Turtle calling him that.
"Okay! Now that's done, now where are your 10,000 Golds? Family is family, but money comes first!" Ioki smugly said as he extended his arm with his palm open.
"You'll need more than just an arm for this whole thing, little brother!" Mr. Turtle said as he took a big bag with clanking metal sounds could be heard from inside.
*Cling*
Mr. Turtle threw the bag into the air toward Ioki's open hand. As the noisy clinking bag touched Ioki's hand, his whole body went forward and fell to the ground following the force of the heavy bag.
"Ughh... 10.000 Golds is that heavy?" Ioki muttered as he stored the bag of gold in his inventory.
The Kobolds were slowly seen baring their fangs and ready their paws. From their perspective, Mr. Turtle had harmed their Pack Leader! What was a deal simply being settled looked harmful in their eyes because they didn't understand what the other Humans were saying...
Hearing their growl, Ioki raised his hand and shouted, "Stop! He didn't mean any harm!"
After hearing Ioki's voice, the Kobolds calmed down and backed a bit.
"I'm almost a goner there!" Mr. Turtle exclaimed.
"Seeing this army of Kobolds listening to your command as if they are trained Dogs is something that I can't put into words... Makes me want to---" Reinhardt said as he stared at the Kobolds before Lilian's hand made its way to the back of Reinhardt's helmet.
"WHAT? You gonna replace the whole Vermilion Dawn with Kobolds now?" Lilian shouted in anger.
"No! It's not like that, Lilian!" Reinhardt tried to calm her down.
Seeing this, Ioki laughed. Seeing their Pack Leader laugh, the Kobolds laughed as well. Hearing them laughing, the two in argument feel ashamed because of their action.
After laughing, the Kobolds slowly walked toward the Arena's entrance.
"Wait, where are you guys going?" Ioki shouted as he asked the Kobolds.
"Of course, train!"
"We need to mine. Hopefully because another Goddess has blessed us, we will get Mithrils!"
"Sheesh... You are already old. Stop dreaming of something impossible!"
"Mine?" Ioki asked them.
The Death Spot approached Ioki and put his paws on Ioki's shoulder, "Leader, let me explain! You see, we were blessed with this cave by Goddess Terra. The Goddess asked us in return to maintain the cycle of the minerals in here by mining it so there won't be an irregularity. The products of the minerals were processed into our equipment, as you can see!" The Death Spot explained.
"Then... Where did you forge such things? I haven't seen anything resembling a blacksmith's workplace by the time I entered this cave," Ioki inquired as he put his fingers on his chin.
The Death Spot looked at the other Humans before him and whispered to Ioki, "Leader... What I'm about to show you is something that can't be shown to just anyone. Do you want me to ask the others to escort them outside first?"
Ioki looked at the Death Spot and caressed his cheek, "No need! They are someone close to me!"
After he said that to Death Spot, he turned his gaze toward the three and glared at them coldly, "If any of you dare to tell anyone about what you are going to see, then I'm afraid I'll ask Goddess Fortuna to curse the three of you along with Vermilion Dawn."
Hearing Ioki say that, they couldn't be sure whether that was a bluff or not. After watching his LIVE long enough, they know better than to test their luck on someone Goddess Fortuna herself holds dear.
Their expression suddenly changed before finally they nodded and agreed in unison.
"Mister Reinhardt and Miss Lilian, both of you need to remove your equipment as well to ensure safety. I don't want to take any risk while inside..." Ioki asked in a cold voice.
Once again, they heed Ioki's command. The red armor stored in inventory revealed a dignified man with white hair and an aged face.
While Lilian changed into something close to a dress as she removed all her equipment.
"Good! Now, let's proceed!" Ioki said as his tone reverted to the usual cheery style.