Ioki ventured forth into the dense forest, the familiar sights and sounds of nature welcoming him back. He couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia as he stepped through the lush undergrowth. Once a place of danger, the forest had become a sanctuary for him.
Walking deeper into the woods, he couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed since his last visit. The air hummed with unusual energy, and the wildlife seemed to respond to each of Ioki's steps. It was as though the forest itself is alive.
An unexplained intuition guided Ioki's footsteps. He followed a winding path he hadn't noticed before, leading him to a hidden glade bathed in dappled sunlight. At the center of the glade stood a colossal tree, its trunk gnarled and ancient.
Approaching the tree, Ioki noticed a series of intricate carvings on its bark, depicting scenes of nature, creatures, and unknown symbols. It was a language he couldn't decipher, but he felt a deep connection to it.
Suddenly, a soft voice echoed through the glade, as if carried by the wind itself. "Welcome, traveler, to the heart of the forest."
Ioki spun around, trying to locate the source of the voice. "Who's there?" he called out.
From the branches above, a figure descended gracefully. It was a creature unlike any Ioki had seen before. She had the body of a woman but with delicate wings that shimmered like dragonfly wings. Her skin seemed made of bark, and her eyes sparkled like emeralds.
"I am Elowen, guardian of this ancient forest," she introduced herself with a serene smile. "I've been waiting for one like you, a Player with a key within."
Ioki was taken aback by her ethereal presence but felt an inexplicable sense of trust. "I'm Ioki, a---are you an Elf?!" Ioki asked as his eyes widened and glimmered with hope.
"My dear child." Elowen chuckled before she continued, "While I believe I know the reason for such questions. No, I am not... I would resemble more of what you Humans refer to as Fairies."
Elowen's wings fluttered gently as she spoke. "The virtual and real worlds are more intertwined than you may realize. Your acti---" As Elowen speaks, her body went to a state of blur and some of her words are cut even though her mouth is moving.
Ioki listened intently, confused with what was happening as Elowen's blurry body seemed to disapparate from the plane. "Wh--- what do you mean?"
"The forest has sensed your bond with the Kobolds and your respect for the land," Elowen explained. "It has led you here because it seeks your help. Darkness is upo---" Once again, Elowen's body went to a state of blur after it stabilized for only a moment.
Ioki's heart raced. "What are you saying? And why is your body like that?"
"What's happening? Isn't she an NPC? Even though she is a Player, is lagging truly a problem that exists nowadays?" Ioki thought while staring at the bizarre phenomenon before him.
Elowen noticed Ioki's unpleasant stares before she stopped talking and saw her body glitching, "Ah... They have detected my presence... I'm sorry, Master."
After her body stabilized for a moment, she smiled once again as she slowly approached Ioki. Her ephemeral beauty comes into sight of the little boy's eyes.
Elowen's smile never wavered. "Your journey is not limited to the game world alone. The skills, friendships, and experiences you gain there can have a profound impact beyond the screen."
With those words, Elowen extended her hand, and a shimmering green light enveloped Ioki.
"???? Has ????" An enigmatic blue window before Ioki popped up as Elowen's body slowly fades.
"Remember, Ioki, you are not just a Player." Elowen said before her body was enveloped with green essence and disappeared into the wind.
Dumbfounded with everything, Ioki pinch himself. "What just happened... Ah! Who cares! If she is an important NPC, a Quest window would pop up surely!" He exclaimed as he continued strolling through the forest
And so, Ioki's journey took an unexpected turn as he met with the mysterious Fairy, Elowen. The twist of fate which will bring curses as much as blessings in his life. The fated encounter of which registered Ioki's steps into the Terminus.
Although he was clueless for the moment, he couldn't escape his fate. Ioki is fated to have his faith tempted as he enters the capsule this day... Sooner or later, he will discover the blur line that separates Ashen Fantasy and the real world is thinner than a layer of film.
As Ioki strolls through the forest, he can't shake the enigmatic feelings inside his heart. The poor boy has encountered more than just a bizarre encounter in his time here...
First was the nightmare when the mysterious martial artist tore his body apart. Now, the glitchy Fairy Elowen?
"Ah, yeah! I forgot about the LIVE!" Ioki exclaimed as he opened the menu and guided his finger to the LIVE button.
The LIVE window popped up before him. The difference this time? He took his time to name his LIVE "Last Day in Ashen Fantasy Online."
He pressed the confirm button and waited for a few moments after the sphere appeared before him out of thin air.
10...
50...
100...
400...
800...
2000...
5000...
10437!
More than 10,000 pairs of eyes are currently watching Ioki's stream! This is for less than a span of half a day in real life! For a mere 4 hours of his presence inside the game, he already garnered more than 10,000 attention from other Players nationwide.
"Hello and welcome to my LIVE, big brothers and big sisters!" Ioki shouted to the sphere.
"Where did you go?! Why did you cut the LIVE at the most important point!" DarkFlame typed.
"Is that title really necessary, hun?" Rosaria typed.
"Oh! And what's the important point DarkFlame?" Ioki participated in his banter before replying to Rosaria, "Well... It is what it is! Stop calling me hun by the way. What's with that... Give me the jeebies, ughh..."
"THE KOBOLDS PAW BEANS!" DarkFlame typed.
"Till the very end you truly made my blood boil every time you open your bratty mouth!" Rosaria typed.
Ioki smirked at Rosaria's reply before finally looking toward the chat again.
"You see, give me an interesting place to go! Something that excites my heart! The Kobold Cave yesterday was truly a blessing. Like what they say, an honest fist will bring you a blessing!" Ioki said as he put his fist toward the sphere.
The chats found Ioki's charm more and more adorable as he keeps showing his adventurous spirit. If the chat typed the right comment, then they could either get into a banter or tease him to oblivion.
"Try going to the tomb of the Old Empire." Nagao typed.
"Eh? What is it? An undead dungeon?" Ioki asked.
"It's not even a dungeon, don't listen to him! It's just a strange place where no one even knows what purpose it serves... Seriously, you might want to go to the Verdant Shade instead." Absusbsj typed.
"Verdant Shade? I love the name. Where should I go to reach that dungeon, Absusbsj? Pffft---" Ioki asked as he tried his hardest to hold his laughter.
"I will ignore your laughter for now. If you go to the Northwest of Kobold Cave, you'll find a portal under a big mushroom. It's the portal connected to that dungeon." Absusbsj typed.
"Where should I even go? Which direction is Northwest... God, I'm terrible with direction." Ioki scratched his head as he looked around the forest.
"Open your map, you dolt!" DarkFlame typed.
"Map? Where do I open it?" Ioki asked again.
The chats then directed Ioki while being confused about how the wonderboy himself doesn't even have most of the basics jotted down, yet he keeps fighting and creating a miracle out of his fist.
They probably should have focused more on the miracle part.
"Ah! So that's how, don't be mad at me. I don't even know how to log out from this game to be honest... Remember! I am a total newbie at this game, a newbie that's far stronger than you idiots, hehee~" Ioki put his tongue out toward the sphere as he finished the sentence.
"Brat!"
"Brat!"
"Brat!"
"By the way, I don't think the Bugs would be a good match-up for Ioki... They are elusive." MrBlack45 typed.
Ioki bothered by the newest reply, slowly covered his mouth while his expression turned sour. "B---B---Bugs?" He stuttered.
Seeing Ioki suddenly show a drastic change in his behavior, the chat picked up the cue and teased him.
"Oho? Don't tell me you are afraid of Bugs?" Ms. Maria typed.
"Even the Sun is afraid of the night, that's fine boy!" Rikishi typed.
Ioki suddenly saw his map again and mumbled, "Northwest... Northwest... If I just go the opposite of this direction, then I would be far away from that God-forsaken place!" Ioki said as he shifted his body against the direction of Northwest.
"Where is the Tomb of the Old Empire? Random place would be much more better than that Bugs-infested dungeon! Shout out to MrBlack45 for telling me that. May Goddess Fortuna bless your hunts!" Ioki muttered under his breath while running.
The chats laughed on seeing Ioki's action as his feet kept taking him further inside the forest.