A voice broke the eerie silence, light but mocking. "Seriously? How stupid."
The figure's silhouette flickered into view, leaning lazily against it's hand while looking at the hologram. The image displayed was of a woman sleeping peacefully, unaware of the observation of *someone*. A slow smile spread across the figure's lips, amused.
"Now, when will we meet~?" The voice mused, almost wistfully. She tilted her head, eyeing the woman with an unsettling sense of amusement. "I guess I shouldn't have done that." The woman inside the hologram said.
The figure watching then gave a dismissive flick of her wrist, banishing the hologram from view, her smirk still evident. "What a mess…"
---
Okay, so I shouldn't have given those names continuously like that (╯︵╰;)
Turns out, mana is actually like a monsters life force. Each time I gave them a name 50 mana points would be sucked towards the names. And while it would regenerate overtime, I haven't really been resting in between naming them so mine went into the negatives, like -90, the system said that if it had reached a -100 I would've died.
In conclusion, I've been giving away my life force and so, almost died!（＾～＾）/
But, it's fine~. I'm still alive anyway!
System Interface Updated!
Name: Aria
Race: Ice Oni (Epic!)
Titles: Boss, Runt, Little Weakling, The One Who Killed 2 Bosses at Once, The One Who Builds, Oni, Namer(!)
Health: 1005/5000(!)
Mana: 879/1000(!)
Stats:
Strength: 567
Intelligence: 496
Dexterity: 391
Vitality: 455
Mana: 439
Skills(Open)
Magic Skills(Open)
Bond:
•Villager bond(Open)
•Family bond(Open)
---
Villager Bond Interface
Bonded Villagers:
1. Scarface
Mood: Overwhelmed affection
Trust Level: 14/50
Progress: (28%)
Notes: Loves showing off. Might want to impress his wife too much, though.
2. Grumpy
Mood: Determined annoyance
Trust Level: 13/50
Progress: (16%)
Notes: Desperate to prove himself to his crush.
3. Tink
Mood: Mild admiration
Trust Level: 12/50
Progress: (12%)
Notes: Still trying to figure out how you work so fast.
4. Other Villagers
Mood: Stressed
Trust Level: 8/50
Progress: (4%)
Notes: Thinks you're weird, but you're the boss, so they'll deal.
---
Family Bond Interface
Bonded Family:
1. Titan
Mood: Content
Trust Level: 20/50
Progress: (50%)
Notes: Incredibly protective and loyal. Trusts you with his life.
---
Bond Mechanics(I added just for fun)
1. Mood: Real-time emotional state of the bonded individual. Emojis provide a quick reference for their current feelings toward you.
2. Trust Level: Ranges from 0 to 50 and determines the strength of the bond. Higher levels unlock special bonuses and abilities.
0-9: Barely Trusting
10-19: Neutral Trust
20-29: Moderate Trust
30-39: High Trust
40-49: Deep Trust
50 (MAX): Absolute Bond (Unlocks unique abilities and dialogue options)
---
Example Progression Bonuses
Level 10 (Neutral Trust): Minor increase in villager morale during tough tasks.
Level 25 (Moderate Trust): Unlocks personal quests for the villager/family member.
Level 50 (Absolute Bond): Grants a special skill or passive ability unique to the individual. ]
....The fuck is a dialogue option? What is this, a love system? I think you just wanna mess with me!
Also, what? That Health(!) and Mana(!)?!
And what the heck is the difference between that Mana(!) and the one on stats?
[System Response:
I told you. Only something you know will come up on the system that applies to this as well. And the difference is easy. The mana on the stats is connected to the mana below your title. Unlike your health that moves up when you evolve, the mana besides it can only grow if your mana stats grows.]
Wha..? Y'know what nevermind.
I guess the progression bonuses are good. I have to tell the guys back home about a hologram thingy showing up infront of them when they reach level 25 in trust.
Haa.... Atleast now I'll know what their feeling. And it might help later on, I guess?
---
And....let's forget about that for now and focus on the matter at hand, yep! I doubt that will be needed until I decide to settle down as their leader really.
Now onto business, after leaving the crying Scarface and Gorn and the worried Fen and Jia, I left.
Well, my squad did, since the advisor and Titan will be going with me.
Let's go!
On our trek towards the north, towards the base of satan's hellspawn, I tried to start up a conversation.
"So," I started, breaking the oppressive silence, "any tips on not dying to an army of giant squirrels?"
Leah glanced at me, her clawed hands tightening around her staff. "They're territorial. Avoid their forest if possible. But seeing as we're walking straight there? That's already failed…" She said with a sigh.
Well, sorry. But we need their food!
Definitely not just me wanting revenge~ "ψ(｀∇´)ψ
"Why?" I pressed, though I wasn't sure I wanted the answer.
"Let's just say you'll regret it," she muttered grimly, her tail swishing anxiously.
I groaned. "Great. That's reassuring. Let me guess—they hold grudges too?"
Leah didn't reply, but her silence said enough.
---
By the time we reached the clearing, the sun was dipping low in the sky, bathing the grove in golden light. The fruit trees shimmered as if they were covered in jewels.
"See? Told you it was worth it," I said, gesturing dramatically toward the grove. "All we have to do is—"
A sharp chittering noise cut me off. My stomach dropped.
From the shadows, dozens of beady eyes glinted menacingly. The squirrels hadn't forgotten—or forgiven. Their fluffy tails twitched in eerie unison as they emerged from the trees.
"Incoming!" I shouted, drawing my sword. "Ready yourselves!"
Titan stepped forward, his towering frame shielding Leah and me. His massive arms raised, ready to defend, the faint groan of his armor the only sound he made.
Leah began chanting under her breath, her staff glowing faintly. "I'll handle crowd control. Keep them off me," she barked, her usual calm giving way to urgency.
The first wave of squirrels lunged. Titan swung his massive arm, sending a group of them flying like ragdolls. His movements were precise and relentless, each blow clearing a path.
Leah's magic burst outward, creating a glowing green barrier that held the majority of the swarm at bay. "They're angrier than I expected!" she said, gritting her teeth.
"Why are they so mad?!" I yelled, slicing through one particularly aggressive squirrel.
"You're breathing in their territory!" Leah snapped back.
I groaned, deflecting another attack. "Well, excuse me for my instincts!"
Also, I think they remember me from back then. Might be more reason they're angry (＾▽＾;)
Seriously, so petty, all I did was get close, I didn't even take anything back then.
---
The fight dragged on, with no end to the squirrel swarm in sight. For every squirrel we knocked back, more seemed to take their place.
"Retreat?" I suggested, narrowly dodging a squirrel that launched itself at my face. These squirrels seem to wanna attack my face more than ever!
Leah nodded, her magic faltering slightly under the strain. "Retreat."
Titan responded immediately, scooping me up with one arm and pulling Leah behind him with the other. His actions were swift, silent, and efficient, as always. Together, we broke into a run, the chittering of the swarm chasing us through the trees.
Eventually, we burst out of the grove and into the relative safety of the denser forest. The angry screeches faded, but the memory of their fury lingered.
A shiver went up my spine at the thought of those ugly squirrels, it's not like we were gonna steal their food. They could've just talked it out with us, sheesh!
Anyway, "New plan!" I panted, leaning against a tree.
Leah shot me a sharp look. "Next time, we bring bait. And fire."
Titan didn't react, but the faint tilt of his head seemed to suggest agreement.
I groaned, collapsing to the ground. "I hate squirrels." (╥﹏╥)
---
We set upped for the night here, can't exactly go back with nothing. Leah's currently busy chanting a spell that keeps hostile creatures away from this place. Titan was sitting down besides the bonfire, but I can tell he's keeping watch. Me? I was lying on the ground and looking at the beautiful night sky...
Those squirrels were proof that this forest wanted me dead, one fluffy-tailed menace at a time.
But tomorrow, I promised myself, we'd be ready.