Ugh... How long had I been staring at my phone in the café?! I know I need to find my ninth [Mastery], but I could just search for it on my desktop computer. Still, at least I made a decision there and there's no turning back now.
So after our usual hangout along with meeting Kazuki's new friend, we head home and do our usual routine once we arrive. Then after dinner, we're back in our bedroom as Kazuki prepares the visors for our next visit while I do some last-minute research on the [Masteries] I chose for later. Of course, I know I don't have time to make a new weapon for them, but luckily, Ol' Wally is willing to lend me one of his creations for the time being. Taking a deep breath, I turn to my brother.
"So any news from Yuri?" I ask.
"He said he's almost finished with his homework in a few minutes. So this gives us extra time to prepare for real life," Kazuki answers. "But I'm surprised you chose that [Mastery], Hayate. I mean, [Masteries]. I thought you already have the means to fight with [Archery] and [Swordsmanship]."
"I know. But you can never be too careful in a fight. Besides, considering how much attention we have right now, I want to try twisting my fighting style in case of another public confrontation."
"I see. Yuri did mention that you can't use your usual tactics forever against other players, so that might be a good idea, too."
"Yeah, you did put a spin on your fighting style with your new staff, right? I should do the same in preparation for the hike." I sigh while staring at the monitor. "Do you think that book is cursed or not? We don't know what we're going to discover once we unlock it."
"I-I don't know. But I do know that the moment that I open this book, our lives in this virtual world will change. And with the expansion coming up, I can't keep it locked forever. Not to mention that my birthday is coming up and I want to do one last thing before you stop being my [Guardian]."
Right. It will take a while until Kazuki is considered a 13-year-old in terms of law, but there is a chance our partnership in the game will change dramatically.
"Hopefully this time, we might have some extra help if we encounter another [Hidden Quest]. I just hope Zac and Damon will be safe at the entrance..."
"Zac and Damon will what?" Kazuki asked.
"O-Oh... Nothing... Let's get into the game now."
"Um... Yuri hasn't called yet, remember?"
Oh, right... All I can do is lie down on my bed and log into [Isekai].
-----
Once we were back in the city of <Initio>, we decided to wait in front of the crafting hall as promised. It's almost at the promised time and we just made enough potions and expendables for the upcoming trip ahead. A few minutes later, Arthur and Razul arrive, but there are no signs of Yuri yet.
Looking around, I see Arthur yawning and stretching his arms, Razul polishing his guns, and Kazu staring at his staff. At this point, it's getting a bit quiet, so I may need to break the ice a bit.
"Thanks again for volunteering, guys. Honestly, we're a bit nervous to face off against the monsters in
"Don't worry about it, Windy. Glad we're here to help you guys with your personal quest," Arthur answered. "Still, are you sure you don't want us to follow beyond the entrance?"
"It's a bit of a failsafe on our side. We don't know what Kazu's book has in store if we break the limitations this dungeon imposed, but it's better safe than sorry."
"He's right."
About time. We turn around and see Yuri running up to us.
"And speaking of the devil, about time, Yuri," I said. "Did you still have your book with you?"
Yuri nods and we see him take out his hardcover book from his inventory. "Right here. So you guys think that we might get some answers related to these books?"
"It might be," Kazu answered. "If it isn't a [Hidden Quest], what it could be?"
I nod. "Kazu's right. With the expansion on the horizon, we can't waste any more time. Right now, we just need to do what we can do and get to our destination for answers."
"Right! And we're just going to guard the entrance while you guys take on the [Quest] inside. Okay, I get it! Although, it might be nice for us to jump in like heroes and..."
"No way," Kazu interrupts. "We don't know what will happen if you guys join in. Besides, I want to be the star of this [Quest] for once. Wind has already had his time in the spotlight. I want to know more about the game's lore so bad, so I need to do this!"
"Plus, we have to make sure we avoid unnecessary casualties," Yuri adds. "My guess is that the [Hidden Quest] specifically asks for the book owners, so it's best if we bring only one outsider if possible."
If by outsider, he means me. I don't know if I'm offended or annoyed by that comment.
"They have a point there, Arthur," Razul said as he placed his hand on Arthur's shoulder. "Let the real stars shine for once. Right now, we'll be your backup in case something goes wrong."
I can see Arthur frowning as he looks at Razul. I can't really blame him. He's always an attention whore when it comes to this stuff. But knowing Kazu right now, I might try to be lenient and help him accomplish his goal in this game. It's almost his birthday after all.
"Fine, fine. But you guys promise not to die again, okay?" Arthur concedes.
I smile at those last words. "That's the idea."
-----
After we made our usual preparations and last-minute shopping, we head off to our next destination, <Hill Forest>. The dungeon where we had our first deaths and where our murderers are currently resting. Unlike before, we were well-equipped and had extra people in our party and while I know this is a bit petty on our end, it's time we get our revenge. At this moment, we're hiding in the bushes from the moment we arrive, and by using my [Investigate] skill, I can see those [Link Ant] creeps crawling around near the entrance as usual, like they have no clue what they did to us. Yep, just another reason why I had to go along with Kazu's suggestion this time.
"I heard about them. Those ants can call their allies and will attack anyone else if one tries to run away from them," Yuri said as he stares at the large ants. "You guy made the right call to stand your ground instead."
"In exchange for a brutal penalty, of course!"
I narrow my eyes at Arthur. I am so done talking about this and I'm about to raise my fist to his face if he mentions it one more time! At least he clears his throat, which is an obvious sign to change subjects.
"So what's the plan here?" Arthur asks. "You guys said you wanted revenge."
"I do have some bullets that will help against them," Razul notes. "But are you sure you want to deal with the first wave on your own?"
"Yep!" Kazu nods as I notice his eyes fully locked on the ants. "We've already got all we need to get some payback against those nasty ants and we're not gonna stop until we win the rematch."
I nod to my brother. "That's right. And I know how to start things off."
I quickly draw my new [Experimental Compound Bow] from my [Inventory] along with my [Blunt Steel Arrow] from my quiver. Using [Stealth], I slowly crawl closer to one of the ants and aim my bow and arrow at its head. This time, I make sure my focus is on the ant and nothing more. This guy isn't like the [Hare Sprinter] who instigated the mess in the first place. I took a few quiet breaths before I muttered a skill.
"[Tracking Aim]."
I release the bowstring and the steel arrow flies out from my bow. I gasp upon seeing how well it managed to stay in the air despite the weight of the material it was made from and thanks to my skill, the force created by my new bow and the blunt arrowhead manage to leave a big crack on the hard shell of the ant's head. I knew it! Those experiments I did and the theories I came up with really did the trick! And thanks to my [Stealth], the [Link Ant] didn't know what was coming for it. Knowing this, I use a normal attack on my second steel arrow to break through the shell, and for my last trick, I draw my [Spiral Arrow] next and readied my bow with it. Since I didn't build a steel arrow version of it, I need some extra juice if I want to deal with this jerk with a single shot.
"[Corkscrew Pierce]."
I can feel the power surging into my arms and without any hesitation, I release the bowstring again and the arrow starts to spin as soon as it flies toward the ant. As soon as it makes contact, the spiral arrowhead pierces through the exposed area of the ant's head. While I can't see any blood due to settings, I still cringe at the sight of the ant screeching in pain before it collapses and disappears into data.
[HEADSHOT! CRITICAL HIT]
Regardless, that notification means that my hard work isn't a waste after all. Although, my victory is short-lived when more ants turn their heads in my direction, thanks to the dying ant's screech.
"Nice job, Wind!" I can hear Arthur's voice behind me. At least he is using his indoor voice. "You showed that ant who's boss!"
"Yeah, but we're not out of the woods yet," Razul's voice comes next. "Looks like your revenge kill got their attention."
He's right. They are already eyeing my friends and despite my [Stealth] skill currently being active, it won't be long before those ants try to attack them next. Before I can deactivate it though, I gasp upon seeing Kazu emerge from his hiding spot and walk right in front of the marching ants.
"Alright, Wind. You've got your chance. Now it's my turn to deal with these ant jerks!"
Normally, I would stop him and scold him for it. But I have to keep reminding myself that Kazu is almost 13, the age of his independence. He needs to start making his own choices and I need to accept them. This is his moment and I can't ruin it for him for his sake. Instead, I slowly back away from the ants while deactivating my [Stealth] and turning to Kazu. "Think you can deal with some of these ants on your own, bro?"
To my surprise, Kazu smiles...no. The better term is smirking as he nods and says, "What do you think? I already said I want to be strong enough so I won't have to rely on you so much and like you, I'm not going to waste my hard work and research on those jerkish ants. I will be the greatest mage of [Volo] and I will make my name in the game's lore!"
Well, that's enough to convince me. "So you have some ideas about it?"
"Yep." Kazu then turns to the ants and finishes, "Because you're not the only one who got a 9th [Mastery]."
-----
Wind's Masteries
[Archery] Level 19
[Woodcrafting] Level 10
[Swordsmanship] Level 18
[Cooking] Level 9
[Wind] Level 16
[Physical Enhancement] Level 17
[Hunting] Level 15
[Blacksmithing] Level 18
[???] Level ?
-----
Kazu's Masteries
[Arcana] Level 20
[Thunder] Level 18
[Wind] Level 15
[Alchemy] Level 18
[Magecrafting] Level 15
[Magical Affinity] Level 19
[Scribe] Level 18
[???] Level ?