"Young Master, wake up," Mei Mei gently shook Lucian's body with soft touches, ensuring not to startle him.
"Young master, you will blame me again if I didn't wake you up. Wake up!" Her voice grew firmer as she continued to shake his body lightly.
"Uhm... Just 2 more minutes. And I'll be able to beat this dumb Kraken," Lucian mumbled incoherently as he clung onto the pillow next to him.
"You're always like this," the maid sighed as she got up from where she was sitting and went to turn on the lights. All this time, the room had been in darkness.
As soon as the light was turned on, Lucian felt a gentle stream of light in his eyes, causing him to slowly release his grip on the pillow and open his eyes.
"Turn the light off," Lucian mumbled with half-sleepy eyes, but the maid promptly showed him the time.
8:54
"You asked me to wake you up before 9," said the perfect maid as she gently poked his cheek.
Lucian finally understood that Mei Mei was waking him up per his request. He gently rubbed his eyes and sat up on the bed.
"Thanks, Mei Mei," Lucian said with a yawn, stretching his arms as he smiled at her.
Mei Mei gave a contented smile after performing her duty. "Let me change your clothes first," she said, swiftly changing his attire to something more suitable, as the room's light illuminated Lucian's figure..
Despite his slender build and pale complexion, Lucian possessed striking good looks. His petite nose sat pertly on his face, complemented by soft, pink, and inviting lips. His cheekbones added a pleasant touch, giving him an overall charm that exceeded even the models of this world, for those who took a closer look.
"You should freshen up, wash your face, and have breakfast before diving back into your addiction," Mei Mei chided, her voice tinged with slight disapproval.
"Are you still upset that I haven't been spending much time with you?" Lucian teased, his smile growing wider as he rose from the bed and stretched his body. Over the past few months, he had been feeling remarkably well, and one could even say he had become more lively than ever.
"Yes, I'm alone at home all day. What can I do but wait for you to log out? And even when you do, it's very late! It's been getting very dangerous lately; you've been playing Yggdrasil too much!" Mei Mei expressed her concerns as a maid who strives for perfection for her master yet finds it difficult to be apart from him.
"Hey, don't you have friends? I remember you used to go out with them every weekend. What happened to that? You even told me you had a friend who voiced a character from my favorite Ero Game," Lucian said as he opened his drawer to take his daily pills.
Mei mei blushed slightly at his words and quickly scolded him.
"Stop discussing eroges in the morning! Let's change the subject. And even if I have friends," she whispered softly, fidgeting, "I would still prefer being with you."
"Wait, what did you say?" Lucian, who couldn't hear her due to her whispering so low, immediately asked, as he didn't understand what she had said.
"Nothing! Please freshen up, I'll bring breakfast right away. Don't you have to defeat some boss before registering for the World Tournament?" Mei Mei said as she gently guided him toward the bathroom.
"Yeah, you're right. Today is the first day of the World Tournament, and I'm really excited," Lucian said with genuine enthusiasm and a smile.
Mei mei watched as he washed his face, brushed his teeth, while humming an anime opening with an excited smile.
Mei mei cherished the sight of her master smiling and enjoying himself, considering the DMMO-RPG, Yggdrasil, a true blessing. It had transformed her master, making him look forward to each day and improving his overall well-being compared to the previous days when he seemed lonely and sad.
While Mei mei did wish to join her master in playing the game, her top priority was seeing him happy. However, she also had her other duties to attend to, such as cleaning the house, preparing food, buying groceries, changing air filters, and many other tasks that needed her attention.
Leaving the room's door open, Mei mei went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
*******
After brushing up and finishing his breakfast, Lucian immediately headed towards the VR room, leaving his already worried maid even more concerned as she chased after him.
After sitting down comfortably at his console, Lucian hurriedly connected the neuro transmitter to his neural port and put on his VR helmet, instantly immersing himself in the virtual world.
"Link Start," he uttered, once again experiencing the familiar sensation of entering the virtual world.
******
In the grassy expanse of the Luminous Bifrost Valley, an unusual calm prevailed today. Most players were either busy signing up for the World Tournament or immersed with their preparations for the upcoming event.
Only a handful of players remained, and they too were departing.
Like Alfheim and Vanaheim, Asgard was also a realm in the Nine Realms that basked in the perpetual glow of the sun, except during its nighttime.
The Luminous Bifrost Valley is renowned among players for its excellent grinding opportunities. This area is home to some of the best monsters for farming EXP and obtaining rare drops. Consequently, the valley is consistently crowded with players on most days, all eager to hunt monsters, with the majority of them being humanoid characters.
However, today marked the beginning of a change.
A horde of Sacred Winged Lions, Bright Qilins, and a group of Astral Griffins were soaring through the sky, casting shadows on the grassy plains of Luminous Bifrost Valley, also known as Valley of EXP. It was a usual day for these monsters to be hunted, dropping rewards before meeting their demise. However, today was different.
A player materialized in the Luminous Bifrost Valley.
The player wore a full-body armor in shades of blue and silver, accentuated with elegant gold details. The armor covered every part of his body except for his face. His avatar was impeccably customized, boasting a strikingly handsome appearance. Long, flowing golden hair cascaded down his back, with a few locks framing his face. His eyes were a mesmerizing shade of crimson red, and his expression was stoic, yet there was a hint of innocent charm that made his face look perfect from any angle.
(Click her for reference image)
Lucian observed his surroundings and noticed a group of Celestial Unicorns soaring gracefully overhead, leaving behind a radiant rainbow trail. It was as if they hadn't even sensed his presence.
The group of Sacred Winged Lions descended towards the lake as part of their programmed behavior, quenching their thirst with graceful sips of water. The atmosphere in this place seemed surprisingly tranquil, with no players relentlessly hunting monsters in sight.
Lucian inhaled deeply, and as he did, the red gems embedded in his armor began to glow, casting an eerie crimson light. His eyes, mirroring the gem's glow, radiated a vivid crimson hue, resembling flowing blood itself.
Lucian gazed out at the valley ahead, his hand reaching into his inventory to retrieve something he held in his grasp.
In his hand, he held a golden medallion adorned with a brilliant blue gem at its center. The medallion appeared simple at first glance, except for the ancient runes inscribed onto it, which seemed to shift and change every second.
Lucian held the medallion in his hand, his stoic avatar remaining unchanged as he began chanting while clutching the medallion.
"[Odin, Allfather, hear my decree, In your castle, I summon thee. A lone «Hero», I stand in your way, A challenge awaits, in your realm, I'll stay. Grant me your might, for this battle we're bound, In your name, Odin, let destiny resound!]"
Lucian finished reciting in one breath, and he suddenly felt the ground shaking.
The entire Luminous Bifrost Valley began to tremble, as if a massive earthquake was underway. The Astral Griffins, Celestial Unicorns, and Sacred Winged Lions swiftly fled the scene, sensing the increasing intensity of the ground's tremors.
Lucian stood in awe as he witnessed a castle emerging from the ground of the valley, a short distance away from his location.
Before him stood a colossal crystalline castle with massive blue gates, guarding its entrance against intruders.
The gate had two imposing doors. One door bore a finely detailed carving of a female Valkyrie, gracefully holding the hand of another figure. The second door depicted a dying warrior, his hand being tenderly grasped by the Valkyrie, embodying a powerful and poignant scene.
Lucian examined his hands, focusing on the medallion he was holding. It was a valuable item he had acquired after defeating the six Raid Bosses.
[Aesir Mights Medallion]
Description: A medallion forged from Celestial Aetherium, the finest Celestial metal known in Asgard. It is said to be created by Brokkr, the finest blacksmith of the three realms. This medallion is reserved for the mightiest warriors of Asgard and is granted to the mightiest of Valkyries and Einherjars.
- Allows the user to ward off negative aura.
- Provides a passive 40% boost to all Holy spells cast while the item is equipped.
- Can open the Raid Boss room in Luminous Bifrost Valley, provided the user has the Hero-type Class.
- Chant [...............]
Lucian recalled how he had acquired this item, dropped by the last Raid Boss, Hel - The Signifier of Death, which he had defeated in Helheim just five days ago. Finding Hel's abode of death had been a challenging task, as there was very little information available. Unlike the other bosses, where each one dropped a key item hinting at the location of the next Raid Boss, Hel's location had remained a mystery.
Lucian had gone to great lengths to find the location of Hel's abode. He had even paid a hefty price to the World Searcher guild, one of the top guilds known for their expertise in exploration and uncovering the unknown. Their motto was to leave no stone unturned, and they seemed to have information on just about anything, provided you had enough money to pay for it.
Lucian had paid a hefty sum of 2 million yen, which left many players drooling at the generous offer. Even the Guild leader himself had come to personally listen to Lucian's request. The very next day, Lucian received the exact location of the Abode of Death in Helheim, thanks to his substantial payment to the World Searcher guild.
Apparently, it was a place rarely visited by players. The boss Hel was known to be exceedingly difficult and tricky to defeat, and it didn't drop any valuable items. This lack of enticing rewards had caused most players to forget about that particular Raid boss over time.
Lucian shook his head, clearing his thoughts, and focused on the two gigantic doors of the gate ahead.
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