(A/N: Welcome to the 5th arc! Aiyo, I find that doing the store system thing can be really tiring as it's informative to write. ANOTHER thing that I found difficult to do is come up with names.... did research and got tired from seeing lists and lists of names.
The title for the arc is *cough* *cough* quite self explanatory there... Thank you for your support and enjoy the fifth arc!)
Ains opened his eyes with his hands over his chest, where he had been shot. He tightly closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Bao Bao knew the routine all too well and stayed by his hosts side. Although he had doubts on how Yu Zian could make a major mistake like that, he didn't have another reasonable explanation. How could he let someone who could be a hindrance live? How did he survive after all that time? How come he didn't feel anything then?
At the very least a danger ping should've notified him if his host's life was in immanent danger.
Bao Bao sighed, he had been really careless. Good things never last, that was something he knows himself but it is easy to get lost in the moment. If only he had been more vigilante, maybe his host would still be alive.... His host still had a whole life ahead of him there.
Ains stayed silent and laid down. He didn't move an inch afterwards.
This time Ains slept for a whole month to collect himself. Time seemed to flow by so quick for him, it felt like he had just slept for a couple of hours. His eye was puffy and red. Ains placed his cheek on his hand, "System, do you think.... that it would be good if we met in the next world?"
He felt a little strange as he hadn't spoken for a long time, having his voice back would take some time to adjust.
[Host... Bao Bao can't answer that for you and him. But... Bao Bao feels that it is out of host's and Bao Bao thinks that host should follow your own heart.]
Ains, "En."
"What is the results for this world?"
Bao Bao clears his throat. [Host, you've successfully completed the main tasks in the mission. You receive 1,250 points from the main tasks for a C leveled world difficulty. The side missions, you've completed all three. A total of 3,250 points.
Hidden missions, host has completed a total of four. Overall points acquired is 5,500 points. Host's points adds up to 14,250 points as your new balance.]
Bao Bao rubbed himself against Ains. [Bao Bao wants congratulate host for his hard work.... even though host left the world earlier, host has done an outstanding job.]
The corner of his mouth curved faintly, "En."
He wasn't alone, he still had Bao Bao here with him. At least not like that then.... He had someone to comfort him in his darkest times. Ains, "I'm ready."
[Alright~ As a bonus for completing the hidden quests, host gets to learn two skills. Here are the available skills~]
{Skills:
Cooking
Communications
Acting
Singing
Hacking}
Ains, "If I complete all the hidden missions, I get a chance to learn two skills?"
[Yes, that is correct. Although host is completing them now, as the world level difficulty increases, the chances of finding a hidden mission will become more scarce.]
Ains, "En."
As Ains was looking over the options, Bao Bao was nicely snuggled in Ains' arms. He smirked inwardly. Hehe~ My baby isn't pushing Bao Bao away. Bao Bao is getting into Host's heart!
Ains clicked on 'hacking' and hovered above 'acting', but before he could click on 'acting', Bao Bao cut in.
[Host.... you should get 'communications'.] So that I can finally talk with you! Right? It should teach host how to converse with someone. Host can act very well already, hehe~ There's no need to waste his time!
Ains agreed with Bao Bao and chose 'communications'. Ains smiled at Bao Bao, "I'll be back soon."
Bao Bao almost shed tears of joy, his presence with his host was getting better and better. Ains was swallowed into the training field. Right after Ains was taken away, Bao Bao laughed manically making him look crazy.
---
This time he was sent to a room filled with computers. A mechanical voice announces, "Here you will learn how to code, decode, and encrypt."
The computer screens all turn on, each one has a different course on it. Ains cracked his fingers. He felt that after this, he wouldn't be able to tell how many fingers he even had anymore.
"You will not be able to leave this field until you have mastered the skills and pass all of your trails."
---
Ains spent eleven years inside of the space, mastering the ways of the keyboard and the arts of hacking. He spent another thirty eight years learning how to communicate. It didn't only include just conversing to holograms, but also learning different languages, problem solving through usage of words, how to sound and write like a textbook, etc.
At first his hands and wrists felt so sore from typing and clicking so much, but then it became his vocal cords and his mouth. Maybe his hands and mouth would develop six packs after all of his hard work.
Bao Bao happily greeted Ains.
[Congratulations host~ Bao Bao has been waiting for you~ °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°]
But Bao Bao wouldn't stop throwing his confetti in the air. He threw it once, then twice, then it became the tenth time. Ains just stared at Bao Bao with his eyebrows furrowed. Bao Bao finally caught himself and laughed awkwardly. Oops... Bao Bao got too excited after not seeing host for so long...
He used his mengness and twist his body shyly.
[Hehe~ Got too carried away.]
Seeing that Bao Bao was finally back to normal, Ains finally replied, "En."
Bao Bao saw something strange notification on his interface and clicked on it.
{Congratulations for completing all the hidden quest two times in a row. You and your host has won the following items:
- Ticket for the roulette wheel*. X1
- 50% Discount Coupon (store use only) (one time use only). X1
*Items won from the roulette wheel will be distributed 100% to both system and host.}
Bao Bao's eyes sparkled.
[HOST! Hehe~ We got a reward from the higher ups. They gave us a ticket for the roulette wheel and a 50% discount coupon to use for the item in store. Would you like to use the ticket for the roulette wheel?]
Ains, "Roulette wheel?"
Bao Bao cleared his throat.
[Yes, host. It has many different kinds of items on the wheel. Once the wheel spins, it will stop on one of the items on the board and you will receive whatever you landed on. Usually getting a ticket is very rare, and..... *cough* the manual didn't have anything on how to obtain the tickets.]
Ains, "En. Let's use the ticket then."
A golden ticket appeared in the air and disintegrated into small golden sparks. The conjoined together and formed a large golden wheel. Some spots on the wheel had question marks, bronze chests, silver chests, and then golden chests. There were more bronze chests than there were golden chests.
A big red button appeared by Ains. It had the big bold letters 'SPIN' on it. Ains pressed on the button and watched the wheel spin. It went round and round, it's speed gradually slowing down. It landed on a question mark spot, immediately after the wheel disappeared and a black box with three question marks appeared in the air.
Ains didn't hesitate and touched the box. A small dial with two spots appeared and it flashed many different kinds of object it was able to give.
Ding!
Ding!
It stopped both on points, two million and 600,000 points. Bao Bao's jaw dropped. They got 2.6 million points! He could finally get what he had always wanted and his host had an abundance of points to use now! He then screamed afterwards.
[YAY! Host, we got a lot of points. Do you want to go to the store?]
Ains was quite happy with what he attained and nodded. Bao Bao activated the screen and then drifted off to his own world. Ains quickly loaded up his cart,
'Celestial Hand' - 600,000 points
'Crown of Gluttony' - 1 million points
'Spacial Storage' - 500,000 points
His total went from 2.6 million points down to 514,250 points. He also upgraded his 'Earring of Hypnotism' to max rank. His points decreased to 458,250 points. He quickly put on his items.
When he turned around the fluffy white ball was gone, in it's stead was a young elf with short golden hair and grayish almond hazel eyes. He was about 171 cm and had a delicate face. It had no clothes on, it's bare skin was exposed.
When it made eye contact with Ains, it's eyes turned into slits and it lunged at him. Ains acted out of instincts and kicked the young elf away. He flew a few feet away and rolled a couple of times.
A loud familiar voice could be heard from the young elf. [Wuu Host~ Why did you kick Bao Bao? Bao Bao just wanted to hug you!]