Supreme Lord of Soulnight

Changes

A week flew by like a madman with rabid dogs at his heels. Liwan’s daily routine revolved around school and the game Soulnight. It was about the same time his mother grew worried because his social life is non-existent.

In the past, he got into a heated argument with his mother about his gaming and his poor grades. This time around, his mother looks at him as if he’d grown two heads. She saw his test scores for the past week which Liwan forgot about. It so happened that she came into his room to borrow a pen. His backpack was lying open on the floor, his test papers sticking out from the book where he hurriedly stuffed them.

“Are these your scores?” she asked. “You didn’t cheat, did you?”

Liwan chuckled and looked away from his computer screen. His eyes met his mother’s black ones, widened in disbelief. He’s making a draft for his book report, due that same week. He wanted to have a head start because he’s planning to devote a bigger chunk of his time to play. One week has passed since the conversation with his friends about recruiting a healer Sidhe. Relying on his memory of the past and the future he got to live once, it’s about this time that person shows up.

“Yes, mom. Those are my scores. They’re legit. What about it? And no, I didn’t cheat. I made use of this thing I inherited from you and dad.” He pointed at his temple.

His mother shook her head in disbelief. She approached him and looked straight into his eyes. She put a hand on his forehead, feeling his temperature. Liwan let her. In the future, his relationship with his mother was a little bit strained. But he was too indifferent to care even though they’re living under the same roof.

Thinking back, he couldn’t understand how his mother could stomach an ungrateful and lazy son like him. And with his death, he left his aging mother by herself. Two years before his accident, his father passed away.

Good thing he’s here with this second chance. He would make up for his shortcomings. Getting good grades in school is one way to do that. He promised himself he won’t be a burden to her in this life and the future. That is if he has one.

“Tell me, Liwan. Are you sick?”

Liwan laughed. “Mom, I’m fine.”

“I just can’t believe you studied. And now---what’s that?” She scrutinized his screen. A gasp escaped her from parted lips. “You’re doing your homework!” she exclaimed.

Liwan resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he shook his head and took his test papers from his mother’s hands. But she held on to it. Liwan’s eyes were full of questions.

“I’m going to show this to your dad,” she declared.

“Oh, alright.”

His mother nodded and gave him an absent-minded pat on the cheek.

“I’m leaving.” She left in an undisguised daze.

Liwan watched her mother’s back. A small smile lingered on his face. After staring at his door for quite a while, he went back to his homework. He has a lot to do.

***

Blade dashed through the waist-length grass on the vast plains of Rionas. On his trail were ten Pinchers, their antennas swaying as they run after him. The red-orange of their shells were dotted with short fine hairs of the same color. Their short legs propelled them with speed dangerously close to Blade’s, thanks to them having ten of them compared to his two.

Pinchers are nasty bugs inhabiting the grass plains of Rionas, land of the Sidhes. They look like giant hairy cooked lobsters, mouths frothing as they screech to themselves. One Pincher is about the size of a ten-year-old human child.

Blade may be at level fifty after a week and has grown stronger. But ten Pinchers on his heels is an overkill. Although Pinchers are forever stuck at level twenty, a mob of them against one player spells disaster. Especially if that player has zero decent equipment.

“Jayson, Denver! Where the hell are you man? I’m getting mobbed!” Liwan yelled on his mic.

“At three o’clock! I see you, man!” Jayson yelled back.

True enough, when Liwan rotated Blade’s view, he saw his RagingInferno and Shadowstrikes catching up with him. He waited for his friends to get within range before skidding to a stop. Looking back at his pursuers, they’re still at a considerable distance from his spot. Liwan made Blade face his incoming friends.

“Party!” he barked as he pushed on the letter “P” on his keyboard.

He swiftly pointed his mouse at his friends’ character names and sent an invite. In seconds, a party of three was formed, with Liwan as the leader.

“Fan out,” Liwan commanded. “Jay, you go tank. Let me deal with damaging them. Denver, back me up.”

“On it,” Jayson quipped.

Liwan took the spot forward, with Denver flanking his right and Jayson on his left, a few steps behind. They watched the mob of Pinchers approached, fingers hovering over the keys of their respective keyboards.

Gamers only need to keep their eyes glued on the computer screen, leaving the keyboard to their fingers alone. They don’t need to glance down to ensure that they’re punching the right keys. Gamers have muscle memory and rely on the feel of the keys on their fingers.

They know the right keys without using their eyes. Of course, it takes a lot of accumulated playing time to achieve that. And for Liwan and friends who’s been playing online games since they’re six years old, it was easy as breathing.

The Pinchers’ screeching grew louder as they come closer. The moment one monster came into Liwan’s attack range, Blade sprinted forward, meeting the monster on the lead. Blade’s twin swords glistened as Liwan made him s***h his sword without hesitation. Then the rest of the Pinchers surrounded them, swiping and swinging their pinchers at the group.

Jayson’s RagingInferno jumped and landed with a bang on one Pincher, his foot stepping on the monster’s back. The pincher gave off a high-pitched screech and swung it’s pincher above its head, trying to dislodge the annoyance it’s back. But RagingInferno held on, riding the monster like a skateboard albeit shaky.

RagingInferno stayed on the monster’s back, trying to wield his broadsword but staying upright proved to be a challenge. Jayson gave up after a few attempts and jumped off the Pincher’s back. As soon as he landed on the grass, his broadsword swang in a criss-cross motion, slicing through the monster’s shell.