Light Within

New Rival

"Oh my God, That sounds like so much fun! I wish I can join it sooner."

Claire was so frustrated after listening to Katherine's story about Eternal Quest. After school ends, both of them agreed to hang out at the mall that they used to go when they were in middle school. They went to the infamous cafe in the mall, which serves the best milkshake in the city. "It sure brings back memory here, don't you?", asked Katherine to Claire, after they decided to go to a separate school. "Yeah, it sure brings back memories, a lot of em. Remember Spency? She went to the same school as yours right?" continued Claire as she too was immersed with the old memories. Spencer used to be Katherine's neighbour, so the three of them used to play together despite their age. "Spencer used to be a lot more fun, but now, she all about the rules.", nagged Katherine when she tried to remember how playful Spencer back then. Katherine wanted to have fun with Spencer and Claire, like how they were back then, but being a member of the student council, Spencer was too busy for that. "Hey, isn't Spency has a younger brother? I totally forgot about that.", declared Claire as she suddenly remembered something. Katherine quickly tried to remember Spencer's younger brother, who occasionally will join them playing together. "Isn't it something start with Ha...Harith? Oh yeah, Harith. I remember he often grabbed Spencer's skirt when we played. He was kinda cute.". Katherine smiled when she remembered about Harith.

            Harith is a timid kid. Since he only has Spencer, and Spencer only has him, they both were very close. "I want to pinch him back then, but he only wants to be behind Spencer. Do you know where is him now?", asked Claire since she was too busy with her fencing schedule. "Nah, Spencer didn't talk much about him either.", Katherine continued, "but yesterday, I met a boy, he is Thief-class, I guess, he looked familiar though. His name is Haiz, but I didn't get the chance to add him to my friend list." Katherine drinks her milkshakes and thinks for herself, "Maybe I should log in for today, to see if he is around."

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Changing to Astral

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            "Woah, there quite a lot of people today.", admired Katherine by the number of players gathered in the centre of Ludea. She was amazed because of all of the players have their own uniques gears now, rather than still stuck in default outfit. "Ah, come to think of it, I only have new robes. Guess I'm still in my default outfit", thinking Katherine herself, as she realized she was still a beginner in the first place. "The ring, it somehow accumulates my Health Point(HP), but all spells that I have now is only Light Magic", Katherine tries to remember all the gears, she got from the past. Though her current outfit seems decent enough, she wants something that only made for her. "I better ask around to see if they know something about this", Katherine decided to ask for intel, since it was the best shot. She walks around the town, hoping to see anything related to a new quest which rewarded with new clothes, but it fruitless. Katherine was almost sure she would go back to the forest, until someone 'accidentally' bumped her, and made her fall. Before Katherine got to react, a cynical voice, which appears belongs to a girl said: "Oh my God, sorry. I thought I kick garbage, but turns out to be another player." She is apologizing, but with insults. "Wait, that voice, oh no...", Katerine already knew who was that voice belongs to. "Amber. To think that she too will playing this game."

             Katherine lowered her head, ready to leave, but she been stopped by Amber, "Hey, my cloth. It gets dirty from you. Clean it, will you?", demanded Amber. "Wow, even in this game, she still acts like a queen-bee. Or, is she already found out that this is me?", thought Katherine by herself, wished that Amber did not recognize her. "Hey, do hear what I said? Although you have beautiful hair, you can't beat me,  Alexa, Queen of Ivy", praised Alexa, Amber's alter ego, still with insults. Astral felt relief, but did not shows it too obvious...since Alexa did not know her real identity...yet. "I'm so sorry. Let me fix that", plead Katherine, though she did not know where is the dirt was. As Astral tries to get her hand the cloth, Alexa already pushes the hand away. "Don't you dare to smudge the dirt more. You need to pay for it", chuckled Alexa as she just wanted to mess around with Astral. Astral was pretty much dumbfounded. She did not see any dirt yet, she has to pay? That sounds like dirty money to her. "I'm sorry Alexa, but I don't see any dirt, and it IS you who bumped into me.", implied Astral, as she felt irritated with all of this. "Don't be rude newbies, are trying to challenge me? I'm gonna make you cry for it", intimidated Alexa as she thinks she has the upper hand now. The quarrel between both of them gets some attention from the players that passed by the central square. Some of them even chanted 'duel!duel!duel!' to fire the things up. "Do you hear that? Looks like the solution for this problem, is by me taking down your sorry-looking face you got there.", Alexa called out for Astral. Astral fidgeted for a moment, as she analyzed Alexa's equipment. She is wearing higher-level gears than her, meaning, Astral would definitely lose if they had a duel. "I take that as yes.", Alexa immediately sends a duel invitation and forces Astral to accept it. Suddenly,  faint-glowing pillars appeared from the ground, circled around both of them to take form as a ring arena. A glowing message appears on the sky showing Alexa vs Astral,  indicating that a duel is about to start. "Wait! I haven't accepted it yet!", screamed Astral, but her scream drowned by others' players chant.

            The battle already starts when Alexa draws out her weapon, cross-bow, and simultaneously shoots double arrows towards Astral when she was still in ambiguous mode. Luckily, her reflex manages to dodge it, though it slightly hurt her leg. "Heal!", chanted Astral fast enough while try to remain a distance and sort out for some strategy. "What's the matter, weakling? Afraid to attack? You should behave in the first place and pay for what you did if you are too afraid,", Alexa continued, "But it is too late. Once I start to draw my bow, it thirsts for some blood." Alexa did not hold back anymore, as she sees much opportunity to end the duel faster, and humiliates her enemy greater. Astral did not have enough chance to fight back, since all of her spells, are only focusing on buffs and heals. "I can't back up, but what choice do I have?", yet suddenly Astral still remain her stance, "I came here just to have some fun, not to be beaten by this spoiled mean queen!".

            Anger consumed her, and a golden aura started to glow within her body, Astral focused on all-out attack. Realizing something is not right, Alexa quickly draws more arrow to unleash one of her skills, "This ends now, weakling. Arrow Rain!". The arrow multiplies into infinite numbers, which nobody can survive it. Alexa smirked, thinking she already won the battle, but suddenly a large circle of magic appeared below them. Astral unconsciously chanted something, that caused strong light magic demolished the arrows. Alexa managed to dodge it, but half of her HP bar is decline. She quickly took some potion and thinking to herself, "That was powerful magic, but she didn't say the name out loud. Is this one of her passive?".  Alexa trembles in fear, shaking to her knee because she knew she was no match for Astral. Strangely, Astral did not finish her, in fact, she just stands at there, waiting. Alexa quickly loads her bow with an arrow and aims for the critical spot, which is the head. When Astral finally regains her conscious, the arrow was already pierced to her head.

'Game Over. Winner: Alexa'.

            A Message Prompt popped up, indicated that the battle was over. "Wait, what? How did it end? Is she cheating", complained Astral, as she did not the remembered the half of duel. Alexa approached her and quickly snatched the Scarlett Ring from her. "And this is mine. Buh bye.", said Alexa, before she leaves. Astral was still dumbfounded and furious as she knew that duel is unfair, but the damage was already done. Meanwhile Alexa, she just wanted to leave, afraid if Astral demanded another duel, but of course, it did not happen. Astral continued her journey to seek a new gear for herself.

"Well, nothing but to keep moving forward."