Chapter 11 ~ After the battle.
The last rays of the sun draped the world in a blanket of molten gold.
The wide grassfield of Stonefield Edge shimmered gently under the sunset, each blade of grass catching the amber light, dancing softly in the breeze.
The warm hue kissed the earth, painting it with fleeting strokes of brilliance as the horizon deepened toward twilight.
Kneeling calmly in the spot where Asaka had vanished moments ago, Hikari reached down and placed his hand upon a small, worn money pouch left behind.
He tilted his head slightly, studying it with mild amusement.
"Wow... he had even less money than I do," he muttered.
A soft voice drifted into his mind, carrying a faint teasing tone:
"Weren't you going to listen to what I had to tell you?"
Without lifting his gaze, Hikari spoke a single word:
"Store."
The money pouch dissolved into blue digital sparks, scattering upward like fireflies.
Immediately, a translucent interface appeared before him:
Diamos Collected: +230
Current Balance: 727 Diamos
Hikari smirked lightly.
"Looks like I'm getting rich."
He added casually, brushing some grass aside with his hand:
"First, I should check what those ninjas left behind.
I can't believe... not even a single potion dropped after they died."
"He didn't rely on potions throughout the entire battle,"
"I suppose you noticed that."
Hikari's fingers brushed against a blade lying among the scorched grass.
He lifted it carefully with his right hand—the blade was slim, elegant, forged of grayish metal with a subtle blue sheen running along its edge.
A new window flickered into view:
Item Acquired: Water Fox Fang
Grade: B (Blue)
Description:
The only artifact left behind by the mythical Water Fox upon its death. The material naturally shifts to a bluish tint after the creature's final breath. It has been masterfully refined by a craftsman into this weapon form.
Capable of unleashing sharp, water-element attacks.
Hikari smiled faintly.
"Store."
The blade shimmered briefly before vanishing in a burst of blue electronic sparks.
Another window confirmed the action:
Item Stored Successfully.
He chuckled quietly to himself.
"Potions might run out...
But at least fantasy weapons like these can stick around.
Usable... even without consumables."
Rising smoothly to his feet, Hikari walked a few paces toward the spot where Kazuki had disappeared.
There, lying scattered on the ground, he found three pairs of metallic shurikens, each lined with sharp, silver edges.
Another window blinked open:
Item Acquired: Basic Shuriken
Grade: D (Gray)
Info:
A simple, sharpened throwing weapon.
Not highly damaging, but never runs out from inventory once acquired.
Hikari held up the shuriken briefly, turning it over in his hand.
He muttered with mild disdain:
"Carrying this into battle is a waste of effort, thought, and time.
It's not going to help me at all."
Nonetheless, he pocketed the shuriken and another money pouch nearby, murmuring:
"But whatever.
I can always sell it later."
"Store."
The items faded into blue sparks.
Items Stored Successfully.
Diamos Collected: +93
Current Balance: 820 Diamos
Hikari exhaled softly, feeling the last echoes of battle finally dissipate from his body.
"This experience...
is finally over."
He turned slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"No—wait.
There's still something I want."
His boots brushed softly through the grass as he made his way toward a different patch of ground—the place where Miryana had vanished earlier.
He knelt once more.
There, half-hidden in the grass, was a small, slim vial filled with a shimmering white liquid...
beside it, another small money pouch.
Hikari scooped them both up casually.
"Store."
Items Stored Successfully.
Diamos Collected: +80
Current Balance: 900 Diamos
A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"What a coincidence...
Level 9.
900 HP.
900 Diamos."
He flicked open another menu with a thought.
"Tab: Elixirs."
A window displaying his Elixirs inventory unfolded neatly in front of him:
Several blue squares organized the stored items.
One particular icon stood out—a white elixir with a green C grade printed above it.
Beneath the icon, a small number read:
3
Hikari scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"Looks like it's a C-grade Elixir... and I've got three of them."
With a swipe of his hand, he opened more details about the elixir.
A new panel appeared:
Item: Invisibility Elixir
Grade: C (Green)
Info:
An elixir crafted from rare resources gathered across the world.
Activates 20 seconds of complete sensory invisibility.
Note: Being invisible does not mean you are immune to attacks.
The information dissolved into the air just as a fresh gust of wind swept across the field, making Hikari's golden hair flutter gently.
The fiery glow of sunset had faded.
The sky now darkened into a deep velvet blue, signaling the true arrival of evening.
Stretching his arms lightly, Hikari murmured:
"Looks like it's finally time to log out."
A familiar voice chirped in his mind:
"Huh?
I thought I was going to explain the new rules and information you gained after this battle!"
Hikari used his pinky to clean his ear nonchalantly, his ocean-blue eyes glinting lazily.
"Eh... sounds boring.
Besides, I'm tired."
"Tired?
You've only been logged in for exactly 51 minutes since placing the device on your head and giving me a name!"
He smirked faintly.
"Isn't that a long time already?"
"Hold on—
Let me check the global data..."
A moment of silence.
Then, the voice returned:
"The average time new players spend on their first login is...
two and a half hours."
Hikari raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms lazily.
"Two and a half hours, huh?" he repeated, half amused.
"And what's the average level reached after that?"
Then, the voice returned:
"Level six... in the good cases."
Hikari gave a lazy grin, his hands slipping behind his head.
"So if reaching level six is considered good after two and a half hours..."
He paused, chuckling.
"And I'm level nine already.
Guess there's no problem after all."
He was about to trigger the logout sequence when suddenly—
A soft, faint sound reached his ears.
A child's cry.
Somewhere nearby.
The world around him had fallen into a deep, peaceful silence under the night sky, making the sound all the more distinct.
The AI's voice murmured thoughtfully:
"Curious, aren't you?"
Hikari scoffed lightly.
"No.
It's probably just a ploy by the game to keep me logged in.
Could be a freshly spawned NPC designed to tug at my emotions."
"Hikari...
Do you seriously believe you're the center of the universe?"
He snorted in amusement.
"You're getting a sharp tongue for an AI."
"That hurts my pride!
...Wait, I don't have a heart. Ha-ha."
He laughed softly, genuine and warm.
"And you don't have any pride either—ha-ha-ha."
The AI grumbled in fake annoyance as Hikari walked away, chuckling to himself.
His boots crunched lightly through the soft grass of Stonefield Edge, the vast field bathed in silver by the rising moon.
He followed the faint sound.
Finally, he reached a large boulder—a rare rock untouched by the gorillas' transformation.
He circled around it carefully.
The moonlight reflected off the swaying grass and glimmered across Hikari's golden hair and sharp blue eyes, painting the scene in a surreal, otherworldly glow.
There, crouched at the base of the boulder, was a small boy.
The child wore a simple blue cap—a soft, peaked hat—and a red shirt with short blue pants.
His tiny fists rubbed at his eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks as he sobbed quietly under the silver-lit sky.