CH.324 Bar hopping with Alice and Lua
<span style="font-weight:400">“... I really need to make a more permanent summoning circle.” I muttered, as I looked at the circle I used to summon the ice dragon.
<span style="font-weight:400">Even with no fighting or show of force, the circle drawn on the dirt of this floor had been damaged to the point where it would take more time to fix it than it would take to draw a new one. Well, let’s justpletely erase this one. I’llter find a good ce where I can make permanent circles of different sizes.
<span style="font-weight:400">With all the evidence of my … I was going to say screwing around, but I was actually doing something quite serious. Well, with the ce cleaned, I teleported myself back to the surface.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“He''s back!” Eline yelled, as she spotted me. “My Lord. How did it go?” She then asked, as she ran to me.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You know you can just keep calling me Brian, like you did earlier.” I reminded Eline. “And it went well. I made a summoning contract.” I told her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Amazing! I know you could do it.” Eline said.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... then where is it? I don’t see it.” Einar asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I can summon her now.” I told him. “Hime?a. Would you be so kind.” I requested, as I was trying to use the Advanced Summoning Magic skill. That is how this works, right?
<span style="font-weight:400">I felt a bit of mana being drained from me, and then the temperature got colder, just like it did when I summoned her inside the dungeon. Ice crystals began to form next to me and eventually they took on the shape of a dragon.
<span style="font-weight:400">{M-master. You already called me.} Hime?a at first spoke shyly, but as soon as she realized I wasn’t holding the Red-Eyes ck Dragon Sword, her tone changed a bit. {Well, of course you would call for me. What summoner wouldn’t want to show off their amazing familiar? Yes. Gaze at my glory, you lowly people.} Hime?a said, as she raised her head up high, posing as if she was the greatest dragon in existence.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You- you made a contract with a dragon?” Eline asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course he would.” Einar said. “What else would our Master summon?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Maybe a phoenix?” Eline suggested.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Can you even summon that?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“With a card I could.” I told Einar, before turning back towards Hime?a and speaking to her in draconic. “Also, can you stop releasing cold air? You’ll kill the grass if you keep that up.”
<span style="font-weight:400">{If it cannot take my frosty breath, it doesn’t deserve to serve as my summoner''s footing.} Hime?a responded.
<span style="font-weight:400">“...” I didn’t say anything, but just red at her.
<span style="font-weight:400">{... I … I shall hold it back.} The dragon said, as she visibly shrunk and the amount of cold airing off of her went down significantly. She was still letting out some cold air, but a lot less, and to the point where it won''t freeze anything.
<span style="font-weight:400">As we were talking, some of the others came out to the yard, possibly to check what themotion was about. That included Alice, Lua, as well as the two dragons. Well, one is a dragon avatar, but still.
<span style="font-weight:400">“So this is your new summon. She looks pretty.” Luamented. Naturally she and Alice already knew about my shenaniganz, as I told them via the System Link.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You always didck water dragons, so I guess an ice dragon is a decent substitute.” Alice added.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Is this a new card?” Agunan asked. “May I fight her?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No. This is different.” Lady Janina told him. “She is a summoned dragon. Not one made by Brian’s unique skill.”
<span style="font-weight:400">As the four chatted with me, Hime?a shrunk in size even more. To the point where I honestly began to think that she was getting physically smaller, as if her body was deting.
<span style="font-weight:400">{M-M-Master? Wh-Why is… a fire dragon here?} She asked, sounding terrified.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh? So she talks.” Agunan spoke to Hime?a in draconic. “I am here as I have dedicated my life to my Master. Of course I shall stay close to him.”
<span style="font-weight:400">{Y-Y-you? You are a dragon yer? And you have a dragon dedicated to you?}
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, kind of. But if you think about it, the only dragon I’ve ever really in is Agunan there, but he is very much alive, so I wouldn’t actually consider myself a dragon yer. Even if I have technically killed a dragon.” That was all spoken in draconic, so I wasn’t worried about Einar and Eline hearing it. Not that the duo don’t know that I can resurrect people, as I literally did that to Einar. As well as Mufasa just a bit ago.
<span style="font-weight:400">“That does still make you a dragon yer.” Lady Janina pointed out. “Besides, if you count what happened in the Factory, your monsters have killed Agunan a number of times, and even I sumbed thrice.”
<span style="font-weight:400">As Lady Janina kept talking, I think her identity finally became clear to Hime?a, as she immediately dropped her head to the ground to show respect to the dragon in front of her.
<span style="font-weight:400">{M-M-My Queen. W-W-What is someone of your might doing here?} Hime?a just barely muttered out.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Don’t be like that. Brian won’t like it. Since this is his domain, and everyone is equal in his eyes, that isn’t necessary here.” Lady Janina said. “But if he summons you in my domain, it may be a different story.”
<span style="font-weight:400">… well, she isn’t wrong, but she also is. While I do agree that I don’t want any of this crawling on the ground BS on HomeBase, there is still a clear hierarchy here. I’m at the top. Below me are Alice and Lua. Agunan is technically also at that level, as is Lady Janina. Below that is Ria, followed by everyone else in seniority by work time. So Wilma, then Einar and Eline and at the bottom are the four neers. My monsters in the dragon avatars, as well as Endy and Magie, aka Magical Exemr installed into the dragon avatar, are somewhere around Ria in rank, depending on the monster.
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<span style="font-weight:400">After everyone saw my new dragon, I unsummoned Hime?a. I probably shouldn’t summon her in front of Agunan too much, as she seemed honestly terrified of the fire dragon. Even Lady Janina was less scary to her, but that might be because that is just the dragon avatar Janina, not her true body turned into a human form. Oh, and speaking of human forms, Hime?a cannot transform into a human form, but she was willing to learn how to do so, so she might join me on my Draconic Body/Magic practice sessions.
<span style="font-weight:400">Alice and Lua were also both interested in testing out if they can summon monsters and make contracts, but I asked them to wait until I have the more permanent summoning circles done. It shouldn’t take more than a day or two to do that after all. I just need to pick a good spot, make a stone b or something like that there, and then have one of my monsters carve the summoning magic circle to it. Thenter I might look into adding that mana autofill, as Lua and Alice really don’t need it. They have plenty of mana, just like I do.
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<span style="font-weight:400">After a somewhat eventful day, I decided to have a different kind of evening. We are levitating above the capital, so why not go and check out the capital’s nightlife, and maybe the bar scene. So after swapping our clothes for something that wouldn’t stand out as much in the capital, Alice, Lua and I beamed ourselves down to the ground. We appeared already in the moner’ district, in a random alley I noticed was empty.
<span style="font-weight:400">We got out of there and onto a main street before some … not so savory people could spot us, and headed towards where I remember seeing a bar. There were plenty of them across the capital, but we were quite close to one, so may as well start there.
<span style="font-weight:400">It wasn’t difficult for me to order a drink, as I could really go for anything, but neither Lua or Alice had any experience with alcoholic drinks. Alice because her Father never offered her any and Lua because it would have tasted awful to her.
<span style="font-weight:400">After a bit of pondering and some rmendations from both me and the bartender, Lua ended up taking a ss of rosé wine, while Alice had a fruit cocktail.
<span style="font-weight:400">“How do you like it?” I asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... I don’t really see the appeal.” Lua said. “Blood is way better.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Maybe I should mix some into some red wine and have you try that.” I offered, before I added something in a much quieter voice. “In legends from my world, vampires enjoyed red wine with blood mixed into it. So you might also really like that.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Really? Then… I’ll test it out.” Lua agreed. “... as long as it is your blood.” She then added teasingly.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What about yours, Alice?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“... It''s good. But I want something else next.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Alright. Then let''s finish these drinks and head to the next ce.”
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<span style="font-weight:400">We ended up doing a few more bar hops. Lua was testing out different wines, with just a drop or two of my blood mixed into them, while Alice was more focused on mixed drinks. I was mainly testing out the house ales, if the ce had any. And if they didn’t, I just ordered something at random.
<span style="font-weight:400">I was actually fully expecting Alice or Lua to get drunk quite quickly, as neither of them is experienced, but possibly because of our abnormally high levels, or maybe their advanced races, neither of them was really getting drunk. At least not as I could see. And I didn’t feel anything myself, so that is probably the case.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Maybe one more ce?” Lua suggested as we left the bar we just had a drink in.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. Then home so we can … we can…” Alice continued, but she refused to say what she actually wanted.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Cuddle?” I suggested, as she had been practically sitting on myp in thest ce.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... yes.” Alice said very quickly.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sure. Then maybe we should skip the next ce and head straight home?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Only if I get a drink directly from you.” Lua cut in. “I want more of your blood.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Don’t get too addicted to it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Toote, I already am.” Lua said. “But don’t worry. I know a Blood Magic spell that helps you make more blood quickly.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Convenient.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“We have to take care of your food sources, right? … though admittedly it is quite the difficult spell, and I learned it from Vampire Grace, so other dhampir probably don’t know it.”
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Are you teaching it to others?” I asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“No. It requires at least LV.8 True Blood Magic, so it is not something most could use. … also, I don’t want anyone turning a person into an endless blood bag.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah. That might cause some … bad blood.” I joked, only to get a stupefied look from Lua.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... that was just awful.” Even Alice didn’t like my joke.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why don’t you two appreciate my puns?” I asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Read the room.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“We are on the street.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Smartass.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“... sorry. Let’s just get ourst drinks and go home.”
<span style="font-weight:400">At least that was the n, but things don’t always go as nned.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“That ce will do.” Alice said, as she pointed out a small pub.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sure. Let’s go there.” I agreed.
<span style="font-weight:400">As I said earlier, this pub was quite small and there were only a handful of customers inside. That means this ce is either garbage, or not well known. I guess we will see.
<span style="font-weight:400">After ordering ourst drinks of the night, we sat down at a small table.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... it’s actually really good.” I said as I took a sip of the pub''s ale. This was definitely one of the best of the evening. Maybe not the best, but easily in the top 3.
<span style="font-weight:400">“As is the wine. It has a nice deep taste.” Lua was alsoplimenting her drink.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... this one is… so so.” Alice was the only one not quite happy with her drink.
<span style="font-weight:400">I don’t know if the bartender heard Alice’sint, but soon after herment, I saw himing towards our table.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Miss, I may have misheard you, but are you saying that your drink isn’t to your satisfaction?” He asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... I mean. It isn’t bad, but … I’ve had better drinks tonight.” Alice answered honestly.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see. Could you go into more detail? I would like to know what you think is wrong with it?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Oh? Looking for actual feedback? I wasn’t expecting that.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... well, the fruit blend doesn’t really suit my pte.” Alice began. “And there is quite a bit of alcohol in this, so it isn’t that easy to drink. I think if you…” She then gave a few suggestions that she thought might make the drink better and the bartender seemed to focus onmitting them to memory.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... I see. Thank you. Would you care for another one? Free of charge, of course. I just wish for you to test it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“... sure. Why not.” Alice agreed.
<span style="font-weight:400">As the bartender left to mix up another drink for Alice, someone new walked into the pub. He was a man, a bit short at only about 160 cm with ck unkempt hair, and his clothes looked like they had been passed down from his big brother, to his other big brother and then finally to him. Aka. they were beaten to shit. The worst part of him was the smell. He reeked of alcohol, and that ising from me after I have been barhopping all evening.
<span style="font-weight:400">He walked to the counter like he owned the ce and in a voice so loud that the entire neighborhood probably heard it, he demanded a drink from the bartender.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Just a second, Lord James. I’ll make you your regr as soon as I finish the miss’s drink.” The bartender responded to the drunk guy, as he pointed at our table about the drink he was working on.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Humph. You prioritize new customers over me. Last mistake you might make.” The man grumbled.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You know the rules, James. One more ‘incident’ and they are tossing you in the mmer.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“They have been saying that for years, but here I am. So Give Me My Drink!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. Yes. Just a second.” The bartender again told this James guy, as he began walking the finished drink towards Alice.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’ll take this one then.” James said, as he moved at near superhuman speeds and snatched the ready drink from the bartender’s hand. Then in just one swing, he gulped the entire drink down.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hey! That was for…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Weak!” James yelled over the bartender. “Why would anyone want something this WEAK!?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It wasn’t for you, but for the…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Them Make Mine!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“... yes Sir.” The bartender shrunk in size, as the angry shortstack turned to him.
<span style="font-weight:400">Is calling someone a shortstack when they are 160 cm appropriate? Probably not. Do I really care? Because this guy seems like an asshole, I don’t.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... maybe we should leave?” I suggested quietly. “This ce is getting rowdy.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, let’s.” Lua agreed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... yeah. Might not be worth waiting for my free drink.” Alice also agreed, so we got up to leave.
<span style="font-weight:400">I wanted to thank the bartender for his service, but as he seemed way too focused on making James’ drink, I decided to just leave quietly. We had already paid for the drinks, so don’t think this is stealing or anything. I did decide to drop a small silver coin as a tip on the table though.
<span style="font-weight:400">But we didn’t quite make it out of the door, as just before we reached it, a blur moved in front of us.
<span style="font-weight:400">“And where do you think you are going with these lovelydies!?” The drunk shortstack had moved at speeds that I could just barely follow with my eyes to block our path.
<span style="font-weight:400">“We are heading home, thank you for asking. Now would you please step aside.” I requested.
<span style="font-weight:400">“A youngster like you? With twodies? Why not share one?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“... what?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“You heard me. Leave one of those two for me. But I’m not greedy, so I’ll let you choose.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No.” I just said.
<span style="font-weight:400">“No? No!? Did you just say No to me! Do you have any idea who you are speaking with!?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I should ask that of you, James.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why would I, the Great James, the S-rank adventurer James. The Master James. Know some random youngsters?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hmph.” I almost began tough as this guy introduced himself. “Master? Maybe a drunk master.”
<span style="font-weight:400">After I said that, I heard some quiet chuckles from both Lua and Alice.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Now if you would, step aside.” I said with a much more assertive voice.
<span style="font-weight:400">Then, before I really had time to figure out what was happening, a fist was flying towards my face. I only realized it when a card I had set on myself activated.
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<span style="font-weight:400">Negate Attack. It was one of the go-to cards for defense, and I had one set on all three of us. It would automatically activate if someone tried to attack us with the intention to harm or kill us. That proves that he had legitimately attempted to at least harm me.
<span style="font-weight:400">“AARGH!” James yelled, as he held his right fist with his left hand. It had hit the defensive barrier my Negate Attack had made, and apparently it hurt him, at least a little.
<span style="font-weight:400">And because Negate Attackes with a temporary stun, you know, because of the entire ‘then end the Battle Phase.’ part of the effect, James was just standing there, so I pushed him aside, so the three of us could walk outside.
<span style="font-weight:400">Not that we got far before the stun of Negate Attack ended and drunken master James rushed after us.
<span style="font-weight:400">“YOU! You dare humiliate the GREAT JAMES like that!” He yelled.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why wouldn’t I? I did nothing.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“You… you… you… Nothing! You call that NOTHING!”
<span style="font-weight:400">As James kept yelling, something strange was happening to his body. It was… growing. Like actually growing, and not just some visual gag. It was almost like… well, I can only reallypare it to one thing. It was like he was transforming into the Hulk or something.
<span style="font-weight:400">His muscles got bigger, his skin turned from a white-ish tone to dark red, and the already ripped clothing he was wearing was ripped even more. I guess that answered the question as to why his clothes were ripped to shreds. Can’t really hulk out without destroying your clothing.
<span style="font-weight:400">“YOU! Are! Going! To! Pay!” The now monstrous James yelled at me, but I really don’t care that much. I can handle him. Probably.
<span style="font-weight:400">As he rushed at us, I moved my arm to where another card was set on me and quickly said its name to activate it outside of the condition I set for it.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Mirror Force.”
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<span style="font-weight:400">Mirror Force would usually only activate against ranged attacks, not melee, so I had to activate it manually. But its effectiveness was more than sufficient, as all the force this drunk moron put into his rush reflected back at him, sending him flying down the street.
<span style="font-weight:400">But despite taking a full force of his own attack, the drunk rage monster didn’t stay down. He pushed himself back to his feet and rushed at us again.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Shadow Spell.” I activated the next card to stop him. And this would hopefully keep him still for a bit longer.
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<span style="font-weight:400">Dark chains quickly bound up the raging drunk monster, and they seemed to work alright. But I’m not sure if they will be absolute, as I heard some not so good soundsing from the chains, as the monster was trying to break free.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... Maybe I should have her deal with this…” I muttered as I pondered my choices. Yeah. That will help him… actually, let’s make that joke a bitter. “Ice Dragon Hime?a. Appear by my side.” I summoned my new ice dragon. I just got her and I want to see her power. And I don’t think this drunk monster will die from it.
<span style="font-weight:400">After Hime?a had fully materialized, I made a simple request to her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Our drunk friend needs to cool off. Do you think you could make it so?” I asked the ice dragon.
<span style="font-weight:400">{That is simple, Master. And as a service to you, I won’t even kill him.} The dragon responded before she sted the drunken monster with her ice breath.
<span style="font-weight:400">By the time it was over, the drunk monster was encased in a block of ice, with the chains also around him. Well, the chains will disappear in two hours, and that should weaken the ice to the point where he can be broken free. Or someone can break him free.
<span style="font-weight:400">I then walked to the barkeeper, so I could talk with him for a second.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sorry about the mess.” I told him, as I handed him a full gold coin. “Do you think you could deal with that? Call the guards or something. Actually, they are probably already on their way considering all the noise we made.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“.... yes… anything you want.” The barkeep agreed. “But… what is your name? If the guards need it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh yeah. It’s Brian Wood. And I’m staying at the Sawyer family’s capital manor. If the guards have anything they need from me, tell them that that is where they will find me.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Y-y-yes, my Lord.” The barkeep quickly said, as he bowed to me. “I-I-I … I thank you for your business. Please doe again.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“We probably will. Please make sure to remember the drink Alice wants, as she will get it next time.” I told him. “Alice, Lua. Let’s just head home from here. Hime?a, thank you for your service. You can go now.”
<span style="font-weight:400">I called a teleportation beam from HomeBase to pick us up, as the ice dragon disappeared into the night air. Unlike with the B.E.S. teleportation beams, the one from HomeBase was invisible for anyone that didn’t hold a HomeBase ess ring, or other ess device, so for the ones watching, it would just look as if we were standing still in the middle of the street, before we suddenly disappeared. That might cause some urban legends, but they might just think it was teleportation magic, which in a way, it was.
<span style="font-weight:400">But man. What a night. We definitely should have called this off one ce sooner. Would have avoided a lot of trouble.