NOVEL SIMPLE 66 – Adventure
Even though she had specifically avoided canonizing her existence as the world’s goddess, for all intents and purposes, Casey was the goddess of Wiland. Granted, her control wasn’t absolute, but she could change things in a major way and more importantly, she now even knew exactly what she could and couldn’t change and how it would affect the world at large.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to dwell on the implications of Casey’s apparent newfound godhood. We were on a time limit, after all.
Moreover, the trip to the abandoned lab would take a whole day on foot, and there was no way we could bring any kind of vehicle through the portal. And even if we could, it probably wouldn’t be much of use in the thick forest surrounding the fort.
With that said, we needed to set out as soon as we could.
Mom walked over to the large backpack she had brought with her and unzipped it, revealing a variety of magical tools and weapons I’d smuggled over to Earth from RLO.
“Sorry for not asking first, but I figured we could probably use some of this stuff.”
“No, it’s fine. Thank you,” I said as I grabbed my katana and the battle dress as well as one of the phoenix amulets and ruby seeds. The others split the rest of the items among themselves. “I’ll… get changed in the bathroom.” I ignored the way Mom eyed the dress and rushed off to get changed.
Thinking about it, Mom hadn’t seen me wear this yet and part of me felt apprehensive about it. A larger part felt excited to wear this again, though. It felt like ages since my scouting mission with Frank.
A few minutes later, I found myself staring at my reflection in the mirror, admiring just how much I looked like my RLO in-game avatar dressed like this. Everything fit perfectly and I found myself feeling like I could take on the world.
I patted the zipped-up and secured pocket where I’d put my emergency ruby seed – not making the same mistake twice – and placed a palm on the hilt of my katana strapped to my side. I could clearly imagine the exact muscle movement I needed to make to unsheath it and slash at my opponent in one smooth motion.
It still didn’t make sense, considering I had no prior experience with swords… or shurikens, for that matter. I wasn’t going to complain though.
That aside, not having my katana had made me feel way too vulnerable last time. Back when the spider had chased us, I could only run away. I’d felt useless.
Maybe I needed to actually spend some time properly training at some point instead of relying on the skills I’d mysteriously gotten with the not-true form.
Something for later, though. For now, we had a zombie apocalypse to avert.
I walked out of the bathroom back to the living room where everyone else was just about finished changing and gearing up.
Wi, Casey, and Elyssa had each geared up in various magical equipment. Wi still had the Barrier Ring I had given her during our chase and also picked up the Inferno Wand from RLO. Magic from her world didn’t require any tools to use, but having an extra easy-to-use option was probably for the best.
Casey wore the robes I’d first worn to RLO and even had the ‘Force Staff’ I’d tried and failed to use. It was the same staff she’d used to snipe at the spider from the fort. I briefly had the thought that she was cosplaying past me.
Elyssa, on the other hand, held her own large staff with a glowing crystal rest on top of it. I faintly recognized it as the one she’d used to save me by nailing the spider with lasers, although I didn’t know what it was called.
Frank on the other hand wore a pair of bracelets I recognized as the ‘Bull king’s bracers’. They increased the wearer’s strength and overall toughness of their skin. Also, they were quite fitting for him, considering the name.
Lastly, Mom wore the ‘Gut pulverizers’, a pair of mithril brass knuckles with explosion runes on them which, combined with her being topless save for her bandaged chest to make it easier on her wings, made her look wild and dangerous. It made me blink in surprise. I’d never seen Mom like that.
Her eyes also widened as they landed on my form.
“You look adorable, Renee!” she exclaimed before she could stop herself.
“Uh, thanks…” I awkwardly replied while my cheeks dyed red. “So, are we ready to set off?”
“We’ll need some camping equipment. It’s quite the ways away,” Casey said before frowning. “I hope we won’t have problems with skipping school like this…”
I saw Wi’s face twitch, but she refrained from saying anything.
“Eh, we’ll just say that we were dealing with ‘the flu’ like everyone else!” Frank suggested with a grin. “It’s even true!”
“I guess you’re right…” Casey conceded as she opened the large wardrobe and began looking around inside. “Hmm… I think my dad put some camping equipment somewhere around here…”
It took us about half an hour of digging around and repacking Mom’s backpack with supplies before we were ready to set off. As the physically strongest one of our group, Frank carried the backpack.
“You know, I feel like we’re falling victim to stereotypes,” he noted with a serious frown.
“What do you mean?” I asked, looking back at him as I stepped through the portal to the castle.
“Well, I’m the only dude left in the party! And you’re making me carry all the luggage! This is sexist!” he exclaimed as he stepped through as well.
I was a bit stunned for a second, realizing that he actually had a point.
“Uh… Well, I can–”
“Nah, I’m just joking! I even got the bracers just to be stronger. I’m the obvious mule here.” He waved his hand with a grin as he stepped aside to let everyone else through.
“Hmm…” Mom hummed, eyeing the backpack. “I could try carrying it. I think I’m a lot stronger now as well in this form. It will hinder my wings, though… not that I know how to use them yet.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine! Ignore me. Just thought it was funny that I’m the only guy here now.” He looked around the castle hall. “So, anyway. How are we doing this?”
After Wi and Elyssa made it through the portal, I – after over three days of leaving it open – finally grabbed the portal and smacked it shut. I briefly remembered how I’d stretched the portal to RLO and wondered whether leaving the portal open for so long had had any similar side effects on the portal. It seemed to be the same as before, but…
“Alright, so… The lab is up north, hidden in the mountain range. It’s outside both the human and the demon territory and it’s hard to traverse unless you know your way around.”
“Which you do,” Frank said with a nod. Casey returned it.
“We’ll leave using the hidden teleport circle you already used before–” she explained, while looking at me and Wi. Faint hints of anxiety rose up in my stomach as I remembered what had happened again, but I quickly squashed it. “–and then we’ll travel through the forest until we reach the mountain range. When we get there, we’ll have to enter a short tunnel through the mountains, and after that, it’s about a three-hour trip through the valleys. It shouldn’t take more than a day to get all the way to the lab.”
A round of nods. Some serious, some keen, many both.
“Heck yeah! It’s our promised fantastical adventure! Finally!” Frank cheered, punching the air, before he stuck out his hand, palm down in front of us. “Let’s do this, everyone! The first official mission of the Fellowship of the Hopping Celestial Fox!”
Everyone either groaned or chuckled… It might have been my imagination, but I thought Wi briefly smiled. Me, on the other hand? I just shook my head, deciding to give up fighting it, and simply placed my palm on top of his hand. Seeing me play along, Wi immediately did the same, which quickly prompted everyone else to join in.
Frank’s grin was about to split his head.
“Alright! Time to save the world, everyone! We can do this!” He lowered his hand before throwing it up, making all of us do the same. “For the world!” he yelled out enthusiastically.
Nobody shouted with him, though, making him pout.
I sighed, but couldn’t help the little upward quirk of my lips.
“For the world,” I said, much more calmly.
As much as I often liked to groan at his antics, he sure knew how to keep the morale up.
