(Juwan's POV.)
.
[Your wounds are fully healed.]
I heard the system say as I take off the patches and band aids on my face.
It took 5 minutes to fully heal everything once I reactivated the passive skill. I look at my phone and started scrolling at these world's social media.
"Haa... what the fuck am I supposed to do tomorrow?"
Tomorrow's a saturday, the day before my date with Lovely. I already know what her likes and dislikes are but it's still making me nervous so I've decided to scout the cities tomorrow as preparation for our date.
The problem is, I don't know this worlds trends. So now I'm scrolling social medias like a dumbass, looking for trendy stuffs, foods, fashion, etc.
I know she really doesn't mind these stuffs but if I'm gonna compete with love interests that literally came out of fiction then I have to look the part.
That's right, ya boi's gonna compete with the love interests.
"Yep. They're expensive as hell."
Damn. All of the clothes I see online is making my wallet cry. I guess going to malls to see if there are lower priced clothes would be part of my task tomorrow.
I looked at some stores online and where they're located.
[Warning. Chance of Orange Warp Appearing: 80%]
Motherfucker.
"Seriously, you can even know the probability of warps appearing? Damn." I said as I stared at the system.
I lucked out with the Thunder Seer's dungeon. The only skill I expected to get was the [Heart of Regeneration], but I got the better version, [Heart of the Ram], and then got [Eyes of the Seer]... But is it enough to beat an Orange Warp?
...
Eh, I'll figure it out tomorrow.
.
.
Update to self: I did not figure shit out.
Apparently, it's still expensive to buy clothes via going to the store physically. I mean sure it's not that expensive in comparison to the online prices but I'm a cheap bastard.
"Man... I guess it's time to use my money." I told myself as I go to an atm.
I slid in my card, cashing out some money. As soon as I finished my transaction, I grabbed the receipt and checked to see how much balance I have left.
...
Eh?
That's weird.
Why do I have a shit ton of money in my account? I hid my receipt inside my wallet. Damn did some mistake happened and they accidentally gave me someone else's money?
...Yeah no that's their fault, TIME TO GO SHOPPING BABY!
I walked around the mall, buying clothes I can use for tomorrow. I also went and scouted the other parts of the city to see if there's anything Lovely and I can enjoy.
After all of that, I decided to go to where the orange warp might appear.
I used [Eyes of the Seer] to guide me to where it would be. I kept walking, reaching a park.
I stopped at where my eye guided me.
Well there's nothing here. Then I guess it's time to go home.
Bzztt.
... I hate my tongue.
Suddenly, air distorted as time started to slow down. In front of me appeared an orange warp.
I got closer to it.
[[The Queen of Spade's Warp.]]
The Queen of Spade? Who the heck?
I stood infront of the warp, thinking of what warp this is. Ah! This is that annoying impaler!
"Man, I missed this warp." I told myself as I cracked my knuckles.
It's annoying because it had an advantage against ranged characters and because my main was Lovely, it was hard fighting against the boss of this warp. But that's mainly because the boss' skills were a bad match up for ranged characters and not because it's a cheap boss.
I stretched my back and legs, cracking my knuckles as I pull out my card out of thin air.
"[Install]." I uttured as darkness enveloped my body as the black cloak appeared.
I entered the warp, prepared for--
ZING!
I avoided a sudden attack as soon as I entered. They're fast but my eyes can follow them.
7 Blade-quoinns and 1 Shield-quoinn. Manageable.
I avoided a strike from one of the Blade-quoinns as I throw a right cross-- It hurts?
I pulled away my hand and threw a roundhouse kick to it's head as it turned to dust.
Why does it hurt? I gripped my hand while avoiding their attacks to see if it's fully warmed up before striking another one of them.
Nope, still hurts.
"Hey system, do you have any idea why I feel like it hurts when I hit them?" I asked the system.
[The card has not eaten anything ever since Auto Feed has been deactivated.]
"What? What does that have to do with anything?"
[Due to the card's hunger, additional stats in current form is only 5% of the regular stat boost.]
Wut?
I duck and weaved from the Blade-quoinns attacks while the Shield-quoinn follows by.
"How strong is the regular stat boost?" I asked as I basically run away.
[+20 additional points to every stat you gave.]
"...So I only have +1"
[Incorrect. It is +2]
"What? But you said I only get %5?" I asked as I grabbed one of the Blade-quoinn, using my elbows as I break it's face down until it turns to dust.
[+3.]
Ah... I get it.
I punched another one of them, kicking their leg before weaving underneath their slash as I throw a right upper cut and a left hook, turning them to dust as I feel myself get stronger.
"Alright." I uttered to myself as I keep on attacking.
I noticed that they ganged up on me as I duck. "[Bind.]" I casted as all the tendrils of my bind lashes out wildly as they wrap around each Blade-quoinns, electrocuting them due to the absorbed lightning orb's passive.
I tightened my bind as they all popped like balloon. I saw the Shield-quoinn infront of me, their arm mid swing to my direction.
"[Evade]." I casted, swinging my arm as strong as I can, timing it with the swing of the Shield-quoinn.
A perfect parry.
It shakes violently as electricity visibly runs through it's skin. I jumped onto it's face, using both hand to open it's mouth.
"[Bind]." I casted directly in it's mouth as the tendrils suffocate him from the inside whilr the electricity flows.
It turned to dust as I fall safely to the ground.
"Stat boost?"
[+9]
So the Shield-quoinn gave 2 points.
I warmed up my shoulder, rotating it before walking deeper inside the warp.
.
.
[+35]
"I reached 35? Damn." I told myself as I start taking down Blade-quoinns with one punch.
I stretched my fingers, dismantling the enemies in front of me with light jabs.
I guess this is enough stats for the boss of this dungeon.
I look in front of me, staring at this giant door. I pushed it open to see a ballroom like arena. It's so different from the cave like appearance outside this door.
At the center of the arena, there's a woman wearing a fantasy-esque dress, sitting at a table while drinking tea.
"Oh? A guest?" The woman said as she smiles.
I stayed silent as I feel her strong gaze towards me. I continued to walk forward as a chair started to form made from the ground.
This is strange. In the game, players just immediately fight her so why is she conversing with me?
"It's common courtesy to remove one's mask when visiting a royalty." She said, her eyes sharp as she puts down her teacup.
"... [Hinto]."
I removed my transformation as she smiles again. I sat down in front of her, my curiosity winning me over.
She gently hold the handle of her cup, taking a sip of her tea before talking.
"My, quiet a good looking young man you are." She said, her smile not fading yet her eyes stays dangerous.
"...Haa, so? I doubt that you let me sit just for tea." I said, watching as a teacup form in front of me.
"What an impatient man. That is not a good trait to have." She said, putting down her cup.
"Well, with the verge of a warp outbreak, yeah I'd be impatient." I told her as her smile turned dangerous.
"So you call the gateways 'warps'. Fascinating." She said as she pulls out a fan out of thin air.
"I was expecting that you'd be on our side." She continued, her eyes look calm but her aura is dangerous.
"Hmm? Why is that?" I asked, still suspicious of her words.
She smiled. Suddenly, she raised her hand and pulled out something out of thin air.
A black card.
"Let me introduce myself. I am the Queen of Spades, the Grave Digger, and a Black card holder, Lecitia Von Ausfer." She said as she lets down the card in front of the table.
I pulled out my black card.
"Juwan." I told her my name.
"Full name please." She said, smiling at me.
I sighed, God I don't want to tell her shit but I do want to match her courtesy.
"Black card holder, Juwan Dela Cruz." I told her as I put the card on the table.
She closed her eyes, smiling as she stood up. I stood up as well.
"If you're not on our side then I assume that you're here to fight, no?" She asked as the table vanished, my card flew back to me.
I nodded as she giggles.
"Now then." She pulled out something out of thin air.
A shovel appeared in her hands, and it looks sharp. I raised my fists, her eyes widened.
"Are you not gonna use your card?" She asked.
"You're not using yours." I said as she covers her mouth but I can clearly see in her eyes that she's amused.
She twirls her shovel around, giggling as her dress turned shorter, short enough that she can freely--
--move?!
The sharp shovel appeared in front of me, almost stabbing my face. She changed it's angle, swinging it as I ducked.
Fast! She's fast!
I threw a jab, she immediately avoids it but was surprised to see more hits coming her way as she weaves out of the way.
She started thrusting her shovel like a spear as I try avoiding it but one thrust grazed my face. I grabbed the shovel's handle as I kick her stomach, she pulled her shovel hard as we both back away to make space.
"How fascinating. You fight like how martial artists fought but without the fancy poses." She said, resting her hand on her shovel.
"You say that but the way you move with that shovel is more impressive than what I'm doing." I told her, making sure my feet isn't flat on the ground.
"I appreciate your compliment, but let me correct you."
Suddenly, she dashed towards me, slicing upwards as I avoid her only for her to twirl and hit me by it's blade, leaving a deep cut on my arm.
"This is a spade, not a shovel." She said as she rushed in towards me, her red eyes glowing dangerously.
I threw a hook while pivoting away from her lunging attack, surprising her as I kick her leg, staggering her.
She used the handle of the Spade, smacking my face as she swings it to my face. I ducked and weave away, swinging my injured arm to distract her with my blood.
"Kukuku! Amazing Juwan Dela Cruz! Show me more!" She said as I see her leg slightly twitch.
She grabbed something out of thin air as a long pike almost pierced me from where I stand.
Suddenly, multiple pikes appeared, each one almost 15 feet long as I try to avoid it.
But my shoulder got stabbed by one of them.
I removed the blade but before I could even take a breather, she's already infront of me, about to throw down her spade to my face.
I avoid, pivoting away as I throw another check hook. She avoided it, swinging her spade down on my leg, hitting me before swinging again.
I avoided her second attack, gaining distance only for her to grab a pike and rush in with it, almost stabbing me.
She appeared behind me as I barely avoid her swings. I kicked her as she used the Spade's head as a shield. Before she could recover, I threw a fast left jab, right cross, and left hook.
She swung her Spade as I avoid it, my eyes started to adapt to her speed as I threw an uppercut, hitting her on the chin.
I was about to throw another leg kick but she dropped her spade, distracting me before getting hit by a pike.
She disarmed her Spade for a Pike? This woman is good--!
She pushed me away, exactly 15ft away from her as she giggles.
"What a fine man you are. Are you sure you're not on our side?" She asked, giggling as she grabs her spade again.
"I don't have a reason to side with you." I said as I feel my wounds healing due to the [Heart of the Ram].
"Then how about becoming my man? Would that make you join this side?" She asked, her eyes looking at me mischievously.
"Not interested." I told her as she giggles.
"Shame, strong men like you are my type." She said as she pulled out her card.
I pulled out my card as well. She smiled, amused by how fast my judgement is.
""[Install]."" The both of us uttered.
Her dress turned pitch black, her pikes turned into these black bolts made of energy as each one of them started floating mid air.
The Spade she was holding now looked even more daunting and dangerous.
She looked at me, a smile appeared on my face as my black cloak flows like flames.
"I hope you survive this, Juwan Dela Cruz. [Rain of Spades]." She said as each pike started to rain downwards.
I ran around like a maniac, avoiding every black bolt that drops down to the arena like rain drops. I looked around as I saw pillars.
"[Bind]." I casted, surprising her as I swing away upwards to one of the pillars, avoiding the pikes.
I jumped towards her, throwing a roundhouse kick as she side stepped, swinging her spade.
"[Evade]." I casted as I perfectly parried her attack.
"What--?!" She uttered before feeling the passive electricity of my skill as she got stunned.
I threw a combo of punches as she got hit by some of them. Smiling, she countered by swinging her spade, hitting me as well.
She dug her Spade down as multiple black bolts rains down on my position. I grabbed one of them ang swung it to redirect the other bolts as her smile widens.
I swung down as she smack my arm with her spade, she then swung down on my stomach, digging down inside it as I start to bleed heavily.
But she didn't even have the time to celebrate as I hit her with an elbow.
"How can you move? [Grave--]?" I didn't let her escape, throwing elbows again and again to her face.
"I won't let you use your other skills." I told her, grabbing her mouth as I smash her to the ground, her spade still on my stomach.
I raised my fist, ready to bash the shit out of her face when suddenly a thought popped up on my mind.
What if I let her break out of this warp? Letting her cause havoc so that I can help Lovely in 'defeating' her?
Not as a black card holder, but just as a regular guy, just Juwan.
"Why did you stop? Aren't you gonna end me?" Lecitia asked as her eyes looked at me as if she's enjoying this situation.
I stayed silent for a few seconds.
"Can you cause an outbreak tomorrow?" I asked her as her eyes widened.
"I thought you're preventing me from breaking out of this place?" She asked.
"I changed my mind." I told her as she looked confused.
"Why?"
"Let's say that I have a date tomorrow, and you're gonna help me out." I told her as I tighten my grip on her neck.
"So you're letting me live-- to help you out on your date? Ha-- HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!" She laughed, gripping my arm.
She kept laughing to the point of tears and coughing as she wiped off her tears.
"Something's wrong with your head, I like it." She said, surrendering as she turned off her transformation, her spade falling out of my stomach.
I let go of her neck as she stands up.
"So you'll help me out?" I asked her, clarifying her action.
"If causing an outbreak means helping you, then yes." She said as she giggles.
I sighed, turning off my card as all my wounds started healing.
"I will hide this gateway's presence then." She said, there's still a smile on her face as she looks at me before opening the warp's exit.
I went outside of the warp. All my stuffs are still there and time barely passed unlike inside the warp. I looked back at the warp as it slowly closes.
"See you tomorrow, Juwan Dela Cruz." Lecitia says as the warp turned into a distorted space.
And with that, all my preparations for tomorrow are complete.