Absolute Craft-Chapter 52: A Friend (1)

Chapter 52: A Friend (1)

For about fifteen minutes, Blake led Joel away from their workstations to the personnel-only corridor. He turned around, faced Joel, and fixed him with a serious stare. Wielding his mop like a spear, he raised it in front of him. Then he told Joel to do the same, much to Joel’s surprise.

Joel had no idea what this was supposed to accomplish. Then again, Blake rarely initiated conversations or did anything with him outside of work. Joel was so shocked that he followed Blake’s instructions in a trance.

"What are spears good for?" Blake asked.

Though he wielded his katana like a pro—almost like the reincarnation of a legendary samurai—he had also spent some time learning about spears long before discovering his true knack for katanas.

Joel tilted his head. "Attacking? They’re weapons, right?"

A vein pulsed in Blake’s temple. "Cutting, slashing, and thrusting," he said.

"Oh... well, I suppose so," Joel replied, scratching his cheek.

He’d never actually learned much. After all, tutorial zones were often overrun by new players, and there was a limit to how many NPCs existed there. Much like Vargar, those NPCs had their own personalities and weren’t all that different from regular players. They ignored anyone who didn’t care to invest in their skills—and they had favorites or responded better to flattery.

Joel had thrown himself into the MMO frenzy from the start, doing what most players liked best: fighting, leveling up, and chasing fame. Later on, harsh reality would smack them in the face when they realized their in-game avatars were no different from their real bodies.

"Show me how you thrust, cut, and slash," Blake said.

Joel nodded. "Here I go! I shall conquer my enemies and become more handsome than Mr. Alan!"

After shouting his catchphrase—which drew plenty of laughter and jeers from both players and NPCs—Joel sprang to his feet for no real reason and thrust his mop-spear forward. He tried the same fancy moves for cutting and slashing.

Blake frowned. "Having fun?"

"Yeah, a lot!" Joel said with a bright smile.

"You looking down on me?" Blake asked.

"Huh? No! Why would I?" Joel stammered, his grin turning awkward.

This reminded him of something that had happened before—he immediately realized he’d messed up and braced himself for Blake to start yelling.

Sure enough, Blake slammed his mop into the floor and shouted, "You’re hopping around like an idiot! Think you’re riding a horse or something?!"

"Ah, that’s a good one," Joel remarked.

Blake’s anger flared. "Your movement is pathetic! Even that trash, Silver Dash, is better than you! Trust me, nobody wants to be like that lone loser! Watch me and follow along!"

Raising his mop-spear, Blake took the proper stance for a thrust, gripping the makeshift weapon with both hands, ready to channel his weight and strength into it. He explained each move so Joel could follow. Blake wasn’t much of a teacher, but he figured it would be good enough for Joel.

"That’s a thrust!" Blake exclaimed, demonstrating a move that sent a sharp gust of air into Joel’s face. "That’s a cut... and that’s a slash!"

He switched to stances that matched each attack, performing them as best his rather weak body would allow. Despite his thin limbs, Blake generated enough force to take down an unprepared opponent.

Joel swallowed hard. He couldn’t figure out what had come over Blake, but his coworker suddenly looked so cool that Joel wanted to follow his lead. He asked how to position his feet and arms while imitating Blake, earning a thumbs-up in return.

Joel then remembered Blake’s thrust and reproduced it. Since he was in better shape than Blake, he managed to generate more power. Then again, it wasn’t just about physical health.

Blake’s eyes widened in surprise. Joel’s thrust was perfect—he’d flawlessly copied Blake’s technique. Something Blake hadn’t felt in a long time swelled in his chest.

"Now do a slash," Blake said.

Joel assumed a new stance, asked a few questions, then slashed just as Blake had shown him. Once again, he nailed it, prompting a smile from Blake. Topping it off with a solid cut, Joel slammed his mop against the floor and leaned on it. Sure, you could say he was only waving a mop around, but he felt like he could take on a few gangsters with it.

What if he repeated this in the game world? Would it make his thrust skill stronger? Could that even be possible?

Blake nodded, as if reading his mind. "That’s possible. It’s an immersive game, after all."

Joel clenched his hands together. "Is there... you know... any hope for me to become a good player?"

Blake locked eyes with him. "Where do you see yourself in that world?"

That was a question people often asked of anyone wanting to join Cerberus. Blake envisioned himself at the top—rank one, the strongest player alive. He’d aimed for that rank at the end of the beta by trying to defeat the Rotten Leviathan, but he came up short. Even now, he felt like asking himself the same question: Where did he see himself in Ashen World Online?

"Just being a significant part of it is enough for me," Joel said with a smile.

"Just a part of the game?" Blake asked.

Joel nodded. "There’ll always be a need for me in every event! It’s great to be a valuable teammate, like a piece in some grand plan! What about you, Blake? You must be amazing, right?"

"I..." Blake began.

Right then, their overweight boss waddled in. "You two! What are you doing? I’m not paying you to stand around!"

A chill ran through Joel, and he whipped around. "Blake asked me an important question!"

The boss narrowed his eyes. "Which is?"

"How to pick up girls in dungeons!"

"Get back to work, both of you!"

After he finished yelling at his workers, he turned on his heel and waddled away like a penguin.

Blake and Joel stared at him before sighing.