VRMMO: Am I The Strongest Yet?

{ "Very well… oh, enlightened one walking the turbulent path. I shall remember thy blessed title as I depart these mortal lands." }

The giant tiger that did not even look at the dark magician properly, at the end of his time in this world, bowed down before a completely normal low level player, surprising the one beside her.

"Tell her I will be back for my stuff please."

Not even the disappearing tiger knew what it meant, but he smiled and kept his head to the ground, on his front legs, as it vanished into fine green particles at the crack of the dawn.

-Oooooooong…

The body of the guard captain that was the core of the giant tiger\'s body fell gently to the ground at the disappearance of the creature, and the Jade lotus that had been floating in his hands also vanished along with the creature.

The guard captain was unconscious, and since they knew they would need four to six people to bring him back to the town, they just stayed there, in their positions.

"So, how much do I not know about you? The past you from this game, to be more precise."

He did not want to ask her how she lowered her level so much.

The guardian spirit also spoke of trial or something so he had his doubts. But instead of asking about her present self, he asked her about her past.

A past that he did not seem to be well familiar with despite being with her for all these years.

"Well… let\'s say you don\'t know a lot of it. Even I don\'t know that much since I\'ve been here for over a decade so, even if I tell you everything, it won\'t be everything."

Her statement was simple and easy to understand.

"Though, if you want, I\'ll tell you everything little by little as we travel together and see new things. How about that?"

And the question was nothing difficult for him to answer.

"I\'d love that, yes. Knowing this side of you has turned out to be much more fun than I expected… and I\'d love to continue it."

The unexpected quest was over now.

They had cleared the quest.

The guardian spirit defeated the boss monster and since it had manifested from the skill of the guard captain, most of the contribution would belong to him.

But still, since contribution was calculated based on a lot of various things, she knew they would at least get into the top five contributors.

"It\'s settled then~."

Now that the quest was complete and she was utterly exhausted, she was happy.

Not being able to kill the dark mage with her own hands was sad, but she did all that she could. And the results of it were fun.

"Let\'s wrap things up."

Soon, the event of the library that she was here for would take place and since they had experienced such a quest already, she was planning to depart for their next destination as soon as she was done here.

On the travel path that she had designed, there were (Twelve destinations). Starting with Moongold, they were going to end all the way somewhere to the other side of this world– a place that she would be visiting for the first time.

She knew it was going to be a fun experience for both of them, so… she signed happily now that the first big quest of their game life had come to a close.

"Muuuu…"

"Miu…"

She wanted to finish things and go back to the town to meet the Mayor.

Soldiers and the remaining guards would be here to pick up the guard captains and the remains of the fallen comrades, and clean up this blessed battlefield where they had fought with their meaningful lives on the line.

They will be remembered for their sacrifices… and the town folks will mourn for them.

The players will go back to their daily lives, but for the natives and the players who had been nothing less than a native of this town will express a great sorrow for the lives of their friends, their partners, their family members– their fathers and their lovers.

For the next few days, the atmosphere of the moongold will remain gloomy, she knew all of that.

"We weren\'t strong enough to save them, El."

But still, seeing the sadness in the eyes of her partner as he watched the gruesome scene before him, as he watched the fallen bodies and the bodies that did not even have a \'body\' left anymore… as he watched the life that had extinguished, the only emotion he could feel was self loathing.

"This is not your fault, or mine, or the guard captain\'s, or anyone else\'s."

Things could have been different but they were not.

What had happened had already passed and there was nothing that they could do to change it.

It has become the past already.

"I know…"

And he knew this bitter fact.

"I know."

There were tears at the ends of his eyes but they did not come out.

He was burning from inside, thinking how he might have saved all of them if he had strength, if he could have done all that he did in a better way, if he had not stopped at the cave and gone back to check on the dark magic circle…

They made mistakes. And it cost them lives.

"I know."

Lives that were lost forever now.

"Haaa… you\'re getting too invested in this game, El."

She hugged him, kissed his cheeks, and got up from the ground.

"And the reason for that is someone who used to have a great epic noble title of <Amber empress of garden of life>."

"Miu!"

"Muuuu~!"

The two little creatures liked the sound of it, but he was just mocking her. And for that, he will be punished later.

"Get up now. Let\'s clean up a little."

The guards and the people from the town will be here soon since they knew the final battle was happening here.

They were too deep inside the forest so no one must have noticed many things going on here, and since the dark minions were blocking this place prior to the death of the dark mage, the others must have had difficulty getting past them.

"Haaaa…"

The top elites were the only ones who crossed the defensive line of the dark minions, but those very elites and brave individuals were now… gone.

"May the departed find the guides, the lantern holders on the waters of afterlife. May their sins be judged lightly, for they fell on a battlefield, like the warriors they aspired to embody…"

It was the prayer of this kingdom that was offered to the ones who pass away on a battlefield.

Elio was hearing it for the first time. But, it resonated with him deeply…