Chapter 23 – New Starting Point

With Kumo and Itia just in front of me, "Bye you guys!" I wave my hand towards the Chains of Loyalty party outside the door as they come out of the Guild.

"You should join our party!" Krissa shouts as it meant I'm always welcome to to their party.

"Tsk, don't think you can win just because Lefer-sama recommended you..." Meanwhile Juno is at Krissa's side as always while sulking.

"I hope you pass the test Morus." And the female knight that protected Mary is giving me motivation in a manly way. 

"Bye bye onii-chan!" Mary who's besides me also says her goodbyes to everyone, especially her brother Juno. 

Juno embarrassingly shouts in response, "Be careful Mary!" It seems that he at least still cares about his little sister.

The rest of the party are saying their goodbye as well as I go and meet up with my two companions who are currently lowering their heads. 

Wait two? 

"Gabril..." I mutter her name since she's not here but also need to make sure Mary doesn't hear it. 

[I should probably introduce her at some point.] Just need the perfect timing you in now.

But when I was just thinking about her, like an imaginary author hearing my thoughts. "Morus-sama~!" She just so happens to have flown down from above to me, the reason why she's not with the rest is... 

"Gabril have you checked the room?" I spoke with a hushed tone, turning around so as to not rouse suspicion.

And Gabril very happily reported, "Yes Morus-sama, it is confirmed that the Guildmaster Gremio is having sex with the woman in the room." I can even smell a lewd scent coming from her, so what she said must have been true. 

But anyways, [I knew it...] It seems that my own mana has an effect of increasing one's libido, and for weak beings such as humans to have tremendous effects upon contact would mean it functions like that of an aphrodisiac. 

"It's good that I have investigated this early." I praised Gabril for her job.

I first noticed this when that maid was leaking more profusely after I tapped into the manastone. 

[I guess my succubus part is really kicking off now.] I thought with an uncomfortable face.

I would have to either not released my mana around as much as possible, which is very bad since releasing mana is very much like breathing air to me. In Endless the players especially spirit-type races, naturally release mana so that is not an option. Or I would have to separate my succubus properties with my mana as I release them, which is better but not easy at all. 

But with Gabril noticing it like she's almost reading my thoughtd, she somehow noticed my problems and told me, "Morus-sama, it seems that those two are already in a horny mood before you stepped inside, and your own powers may just have pushed them to that end." She explains. "So you didn't caused them to fuck, just nudged them and if they didn't have the mood it for it wouldn't work." She finishes explaining as she's curling her thighs. I wonder why. 

Still, [That's reassuring.] I'm glad that Gabril's here to calm me down. [But I still don't want people around me fucking when I go near them.] It'll still be a problem, so I wish to hide that part of me as much as possible. 

I shook my head, as to leave that topic for later, and more importantly, "Good evening you two. Itia, Kumo. Sorry for the wait." Although they can see Gabril it's still inexcusable to leave them like this. "Also raise your heads up you two." I don't want people looking at me weirdly.

"Yes Morus-sama!" Itia complied well.

Although, "But Morus—" Kumo objected immediately but, "We're in disguise right?" I said looking at the helmet wearing soldier Kumo and village girl Itia again. "Don't want to ruin your guys' effort in that." I lightly scold them for being a bit too inflexible. 

"I apologize Morus-sama..." Kumo almost bows his head again but realizes it and only nods in the end. 

"Yes that's right I—" Itia was about to agree as well but she also seems to have been a victim of the disease known as interruption. 

"Hello Itia-nee!" Mary who's been watching to whole situation unfold happily greeted Itia with a smile, although Itia is annoyed at first it does seem to be that she's much more comfortable talking to Mary as supposed to back earlier when they first met, "Good evening Mary, how is your day with Morus-sama?" As she is talking to Mary without much of a pompous attitude anymore.

[But I hope she speaks less stiff of my name.] Although Itia doesn't call me as master now, she's still really formal when it comes to my name. 

"You do know you're allowed to call me Mori right?" I told Itia with a grin. 

To which she flushes hard, "No! I..." But after much consideration Itia finally folded. "Yes... Mori-sama..." She said it. I smile at her warmly as she did the thing but I also took a glance at Kumo to which he deliberately didn't make eye contact with me. How stubborn. 

"Hehe of course! We have..." Mary continues talking and the two of them start a conversation, I conclude that I wouldn't bother them too much since it's a chance for the two to bond. 

As I move on from the two of them, I glance at Kumo, "Here is our report Morus-sama." He said to me in a formal way. 

"Yes Morus-sama~ lots of stuff hehe..." Gabril also decided to join in.

"Y-yes..." I know this will be a lengthy one. Especially as Kumo gave me a sack of items that the three of them bought. 

•••

After Kumo and Gabril told me the report. "Wait really? Arin's descendents?!" I shouted like Mary with shock from Kumo's reports. 

"Yes Morus-sama." Kumo now nods his head towards to me instead of a bow, which is progress at least.  

Itia also chimes in, "Here is the strand of the Prince's hair." As she gave me the evidence. 

"Wow~!" Mary said with awe in her mouth as her eyes sparkle at the strand.

"Hehe yes Mary-chan~ we met a prince." Gabril happily told her, before she couldn't hear anything but now, "So you met a prince!?" Mary can.

After much consideration I finally decided to make Mary see Gabril, since she is definitely hanging out with us in the near future it's a pain to constantly hide our dialogue from her, so I just decided fuck it and let her see this angel. 

At first she almost hit her bum on the ground while shouting, "Ehh?!" For a while and was hiding behind me but after much talking it seems she finally got along with her. I was surprised at how quick that was so I asks her. She said, "All of Mori-san's friends are weird!" She said that with a big smile as always, but earned a frown from the two, Gabril didn't bother and for me that hurt my feelings a bit. 

"Yes we did Mary, so get jealous more, fufu..." Itia mockingly tease her as she's back to her arrogant attitude towards the distressed Mary. 

"Meanie...!" Mary shouted. 

I laugh at their conversation but my mind is on the previous subject. [Arin huh.....] I thought deeply, as that name brings up a man that I knew of deeply and personally. One that brought me back in the past. 

Arin Xanthos 'The Golden Fortress' is a member of my guild The Flying Orcas. He's of the Golden Golem race, a race of tall men made completely out of gold. It's a subspecies of Metal Golems and he can only manage to evolve his form through consuming vast amounts of gold and then submerging himself in the First Fire dungeon, which in the center of that dungeon is a fire that was said to have been lit in the creation of Endless and was used to forge the world's first legendary weapons, according to the game's lore. 

Arin is also not only a member of The Flying Orcas but also the vice-guildmaster. He is my friend and he serves not only as my right hand man but he's also in charge of defending Atlantis in war by standing on the gate to never move, and to never let his enemies get inside. Thus with his large size and defenses that's almost unfair without some debuffs to lower him, the nickname 'The Golden Fortress' that the chat first used fits Arin so perfect that the developers made it official. 

[So many good memories...] That millennial in his forties having a mid-life crisis but nonetheless incredibly loyal to his wife to the point if annoying. That's the man that I knew personally outside his avatar. 

And speaking of that avatar. [How the fuck did you have kids?!] Arin is a Golem for god's sake, it's about three times the size of an average person at least, but Arin is 25ft tall! He's practically a giant, no, he definitely is!  

So imagining the logistics of him copulating with a human makes me nauseous. Plus imagining him having children other than his wife is beyond preposterous and the same as me having a good father figure!  

I needed to know. {Analyze Mana!} I casted, to which I see the color of the hair gradually turns to grey and the yellow bits turning to mist and starts to orbit around the dried hair. Eventually it became a long script with inscriptions and symbols and other words attached in a long line.

I look closer to read the lines. [It really is you...] The jumbled up shapes and lines are his mana pattern. Each of the top players of Endless have their own mana patterns. Mana patterns are kinda like your own code or runes for instance. They make your own spells easier to cast and makes the spells more efficient as they won't easily be able to malfunction with the patterns holding them down. 

Although there are cases of players having the same patterns, those are pretty rare. The reason why every top player has their own mana patterns, myself included, is that other players won't be able to copy mine or other's spell combos and techniques since in Endless you design your own spells.

But since every pattern is distinct, they are also a way identify the players. And so. [This is Arin's mana pattern no doubt...] Although there are a few things different about it this is unquestionably the same pattern inscribed in his spear and body. 

Since mana patterns are engraved to the player's mana, they could also be passed down to his descendants as well so there is no doubt about it. [His blood is flowing through this kid...] I thought as I grip the hair. 

And so, even if I refused to believe it, remembering his memories the only thing I could conclude from this is. "Arin you've cheated on your wife!" I shouted out loud. 

"Mori-chan?!" Mary is surprised obviously. Not only her but Itia, Kumo, and Gabril all look at me with surprise. 

"...Sorry, sorry." I try to calm them down. 

['I would never cheat' my ass...] I know Arin in real life and I know him well. To elaborate, he's a forty-five year old American father with multiple children that's always dotting on his daughters, strict on his sons, and loyal to his wife. His wife also plays Endless, albeit rarely, but she is also not a human in-game. So cheating on her is the only possible thing I could think of. 

"Sigh...dumbass." I need to move on from this travesty so I look down and open the sack that Kumo gave me and it's filled with many trinkets, fruits, weapons, but most importantly right now. "There you are." I grab a statue of a god here that's wearing nothing but a loincloth and helmet, it's Arin. 

[Pretty accurate.] His design is that of a movie depiction of the Spartans, very muscular men with only a loincloth and sandals as he holds his Hoplon shield on the left and the Spear of Leonidas on the right and finally wearing the iconic Corinthian helmet. 

Imagine that but made entirely of gold, that is what Arin looks like. Although in this statue they don't include the patterns around his body and the helmet is different, also it's not made of gold, it still looks to be like Arin. 

[His looks are incredibly simple for a player so I guess that's why it's depicted so well.] He's a muscle man wearing an helmet after all. Compared to the other figures and altars that I saw inside, although some of them are familiar to me, most of them are unrecognizable to the players that they were supposed to depict. 

I put Arin's idol back to the sack and me in deep thought once again, [But still now that the prince has a connection with me somehow,] Although I could call him an hypocrite all I want but the truth of the matter is that the prince's ancestor is undoubtedly Arin, my friend and partner in the game. I would not have believed what Kumo said if it wasn't for this strand. [I need to meet him.] The Prince and the entire royal family of the Kingdom of Santhos are the children and lineage of Arin Xanthos, my close friend and this country's founder. Even the kingdom name sounds similar. [So my best clue of knowing what happened to my friend is with him.] I am still optimistic after all. 

Probably due to me spacing out about Arin. "Mori-sama?" It seems I have caused my companions to worry about me, especially Itia. 

I look of her with a smile but filled with uncertainty. "Itia, Kumo, I need to ask you something." They immediately came to look at me seriously I gave the hair strand to them. "What do you think of this?" I ask. "This hair here and the prince that this belongs to and you met, they are Arin's children and descendants, my friend and one of the divine beings that you follow from, what do you think of that?" I seriously ask them this question, as I would be uncertain who their loyalty lay otherwise.

"Unless he harms us it would be great to have Arin-sama's blood with us. It would be great Mori-sama." Is Itia's answer, which is pretty normal. 

"How about you Kumo?" I especially wanted to ask him because... 

"...Even if Arin-sama had created a part of me, I will still follow you until the end." Is Kumo's answer, but he continues. "If the prince ever harms us I will not flinch to ki—" But I stop him. "That's enough Kumo, don't think about it." Before he could say anymore. 

Many of my characters have actually been collaboration works with my guildmates. With Kumo for instance during my reconstruction of him after I got him from a Gacha. Arin had helped me create his ikemen face since I'm not that good at creating handsome male faces as opposed to females. He never really does the character creating thing like I do but he's still proud of how Kumo turned out saying that he looks like a younger version of himself. Arin even gave him some of his own character data to have Kumo the fire attribute, which for an insect race is deadly. Finally since Arin is pretty good at leveling up he would borrow Kumo from the early days to help him reach the max level at the time. 

With all that factored in I need to be very careful of this from Kumo, since this will be a difficult subject for him. [I would have never thought of my characters in this way.] This may sound rude but I never thought of their feelings and emotions like this, I did think of caring for them and not abusing them like some players, but I'm certainly not thinking of how their experiences with people would impact them. Even that's too lonely for me to do at the time. 

But now thinking of what Arin had done and did to him, their experiences together, fighting, hunting, complimenting. He's almost like... [A father to him.] And since my characters are not run by A.I anymore I really don't know what to do with this. I just realized the scope of what these former NPC characters felt to me, their experiences with me and how I met them. It fills me with anxiety that I have such a big responsibility to carry and expect but also a warmth in my self that so much people had cared about me all this time and the realization that I'm not alone as I look at my companions... No, friends. 

"Sigh...." I could not help but sigh at this whole situation. But with a pull on my clothes, "We'll be here for you Mori-san." Mary cheers me up, even if she doesn't know my problems I still admire her for her optimism. 

"That's right Mori-sama." Itia said in turn. Agreeing with Mary for once. 

But with Kumo... "We will rise up no matter what Morus-sama." Is what he said. 

Kumo's words really hit close to me. "...Yeah..." I smile but I also tear up. 

Why? "We will rise up and become a top guild Morus!" Arin had also said something similar to Kumo. As he told me those words when he first joined my guild as one of the founding members and back when he's still a Metal Golem. Arin said those words to me as both meaning to rank up The Flying Orcas guild and also his words to motivate himself as he steps foot inside the First Fire Dungeon for the first time to begin his evolution. 

I begin to tear up a little bit. 

"Morus-sama?!" Kumo finally let threw out his demeanor and completely breaks down as he shakes his hand in panic. "Please punis—" He thinks it's his fault but, "No no it's alright Kumo, your alright." I said to relieve him down when he got close to me.

And once more, looking at him close like this, [You really do look like Arin...] He also panics a lot when a woman cries as he said it reminds him of his wife, so the two's faces looks completely alike right now. 

[I guess you technically have Arin's genes with you you know?] Kumo was already a Golden Spider when I won him in the Gacha, but it was Arin's own character data that made the gold more lustre and vibrant. So technically he is sort of his father. [Wonder who the mother is?] I don't wanna answer that. 

But seeing my face Mary chimes in again, "Mori-san is weird today." To which Itia lashes out. "How dar—" But seeing two kids playing is super cute and could not help but rub both of their heads. 

"Hhm~"

"Eh— Mori-sama?! Ah..."

Mary and Itia completely melted.

These two's heads and Kumo's look completely cured me of my worries I had earlier as I look in the sky and see the triple moons of Luna, Diana and Selene. The same view I looked at back in the game, but this time more immersive and real than before. 

[Arin, Silko and Beharren...] They all contributed and impacted this post-world of Endless in various ways, more so than others. I have never thought that some of them, like Arin, left behind descendents to roam around to this day. They are now worshipped, my friends, in this world that they molded and left their legacies behind as I'm still only scratching the tip of the surface of what this world has to offer me once again. I'm just at the start.

[It's like my friends created Endless.] I will always remember my first days within Endless World Online and so too as this one.

My friend's legacies have all shaped and influenced this new world one after another. After knowing that Arin had kids I could only wonder as I think of all the possibilities my friends had done to this world after I left it. 

"...So I could discover them." I mutter. 

Kumo heard this and smiled as he whispers to me. "This whole world will know of Morus-sama's name..." He said to me, as I only smile in response. "Yeah..." And look forward. 

[It's time for a new adventure.] I thought happily as I let go of my hand from the two's heads and walking. 

[And I'm not alone...] I look at my comrades, eternally grateful that I have them. As they also turned to life and now have become my friends here and is more and more inseparable from me. At first I wanna just discover this world and was worried that I'll be journeying alone as I don't know where my friends went, but I guess my worries have been for naught after all as I begin my adventure with friends that I didn't even realized were always with me. 

[I'll be starting an adventure after I thought I finished adventuring.] I wonder in disbelief as I thought I already finish what Endless has to offer. 

"We're back!" Mary shouted as she pointed the building in front of us. 

"I'm back~!" Gabril is also back as I ask her something again.

"Back home..." I smile as I look at it. 

Mary's Inn, which I saw is called 'Starting Point' by the way, is in front of me. Wonder how I didn't notice that.

[But first...] I open the door inside. 

Chaaruzu_Corner

Hey guys it's me! I just finish this chapter today since I took a break yesterday ^^ but anyways yeah, I just thought of Kumo and Arin relationship an hour earlier! I just thought of the idea when I was buying some bread for an afternoon snack XD and that took the end part of this chapter lol, I write that in because it sounds so cool and now Kumo has a motivation so yeah, another one of my eureka moments!

Also guys I did heard that you didn't like the servant chapters that much and I agree to some points! Those chapters are meant to develop each three of them character development chapters, one world building chapter and the fifth being the main plot driven chapter, so if you aren't too invested in them and only like Morus chapters then yeah I understand. So I will make a proposition! 

I will switch up the chapter from 14-17 being Morus povs and 18-22 being servant povs currently to...

Chapter 14 Morus povs 

Chapter 15 servant povs

Chapter 16 morus povs

Chapter 17 servant povs 

Ect. 

Ect.

How about in that order? Although it won't help with you guys already reading it but for the new readers I think it would make them attach more to the side characters (servants) to the MC (Morus) at the same pace so that it would be less jarring to have 5 chapters of not having the character your most attach to in them, what do you think? Is that a good idea? Lemme know cause I want a good reading experience for you guys, and I will fold and add in POV titles at the beginning so it won't be confusing XD

Well anyways arigatou and see you guys next chapter! Piece! ^^ 

May 22 2020,

Oh me, I thought that I'll clean up this chapter of the mistakes as pointed out by a comment, but I didn't realized how flawed this chapter is now that I've taken a good look at it. Wow, I was so bad lol, so many "as" in my sentences, I almost couldn't understand it! Also the most aggregious part is Arin's explanation. Me in the past! What's wrong with you?! That's too much explanation! Jeez I feel like I've compensated something while writing that so I removed it! Yeah anyways fixed the mistakes I had in this chapter so enjoy it! :)