55 The End of the Prelude (2/2)
Glaw gave a nod. {Opalite is a good choice. The weakest one won't be very useful. The middle one would be good because you can still use it if you ever regress back to a small elemental. The most expensive one would show the strongest results but if you were to regress, you wouldn't be able to use its power.}
{You are expecting me to regress?} Jericho inquired.
{Based on my observations, for someone who dislikes violence, you often find yourself in dangerous situations. So, yes I expect you will end up regressing at some point.} Glaw replied with brutal honesty.
Jericho shook his head. {I guess that is fair. So what would you suggest?}
{Personally, I would spend a little now and save the rest of your MC until you can get a significant pool of MC. Once you can get a lot of MC then I would spend it on things you might need or want.}
The watery bard gave a nod. {Alright then. Spend MC on a Tier 2 Opalite} He said.
[You now have 275 MC. You have acquired Tier 2 Opalite. Equip?]
{Equip.}
[Your timer has further reduced. Normally the Tier 2 Opalite would reduce the 8 hour timer to an 6 hour timer. As you are in the Heart of the Lake Your 4 hour timer is reduced to 3 hours per lesser elemental piece needing to be healed.]
[Command water has received a passive bonus. Effects will be more visible while in use.]
{Well, six hours down here will be a lot less boring than eight.} Jericho replied.
Llyn floated over. {Jericho, there is one other feature of the MC stores has not been explained to you. You can give things to the store in exchange for MC. I would not recommend the current you taking advantage of this but in the future, it may be useful to you; especially since you can transfer skill proficiency into the MC store for other elementals to learn.}
Jericho practiced some of his elemental skills while under water and continued to chat with his watery friends.
***
Princess, danced with the lesser elementals and enjoyed conversing with them thanks to her new skills. She attempted to summon Narsisse the wood elemental.
{Princess! You called?} The little daffodil asked as it looked around the surroundings. {Hi cousins!} The flower waved to the nearby lesser water elementals. {Water you up to?}
The water elementals slid over. {We are dancing. Would you like to join us?}
Narsisse rustled with excitement. {You guys are funny!}
Princess chuckled. {Narsisse, how are you and the other wood elementals doing?} She inquired.
{We are doing just peachy. Things like that mist that are harmful to you mortals are food for us. But your mortal concern for our well being is nice.}
Princess smiled. {That's good.}
{Well, your magic is running low so I should uproot myself and leaf before you wither. Seed you later!} Narzisse called out before vanishing.
{Bye!} Princess replied to the disappearing elemental.
Some of the lesser water elementals whispered. {Finally… Their need to make puns is annoying. And we didn't intend things to be a pun when inviting them to dance either.}
Six hours passed. Jericho and Glaw emerged from the lake.
”You are done already? I thought you said it would take eight hours.” Princess inquired.
Jericho reverted to his human form. ”It would have but I obtained an item that sped up the process. I was so focused I forgot to tell you.”
The girl smiled. ”Well, I don't know where we should go from here. But do you want to visit the well again to perform?”
Jericho shook his head. ”Honestly I am still mentally exhausted from the mist. I think I want actual sleep rather than the rest the game provides our bodies.”
Princess gave a nod. ”Alright.”
Jericho logged off and laid down on his bed. He quickly fell asleep.
***
Rain fell as Jericho chased after his parents.
Two searing lights flashed.
”No!” Jericho cried out as the two people crumpled to the ground.
”Jericho, take care of your sister,” his mother's voice weakly said. ”…deserve to be happy.”
***
The sound of glass shattering woke the man. He jolted from his bed and entered his living room.
A rock wrapped in paper and the fragments of his shattered front room window rested on the laminate floor.
Jericho carefully removed the paper, read and slumped lifelessly to the floor. ”No, this is exactly why...”
The paper shook in his trembling hands.
”Who gave you the right to be happy again you fiend in human flesh? You failed to heed my warnings. The Symphony of Jericho Maestro's Lament shall be played again. Last time it was those who loved you. This time; watch as you are helpless to do anything. The 1st Movement has already begun.”
-The Conductor-
***
*End of the Prelude*
*Coming up next: The 1st Movement*
(Teaser 1)
Jericho closed his eyes plucked and strummed the strings of his electric guitar. His voice roared in agony as he clenched his vocal chords.
♪ Hello Unknown; your visits are not acceptable. Why have you come so unexpectedly? I did not invite you to the table! What do you expect me to see? You have made my heart unstable. Why must you take these things from me? ♫
(Teaser 2)
Jericho quivered in anger as he stared at the silhouette of a man on the other side of the video call.
”*To hear from you after all of these years...*” An aged gruff yet refined voice said in an unfamiliar tongue.
”*I need your help,*” Jericho replied with an attempt to remain calm.
The deep heavy voice spoke. ”*You have needed my help for years. What's changed?*”
The bard clenched his fist as he struggled to answer. ”*The Conductor; he's back.*”
”*Oh? The one who convinced you hate yourself... and me?*”
Jericho nodded slowly.
”*Still can't accept the other half of you? Do you think you are beneath others because of it?*”
Jericho glared. ”*How can I accept it, when the thing I need your help with...?*”
”*You are just like The Conductor. You are still blaming things that should not be blamed, Jericho.*”