Rydr ducked to go through the door, nearly hitting his head on hanging weapons when he was on the other side. The Titan swerved away from them and weaved like a drunk trying to get out from behind the counter.

Somehow, Rydr felt that his first trip behind the counter went more smoothly than his return journey. He considered, perhaps, that he was too excited about the first trip and just didn't remember.

"Hey, man! Good to see you again," Urginok's voice came from across the shop. The tank was over by the same weapon's rack Rydr drooled over on the game's launch night. 

The Titan gave Urginok a low wave as he finished extricating himself from the cage of sharp implements. By the time the giant was free, Urginok had threaded his way through the shop and to the counter.

When Rydr finally looked at his party member, he realized the tank's outfit changed. The breastplate Rydr lifted off of Guile, Shining Star's lieutenant, was missing. Instead, Urginok wore the same set of gear he started with.

Confused, Rydr asked, "What happened to your breastplate?"

Urginok sighed, "Well when everyone was blown up, and the system decided that I dropped it." 

Rydr winced, "What happened after I logged out?"

Urginok gave Rydr a side-eyed glance before he asked, "So you did log out?"

A second wince appeared on Rydr's face as he tried to explain, "I was logged out," Rydr stressed the words, "Against my will. I didn't mean to abandon you guys." 

"What do you mean you were logged out? Did the system kick you?"

Rydr shook his head, "My capsule-"

A chime sounded in Rydr's head as a screen forced itself onto his HUD. Unlike the normal, translucent, green screen that appeared, this one instantly loaded into a video call.

A moment later, Roman Monte's face and upper torso became clear, and the background blurred out.

[Now, Mr. Harringer, I understand that you have yet to sign my employment offer. However, I must warn you that it will be considered null and void if you violate the NDA agreement and then sign the contract. 

I hope you won't demonize me for brow-beating the point, but here is your second lesson. Even if someone else's plans work for you, don't let yourself be taken advantage of in pursuit of your goals. 

We also had Eve block the wave of friend requests and messages which threatened to break your inbox limit.

I hope you aren't trying to take advantage of me, Mr. Harringer.]

Before Rydr had a chance to reply, the call winked out of existence as quickly as it had come. The Titan was left shocked after the call cut out.

How closely is Mon-Tech watching me right now?

"Your capsule?" Urginok prompted his enormous teammate after the Titan trailed off.

As much as it tore Rydr up inside, he lied, "My capsule was faulty and forced me out for my own safety. Most of my day was spent in a hospital Recovery Room to ensure I was okay."

The words left a sour taste in the Titan's mouth. Rydr tried to include as much of the truth as he could to alleviate his guilty conscience.

Urginok's eyebrows vanished into his bangs, the tank's eyes going wide, "Jeez, man, I'm sorry that happened to you. I didn't think these capsules could malfunction like that."

Rydr sighed and hung his head, "Mon-Tech came and took the capsule away, so I was waiting around for a replacement as well." The Titan's guts twisted uncomfortably as he kept twisting the truth.

Urginok expressed his condolences for the lost time, briefly commiserating with the Titan as a fellow gamer. The short tank was relieved to hear that his teammate hadn't purposely left them high and dry.

After a few moments, Rydr asked, "What's going on in Grotto since I logged off?"

Urginok lifted his hands and dropped them helplessly, "A lot."

*****

Urginok quickly summarized what Rydr already knew. The Mana Wellspring, since it was identified as the culprit, took everything that was already happening and magnified the effects a hundredfold. 

Plants were already a nuisance but had since come to life fully. They began to attack divers and NPC's, dragging their victims into the forest.

Once over ninety percent of the divers fled from the town and were no longer willing hands to fight the plants, the monstrous vines completely took over the forest.

According to Urginok, the forest floor was like a rippling, thorny carpet which tore at you like zombies rising from the grave.

The city's outer edge was completely overtaken, letting any wolves, goblins, or other nasty creatures in past the city's wall. What few divers remained inside Grotto fought desperately to hold off the onslaught of monsters, side-by-side with NPC's.

However, they were losing the fight. The [Growth-Type] Dungeon was rapidly increasing the strength of the local monsters. Both the divers and the NPC guards were being forced back by Level Suppression.

As best anyone could figure it out, the monsters were increasing by one level per day and a half that went by.

"If we don't cull the monster population fast enough, we won't be able to beat them at all. If they are left undisturbed for fifteen days, their levels will be too high for anyone in the area to damage them." Urginok finally wrapped up his morbid debriefing.

"What about the higher level NPC's? Is Izor helping?" Rydr was full of questions, but he knew there was a limit to Urginok's information. 

"Izor is actively maintaining a barrier around the town right now. The stronger monsters are still able to break in because the barrier is spread over the entire town." Urginok also explained that the few other strong NPC's were busy making sure the town still operated.

Most of the stronger NPC's were part of the local government or operated as key infrastructure for Grotto. This meant, unfortunately, that they couldn't be spared to defend the town and maintain its function at the same time.

Urginok looked up at Rydr thoughtfully, "I noticed that you don't like being the center of attention, but I've got some bad news for you, man. If not right now, pretty soon Grotto is going to need you, badly."

Rydr frowned, about to open his mouth when Urginok held up his hand to stall him.

"Hear me out, Rydr. The guilds are gone. The town guards are nearly as helpless as we are. The only divers left in Grotto are those who were too weak to leave." Urginok began to pace back and forth, the habit resurfacing as the tank thought hard.

"There are teams of two and three people, but everyone else left behind are individuals. The more they die, the fewer of them log in, opting to trash their account and try to start elsewhere."  The tank picked up speed, growing excited as he paced.

"You are, without a doubt, the strongest diver in Grotto, hell, maybe on the whole continent, right now. I've spent three days fighting with everyone to protect the town, Rydr, and it's already affecting me." 

Anxiety sent jitters through Rydr's body as he asked, "What?"

Urginok stopped pacing and slowly spun on his heel to face the Titan. The tank struggled to voice the words. Since Urginok started playing with Rydr, he quickly clued in on how sensitive the giant was.

The tank worried that if he were too blunt, he would guilt Rydr into a depressive spiral or running away. 

"Hopelessness. Me and everyone else, we're in this to have fun, ultimately. No one wants to throw themselves into a situation that will only hurt their future chances."

The dread built up inside Rydr chest as he asked, "Just say whatever you're trying to say, Nok." Urginok's tone, obviously beating around the bush, was putting the Titan on edge. 

Urginok pursed his lips before he nodded, "Because of the Legendary Feat announcing your name to everyone, the entire server is currently focused on Grotto's situation," The tank began to pace restlessly again.

"Whether you like it or not, there are two choices in front of you." Urginok spun to face Rydr and held up one finger, "You can try to dodge the spotlight and let Grotto get wiped off the map. If you try to slip under the radar, which is already impossible, you'll end up as the most vilified diver in Frontier Online."

Rydr clenched his jaw, agitated, but he knew Urginok was right. If Grotto were abandoned by the remaining divers, then the town, and entire starter village, would be gone. After the feat was announced, everyone in the game would blame Rydr for the catastrophe. 

The tank put up a second finger as he kept going, "On the other hand, you can step up and become the linchpin for rallying the remaining divers. They need someone to rely on, look up to, especially if the person responsible is willing to take it all on themselves."

"The groundwork has already been laid by the feat announcement. All you have to do is own the mantle that's waiting for you and become Frontier Online's first legend."

Shudders ran down Rydr's body as Urginok finished speaking. Every instinct in the giant's body told him this was wrong, that something horrible would come if he became famous. At the same time, anxiety and guilt warred inside of the Titan. 

Rydr felt he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't. There was no way out except to start over completely. 

There's no way I can do that. Despite how Rydr felt about his feats coming so easily, even being forced on him, the Titan couldn't bear to delete his account. If Rydr wanted to pay off his debt, he couldn't settle for mediocre. 

While Urginok waited patiently for his teammate's reaction, a voice interrupted them from a short distance away.

"He's right, you know. There's no way out of this except through it." Lynn leaned on the shop's counter a meter away from the pair. 

Urginok whirled to face the voice as Rydr turned his head to stare at his mentor, an aggrieved expression on his face.

Lynn continued talking once Rydr focused on him, his blue eyes piercing through the giant, "This saying is trite, but heroes aren't born. They're made. Nearly every legendary warrior in our continent's past began the same way. The gods announced their feat far and wide, and a mere mortal must step up and become, lest they vanish into failed notoriety." 

Lynn chose not to mention how often these legends began and ended due to premature death; sometimes, at the hands of the very people they were trying to save.

Rydr gulped audibly, his throat bone dry due to the nervous energy coursing through him. While he stood still, Rydr thought hard and fast about what he could do. 

To the side, Urginok cast a glance at his teammate. Truth be told, the tank was testing Rydr in his own way. If the Titan chose to shirk his responsibility to the town, Urginok would know what type of person he really was. 

Rydr looked up from his pensive thoughts, "I'm not ready. I don't think I'll ever feel ready. But," Rydr clenched his fists, determination filling his voice, "I won't abandon the town. I'm just not ready to show myself to the world yet." 

Rydr never forgot that nearly the entire server was paying attention to Grotto's situation in the back of his mind.

Urginok shrugged and said, "You don't have to. This is a whole new world. There's nothing wrong with putting on a face, especially if you're not ready. Besides," The tank added, "Everyone is already looking for someone larger-than-life. All we have to do is give it to them."

As soon as, Rydr said he wouldn't abandon the village, Urginok made several decisions in the back of his mind. The tank's plan, for now, was to wait until the party was back together before he sprung the question on his mind.

Until then, Urginok would stick close to Rydr.

The Titan's head jerked to look at Urginok when he heard the tank say "we." Throughout the conversation, until now, Rydr felt like Urginok was pushing him, trying to make the giant uncomfortable. 

Now, though, Rydr sensed the barrier between him and his friend disappear. A brief smile crossed Rydr's face as relief rushed through him.

"Okay, but I still need more time to prepare. But, I think I know a way to buy us some time." Inside the giant's head, his mind raced as he started to pull together disparate bits of information. 

Unknowingly, Rydr began to smile as he stared off into the distance, his expression taking on a "sh*t eating" quality. 

Urginok, seeing the expression on Rydr's face, felt as if a wave of PTSD hit him in the face, "Oh, oh, no, this is another one of those plans, isn't it."

Rydr, couldn't help but burst into dark laughter.

 

AN:

Thank you for reading the latest chapter! If you notice a typo anywhere, please let me know ASAP~

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