Another Aurelius poser suddenly bursted from the gate, bolting towards the poser with a shovel in hand!
The thief continued smugly smiling at me until the sound of a heavy thud echoed across the empty expanse, the shovel violently striking his face.
He didn't even know what hit him before turning into white particles, dropping the Windwolf's core on the floor.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA—YES!"
Serves you fucking right bastard! I don't even give a shit I wasn't the one to— huh?
My jubilated thoughts abruptly halted when I noticed the shining crown on his head, identical to mine.
There was only one way to get it—defeating the lv. 8 master in the hidden quest 'Surpassing the Master,' only available in the tutorial stage where the max attainable level was two.
Thus, only very skilled and/or experienced combatants would be able to obtain one.
Hmm… I kind of want to invite him to team up.
I've always wanted to experience what it's like to play a game with a friend, and he seems strong enough to not hold me back.
But the Aurelius skin… that gives me pause, especially with the fact he's using a shovel as a weapon.
***
Bruh, the fuck is this idiot doing? Still hasn't noticed me approaching…
Literally zero spatial and situational awareness.
With a hard swing… THUDDDD—
[You have slain u mAd brO???, lv. 15 Middle Stage Awakened]
Rewards: 48 xp, 8 gold and 30 silver
Holy fuck! I'm rich!
He was also holding something before he died and dropped it, so I picked it up.
[Material Grade: N/A]
[Core Rank: Awakened]
[Description: Can be infused onto a weapon or accessory, granting the ability to unleash wind blades on a weapon, or two subrank increases in speed on an accessory]
[Note: Must be done at a blacksmith, or reach practitioner level mastery in blacksmithing. Masteries are unlocked at lv. 10]
Wha…? A core that I can infuse onto my weapon?
This is too convenient… Do I actually have some protagonist level luck?
…Or is the game itself rooting for me to beat up everybody with a shovel? Or… Fuck… don't tell me I'm wasting all my good luck on this game…
Ah, also! That guy was wearing my skin. I am becoming pretty famous, or rather infamous huh?
Hehe, I hope more of them pop up. Assuming most of them that are using my skin are terrible trolls, I'll be able to blend right in with my shovel.
The idea of someone treating me like just another attention-seeking Aurelius poser until they realize I was *the* Aurelius makes me ecstatic.
The, the sound of footsteps nearing broke my thoughts.
Looking up, a genuinely shocked expression appeared on my face for the first time since my transmigration… Well, except for that one time…
This was because I saw Miyaura Murama, the future Primarch of the Intis Institute, and my favorite character in the Sword Sage's Saga.
…Is this really him?
No… it has to be.
My conviction came from the fact there was barely any information on this guy.
Due to the duke's horniness of biblical proportions, there were mountains of children being churned out in the Murama duchy, so barely any stood out. And Miyaura wasn't one of them, just another face in the sea.
I'd even done some extensive research in the bathroom on the main cast before I hopped in the game.
Princess Penelope and Saintess Lucia were doing as you may expect, doing princess and saintess things.
Similarly, Celes Hecate Holloway, a marquis heiress, filled her time with the usual noble affairs—duels, tournaments, rift expeditions.
Though, her story came with some spice.
Rumor had it, she was quite unhinged. Many didn't believe it as she seemed to be the picturesque young noble lady, but I knew for a fact the rumors were right.
That was the reason why out of all the harem members, she was probably my favorite. Of course, the bar was abysmal.
Then, there was Rose Windward, her actions line up well with the events in the novel.
She was a commoner who was steadily gaining traction in the south for her talent. Though, her fame hadn't yet spread beyond the region as of yet. Especially up in the central-north Astrea domain, almost no one had heard of her except a handful of ambitious nobles eager to bring her talent under their wing.
That is until the ranking reveal of the Intis Institute where she placed 4th. Of course, there was someone else who took up far more of the spotlight.
Miyaura had been completely unknown before becoming Primarch, even trying to find recent pictures of him was challenging.
Which brings me back to my belief: this guy had to be the real Miyaura who imported his appearance.
There's no way some random guy would spend countless hours painstakingly recreating such an obscure character.
To confirm, I pointed at him, exclaiming, "ah! It's you?!"
"Wha… What do you mean…?" He inquired, though he seemed to already have an idea of what I was referring to.
I'm certain he's the real one now.
"Didn't you come to my engagement ceremony?"
"Y… Wait… You're actually him?" He mumbled incredulously, recognizing my voice from before.
"Well, obviously. If it's not me, who else can look like me?"
He let out a slight chuckle at my sarcastic comment before remarking, "wow… What are the chances?"
"Not high, I'd wager."
Then, a moment of awkward silence lingered as he didn't know what to respond with or bring up a new topic.
I didn't follow up as I was in a slight conundrum.
I wanted to invite him to adventure with me for many reasons, but I didn't know how to say or bring it up.
As they say, games were more fun with friends, and he was one of the few people who could match me in skill.
Besides, I knew he was quite lonely.
Growing up neglected in solitude, it didn't affect him much. He was perfectly content being by himself, though, he always had a quiet curiosity and slight yearning towards friends and companionship.
And I wanted to provide that for him—not out of pity, compassion, or wanting to build a connection to the future Primarch, but because I genuinely wanted to be friends with him, and because… I believed he deserved somebody.
As I've said, he was my favorite character.
Despite the supernatural world and his immense talent, Miyaura's character felt natural and realistic.
He genuinely behaved like a real person in his situation, not one written around a trope/archetype, or to fulfill the fans' desires. Which is in stark contrast to the savior complex, personalityless MC, or his overtly quirky, cute, and obsessive harem.
Now, back on how to invite him…
Fuck it, I'll just wing it. I have a feeling he'll accept.
"Sooo… Want to come with?" I casually asked as I turned, beginning to walk while stretching my arms and torso.
"Huh?"
He appeared evidently confused at my question.
Stopping, I turned back to face him. "Exploring. Or were you going to log off?"
"Eh? You're inviting me…?"
"Well yeah. I figured games are more fun with friends. You have that crown too, so you can probably keep up with me. If you don't want to, that's fine." I nonchalantly said as I turned back around, wanting to be as casual as possible.
Fuck… why does it seem like I'm trying to flirt?
"Ah… Sureee, I'll tag along. I was just surprised that you asked. I figured you're…" he trailed off, seemingly unable to put his thoughts into words.
Yes! I knew it'd work.
"You're… someone that prefers being by yourself…" he eventually continued, now following me.
"You're not wrong. Sometimes I do, sometimes I prefer company—oh wait!! I nearly forgot I just got that core! I need to head back to the blacksmith," I exclaimed, swiftly turning back around.
Of course, I didn't actually forget.
It had still been sitting front and center in my mind, I just figured walking away and casually inviting him would have a good effect.
And, this 'slip-up' also had another purpose, serving as something to potentially have a laugh over and allow us to familiarize ourselves.
Unfortunately, it didn't have the intended effect with what Miyaura revealed next.
"Uhh… actually…" He scratched his cheek, voice drifting into an awkward mumble. "That core should've been mine… That guy stole the kill at the last moment and nabbed it from me…"
I paused, pondering how to answer before my lips twisted into an evil smile. "Tragic. Anyways, mine now. Finders keepers, sucks to suck."
Knowing the competitive aspect of his character, I figured this is probably the best way to build our relationship.
A sour expression warped his face before it too, twisted into a smile. "Alright, make sure to keep good on your promise in the future then," he said vindictively, a certain gleam in his eyes.
He never chased validation, but he relished proving he was the best. Letting me get the better of him was not something he was going to overlook.