The Player Plague Page 9

  Now missing one foot, the Protector was unable to hold me down. I pushed back and sent the Protector staggering backward. Rising to my feet, I saw that I still hadn’t decreased its Health, but I had definitely slowed down the armor. Despite that, it somehow managed to retain its balance, standing on one leg in a manner that reminded me of an owl, albeit an owl wielding a katana.

  I raised my hands to fire Ice Beam and knock it over, only for Cy to shout, “Boss, help!”

  I looked over at where Cy was and saw he was at the mercy of the first Protector. He lay flat on his stomach, pinned to the floor by the foot of the first Protector, which had placed the tip of its blade against the back of his neck. Cy’s eyes were wide with terror and a quick Scan showed me that he was already at less than 10% Health. Not that it would matter, however. I was pretty sure that beheading someone in Capes Online would kill them regardless of how much Health they had left.

  Before I could come to Cy’s rescue, I felt the ground shake under my feet and looked up just in time to see the second Protector hopping toward me with shocking speed. The second Protector swung its massive blade at me, which I just barely managed to Dodge, but then it lashed out with a punch and knocked me off my feet again.

  Hitting the floor, I tried to get up again, only to suddenly find myself at the wrong end of the second Protector’s sword. The tip of his sword was pressed firmly against my neck, drawing blood, yet for some reason he hadn’t finished me yet.

  “Foolish Hero,” said Yamamoto from his Throne. He wore an incredibly smug grin that I wanted to punch off his face. “No one has ever survived a battle with the Protectors of the Throne, much less defeated them. Although you might have been able to defeat Dark Kosmos, the Protectors are powered by the souls of one thousand slain ninja. You never even stood a chance.”

  My hands balled into fists, but there was no way I could pull off that Freezing Touch trick again. The Protectors might have just been animated suits of armor, but they were smart and could learn from their mistakes. I imagine that’s why this Protector was not physically touching me. Most likely, he didn’t want to lose his other foot, which was smart on his part. The proximity of his sword also meant that I couldn’t freeze the floor underneath me and make him trip. If the Protector saw me doing that, he would probably just kill me outright.

  That was when the Protector drew back his sword and thrust it at my neck.

  I expected the sword to pierce my neck and end my life instantly. I hoped that my death would at least be quick because I didn’t want to linger in pain. I also hoped Cy’s death was quick as well because he handled pain even worse than me.

  Right before the Protector’s sword could take my head off my shoulders, the sword paused. Its tip was right up against my neck, but it did not pierce deeper or draw more blood than before. Confused and wondering if this was some kind of trick, I looked up into the soulless eyes of the Protector, trying to discern its thoughts, but all I could see were glowing orbs representing the one thousand souls that gave it life.

  Then, without warning, the Protector tore its sword away from me and hopped several feet back, well outside of my range. Over by Cy, I saw the first Protector had let Cy go as well, taking a few steps away from him and even sheathing its sword like the battle was over and it had won. Cy, however, did not get up, perhaps because he, like me, was too shocked by this sudden turn of events to respond.

  “What … huh?” said Cy, looking over his shoulder at the Protector that had been just about to kill him. “Why did they spare us?”

  Loud laughter suddenly exploded from the Throne. Looking over at the Throne, I saw Grandmaster Yamamoto losing it. He was slamming his fists on the arms of the Throne and tears were streaming down the sides of his face. It was like someone had told him the greatest joke he had ever heard in his whole life, yet I didn’t understand what was so funny. Neither Aimi nor Riku were laughing. Aimi just looked embarrassed, while Riku looked as confused as I felt.

  “Oh … my … god,” said Yamamoto, wiping tears of laughter from the corner of his eyes. “Aimi-chan, did you see the looks on their faces when the Protectors attacked them? And when they stopped? Classic.”

  “Yes, Father, I did see their expressions,” said Aimi. She spoke in a flat, deadpan voice, not looking at Yamamoto, perhaps out of embarrassment. “Your prank was quite funny.”

  “Prank?” I repeated in shock. I looked over at the one-legged Protector, which had put away its sword now and seemed unlikely to attack me again, although I still didn’t get back up. “That was a prank?”

  “Yes, and a practical one at that,” said Yamamoto with a giggle. “I learned it from my own father, who often sicced the Protectors on his guests for his amusement. But I go one step further and put on an entire act to make it seem like I really do want you dead.”

  “Hey, that is kind of funny, now that you mention it,” said Cy. He got into a sitting position, rubbing his back. “I just wish you could have told the Protectors that.”

  “Bah,” said Yamamoto with a wave of his hand. “Don’t blame them. The Protectors often don’t know their own strength. They lack a sense of humor. It is one of my least favorite parts about them.”

  “You mean you sic two suits of nearly invincible samurai armor controlled by the souls of a thousand angry, violent ninja seeking to avenge their own deaths who also lack a sense of humor?” I asked.

  “My apologies if you don’t get the joke,” said Yamamoto with a brief bow of his head. “You see, ninja humor is something you need to be born into in order to understand. Outsiders like you typically don’t get our jokes. Right, Aimi-chan?”

  “Yes, Father,” said Aimi, who now looked almost exactly like the stereotypical teenage girl who was embarrassed by her dad’s antics. “Ninja humor is … esoteric.”

  That was putting it kindly. Personally, I would have described it as utterly insane, but seeing as I didn’t want to accidentally offend Yamamoto, I rose to my feet and, glancing at the Protector again, said, “Sorry for ruining your Protector. I guess I wasn’t in on the joke.”

  “No worries,” said Yamamoto cheerfully. “They are used to losing limbs and pieces in battle. Honestly, that wasn’t even a particularly deadly attack you did. Look.”

  Yamamoto was right. As I watched, the Protector hopped over to where its frozen foot was, carefully line up the ankle with the rest of his leg, and then slammed it down on the foot. A loud click echoed through the room, like two LEGO pieces being snapped together, and then the Protector’s ankle glowed and its ankle was good as new. The two Protectors walked back over to the Throne and took their places on either side of Yamamoto. Once they were back in place, the two Protectors’ eyes stopped glowing and they returned to resembling the lifeless samurai suits they appeared to be.

  “There,” said Yamamoto. He looked at me and Cy again. “With that out of the way, please come over here so we may discuss exactly how you can aid us in destroying Master Haru once and for all.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  After the bamboo cage and the Protectors, I really didn’t want to come within a thousand miles of Yamamoto’s throne. Knowing, however, that I had no choice, I walked over to the Throne and bowed again, as did Cy.

  “No need to bow,” said Yamamoto with a wave of his hand. “Stand and look me in the eyes like a man.”

  I looked up at Yamamoto suddenly. “But Aimi said—”

  “That was part of the joke,” said Yamamoto with a wink. “She was in on it the whole time. Right, Aimi-chan?”

  “Yes, Father,” said Aimi listlessly. “I was in on the joke.”

  “I wasn’t,” said Riku lamely. “I thought you were really going to kill the Hero and his Sidekick.”

  “’A secret shared among friends is no secret at all,’” Yamamoto quoted. “That was the second thing the first Grandmaster said to his Disciples. If I would dare to add to his words, I would also say that a practical joke shared among friends is no fun at all if everyone is in on it.�
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  Riku frowned, but it was clear that he was going to defer to Yamamoto’s authority on the matter. Not that I could blame him. Although Yamamoto clearly had a funny side, the fact was that he was indeed Level 100, which meant he was a force to be reckoned with, silly or not.

  “I even made you look away from the Throne,” said Yamamoto with another giggle. “You know, the one thing you weren’t supposed to do?”

  “I thought I heard someone say something next to me,” I said. “That was you?”

  “Of course,” said Yamamoto. “I was in this room the entire time, watching the four of you approach my Throne. I had to make you look away from the Throne in order to add verisimilitude to the prank.”

  “Wow,” said Cy. “You’re even funnier than me and you use big words I don’t understand the meaning of! You’re going places, man.”

  “Do not address the Grandmaster in such disrespectful terms, Sidekick,” Riku said, taking a step forward. “The Grandmaster is a man of great wisdom and honor. To speak to him as casually as one speaks to one’s friends is—”

  “Riku, give it a break,” said Yamamoto with a smile. “I like the Hero’s Sidekick. He seems to get my sense of humor, which sadly many of my most loyal Disciples even don’t understand.”

  A notification suddenly popped up in my view:

  Your Sidekick has gained favor with [Grandmaster Yamamoto]! Yamamoto’s relationship with [Sidekick Cyclone] has increased from ‘Neutral’ to ‘Friendly.’

  Unfortunately, your Sidekick’s increase in relationship with [Grandmaster Yamamoto] does not apply to your own relationship with him, which is still at ‘Neutral.’

  The heck? I didn’t know that Cy could increase his relationship with other NPCs, or that the benefits he got from such relationships did not extend to me. What even was the benefit of having a Sidekick who was Friendly with Yamamoto if I didn’t get any benefits from that? I’d have to ask Cy about that at some point, assuming even he knew why this was. At least Yamamoto was just Neutral toward me instead of hostile, so he probably wasn’t going to kill us.

  “Well, I think your prank was a little on the physical side, but it really was funny,” said Cy. “Makes me wish I’d thought of it first.”

  I scowled and looked at Yamamoto. “Yes, your prank was very funny. But we’re not here to joke around or play pranks. We’re here to find out more about how we can help you guys defeat Master Haru.”

  Yamamoto frowned. “You seem to lack your Sidekick’s sense of humor, which is quite sad. Plus, I do not especially appreciate the bossy, demanding tone. I might not be as formal as past Grandmasters, but I still don’t take well to being spoken to like a mere servant.”

  Then Yamamoto leaned forward and smiled. “But I will forgive it due to your impressive performance against my Protectors. Despite your extremely low level, you lasted longer than most people do against them and also came up with a unique way to hobble them. Most people don’t understand the importance of exploiting the enemy’s Weak Points. You, on the other hand, do, which makes you very ninja-like, in my opinion.”

  Another notification popped up:

  [Grandmaster Yamamoto] respects your fighting spirit! Your relationship with [Grandmaster Yamamoto] has increased from ‘Neutral’ to ‘Friendly.’

  I now felt a little silly for complaining, even internally, about how easy it was for Cy to gain the Grandmaster’s favor now that I had it. It was also a good reminder to be a bit more polite to the old man. He might be a joker, but he was still the Grandmaster of the Ninja Guild and I had no doubt he could kick my ass without even thinking about it.

  “My apologies, Grandmaster,” I said with a short bow. “I have simply had a very long day today, so my temper is somewhat short.”

  “Apology accepted, Hero Winter,” said Yamamoto. “But please, call me Yama-sama. That’s what most people call me.”

  I frowned at the way Yama-sama rhymed but seeing no reason to push my luck, I said, “Yes, sir, Yama-sama.”

  “Yama-sama,” Cy muttered under his breath. “That’s so fun to say. Yama-sama, Yama-sama, Yama-sama—”

  “Now,” said Yamamoto, slapping his hands together suddenly. “With the fun out of the way, I do believe it is time to get down to business. That is, the business of eliminating Master Haru and crushing the Stalking Shadows underneath our feet.”

  Yamamoto suddenly sounded far more sinister than before. A manic glint appeared in his eyes that would have made me step back if I didn’t fear upsetting him. Aimi and Riku, however, looked like they were used to Yamamoto’s sudden change in attitude, although that may have just been because we were discussing their enemies.

  “I assume Aimi-chan has already informed you about who Master Haru is?” said Yamamoto.

  I nodded. “Yes. She told me that Master Haru was once a member of the Ninja Guild before he rebelled and formed his own ninja group called the Stalking Shadows, which now intend to replace you as the main ninja guild of Adventure City and even take over the city itself.”

  “Wonderful,” said Yamamoto with a soft clap of his hands. “You show far more mental acuity than most Heroes we deal with. Perhaps your Class hides a cunning intellect.”

  “I’m just a small-town cop, sir,” I said with a shrug. “One who happens to be a very good listener. You’d be surprised at what you learn when you just pay attention to what other people are saying.”

  “Very true,” Yamamoto agreed. “Well, because we are all on the same page, I think it’s time you proved your commitment to defeating the Stalking Shadows.”

  I frowned. “What do you mean? I accepted the mission. I came all the way here. What more proof do you need that I intend to help you guys?”

  Yamamoto raised his hands. “I know all of that, but you must remember that we Ninja are very suspicious of outsiders as a rule, even when we ask for their help. While you seem like an honest man, I do not know for sure that you will not abandon us in our time of need. Therefore, a little field practice is necessary if you are going to prove your reliability.”

  “Field practice?” I questioned. “What do you mean by that?”

  Yamamoto pulled out a phone from his pocket and began scrolling through it. It was weird seeing such a traditional-looking ninja using such a modern, if slightly outdated, piece of technology, although that seemed to be the theme of the Ninja Guild in general. “According to our spies in the field, the Stalking Shadows have set up a temporary Hideout in South Adventure City, near the old Warehouse District, where they are busily storing and selling some illegal goods.”

  “illegal goods?” I repeated. “What do you mean by that?”

  Yamamoto looked up at me. “We do not know, for our spies have been unable to enter the Warehouse. But we do know that the Stalking Shadows are selling these goods to criminals and thugs to fund their own organization. If we can destroy their goods, then that will inflict an approximately one million loss in credits. That won’t destroy the organization outright, of course, but it would financially hurt them and force them to slow down their operations and make them easier to attack.”

  Another sharp contrast. Now Yamamoto sounded more like the clever ninja leader he was, using information from spies to piece together his enemies’ plans. It was another reminder about how dangerous he really was.

  “The original plan was to send a strike team of carefully selected Elite Ninja Assassins to destroy the illegal goods in secret,” said Yamamoto. “Now, however, I think I will add you and your Sidekick to the Team. Your Powers might be helpful in pulling off this plan.”

  “Will Master Haru be there?” I asked, my hands clenched tightly.

  “Probably not,” said Yamamoto. “As I said, this is a temporary Hideout where they store their illegal goods. Master Haru is probably at their permanent Hideout, the location of which is still unknown. At some point you will likely have a chance to battle him, but not until you prove we can trust you. ‘He who is faithful in little will be faithful in much.’ T
he third thing the first Grandmaster said to his Disciples.”

  I frowned. “Was the first Grandmaster Jesus?”

  Cy gasped. “Jesus Christ was a ninja? That explains everything.”

  I sighed in exasperation, but then I got a new prompt which read:

  [Grandmaster Yamamoto] is offering you a sub-mission!

  SUB-MISSION: Financially cripple the Stalking Shadows

  Although Grandmaster Yamamoto has come to like you, he still doesn’t quite trust you enough to send you after Master Haru himself. Instead, Yama-sama has asked you to lead a strike team of Elite Ninja Assassins to destroy the illegal goods which the Stalking Shadows are selling to criminals on the street to fund their organization.

  NOTE: This is a sub-mission of ‘Defeat the Stalking Shadows.’ By completing this sub-mission, you will be able to advance further along in ‘Defeat the Stalking Shadows.’ Refusal to accept this sub-mission will result in instant failure in ‘Defeat the Stalking Shadows.’

  ALIGNMENT: Hero

  DIFFICULTY: Hard

  RARITY: Unique

  SUCCESS: Destroy the Stalking Shadows’ main source of income

  FAILURE: Get killed by any Stalking Shadows member

  REWARDS: Increased reputation with Grandmaster Yamamoto and a chance to complete the mission ‘Defeat the Stalking Shadows.’

  ACCEPT? Y/N?

  “Take your time to think this through,” said Yamamoto politely. “But it is my hope that you will submit to this sub-mission.”

  Cy gasped. “He even makes puns! Boss, can I become a ninja?”

  “No,” I said shortly, but accepted the sub-mission anyway. “All right. I’ll accept the sub-mission.”

  “Wise choice, my friend,” said Yamamoto. He glanced at his watch. “Ah, I would tell you to get ready to leave right away, but this particular mission is not set to start until midnight. Therefore, I will simply mark the location of the sub-mission on your map and give you the time you need to be there. Until then, you may spend the rest of the day doing what you wish.”