Chapter 139: Raina (2)
The most important thing for Raina was her summoner's skills. She watched carefully how much her summoner could bring out her potential in the real world. That meant only the best archers could build a high rapport with Raina. Other techniques hardly ever worked. Gifts and activities had the opposite effect.
The best way was to communicate with her, but even that was ineffective. However, Raina rated skills highly. A skilled archer could easily win her over. It was rare, but it was possible. Almond was that case.
[Rapport: 30]
After one remark, her rapport went from 0 to 30. His viewers became angry seeing it unfold.
— What the?!?
— Is this a bug?
— It's supposed to say 3.0, right?
— This is why I hate alpha males. How can you get 30 from saying one thing?
Most people would get slapped in the face if they kept talking to her. Seeing him reach 30 right away made the viewers understandably jealous and upset. However, they were jealous for the wrong reasons. It was his archery skills, not his looks, doing the work.
'Is this enough to play?'
Almond thought this was enough and asked her again.
"Raina, are you now ready to go back to the battlefield?"
"What? I just told you. If you're here to talk about that, just leave."
[Rapport: 20]
No way. He couldn't repeat what he just said simply because her rapport was higher. He had to think rationally. Anybody would hate it if someone kept repeating the same thing to them.
— LOL
— Are you stupid Almond?
— He's just a kid... he doesn't know anything.
— Just wait a bit.
Waiting was a strategy, but Almond wanted closure. He wanted to at least apologize since he made her upset.
'This is kind of cool.'
Most of all, he was interested in this interaction system. LIL champions were more advanced and had more freedom of interaction than Kingdom Age NPCs.
‘What an incredible game.’
He became curious about how their conversation would unfold and how he could raise her rapport from now on.
He decided to apologize to her and see how she would react.
"I'm sorry, Raina."
"What are you sorry for? You didn't do anything wrong," Raina cut him off as if she was expecting him to speak up.
— This is the Uchiha technique: what are you sorry for?
— Oh shit!
— Infinite loop, on!
— This is like an uppercut, right? I've never dated anyone, someone please tell me...
— Trap card, activate!
Judging by her expression and tone, she seemed angry. However, this was virtual reality and not real life. He could see her rapport level.
[Rapport: 50]
Her rapport went up by 30 again. Unlike her cold attitude, it was obvious she was feeling better. Thankfully, Almond could continue his conversation.
'Will it work if I tell her what I'm sorry about?'?
He would usually be speechless, but this was different. She was obviously upset because he used her ultimate form as a method of celebration.
"I summoned you even though it wasn't for a battle."
"Why?"
"Hmm..."
Almond didn't know she would ask him why...
"You can summon me if you want to since I have no choice, right? What's wrong with that?"
'Oh my god.'
Almond was speechless.
— Is this what dating is like…? I'm going to run away!
— The first barrier...
— Hey! You nut! Think of something quick!
Almond had to quickly think of an answer. How would one apologize if they didn't know the reason? His past experiences in social skills and human interactions flashed before his eyes and gave him an answer.
First, he had to sympathize with the situation.
"Even though that's the case, I think I'd get angry being summoned like that too."
Raina looked away as he gave the right answer.
[Rapport: 60]
He could see the rapport level, so it didn't matter. Almond continued to talk.
"That won't happen again since I did it because I didn't know."
"What didn't you know?"
"That you wouldn't feel good about it."
[Rapport: 80]
Her rapport level went up to 80, but her tone was still cold.
"Why do you care whether I feel good or not? We're just a summoner and champion relationship."
— Damn, she's just saying the same thing.
— Just date...
— Raina should just change her name to Whyna.
— Is she playing Jeopardy? She's just answering questions.
— Get a room, you two!
— Raina noona... we can see your rapport level... let's not trick ourselves.
— LOL, Raina noona is so cute.
Just like the viewers were saying, the answer was already fixed if this was a dating simulator.
'I don't think that's it.'
However, Almond didn't think that way. It seemed like Raina wanted to say something else. Almond and Raina only knew each other briefly and didn't know each other well enough to feel intimate emotions for each other. Instead, Raina told him she didn't want to be treated like a tool.
Despite her role to be summoned at the summoner's command, she was asking him not to use her like that. Even though that was their relationship by default, she wanted to be recognized as her own entity. It was what Sang-Hyeon felt when he worked in an office. He wanted to be recognized as a co-worker instead of being treated as an errand boy or someone who got there through connections...
Since he felt that was what Raina was thinking, he gave her the answer he thought was correct.
"I care. We're teammates."
Raina was silent.
[Rapport: 90]
She didn't reply, but the rapport level answered back. Raina checked Almond's eyes to see if he was lying.
[Rapport: 95]
Her rapport level grew.
"I'm glad you think that way."
Finally, her voice wasn't cold anymore.
— 95!!!
— Damn!
— You might reach 100!
— Y-You were this easy? Noona, nooooo!
"There's a reason I hate things like that."
Raina was now feeling much better. She was about to tell him why she hated those things.
'Huh? Is this...'
Almond could instinctively feel something was about to happen.
"It's an old story."
Raina was about to tell him a certain story. Just like Almond predicted, this wasn't any old story.
The stories that champions told had a connection with a legend. If the summoners fully understood the legend, they could bring out further potential from the champion on the battlefield.
'Is this story mode?'
The legend was heard through story mode.
Almond continued to nod, unaware of what he would hear. He was interested in Raina's story.
"Tell me."
He met eyes with Raina for a moment. After a short moment, her lips slowly formed a smile.
[Rapport: 100]
Her rapport went up to 100. And then...
"It's a long story."
"That's alright."
"Alright. Then..."
It was the first time he saw Raina smile brightly.
[Raina's story mode unlocked.]
The entire world came to a still. The waterfall froze in place with its bubbles stationary as well. Time had stopped.
The environment turned black and white as the following texts appeared in blue.
[Do you want to start story mode?]
***
— Damn! Story mode?!
— Hell yeah!
— Cold-blooded? More like a warm-blooded archer.
— Alright, now show us the real cold-blooded archer!
— Alpha male's temperature: 95 degrees
— Rapport 100??
— What's going on? He fucked up and apologized, and the rapport went up!?
— It means he's this good with the bow~
— Wow, story mode already?
The viewers were ecstatic because story mode was only unlocked after reaching a high rapport. Normally, it occurred when an account was between Level 10-15, but Almond reached it at Level 2.
'Story mode... I think this is pretty good.'
Almond knew that story mode was good the quicker it was unlocked. However, he wasn't exactly sure why.
"Story mode is good, right?"
— Yes. Very good.
— Super good.
— You're super lucky that you unlocked story mode already.
— You're going get so much EXP.
— I want to congratulate the developers for giving facial recognition to the AI in LIL!
— Raina! You weren't like that to me! Hello?!
— I'm going to refund all of Raina's skins today…
As the viewers said, it was good that he unlocked story mode so early on.
[Raina Story Mode]
Reward: Large amount of EXP, small amount of legend coin, improved relationship with Raina, skill mastery increase.
Estimated time to complete: 6+ hours
Money, EXP, improved relationship, and skill mastery. The rewards were everything he needed in LIL. Nothing was a waste.
The rewards were better the earlier they were earned. In terms of an RPG game, it was like Almond using a legendary weapon at Level 2.
Almond wanted to play story mode and checked the time.
'What time is it...'
It was 10 A.M.
He hesitated. Before he was a LIL player, he was a streamer. It was more important for his stream to do well.
'Should I just wait until more people are watching?'
His current viewers were excited, but there were only 5000 viewers because of the time. It was better to stream it when more viewers were watching since it didn't matter when he played story mode.
There was a bigger problem as well.
'I wanted to practice siege mode.'
He turned on LIL?to play siege mode and learn more about it, but was stuck in story mode. His practice was pushed further back.
"Hmm... I wanted to practice siege mode. What to do..."
He decided to delay a bit and honestly explained it to the viewers. Then came this response.
[RubySword has donated 10,000 won!]
[If you do this, you can learn siege mode as well!]
Finally, a piece of good news. He discovered he could learn siege mode while playing the story mode.
— Ah, Raina's first story is like that.
— Oh yeah, right.
— For real.
— Don't spoil it!
Raina's first story had to do with siege mode.
'Hmm...'
The view count was low, but he had no reason to stop if he could learn siege mode. Almond made a decision.
[Yes]
The paused world resumed again.
Shaaaa...
The waterfall started falling again, and Raina's golden hair flowed with the wind.
Flash!
The whole world turned white.
***
[Beginner’s Tip: All summoners respawn in the base after death except in survival mode.]