Dyne battled across the many apes by running and ducking. He would strike using the Earth Jewel or slash the enemies that were in front of him.
Rena watched at the back and was amazed at the movement of Dyne. The powerful force of the ape's attacks couldn’t hit him. Dyne managed to execute strange aerial maneuvers that defied the natural laws.
At times, it looked like Dyne was flying.
Dyne had used Grim’s powers to launch him, and since Grim could hover, Dyne would cling to Grim and use his floating body as a means to evade or attack.
But as the apes rushed recklessly, Dyne finally got a few strikes.
SMASH!
Dyne flew back several meters as one of the ape's tackles struck him.
“NO!” Rena shouted and channeled energy to attack. She knew that most of the cultivators in this area avoided these apes because if they get hit once, the rest of the apes will charge and perform a combination of tackles and punches, instantly killing the man.
But as Dyne was flying back, he was able to counter-attack and somehow shift his body to land a powerful punch on the face of a jumping ape.
Dyne had used Grim’s hovering body to regain his balance and evade the apes' ongoing rush.
Dyne landed and did one swiping motion of the scythe, which caused the apes to pause before continuing their rush.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
“Light Missiles!” Rena shouted as she launched a volley of magic missiles that struck the apes.
One of the apes got mad and charged at Rena, and Dyne expertly threw Grim, which struck the ape right on the back of his head.
STAB!
Blood and brain matter oozed out of the blade, which had pierced to the front of the ape's face.
“Fine! Since you want to help, let's make a collaborative agreement. I’ll try to keep the apes from going near to you, and you use your magic to attack!” Dyne coldly remarked.
Dyne ran to intersect at the direction of where the apes were running.
Grim flew back and got to Dyne just in time to stand in front of the apes rushing at Rena.
Rena was about to launch another attack, but Dyne stopped her.
“Don’t! Use it only when I get hit to be me some time of recovering!” Dyne urged.
“But!”
“Concentrate the attacks on a single spell! Don’t spread it out! Stay behind me, and always make sure that you are directly behind me! When I say shoot, you shoot at the nearest monster! Aim for its head! Got it?!” Dyne gave his orders.
“I- I understand.” Rena nodded and concentrated on a single magic missile.
Dyne continued to fight, evading and moving around to ensure no one got behind him.
Rena continued to move and made sure to be directly behind Dyne.
“Now!” Dyne evaded, and a holy light shot towards the ape’s head.
BOOM!
The face of the ape caved in, and blood came pouring out. It stumbled dead.
Dyne trusted Rena and did not even attack or look at this fallen ape as he attacked another one, killing it with Grim.
Although Dyne didn’t say anything, Rena felt more confident in this attack as she saw Dyne’s response.
This scenario happened again and again, allowing Rena managed to kill two more. The two tackled Dyne, and Dyne was grazed and thrown off a bit but died as the magic missile met them.
Dyne had already received several punches and grazed and was covered in wounds.
“Let me heal-”
“No! You can heal me later! Kill for now!” Dyne ordered coldly and began to fight the enemy.
Strafe had a strange expression as he looked at this fight.
“What exactly is this guy trying to do? He can easily kill them all, and yet he's prolonging the fight and allowing the enemies to hit him!” Strafe had seen the true potential of Dyne. In his fight against the Basilisk, he had seen just how precise each attack was. But now, Dyne was very messy and random in this fight.
Soon, the last ape fell, and Dyne allowed his body to fall to the ground.
“Heal!” Rena immediately ran and used her magic spell.
The life energy surged within Dyne’s body, causing the wounds to close slowly.
Rena immediately glanced at the Red and Blue Ape in fear of their attack. But what she saw stunned her.
The Red Ape had rampaged in the area where he was, and there were many bloody wounds around its body. It was lying down on the ground and was very weak but continued to squirm in pain.
Finally…
SPLERCH!
A creature tore out of the chest of the red ape. Another head popped up, and it dashed towards the area where Dyne was.
Rena was stunned at what she saw, and though this creature was smaller, she was more afraid of it than the apes.
“Relax. It’s my pet.” Dyne softly spoke and tried to sit up.
Gyoro and Ururun arrived and sat on Dyne's shoulder.
Rena was amazed at what she saw.
“This… snake is your pet?”
“It's Gyoro and Ururun.” Dyne pointed and introduced each head.
Dyne continued to pant and closed his eyes as if meditating.
Rena realized what was happening and immediately began to cast heal once more.
As Dyne was recovering, he felt very proud of what he had done.
He had used the mental image of the “Dias” in Rena’s life and tried to relive that memory. Only this time, Dyne made it that Rena managed to do the right thing and make the right call. As a result, she was able to fight and even kill monsters!
Apart from that, Dyne did the basic ‘knight in shining armor routine. He made Rena stay at the back to give Rena that cliché moment of anime heroines looking at the capable and broad back.
And to top it all off, he tried to imitate Dias’s cold and serious expression through his own rendition of the greatest Lone Wolf, who is ridiculously awkward and naïve about women.
By Dyne’s calculation, this girl would at least have mixed emotions towards Dyne now.
“Umm….” Rena began.
“Dyne continued to maintain his otherworldly expert loo.
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“Little brother? Are you ok now?”
COUGH! COUGH!
Dyne choked on his own saliva and was cursing. He forgot the most important thing.
He was ten years old!
Dyne panicked.
“Hey, Strafe. In this cultivation world, is it normal for girls to like younger men?” Dyne asked immediately.
“Of course. It's not surprising for the age gap to even go over two hundred years.”
“So I have a chance with Rena now?”
“… You’re ten years old.”
“Yeah! But- But! You said the age gap is ok!”
“Yeah. When they’re older, I’m talking about a thirty-year-old man falling in love with a two-hundred-year-old woman. Why?”
“The game, Strafe! The Game!”
“Wait… You are trying to build romance between you and Rena as it is part of the game?”
“You don’t understand. I did not only play these games! I dreamt of it! I wanted to have this Claude Kenny experience!”
“And I gave it to you!”
“With the chance of getting the girl!”
“Oh… So that was why you went all through those useless movements. I get it.” Strafe realized the extent of Dyne’s insanity. While he had peered through the memories, he didn’t bother to look at the fantasies of Dyne and underestimated Dyne’s romance for game adventures.
“Well, don’t worry. Take your time! You still have a long way to go!”
Dyne frowned.
“Well, I guess you’re right…”
“Little brother?” Rena called again.
“I guess I’ll have to live the life of a ten-year-old kid…” Dyne sighed.
“Are you alright? Should I heal you again?” Rena asked once more.
And then Dyne realized it.
“I have to live the life of a ten-year-old kid!” Dyne had an epiphany.
Dyne opened his eyes and glanced at Rena.
Rena gave Dyne a curious look.
But as Dyne's look lingered, tears began to fill his eyes.
“Big Sis…” Dyne imitated the strange and almost unnatural connection of one particular game character who was obsessed with his big sister. This was none other than Final Fantasy VIII's loner protagonist, Squall Leonheart.
“I thought I'd never see you again! You're safe!” Dyne cried.
Rena was stunned, but when she noticed that Dyne was now hugging her knees.
"Big Sis, Elone... Don't ever leave me again." Dyne sobbed.
Rena was stunned at Dyne's sudden expression but concluded that she looked just like this Big Sis of Dyne.
“I'm not your big sis. I'm sorry." Rena tapped.
Dyne continued to sob but stopped hugging Rena.
"I'm... I'm sorry. You just look a lot like her." Dyne tried to distance himself from her.
"Well, I can be your Big Sis if she reminds me of you."
"You- you will? You don't think I'm useless?"
"Why would I ever think that? You saved me! You were amazing!” Rena moved in and gave Dyne a warm hug.
“BEST! DAY! EVER!” Dyne sent Strafe a very excited and happy message.
Strafe’s mouth was wide open. Dyne was never this good with girls. But this version of Dyne was despicable!
"Is it because of the game? Is he in some sort of game mode that makes him this sickening creature?" Strafe frowned. He had an ominous feeling in his actions that made Dyne meet this Rena.
Dyne began to hug Rena back as he continued to sob. He hugged her so tight that Rena also began to tear up.
“I didn’t <sob> want to <sob> lose you again!”
“It’s alright. Big Sister is here, and you did amazing!” Rena smiled and looked at the desecration around her.
“I mean… to amazing. That was just… Wow.” Rena realized what had just happened. Not even the villagers and all their warriors would fight against these apes, yet they managed to kill them all.
“Erm… Little Brother… Who are you? How did you get here?”
It was then that Dyne gazed up and looked at Rena straight at her eyes.
“Wow. Big Sis has pointy ears."
Rena then noticed that Dyne didn't have such a pointed ear.
"Oh. You haven't been around Eliums, have you?"
"Elium?" Dyne wondered.
"It's my race. Does it bother you?" Rena asked.
Dyne shook his head in a very defensive look.
"No! Not at all. It's just... It's just... Sis is very, very beautiful.” Dyne marveled with an innocent expression.
“Oh! Don’t tease big sis like that!” Rena laughed.
"So, how did little bro get here?" Rena asked again.
Dyne then started to look around.
“Erm… Where am I?” He then asked Rena with a confused expression.