Blind Gunner

3.

Like another college student, I have to clean and pack all of my belongings before leaving the dorm. I packed up what I still needed, then sent it home early and donated the rest which might still be pretty good.  It doesn't feel like I'll be capable of surviving these two years of my study, despite the fact I've almost failed several times due to a lack of funds to finish my master's program. At first, I became friends with Graf just to repay a favor, because he had lent me money to pay for my semester fees. Day by day I feel like we have the same mindset in some ways, This is what later made us close friends.

"Okay. This is the last!” There are about 4 boxes full of books and some plastic bag containing my old shoes. 

My room looked even more empty now. I cleaned up some of the memos I used to tape to the wall too, including a pile of revisions from my final project that always piled up in the corner. I hope whoever will occupy this place will feel at home.

A knock on the door startled me. I immediately ran to see who was coming. "You have eaten?" That's Neo.

"Not yet," I pointed to several plastic bags containing my old stuff, shoes, as well as clothes and dolls from my ex. "Could you please take me to set it aside?".

"Okay!" I quickly got ready.

...

The car that took us sped through the crowded streets of Malang city. It's already 8 P.M., and the temperatures in June are at their lowest. This city turns into a big refrigerator, with rows of colorful lights along the street. "When are you coming home?".

"Next Friday".

"Your job?".

“Ah… it's online. I can work anywhere!” I met a doctoral student by chance a year ago; we had the same supervisor. I helped him make a program to facilitate his research project because I felt sorry for him who had to go back and forth from Riau - Malang. Leaving his family just to hear his dissertation must be revised many times. It was from him that I got my current job.

"That's good!".

"Yes ..." I admit the salary is quite decent.

"So you accept Graf’s offer?" I nodded in response to Neo's question.

“Only 4 hours a day. It's not too much of a burden for me.”

“Good!”

I assumed Neo would take me to a restaurant, but I was wrong. We came to a halt in the yard of one of the Ijen housing complex's houses. The yard is large, but it appears to be neglected. The lights were not turned on, and some of the roofs had been destroyed. "Whose house is this?" I'm afraid. The classic-style architecture does not make this house look beautiful but terrifying.

"Follow me!" He dashed through the back door.

I quickly descended, following Neo who walked towards the small low door on the side of the garden. 

"Whose house is this?" This place is horrible!" This looks like a pile of garbage compared to other houses.

"Graf".

"Oh," I wasn't surprised to hear that answer. "Then I'm not surprised," Neo laughed instead.

I faintly heard voices, as well as light from one of the booths not far from us. I also smelled the smell of cigarettes from the place. I can't believe that anyone would want to come to this place other than us. 

"I'm getting married in 3 months. So I won't be able to do that brat's mission,” Neo's voice was so low. Until it sounded like a whisper.

Like fireworks were going off in my head. "Amanda?!" Neo gave a nod. I immediately hugged him, almost crying. If you're looking for the most romantic first love story, Neo has it all. Neo and Amanda have been dating since they were in middle school. I know because they went to the same high school as I did. We reconnected when Neo started his master's program in Malang. It was a miracle to me that they had been together for so long. I admire their love story, and in fact, I admire all of their stories.

"You have come?" I almost screamed, when I heard someone's voice so loud near us.

"Yoo...long wait bro?!"

"Just arrived!".

The person looked at me, researching. His gaze was like skinning alive. "She?!" The question was mocking. "What on earth is that person thinking?!".

I glanced at Neo, he asked me to follow the person. "You're not coming along?".

"I'm going out. Buy some food for you guys." Neo can be very cruel sometimes. He left me alone with this man.

...

"Have you installed that app?".

"Yeah," I took out the laptop I had brought with me on purpose. “What…”

“Have you tried it?” My words were cut off. 

"Not yet, just installed it". I even just downloaded it this morning after coming home from the hospital. "Is it complicated?" I'm confused, what words should I convey. Finally I chose the word 'Complicated'

“Yes. When I first played, I admit this game was very complicated. There are so many calculations, such as critical damage, critical rate, magic and physical resistance, aggro and even stating formulas," he turned to me. He looked at me. I couldn't help but smile as I was unfamiliar with all of those words. "Did Neo or Graf haven't explained it all?".

"Not yet..." I don't know. This game has so many terms that I don't understand.

Yoga is the person who will guide me. A medical college student pursuing professional education in Malang. He'd have been playing 9 Guardians for 3 years.

"Your journey is going to be tough, man!" the man from Blitar warned me.

"Oh...Ok," I started to get scared.

Yoga suggested that I take an archer job. The reason was that it was the only weapon currently in Graf's inventory.  The graph also has 12 Arrows with different elements and he has made 1 character level 40 with this job, so I'm lucky.

"Remember this! Elements on sub-weapons deal an additional 25% critical damage to your attacks. So, before fighting the enemy, it is best to know what elements they have. When you use an element superior to the boss's base element, you gain 25% more crit damage from the skill you use. "

"Can you give me an example?" I don't understand what the superior element means. While all I see are arrows with fire, water element, and other elemental statuses with different additional effects for each arrow like attack mana point recovery, additional mana point, and etcetera.

In frustration, Yoga ruffled his hair. "Bring all the arrows you have, and I'll show you how it works!"

We teleported from the safe point of Filanesia. A medieval-style town with Tudor houses and a great snow castle that we called the celestial tower, to a mountainous region of fire and covered with the thick smoke . Walk down the path uphill, then move to another area that is deeper than the sulfur-filled volcano. After a while, I noticed a dark blue dragon on the rim of the crater in front of us with six large fire horns in the left and right sides of its head.

"We're not going to fight that right?!" It would be crazy if we had to fight the dragon.

"We will fight!"

'Oh God…!' The character I was using was still level 40, while the dragon was already level 80. Even a child could see how far our levels differed. Maybe it's fine for Yoga, who is already at level 245, but it seems very unfair to me. "Fight?" I just wanted to make sure, and ensure that I didn't hear something wrong.

“First, let's look at the basic elements. Fire is strong against earth, but weak against water. The opposite of water is wind and earth is superior to the wind. If he is dark then his opponent is light, this is the opposite. If it's normal then the opponent is normal!” I tried to understand.

"So... if it's water then I have to use wind?"

"Genius!"

Yoga taught me how to detect the basic elements of monsters other than bosses using one of the job bow skills. As for the boss, the basic elements can be easily identified without any skill. “Pay attention to the options next to the boss. If you choose it, you can find out all the information about the boss. Starting from what items we can get or drop items, elements, experience points we get, until health points it has," I just took a deep breath listening to Yoga's explanation.

...

"Are you sure?" We've already entered the battlefield, but I'm still doubtful.

"I will take and hold the aggro, you kill the dragon!".

"What?! Aggro?" He's crazy. 

“Aggro is enchanting. When we are around a monster or attack him with skills or ordinary attacks, he will be attracted to us and give us pay back. Level, equipment, refining value of equipment, buffs, buff consumption, and certain skill effects, all affect aggro. The player with the highest damage will be the main target of the monster. The main point, when we attack monsters we're teasing them. Which one of us has the possibility of inflicting the most severe damage, then he will be the one to be attacked by the monster!” Yoga explain to me about aggro. 

"I'm a good boy, I won't hurt the dragon!" Yoga laughed when I was scared.