eins_left_foot

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 035

Though Mordred wasn't too happy about it, Leon agreed to Yamato's request to summon additional personnel before he and several other members of the Kazama Agency relocated to the Second Floor to begin work on the settlement. Leon also convinced the nearly 3m-tall Arcanine he encountered near the northern coast to essentially become their guard dog in exchange for delicious and cooked food, so it wasn't long before a small but well-fortified fortress began to take shape around the entrance por...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 034

As he didn't want to inhibit the Eevee's independence or curiosity, Leon largely permitted it to roam as it pleased, only speaking out when it was about to enter someplace it shouldn't. After around two-and-a-half hours of wandering, however, it abruptly plopped down, arms and legs extended as it telepathically droned, 'I'm huuuungry—!' while producing an adorable "Kweeeeeee~" sound from its mouth.

'No need to throw a tantrum,' said Leon, producing several nutritious pellets of Pokemo...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 033

With bulk summons taking place every ten days, Leon had Azuki and his other attendants set up a 'processing station' that included pamphlets, a basic outline of Purgatoria's rules, and a changing station where Wil and Wakana could take people's measurements to provide them basic clothes and equipment. As for his role in things, Leon's presence was required for the summoning and upgrade processes to function, so he remained in the summoning chamber to identify and greet new arrivals.

Unf...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 032

Seeing Wanko enter his room in her usual t-shirt and dark blue buruma combo, caked in sweat, Leon remarked, "I appreciate you coming quickly, but you didn't have to rush over in your training outfit. I just wanted your advice and to potentially request a favor."

"Should I...come back later...?" asked Wanko, breathing a little heavily as she had sprinted over to the manor at top speed.

"No, but once you're done here, you're free to use the bath downstairs," said Leon. "For now, com...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 031

Waiting until the Vaporeon had finished eating and settled down, Leon asked, 'Is it just you and your egg here? What happened to the father...?'

Seemingly confused by Leon's question, the Vaporeon remained silent for a while before answering, 'There isn't one...?' as if it were a question.

'Then, if you don't mind my asking, how did you produce an egg...?' asked Leon.

'My bottom aches, so I track down those who smell good,' answered the Vaporeon, a distinctly smile-like expr...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 030

Though the others couldn't teleport freely between Floors like Leon could, everyone but Miu could move directly to the Second Floor from the entrance. The caveat was that if they entered the Second Floor, the portal that would ordinarily take them back to the First would send them back to the entrance.

"I'll take Kisara, Shino, and Miu with me," said Mordred. "I want to see for myself whether Miu has what it takes to climb the Tower with us, so we'll take her around to our usual hunting...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 029

Following a community-wide feast celebrating their successful conquest of the First Floor, Leon was relaxing in his room, contemplating whether to spend the evening developing the First Floor or using his phantom form to investigate the Second. Another option was clearing land in the north, but Mordred had convinced him in the past that he should let those entrusted to govern the land develop it. In other words, he should only clear land or construct buildings when requested and only if the a...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 028

"What's the problem...?" asked Mordred, noticing Leon staring down at the bird she had injured, silent and unmoving.

Following Leon's gaze, meeting the resentment-filled eyes of the Pidgey, Mordred further asked, "Do you have something against killing birds? You didn't seem to mind when we brought back those chickens I discovered in the north."

"I recognize this creature..." explained Leon. "It's called a Pidgey, and back in my world, they're one of a variety of monsters you can c...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 027

"All it has is its speed!" exclaimed Mordred. "Press the attack...!"

"That's not all...!" bellowed Baphomet, raising his hoofed foot and stamping the ground. Doing so caused a visible, fast-moving shockwave to pass through the Floor, instantly knocking down everyone who failed to jump in time.

Taking advantage of the opening he had created, Baphomet teleported to the downed Presea, presuming her to be the weakest in the group due to her tattered clothing and injuries.

"Die.....

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 026

With each of the Hidden Temple's twenty-five rooms thoroughly mapped out and their teleporters marked to indicate which were the correct ones, it only took a few minutes for Leon's group to reach the antechamber and massive, 9m-tall stone doors they believed preceded the Floor Guardian, Baphomet.

While everyone else set up a temporary camp, Leon, in his mechanical body, and Mordred stood at the base of stone doors, bearing the relief of a massive tree.

"There's definitely somethin...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 025

"So what's it like, not having a body...?" asked Kisara, lying to Leon's left with her head resting on his invisible shoulder. She also rubbed his chest and abdomen, but while he had discernible contours, it was impossible to get a feel for his shape as it constantly shifted.

"Mmm...it's difficult to describe," replied Leon. "But it's not pleasant, that's for sure. I haven't been able to turn my brain off since I arrived here, and though I can feel sensations and associate feelings with...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 024

*tok* *tok* *tok*

Interrupting Leon's absentminded reverie, a faint knock sounded on his door, followed by a delicate, feminine voice informing, "Lord Leon, Sir Mordred, and the others have just arrived. They're waiting for you in the courtyard."

"One moment...!" shouted Leon, teleporting over to his mechanized body and possessing it before approaching the entrance to his room, opening it to find Miu standing outside in a Maid outfit.

"Were you not told that I gave everyone ...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 023

Leaving the church after a brief chat with Ion, Leon wasn't surprised to discover Miyako standing outside, waiting patiently with her eyes closed and hands folded over her lap.

"I'm guessing Yamato returned to the east...?" asked Leon.

Nodding in affirmation, Miyako replied, "While he was thankful for your Lordship's offer, he said he couldn't be slacking off while everyone else was working hard."

"Sounds about right," said Leon, offering a slight nod before stepping past Mi...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 022

Following their departure from the dojo, Leon, Yamato, and Miyako back-tracked what was now regarded as the village center before stopping by the former Eatery, which had now been upgraded to a proper, fifty-person capacity Restaurant. The interior wasn't particularly flashy, but it was a lot more developed and modern than the cabin-like interior it had before.

*ding* *ding*

In response to the sound of the restaurant's entry bell, the voice of a young girl shouted, "I'll be right ...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 021

[Twenty-Eight Days Later]

"How is it? Can you move...?" asked a young woman with fair, slightly tanned skin, dark blue eyes that glistened with intelligence, and long blonde hair currently fixed into a ponytail that reached the small of her back. She also wore a red bandana on her head and, because she was a mechanic, a black tube top, thick leather gloves, and a pale purple boiler suit whose upper half was tied around her waist.

"I can try..." replied Leon, raising his right, com...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 020

"He seriously assembled this in the short time you've been gone?" asked Mordred, staring wide-eyed at the fur-lined crop Leon had presented her, courtesy of Wilfred. The interior was rough and itchy since it hadn't been treated or tanned, but the design and stitchwork were top-rate.

"He said he could repair your previous top as well, but he'll need to find a material to replace the elastic band," replied Leon. "Either way, we should look into addressing the clothing shortage as soon as ...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 019

Thanks to their ability to backtrack as they pleased, Leon and Mordred managed to search and clear sixteen distinct rooms in a span of two and a half hours.

"I'm starting to think this is a situation where we're trapped until we clear the dungeon or fulfill a certain condition..." stated Mordred, taking a large bite out of the board steak Leon had provided, still as hot and fragrant as it was the moment it was placed in his Storage.

'Well, according to the map we've gradually been...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 018

While scouring the room and exterminating the monsters who called it home, Leon and Mordred came across a total of three stone platforms. They were all inactive when first discovered, but once the room was clear of monsters, their magic circles glowed pale blue and shimmered like the surface of a rippling lake.

"Looks like we'll need to kill everything in our path if I want to advance or retreat," speculated Mordred.

'That's a fair assumption, but we shouldn't jump to conclusions,...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 017

"So? How does it feel...?" asked Mordred. "Is it the same as when you possess me...?"

"Poyopopo poyo~!" replied Leon, overlapping with him responding, 'It's similar, but I seem to have full control. But I'm not sure if it's because of the Poring's limited intelligence or some other factor.'

"Then, do you want to try possessing the King next...?" asked Mordred, raising her gaze and focusing on the King Poring as it drank from the lake a few hundred meters from their position atop t...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 016

"Wow. It really is like a whole other world," said Souma, getting his first look at the interior of the Tower's first floor.

"Just remember what we discussed during breakfast," said Leon. "You're free to explore, but stay with your partner. And if you find and enter a field dungeon, stay near the entrance so you can retreat if shit hits the fan. I'll drop by every hour or two to check on you and place any loot you find in Storage. Remember, safety first, people!"

"Yeah, yeah. You ...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 015

Though it was his first time in actual combat, Leon felt more excited than scared. The monster he targetted, resembling a 3.5m tall dead tree with jack-o-lanterns hanging from its branches, didn't even react to him as he moved around to flank it, allowing him to distract it as he stabbed one of the jack-o-lanterns in the side.

Taking advantage of the opening Leon had created by drawing the monster's, known as a Pumpkin Tree, attention to him, Shouichi stabbed its trunk from the opposite...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 014

"Oh, hey, Presea-chan," said Shouichi, opening his eyes, rising to a seated position, and stretching his body as the former picked up and cradled one of the Porings that had nestled up to him.

"I generally approve of fearlessness, but you shouldn't fall asleep in the middle of enemy territory," said Mordred. "Speaking of which..."

Seeing Mordred look at him, Leon opened his console and confirmed, "It says I can't construct anything until we've defeated the Floor Guardian."

"...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 013

'This thing is fucking massive...'

With a diameter of thirty kilometers and a height that was impossible to ascertain from the ground, the Tower was a truly mind-boggling structure. The exterior appeared to be constructed of an off-white stone, but Wil's [Appraising Eye] drew a blank, and it could neither be damaged nor put in Leon's Storage. One of its key features was that it slowly spiraled upward and was covered in reliefs depicting various creatures and scenes of war, but when Mord...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 012

"Hey...sorry about before. If I hurt your feelings, it wasn't intentional..." said Leon, walking alongside Presea as they made their way to the central clearing.

"It's fine..." replied Presea, looking directly ahead. It turned out that the reason she answered the door in such a state was that she had difficulty getting dressed and fixing her belt quickly with only one good hand. In the end, she had to return to the entrance to ask for Leon's help, leaving him at a loss and making him fe...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 011

With a tabernacle requiring ten kilograms of gold, far more than he had on hand, Leon took Presea to meet Wil while Mordred detached from them to drop off her catch and grab a bite at the Eatery.

"Well, it doesn't appear to be broken. But I wouldn't recommend putting pressure on it or performing any strenuous actions for at least a week or two," said Wil, carefully cradling and examining Presea's arm with slightly furrowed brows.

"If we gather the ingredients, think you could whip...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 010

After giving Shouichi that usual tour and showing him to the Outpost, Leon decided to bring up the functions of the Assign menu. He had yet to try tweaking a person's schedule or assigning orders through it, so he was hoping that Shouchi would assist him.

"I don't know..." said Shouichi, sporting an uneasy smile as he rubbed the back of his head, adding, "I've always been the type to do my own thing. Being told what to do sounds...uncomfortable..."

"I just want to try it out to un...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 009

After introducing Presea to Wil and allowing her to sample Souma's cooking, Leon guided her to the Hunter's Lodge, feeling slightly guilty that she would be staying so far from everyone else.

"Sorry about the location...I was originally going to place the lodge near the other buildings, but someone advised me not to..."

"It's fine..." replied Presea, looking around her new home with a neutral, almost robotic expression as she appended, "I'm used to being alone," in a soft monotone...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 008

While Souma worked on preparing a feast for at least five people, Leon and Mordred discussed the best place to set up a Hunter's Lodge. Not everyone enjoyed seeing animals being butchered or strung up, so most hunters lived on the fringe or away from the villages where they provided meat. With that in mind, Leon worked on forming a path away from the clearing by excavating the soil, clearing shrubbery, and felling trees. The end result was a massive trench three meters wide and a meter deep t...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 007

After an evening and early morning that made him wish he could rush up to the Tenth Floor and crush the Boss that would presumably reward him with a flesh and blood body, Leon focused on expanding the clearing and increasing his stock of wood while Mordred swung around an even larger sword than before.

"That should be plenty of space for the time being..." said Leon, having expanded the clearing to roughly half the size of a football field.

"Now, let's see..."

Opening the Bu...

Beta Testing the Apocalypse 006

As the early morning was the best time to stalk predators preparing to retire for the night, Mordred left to do some hunting, leaving Leon behind to experiment. He hadn't imagined what had occurred that morning, so he was using stones, twigs, and other tiny objects to get a feel for interacting with the physical world using his phantom body.

"Come on, Leon...just imagine you're groping Mordred's boobs..."

Though it quickly returned to its resting state, Leon's utterance caused the...