Fanfiction: Experiencing Freedom CHAPTER 47 is a go! (February 7th)

WARNING. CHAPTER 7 IMMINENT TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.

James spent an hour the next day trying to understand the culture of Korea through the internet of his phone. He wrote down any important facts in history and fandoms on a notebook that Elliot gifted him yesterday. When he checked the time, it was 10 minutes to six o’clock. James grabbed his tools and headed out the door. He noticed that the parsnips looked ripe. The instructions in the seed packet stated that the user should wait at least four days before harvest. ‘I guess now’s the time’ James thought as he ripped the parsnips off the ground. He ended up harvesting seventy five parsnips as each packet contained five seeds. The potatoes and cauliflowers needed more time, thus he simply watered them. He checked the mailbox to find a mail from Pierre’s. ‘Jesus Christ, another one of these advertisements? I’m starting to hate this guy already.’ James thought annoyed.

“We are now selling fertilizers! Come to Pierre’s for it! Especially you, James –Pierre Berneau” read out the letter.

‘Oh, I guess I won’t have to hate him after all. Very well, I’ll visit the store later.’ James thought, crumpling the letter and throwing it away. He grabbed his axe and started cutting some trees down.

When it was midday, James took a walk around Pelican Town. He noticed some earthworms wriggling around a certain portion of the dirt. He knelt down and dug the ground to find what looked like a blue crystal. As he walked more to the east, he came across a library. He looked at a wooden note beside the door that said ‘Stardew Valley Library and Exhibition Open 9AM to 6PM’. He opened the door. Inside, James saw a young woman reading a book with red hair with two buns wearing a yellow shirt. She was accompanied by two children. At the rightmost part of the library, there was a bearded man wearing a blue cowboy hat and a blue tuxedo. James walked to him and looked at his name plate: Gunther Von Esling. “Hmmm, not a single artifact to display. What to do….” The man said with a heavy German accent.

“Uh, excuse me… Professor Von Esling? I may have something you might be interested in.” James called the man, handing out the crystal.

“Hm? What is this? Let me inspect, schnell!” Gunther said, taking the crystal. After a few second of investigation, he opened his mouth. “Ah yes, a fine sample of an aquamarine. Das ist gut. Although it is your possession…” Gunther said.

“Hey, you can have it. The exhibition looks like it needs something anyway.” Said James.

“Ah! Ich habe un Idee! Why not donate future artifacts to our museum? We’ll make groundbreaking discoveries together! Who knows, you may receive gifts from me! Ist es ein Geschäft?” Gunther asked.

“Of course! I’ll scour the entire valley for this!” James replied enthusiastically.

James exited the library and headed to the general store. When he entered it, he could see some of the townspeople shopping here and there. “Welcome, James!” Pierre said.

“Yeah, I came for your fertilizers. Maybe some, uh… more parsnip seeds?” James replied.

“Of course! Take your time!” Pierre said. After James picked what he needed, he placed them on the counter and Pierre crunched the numbers on his cashier to get a total of 340 Galleons. Just as James was about to hand the money, a short man on a black tuxedo and cape marched in the store holding some kind of blue tickets on his hand.

“*Ahem, good afternoon, people! Our Jojamart is now having a fifty-percent off sale starting from today! Don’t miss the tickets!” The man said arrogantly while holding up the coupons up in the air. The people came to the man almost immediately. Only James stood his ground. He could see Pierre sweating with anger and fear in his eyes. James took his time to look at the man’s nameplate. Morris Padelaski. He took a quick note on that with his phone. While Pierre’s customers left one by one, James quickly searched if it was illegal to advertise something in someone else’s property. When the last customer, a stout man with a yellow suit exited the store, Morris gloated Pierre with the superiority of the Joja Corporation and left.

“Bastard.” Pierre said, punching the counter with his fist.

“Mr. Berneau, I searched the web. That corporate slave just broke the law.” James said.

“I know, but I don’t know what the court would do against him. He has an entire corporation behind him! It’ll bail him out even if I win.” Pierre said hopelessly. He gave out a sigh.

“Don’t worry, sir. I’ll never set foot on that Jojamart. You can count on me.” James assured him.

“Thank you, James.” Pierre said.

James looked at a door beside the counter. “Where does that door lead to?” He asked.

“Oh, that? It’s our house. You’re welcome anytime except Wednesday. Feel free to go in.” Pierre said.

As James went inside with his shopping bags, he heard muffled gunshots and robotic voices from one of the doors. ‘What the hell?’ James thought, as he reached out his left hand to the doorknob and holding a fist with his right hand. He was ready for whoever wanted to kill him. He quickly opened the door, only to find Abigail playing a videogame. “Jesus, James! Don’t barge into my room like that!” Abigail exclaimed.

“I’m sorry! I thought you said it was okay the other day!” James said.

“Well, it’s okay. I was dead already.” Abigail replied. Just then, a red smoke along with the words DEFEAT came across the TV screen. She was playing OVERWATCH on the Playstation 4. James had never seen such contraption before. “Damnit, that’s five times in a row!” Abigail groaned.

“Uh, what are you doing?” James asked.

“You don’t know this game? It’s been breaking the Playstation store since last Summer!” Abigail exclaimed with disbelief. James started to feel sorry for not knowing anything about the outside world.

“Huh, looks interesting. Exciting at the same time, though.” James said.

“You wanna play?” Abigail asked, holding out her controller.

“I guess I can give it a try.” James said, grabbing the controller and sitting down next to the TV. Abigail guided him to the next game in the map called Temple of Anubis. She recommended Soldier 76 as it was the easiest character to use. Little did she know that James actually used to have vehicle simulation training back at the Gotoro Empire using a controller similar to a Dualshock 4. Additionally, thanks to his actual combat experience, he won three games in a row without dying more than five times. The voice chat was filled with complements.

“Wow, you’re really good at this game!” Abigail exclaimed. James smirked. He really enjoyed it.

“You know your way around the joystick, huh?” said Abigail. She blushed a little after realizing what she had said. James, however, didn’t understand. “Wanna stay here and talk?” She asked. James nodded.

“So, nice room!” James started the conversation, looking around her room. “How old are you?”

“I’m nineteen years old. You?” She asked.

“Twenty.” He replied.

“Oh you’re not that old! Where are you from? It’s really rare to find people with the same skin color as you!” Abigail asked.

“Oh, I’m not from this country. I’m Korean.” James said. He still wanted to hide his Gotoro Identity.

“You’re Korean?” Abigail asked excitedly. She was squealing as if she was accepted by someone she dearly loved. “I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR COUNTRY! ESPECIALLY K-POP!” She exclaimed, hopping around.

“Whoa, settle down, woman.” James said. “What’s your favorite band?” He asked.

“EXO! Especially Chanyeol! I have seven posters of them! Wanna listen to their songs?” She said reaching for her iPod.

“Nah, it’s okay.” James said. She was looking like she is about to explode into everything Korean.

“You know, I think we’ll get along so well, we’ll play games together… Ah, this is going to be great!” Abigail squealed. James was worried but happy at the same time. He didn’t know Korean to the extent of teaching someone, but he can speak it nevertheless. He had only a few old Korean songs.

‘Oh boy, it’s gonna be hell at Friday…’ James thought. “Speaking of which, do you know what is referred to as the Korean national eSport?” James asked.

“StarCraft? Of course I play it! I pushed Sebastian and Sam to play it!” Abigail answered, dragging James to her computer. She was in the Gold league in the game.

‘She went far. I think I should give it a try.’ James thought “Hey, may I try a game against a Bronze player?” He asked.

“Sure! Let me find a Bronze match…” Abigail answered, searching through the main menu. James hasn’t played the game yet. He only gained experience by seeing YouTube videos of professional players playing. When the match started, James tried the strategies recommended by them, with Abigail watching every movement he made in the screen. He somehow managed to win the game thanks to a clumsy mistake made by the opposing player building only hydralisks.

“Hey, you’re pretty good at it!” Abigail said.

‘Yeah, when I almost lost all of my SCVs, of course I’m good.’ James thought sarcastically.

James and Abigail spent three hours talking to each other until James realized that it was 5 in the afternoon. “Well, I gotta go. I have new crops to plant.” James said walking out the door.

“Wait! You forgot your stuff!” Abigail called, holding out his shopping bags.
“Oh, right.” James said, grabbing the bags. His right hand touched her hand. She seemed to blush.

“Well, gotta go!” James said, running out the store. When he reached his farm, he tilled the soil once again. He added the fertilizer and sowed his new parsnip seeds and watered them. While he was playing with his phone at late night, he realized what he had done. He let someone touch his metallic right hand. ‘Oh, no…’ James thought. Still, he had work to do. He had to learn advanced Korean. He did not want to disappoint his friend. He spent the night learning Korean through online courses until three in the morning and went to bed to end the day. Before he closed his eyes, he suddenly realized. He fell in love with videogames.

This was so far the longest chapter I have ever wrote. It took me seven hours just to think of the story. Thank Yoba it's summer break now. Anyways, as usual, I wanted to make Abigail an extreme fan of Korea because we all have that friend, right? (For me, there is this Filipino girl who is upsessed with EXO and Korean food). I hope nobody gets mad at me for manipulating their so-called 'waifu' like this. Fingers crossed.

 

ACTIVATING PROTOCOL 'CHAPTER 8'. BE ASSURED.

It was Friday morning. James woke up early and switched the TV to news. Although he had a grudge on all the reports on the war, he still had to know about the weather. Turns out that Ferngill Republic is now backed by the United Nations forces. The UN Chairman claims that the war might end in a few months. For the first time, James give a sigh of relief. As he fixed his breakfast of combat rations, he got ready to dress up until he noticed a horrible stench from his only clothes. He had to go shopping for new clothes. He had no choice but to wear his grey T-shirt with the number 24 he wore back at base along with a desert camo pants. He covered his cybernetic right arm with a arm stocking used for absorbing sweat and a gloves. He still needed to find a way to hide the mechanical remains in the back of his head before he could meet up with the community. He covered it with a small towel, while shocking himself three times in the process. Finally finishing his chores, James headed west to the Town. The first person he wanted to meet was Mayor Lewis. ‘He’d definitely know everything about his town!’ James thought. When he met the mayor, he asked what he thought was necessary. “Mr. Lewis, do you know where I can buy new clothes?”

“Well, to be honest, we don’t have a proper store for it.” Lewis answered. James’s heart sank. He couldn’t wear a towel over his head forever.

“Well, then what do we have?” James asked.

“There is a woman you can meet called Emily. She is a tailor and a clothes designer who lives in 2 Willow Lane. Perhaps she can get what you need.” Lewis said.

“Thank you, sir.” James bowed down and walked to the told address. As he opened the door of the house, he could smell fresh raspberries. He could hear a song by Avril Lavine behind the door on the left. He didn’t know which room to enter. Just then, the left door opened, revealing a pretty young lady wearing a blue sleeveless dress with a pink skirt. She was a light skinned blonde with blue eyes. “Excuse me, miss, but do you know where the tailor is?” James asked.

“Oh, you are the farmer boy, right?” The lady asked.

“That I am. Now can you please answer my question?” James asked back.

“You know, if it weren’t for that stupid towel, you might actually look cute.” The lady interrupted.

“Well, I would have noticed it myself if I hadn’t been notified about it by a Miss Universe candidate disqualified due to stupidity!” James spoke. The lady looked away in disbelief. She seemed flabbergasted by how this strange farmer fought back her words. Just as she entered her room again, the door on the right opened, revealing a tall young woman with short blue hair and eyes.

“Oh, welcome to the Laveri fashion designers! I’m Emily! What brings you here?” The woman asked.

“Uh, hello. My name is James. I’m in a need for new clothes?” James said.

“Of course, you’ve come to the right place! Come in and check what I have!” Emily responded, waving him in. The room was filled with posters of pretty women and men posing with clothes. Some parts of the wall was decorated with dresses and suits. The air was filled with the scent of dye.

“So, what do you need?” Emily asked.

“Oh, I’m in dire need of any kind of clothing with a hoodie.” James replied.

“Sure, take a look!” Emily said enthusiastically, opening a drawer filled with clothes. James took his time to choose the clothes he desired. The one he chose were mostly long-sleeved. Only three were thin. “Interesting choice, James.” Emily said.

“Huh, yeah. I have a crush on hoodies, I guess you can say!” James said with a false laugh. He purchased his clothes and packed them in his bag. “Oh, before I go, may I ask who lives beside you?”

“She’s my sister Haley. I’m sorry if she was a bit rude. Being from a rich family has it disadvantages, you know.” Emily replied.

“Oh, I see. Well, it was nice being here. See you later!” James waved and left the house.

Back in Cerulean Farm, James finally relieved himself from the dreaded towel that everybody looked at. He wore his new clothes: A red long-sleeved hooded shirt with what looked like a rock band poster of Sparks the Rescue. He shrugged and walked north to the mountains with a fishing rod at hand.

As he fished, James noticed Sebastian walk beside him. He was taking a drag from his cigarette. James knew he should start a conversation or something. “So, you come here often?” James asked.

“I live right next to this lake, idiot.” Sebastian replied.

“Whoops” James said. He feld a tug from the line. He pulled the rod to draw the fish from the water. “So, what do you do for a living?” He asked.

“Huh, me? I’m a freelancer programmer.” Sebastian said. “For some reason, I’ve been receiving fewer clients than before. Pretty weird” He took another drag and puffed smoke from his mouth.

“Interesting. I’ve admired whoever made my combat train…I mean videogames!” James corrected himself. ‘Damnit, you fool! Do you want to expose yourself?!’ he scolded himself. Just then, someone came up behind Sebastian. It was Robin.

“Sebby, Abigail called. She said that she wants to come over with Sam.” Robin said cheerfully.

“Mom, can’t you see I’m enjoying my time here? I’m finally resting from all the work you have been neglecting!” Sebastian scolded. “…and don’t call me by that in front of someone that we don’t know properly!”

“Someone we don’t know? He’s the farmer! How can you not know him?!” Robin exclaimed as James caught a Largemouth Bass.

“It’s okay, ma’am. I have only met him a few times. I understand.” James interrupted, throwing the fish into his bucket.

“Oh, I see. Very well, Sebby. The two are coming right now. Be ready.” Robin concluded, walking back to the carpenter’s store.

“Hey, thanks for cutting our fight. They usually last an hour.” Sebastian thanked James.

“No problem. Say, what’s with you and Abigail?” James asked, casting the line back in the water.

“Her? Ah, well… she’s just a friend.” Sebastian replied, giving out a sigh.

“I met her in her house a few days back. I have never seen someone who is addicted to a country.” James said. In fact, this was his first time.

“Yeah, I don’t understand such fandom. Hey, she says that you’re Korean, right?” Sebastian asked.

“Well, yup. Did she say about who I was? I basically told ten percent of my life to her.” James said laughing. “Say, she apparently dragged you into StarCraft, correct?”

“Yup, it’s the only good thing she led me into. A fun game your countrymen play.” Sebastian replied throwing his cigarette away. “It gets me determined into programming.”

“Hey, at least she fueled you with inspiration! You should be thankful for that!” James said.

“Hmph. I guess I should.” Sebastian gave out a sigh. “I wish I could get out of this hellhole.”

“What? Why?” James asked shockingly, standing up. He almost broke his fishing rod in half.

“Look, I really hate to get into personal details, so bear with me. Okay? I saw my father for the last time when I was four years old. My mom didn’t seem to hesitate to marry who is now my stepfather. He’s the dark skinned nerd. How the hell can he call himself a father? He left me rotting in the basement for twelve years while my half-sister Maru gets all the attention. What would YOU do when this happens?” Sebastian said angrily.

“I would… to be honest, kill the father and run away.” James said hesitantly.

“See? Even I would do the same… wait, did you say kill?” Sebastian asked.

‘I should have not said that.’ James thought.

“That wasn’t a nice thing to say, bro!” A masculine voice said behind him. James got startled and nearly fell into the lake, only to be grabbed by the very man who scared him. It was Sam. He was accompanied by Abigail.

“Better watch it, bro.” Sam said chuckling.

“Heh, I guess I should!” James said laughing. He suddenly felt the surge when he saw Abigail. He snapped back together.

“So, why did you come? Are you here to mess with my coding again?” Sebastian asked.

“No, we’re here to hang out!” Abigail said, holding her gaming laptop. Sam had one, too.

“Sebastian, what the hell are they talking about?” James whispered to Sebastian.

“We sometimes come over to Seb’s house to play some computer games, especially StarCraft or Overwatch.” Sam replied as soon as Sebastian opened his mouth to speak.

“We don’t mind your company, James! Seb, what d’ya think?” Abigail asked.

“Ugh, sure.” Sebastian said with annoyance. James felt like he needed to go, but Abigail grabbed him by his shirt and hopped into the carpenter’s shop and into the basement. The basement was gloomy. It obviously had no windows. The right side had a long bookshelf containing countless comic books and sci-fi novels like Cave Saga X and the StarCraft novels. He had two computers facing each other one was on and was filled with computer coding. The middle of the room had a old coffee table with a multiplug and a boardgame known as Solarion Chronicles placed on it. “This is my room, James. Boring, isn’t it?” Sebastian said.

“No, it’s okay!” James replied, checking the time. It was 2 o’clock in the afternoon. Abigail and Sam set up their gaming laptops and turned them on. Sebastian saved his work and sent an email to his client about a delay. Meanwhile, James, not knowing what to do, simply stood in the middle of the room looking around like an idiot.

“Hey, you know you can use that computer in front of me.” Sebastian called, pointing at the computer facing away his. James sat down and switched the computer on. The four logged in to their Blizzard accounts and turned on Overwatch. For the majority of the game, Sebastian was Torbjorn, Abigail was Reaper, Sam was Lucio and James chose between Soldier 76 and Bastion. Sam had a tendency to constantly die as he didn’t play for skill, but for the looks of the character. Abigail constantly messed up her ultimate ability as she kept dying as soon as she used it. James and Sebastian in the other hand played as if they were integrated into the game. When James checked the time again, it was six o’clock.

“Uh, guys? We’ve been here for 4 hours. Aren’t we supposed to go out or something?” James asked.

“What? Oh damn, yeah! Guys, let’s go to the saloon!” Sam exclaimed, closing his laptop and standing up to leave. Everybody else followed except for Maru. During the walk down the mountains, the teenager trio poured James with questions about his life and hobbies. He had to lie through them as the truth was too painful for him. When they reached the Saloon, a stout man wearing a yellow suit greeted the gang. This man was Gus Guicolinni. He was the owner of the establishment. James saw Leah sipping her wine while eating her salad. She waved at him when she saw him. Sam lead James into what looked like the leisure corner or the saloon. Inside were two arcade machines along with two sofas. There was a small TV In the other side of the room and a pool table in the middle. The air smelled like fresh bread. It was so much different than the cafeteria in the base where it smelled like rotten pasta. Sebastian picked up two pool cues and threw one to Sam. They started playing pool with Sam breaking. Abigail was sitting on one of the couches watching TV. James decided to sit down next to her, but he felt the surge again. Abigail greeted him and they started watching a comedy show. The show ended when Sam grunted for the third time. He had lost the game three times.

“For pete’s sake! Why can’t I win?” Sam irritatingly said.

“You can’t get on my level, bro. Live on with it.” Sebastian mockingly joked.

“James, you’ve played pool before, huh? Sam asked James.

“Yeah. I remember being the champion in my team…I mean my old friends.” James partially lied. Back at the hellhole that was frequently mentioned, there were sometimes pool matches between supersoldier teams. Each consisted of thirty personnel. James was the champion of his team. Whenever there were matches during rare leisure times, James would be chosen to compete with the other teams’ champions. He usually won second or first place.

“Great, then! Show that emo who’s boss!” Sam replied, throwing his cue to James, catching it midair. James stood up, flexed his neck, making small metallic clanking sounds. Nobody noticed it, fortunately. “Ready to meet your maker, bro?” James asked Sebastian.

“Let’s see. Want mercy?” Sebastian jokingly asked.

“Bring on the hammer.” James said, readying his shot to break. Sam ran to the counter to buy some food. James tensed for the match to come. For some reason, he felt determined than any other time. As he game went on, Abigail turned off the TV and came over to the table to spectate. It was currently even with James and Sebastian both having three balls left. While playing, James was talking with Sam as he brought three mugs of beer, a pan of pizza and a chicken sandwich. He talked about life in Pelican Town and how he desires to make a rock band and gain popularity.

“I see, Sam. You have a bright future. I like that.” James replied, scoring two balls with one hit. Sebastian started to feel nervous. He took a bite from his sandwich.

“Damnit! I bit on a bone!” Sebastian exclaimed, spitting the bone out. Something in James’s mind sparked. A pun.

“Well, it looked like you needed a ton of work to take that bone out… a skele-ton!” James said laughingly. Abigail and Sam burst into laughter. Sebastian, in the other hand rolled his eyes. “What, you wanna hear a better one? Don’t worry, it’s humerus.” James continued. The two continued laughing.

“Oh my god, James. “ Sebastian said with a smirk on his face. He bent over to take his shot. He pocketed one ball. He quickly realized that James was already going for the 8-ball. James had been playing with him all along.

“You’re going to have to add a bit more ‘backbone’ into your skills, Seb.” James added as he pocketed the 8-ball, standing as the victor. Sebastian couldn’t believe it. He had been undefeated for a year and was destroyed by a newcomer. He just laughed along. “Well, I guess you’re right, James. Hmph.” Sebastian said, taking a bite out of his sandwich. James laughed while taking a slice of pizza. He was happy that he could hone his pool skills once again. Sam and Abigail cheered James as they were constantly being Sebastian’s prey for a year. James saw that Sebastian wasn’t so happy. He was smiling, but an empty one. So he decided to buy a boxed pizza from Gus. When Sebastian was about to leave with the gang, James stopped him.

“Hey, I want you to take this as a thank you.” James said, handing him the box.

“What? For losing?” Sebastian said annoyed.

“No, for helping me out from loneliness!” James said truthfully.

“Huh, I guess I should be thankful after all. It was a good night, though.” Sebastian smiled. He was actually smiling this time.

“No problem! See you tomorrow!” James waved. Abigail, Sam and Sebastian waved back as James walked back to his farm. It was a nice day indeed.

 

*Blushes, shuffles feet.* Heee.

This is definitely a unique take on the town and characters (as well as nice to see another Blizzard fan in the house!), and I'm getting a kick out of it. I also love how everyone also has different ideas of how the NPCs act and interact, both with each other and the protagonist. It would be neat to see him go "Engineer" of a sort, as that's my line of work (of a sort), as it would definitely be fulfilling and self-developing for James.

 

I suddenly have the urge to tell what happens near the end of the fan-fiction. I know, I don't want to spoil it.


PS- I have a feeling that this fan-fiction will be over fifty chapters long.

 

<RiverSong>Spoilers, sweetie. </RiverSong>

Fifty chapters? *Glances at own fic.* Challenge accepted.

*Grabs popcorn and beer.*

 

So here's what James looks like. He's my first character. Imagine him with a robotic right arm, both of his legs cybernetic and his left eye slightly larger and metallic than his right eye. It can change between red and green depending on the configuration.
Height-189.21cm
Weight-104kg (With cybernetics)
Birthday- July 12th (Gregorian) Summer 12th (Stardew Standard)
Preferable gifts
Love- Mutton Curry, Iridium ingot, Pizza, Fiddlehead Risotto
Like- Diamond, Strawberry, Ice cream, 'Journey of the Prairie King' Arcade Machine
Hate- Any type of bomb, Spaghetti (Look at previous chapters to know why)
If only somebody draws him for me....

 

I'm thinking of adding a few of the characters of other forum users in the fan-fiction. Although I need their permission, that's just what I'll ask.

 

I'm not sure if this will be a spoiler, but the last chapter of the fan-fiction will be called PERSEUS.

 

CHAPTER 9 IS OPERATIONAL. TAKE CAUTION.

James was running in a flat plain. There were explosions left and right. He was holding an assault rifle wearing futuristic armor. He and his team had to breach the entrance of the enemy bunker to set a foothold in the enemy territory. As he ran, James started to feel anxiety. He knew that death can happen now if a sniper or an artillery shell hits him by luck. When he and his team breached the bunker, he was then assigned wirelessly to eliminate the inhabitants manning the bunker. As the smoke cleared, James found himself in shock; the inhabitants were his friends in Stardew Valley wearing uniforms. As his team fired upon them without hesitation, James started to shed tears as he saw the people he dearly cared about fall down with blood. He couldn’t take it. He dropped his rifle, pulled out his pistol and aimed it at his head. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, he heard a chicken.

James woke up immediately flooding the cottage with sweat. It was one of those nightmares. They were becoming more realistic as days passed by. It was his first and a half week in Cerulean Farm, eleventh of Spring and yet his trauma hadn’t passed. He wanted to be consulted, but that would mean that he had to spill out the truth. He fell into deep thought once again, only to snap back when he remembered that he had chores to do. He looked outside to find rain tapping on the window. At least he didn’t have to water the crops. He brought his umbrella outside and checked his crops. His potatoes were ready. He pulled them out from the soil and put them inside the box beside his cottage. It was his second potato harvest. His cauliflower was almost ripe. For some reason, he had an urge to visit Leah. He hadn’t been able to make contact with her ever since she bumped into him. ‘Perhaps now is the time…’ James thought as he looked at the clock in his cottage. It was 11 o’clock. He walked to the Cindersap Forest and past the ranch. He knocked on the door of the cottage.

“Hello? Oh, come in, James! You’re getting soaked!” Leah exclaimed, opening the door.

“Hello, Miss Kjellsten. I wanted to say sorry for what happened a few days back.” James replied, coming in the warm cottage.

“Oh, don’t be so formal! Just call me by my name! I’m just a year older than you!” Leah responded. James looked around the cottage. The cottage was warm. He could smell apple vinegar across the dining table. There was a fireplace at the right corner with a dozen pastels beside it. In front of the bed was a wooden sculpture. It looked like Leah’s most recent project.

“It’s a nice place you live in.” James complemented.

“It’s small, but I like it that way.” Leah replied. She saw that James was concentrated of the wooden sculpture. “Oh, that’s my newest project!”

“I see!” James remarked, touching the sculpture. It was a loop, but something felt abnormal about it.

“I was trying to reveal the essence of the wood. Once you get past the outer layers, the true nature starts to show! That’s my perspective. What about you?” Leah asked.

“Hmmm…” James thought. “I think… it’s the same with people! It’s just that my true nature is too… painful…” James replied weakly. He realized what he has said. ‘Now she’s going to look at you like you’re some kind of murder witness!’ He scolded himself.

“What..? Oh yeah, that’s absolutely right!” Leah said. She was smiling, but James didn’t feel anything from it. All he was doing was dreading about what he had said. “I visited the valley when I was eleven years old. It looked like the perfect place for blooming art. Although to be honest, just concentrating in art isn’t good at paying bills and laying food on my plate…” She continued.

“Hey, why not make an art exhibition in the town square?” James recommended, finally snapping himself back together.

“Hmmm, sounds like a risky move, but interesting.” Leah replied after pausing for a bit. James suddenly realized what he came in for. He had been preserving something for at least a week. He took a box out from his bag and handed it to Leah.

“Uh, I want to give you something as compensation.” James said. As soon as Leah opened it, a fermented scent escaped. It was kimchi.

“Oh, I love it!” Leah exclaimed. James sighed in relief. He looked outside to find that the rain has stopped and the sun was high up.

“Well, gotta go. See you later.” James said, walking to the door.

“Bye, James! Thank you!” Leah waved as James waved back and shut the door.

James thought that it was a good time to visit Sebastian. He walked to Pelican Town and eventually near the abandoned building. He noticed that Mayor Lewis was standing in front of the door. “What a sad sight…” Lewis said to himself.

“What is it, sir?” James asked, approaching the old man.

“This is the Pelican Town Community Center. Well, what’s left of it.” Lewis replied with a sigh. “You see, it was the pride of our town for at least a century. I remember my father taking me here every day.” He remarked.

“What happened to it?” James asked.

“It all happened what the Television became more commercially available. People started to prefer staying in their homes watching their boxes than supporting the community. We finally locked it down when the boiler broke down.” Lewis said.

“Oh, that’s unfortunate.” James said.

“Joja has recently been nagging me to give away the building, but something is urging me to not do so. Heh, perhaps it’s an instinct shared by old people.” Lewis smirked. James could see that it wasn’t real.

“I see. May I see what’s inside?” James asked.

“It may not be much, but I guess somebody has to remove your curiosity.” Lewis replied, as he fumbled around his pocket for the key. He unlocked the large doors and opened it. The two entered the building. The community center was darker than ever. Although there were broken windows here and there giving out sunlight, the room was still dark nevertheless. The area around them was dusty. James could easily spot the countless cracks and paper all around the place. The building was huge. In fact, it was huge enough to accompany a hut that seemed too small for a man to even enter.

“Hmm? What’s this?” Lewis questioned himself looking at the hut. “Huh, Vincent and Jas may have been sneaking around this place. I cannot blame them. Anyway, this place seems more dilapidated than I last entered…” Suddenly, a small green entity popped out of nowhere near the hut. James was startled. It was waving at him.

“Mayor, wh… what was that?!” James shrieked.

“What?” Lewis asked, turning around. The entity immediately vanished. “I don’t see anything…” he added. James walked to where the entity once was. He looked around the area, seeing if he could spot it again. Just then, a blue entity popped up next to a fallen bookshelf.

“Th… there! It’s whatever the thing is called!” James exclaimed, pointing at entity. It immediately disappeared once again.

“You’re starting to worry me, James.”Lewis looked, worried. He checked his watch. It was three o’clock. “Oh dear, my oven timer might have ticked off now. Lunchtime. I’ll leave this building unlocked. It’s not surprising to find rats here.” Lewis laughed, exiting the center.

‘That’s strange… I think I should investigate this place more further.’ James thought, wandering around the community center. When he entered what looked like a storage room, he noticing something radiating bright yellow. As he approached, James found out that the source of the light was in fact a golden plate. He picked it up. He noticed that whatever was written, his computer in his optical implant couldn’t decipher it. ‘Well, that was pointless.’ James thought as he dropped the plate on the ground.

When James exited the community center, rain started to pour once again. He opened his umbrella and continued his trek towards the mountain. As he approached the carpenter’s shop, he could hear metal colliding with each other. The garage door of the shop was open, revealing a motorcycle with someone working under it. As James entered the garage, the man moved himself motorcycle, revealing himself as Sebastian. His face was covered in black smudges. “Oh, hey James” Sebastian greeted him.

“I never knew you had a motorcycle” James said.

“Oh, I guess I never showed you. In fact, I have no memory of it at all.” Sebastian replied. He rolled himself back under his motorcycle and continued his work. “Uh hey, can you get me my screwdriver? It should be on the toolbox.” Sebastian requested. James grabbed the screwdriver and slid it under the motorcycle. “Thanks” said Sebastian.

“I’ve never seen you drive around in it, nor hear any motorized sound.” James asked.

“Well, I usually take it for a spin around the valley at very late nights. Usually around 4 AM.” Sebastian replied. “It makes me feel like the entire valley is in my hands, especially the wind whipping my face.” He added. As James continued conversing with him, Sebastian picked up what looked like a Jerry can and pumped whatever was inside into the motorcycle. “There, the oil is refilled.” Sebastian said, standing up.

“You have an interesting life, Seb. It looks like you’re enjoying it.” James said.

“Well, if you exclude the fact that my stepdad’s being a complete douche, I’m fine.” Sebastian said, wiping the black smudges off his face with a towel. “I’m saving up to leave this place. Zuzu or Prometheus City looks like my best bets.” He added. James heart sank when he said that. He thought that he was already in good relations with the community of Stardew Valley until he found out that one of his friends was planning on leaving.

“You know, it’s kind of sad knowing that you’ll leave an empty void in some of the people’s minds if you leave.” James said. He wanted Sebastian to stay. He was too cool.

“Yeah, I know. But I want to experience what true freedom is, James. Haven’t you ever wanted to do that?” Sebastian asked. James wanted to say the truth, but he couldn’t. He didn’t want to be abandoned just because of his Gotoro identity. He had no choice but to lie.

“Yeah, I wanted to feel it when I was working for a stupid corporate job back when I was in Niobius City.” James answered. He wanted to punch himself so hard.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Are you sad because I want to go?” Sebastian jokingly asked. He seemed to have noticed James’s suffering.

“Ah, nothing. I just reminded myself of my grandpa by accident.” James replied. “Hey, uh wanna hang out sometime? You know, the usual four. Why not in Sam’s house? I’ll ask him.” James tried to change the subject. He felt that he needed to get out of here fast before Sebastian notices.

“Cool. I can invest my time on that. I sent my programming to by last client a few hours ago. Stupid war.” Sebastian confirmed while he lighted a cigarette and put it in his mouth. James turned around, opened his umbrella. Just as he was about to leave, Sebastian stopped him. “Hey, you know, perhaps I can give you a ride on my baby. I think Pelican Town isn’t enough to fulfill your satisfaction.” He said.

“Sure. Sounds good. See you later.” James said, waving. He walked outside the garage and down to the mountain.

When James reached 1 Willow Lane, he opened the door and was greeted by a short child with salmon-colored hair. His name was Vincent Arvidel, the younger brother of Sam. “Hello, Mr. James! My brother’s in his room!” He said happily.

“Thanks, little buddy.” James replied with a smile to the tyke.

“Vincent, I hope you are ready to go see Doctor Harvey!” said Jodi’s voice from the kitchen. Jodi walked out of the kitchen, spotting the young farmer. “Oh, hello James. Are you here to see my elder son?” She asked.

“Yes, ma’am.” James replied.

“Make sure you take your shoes off before you come in, James.” Jodi said as she opened her umbrella and pushing Vincent out by his shoulder. Even when the door was shut, he could hear cries of rejection from Vincent. It made James laugh for some reason. He took off his shoes and knocked on what looked like Sam’s door.

“Come in!” Sam’s voice said through the door. When James opened it, he could see Sam playing a song on his acoustic guitar. “Oh, hey James! What’s up?” He asked as James closed the door behind him.

“Oh, not much. Just took a trek through the mountains. The rain did my job.” James replied with a smile.

“That’s nice.” Sam replied. “Hey, do you know this song?” he asked playing a song from his smartphone. James had never heard of it before, but it sounded so good.

“I’ve never heard of it, but it’s sounds amazing! What’s the name of it?” James asked.

“Oh, it’s called Hello Mexico. It’s by Sparks the Rescue.” Sam replied. “Hey, I have an idea. Do you know how to play one of these?” he asked, pointing at the numerous instruments in his room. Unfortunately, James didn’t know how to play any.

“Uh, no. Sorry.” James replied with a sigh.

“Oh, that’s okay.” Sam comforted him. He could see James’s sorrow and shame. Something inside Sam told him that his friend needed a hand. “Hey, you know I can teach you how to play the guitar!” Sam said.

“Really?” James asked with a smile on his face. He was more than happy to grab Sam’s second acoustic guitar.

“Now, listen and watch carefully.” Sam instructed.

James was having a hard time grabbing the proper chords at first, but he started getting better and faster as time passed by. As soon as James felt confident, it was already nine o’clock at night.

“Hey, uh… I better get going. It’s getting late.” James said, handing the guitar back to Sam.

“Yeah. Bro, I have an idea. I’ll let you borrow that guitar for as long as you like.” Sam said. It was an undeniable offer.

“I’ll take it!” James replied. I’ll take great care of it.” James promised, waving Sam goodbye before leaving the house. James felt exhausted from all the socialization. When James arrived at his cottage, he decided that he wanted to purchase a gaming console before falling to sleep.

It was the next day. James watered his crops and took a look in his mail. There was one unusually purple letter inside.

Come see me at the western side of the forest. I may have the solution for your rat-problem.

-No need to know my name right now.

As soon as James read the last part of the letter, it vanished in front of his face. “Whoa, what the hell?!” James exclaimed. Everything felt weird. James decided that he wouldn’t be socializing today. He instead practiced on his guitar. He purchased an application that helped him learn the guitar and followed its instructions. Next, he searched through a website that sold used items and added a used gaming laptop and a Playstation 4 in his cart. It had a total of 6000 Galleons. It was one sixth of his total savings. When it was 6PM, James decided that it was the best time to meet whoever sent him that vanished letter.

When he entered the western side of Cindersap forest, he saw a strange looking tower beaming up on a cliff. There was a lot of stairs to climb, but it was nothing to James thanks to his cybernetic legs. When he knocked on the door, he could hear a voice with a heavy Russian accent telling him to come in. As he opened the door, he could smell something that didn’t seem to belong in planet Earth. The tower was dark inside. In fact, the only sources of light were the two flaming torches and the fire that heated a large cauldron full of shining viscous green liquid. “James Suh. You are the one I have prophesized of you arrival before your birth.” Said a man with purple hair and beard. He was wearing a purple robe and cape and was wearing a pointy wizard’s hat.

“Who are you?” James asked with a confused look.

“My name is Milosz Rasmodius. I am the Valley’s 502nd wizard. The guardian of the 7 elements, the moderator of the eleven dimensions. I hope you get the point from here.” Said the wizard with his Russian accent.

“I see… Uh, so… you know, about the rat problem...” James tried to continue. Something in his heart hold him to run away.

“Do not worry, James. I can see through your mind. Your very conscience is telling you to run away. I have no reason to give you harm. You see, there is a prophet about a savior of the Gem Sea. Anyway, let us get into topic.” The wizard replied. He turned to a white heptagram and murmured some words. The candles surrounding the heptagram ignited with a purple flame. “Behold!” The wizard shouted. Just then, a white aura appeared holding a pygmy green entity.

“Yes, THAT’S what I have been looking for! It looks…. Adorable?” James exclaimed, pointing at the entity. It chirped when it saw the farmer.

“They call themselves the ‘Junimos’. Keepers of the forest, they are. Hmm, this one seems to refuse to speak to me…” The wizard explained, turning to James. The candles turned off immediately with the green entity disappearing.

“One more thing, though. I was scouring through the community center searching for that thing until I found some kind of golden plate. I’m… not sure if my optical implant could read it.” James added.

“I see. No pathetic machinery can decipher such language. Wait here. I’ll be back.” Rasmodium muttered as he murmured a spell and disappeared from where he was with a thunderous boom. James, flabbergasted, thought it was the good time to search around the tower. The backside was full of books about occults and spells. He then walked to the cauldron. It smelled vile. Just then, the door opened with the wizard coming in.

“I’ve found the tablet.” He said with a scroll on his right hand. He placed it on a unusually high stool and flattened it. “It was obscure, but I could decipher it.

We, the Junimos, are more than happy to help you, O chosen one. Give us gifts of this world and we shall pay by strengthening your community. You will understand the truth of these tablets once you become one with the forest.”

“One with the forest? What the hell does that mean?” James asked.

“That, I know not. Hmmm…” Rasmodius fell into deep thought. A short pause later, he jumped and rushed to his cauldron. “Eureka! I may know the answer. Come here, Chosen One!” he said waving his hand to James. “This cauldron is bubbling with everything the forest has to offer. Ah, yes. I can already sense the essence of it.” He added.

“Uh, all I smell is dog poop. I hope I’m not offending you, though.” James said. The wizard, however, seemed to ignore him.

“Here, ingest it! Let the essence of the forest permeate thy body!” The wizard exclaimed, scooping a bowl full of the green liquid to James.
“Uh… I guess I should. Remind me to kill you if I die.” James said, suspiciously drinking from the bowl. His head started to feel dizzy with this vision turning green. The last thing he heard was the wizard chanting spells facing James just before he blacked out.

I'm serious, but these chapters are getting longer as time passes.

 

You too? I had about half a page or so the first few chapters, and now I'm cracking three pages per upload. It's like exercise, I guess, you start out small, and eventually, you're running marathons like it AIN'T NO THANG.

/flex

 

I'm thinking of 'retrofitting' the Mermaid's Pendant ritual a bit. For me, it's kind of weird that only one spouse has the pendant while the other one doesn't. My idea is that the ritual consists of two pendants: One blue and the other orange. (They're exact opposites in the color spectrum). What do you guys say?

 

I see nothing wrong with this. In fact, it really makes sense! I like the idea of matching pendants myself, but blue and orange is fine too.
Honestly, feel free to write different versions of game events. A game is different from a story, and this is your story, telling it in the way you imagine, with the game as a jumping-off point. It does not need to follow canon in all respects. If fanfiction needed to do that, it would be far less diverse and exciting!

 

COMING UP NEXT TO YOUR LOCAL THEATERS, WE PRESENT... CHAPTER 10!!!

James woke up in his bed. He felt extremely groggy and wanted a glass of water immediately. He got up and immediately ran to the freezer to chew on some ice cubes. It was the fastest way to rehydrate himself. After taking a shower, James exited the cottage ready to tend his crops, but only to find that the tilled soil was already moist. He rushed to the mail box and checked. There was one regular letter from Lewis and the unusual purple Envelope. He tore it open.

James, I have already watered your crops. Visit the community center later. The Junimos might expose themselves to you now.

-Milosz Rasmodius

The letter vanished out to thin air. James checked the second envelope.

Dear James.

Tomorrow we’re holding our annual Egg Festival in the town square.

You should arrive between 9AM and 2PM if you wish to attend. You wouldn’t want to miss the annual egg hunt!

-Mayor Lewis , 12th Spring, 2019

‘Oh, right! I almost forgot about it!’ James exclaimed in this mind. He then rushed to where his cauliflowers were growing. They were ready and eager to be harvested. James tore all of them off the ground, but decided to keep five for his own and sold the rest. He checked the time to find that it was already nine o’clock. He ran east to Pelican Town, on the way, he saw numerous colorful flags waving about in the wind. When he reached the town square, it wasn’t what he used to see. People were happy, eating food from a buffet table. There were decorated eggs everywhere. James walked to a stall where Pierre was selling things. He decided that purchasing fifty strawberry seeds would help him as the channel ‘Livin’ off the Land’ had said that they are very efficient fruit. He could hear chatter from everywhere he saw. He saw Leah and Elliot talking to each other. Perhaps James thought it was a good idea conversing with them.

“Hello, James. It is good to see you back on your feet. How is Cerulean Farm doing?” Elliot asked.

“My farm? It’s holding out fine. I can’t thank you enough for…” James paused there. Everybody except Elliot thinks that James came from Niobius city, when the reality is far from it.

“No need to thank me, friend. All I did was service.” Elliot assured him.

“Elliot, what are you talking about?” Leah asked. James glared at him as if he’s warning.

“Nothing, my dear. It’s just that I gave him some advices when we first met.” Elliot lied. James nodded.

“Wait, are you guys… in a relationship?” James asked.

“Yes, indeed we are bound by love. Isn’t that right, my sweetheart?” Elliot replied.

“Yeah!” Leah replied.

‘Oh well, it’s not that I’m gonna be insane about it…’ James thought.

“You look famished as usual, my friend. Why not visit the buffet table? Surely there is something that can quench your hunger!” Elliot said. He was right about James being hungry. He nodded and took off to the table. Almost all of the food had correlation with eggs. There was egg pudding, boiled eggs, scotched eggs, egg goulash, deviled eggs and much more. James took the goulash with a side of breaded eggs. He took a scoop of the red cherry punch from a bowl. Strangely, a middle-aged woman with a purple sweater was laughing when he walked away with the cup. James walked around, trying to find a place to sit until he found a table with Abigail, Sam and Sebastian sitting around it. They all greeted the farmer and told him to sit on the table. He didn’t hesitate to sit down.

“So, this is my first festival here. It’s nice so far.” James started.

“Of course it is! I can’t wait to continue my reign as the egg hunt champion!” Abigail exclaimed.

“She won 8 times in a row.” Sam explained. “I sometimes wonder how.”

“Like I care. Hey, this festival is getting more boring as she keeps winning.” Sebastian grunted, popping an egg chop in his mouth.

“I see.” James said, taking a spoonful of the delicious goulash. He took a sip from his punch, only to spit it out onto the grass below. “JESUS ROLLERBLADING CHRIST! What’s with this punch?” James exclaimed.

“What? Mine’s okay!” Abigail said, taking a sip from her punch.

“Here, let me try.” Sam said, taking a sip from James’s cup. His face immediately turned into a frown. “Why does it taste like… alcohol?” Sam questioned himself.

“Exactly! That’s the point! I’m starting to feel dizzy…” James replied, feeling nauseous.

“I need to call the mayor! No way Vincent’s gonna have this!” Sam rocketed from his chair and ran towards the mayor.

“What’s wrong with it? It tastes good!” Sebastian joked, gulping from James’s cup. “Why can’t Sam let Vincent experience new things, anyway?” He added.

“Well, I have absolutely no idea what is happening here. Abby, may I have your punch?” James asked. Abigail gave it, blushing. “Seb, does she always blush like that?” he asked Sebastian.

“Yeah, I have absolutely no idea why. Even she doesn’t know it herself.” Sebastian replied. James was no different, however. His surge started to become more frequent especially when Abigail uttered a word. He snapped out of it when Sam returned. He could hear Vincent crying over the prohibition Lewis made just now.

“I got it taken care of.” Sam said, taking his seat. He took a bite from his breaded egg.

“Hey, uh… what’s that in your ring finger?” James asked, pointing at a metallic object surrounding a portion of Sam’s right ring finger.

“Oh, that? It’s a couple ring. I guess you might not know.” Sam replied, showing off his silver ring.

“He has been dating Penny for at least four months.” Sebastian explained to James.

“Penny? Who’s that?” James asked.

“You don’t know her? She’s the local schoolteacher of Pelican Town! She’s the one with the red hair with the two buns!” Abigail exclaimed in disbelief.

“Well, I guess I should be sorry for not knowing all of this.” James said, finishing his bowl of egg goulash.

“Hey, no need for that! You’ve just came here a week ago!” Sam assured him. Just then Lewis stood up from his seat and everybody looked at him.

“Attention, people! The Annual egg hunt will begin in ten minutes! I repeat, ten minutes!” Lewis shouted, sitting back down. Abigail and Sam were already off their chairs and running to the center of the square.

“Come on, James! Don’t you want some competition?” Abigail asked shouting.

“Seb, what are the rules?” James whispered to Sebastian.

“You find as many decorated eggs as possible in one minute. It can’t b simple enough.” Sebastian replied, taking one last sip on James’s alcoholic punch.

“Okay, I see.” James confirmed, standing up to walk to the square. “I…think I’m ready” James remarked to the two friends in the square. Abigail was already warming up her body, performing stretches. As the remaining time until the beginning of the hunt started to count down, something in James’s body seemed to resonate. It was competition. He was determined to win the egg hunt.


“Alright, everyone! Are you ready for our annual Egg Hunt?!” Lewis asked the contestants. Vincent and a little girl with dark purple hair hopped around like a bunny replying repeatedly. “Now, now. You kiddos should save your energy for the hunt! Get ready, everyone!” James took a look at Abigail. She looked relaxed.

‘Probably because of how many times she won.’ James thought to himself.

“Ready… Let the egg hunt begin!” Lewis exclaimed, blowing a whistle. The contestants launched from where they were standing and spread across the entire town.

‘Wait, THAT far?!’ James was flabbergasted. He hadn’t even left his position. Comprehending the situation, he started to run to the east. He had to collect as many eggs as possible. He had already wasted five seconds. He had to act quickly before all the eggs were taken by the other contestants. He spotted his first egg below a light post and picked it up. He passed by Abigail and found his second egg behind a tree. He saw another behind a gravestone. He somersaulted above the fence and picked it up midair. Thirty seconds remaining. He had to act quickly. He ran past Abigail once again. She already had seven in her basket. He only had three. ‘I may have to cheat.’ James thought, activating his infra-red sensors in his ocular implant. He detected two near Lewis’s manor. He ran towards the manor and jumped over the fence. He swiftly grabbed an egg at the corner it and wall-climbed up to the roof and jumped down on the truck. He picked up his fifth egg. Twenty seconds remaining. James was starting to feel like an assassin from the Assassins’ Creed saga. Adrenalin was pumping rapidly in James’s body. He didn’t want to waste any more time. He spotted two more eggs near the General Store. Sam was looking around it. ‘No way I’m gonna let him!’ James thought, running on the manor’s wall and dashing to the Store. Ten seconds left. He had no time. He decided to stop with the two eggs around the General Store.

The whistle blew. “Alright, stop on your tracks! It’s time to count the eggs!” Lewis shouted. All the contestants gathered around the hall. While the mayor was counting the eggs, something bugged James. As he looked around nervously, he could see almost everyone’s eyes latched onto him. He didn’t know why. All those who were staring at him had their mouths open. He decided to ignore them. “..five, six, seven… That’s seven for James! Not bad for a first timer!” Lewis exclaimed. “...and now for Abigail. One, two, three, four, five…” James’s heart raced as Abigail’s numbers increased. “…seven, eight… EIGHT! Abigail wins again! Congratulations!” Lewis cheered. Abigail was screaming with joy, hopping around. It was here ninth victory in the Hunt. “Now that does it for this year’s Egg Festival. Thank you all for coming!” Lewis concluded.

It was after everyone finished cleaning up the town square. James had finally realized the reason behind all the looks. He was so determined to win that he mindlessly reenacted his combat maneuver training. He didn’t know what to do. When he saw the teenager trio approaching him, James dropped what he had and ran back to his farm, locked the doors and cried on the floor.

It was eleven o’clock that night. James was practicing on the guitar Sam lent him. He just wanted everybody to forget what happened today and wait for the laptop and Playstation he ordered to arrive. When he put down his guitar and lied down on his bed to look at his Facebook, he heard a knock from his door. He decided to ignore it until there was tapping from his front window. Nervous with thoughts of another assassin, he picked up his scythe and carefully opened the door. As soon as it fully opened, he thrust his scythe in front of him, only to find that who he was pointing at was Sam.

“Whoa, whoa! Watch where you point that thing!” Sam exclaimed.

“Sam? Abigail? …Guys? What the hell are you doing here?” James hissed. In fact, all the teenagers were here including Penny.

“We’re here to see if you’re alright!” Abigail replied.

“Look, I don’t want to talk about the Hunt, okay? I just felt jealousy of defeat!” James lied.

“Mr. James, it’s not good to lie.” Penny said calmly. “Now please lower your scythe. We wish to talk.” James threw his scythe back into where it was.

“Alright, fine.” James grunted, exiting the cottage and shutting the door.

“Practically everybody saw what you did during the Festival.” Sebastian said.

“Yeah, it was RADICAL! How did you do such parkour?” Sam asked.

“You’re awesome!” Abigail chirped.

“Hrmph. Okay, I see. You guys are really into my training… Ah, I mean pastime?” James asked.

“Yeah! We want to know how you learned those moves!” Abigail said.

“Ah well, my parents saw my desire of… superhero movies when I was, uh… twelve. So they decided that it was a good idea to send me to a gym to… you know, train.” James said.

“Either way, everybody was astounded of your trick!” Penny said.

“Yeah, thanks though. I just wanted to live a normal life in Stardew Valley, you know.” James said.

“It’s hard to live ordinary.” Sebastian said.

“Oh, it’s really late. I think your parents might be concerned with you guys right now?” James asked, looking at the clock through the window.

“Nah, let’s stay here. Right, guys?” Sam asked the gang. All except James and Penny agreed.

“It’s just that I don’t have anything worth playing with. My computer and Playstation are yet to arrive. All I have is my phone, Sam’s guitar and a dinky TV.” James said.

“Come on, man! The TV is more than enough for us! Let’s watch some movies! I heard that they’re playing the Conjuring in ten minutes in HBO!” Sam assured James. James paused to think. A horror movie? Will Sam’s girlfriend be able to take it?

“…Alright, fine. Come in. Don’t mind the nonexistence of my sofa.” James said, opening the door. The gang flooded in the cottage. The movie started just in time as everybody sat down. Penny was cuddling with Sam near the wall. James sat next to Sebastian who didn’t seem to be easily frightened. James, in the other hand, didn’t feel any horror at all. He noticed that Abigail was scooting over to James inch by inch. As she came closer, the surge inside James seemed to come back.

“Bro, got any food we can eat? Some of us are a bit famished.” Sebastian asked. James wasn’t sure. All that was in his refrigerator was some combat rations, cereal, eggs, Korean instant noodles and the fish he caught during his stay in the valley. He didn’t have a proper microwave. All he had was a portable gas burner and a medium-sized lightweight steel pot.

“Sure, if you can tolerate spiciness.” James replied, standing up to get cooking. He filled the pot with water and put it on the flaming burner. Abigail and Penny screamed and cried throughout some parts of the movie. It made James and Sam laugh their world out. When the water boiled, James left his seat again to start cooking. He opened five packets and plopped the noodles in the boiling water. He then added the seasoning and the dried vegetables in. When the noodles were soft enough, he added four eggs, making the product somewhat viscous. ‘Just as I like it’ James thought smiling. “Come on, when is it ready? I can’t stand this aroma!” Abigail pouted as James came back with the pot of steaming hot noodles. He laid down 5 pairs of chopsticks and 4 forks. Only James and Abigail knew how to use the chopsticks while the others resorted in using forks instead. While eating, they conversed about life and what happened today and yesterday. After the snack, they continued with the movie. Abigail screamed and accidentally hugged James during one jumpscare. The surge in James’s body became worse after that. He saw Abigail blush when she separated herself from him.

The gang left James’s cottage at one in the morning. James cleaned up the mess they’ve created and jumped into bed. He was happy that the accidental revelation was somehow compensated with a hangout.

I think I got a bit too corny there. I wanted James to accidentally perform what he learned from his training to compete in the Egg Hunt. It's the best I could do. Oh well. Also, I wanted Sam to be with Penny because they're always together in the Flower Dance and Vincent hints their relationship in Penny's 8-heart event. Besides, what do you think about James's surge?

 

Very well. I will allow Sam to cautiously approach Penny in your world. but I'm watchin 'em ya hear?? As for the story thus far, I'm enjoying it a lot. I like how you're using events and plenty of characters to flesh out game activities and scenes with James. They're all written true to their personalities in game and it's a fun read.

 

What's strange is that all the Korean male YouTubers go for Penny. It's weird.

 

Halfway through his journey, James saw Sam and Penny walking towards the mountain holding hands. He simply smiled and walked past them without them knowing. When he entered the library, Gunther was stacking books in shelves. “Ah, guten Morgen, Herr James. I suppose you have something for the exhibition?” Gunther asked when James approached him with the green stone. “Oh, another mineral? Hmmm. Let me see…” Gunther said taking the stone from him. After some time inspecting the stone and flipping pages from books, Gunther finally opened his mouth. “Das ist gut! It is definitely a jade! Is this a donation?”

It's on its work. I can't confirm when it'll come out. I know you guys want a slow-cooked sirloin steak, not a McDonald's instant patty

 

CHAPTER 11 FULL VERSION OUT NOW WITH A PRICE OF A MERMAID'S PENDANT

Another nightmare had struck James in his sleep. James groggily took his shower and turned on the TV just in time for the weather report. Turns out that it will rain tomorrow. That’s good. He didn’t fix breakfast as he feasted in instant noodles with his friends last night. He went outside with his packets of strawberry seeds weighing down his bag along with his hoe and watering can. James’s farm has been growing in a steady pace since his arrival. His farm now covered one-eighth of the entire land and now it is about to cover more thanks to the strawberries. His farm now houses beans, potatoes, parsnips and cauliflowers. While tilling the soil, James notices worms working their way through the soil. Noticing the fertile soil they have created, James decided to dig the soil with his hands to find a smooth green stone. ‘Looks beautiful. Gunther might like it.’ James thought, putting the stone in his bag. He continued with his work. He tilled a large part of land, sowed it with strawberry seeds and watered every inch of it. When he watered the entire farm, he left to see Gunther.

Halfway through his journey, James saw Sam and Penny walking towards the mountain holding hands. He simply smiled and walked past them without them knowing. When he entered the library, Gunther was stacking books in shelves. “Ah, guten Morgen, Herr James. I suppose you have something for the exhibition?” Gunther asked when James approached him with the green stone. “Oh, another mineral? Hmmm. Let me see…” Gunther said taking the stone from him. After some time inspecting the stone and flipping pages from books, Gunther finally opened his mouth. “Das ist gut! It is definitely a jade! Is this a donation?”

“Yes, professor.” James replied.

“Danke, Herr James.” Gunther said, taking the jade to the exhibition. Something in James’s mind ticked. Why did the stone make his memories flash? Besides, why the word ‘jade’? ‘I might have to go back home and think about this…’ James thought as he left the library. He walked up the mountain passing the couple once again gazing at each other with radiating eyes. When he reached the lake, he had noticed that a pile of boulders blocking off the bridge didn’t exist. He decided that it was the right time to go and see what was behind. Turns out that there was an entrance to a cave.

‘Yeah, I remember when I begged my parents for a cave spelunking.’ James thought as he entered the mouth. Inside, he saw a man inspecting what looked like a natural manhole. “Uh, hello?” James called.

“Is it the new person? Hmm…”Said the man with a Scottish accent. He had only one eye. “I have been looking down at this abandoned mine. It has been unvisited for at least seventy years.” The man continued.

“Mines? How did I not know this before?” James asked.

“The pathetic corporation known as Joja ‘accidentally’ blocked the bridge that leads to here last year. Fools didn’t clean up until yesterday.” The man replied. “Hmm, I can already sense the good ores down there, but no man has set foot down there for a long time.”

“Ore? Interesting.” James said.

“…Ore is not the only thing you’ll encounter down there.” The man continued. “I want you to have this.” He said, drawing a sword from his sheath and throwing it to James.

“A sword?” James asked confused, grabbing the sword with his right hand. It made a small clanking sound.

“The name is Marlon, by the way. I run the Adventurers’ Guild beside this mine. Perhaps I may consider letting you in if you prove your worth.” The man said, walking out of the mines.

“Uh… Pleasure meeting you?” James replied. He walked to the hole and looked down. All he could see were rocks scattered everywhere. He couldn’t see any ore. ‘Well then, let’s give it a shot.’ James thought as he climbed down the ladder. He was lucky that he brought his pickaxe along. He broke down stones until he found a hole that was hidden below one of them. He climbed down. As he released himself from the ladder, he found what Marlon was talking about: ore. There were plenty of them here, especially copper. ‘Jackpot!’ James thought as he picked his way on the copper ore. When he was at the fourth level, he noticed something green. It was as if an amoeba was jumbo-sized with eyes. It was a slime. It dissolved the ground below it, giving the signs of hostility to James. Knowing that it is approaching him, James readied his sword. As the slime closed in, it contracted itself and charged onto the hero. James managed to slice it in time to cut its membrane in half, spraying acidic cytoplasm all across his body. It stung him despite the protection his clothes provided. His right arm made hissing sounds. It was dissolving it. Thankfully, the Gorgon’s cybernetics were fitted with nanodrones that repair the machinery if damaged. It was James’s first victory. Shrugging off the remains of the slime, he pushed on down to the mines.

It was raining when James exited the mines full of scars and bruises. His back was filled with copper ore and stones. He didn’t mind getting drenched as he trained outside during rainy days, too. While crossing the bridge, he heard unfamiliar music. He looked at where the sound was coming to find somebody playing the flute below a pine tree. He found the player to be no other than Abigail. He approached her carefully as he didn’t want to interrupt her. When he was in front of her, Abigail opened her eyes and stopped playing her flute. “James, what are you doing here?” Abigail asked.

“I, uh… came back from the mines.” James replied.

“Oh, I see. I was just enjoying this weather. You’re getting soaked. Come below the tree!” Abigail said, looking at the lake. James sat beside her. “It’s impossible to describe this feeling… watching the curtains of rain whisper above a silent lake.” She added.

“Whoa, you got too philosophical there.” James joked. Abigail giggled. “Still, you’re right. It reminds me of the rainy days of Korea. I wonder if it’s still the same.”

“Yeah, I guess. The rain helps me add to the mood for the flute.” Abigail said. “Too bad I don’t have anyone that can play another instrument with me.” James suddenly realized that he didn’t bring his guitar.

“I’m sorry. I should have brought Sam’s guitar here. You know, for a duet?” James said. The surge returned once again.

“It’s okay. Hey, Sam’s recently been talking about starting a rock band more than usual. Isn’t that strange?” Abigail asked.

“I guess something filled him with determination. What do you think?” James asked.

“Well, I don’t mind. It’s just that it’s ruining my peace.” Abigail replied. James nodded at the response. Abigail continued playing the flute. It somehow soothed James’s heart as his memories were filled with negativity. After two hours when the rain stopped, the two parted ways and James walked down near where the Mullner family lived. He saw Alex tossing his rugby ball in the air. When he approached the athlete, he turned around to face James.

“Oh, hello James. I saw what you did yesterday.” Alex said.

“Oh great. Now EVERYBODY knows. Look, I just got a little too competitive!” James replied.

“Hey, hey! It’s fine! All that matters is that you’ve gained my trust!” Alex assured James.

“Well, at least that’s the bright side. Anyways, why are you all alone? I never see you playing with us.” James asked.

“Well, it’s just that our codes don’t match. Abigail’s too much into videogames, Sam’s… I don’t know. Sebastian is the worst. Is he like some kind of Goth?” Alex mocked.

“You know that they’re my friends.” James said with a threatening tone.

“Well, I guess. It’s just that I don’t know them that much.” Alex said sweating.

“You knew them longer than me! How is this even possible?!” James exclaimed.

“Bro, I told you that our codes don’t match. You, however, look like the perfect guy I can befriend.” Alex assured. James was confused. Does this guy make friends through performance?

“Well, I guess people have their favorites. Can’t blame you.” James said.

“Hey, you know, you look like you exercise a lot. Is it the farming?” Alex asked.

‘It’s not only that. There’s something darker.’ James thought. “Yeah. What about it?” He asked.

“Listen, I’ve been aching to find a partner for playing rugby. Wanna join?” Alex asked, handing the ball to him. James hesitated for a while, but decided that it won’t hurt to have more friends and took the ball.

“You’re on. What’s the rule?” James asked, backing away.

“Simple. We catch what we throw.” Alex replied.

“Grenades?” James jokingly asked. Alex laughed along. “Very well. Fire in the hole!” He shouted, throwing the ball high up. The ball flew five meters up into the sky and fell down on Alex’s hands.

“Hey, not bad for a throw. Catch this!” Alex shouted as he threw the ball off course from James. James caught it by jumping to his right, catching it and roll. James was actually having fun. He was happy that he could reveal a portion of his true self without anybody getting frightened. They’ve played catch and eventually football for three hours until the sun was about to disappear. James and Alex parted ways. It was another good day for him as he made another new friend. Perhaps he could introduce him to the teenager trio one day.

“Soldier 24. You have violated the protocol of dowsing off during roll call. What do you have to say before your punishment?!” The commissar boomed at James.

“Sir, I wasn’t dowsing off!” James replied, only to be shot in his intestine.

“Silence! You’ve violated another code of discipline! Guards, take him to the gas chambers!” The commissar concluded, walking back to the platform facing all the cadets. It was the end. James is about to be terminated at the age of sixteen. Dark red was dripping from the wound. Suddenly, a girl called the commissar.

“Sir, I have an objection.” The girl said. She had light brown hair with green eyes. She was slightly shorter than James.

“What is it, Soldier 39?” The commissar growled.

“Soldier 24 wasn’t sleeping. He has a tendency of blinking slowly. It has been reported in his files!” She replied.

“Guards, take Solder 24 away, but give the files to me! I’ll give the order when I’m ready!” The commissar barked at the guards. James was taken to the gas chamber where he was tied to a cross wearing a mask that was connected to arsenic pentafluoride. If the documents didn’t say what the girl had said, both would die in the same room where he is. As James started to shed tears, the guards barged in and released the cadet.

“Solder 24, you have been cleared of trial. Don’t cause any more trouble. Now get back to your program!” One of the guards said, pushing James away from the gas chamber.

It was dinner at the cafeteria. James looked around to see if he could find the girl, Soldier 39, with his food tray. When he found her, he sat next to him. “Hey, thanks for saving my life. I owe you one.” James said nervously.

“No problem, 24! It’s that I wanted to help someone for once.” The girl replied. She sounded like a peppy girl.

“Ugh, to be honest, I hate that name, 24. I’m sure you don’t like yours too, 39. What’s your real name?” James asked.

“It’s Jade Verdenwood. What’s yours?” The girl asked.

“James. James Suh. I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve did to me.” James replied. He felt something in his heart. It was as if he was being experimented with an adrenaline surge. “Hey, uh… you look cute. I… Uh… wanna go out sometime?” James asked mindlessly. He realized instantly what he had said and tried to get up, only to be stopped by Jade.

“Of course! How about tomorrow’s leisure time?” Jade complied. James’s heart skipped a beat.


James woke up with sweat off over his half-naked body again. He had just remembered why the word ‘jade’ snapped his mind yesterday. Jade Verdenwood, or Soldier 39, was his first and only girlfriend when he was stuck in the Gorgon base. They were forced to break up after they have been caught violating code fifty-seven: Personal relationships are not permitted. He had never seen her face since he was seventeen years old when Jade was transferred to another team. James snapped back from hi memories. He had work to do. His tiny cottage wasn’t faring well as there was no proper kitchen and short-circuiting was common. He took a nice warm shower. Thanks to the rain, James could concentrate on cutting down trees and gather wood for Robin. He hadn’t seen her for a while. In fact, he saw her for the last time during the Egg Festival. James grabbed his axe and went out to work.

It was one o’clock that day. James thought that he gathered enough wood to get Robin what she needs. He also thought that it would be nice to return Sam’s guitar. He grabbed his umbrella and Sam’s guitar and headed to 1 Willow lane. Just as he was about to open the house door, he heard music. It sounded familiar to him. When he entered Sam’s room, he found Sebastian and Sam playing instruments following a song from Sam’s iPod. “Uh… Sam?” James asked.

“Oh, hey James! What’s up?” Sam greeted him, halting the music.

“Not much. You guys seem to have a lot of fun.” James replied. “Anyways, not much. Just killed some trees.”

“Well, yeah. We’re we doing our usual jam session. Wanna join?” Sam asked. Sebastian was recalibrating his synthesizer.

“Sure, but I’m still a nut at the guitar.” James replied worriedly.

“Don’t worry! You can grab the bass guitar over there!” Sam assured James, pointing at a blue and white bass guitar next to his bed. “It’s easy to use. Trust me.” He added.

James nodded, placing the borrowed acoustic guitar next to the computer and holding the bass. “So, how different is it?” James asked Sam.

“Here, let me show you how it’s done.” Sam replied, showing his friend how to play the guitar. After some time, James got the hang of it. “Alright, you’re ready. Let’s repeat what we were playing, Seb! Cue the beat! James, try to catch up.” Sebastian started the drum beat on his synthesizer and everybody started playing along the beat. Although James was trying hard to find what fret matched with what Sam was playing, he managed to get a hang of the pattern and playing along. When the song ended, Sam turned to James. He had a question.

“Hey James, we are short in ideas on what genre we should play. What do you say?” Sam asked.

“Well, if you ask me, I’m fine with… metal or punk rock.” James replied. “…but rock seems to be the better choice judging by our size.” He added.

“Sounds good! What d’ya think, Seb?” Sam asked Sebastian.

“…It’s okay, I guess.” Sebastian replied.

“Now, all we need is a drummer. Who do you think it’s best? Abigail?” Sam asked.

“…I guess she can.” James and Sebstian replied at the same time. Just as they finished speaking, the door of Sam’s room opened, revealing Abigail.

“Hey boys! What’cha doing?” She asked.

“you know, the usual session.” Sebastian replied. His eyes were fixed to the synthesizer.

“Sam says that we need a drummer.” James added.

“Yeah? Count me in!” Abigail replied cheerfully. She was about to hop onto the drums when James’s phone rang.

“Hold on, guys.” James said as he picked up his phone. It was an unknown number. “Hello?”

“Soldier 24. It’s been weeks…” A mechanically distorted voice came from the receiver.

“Who are you? How did you get this number?” James asked nervously.

“That’s not necessary, soldier. What matters most is that you have violated the code of the Empire.” The voice continued.

“What? What the hell are you talking about?” James shouted. The teenager trio stopped what they were doing and looked at James.

“James Suh. Identity twenty-four. You are now the most wanted man in the Empire. You have been accused of betrayal and AWOL.” The voice said.

“Betrayal? AWOL?! Listen, whoever you are: All I ever did was run away from the shackles of your confinement! You never appreciated human rights and treated us like mindless robots!” James shouted.

“Funny, soldier. Expect our assassins. Prepare your will.” The voice said. It started to sound feminine.

“You don’t know where I am! In fact, I found out how you will find me but too bad! It’s gone now! Say goodbye to finding me with your pathetic assassin!” James shouted.

“We’ll see. Oh, remember that all of your friends you have made wherever you are will be terminated. Good bye.” The line was disconnected. When James put his phone back into his pocket, he saw the worried and horrified faces of Sam, Sebastian and Abigail staring at him. Without knowing what to do, James dropped Sam’s bass guitar and ran out of the house.

“Hey! James! WHAT’S HAPPENING?!” Sam shouted. James just kept running and running with tears in his eyes. He ran towards Cindersap forest. He wanted to disappear. They were going to kill him and his friends.

I would like to thank the glorious MagicallyClueless for permitting me to use her farmer Jade as a character in my fanfiction. Now if I only knew how to tag her.

 

@MagicallyClueless

 

CHAPTER 12 ATTACKS WITH HYDROPUMP

“James! Come back!” Abigail called out from the front door of the house. No use. James was nowhere to be seen. The trio didn’t know what to do. Just then, Jodi came from the kitchen and called them back in.

“Sam, Abigail, Sebastian, I heard someone shout in Sam’s room. What happened?” Jodi asked.

“I don’t know, mom.” Sam said worriedly.

“Don’t you ‘I don’t know’ me! Did you do something bad to your friend?!” Jodi raised her voice.

“Ma’am, it’s that James received a phone call. He said something about violation, running away… assassin?” Sebastian said.

“What? I don’t understand what’s happening here.” Jodi exclaimed. “Sam, you go to Cerulean Farm and see if you can find James. Abigail, you search the beach! Sebastian, you find him at the mountains! Oh, Yoba, please let him be safe…” She ordered the three.

“Yes, mom.” Sam replied, taking off out of the door. Abigail and Sebastian looked at each other for a second and followed him out. Sam was the first to reach the farm.

“James! Bro! Are you here?!” Sam called out. No response. All he could see are numerous crops being grown and an old cottage with a lot of wood beside it. His voice was muffled by the heavy rain. He decided to check the cottage. He looked through the window to find the house vacant of people. The door was unlocked. Sam quickly opened the door to find nobody inside. “Damnit!” Sam cursed, exiting the cottage to search the entire plot of land. He looked around trees, inside a cave beside the northern entrance of the farm to find absolutely nobody. He became nervous as time passed.

Abigail arrived at the beach panting. She spotted a figure too tall to be James. ‘Probably Willy. Wait, could he know?’ She thought as she ran to the port. “Excuse me, Willy! Do you know where James went?” She asked.

“James? No, sir. I haven’t seen him today.” Willy replied, drawing his line into the water.

“Well, thanks.” Abigail thanked him. She knocked on Elliot’s cabin.

“Who can it be?” Elliot asked, opening the door.

“Elliot! It’s disaster! James ran away!” Abigail panicked.

“Run away? Oh dear. I haven’t seen him since the Egg Festival.” Elliot said with a surprised look.

“Hey, can you help us out by searching around the town?” Abigail asked.

“I cannot disagree. I will be swift about it!” Elliot complied. Abigail took off and looked around again. No sign of him. She saw the other side of the beach cut off by a river. The bridge wasn’t fixed for the last thirteen years. She had no choice but dip herself into the deep and cold water to cross it. Coming out shivering, Abigail continued her search. She saw a figure standing between trees. She immediately ran to him.

“James? Is that you?” She asked the figure. The figure, however, turned out to be a man in a blue captain’s robe with a straw hat.

“Ah, I’ve heard of that name, lass. But I am not him.” The man said.

“Then do you know where we went?” Abigail asked.

“No. I can’t answer that.” The man replied.

“Why?! Why can’t you tell where my friend is?!” Abigail asked raising her voice.

“Because, I’ve not seen him pass through here, lass.” The man replied calmly. Abigail took off back to the other side of the beach with tears in her eyes. She wanted to cry.

Sebastian reached the mountain drenched in the rain. He barged into the carpenter’s store. “Mom! Mom! It’s an emergency!” He cried.

“What is it, Sebby?” Robin replied behind her counter. She had never seen her son so concerned.

“It’s James. He’s… gone!” Sebastian said without breath.

“GONE?! What do you mean? What happened?” Robin shouted.

“He received some kind of phone call while we were hanging out in Sam’s house. I think it was some kind of blackmail! He then ran away. We’re looking for him right now!” Sebastian said.

“Sebby, I don’t know what to do. Help me!” Robin panicked.

“I don’t know, call help! Get the entire town! Get dad and make him do something useful, for Pete’s sake!” Sebastian shouted without thinking and left the shop. He then searched the lake. No sign of him. He ran to the tent but realized that he won’t know who this new farmer is. Thus, he ran back to the lake. He crossed the bridge and looked into the mines. No signs of him. He was running out of options. He then realized that Cindersap forest is the only place James would run to if he was nowhere else to be found. Sebastian ran back to 1 Willow Lane.

“Any signs of him?” Jodi asked Sam and Abigail with great concern. They both shook their heads. Just then, Sebastian barged in the house.

“My mom called the entire town to look for her! She said that the Mayor wishes everybody to meet in the Stardrop Saloon!” Sebastian shouted. He then ran to the saloon. Everybody else followed him. The saloon was crowded with the townspeople. The mayor was in front of the counter with Gus and Emily behind him. The townspeople were mumbling to each other asking what is going on. Finally, mayor Lewis opened his mouth.

“Friends, this is an emergency we have never faced since 1983. Our local farmer James Suh has vanished from 1 Willow Lane. Sam, explain what has happened.” Lewis said.

“Well, uh… Here’s the thing. We were doing our usual jam session until James received a phone call. I kind of heard a voice you might find in those detective movies, you know? Those autotune… Anyways. He then dropped the phone and tailed it. We searched for two hours. We couldn’t find him.” Sam said.

“However, there might be a possibility that he might be somewhere in the Cindersap Forest.” Sebastian added.

“That’s the situation, friends. James has been a good friend with most of us. Whatever happened to him is what worries us all. Isn’t that so?” Lewis asked. The crowd nodded. “Here’s what we’ll do. We’ll concentrate our search in the Cindersap Forest. Shane, you look over the bus tunnel. Report immediately if you find a trace of James, understood?” The crowd left the saloon with their umbrellas.


The search for James continued. As the party scattered around further, a voice was heard. It was the cry of Marnie Lannister, the owner of the ranch. “I’ve found him! GET HELP!” She cried. Marnie had found James unconscious below the cliff of Rasmodius’s tower. He was clenching a glass shard pierced in his liver. Apart from the impaled shard, there was a deep gash in his neck. The entire community hurried to where Marnie was.

“Get Harvey!” Demetrius, the step-father of Sebastian, cried. The local blacksmith and Gus moved James’s seemingly lifeless body to Lewis’s truck. Lewis then drove to the medical clinic next to the General Store. When Maru and Dr. Harvey van Veen carried the body to a bed, they immediately went to work. They were about to check for James’s heartbeat when a dozen people stormed in the waiting room, with the teenager trio entering first. Abigail was crying. Was he dead? Was the friend that considered her strange hobbies now only a memory? Caroline sat next to her and hugger her tightly. Everybody looked at the counter when he heard Harvey scream.

“He’s alive! His heart if beating! Maru, get the tools ready!” Harvey screamed. The people in the waiting room sighed in relief. The newcomer wasn’t ready to leave now. Sebastian was trying to peek through the windowed door. He saw Harvey and Maru tearing James’s clothes in half revealing his muscles on his stomach. The team barely tore off the right arm where the cybernetics was. The operation had commenced.


It was 1AM. Maru exited the surgery room with news. “We’ve successfully completed the operation. He’ll need time to open his eyes. He’s in a coma.” She stated. Sam gave a sigh of relief.

“So, are we allowed to go inside?” Sam asked.

“Yes, but don’t expect him to reply when you call him.” Maru answered, walking back in.

Sorry this chapter is a bit short. That's all. I just couldn't get this part off of my head.