PHANTOM SEEKERS NOW ONLINE - PART 1

Barbara entered the room and was greeted by a snug-looking bed and a complete set of furniture, which included a mini fridge that promised to be fully stocked. A window offered her a glimpse of Fleurella, the Enchanting City, but before she could gaze through it, the girl behind her cleared her throat.

"As I was saying, we'll start training tomorrow morning at 8," the young woman with long, straight black hair, who appeared physically incapable of replacing her grimace with a friendly smile, stated. "So I hope you'll be prepared before I even knock on this door. Understood?"

Barbara nodded and offered a faint smile. "Thank you for being my guide tonight, Ms. Svenson."

"Just call me Karen," the girl replied, somewhat irritated, as she folded her arms. "Why don't you spill the beans already? How did you meet Lord Marco?"

Barbara crossed her arms, mirroring Karen's attitude, and replied in a complacent tone, "Because he owes me one. From back in the day when we were nothing but noobs. Happy? I won't go into details though."

Karen puffed her chest and snarled, "So now that Marco is part of one of the most successful guilds, you think you can come here and take advantage of him?! You little--"

"Just do what he ordered you," Barbara declared, sitting at the edge of her new bed and crossing her legs. "If you have any complaints, direct them to Marco himself. Now, I'd like to rest for now, if you don't mind."

Wrinkling her nose, Karen stepped back and slammed the door, leaving Barbara free to exhale.

This went far better than expected, thanks to Marco's made up backstory and Barbara's persona. Marco knew his people would question why I'm here, despite his instructions, and it appears that Barbara is well-versed in dealing with individuals like Karen. All of my responses flowed naturally and smoothly.

After all the bickering, Barbara felt an urgent need to lie down and sigh, her gaze fixed on the white ceiling above. Marco's words resonated in her mind:

"Unlike your previous 'assistant', I can't go incognito. I'm too famous to suddenly vanish from the spotlight. And since you insisted on coming along, you'll have to follow my lead... So listen, I won't be able to keep you around if you're below level 80… That'd only raise suspicion. So, you'll need to level up. I've given strict instructions to my trusted associates to assist you with this special training. The correct term for it is 'Power Leveling'. It means they'll help you reach the desired goal in record time." He then snickered. "Power Leveling can be quite demanding, but since you're not human, I believe your mind can handle it. As for your body... Well... Good luck convincing 'Barbara' to ignore the pain. In the meantime, I'll conduct some investigations of my own..."

She opened her User Interface and tapped on the Navinet tab while remembering that other topic.

"I knew you'd ask about his whereabouts sooner or later. That doesn't matter. You won't see him in the near future. But if you must insist, why don't you consult his name on the Navinet and learn all about his latest escapades yourself?"

That's what Marco said. So I only have to write his name here and consult it like any other wikia, right?

After hitting 'search,' the most relevant result read, 'Meet Alan Warden, Novus' Weakest User!' Tapping on it, she was redirected to a video site called 'Cosmic Nation'.

As she struggled to enlarge the window, an introductory video automatically played, featuring a young woman with brown skin and pink hair. She wore a purple skin-tight suit with the website's name emblazoned across her torso down to her legs. Then, she addressed the camera in an upbeat tone:

[Hiii! Ghostly greetings to you, fam! I'm your favorite host, the 'Monster Enchantress' herself, Clara Domínguez! Welcome to the Phantom Seekers' Official Streaming Site! Featuring the Novus' Weakest User! Yes, you heard that right! Fate decided to induce him into a hellish coma for three years, and the rest of the world forgot about him, but he's back with a vengeance! Ready to reign terror at every single raid and dungeon that comes in his guild's way! I'm talking about the one with an indomitable spirit, Alan 'The Ghost' Warden!]

Barbara looked at the presentation, perplexed. "I told you this was an incognito mission, Alan. What's the 'other me' thinking?

After skimming through all of Phantom Seekers' catalog, Barbara decided to watch their most recent upload, 'Against Dairion, The Faerie King.'

A message prevented her from continuing. 'Subscribe and get access to our latest content for only 5,000 gold!'

Barbara checked her current balance, 35,360 gold, and accepted.

What followed was a recording from the day before, featuring Alan and his allies fighting a mythical being in what seemed to be a cavern. Various options popped up for Barbara to select. She gradually learned to switch the camera and focus on any of the Phantom Seeker's members she desired. She then opened two additional windows, focusing on Alan and Ashley Yates' perspectives respectively.

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Alan Warden unloaded the entirety of his assault rifle's charge before yelling, "Anastasia!"

[Roger that.] The aforementioned female NPC with long lavender hair tied into a high ponytail dashed forward, wielding a double barrel shotgun/blade in her right hand and a shield almost as big as her in her left one. As she shortened the distance, she fired a shot at the boss, who protected himself with a barrier of vines that sprouted rapidly from the ground.

With the size of a man and wings just as big, Dairion, The Faerie King, made himself heard with a thunderous voice, "How dare you enter this sanctuary?! The fairies have told me everything about you! You steal, kill, and destroy! Do you think you'll escape this place, unscathed?! These woods belong to the majestic Lady Briarose! So in her gracious name, I'll punish you all!"

Alan frowned as he got cover behind a pillar. [I'm lost. What was the lore behind this dungeon again?]

[Dairion is attempting to reclaim the Lawford Woods from the Users in the name of nature], Clara Domínguez replied through their streaming communication channel, also available for spectators to listen. She then sipped a piña colada and licked her lips. [And by 'nature,' I mean it quite literally. He's infatuated with a giant oak tree that whispers suggestive things into his ears. Like, 'oh, Dairion, after you regain control of our land, why don't you come here and claim your reward? That's it. Taste my sweet sap, baby!']

[…Are we really going to battle a sexual tree after this?]

[Maybe? Are you looking forward to it?]

[Shut up! Bella, provide covering fire!]

[Of course, Guild Master,] the female NPC wearing a mage robe, with turquoise hair styled in a bob, replied and immediately began channeling. [Fire Crafting, Flare!]

Upon impact, Bella's burst of fire burned through Dairion's vine-based shield. The Boss retaliated with a whip extending from his palm, binding her waist and arms, but Anastasia quickly severed it with her blade.

Alan flinched. [That was too close! Clara, I need Fabio and Dylak on the battlefield now!]

"Oh, Alan, when will you learn?" Clara murmured, while her exceptionally handsome male NPC served a cup of tea by her side.

"Cream as always, my lady?" he asked the other young woman seated at the table.

Dressed in a bodycon dress with platinum hair and red eyes, Dylak, the one who was neither an NPC nor a Dungeon Boss, replied in a soft voice, "Yes, thank you, Fabio." She then pursed her lips as she watched her master take another long sip. "Clara? Alan needs our help."

"In a minute, my dear," Clara said with a smirk. "Let them handle the first round. He's always in a rush! He must learn that this is all about providing a good spectacle too." After offering Dylak a smile, Clara gestured at the tea. "Come on, you have time."

The former Dungeon Director reluctantly took a quick sip while sending Alan an apologetic look.

Alan cursed through their shared channel seconds later. [Fine!] He exhaled, regaining his composure, and his eyes refocused. [Sloochie, Fire Shots.]

[Ha-ha-ha! Right away!] a child's voice replied, as a liquid substance, adhered to Alan's tactical jacket, flowed through his arms and enveloped his assault rifle in a metallic orange hue. [Ready when you are, Alan!]

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Elemental Boost acquired: Fire.

Your weapon now deals additional damage with fiery shots.

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Meanwhile, Bella made sure to incinerate every defense Dairion summoned from the ground, while Anastasia fired shot after shot from close range, simultaneously defending herself against the boss's sword crafted from rose thorns.

Alan took a deep breath before taking aim and firing a full charge. Each shot seared Dairion's skin, prompting him to glare at Alan with fierce, demonic eyes. "I will defend these lands, even if it costs me my life!"

The Faerie King slammed both palms against the floor, summoning four gigantic roses that burst from the ground. From each of them, fairies emerged. These creatures had purple, pink, and blue humanoid heads, with bodies, wings, and antennas inspired by butterflies.

[Great! More of those things!] Alan exclaimed as something else grabbed his attention. Did that 20-foot rose just move? He watched the one next to him closely until its petals bent, forming an improvised maw. With a chilling cry, it transformed into something resembling the head of a dragon. The system assigned it a name: 'Rosedrake.' [Oh, come on!]

Alan received a notification that his assault rifle had cooled down before retaliating against the flying pests, incinerating them, but could do nothing against the bigger enemy. When the monstrous rose attempted to bite him, he jumped aside, cursing.

Anastasia dispatched the approaching fairies with a single shot from her weapon, occasionally taking out two at once due to its concave reach. When the gigantic rose tried to crush her with its body, she pushed it back with her shield.

Bella easily vanquished her respective horde after casting her spell, "Fire Crafting, Twisted Firestarter!" The spell caused her body to glow for a couple of seconds before releasing all the gathered energy in a blazing explosion. The twelve fairies collapsed to the ground with charred wings and burnt faces.

Even the group enjoying tea and snacks came under attack.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Fabio said softly as he equipped his Electric Elemental gauntlets. "I have to take out the trash…" He then moved with incredible speed to intercept the incoming fairies. Brains and eyes splattered on the ground every time he used his fists.

"'Take out the trash'?" Dylak quoted, grimacing. "Seriously, Clara? This is the fourth time he's said it."

"Tell that to the people in the chat," Clara said, displaying a window filled with excited user comments. "People love it."

"Whatever…" Dylak exhaled, opening her user interface in preparation for the Rosedrake targeting them and getting ready to attack. "Loading," she said aloud as she tapped the virtual window in front of her with quick fingers. The rose bent over and used its head to pummel the ground, but Dylak was no longer there. "Combat Maid Mode," she finished casting, appearing atop the petals. Now wearing a skimpy housemaid outfit, she materialized a dagger in her hand and made several slashes as she ran across the rose's cane. When she finally stepped on the ground, she made a curtsy for one of Clara's multiple drone cameras. White fluid spurted from the rose's multiple cuts behind her, signaling its defeat.

"Way to go, Dylak!" Clara applauded from her seat. "Don't forget your catchphrase!"

Dylak looked directly into the camera in front of her, pursed her lips, and said in a quiet tone while gesturing a heart with her hands, "Love and justice will always prevail!" A moment later, Clara grinned at the sight of incoming donations, and when she showed them to Dylak, she jerked her head away and exclaimed, "W-Whatever!"