Investment #2

Arthur approached the obscure bar, hidden with an intricate system of alleys and roads. Before he could enter, the car he drove recklessly and brutally was parked outside, which he left in shambles earlier before. It was now in pristine condition, shinning with polish.

"Even Chevy is in better shape than me." Arthur groaned, pushing in the glass doors and making the bell jingle.

"You look like shit," Sabine remarked, a glass of whiskey in her hand. Arthur observed Vincent, who was religiously cleaning the glass cups with his silk cloth apron.

"Yes, You look like you need a drink." he concurred, pulling out Arthur's favorites. "Bloody mary, Whiskey, and rum?"

Arthur sighed, sitting down beside them, and unbuttoning his shirt. Sabine smirked at the boy, who finally loosened up.

"You finally wore the clothes I gave ya!" She smirked, putting her arm around Arthur's shoulders.

Arthur huffed, taking a look at his navy blue shirt and black pants. They looked simple, but the cloth quality was top-of-the-line. 

he just smiled at her. "Yes, I remembered they existed. Laundry day is still on the weekends, and it's still Monday." Arthur sighed, receiving his drinks. Taking a sip of the red drink, he shook his arms a little bit. "They're quite baggy, especially by the sleeves."

Sabine laughed. "That's because those were Vincent's when he was your age. He kept his things well so they last incredibly long. I saw it collecting dust so I gave it to you."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." the young man sighed with a soft smile on his face. "Anything interesting happened?" He asked, sipping on the cocktail. 

She contemplated for a moment before humming, swirling the wine glass. "some drunk knights, some rowdy mercenaries, and old colleagues of Vincent stopped by– just the usual. Why?" 

"Nothing really, just curious." Arthur sighed massaging his temples. "the rest of my week is free, so I thought about training or something."

Vincent set down the glass and sighed. "You really are turning into a miniature version of Alexander. So eager for training." He clicked his tongue.

Arthur shrugged, turning to Sabine. She was staring at him intensely. He tilted his head in confusion. 

"Something wrong?" Arthur asked. 

She got up from her seat and held the boy firmly by the shoulders. "Boy. Have you been feeling sick lately? Nausea? Headaches? Hypersensitivity?" she asked, her eyes darkening with seriousness. 

Arthur leveled her gaze and nodded. "Yeah, I've been having headaches all weekend. Sometimes my body feels wobbly– why?" 

"Steady your breathing and circulate your magic power!" Sabine said urgency etched In her tone.  "It's a miracle you haven't gotten a seizure!" 

Before Arthur could react, his magic began to run rampant in his body. 

She jumped from her seat, making it fall backward. "Shit! It's starting! 

"Auhhh–" Arthur groaned, clutching his chest. ".... W-what the... H-Hell!" He rasped, falling over. 

Sabine clutched the falling boy. Turning to her lover, Sabine yelled. "He's awakening!" 

Without further explanation, Vincent jumped over the counter and sprinted for the door. He locked the doors and shut the blinds before immediately falling to Arthur's side. 

"A magic circle forming three weeks after his sixteenth birthday. Astonishing." He murmured, grabbing hold of the boy's shoulders while Sabine held down his legs. 

Arthur convulsed on the floor, being held down by the two. 

"I– I– feel like I'm going to be torn apart, from the inside– it hurts....like shit! Arrgghhh!!!" 

Sabine shushed him. "Stop talking! You might bite your tongue off! Condense your magic power! Do it quickly!" 

Arthur shut his eyes and grit his teeth, and hardened his limbs. His magic power started to subside and quell its violent rage.

Sabine noticed his progress and cheered. "You're doing great! Just keep it up!" 

The power originally unstable slowly started to subside and circulate counter-clockwise within Arthur's body. 

"Keep going!" Vincent pressed him. 

His chest slowly heaved at a steady pace, letting in the air his body desperately needed. 

The magic finally went under control after what felt like an eternity for Arthur, an eternity of perpetual pain. 

His eyes shot open and his brain resumed functioning. With an entire body drenched in sweat, Arthur was parched. 

"W-Water..."

Vincent sighed in relief before leaving the boy to fetch a glass of water. Arthur turned to Sabine and blinked. 

The boy sat up and heaved, exhausted like he just ran a marathon. "What happened?" Arthur asked.

He looked at his mentors and then the covered windows, noticing how dark it's gotten. Vincent arrived with a tall glass which Arthur received and emptied in an instant.

Sabine wiped her sweat and got up from the floor. "Well, do you feel any different?" She asked, a small smile clearly forming on her face. 

Thinking for a moment, Arthur remember his episode and focused, incredibly excited. "No way!..." he exclaimed. "Status!"

[ Arthur Haile / Level 1 ]

[ Strength: 16 ]

[ Agility: 16 ]

[ Vitality: 16 ]

[ Defense; 16 ]

[ Magic: 16 ]

"Aside from the one increase on all five, I don't feel much of a difference aside from the one I earned under their tutelage." Arthur thought, glancing at Sabine and Vincent, who were frozen in black and white.

Arthur's eyes widened before he frantically looked around him. The world had gone grey and was frozen, which was a very familiar sight to him. "Stasis Screen. Never have I ever thought I'd experience this in this life-- Much less in person."

"Stasis Screen, or as it had been nicknamed by the gaming community." Arthur sighed, with a smile on his face, reminiscing. "More accurately, it could be called a pause button of sorts although it was separate from the pause option."

He observed the small panel window and its pentagon-shaped graph labeled with his name on top. The bland window, originally the size of a tablet, slowly morphed and elongated itself. Soon, It widened to the size of a seventeen-inch laptop and was beautifully decorated.

Arthur whistled proudly at the development. "Now that's what im talking about."

[ Arthur Haile / Level 2 / 1st-Circle Magic Warrior / Fire and Earth Specialist ]

[You've successfully developed the first magic circle in your heart, turning it into a mana heart!]

[ All Statuses increase by 1 ]

[ Strength: 17 ]

[ Agility: 17 ]

[ Vitality: 17 ]

[ Defense; 17 ]

[ Magic: 17 ]

[ Inventory now available ]

The panel extended to accommodate a five-by-five grid, which Arthur sighed at. "Ah! the twenty-five slot inventory, how have I missed you."

The Inventory is a system by which a player can store items and freely carry them anywhere and everywhere. 

[ Skills are developing... ]

[ Magic spells are developing ]

Arthur completely disregarded the circle circumnavigating his heart and was completely engrossed in the inventory. He turned off the window and witnessed as the world regained its vibrant colors.

Arthur turned to Sabine with a smirk. "I now have a mana heart."

"That you do, you brat." Sabine gave Arthur a loving pat on the head out of pride in her disciple. "A Mana Heart formed alongside the fastest awakening process. I've heard stories that a mage's talent is equivalent to how fast the process was."

"On top of that, this boy is a fighter, a marksman, and a magician-- the other two may have realized already, but we're raising one scary kid."

Vincent arrived, carrying four duffle bags. He was changed from his bartending uniform to a black shirt, tie and vest. Vincent's hands were partly covered by fingerless gloves and his person was strapped with his handmade custom rifle, his trusted handgun, ammunition, and kit. 

"Dress up." He said, putting the bags on the counter. Sabine and Arthur picked out their own as the man instructed.

Arthur scrutinized the man and noticed the golden-framed glasses he had on, which were much more sleek and fashionable compared to his durable thick-framed pair. 

"Nice apparel," Arthur commented, shedding his drenched shirt.

Sabine procured her own duffle bag and headed for the changing room. "I'll go get changed, you can change here."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oho! You're here!" Alexander greeted, exiting the cellar just as Sabine passed by. He was dressed in a full-black suit, complete with a large coat that hides his intimidating build, complete with complimentary silver jewelry as a complimenting color.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked, fixing his gloves whose finger's were covered by hard metal.

Arthur put on the black shirt and buttoned it, before tying his necktie somewhat loosely. After that, he buttoned his vest and put on the provided gloves, which were a mix between Alexander's and Vincent's.

"I'm ready," Arthur answered, practically itching for combat.

The large man nodded. "Then let us wait for Sabine," he said, taking a drink.

On both hands, Arhutr's gloves were fingerless only on the middle, index, and thumbs; and armor-plated. 

Just as Alexander finished the glass, Sabine walked in. Her hips sways side to side slightly as she took steps in her heels. She was wearing a flowing robe that reached all the way to her ankles and her form made her incredibly dignified when compared to her usual personality.

"Black really is your theme." Arthur smiled, admiring his teacher's apparel. 

Sabine approached the boy and put a blue handkerchief into his vest pocket. "You forget, it's your theme now too."

"Yes, ma'am," Arthur replied, smiling as she declared his official association with the musketeers.

Alexander got up from his seat, picking up his duffle bag before leaving the bar, the rest following after him. "Let's do this!"