Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

Hitori walked out of the hospital room and entered the courtyard. Kamiya and Reon both followed Hitori to the courtyard.

Conquering dungeons had never been so easy. Hitori thought.

After they teleported to the first floor and exited through a stone on Hitori\'s face, they entered the hospital room.

And now when they teleported to the first checkpoint from the courtyard and took the exit, they appeared in front of the Hogosha dungeon, well, not to bother about that one.

The trio entered the Yuki lair\'s boss point. Kamiya and Hitori were expecting to see the teenage elf waiting for them but when the boss appeared, Kamiya was stunned.

He stuttered, "W-w-what the? How is this possible?"

Pointed ears and long blonde hair, definitely an elf. But then Hitori\'s eyes fell on the elf\'s toned body-- tight muscles, well-defined athletic body frame.

"W-where is Eimi?!" Kamiya demanded. "I want Eimi back!" and he bolted without thinking twice.

The male elf raised his hand and released a few bolts of frozen ice. Kamiya used his latest acquired blades to defend till one of the spears tore his oblique.

Hitori stepped forward, pointed his gun, and. "Things would have been easier if... only if I had paid more attention to the secret cave." fired at the elf.

"I still can not get a grip on blades," Kamiya complained, as he swapped his weapons.

He rose and stood straight while Hitori and Reon covered from behind. "Wands are the best." Kamiya stretched his wand. "Ice shield." and ran closer to the elf.

Reon stopped firing first and then did Hitori. It was a clear win when Kamiya had closed the distance between him and the elf, and the male elf was forced to equip his daggers.

"Right." Reon rubbed her hair from her face. "What was that cave you both were talking about anyway?"

Hitori watched Kamiya perform the slyest move he had ever seen from Kamiya. The elf\'s dagger got stuck in Kamiya\'s ice shield, Kamiya took that chance and placed his hand on the elf\'s stomach.

The elf glanced down, and Kamiya did not bother. "Fireblast."

Flames erupted and wrapped the ice elf in it, the impact threw him a few meters away-- down its hill.

Kamiya landed the final blow to make sure the elf was dead for good.

Hitori answered Reon while Kamiya waited for the boss to respawn, "That was Kuzu\'s main plan. Offering his dungeon was just an unwrapped lollipop."

"A toffee," Reon scoffed.

"Yeah..." Hitori glanced at her. "The dungeon did not contain any pre-set traps. But the dungeon itself was a trap set for us, and I accepted it delightfully."

"God!" Kamiya groaned in a complaint and threw his hands.

Hitori threw a look up to see the same male boss elf bowing to Kamiya. Hitori would have laughed if he was not having a serious conversation with Reon.

"This cave though," Hitori said, "was like a hidden trap--- no, not trap, but a hidden resource, and Kuzu\'s trump card."

"And you two knew it from the start?"

"Five to six hours before the battle."

Reon stared at Hitori in disbelief. Kamiya slid down the hill. "Let us leave for the last dungeon."

They teleported then Hitori opened his inventory. "Kuzu wanted the Duergars to go against us. He was going to and he did use them against us."

Kamiya paused. "The Trio\'s Turf. That cave did hold some significance."

"If he controlled the Duergars." Hitori took out a brown-colored armor that had a skull with a pale purple beard drawn in the middle around the neck area. "Then it had to do something with this."

Kamiya studied the armor. While fighting Kuzu, he remembered he had a glimpse of that skull symbol while fighting. "That is King Duergar\'s armor set, it allowed Kuzu to control the Duergars, probably."

"I had the same theory about this armor. When I crushed his head, I saw this symbol popping from his jacket, but when I walked to him through the defense shield, he was not wearing anything like that."

"Let me have it, Hitori. I will eventually find out how this works."

Hitori handed Kamiya the armor. Reon fell into deep thought. She thought about something till the Wendigo appeared.

"So, if we had found this armor inside the cave before Kuzu, they would not have ruined Kuzu\'s whole plan?"

"It would have failed," Hitori agreed, he drew his katana. "Let me take the Wendigo." Kamiya shrugged and stepped back.

"All yours."

Hitori stretched his leg. "Let us see whose reflexes are better now." And he bolted from his spot.

"Kamiya, what do you think... you know, will Kuzu...?"

"He will," Kamiya said, "come back." Kamiya glared at Reon. "This war is not going to end till one of us dies-- not in the game-- but for real."

Kamiya said it so casually that Reon thought Kamiya was careless about his life, but even she had realized, that the quicker you accept the reality, the better chances you have of surviving in this cruel world where powerful people rule.

Kamiya opened his menu to take a look outside. Hitori came back to them, he used the clean spell and pushed his sword back.

"Clear. We officially own this territory now." He walked past Reon.

"Hitori," Kamiya called. "I think you should take a look outside."

"What is it now?"

Kamiya raised his screen to Hitori. "More than fifty players are waiting for us outside."

Fifty-five-- no, even more people were standing outside the Kori dungeon\'s entrance.

Hitori glanced at Kamiya. "Deactivate the defense shield."

"They would not come, I am telling you."

"They will. They can not ignore this crowd."

"Oh, I am leaving. I can not wait anymore."

Magus and the old man were standing by the sides of the fence and trees covered in snow.

The players stood up and excitement. Magus pushed against the tree and stood straight when the trio teleported to the entrance.

"Whoa..." Hitori was surprised by the cheering crowd.

"I never thought we would get this famous." Kamiya shook his head.

Reon, who was overwhelmed, said, "After killing one of the top players, this is what you get-- fans."

"Fans...?" Kamiya found that word fascinating. "I have... fans?"

"God\'s Hell, your fight with Kuzu was amazing! I loved your moves!"

,m "Me too! It was so satisfying to finally see Kuzu in a pinch."

"But end blow from Ryu was awesome. He-- just crushed Kuzu\'s head as if it was a nut!"

And the cheers continued. Hitori and Kamiya walked out and shook hands while Reon stayed inside-- trembling hands and a dry throat.

"Leon, please go out with me!"

"EH?!" Hitori and Kamiya snapped their heads in shock.

"Leonine, I want to tell you that... you look pretty in your lab coat."

"I watched your fight till the end, I got to say you were impressive!"

"Please go out with me."

"No, choose me!"

"Me!"

The players literally started hitting each other. Hitori and Kamiya exchanged glances. They never thought Reon feared the crowd too. Not like they both are extroverts though.

Most of the gamers are nothing but a bunch of shut-in introverts.

"I-I can not go out with you, I can not go out with anyone..." Reon somehow cracked a smile.

"why?"

"Yeah, why?"

"B-because..." she shot Kamiya a guilty and a sorry look. "I-I already have a boyfriend." She grabbed Kamiya\'s arm. "We are dating."

Hitori slapped his hand on his forehead. "Oh crap..." and shook his head.

But the Reon-fan-boys went silent and left. Almost half of the people cleared the entrance when Reon claimed Kamiya as her fake boyfriend.

"S-sorry." Reon looked down.

"I..."

"Alright!" Hitori shouted. "It is getting late, you should log out for the day, guys. And thanks for your support!"

"Anytime, Ryu! Just call us, we will be there for your help."

"Remember us whenever you need our help."

"We are in debt to you for you killing that bastard."

"We assure you, the help will arrive whenever the trio is in need."

After saying their goodbyes, the trio turned inside.

"Activate the shields, Kamiya."

"Yeah..." he opened the menu, and the Kori dungeon\'s map popped up. Kamiya\'s brows dropped, he was sure he noticed something yellow.

"The players were mad about Hitori\'s fight with Fierce, they were literally crazy," Reon said. "Only some creeps cared about my fight though---"

Kamiya rolled his eyes when he made sure the two yellow dots glowing on his screens. Kamiya shook his head and reached for his wand.

"Hitori." Kamiya pointed his wand behind him. "We have visitors."

"Who would root for you if all you do is passively sit on a throne and watch your partner as he fights for his loved ones?"

A guy covered in a black dress with a cape wrapped around his neck stepped forward.

Reon pulled her gun and took a step back. Hitori jerked his head and cocked his gun at Supreme Magus.

"I know, though, it was not the plan to save the fire phoenix, but Ryu-san jumped for her." Magus shrugged.

"Who are you?" Hitori shifted his finger on the trigger.

"Name?" He gestured above his head. "Real name? Bake Monotaro, fifteen years old. I will be attending the Mage Academy next year. I have no interest in magic though, I only fancy the creatures. I am a Magus after all."

"The other one?" Kamiya called. "Come out."

A man\'s bare chest popped from the dark before his muscular arms. "The Territory Collector, Senso Guntai."

"Senso? Guntai?" Kamiya frowned. "I think I know you..."

He moved his arms off his waist. "Teacher of war and battle strategies at the Mage Academy."

Kamiya\'s arm and his wand started shaking. "T-that Senso Guntai... no way..." Kamiya pulled down his wand. "I-I am Kamiya Jigoku, I always wanted to meet you, sir!"

When Kamiya shook hands with the old man, Hitori and Reon lowered their guns after exchanging glances.

"Second-year?" the old man said. "I will be waiting for you in the Battle room for the third year."

"I-I never thought I would meet you. Even when I was at the academy, I searched for you but---"

"Oh, I am not that easy to spot. I have enemies all over."

"And-and I studied your work: \'The Best Counter Strategies for the Defeated\' I am glad I did! Ah-- and-- please, would you sign the copies of your work for me? I-I have collected every single copy of your work, please sign them!"

"A-all? Son, you are a hardcore strategist."

"Still not as good as you, sir."

Magus threw them a glance before walking to Reon and Hitori who were as confused as Magus.

Magus walked in Hitori\'s direction but stopped and took a step back to Reon. "And yeah, Leon-san, it is not the manpower that kills a monster. It is the experience, knowledge, and time you have spent with the monster. You can not kill a monster you have met in a flash, for that, you have had to fight the monster at least once. It clearly is not a matter of manpower."

Reon remembered she muttered something like that about Kuzu but--- Before she could ask, Magus had already walked to Hitori.

"I will get directly to the point cause you do not look like the guy who would love to waste his time." Magus smiled. "I do not care about the dungeons you conquer, I want to tag along with you and explore as many monsters as possible-- and hunt their cores, of course. You see," he stepped back, "I need their cores to transform into them."

Magus spread his arms, his skin started to move, as if he was being mutated, horns popped from his head, his legs turned to hooves, a tail popped from behind, his height increased, and his muscles became even more defined.

Finally, a snout formed in place of his nose. Level twenty-five Minotaur.

Hitori was left speechless. He had known about Magus but he had never actually seen a Magus transform LIVE.

Magus changed back into his original form. "I think I will have a great exposure to all kinds of monsters if you raid dungeons or do hunting. I promise to help you during fights too. I would not ask for money, but I will ask for the gems and cores-- when I am in a monster\'s form, I feed on gems."

\'He talks too much.\' Hitori\'s eye twitched the same way Reon\'s had at Kamiya\'s reaction when a male boss elf was spawned instead of a female.

"So you propose a mutual partnership." Hitori got directly to the point.

"Ah.. yes. I do. Yeah, you could say that. Exactly. Uh-hm."

Hitori turned. "How did you two get inside though?"

"While you were busy with your fans, we crept inside."

"And whose plan was it?"

"Mine. But he executed it. He seems to have too much knowledge about sneaking and stuff."

\'Of course, he does.\' Hitori sighed.

"Send me a friend request, will you, Monotaro?"

"You are kidding me?"

\'No, I am not.\'

"Damn!"

\'Damn?\'

"B-but leave for today."

Kamiya and Senso talked for a few more minutes before they both got ready for leaving the dungeon.

"See you soon, sir!" Kamiya waved.

"Thanks, Ryu-san," Magus said and turned when Hitori grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

"I do not know why you thought I looked like a guy who does not love to waste his time, cause, no one does." Hitori shook his head stiffly. "But, let me correct you."

Hitori brought his right hand forward. Magus glanced before reaching out his right hand.

"I am just a guy who would love to sleep soon... for enough time."