Real Dream Online: the Ring of Möbius

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Chapter 16

A Comfortable Day in Erisé Town

Morning in the hotel of Erisé Village,

Möbius woke up on a 10-foot purple bed he had claimed from Purple Spider. Initially, he thought it would improve his sleeping condition, but he was mistaken because the mother-daughter foxes had taken a liking to sleeping in human form. Despite the bed's size, they refused to revert to their fox forms.

Additionally, the softness of the bed caused him, being the heaviest and sleeping in the middle, to sink down the most. This made the fox girls sleeping next to him roll towards him until their fragrant and soft bodies were pressed against him. While Möbius enjoyed this greatly, he felt bad for having to restrain himself from overstepping boundaries with his important ones.

Because he didn't want to lose them. Fortunately, the two fox girls were exhausted from the war the day before and fell asleep immediately after a satisfying meal without any chance to tease or taste him.

"Good morning, Möbius."

Inari woke up and greeted Möbius as usual, but unusually, her face was much closer to his than ever before.

"Good morni...ng."

Möbius turned to greet Inari and, finding their faces and lips incredibly close, quickly turned away in embarrassment, forgetting that an equally dangerous situation was on the other side of the bed.

When Mobius turned to the other side, he found that Gumiho, who was sleeping on the other side, had her face even closer than Inari's. The sleeping fox girl looked so charming; her pink, plump lips slightly parted as if ready to receive something rushing towards them. Möbius immediately used his special ability.

Cronos.

The world around him slowed down significantly due to his ability. His brain rapidly calculated that if things continued as they were, his lips would definitely meet Gumiho's. Möbius gathered all his strength to twist his neck faster to avoid a collision with the fox girl's lips.

However, what he traded for that was Gumiho's lips pressing against his cheek instead. And because of the ability that accelerated the function of his brain and senses, he forgot to consider the side effects.

Möbius felt the soft lips of the fox girl gently touching his cheek bit by bit. The warmth and the gentle caress of her breath across his face, the slowly increasing area of contact that thrilled his heart—even as her lips gradually withdrew from his face, leaving only the moisture and a sweet sensation.

What was only a moment felt like eternity, an experience he would never forget. But before he could deactivate his ability, the fox mother, who had seen the whole scene, swiftly planted a kiss on his other cheek. The touch of Inari's lips, those of a young woman in her prime, was completely different from Gumiho's, a girl just blossoming into womanhood.

What was transmitted from her lips to his cheek was filled with intense allure and charm. The breath she took as her lips touched his cheek felt like she was slowly dragging her long fingers across his face with profound emotion. As the contact slowly pulled away, it left behind a longing sensation.

And of course, his actions had to be compensated according to the system's justice.

Crack!!!

400

Normally, a human neck can turn only up to 180 degrees, but Möbius' neck now twisted up to 270 degrees. He lay face down in a supine position miraculously. The pain as his neck rotated unnaturally slowly tormented him as if a giant hand was caressing and then forcibly twisting his neck.

With excruciating pain almost rendering him unconscious, Möbius managed to deactivate the ability that was like a beautiful rose—enjoyable to smell but painful from its sharp thorns. Yet, personally, he was willing to endure even greater pain.

"Möbius is in trouble, wake up early, Miho."

Inari, noticing the young man's extremely unnatural sleeping position, quickly woke her daughter to check before their toy was damaged.

"Oh, why did Möbius break his own neck?"

Gumiho, unaware that she was nearly the cause of Möbius' near-suicidal attempt, woke up and asked the young man with a tone devoid of alarm, possibly because she was still drowsy and unaware of the danger.

"Ouch..."

Möbius moaned almost dryly instead of replying, then pleaded with Inari in the same tone.

"Inari… please heal me."

"Okay, okay, Miho, turn Möbius around quickly."

Inari responded immediately. She turned to grab a large fan to aid the healing, although she spoke to Gumiho with urgency, her daughter who had just woken up nodded vaguely before using both her hands to hold the young man's head.

"Wait..."

Möbius' hoarse voice rose again. He was glad Gumiho was helping him, but it would have been better if she had turned him the right way.

Crack.

"Mom, I'm done..."

Gumiho, still charmingly drowsy, raised her hands to the sky after completing what her mother had asked. Now, Möbius twitched a few times on the bed, his neck not only twisted to 270 degrees but also at a right angle to the bed.

"Oops, Miho, you turned it the wrong way!!!"

Inari exclaimed loudly after turning back to see Möbius' head positioned even more unnaturally. Although it looked funny, it was a bit pitiful. Gumiho, awakened by Inari's outcry, quickly corrected Möbius' head orientation, and this time she turned it the right way.

"Hehe, sorry about that, Möbius."

After Gumiho twisted Möbius’s head back into place, she sat there poking her two index fingers together feeling guilty, but the young man could clearly see the smile in her eyes, making him unsure whether she had really been drowsy or was just pretending. Once his neck was back in place, Inari quickly healed him, and the pain in his neck vanished completely. However, it seemed the system's justice was not yet satisfied.

"Miho, I think Möbius' neck still looks a bit crooked. We need to turn it again and then back."

Inari said with a sympathetic tone, but her eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Here we go, Möbius."

Gumiho put her hands on the young man's head to do as her mother instructed.

Crack!!!

"Argh!!!"

Two hours later,

"Well, I never thought Möbius would dare to sneak a kiss on Miho this morning."

Inari, who was sitting eating a European-style breakfast, sipped her tea and recounted the morning’s events.

"Möbius, you crazy! If you wanted a cheek kiss, you could have just asked when awake."

Gumiho, eating a large set of dim sum, twisted with embarrassment, yet her hands didn't stop picking up another bun to eat.

"Sorry, I really didn't mean to."

Möbius sat and ate porridge while wearing a large neck brace, a splint Inari had made for him. Although it was one of the most brutal experiences for him, he felt the system had been fairly just this time. The unforgettable touches still vividly haunted both cheeks and his neck.

"Möbius, where are we heading next?"

Gumiho asked, noting that she had eaten everything available in the village and had also acquired the Flaming Blossom Umbrella as a weapon.

"Right, Möbius, we need to hurry before Xiao Long comes back."

Inari knew that now they should avoid encountering Xiao Long, because the massive food bill that the three had racked up upon entering the town had been charged to Xiao Long's account. Moreover, they had also dismantled the bandit groups that were a reason for the Erisé Village to pay for protection. This meant that Xiao Long not only lost money but also potential revenue.

"Then let's consult with Picasso."

Möbius suggested immediately, thinking that if Xiao Long had the chance to invite them into his federation and they declined, it could lead to complications. It would be best, therefore, for them to leave this place soon.

The trio walked out of the hotel towards the village hall where Picasso was, and wherever they went, the townspeople, including former bandits, greeted them warmly and expressed their gratitude for reviving the village to be lively again. Soon, they reached the village hall located in the village's main square.

"Good morning, Mr. Picasso. Sorry to disturb you so early, but we have something to discuss."

Möbius said to Picasso, who was working on paperwork related to new members of the village. The elder man stood up to greet the benefactors of his village.

"Don't be shy, for you, Möbius, I’m glad to be of any help."

The elderly man smiled at Möbius and the two beautiful woman.

"Where can I find iron ore, sir?"

Möbius, who had skills in manufacturing bullets, had no raw materials at all. From the details specified in his ability, he needed a significant amount of iron ores, especially for the various types of Gamma Mörser bullets, which required raw materials as long as a kite's tail.

"There's a mine to the east of the village that leads out to Paradiso City, the Paradise of Food."

Picasso answered, handing Möbius a map he had drawn himself.

"A city of food, huh? Let's go there, Möbius, please."

When Gumiho heard about the food paradise, she also wanted to give it a try. She gently shook Mobius's arm to urge him to set off on their journey. Inari, too, was excited just hearing the name. The fox mother also nudged the other arm of Möbius.

"Yeah, let's go before Xiao Long comes back, okay? Please, Möbius."

"Thank you for everything, Mr. Picasso."

Mobius agreed that they should hurry up and say goodbye to the old man, but strangely enough, the old man didn't say much but walked them to the exit leading to the village square. When the old man opened the door, the three of them saw a large group of villagers and former bandits, forming a semi-circle in the square.

"Mr. Möbius, please allow us to repay you in some way."

Black Bear, now clean and stepping forward, spoke for everyone present.

"I also insist."

Picasso joined Black Bear by his side. Möbius stood still for a moment to think about what would be most appropriate, but it didn't take him long to figure it out.

"In that case, I'd like everyone to play a song for us."

Möbius replied, nodding to the two fox girls. Understanding what Möbius wanted, Inari pulled out her Ten Thousand Blossoms Dual Fans, while Gumiho took out her Flaming Blossom Umbrella.

It was a red umbrella with a handle made from wood that grows in volcanic regions, beautifully carved into the shape of flames licking upwards in a spiral along the entire handle. The body of the umbrella was made from fire-resistant fabric woven from a blend including silk from fire moths. The patterns on the umbrella were made up of flame flowers that grow only at the mouth of a volcano, arranged in sequence to resemble a large blossom. This umbrella, called the Flaming Blossom Umbrella, constantly emits a refreshing scent similar to that of a high-quality hot spring. It was crafted by the same artisan who made Inari's fan.

"Oh, Mr. Möbius, we, the people of Erisé Village, will do our utmost to fulfill your request."

Picasso, seeing that the two beautiful ladies were ready to perform again, quickly ordered all the village musicians to start playing.

As the music began, the two women started their delicate performance. If Inari's solo performance was already magnificent, the duet with her daughter only enhanced the beauty, like the harmony of sweet and sour creating a perfect blend.

It was like a painting where the sunlight strikes a mountain, made more prominent by the perfect shading of its dark side.

Like flowers whose scent is carried further by the wind, when everyone in Erisé Village let themselves be carried away by the performance, the minds, emotions, and spirits of all were swept along in the same direction.

As Picasso had once said, art has a spirit of its own, and a miraculous event occurred when the spirits released by everyone, bit by bit, were swept together by the currents of the musicians' and the two dancers' performance, causing a bright white crystal to form at the heart of this stream. This was none other than the man named Möbius.

"There it is," a dense white light coalesced into a spherical crystal and slowly descended into Möbius's hand.

'You have received one Spirit Crystal.'

The system's voice rang out.

Möbius immediately checked the details of the white crystal in his hand.

‘Spirit Crystal’

Can imbue an object with a spirit, without limitations.

After the performance ended, and before he left the town of art, he showed the white crystal to Picasso.

"It's unbelievable that I would have the chance to see this."

Picasso remarked in awe before explaining further.

"It's proof that there is a spirit within art. You, Mr. Möbius, are the right person to possess it. For more details, you'll have to ask it yourself."

Picasso recalled that before he founded this village, he had found ancient records describing this Spirit Crystal. The most important factor for the creation of such a crystal is the pure spirit of a human, which is rare nowadays. Only newborns still have such pure hearts, unaware that Möbius, with his lost memories, was no different from a newborn himself.

"If that's the case, I'll see you again."

Möbius stored the crystal in his left hand, bid farewell to Picasso, and headed east to the next town.

Special Chapter

The Conclusion of Erise Village

Inside a flower shop in Erisé Village,

"Hmph! Hmph!"

A young girl, appearing to be only 14, with dark brown hair reaching her thighs fluttering in the breeze, stood on tiptoes on a chair to reach for the plant pot on the high shelf. Her sweet, adorable, youthful face, with large light brown eyes, focused on a plant pot placed higher than her small figure of only 145 cm could reach.

"Whoa..."

Finally managing to grasp the pot, the girl inadvertently fell from the chair. Although not very high, it was enough to hurt the petite girl.

"Miss Monarisa, be careful."

A tall man, over 190 cm, wearing a pink apron, effortlessly caught the girl with one hand while the other hand caught the falling pot. Despite his intimidating face marked by scars from battles, he now smiled warmly at the young girl.

In reality, the girl in his arms was 25 years old, but no man had ever approached her due to her youthful appearance. Later, Monarisa earned the nickname "The Maiden who Subdued the Bear" because she made Black Bear, who then became known as the Pink Bear, agree to her sole condition... to marry her.

Meanwhile, in the Spider Tower,

When Purple Spider revived in his bedroom atop his tower, he was shocked to find it completely empty. His bed, desk, wardrobe, chairs, and all his specially ordered, expensive furniture worth nearly ten million were gone. He rushed to the weapon storage room to secure his most valuable possessions.

"No..."

Purple Spider gasped in shock upon seeing the iron door burst through the floor, and all the guns in his collection were missing. But what concerned him most was the Advanced Ammunition Crafting Manual that someone entrusted to him. The glass cabinet that had housed the manual was shattered. Purple Spider sank to the floor in despair, but as luck would have it, the manual he was looking for had fallen under a cabinet. Purple Spider quickly retrieved the manual, relieved that as long as he had this and his Gamma Mörser cannon, his boss wouldn't kill him.

"What about the Gamma Mörser, though?"

Purple Spider hurried to check on his cannon, but all that was left were large bullet casings. Overwhelmed, the Purple Spider fainted standing up, only to wake and contemplate what to do with his life.

At a local branch of the Shield and Sword Federation

"I'd like to entrust this to you, Mr. Schneider."

Purple Spider decided, handing over his treasured manual to a man who seemed capable of protecting him.

"This is exquisite indeed. From today onwards, you are under my protection."

Schneider was the only one among the vice-leaders of the Shield and Sword Federation who uses a gun as his weapon. In terms of rank, he held a position equal to that of Xiao Long. Upon opening the manual, he found a 5-inch long bullet that looked very powerful.

"High capabilities require high-grade bullets, Mr. Schneider."

Purple Spider, who had never actually opened this manual before, was only guessing randomly. It just so happened that Schneider had also only seen the cover and had never known what kind of bullets were inside.

"Exactly, Purple Spider. Such bullets can only be used with a level 9 sniper rifle or higher."

Schneider responded, pulling out his most treasured gun. Purple Spider was astounded to see the rifle Schneider owned.

"That's a level 10 rifle, and it's the only one in the entire game. Oh... It’s fitting for one of the most powerful vice-leaders of the greatest federation in the world."

Purple Spider immediately praised his new boss.

"Right, you've chosen the right person to follow, ha ha ha."

Schneider, who was fond of flattery and greatly pleased with someone like the Purple Spider, loaded the bullet from the manual into his gun, which he had acquired at an auction for over one hundred million, and fired it at his own head.

Click.

Boom...!!!

40,000 (Critical hit due to a fatal shot).

As soon as Schneider pulled the trigger, a trap set by the fox mother activated. The bullet turned into a massive explosion that created a mushroom cloud high into the sky. Everything within a 100-meter radius was obliterated, leaving a flat surface. Instead of gaining new abilities, Schneider ended up having to reincarnate. Purple Spider, who was nearby, was also killed by the explosion.

The building they were in, which was a large facility of the Shield and Sword Federation, exploded into dust similarly. The explosion also damaged adjacent buildings, causing the federation to incur substantial damages. This incident led to Purple Spider quitting the game forever as the federation, especially Schneider, declared that they would kill the Purple Spider on sight wherever they found him without hesitation.

Back to another vice-leader of the Shield and Sword Federation,

After completing an urgent mission, Xiao Long was shocked upon returning to Erisé Village because the bandit group that had been a source for reputation and level points for his minions had been wiped out. Therefore, Erisé Village no longer had to pay him protection fee. Xiao Long hurried to ask Picasso what had happened.

"Oh, a group from the Arc Magic Federation happened to pass by and took care of it. They wiped out the bandits completely, Mr. Xiao Long."

Picasso replied cheerfully in the same dining room. This time, however, the elderly man used the money saved from not paying protection fees to treat Xiao Long instead.

"Well, that’s really good news."

Xiao Long found himself in a difficult position when one of the three major federations became involved like this. His leader had strictly ordered him to avoid conflicts with other major federations at all costs. Even though he was hurt that the Gamma Mörser cannon he had obtained from a boss hunt, which had cost him over one hundred million, was stolen, and Purple Spider had disappeared without a trace, and now Black Bear had been captured and made a slave of the village.

"And what about Ms. Inari?"

Xiao Long still vividly remembered the most attractive woman he had ever met, thinking it would still be worth it if he could have her by his side.

"Oh, she has already set out on a journey with the Arc Magic Federation."

Picasso replied exactly as Inari had instructed him to say.

"In that case, the Shield and Sword Federation must have completed their mission in Erisé Village. I'll take my leave now."

Xiao Long harbored a deep grudge against the Arc Magic Federation for taking everything away from him. But no matter, he would pretend to withdraw now and wait for a new band of bandits to attack the village before coming back to demand protection fees again. As he finished speaking, he walked out of the restaurant, but before he could step out the door, the owner approached him to settle his bill first.

"The total on your account comes to 356,000 Ryo."

"What the heck!!!"

Xiao Long was shocked by the astronomical food bill. For him, the Erisé Village had already cost him nearly 150 million, not to mention the big cannon, the bandits' weapons and armor, the cost of building the tower, and even the high-level ammunition crafting manual which sold for nearly 20 million. He hoped that a new band of bandits would help him recoup his investment.

After that, Xiao Long set up a new band of bandits, hoping to plunder Erisé Village many more times. However, these bandits encountered a giant man with a scary face, wielding a large axe and wearing a pink apron, who led an army of over 150 people and defeated the bandits every single time.

Window: Status

Name

Möbius

Level, Occupation

35, Space Gunman

Health, Magic Power

1525/1525 ,1345/1345

Strength (Fire)

Speed (Wind)

Endurance (Earth)

Intelligence (Water)

Accuracy (Lightning)