Io and I were laughing our asses off. We were standing on a rock formation looking down on Toxic Donkey and the idiot team running away from the illusion I made. Toxic Donkey was screaming hysterically.

  The plan was that he would run into the idiot party with this thing chasing him. Now he was aware of it being an illusion so he tried to fight it with the idiot party. What he doesn’t know is that my illusions come quite close to reality so they soon discovered that running was a better option. And it seems Toxic Donkey forgot that he’s dealing with an illusion.

  “Hahaha! Look at his face!” Io was clutching her stomach and rolling on the rocky floor. I had added some ‘improvements’ to the mimic.

  Toxic Donkey dodged another laser. The idiot team was missing some members but that was not my problem. They were all too busy dodging the mimic’s attacks to notice. All the illusions attacks missed and sent sand flying everywhere. I might have to use [Fade] after our plan is successful because Kyle might not take this well.

  They finally spotted the boat/dungeon, got excited and ran at it.

  Let’s go Io

  I grabbed her with my tail and short range teleported to our ship. The idiot team ran in and got directed to the hold of the ship.

  Toxic Donkey jumped on deck. “Agnis I’m going to kill you!”

  Can you do that after we escape from that mimic?

  “That’s your illusion right!”

  Can you do that after we escape this nightmare island?

  “Ugh, sure, so how do we get through that storm?”

  Anyone has explosives?

  “Ooh ooh! Pick me! I have something good! I have [Explosive Dragon Egg!]”

  I looked at Toxic Donkey.

  Uhhm are you sure that blowing up your children is a good idea?

  “It’s not a real egg! Io tell him!”

  “It’s a real egg! A really explosive egg!”

  “Io!”

  Ugh, get a room, so we can use that to launch ourselves through the storm?

  Io nodded. “It’s on a delay though, it will stronger if you hit it before the timer is up!”

  Ohh so we can vent on that egg let’s do it!

  Toxic Donkey used his weak [Fireballs], I used dust explosions and Io used fire [Dragonbreath] to charge up the egg.

  “It will explode soon!”

  Io started running back to the ship and we followed. I made a megaphone with frost magic.

  Ladies, gentlemen and other life forms, this is Captain Agnis speaking. We will have an explosive departure in several seconds, please keep your limbs and tails within the vehicle and fasten your seatbelts!”

  “But there are no seatbelts!”

  Good point random adventurer! In that case just hold on to anything!

  The adventurers scrambled to find something to hold on. The egg exploded and sent the boat flying, it also took a large part out of the island. What a violent explosion. I wonder if Io can teach me that, probably not. I directed my attention to the storm ahead and used [Hurricane Path] to get us through. Another turbulent 30 seconds but this time it was quite easy.

  Ladies, Gentlemen and other lifeforms, this is Captain Agnis speaking to you again! As you all know, what goes up, must go down! If you don’t have any seatbelts on, this might be the time. The landing will be…ugly. Good luck!

  I froze myself to the ship as it made its descent to the ocean.

  “Agnis! I swear I will kill you one day!” Toxic Donkey screamed as he was holding on to Io who was holding on to the mast. How cute…

  Wow rude! You were on board with this idea too!

  “I changed my mind!”

  I was limited in movements because I froze my feet to the ship but I managed get some in to make our landing less ugly.

  A shockwave went through the ship as everything that wasn’t attached to the ship got launched up. Oceanwater splashed over the deck, people screamed but we were alive. Everyone was in distress except Io, who was laughing. “That was fun!”

  Nobody of value had been lost. Everyone had abided by the safety rules and we could depart for the Aquini Kingdom. But first!

  I pointed at the sky above the shitty nightmare island.

  Hasta la vista shitty island!

  A magic circle flashed behind me and the sky above the storm started to redden.

  Toxic Donkey looked up to the sky. “Did you… actually use [Meteor] on that island?”

  Yup!

  “Can you cast another one on my behalf? I have sand inside my underwear, I need a tailor from Jarn to fix my donkey suit…”

  I nodded and casted another [Meteor] on Toxic Donkey’s behalf.

  “Ohh so pretty! Hey what about the people we left behind there?”

  Toxic Donkey and I looked at Io who asked a strange question.

  Toxic Donkey frowned. “Did we leave people behind there?”

  “Yes, I think 3 of the idiots stayed behind for some reason.” Io said as she was admiring the descending [Meteors]

  Uhm, occupational hazard! Let’s try to get home first!

  “Uhh yeah!”

  The [Meteors] dropped down and wiped the nightmare island off the map. Large waves rocked the ship but we were far enough.

  “Whoa that is wild! So, you can also use [Meteor]!”

  Uhh yeah, you can’t?

  “Not everyone can manifest his hate for sand by dropping meteors. But ehh what is that there?” Toxic Donkey asked as he pointed at something swimming below the surface at us.

  Oh, I guess the mimic is coming to say good bye to us.

  “This might be a wild idea but I think it might be angry at me. I used a lot of [Wild Claws] at its stomach.”

  Nah he is angry at me because I dumped mustard and peppers in its stomach.

  “Who cares who it’s angry at! Do something!” Toxic Donkey yelled and started throwing poisonous daggers at it but something told me they were ineffective.

  Useless donkey.

  He torned around and I dodged a poisonous dagger.

  Ok ok I will do something! Wild Fang, want to surf?

  Wild Fang used his water magic to make his surfboard and nodded. It looked more refined than I remembered.

  I’ll take that as a yes. Toxic Donkey, can you surf?

  “Of course not!”

  Useless donkey.

  “I will carry Kyle!” Io grabbed Kyle, jumped off the ship and turned into a dragon. I jumped off the ship and so did Wild Fang. My tail used [Waterfall] and created waves so Wild Fang could surf toward the vengeful mimic.

  “I have never fought a mimic like this! Got any wild ideas?”

  We sink it!

  “Sink it?”

  Sink it!

  “It can swim… quite wildly.”

  We’ll just punch it full of holes. I got an idea. I will use [Tsunami] ride the wave and do some damage to it. I will first trap it so it can’t attack our ship.

  My tail used [Tsunami] and sent Wild Fang at the mimic. He created enormous claws made out of water and started clawing away in a frenzy. What a crazy dude. But reliable. Toxic Donkey was flinging poisonous daggers from Io’s back but it didn’t seem to do much.

  I shifted stance and used [Water Dragon Festival] and [Ice Dragon Festival]. The ice dragons would create a spherical cage around the mimic and the water dragons would be used as water roads for me to [Waterfall] on or for Wild Fang to surf on.

  Hehe don’t underestimate someone who has trained in the ocean!

  The ocean around the mimic got filled with [Ice Mines] which slowed it down. It was sending water blasts everywhere but its accuracy was quite poor as Io evaded those easily. I won’t get hit by those and Wild Fang had mastered the art of surfing.

  Toxic Donkey! You’re doing 0 damage!

  “Shut up! I’m working on it!”

  How much poison do you have?

  “Enough to give this thing a toxic bath!”

  I flashed a smile. I have an idea!

  Some water dragons split up and flew outside the cage of ice dragons and their color darkened a bit.

  Can your poison handle water? Dump all of it in those dark dragons!

  “Some can!” Toxic Donkey said as he took an insane amount of poison out of his donkey suit.

  I forgot that that suit has a storage capacity that rivals dimensional pockets. Jarn technology at its finest. I sent out multiple clones to draw primal runes. I would use the move that I used on tomato goddes but on a smaller scale. The water lasers that would assault it would be filled with Toxic Donkey’s poison though.

  Wild fang! Take some distance from the mimic!

  “Can you create an opportunity for me to use [Wild Dive v2.0]?“

  Uhh after this attack, you might want to climb on Io, I’ll send you up.

  A water dragon picked him up and sent him to Io. The primal runes were set.

  Magara surgyatii chet avadii, nankale padet-shawi idac manalis pralux punarum. Magara surgyatii chet avadii, nankale svasare-shawi idac manalis vayer punarum. Avagadumm ade andhyssus akrankabi-shawi idac abhimabus pratura ii naeter.

  The water climbed up and closed around the cage. The primal runes glowed and toxic lasers shot at the mimic from all directions. The mimic screeched and its body started to corrode.

  “Wild fang! Look there its core! This is your chance!” Toxic Donkey used Io’s shadow and the shadow of my dragons to [Shadow Bind] the mimic. Wild Fang jumped down and started spinning and spinning. I bet this is his [Wild Dive 2.0] I don’t think anything wants to get hit by that. I moved the toxic water away from his target and he dove while spinning into the core. The mimic screeched even louder and bits and pieces of the mimic flew around. I started to freeze it so it couldn’t resist. A large surge of arcane magic and I noticed that Wild Fang had drilled his way through the mimic and had entered the ocean below. The mimic stopped moving.

  I used [Surface Flip] to get Wild Fang back up because he was quite deep underwater.

  “Whoa thanks for that! That was wilder than I expected!”

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  Damn bro you one shot it!

  I gave him a fist bump. Io picked both of us up and we returned to the ship where Healerguy was waiting for us. “That was very reckless of you 4!”

  “Oh come on Healerguy! It had to happen!” Toxic Donkey protested.

  “We would have been wildly in trouble if the mimic got to us!”

  Maybe Healerguy liked it in the mimic’s stomach.

  The four of us laughed but Healerguy didn’t like that joke. He kept nagging and complaining about his duties as a healer.

  The rest of day 1 on our way back was uneventful. Healerguy just wouldn’t shut up though. He was convinced that I am a natural disaster because I dropped 2 [Meteors] on the island.

  The next day started bad.

  “Hey Agnis! So, I was thinking about how I called you a natural disaster yesterday and it reminded me of a story I read when I was young.”

  Uhh ok?

  “So, I found something very interesting, it’s a story about the Calamity Trio. I knew that your last name sounded familiar, moreover the ones of your friends too. Hourai, Sheru and Torai, those are the last names of the Calamity trio and the same last names of team Hourai!”

  Oh, wow look at that what a coincidence! Who would have thought!

  “Incidentally they too were considered to be natural disasters.”

  Come on Healerguy, you’re a man of science do you really believe those myths and fairytales?

  “Science can’t support anything I know about you so that’s not a very good argument there…”

  Well, the three of us are big fans of them too! That’s why we named ourselves at them!

  “Giana is a nine tailed spirit fox, she is very fond of you and even seems to know you from when she was still young and she did say something about having met the Calamity Trio, I might have to ask her more about that.”

  Healerguy was starting to get on my nerves, how nosy is this guy? And Giana what are you doing! Of all the people to talk about Hourai, this is the last person that should know!

  “I will keep an eye out on you.”

  So nosy!

  I had to endure his occasional glares. I also had to keep hiding in [Fade] because Toxic Donkey was out to kick my ass. Not many sea monsters attacked us since the mimic. Maybe they didn’t like their mana getting sapped while so close to [Boat Magic].

  Toxic Donkey was showing off why he was called Toxic Donkey. That was a lie, he is named like that because of the vice president and me but he was corroding the sea monsters like it was nothing. I continued to steer the ship while still being hidden. I’m sure he would ‘miss’ with some of his daggers and hit me.

  It was smooth sailing until the end of the day. Toxic Donkey had cooled down and I was sitting next to him looking at the night sky.

  Hey Kyle, do you have a map on you?

  He took out a map and showed it to me and I put a cross on it. We were sailing over that spot, which is how I remembered.

  Deep down even under the ocean floor, there is an enormous city. That’s where I lost track of Thalia.

  “You really went out of your way to look for her, didn’t you?” I

  did but it wasn’t enough. I…I haven’t looked for her after that.

  Feelings of powerlessness and regret washed over me. I had tried my best when I went through those underwater caves but that was the only instance. I can’t honestly say that I did my best after that.

  “Don’t be too hard on yourself. I might make fun of you but I know you have a lot to deal with. Let me and Io take this upon us, I knew Thalia too, it was short but we had a great time.” We both sighed.

  I should have stopped her when she said she would go look for immortality. This quest for immortality tends to have a 100% mortality rate.

  The water became restless and an enormous fishlike sea monster appeared. It was known to gulp down whole ships but it also liked to gulp down sunken treasures so dealing with this thing was a double-edged sword. You would either end up as its next meal or defeat it and get potentially rich. I wasn’t in the mood for this. It tried to swallow us when I threw all of my Secret Weapon #2 in its gaping mouth.

  It made a strange sound and vomited the contents of its stomach on deck.

  Ugh, that might have been a terrible idea…

  I looked at a small pile of golden coins and accessories that had been vomited up, a lot of metal weapons and several skeletons. I collapsed to my knees.

  Kyle… never mind. I’ve found Thalia…

  Most skeletons looked unimpressive but one had an armband stuck between the ulna and radius bones but it also had a necklace tightly wrapped around its neck. The fish monster started some bullshit but I had enough of its antics. I sent a shadow clone at it and it used [Vaporize] on the monster and it disappeared.

  “What… what do you mean?” The other adventurers were disgusted by the vomit but gathering the treasure. I walked over to the familiar skeleton and pushed an adventurer away that tried to loot it. I carefully removed the necklace.

  Kyle look. This is the necklace I signed for her.

  I cleaned the back of the necklace.

  “It’s your signature and a strange scribble… a Hourai ruby necklace… the one she used to wear…” Toxic donkey collapsed to his knees.

  Not like this. Wasn’t she supposed to become immortal?

  “I…I don’t know.”

  Healerguy came over. I showed him the necklace I had given Thalia. There wasn’t much he could do to the half-digested skeleton but he identified it as a 20 or 21-year-old female. She had been dead for 4 or 5 years…

  This is my fault. Everyone around me dies or disappears. First Esher, then Jeremiah, then Greg, Raishin and Elliana and now Thalia. Everyone who gets close to me just disappears… Toxic Donkey… sever ties with me. I don’t want to have your corpse float up next.

  “This can’t possibly be all your fault people just die… that’s how it always has been.”

  Kyle please… I can’t lose more people…

  “I lost someone too you know! I also knew Thalia!”

  Then why aren’t you blaming me!?

  “Why does it have to be your fault?”

  Then whose fault is it!?

  “I don’t know…”

  Io, next time he forgets about me, don’t remind him.

  I used [Fade] and went to a quiet corner and kept looking at the necklace. I should have put more effort into looking for her. She might have still been alive. This is like I told Raishin and the chicks from the university. Associating with humans will only lead to problems when they inevitably die. Yet here I am being a hypocrite and associating with humans and setting myself up for this. I don’t want to feel like this and nobody deserves to die like this.

  The primal rune I had carved in the back of the necklace was worn out. It probably backfired on Thalia. Instead of a swift death it tried to protect her, prolonging her suffering. She must have cursed me as that happened. And she had all the right as I deserved it. I sighed.

  I didn’t have time for any of this. I can feel shitty as much as I want but it’s not going to bring her back. I need to learn from this and get my buddies back as soon as possible. Yet… I can’t find the motivation or energy to do so. Am I really this weak? What is the point in sending a god packing if I can’t even keep my friends alive?

  This all gave me the same feeling as to when the Great Tear appeared. I’m just wishing that this all is a very nasty nightmare and I will wake up any moment. But just like that time, I was wide awake. Going to sleep and staying asleep sounds very attractive now at least my nightmares will be more pleasant than reality.

  I didn’t even feel as if I have the right to be sad, upset, or feel grief for her death. I didn’t do anything to prevent it. I started to wonder why people seek immortality. I am 24 years old and my life is already this shit. Do people want to spend an eternity in this? Sure, most humans have a better life than me but… the longer you live, the more likely it is that bullshit like this happens. They could go for the short yet sweet but they rather go for the bitter and eternal. I could at least take sour, but this isn’t sour, this is bitter.

  The title Healerguy had given me floated up. ‘Tragic’ might be accurate but I’m no hero. I’m more like a villain.

  I zapped myself. No more self-pity. I have to get these people home and get my buddies back. I fought against my lack of motivation for 20 minutes, used [Blood and Thunder] to zap myself and killed off my emotions. I got out of [Fade].

  Guys, we’re going home.

  I shifted my stance and used [Water Dragon Dance] and [Waterfall] to get us back to dry land. It was exhausting but I ignored the exhaustion.

  It was noon and the port was noisy. We had arrived earlier than expected. I dispelled the illusions and the idiots noticed they were in the ship. They had a lot to say but I didn’t care.

  “You must think you got us eh? Humiliating us and barring our achievements?” Sandy accused me of something stupid.

  Whatever you think, I don’t care.

  “Ha! Do you now? You took away my achievements, how about I take something that’s yours?”

  Go ahead, I’ve lost a lot, what’s losing a bit more gonna do.

  “Hehe then I’ll help myself to your woman!”

  I raised an eyebrow. I have a woman? That’s a first.

  “Giana is yours, right? I have met her before, she’s everything a man can dream of. We even had a nice chat after I met up with her after one of her concerts!”

  She’s not mine, she is her own person, I’m not in possession of her nor do I claim her.

  “Acting cool, eh? What about this then?! It’s from their last performance of their tour which happened a day before we departed!” He showed me his tablet. It was a video of them finishing their concert and getting a lot of love.

  Looks like a regular concert to me.

  “It’s not finished you dumbass.” Then the host of the concert asked them what they would do next. I got shivers through my spine as they said that yhey would become adventurers and Giana openly confessed to be in love with the Silver Torrent.

  This idiot… Why…

  “So, I will be taking her from you, have fun dying alone asshole!”

  They walked away. I will have more hate mail now. That’s fine, it will be a problem if they send assassins. I wanted to blame her for being careless but I couldn’t. I accepted that this is how my race is.

  Hey Healerguy, do you mind if I send her off? She was a good friend of mine.

  “See her off? Agnis she is already dead.”

  “Hey Silver Torrent I’m wildly sorry for your loss.”

  It’s fine and thank you. Healerguy, please.

  Healerguy gestured to a Golden Angel which brought Thalia’s remains which were wrapped in cloth.

  I know I told you to sever ties with me Toxic Donkey but will you join me in seeing her off tonight?

  “Sure…”

  “Hey, I might not know her but do you mind if I tag along? She seemed to have been wildly important to the two of you.”

  Sure, Wild Fang. I want you to keep what you see a secret though.

  “Leave it to me! nothing will slip through my wild fangs!”

  I forced a smile and I received Thalia’s remains and went with Toxic Donkey, Io and Wild Fang to a spot in the jungle. It was just the 4 of us. I found a good spot where I could see the sky.

  “So, we might have met only recently but do you mind telling me about her?”

  You forgot to add ‘wild’ in your sentence and to you it might be short but we’ve known each other for a while. Thalia was… My first love and probably my last and I'm not even sure it was love, it might have been infatuation or lust.

  “Hey come on Agnis, this wasn’t your fault, you don’t have to be like this. Io and I still think that you would benefit from a girlfriend.”

  “Yeah! Look at Kyle and me! we’re a dream team!” Io said as she gave Kyle an embarrassing hug.

  Well, I slowly started to think that getting one would be a good idea. My friend Raishin wouldn’t shut up about it but now… Everything around me turns to shit. I would drag a chick into this life of mine. I must really hate her to do that to her.

  “Wow dude, that sounds heavy but what if a chick is wildly in love with you and doesn’t care about that?”

  Well, Toxic Donkey can confirm. I am very likely to kick the bucket. I’ll be surprised to be still alive in 10 or 15 years. Besides that, other thing I said. I don’t want to leave a sad chick behind. My race isn’t doing so great and there is a good reason for that.

  “Oh... I’m wildly sorry to hear that…”

  I got up as twilight had arrived. It’s time.

  The sun had set and I got all my tails out.

  “Whoa this is wild! You’re just like that idol, Giana!”

  Yup. Our population is close to hitting the double digits. Toxic Donkey, can you unwrap the cloth? I will show you guys how we 9t send off the deceased.

  Toxic Donkey unwrapped Thalia and looked away after seeing up close what was left of her. I had my tails create 9 foxfires which surrounded the remains and carried it up while engulfing it in colorful foxfires and everyone followed the ascending foxfires with their eyes.

  “Whoa that’s pretty.”

  “This is wild…”

  “Hey teach me this colorful fire too!”

  “Io not now…”

  I’m sorry Thalia. I should have done my best a bit more when I said goodbye to you in Gittrian. Or just have done more of my best in general.

  Toxic Donkey put his hand on my shoulder and we all looked at the floating foxfires that had climbed high into the sky. More colors appeared and they had a bright and flashy explosion.

  Until we meet again…

  Nobody knew what to say.

  I won’t force you three, this is just a polite request. If you like staying alive…cut ties with me. I will still treat you how I’ve always did if you refuse to. Just… don’t let me have to send any of you off like this.

  I tried to keep tears back but I failed. It wasn’t just for Thalia but for everyone I had lost. Thalia wasn’t the first one and unfortunately won’t be the last one. Toxic Donkey and Wild Fang were being bros and Io was quiet, which was quite rare.

  Wild Fang and Toxic Donkey kept looking at my 3rd and 4th tails which had bandages and my 5th tail which was wearing Thalia’s necklace. I had put Thalia’s necklace around my tail as to remind myself that half-assed measures get people killed. They probably wanted to comment or ask questions but they didn’t.

  Thank you guys... I’m fine now. I don’t have the luxury of staying in these things for long. I got work to do.

  We walked back to Alledra and parted ways. It was time to stop being lazy and slacking. I got up and poured mana into the probes. It was time to get Greg, Raishin and Elliana back.

  ?