Duran

'Your cunning is nothing because my strength is absolute!'

*Duran - Frequents the various battlefields of Luxium*

*A mercenary of BlackFlame City.*

*A one-man-army mercenary who won countless battles, but at what cost?*

## Intro

Mercenary is a popular profession in Blackflame City. It lets loose the thirst for blood that's in everyone, and it pays amazingly well. Infamous fugitives, hooligans on the streets, or even veterans want to get a piece of the action, but with high income comes high risk. The annual survival rate of Blackflame mercenaries has never been higher than 20%, and a 5-year survival rate is a paltry 2%. But just like every piece of statistics, there are bound to be outliers...

Colonel Duran is the most famous mercenary in Blackflame, having been in almost 10,000 battles of all sizes over 18 years. What's more, he has never lost in any of them. Those who fought alongside him once said, 'If he's on your side, he's as dependable as a mountain; If he's on the other side, he's a... calamity...' Some say that Duran is a rare Gyee with the blood of the beasts, and some say he's actually a man-eating wraith from the void. In any case, he is a legend in Blackflame City.

But in fact, Duran, with a full beard, a battle-hardened face, a worn beret and his bulging muscles, is a manly and handsome man. Like all the other Blackflame mercenaries, he goes to the bar whenever he has free time. His go-to drink is the 'Crimson Heartbeat' from a deserted bar tucked away in Blackflame City. Sometimes he stares at his glass until the sun comes up.

Lately, Duran looks like he's bored. But on the other hand, for a man who has come close to death so many times, what can get him excited?

### Forming a Pact

**Duran's rarity:** SSR

**Max Epiphany without Illumination:** Level 6

The player can form a pact with Duran by the following methods:

* Starter Summon
	+ Use 28 Heart Stones to add this Gyee to the Starter Summon pool.
* Limited Summon
	+ You can form a pact with Duran by summoning him on his limited-time banner.

## Skills

### Basic

**Skill Level**
1. 82%
2. 89%
3. 96%
4. 103%
	+ Increases Formation Breaker's DMG by 30%.

*Unlock with Rainbow Skin*
* **Mega Air Pump**
	+ In PVE battles, casting normal attack Formation Breaker will inflict self Pressure Boost; casting City Destroyer will recover extra 40 Rage; casting Earth Breaker will deal extra damage due to the skill's damage times, and each extra damage is equal to P.ATK \*100%. After casting Earth Breaker, if self holds Pressure Boost, then refresh the cooldown of City Destroyer. After casting Earth Breaker, if target holds 5 stacks of Disaggregation, then inflict 5 stacks of Disaggregation to all enemies. Within 3 rounds when battle begins, reduces self's Hatred caused by DMG and healing effects by 100%. Removes the effect when defeated.
		- Pressure Boost: While the effect is active, increases self's damage dealt by 20%. Cannot be stacked up. Cannot be dispelled. Lasts 3 rounds.

### Advanced

* [Smash]: reduces the character's healing received by 75%, and reduces the character's damage dealt by 30%. Lasts 2 rounds and cannot be dispelled.

**Skill Level**
1. 110%
2. 120%
3. 130%
4. 140%
	+ Increases Formation Breaker's DMG by 20%.
* **Overweight Hammer**
	+ Inflicts [Dilapidation] on the main target.
		- [Dilapidation]: Increases the character's DMG taken from Earth Breaker by 15%. Lasts 2 rounds and cannot be purified.

### Ultimate

* [Disaggregation]: A Bleed effect. The character takes DMG equal to ATK\*40% before taking action every round, stacking up to 5 times. Lasts 3 rounds and can be purified.

**Skill Level**
1. 136%
2. 147%
3. 158%
4. 169%
	+ Increases Earth Breaker's DMG by 15%.
* **Absolute Domination**
	+ When the target has [Dilapidation], ignores Block and attacks 1 more time.
* **Overlord of Power**
	+ Inflicts [Disintegration] on the target.
		- [Disintegration]: Increases DMG taken over time by 30%. Lasts 2 rounds and cannot be purified.

### Mastery

* [Plan β]: An HP Lock effect. When taking fatal DMG, gains death immunity 1 time and removes all stacks of [Hammer Supercharge]. Every 1 stack removed restores 20% HP for self. Cannot be dispelled. This effect conflicts with other [HP Lock] and [Ablaze] effects.

## Imprint

### Basic Engraving

* Valor Engraving (MaxHP +1.92% per Engraving level)
	+ Each engraving level requires I.N. Flux - Wood x120 and Gold x25,000

### Imprint Skill

The following Imprint Skill can be equipped on other Gyees and Avatars once unlocked.

* Devastate lasts 22 rounds, does not stack. Cannot be dispelled. Removed when defeated.
	+ After using an active skill, gains 1 stack of Valiance.
	+ Before Devastate is removed, restores 50% of max HP.
* Valiance lasts until the end of the battle, stacking up to 3 times. Cannot be dispelled. Removed when defeated.
	+ Each stack increases speed by 20% and attack by 8%.
	+ Becomes immune to Stun at 3 stacks of Valiance.
	+ Becomes immune to death once after taking fatal damage with 3 stacks of Valiance. Removes Devastate and all stacks of Valiance.
	+ Does not stack with other Blood Lock or Death Immunity effects.

## Intimacy

### Date Choices

Dates will give either 500, 700, or 900 intimacy points depending on the choice selected.

* **Glory - What did the legendary merc Duran experience in his youth?**
	+ **Cue:** Which part do you want to know?
		- Duran's childhood...
		*900 Intimacy*
		- Duran's youth...
		*900 Intimacy*
		- Duran's early years as a mercenary...
		*900 Intimacy*

* **Trend - Duran received an invitation from the Rupor Show one day…**
	+ **Cue:** Is the way I dress... fashionable?
		- Maybe Rupor filled in the wrong information...
		*700 Intimacy*
		- How would you know if you don't try?
		*500 Intimacy*
		- Fashion is in the future!
		*900 Intimacy*

* **Arms - There seems to be something hidden inside the massive 'Duran II'...**
	+ **Cue:** Maybe you can give me some inspiration.
		- Increase the volume ratio of the dynamic generator...
		*900 Intimacy*
		- Modify it to be a rocket launcher?
		*900 Intimacy*
		- No idea...
		*700 Intimacy*

### Intimacy Blocks

To reach Intimacy levels 7 and 11, Duran needs mementos (found in Darkflux Raid), reiki (found in Extreme Fight or Arcana Tracker), and the following block item:

* **Intimacy Level 7**
	+ S·Vintage Spirit
		- Black rock spirits from 18 years ago. As the base spirit of many cocktails, black rock is very popular among people in Red Harbor and BlackFlame City. The most famous cocktail is the 'Crimson Heartbeat' which is unique in BlackFlame City.
		For intimacy breakthrough with Duran, can be obtained through Extreme Fight.
* **Intimacy Level 11**
	+ Old Beret
		- An old-fashioned beret but apparently well taken care of. The inside of the beret is sewn with the name, 'Colonel Duran'.
		For intimacy breakthrough with Duran, can be obtained through Extreme Fight.

### Basic Drink Preferences

 50% bonus

 25% bonus

 25% bonus

 50% bonus

*Note: All blended drinks have a base preference bonus of 25% that can be modified by the drink's attributes.*

### Gift Preferences

**50% bonus**

**25% bonus**

**No bonus**

### Views

Unlock views by leveling the intimacy of other gyees.

* **Voh**: Colonel Duran? You outta your f\*\*king mind? The whole BlackFlame City will be your enemy if you make him an enemy!
*Voh's Intimacy reaches Lv.2 to unlock*
* **Kong**: This old man got good muscles, and a good brain! He always knew every time I raided... Um, I mean, every time his enemy played tricks! He's the only one stronger than me in the whole BlackFlame City! Well, even so, he's only a bit stronger. I'll beat him one day.
*Kong's Intimacy reaches Lv.6 to unlock*
* **Turing**: Mr. Duran is an amazing mechanic. The cylindrical kinetic energy generator he makes can crush the hardest rocks easily. If it can be put into mass production, the mining industry of Luxium will be completely changed.
*Turing's Intimacy reaches Lv.6 to unlock*
* **Antonio**: Colonel Duran is the toughest merc in the BlackFlame City, and the gentlest one. Don't be fooled by his wild look. You'll see how polite he is when you talk to him. He comes to my place for a drink from time to time. Normally such a tough and nice guy must have a lot of friends... but he's always alone. Maybe... there's a reason?
*Antonio's Intimacy reaches Lv.8 to unlock*
* **Young Mercenary**: There was a time I failed a mission, got injured and lost all my gears... When I thought I was done for, it was Colonel Duran who gave me money for medicines and new gears. I wish I could pay him back one day!
* **BlackFlame City Guild**: Everyone in the BlackFlame City knows Colonel Duran. You wanna buy him a drink? Get outta the door, turn right and get into the queue. You only have to wait about a year if you move now...
* **Pub Owner**: Colonel Duran is our regular customer. He comes here for a drink every day as long as he's in the city. The pub would've been closed if it weren't for him.
* **BlackFlame City Rumor #046**: Colonel Duran can't tie shoelaces!

## Scripts

### Consolation Letter

I'm Duran! If you get this reply ASAP! I need to know your situation!

I found the client who hired those killers, but this client is just a hired hand, they don't know anything either! But I have other leads, I'm looking into it now. Don't leave Never Isle for the time being, we can't rule out the possibility of you being targeted as well. If you see anyone suspicious do not engage, notify me ASAP! I don't want you to get inured again! Last thing, the bottle of wine you gave me got shattered in the chaos, sorry!

Over! Duran out.

### Bath Drama

* Hey! Don't bring my belt in here! The grenades will be useless if they get wet!
* Phew! Finally get to relax a little!
* This place... it's a little cramped...

### Fave Hottie Slogan

How about a glass of Crimson Heartbeat? Before, my heartbeat used to symbolize my torturous life. Now, my heart races when you vote for me, haha!

### Intimacy Breakthrough

**This section contains spoilers for Intimacy Breakthrough scenes.**

**-Intimacy Level 4**

*Note: Please read Trifle - Shadow of the Past (unlocked at Intimacy Level 2) before continuing*
*In a bar in BlackFlame City...*
**Duran**: Oh, it's you...
**Duran**: Player... Right...
**Duran**: I thought I told you to forget about becoming a mercenary!
**Duran**: You are smart and capable, go get a proper job!
**Duran**: You're not interested in becoming a mercenary?
**Duran**: Then?
**Duran**: You are interested in me?!
**Duran**: Hahaha ha ha haha!
*Duran finishes his drink in one gulp...*
**Duran**: That's even worse than becoming a mercenary!
**Duran**: Kid... Don't get too close to me...
**Duran**: People who get too close to me...
**Duran**: Don't usually end well.
*Duran gets up and leaves the bar...*

**-Intimacy Level 5**

*A street corner in BlackFlame City...*
*A wounded young mercenary is standing in front of Duran...*
**Duran**: What happened to you?
**Young mercenary**: There's nothing I could do. There were huge monsters beyond the scope of the job. I couldn't beat them at all...
**Young mercenary**: I tried my best to escape, but it still gave me this slash.
**Duran**: Well, at least you didn't die.
**Duran**: Take the money and go see a doctor. You are still young. Get it treated before it becomes a complication.
**Duran**: Get yourself some gear if there's money left!
**Young mercenary**: Hehe, thank you, Mr. Duran!
*The young wounded mercenary leaves happily...*
**Duran**: Player, enough peeping!
**Player**: Haha... you noticed me.
**Duran**: Why are you in BlackFlame City again? This is not a place for you!
**Player**: Hey, how come you are so nice to the mercenary and so mean to me?
**Duran**: That kid is an orphan in BlackFlame City. Becoming a mercenary is the only way for him to live a better life.
**Duran**: But you are different!
**Player**: I didn't come to BlackFlame City on purpose. There's an Order of Equality mission that requires me to come to the Bull...
**Player**: I just bumped into you along the way.
**Duran**: The Bull? That bar is on the other side.
**Player**: What? The other side?
**Player**: Ughh...
**Duran**: I'll show you the way...
**Duran**: Be careful and don't get lost again.
**Player**: Thank you!
**Player**: Duran, you are such a kind man!
**Duran**: What did you say?
**Player**: Nothing.

**-Intimacy Level 6**

*In a boxing gym in BlackFlame City...*
*Duran is in front of a huge sandbag...*
**Duran**: ...
**Duran**: I don't like being watched when I'm training.
**Duran**: Sigh...
**Duran**: Looks like it's not realistic to ask you to stay away from me...
**Duran**: What can I do for you?
**Player**: I want you to teach me, Colonel Duran.
**Duran**: Teach you?
**Duran**: Your combat skill is quite good and your flux application ability is far beyond mine...
**Player**: You are just being modest, Colonel Duran...
**Player**: In a fight, you'll knock me out in seconds...
**Duran**: That's not incorrect.
**Duran**: Come on!
*Duran takes off his jacket...*
**Player**: Wow...
**Duran**: Punch me with your full strength!
**Player**: What?
**Duran**: Don't hesitate, use all your strength! Show me what you've got!
**Player**: Okay...
**Player**: I am gonna do it!
*You square off and punch Duran with all your strength...*
*However, it feels like you are punching an iron wall when your fist hits Duran.*
**Player**: Ouch!! My hand!!
**Duran**: Well... Nice movement, but not enough power...
**Player**: I thought I was quite strong...
**Duran**: Your strength may be acceptable for an ordinary person, but as a warrior...
**Duran**: You still have a long way to go!
**Duran**: Keep training and eat at least two and a half kilograms of meat every day for 2 years...
**Duran**: You will have a qualitative breakthrough!
**Player**: Two and a half kilograms of... meat...

**-Intimacy Level 7**

*Late night, a bar in BlackFlame City...*
 *Duran's seated in the corner, drinking...*
**Duran**: Boss! Give me two Crimson Heartbeats!
**Bar Owner**: Okay!
**Bar Owner**: Duran, it's been what... eighteen years?
**Duran**: Huh?
**Bar Owner**: Apart from when you're out of town on a job...
**Bar Owner**: For eighteen years, you've been coming here for your two Crimson Heartbeats every night.
**Duran**: Because that's the only thing palatable in this hell hole of yours.
**Bar Owner**: Stop talking out of your ass...
**Bar Owner**: But, it's all thanks to you Colonel, that I've been able to stay open for this long.
**Duran**: Well, in the whole of BlackFlame City, you make the tastiest Crimson Heartbeat...
**Duran**: Speaking of which, give me two more!
**Bar Owner**: Hey, a couple of years ago you were only drinking one per day, how did it become four a day now?
**Duran**: ...
**Bar Owner**: I can tell you don't want to talk about it...
**Bar Owner**: Since you're in a bad mood, then the next two drinks are on the house!
*There comes the sound of somebody opening a door...*
**Bar Owner**: The bar's about to close! Come back tomorrow!
**Player**: Isn't there a customer here? I'm here for him!
**Duran**: Player?
**Bar Owner**: Oh, so it's a friend of Colonel Duran...
**Duran**: Who I've only met once on a job...
**Bar Owner**: That's what a friend is, great, your drinks are on the house!
**Player**: Then get me whatever Colonel Duran is drinking!
**Player**: Can you mix it with my own spirits?
**Bar Owner**: Your spirits? We don't do that here...
**Bar Owner**: This is?
**Bar Owner**: Aged Black Rock spirit!
**Player**: I don't know much about it...
**Bar Owner**: This is a very rare vintage spirit! No problem, I'll use it, this is going to be amazing!
**Player**: ...
*Player smiles*
*You sit next to Duran...*
*Duran takes a sip of his drink...*
**Duran**: How did you find this place?
**Player**: I asked someone I know in the Bloodoath.
**Duran**: Bloodoath huh... you really are quite well connected.
**Duran**: What do you want from me?
**Player**: Nothing really, I found a nice bottle of spirit. I don't know much about alcohol...
**Player**: Thought I'd bring it over to share.
**Duran**: There's no free lunch.
**Player**: Just look at it as the reward for teaching me those combat skills!
**Duran**: ...
**Bar Owner**: Here you are! Two special Crimson Heartbeats! Try it, they're delicious!
**Player**: Don't mind if I do!
*You take a tiny sip...*
*A powerful spiciness dominates your taste buds...*
**Player**: Ahem... ahem!
**Player**: What's this?
*Looking at you, Duran gives off a smirk...*
*He takes the glass, and takes a sip...*
**Duran**: !!!
**Duran**: ...
**Duran**: ...
**Duran**: Hmm...
**Player**: Is it no good?
**Duran**: No... it's amazing...
**Duran**: I just... suddenly remembered something...
**Bar Owner**: Do you want more? There's plenty!
**Duran**: No! Save it, I'll come back tomorrow!
**Bar Owner**: Okay, I'll keep this bottle for you! You come back tomorrow!
*Scene - A bar in BlackFlame City*
*A moment later, Duran gets up, ready to go home...*
**Duran**: That's a great spirit! Thank you, Player!
**Player**: I'm glad you like it...
**Player**: That Crimson Heartbeat really was too spicy, I couldn't take it.
**Duran**: Haha, when you get used to it, you'll realize there's sweetness under the spiciness.
**Duran**: When I was young, the chief who took me into the mercenary gang used to say...
**Duran**: If there's a heartbeat, it means you're alive; if you're alive, it means you're suffering...
**Duran**: Only those who can withstand the suffering and not be oppressed deserve to live.
**Duran**: For all those years, I have to drink a Crimson Heartbeat almost every night...
**Duran**: Maybe it's because only its spiciness can remind me... that I'm alive...
**Player**: ...
*Player smiles*
**Duran**: Okay! You've listened to my nonsense for long enough, time to hit the sack!
**Duran**: Young people shouldn't...
**Duran**: !!
**Duran**: ...
**Player**: What's wrong?
*Duran suddenly runs at Player, protecting him from a blast*
*After god knows how long...*
**Player**: (Why is it... so dark here?)
**Player**: (Where... was I?)
**Player**: (I remember... I was... in a bar...)
*You feel yourself being squeezed by something heavy...*
**Player**: (Was it an earthquake?)
*You feel around with both your hands...*
*Suddenly you touch something...*
*Like a bean buried in soft mud...*
*Right away, the massive thing pressing on you seems to give off a shudder...*
**Duran**: Oh... you're awake...
**Duran**: That was an emergency, so I acted.
*So it was Duran who was on top of you...*
**Duran**: Are you injured?
**Player**: I'm fine...
**Duran**: Can you stand up?
**Player**: Yeah!
*Fires rage in the bar*
**Player**: What... what happened?
*Duran and Player take cover behind some tables near the edge of the bar*
**Duran**: Quiet!
**Duran**: (Whisper) Clearly, someone wants to ambush me.
**Player**: !!
**A faint voice**: We threw in a burst arcana bomb and an incendiary arcana bomb!
**A faint voice**: No matter how tough he is, that Duran guy's got to be dead right?
**Player**: (Whisper) Duran, we have to get out of here!
**Duran**: (Whisper) There's only one way out of this bar, they must've set an ambush there already.
**Duran**: (Whisper) If we go out there now, it'll be suicide.
**Player**: (Whisper) But we're going to suffocate... in this fire!
**Duran**: (Whisper) Don't worry, this is the air intake on the edge of the bar, and the air outlet is in the middle...
**Duran**: (Whisper) The air current will keep the fire in the middle, we'll be safe here!
**Duran**: (Whisper) In a while, they'll come in here to look for my corpse...
**Duran**: (Whisper) When that time comes, we'll escape!
**Player**: (Whisper) Okay!
*A few moments later...*
*Just like Duran predicted, the mercenaries come in to look for him...*
**Mercenary A**: I say, a fire that big would have killed him for sure right?
**Mercenary B**: No way, we have to confirm Duran's death to get the reward! It's in the contract!
**Mercenary A**: Isn't that corpse at the door Duran's?
**Mercenary B**: No, no, Duran's a massive guy!
**Player**: (Whisper) They found a corpse!
**Player**: (Whisper) Was that... the bar owner?
**Duran**: (Whisper) Hmph...
**Duran**: (Whisper) It was my fault...
**Duran**: (Whisper) They will pay for this!
**Duran**: (Whisper) Let's go!
*In less than a minute, Duran knocks down all the mercenaries that entered the bar...*
**Duran**: Who sent you?
**Mercenary A**: You want me to talk? Forget it!
**Duran**: Then you should all die!
*Duran shatters a mercenary's head with a powerful stomp...*
**Mercenary B**: Yikes!! Don't kill me, please!
**Duran**: Talk! Who hired you?
**Mercenary B**: We don't know! We're new to this!
**Duran**: Oh? Stubborn huh?
*Duran crushes the mercenary's left arm...*
**Mercenary B**: Arghhhh!
**Duran**: You think death is the worst thing that can happen to you?
**Duran**: If you don't talk, I'll make you sit for the rest of your life!
**Mercenary B**: I'll talk! It's someone who dresses like a rich merchant!
**Mercenary B**: Called... Lafayette!
**Duran**: Would you lie to me?
**Mercenary B**: Eek!! No! No! Of course not! It really was a merchant called Lafayette!
**Duran**: Scram!
**Duran**: Tell them, I'm going to kill them all!
**Mercenary B**: Mon... monster!
*The mercenary escapes*
**Player**: You let them go?
**Duran**: Someone's got to deliver the message.
**Player**: Wouldn't that alert the merchant called Lafayette?
**Duran**: You have to shake the bush to scare the snake out!
**Duran**: Lafayette is only a fake name...
**Duran**: Lafayette means sparks in the language of the Northern Desert.
**Player**: Then, who's trying to kill you?
**Duran**: A lot of people want to kill me, but not many have the guts to do it.
**Duran**: Although I don't have any proof, I have an idea who gave the order.
**Duran**: I was going to forget about all that.
**Duran**: They have to make me remember that nightmare 18 years ago.
*It may be your imagination...*
*You feel the old warrior's eyes glow with a radiance you have never seen before...*
*Duran... is getting serious...*
**Duran**: Player, go home!
**Duran**: Don't come to BlackFlame City for the next few days, I'll deal with this.
**Player**: But...
**Duran**: It's for your own good.

**-Intimacy Level 8**

*BlackFlame City, boxing gym...*
*A broken sandbag is lying next to Duran's feet...*
*Duran notices you nearby...*
**Duran**: Why are you here again?
**Player**: I'm here to help!
**Duran**: Help? Help yourself then!
**Duran**: Get out of here!
**Player**: ...
**Duran**: Why are you still here?
**Duran**: The bar owner is six feet underground. Do you want to join him?
**Player**: Duran, you've saved my life twice. I can't stand here and do nothing when someone's trying to hurt you!
**Duran**: But next time! I won't be able to save you!
**Player**: Do you think I'd be scared?
**Duran**: ...
**Player**: Duran, you need help!
**Duran**: The killer's client has given himself away. Someone's going after them already!
**Player**: So let me guess, you got nothing...
**Duran**: !!
**Player**: Otherwise, you wouldn't be venting your anger on the sandbag!
**Duran**: ...
*Duran unclenches his fist...*
**Duran**: You are very observant.
*Duran walks towards a chair and sits down.*
*He signals you to sit next to him...*
**Duran**: I went to the client the next day after the bar was attacked...
**Duran**: Just as I feared, that client was just a puppet. He didn't know anything about the mastermind behind the scene.
**Player**: Are there any other clues right now?
**Duran**: The reason they want me dead is most likely related to that assignment...
**Duran**: The assignment to retrieve and escort the goods!
**Player**: What? But Kong and the other guys are not targeted...
**Duran**: Because I was the only one who asked about the incident 18 years ago that day.
**Duran**: Although I've investigated this lead, I couldn't find anything. The boss behind the scene is not so simple...
**Player**: Hm...
**Player**: That's... unbelievable...
**Player**: If it's about the goods retrieval assignment, I might know something...
**Duran**: Oh?
**Player**: Should we go... somewhere private?
**Duran**: Don't worry. I've known the boss of this boxing gym for a long time. People usually wouldn't come here.
**Player**: Good...
**Player**: I suspect the boss behind that assignment is the Shadowhunters!
**Duran**: ...
**Duran**: Well...
**Duran**: I see. That explains the saying 'not someone you mercenaries want to mess with'.
**Duran**: Player, do you have any evidence?
**Player**: Do you still remember the Thunder Research Center? It's a research institute under the Shadowhunters, which provides advanced weapons and equipment for the Shadowhunters!
**Duran**: Shadowhunters hired mercenaries to transport weapons for Shadowhunters...
**Duran**: It seems what happened 18 years ago has something to do with their suspicious behavior now...
**Duran**: That's why they want to silence me.
**Duran**: Thank you. Your information is very helpful!
**Duran**: I'll buy you a drink when this whole thing is over!
*With that, Duran runs out of the gym...*
**Player**: Duran... Wait a minute!
**Player**: (Are the Shadowhunters really behind this?)

**-Intimacy Level 9**

**Duran**: You gave me many things recently.
**Duran**: Food, clothes, and daily necessities...
**Duran**: Thank you very much. They are very useful.
**Duran**: I've been busy investigating the Shadowhunters lately. I haven't had time for buying groceries.
**Duran**: But other than the clothes and daily necessities which are useful, there's also a strange little toy...
*Duran takes out the Priapus's Statue...*
**Duran**: For example, this miniature male statue...
**Duran**: What is it for?
*Duran weighs the statue in his hand...*
**Duran**: Well... I guess it can be used as a blunt projectile.
**Duran**: With a bit of force, it can even crush the enemy's skull!
**Duran**: Haha, I see, so it's a weapon. Thank you!
**Duran**: What? Not a weapon?
**Duran**: An... ornament?
**Duran**: What do you mean?
**Duran**: Put it on a bookshelf or bedside?
**Duran**: But to put a statue of a stranger next to the bed...
**Duran**: Isn't it strange?
**Duran**: Well, if you have a statue of yourself, please give it to me...
**Duran**: I'll put that on my bedside!
**Duran**: At critical times I can even use it to take care of myself!
**Duran**: Why... are you blushing?

**-Intimacy Level 10**

*BlackFlame City where Duran's hiding...*
**Player**: Thank you! I brought you some food and energy drinks...
*Duran does not respond...*
**Player**: !!!
*You walk into Duran's room and find him bent over the desk...*
**Player**: Duran?
*You walk towards Duran. His breathing is steady, looks like he's asleep...*
*On the desk and the wall, there are documents about the Shadowhunters and the Thunder Research center everywhere...*
**Duran**: Zzz...zzz...
**Player**: He shouldn't have tired himself out like this...
**Player**: It's not worth getting sick!
**Player**: I better move him over to the bed. It's not comfortable to sleep like that...
*Duran is massive, you try carrying him on your back, on your front, and even try dragging him on the floor...*
*With a lot of effort, you finally move Duran to the bed...*
**Duran**: Zzz...Zzz...
**Player**: Phew... good thing I didn't wake him up...
**Player**: He's exhausted!
**Player**: Have a good rest!
*When you are about to get up, Duran suddenly grabs your hand...*
**Player**: !!
**Duran**: Colonel... Duran!
**Duran**: Don't go!
**Player**: Is he dreaming about me?
*You sit back down by the bed...*
**Duran**: !!
*Duran suddenly jumps up and gets into a fighting stance...*
**Player**: Duran?
*He looks around, when he realizes it is only you, he relaxes his guard...*
**Duran**: I fell asleep!
**Duran**: Did you carry me to the bed?
**Player**: Yes. You fell asleep leaning on the desk. It looks quite uncomfortable, so I...
**Duran**: Gees... As a mercenary, how could I fall asleep so defenselessly...
**Duran**: You are so useless! Duran!
**Player**: Duran, when was the last time you slept?
**Duran**: I don't remember. Maybe six or seven days ago.
**Player**: You haven't slept for six or seven days?!
**Player**: You'll die from a heart attack if you keep doing this!
**Duran**: I'm fine. I'm not going to rest before I find out who is behind the scene.
**Player**: Hey, if you die from lack of sleep, the person behind the scene will be very happy!
**Duran**: This is not just about me!
**Player**: I don't care what this is about. Your own life is the most important!
**Player**: You have to rest!
**Duran**: ...
*Duran looks at the documents on the desk and is about to get up...*
**Player**: At least take a nap for a few hours!
**Player**: The clues you collected won't disappear! I'll watch them!
**Duran**: ...
**Duran**: Okay. Thank you.
**Player**: You're welcome.
**Duran**: ...
*Duran removes his combat suit...*
*He collapses on the bed and falls asleep in no time...*
**Player**: ...
*Continue to Trifle - Sudden Thunder*

**-Intimacy Level 11**

*You got a letter from Duran...*
**Letter**: Player, do you remember the transport contract Floyd hired us for?
**Letter**: The delivery address is two kilometers to the north.
**Letter**: I'll meet you there!
**Player**: Duran!
*Scene - A desert*
*North of the Northern Desert...*
*Duran stands in front of a tombstone*
**Duran**: ...
**Player**: Duran?
**Duran**: Player.
**Player**: I've lost contact with you ever since we left the Thunder Arcana Research Center...
**Duran**: Sorry...
**Player**: I'm glad you're okay...
**Duran**: ...
**Player**: This is?
**Duran**: Here lies my old friend... and it is also where my past is buried.
**Duran**: ... My old friend's... tombstone, I come here every year...
**Duran**: I used to come here myself...
**Duran**: This is the first time I brought someone with me...
**Duran**: Eighteen years, I think even the guy lying down there is sick of seeing this old face of mine...
**Duran**: So I thought I'd let him meet someone new!
**Player**: 18 years?
**Player**: Is this...
**Duran**: This is the tombstone of my old chief...
**Duran**: The tombstone of Colonel Duran.
**Player**: Huh? Colonel... Duran?
**Player**: Then you...
**Duran**: Duran was the chief's name.
**Player**: !!
**Duran**: My original name is Archem...
**Duran**: I was born in a gang in BlackFlame City that doesn't exist anymore...
**Duran**: My parents were gangsters.
**Duran**: When I was 14, my parents died in a gang war, and I became an orphan. I drifted in the streets of BlackFlame City with my friends...
**Duran**: You know full well what BlackFlame City is like, it's tough place for an orphan to survive.
**Duran**: After being homeless for a few years, Colonel Duran found me. He let me join the mercenary group as an errand boy.
**Duran**: They say Duran was a Crossport city guard. He became a mercenary in BlackFlame City not long after leaving Crossport.
**Duran**: Back then, he liked calling himself the Colonel, after a while, we all started calling him Colonel Duran.
**Duran**: At the time, he had just started his mercenary gang, with no reputation, it was hard to get contracts...
**Duran**: But to me, the gang was my home...
**Player**: ...
**Duran**: Although as an errand boy I wasn't paid very much, and I didn't get to fight, the Colonel still treated me quite well...
**Duran**: No only did he give me food and shelter, he even taught me fencing and fighting, and he always said...
**Duran**: 'Kid you're obviously born to be a soldier! When you grow up, we'll fight together side by side!'
**Duran**: When I was 20 years old, which was 18 years ago... I officially became a soldier of the mercenary gang...
**Player**: 18 years ago...
**Duran**: When he died, I didn't want him to be forgotten, so I took his name.
**Player**: So you continued to be a mercenary for all these years, so you can make this name, Duran, into a legend?
**Duran**: 'Legend' is just what people call it, I never had that intention...
**Duran**: I don't fight because I want people to remember...
**Duran**: I fight to gain absolute strength, to become ever more powerful!
**Duran**: Although 18 years ago, we were betrayed by our client and got totally annihilated...
**Duran**: But in the end... it was because I was not strong enough...
**Duran**: I wanted to protect my brothers in arms, and not let this tragedy happen ever again!
**Player**: But Duran... No, Archem, you've already reached the top of the mercenary profession.
**Duran**: Top of the mercenary profession...ha! Maybe!
*Duran opens a bottle of wine, and spills some onto the tombstone...*
**Duran**: ...
**Duran**: Player, thank you!
**Player**: Thank me?
**Duran**: With your help, I've been able to find the reason to keep fighting!
**Duran**: Thank you can coming here with me, and listening to me ramble on...
**Player**: What do you mean by this?
**Duran**: Nothing...
**Player**: Duran, I've said it before, I'm not going to just stand here and watch you suffer! Let me join you!
**Player**: You need help!
**Duran**: You have helped me enough!
**Duran**: Don't worry, I'm simply letting go of my past!
*Duran starts to walk away*
**Player**: !!
*Choice 1.1 - (Watch Duran leave...)*
**Player**: ...
*Duran's massive silhouette slowly disappears into the wind...*
*As though he was never here...*
*Continue to Trifle - Raging Flame*
*Choice 1.2 - (Call out to Duran...)*
**Player**: Archem!
*Duran halted his pace...*
**Duran**: ...
*You embrace him from behind...*
**Duran**: !!
**Player**: Don't go...
**Duran**: ...
*Duran turns around to wrap his arms around you*
*His eyes have made everything clear...*
*He has made up his mind...*
*No one can stop him...*
**Duran**: I will return...
**Duran**: I promise you!
*Duran's massive silhouette slowly disappears into gailing wind...*
*As though he was never here...*
**Player**: ...
*Continue to Trifle - Raging Flame*

**-Intimacy Level 12**

*A few days after rescuing Duran from the Shadowhunters...*
*To avoid the Shadowhunter's search...*
*You stay at Duran's hiding place in BlackFlame City...*
*In the morning...*
*Duran stands at the door of the hiding place...*
*Lost in his own thoughts...*
**Player**: Duran! You're up already. How's your wound...
**Duran**: Don't worry. My wound is already healed!
**Player**: It's not completely healed yet!
**Duran**: I've been lying down for days. I need to stretch my legs!
**Duran**: Player, look at this, it just arrived...
*Duran hands you the newspaper...*
*So he was reading the newspaper...*
**Player**: Hm...
**Player**: 'Once again the Shadowhunters has defeated the Shadow and has returned to Luxium safe and sound...'
**Duran**: The Shadow crisis that had lasted for months has been resolved in just a few days.
**Player**: The Shadow was disguised by the Bandler family. Once the Shadowhunters find out about him, the problem is solved.
**Duran**: But still, you are the one who actually found out about Bandler.
**Duran**: It's you who actually solved the shadow crisis that had lasted for months.
**Player**: Duran... you are making me feel embarrassed...
**Duran**: I'm just stating the facts.
**Duran**: Player, a few days ago when I was captured by the Shadowhunters...
**Duran**: My serious injuries, the Calais assassin, and the Shadowhunter's trial...
**Duran**: I never thought I'd be able to leave that dungeon alive...
**Duran**: While it only took you two days to find out the person behind the scene responsible for the shadow attacks...
**Duran**: You used this information as leverage to get me out...
**Duran**: And it only took your Shadowhunter friends a few days to solve the shadow's revolt...
**Player**: Why are you... bringing this up?
**Duran**: I just thought...
**Duran**: Although I'm big and strong, Player...
**Duran**: But as a mercenary, I'm just a warrior, I'm just... a pawn on the battlefield.
**Duran**: And you, Player, you and your friends overlook the entire battle from above!
**Duran**: You can see so much more than me!
**Duran**: Bandler is a powerful family of the Shadowhunters!
**Duran**: Your power can influence the direction of the battle. You are going to win!
**Duran**: Absolute power can crush all schemes and tricks...
**Duran**: I still have a long way to go... but for you, that power is already within your reach.
**Player**: Within... my reach?
**Player**: It's within my reach, but I can't take it yet!
**Player**: We need you, Duran!
**Player**: Now it's just the Bandler's... Until Calais and Erwin fall, the war is not over!
**Player**: Rest and get better! Let's end this together!
**Duran**: !!
**Duran**: Yes!
**Duran**: It's my honor to be a stepping stone to victory!

**-Intimacy Level 13**

*Although the shadow crisis has been resolved...*
*But the Shadowhunter's search for Duran has not ceased...*
*Until the search ends, Duran's only safe in his hiding place...*
*Although the hiding place is well equipped and you can easily hide there for a year...*
*But... You can't help feeling bored after a while...*
*Also, for some reason...*
*After Duran recovered, he only sleeps on the sofa but not in bed...*
*One morning...*
*Duran brings the freshly made breakfast to you...*
**Duran**: Good morning, Player.
**Player**: Du... Duran?
**Duran**: Come on, let's have breakfast together!
**Player**: You... made this?
**Duran**: Yes. Fried purple cormorant eggs, red rock boar bacon, and freshly baked BlackFlame bread.
*Looking at the delicious breakfast in front of you...*
*It's hard to believe that this is made by the massive guy in front of you...*
**Duran**: After all... Before I became a mercenary, I was a cook...
**Duran**: But I haven't cooked for eighteen years. It might taste strange...
**Player**: It looks delicious. Let me try!
*The fried egg is crispy outside while soft inside, the bacon is buttery and meaty, and the bread is warm and soft...*
**Player**: Hmmm!!
**Player**: It's delicious!
**Duran**: Glad that you like it.
**Player**: Sit down and join me, Duran!
**Duran**: Okay.
*After breakfast...*
*Duran sits in front of the door...*
**Duran**: ...
**Player**: You must've been so bored lately because you can't get out, right?
**Player**: You even started to cook!
**Player**: Don't worry. Sven and Grancy told me that things will come to an end in a few days...
**Duran**: Ah... Actually
**Duran**: Oh it's nothing. You're right. It's a bit boring to be trapped here.
**Player**: I thought you wanted to say something else...
**Duran**: ...
**Duran**: Player, sorry I got you dragged into this.
**Player**: What? What did you get me into?
**Duran**: If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be trapped here...
**Duran**: I'm... really sorry...
**Duran**: Don't worry, I'll try my best to make you feel better...
**Player**: That's why you don't sleep on the bed but only on the sofa. And the breakfast this morning...
**Player**: It's all because you feel guilty?
**Duran**: After all, if it wasn't for me, you would've been in Never Isle now...
**Player**: Idiot! If it wasn't for you, I would've been dead, wouldn't I?
**Player**: Floyd's assignment, in the restaurant, you saved me twice, don't you remember?
**Player**: Duran, although we've been in hiding during this time...
**Player**: I've actually been very happy!
**Duran**: Why?
**Player**: It's a rare opportunity to get some leisure time!
**Player**: I can sleep in as much as I want, and I don't need to raid darkflux...
**Player**: And most importantly...
**Player**: I get to stay with the man who's willing to make breakfast for me!
**Duran**: Well...
*Duran's face becomes slightly blushed...*
**Duran**: What are you... talking about? I am a middle-aged old guy...
*Choice 1.1 - (Stop teasing Duran...)*
**Player**: Alright, enough jokes!
**Player**: Anyway, I'm enjoying myself!
*Scene ends*
*Choice 1.2 - (Don't mind Duran being a middle-aged guy...)*
**Player**: Who says I can't like an older guy?
**Duran**: Hmm!!
*Duran's face suddenly turns red...*
**Duran**: No... of course it's fine... I just
**Player**: So please stop worrying about 'getting me dragged into this'!
**Duran**: Oh, okay!
**Duran**: So... Can I sleep... on the bed tonight? Together... With you...
**Player**: Of course!
**Player**: We'll sleep together every day from now on!
**Duran**: Yeah!
*Scene ends*

**-Intimacy Level 14**

*BlackFlame City, Duran's hiding place...*
*Someone's knocking on the door...*
**Player**: !!
*Duran picks up his Hammers...*
**Duran**: Player, hide.
**Player**: Duran...
**Grancy**: Player, Duran, it's me.
**Player**: Duran, it's Grancy!
**Duran**: Player, stay there and don't come out!
*Duran opens the door...*
*Sven and Grancy walk in...*
**Player**: Sven! Grancy!
**Sven**: ...
**Grancy**: ...
*The two of them look unnatural...*
*Behind Sven and Grancy...*
*A man in Shadowhunter armor walks in...*
*Intuitively you realize this is not an ordinary Shadowhunter...*
**Duran**: D...Derrick?
**Derrick**: Mr. Duran, how are you?
**Player**: What? This is Derrick? I thought Derrick was...
**Derrick**: Dead?
**Derrick**: Hahaha, Mr. Player, there must've been some misunderstanding here.
**Duran**: Why are you here?
**Derrick**: First of all, commissioned by Shadowhunter Roderick...
**Derrick**: On behalf of the Shadowhunters, I would like to extend our gratitude to both of you.
**Derrick**: Thanks to your help, the shadow crisis that lasted for months in Luxium has been resolved...
**Derrick**: Our world is safe again...
**Derrick**: Everyone in Luxium owes you.
**Duran**: Let's get to the point!
**Derrick**: The second reason I'm here is to assess the threat that you pose, Mr. Duran.
**Player**: Duran's threat?
**Derrick**: Sven and Grancy, Shadowhunters from the Ackley family, will ensure the fairness of this assessment as supervisors.
**Derrick**: But I guess you already know each other. After all, without them...
**Duran**: Sven, Grancy, I am Duran. Nice to meet you for the first time!
**Grancy**: Mr. Duran, nice to meet you too. I am Grancy.
**Sven**: Huh? Oh, I'm Sven!
**Derrick**: Haha, looks like I've misunderstood... Anyway, let's get down to business...
**Derrick**: Mr. Duran, you crashed an airship into the mine...
**Derrick**: The Shadowhunters can't ignore such an act.
**Duran**: You want to catch me? Let's find out whether you have what it takes!
**Derrick**: I wouldn't dare. Even if there were a thousand of me, I would still be no match for the legendary Colonel Duran!
**Derrick**: Plus you and Player have resolved the shadow crisis. You are heroes of Luxium...
**Derrick**: Treating a hero like a fugitive... I personally find that unacceptable...
**Derrick**: So I hereby confirm that Colonel Duran is not a threat. I'll cancel your warrant.
**Player**: That simple?
**Duran**: What's the condition?
**Derrick**: Immediately stop your attack on the Calais and Erwin families!
**Player**: What?
**Derrick**: Mr. Duran, I would like to extend my personal apologies to you for what happened eighteen years ago...
**Derrick**: But Mr. Duran...
**Derrick**: We are all facing a more threatening enemy!
**Derrick**: The Shadow!
**Derrick**: And for thousands of years, human's only way to resist the Shadow is the Shadowhunters...
**Derrick**: The Shadowhunters can only become an impregnable shield for Luxium if we are united!
**Derrick**: You are right. What Calais, Erwin, and I did back then were unforgivable!
**Derrick**: Exposing us and separating the Shadowhunters would only benefit the Shadow!
**Derrick**: If the shadow kills all of us, your revenge would be meaningless, wouldn't it?
**Duran**: ...
**Derrick**: Of course. It's up to you...
**Derrick**: If you don't cooperate, Mr. Duran, the Shadowhunters can only treat you...
*Derrick looks at you, and then Sven and Grancy...*
**Derrick**: And all the people who have helped you, as the enemies of Luxium...
**Derrick**: The Shadowhunters will try their best to perform their duties and to eliminate all the enemies that threaten humankind!
**Duran**: ...
**Duran**: I understand. I'll stop!
**Player**: Duran!
**Derrick**: Wise decision, Mr. Duran.
**Derrick**: I'm relieved to hear you say that.
**Derrick**: After all, we know you are a rule-abiding person.
**Derrick**: So, as a final verdict, Mr. Duran is not a threat to Luxium.
**Derrick**: What a happy ending for everyone.
**Derrick**: Then, please excuse us.
*Derrick leaves BlackFlame City with Sven and Grancy...*
*In Duran's hiding place...*
**Player**: Duran...
**Duran**: What's with that expression on your face?
**Player**: I know you made that promise to Derrick because of me...
**Duran**: A cease-fire doesn't mean the end of the war...
**Duran**: The most difficult enemy has surfaced...
**Duran**: Derrick is more cunning than I thought...
**Duran**: We need to be well prepared to fight against him!
**Duran**: My revenge will not cease...
**Duran**: But now, there is something more important than seeking revenge!
**Player**: More important?
**Duran**: That is...
*Duran's face suddenly turns red...*
**Duran**: It's...
**Player**: ?
**Duran**: It's...
*His face becomes redder and redder...*
**Player**: Duran, are you feeling alright?
**Duran**: It's just... Um...
**Duran**: Ahhh!!
*Duran suddenly screams and hugs you tightly...*
*His face is on your forehead while his mouth is close to your ear...*
*His face is slightly flushed but not in a feverish way...*
*Duran's heart beats faster and faster...*
**Player**: Duran?
**Duran**: Player, listen!!!
**Duran**: I want to... be with you!
**Player**: What?
**Duran**: Through this time... we...
**Duran**: We've been through a lot...
**Duran**: I kept receiving help from you...
**Duran**: So... I want to do something for you too!
**Player**: We've talked about this before...
**Duran**: Let me finish!
**Duran**: I want to...
**Duran**: Be serious about our relationship!
**Duran**: Player......
**Duran**: Other than my body and my brute strength...
**Duran**: I don't have anything to give you... So...
**Duran**: I won't let anyone harm you!
**Duran**: Although, I do not possess absolute power...
**Duran**: But I will try my best...
**Duran**: To protect you!
**Duran**: Will you let me...
**Duran**: Protect you?

### Dates

**This section contains spoilers for Date scenes.**

**Glory**

**-Intro**

*BlackFlame City, the Bull...*
**Duran**: ...
**Bartender**: Just like in peacetime, a glass of Crimson Heartbeat, right?
**Duran**: Yeah, thanks...
**Bartender**: Okay!
*The bartender quickly mixes the drink for Duran...*
**Player**: Duran?
**Player**: Duran!
*Duran does not reply...*
*He finishes the drink in one gulp...*
**Player**: (Keep talking...)
*Scene - Inside The Bull*
**Duran**: Player? What are you doing here?
**Player**: Antonio, the Bull's owner, is a friend of mine.
**Player**: I came to see him.
**Duran**: Antonio huh...
**Duran**: You are quite well connected.
**Player**: What about you Colonel Duran? What are you doing here?
**Player**: On some sort of crazy mission?
**Duran**: Just killing time...
**Player**: !!
**Duran**: What are you looking at me like that?
**Player**: I just suddenly realized, the legendary Colonel Duran, is a lot like the rest of us!
**Player**: Just killing time!
**Duran**: Why wouldn't I?
**Duran**: What did you expect?
**Player**: Well... I thought you'd be extremely busy, taking jobs every day, running all over Luxium!
**Duran**: I was like that once...
**Player**: Were you?
**Player**: Can you tell me more?
**Duran**: ...
**Duran**: From that look on your face, I guess I won't be able to leave this place without telling you...
**Duran**: Which part do you want to know?
**Player**: Urh...

**-Duran's childhood... - 900 Intimacy**

**Duran**: Childhood?
**Player**: Yeah! I want to know about your childhood, Duran.
**Duran**: Hmm, You're a little weird aren't you.
**Duran**: Alright...
**Duran**: I was born in BlackFlame City, my parents were gangsters here.
**Duran**: We weren't rich, but we were happy...
**Duran**: Back then, I caused a lot of trouble for my parents...
**Duran**: Since I was bigger than most kids, I even started my own little gang...
**Duran**: I even bragged that I'd take over my parent's gang!
**Player**: And then? What happened?
**Duran**: Then... rival gangs started a gang war...
**Duran**: My parents died fighting...
**Duran**: I became an orphan.
**Player**: !!
**Player**: This story escalated quickly...
**Duran**: Kid, that's life!
**Duran**: Life never gives you a chance to get prepared...
**Duran**: Just when you're happy and content, It can throw everything upside down...
**Player**: Indeed...
**Player**: And then? So you became an orphan...
**Duran**: You don't always get what you want in life kid.
**Duran**: The rest... I'll tell you next time!

**-Duran's youth... - 900 Intimacy**

**Player**: What were you like before you became a mercenary?
**Duran**: Before that...
**Duran**: My parents died, I was an orphan...
**Duran**: I drifted, just like the other orphans in BlackFlame City.
**Player**: Drifted...
**Duran**: You know what BlackFlame City is like...
**Duran**: There're no benefits, no social security, no one to feed us or give us shelter.
**Duran**: If we wanted to live, we had to fight for it!
**Duran**: We all worked in factories, sold papers in the streets...
**Duran**: We were laborers, thieves, burglars...
**Duran**: We did what we had to, to survive.
**Player**: What happened then?
**Duran**: A mercenary group found us, so we joined. We ran errands, managed the necessities.
**Duran**: It was hard work, but at least we had a home.
**Player**: That's great! There's a good turn to every story!
**Duran**: Good turn? Ha...
**Duran**: You really are naïve!
**Duran**: Don't believe in that nonsense kid!
**Duran**: Not long after, our base was attacked by another mercenary group...
**Duran**: The mercenaries in our group were out on a mission, there were only a few kids like us on the base.
**Duran**: We fought our hardest to defend the place, and lasted until the adult came back...
**Duran**: But, my friends who grew up with me all died...
**Duran**: I was the only survivor.
**Player**: !!
**Duran**: Is that the 'good turn' you were talking about?
**Player**: Sorry, Duran, I didn't know...
**Duran**: Forget it.
**Duran**: But you better remember that life is not a show!
**Duran**: You can't redo the scene...
**Duran**: You never know when life is gonna stab you in the back...
**Duran**: If you lower your guard, then death is coming for you!

**-Duran's early years as a mercenary... - 900 Intimacy**

**Duran**: Early years? Hmm...
**Duran**: Then, I'll tell you about my second contract as a mercenary.
**Duran**: We were hired to go to the Northern Desert, the client wanted us to clear a nest full of desert monsters.
**Duran**: I thought it'd be an easy job...
**Duran**: We didn't know, in the nest, there was a freakishly massive desert porcupine.
**Duran**: We fought our hardest, but we were completely outmatched.
**Duran**: We were beaten senseless, we scattered like flies...
**Player**: Scattered? But, I thought you have never lost a single battle, Duran!
**Duran**: Ha! That's just some nonsense people made up...
**Duran**: In our profession, there's no such thing as ever lasting victory!
**Duran**: To win... is to survive.
**Player**: ...
**Duran**: At the time, I panicked and ran deep into the desert...
**Duran**: I didn't have any water, and I was lost...
**Duran**: I thought I'd die of thirst in the desert...
**Duran**: But that desert porcupine found me...
**Player**: !!
**Duran**: So I killed it...
**Duran**: I survived on its blood.
**Player**: But, the whole group of you couldn't defeat that porcupine, yet all by yourself...
**Duran**: Maybe because... I had nothing else to lose...
**Duran**: At the time, I made a promise... to a friend, that I'd survive...
**Duran**: I couldn't go back on my words!
**Player**: Duran...
**Duran**: Mercenaries like us are always forced into desperate situations.
**Duran**: And our job...
**Duran**: Is to survive!
**Player**: ...
**Duran**: Sorry, I went over the top...
**Player**: No, no, I've learned a lot from hearing you talk, Duran!
**Duran**: Just... forget the things I said.
**Duran**: They're not your problems...

**Trend**

**-Intro**

**Duran**: Player...
**Duran**: As I recall, you're from Never Isle.
**Duran**: Can you come to BlackFlame City?
**Duran**: I'll wait for you at the Bull.
**Player**: (Go to BlackFlame City...)
*Scene - Inside a bar*
**Player**: Duran... This is the first time you contacted me...
**Player**: What happened?
**Duran**: Nothing really...
**Duran**: But... look at this...
*Duran hands you a beautifully packaged letter...*
**Player**: 'Mr. Duran... we sincerely invite you to attend... '
**Player**: 'The Rupor Show's fashion icon of the year award!'
**Player**: Fashion icon of the year?
**Player**: That's great! Duran!!
**Duran**: That's... great?
**Player**: If you go to the Rupor Show you'll become famous for sure!
**Duran**: Famous?
**Duran**: Player... you are so naïve!
**Duran**: This is a trap without a doubt!
**Player**: Trap? Why'd you say that?
**Duran**: Firstly, I do not have any connection with Never Isle, they shouldn't even know about me.
**Duran**: Secondly, I'm a mercenary, not a fashion model! Why the heck would they invite me?
**Duran**: That's why this is very probably some kind of trap.
**Duran**: I asked you to come, so I can find out more about Never Isle from you.
**Player**: Please, ask anything you want...
**Player**: But, Duran... I think you've got this all wrong...
**Duran**: In my profession, it's better to be cautious.
**Player**: Then, let me ask you two questions first...
**Player**: If the invitation is a trap set by your enemy...
**Player**: Then firstly, why Never Isle?
**Player**: The Defense Force of Never Isle is not easy to deal with, if the culprit dares to make a move in Never Isle, they would never be able to leave!
**Player**: Comparatively, BlackFlame City would be a much better choice of location for something like that to succeed.
**Duran**: Even here, they will never succeed...
**Duran**: But, you do have a point.
**Player**: Secondly, if it's a trap...
**Player**: Then isn't it a little too obvious? No one would ever fall for that...
**Duran**: Well...
**Duran**: You're saying... this really isn't a trap?
**Duran**: But...
**Duran**: Is the way I dress... fashionable?
**Duran**: I never see anyone dress the way I do...
**Player**: ...

**-Maybe Rupor filled in the wrong information... - 700 Intimacy**

**Player**: ...
**Duran**: Filled in the wrong information?
**Duran**: Haha!
**Duran**: Hahaha!
**Duran**: That's what I thought!
**Player**: Duran?
**Duran**: It's nothing.
**Duran**: To be honest, I had a strange thought just then...
**Duran**: Quit being a mercenary, go become a model or something...
**Player**: Huh?
**Duran**: Really, a rough fellow like me...
**Duran**: It is just suited to fighting!
**Duran**: Thank you for coming all that way...
**Duran**: Come on, I'll buy you a drink!

**-How would you know if you don't try? - 500 Intimacy**

**Duran**: Try?
**Duran**: Hmm...
**Duran**: Forget it!
**Player**: Why?
**Duran**: This is my combat outfit, I wear this because it's comfortable.
**Duran**: If I'm going on a show, I can't go half-naked like this...
**Duran**: And getting dressed formally makes me uncomfortable...
**Duran**: Just thinking about it gives me a headache, so just forget about it.
**Player**: Aww... That's such a shame though...
**Player**: I was hoping I could see you on stage Duran...

**-Fashion is in the future! - 900 Intimacy**

**Duran**: Future?
**Player**: You can be a trend setter!
**Duran**: Ha! Stop pulling my leg!
**Duran**: This is my combat outfit, I'm almost half-naked...
**Duran**: How is this fashionable?
**Player**: That's not true! The way I see it...
**Player**: Those messy shoelaces, your shaggy top, and firm muscles...
**Player**: It's a very masculine outfit!
**Duran**: Masculine?
**Duran**: ...
**Duran**: You have a way with words.
**Duran**: Alright, I'll try!
**Player**: It'll be great!

**Arms**

**-Intro**

*BlackFlame City...*
*Boom!!*
*The sound of an explosion comes from close by...*
*Find the source of the explosion, you see Duran standing before a pile of rubble...*
*With a serious expression...*
**Duran**: Hmm...
**Duran**: Report, Dynamic generator power consumption increase 50%...
**Duran**: Efficiency increase... 8%...
**Player**: Duran?
**Player**: (Make conversation...)
*Scene - BlackFlame City underground streets*
*A moment later...*
*Duran cleans up the rubble and fragments...*
**Duran**: Oh, it's you, Player, what's up?
**Player**: What... was that... just now?
**Duran**: I'm improving my weapon.
**Player**: Improving... weapon?
**Duran**: My Hammers haven't been calibrated for a while now.
**Duran**: If I want to win fights, I have to upgrade my weapon from time to time!
**Player**: You calibrate... your weapon yourself?
**Duran**: Why wouldn't I?
**Duran**: I know my weapon better than anyone.
**Player**: Who would've thought... you do your own smithing!
**Duran**: Smithing?
**Duran**: Oh Player, I think you've misunderstood.
**Duran**: My Hammers are not just a piece of iron.
**Player**: Oh?
**Player**: But I see you smash people with it...
**Player**: Getting hit by that thing would crush your bones right...
**Duran**: Haha, true...
**Duran**: But the Hammers are really meant for razing cities!
**Player**: Razing cities?
**Duran**: Yeah! The dynamic generator in the Hammers creates high-frequency vibrations...
**Duran**: Then the arcana compressor amplifies the magnitude of the vibrations...
**Player**: Sounds like an earthquake!
**Duran**: You can put it that way! My Hammers are a mini earthquake maker.
**Duran**: The power generated by this method is enough to raze city walls!
**Duran**: Plus its specially tough metal casing, it can be used as a melee weapon!
**Player**: Impressive!!
**Duran**: But even the most powerful weapon has to keep up with the times!
**Duran**: These past few years, we have seen many new innovations in the construction technology in Luxium...
**Duran**: So naturally, my weapon needs an upgrade as well.
**Player**: So the rubble just now...
**Duran**: That was me testing the weapon.
**Duran**: But... the result is not quite satisfactory...
**Player**: Not satisfactory?
**Duran**: I increased the flux input by half, but its destructive power is still limited...
**Player**: Isn't it good enough to have an increase in destructive power?
**Duran**: No, this flux efficiency is not going to work...
**Duran**: There are often limitations to the amount of gear I can bring to battles...
**Duran**: I need to find other ways to increase power output.
**Duran**: Player, I want to hear your opinion.
**Player**: My opinion? I don't know anything...
**Duran**: It's okay, just tell me what you think.
**Duran**: Maybe you can give me some inspiration.
**Player**: Okay... let me see...

**-Increase the volume ratio of the dynamic generator... - 900 Intimacy**

**Player**: I think, perhaps you put too much emphasis on melee combat strength...
**Player**: A large part of the Hammers is the alloy casing on the outside...
**Player**: If you can reduce the amount of alloy casing...
**Player**: And increase the amount of space for the dynamic generator or the arcana compressor...
**Player**: Maybe you can improve flux efficiency and increase power output.
**Duran**: ...
**Player**: What's with that look on your face?
**Duran**: Player, you really are a genius!
**Player**: Huh?
**Duran**: You are absolutely right! Increasing the amount of space for the internal components can directly increase its power output!
**Player**: Great!
**Duran**: But, I can't reduce the thickness of the outer casing...
**Duran**: Because the Hammers need a strong shell to withstand the power of its own vibration...
**Duran**: So the heavy alloy casing is essential.
**Player**: Oh... sorry, I'm not much help...
**Duran**: On the contrary, you've helped a great deal!
**Player**: What?
**Duran**: If I can't reduce the alloy casing, then I'll just build a bigger Hammer altogether!
**Player**: Bigger?
**Duran**: The bigger its size, the larger the internal space for the components!
**Duran**: Hahaha! Problem solved!
**Duran**: You've done me a huge favor! Let's go to the boxing ring!
**Player**: Boxing Ring?
**Duran**: As compensation for your help, I'll teach you a couple of moves!

**-Modify it to be a rocket launcher? - 900 Intimacy**

**Duran**: Rocket launcher?
**Duran**: You mean the long-ranged grenade launcher on some of the security robots?
**Player**: Yeah!
**Player**: Your Hammers are big and thick...
**Player**: If you can equip it with massive rocket launchers...
**Player**: Then you can blow up walls from a distance!
**Duran**: Abandon the original design, and go down a different path...
**Duran**: Hmm... Although such a weapon is not available on the market currently...
**Duran**: But it's not impossible!
**Duran**: The width of the launchers on the security robots currently isn't powerful enough...
**Duran**: My Hammer's width is approximately 5 times that of the security robot's...
**Duran**: If I can equip rockets of the corresponding size...
**Duran**: Its destructive power can be more than 25 times that of the security robots...
**Duran**: If I change the explosives to arcana explosives, then it'll be even more powerful!
**Duran**: Great idea! Player!
**Duran**: When I finish with it, I'll call it Duran the third...
**Duran**: No!
**Duran**: Let's call it Player number 1!
**Player**: Isn't that name... too long?
**Duran**: No, no!
**Duran**: It's decided!

**-No idea... - 700 Intimacy**

**Player**: Sorry Duran, I really don't know anything about mechanics...
**Duran**: It's no problem.
**Duran**: I was just asking casually.
**Duran**: Well, since I don't have any ideas either...
**Duran**: Let's go to the bar for a drink!
**Duran**: Player, you want to come?

### Trifle

**This section contains spoilers for the Trifle. Please use a desktop browser for the best viewing experience.**

**Assignment**

The only thing that connects employer and mercenary, is a thin paper sheet of the assignment.

**-Part 1**

*Hottie Bar...*
**Kong**: Player!!!
**Kong**: You are all I've got!
**Kong**: Please!!!!
**Player**: Kong! Hold on! I'm not sure I understand what you mean!
**Player**: Did you say you need me to help you get the BlackFlame City mercenary contract?
**Kong**: Yes!
**Player**: I'm not familiar with BlackFlame City... How am I going to get the mercenary contract for you?
**Kong**: Don't worry! As long as you show up, you'll get the contract, Player!
**Player**: As long as I show up?
**Player**: It sounds dodgy...
**Player**: Kong, you need to make it clear how I can help you get the mercenary contract by showing up...
**Player**: Otherwise, I'm too scared to help you.
**Kong**: It's complicated. Where should I start...
**Player**: From the beginning!
**Kong**: Okay...
**Kong**: After leaving the Shadowhunters, I became a mercenary in BlackFlame City...
**Kong**: In order to take more interesting assignment, I created my own mercenary band.
**Player**: Wow! That's impressive!
**Kong**: Hehe!
**Kong**: But... Just a few days ago, one of the guys from my gang got injured in a mission. Although it's not very serious, it takes time to heal...
**Kong**: And the BlackFlame City Council demands that a mercenary band must consist of four people who are capable of combat to be called a mercenary band...
**Kong**: My guy is injured... There are only three of us, so Player...
**Player**: You are short of numbers now, and you need me to fill in the gap?
**Kong**: Yes, please...
**Player**: A mercenary band with only four people...
**Kong**: Well... you know...
**Kong**: I just got started, didn't I?
**Kong**: The Kong's Mercenary Band is going to become the strongest mercenary band in Luxium in the future!
**Kong**: Can you join us as a temporary member?
**Player**: Temporary member...
*Choice 1.1 - What does it have to do with the mercenary contract you want?*
**Kong**: Oh sorry, I forgot to mention...
**Kong**: Many of the assignments from the BlackFlame City Council are only given to mercenary bands...
**Kong**: For example like this contract...
**Kong**: You just need to be there when we sign the contract, Player.
**Kong**: You don't even have to join the fight. We'll share the contract reward with you!
**Kong**: This is an amazing offer!
*Choice 1.1.1 - What does it have to do with the mercenary contract you want?*
*Go to Choice 1.1*
*Choice 1.1.2 - Would someone verify my identity?*
*Go to Choice 1.2*
*Choice 1.1.3 - No problem, I'm in!*
*Continue with the conversation*
*Choice 1.2 - Would someone verify my identity?*
**Kong**: Don't worry!
**Kong**: No one from the council would verify your identity!
**Player**: True. The more mercenaries work for the council, the better...
*Choice 1.2.1 - What does it have to do with the mercenary contract you want?*
*Go to Choice 1.1*
*Choice 1.2.2 - Would someone verify my identity?*
*Go to Choice 1.2*
*Choice 1.2.3 - No problem, I'm in!*
*Continue with the conversation*
*Conversation continues after choices*
**Kong**: Awesome!
**Kong**: If I don't get this assignment, my gang is going to starve...
**Player**: What? Starve...
**Kong**: No... Nothing... You must've heard wrong...
**Kong**: Player, let's go to BlackFlame City now!
**Kong**: We can't let the other mercenary bands take our contract!
*Kong's mercenary band signed the contract they want...*
*That night, they set off for the designated location of the assignment...*
*Late night, in the central forest of Luxium...*
*10 minutes until meeting time...*
**Kong**: Player, I didn't think you would come.
**Player**: I don't feel right taking a share of your reward just by helping you get the assignment...
**Kong**: Hehe, thank you, Player!
**Kong**: The assignment will be even easier with you here, Player!
**Kong**: Let me introduce my brothers from my mercenary band!
*Kong points to an old man in a brown robe*
**Kong**: This is Old Lizard, if you want to burn down anything, he's the man!
**Player**: Old... Lizard?!
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: Ahem! Don't listen to him. He has no manners.
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: My nickname is 'Fire Lizard'. I used to be a mage in the White Capes when I was young. I know a little something about fire arcana!
*Kong points to a man in armor*
**Kong**: This is Dumb Bear. Although he's not as good as I am, he's quite good at fighting.
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: You are dumb! My nickname is 'Armor Bear'!
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: I have nothing but strength! Leave the fighting and the heavy labor to me!
**Kong**: The last one is Silly Hawk, who's lying in bed right now...
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Kong, since we are all here, let's go finish our assignment now!
**Player**: We can't leave yet. The client just informed us that we need to wait for another mercenary.
**Kong**: Gees, some people are so unpunctual!
**Player**: Well, it's not the meeting time yet. Let's just take a rest.
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Well, there's something I've been wanting to tell you!
**Kong**: What is it?
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Guess who I saw before coming here?
**Kong**: Who?
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Colonel Duran!
**Kong**: Huh? Who is that?
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Gees, Kong, you don't know him?
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: He's the real legend! The strongest in BlackFlame City...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: No, the strongest mercenary in the whole of Luxium!
**Player**: Wow, really!
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: But I heard he took an assignment and left, and he hasn't been back to BlackFlame City for a year...
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Are you sure you saw the real Colonel Duran?
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: I'm old, but my vision's fine!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: With his monstrously strong body, and his two massive Hammers...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: I'm positive that's Colonel Duran!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Plus I saw him taking an assignment!
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: It must be an amazing assignment!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: That's for sure! Maybe it's an assignment to destroy Shadowland!
**Kong**: Is that guy... really as incredible as you make him sound?
**Kong**: You make me want to fight him!
*Fire Lizard and Armor Bear look at each other and laugh...*
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Don't! You won't stand a chance!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: It's not that I think you're weak...
**Kong**: You guys! I don't believe it! I'm gonna go look for him when I get back!
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Kong, don't! Duran dislikes people like you the most...
**Player**: Dislikes Kong?
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Master Duran is famous for being disciplined. He can be very... scary... to people who don't follow rules...
**Player**: Conforming to regulations... that's the complete opposite of Kong...
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: I heard that there was a famous mercenary band who worked with Colonel Duran. But in the end that mercenary band betrayed their client...
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: And then...
**Player**: And then?
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: People can't even find the bodies of those guys...
**Player**: Did Duran... eat them?
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: No idea. But with his strength, if Colonel Duran really wants to eat us...
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: It'll be impossible for us to fight back!
**Player**: Who is this Colonel Duran?
**???**: You guys are early. Perfect, so let me introduce...
*The client and a large man carrying two equally large hammers walk up to the group*
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: !!
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Wow! This is!!!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: This is... the master!!
**Player**: ?
**Kong**: What?
**Client**: Looks like you guys already know...
**Kong**: Huh? Who is this guy?
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Kong... This is...
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: The real legend! The strongest mercenary in BlackFlame City...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Colonel Duran!
**Kong**: ...
**Duran**: ...
**Player**: He does look quite ferocious...
*Kong looks doubtful...*
**Duran**: I'm Duran, BlackFlame City mercenary...
**Duran**: A pleasure to meet you.
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: No no... Colonel Duran, we...
**Duran**: No worries. We are employed by the same client...
**Duran**: Then we are brothers in arms!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Wow!!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: So... cool...
**Kong**: Hey! Old Lizard, how are you? You are not falling in love with that guy, are you?
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Shhhh... shut up! Leave me alone!
**Kong**: Huh? You really...
*Kong looks unhappy...*
*After a brief introduction...*
**Client**: Now, let me explain the objectives in detail...
**Client**: Actually it's very simple, like it says in the contract...
**Client**: My goods were hijacked two days ago...
**Client**: The transporter who was lucky enough to escape told me that the bandits are hiding around here!
**Client**: When you find my goods, please don't touch them. There're fragile objects inside. Contact me immediately with the messenger arcana crystal.
**Client**: I don't think finding the goods and killing those bandits will be hard for you.
**Duran**: Got it!
**Kong**: They're just bandits. Easy peasy!
**Client**: Well... it's good... to be confident...
**Client**: Mr. Duran, please take care of this. These goods are very important to me.
**Duran**: I'll try my best to find your goods. Don't worry.
**Client**: Thank you very much. I'll let you get prepared then.
*The client leaves*
**Player**: I don't think this client thinks very highly of us.
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Well... we are being compared to Colonel Duran...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Yes, of course we are no match to him!
**Kong**: You two!! Where's your self-confidence?
**Duran**: Let's double-check our tactical equipment...
**Duran**: I brought two explosive arcana grenades and three charge flashbangs...
*Kong gets in Duran's face*
**Kong**: Hey! You! Let's have a duel!!
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Hey! Kong! Are you trying to get yourself killed?
**Kong**: Don't hold me back. I'm going to show you how I beat up this guy!
**Player**: Kong... we should find the client's goods first...
**Kong**: Hey! Duran! Do you dare to accept my challenge?
**Duran**: I refuse!
**Kong**: Huh?
**Duran**: I only fight two kinds of people...
**Duran**: Enemy and traitor!
**Duran**: And you are neither.
**Kong**: What are you, chicken...
**Duran**: ...
*Duran turns away from Kong*
**Kong**: Hey! If you don't accept my challenge, I will tell everybody in BlackFlame City that Colonel Duran is a coward!
**Duran**: Whatever.
*Duran leaves*
**Player**: Colonel Duran sounds polite but very cold...
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Yes, it's kinda intimidating. Plus Kong is provoking Duran...
**Kong**: I didn't provoke him!
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: You were really... acting like a child just now...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Sigh... so embarrassing...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Armor Bear, let's catch up with Colonel Duran!
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Okay!
**Kong**: Ahhhhhh... you morons!!
**Kong**: Master Kong is stronger than Duran! I'll prove it to you!
*Kong runs after Duran*
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: So childish...
**Player**: ...
*The rest follow*
*A few moments later...*
*Duran walks through the forest followed by Kong and the group*
*Suddenly, Kong stops while Duran continues walking*
**Kong**: Wait!
**Player**: What's up?
**Kong**: I heard something. Maybe the bandits are around here...
**Kong**: Let's take a shortcut!
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Let's inform Master Duran then!
**Kong**: No way! Think about it, if we can finish the assignment before that guy!
**Kong**: Our mercenary band will be famous!
**Kong**: Then all kinds of interesting assignments will come to us!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Yeah, although it's safer to go with Colonel Duran...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: If we can do something impressive in front of Colonel Duran...
**Player**: But I think we should at least inform Colonel Duran...
**Kong**: This way!!
*Kong and Fire Lizard take the shortcut*
**Player**: Hey! Wait a minute!
*Player and Armor Bear follow Kong*
*A few moments later...*
*Duran stands alone in front of a crate surrounded by fallen White Cloaks*
**Duran**: This is Duran. A crate of missing goods is found, location... The threat has been removed...
*Kong and the group enter*
**Kong**: Hehe! Master Kong is the winner!!
**Player**: This...
**Kong**: !!!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Colonel Duran is amazing! He killed all the enemies by himself!
**Duran**: These enemies are not threatening.
**Kong**: Uh...
*The client and his bodyguard arrive at the location*
**Client**: BlackFlame City's professional mercenaries really do deserve their reputation...
**Client**: Amazing. This indeed is part of the stolen goods. I'll be counting on you for the rest of it...
**Duran**: Got it!
*The client leaves with the goods and Duran proceeds to the next location*
**Kong**: Dang! How did that guy act so fast!
**Kong**: Next time...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: These enemies are dressed in White Capes uniform...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Did the White Capes rob the client's goods?
**Player**: Now you mention it... they really don't look like ordinary bandits...
**Kong**: Hey! Why do you care? If we don't act fast we'll lose again...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Slow down. If we can find the enemy's deployment from the bodies...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Maybe we can really get ahead of Colonel Duran!
**Kong**: Ooh!!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: See! I found the White Cape's distribution map in this region!
**Kong**: Wow! Good job, Old Lizard!!!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: This way is faster!
*A few moments later...*
*Kong's group arrive at the second location but see that Duran already has defeated the enemies and found the goods*
**Duran**: This is Duran, the second crate has been found. Threats removed!
**Kong**: What?
**Kong**: Again... he beat us again?
**Kong**: I don't believe it. I must find the next crate before he does!
*Duran looks over...*
**Duran**: ...
*A few moments later...*
**Duran**: The third crate is safe. Send someone to collect it!
**Kong**: \*Crying\*...
*A few moments later...*
*Kong's group arrives moments after Duran has secured the goods and contacted the client*
*The client inspects the crate at the fourth location*
**Client**: The goods are intact! Colonel Duran you are amazing.
**Duran**: It's my job.
**Client**: It's the fourth crate already. Please find the last one!
*The client takes the goods away while Duran proceeds to the final location*
**Kong**: Guys! This is our last chance!
**Player**: Kong... we've lost four times... Why don't we take a break?
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Yes! I'm hoping to learn something from Colonel Duran!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Even just to watch Colonel Duran...
**Kong**: Hmmm... You guys! I can't take this!!
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Come on. You are the only one who wants to compete. He couldn't even be bothered...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Kong, stop acting so childish. Let's just follow Master Duran for the last crate...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Don't waste this chance to fight together with Colonel Duran...
**Kong**: You... you guys...
**Kong**: Humph!! I'll go on my own!
*Kong leaves*
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Sigh...
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Such a pain in the neck...
**Player**: We can't let Kong make any trouble. Let's follow him!
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Yup!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Sigh... sooner or later my life will be shortened because of him!
*The group follows Kong*
*Shortly after they leave, Duran doubles back to check on Kong's group*
**Duran**: ...
**Duran**: ...
**Duran**: ...
**Duran**: ...
*Duran seems to find amusement at Kong's competitiveness but then...*
*Duran seems to have noticed something...*
*Duran runs after Kong's group*
*A few moments later...*
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Up ahead is the White Cape's last outpost...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Our client's last crate should be in that outpost...
**Player**: But... isn't it too quiet?
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Yes, that's too strange!
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Maybe the enemies have been eliminated by Colonel Duran...
**Kong**: Uh...
*Kong and his group run into the outpost*
*In the middle of the empty camp is a large crate*
**Kong**: That's it! That big box must be the last crate!
**Kong**: And Duran is not here!
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: But how come there's no one here?
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Hmm... it may be a trap!
**Player**: This must be a trap...
**Kong**: Haha! I finally won this time!
*Kong and the group approach the crate*
**Player**: Hey! Told you it could be a trap...
**Kong**: If it's a trap, I'll just smash it!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Be careful, Kong...
**Kong**: Hehe! Found the last crate. Mission accomplished!
**Kong**: Dumb Bear, contact the client with the messenger arcana crystal!
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Right away!
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Hmm... this thing doesn't respond. Is it broken?
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: I can feel the flux around is not right. There may be a disruption...
**Player**: Disruption?
*Suddenly, the group is surrounded by large flames*
**Player**: !!!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: I knew it... it's a trap...
*A White Cape priest and swordsman reveal themselves*
**White Cape Priest**: Despicable yellow eyes! How dare you attack the outpost of the Sword of the Light!
**White Cape Priest**: You can't hide from the Holy Light!!
**Kong**: We've been tricked...
**Player**: ...
**White Cape Priest**: Are these the guys who attacked the outpost?
**White Cape Swordsman**: We lost contact with our scout...
**White Cape Swordsman**: But according to the scout's earlier feedback, it was these guys who invaded the base!
**White Cape Priest**: Okay!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: (Whisper) Looks like they didn't find out about Colonel Duran...
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: (Whisper) Colonel Duran is so smart!
**Kong**: (Whisper) Old Lizard, don't you know how to use arcana? Can you find a way to put out the fire?
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: (Whisper) I'm good at fire arcana. I know nothing about water arcana...
**Kong**: (Whisper) So... Player?
**Player**: (Whisper) Although I know how to use ice arcana, we are trapped inside the fire where the air goes up...
**Player**: (Whisper) There's no way to condense water with arcana here!
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Are we done for this time?
**White Cape Priest**: Hmph!
**White Cape Priest**: Confess your sins! The fire will purify your filthy souls!!
**White Cape Swordsman**: Master, something's off...
**White Cape Swordsman**: Our scout has missed two status feedback...
**White Cape Priest**: What?!
**White Cape Priest**: There are other yellow eyes! Search!
*The White Capes run off*
**Player**: They are gone!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Regardless of the White Capes, if we don't find a way to get out, within 2 minutes...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: We'll be on fire!
**Kong**: Dang... is there really nothing we can do?
**Player**: Duran, if we can find a way to inform Duran...
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: We can't. The flux of the messenger arcana crystal has been disrupted!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Plus, if we die, Master Duran will get more money...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: We always acted alone without him, maybe Master Duran is already sick of us...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: I don't think Master Duran would help us...
**Kong**: ...
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: I know!
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Player, you just need water right!!
**Player**: Yes! With water I can activate ice arcana!
*Suddenly Armor Bear swings his sword towards his arm...*
*It was stopped by Kong...*
**Kong**: Dumb Bear! What are you doing!
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: This is our only chance! Otherwise we'll all be burnt to death!
**Duran**: Kid, good thinking! But not yet!
*Duran drops down from the sky*
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Master Duran?
**Kong**: You can't really be this dumb, can you?
**Kong**: This is obviously the enemy's trap. Why did you jump in?
**Duran**: In the face of absolute power...
*Duran uses Earth Breaker to extinguish the flames*
**Duran**: Trickery and traps are useless!!!
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: C...Cool!
**Kong**: Hmm!!
**Player**: The fire is suddenly extinguished...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Did he create airwaves by applying pressure with his weapon?
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: What a legend...
**Duran**: Can you guys... still move?
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Hm... we are fine...
**Kong**: Why?
**Duran**: Huh?
**Kong**: Why did you save us?
**Duran**: Because you are my brothers in arms!
**Kong**: !!
**Duran**: I found the location of the last crate...
**Duran**: Come on!
**Kong**: All... All right!
*A few moments later...*
**Duran**: All the enemies have been cleared...
**Duran**: I'll inform the client. You guys watch the goods!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Leave it to me!
*Duran walks a little way away to contact the client*
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Colonel Duran... is so cool!
**Duran**: The messenger crystal is still disrupted... if I walk further...
*Duran continues looking for a better signal*
*You notice Kong standing on the side looking absent-minded...*
**Player**: Kong? Are you okay?
**Kong**: Huh?
**Player**: You are too quiet, you don't look right...
**Kong**: Uh...
**Kong**: Sigh...
**Kong**: I just realized that... I might not be able to beat Colonel Duran.
**Player**: Don't lose heart. That doesn't sound like you, Kong!
**Kong**: I didn't want to say that!
**Kong**: But while we were fighting together, Duran...
**Kong**: I thought he'd be very clumsy because he's massive...
**Kong**: However, he is no worse than me in speed...
**Kong**: Plus the absolute strength from his superb physique...
**Kong**: If anyone gets punched by him, or even just touched by the waves of his punch...
**Kong**: They would get seriously hurt or even die!
**Kong**: Sigh...
**Kong**: So that's the strength of the legendary mercenary?
**Player**: It seems that thanks to Duran, you have finally grown up...
**Kong**: What?
**Player**: You are able to realize the gap!
**Kong**: I've always known the gap!
**Player**: Really?
**Kong**: Of... Of course!
**Player**: Then why are you blushing?
**Kong**: Player, shut up!
**Player**: Ha ha ha!
*Kong and Player join the others guarding the crate*
**Kong**: Anyway, such a big crate...
**Kong**: I wonder what's inside?
**Player**: It must be something very important...
**Player**: Otherwise the White Capes wouldn't want to rob it.
**Kong**: Is that so...
*Duran returns*
**Duran**: The client will be here soon, mission...
*Kong opens the crate*
**Player**: Hey! Why did you open it?
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: The client said we shouldn't look!
**Kong**: It's okay, I'll just have a look.
**Kong**: Are these strange-looking things weapons?
*You can feel the weapons inside the crate contain powerful flux...*
**Player**: The flux of the goods... feels strange...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Indeed! The way it flows is different from ordinary flux.
**Kong**: This... is the logo of the Thunder Arcana Research Center...
**Duran**: !!!!!
**Player**: Hm? Duran...
**Duran**: This!!!!
*You notice that Duran is shaking...*
**Player**: !!
**Player**: (Duran didn't even shake when he jumped into the fire...)
**Player**: (And now...)
**Player**: (Is it because we disobeyed the agreement and opened the crate...)
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Sorry, Colonel Duran, my partner was just being curious...
*Duran quickly regained his composure...*
**Duran**: Close the crate. The client will be here soon!
**Duran**: ...
**Duran**: Sigh...
*Duran closes his eyes as if remembering something painful*
**Kong**: Thunder Arcana Research Center...
**Kong**: It looks familiar. I feel like I've seen it before somewhere...
*The client and his bodyguard arrive*
**Client**: Thank you, everyone!
**Client**: Oh? How come this crate has been opened?
**Client**: This is against the agreement!
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Oh no...
**Kong**: Well...
**Player**: This...
**Duran**: We found the bandits trying to escape with the goods...
**Duran**: During the fire exchange, the crate was unfortunately hit open.
**Client**: I see...
**Client**: About the damage of the crate, you didn't mention it while we were communicating, Colonel Duran.
**Duran**: Of course I'm not going to say anything if I'm not asked...
**Client**: Huh? You wouldn't say if I don't ask?
**Duran**: Battlefield communication should only cover the key points. Nonsense will only affect efficiency!
**Client**: ...
**Client**: Anyway, as long as all my goods are retrieved!
**Client**: Thank you, everyone and Colonel Duran. I've paid the assignment reward in full to the BlackFlame City Council...
*A few moments later...*
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Gees that was close...
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Right, luckily Colonel Duran helped us out.
**Kong**: I'm sorry...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Kong... I really don't know what to say. I must give you a lesson...
**Kong**: What? Not now, please...
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Fire Lizard, don't worry about it, we are all safe, aren't we?
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Armor Bear, that's not the right attitude. I have to educate him...
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: What?
**Kong**: ...
**Player**: Kong?
**Kong**: Duran saved us again...
**Kong**: I never thought I'd be saved by him twice in a day...
**Player**: ...
*Choice 2.1 - It's time for you to lose that impatient attitude of yours!*
**Kong**: ...
**Player**: If Duran hadn't stepped in for the crate-opening incident...
**Player**: The client would've held us accountable for breaching the contract and reduced the reward...
**Player**: Isn't your mercenary band short of money right now?
**Kong**: Okay, fine, I know...
**Kong**: Player, you've become as long-winded as Old Lizard...
**Kong**: I'll be careful next time...
**Kong**: You guys are giving me a headache.
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Stop making trouble if you don't want to have a headache!
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: But, Kong is not Kong if he doesn't make trouble!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Sigh... young people really have no awareness of danger...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: I must emphasize...
**Kong**: Ahhhh... Give me a break, please!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: I'll give you a break if you thank Master Duran in person!
**Kong**: What?
**Swordsman "Armor Bear"**: Fire Lizard and I have said it! You are the last one!
**Kong**: Why... why would I thank him?
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: After all, Duran has helped us twice...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Although we were hired by the same client, he has no obligation to help us!
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: Plus our mercenary band has just started, if we can take this chance to build our relationship with the most famous mercenary legend...
**Mage "Fire Lizard"**: It will be advantageous to our band!
**Player**: Come on, I'll go with you. Let's go and say thank you to Duran together!
**Kong**: Okay... fine...
**Kong**: You want me to thank him, I'll go...
*Choice 2.2 - Go and say thank you to Duran.*
**Kong**: Huh?
**Kong**: Why... why would I thank him?
**Player**: After all, Duran has helped us twice...
**Player**: Although we were hired by the same client, he has no obligation to help us!
**Player**: Plus our mercenary band has just started, if we can take this chance to build our relationship with the most famous mercenary legend...
**Player**: It will be advantageous to our band!
**Player**: Come on, I'll go with you. Let's go and say thank you to Duran together!
**Kong**: Okay... fine...
**Kong**: You want me to thank him, I'll go...
*Scene continues after choices*
*Kong finds Duran*
**Kong**: Yo!
**Duran**: What's up?
**Kong**: Heh heh...
**Duran**: ...
**Kong**: Duran... this time...
**Kong**: Uh...
**Kong**: Are you going back to BlackFlame City after this mission? Maybe we can... go together?
**Player**: Kong...
**Duran**: My ex comrades airship is around here. He'd give me a ride...
**Kong**: Oh... Airship... cool...
**Duran**: Do you have something to say?
**Kong**: No... nothing...
**Player**: Ahem!
**Kong**: Just that... you know...
**Kong**: You've... you know... helped us... twice...
**Kong**: I mean... I really... like really...
**Kong**: Appreciate it!!
**Kong**: Phew...gees... it's hard to say thank you...
**Duran**: Oh, you're welcome!
**Duran**: Excuse me if that's all!
**Kong**: Wait... wait a minute!
**Kong**: Our mercenary band just started and we are inexperienced in many ways...
**Kong**: Please... give us... your advice!!
**Player**: ...
**Duran**: Well... I won't call it advice, I'll just tell you the problems I saw...
**Duran**: First of all, you are too eager to succeed without thinking thoroughly!
**Kong**: ...
**Duran**: After retrieving the fourth crate, you were so eager to go to the location of the fifth crate...
**Duran**: Along the way, you were followed by the enemy's scout!
**Kong**: Scout!
**Player**: We didn't notice at all...
**Duran**: That scout was quite agile. I was going to stop him from sending your information to his partners...
**Duran**: But he sent the information before I could stop him.
**Duran**: The whole night you'd been wanting to challenge me and your judgment had been severely affected...
**Duran**: You thought you'd get ahead of me by taking shortcuts. But in fact, you kept taking the longer routes!
**Kong**: ...
**Player**: But Fire Lizard had gained the deployment map of the White Capes.
**Duran**: That's your second problem, you don't use your brain in battle!
**Player**: ...
**Duran**: Why would the enemy carry the real deployment map on them and let you discover it?
**Kong**: So there was something wrong with the deployment map!
**Duran**: It's a good idea to try to get information from the enemies! But remember, the enemies lie!
**Duran**: However, wind, trees, environment, and flux don't lie!
**Duran**: On the battlefield, getting the correct information is the key to staying alive!
**Duran**: Following the wrong information will lead you into the enemy's trap!
**Duran**: Thirdly, you were indecisive on the battlefield with too many unnecessary moves!
**Duran**: When you see the enemies, fight with all your strength...
**Duran**: Enlarging your staff must've consumed a lot of flux, right?
**Kong**: As long as I could win...
**Duran**: Right, but how do you know that the enemies don't have any reinforcement? Or maybe the enemies in the front are just bait?
**Kong**: Well...
**Duran**: It's taboo for mercenaries to reveal their strength too soon in a battle!
**Duran**: Defeat your enemies with the least effort...
**Duran**: Always reserve some strength for any unexpected threat!
**Duran**: You and your brothers can only live once!
**Kong**: ...
**Duran**: Anyhow, you guys are quite skillful, much stronger than many of the old mercenary bands in BlackFlame City...
**Duran**: Most importantly, you treat each other like real brothers.
**Duran**: You don't panic in front of difficulties and you're even willing to sacrifice yourselves; You don't shirk from your responsibilities when you encountered problems. You share the responsibilities together...
**Duran**: Join more battles and train more, maybe...
**Duran**: You can become the strongest mercenary band in Luxium!
**Kong**: !!
**Kong**: The Kong's Mercenary Band will definitely become the strongest mercenary band!
**Kong**: I promise!!!
**Duran**: Hey, be a man of your word!
**Kong**: Of course! When I become the leader of the strongest mercenary band, will you have a fight with me?
**Player**: Are you still thinking about fighting with Duran, Kong?
**Duran**: If you just focus on a retired veteran, you are not going to improve.
**Player**: Retired?
**Duran**: I'm just saying...
*Some time later...*
*Player talks with Duran*
**Duran**: Aren't you going with your teammates?
**Player**: We plan to go back later...
**Player**: Kong is telling them what you just told him!
**Duran**: ...

**-Choice 2.1 - (Ask Duran...)**

**Player**: Colonel Duran, I still have a question...
**Duran**: Huh?
*Choice 2.1.1 - (Ask about the missing mercenary band...)*
**Player**: Colonel Duran, I've heard some rumors about you...
**Duran**: Oh?
**Player**: Well... The disappearance of the famous BlackFlame City mercenary band...
**Duran**: Oh that...
**Player**: I won't ask if it's not convenient for you to talk about it.
**Duran**: It's fine...
**Duran**: That assignment location was inside a dense jungle near Yggdrasil...
**Duran**: They betrayed the client and I made them pay the price they deserved...
**Duran**: As for the bodies, they were probably eaten by the beasts in the jungle.
**Player**: I see. It scared me...
**Duran**: You didn't think I ate them, did you?
**Player**: No, no...
**Player**: Colonel Duran is...
*Choice 2.1.1.1 - A gentle and lovely handsome man*
**Duran**: Handsome...man?
**Player**: (Duran stuttered...)
**Duran**: Am I?
*Choice 2.1.1.1.1 - (Ask about the missing mercenary band...)*
*Go to Choice 2.1.1*
*Choice 2.1.1.1.2 - (Ask why he lied about the crate opening incident...)*
*Go to Choice 2.1.2*
*Choice 2.1.1.1.3 - (Ask about the client's identity...)*
*Go to Choice 2.1.3*
*Choice 2.1.1.1.4 - (Thank Duran again...)*
*Go to Choice 2.2*
*Choice 2.1.1.2 - A decent guy who sticks to his principles*
**Duran**: I just did what I had to do...
*Choice 2.1.1.2.1 - (Ask about the missing mercenary band...)*
*Go to Choice 2.1.1*
*Choice 2.1.1.2.2 - (Ask why he lied about the crate opening incident...)*
*Go to Choice 2.1.2*
*Choice 2.1.1.2.3 - (Ask about the client's identity...)*
*Go to Choice 2.1.3*
*Choice 2.1.1.2.4 - (Thank Duran again...)*
*Go to Choice 2.2*
*Choice 2.1.1.3 - A strong and brave legend.*
**Duran**: I just did what I had to do...
*Choice 2.1.1.3.1 - (Ask about the missing mercenary band...)*
*Go to Choice 2.1.1*
*Choice 2.1.1.3.2 - (Ask why he lied about the crate opening incident...)*
*Go to Choice 2.1.2*
*Choice 2.1.1.3.3 - (Ask about the client's identity...)*
*Go to Choice 2.1.3*
*Choice 2.1.1.3.4 - (Thank Duran again...)*
*Go to Choice 2.2*
*Choice 2.1.2 - (Ask why he lied about the crate opening incident...)*
**Player**: I'll get to the point then...
**Player**: Why did you help us lie about the crate opening incident?
**Player**: Colonel Duran, in BlackFlame City you are famous for following the rules. Why did you help us?
**Duran**: ...
**Duran**: You're very observant.
**Duran**: You wouldn't believe me if I tell you I don't want my rewards deducted.
**Duran**: Well...
**Duran**: Now that you've noticed...
**Duran**: It's no secret...
**Duran**: Eighteen years ago, I had a little... unpleasant interaction with the Thunder Research Center.
**Duran**: Today when I saw the weapons of the Thunder Research Center, it reminded me of what happened 18 years ago...
**Duran**: I don't know why I helped you. Maybe it's to thank you for helping me remember the past!
**Player**: Eighteen years ago?
**Duran**: It's a long time ago. I've almost forgotten about it.
**Player**: Well, if you hold grudge against the Thunder Research Center, then the client...
**Duran**: Revenge... is weak men's regrets for the past.
**Duran**: I've already let go of the past and the burdens...
**Duran**: ...
**Player**: (It seems what happened 18 years ago had a great influence on Duran...)
**Player**: (I'd better not ask about his past...)
*Choice 2.1.2.1 - (Ask about the missing mercenary band...)*
*Go to Choice 2.1.1*
*Choice 2.1.2.2 - (Ask why he lied about the crate opening incident...)*
*Go to Choice 2.1.2*
*Choice 2.1.2.3 - (Ask about the client's identity...)*
*Go to Choice 2.1.3*
*Choice 2.1.2.4 - (Thank Duran again...)*
*Go to Choice 2.2*
*Choice 2.1.3 - (Ask about the client's identity...)*
**Player**: Don't you find... Our client a bit strange?
**Duran**: Oh?
**Player**: You must've noticed, Colonel Duran...
**Player**: Those guys who robbed the goods were not ordinary robbers...
**Player**: They're White Capes!
**Player**: Why did the White Capes rob the client's goods?
**Duran**: There are two possible reasons...
**Duran**: First, there may be Gyees in the client's caravan.
**Duran**: Second, the goods may affect the White Capes, so they needed to intercept them.
**Duran**: But no matter what the reason is, this is not what you and I should be worried about!
**Duran**: Do not touch anything not part of the job!
**Player**: Oh...
*Choice 2.1.3.1 - (Ask about the missing mercenary band...)*
*Go to Choice 2.1.1*
*Choice 2.1.3.2 - (Ask why he lied about the crate opening incident...)*
*Go to Choice 2.1.2*
*Choice 2.1.3.3 - (Ask about the client's identity...)*
*Go to Choice 2.1.3*
*Choice 2.1.3.4 - (Thank Duran again...)*
*Go to Choice 2.2*

**-Choice 2.2 - (Thank Duran again...)**

**Player**: Thank you for pointing out our problems unreservedly, Colonel. We've benefited greatly...
**Player**: Thank you very much!
**Duran**: You're welcome... Since Kong is willing to ask me, as a veteran mercenary, I have an obligation to answer his questions.
**Duran**: Besides, you are not a mercenary, are you...
**Player**: Oh? How did you find out...
**Duran**: Ha, a mercenary can't be that eloquent!
**Duran**: No matter what you are here for today, you'd better give up the idea of becoming a mercenary!
**Player**: ?
**Duran**: You are a fierce fighter, you are analytical and quite smart...
**Duran**: There are many other professions much better than being a mercenary...
**Duran**: Don't pick the worst path!
**Player**: Why did you say that?
**Duran**: Maybe I'm just a stickybeak... It's your own choice after all...
**Duran**: ...
**Player**: Duran...
*Continue to Trifle - Shadow of the Past*

**Shadow of the Past**

Even if you try to forget the past, the past... will still find you.

**-Part 1**

*Note: This trifle continues directly after Trifle - Assignment*
*Scene - A forest*
*Duran talks to Player while Kong and his mercenaries talk to the client*
*When you finished Kong's contract, in the central forest of Luxium...*
**Duran**: You're not a mercenary, are you...
**Player**: Huh? How did you find out...
**Duran**: Ha, a mercenary wouldn't say such nice things!
**Duran**: Whatever you come here for today, you should forget about becoming a mercenary!
**Player**: ?
**Duran**: You are ferocious in combat, analytical, and fairly smart...
**Duran**: There are plenty of other professions much better than being a mercenary...
**Duran**: Don't go down this ugly path!
**Player**: Why did you say that?
**Duran**: Just my two cents... take it or leave it...
**Duran**: ...
*Duran turns away*
*His face looks as if he is remembering something painful*
**Player**: Duran...
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: Sir, we have finished the job according to the contract, is there anything else?
**Client**: Oh... sorry, there's still something I want you to help with...
**Duran**: Help?
**Client**: It's the goods, can you please deliver them...
**Client**: To the receiver...
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: Help? Hey! We're mercenaries!
**Client**: As to the fees, I will pay you extra according to the agreed amount in the contract!
**Kong**: Wow! So that means getting double pay!
**Client**: Yes!
**Client**: You see, we're so far away from BlackFlame City, I can't post another assignment contract...
**Client**: So please, deliver the goods to the receiver...
**Client**: When I get back to BlackFlame City, I'll fill in the extra paperwork...how does that sound?
**Player**: Then why didn't you put 'take back and delivery' in the contract in the first place?
**Duran**: ...
**Client**: Well... you see... there was a change in circumstances...
**Client**: The original... delivery people... broke their contract...
**Client**: If I hire ordinary civilians, they may not be able to deal with the bandits along the way...
**Client**: So I have to ask professionals like you for help!
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: Oh, so you want a dirty job...
**Kong**: Dirty job?
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: In BlackFlame City, jobs that don't go through the council and do not have contracts are called dirty jobs.
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: Since the council is not involved, and there are no contracts, if something goes wrong, you're on your own...
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: That's why mercenaries don't like taking dirty jobs.
**Kong**: But we need money for our gang right now...
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: Let's see what Colonel Duran thinks.
**Duran**: I am fine with it!
**Client**: Thank you! Mr. Duran!
**Duran**: But first, you have to pay us half the fee as a deposit!
**Client**: As long as you're willing to make the delivery, money is not a problem.
**Kong**: Player, can you please help me out again?
**Player**: Sure! I'm not busy these coming few days.
**Kong**: Great! Kong's mercenary gang formally accepts your assignment!
**Duran**: And the delivery location is...
**Client**: Northern desert, a place in the north of River Bend Town.
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: Northern desert! That's quite far!
**Client**: Don't worry about the logistics, you just need to ensure the safety of the goods!
*Moments later, the client distributes the agreed deposit to Duran and the mercenary band...*
*After some rest and preparations, the group set off again...*
*Duran gives the deposit he just received from the client to Kong...*
**Kong**: Huh? Duran, what's this?
**Duran**: Hold on to it, there's always a chance of betrayal with a dirty job like this.
**Duran**: The way to the Northern Desert is long and treacherous, don't let this be a wasted trip!
**Kong**: ...
**Kong**: ...
**Kong**: ...
*Kong smiles at the funds but then has second thoughts*
*Kong tosses the money back...*
**Duran**: !
**Kong**: Don't underestimate us! Kong's band of mercenaries will rely on its own strength to survive!
**Kong**: We don't need your charity!
**Duran**: Really?
**Duran**: I understand.
*Duran puts the money away...*
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: Wooow! Did I just imagine that? Did you really do that Kong?
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: That's pretty cool!
**Kong**: I've always been cool!
*Scene - A desert*
*3 days later...*
*River Bend Town, Northern Desert...*
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: This place is too hot!
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: So this is hell...
**Player**: There's water here, the client went to get the receiver, hang in there!
**Kong**: Player, give me some water...
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: Aren't you from the Northern Desert? Why are you so sensitive to heat?
**Kong**: I am from the south of the Northern Desert, the north is the hottest region in all of Luxium...
**Kong**: No one can stand this heat!
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: We should've asked for more money! Who is this receiver anyway? Living in a place like this!
*The extreme temperature, the raging sun, and the dry air seem to suck the energy out of everyone...*
*Except for Duran...*
*Duran looks out in the distance alone*
**Duran**: ...
*In the direction of Duran's gaze there is a mansion.*
*Player walks up to Duran*
**Player**: That must be the receiver's mansion.
**Duran**: Player!
**Player**: Who would've thought someone would build a mansion in a place like this...
**Player**: That receiver just leaves us roasting here under the sun. Can't he at least invite us in for a drink...
**Duran**: Hmm... yeah...
**Player**: Duran, take a sip...
**Duran**: Thanks.
*Duran takes the bottle, with a contemplative look on his face...*
**Player**: Duran?
**Duran**: Sorry, I spaced out, what's up Player?
**Player**: You've been standing there for a while, so I gave you some water...
**Player**: Don't get a heat stroke.
**Duran**: Yeah, I know.
**Player**: You... really are tough...
**Duran**: Huh?
**Player**: We are all about to fall over, but you look just fine.
**Duran**: I lived here for two years when I was young. I am used to this heat.
**Player**: Lived here?
**Duran**: That was in the past...
**Duran**: ...
*Duran and Player rejoin the group*
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: Aah... I am going to dry out... and I just drank a bottle of water...
**Duran**: In the desert, don't drink too quickly...
**Duran**: Hold the water in your mouth, and swallow slowly...
**Duran**: That'll make you feel better.
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: It works!
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: Incredible!
**Kong**: Seriously, just let us take the goods into the house already...
**Kong**: This heat might damage his goods!
**Duran**: ...
**Duran**: The client has left for a while now, hang in there a little longer.
*A few moments later...*
*The client comes back, followed by a grumpy swordsman mercenary and two bearmen*
**Client**: Sorry for the wait everyone!
**Kong**: We're getting mummified out here!
**Grumpy swordsman**: Can't even stand a little heat. What kind of mercenary are you?
**Duran**: ...
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: Hey you...
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: Armor Bear!
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: Humph!
**Client**: Hehe, please check the goods.
**Grumpy swordsman**: Humph!
**Grumpy swordsman**: Hmm...
**Grumpy swordsman**: The amount is correct...
**Grumpy swordsman**: But you're 3 days late, what the heck happened?
**Client**: Sorry, sorry, on the way we got robbed by the White Capes...
**Client**: We got delayed for a few days, sorry.
**Grumpy swordsman**: Delay... humph! If you delayed the boss's plans, can you handle the responsibility?
**Kong**: Hey! What's your problem?
**Kong**: ...
**Kong**: If you don't want the goods, we'll take them back! I don't need to stand here listening to your lectures!
**Grumpy swordsman**: Who do you think you are?
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: Why you...
**Duran**: On behalf of the mercenaries, I Duran apologize for the delay...
**Grumpy swordsman**: At least this guy Duran knows his place!
**Player**: (He doesn't know of Duran?)
**Player**: (Are they not mercenaries?)
**Duran**: If I may ask, which mercenary group do you belong to?
**Duran**: I will pay a visit to apologize personally!
**Bearman A**: We're not mercenaries, we're the elite...
**Duran**: ...
**Bearman B**: Hey! Did you forget what the Lord said?
**Bearman A**: Oh right! We're mercenaries, yeah!
**Grumpy swordsman**: Umm... that's not necessary, it's not really your responsibility, and the boss doesn't mind.
**Grumpy swordsman**: We will send you your fees!
**Grumpy swordsman**: You two! Pick up the goods, let's go!
**Bearmen**: Yes! Captain!
*The two bearmen pick up the crates...*
*As the swordsman and bearmen are about to leave, Duran asks them a question*
**Duran**: Was there a big battle here 18 years ago?
**Client**: 18... years ago?!
**Bearman A**: 18 years ago... I was just a kid, I wasn't in it...
**Grumpy swordsman**: How can I remember something that long ago?
**Duran**: Sorry, I'm asking out of curiosity.
**Grumpy swordsman**: Watch your mouth, stop asking so many questions!
**Grumpy swordsman**: The people who live here, aren't someone you want to mess with!
**Duran**: ...
*The swordsman and bearmen leave with the goods*
**Client**: Oh... master Duran, how could you say something like that to them?
**Duran**: Are you scared of them?
**Client**: Err, well... customer's ... always right!
**Client**: As to the thing 18 years ago you asked about...
**Client**: There weren't any mercenaries here 18 years ago!
**Client**: So don't ask any more silly questions.
**Duran**: Oh, no mercenary...
**Duran**: I see.
*The client gives you the rest of your rewards...*
**Client**: Here is the rest of your rewards, thank you very much for your help over the last few days...
**Client**: Now please leave quickly!
**Kong**: Hey! You were the one begging us to make this delivery for you...
**Kong**: Now you want to get rid of us!
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: Come on, we have the money, let's get out of here!
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: Mister, if you have a job next time, remember to come to us Kong's Mercenary Band.
**Client**: ...
*The client leaves*
**Player**: I'll tell Billy to come to the Northern Desert, you can all go back to BlackFlame City on my Airship!
**Kong**: Great! I want to take a bath at Hottie Bar!
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: Finally, we can relax.
**Player**: Colonel Duran, come with us, it's been a tough few days.
**Duran**: No...
**Duran**: I have to visit an old friend...
**Duran**: He's nearby.
**Player**: Oh, I see, Colonel you know a lot of people!
*A while later...*
*A short while after Duran separated from Kong's group...*
*The client stands alone, waiting for someone*
**Client**: ...
*A swordsman walks up to the client*
**Swordsman**: The outsiders all left?
**Client**: Yes.
**Client**: Remember to remove the labels on the goods!
**Swordsman**: Relax, this isn't the first time.
**Swordsman**: Also, Mr. Floyd, the boss wants to...
**Client**: Yes...
*Scene - Hottie Bar*
*A few moments later...*
*The refreshing swimming pool removed all traces of the heat of the Northern Desert...*
**Kong**: Haha! I'm back baby!
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: Luckily we have Player's airship...
**Player**: ...
*Player smiles*
**Player**: Thanks to Billy's speedy arrival...
**Billy**: Enough about me, captain. Weren't you guys in the central forest? How did you get all the way to the Northern Desert? I was worried sick!
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: Okay, okay, your captain just helped us with another job that's all...
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: Now we return him to you.
**Billy**: That's not what I meant!
**Player**: Billy?
**Billy**: You guys... don't know?
**Billy**: The Shadows have been laying ambush on the Shadowhunters everywhere!
**Kong**: Shadows ambushing Shadowhunters?
**Billy**: Never Isle released an alert, telling caravans to avoid concealed roads, and called for security personnel to take action!
**Player**: When did this happen?
**Billy**: 3 days ago!
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: Just when the client hired us to get the goods back!
**Kong**: Client... goods... Shadowhunters...
**Kong**: Ah ah!!
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: Why did you suddenly scream? You scared me!
**Kong**: I remember now! I remember!
**Player**: What... do you remember?
**Kong**: I thought the logo of the Thunder Research Center looked familiar, now I remember why!
**Kong**: Thunder Research Center! The Goods! The weapons!
**Player**: Weapons... what?
**Kong**: Thunder Research Center is under the banner of the Shadowhunters, they supply weapons to Shadowhunter's elite warriors!
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: You Shadowhunters use those weird flux weapons?
**Kong**: Weird?
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: Yeah, the weapons in the crates were giving off a weird flux, I have never seen anything like it.
**Player**: Oh! Now I remember too, that flux felt familiar, and kind of strange...
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: Maybe a new kind of Shadowhunter weapon?
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: Kong, so Thunder Research Center is owned by your old boss, then what...
**Kong**: Then...
**Kong**: Uh...
**Player**: Hmm...
**Player**: Shadowhunter weapons taken by the White Capes...
**Player**: Coincidentally, when we took back the goods, the Shadows began to ambush Shadowhunter troops...
**Player**: Plus the receiver's suspicious behaviors...
**Player**: Something big is about to happen... in Luxium!
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: Something big?
**Player**: Everyone in Luxium knows about the Shadowhunters, and they have a great reputation...
**Player**: So there's no way the White Capes would dare to take the Shadowhunter's shipment of weapons.
**Kong**: But... Thunder Research Center really is part of the Shadowhunters.
**Player**: I believe the weapons belong to the Shadowhunters, there's no question...
**Player**: But, why would the White Capes rob the Shadowhunter's shipment?
**Player**: And after the shipment was taken, why didn't the Shadowhunters simply ask for them back, and instead went to BlackFlame City to hire mercenaries?
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: Now that you mention it... it does sound fishy!
**Player**: The only logical explanation...
**Player**: Is that the White Capes simply didn't know the shipment belonged to the Shadowhunters!
**Player**: And not only the White Capes, our client and the receiver didn't want anyone to know his goods came from Thunder Research Center, that they belong to the Shadowhunters!
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: That's why he wouldn't let us look inside the crates!
**Kong**: Then, who did the client want to give the weapons to?
**Player**: To the Shadowhunters of course!
**Kong**: Huh?
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: Hold on! Player you're saying...
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: Just then in the Northern Desert, the receivers were Shadowhunters!
**Player**: Those soldiers, although they were wearing mercenary gear...
**Player**: But when Colonel Duran revealed his identity, their reaction suggested that...
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: !!
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: They didn't know Colonel Duran!
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: How's that possible? Every mercenary in Luxium knows Colonel Duran!
**Kong**: Well, I am a mercenary, I'd never heard of Duran...
**Player**: Kong, you only just became a mercenary not long ago, but the soldiers who received the shipment looked old.
**Player**: Old mercenaries who don't know Colonel Duran...
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: They're not mercenaries at all!!
**Player**: Exactly!
**Player**: Remember what they said just before leaving?
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: 'The people who live here, aren't someone you want to mess with!'
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: If the people who live there... are Shadowhunters...
**Mage 'Fire Lizard'**: Then we really don't want to mess with them.
**Player**: I don't have any direct proof, but right now it seems like they are Shadowhunters.
**Kong**: Then, why did they have to be so sneaky about transporting Shadowhunter weapons to Shadowhunters?
**Player**: Perhaps... there's something they want to keep secret...
**Kong**: Woah! Even the Shadowhunters would do shady business like that?
**Billy**: Unless... this is related to the Shadow attacks these past few days?
**Kong**: Ah! Maybe the Shadowhunters are working with the Shadows?
**Swordsman 'Armor Bear'**: Wooow! You've got to be kidding right?
**Player**: We'd better not make blind guesses...
**Player**: Secrets are not necessarily bad things. This is the Shadowhunters we're talking about!
**Player**: Let's head back and observe for a while, before making the judgment.
**Kong**: Yeah!
*Continue to Intimacy Level 4*

**Sudden Thunder**

Truth only brings pain when it's revealed...

**-Part 1**

*Scene - Hottie Bar*
**Duran**: Player, the culprit has revealed himself!
**Player**: Oh?
**Duran**: That Thunder Research Center was owned by one of the Shadowhunter's six families, the Floyd family.
**Player**: Shadowhunter's six families?
**Player**: I have a lot of friends in the Shadowhunters, and I've fought Shadows with them, but I've never heard of the six families.
**Duran**: To the outside, they call themselves the Shadowhunter's 'High Command'.
**Player**: !!
**Duran**: Perhaps to hide from the Shadow's spies. The Shadowhunter's actual decision-makers have always been well hidden behind the scene.
**Duran**: I had to pull a lot of strings to get this information.
**Duran**: Apparently, all the Shadowhunter's important decisions are made by the 'Anti-Shadow Council', formed by the leaders of the six families.
**Duran**: Each of the six families owns military enterprises that branch off into many fields including arms, finance, diplomacy, research, and so on.
**Duran**: This is also why the Shadowhunters have been able to be self-sufficient and so powerful for centuries.
**Player**: Oh, I see...
**Duran**: But recently, a branch of the Floyd family seems to be making some shady moves.
**Player**: Shady moves?
**Duran**: Right, I think the guy who employed us for that retrieval and delivery assignment, is a researcher of the Floyd family.
**Duran**: Recently they seem to be very close to the Bandlers, another Shadowhunter family who is in charge of the Altar Guards.
**Player**: This means the receiver in that assignment is someone from the Bandler family?
**Duran**: Although there's no direct proof, I am quite sure that the receiver is the Bandler family.
**Player**: But if the Bandlers are in charge of the Altar Guards...
**Player**: There're no altars or nexus anywhere near the delivery location... why do they want the shipment delivered there?
**Player**: Unless they wanted to use an inconspicuous delivery address!
**Duran**: That's possible...
**Duran**: But the delivery location just happens to be where the battlefield was 18 years ago...
**Duran**: That's too much of a coincidence.
**Player**: 18 years ago...
**Player**: Duran, what happened 18 years ago?
**Duran**: !!
**Duran**: ...
*Duran looks out into the distance*
**Duran**: 18 years ago... I was 20 years old...
**Duran**: That year, I became a mercenary and joined a mercenary band.
**Duran**: With the band, I accepted the first assignment in my lifetime...
**Duran**: Speaking of which, it wasn't a contract I was proud of taking...
**Duran**: The client was a Luxium mining magnate, and the objective was to capture his competitor's ancestral home...
**Duran**: And to rob his competitor of his asset control rights.
**Duran**: At the time, the client hired 46 mercenary bands from BlackFlame City. A small army of almost 700 soldiers...
**Player**: 700 soldiers?
**Player**: That scale... it's a private army.
**Duran**: Right, the chief of our band was very confident about this assignment at the time...
**Duran**: Who could've known, that assignment would become a complete nightmare.
**Duran**: I will never forget the scene that day...
**Duran**: Late night, all the troops arrived at the designated location on time.
**Duran**: Just when we're about to move, we lost contact with all the scouts...
**Duran**: In an instant, we found ourselves completely surrounded by enemy troops.
**Duran**: The encircling troops were only less than one-third of our numbers...
**Duran**: Plus, to mercenaries like us, counterattacks are just what we do.
**Duran**: We changed our formation quickly to counter the encirclement.
**Duran**: Then, just when we were exchanging fire...
**Duran**: The enemy took out weapons that we'd never seen before...
**Duran**: Marked with the logo of the Thunder Research Center.
**Duran**: ...
**Duran**: Their soldiers in the back were armed with guns able to fire powerful arcana bombs...
**Duran**: Their arcana mages bombarded us continuously from nearby...
**Duran**: And there were a lot more weapons that we had never seen before.
**Duran**: Although the BlackFlame City mercenaries outnumbered our enemies by more than three times...
**Duran**: Under such firepower, we were sitting ducks, our formation completely collapsed...
**Duran**: That feeling... was like someone that had been drifting in the ocean meeting a giant shark.
**Duran**: Our chief realized the situation, and ordered us to retreat...
**Duran**: But... it was too late...
**Duran**: The mercenaries were almost completely annihilated. The chief lost his right arm, but he leaned on me, and we fled the battlefield.
**Duran**: Under a boulder far away from the battlefield, he gave me his last order...
**Duran**: Survive, live well.
**Player**: The chief... must've been very important to you?
**Duran**: Right...
**Duran**: When my parents died, I was lucky to have met him...
**Duran**: Otherwise, I would've starved to death in BlackFlame City.
**Duran**: Not only did he save me, but he also appreciated my ability, and helped me become a mercenary.
**Duran**: But I couldn't... protect him...
**Duran**: That day, of the 700 mercenaries from BlackFlame City, only I survived...
**Player**: !!
*Choice 1.1 - You must really hate Thunder Research Center...*
**Duran**: Hate? I have never hated any of them...
**Duran**: Whether it was the enemy or Thunder.
**Player**: What? But...
**Duran**: Do you blame the enemy for being too strong when you are defeated?
**Duran**: Everyone on the battlefield is putting his own life on the line for the fight.
**Duran**: The enemy would naturally use all the resources they have to win the battle.
**Duran**: In the end, the reason we lost that battle was because of me...
**Player**: You?
**Duran**: Because I was not powerful enough, I was not able to protect them...
**Duran**: I did not defeat our enemy.
**Duran**: In the face of absolute power, schemes and strategies are all useless...
**Duran**: 18 years ago, I did not possess that kind of power.
**Player**: Duran, that wasn't your fault!
**Duran**: Then do I blame the warriors who died?
**Duran**: I am the only survivor, naturally, I have to suffer the consequences.
*Choice 1.1.1 - You must really hate Thunder Research Center...*
*Go to Choice 1.1*
*Choice 1.1.2 - After that, you never joined another mercenary band ever again?*
*Go to Choice 1.2*
*Choice 1.1.3 - But, why do they have to get rid of you?*
*Go to Choice 1.3*
*Choice 1.2 - After that, you never joined another mercenary band ever again?*
**Duran**: No...
**Duran**: I do not want to witness my brothers die ever again!
**Duran**: So until I possess absolute power...
**Duran**: Until I am able to protect everyone...
**Duran**: I will not join another mercenary band!
*Choice 1.2.1 - You must really hate Thunder Research Center...*
*Go to Choice 1.1*
*Choice 1.2.2 - After that, you never joined another mercenary band ever again?*
*Go to Choice 1.2*
*Choice 1.2.3 - But, why do they have to get rid of you?*
*Go to Choice 1.3*
*Choice 1.3 - But, why do they have to get rid of you?*
**Player**: What does that tragedy 18 years ago have to do with the Shadowhunter trade?
**Duran**: I am not sure either.
**Duran**: Now that I think about it, the enemies back then were armed with weapons from Thunder Research Center...
**Duran**: Plus their superior combat ability and maneuverability, they were probably Shadowhunters.
**Duran**: But even if the enemies 18 years ago were Shadowhunters...
**Duran**: I don't think that is a reason to get rid of me.
**Player**: Yeah, even if you accuse them of slaughtering innocent people 18 years ago...
**Player**: They can simply deny it.
**Player**: The public wouldn't believe in the words of a mercenary...
**Duran**: Ha, not even that, they can simply ignore me.
**Player**: Unless...
*Conversation continues after choices*
*Duran turns to Player*
**Duran**: There were more to the battle 18 years ago!
**Player**: Yeah!
**Duran**: Maybe they did something shady and they think I might know about it!
**Duran**: So they have to get rid of you!
**Player**: So Duran... what do you plan to do?
**Duran**: Go ask them of course!
**Player**: Huh? Go ask them?
**Player**: Why would they tell us?
**Duran**: They won't tell me of course, but they wouldn't expect me to walk straight up to them either.
**Duran**: They'll expose themselves for sure!
**Duran**: They may try to hide or destroy evidence when that time comes...
**Player**: Huh?
**Player**: But, if the Shadowhunters really do have confidential information that cannot be made public...
**Player**: Then we should distance ourselves from that right?
**Duran**: Ha! Tell them that I don't know what they did 18 years ago...
**Duran**: You think they would believe me?
**Player**: Uh...
**Duran**: On the other hand, if we find leverage...
**Duran**: We may have something we can bargain with!
**Duran**: Also, this has never just been about me...
**Player**: Duran...
**Duran**: Anyway, this is what I found out...
**Duran**: As to finding Thunder Research Center, leave it to me!
**Duran**: When I get back, when this is all over, we'll have a drink together!
**Player**: What?
**Player**: You... want to go to Thunder Research Center alone?
**Duran**: Yeah! Player, you have already helped me enough!
**Duran**: The Shadowhunters don't know about your involvement yet...
**Duran**: If I go with you...
**Duran**: You will be in danger!
**Player**: Duran...
*Choice 2.1 - I can't just let you go alone!*
**Player**: I've said this before.
**Player**: And I mean it!
**Duran**: Player, enough!
**Duran**: I don't want to put you in harm's way unnecessarily!
**Player**: And I don't want to see you walk into the lion's den alone!
**Duran**: Trust me, in the face of absolute power, schemes are meaningless!
**Player**: Duran, I have faith in your power!
**Player**: But, this is the Shadowhunters we're talking about!
**Player**: I know many Shadowhunters, and I am friends with a lot of them.
**Player**: Duran, you need somebody to watch your back.
**Duran**: ...
*Choice 2.2 - For the sake of my Shadowhunter friends, I have to go too!*
**Player**: Duran... just like for you...
**Player**: This thing is not just about me!
**Duran**: ...
**Player**: I know many Shadowhunters, and I have been with them shoulder to shoulder...
**Player**: They are brave and loyal, and are single-mindedly intent on eliminating the Shadows, and protect Luxium.
**Player**: Although the evidence right now seems to point to the Shadowhunters...
**Player**: But in my heart, I am still not willing to believe that they would commit such shady business...
**Player**: I don't believe that they would send killers in order to cover their own past.
**Duran**: Player, the brighter the light, the darker the shadow behind it...
**Player**: I know. That's exactly why I want to know the truth!
**Duran**: ...
*Conversation continues after choices*
**Duran**: Fine, I understand!
**Duran**: When it comes to arguing I have never been your match...
**Player**: Then let's go! To Westhold!
**Duran**: No! We go to Elysiann!
*Scene - Elysiann*
*A while later...*
*Elysiann*
**Player**: The Shadowhunter's research center is in Elysiann?
**Duran**: Everyone in Luxium knows that the Shadowhunter's base is in Westhold...
**Duran**: So naturally they don't want to put all their assets in Westhold...
**Duran**: Otherwise if Westhold falls, then the Shadowhunters are finished.
**Player**: So they hide their research center in a commercial city...
**Player**: That makes sense.
**Duran**: Besides, not many people know that the Shadowhunters are behind this research center...
**Duran**: This place... is very secure...
**Player**: Unbelievable...
**Duran**: The Shadowhunters have been at war with the Shadow for more than a thousand years, it's perfectly understandable that they are very well developed.
**Duran**: Let's go, the research center is in uptown.
*Scene - In front of an impressive building*
*A few moments later...*
*Duran and Player walk up to the entrance of a large building*
*Two Shadowhunter soldiers guard the entrance*
**Shadowhunters Soldier**: This is a private area, no trespassing allowed!
**Duran**: Where is the head of this research center?
**Duran**: I have to see him!
**Shadowhunters Soldier**: You want to see the director?
**Shadowhunters Soldier**: Who are you? What's your business?
**Duran**: I am Duran, I am here for a trade...
**Duran**: It's an important matter that concerns his fate!
**Player**: Huh? Duran?
**Duran**: Please tell him what I said, he will understand.
*The Shadowhunter guards seem to be discussing something...*
*One guard enters the building*
**Shadowhunters Soldier**: We have notified the director in charge...
**Shadowhunters Soldier**: Please wait outside.
**Duran**: Sure!
*Duran and Player walk a short distance away from the guards to talk privately*
**Player**: 'Concerns his fate'? What's that all about?
**Player**: Why did you say that? You'd just irritate them?
**Player**: What if the thing they're trying to hide isn't very important, then haven't we just exposed ourselves?
**Duran**: Haha, don't worry, Player.
**Duran**: This is creating a distraction.
**Duran**: Think about it, if you are the boss of this place...
**Duran**: If you hear that Duran has come to discuss 'a matter that concerns your fate'...
**Duran**: What'd be your first thought?
**Player**: Hmm...
**Player**: What happened 18 years ago!
**Duran**: Correct!
**Duran**: They didn't think I would hand myself over, they must be worried that I have a backup move, so they won't try to take us by force...
**Duran**: And they wouldn't want me to make a scene in public either...
**Duran**: So they have to invite us in!
**Player**: Oh, I see, very clever, Duran!
*A Shadowhunter solider approaches Duran*
**Shadowhunters Soldier**: Mr. Duran, the director of the research center wants to see you.
**Duran**: Haha, see! Let's go!
*Scene - Inside the research center's conference room*
*A few moments later...*
*Following the guard, you and Duran walk a short while...*
*To the conference room...*
**Shadowhunters Soldier**: Sirs, this is the director's conference room, please wait here a moment.
**Shadowhunters Soldier**: The manager will be here shortly.
*The Shadowhunter solider leaves*
**Duran**: These two Shadowhunter guards are very polite...
**Player**: Yeah, it gives a good impression!
**Duran**: I thought the Shadowhunters are all arrogant and stuck up.
**Player**: Maybe it depends on the different regiments. The Shadowhunters I know are all very nice and reliable people.
**Duran**: Maybe...
**Duran**: But Player... this research center... doesn't seem right...
**Player**: So you've noticed too?
**Duran**: In this research center, apart from the guards wearing Shadowhunter gear...
**Duran**: All the other soldiers are wearing mercenary armor!
**Player**: Why?
**Player**: Is it because the Shadowhunters are wearing mercenary gear? Just like the Bandler receivers last time on the assignment.
**Duran**: But why do they have to pretend, and if they're pretending then why not the guards too?
**Player**: Then is it possible that they found out we're coming?
**Player**: So they dressed up at the last moment?
**Duran**: Doesn't sound plausible, we only came up with this idea a couple of hours ago on the airship.
**Duran**: No one could've known our plan.
**Player**: That's strange...
**Duran**: Apart from this, you seem to have noticed something else.
**Player**: Right...
*Player looks at some of the books lining the shelves of conference room's walls*
**Player**: 'An Economic Analysis of South Luxium After the Second Shadow War'
**Player**: 'Sea of Storm - The Unknown Opportunity'
**Duran**: Is there something wrong... with these books?
**Player**: If I remember correctly, this place is called 'the Thunder arcana research center' right?
**Player**: But on the way here, I couldn't sense any flux fluctuation...
**Player**: The staff in this research center don't look like researchers, they're mostly engineers and laborers...
**Player**: The research focus here seems to be mining and machinery...
**Player**: And the books in this room are all about economics and business management...
**Player**: But strangely, on that assignment, the client's goods really were high flux arcana weapons!
**Player**: It's very strange!
**Duran**: Hmm...
**Duran**: We have to see if we can get more clues from the director.
*A sharply dressed man approaches Duran and Player*
**Research Center Director**: Mr. Duran and this is...
**Player**: Call me Player.
**Research Center Director**: Oh, Mr. Player. Nice to meet you.
**Duran**: This is also the first time we meet isn't it, Mr. Director?
**Research Center Director**: Oh right! I have such a bad memory.
**Duran**: Okay, you can drop the act!
**Duran**: When you went to BlackFlame City to hire the killers, you must have given them my picture.
**Duran**: So this is the first time I see you, but it's not the first time you see me!
**Research Center Director**: ...
**Research Center Director**: Since Mr. Duran is getting straight to the point, then I may as well drop the pretense.
**Research Center Director**: Humph! I didn't think you'd get this far with the investigation.
**Research Center Director**: Not bad...
**Duran**: ...
**Research Center Director**: The things you know, are enough to shake the foundation of our organization...
**Duran**: !!
*Duran suddenly looks alert...*
**Research Center Director**: I'll be frank, you should forget about what happened 18 years ago!
*Duran gives you a hand signal, gesturing you to beware of the guards...*
**Research Center Director**: So Mr. Duran, name your price.
*You can faintly hear sounds of movement behind the wall...*
*Sounds like light footsteps...*
**Player**: (They are preparing an ambush!)
**Player**: (Dang it...)
**Player**: (If they lay an ambush this could get ugly for us!)
**Player**: (If we kill the ambushing soldiers...)
**Player**: (The research center will become a mess, then it'll be even harder to find out what happened 18 years ago!)
**Player**: (We have to get the information out of the director soon!)
**Research Center Director**: How much do you want? To make you forget about what happened 18 years ago?
**Duran**: Ha, even without the money, I have already forgotten...
**Duran**: What happened back then? Can you jolt my memory?
**Research Center Director**: Ha! Don't play dumb with me!
**Research Center Director**: You think I'd believe you?
**Duran**: I am telling the truth, take it or leave it.
**Research Center Director**: Ridiculous...
**Player**: ...

**-Choice 3.1 - (Threaten the director...)**

**Player**: Didn't the guards tell you, that we are here to discuss something that concerns your life?
**Duran**: ?
**Duran**: ...
*Duran smiles at Player's words*
**Research Center Director**: Oh? You are in my territory!
**Duran**: So what?
**Duran**: It'll only take me 2 seconds to smash your head open!
**Duran**: You think the guards hiding outside can save you in time?
**Research Center Director**: Ha, you are threatening me.
**Duran**: Correct!
**Duran**: Tell me! What happened 18 years ago?
**Duran**: Why are you sending killers after me?
**Research Center Director**: Oh I see...
**Research Center Director**: You want me to say it, so you can record my voice with arcana right?
**Research Center Director**: I'd recommend you give up on such a plan!
**Research Center Director**: We are not idiots here at Thunder research center!
**Research Center Director**: I'd rather die than become a traitor!
*The director stares at you coldly...*
*There doesn't seem to be a shred of hesitation in his eyes...*
**Duran**: He's loyal...
**Player**: Hmm...

**-Choice 3.1.1 - (Make the director suffer...)**

**Duran**: They force us to do this...
*Duran attacks the director and knocks him to the ground*
*A few moments later...*
**Research Center Director**: Ahem...ehm...
**Research Center Director**: I told you! I am never going to betray the master!
**Research Center Director**: Our objective is far beyond your imagination!
**Duran**: Brave...
**Duran**: Let's hope the others in this center are as brave as you are!
**Research Center Director**: Hahahahaha!
**Research Center Director**: In this entire place, I am the only one who knows about that incident!
**Research Center Director**: ...
**Duran**: Dang it! He took poison!
**Player**: This guy, he'd rather give up his life...
**Duran**: Hmm... if even the non-combat personnel of the Shadowhunters are so tough to deal with...
**Duran**: Then this is not going to be easy...
**Duran**: The troops are probably about to come in, we better think of a way to get out!
**Player**: Gees... I guess there's no other way!
*Go to Part 3*

**-Choice 3.1.2 - (Try threatening him by other means...)**

**Duran**: You have already failed your master!
**Research Center Director**: You're bluffing!
**Duran**: I have already told people in BlackFlame City about the truth 18 years ago...
**Duran**: As soon as I make the order, the whole of Luxium will know about your dirty deeds!
**Duran**: If you really are loyal to your master and don't want this thing to get blown out of proportion...
**Duran**: Then tell us what you know!
**Research Center Director**: ...
**Research Center Director**: Hahahaha!
**Duran**: !!
**Research Center Director**: If you want, go yell it out in the streets!
**Research Center Director**: That's not going to affect us at all!
**Player**: This guy is just bluffing!
**Research Center Director**: Ha! You are the ones that are bluffing!
**Research Center Director**: If this is all you've got...
**Research Center Director**: Then you've already lost!
**Research Center Director**: Hahaha!
**Duran**: Hmm... this is getting out of hand...
**Player**: (This guy is obviously here to test what we know, he's prepared for death...)
**Player**: (We need a way to breakthrough this guy's psychological defense!)
*Go to Part 2*

**-Choice 3.2 - (Haggle...)**

**Player**: Humph, if we name a price, will you let us walk out of here?
**Research Center Director**: You two are strong and healthy, I can't stop you.
**Research Center Director**: But accidents happen, and people get hurt...
**Research Center Director**: There's nothing unusual about that right?
**Duran**: Accidents? If your accidents are effective, then I wouldn't be standing here today.
**Research Center Director**: True... I have noticed...
**Research Center Director**: But, Duran... you are all alone...
**Research Center Director**: Can you prevent 'accidents' from happening... forever?
**Duran**: Oh, now you're threatening me.
**Research Center Director**: What? No, we're just talking about accidents, aren't we?
**Duran**: ...
**Player**: Come on, there's no need to get aggressive.
**Player**: We're here to make a deal!
**Duran**: Player?
**Research Center Director**: So you're finally willing to get to the point?
**Player**: You don't actually think that Duran and I are the only ones who know about your dirty deeds right?
**Research Center Director**: Oh?
**Player**: You must know about Duran's reputation...
**Player**: If we don't make it back to BlackFlame City by tonight.
**Player**: The whole of Luxium will know about your dirty business 18 years ago!
**Research Center Director**: Hmm...so? What do you want to say?
**Player**: We make a deal, you tell your boss that Duran is dead...
**Player**: And we go back to BlackFlame City safe and sound.
**Player**: Let this secret be forgotten.
**Research Center Director**: ... Ha...
**Research Center Director**: Hahahaha!
**Duran**: ...
**Player**: !!
**Research Center Director**: It seems... you really don't know anything...
**Research Center Director**: But, even so, I can't just let you go...
**Research Center Director**: Pity, you don't even know what killed you!
**Research Center Director**: Hahahaha!
**Player**: Uh...

**-Choice 3.2.1 - (Bluff...)**

**Player**: Looks like your master didn't tell you the full story!
**Player**: The information we have is much more than you can imagine!
**Research Center Director**: Oh? Tell me then?
**Player**: If even your boss wouldn't tell you. Why should we?
**Research Center Director**: You are just bluffing... Such a crude trick...
**Research Center Director**: You're just trying to drive a wedge between me and my master.
**Player**: (Has he seen through my bluff already?)
**Research Center Director**: It seems that... I've overestimated you...
**Research Center Director**: I thought you guys had a trump card.
**Research Center Director**: At the end of the day, you are just bluffing all along...
**Research Center Director**: Now you are just as pathetic as a clown in rags!
**Duran**: !!
**Duran**: Player, get ready to fight!
*Multiple guards rush in*
**Research Center Director**: Since you've delivered yourselves to my hands, let me end your lives!
*Go to Part 3*

**-Choice 3.2.2 - (Try to find his weakness...)**

**Player**: (If it goes on like this, this guy will realize that we don't have a trump card...)
**Player**: (I have to find a way to break his psychological defense!)
*Go to Part 2*

**-Choice 3.3 - (Name an impossible price...)**

**Player**: Duran, Duran!
**Player**: If Mr. Director wants us to make an offer...
**Player**: Then we'll give you a price, see if can handle it!
**Duran**: Player?
**Research Center Director**: Finally?
**Research Center Director**: Then... give me a price!
**Player**: 6 billion Black Dragonshard.
**Research Center Director**: !!
**Research Center Director**: Haha...that's... you must be kidding!
**Player**: If 6 billion black dragonshards is all it takes to keep your dirty secret concealed forever...
**Player**: That's not too expensive, is it? Mr. Director?
**Research Center Director**: Concealed forever... if that's really possible...
**Research Center Director**: That's indeed... a reasonable price...
**Research Center Director**: Fine! Deal!
**Research Center Director**: You wait here, I'll go to get your money.
**Research Center Director**: It may be a little while, please be patient...
**Duran**: ...
*The director walks away*
**Player**: 6 billion Black Dragonshard... he really agreed to it?
**Duran**: How could this be?
**Duran**: As soon as he leaves, he won't be coming back!
**Player**: Huh?
**Duran**: The director is just here to test us...
**Duran**: When he realizes that we only want money, then he has nothing to fear anymore!
**Player**: What... ?
**Duran**: This is not the time for regrets!
**Duran**: Get ready, they're sending in the troops!
**Duran**: We have to fight our way out of here!!
*Go to Part 3*

**-Part 2**

**-Choice 1.1 - (Review the existing information and clues...)**

**Player**: (Calm down, think about the clues we have...)
**Player**: (Firstly, the information we have collected...)
**Player**: (Thunder is an arcana research center under the banner of the Shadowhunters, specialized in providing advanced weaponry and gear to the Shadowhunters...)
**Player**: (A few months ago, during the goods assignments, we delivered a shipment of arcana weapons to the Bandler family.)
**Player**: (And what makes this center suspicious...)
**Player**: (The guards at the door are Shadowhunters, guards inside are mercenaries...)
**Player**: (As an arcana research center, it doesn't seem to be researching arcana at all...)
**Player**: (So far that's all we have...)
*Choice 1.1.1 - (Review the clues we have...)*
*Go to Choice 1.1*
*Choice 1.1.2 - (Find a breakthrough...)*
*Go to Choice 1.2*

**-Choice 1.2 - (Find a breakthrough...)**

**Player**: (So the way to break out of this situation is ...)

**-Choice 1.2.1 - (The trade between the research center and the Shadowhunters...)**

**Player**: Don't you want to see our trump card?
**Player**: I don't mind revealing a little bit to you.
**Research Center Director**: Oh, show me what you've got?
**Player**: A few months ago...
**Player**: The Thunder Research Center has sent a batch of weapons and equipment to the Shadowhunters...
**Research Center Director**: Thunder has always had a close trade relationship with the Shadowhunters in Westhold...
**Research Center Director**: You are not using this to threaten me, are you?
**Player**: Those weapons were not delivered to Westhold!
**Player**: They went to a mansion in River Bend Town in the Northern Desert!
**Research Center Director**: The Bandler manor?
**Research Center Director**: Do you mean...
**Duran**: !!
**Research Center Director**: Humph! You think I'd fall for that?
**Player**: What's more interesting is that those weapons were arcana weapons of high flux nature...
**Player**: However, as I saw today, the main focus of Thunder's research is not on arcana.
**Player**: However, your people secretly gave a batch of arcana weapons to the Shadowhunters...
**Player**: It seems that your staff was planning on something else.
**Player**: If your master finds out that you have a secret deal with the Shadowhunters behind his back...
**Research Center Director**: So what? Master sees me as his right-hand man. Don't try to separate us.
**Duran**: How naïve! Those in power only care about the results.
**Duran**: Can you still expect your master to trust you when something like this happens?
**Research Center Director**: Those morons...
**Research Center Director**: Humph... Stop making up stories here. You don't have any proof!
**Player**: The mercenary who delivered those weapons is standing right in front of you...
**Research Center Director**: !!
**Duran**: Now I come to think about it, I should thank the client back then...
**Duran**: Without him, I won't even find you!
**Research Center Director**: Well... This must never get out!
**Research Center Director**: Come in guards! Kill them!!
*Multiple guards rush in*
**Research Center Director**: Kill them!
*The guards ready their weapons*
**Duran**: This has finally turned nasty...
**Duran**: You'd better come at once!
*Go to Part 4*

**-Choice 1.2.2 - (The mercenaries inside the research center...)**

**Player**: Your boss behind the scene is the Shadowhunters! Am I right!
**Research Center Director**: So what?
**Player**: Shadowhunter guards on the outside... mercenaries on the inside.
**Player**: Besides, you have quite a lot of mercenaries yourself...
**Player**: If the Anti-shadow Council knows about this...
**Player**: They might think you are plotting a rebellion!
**Research Center Director**: So, is that your trump card you have?
**Research Center Director**: The security guards of the research center of course are not Shadowhunter warriors...
**Research Center Director**: Those arrogant Shadowhunters are fighting against the Shadow on the front line!
**Research Center Director**: Everything that we do here was ordered by the 'Anti-shadow Council'!
**Research Center Director**: You really should do your homework before delivering yourself to the trap!
**Research Center Director**: It seems that... I've overestimated you...
**Research Center Director**: I thought you guys have a trump card.
**Research Center Director**: At the end of the day, you are just bluffing all along...
**Research Center Director**: Now you are just as pathetic as clowns in rags!
**Duran**: !!
**Duran**: Player, get ready to fight!
*Multiple guards rush in*
**Research Center Director**: Since you've delivered yourselves to my hands, let me end your lives!
*Go to Part 3*

**-Choice 1.2.3 - (The research center not researching arcana...)**

**Player**: The famous Thunder Arcana Research Center does not study arcana...
**Player**: Using resources on mining machinery instead...
**Player**: If your master finds out about this...
**Research Center Director**: Hahaha!
**Player**: !
**Research Center Director**: You want to threaten me with the things I let you see myself...
**Research Center Director**: I don't know if you're actually a moron or if you're playing dumb.
**Research Center Director**: Using the research center's resources to study minerals, of course this is approved by the master!
**Player**: !!
**Research Center Director**: You really should do your homework before delivering yourself to the trap!
**Research Center Director**: It seems that... I've overestimated you...
**Research Center Director**: I thought you guys had a trump card.
**Research Center Director**: At the end of the day, you are just bluffing all along...
**Research Center Director**: Now you are just as pathetic as clowns in rags!
**Duran**: !!
**Duran**: Player, get ready to fight!
*Multiple guards rush in*
**Research Center Director**: Since you've delivered yourselves to my hands, let me end your lives!
*Go to Part 3*

**-Part 3**

*Scene - Outside the research center*
*Some time later...*
**Thunder Mercenary**: The intruder has escaped into the city!
**Thunder Mercenary**: Inform the Elysiann Defense Force. Lock down the city!
**Thunder Mercenary**: Search in teams of five, now!
**Duran**: Dang...we've lost our only lead...
**Player**: Well...
**Player**: Duran, we need to get out of here before Elysiann is completely locked down!
**Duran**: Yes!
**Player**: (During the talk with the director of the center, we should've been more careful...)
*Scene ends - Bad ending*

**-Part 4**

*Together with Duran, you dealt with the mercenaries who had you surrounded...*
*The sound of sirens can be heard all over Thunder Research Center...*
*To avoid the search team of the Research Center...*
*You and Duran hide inside the ventilation system...*
*Scene - In a dark corner of the research center*
**Player**: Ooah!
**Duran**: Player, are you okay?
**Player**: I'm fine...
**Duran**: Sorry, I'm so heavy that I've broken the ventilation ducts...
**Player**: This is a blessing in disguise!
**Player**: This looks like an abandoned underground facility. The mercenaries won't be able to find us here!
**Duran**: Yes! It looks very safe!
**Player**: Finally I can catch a breath.
**Player**: But we didn't get anything important from that guy.
**Duran**: No... what we got is much better than I thought!
**Player**: Huh?
**Duran**: First of all, the truth from 18 years ago, I can be sure that...
**Duran**: It is only valuable in my hands.
**Player**: Yes! Looking at that director in charge, he didn't seem worried at all that we'll leak this information...
**Duran**: Secondly, the receiver address back then was the manor of the Bandler family!
**Player**: Yes! He accidentally slipped his tongue!
**Duran**: Thirdly, there is another powerful party in the Thunder Research Center!
**Duran**: The private deal with the Bandlers was directed by this other party...
**Player**: You're right! The director of the research center didn't know about that!
**Duran**: Not only did he not know it, but he also seemed upset about it.
**Duran**: It's worth finding out more about the two powers of the research center!
**Player**: Also, I think the director panicked!
**Player**: Now it'd be hard for him to remain composed, he'll just expose more flaws!
**Duran**: Yes!
**Player**: However, there is a new problem...
**Player**: Now we know that it was our client from the goods assignment who leaked the fact that there is a survivor from 18 years ago...
**Player**: And then the person who sent the killers is the director's boss...
**Player**: These people seem to belong to two different factions in Thunder Research Center...
**Player**: Then how come the director knows about the 'survivor from 18 years ago' yet doesn't know about the private transaction between Thunder and the Shadowhunters.
**Duran**: Well... Maybe there's yet another power in play...
**Duran**: Let's talk about that later! Now the key is to find out what happened 18 years ago!
**Duran**: Currently, we have two choices.
**Duran**: We can try to find the other faction within the research center.
**Duran**: Or, we can follow the director who must be panicking now.
**Duran**: Player, what do you think we should do?
**Player**: Well...
*Choice 1.1 - Find the other faction!*
**Player**: Now that the director of the center knows about their private deal with the Shadowhunters...
**Player**: The director will not let them go!
**Player**: If we extend an olive branch to them now...
**Player**: I don't think they will refuse!
**Duran**: Yeah! Unite with the enemy of the enemy!
**Duran**: You're the boss, Player!
**Player**: But how do we find them?
**Duran**: When we first entered the research center, all we saw were workers and engineers working on ore...
**Duran**: The people doing arcana research are probably not in the main research area.
**Duran**: At the same time, there is a large abandoned underground area...
**Player**: Which means, they may be underground, below the research center?
**Duran**: Right!
**Player**: If they are doing arcana research, I should be able to feel the flux change when we approach them!
**Duran**: Good! That'll be handy! Let's go!
**Player**: Yeah!
*Choice 1.2 - Follow the director!*
**Player**: The research center director is in a panic...
**Player**: Let's go after him!
**Duran**: Yeah! Take advantage of the situation!
**Duran**: Let's do it!
**Player**: But how do we find him?
**Duran**: When the ambushing troops came in, I put a tracking arcana crystal on him...
**Duran**: He can't run away!
**Duran**: The enemies are searching all over the research center above ground...
**Duran**: Let's approach the director from underground!
**Player**: Yeah!
*Scene continues after choices*
*Duran and Player start to investigate the area*
*As they are investigating, Player stops Duran*
**Player**: Duran, hold on!
**Player**: There's very strong flux coming from the area up ahead!
**Duran**: Flux?
**Duran**: It should come from the other group of people who are doing arcana research.
**Duran**: We found them by sheer luck!
**Duran**: !
**Duran**: Someone's coming! Let's hide!
*An old mage leads two mercenaries to the area that Player and Duran were just at*
**Mage looking person**: Oh, sir, you can stop looking. There's nothing here!
**Mercenary A**: Why are you scared if there's nothing here?
**Mercenary B**: You must've harbored the intruders!
**Mage lookalike**: Oh, sir! Why would the intruders come here?
**Mercenary A**: Then why don't you let us in?
**Mage lookalike**: Our arcana experiment is at a critical stage. If it gets disrupted by outsiders' flux, our efforts will all...
**Mercenary B**: Get out of my way! Our client doesn't care about that!
**Mage lookalike**: Fine...
*The mage steps aside*
**Mercenary A**: Good! You should know your place!
*The mercenaries leave*
**Mage lookalike**: Sigh...
*Duran and Player surprise the lone mage*
**Mage lookalike**: Woah, it's you!
**Duran**: !!
**Player**: Oh? I think I've seen you before?
**Mage lookalike**: What... What? I've never seen you mercenaries before!
**Duran**: How do you know we're mercenaries?
**Mage lookalike**: ...
**Duran**: All right, Mister client, you can stop pretending!
**Player**: Oh! No wonder he looks so familiar!
**Player**: So you are a researcher of the Thunder Research Center!
**Client**: Duran, Player, what are you doing here?
**Client**: Anyway, not that I care! You should leave! I'll just pretend I never saw you!
**Player**: We are here because of you...
**Client**: What?
**Duran**: What do you know about what happened 18 years ago?
**Client**: 18 years ago? You're asking me?
**Client**: Well... I know nothing! If you don't leave, I'll call the guards!
**Player**: Well... It does no good to you if the mercenaries see us together...
**Duran**: The director upstairs already knows about your private deal with the Shadowhunters...
**Client**: What?!
**Client**: Well...
**Duran**: You probably can't leave this place alive today...
**Duran**: If you cooperate with us, you may stand a chance!
**Client**: Hmm... I just want to do research in peace!
**Client**: ...
**Client**: Fine! But, it's a long story... Where should I start?
**Duran**: From the beginning...
**Client**: Well, I don't have time...
**Duran**: I have plenty of time!
**Client**: What do you know about what happened eighteen years ago?
**Duran**: Eighteen years ago, a businessman came to BlackFlame City and hired a lot of mercenaries to deal with his competitors...
**Duran**: The mercenaries got surrounded by the enemy on the battlefield and were completely destroyed.
**Duran**: That's all I know. It's no special intelligence that could attract killers!
**Client**: Humph! That's because some people have a guilty conscience!
**Player**: Guilty?
**Client**: Eighteen years ago, your opponent was the Bandler's family guards...
**Player**: It was the Shadowhunters!
**Duran**: Well... The enemy's tactics and formation were impeccable. They really didn't look like mercenaries.
**Client**: And the person who hired you was the leader of the Shadowhunters Calais family.
**Client**: His objective was to raid the family house of the Bandlers and kill him, thus seizing the command of the Shadowhunters guard forces.
**Duran**: Calais? Ha, I see. I still have the contract from 18 years ago...
**Duran**: The client was indeed Calais!
**Player**: Contract?
**Player**: So, the contract is evidence that the Calais family attacked the Bandler family!!
**Duran**: Or... Evidence of the Calais family's betrayal...
**Duran**: If I died, there would be no witnesses from the battlefield 18 years ago, and the evidence would not stand!
**Player**: That's why they sent killers after me!
**Client**: So... Are you satisfied now?
**Player**: But why did one Shadowhunters family attack the other Shadowhunters family?
**Client**: Why? Haha, why??
**Client**: Because we want to take back everything that belongs to us!
**Player**: !!
**Client**: Everybody knows the Shadowhunters as the warriors who fight against enemies on the battlefield...
**Client**: But who would know that it is because of the non-combat personnel like us that the Shadowhunters get to last till today?!
**Client**: For thousands of years, the Floyd family has been studying arcana and supplying advanced weapons to the Shadowhunters...
**Client**: Over 60% of the Shadowhunter's capital is provided by the Calais and the Erwin family's enterprises!
**Client**: Without us, this stupid organization would've been long gone!
**Client**: However, for thousands of years, the Shadowhunters have been maintaining the tradition of military supremacy.
**Client**: Roderick, the executive director of the Shadowhunters, has always been assumed by the Ackley and Bandler family who have a military background!
**Client**: For thousands of years, those families with a military background have been exploiting us!
**Client**: It has gotten even worse in recent years!!
**Client**: They exploit the family resources of the Calais and Erwins for extra funds to expand the army...
**Client**: They reduce the funds to Thunder Research Center but demand more findings from us...
**Player**: If that's the case, why didn't you protest?
**Client**: Ha... We are just researchers, workers, and businessmen. How are we going to protest?
**Client**: My great grandfather once protested but suffered treachery in the end!
**Player**: So... The Calais hired mercenaries and planned on revolting?
**Client**: Yes... But you already... know the result...
**Duran**: You're lying!!
**Client**: Why would I lie to you now?
**Duran**: Your story is full of holes!
**Duran**: If the battle 18 years ago was really the Calais family's attempt to revolt...
**Duran**: Then their plan was really too stupid!
**Duran**: Even if Calais had no military background, if it really was a desperate revolt...
**Duran**: It was impossible that they'd pay so much to hire the mercenaries and then let them fall right into the Shadowhunter's trap!
**Duran**: Secondly, according to your description, the Thunder Research Center is also being exploited...
**Duran**: And yet, you didn't join Calais's revolt but provided weapons to Bandler!
**Duran**: Thirdly, you are just an ordinary researcher...
**Duran**: How do you know so much about these things?!
**Client**: Because... hmm... Because...
**Duran**: Player and I are determined to find the truth!
**Duran**: If you keep talking nonsense, I'll send you to see your ancestors in hell!!!
**Client**: Well...
**Client**: Because... Because I'm Floyd!!
**Player**: Floyd?
**Player**: What! Floyd of the Floyd family?!
**Duran**: !!
*The old man in front of you stands up straight...*
*Obviously, he's already not used to this posture...*
*But still, he's trying to straighten himself...*
**Floyd**: Let me introduce myself again, I'm the 64th Lord of the Floyd family.
**Player**: You are the lord of the Floyd family, then the Thunder Arcana Research Center...
**Floyd**: It's supposed to be my family business...
**Player**: What actually happened?
**Floyd**: I just want to devote myself to research...
*Floyd relaxes his straightened posture...*
*His body returns to a forward bending stoop...*
*Obviously, he's used to this posture...*
**Floyd**: It's the price of my cowardice...
**Duran**: ...
**Floyd**: Eighteen years ago, Calais and Erwin found me...
**Floyd**: They proposed a plan to revolt against Ackley and Bandler and seize the power of the Shadowhunters...
**Floyd**: Calais and Erwin were in charge of recruiting mercenaries while I was in charge of developing advanced weapons to arm the mercenaries.
**Floyd**: The research went well. After all, research was my job...
**Floyd**: However, my research was discovered by another Shadowhunter family, the Derrick family...
**Player**: Derrick?
**Duran**: The mayor of Westhold, who's in charge of politics and diplomacy of the Shadowhunters.
*Scene - The past, at the research center*
*Eighteen years ago, the Thunder Arcana Research Center...*
*A man dressed in Shadowhunter armor walks up behind a young scholar*
**Derrick**: Wow, nice job...
**Floyd**: Haha, of course, if we arm our soldiers with these gear and weapons...
**Floyd**: We will...
*The young scholar turns around*
**Floyd**: !!
**Floyd**: It's you!
**Derrick**: It's me. I was here to meet the chief executive officer of Elysiann and I'm just passing by Thunder Arcana Research Center...
**Derrick**: I think... I overheard something great...
**Floyd**: Nahh... It's just some ordinary research, the Anti-Shadow Council knows about it.
**Derrick**: Really? A weapon that can fire arcana bombs...
**Derrick**: Good thinking. But it seems... It's not a research that the Anti-Shadow Council knows about, is it?
**Derrick**: And you said... To arm your soldiers with these weapons...
**Derrick**: My understanding is that... You are plotting a coup!
**Floyd**: !!
**Floyd**: No... Not me! It's...
*Floyd realizes that he said something wrong, but it's too late already...*
**Derrick**: (Smiles) It's not you... Then who is it?
**Floyd**: ...
**Derrick**: If you don't say... You'll be the only one responsible for the coup!
**Derrick**: You should know very well the strength of our Shadowhunters army...
**Derrick**: You wouldn't want your Thunder Research Center... To be covered in blood, would you?
**Floyd**: No!
**Derrick**: On the contrary, if you tell me...
**Derrick**: I'll say a few nice words for you to Ackley and Bandler...
**Derrick**: With their troops backing you... You can...
**Derrick**: Do your research in peace!
**Floyd**: !!
**Floyd**: Okay... fine...
*Floyd told Derrick about his plan to revolt together with Calais and Bandler...*
**Derrick**: Ahhh... I see...
**Floyd**: I've told you everything! You must keep your word!
**Derrick**: Of course! I am a man of my word!
*Scene - The past, inside a mansion*
*Eighteen years ago, Calais's mansion...*
*A well-dressed man talks to a well-dressed lady*
**Erwin**: The mercenary contract has been signed. Now they're just waiting for our order to attack the Ackley family manor!
**Calais**: Good. The men who are to attack the Bandlers are ready too...
**Calais**: So we're only waiting for Floyd's weapons!
**Erwin**: Don't worry, that kid wouldn't dare to oppose us!
**Calais**: Well, this time... The glory of the Calais and Erwin family will be restored!
*Floyd and Derrick enter*
**Erwin**: Floyd, you're here at last. The weapon we want...
**Erwin**: Derrick?
**Derrick**: Dear sirs, how do you do?
**Calais**: What are you doing here?
**Derrick**: To make a deal with you.
**Erwin**: Humph! To continue to exploit us with Ackley and Bandler together?
**Derrick**: Oh, exploit... That doesn't sound very nice...
**Derrick**: Shadowhunters are heroes who protect Luxium. It's our honor to serve the Shadowhunters.
**Calais**: Yes, I feel very 'honored'. Whenever I think of this I laugh in my dream!
**Calais**: Happy now? I think you should leave!
**Derrick**: Aren't you going to talk about your plan to revolt?
**Calais**: !!
**Erwin**: Floyd...
**Floyd**: No... No...
**Derrick**: Enough of this meaningless blaming. Lord Floyd and I only bumped into each other on the way here...
**Floyd**: Yes! Yes!
**Calais**: That's a very serious accusation, Lord Derrick...
**Calais**: You'd better give me an explanation!
**Derrick**: This is not an accusation. You've hired a lot of mercenaries in BlackFlame City these past two days...
**Derrick**: You didn't hire them for mining, did you?
**Calais**: !!
**Derrick**: Lady Calais, since I am here already, I obviously have sufficient concrete evidence!
**Erwin**: Hmmm... Guards!
**Derrick**: Oh, do you want to kill me?
**Derrick**: I think you should know, it's meaningless... to kill me...
**Erwin**: Dang...
**Calais**: What do you want?
**Derrick**: The Shadowhunters have been protecting Luxium from the slaughter of the Shadows since ancient times.
**Derrick**: If there's an internal division or even an internal fight within the Anti-Shadow Council...
**Derrick**: Then the Shadow would be the biggest beneficiary!
**Derrick**: Division will only lead to bloodshed. And unity is the only future for us, the future of the Shadowhunters!
**Derrick**: I hope that you can put the common interest above everything else. Don't forget, you are the foundation of the Shadowhunters!
**Erwin**: Sigh...
**Calais**: ...
**Calais**: ...
**Calais**: I see, we... will fulfill our duties.
**Erwin**: Fine, I'll go dismiss the mercenaries that I had hired...
**Erwin**: Sigh... I'll need to pay a large sum for the breach of contract...
**Calais**: ...
**Derrick**: Don't worry. I know a way for you to keep your money!
**Calais**: What?
**Derrick**: The plan to attack the Ackleys and the Bandlers remains unchanged!
**Derrick**: The Shadowhunters need some victories to boost their morale because of the recent increase in Shadow activities!
**Erwin**: You mean, let the Shadowhunters kill the mercenaries?
**Derrick**: Correct!
**Derrick**: Lord Floyd, as your duty, you'll arm our Shadowhunter warriors with the weapons you have prepared!
**Derrick**: Is there a problem? Lord Floyd?
**Floyd**: No... No problem...
**Derrick**: And I, Derrick... promise that this secret will never be heard by anyone else!
**Derrick**: What do you think, my lords?
**Calais**: We'll do as you say!
*Scene - The present, at the research center*
**Floyd**: You should all know what happened next...
**Floyd**: The year after the failed revolt, Calais and Erwin began to investigate who the snitch is...
**Floyd**: My betrayal was discovered. The two of them ganged up together to seize my Thunder Research Center...
**Floyd**: Because I have a seat in the Anti-Shadow Council, they didn't get rid of me...
**Floyd**: They only gave me an underground lab and they often sent guards to harass me...
**Floyd**: I... I just want to do my research at peace...
*Duran's body is shaking...*
**Duran**: Hmm...
**Duran**: This is betrayal...
**Duran**: This is blatant betrayal!!!!
**Floyd**: You... I... I've told you everything... Let me go!
**Duran**: You!!!
**Duran**: You gave the weapons that were meant for us to the enemy!
**Duran**: This is betrayal!!
**Floyd**: Eee!!! Don't kill me... Spare me, please!
**Duran**: Pay with your life!
*Choice 2.1 - (Stop Duran...)*
**Player**: Hold on! Duran!!
**Duran**: What?
**Player**: He's not worth it!
**Duran**: Excuse me?
**Player**: He's just a pathetic coward...
**Player**: Due to his cowardice, he's lost his family business and his position...
**Player**: He's just a puppet living in his own shadow!
**Duran**: ...
**Duran**: Death... Would be too easy for you!
**Duran**: Live pathetically! Coward!!
*Maybe out of fear...*
*Floyd breaks down and cries loudly...*
*Choice 2.2 - (Do not stop Duran...)*
**Player**: If you hadn't been a traitor, Duran's brothers wouldn't have died...
**Player**: This is the price you pay for your cowardice...
**Duran**: Go to hell!
*Duran kills Floyd*
*Scene continues after choices*
**Duran**: As our clients, Calais and Erwin sent us into a trap for the sake of their own selfish interest...
**Duran**: This is betrayal!!!
**Duran**: And Derrick, that wily old fox...
**Player**: Duran, calm down!
**Duran**: Fight, no...
**Duran**: This is war!!
**Duran**: The war has started!!!
*Duran runs off*
**Player**: Wait... wait for me!!
**Mercenary**: Intruders discovered!!
**Duran**: Scram!!
*Scene - In front of the research center*
*Moments later, in front of the Thunder Arcana Research Center...*
**Shadowhunter guard A**: Hm... what... what was that just now?
**Shadowhunter guard B**: Looks like something charged at us and flipped us over...
**Shadowhunter guard A**: Mon... Monster...
*Player runs past the two guards*
**Player**: Duran?
**Player**: Where did he go?
*There are sounds of screaming from afar...*
**Player**: Duran!
**Shadowhunter guard A**: It's that monster! We have to stop him!
**Shadowhunter guard B**: Civilians, get out of here! It's very dangerous here!!
*The guards run towards the screaming*
*The truth from 18 years ago crushed Duran's last bit of reason...*
*Like a meteor falling through the atmosphere. No one can stop him from smashing his targets...*
*Continue to Intimacy Level 11*

**Raging Flame**

Even the strongest flame will burn out one day...

**-Part 1**

*Scene - Arcana Academy lecture hall*
*Two days after meeting Duran...*
*Arcana Academy...*
*Player, Vundo, Markus, Will and Mira have a meeting*
**Vundo**: Everyone, the Shadow's attacks have become more and more ferocious in recent days...
**Player**: (Duran...)
**Vundo**: Although currently the Shadows are only targeting the Shadowhunter's bases...
**Vundo**: Please be more careful in Luxium.
**Vundo**: Especially Player...
**Player**: (It's been two days since I heard anything from Duran...)
**Vundo**: Ahem! Player!
**Player**: !!
**Player**: Yes!
**Will**: Player, are you ok?
**Player**: I'm sorry, something's on my mind...
**Vundo**: If it's related to the Shadow's current movements, please let us know immediately!
**Player**: It's a personal issue.
**Vundo**: Oh...
**Vundo**: Player, the Shadows are very active in Luxium right now...
**Vundo**: We don't know what their motive is yet.
**Vundo**: Please take care of yourself and the Wheel of Fate when you're out there.
**Player**: Yes! Will do.
**Will**: It's a lot more than just taking care...
**Vundo**: Huh?
**Will**: According to the intelligence from the Order of Equality, last night...
**Will**: The Shadow attacked the largest Shadowhunter mine in the south of Loong Mountains...
**Player**: Shadowhunter's mine?
**Will**: Yes, and according to the informant...
**Will**: The Shadow crashed a cargo airship into the mine!
**Player**: C... Crashed...
**Markus**: With an airship? Hm...
**Player**: Hold on! Why did the Shadow attack the Shadowhunter's mine?
**Will**: That mine is one of the most important businesses of one of the Shadowhunter family...
**Will**: Destroying it can seriously harm the Shadowhunters economic resources...
**Markus**: But if I was the Shadow, I would've crashed the airship into the Shadowhunter's Loong Mountains defense!
**Markus**: That would truly undermine the Shadowhunters and even the security of the entire Luxium!
**Will**: Well... that's true...
**Player**: A strange Shadow attack...
**Player**: (Could it be Duran?)
**Player**: General Will! Are you sure it was the Shadow who attacked the mine?
**Will**: There's no direct evidence yet. But judging from the current situation...
**Will**: It's very likely that the attackers are the Shadow...
**Player**: But crashing an airship doesn't seem like a Shadow tactic at all!
**Player**: Corrosive contamination and teleportation arrays are more like what the Shadow would do.
**Markus**: Indeed, this doesn't seem like the Shadow's methods...
**Markus**: But other than the Shadow, who else would attack the Shadowhunters?
**Player**: (Was it Duran? If it's Duran...)
**Player**: (Crashing an airship into a mine really is an insane thing to do, isn't it?)
**Vundo**: Player?
**Player**: !!
**Player**: Yes!
**Markus**: You don't look very well. You'd better go take a rest!
**Player**: No... I'm fine... Please continue...
**Player**: General Will, what happened after the mine incident?
**Will**: The attackers have been eliminated. The disaster caused by the airship crash is now under control...
**Player**: (E... Eliminated...)
**Player**: (No way, the attacker can't be Duran...)
**Will**: Currently we are evaluating the damages.
**Mira**: The Shadow might've changed their strategy!
**Mira**: We are constantly making improvements to our strategy, so too would the Shadow!
**Markus**: Well, that's possible...
*Markus takes out a chest*
**Markus**: The Oathblades were attacked by a Shadow unit who was going to attack the Shadowhunters...
**Markus**: We confiscated their weapons...
*The flux state of these weapons feels familiar to you...*
*You seem to have seen it before somewhere...*
**Vundo**: Hmm!!
**Markus**: Principal Vundo, did you find anything?
**Vundo**: These weapons indeed belong to the Shadow...
**Vundo**: But the internal flux of these weapons... Feels very strange!
**Player**: Yes, I feel the same.
**Markus**: What do you mean?
**Vundo**: Well... it feels like Shadow flux but not quite...
**Will**: Do you mean the Shadow has a new form of flux now?
**Vundo**: Well... not quite...
**Vundo**: General, can you leave these weapons in the Arcana Academy? I believe we can get more information from some comprehensive analysis...
**Markus**: Of course, no problem!
**Will**: Well... New strategy, new weapons...
**Will**: It doesn't sound good...
*Player looks at the weapons more closely*
**Player**: !!
*Although they're not labeled, the style of the weapons captured by the Oathblades...*
*Seem to be the same as the shipment you delivered for Thunder Arcana Research Center at that time...*
**Player**: (What happened... Exactly?)
**Vundo**: In short, before we uncover the Shadow's plan...
**Vundo**: Everyone please be cautious and do not act rashly!!
*Scene - Hottie Bar*
*After a while...*
**Player**: (Someone attacked the Shadowhunter's mine with an airship...)
**Player**: (The weapons confiscated by the Oathblades are the same as the goods delivered by the Thunder Arcana Research Center...)
**Billy**: Captain, is the meeting in Never Isle finished?
**Player**: Well...
**Billy**: Where are we going today?
**Player**: (Well... I should ask the Shadowhunters about it. Maybe they'll know something...)
**Player**: Ursus altar
**Billy**: Are we going to visit Captain Bernard? Alright!
*Billy leaves to set the coordinates*
**Player**: I haven't heard from Duran for two days...
**Player**: He must've gone to seek revenge on the Calais and the Erwin family.
**Player**: If that's the case, it must be Duran who crashed the airship into the mine...
**Player**: According to the Order of Equality's informant, the attacker has been eliminated by the Shadowhunters...
**Player**: So, did Duran...
**Player**: ...
**Player**: Calm down... It's Duran.
**Player**: And the Order of Equality's intelligence may not be 100% accurate...
**Player**: After all, the informant didn't see the attacker in person...
**Player**: I must think of a way to find Duran!
**Player**: Hold on, although the Order of Equality's informant didn't see the attacker...
**Player**: It's confirmed that the Shadowhunters had the final victory...
**Player**: Which means... Duran was captured by the Shadowhunters...
**Player**: In that case, it won't help even if I go to the Shadowhunters...
**Player**: The Shadowhunters would never release him just because I say so!
**Player**: ...
*Player grimaces*
**Player**: If I can give the Shadowhunters something they want in exchange for Duran's release...
**Player**: But... What are the Shadowhunters interested in?
*Choice 1.1 - (The evidence of the Calais and Erwin Family's betrayal to the Shadowhunters...)*
**Player**: Duran is a witness to Calais and Erwin's betrayal of the Shadowhunters eighteen years ago...
**Player**: If I use this information to pressure the Shadowhunters...
**Player**: But... It's been 18 years since...
**Player**: That incident from 18 years ago means a lot to Duran, but to the Shadowhunters...
**Player**: Moreover, the Shadow is very active now. The Shadowhunters will not care about something from 18 years ago!
**Player**: No... It won't work...
*Choice 1.1.1 - (The evidence of the Calais and the Erwin Family's betrayal to the Shadowhunters...)*
*Go to Choice 1.1*
*Choice 1.1.2 - (The private deal between Floyd and Bandler...)*
*Go to Choice 1.2*
*Choice 1.2 - (The private deal between Floyd and Bandler...)*
**Player**: Hold on...
**Player**: The Shadow weapons seized by the Oathblades...
**Player**: The design and the flux nature of those weapons are almost the same as the weapons that Floyd delivered to Bandler!!
**Player**: Plus, the sneaky deal between Floyd and Bandler behind the back of other Shadowhunters families...
**Player**: Hmm!! Could it be...
**Player**: The recent Shadow attacks were actually plotted by the Bandler family!!
**Player**: This information... will be of great significance to the Shadowhunters!
**Player**: Now I just need to contact the Shadowhunters near Loong Mountains.
**Player**: Captain Bernard and Captain Morgan are too far away from Loong Mountains. It won't work...
**Player**: I'll have to contact Sven and Grancy...
**Player**: But I don't know where Sven and Grancy are...
**Player**: !!
**Player**: Kong...
**Player**: Billy! Change our destination, we're going to BlackFlame City!!
*Scene continues after choices*
*Scene - Inside a dungeon*
*Some time later...*
*Westhold, Shadowhunters dungeon...*
*Player and Kong meet Sven and Grancy*
**Sven**: Hey! Kong! Long time no see!
**Kong**: Hey! Do you miss me?
**Grancy**: Kong, we're not here to chitchat with you!
**Grancy**: Luxium hasn't been very peaceful recently...
**Grancy**: If you don't have anything urgent, we've got some business to attend to!
**Kong**: Slow down! We came here to talk to you about the Shadows!
**Sven**: Kong, never mind him! What do you have?
**Player**: Before that, Sven and Grancy... the Shadowhunters family you belong to is...
**Kong**: Family?
**Sven**: We are from the Ackley family!
**Player**: Ackley, good...
**Grancy**: Player, how do you know about the Shadowhunters family?
**Player**: It's not important...
**Player**: I know the mastermind behind the recent Shadow attacks...
**Sven**: That's great! Tell me! Player!
**Player**: But I have a condition!
**Grancy**: Condition?
**Sven**: Hey! Player, are you serious?
**Player**: Sorry, I don't really have a choice...
**Player**: Last night, someone attacked the Shadowhunters mine in Loong Mountains...
**Player**: The attacker is not the Shadow. And you captured him, didn't you?
**Sven**: How... How do you know about this?
**Grancy**: Sven...
**Grancy**: Who is this guy? Some people from Shadowhunters are very eager to put him on trial...
**Grancy**: Some even sent assassins after him, and now even you're going after him...
**Grancy**: Player, what is your condition?
**Player**: My condition is... to release him!
**Grancy**: !!
**Sven**: Release him? He killed many of our brothers!!!
**Grancy**: Player, your request is a bit too much...
**Grancy**: But it looks like you are very close to this man called Duran...
**Grancy**: I can let you see him.
**Sven**: Grancy, what are you doing?
**Grancy**: Be quiet! Player may be able to help us find the forces behind Duran...
**Kong**: Boss Grancy and Sven, Duran... Is not a bad person...
**Kong**: There must be some misunderstanding.
**Grancy**: I'll let you meet him first. If Mr. Duran is willing to cooperate... I may consider your condition.
**Player**: Thank you, Sven, Grancy.
*Scene - Duran's prison cell*
*Some time later...*
**Grancy**: Duran is extremely dangerous so we have to use arcana to restrain him...
**Grancy**: Player, I hope you won't mind!
**Player**: Thank you. That's good enough!
**Duran**: Who is it?
**Player**: Duran, it's me...
**Duran**: Player? How did you...
**Duran**: Did you get caught by the Shadowhunters?
**Duran**: Bastards, come and face me!!!
*Duran breaks through the Shadowhunters' arcana*
**Sven**: Hey! That's the Shadowhunter's most powerful restraint array!
**Grancy**: Still so much strength, even with such heavy wounds!!
**Player**: Duran! Hold on! They are friends!
**Duran**: Grr!
**Duran**: Hmm...
**Player**: You are seriously injured. Save your strength!
**Duran**: It's ok... I'm fine...
**Grancy**: Mr. Duran, we want to know who sent you. Please cooperate with us!
**Grancy**: Who ordered you to attack the mine in Loong Mountains with an airship?
**Duran**: No one! I did it myself! Kill me if you want!
**Sven**: Why you...
**Player**: Duran is telling the truth. No one told him to do that!
**Grancy**: Player? Do you know something?
**Player**: Duran, Sven and Grancy are from the Ackley family. They're my friends.
**Player**: Please tell them everything!
**Duran**: But... but... They betrayed...
**Player**: Duran, the Ackley family did not betray you. Actually most of the Shadowhunters were not responsible for your betrayal...
**Player**: It was Calais, Erwin and Floyd who betrayed you!
**Duran**: ...
**Duran**: ...
**Duran**: Sigh...
*The glow in Duran's eyes disappeared...*
*The fire that propelled him to fight is extinguished...*
*Duran tells the story of the incident 18 years ago...*
**Grancy**: Hm...
**Sven**: I can't believe something like that happened!!!
**Sven**: The Calais revolted and sent the mercenaries who worked for them to their deaths...
**Sven**: And when the plot was exposed, they want to eliminate the witness!
**Kong**: The Shadowhunters...
**Sven**: People like that do not deserve to be Shadowhunters at all!
**Grancy**: Sven! Would you please shut up?
**Grancy**: Mr. Duran, I am very sorry for your experience...
**Duran**: ...
**Sven**: Grancy, let's release Duran!
**Player**: !!
**Grancy**: I'm not surprised at all to hear you say something like that!
**Sven**: If I was Duran, I would've done the same thing!
**Grancy**: Sven, don't forget who you are!
**Grancy**: This is not up to us!
**Grancy**: Before the trial, we are responsible to watch him and ensure his safety...
**Grancy**: If he escapes from prison!!
*Grancy throws you a glance...*
**Grancy**: ...
**Grancy**: We are responsible for reporting it and coordinating the pursuit!
**Player**: !!
**Grancy**: Player, it's your turn!
**Player**: The ones behind the recent Shadow attacks...
**Player**: Is the Bandler family of the Shadowhunters!
**Grancy**: !!
**Sven**: Are you serious?
**Grancy**: Player... Are you sure?
**Player**: Kong, Duran and I delivered a batch of weapons for Floyd a few months ago...
**Player**: The delivery address is near the Bandler's family manor.
**Sven**: Coincidentally it was a few months ago that the Shadow became very active!
**Player**: During the delivery, we opened the crates...
**Player**: The weapons in the crates were almost identical to those used in the recent Shadow attacks, in terms of their design and their flux!
**Grancy**: That's really... Hard to believe!
**Sven**: We must inform dad immediately!
**Grancy**: Yes!
*Sven and Grancy talk to a nearby soldier*
**Grancy**: You, go and inform the others and increase the number of guards watching Duran!
**Shadowhunters Soldier**: Yes!
*The soldier leaves*
**Grancy**: The Shadowhunters will try their best to find Duran. You guys... Go into hiding!
**Player**: Here's our chance! Let's go!
**Duran**: ...
*Duran pauses...*
**Kong**: Brother Duran! Let's go! Otherwise, none of us will be able to leave!
**Duran**: Fine...
*Scene - On the deck of the airship*
*After saving Duran...*
**Player**: So here you are! You are hard to track down!
**Duran**: ...
**Player**: Driving an airship into the Shadowhunter's mine...
**Player**: What a move!
**Duran**: It was a trap...
**Player**: Trap?
**Duran**: I lost, completely...
**Player**: Duran...
**Duran**: Two days ago after I left you, I went to Westhold...
**Duran**: To look for Mayor Derrick...
**Duran**: It took me a while... to get close to him, but it wasn't too hard...
**Duran**: From Derrick I found information on Calais and Erwin...
**Duran**: Calais controls the second-largest mining enterprise in Luxium...
**Duran**: While Erwin controls the third-largest transportation company in Luxium.
**Duran**: Derrick told me Calais and Erwin were having a business meeting in the largest mine in Loong Mountains...
**Duran**: So I hijacked the largest airship under Erwin's name and crashed it into the Shadowhunter's biggest mine...
**Duran**: However, that airship was defective, it was about to be retired...
**Duran**: And there was nothing in the mine. They evacuated all the personnel and removed all the equipment...
**Duran**: What was waiting for me was nothing but the countless amount of Shadowhunters who had the mine surrounded.
**Player**: !!
**Player**: They anticipated your move...
**Duran**: After the incident in the Thunder Research Center, naturally they'd be on alert.
**Duran**: I should've expected that...
**Player**: But you still...
**Duran**: ...
**Duran**: Because I believed that absolute power can crush all scams and tricks.
**Duran**: However, I lost...
**Duran**: I... lost the war completely...
**Duran**: I was naïve enough to believe that over the past 18 years, after nearly 10000 battles on thousands of battlefields...
**Duran**: I was able to obtain absolute power and become truly invincible...
**Duran**: But in fact, nothing has changed... after eighteen years...
**Duran**: I can't avenge my brothers. I'm still...
**Duran**: A useless piece of garbage...
**Player**: ...
**Player**: Duran...
**Duran**: Player, I want some alone time... quietly...
**Player**: Look at me! Duran!!!
**Duran**: ...
*Duran's eyes appear spiritless and dull...*
**Player**: You haven't lost yet!!!
**Duran**: No... It's over!
**Duran**: Now that you've saved me, the Shadowhunters will hunt you down as well!
**Duran**: You... should have left me there...
**Player**: Why you...
*You give Duran a hard punch in the stomach...*
**Duran**: Ouch! Hurts...
**Player**: Leave you there? How can you say such a thing?
**Player**: I will never leave you alone!
**Duran**: When did you become so strong?
**Player**: It was you who became weak! Duran!
**Duran**: Ha, I've never been strong...
**Player**: Wake up!
**Player**: Duran, we haven't lost yet!!
**Player**: Sven and Grancy are on our side. Roderick will be on our side too!
**Player**: Didn't you say this is war?
**Player**: You're right! This is war!!
**Player**: You're right! You lost one battle!
**Player**: You're right! This war will push us over the edge...
**Player**: But together we will find a way out!!
**Player**: Do you still remember the last order Colonel Duran gave you? Stay alive!
**Duran**: !!
**Player**: As long as I am alive, I'll be with you until the end!
**Player**: As long as we are alive, the war has not been lost!
**Player**: Duran!! The counterattack has just begun!
**Player**: Duran, get up!! I want you to bury their sins with your own hands!
**Player**: I want you to witness the consequences of their sins!
**Duran**: Player......
**Duran**: Thank you...
*A spark appears in the veteran's eyes once again...*
*Maybe faintly...*
*But this spark will one day light up the sky...*
*Continue to Intimacy Level 12*

## Audio

*Note: Skins will use the audio from the basic skin unless indicated otherwise.*

### Duran's Basic Skin

* **Butler Interactions**
	+ Before Intimacy Level 7
		- **Head**: *Hm?*
		    ENG     CN     JP
		- **Torso**: *Get dressed? That's bothered!*
		    ENG     CN     JP
		- **Waist**: *You... want my grenade?*
		    ENG     CN     JP
	+ After reaching Intimacy Level 7
		- **Head**: *Like my hat?*
		    ENG     CN     JP
		- **Torso**: *If you're cold, put my clothes on!*
		    ENG     CN     JP
		- **Waist**: *You... are really greedy.*
		    ENG     CN     JP
* **Skills**
	+ **Basic**: *Hyah!*
	    ENG     CN     JP
	+ **Advanced**: *Shatter!*
	    ENG     CN     JP
	+ **Ultimate**: *Face the absolute power!*
	    ENG     CN     JP
* **Arrival**: *Duran in position, ready to fight.*
    ENG     CN     JP
* **Display Voice 1**: *In front of the absolute power, conspiracy and trap are nothing.*
    ENG     CN     JP
* **Display Voice 2**: *You are no match for me, even without my weapons.*
    ENG     CN     JP
* **Display Voice 3**: *I'm in a hurry!*
    ENG     CN     JP
* **Hit**: *(grunts)*
    ENG     CN     JP
* **Dying**: *It's over.*
    ENG     CN     JP

### Duran's Rainbow Skin

* **Butler Interactions**
	+ Before Intimacy Level 7
		- **Head**: *Don't leave my sight!*
		    ENG File:ENG 301 audio emo cp duran summer 1 head 1.ogg    CN     JP File:JP 301 audio emo cp duran summer 1 head 1.ogg
		- **Torso**: *Just out of the water, I'm still wet!*
		    ENG File:ENG 301 audio emo cp duran summer 1 chest 1.ogg    CN     JP File:JP 301 audio emo cp duran summer 1 chest 1.ogg
		- **Waist**: *Well... It's time for beach.*
		    ENG File:ENG 301 audio emo cp duran summer 1 belly 1.ogg    CN     JP File:JP 301 audio emo cp duran summer 1 belly 1.ogg
	+ After reaching Intimacy Level 7
		- **Head**: *Hold on! I'm coming to... save you...*
		    ENG File:ENG 301 audio emo cp duran summer 2 head 1.ogg    CN     JP File:JP 301 audio emo cp duran summer 2 head 1.ogg
		- **Torso**: *Take off your clothes. Let's get into the water!*
		    ENG File:ENG 301 audio emo cp duran summer 2 chest 1.ogg    CN     JP File:JP 301 audio emo cp duran summer 2 chest 1.ogg
		- **Waist**: *It's time to go to the beach and watch the sunset!*
		    ENG File:ENG 301 audio emo cp duran summer 2 belly 1.ogg    CN     JP File:JP 301 audio emo cp duran summer 2 belly 1.ogg
* **Skills**
	+ **Advanced**:
	    ENG File:ENG 301 cp duran summer skill 2 audio RS.ogg    CN     JP File:JP 301 cp duran summer skill 2 audio RS.ogg
	+ **Ultimate**:
	    ENG File:ENG 301 cp duran summer skill 3 audio RS.ogg    CN     JP File:JP 301 cp duran summer skill 3 audio RS.ogg
* **Arrival**:
    ENG File:ENG 301 cp duran summer appear audio RS.ogg    CN     JP File:JP 301 cp duran summer appear audio RS.ogg
* **Display Voice 1**:
    ENG File:ENG 301 cp duran summer interact 1 audio RS.ogg    CN     JP File:JP 301 cp duran summer interact 1 audio RS.ogg
* **Display Voice 2**:
    ENG File:ENG 301 cp duran summer interact 2 audio RS.ogg    CN     JP File:JP 301 cp duran summer interact 2 audio RS.ogg
* **Display Voice 3**:
    ENG File:ENG 301 cp duran summer interact 3 audio RS.ogg    CN     JP File:JP 301 cp duran summer interact 3 audio RS.ogg
* **Dying**:
    ENG File:ENG 301 cp duran summer die audio RS.ogg    CN     JP File:JP 301 cp duran summer die audio RS.ogg