Auntie toasts the VRMMORPG

2.19 Dull Spoons

Flora immediately returned to the Soup Kitchen.

The study of the rune-scheme manuals of the church had been fruitful, and she was sorry to stop but didn't want any more clergy members to go missing.

Switching out her Counterflow mech-suit with the Messenger mech-suit, she prepared for a confrontation.

10 MR Aito's octopussy

10 MR Aidan's octopussy

10 MR Divine Radiance

5 MR Bliz

3 MR Mech-Suit

1 MR Repairing Turret

1 MR Multitool

1 MR Wavering Wave-Ring

2 MR free

Flora wasn't sure whether Divine Radiance was the right choice.

Description: Aura. All effects you induce on yourself have a chance to spread to nearby friendlies.

"What exactly counts as 'induce on yourself'?" Flora asked as she left the building. "Are my turrets part of myself or my mech-suit? If my turret repairs my mech-suit, does it spread?"

As she walked to the middle of the street, she commanded her Repairing Turret to shoot at her.

"No, Milady."

"What a pity. Or is it? That would mean they can be the target of the spreading effect, which might be a boon on its own." Flora mused, looking around. She only spotted passerby and two chatting women in front of a door and a guy her age smoking a pipe under the shade of a tree. "I can't find the Dull Spoons. Where are they?"

Aito supplied arrows. Two pointed at the roof of a nearby house and five to an alleyway nested in the shadows between two metal buildings.

"Uhm, remind me why I didn't catch them when there was only one?" Flora stared at the alley and the roof but still couldn't see anyone.

"I don't know, Milady."

"Well... I was distracted by a new household appliance. Now, I feel stupid. What should we do? Wait for reinforcements or take a look? Sorry, I'm kind of unfocused. It was a long day. I should be in bed. Maybe I have jetlag? I should stop making excuses." Flora rambled, still standing in the middle of the street.

Three more red arrows appeared on her HUD, pointing at a sidestreet next to the Soup Kitchen. Aitoshuri imitated the dusty yellow of the street and had her tentacles spread out.

"Milady, we are exposed at our current location. I suggest we'll seek cover."

"Good idea." Flora found no angle where she would be protected. At 12 o'clock was the roof with two attackers, at 2 o'clock the alleyway with five persons, at 6 o'clock the soup kitchen and at 8 o'clock the side street with three more Dull spoons.

The street was emptier than before, the chatting market woman had vanished, as did the old Woodling smoking his pipe.

Flora's tension rose as her gaze darted around. She felt like a toast on a tray, ready to be served and eaten.

"Hop onto my back. We'll go for the leader." After Flora decided to advance, much of her stress changed into anticipation. "Don't kill them, I have questions."

"How do you know which of the groups contains the ringleader, Milady?" Aidan asked as he jumped on Flora, wrapping his tentacles around her. Aito followed him. Together, the octopussies lifted the turrets. At last, Flora hugged Bliz. The icicle shaped elemental was cold but in a refreshing way instead of biting. Flora made a mental note to summon her when she couldn't access a cold shower.