Nostalgic Gamer in a Cultivation World

Dyne opened his eyes and could feel his entire body moving as if something was changing in his body.

He felt like he had awoken from a very long dream.

“Ugh… What happened?” Dyne felt groggy as he tried to stand up.

He glanced around him and realized that he was inside a dense forest.

“Where am I? Is this the Cultivation planet?” Dyne wondered as he glanced around him.

The green trees greeted him with a bright ray of sunshine falling on him.

“This place… doesn’t look so bad.” Dyne wondered.

Compared to Legaia, the plants, the growing nature all seemed calm and pleasant.

“Oh right! The serpents!” Dyne reacted and raised the Earth Jewel, which has grown a size larger. It was now slightly bigger than the Ra-Seru egg. And Dyne could feel a strange and powerful Soul power emitting from it. It had Earth energy, but Dyne could sense a Fire and Ice energy from within.

Dyne was about to throw away the Earth Jewel but hesitated.

“Why did Strafe say I would keep this?” Dyne frowned.

Strafe didn’t argue and just made this deal. Knowing the cheapskate, he knew there had to be a reason as to why.

Dyne stood up and glanced around. He could see that his entry to this place was from the stars above.

“Oh? My body!” Dyne then felt the power. He had advanced an entire level!

“Is this the Basilisk’s life energy? It’s greatly merging with my physique!” Dyne clenched his fist and could feel a rumbling sound from within. It's as if his entire arm was made of rocks.

“Hey, Jedo!” Dyne then took out the Ra-Seru egg.

The Ra-Seru egg had a brighter color now.

“Still can’t talk, huh? But guess what? This is the real world! The world beyond Legaia. In this place, we could even awaken you and resurrect Yami! I’d have to become stronger, though.” Dyne laughed.

Turning his attention back to the Earth Jewel, Dyne raised it and pondered.

“Now, what to do with you?” Dyne thought for a bit as he held the Earth Jewel. He could see the squirming image of the two-headed worm inside and shiver.

Dyne held out his hand to throw it when suddenly, he heard some commotion.

“I swear! It was here!” A woman explained with great exasperation.

“It isn’t! If it landed here, wouldn’t there be signs of devastation?!” A man angrily chastised.

“Brother Kress. Don’t listen to this slut! He is already vowed to that scum! Of course, she would want us to make a mistake! I won’t be surprised that the location of that landing was the far opposite side of this place!”

A group of men and a few women walked towards the forest armed with various weapons and tools.

Dyne observed and found that he was on top of some cliff, and the people below were making these remarks.

“I’m waiting, Strafe… What’s this world got that won’t make me throw this jewel? Hmmm?” Dyne frowned.

Suddenly, the figure of a girl emerged from the thicket of trees that covered her face.

Dyne saw it and was stunned.

The people below were like humans except that they have long, pointed ears. While they weren’t in anyways appealing, Dyne’s heart drew towards the woman with blue hair and pointed ears. Her beauty was far, far superior compared to the few women in that group.

Dyne couldn’t help but stare in amazement.

“Wow… So pretty!” Dyne exclaimed.

There was something odd with the girl. Dyne didn’t know what made the appearance of this blue-haired elven girl so familiar.

“Where have I seen her before?” Dyne wondered.

The attire of the girl that was both white and blue also made her figure oddly familiar. Dyne felt as if he had Déjà vu.

“Rena! If you are plotting to let that fiancé of yours get that meteorite, then we will be sure to punish you and your family!” One of the man in front of her growled.

Dyne couldn’t put his finger as to why the girl was familiar, but when he heard the name, he perked up.

“Rena?” Dyne uttered.

The girl stood up and glared back at the group of angry villagers.

“I have always placed the village as my priority! You all should well know and remember that! But I saw it over there! It must be up that cliff!” Rena pointed.

Dyne ducked and hid his head when Rena pointed to his location.

“More of your lies!” The men shouted.

“No! I’m telling the truth!” Rena argued again.

Dyne slowly peeked out and noticed that the villagers and Rena kept arguing. Rena kept looking on top of the cliff and kept pointing at it.

It was then that Dyne noticed something. Some of the angry villagers were pointing at the far end of the forest. Dyne glanced towards that direction and found several large, yellowish apes that were moving aggressively.

But something peculiar occurred. Some of the villagers began to talk with each other at the back and began to pass on the message and did not alert the rest of the apes.

“If you don’t believe me, I’ll go ahead!” Rena shouted and began to walk towards the cliff and tried to climb it.

“We’re leaving!” One of the tall men shouted and ordered the villagers to leave. And they had intentionally left behind the girl and did not warn her of the apes.

The girl did not notice the apes and continued to focus on climbing the cliff. She thought the scuffle of the approaching apes came from the sounds of the villagers.

When the villagers were some distance away, they began to run faster and faster as if their lives depended on it.

Rena then stumbled as she gripped on the wrong rock and tumbled down. At that moment, she saw the approaching apes.

It was as if lightning struck Dyne.

The pieces of the mysterious puzzle, the familiarity, the scenario, and Strafe’s odd behavior in confidence began to fall together and formed the picture.

“Star Ocean! Second Story!” Dyne recalled another beloved game he played. Dyne immediately began to use his long scarf and tied the Ra-Seru Egg close to his chest. The Earth Jewel was given towards the head of Grim, who was in scythe form. Grim's head bit on the Earth Jewel to firmly hold it. It was as if the Earth Jewel was firmly connected on Grim's body and a part of the scythe itself.

The group of large hulking apes began to rush towards the girl named Rena.

“Ahh!” The girl cried and began to run away from the apes.

“Grim!” Dyne called out and jumped from the top of the cliff.

“Gadwin’s Secret Move! Dragon King Slice!” Dyne’s loud and courageous voice echoed out.

BOOM!

Dyne crashed right in the epicenter of the running apes and created a powerful explosion that tore open the earth and created a tremor, which caused the apes to lose their balance suddenly.

With Dyne using Grim's Fire and the rich Earth energy in the Earth Jewel, the explosion was three times larger than the attack he did in Legaia. Now, it no longer threw the earth like some small bomb planted underground but created a fiery explosion mixed with the earth parting and creating holes that would blast out fire.

Dyne’s figure bolted to the back and was about to retreat but then saw the woman's stunned and amazing eyes.

Dyne wanted to use the Chicken King but realized this would have been an important point that would boost the relationship and romance points between him and Rena. But, for some unknown and almost insane reason, Dyne had already begun to play Star Ocean: Second Story.

“Damn! I have to fight!” Dyne cursed as he charged at one of the downed apes.

Grim’s scythe edge pierced through the skull of the ape, and the ape screeched in pain.

But more and more of the large hairy apes approached.

Dyne gripped Grim, and the fire burned the insides of the ape and killed it.

“Your fighting?” Strafe wondered.

“Yes! If I run away with the girl, it’s like plus 2 to friendship. But if I stand and fight, and even receive wounds, that like plus two romance points!”

“What the fragment?!” Strafe cursed.

“What kind of an idiotic reasoning is that?!” Strafe shouted.

“Grim! It’s time to get serious! These things are not as hard as the Basilisk’s hide!” Dyne stood his ground as the numerous apes rushed towards him.

“Don’t fight! Runaway! Those things will kill you!” Rena shouted.

Dyne caused Grim to be shrouded in fire, which made the apes pause from their angry charge. One had killed their companion, and they had an almost curious look at Dyne.

Dyne did not immediately respond to the girl's cry.

“What do I say?!” Dyne asked Strafe.

“Why are you asking me?!” Strafe shouted back.

“What are the options? I need to select the answer that is most probably the one that will add a plus to romance!” Dyne pressured.

Strafe was silent for a split second before realizing what Dyne meant.

“THIS ISN’T STAR OCEAN!” Strafe was reminded and was trying to pull his hair out in agitation but couldn’t because he has no hair since his spirit.

“I did some things to build similar situations and found the perfect people to help your nostalgia! But don’t get stuck with the game!” Strafe had never before panicked like this. Dyne was just too stupid. Unlike in Legaia, this was the cultivation world.

“That’s right! I have other abilities!” Dyne glanced back at the girl.

“EYES OF DESTINY!” About half of Dyne’s MP was depleted.

“I see…” Dyne smirked. He could sense a strange longing, a pained past, and a bloodline far stronger than those villagers Dyne saw earlier.

“So that’s what you meant by perfect people! She really is like Rena!” Dyne tried to hide his smile.

“I lost my sister.” Dyne took a deep breath.

“A group of monsters attacked my home, and my sister died. I took an oath to become stronger! But if I can’t save a beautiful girl again, then I won’t ever become strong. I either die now or live to be with you!” Dyne declared.

Rena trembled at those words. It was as if it was happening again…

At that moment, the figure of Dyne juxtaposed with the figure of another cold and detached man that had abandoned her.

“Zaied…” Rena murmured, and tears began to fall.

“Gyoro and Ururun… How nostalgic.” Dyne smiled as he held the Earth Jewel.

Dyne's call awoke the two-headed worm, and the Brimstone energy poured into the Earth Jewel.

The two-headed worm appeared out of the Earth Jewel and moved to the tip of Dyne's scythe and jumped on Dyne's shoulder.

At that moment, the apes suddenly retreated a few steps as they felt something ominous from the twin-headed serpent.

The Prime Offspring of the Basilisk had grown larger than its worm-like form. It was now as large as a small snake.

Unlike before, Dyne now loved these two as it reminded him of his favorite character in the game apart from the protagonist pair.

Harnessing the Earth Energy that was richly contained in the Earth Jewel, Dyne used a spell.

“Diggin!” Earth energy began to appear around him and harden him and Grim.

“No need for WOW! for now…Gyoro, Ururun. I bet you’re hungry. Earth element isn’t the best meal for you. Luckily, these ape creatures seemed to have Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water. This should fill your stomachs.” Dyne laughed as the two-headed snake hissed as if agreeing with Dyne.

“Let’s do this! Dyne Valliant’s Star Ocean Second Adventure starts now!”