Rioneed: VRMMORPG
Chapter 50: Battle Against Jognak the Brutal part 1

Ibro didn't understand any word from what he just heard. He got surprised but he didn't lose his focus. He knew these words which echoed in his mind came from that tombstone.

The sound came when he touched this tombstone, so he didn't remove his hand. He noticed the name " Bionilian" in that big amount of unknown words.

This name was the same as Pnro's Empire name. He remembered Pnro words, she intended with Rioneed to re-establish their destroyed Empire here.

Was this huge stone their way to do that? Was it the equipment that Pnro used to kill that monster and destroy the gate? Before he continued in his line of thoughts he understood that this stone was saying that binding with him would fail.

He rushed rapidly stopping this sound from continuing saying:

"Hold on for a second. How the compatibility between us is 100% and you said the success of this binding is 0%? How did you evaluate this?"

Ibro didn't hear anything for a while. It seemed that this stone was thinking or processing his question. It reminded him of those AI products back on Earth. Finally, that metallic sound came again in his mind saying:

"According to statistics and data I collected, our compatibility is 100%. That means our binding will succeed by 100%. Dronil sensed his power reserve.

Dronil's power reserve can't sustain such a binding operation. So the final logical result is 0% success rate of binding. Dronil had exhausted most of his powers helping his previous binder"

Ibro thought in silence. What that tech was saying confirmed his previous guess. As he recalled, Pnro first fought a huge battle with moleecian armies. Then she sealed that channel. After that, she set a trap for Jognak the brutal.

After a long fight with it, which included destroying that aux teleportation gate that monster summoned, she finally sealed it in deep slumber and waited for him to appear to kill this monster.

All these required tremendous efforts from her and included the usage of many different equipments. This stone seemed more important than he thought.

He believed that it had a major role in helping Pnro achieving all this. No wonder his energy depleted. He thought with his Earthian nature. Any tech when its energy got depleted, it could be recharged again, Right?

"Is there any way to recharge your depleted energy?"

"My power came from the Bionil Empire. Although I was just a minor piece from the main Dronil stone, I felt its destruction and all the other minor pieces like me.

That makes this Dronil the main Dronil. I can absorb energy from all universes around me but this process is very slow. If I couldn't bind with you then I will die with this nasty monster."

"That means you need a source of energy similar to the energy sources in Bionil civilization, right?

Tell me, can you sense the presence of any source of energy near here that you can use? If so I promise to bring this source to you and save your life."

"Dronil senses the presence of a huge energy nearby. But this source is very dangerous. Dronil is afraid of getting totally destroyed and dying."

"What do you mean? If there is an energy source nearby then you have to tell me. I can't help you as I know nothing about your previous civilization. No risk, no gains! That's the rule of life here in my universe"

"This source is the Jognak monster itself. If I absorbed its energy then It would suffice me to do the binding with you and unlock my first option. But the danger lurks in his soul. His soul still exists. Although it is very weak it is still here."

"What is the problem with his soul? You have the ability to kill it. Why are you afraid of him now?"

"Dronil can destroy his body alone. Dronil can't destroy his soul. That needed me to be bound to an intelligent life like yours. You are the one responsible for killing this monster soul.

That was the role of my previous owner. She sacrificed herself to get rid of this monster. This monster has huge energy. Depleting this energy requires some time to be really dead."

"Then, in this case, you have just to wait until it becomes really dead. Then you can absorb his energy without any danger."

"Dronil can't do this approach. If Dronil waited for this monster to be dead, then all its power will disappear and I won't replace any power to absorb. That if I was alive by then."

"Isn't there any other way to help you? I really wanted to help you. Can't I help you to absorb this monster's power without any risk?"

Ibro wasn't ready to give up this valuable chance that presented itself in front of him. He tried really hard to replace this stone and he wasn't ready to lose it.

"There is one way. Dronil warns you. This way is very dangerous. Dronil sensed your soul and that monster's remaining soul. Although that monster soul is very weak right now, it is still above the level that you can afford.

Dronil warns you. If you use this approach then your life will be in danger. You have a very weak soul, even weaker than that weak little girl."

Ibro felt weird. Pnro was like a god for him. That piece of stone described her by a weak little girl. Pnro did many legendary things in his opinion, but this wasn't enough to get the praise of this stone.

Ibro thought about that stone identity before the fall of the Bionil Empire. It was a great stone without a doubt.

"Let's try. My master sacrificed herself for me. Why do I fear it?"

Dronil kept his silence for a while. Ibro was sure that piece of stone was a very intelligent AI. He kept his silence waiting for the reply of this stone.

He felt weird; this game made him at the end speak with a stone and waited for his decision.

"I have a question. Why do you want to take the risk and deal with this monster by yourself? You also wanted to help me.

It was our first meeting, so why do you want to help a stranger like me?"

This question was very deep. This stone was like Ibro guessed, a very intelligent AI. Ibro didn't hesitate to reply with the words in his deep soul:

"I'm really like what you described me now. I'm a weak person. Weak people can't protect themselves. I wanted not only to protect myself; I wanted to protect my love, my friends and companions.

I wanted to protect my people and my home. If I wanted to protect all of that, I have to get much stronger then. Power doesn't come free of charge.

You are my only way to get rapid very soon. You came from outside my universe. You hold many experiences that I know nothing about.

You aren't just like any normal stone in my world. I'm sure you will be able to level up my power by many grades in a short time. I don't want to get a shortcut here, as I know all that power comes with big efforts.

I know I have to sacrifice a lot and do more than anyone else to get that power. But I'm ready for that. I want to use this power to protect those weaker than me.

I must protect the closest people to my heart. You will be my shield and sword that I will use to protect everyone. I will use you to protect my world from Moleecian monsters invasion.

I also want to achieve my master's dream. She dreamt before reviving her Empire from ashes.

As I guessed, you are something very important from this civilization. If I manage to save you, then I will be able to achieve all of this. That's my reason."

This time this stone kept silent for a long time. Ibro feared that it was dead with the monster. He also thought that his reason didn't convince this stone. When he was about to lose all hopes that metallic sound appeared again in his mind:

"Ok little boy. Get ready. This way is very simple. I will initiate the binding process with you. I will use the remaining power I have to start this binding, and then I will start absorbing that monster energy.

I will leave the issue of the soul to you to solve. Remember, you need to hold yourself until I finish absorbing its energy.

I don't really know how long it will take. So be careful little boy. No one ever contacted this bastard soul and lived to tell the story."

Ibro felt tense but he was determined. He said in resolve:

"I'm ready, begin!"

Actually, he wasn't ready at all. He knew nothing about the upcoming danger so he could be ready for it. But he feared to ask that stone any more questions. He managed hardly to convince him to initiate that binding process with him.

"Dronil sense the presence of an intelligent life. Dronil initiates the binding process with that life. Binding process was initiated successfully. Dronil senses the depletion of his power.

Dronil senses the inadequate power he has to finish this process. Dronil searches for the closest appropriate source of energy. Dronil replaces a source of energy that suits him.

Dronil senses the nature and state of this source. Dronil discovers it is the Jognak monster. Dronil senses the Jognak monster. Dronil senses huge power in this monster that suits him.

Dronil senses the presence of a weak soul in Jognak. Dronil starts absorbing this energy from the Jognak monster.

Dronil senses the attack of this weak soul against him. Dronil directs this soul attack towards the intelligent life he is bound to.

Dronil finishes the process successfully. Dronil continues absorbing this monster's energy. Dronil absorbs 10% of this power. Dronil absorbs 12% of this power. Dronil absorbs 15% of this power. Dr…"

Ibro started to hear repeated words from Dronil about the percentage of his absorption. He felt bored with the passage of time and was about to yell at it to stop his repeated reports but he suddenly felt anxious.

He was in grave danger. His feeling of danger began to grow rapidly like an unstoppable flood. He felt two huge vicious eyes staring at him. He looked at the sky to see a real ten pairs of eyes that looked directly at him.

He felt a cold shiver deep in his bones. These weird scary eyes were looking at him like a ferocious beast looking at its prey. He felt his sweat was so cold on his face. His heart beats were rising to the skies.

He didn't get used to this sudden appearance of these eyes to hear a very loud cruel laugh echoing in his ears followed by mocking tone saying:

"Finally you came to me, little mouse. Do you believe you can kill me? do you believe you can absorb my power? Who do you think I am? I'm Jognak!

I'm the legendary brutal Jognak! Anyone hears my name in the corners of the wide universe shiver in fear. One look from me to any person is enough to kill him!

Who do you think yourself is a little mouse? Get ready to lose your life. I will kill you and then laugh at your naivety."

Ibro swallowed his saliva with a dry throat. He felt pain and panic. He retreated a few steps involuntarily backward. He wanted to run. He wanted to hide. He wanted to escape, but he heard the cold metallic sound echoing loudly in his mind:

"Dronil continues absorbing this monster power. Dronil absorbed 30% of this monster's power. Dronil absorbed 32% of this monster po…"

Ibro awoke suddenly from that unstoppable fear that got hold of him. He looked at that huge tombstone that was inserted deeply inside that monster's brain.

He looked again at this monster's strange eye. He felt his previous feelings were illogical! What lied in front of him right now was a dying monster.

That monster couldn't even move a single finger to hit him. How he got afraid of such a weak monster? He remembered Dronil's previous words.

That monster used psychic powers to attack his will. He tried to drive Ibro to escape from here. If he escaped away from Dronil, then this whole process might be lost.

He didn't know anything about Dronil, but from this monster behavior and plan, he managed to guess some. He also suspected if this absorbing process failed then he would lose his life.

That cunning monster was trying to trick him. He was trying to affect him psychologically and he was about to succeed.

"Dronil absorbed 40 % of monster energy. Dronil abs…"

He felt grateful to that stone noisy speech.

Without that noisy sound, he would have failed in his plans and that monster would have won him. He kept looking at Jognak eyes and didn't move one step again. He just smiled a calm smile that drove Jognak's soul crazy.

"You moron, what do you think yourself is? Do you think you can stand against me? With my little finger, I can smash your bones and kill you a hundred times over and over again.

You are a pathetic weak life that has no power at all. One breath of me can burn your flesh and makes you know what pain means. Wake up from your delusions.

I will kill you slowly and enjoy every moment of your pain till you die. You are just a weak pathetic mouse."

Ibro's smile didn't disappear but it got wider as he said in a calm confident tone:

"Then I'm waiting for you. Do all these threats of yours now, big idiot monster."