Fantasy Realm — Naruto: Blood-Mist

Rishi smiles, but doesn't look thrilled at the idea of seeing Glimmerwhisk. "I think I'll pass on visiting your goblin friend, Alex. She seems way more interested in you anyway. This trip screams trouble. I'd love to raise your mood here, but just expect to get toyed with. I've done some digging over the past two days, and there's no doubt—your friend is someone to be feared. Even high-level players show her respect. She's a major player in the Realm, but as you know, she's not fully bound by it. Sure, she has rules she has to follow, but she's got plenty of wiggle room. You'd better just sacrifice your body and endure whatever she's got planned for you. Anything else you need from me?"

Alex gulps. "What the fuck do you mean sacrifice my body? I'm definitely not doing that!"

Yes, Princess Jewel agrees! Soulmate should not listen to Rishi!

Rishi chuckles at Jewel. "Don't be silly—or selfish. In our current position, you might as well play by her rules. There's nothing of value you can lose at this point."

"Depends on whether you consider my dignity valuable," Alex replies in a dry voice.

Menchi and Tereza grin at each other. "What dignit—"

"Shut up. Don't even finish that joke!" Alex snaps, then smirks. "Let me remind you how I found you, Tereza, when we got back. Then we can talk about dignity."

"Huh, I don't care. Tell him," Tereza says with a shrug, arms crossed, totally unbothered.

Alex sighs, already over this childish back-and-forth.

Never mind then…

"Anyway, I've got a few valuable items on me. I plan to ask Glimmerwhisk, but I think some of them are so ridiculously powerful that I might be able to auction them off. We only got them thanks to mine and Jewel's insane LUK stat."

"Hmmm. Typical. Let me take a look then," Rishi responds calmly, though a slight twitch of his eyebrow gives him away.

Is he jealous? That's almost cute.

Alex lays out his haul: six gleaming bars of [Chakra Metal], his [Skillbook: Sword Proficiency], [Jutsu: Hiding in Mist Technique], [Kekkei Genkai: Ice Release], [Jutsu: Yuki-clan Collection], and [Skillbook: Basic Chakra (Inferior)].

"Oh, and there are also these potions Menchi made. Obviously, my [Executioner's Blade] is not for sale," Alex adds, flashing his [Minor Chakra Restoring Potion].

Rishi examines each item carefully. "Another item-class innate skill, huh? Without the jutsu collection, it'd be basically worthless. But since you got both, it's a treasure—almost on par with a gold-rank innate skill. The [Chakra Metal] is rare and expensive, but hard to sell. You'll need a specific kind of buyer. Selling it to Realm workers would be a huge waste. The rest of the items are solid too. Honestly? Ask Glimmerwhisk. She'll probably point you toward one of the auctions. There are high-tier auctions open only to upper-echelon players, but most of them are public. I think one's coming up in under two weeks. You might still be able to register and put your stuff up for bidding—though Glimmerwhisk will know more."

"Thanks. I guess I'll pay her a visit, then," Alex says.

"Let's talk later," Rishi mutters, already turning away and heading up to his room on the fifth floor.

Alex, with Menchi, Tereza, and Jewel at his side, leaves the player tower and heads toward the Eternal Coffins—the massive bank run by the goblin union, unmistakably under Glimmerwhisk's control. The Realm is the same as always on the way: majestic, towering, and cold. It feels vast and empty, despite its breathtaking size. He spots a few players wandering around, most of them alone. Occasionally, he notices a group that mirrors his own.

It takes a while, but eventually, he stands before the large, foreign-looking bank. Despite its beautiful, solid architecture, something about it feels... hostile. Almost like a prison dressed up in gold and stone.

The moment they step inside, several female goblins rush toward them. Some wear sleek suits, others dresses that vaguely resemble maid outfits.

"Welcome back, Master Alex," they say in unison, bowing deeply.

"...Hello," Alex mutters, slightly blushing, not really sure how to respond.

"We've been expecting you. Please follow us. The Mistress wishes to speak with you—alone. Refreshments have been prepared for your companions. Please come this way," says one goblin in a fancier, more ornamental suit.

From the way she looks and dresses, she is probably one of Glimmerwhisk's top aides.

"Alex, this might not be a good idea," Tereza says, clearly uneasy.

Menchi, however, just smiles. "Relax. I trust you, Alex. Just go through with it. Maybe just don't… you know… sign anything."

Soulmate… please be careful!

"…You know I'm very scared and very hesitant. However, this won't be something unexpected. When I do know what's coming, I don't think there's a real need to worry," Alex says, looking only half convinced by his own words.

Alex follows the goblin, who promptly introduces herself.

"I am a Softspark, by the way. Thank you for securing the Mistress's position. She is very satisfied with you."

"Not like it was a bad deal for me. I profited enormously too," Alex admits.

She leads him toward Glimmerwhisk's office. Before they reach the door, she glances at him with a sharp, meaningful look.

"Do not disappoint her. We have no use for disobedient dogs," she says, her tone ice-cold.

"Very subtle," Alex mutters, rolling his eyes and stepping into the room.

As soon as he enters, a strange scent hits him, making him almost feel dizzy.

Incense? This smells… extremely sweet. Almost toxic… Should I just go back out? I need to at least check if—

Alex turns around and grabs the handle—only to find the door locked.

…Is this the time to shit my pants? Okay, okay… let's just try the acting thing again, huh? Stay calm… stay cool…

"My, trying to leave already? That would be a shame," a voice calls from deep inside the room.

Alex twitches in response to her voice.

Yeah… you are very calm and cool.

Alex sighs and walks further in. The voice came from a large bed at the far end of the room. He approaches it calmly and sees a silhouette—clearly goblin-shaped—hidden behind curtains draped around the bed.

"Glimmerwhisk, you do know how easily scared I am. What am I supposed to think here, huh? I feel light-headed, possibly drugged by that damn incense, the door's locked, your workers separated me from my friends…" His voice turns slightly husky from the thick air, making it difficult to talk.

"Oh, scared of this cute, little, harmless goblin? That can't be right. A strong man like you, swinging that awfully scary-looking sword… You aren't compensating for something, are you? Don't worry—we goblins are a little easier to satisfy than humans. Be confident, hihi," she says in a sickly sweet voice, giggling at Alex.

"…Not compensating, fuck you! And I'm frankly almost ready to pull down my pants and— Sorry, forget it! I don't have time for this. I have important questions!"

"Then take off your dirty clothes and join me. Don't worry—you're not yet in a position where I'd ever start something with you, human."

Alex sighs and strips down to just his shorts and a shirt. He pulls the curtains aside a little and sees Glimmerwhisk lounging on her bed. To his surprise, she's wearing deep blue pajamas covered in golden coin patterns. They look cool—and not revealing at all.

"I like your pajamas," Alex says honestly.

"Oh? You have good taste," she replies, clearly pleased.

"Now then, come closer and tell your master all about your silly little problems," she coos.

I think… Glimmerwhisk… despite being a goblin… is actually just a damn troll! She's always messing with me.

"You! You're just messing with me this whole time, huh? You organized this whole damn performance, just to amuse yourself!" Alex says accusingly.

"Me?! Never… Okay, fine, you got me. But come on—this was pretty funny, right? Teasing you is fun. I'll raise the level next time. I think we'll have lots of fun, won't we?"

Alex sighs. "You know what? I better just stay silent and not respond to that question. Anyway, please help me out. I received a [False Legend Merging Token] and I plan to use it on my [Azure Flame Ring] and my upgraded [Sealion's Might]. I need your guidance."

"Beg me for it," she says with a playful smile, raising her feet just slightly.

I can't believe this…

Alex lowers his head slightly against the bed and mutters, "Please help me," before sitting back up.

"Good enough, I guess. Boring. Didn't you see me raise my feet? That was your cue. You need more training."

"Can I pass on that, please?! The clock's ticking!"

This bullshit is getting too much, even for me.

"Fine, I'll let you off the hook for now. Let's see… the [False Legend Merging Token] is an incredibly powerful item. Forget the warnings, the sheer power of it more than makes up for it. Essentially, you sacrifice two Purple-quality items to create a Light-Gold item—though it'll be classified as Deep-Gold to drive up the cost of future upgrades. Still, the resulting item is often stronger than expected. Your rings sound like a solid match. Having a unique theme—Frost and Flame—is way more effective than combining two random items. The resulting item could be stronger than many real Gold-ranked ones. Don't underestimate it."

"Thank you! That's actually super helpful! Should I boost my LUK? I've got a spec—"

"I know your entire inventory. There's no need for explanations," she interrupts, raising her hand. "LUK has nothing to do with this. It doesn't affect the result, so don't waste your precious [Blood Essence] raising it. You are so poor you need every FC, and even if I were allowed to, I won't financially support you."

"Any more questions? I'll grant you one more—since I'm in a good mood. If you kiss my feet, I'll even throw in a bonus," she teases.

Alex sighs. "I think one is enough. I want to sell the loot from my last mission. My friend Rishi told me there's an auction. Should I take part?"

"You should. But as a common player, don't expect miracles. Some guilds make under-the-table deals and buy valuable items cheaply, splitting the profits later. Some even use force to stop players from bidding. It is barely in line with the Realm's rules. However, I could officially make you mine—be your sponsor. Nobody messes with the union," she says with a grin.

Sometimes she acts like a cute child. Other times, like a sharp, no-nonsense veteran. And then… there's this manipulative side. I can't tell what her real personality is. I've been called naive more than once, but I trust her. I don't know why… but she seems genuine. Like she carries something heavy. I don't think she'd mistreat me.

Her grin widens. "Why are you staring at me like that? Finally getting interested, huh?"

"Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. You're mysterious. But I trust you. Please—be my sponsor," Alex says.

The moment he says the word trust, something shifts in Glimmerwhisk's eyes. Rage flickers beneath the surface.

"Care to put that to the test?!" she loudly snaps back at him.

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