The NPC is aware

Alexander walked down the tunnel with wisps of flames circling him. The tunnel wasn't completely dark with the ice-like walls reflecting a bit of the light from wherever they were coming from.

As he went deeper inside, he noticed the temperature getting even colder. When he finally reached an open area, a pair of eyes spotted him.

“What?” Alexander unleashed a wave mana, spotting the other person in the cavern immediately.

A tendril of dark magic shot towards the target and brought him toward Alexander. Alexander stared down the man that looked to be about his age with brown hair and eyes.

Alexander drew his sword. “Talk.”

“My name is Roland Verin, from a Viscount family.”

Alexander observed the man before him. He was clearly an invader. A weak one to be exact. He barely felt any mana and a neglectable amount of aura.

“You must be a skilled invader,” Alexander commented.

“Invader?” Roland acted confused.

“Ah... I believe the term you use is players,” Alexander smirked as the man grew paler.

“H-how did you know about us?”

“One of you was stupid enough to try and steal from my estate,” Alexander stated. “I got a lot of information out of him before his demise.”

This invader was weak, but Alexander was aware that strength didn’t define a person’s worth. This invader managed to get inside this cavern in a sector that could kill anyone that didn’t know 2nd stage fire magic to heat themselves.

This one held more knowledge than the previous one.

“Please don’t kill me. I’ll tell you everything I know!” Roland begged.

Alexander smirked. “I’m not barbaric enough to kill someone without reason. This cavern does not belong to me either, but you still have to talk.”

Roland nodded.

“How did you get in here?”

“There’s a hidden entrance in a different sector called “Snowfield”,” Roland answered. “The Shiny here has a useful ability, so a lot of players looked for an easy way to get it early.”

Alexander nodded. “Snowfield is the sector connected here. You could walk there from here.”

“You could. I’d die if I did that,” Roland mentioned. “Anyways, there’s more than entrance to this cavern.”

Alexander glanced toward the other opening of the cavern. “We have some more company.”

They watched as a large creature with a spiked shield came out of the tunnel. Its scales were deep blue with the spikes coming out of its armored body being white as snow. It had a mace like tail that cracked the ground whenever it hit.

“Is that it?” Alexander asked.

Roland shook his head. “That’s just a normal frost ankylo.”

“It’ll be useful either way,” Alexander bound the creature with black tendrils.

He took out a recording crystal and tossed it at the frost ankylo. The crystal floated over the creature, recording its whole being.

“Can I?” Roland asked for permission.

“Go ahead.”

Roland tossed a recording crystal as well. Once both crystals finished recording the creature, Alexander felt its addition in his grimoire. He purposely didn’t add it to his current team since he wanted to reserve that slot to the supposed alpha of the species.

“Rest,” Alexander said as a purple magic circle appeared above the creature, raining down purple dust over it.

The frost ankylo slowly lost consciousness and fell to the ground. Alexander walked past it, gesturing Roland to follow.

“What makes these “Shinies” so special?” Alexander asked.

The invader he killed only mentioned that these creatures were stronger than their species and looked slightly different.

“Well, every Shiny has a passive ability tailored to their combat style,” Roland answered. “This one has the ability called Artic field. It increases the power of all ice elemental attacks and reduces the speed of its enemies.”

Alexander’s eyes twitched. “Let me guess. Its primary use is to counter me.”

Roland began sweating, but chose to be honest. “Y-yes. You’re known as the bad ending maker since the slightest mistake in the progression of the story would turn you into an enemy.”

“Bad ending maker. Just how many of those supposed endings have me involved?”

“Over half involves you killing another love target and turning the protagonist into a slave,” Roland answered.

Alexander raised an eyebrow. “That means it doesn’t matter if I turn her into a slave right now.”

“No!” Roland yelled, then he flinched when Alexander glared at him. “T-the protagonist’s ability is important. She encounters a Shiny Archangel at the end of the story. Her divine magic needs to grow for that to happen.”

Alexander didn’t look convinced.

“You can enslave the others instead,” Roland tried suggesting.

“The others?” Alexander looked disgusted.

“I mean the other female love targets like Diantha Frostheart.”

“And what are you after?” Alexander questioned Roland.

“I just want to survive,” Roland responded. “As it stands, I’ll die on the first disaster.”

“Alright,” Alexander smirked. “Swear your loyalty.”

“I swear!” Roland answered immediately, kneeling before Alexander.

Alexander just stared at the man with a blank face. “There’s no fun if you agree immediately,” he sighed and continued on their way.

------

Michelle stood proudly as they reached their destination. It was a beautiful pond with giant trees growing out from under it at the center of the pond. The trees twisted around each other, forming a spiral helix of blanches.

“Are you sure we can summon it?” Irelia asked as she stood behind Michelle.

“Of course,” Michelle grinned as she began taking out the materials she brought for this. “This is my favorite creature, so I brought everything we need.”

Michelle placed down a music player on the ground and played it. After that, Michelle stood up began throwing flower onto the lake.

Irelia watched as serpent-like creatures with yellow bodies peak their heads out of the pond. They had red trails on their bodies, forming runic symbols that began to glow as they sang to the rhythm being played by the music box.

Irelia took out a recording crystal and was about to throw it when Michelle stopped her. “Not yet,” Michelle whispered.

A moment later, another one came out of the water, but this one had a light pink body with golden trails. On its tail was a fan like tip that sent out golden dust as it moved.

“Behold!” Michelle exclaimed.

Both of them tossed their crystals and recorded the creature as it sang with its kind. Irelia’s record went straight to her grimoire since her party was full, but Michelle’s record took the first slot on her party.

“We’re ready.”

------

Alexander stared at the giant glacier formation in front of him. It stretched through the whole cavern, piercing the walls with ice. At the base of the glacial formation, a behemoth of a creature rested.

Its scales were ice-blue with jagged crystals lining it. Its armor was entirely made of snow-white crystals along with its mace-like tail. A weak blizzard surrounded the creature, and Alexander felt the cold intensify as he got closer.

“That’s the shiny,” Roland spoke. “Once the trading system is established, people will pay millions of golds to get it.”

Alexander turned to Roland. “No such thing.”

Roland turned to Alexander in confusion.

“The system that aids you players do not exist here,” Alexander stated.

He tossed a crystal and began recording the Primal variant of the frost ankylo.

“Why did you put the other one to sleep before recording it?” Roland asked as he tossed his own recording crystal.

“Slumber isn’t guaranteed to activate,” Alexander replied as his recording crystal returned to him. “Prepare to leave,” Alexander stated.

He took out a marble and watched as it changes from being translucent to a white and blue marble. The information about the creature flowed into his mind, giving him the information that he needed in order to fully utilize it.

Primal Frost Ankylo

Superior rank

Prehistoric type

Ice/Earth elemental

Ability: Artic field

Generates a blizzard that enhances ice magic casted within it and reduces the speed of any hostile entities within it.

It proceeded to provide Alexander with the list of attacks the creature could perform. It ranged from ice magic, earth magic, and even utilizing aura to strengthen its defenses.

“I’ll find a use for you,” Alexander muttered as Roland finished recording the creature.

Alexander doubted Roland had the Authority to control the creature, but he would eventually after some training. In the meantime, he better prove to be useful.

“I’ll need a stage to test this out.”