Chapter 7

  A link connected in my mind. Some sort of tether, between me and the gauntlet, alien and yet familiar in an instant. I could sense the gauntlet better, felt as if it were a part of me, and more so, could feel the power of the Mun within it. When the gauntlet had first attached to my wrist, the mental link had started. But now that a Mun was within it, the full properties of the Gauntlet, the true aspects of the magic, came alive.

  If I had to compare it to anything, it felt somewhat like a symbiotic relationship. The gauntlet linked me to the world, the gauntlet was the connection between human, and the core of the planet. And through it, I could harness the power of Mun, train them, command them, and well, help the creatures of this world get stronger.

  I looked at the gauntlet as the information flitted into my mind. Instinctively, at the invisible urging of the magic now filling me, I focused on the singular crystal. A name hovered in my vision, just above it, as if I were using my VR headset in its augmented reality mode. Brief information flashed through my view at it.

  Gear Pup

  Level 4

  1/20HP

  “You’ll likely want to heal it up, before you summon it,” the Mayor said as I began extending my left hand outwards, nearly mimicking what he’d done to summon his own Mun. “Pretty sure my Coilosus did a fair bit to it, and honestly, probably not a sight you want burned into your mind. Mun are damn near unkillable, sure… but, well, they can be pretty vicious to each other, especially if their only goal is to turn the other into a Mun Crystal for capture.”

  Immediately I dropped my arm to my side. I replayed the pitiful sound in my mind and winced. I didn’t want to see the poor creature in that state.

  “Right then,” I looked back towards town, “mind showing me to wherever I need to go, to heal him up?”

  The Mayor smiled and shook his head no. “I’ll show you the Mun center later,” he pointed at the satchel on my thigh, “but for now, another lesson.”

  “Are there healing items in this world?” I ventured to guess, pulling again from my knowledge of taming games.

  “That there are,” he smiled, “reach down towards your satchel and mentally search for an item called a refresher.”

  I did as he said, and as I flipped open the top of the satchel and my hand dipped inside, I felt it warm. A moment later, something solid dropped into my hand. I pulled it out, and saw a crystal was held in my palm. My vision waivered for a moment, and words blurred into existence above the crystal.

  Refresher x 1

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Heal 20HP to a Mun

  “Neat,” I looked at the Mayor, and then my gauntlet. “I’m assuming I can just use this then?” He nodded, and grinning with excitement, I held the gem toward my gauntlet, the magical knowledge, more instinct than hard fact mind you, telling me what I needed to do. The gem flared with light as it touched the Mun crystal on my wrist, before it dissolved. The white power from it flowed into the Mun Crystal, and a second later, the health on my little Mun was completely full.

  “Now I can summon him?” I asked, and the Mayor nodded again. As before, I pointed my gauntlet outward, palm outstretched and tilted towards the ground. Mentally I thought about the Mun, and urged the gauntlet to bring it forth. Power answered my commands, as a connection tethered me to the creature. The gem flickered with light on my wrist, then glowed with the faintest bit of light as energy coalesced on the ground before me. A second later, it solidified, revealing my first ever Mun.

  “Why hello there little guy,” I said with a smile, immediately falling for the creature. Excitement flowed in my blood, exhilaration filling me over the fact this was real, this was all real. I was a Tamer, and I’d just summoned my first ever Mun.

  The Gear Pup looked like a puppy. He was maybe a foot in size total, and breed wise, was, well, fluffy? Maybe a German Shepard with long hair. Maybe a Great Pyrenees? Honestly, I wasn’t the greatest with dog breeds. I knew they were cute, fluffy, and adorable. What more was there to know?

  Most of his body looked normal, save for the occasional patch of fluff that was completely gone, revealing small gears ticking and turning, like part of him were run by clockwork. One of his eyes was brown and filled with love, while the other was a simple gear, twisting in a very unsettling, yet somehow derpy, way. He looked at me and let out a happy bark, wagging a tail that definitely had gears rattling around within it.

  “Who’s a good boy?” I asked, and he let out another excited yip, I could feel a mental connection to him, and as I knelt to the ground, he immediately came up to me. I gave him all the pets, and he licked me with a tongue that smelled faintly of oil.

  “Gear Pups are pretty common around here,” the Mayor said as I proceeded to give my new puppy all the love of an adoring mother, “most people who don’t wish to become tamer’s just treat them as household pets. Pretty much no one actually trains them up,” he shrugged, “but it was the first Mun we saw, and I figured it would do for your lessons.”

  I stood up, and my Gear Pup immediately came to my side and sat down, leaning against my right ankle. I was sold.

  "I’m assuming battling Mun against others is how they get stronger?” I asked, already figuring out where this was going, thanks to the information I could feel now nestled in my mind. When I’d focused on my Gear Pup, a set of what I could assume were skills had been listed. The little guy knew how to bark, and how to bite.

  “That’s right,” he pointed back towards the grass, where another tuft had started to move. “And right on cue, it’s time for you to take part in your first training battle.” He smiled at me, and motioned for me to get going. “You should have nine more refreshers. Feel free to use them all as you see fit, once they’re gone though, or you’re satisfied, we can head back to town. I’ll show you the Mun center then, and we can get you stocked up once more from Max, before well, I figure you are sent on your way.”

  My grin widened even more at that. I had the rest of the day to grind? And then he was going to still refresh my supplies? Minus the whole, pain of being transported to this strange world, and well, the fact I’d likely never see my own home and family again, which I was currently actively choosing not to deal with, this was the best day, ever.

  “Alright little guy,” I said to my Mun, as I strode towards the grass. “Let’s see what’s better about you, your bark, or your bite.”

  The little fluffball let out an excited bark, tail wagging, as he trotted alongside me. I freaking loved it here.