Chapter 59

  For the first hour as I walked away from Silver Springs I didn’t summon any of my Muns. Instead I just walked, letting the early morning sun bathe my skin, slowly warming the world around me as I lost myself to thought. The path was clear and easy to walk, and there weren’t any early morning travelers to come across. On either side of me, the savannah style grasses swayed gently, and the comforting sound of the river the town was named after gurgling had me completely at ease.

  For that hour, I simply allowed myself to exist, to feel, as I walked, and drank my coffee. After an hour though, I couldn’t resist the urge to let my Muns have a little fun. I had a couple weeks of travel ahead of me, and I knew I shouldn’t level them up too fast, given my Muns would only obey me up to level 30 with my Tier 1 gauntlet. But… I couldn’t resist letting them stretch their legs, so to speak. Especially when I needed to restock my collection of Mun Crystals for sale, and trade… and the gacha mechanic of the world that was creating Augmentation Stones.

  Apparently, if I collected enough of the same type of stone, I could fuse them at a Mun Center, and thus, level up the stones in my possession. Which was obviously a no brainer. Between that, and my latest hobby, I’d need a ton of Mun Crystals. And the sooner I started grabbing some, the better.

  I made my way closer towards the river, figuring I’d keep a lookout for the especially rare Glimmer-ish, since according to the Mun-ocle they could sell for a good bit of Muney. With my map, I could ensure I was still properly following the trail, while doing so. And, as eager as I was to check out the other zones, where level 20 and up Muns could spawn, I figured right now, with most my Muns at or just above 20, I’d be smart to level them a little more before putting myself at any sort of actual risk.

  In theory, picking on lower level Muns would also be the easiest way to gather materials without leveling up my Muns too quickly. The greater the difference between their levels, the less experience my Mun would gain from defeating them, after all.

  The first Mun I summoned, was of course, my Cogberus. How could I not summon my best boi, first and foremost? I mentally selected him, grinning as in my vision I saw his updated name. During my… accessory shopping spree, I’d learned something. Well, I’d suspected it, while watching Mikael battle, but confirmed it myself during the night. You could give your Muns nicknames. And they actually would update and show on your Gauntlet, and when you accessed the system via the Mun Center Crystal.

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  Did I spend a good bit of time coming up with nicknames for my team? Why yes, yes I had.

  As such, while it was my Cogberus that summoned, the name above him that I could see, was slightly different. Barkimetius Woofington the 3rd flashed over his there heads, as he came into being before me. All three of his heads were now adorned with top hats, and each head had a monocle over one of their glowing eyes. One of the heads even held a pipe in its mouth, because, well, I shouldn’t be trusted with money late at night while dealing with my depression.

  My Mun let out a happy bark as the three heads looked at me, and I couldn’t help but walk over and start giving all three heads scritches.

  “Hello there, Barkity,” I said, already using the nickname I’d planned for my bestest boi. Naming Muns was surely a double-edged sword, since giving them… pet names was bound to increase my bond with them, and therefore, my reluctance to change team members. However, with regards to Barkity, it was fine. I already knew the Cogberus was a very unique Mun to be in possession of, and I had no doubt in my mind he would be with me till the very end. It still left me with five other Muns I could switch out as I saw fit, until I ultimately got my Amplifier, and had to start putting proper thought into my team’s composition. For now though… all six of my current Muns had new names.

  Looking around, noting there were wild Muns milling about, waiting to be turned into crystals for later use, I pointed towards the ground and quickly summoned my next two.

  First was my Gembra Foal, who was currently my only Mun still under level 20. The level 19 Mun with the gemstone, purple stripes, came to life before me, sporting a lime green halter, which, to quote a friend from childhood, when I’d taken horseback riding lessons, was like a collar, but for a horse. I’d also bought lime green leg warmers for my Gembra foal, which were quite striking compared to the bright purple stripes and hooves. I smiled at the name above its head. “Looking good, Neal.” No relation to Neil Diamond at all, mind you.

  Finally, I summoned my level 20 Calfer. Contrary to popular belief, and while it was one of the main accessories offered, I did not buy a bell for my calfer. I did… however, name my cute little fire calf… Nobell Puddles… because why not. And, to go with its adorable little flames between its horns, I bought a flower crown that wrapped around its little nubs of horns… and glittery fairy wings.

  I may have been a bit delirious shopping last night. But, it made me smile, and nothing said these had to be their permanent looks. For now, at least, I was doing exactly what I needed to be doing in Mutopia. I was having fun.

  “Alright fam,” I said as I finished giving Barkity scratches on his massive, fluffy neck. “Let’s have some fun.”

  And with that, my three Muns got to work. Their first target, a little Pride Cub that appeared to be stalking towards a Gemzelle. They made quick work of the level 14 Mun… and, even quicker work of the second one. Two Crystals down, barely any experience gained, and three weeks ahead of me. I was excited to see what the next leg of my journey held in store.