Pandemoniun (Pt. 1)

They didn't even have to think about it, as soon after, Lotus was brought right to them, escorted by soldiers.

Her eyes were still red from crying.

"Keep going. There's a pretty low chance of a random encounter."

"are okay!!!?!" Willow went down to her. "Then forwardsbwe go"

Lotus just hugged her tightly. "They-they took gramps."

A random encounter with a bear. The game identified it as Ursinus, The Permafrost Glacier. It's eyes glowed red and its fur was compored of icy crystals.

It towered above Viola's character in both stats in visuals. It was ten whole levels above her.

"shh... Shh....He did some bad things..Your gramp..Is not as good as he said he was.." "can we run away?"

"gramps used to tell me that we make lots of mistakes until we're set on right path," Lotus said. "Why should I be responsible for something my old me did? We're nothing alike."

"You need to roll fifteen or higher."

"I don't exactly agree but that's how it is" "okay.." she rolls.

"I just know my gramps is innocent..."

"He's not your real grandpa," Autumn spilled the beans. "Never was."

She rolls a fifteen, barely escaping the bear's wrath. Her character is also sent back some distance, roughly one fourth of a square.

"whoa" "I'm so lucky"

Roughly half of Lotus's world was ignited by this statžement. "No! He was my real grandpa!" she shouts, beating Autumn in the chest. "Why else would he treat me like family?"

"Both unlucky and lucky," Legion explained. "The chances of finding that particular bear are quite low."

"anyone can love you like he did and and not be related. " "Well I guess then I am of average luck. "

Anger gave way to sadness and sadness gave way to tears. Autumn, howevee, just let her cry it all out inher embrace.

"Or you could view this as your luck being evened out now," Legion theorized. "I'd say the chancea of a good or bad thing happening next are roughly equal."

"just let it all out. " "So then I'll never be too lucky if there is no unlucky thing happening?"

"Please, don't leave me..." Lotus mumbled and for good reason. Everyone close to her seemed to disappear.

"I'd like to believe that," Legion said. "But the game just picks a random number from a set. Random number generators we call 'em. Or RNGod in short, if there's a particularly nasty string of unlucky events."

"we are not going to leave you..." "Random numbers to make it fair?"

She only let go after several, grueling minutes and took both Autumn's and Willow's paw.

"That's the general idea," Legion explains. "It works, for the most part."

"need my paw?" "Well then. It's good"

"She's just taking us by the hands to symbolise... something." 

The thing was family, but Autumn didn't want to say it.

"But then you have the luck stat and all semblence of fairness is thrown out of the windows," Legion says. "With it, rolls are higher, items you get better, chances of critical attacks – attacks that happen every once in a while and deal a lot of damage – go up..."

"don't worry I know.." willow smiled. "We will try our best to be the family you deserve. " "So then am I lucky?"

Lotus smiled; she was in her jolly mood again.

Instead of further complicating things, Legion answered with a simple "Yes."

"that's the smile that I want." "Good to know that"

"Let's go home!"

Legion urged her to continue. "You do wanna catch that ship today, right?"

"yeah. We'll have to clean up the house though" "oh yeah sorry I almost forgot."

"Am I supposed to call you mom and dad now?" Autumn froze and scratched his head.

He had no idea.

Viola's character encounters yet another enemy with a random encounter, but this time, it's just wolves. Two of them, to be exact.

Level-wise, they're two below her.

"you can call us whatever you'd like. " "I think I'll fight them with my Wendigo. It would be good for making the levels higher"

"I'll just call you the way I always do."

The house was already cleaned by the time they got tgere. The unknown helper left a note on the table, signed by a certain M. Root.

Wendigo's character leaps into battle and because of speed stat being higher than theirs, can attack first.