There is an Important Mail at the Mail Station

The update flickered across the screen before a certain young man’s eyes. Curiosity piqued, he checked his email to see a familiar name attached. It was from Alkaid, the subject: The Perfect Training Spot. 

“Hey Haseo, 

I found just the BEST spot for us to train for our next fight in the Holy Palace Tournament. The Area Words are Θ Confident Titanic Redhead . 

Don’t forget to invite Atoli too! Just you guys wait and see what I found!”

“Well someone’s awfully proud of themselves.” The man behind Haseo commented wryly under his breath. “Guess I’ll get Atoli and Alkaid and go to this training spot of hers.”

He never could’ve predicted what came next; as upon logging into The World and getting the party together, Haseo visited the area he was given. As he used the Chaos Gate and his character appeared in this new area, Haseo blinked and looked around. By all accounts it appeared to be a normal dungeon, save for one key difference: Scale. He must’ve been nothing but half an inch tall!

“Um, Haseo…?” Atoli’s sheepish voice came from behind. “Is this right?”

The ashen-haired man rubbed at the back of his head and sighed. “So you see it too huh?. Must be some kinda bug or something.” He couldn’t detect any traces of AIDA at least, so it didn’t appear dangerous. He slowly turned and shook his head. “Well sorry Alkaid, but if the area’s bugged we’re better off…” The words trailed off, Haseo’s jaw agape. Behind him he saw Atoli, yes, but behind her loomed a pair of sandals and tower-like legs. 

“Nah, this is about right.” Alkaid’s boyish voice boomed from far above, rumbling the level near Haseo and Atoli both as she shifted her feet. “I told ya it’d be the best spot to train!” The redhead boasted from on high with a hearty laugh and a toothy grin. She set one hand on a hip and looked down, visibly enjoying herself far too much. 

“Wait a sec- You knew?!”

“Well yeah.” Alkaid shrugged. “This place is kinda a little secret among PvP champs. It’s great for training. Really!”

Atoli shifted uncomfortably away from the imposing footwear and Haseo crossed his arms, looking rather nonplussed. “Oh really? Training what exactly?”

“Reflexes.”

Why did he expect anything else? He sighed. “Ha ha. Very funny Alkaid. Now let’s turn around and get out of here and find a real dungeon or something.”

“Good luck when only one of us is big enough to use the Chaos Gate.” Alkaid replied with a fresh, predatory grin. She lifted a foot and hovered it over Atoli, the blonde woman letting out a shriek as she ran and narrowly avoided a casual stomp. “We leave when we’re done training! And if I were you guys I’d start running.”

Atoli needed no further encouragement on that matter. She was already running as fast as her character would allow. Haseo, however, was calling the bluff. He remained defiant before the giant redhead. Even as she lifted her foot and her grin widened. Even as a surprising amount of game detail went into rendering the details of her sandals and rained down bits of dust and dirt around him. While her toes danced within the confines of the footwear and her sandal sole began to close in and…

And...She...Was not joking was she?

WHAM!

Before he knew it the former champion of the Demon Palace had stepped on him like a bug. Alkaid twisted her foot with a chuckle under her breath. Thankfully it was just a game, but through the headset Haseo wore every grizzly detail and sound was rendered with shockingly vivid detail. Even in the real world he squirmed and felt like a pathetic thing on the floor - Just as Alkaid wherever she was undoubtedly felt the opposite. 

All the indicators on his screen flashed red as his HP was reduced to virtually nothing. Trying to move failed utterly as he was granted a rather uniquely fitting status effect: Stunned. “A-Agh get off of me!”

“Awww, what’s the matter? Is widdle Haseo unable to handle a girl’s foot?” Alkaid delighted at his expense. Her foot pulled itself free from the sandal and she sighed, doing the same with the other. “Well while you’re crawling out from under my shoe, I think that’s enough of a headstart for Atoli. Dont’cha think?” One could hear the giddiness there and a moment later the redhead kicked off. 

Her foot created a shockwave effect that blew Haseo *deeper* beneath her discarded footwear, the man only able to see a glimmer of the world beyond and the tiny blonde frantically running from the rapidly approaching Alkaid. Her steps sounded off like a bombing run and she caught up in no time, Alkaid swinging her foot up and slamming it down without mercy. To her credit, Atoli managed to dive and roll out of the way, blasted further by the stomp’s impact.

“Hey that’s the spirit! By the time I’m done with you guys you might even be half as quick on your feet as I am!” More laughter followed, as had many, many, many stomps. 

Almost half an hour later and Haseo was finally free. Not by anything he did, but because Alkaid elected to kick her sandal off of him. “Break time ya little runts!” It had been denigrating to be trapped so effortlessly, but poor Atoli got the worst of it by far. The woman endured an endless parade of stomps and chases and teasing from the massive redhead before Alkaid elected to end the game and snatch the woman with her toes. With the sort of ease that suggested she could’ve done so whenever she wanted. 

With a soft breath, Alkaid found a nearby pillar and rested against it. Her legs crossed and she began to stretch, Atoli squirming between the folds of her tabi. Haseo hurried before the redhead, absolutely livid and a deluge of colorful language came spewing out. To which, all Alkaid did was grin and scratch the back of her head, almost looking apologetic if you squinted hard enough

If they thought that was bad, they were in for a rude awakening come the next floor - Where they would get even smaller.