A soft whistling sound wakes me up, I find myself in my room. I feel much better, but Getting up is still a challenge as my chest aches every time I try.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYbNWHVAni
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After a few attempts, I drag myself to the edge of the bed and roll down softly to get up, then walk up to the window.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tXtCP52yU
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The sun is not visible but the sky seem dimly lit, stars are still visible, and now that I see it, the planet has two moons, one is blue and another is silver, except the blue moon is broken.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYf5aZ5veW6
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtSAXGaOwz
I can hear the whistling sound. And now that I am awake, might as well take a stroll.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTQqZpopu5
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But before that I tie a cloth around my left eye which is making me feel dizzy, this place is filled with energies.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7gSBGRAe4W
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I open the window, and using the branches as foot hold, climb down slowly, but just as I am about to reach the bottom, my foot slip and I am about to fall flat on my face, but using my unbelievable strength I use my arms and legs like a cat to spread the impact across the ground.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLiSHMQD9t
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCYYLbC7T7
Although it pains my chest, I power through it615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDQcae4qNN
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“Cool..., lets go.” I say to myself optimistically.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOtbcfi4i5
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YJ2HGV8DP
But if someone saw me walking around I am sure they would avoid me.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7RFbPCiy9
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There are less people around than I expected, maybe people sleep till sunrise here. And this place feels like it’s based in center of an Oasis, there are lots of trees and bushes.
I follow the sound and arrive into a small clearing not too far away behind the mansion. There are some wooden swords, some sort of equipment.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjavFJQOwHk
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCypcAA0Sgi
I am sure the whistling sound must be coming from here. But there is no one here?615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPncelUdib
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoP1SRKKiAq
Just kidding, they think they can ambush me, they are on my right in the darkness of the trees. I summon a dagger just in case.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXNRFgOHdA
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzpWYWtTyd
I quickly turn towards my right, ready to defend, but the flash of bright golden hair dazed me. I snap into action as the sword nears me, I divert it using calculated precision, tilting it so that the flat side slides against my neck, but suddenly Gloria switches her grip, trying to stop herself.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrQE3qMViz
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPsWyX49K1j
It works for me but seems like it didn’t quite work for her.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKACSdv5MF
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIc1OBZRTh
Gold particles disappearing in the air signified her failed attempt to use her powers.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlAKZqPIiw
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I catch her shoulders. Frail looking like any woman’s, But she sure is strong, and It felt like I am holding ambers.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzFeAKbIL7
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9CH1b8X3Np
A hissing sound starts to come from my hands.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ZgZLsN9So
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGb8hU08T7
“Get your hands off me!” she says as she tries to force my hands away.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6lerpxhlG
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcW3txcg8R
“You should be in bed. I nearly killed you.” she says615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Y7M3BTXjY
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1RwTAL2LM
“Don’t flatter yourself, and do you attack people out of the blue if they approach you?” I ask in a serious tone615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXNVe6Xo5A
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU69KdqUypf
“Excellent, so you CAN~ talk?!” she says forcing a hint of surprise and frustration in her voice615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhXioBeuAb
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Dj04iaSd7
“This is my training ground. Restricted. I hate people Intruding during practice.” She says arrogantly.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FeuP0xdMe
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1958qMiMn
She flicks her head to slight right “I didn’t injure you did I?”615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cYGSIW1hW
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6oLJ01gNw
I don’t speak to strangers much, trying to save energy is a habit I developed during my time as the best hitman. She is just my contractor’s daughter.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKW2rHKtye7
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHpW8RTgwp
I smirk, looking around.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5cUxjdFyGh
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygP6tDTZno
“Oh, so you can smile. I though you were some serious guy.” She says615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj77jQc5zZY
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYThq1vYAXq
I stroll around, looking at the equipment. But as I turn towards Gloria again, I catch a wooden sword. Old memories, unpleasant ones return to me as it instantly crush the sword in my hand and throw it aside.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJKTXvRKHQ
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GIxvWV2yb
“Wha—Hey! If you didn’t want to practice you could have said so! Why break it?!” she says615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0JZsBtC2t
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5t6fvaTCn
“If it were a random person that forced a sword in my hand, they would be draining on the ground by now.” I snap, only to realize that I am way out of line.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IJ0Pnczgh
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDrdOBflJQ
“….” Gloria flinches615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRaFFmmSvA
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“Sorry. I didn’t intend to do that. Swords and I don’t get along.” I say as I pinch my nose disappointed on myself.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHw786Pe2E
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHW5QWDCN03
“No, it’s fine.” A small, almost surprised smile touched her lips. “Startling, is all. Not many outside my family dare raise their voice at me.”615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfW4wpMVjle
“You aren’t angry?” I ask615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5KmkEJEg5X
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvrmhJMoDN
“No, I was just trying to get you to spar with me, forgetting you are injured. I was the one at fault, so I will let you off the hook this once.” she chuckles, mischief in her voice.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbxOoGG4FT
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9PPP0KvTQ
“A spar?” I considered it. Good exercise, but not worth reopening these wounds. “Maybe Another time.”615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkdXWRFIqc
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9wr1hpwEe
“Then we have a deal?” she asks615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYv6G0YI0oC
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“Deal” I assure her with a thumbs up as I transition into a cross-armed pose.
Keeping up this polite facade was exhausting. So much wasted energy.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFfosth15Q
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtvwVbwEOy
“Last night, Old man said you defeated the demon lord. If you didn’t use a sword, then what did you use?” she ask615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LXxd1771S
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ68udu63Pv
“You want to know?” I ask, she nods immediately.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFK0IUb0La
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8iWf5W5g9n
I point at the moon to distract her “Oh, look! A bird!” It works like it always does.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8dBfBsChz
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarq5c8nLJh
I only need moments to summon my spear using my strange powers.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJruSSlELJ
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMn1Zfua5OR
Now that it was in my hand, I remember how badly its damaged since the last battle.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡelx2lBNnD1
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYk6uSmzalj
“Hold on—Where did that come from?” she asks615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7BGZKD8J5
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TqEMpJgkY
“Magic?” I offer with a shrug “Maybe, who knows?” motion615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuE4v7jFR6
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwukEmnyCxc
“Don’t take me as a fool. That staff was not there before. How did you make it appear out of nowhere? And I know you have an artifact which stops magic around you, mine didn’t work when I attacked you earlier.” she asks615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31uc6ifMjt
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I had a feeling she might ask this.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwijnqG0Okr
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“Fine, It’s a lost technology. I had the staff, but in a miniature form.” I say615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2wwUf7ZzB
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkm7Ar1K9N
“Hmm, that might explain how you defeated the demon lord.” She murmurs while clutching her chin and the part of the mask covering it.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBOr0Bv347
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0TZ68LuJbU
“What rank are you anyway?” she asks615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFEaZtqBMR
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“Rank?” I ask back in confusion615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTOZsJq8D3
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“Yeah, as in Adventurer Rank. I am called the ‘Flame queen’ and my Rank is called Silver Hand. Burned a Wyvern into a crisp with single blow using my fire magic once Although I was trying to hide my power.” She says with a smug voice.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VDd84QSe7
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPUgUIy4pO
“Adventurer, huh? I am not one, I am a Hitman.” I say615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsKm8P6TnT
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSfnZkT70ji
“Oldzheil did mention that before. What does that even mean? Is that some kind of title?” she asks615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlLfrOKWC7
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my stomach lets out a deep growl as if a lion roar.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXzQVh4y7A
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoh8XDs9KKw
“History can wait for later. But Food? My friend here suggests we Eat.” I say rubbing my stomach under the shirt.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCsrOjoLCZ
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“Now that you mention it, I am hungry too. But…” she hesitates615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBLwPInwGR
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“But I don’t think you would like what I eat.” She says.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthesOdl60S
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“Anything that doesn’t scream first.” I pause. “Even a tree will do, if it comes down to it.”615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuO560f7xFr
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXSmsG7VFf
She giggles “Your sense of humor sucks just like Oldzheil.”615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLaSKClHAZw
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“Problem with vegetables?” I ask with a flat voice615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWLli5W31Z
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“Not at all stupid, as a matter of fact I am veg too.” she says615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZ6L3ivQj7
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkiwRk3qxBi
“A veg like me in this world? Crazy fantasy world to be in.”615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNa1Xv1m5GD
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGUDCJbpKLN
“HEHE, there are many out there. Meat is quite expensive for common folk. And, eating lower beings is the last thing I want to do,” She says615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtIPlTKYlC
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cRgnLyZ5T
Gloria starts walking excited, and I follow behind her, we both walk for a few minutes, quite. But then she speaks.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGSnnl0qgq
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyN2hBlbAWs
“You know, when I first saw you, I Mistook you for some god’s descendant too, Your eyes, although strange, speaks of wisdom and knowledge not meant For humans to achieve your age, It’s unbelievable no matter how I think of it.” She says615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1NeNy5ZLt
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“Seems like the Old dwarf spilled more than I expected,” I say.
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGL2MmELj7H
Maybe she's right about the age thing, though.
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Telling her I'm decades older felt wrong somehow.
I lost my childhood working to meet expectations; perhaps being young again wasn't so bad. I shift the topic.
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCxrS47Y21
“So—these adventurers—they are what, monster hunters?”615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yP4TjBkQg
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOReugxEVka
“It’s an umbrella term, but yeah it involves bandit hunting, monster hunting and many other things.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNTGhtnSB1
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“So it’s a freelancing platform for people?” I ask615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRq1e7qtvlX
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“What’s freelancing?” she asks615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMr3TWVasK
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“Work on hire.” I say615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2Zqtm4tTA
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“yeah, more or less. How the hell do you don’t know about adventurer’s guild?” Gloria says, suspicion creeping in her voice.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwj3NkF633E
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3hJ1l1IGB
“Geolard scrambled my memory before I met Warzheil. Only the important bits stuck.” I say615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstXr9qn5lP
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsWd1OzaWx
“Oh, Oldman didn’t tell us about that.”615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4H4ote58U
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“He doesn’t know it as well. I just realized that there was something missing in my head.” I say as I make up a random story.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQPXHPUaD4
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”By the way, you don’t quite speak like how one would expect a goddess, I assume you grew up here and not in a castle?”615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0kdeFVmVcp
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“It’s that bad? Maybe I should take those classes Sil was telling me to.”615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYZhNNWpNh
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“One’s presence can be powerful when used with knowledge and precision.” I say.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENLbeAptEE
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“You should become a Sage.” She laughs615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUdez6gHAx
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“So, What’s your plan after this? Like, what do you want to do in life? You already defeated extremely powerful foes and lived to tell the tale. I am sure you can easily become a captain of some knight’s order in a capital city if you wanted.” She asks615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImoycgqXR0
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Her ideas are alluring, now that I reflect on it, I never took time to peacefully sit down and think about what I want to do after I found Ava.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8gVLPD4mcn
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlOWJcGxTA
“Maybe I will go visit the man who stole my precious sister’s heart, and show him who the boss of the house is!” I say, cracking my knuckles with a grin.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBf8TTgsbO6
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFC3nwD45O
“You mean Ava ‘The Light Borne Hero’, right?” she catches me off-guard by mentioning Ava.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXNJpbwg6e
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“Oldzheil told us about her too.” She says615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSr52TVm9KF
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I sneer “That Oldman…...” tightening my fist615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLVXpOcAQr
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0xh027xbi
“Hehehe, Don’t hold it against him, Grandma Sil has a special spell that forces other to speak more than they intend.” She explains615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9glraYQZfN
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1fhOtT5Wd
“Fine.” The thought of facing Ava still unnerved me. “Doesn't change that I need to see them.”615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOP9zl7nVQ7
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO05fqQFP5k
“Why the long face? You think your sister won’t welcome you because you had a fight with her?” she asks615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxO48su5jEX
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“It’s---complicated. Right now, she hates me more than I hate the sword” I say615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbU0JRFpQ73
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAz0eOC18m4
Gloria does not enquire further. But after a moment of quite walking she speaks615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfF3FiL1bI
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAfRZmqnJb
“Why not become an adventurer just like me? I have never asked anyone this because no one is worthy around here, but maybe we can become friends?” she says as she spins and walks backward while she face me615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjS8eVD2sz
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97paXJiIku
“Friends?” I continue after reconsidering. “Hard pass.”615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTb7YnwaSvc
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Gloria, who was excited earlier with her hand raised in joy had suddenly stopped. Her joy was put to an abrupt halt. I stop too.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFdyNkXMKj
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsXCmaLmWS
She must be struck hard, but I cannot be friends with my contractor’s daughter. I don’t want anyone else to be hurt because of me.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb96J0GTWop
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgPiPlC3il
But, Then I hear a few sniffs. My heart sinks.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXwPZI14CC
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWln7YDb5Ur
Giggles after sniffs “I was just joking? Why would anyone want to be friends out of the blue with someone who attacked them.” She says615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCx0hjdcSus
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLSNq95kQR
“Your father taught you well, arrogance is downfall of the weak who think they are strong..” I says with a small smile as I rub my beard.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4g3UZ0bq4p
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5P57RPuBH
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“So, do you think I can become an Adventurer?” I ask trying to divert from the sobby mood.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9v3Ut6B5P
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3mKTwN1MT
“oh, They don’t let mutants into the guild, but I can vouch for you if you want. The local adventurer guild can only promote you till the Elder Silver Hand rank. But after that you will need to go to one of the capitals.” She says615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIEe69clNX
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIImjpUfDsn
“Can I ask for your help? Or did I hurt your feelings and you won’t help me?” I ask615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jDkOQyVoR
615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Mn0IGXqau
“I am not some fool who dwell on emotions for too long, and you are our guest, so I will help you. We are almost there anyways and Since there is still time until the food stalls open up, we should go there” She says
“Won’t the guild be closed as well?” I ask615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANNBnWiWJe
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“No, it opens up early, since adventurers start coming here.” She says as we walk through the town.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIquSWpi72
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“You will need to fight a monster or instructor to get a rank, which should be breeze for you. But I suggest you take off your artifact when you measure your mana.” gloria says615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡis8jEzFhvD
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“Take off? Oh didn’t Warzheil tell you? I cannot take off my artifact. It is bound to me with Curse of Binding.” I say615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEKa3xroeS
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“Curse of Binding? But that’s a curse lost during time of the Elder Gods. Just how old is that artifact? And how did you even get your hands on it?” She asks with a gasp615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdetC31YHz
“Well, Geolard had it.” I say615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIft4IRZHfr
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“Oh, that makes sense.” She says with an analytical nod615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsitkvDdAjn
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Soon, we arrive near a big, exotic looking building, magical almost.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpHPlHfbCx
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The doors are open and a Cat woman is mopping the front of the guild.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgp3uJJry4
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“Nya-? Miss Gloria? What brings the Flame Queen so early to the guild?” she asks615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQyocVgvH0
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“Good morning Canthrine, This is a guest of our house. And he wants to register as an adventurer.”615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQgPgAFLMg
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I join my hand as a greeting which confuses them.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHio87i3eqA
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“This is the way of greeting in my homeland” I say615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFjRQqLpi8
“Oh, you gi~yot me nyanfused for a second there. Hahahaha. Go in, Sinfia should be on the reception.” she says with a welcoming gesture.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcV4bBFXWD
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“Hmm… strange man, I couldn’t feel my mana near him.” Canthrine dwells on the thought for a few moments before getting back to her chore.
Gloria nods as we walk into the Adventurer’s Guild. Polished hardwood floors gleamed under soft, magical light emanating from runes carved into the ceiling beams. A long counter dominated one wall, several empty stools before it, while comfortable-looking leather chairs were arranged near a large, unlit hearth on the other side. Quiet, for now.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmo6fLRoXEf
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A half Dragon half Human girl sat on the center counter.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNzHYXkgl2
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As far as my knowledge go, they are called dragonewt.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkA0c0GZL3K
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There are 5 counter openings and she is on the center.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy25j8N1Dnj
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She Seems busy with some paper work, and doesn’t notice us.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RjUVBnyb9
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“Hey Sinfia!” Gloria says waving her hand.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9QsSiiOPAu
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“Oh, If it isn’t Sister Gloria.” The girl says615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpSSYAhggM
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“Kid, Where is the receptionist?” I ask, teasing her615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzF6EY6igOh
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“Wha-?, Excuse me, I am THE receptionist and I am 19, a full fledged adult. And I will soon be posted to a capital city too. Sister, Who is this rude per…..son?!” her voice drifts from annoyed to shocked when she notices my hand.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdzpKrPqO8
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Seeing her stare at my hand, I and realize that my hand really makes things complex for me.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDNYy5BMDb
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“You mean This? Standard issue. Made For certain specialized… professions.” I say615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡksfG5VPmKq
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“A gauntlet?” she asks suspiciously615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhPnQACLl2
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“You don’t need to hide it when I am with you Ronin, I will fill her in later.”615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnTHHwSvOD
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“If you say so Big sister. But what brings the Flame Queen here today?” Sinfia says, letting her guard down slightest.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbQm1j1K0O
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“I am here to vouch for this man, Says he wants to be an adventurer.”615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2P2Pg0TQ7
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“Him? I don’t see much in him though. His left eye is patched by a cloth, his left hand looks like a gauntlet out of the demon treasury.” She says with a bored expression615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIiqfhHH9R4
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“Fia, If one of your adventurer becomes above Vanquisher Rank, you would finally get a job in one of the main branch, Right?” Gloria says, gesturing at me.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWUtAbhBCU
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“So you are telling me this guy here is that capable? Even if it’s you, I need some proof to accept your vouch.” She says615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIu73K7fLGE
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“A proof? I don’t think we have….” Gloria says but I know exactly what to do.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSUd1SQcxFz
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So I interrupt her as I step forward and put my index finger on the desk. “Listen kiddo, you saw the flash of light in the sky a few nights ago right?”615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgP1EwDvje7
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“I am not a kid!” she recoils615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyF7mcMytd
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“Tell me that, When you learn to control your temper. For now answer the question.” I say which annoys her but she answers615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMwOd15ycs
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“Yeah, what if I saw it? The Heroes must have defeated the demon lord.” She says615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vKTvfEHHR
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“Heroes didn’t kill that monster.” I lean forward slightly. “I did.”615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNaUPsoprcZ
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At first Sinfia covers her mouth and then starts laughing wildly almost falling off her chair.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjTGKetjPG
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But Shortly after, I hear another giggle. I look up, slightly backing away from the counter, and see a powerfully built woman perched atop a counter. Muscle corded her arms and shoulders, compact and dense beneath practical white clothes and a half-leather jacket, but she moved with a surprising grace when she later jumped down. Not just brute strength, but honed power.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGEH2v1PBY
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“Guild Master Kainia, You returned from Holy Kingdom?” Gloria asks.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGHSoFHfmD
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“Hello, Gloria. Thanks for taking care of our town in my absence.” She says as she jumps down from the top near Gloria.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacd4ZPXj0d
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Walking up to me she realizes something is wrong with her mana, her expression gives her away.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47RqLUCDRH
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Kainia’s eyes narrow on me. “No mana In or around you… An artifact?”615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYw63aKpsSw
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“As expected of the boss of the place. You know your stuff.” I say615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6TkJ5ExD9
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The guild master’s expression changes, now she feels like someone who is worth talking to.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOZjEGTCln
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“Kid, going around, telling other that you have precious commodity doesn’t raise fame, it raise chances of death.”615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqHfOc5r0C
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But Her bossy attitude won’t work on me, putting bossy people in their place has been a big part of my history.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKttfEYDyX
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“I am confident I won’t meet someone who can take it from me, I know just fine how to go against odds.” I say615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3RI2fxF6g
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Kainia nods slowly, her sharp eyes assessing me. "So it is true." She lets out a short, barking laugh, devoid of humor. "I like you already kid."615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6IVU9Q21VI
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Kainia leans a hand on the counter, her expression turning serious. "And to think such a youngling is the 'Demon Traitor'. You're already a hot topic in the Holy Kingdom, you know?"615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYMAiKjkFE
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“Me?” I ask615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3dqDMLYzy
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"Yeah, you," Kainia confirms, seemingly enjoying the dramatic effect. "The Holy Kingdom realized you killed the Demon Lord – their prophet, the one who talks to gods, apparently saw the whole thing."
Sinfia gasps, her earlier mockery vanishing, replaced by wide-eyed shock as she glances nervously between me and the Guild Master. She had heard my claim.
"They're saying," Kainia continues, ticking points off on her fingers, "that a 'half-demon' betrayed the demon race..."
Half-demon? Where did they get that? I think, catching Gloria giving me a quick, questioning look.
"...held his own against the Light Borne Hero..."
Gloria's eyes widen “So Oldzheil wasn’t lying?” she asks615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RSNjw2wK2
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“You still had your doubts, huh?” I ask with a sigh
"...and then killed the Demon Lord," Kainia finishes, driving the point home.
Sinfia looks faint, clutching the counter for support, finally grasping the reality behind my earlier statement. Gloria lets out a slow breath, seemingly confirming this part to herself while the other details swirl.
Kainia smirks slightly. "Made you a wanted criminal and a legend overnight." She pauses, letting the weight of her words settle in the now silent reception area. "Point is, they’ve put out a request to every guild, mine included. Compulsory quest: report any information on your whereabouts."615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8LJhzqd9t
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“W-w-wait, tell me you aren’t joking boss!” Sinfia says615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ilR0SySAl
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“Not at all, Sinfia, you should apologies this man before he eats you.” She says teasingly to Sinfia, which works.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FCKMMYksl
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Sinfia is about to get up but I gesture her to sit down and relax.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbv3wmw1JD
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“Ok, first of all, I may look like this, but I am not a Demon. I am human by heart.” I pause “I am here to apply as an adventurer, so, are you going to let me take a test or should I leave? Because I have other things to do.” I get straight to the point.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9wcs195Ro
“Hold your horses now, there is no way we can make a demon into an adventurer, but I will make it a special case for you. I have ears around the town you know. Since you are a guest who saved our elder Warzheil, I will be delighted to help you create a fake card.” She suggests615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9aQqu29ip
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“I see a fake card….” I dwell on it for a moment615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdpEsbYmtS
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“I can register you as a human adventurer with a prostitute hand or something. As for the test, I need you to bring some big hunt with you while you are here. I am sure you don’t want people hunting you know where you are because that’s what will happen if I told the main branches of adventurer guild about you.” She says615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pCeA2hCOU
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“I think that’s a good plan, so I just need to register as a newbie, hunt some beasts, and rise through the ranks?” I ask615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7xldmKuhq
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“Bingo. It seems like our Gloria found a smart boyfriend for herself, I was starting to think she would be alone all her life.” The guild master huffs teasing Gloria.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXj78rqS2A8
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“B-b-boyfriend? We aren’t like that! How can I- with him.” She starts to stammer.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnUk6VZhi9U
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“She is teasing you, snap out of it.” I say in a commanding voice615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvC0i8wxAKr
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“so? What did you decide?” Kainia asks615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWE0DX0MD40
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“Your proposition is not bad, ok let’s go with that.” I say615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGNaAHIxIF
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“I will get register you on Steel Sentinel rank which is the 8th rank out of 10, hunt a good beast and I will raise your rank.” She says handing me over a small tempered Blue-Steel wristband that fails to attach to my wrist, so I try to bend it to fit my wrist.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQk3lSMBGu8
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“Killing the demon lord has it’s benefits It seems. Thank you. Although it doesn’t fit my hand.” I say trying to fix the band, Gloria turn to leave, I follow her as I fix the band, but Kainia stops us as we near the gate.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbm66LK3SJD
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“Take this advice to heart. Do not use your powers, items or artifacts openly. Kingdoms rage Wars over such precious commodities. They will try anything to strip you off your things if you are not under a kingdom.” She says615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBLTwITyJ0
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“Why tell me this?” I ask615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypKkKcRlDT
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“Your ancestors must have worked hard as adventurers to obtain such precious artifact. I can respect that.” She says615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvI7I3g0lcW
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Well, It’s good that she doesn’t know that it’s not an artifact. She is a good person.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLq7qIHwY0
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We step into the pre-dawn twilight. Just as our eyes adjust, a party of five adventurers approaches the entrance, moving with the synchronized efficiency of a veteran team, their boots crunching softly on the street. Their gear, though travel-worn, is high quality; the leader, encased in gleaming golden plate armor, wears the unmistakable Obsidian Black wristband of a Reaver. The bulky warrior beside him sports the Burnished Bronze of a Vanquisher. Slightly ahead of them, hurrying towards the door while glancing back, is a man in flamboyant silks carrying a lute.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpO6DESOJ4e
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Preoccupied in adjusting my band to my wrist, I don't sidestep quite fast enough as the bard reaches the threshold. Our shoulders collide. He yelps as the waterskin he was lifting flies from his grasp, splashing dark liquid down his colorful tunic.
"Seven bloody hells!" Valerius—the bard—exclaims, stumbling back and staring aghast at the spreading stain with theatrical horror. "My Aquarian silk! Utterly ruined! Have you no eyes, man?!" Real irritation underlies his dramatic tone.
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"Easy, Valerius," the Vanquisher rumbles, planting his heavy frame squarely in the doorway, blocking our path. His Bronze band is prominent as his hand rests near his axe hilt. He looks me up and down, gaze lingering contemptuously on my blue-steel band. "Watch yourself when approaching your betters, Sentinel. Some 'accidents' have steep prices."
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Gloria Step forward, he hair flaring with amber particles.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRI9iA4250D
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Gloria draws herself up beside me, her posture unwavering, her hand near her Polished Silver band. "He was rushing blindly toward an occupied exit. Perhaps even those," she adds coolly, pointedly glancing at the leader's Obsidian Black band, "self proclaimed ‘betters’ should mind their own path."615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF8maBZtHct
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The leader in gold armor remains silent, visor fixed forward, assessing. Behind him, the veiled mage and the shadow figure watch impassively.
Valerius recovers, striking a pose despite his damp tunic. "A tragedy! Such artistry warrants recompense! Perhaps," his eyes flick to Gloria's rank and bearing, "the lady understands? A private performance, maybe?"
I step slightly forward, drawing the focus. "It was unintentional," I state raising my left hand a little suggesting a gesture of de-escalation, my gaze fixed past the others onto the impassive golden helm of the Reaver leader.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3R5uEgkU9A
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My stance is relaxed, although the Vanquisher seems to be raring for a fight.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDXpzsgw2L
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The Vanquisher bristles. "That all? It seem we need to teach you how to respect elders. You think that Silver Hand protects—"
"Rank means less out here," I cut him off, I say flatly, going out of my way to avoid an unnecessary fight, addressing only the leader. "Rank doesn't grant you the whole doorway. Travel costs coin. And Don't mistake the colour of a man's wristband for the threat he might be hiding just because he works the fields."
The challenge hangs, palpable. The Vanquisher glares, momentarily silenced. Valerius raises an intrigued eyebrow. The leader remains still, but I sense his focus sharpen behind the visor. The veiled mage shifts, lifting a hand subtly.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0VRhVQhf0R
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“A small lesson for one so young as you.” She says in a whispering voice.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgCEOOfD7Sw
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A faint thrum vibrates the air as mana gathers around her fingertips, Condensing into a sharp water stream aimed my way. It touches the field around me – less than a breath against my senses – and then its form destabilises, falling at my feet, wetting them. A silent crack like static discharge, and the nascent spell vanishes utterly, leaving no trace near my inert Blue-Steel band.
The mage gasps audibly, physically recoiling, her entire frame rigid beneath her veil.
Every member of the Reaver party reacts instantly. The Vanquisher stares, his jaw slackening in disbelief. Valerius pales, eyes wide. The shadow figure becomes a knot of pure tension. The Reaver leader's helmet snaps fully toward me, his stillness radiating sudden, intense scrutiny. An Iron Guard nullifying magic? Impossible.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJPHJCR6om
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“Now I am wet too, that makes us Equal.” I say
The Reaver holds the stunned silence for a long, calculating moment, clearly recalibrating the threat assessment. When he finally speaks, his voice is dangerously smooth, stripped bare of any condescension. "Enough. Hedvard" The command is clipped, directed at the Vanquisher, but his unseen eyes bore into me. "Inside. Now."
He starts to turn but pauses deliberately beside me, his presence radiating controlled power. His voice drops, a low murmur meant only for me, sharp as obsidian shards. "Don’t think I didn’t notice your artifact, Sentinel." The leader says with a voice dripping with venom. "Artifacts attract attention. The wrong kind. And that behavior of your will be your gravedigger." He holds my gaze through the visor slit, a silent promise of future scrutiny. "Remember that."
Without awaiting acknowledgment, he brushes past me and disappears through the open doorway into the quiet shadows of the guild hall. The bulky warrior gives me a final, hateful glare before lumbering inside. Valerius, looking thoroughly unnerved, scurries after them, followed swiftly by the still-shaken mage and the silent shadow, their figures quickly swallowed by the hall's depths.
The immediate threat recedes, but the tension lingers heavily in the air, the silence from the empty guild hall behind us somehow amplifying it. Gloria lets out a slow, shaky breath beside me.
"Well," she murmurs, looking from the empty doorway back to me, her expression troubled. "That was… more than I expected. I have a very bad feeling we'll be seeing that Obsidian band again."
I stare into the guild hall's depths where they vanished, the leader's parting words echoing. "No," I agree quietly, a cold certainty settling within me. "I have a feeling this isn’t the last we will see of them." I turn away from the guild entrance. "Let's go I am Hungry."615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrRDJvo3Uy
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And we walk into the streets looking for cuisine that would satiate my hunger.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOeQo61U55Q
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It's an old stubborn habit of mine to observe surrounding to almost minute details even when relaxed. I always feel insecure if I don’t, so I do what I am best at.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrE3FBJECQI
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passers talking about Jortheus’s death, omens, wars and demon attacks on various kingdoms, Species trafficking etc. but there is one interesting think I noticed to be odd.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXs2kMsB0fh
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There were birds chirping in the trees unlike in the Kobe forest, who suddenly went quite. I look around, scanning the trees, but my right eye can see only so much, so I force my left eye open under the bandage while it’s still on it.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJmqQKoAnN
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I see outlines of beings, as if using some sort of sensor to outline things, even if it makes me nauseous, its handy in these situations and surely I see many figures in the trees watching me.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7LLRGXjrR
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2 have pointy ears, elves, 1 has ears and a tail, a beastman?, another have a bow and its hiding under a hood, they all have a very thin line of colorful outline unlike gloria whose is overflowing, which means they are suppressing their power, but the hooded person doesn’t have any outline maybe I can try to peek…..I try to focus my left eye on the person, but it sends a dizzying pain in my head, maybe I shouldn’t force my strange powers, I don’t know enough about them.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFF1G0Rxhhj
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They aren’t too bad, but they are unlucky I am the best at the game they are playing. I smirk at them to put them off their game.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSK0dJQ7vLb
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anyone would see me as crazed guy if they saw me smirking to thin air but I am certain I saw them flinch. I can even hear bits of murmur if I concentrate my enhanced hearing, but its no use.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTuL3MA9bMa
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I notice them using sign language and then using magic to disappear like they were never there.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZ1N3p37rQ
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“Hey! What you gawking at up there? The stall is very close, come on I am hungry too, it’s Oldzheil favorite too.” Gloria shouts from a distance which snaps me from the Simulator phase of my thoughts.
For now, let’s see what happens.
Dear Reader, be kind enough to leave a comment in the chapter about it, as it inspires me to keep improving and doing better. And like if you enjoyed this chapter.615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXw3meCTZp
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Join my Discord server If you want sneak peeks or early access to chapters of Cosmeta series. Discord Server link: http://discord.gg/Q27uA8vnfu615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVTLdJ0d5p
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