After doing his good deed for the month, Erin looked at his map again. The map was of Ares. Erin laughed at the fact that those criminals did not even notice it.
"Well I guess it looks a little like the North America of the past but North America looks much different now." Erin shook his head as he remembered those fools. He only needed one smack to knock the leader out.
"Hmm Ever since I became rank 3 many people have started to look down on me. I guess people don't look at colors very closely. Or maybe they did not expect anyone who was not in one of those high grade guilds to have rank up yet?" Erin shrugged after thinking about it a little.
He did not have the time to think about those punks. He wanted to see how Gladiator city had changed. Erin did not waste anymore time. He went to a convenience shop and bought a map of Clover country, a map of North America and a map of gladiator city.
He visited most of the attractions on the first day before calling it a night and booking a hotel in the center of town. His room was at the 25th floor. Tall enough to see for miles. He stared at a little shabby house surrounded by newly made and more secure houses.
He examined the house
House Address: 102 Grover's road door number 34
A shabby house that was built years before year 0. It is protected by the government as a historical building along with thousands of other houses around America.
Durability: Low Security: Low
Erin smiled faintly as he looked at the house from a far.
"Hello again dear house. Funny to see you again. I thought a monster horde would have taken you down by now. You are still fine though. " Erin's smile faded as his eyes turned red and wet.
"Ok, that's enough for one day. It's been a while since I have showered. If I want to stop getting odds looks from people, I should clean up a bit." Erin shook his mind off his thoughts and hoped into the shower.
He gave himself a haircut and cleanly shaved his beard.
"Hmm without the beard I kind of look my age. Hahaha." Erin laughed as he saw himself in the mirror. He did not look half bad.
After a night of rest, Erin decided to leave Gladiator city. There was nothing here for him anymore.
Erin walked towards the area he had come from. As he got closer to the village around the slum, he suddenly remembered the boy from before. He made haste as he got nearer to the village. Brook's Mother who was buying groceries at the local market had a perplexed expression on her face. She had tried to tell her son not to idolize about the wanderer but just the other day, she saw him and his friends role playing. He wore a grey hood made from old rags and tried to mimic his moves.
Suddenly, the lady heard the murmurs of people around her she looked up and saw the man but could not recognize him. He had switched hoodies to one that was black with a more elegant and mysterious feel to it.
Everyone in the market place stared at him worriedly. They had never seen a man with such high ranked equipment and so they lowered their head quickly in order not to accidentally offend the person. Brook's mother also lowered her head.
It did not take long for the chief and the strongest member, the great mage to be called. They rushed to the market with great haste. When the great mage saw what the man was wearing he froze in fright.
"That robe! it is a level C robe!" The great mage stuttered as he informed the chief. He did not have to say more. By that sentence, he was already stronger than all the people in their village.
"Great master. What service do we owe you?" The chief bowed his head not willing to make eye contact.
" What's with the treatment? Haven't we already made acquaintance with each other Luther?" Chief Luther's eyes perked as he heard the young man's voice. It had only been a week and not many new people came about the slums.
"Erin Silvers. That young man from a week ago?" Erin smiled widely as he put his hood away in order to reveal his face. Everyone was surprised as they remembered the man from a week ago who looked no shabbier then them.
"Where you able to reunite with your party sir?" The chief asked politely. Erin's smile became sad as he slowly shook his head.
"I was late. Anyway, It is not surprising that they did not return to that place after they left. The place were everything started." The chief sighed and patted the man's back.
"Welp, enough about the sad stuff. I have been legal for 3 years and have not yet felt the buzz of liquor. I hear the slums have the hardest and rawest liquor in the world!" The chief was shocked to see Erin bounce out of that feeling so easily but he was happy to see a chance to increase the economy.
"Yes, Yes well we have a few at the bar." As soon as the chief said that, he saw Erin walk off to the bar. The chief quickly followed him and so did the great mage. The crowed was stunned at what had happened. When Brook's mother finally wandered her way back home she saw that Brook was role playing as the wanderer again.
Brook quickly took off his robe as he saw his mother. He had gotten scolded the last time she saw him wearing it. He was planning to get an ear full again but his mother's reply was completely opposite from the day before.
"Don't stop because of me. Continue playing children." She walked into their house in a daze after that. Brook only tilted his head for a second before going back into his role and attacking his friend Dean who played the lightning monster.
Back at the bar, the bar owner was smiling ear to ear. He had sold more then he would ever in his life time.
"Woo now this is good stuff!" Erin laughed as he chugged another bottle.
"Have you never drank before sir?" The chief asked.
"Of course I have! I just have not had enough to feel a buzz as they call it. I haven't gotten the chance to relax. Also, stop calling me sir! I am 21 and you are 45!" The chief quickly nodded.
"Yes great one."
"No no just stop. My name is Erin, ok?"
"Am I allowed to call you that ?" Erin sighed as he picked his ears and squinted his eyes.
"DUHH! What is with all the pleasantries? I just came here to have some fun....wait...i think I came here for something else...Anyway my number one goal was to get wasted. Goal has been checked." Erin chuckled to himself as his speech began to slurr a bit.
"Well s- I mean Erin. It is actually quite fortunate that you came around this time. You see..."
"The trials have begun, huh?" Suddenly the drunken Erin looked sober. The great mage lowered his head.
" It seems our plans have been seen through before we were able to curry favor. Indeed. It is about the annual trials. Those who were 13 or younger were locked in a frozen state for 5 days while the rest of the world fought to gain stats and obtain their class. Instead, when they awoken from their state, they started with 0 stats and developed them until age 14 when they would need to enter a dungeon and gain their attribute and skills. Every year, we would go to the dungeon of Milverd which is a few miles from here and me and Jeffery would guide the children and allow them to figure out their path. Sadly, Jeffery died last year when a level D monster stumbled its way into our path. He fought bravely to the end. Now that he is gone, I don't think I can guide the kids by myself..." Erin listened silently as he heard their story.
"Erin, like I said before, I started with my whole party. I had thought the world would fall under our feet. We gathered other parties and started to go through dungeons. We had faced a dungeon in the trial before and thought we were ready. Haha. The system did not give us a tutorial. It basically treated us as babies. We lost half our man that day. I won't lie. I got scared. I was the first to suggest laying low. The others kept trying to become something while I was hiding. I hid where I thought no monsters would find me. I ended up becoming the chief of this place but look at me? I have already fallen so behind. There is little chance for me to get back at this point but these children. They have to survive." Erin took another sip of liquor before turning to look at the chief and great mage.
"Here is the deal. You give me a 2 week's stay at a place and allow me to have free rein of the raid and I will accept." The two men's face lit up into a smile and they quickly nodded.
Erin sighed as he realized that he had gone over the do good for the month.
"I'll just be selfish next month to even everything out." As Erin decided on this, he took another sip giddily.