"Cheers!"
The group toasted with their success.
They were in their guild house, drinking heavy amounts of beer to celebrate.
"But seriously though," Connor slurred. "I love you guys."
He had returned to his human form, wearing the Suppression Pendant he got from the Infernal Priestess.
"Wait," Elliot raised palm. "Why didn't you just kill them? You could have annihilated their guild with your strength."
Connor shook his head, "You know, I have desperately wanted that for many times. But then, I couldn't. Donald has a passive skill to chain me under his control. I was literally like a puppet."
"And the Priestess?" Elliot raised his brow. "Was she pretty?"
"The most beautiful maiden I've ever seen," Connor smiled with droopy eyes. "She would greet me at the entrance to the other world. She would take a part of my soul and let me replenish the loss with a dose of the Eternal Flames. It was necessary for me to do it. She said something about so I could return to Earth."
"That sounds like a hugely toxic relationship," Ed snorted. "But let's still toast. To your freedom!"
"Freedom!"
"I love drinking so much," Elliot grinned.
–
"I am never drinking again," Elliot deadpanned. He was leaning on the table, his head flat on the wooden slab. "My head hurts. No, it's going to break. Argh!"
"You're a kid," Ed chuckled. He sat on his seat with a tray of breakfast in tow. "Lucky for me, I can eat and relax for today."
"What the hell?" Elliot gasped, after seeing Ed okay while he felt like being ripped to pieces by seven dragons. "How come you look okay? You were the one who drank the most."
"You still owe me 12 gold coins for the three barrels of beer you drank!" Midnight yelled from the counter.
"I'll pay it later," Elliot yelled back and turned to Ed. "Now answer my question."
"I can negate negative effects, curses, and toxic substances as a passive skill," Ed said. "Beer is one of those substances."
Elliot narrowed his eyes at him, "One day I will know your secret."
Ed leaned in and whispered, "I stopped holding secrets. I'm not like other people."
Elliot couldn't help but gulp. Does Ed knows something?
He already told them about his craft ability but he didn't tell them that he hides more things.
"Tell me, Elliot. What is it with you and your small height?"
A scoff couldn't escape Elliot's lips. He forgot that his friends were weird. Forcing himself up and stood, he sluggishly walking over to Midnight. "Can I get some potion for hangover?"
Midnight raised his brow. "Payment."
Elliot sighed and handed him the gold coins. "Now give me."
Minight pouted but nodded, "Don't drink too much when you know you can't handle liquor."
"I'm sorry," Elliot muttered. "Where's Lance, anyway?"
"He's out," Midnight said. "He took off rather early. He didn't tell me where."
Elliot nodded and returned to his friends after taking the potion. "I'll head out to Francoise. Maybe he has something for me there."
"I'll come with," Connor said. "Now that I'm free, I can use my true form in battle. I'll practice fighting in the front lines."
Elliot looked at his friends. Connor was significantly taller than him now. He got slightly tanner and there was a trail of flaming tattoo on his neck down to his body too.
Hope in his human form has dark gray hair that was slicked back. His eyes were heterochromatic, taking as much attention as he could ever get. And he's not human either since he's a cute dragon.
Another one of his friends was someone who dwelled in another realm. He looked normal but he's the most mysterious one of them all. Add the fact that he didn't even know what he was or where he actually came from, Ed was the top candidate for having the most mysterious background.
Then there's Lance who was a prince that turned his throne down to become an Adventurer. He hatched a dragon egg with his magic and he weilds the Dualism both at ones. This makes him not normal either.
And lastly, there was Elliot. He has a cheat support system in his Console that made him a strong Adventurer a speck of time it took for most people. His current level takes years for a regular Adventurer to reach. He even have so many XP, he shares it with his friends.
"Let's all go," Ed said. "I saved up a bit of money in me right now. I should be able to buy a weapon."
Elliot nodded and led the way to Francoise's shop. He turned to a corner and saw a familiar plump man.
"A-Adventurers," he greeted and bowed. The merchant looked nothing like the one Elliot met the first time he became an Adventurer. "I-Is it you?"
Elliot stared at the man. His ragged clothes, his abnormal loss of weight that only slimmed his face, and his fearful eyes, like he wasn't able to get a wink of sleep because of anxiety.
"It's me," Elliot said. "The kid you humiliated when I just became an Adventurer because I could only provide 3 gold coins."
The merchant gulped, looking down in shame.
"What happened to him?" Ed muttered.
"Do you know him?" Elliot asked, not leaving his gaze at the man.
"Every weak or poor Adventurer knows him," Connor answered. "He used to pull Adventurers inside his shop and offer them overpriced equipment. If they couldn't afford anything, he would throw them out and would humiliate them in the street."
"So, it was a hobby of yours," Elliot chuckled. He tried to not give a dark tone in his voice but the man still shivered after hearing him. It was impossible not to feel the anger seething through Elliot.
After becoming strong, he had promised himself not to let anyone else get through what he did before becoming an Adventurer, especially when he was younger when people bully him for being weak, lack of affinity, and an orphan.
"I regret everything I have done," the merchant said. "Believe me. And I'm paying for my mistakes. I'm working hard to support an orphanage."
Elliot's anger dissipated. "An orphanage?"
"A nun begged for my help to save their orphanage," the merchant mumbled. "They apparently owed a huge dark guild money and tried to borrow from me. I agreed to help them because the guild said they'd hurt the children there. I may not have the best attitude, but I pity children."
"An orphanage with a dark guild? How can we even tell that you're telling the–"
'Quest [ The Children of St. Gail Orphanage ] available.'
"Oh," Elliot let out.
Connor turned to him, "What?"
[ The Children of St. Gail's Orphanage
Creator Reward: Select Item
// The dark guild Iron Clay is going to attack the orphanage. Prevent the attack. ]
"What?"
'06:34'
'06:33'
'06:32'
"Where is the orphanage?!" Elliot yelled.
The merchant was surprised. "W-What?"
"Tell me where the orphanage is," Elliot said. "Now!"
"By the intersection of the West End Street–"
"Hasty Aspire!" Elliot casted and blasted himself away. "Follow me!"
'06:16'
The orphanage was a mile away from where they were. If he were to use Hasty Aspire, he would arrive there in 6 minutes at most. He didn't have to worry about losing mana since he had several potions in store.
"Hasty Aspire!" he casted once more, leaping into the roof of a building.
"Almost there," Elliot said to himself. "Hasty Aspire!"
He looked like a high-level Stealth Knight running after another high-level Stealth Knight. Elliot's afterimages were visible even to the ones below.
"What is that?"
"Is there an emergency?"
"He's a very fast Stealth Knight."
…
Elliot didn't mind the words of the people down below. He was going to go to the orphanage before it was too late.
"There it is!" Elliot yelled and used his skill once more.
He landed on the ground, cracking the brick path. He looked around and saw that the guild wasn't here yet.
'00:03'
'00:02'
'00:01'
'00:00'
'Attack prevented.'
"What?" Elliot asked. He looked around to see anyone suspicious but he failed. He used Hasty Aspire and leaped to the top of the three story orphanage but still failed to see someone suspicious.
"D-Did I prevented it?"
'Select Item.'
<< Sword of Infernal Flares >>
<< Clipboard of Madness >>
<< Book of Strength >>
Once again, the Manual was getting pretty obvious. It wanted Elliot to pick the first one so that's what he did.
'<< Sword of Infernal Flares >> obtained.'
He stored it in his Inventory and would give it to Connor later. He had something else to deal with right now.
Elliot looked at the establishment and went over. He walked past the gate where a couple of children were playing. A youn nun was looking after them, chuckling as she watched over the children play.
"Excuse me," Elliot called. "Uhm, is this place okay? Are you guys okay?"
The nun couldn't answer him. She looked at Elliot in confusion. "What do you mean, young man?"
"I-I mean, was there anyone who threatened you?"
She shook her head, "I don't think I remember anyone."
"Nothing," Elliot squeaked, feeling shy. "I'm sorry."
He was about to get out of the gate when someone called him. "Elliot Max?"
He turned and saw another young nun. She looked serious and shaky. Like she was hiding a secret.
"Why do you know my name?" Elliot asked and walked over. "Is there a problem?"
The nun shook her head and leaned in. "It's not safe to talk about it here."
"What do you–"
Elliot wasn't able to finish when the nun raised her long sleeve and showed Elliot a very familiar weapon.
It was an icicle arrow.