"Okay! Explain what you are doing here?" Helkep asked while playing with the coffee cup.
"..." Ella silently sipped her coffee, as if she wasn't asked anything.
"I am asking you something." Helkep asked while looking towards Ella.
"..." Helkep sighed deeply and looked away.
"...Ask me politely." Ella demanded in a sweet voice, her eyes glued to Helkep.
Helkep looked towards her and opened his mouth to say something, but he stopped and got up and…left.
Ella blinkled her eyes cutely and ran towards Helkep.
The man from the investigation bureau had already paid the bill so they weren't stopped by the guards when they walked out of the cafe.
"So where are we going." Ella asked while scanning the surroundings.
"What are you doing here?" Helkep's answer left Ella speechless.
She pouted cutely and said, "Well, I am here to ask you about your health."
"You heard about what happened? Who told you?" Helkep asked with a frown. He felt his senses warning him of an impending trouble.
"Well nobody told me for one month. And I just happened to come across an article on what happened on the unique dungeon Wild Cage." Ella said, while scanning for a place where they could sit down.
"And your…father allowed you to come!?" Helkep asked while staring at Ella. He was sweating inside as he could feel the big trouble about to jump on him.
"Well he was the one to hide the news for one month from me." Ella replied with a big smile, she was trying hard to hide her anger.
"And after you found out, he sighed and admitted defeat? Saying go, go and find out if he is alright?…You know what I want to know, tell me." Helkep was getting annoyed by Ella not coming out clean.
"Why don't we find somewhere to sit down, then we will continue this, how about it?" Ella truly was a master of pissing of Helkep.
Helkep would have long ignored her and went to his class if not for his senses telling him trouble was near. Reluctantly he said, "Okay! Come I will lead you to a restaurant."
"Make sure it has a good view and good food." Ella sweetly stated her conditions.
Standing in front of a large and fancy looking restaurant, Helkep motioned Ella to take the lead. Ella happily went towards the door.
Though her mood quickly fell when she saw how crowded the place was, "Are private rooms available?" Ella asked the receptionist.
"No ma'am! All the private rooms are booked." The receptionist was awed by Ella's beauty.
Ella had a sweet smile as she said to Helkep, "Lets go somewhere else, this restaurant isn't so grand."
Helkep clenched his teeth tightly, when he was about to speak, a woman in fancy clothes and lavish jewelry approached them and said, "And what is so wrong with my restaurant?"
"...What is great about it?" Ella asked a question herself.
"...Everything." The woman replied with a sneer.
Ella raised her eyebrow, amused by the answer and said, "If you say so."
The woman had a frown, she felt as if she was somehow humiliated by a child.
She watched as the girl walked out of her restaurant, she rubbed a ring on her finger and a transparent screen appeared in front of her.
Only she was able to see the screen or more appropriately only the ring owner could, so no body realized she that she called someone.
Ella was staring at Helkep from the corner of her eyes, if something like this had happened in the past, the first person to grab the woman by the neck would have been Helkep.
Now he was simply lost in his head. A pained look flashed in her eyes.
Helkep was wondering when the people that the woman was going to send were going to appear and cause trouble.
Yes, he had already guessed what she would do, through her overbearing attitude.
Shaking his head, he asked Ella, "If you didn't want to go in a restaurant than tell me before."
"Why don't I search for a place?" Ella asked Helkep as she rotated a button on the cuff of her shirt.
"Make it quick." Helkep was getting tired of this.
A screen appeared in front of Ella, she opened the map of the academy and started searching for a place she would like.
After about 30 minutes of aimless wandering, just as Helkep was about to open his mouth to give Ella piece of his mind, she said, "Alright lets go here." Helkep sighed and followed her.
---
Sitting in an open roof restaurant, the roof was divided into rooms, but the restaurant was mostly empty as well. Most of the students were in their classes after all.
Helkep said already tired of this game, "Tell me, why did your father allow you to come and meet me?"
"You really want to know!?" Ella asked as she ordered some food.
"Wait, wait! I will tell you." Ella quickly said, as Helkep had gotten up to leave.
"Sheesh! You are such a party pooper." Ella finished her order and finally got to the topic.
"It was my father who asked the servants to hide the news from me. I was completely clueless the time you were hospitalized. Then a few days back I was browsing through various posts when I came across the post about the unique dungeon Wild Cage, when I realized that an outburst had occurred, obviously I was intrigued so I dug deeper into it and...a special person had shocked the crowd, even the monsters avoided him like a plague. You can guess the rest right!?" Ella asked with a cheeky grin.
"...Yes I can guess. Now tell me, that which you know, I want to know." Helkep asked while eating the food which had already arrived, out of boredom.
"Hehe! After finding out that it was you, I questioned the maid who was next to me that time, and the answer I got was my father. When I came barging in his room and demanded an explanation from him, he simply said 'I didn't want you to go'. I got pissed and locked myself in my room. Not talking to anyone and not eating anything. After 1 day he finally came and asked what I was going to take to get out, I simply said 'Send me to planet Jona and get me admitted in the Great Joul Academy'." Before the girl could continue, Helkep flared up, banging his hands against the table he shouted, "HE REJECTED IT!?"
Ella stared blankly at Helkep before she burst out in laughter. Hugging her belly, she choked on the words in her laughter, "Hel--He--Helk--Cough, Cough!"
Drinking some water to moisten her throat, she said "...Helkep ...Pftt! Ha-Ha!"
The thing was just too hilarious for her, the emotionless Helkep had finally flared up. After taking her sweet time to calm up she finally spoke, "Well! Was that… even something to ask about? Of course he rejected it. But I myself was pretty angry, I didn't come out either. After three failed attempts, he finally gave up." Ella was about to laugh once again but managed to stop herself.
Pow! Helkep banged his face on his hand. He asked in a pained voice, "You are now...a stu--stu--" Helkep hesitated to even complete his words.
"Yes exactly. How nice, right? I am a student here, now we can be together for a long time." Ella said with happiness beaming from every part of her.
Helkep got up and was about to leave when Ella said, "Hey! At least complete your food.
Helkep sighed and sat down again. Ella chatted about various things, though she was the only one asking and Helkep replying the whole time.
Though there was one thing of interest. Ella asked, "So what happened in the Wild Cage?"
"You know. That's what the men of investigation bureau were asking question about." Helkep replied in a sad tone.
"Oh come on! You know better than me that you lied. You won't even tell me the truth!?" Ella said while eating her food calmly.
Helkep froze, this was one thing he could never understand, also the reason of him finding Ella such an annoyance. She was able to tell when he lied, she could read him like an open book.
She was able to tell from when she was a child, when Helkep lied. Even now when he was bland like water, she could tell exactly when he lied.
His hands moved and he put the food in his mouth. Ella had been given her answer and she asked something else.
After finishing his food he got up and left. Of course he wasn't kind enough to pay the bill.
When Ella came out of the restaurant after paying the bill, Helkep was no where in sight. She sighed and started walking where she should.
After sometime passed, she appeared in front of an alley, she looked around, seeing no one special, she walked in the alley.
Though two men were following her, seeing her go inside an alley, they couldn't be more happy. They followed her inside the alley.
The alley was quite long, the two men kept running, in search for Ella. After covering a long distance, they finally saw Ella standing still, not moving.
Sensing someone behind her she said in a relatively cold voice, "Blood of cherry falls on acid."
Her voice was very chilly, completely different from when she was talking to Helkep.
The two man very obviously confused. They ignored her and said, "Ha-Ha! You truly are a beauty, just like she said."
A deep frown appeared on her pretty face, she looked back, seeing the two man, a disgusted look appeared on her face.
"Tch! You have completely ruined things." Ella said and a sword started forming in her hands. The sword was made of ice, it's hilt was beautiful just like jade.
The hilt looked like a dragon, while a phoenix was drawn on the sword's blade.
The man looking at the stunning sword got serious and pulled out their weapons as well.
Sometime later the two were beaten up on the ground, their heads were banged inside, they were alive but they were destined for coma.
- - -
Helkep was currently staring at Noil, who was standing inside the class entrance.
"So shall we get going?" Noil asked with a smile.
"Where!?" Helkep asked not getting his point.
"Sigh! Sometimes you act like a complete idiot. I am talking about the Volcanic Land." Noil spoke with contempt.
"Oh! I forgot to tell you but yesterday, when you were sleeping in the cave, I went back to scan the area where you had killed two monsters. And I gained six cores of Seven Eyed Deformed Veil." Helkep just remembered that he had forgotten to tell Noil about the cores.
"Oh!," Noil went silent for a while before saying, "So!?"
Noil had racked his brain last night, he was devastated on losing the quest.
But he realised that it really didn't matter, he had gotten a quest once and he will get one again.
Even if he didn't get one, who cared, he was rich he could get everything he wanted.
But in the timespan he spent with Helkep, he had been saved two times by him, in a way.
He had started to like this, sometimes idiotic and blank and sometimes high and mighty like a king, sometimes…only sometimes, he realised that he had been given the chance to meet an honest person, he had already decided to make Helkep his friend.
Sigh! The poor boy had been deceived, Honest and Helkep!? Sigh! What a poor boy.
"So that means you are free! You can go join a team and hunt with them. I will give you the 5 extra cores that I have." Helkep replied while looking at the girls who had their eyes glued towards them. They were all beaming a large smile.
"...WoW! You sure are ungrateful. After getting your stuff you are going to ditch me? You want to let me hunt on my own? After I nearly died for you two times." Noil had a mocking look. He was lowering Helkep in the eyes of others by playing the victim.
"Helkep you are so ungrateful." Suddenly a girl stood up and said, she was hearing their conversation.
"Helkep are you going to ditch Noil after all he did for you?" Another one asked.
The boys stared enviously as the girls stood up for Noil.
Helkep was left stunned as he saw the pitiful face Helkep was making.
"Sigh! Helkep I am very soft-hearted. I will forgive you, come let's get going." Noil said as he opened the door and left. He didn't even wait for Helkep as he was too busy stopping his laughter.
Helkep was speechless, he followed after Noil since he didn't like the contempt that was being thrown at him.
He went out and saw Noil laughing hard while banging his fist against the wall. Helkep stared silently as the clown had his fun.
After finally laughing his guts out he said, "Shall we get going?"
Helkep silently started walking towards the Volcanic Land, he really just wanted to go and sit inside his class but the contempt from others wouldn't let him sit still.
"Hey! Do you think we will get to kill all the other five monsters today?"
"Hey! Don't you think you should submit 10 instead of 5?"
"Hey!" …"Hey!" …"Hey! Do- -"
"Yes!?" Helkep's cold and dead eyes sent a shiver down Noil's spine.
What could he do, Noil kept pestering Helkep without stop. Even after getting no answer, he still didn't stop.
"No-Nothing my dear sir." Noil did a zipped mouth motion and started walking quietly.
Reaching the entrance of Volcanic Land, Noil asked, "Did you buy some equipment or once again nude hunting!?"
Helkep stared at Noil before replying, "Nothing."
"Sigh! Guess I will have to carry you again." Noil looked at Helkep as if he was a clown.
"I did say you should hunt with others." Helkep refuted Noil, he was wondering why he was getting so open with him.
"Sigh! What a dumbass." Noil shook his head disappointingly.
"…Just pray that this is the last time." Helkep walked towards the gate, ignoring Noil's remark.
Noil followed after Helkep. The teleportation circle lit up and the two walked through.
The moment they appeared they were both left stunned.
The first thing that they saw was a fireball, zooming off. It crashed into a monster, who roared in anger and sent a fireball of its own, the fireball crashed into another monster.
Both of the monsters were Seven Eyed Deformed Veils.
Seeing the teleportation circle lit up, they both turned their heads and saw…two beings. Standing silently on the side, waiting for them to get tired before taking advantage of the moment to kill them.
Anger flashed in their eyes. They looked towards each other and both had decided to come to a temporary truce.
Helkep said, "We are doomed."
"Why!?" Noil asked confused.
The monsters decided to answer him by sending two fireball towards them.
"Shit!" Noil cursed before pushing Helkep and jumping aside himself.
"What are we going to do? And are these monsters blind?" Noil asked as both of the monsters were charging towards him.
"Pray that our souls rest in peace." Helkep said as he clasped his hands in a praying motion.
"May you die a horrible death." Noil cursed Helkep before he activated his skill 'Boosted Speed'.
While Noil was dodging the two monsters, Helkep was analysing the monsters.
"Use your big skill, the one you used yesterday." Helkep licked his lips as he realised that the monsters were over level 20.
"You sure!?" Noil asked while dodging a fireball.
"Okay! Have sweet dreams." Helkep said as he turned away his head.
"Shit! Alright." Noil cursed before activating his skill 'Minor Strengthening'.
"TAKE THIS!" Noil shouted and punched the monster on its head.
Shockingly the monster's head wasn't turned into mush, the monster was only pushed back a little.
The monster shook its head and roared before pouncing on Noil again.
"Do something!!" Noil shouted towards Helkep who was blankly staring at him.
"What!?" Helkep asked, he was thinking of a way to defeat the monsters.
"Freaking anything." Noil shouted and activated his artifacts as his speed skill had ended.
Bang! Noil was sent flying by the impact of a tail crashing into him.
Cold sweat poured from his forehead when he saw a crack in his artifact.
"They are over level 20!!" Noil exclaimed, crying on his impending death.
"HOW LONG BEFORE YOUR SKILL EXPIRES?" Helkep had to shout as Noil was quite far away from him now.
"8 OR SOMETHING." Noil shouted as he was running away from the monsters.
"…WHY AREN'T YOU TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THEIR WEAKNESS? AND STOP SHOUTING WHILE FIGHTING, THAT'S STUPID." Helkep stared examining the fight as Noil's eyes had finally opened, allowing him to see their weakness.
Noil was wondering if he was an idiot, with his increased strength, cutting through the monsters ear wouldn't be difficult as they weren't as tough as the other parts.
Noil exhaled a breath of air before focusing on the monsters.
One of the monsters, swinged its tail at him. He jumped on the tail to gain momentum. But the momentum was too much for him.
He crashed on the ground and was sent rolling, punching the ground to lift himself up, he saw a fireball coming towards him.
Realising it was too late to run, he activated his artifact and prepared to brace the impact.
Shiss! A sizzling sound was made as the fireball came in contact with the artifact. Some parts of his clothes were burned but fortunately didn't catch fire.
Noil cursed as the artifact dimmed down, obviously broken.
Noil looked towards the monsters and saw that one of them had its tongue out, and was breathing heavily.
'Weren't they battling before we arrived!?' A glint flashed in his eyes. Just as he was about to charge, he remembered to do an important task.
Helkep was speechless as he heard the notification of Noil inviting him in a team, rang inside his mind.
Noil started charging towards the monster which was on the verge of falling down due to being tired.
The other monster wasn't in a good state either, it confronted Noil by activating a charging skill.
Noil was able to avoid the charge as the monster wasn't in fit condition.
He rushed towards the one whose legs were shaking from not being able to support its own weight.
The monster saw Noil charging towards it and prepared to give it everything it had.
Noil jumped towards the monster's ear, while the monster sent its tail towards Noil.
But the tail was moving pitifully slow, the monster had already used up all of its mana and its stamina was also depleted.
Noil managed to reach the ear before the tail arrived. He sent a powerful slash containing all that he had towards the monster's ear.
«Ding! You have- -»
Noil didn't manage to hear the pleasant notification as he heard an air piercing noice behind him.
He looked back and to his horror, the other monster's tail was right behind him.
He could only stare in shock as the tail came towards him.
From the corner of his eyes, he saw Helkep jumping on top of the monster.
Running towards the monsters head, he fiercely struck it in its main eye.
"GAHHH!!!" The monster shouted in pain and the tail that was coming towards Noil's head swayed and struck him on the arm, leaving a deep wound. "Ahh!" The pain caused Noil to shout aloud.
Helkep who was falling towards the ground due to being shaken off by the monster, saw the shouting Noil and shouted angrily, "STRIKE!!!"
Noil calmed down his senses which were buzzing with pain and stared at the monster's ear.
He started losing focus of the surrounding and the only thing he was able to see clearly was the ear.
He started running towards it, the monster was still shouting in pain and didn't or couldn't see Noil running towards him.
Noil swiftly rushed towards the ear and struck it with everything he had, some pieces of the monster's brain were sent flying in the ear.
«Ding! You have killed a monster- -»
Noil didn't even listen to the whole thing before he shouted in joy, "YESSS!!!"
After sometime Noil who was laying on the monster's corpse, dug in its head and pulled out the core.
He smiled cheekily, seeing it brought a sense of fulfilment in him.
Suddenly he saw something moving inside the core, after going into a daze for a second, he shouted, "IS THIS A SKILL BOOK!?"
Helkep who was also laying on the ground, opened his eyes in shock.