21-1
I was at the Adventure guild to collect the money after completing the commission.
"Grey, today is the release of the book by the summoned warrior, I feel like buying it. can I buy it?" asked Rudi.
"You can, your portion of the money only belongs to you. You don't have to ask me before using it." I replied. "So, which summoned warrior book is it?" I asked.
"The newer ones, the one who just got summoned during the last summon." Replied Rudi, he had a frowned expression. So, I naturally asked "What?".
To which he replied "They are not called summoned "warrior" they are summoned "Heroes" ."
"But I prefer calling them warriors. Calling them heroes doesn't fit right with me." I said. It was true, I always felt uncomfortable calling summoned heroes as heroes.
As I was saying this, the receptionist came with the money.
"Okay, your commission has been cross-verified, It indeed has been completed. Here is your money." Said the receptionist.
You might be thinking the receptionist is a beautiful female, with a sweet voice and elegant posture. I thought the same too when I first arrived in this city. but as I entered the adventure to register myself. I was met with a man with a macho build and a deep manly voice and also with anything but elegant posture.
His name is Mark, he is a middle-aged man. But I have to admit, he is quite handsome.
"This is some big reward, so when are you going to treat me with some food." Asked Mark.
"In your dreams old man, the amount of food you eat is enough to feed a small family," I replied.
"Don't, be so cold and stop calling me old man. I am not that old; I am just thirty-year-old and I even look so young." Said, Mark.
"Who gave you this wrong idea?" I asked with a sneer.
"Ow ow ow ow" My left cheek was being pulled by the hands of the Mark.
"Don't disrespect your elders." Said, Mark.
"Fine, I will not disrespect you. Leave my cheek alone." I exclaimed. Mark lets go of my cheeks.
before he could say anything I said "Do you imagine the disappointment on the face of people who come to the adventure guild counter in the hopes that they will be greeted by a beauty and all they get is you." as I let out an exaggerated sigh.
"Ow ow ow ow ow" This time both of my cheeks were getting pulled.
Mark stopped pulling my cheeks and said " Oh, by the way. Your aunt wants you to come by to have dinner yesterday. Bring everybody tomorrow to my house for dinner.". By aunt he meant his wife, I call her aunt.
"Fine, I will bring everybody," I replied
After collecting the money, we left the Adventure guild and went to the book store to buy a new copy of the adventure of the summoned warrior. Each summoned warrior has their own book, I don't know who started this trend of releasing the book. But it's a good source of income for them.
We bought the book and were heading towards our house. We met Mark again, he just got off his shift from the adventure guild.
As we were walking together and having our usual conversation.
"You bought the new version of the book." Asked Mark.
To which, Rudi replied with "yes.".
Then went on to ask the question, which he shouldn't have "Why do you love the summoned hero's so much?"
Shit.... this old man had to ask this question, I am not mentally ready for this. I gave Mark an annoyed glance.
"Because the summoned heroes are the best. They have saved humanity over and over, every time I think about them, I am filled with this aspiration to be like them. Like even their power is so cool. the fact that they are so powerful just within few months of getting summoned is also very cool and the fact that they save every human being without fail is so cool." Said Rudi without taking a break.
Then even mark realized the reason behind my annoyed Glance.
"You know it's not true that they save every human being," I said.
"Why do you think so?" asked Rudi.
"That's just a lie told to increase the sales for their book. It's easy to fool kids with this type of lies." I replied.
"Oh." Rudi didn't argue any further, his face saddened a bit. I don't blame him, at the end of the day he is just a 10-year-old kid.
"By the way, how was the commission?" asked Mark.
"It was an easy one," I replied.
"If you keep up like this, you guys will become B rank hunters in no time." Said, Mark.
"You think so?" I asked. Being a hunter is not my goal, it is just my means to earn money and it serves as good training to become strong.
"Okay, ill meet kids tomorrow over dinner." Said Mark as he waved bye. He stopped because his house was the first to arrive.
As we were walking back home, Rudi still was kind of sad. We walked our way back quietly until Rudi spoke up.
"Grey.... I think I am going to be a hero and save everyone." With a bright smile.
I smiled back "I am rooting for you.".
Rudi was one of the surviving kids from the village, after the incident, we moved to Goldberg city as Demigod told us to.
The Amrit food was damn expensive. So, to earn the means of money, we joined the Adventure guild, so that we could afford it. About, how Adventure guild accepted us? A kind woman helped us.
We struggled a lot; I was optimistic that I could save everyone. But I was wrong. I couldn't be more wrong; the reality was harsh.
21 – 2
It didn't want to die.
In the face of death, the creature didn't want to die.
The reaper drew its blade, to take the life of his kind, his family, and his beloved kid. But this helpless creature couldn't do anything, the creature watched in fear as the reaper killed one after another of its kind.
The creature was helpless, as his partner was killed right in front of him. The creature was helpless, as his son was killed right in front of him.
As fear crept into the creature's mind, it abandoned his daughter and ran away.
The creature didn't look back and kept running and running without looking back. He thought he might die if he ever looked back.
The creature kept running until he wasn't able, being drained out of energy because of endless hours of running. The creature collapsed.
Tears flowed from the eyes of the creature, it felt pathetic. He felt hate towards the reaper, he felt despair that he can't do anything to the reaper, he thought he wasn't powerful enough to do so.
The creature wanted power, to be powerful. He wanted to make reaper the same feeling of helplessness that he felt.
Creature hated the reaper...
After running endlessly the creature was tired, it collapsed.
He closed his eyes to see a dream, A dream that was unlike others.
The creature was in a plain filled with white flowers, the bed of white flowers stretched as far as the creature's vision could go.
In contrast to the ground, the sky was pitch black.
On a closer look, the creature realized. the sky wasn't black, there was no sky.
There was nothing above him, a nothingness.
An abyss...….
The creature admired the beauty of the abyss. But, the more he admired me, the more it felt scared of it.
Under the abyss, there was no one else other than the creature.
There was a constant static noise throughout the abyss, the creature felt a frighting chill under the presence of this noise.
"Do you seek revenge?" A voice was heard by the creature.
Upon confirming the source of the voice, the creature was met with a being. The being had nothing in terms of the body, yet it felt like it was everywhere.
The being had no eyes, but it felt like it had eyes everywhere.
It had no hand, but it felt like everything was on that palm of his hand.
The creature thought he saw abyss earlies, but the creature realized the presence of being is the void itself.
"I shall grant your wish." Said the being.
In the presence of being, no creature was allowed to speak, and nor can anyone.
The being was the god of the abyss, Tartarus...…..and the creature was the hobgoblin.