Chapter 66 - That is the Reality
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Man, fate sure likes us to encounter such dangerous entities pretty often huh. We had enough of just fighting the 『Dryad』 without any preparation and now this?!
Just now, a massive pure black dragon had passed us as these three was about to recklessly rush into the Town who got completely burned down. We we're so lucky that I managed to pull them back into me before "that dragon" flew passed us.
"It's that dragon, right?" Is what I had thought through my mind. It's a bit off compared to the game, but they got almost the similarities. Just in case, I used my ⟨⟨Appraisal⟩⟩ to confirm my doubt.
[Vhrkhaz, Dragon of Fear: 3,124,800/3,124,800]
So, it's really him, the "3rd Last Boss" in the game. That's right, life just made us horribly encounter an entity million times stronger than us... Currently.
But still...! Even after she passed us, the pressure is sure still outstanding. Just her presence is making me unable to breath properly. It feels suffocating...!
But then, I started to notice, one of the girls I'm holding started to tremble. The look on her face as if, she just saw death—just front of her, it was the look of an overly horrified person. The dragon had already passed us a while ago so why the face...
I breath out a sigh of relief and slowly rose into the ground. The girls had also rose after me, a bit shaken, probably got agitated for a moment—except for one girl, the one with the most reaction of all of us, is Seia.
"T-that was scary..." Lily voiced out her honest feeling. "I really hope we don't see that again..."
"Indeed, that dragon is strong. Unfortunately, I also don't have any information regarding that massive monster." Akari remarked, agreeing to Lily's statement. As for Luna...
"Are you okay, Seia...?" Luna worriedly asked. All of us felt who shifted our attention to her started to display our concern.
"Life sure is harsh, isn't it?" I jest, trying to lighten the mood but to no avail. I was starting to wonder why until I saw her eyes who was sparkling with mana. Ah, so that's how it is.
"Your curiosity sure is massive huh." I stated, pertaining to what Seia did, "We're fortunate that I managed to pull you back before that "Monster" managed to see us."
That's right, Seia—who got curious into this dragon used her ⟨⟨Appraisal⟩⟩ to check the dragon and apparently got overly terrified to its overwhelming strength.
"Eh? What do you mean by that Sai?" Lily asked, visibly confused—together with Luna and Akari who also didn't understand what's happening.
"That dragon that we saw," I answered the question in place of Seia. "Was too strong that she got overwhelmed by its strength." I added. "Apparently, that dragon you saw had at least 3 million HP."
Everyone was utterly dumbfounded to my statement—too stunned to speak. Now that they've finally realized it, guilt started to tighten their chest. We probably would've died if I was a few steps too late.
As the tense silence circumambient us, Seia—who is wildly shaking starts to ask a question.
"Sai, that dragon sure is strong huh... And terrifying..." The paled Seia paused, then slowly raise her head and looked at me. "Can you even defeat that monster I wonder...?"
The girls displaying a slump expression—visibly dejected had taken an interest to Seia's question and is looking at me in full curiosity.
I put out a confident smirk before I spoke. "That's a given; you are talking to the future strongest man in the world, you know?"
"Heh," Seia breathe out a sigh, smiling in relief. "Why did I even ask, of course that's how you'll answer it."
The rest starts to lighten their mood. I guess your morale would rise if you had someone who can confidently face an entity that's too much for you.
"Though, with my current strength, it's still impossible." I regrettably confessed. "But give me a bit of time and you will all watch me fight that dragon in direct competition."
"H-hahaha..." Lily timidly laugh, perhaps fear still hasn't disappeared from her body. "Are you sure you aren't too confident to yourself? You Narcissist."
"Hey, I never boast myself, you know?!" I overly reacted, then breathe out a sigh. "Enough of that, shall we check the town then?"
The quartet turned serious in response and firmly nodded to my question.
* * *
(8:00AM Estimated)
"This is cruel..."
Luna utters her sympathetic sorrow to the harsh sight we're currently walking into. No matter where we go, everything had completely burned down. Houses, plants, and even people...
"No survivors huh... Pity..." I regrettably said.
"What are we going to do Sai?" Seia asked. "Do you have a plan or something?"
"Nothing unfortunately," I dejectedly responded. "The only thing I can do to these people is to inform it to the guild."
"I-is that so..." Seia timidly said. "We really can't do anything huh."
"Even if we did. We can't revive the people who were already dead." I stated. "That's the reality of this world."
Pure silence befalls us as we walk out of the town feeling dejected.
"Since the town got burned down, we currently have no transportation left to ride into." I stated, then shifted my look to the girls. "We'll sprint our way into the next town. With our stats, we can probably reach in an hour. Can you four keep up?"
"It's not like we can do anything about it." Lily retorted. The rest also nodded in agreement.
"Then, let's go." I said and started sprinting. The girls also started to follow behind me.
* * *
(9:00AM Estimated)
Just like I estimated, we managed to arrive the nearest town in just a span of hour. Finally reached our destination, the girl had fallen on their feet—desperately catching their breath.
On our way here, they firstly started to get left behind easily as I'm running and dashing at the same time to boost my mobility. They eventually managed not to get left behind after I taught them how to simultaneously use the dash while were sprinting.
After a bit of rest, I—alone went into the guild while the four were still catching their breath and stated about "Vhrkhaz" burning of the town.
"We'll send people out there immediately. Sir, thank you for thoroughly saying all of things in great detail. Then, I must take my leave here as I need to report it to the higher-ups, thank you."
The female receptionist whom I dictated my statement into hurriedly left her desk.
I left the guild and went into the bench where the girls are taking their rest. Hilariously, the girls were slumped down into the bench and looks like their soul had just left their body.
"Ugh... I will never again agree to this... Ever...!" Lily furiously remarked.
"Sai is brutal..." Seia timidly said after Lily. "Ugh.... My feet hurt so much."
As for the last two, Akari is presently sleeping at Luna's tights while Luna is resting on the bench rest—also asleep.
"Yō!" I approach the quartet, waving at them "It's already late but let's eat our brea— Oh! They're asleep..."
"You...!" Lily shot me a furious glare, then lightly punch me simultaneously like a kid. "I'll never forgive this betrayal...!"
"Ouch! Ouch! I'm sorry, okay?" I started patting Lily's head.
"Ugh..." Lily pursed her lips, sulking. "That's unfair..."
I plan not to stay here longer since doing so is unnecessary. Unfortunately, looks like I made a mistake of mercilessly letting them run for an hour straight.
Placed with no choice, I carried Luna and Akari both to my arms and went to find an inn where they can sleep comfortably. Lily and Seia silently followed behind me—sulking.
Perhaps running for an hour also made me very tired so it didn't take long for me to fell asleep after the four who slept before me.
* * *
It was already noon when the five of us had arouse from sleeping. Since we won't be staying here for long, I decided that we had our Lunch which we ate on the same establishment—the Inn.
I kept apologizing for Lily and Seia who were still sulking while we eat. They eventually managed to forgive me when I told them that I'll do anything I tell them. I feel like I shouldn't have said that.
After Lunch, we decided to immediately ride a carriage back into the Capital.
All of us were feeling overly homesick so we're impatiently excited to head back... Until we realized that we'd still need a few days to finally went home.
Compared to the first time we travelled here, right now was awfully hellish. The stories of the girls whom I though am countless had all finally been told.
I'm not really a person who had many things to share with its friends with. To be honest, I'm really astonished to all the people who had a huge network of stories or issues they can told.
"Ah!" I uttered my realization. "I forgot we have that."
The four looked at me in bewilderment. So, I started to rummage through my pouch.
"The 『Dryad's Bag』 Let's open it. You all got your own, right?"
"Yeah," Lily responded, a bit confused. "Is there anything we'll get from this?"
"There's a chance—but I have an intuition that we'll get "that" since we'll be opening five of them."
The four became a bit confuse but they still followed what I said and took their 『Monster Bag』 to them. Perhaps I sparked some curiosity.
I opened mine firstly, and what I got was: a piece of 『Nature Quintessence』 and 30 pieces of 『Ethos of Nature』. All of them were a necessary materials to craft some strong items and is also a material to craft a summoning item.
Next is Luna—who unfortunately got the same as mine... She looks like she really didn't mind it so I guess it's okay.
"Oh!" When Lily opened her, besides the same material that we also got, there was a bottle with green substance on the inside. "This is new."
"I knew it would be on you." I responded. "Why don't you open it?"
The four looking at me starts to display a nervous reaction. They're thinking that something bad will happen perhaps.
"Are you sure it's okay?" Lily doubtfully asked.
"Trust me, you four are going to like it." I positively responded, smiling at them.
"O-okay...!" Lily slowly opened the bottle, and to her surprise— No, to their surprise.
A miniature dryad had started to emerge into the bottle and enthusiastically flew at Lily. A green spirit and a cute version of the dryad that's probably the same height of a small animal.
"Wow! So cute!" The girls loudly uttered their adoration in unison. Lily on the other hand were too stunned to speak—her jaw dropped as her emotion was split into surprise and happiness.
"Cute, isn't it?" I remarked. "There is a chance that a 『Monster Bag』 can drop a pet-summoning item of miniature version of them. There is 1/4 chance that they drop so I'm pretty confident when I said that we'll get it."
"I-is that so..." Lily whose eyes were sparkling in excitement looked at her new companion and hug her in full adoration. That's sweet.
Next, Seia's turn in which started opening excitedly. And luckily, another item—this time, a weapon had dropped from it. Its appearance is of a silver crossbow mixed with a little green color.
"Oh! the 『Bane Arbalest』 huh." I excitedly said. "A rare drop huh. Lucky!"
"It sure looks strong." Seia uttered her opinion. "But unfortunately, I'm a gunslinger so..." Seia handed the weapon to Lily. "Here."
"Eh?" Lily widened her eyes in surprise. "B-but I already have the dryad..."
"You know I'm a gunslinger, right? That's why, I can't really use this."
"I-is it really okay?"
"Mhm!" Seia firmly nodded at Lily, handing to her the weapon.
"Thank you." Lily thankfully accepts the weapon. "I'll take great care of it."
Mhm, their relationship sure is wholesome. I'm really glad I met them.