Chapter 20 - 20. Coming out

Glenn's eyes were weary as he pondered the best way to recount the unconventional way he had nourished himself on the blood of countless monsters. After a considerable moment of reflection, he withdrew Document 3333 from his dimensional pouch. This document held all the details about his unusual sustenance, and it would be easier to explain what happened once the old man gets to see a fraction of what he suffered. Redan eyes the object suspiciously, feeling a shiver run down his spine when saw the ominous number on the bottom right corner of the cover. The number 3333 was written there in crimson ink the same color as the blood flowing in his veins. This book felt like some kind of forbidden, heretic grimoire to summon evil from the depths of Hell itself. Moistening his lips, Redan picked up the book before lightly licking his finger. He carefully opened the document's first page, scowling when he saw the typography. He quickly produced a monocle seemingly out of thin air and began to read the contents in silence.Glenn watched the old man read, his anxiety palpable. The sounds of the inn around them felt overbearing, compared to the silence he suffered through during his imprisonment. He sincerely hoped that this powerful, enigmatic, and oddly likable elder might be able to help him find a way to get back at the guys who did this to him, and to all these other innocent people. These damned cultists... Of course, he wasn't crazy to try and get revenge himself. He'd much rather entrust this task to some much more skilled people instead of risking his life mindlessly like those fools who take themselves for heroes."So? What are your thoughts, sir?" Glenn's voice trembled with apprehension, causing Redan to arch an eyebrow. The elder rubbed his temple with an annoyed expression. "Don't rush your elder, young man. I can read, but I can't read quickly, alrigh'?" Redan grumbled, returning his focus to the document while holding his monocle close to his eye. Glenn rubbed his head with a heavy sigh. He was placing his last hopes on Redan's assistance. If he didn't get it, he would just get the hell out of this place, and head wherever to raise sheep or something. After enduring imprisonment for several weeks, he had come to realize that without help, he was akin to a lost lamb in a dark forest teeming with hungry wolves. Even more, since he was lacking so much general knowledge about this world and the magic in it. His knowledge was insufficient, his capabilities inadequate, and he was undeniably lacking in strength—usable strength. Maybe, he thought, if he possessed the power of someone like Redan, he would be slightly less vulnerable. Just a little less. At the moment, he was nothing more than expendable fodder—a robust and muscular bag of meat, yes, but still powerless. He still had no idea how to throw a proper punch, even less how to use a sword or any other weapon. His country didn't have military service back on Earth, and he never fought people before. Around half an hour later, Redan finally moved something besides his old eye. Glenn held his breath, awaiting his reaction. But it was just him turning the page, in an excruciatingly slow manner. 'How is it possible for anyone to spend so much time on a single page?' Glenn wondered in bewilderment, pulling his chin down in frustration. 'Don't be condescending! Not everyone possesses the gift of speed-reading, you know? The ability to read is an incredible skill in itself if you consider it, even more in the world.' Diamanes interjected with a sharp retort. Restlessly, Glenn stood up and slammed his hands onto the tame, his gaze fixed on the document. "I'm going to wash up. I'll be back," he announced, trying to find out Redan's thoughts. "Hrm..." The elder's eyes remained locked on the page, seemingly uninterested in Glenn's announcement. Glenn made his way to the inn's counter, where a vaguely familiar face greeted him. He tried not to stare as the woman flashed him a flirtatious smile, leaning forward and putting her ample bosom on display. "Hrm—How much for a room with a bath?" Glenn inquired, coughing awkwardly as he avoided ogling, instead looking at the ceiling. The woman sensually licked her lips and leaned closer to Glenn. "For you, handsome, it's on the house if you spend the night with me..." Confusion and desire warred within Glenn. Wasn't this the dream scenario for any man? A beautiful woman propositioning him for the night? But after everything he'd been through, it had to be a trap. He remembered how badly he must have looked right now. No way anyone would want to spend time with him when he was smelling worse than sewers and looking worse than the bottom of some toilets. 'Diamanes, is it a trap?' Glenn asked his hand, having a hard time believing his luck. 'Uh, yeah. Remember her from last time? She was at the counter when you caused that chaos. She watched the entire spectacle, even when you set things on fire. She left afterward, though,' Diamanes said as if it was completely evident. 'Wait, what?' Glenn was caught aback. 'And look between her breasts.' 'Are you serious? No, I'm not going to...' 'Shut up, you imbecile. Just look, you might recognize something,' Diamanes insisted, annoyed. 'Wait, don't tell me…' A glance confirmed Glenn's suspicions. The same scar/symbol he had seen on Mr. Scarred-Face's head and the church's door on the opposite street was now visible between the woman's cleavage. A circle with thorns wrapped around it. She was part of these damned cultists! "I knew it! It was too good to be true," Glenn muttered under his breath, frowning. "Well, handsome? Care to enjoy some company in your bath? Maybe I could help you get rid of that dirt. You know what I mean?" the woman purred seductively, licking her lips while looking up and down at Glenn's dirty body. The young man smiled awkwardly, rubbing his temple as he scrambled for an excuse. "I'm sorry, but I prefer men." The second he pronounced these words, Glenn realized what kind of situation he had just put himself into. 'Wow. That's... Wow.' Diamanes' tone was laced with sarcasm. A sudden hush fell over the inn. Even Redan, who seemed immune to surprise, raised an eyebrow, his monocle quivering slightly. Most people stared at him weirdly, some were just shocked, and others looked...interested?Oh god. 'I just sacrificed my dignity to avoid a trap. Was it worth it?' Glenn pondered as the woman's expression shifted from sultry to repulsed. 'You know, according to Earth's standards, your preferences are completely acceptable. I respect your choice, and honestly, it's brave of you to be open about it,' laughed Diamanes in his mind.Trying his best to suppress his companion's voice in his mind, Glenn offered an apologetic smile to the fake waitress and placed a silver coin on the table. He swiftly snatched the key from her flabbergasted grasp and retreated to his room.Opening the door, he discovered that it was quite plain, with only a desk beside a bed. There was a dirty French window, the dust letting one imagine the exterior of the inn from the deformed shapes. "It's no luxury suite, but it'll suffice," Glenn muttered to himself. His cheeks were still red in embarrassment at the previous ordeal.He closed the door behind him, enjoying having a room for himself, feeling finally safe and in peace. The cell he was in previously clearly did not count, for obvious reasons. Whoever would call that a safe place either was a masochist or was part of the cultists' group.The mouth in the middle of his left hand revealed itself from where he had hidden it, a wicked grin mocking him. Diamanes' tongue tapped against his teeth, poised to ridicule Glenn even further."So, what's your preference? What kind of taste are you into?"Sighing, Glenn questioned the extent of his blunder. "For heaven's sake, I'm straight as an arrow! I'm attracted to women, okay?"Diamanes' laughter echoed in Glenn's mind, the entity having the time of his life."Come on, I'm not ridiculing you. I'm all for it, actually," Diamanes added with amusement.Tears welled in Glenn's eyes. What had he done to deserve this?Knocks on the door stopped their discussion."It's the bath." A female voice came from outside the room.Glenn hurried to open the door, discovering a different waitress, the one who served him his meal. Her cheeks were as red as the big moon when he first came into this world. He didn't forget to hide his purple hand, knowing that it wouldn't look good.A wide barrel made of wood was beside her, empty of water. A blue crystal, the size of a chestnut, was placed at the bottom of it."You…You know how to use a Shard, right?" She asked shyly.Glenn smiled in confirmation at the girl and thanked her. Putting the barrel inside his room, he looked at the girl, who was still at the door, not leaving."Uhm, do you need anything?" he inquired.The girl shook her head, hiding her face with her hands."Do...Do you have a lot of partners?" She forced herself to ask, as a flurry of female laughter echoed in the corridor.Damn it.Glenn simply closed the door, not even bothering to answer, listening despite himself to Diamanes laughing out loud. He sighed, picking up the blue crystal. A Shard, if he trusted the waitress's words."Oh, Diamanes?""HAHAHAHHAHAHA!""Could you enlighten me about Shards, please?""HAHAHAHAHA! Honestly, joining forces with you was the best decision I've made, even though you're completely worthless right now!"Thanks a lot for that. Doesn't hurt at all."Alright, about this Shard. Essentially, it's a fragment of a specific power. Remember your Fire Staff? It contained a fire Shard that allowed it to launch fiery projectiles." explained Diamanes, straining himself to not laugh."Right. So this Shard must be water-based since it's blue?" Glenn quickly understood."Exactly. You can either infuse it with your life force/Mana, which is something Initiates like you can do, or you can apply blood to fuel it—regular folks tend to use that technique.""Welp, I'd rather not cut myself. I think I've suffered enough in that hole," He stated plainly, wincing as images of darkness flashed in his head."And you are completely right. Remember when you've cast Silence on those chains back at the prison? Same thing, but you only think of the energy leaving your body."Glenn did as Diamanes explained, holding the crystal in his right hand. He thought it was going to be complicated, but he managed to replicate it pretty easily."The more you use your power, the simpler it becomes. Maybe you should practice regularly to master it," Diamanes suggested."True, but I'd rather comprehend what's happening first. Currently, I feel like I'm wandering through the mist, with my feet deep in mud and my mind in a fog."Diamanes whistled nonchalantly, offering no further input.Glenn felt his energy leave his body, filling the water Shard. A torrent of water cascaded out like a torrent, filling the barrel quickly."This is amazing! But where is this water coming from? Is it materializing out of thin air, or is it stored within the Shard and I'm simply drawing it out? Or perhaps—" Glenn couldn't help but get excited. He just summoned water out of nowhere! This was...revolutionary! If the only resource required was manpower, that meant you could theoretically create infinite quantities of water!"Stop! Stop it. I have no damn idea, and even if I did, why would I bother to explain that? What use would that be?" Diamanes blurted out, surprised by the sudden flow of questions."Well, understanding something better allows for more effective use. It's normal to seek answers," Glenn reasoned."And since the Shard uses my energy—or blood for the common people—to summon water, is there some kind of exchange taking place? Am I paying a price to someone or... something?" He shivered, wondering who or what was the recipient of this trade.Diamanes grumbled his response a tacit admission that Glenn's persistent questioning was a nuisance, making the latter understand that the best way to shut this chattering hand was to ask it questions it couldn't answer, as ironic as it was.The water started pouring out of the barrel and falling to the ground, making him leap in surprise and drop the Shard. As soon as the object left his hand, the water stopped pouring. The consumption of energy to summon such quantities of water was negligible, and he couldn't feel anything different."Well, that's certainly convenient."Without hesitation, Glenn discarded his meager clothes and submerged himself in the barrel. A sound of contentment escaped him as he surrendered to the water's embrace. It wasn't hot water, but just cleaning himself was a vast improvement to how he felt before. Just the smell!For nearly half an hour, he chilled in the soothing waters before tending to a more thorough cleansing.Though devoid of soap, the cleansing ritual vastly improved his condition, an improvement he appreciated compared to the filth of his prior confinement.The water's hue turned dark, as black as the blood he had ingested during his imprisonment. He expelled the tainted water through the window and refilled the barrel with the Shard. He continued this process until he was completely rid of any filth on his body, spending a bit more than an hour to clean himself."Phew, that felt GOOD. I am cleansed, be it physically or mentally. A good shower can work wonders," Glenn remarked, sighing happily."Yeah, yeah, but have you forgotten about the old man downstairs?" Diamanes' reminder pierced the moment."Oh damn."Taking his clean clothes out of his dimensional pouch, Glenn stared for a long time at his reflection in the water. He hadn't noticed earlier, but his hair had grown significantly, now reaching his chin. He could completely tie them up if he wished to. That was the first time he had his hair so long, and he didn't dislike it so much. It felt like their color had deepened significantly, the once chestnut hair now boasting a darker shade—almost jet black at the roots.Pulling them back, he discovered that his earlobes had grown longer, suggesting a possible evolution toward sharper points. Even his jawline appeared more chiseled. Physically, he had lost all his body fat, replaced by lean muscle. He still looks a little emaciated, making him realize that he needs to eat more to make up for the lack of actual meals back in prison.Though other alterations weren't immediately apparent, Glenn could affirm that his already handsome appearance had grown even more striking. No reason to complain in the end. He smiled happily at these changes, dressing himself up completely. One last look confirmed that this black trenchcoat and pants over a white shirt were perfectly his size. And we all say thank you, Howard Jefferson!"Well, time to seek answers. Redan should have finished reading by now, right?"