Dion was lying on a big and comfortable bed in a luxurious room filled with extravagant decorations he wouldn't dare buy for his house. Well, he was in the VIP room in a five-star hotel.
Before he paid though, he sternly gave the receptionist and manager a warning or a condition. He couldn't forget their faces when he told them that nobody should come to his room or enter it without permission even if the hotel collapsed or the sky fell; he would be the one to call if he needed something. That's why he paid fifty thousand dollars for a week — so that he could meet the manager and be taken seriously. Nobody wants to annoy a rich customer.
After having a good meal, he slept off to rest his mind like he did in Aeon — sleeping regularly and shuttling unconsciously when it was time.
***
Dion opened his eyes on the other side and walked outside. Dew caressed his skin softly and the sun tried to filter past the thick clouds.
"It's a new day but I have heavy work to do. First, I need to hunt for the money for my weapon. The highest I've gotten from my hunt is five silver boons for killing that tough beast; the rest are between three and two silver boons. So, I need about 40 to 50 kills to get money for my weapon. Hunting frenzy it is…"
Dion, from the early hours of the morning, embarked on a mad hunting escapade. After two successful hunts, he's usually back or lazing alone in the forest. But now, grinding and grinding until the sun goes down, he stays and hunts in the forest.
At night, he got maps from Arwen about the forest terrain. Through casual and indirect conversations, he gleaned valuable information from Rowan about the fox's cave. Taking meticulous notes, he planned for every possible outcome and accounted for any potential mishaps.
For the next four days, Dion adhered to a rigorous schedule: hunting during the day and studying and planning during the night. He went back to earth in the middle of the night. This means he wakes up only in the afternoons and evenings in the hotel. That's when he calls the cleaner to tidy his room and he eats. He also performs a stupid activity during this period — going to the gym. He slowly swings heavy weights connected to a rod horizontally and vertically to train his arm muscles as he will be getting a blade.
"I guess Ella's group would have it easy." Dion sighed weakly when he saw workers taking care of his daily needs.
Time flowed really fast when Dion got busy. It was on the sixth day he finally racked up the money for his weapon. He strolled in the evening with Rowan to get his weapon. Anticipation for his new blade and a big doubt about Tor's blacksmithing proficiency bubbled in him.
"Do you know what Lorraine and Liana are doing?" Rowan asked seriously.
"I don't know. I don't care," Dion replied casually.
"Well, Lorraine just upgraded. She is now a Body Realm Aura Flare human. I can't believe she reached the level before me," Rowan whined.
"How did she get red crystals?" Dion couldn't help but ask.
Rowan sighed sadly. "Those girls just showed me that life is unfair. Liana took her hunting. With her elf's ability to communicate with trees and nature, they found wild beasts as easy as drinking water. They always return with at least thirty wild beasts."
Dion choked on his saliva and his steps came to a halt. He turned to Rowan with wide eyes in disbelief.
Rowan added, "Even I had a worse reaction than you. What kind of cheat is that? Besides, they use arrows from a distance. That means zero risk. They can run when they can't fight."
This caused Dion's brows to twitch. He felt like screaming, 'F**k elves!'
Even when he went on a hunting frenzy, the highest hunting number he got was seven, and that made him proud. Then someone will just pull out thirty? This shattered his pride.
Dion waved his hand as Rowan was also sorrowful. "Forget it. Let's go."
Soon, they arrived at Tor's house. He was sitting outside on a chair while sipping a locally made wine from a big cup. Rowan greeted respectfully but Dion was casual in his greeting. Tor replied Rowan, but when his eyes fell on Dion, he humphed and threw his eyes away.
Zeni opened the door like she heard them coming. She gestured with her head for them to head inside. Dion and Rowan quickly entered the house.
When they reached her room, Zeni retrieved a knife concealed in a dark blue animal hide sheath from under her bed and tossed it to Dion. With a graceful catch, he felt the weight in his hand, finding it pleasantly substantial without being burdensome. Carefully, he withdrew the blade from its sheath.
The knife possessed an air of ominous beauty, its obsidian-black blade measuring half a meter in length and three fingers in width. One edge boasted a straight, blunt design, while the opposite edge curved with a gleaming silver light, evidence of its meticulous sharpening. Dion ran his fingers along the handle, noting its rough texture that offered a reliable grip. Curiosity piqued, he reached into his pocket and retrieved a fist-sized piece of wood to test the blade's sharpness.
Zeni palmed her face. "You carried that wood in your pocket?"
Dion shrugged, "I don't want to cut anything around your house before your grumpy father comes eating me."
With a swift swing, the blade connected with the small but resilient wood resting on the floor. The weapon sliced through effortlessly as if it were cutting through warm butter. Dion's eyes widened in sheer astonishment, his breath catching at the sheer sharpness of the blade.
Zeni smiled when he saw how Dion was shocked by the blade. "My father is just acting childish but he isn't petty or a bad person. If he was, he wouldn't forge the blade for you, or worse, he would have done a half-hearted job. I only did the measurement and he did everything thoroughly like it was his best, from the hammering to the quenching, sharpening, and polishing. He spent quality time on this blade." A moment later, she mumbled to herself, "I guess he's still obsessed with proving he isn't useless."
Dion carefully put the blade into its sheath, then he handed the pouch of a hundred silver boons to Zeni. Zeni quickly collected it with gleaming eyes. She counted the money happily.
"Let's go," Dion said to Rowan, who had been watching from the sideline.
"See you." Rowan turns to leave with him.
"Wait," Zeni called out when Dion just opened her door.
Dion and Rowan turn to her. She walked up to Dion and locked eyes with him. Dion didn't avoid it as he spent his life in the street where the weak are preyed on; avoiding eye contact is a sign of weakness.
"I know what you're planning but you can't kill it. However, with your character, I'm sure you will still go," Zeni said calmly. Then she picked up a bigger, basketball-sized pouch on the floor.
She handed it to Dion, but Dion merely stared at it without collecting it.
"This is a cloak bomb, which can cloak smell and blur vision when thrown violently. There are only ten inside."
Dion gazed at the pouch in Zeni's stretched hand. "Fine." He took it. "I will remember this favor…"
Zeni nodded but regretted it immediately.
"... feral clown." Dion chuckled and sauntered away with Rowan.
"What did you call me?" Zeni roared but Dion had already left.
Dion thanked Tor sincerely this time before he left. Tor sent Dion away with his eyes, not wanting to talk to Dion.
Dion and Rowan walked side by side, their footsteps echoing softly in the stillness of the deepening evening. The village was cloaked in a palpable silence, as weary souls returned to their homes. From the scattered houses, faint voices wafted through the air, mingling in a harmonious chorus.
"You told her, didn't you?" Dion suddenly asked Rowan.
"She pressured me to tell her what's going on with you. I told her nothing but a 'very' little about our discussion." Rowan gestured with two pinching fingers to show how little he revealed.
"Kitty," Dion mumbled.
"It wasn't a secret, so I thought it was okay," Rowan argued with Dion. He added, "But it also got you a cloak bomb. Erm… I don't know if I should say it but that fox is hellishly dangerous. Good luck."
Dion was surprised they didn't try to stop him like on Earth where strangers will try to talk him out of doing something dangerous.
'I guess different lifestyles. But, I just need to relax tonight.'
Dion got home without still seeing Karen. He ate and slept off to void shuttle.
When he woke up on earth, it was morning. After breakfast, he continued sleeping. His mind needs to be at its optimal state for Aeon's operation.