[[True Gallery Fake] activation's outcome: …
…
…
…
success]
You received Destiny Support Token
[Destiny Supporter Token]
World: Fantasy Realm
Quality: Purple
Effect: While carrying this item, there is a small chance that certain NPCs may decide to follow you into the Fantasy Realm and become your permanent followers after you finish a mission. You cannot control when this effect activates. This item only works on Purple-quality NPCs and below.
Note: May Destiny choose your next comrade. Non-tradable. Can only be used once.
"YES!" Alex screams in joy, unable to contain his excitement.
"Shut up! I'm watching this. Stop talking to yourself like an idiot," Menchi snaps, her tone half-annoyed, half-drunk.
I swear, what I wouldn't give to spank that ass for real. She so deserves it, Alex thinks, glaring at her. Menchi is still guzzling alcohol while watching a ridiculous cooking show on a weird cooking channel Alex doesn't even recognize.
Alex tries to join her but quickly grows bored. This is so fake and stupid. How can she, a damn Gourmet Hunter, not see through this crap with just one glance?
When the show's host, a 50-year-old budget Indiana Jones wannabe, attempts to scale a dangerous cliff to cook mushrooms growing there, Alex loses it.
"Didn't you see that cut? He didn't even climb the damn thing! How the hell did he get up there? I don't know, but it wasn't by climbing. This show is fake as hell! The food looks generic and boring too—it's trash. How can you even watch this?" Alex complains, throwing his hands up.
"SHUT UP!" Menchi yells back, clutching her drink. "I like this show! It's fun, entertaining, and I think the host is great. Give him another five or ten years, and he'll be a superstar!"
Alex stares at her in disbelief. "...You're an embarrassment to Gourmet Hunters. I'm going to bed!"
"You!!" Menchi growls, launching herself at Alex. She pins him down, her face only a few centimeters from his.
"Now I get it," she teases, smirking. "You're jealous, aren't you? Isn't that cute…? Sorry, but I'm usually not into young boys like you. Maybe I could've been a little more considerate."
"Young boys? I'm 28! You're the brat—you're nine years younger than me!" Alex retorts, glaring at her. "Do you have some old-man fetish or something? That host is over 50! Giving him five or ten more years? You're the worst. I wouldn't be surprised if people start calling you a gold digger when you marry an 80-year-old geezer."
"SHUT UP!" Menchi shouts, clearly embarrassed. "I like gentlemen! You're the opposite of that! You use cheap tricks, you play dirty, you scheme… you're crude, weapon-obsessed, and—"
"…Lame armor… scary conjurations… boring hairstyle…"
Is she finally done? Alex wonders, his irritation peaking. Boring hairstyle? She's just grasping at straws now. I even comb my hair every day! How dare she insult my hair?
Alex takes a deep breath, determined not to let her drunken rant get to him. "Are you done? This kinda hurts—especially the hair part—but I'm not taking fashion advice from a snack-eating, drunk Gourmet Hunter right now."
Menchi suddenly pauses, her expression softening. "I don't even know why I like you, despite all of that," she mutters, immediately blushing as the words escape her lips.
Realizing what she's said, Menchi jumps up and rushes to bed without another word, leaving Alex stunned.
What the fuck? Alex thinks, his face heating up. He feels his own cheeks flush at the unexpected confession.
After cleaning up Menchi's mess, Alex heads to bed himself. Despite his seemingly easy victory earlier, the fight had drained him—it wasn't as effortless as it looked. Bahawin's pathetic but effective scheme had almost worked.
… … …
The next morning, Alex wakes to Menchi banging on his door.
"Wake up! You have a visitor. Get yourself cleaned up and come to the living room," she shouts, barging in without waiting for a response.
The hell? Who's visiting me? Alex wonders groggily. Linne? A fan? Someone from the exam? He smirks to himself. Guess this is what happens when you're about to become a Floor Master. Flies always try to take advantage of success and aim for my leftovers.
He quickly dresses in one of the many training suits he bought at Heavens Arena and heads to the living room.
To his absolute shock, Menchi is sitting next to a giant. The man has blond hair, massive muscles, and a giant warhammer resting casually beside him.
"What the fuck?! That's Darius! Why the hell did you let the enemy into our room? Are you still drunk, Menchi?!" Alex yells, his voice rising in disbelief.
Darius stands up slowly, his towering frame barely fitting in the room.
With steady, deliberate steps, the giant walks toward Alex, his movements unnervingly smooth for someone of his size.
Alex instinctively readies himself to fight, but to his surprise, Darius smiles warmly, extends his hand, and says, "Nice to meet you! I saw your fights, and I have to say, I'm impressed. You came out of nowhere, but your Nen abilities are very solid. You've got a strong grasp of the basic and advanced techniques. More importantly, you got rid of a bunch of annoying bugs infecting the 200 class with their filth. I'd like to thank you for your service and talk to you about your challenge. Is that okay?"
Feeling a bit guilty about how he'd planned to provoke him, Alex awkwardly grabs Darius's hand and shyly replies, "Sure… nice to meet you…"
The two sit down, and to Alex's surprise, Darius is bright, honest, and surprisingly sociable.
"Yeah, so I've been a Floor Master for close to a decade now," Darius begins. "I really enjoy it, and I also teach martial arts. I don't have many students since I focus on hammer techniques, and not many people have the physical strength for it. It's also pretty unpopular! People complain about hammers being too tedious to carry around, too big for travel, or just too heavy to use. Excuses! Thankfully, I've got a few core students who make me proud."
"Yeah, I guess warhammers are kinda cool. I like them too, but I've mostly studied swordsmanship," Alex responds. "I'm open to learning new things, but I honestly think it's better to master a single style rather than spreading yourself too thin."
"Pfft. A bunch of weapon freaks geeking out over their toys. Disgusting," Menchi interjects, clearly bored with the conversation. She heads back to the couch, turning her attention to another low-budget show on the same strange cooking channel.
"This young lady doesn't appreciate the fine art of weaponry," Darius says with a chuckle. Then, turning back to Alex, he adds, "It's great to hear you're a fellow martial artist and that you can appreciate my choice of weapon. I also really like your sword-and-shield fighting style. You balance offense and defense while staying mobile—it's impressive. It's just a shame your recent fights have been so… weird. I barely got a chance to see you use your skills."
"You'll see them soon," Alex replies, smirking. "I like that you're an honest fighter. No gimmicks, no tricks, no running around to waste time—just straight-up combat. You're the kind of guy who won't back down from my challenge, right? Honestly, I was just trying to rile you up, but now that I've met you, I see that was pointless. You're not the kind of person who falls for cheap tricks."
"Of course I'll accept your challenge," Darius says, his tone unwavering. "But the reason I'm here is simple: I've killed 11 challengers during my time as a Floor Master. This position is my dream, and I'll never give it up willingly or hold back in a fight. I always give it everything I've got, no matter who my opponent is. While I won't try to kill you outright, I won't pull any punches either. I just want to be upfront about that."
Alex nods, appreciating the warning. "You're a good guy. Thanks for letting me know, but I'm not backing off. I respect and admire your fighting style, but I still think I've got the advantage. If the worst happens, I'll have no one to blame but myself. Just so you know, this goes both ways—especially after what happened to my last opponent. By now, we both have a good idea of each other's Hatsus. This will be a fair fight."
Darius smiles faintly. "Your Claw, your frost armor—which, honestly, would be a far better fit for me since it would make me nearly unbeatable—and your bombs, right? I'm curious to see how they stack up against my shockwaves. But…" His demeanor suddenly shifts, becoming serious. "There's another matter I need to discuss with you. It's personal, and I hope you won't take offense."
Alex leans forward, visibly confused. "Yeah? What is it?"
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