"Darnip, we did not send you the staff to save the world," the sect leader said in his usual tone, his words frank and direct. "Even if you were ten times stronger, something like that would have been beyond your capabilities."
Darnip recognized and accepted the truth in those words, but hearing the leader discuss his weaknesses like this crushed the tiny flicker of hope that his clan might believe he had the potential to be a hero.
he chuckled bitterly to himself internally. It appeared that a piece of his naïve younger self still resided within him.
"We sent you the staff to destroy it," the sect leader announced calmly. "This message is but a recording, so I cannot respond to any of your questions. Instead, I will share with you what you need to do, and the rest is up to you."
Darnip held his ground, refusing to speak. He merely looked at the leader, waiting for him to continue, "The invaders will arrive shortly after this conversation concludes, and they will search ceaselessly for the Illuminati staff that you now possess." There was a brief pause before the leader resumed, "Which means that you will become the center of attention for the very power that brought down our entire sect."
"The invaders are an alien species that hailed from lands beyond the boundaries of the Eight Realms," the sect leader explained. "They assaulted the Human Realm, the weakest of the Eight Realms, intending to use it as a base from which to complete their conquest of all remaining realms."
The information kept surprising him, numbing him to the point where he felt almost detached from the situation.
"You must travel through all eight realms, and gather the sea heart stone from each, and then navigate to the Shadow Sea where you will discard the staff."
The only thing Darnip would have said if the leader could hear him was, "Are you an idiot?"
The leader continued, "By utilizing the staff, you can tap into part of your bloodline's strength. Within the staff are all the spells that have been passed down through our clan since its very beginning."
The thought of regaining even a fraction of his power did not bring Darnip any joy, not when he had to flee creatures that had effortlessly overpowered those dozens of times stronger than himself.
"Good luck, Darnip, the final member of my clan." The darkened space gradually began to shake and faded into bright light. When he opened his eyes, he found himself back in the same living room, standing over the shattered window. The scene was completely still, as if nothing had happened. Everything was in its place, as if he had taken a deep nap. The staff still rested in his hand, its soft glow shining in the dim living room.
He slowly moved toward the window, gazing outside at the serene scene before him. Everything appeared normal and calm. He glanced at the shattered glass on the floor. Silently, he made his way upstairs, heading towards his room. He reached his closet, opened it, and placed the staff inside.
"This has to be some kind of joke from the clan," he muttered to himself, desperately hoping it was just a prank played by his family to tease him.
He descended back downstairs and tidied the living room. The thought of eating held no appeal to him at that moment, and he knew that watching television with all these thoughts swirling in his mind would only make his stomach ache. So, he decided to simply retire to his room for an early night's sleep.
*Beeeeeeeeeeeeep! *
He jerked awake at the shrill alarm clock's sound. He found himself still clad in his previous day's clothes, having managed to catch only a few hours of sleep amid the events of the past evening. His gaze instinctively turned to the closet, and he questioned himself, "Is it still there?" before dismissing the thought and deciding to put it out of his mind.
He rinsed his face and made his way downstairs. Instead of his customary routine of eating breakfast in front of the television, he opted to have his meal seated at the kitchen table for a change. He knew he wouldn't enjoy eating in the living room that day.
He had no intention of changing his outfit, so after finishing his breakfast, he remained seated at the table, waiting for the clock to signal it was time to go to work. Normally, he found that time spent at home passed quickly, but on this particular day, every minute felt like an hour. He felt suffocated within the confines of his home and longed to get out as soon as possible.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the clock ticked, indicating it was time to head to work. He stood up from the table and walked out the door without casting a single glance at the living room. Once he stepped outside, he noticed his broken window and decided to fix it later. After descending the stairs, he realized something crucial.
He had given his bike to the girl yesterday to help her escape, and now he lacked any means of transportation to get to work!
He began walking slowly in the direction of work.
After 20 minutes of nonstop walking, the store appeared in his line of sight. He lifted his head and spotted his manager standing outside, conversing with a girl standing beside—his blue bicycle. He glanced closer to confirm that it was indeed the same girl he had helped the previous day, engaging in conversation with his manager, for some inexplicable reason.
Delight filled him at the sight of his bike, but his mood was not inclined towards conversation, so he began walking silently, hoping to discreetly enter through the back door.
"Darnip!!" The manager shouted out to him, thwarting his attempt at evading interaction.
Darnip steeled himself for a reprimand from the manager for being late, but the next words that left the manager's mouth left him dumbstruck, his eyes wide and his expression dumbfounded.
"This girl told me that last night you helped her escape from a group of unruly individuals," the manager continue. "I am proud to have someone like you working in my store."
"huh?" Darnip blurted out, struggling to find the words to respond. The manager rarely, if ever, praised his employees, and his bewildered reaction was not unwarranted.
"This girl wants to extend her gratitude personally," the manager continued. "After that, you can commence your shift. I will not deduct from your salary for your lateness, knowing the reason behind it."
Again, Darnip found himself at a loss for words, uttering a bewildered "Huh" once more, unable to form a coherent response.
The manager, having said those words, returned to the store, leaving Darnip alone with the girl.
"E... Excuse me?"
Darnip suddenly remembered her presence, and his gaze shifted in her direction. Gone was the too-short dress from the night before; replaced with loose-fitting white trousers and a wide green jacket. This girl looked distinctively different from the party-loving girl he had encountered on the previous evening. She resembled those solitary individuals who isolate themselves in their rooms, immersed in video games and cartoons.
"Mr. Darnip, thank you for what you did yesterday. It was the most terrifying moment of my life, and no amount of words will ever suffice to express my gratitude," the girl earnestly expressed her appreciation.
"It's okay. I was merely doing my job," Darnip replied, his heart filled with happiness knowing he had been helpful. Yet, he wanted to swiftly enter the store, not completely trusting the change in the manager's demeanor. He believed it to be more of an act in front of the girl, as the manager would likely revert to his usual unpleasant self once she was gone.
The girl spoke fast, her eyes fixed on the ground, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Mr. Darnip, I wanted to ask if I could invite you for coffee one day," she inquired, her words barely understandable.
Without fully grasping her request, Darnip hastily responded, "Sure. I look forward to seeing you again when you visit our store to shop, ma'am." With that, he quickly headed towards the store, oblivious to what was her question about.