The next morning, Xin went rummaging through the pile of accumulation of his papers, perusing through various receipts, bills, and notes in hope of finding the log book that had the expenditure of the concerts he'd produced. While burrowing deep into the mess, he couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated. Sure, he had placed the book somewhere, but amidst so many papers to sort. The locating was getting very cumbersome. As the frustration was building up, With a staunch dedication to his mission, Xin continued searching for the book, realizing that therein lay the necessary quantity to repay the kingpin.
Ahh, how could i forget. xin deeply sighed
As his eyes scanned the logbook, his heart sank. His eyes had widened as he finally found the page he had been looking for-a look of disbelief crossing his face. His hands showed a slight tremble as they traced the bold ink numbers. Overwhelmed by the quantity of debt against his name, his mind was on turmoil.
His face contorted in despair, now turning to Belial.
"We must repay a debt of 3.5 million gold coins.
He muttered under his breath, the weight of the debt crushing his spirits. Belial's face showed the same emotion as that of his companion as the import of the statement began to weigh in on him.
On the one hand, Xin was committed to creating memorable concerts and experiences, yet he was drowning in debt. His mind was racing, thinking of a plan to pay off the money.
" That's A LOT of money to pay off, how do you think you'll pay it all off?" Belial replied as he was stretching.
Xin paced back and forth, his hands running through his hair as he struggled with the thought of how to pay off his debt to the kingpin. The only solution he could think of was joining a guild, but that felt a little daunting. Belial stood wordlessly beside him, observing as Xin's mind raced on.
While struggling to find his way out to help his friend Xin, a childhood memory bubbled up. The stories of adventure and heroism when he was a wide-eyed kid flashed before his eyes all over again.
In those formative years, Belial had chanced upon worn-out and dusty books kept in one corner of the demon king's library. Its pages told stories about guilds-mythical institutions where fearless warriors fought fearsome monsters that plagued the land. The guild members, known as hunters, were hailed as protectors, defenders of the innocent, and purgers of monsters.
Tales were told of hunts that took brave hunters deep into treacherous forests, across desolate deserts, and through labyrinthine dungeons deep in pursuit of the dangerous gate bosses. The stories described these majestic monsters as manifestations of chaos themselves-gateways between realms, bringing hordes of vile creatures into this one. The greatest such challenges could not be overcome by skill and power but rather required cunning and unyielding courage.
The rewards, however, for defeating these gate bosses were supposed to be immeasurable. Belial's young eyes grew wide while he read about hunters returning from such battles with their riches in tow: golden treasures, artifacts imbued with magic, and rare materials of immense power. The stories told of a life so different from the mundane, full of adventure and danger with promises of unimaginable wealth.
"We have to look for a guild, xin," Belial said finally.
"One that will take us in and give us jobs to do for gold."
It was written all over Xin's face; it was a silent mutual understanding that time was running out for paying off the kingpin before he took matters into his hands.
Belial and Xin moved through the city's active streets in search of a guild that would accept them. The will within the young souls still burned bright, but with every 'no', the hope slowly crept away, defeated, weighing upon their shoulders.
Belial kicked a pebble along the cobblestone path, sending it skittering into the gutter. The frustration was evident in his tone of voice. Beside him, Xin paced, eyes cast upon the ground, while footsteps mirrored the despondency in them.
"Can you believe this, Xin?" Belial muttered, disappointment tingeing his voice. "Every guild we have approached so far just looks down on us. They don't even give us a chance!"
Sighing, Xin spoke in a soft tone, but it did not lack an air of resolution. "I know, Belial, it's alittle discouraging, but we cannot let that feeling get to us. We have to keep trying."
Belial furrowed his brow as he turned to his friend. "But how? We have no experience, no reputation. We're just two teens who have a massive debt."
Xín gave him a reassuring smile. "It's exactly for that reason we have to look for a guild who will just take a chance on us. We may not have the scars or the accolades from battles, but at least we have passion and a want to help other people.
Somewhere out there there must be a guild who values that." Belial nodded, his face brightening a little. "I guess You're right, We can't give up now. We'll just keep looking till we find some place that's right for us."
More aimless wanderings continued, and as the night wore on, their conversation turned to lighter topics, like any two teens caught up in their own world.
Finally, they arrived at their last choice: the Crimson phoenix Guild. The building stood well above them with a large emblem of a phoenix on the side.
Belial hesitated, uncertainty etched on his face. "Are you sure this is a good choice, Xin?"
Xin's eyes sparkled with determination. "We don't have another alternative."
"Alright then," Belial said, nodding with resolve. "Let's do it."
The moment Belial and Xin stepped inside the guild hall's great doors, they were promptly beset upon by every sound imaginable. Laughter and jovial chatter joined in a burble of clinking tankards, while the odd roar of triumph cut through and lent the air an energetic pulse thick with life. The room was a hive of hunters of varying shape and size, eyes jumping from conversation to conversation, attention dancing between this and that.
Their entrance had not gone without its due share of attention. A cluster of hardened hunters, grouped together in one corner of the great hall, had stopped talking and were now regarding the pair with interest. Whispers ran around, and speculative eyes continued to rest on Belial and Xin, weighing them up with curiosity and skepticism.
Belial swallowed hard, the weight of their inexperience weighing heavily upon him.
He could feel the burning in his skin as they stared at every detail, weighing how worthy something was. The boisterous atmosphere had briefly faltered onto an underlying tension that hung in the air, a wave of chaos. Noises of laughter and shouting ring in their ears, the air reeking of alcohol and smoke.
His heart pounded in his chest as he looked around at the other hunters, each one more battle-hardened and seasoned than the last.
Belial cast an unreadable glance his way. "We got this, what could go wrong?" he had replied so sure of himself.
He couldn't help but admire the bravery of Belial, who was willing to do whatever the odds dictated, so long as it meant they could survive yet another day.
As Xin neared the receptionist desk, he struggled to keep his voice even. "Excuse me, ma'am; we're looking to join your guild."
The receptionist passed them over, her eyes settling upon them critically. Green eyes stared into one's soul, it seemed.
"Well, if you want to join, first you'll have to prove that you can do jobs. You'll have to pay 5 gold each, collect 100 orc or goblin ears, and pass our test."
The thought brought a knot to Xin's stomach: the gold, it was possible they could scrape together, but the orc ears? They would have to fight their way through hordes of vicious beasts to even come close to that number.
Belial looked at Xin with calm expression. "We can do this," he told Xin, his voice full of assurance.
Xiny couldn't help a lot of admiration for Belial's brazen fearlessness. He nodded his head to that.
The night streets of Silva City were dimly lit as Xin and Belial made their way to Xin's apartment, the site of last-minute preparation before heading into the Outlands. The city was quiet at that hour, but the air was thick with portent.
Belial hoisted his katana over his shoulder and readied a small pack with rations, while Xin went to fetch his huge dull axe. It was about the same height as xin. Belial lifted an eyebrow at the weapon choice of Xin.
"That thing looks heavy, can you even fight with that?" he asked incredulously.
Xin grinned confidently. "It's more than enough," he said, hefting the axe onto his shoulder.
Belial couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as he looked upon the weapon-many weapons had come and gone within his lifetime, nothing quite like Xin's colossal dull axe.
"I hope you're right," he said, his tone threaded with doubt.
He could feel the hesitation in Belial, so he laid a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing," he said firmly.
Belial nodded, almost bizarrely appearing to relax a bit. "All right, then, let's be off," he replied briskly, slinging his satchel over his shoulder and heading toward the apartment door.
While hopping onto a train and making their way east towards the Outlands, Belial had asked Xin about the kingpin.
"What's this kingpin all about?" he asked.
The countenance of Xin turned melancholic while his tone turned somber.
"Lets just say we aren't on good terms. When i stopped working for him he gave me an ultimatum he told me he would finance me in my music career..as long as i give him information.. in sumary He could be your greatest supporter and advisor; as long as you obey his instructions. But if you step out of line or err…. he won't hesitate to murder you or subject you to far worse fates than death. But its been a year now and i this must be his response."
Belial watched Xin with a look of concern; for the first time, he saw another side of his friend. He knew this mission was important, not only for paying off their debt but more importantly, it would be safer that way for Xin's sake.
It finally stopped, and thus they did reach Gregon Forest. The air thickened with pine smell; one could hear the now louder and more vigorous rustling of leaves. They walked further into the forest, their footsteps muffled by the thick underbrush.
As the two adventurers went deeper into the woods, the night grew darker and more silently ominous. Leaves rustled and twigs snapped in the air with much frequency, yet there was no sign of orcs.
Xin was on edge and could not get rid of this feeling that they were being watched. His eyes scanned the environs warily, darting from side to side, in search of a telltale sign of peril. Meanwhile, Belial moved with the surety of a warrior who had been so very trained for battle, as all his senses were tuned for a dangerous signal that might be lurking in dark.
The sudden loud roar that boomed through the forest exploded the eerie silence. Xin leapt two feet in the air, his hand going instinctively to his dull axe as he looked around frantically. Belial's grip on his katana tightened as his eyes scanned. And then the roar came again, this time louder, this time closer.
"It's them," Xin whispered, his voice barely audible above the pounding of his heart.
Belial nodded, his eyes fixed in the direction from where the noise came. Without saying a word, they moved forward, their weapons ready, the pounding of their hearts was the only thing that filled their chests. As they rounded a bend in it, they came upon several orcs standing in their path; their beady eyes glinting in the firelight, Xin and Belial assumed defense positions, weapons ready. Before there was a great rush of orcs forward, accompanied by a loud war cry; their weapons flashed in the moonlight. With an elegant and serene countenance, Xin and Belial fought strenuously; their wepons danced in the light from the moon to the orcs' cries, but these two could hold their own against them. What felt like hours passed before the final orc collapsed to the earth, defeated.
Xin and Belial were standing, weapons at the ready. "We did it!" Xin said panting, the tension melting away from his shoulders. Belial smiled, his eyes showing a tinge of pride.
"You did it,"Belial said, patting Xin on the back.
"You were pretty good back there too." A broad grin spread across Xin's face, the pride swelled in his chest.