First month of college feel like hell and it will probably got worse. Here is a new chapter. Enjoy.
"...sorry." Muttered Sutr. He didn't look Vers in the eyes when he said that. Something in his heart stopped him from doing so. "Look the important thing is-"
"The important thing is what?!" Vers words cut through Sutr's sentence. "You are saying that your body is worthless?! You are saying that you are willingly received damage, hide your pain and wounds just to save a little bit of money!? What am I to you Sutr?!"
"...you are my advisor." Sutr could felt Vers grip tightened at the end of his sentence.
"And do you know what advisor are for?" Vers toned was more calm than earlier. The tears still flowed from her eyes and her breath are still heavy.
"...to help the adventurers."
"Then why?" Vers's open her grip and lifted Sutr's face. She stared right at his eyes. "This is not the first time you hide things from me, Sutr. And if this keep going, I am afraid something worst could happen."
"..." Sutr watched Vers's face with a mixed feelings. He saw the pain, the sadness and the grief in her expression. Sutr is not her first adventurer and she hoped he will be the last until the end of time. She had felt what it like to lose someone close to her. She had seen the body of her adventurer right in front of her eyes, lifeless.
"Please," Her tears were flowing more than she would like. Her feelings was showing to the person in front of her and there is nothing she could do about it. Her voice are wet and her body was shaking. She brings her hands to Sutr's cheek and caresses it gently. "don't die. Don't hide things from me. I don't want to lose you too."
Sutr lifted his hands and hold Vers's hand. Without looking in her face, he could feel the warm feeling coming from her hand alone. Sutr then open his mouth and started to speak.
"It is because of you I can stay calm, Vers." Sutr's voiced was as warm as Vers's hand. It was calming and have a soothing feel to it. "You came into my room and was able to joke around. That alone give me relieve. That action alone...give me hope. I knew right when you walked inside that everything will be alright. That I don't need to worry about anything. I knew you wouldn't joke around if one of my friends are dead. That could be applied to me too. The reason why I asked about money is because...I have you."
"...Sutr." Sutr's answer came crashing into Vers like a meteor. Did he just confess his feeling to me or am I just delusional? He must be joking right? Right?! "It isn't right time for this kind of stuff. Flirting and joking should be done when we aren't in this situation."
"I am not flirting or joking." Sutr said with confidence. Vers who heard this blush so hard that her ears was red all the way. "I am just being honest."
"P-Please don't joke around. This is not the time for that."
"Like I said, I am not joking." Sutr stepped forward and looked at Vers's eyes. He wiped the tears off her face and said. "You should know this better than anyone."
"I-I-I know, but-but putting it into word and saying it in front of me is actually more embarrassing that I thought."
"Well I guess you thought wrong." Sutr giggle as he watched Vers get more and more flustered. "I guess that answer your question, my princess. Please go wash your face, your beauty will shine even brighter than ever after you done so."
"You really have a way with words huh?" Vers quickly adjust her outfit and tidy her hair up. She took a deep breath and a smile slowly formed on her face. "…..please don't do this again, my prince."
"I won't promise, but I will try." With that last word, Vers left Sutr alone and walked into the Babel Tower. As Vers left, Sutr shift his body sideway. He saw a friend of his using a cane on one hand.
"Sasuga Harem Protagonist-kun. Your mouth is still as strong as I remember them to be. allowing her to slap your face and you even followed her hand so that she doesn't hurt herself, how heroic. Your next title should be 'ROMEO' or something."
"Enough with the sarcastic remark. She started crying so I have to end it quickly. Talking about moving, are you sure you can move properly, Pern? How about you stayed on your coffin, I don't want to lift your body in case you die."
"Well I certainly can move all by myself, thank you very much." Pern shift his weight to the other side as he reached inside his pocket.. His legs was covered in bandages that his lower body looked like mummy. "It looks like my Endurance stats will get a massive boost, not that I use it too much."
"You're here, so what is it? Is there something Zhul want to talk about?"
"No. He said he will handle all the interrogation regarding the accident. He gave me this." Pern brought a key into Sutr's eye sight. It was a bronze key with a steel chains connected into it and the number nine carved into the key's head. "He wanted you to go into the Dungeon as soon as possible."
"Yeah, he is as keen as I remember him." Sutr took the key from Pern's hand and keep it in his pocket. "Only me? Have everyone die except for the three of us?"
"No. The other are still busy recovering. You are a freak for recovering that fast. My body is not in an OKAY status right now even after sleeping for a full night."
"The same as always, right?"
"Huh. Yeah." Both of them exhaled a long sigh before they smile and laugh. "Well, I ll be going then. I'll be dead if my advisor found out that I was gone." Pern turn his body around and started moving inside the tower. He lifted one of his hand in the air and wave at Sutr who just looked at his back until he was gone.
"I am a freak huh…where have I heard those word before?" Sutr muttered to himself as he slowly realise that he was standing under the sun in the middle of the day all this time. Damn, I am gonna get tanned after this.
*CLICK
Sutr unlocked the door to a house in the northwest part of town. From this house he can see clearly the Loki Familia House which if he has to guess it, probably 20-30 meters away from the house. He wants to play safe by living near a strong familia huh?
I didn't even know this house even existed. Zhul probably have this house as a backup in case something happens like right now. Sutr only knew about this house a couple minutes prior. Zhul have sent him a small paper containing the address of the house which he stored together with the key. Sutr suspected that Zhul have a couple other houses spread all across the city, but how many was unknown.
That bastard always looked like he was one step in front of everyone. Well I guess that the benefit of him. As Sutr walked inside the house carrying a bag. He saw a small living room with a rug, a square table and 6 chairs. The table and chairs were made of wood and they looked like they come in pairs. The rug was decorated with colorful symbol and picture.
Sutr walked past the living room into the kitchen which was located behind the living room. The kitchen has all the basic thing a kitchen should have. A stove, a faucet, some utensils and couple of wardrobes. Sutr wipe the inside of the wardrobe. Dust covered his fingertips as his hand kept moving. Nobody had been here except for him and the construction worker. Should I clean it?
Behind the kitchen lay the stairs that goes to the basement and upstairs. Sutr went downstairs and saw big pile of boxes stacking over each other. Next to it was barrels full of weapons. The barrels looked like a porcupine from the amount of weapon inside. From knife to sword, from arrow to bow, you name it got it. Is he getting ready for the apocalypse or something? Sutr took one of the sword and strapped it to his waist. Probably gonna need more than one.
Sutr's eyes focus on the pile of boxes next to him. It was filled with food and other necessary things. He opened one and looked at the content. It was preserved meat. The others probably were filled with other ingredients and spices but all he need now was energy. Anything that could be changed into stamina would be very helpful. Better stack up on potions and rations, I am gonna be down in that hell hole for days.
As Sutr climbed up the ladder, his feeling suddenly turned 180 degree. His temperature drop and he got a goosebump. ….what was that? Someone is watching me. Sutr stand still as he scan the entire room for the cause of his feeling. After a minute, it was gone. …..we caught someone eyes.
*Knock *Knock
Han and Pern were the first one to be released from the medical treatment. Their body was basked in the orange light as the sun set in the west. Even though their body had not reach their prime, they decided it was the best that they leave before the bill stacks even more. They are now standing in front of the house that Sutr had enter.
"Sutr. Open up." *Knock *Knock *Knock
"He is probably in the dungeon now. That bastard couldn't even wait for one second." Pern kicked the ground in front of the door. After a few kicks, he found the same key that he gave to Sutr. "Same as always." Pern unlocked the door and went inside the house. He saw the living room and some cooked meats on the table.
"Really, couldn't he just take a break even for a minute. He had just got beat up yesterday and now he roams the dungeon." Han went in after Pern and closed the door behind him.
"We still need money though."
"True. I guess I can't really complain since I can't make money right now."
Pern and Han sit down on the chair and take a piece of meat. They eat it and felt the sea water in the from of meat.
"We should probably tell him about his sense of taste." Han muttered as he swallowed the piece of meat in his mouth. "Any more than this, it would be called the dead sea."
"No doubt there."
*Knock *Knock …. *Knock
"Pern."
"I know." Pern expression grew darker as the last knock rang inside his ear. "We better open the door."
Han moved from his seat and slowly open the door. What he saw on the other side was a certain orange haired god and his blue haired guardian.
"Yo, I heard your house got blown up. Want to share the details with me?"
"It nice of you to visit us, God Hermes. Can I ask you something?" Han allowed Hermes and Asfi inside the house. He closed the door behind them after he make sure nobody was tailing them. "How do you know this place?"
"I got my own way of course. Don't worry, it won't put any of you in danger, my child." The trademark smile never left Hermes's face as he sat down on one of the chairs. "So, want to share a little with your god?"
"Zhul's answer is our answer. You will get the same answer no matter who you asked." Han pulled a chair and sit next to Pern. "Please don't eat the meat, Sutr made those."
"Thank you for the warning." Pern swear he almost see Hermes's face twitch. "Come on now, don't be like that. I am your god right? Maybe there is something I could do."
"The thing is that they are not afraid to kill themselves. They are monsters, literally. We can't guarantee your safety if you decide to meddle in this affair." Han voiced his warning as he put the cooked meat away at the other end of the table. "How about you update our status, it's been months after our last update."
"Okay, I guess that is one way I could help you. Asfi, please turn away." Under the god order, his guardian turn her body around. "Now which one of you want to go first?"
"Me." Han had opened his shirt. He walked toward Hermes and showed him his back. Hermes's finger moved itself all across Han's back before the Hermes Familia's Emblem shine on Han's back.
"Okay all done." Hermes gave a sheet of paper to Han as his next familia member approached. "Now be a good boy and don't move to much."
"What did you learn from Han's words?" Pern asked his god with a little bit of hostility in it. This made Asfi reached into her pocket in case something happens. "Like he said, we can't guarantee your safety if you decide to meddle with this affair."
"Let me ask you something. Did you think this is my first affair?" Hermes's face didn't even change, not one bit of it. He stayed calm in front of his own familia member who had just showed him a little hostility. "You know me well, all nine of you do, and yet you act like you don t." Hermes said his answer as he locked Pern's status and print it in a sheet of paper. "Beside, all nine of you are my familia member. Those who wish to do harm to me would probably attack you first, so let me help you." Everyone spines were tingling, Hermes's voiced was cold and harsh. Pern, who was in front of him, could feel his back slowly turning into ice the more Hermes talked. "Here is your status." All the coldness was suddenly swept away. It felt like a joke.
His ability to freeze people is on par with Zhul. Pern said to himself as he take the sheet from Hermes.
"Now if you excuse me, I have something to do. Good night everyone." With that Hermes leave the house and soon followed by Asfi. He walked along the street of Orario before turning into an alleyway.
"God Hermes wait!" Asfi followed Hermes footsteps into the alleyway. "What are we going to do, God Hermes?"
'They', so it's multiple people. But Han said they are a monster. Literally a monster and he is not lying. "We watched them from afar, keep your distance from them until we know who we are dealing with."
"Yes, God Hermes. Are you okay with this, god Hermes?"
"Hm, what are you talking about, dear Asfi?"
"Because you seemed troubled somehow."
Am I? Hermes examined himself. Asfi was right, he was somehow troubled by this turn of events. It's felt like many bad things will happen to those group of person and this was a god intuition. I see, I am getting troubled by these. "Oh, are you jealous my dear Asfi. It's okay, you will always be my number one."
"That's not it!" Asfi face was bright red.
Something big will happen and I will have the front row seat. This is exciting as it is troublesome. Now what will I do and what will they do? Hermes smile grow even wider. He couldn't wait for what will happen in the future. It will surely be entertaining.