He nodded. “I planned on keeping four for myself and giving two to Sarah, then using one on the kid.”
“I can live with that. Maybe you’ll unlock the second stage after using all four of them.”
“You mean that burning thing you did?” Melina asked.
“Yeah. We’ll do yours when we bathe next time.”
She offered me her hand and then pulled me up. I stopped for a second and looked back toward the tower. It sure was magnificent and… enormous, towering far above the largest buildings in the distance.
I turned back to stare at Scar, who lay there with his legs up on the sidewalk, resting.
“How far off are we from the closest boss?”
“Let me check,” Scar replied as he got up and sat on his haunches. The color of his lightning changed slightly and turned from the usual white and blue to purplish and red.
“What’s going on with him? Is he going to explode?” Melina asked as she stepped back.
“No, I’m not. That’s the way I show displeasure.”
“About what?”
“About the boss that’s showing up very close to our home.”
I groaned and bared my teeth at him. “Where?”
“Kihot’s place.”
“Oh.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, Scar, oh,” I replied, my voice slightly more cheerful now that I thought about it. “I mean, that’s not even so bad. It’s quite a distance from the ryokan, so we don’t have to worry about it, and when it comes to his place, it’s the perfect battleground. There’s a lot of room to maneuver and a few great hiding places for our sniper.”
“You’re right about that. The neighboring building is perfect. Even the water tower outside is great as well. I’ll set up in one of the spots, but only after we get my anti-tank rifle.”
“Drop by your place on our way back?”
He nodded. “If that’s alright with you?”
“I insist.”
“And what about me?” Melina asked. “I’m too tired to walk!”
I glanced over at Scar. “Can you give her a ride without burning her ass?”
“This time only. I’m not a mount,” Scar protested but nudged her with his muzzle. She didn’t pull back, but rather scratched the lightning coursing around him.
His facial expressions were one thing, but his feelings another. The first could mislead someone, but not the second. I felt what he felt to a degree, and he wasn’t protesting about her touching him at all.
“Whatever you say, Scar.” I chuckled. “Just make sure she doesn’t fall off, or I’ll hurt you.”
“Pfft! I wish you’d try!”
I glanced once last time at the tower and turned back down the road as Melina hopped on his back and Mark took up a position in front of us. We were lucky to come across several more elites, but after creating the perfect conditions, we managed to kill them with practiced ease. More equipment dropped and several crystals for all of us.
It took us about forty minutes on foot to arrive at Mark’s place through battling the elites. There were no monsters there, not even a small group, to my surprise. Melina got off Scar and sat on a wooden bench. I sat next to her and just felt how bad we smelled. Sweat, blood, and the black, tar-like stuff that had flown out of my arm earlier made for an interesting feast for the nostrils.
We didn’t speak, we just sat there and breathed steadily. We were tired and just wanted to get home as soon as we could. Mark was already done by the fifth minute and storming out the front entrance. The gun must have already been packed and waiting for him to get it. Even better.
“You guys want to rest some more?” he asked with a broad grin on his face. The bags looked pretty heavy and were even bulkier than I thought they’d be.
“We’re good, but what about you? Want me to put those bags in the pouch?”
He nodded. “Yeah, please… no, wait. I got my own now.”
He looked at me and frowned as much as I did.
“You both forgot he had a pouch, right?” Melina laughed.
We nodded in unison.
“Yeah, let me stash them and we can go,” he muttered as his cheeks turned red, and not from exhaustion.
It took him only a couple of seconds until he was done, but the way he held himself was off. He leaned toward one side, almost as if being held down by a lot of weight.
“What is it?”
“It’s pulling me to the ground.”
“Oh? How so?”
“I got a message that said I was stashing too much firepower!” He started laughing again and patted his pouch.
I let out a deep sigh and shook my head. “You know how to choose the perfect moment, Mark. Gotta give you that.”
“Ahh, come on, boss. It was just a joke.”
To prove it, he moved and kept up the pace until he reached the end of the street. We got up and followed him. Scar didn’t offer for Melina to get on his back again, but she had rested enough to make the short trek. We had a little over half an hour to walk, from what Mark said, so it wasn’t serious.
“What’s in there anyway?” I asked after ten long minutes passed in mostly silence.
“Anti-tank gun, a small bullet-casting machine, a lot of ammo, some more guns, and two armored vests.”
“Oh? So you can make your own bullets?”
He nodded. “I’ll need a lot of good metal, but with crystals in play, maybe I can use them to empower bullets or something?”
“Hmm,” I murmured. “Scar, what do you think?”
“About him making Enma-infused bullets? The best idea any of you have had so far.”
“I’d like to see how you do it, Mark. Maybe we can improvise and make something with more power.”
He shrugged. “I’m quite skilled when it comes to guns, especially explosives. Once we have some stuff we can use, sure, I’m game.”
I grinned in anticipation, as I liked to watch things explode. Lost in thought, we ran across several small kobold spawns. Mark took care of them with his spear, wanting to practice some more. The bastard was lucky and got another crystal for his trouble.
Before long, we arrived at our park and watched two of our men kill the mobs with practiced ease. They were Don and Jin. I recognized them by their haircuts. One had long hair and the other a beard. Not that it mattered to me.
“How long have you been here?” I asked as we passed them.
“Just got here, boss.”
“Make sure to call us if you get into trouble. Even better, don’t get into trouble. Don’t test your luck.”
“Sure thing, boss. You have a good night—er, morning.”
Mark nodded as he passed them, and Melina didn’t even so much as glance their way. I guessed she was too tired, and it showed.
Mark walked off toward the right building and waved before entering. We moved toward the central entrance and stopped at the door.
“Want to have a shower first?” she asked.
“Only if you join me.”
“Do you think I’d let you go in alone?”
I chuckled and put my arm around her. She made a sniffing sound and theatrically pushed me off her. Just then Jess appeared from the side entrance. She didn’t meet my eyes, but rather looked over at Melina.
“Hey, guys. I see you’re back and well.”
“Hey, Jess,” Melina replied with a weak smile. “What are you doing up so late?”
“I waited for you to get back so I could feed you.”
“Feed us?”
“Yeah, I made something to eat. It’s still warm, I think. Do you want me to prepare two plates?”
“I’m starting to love you more and more!” Melina squealed. “Can you get us some spare clothes first? A short yukata for me and something sporty for him.”
“Sure thing, mistress.”
Jess turned around before Melina had the chance to scowl, but I guessed she didn’t want to bother reprimanding the younger woman after doing so much for us.
We showered in separate stalls, just like the first time, and got dressed quickly, then met Jess in the main hall and sat around our company table, as I liked to think of it. She joined us and even carried some cold brew. What a thoughtful young woman.
“Want to drink with us?” Melina asked. “And don’t be like that. I won’t bite. I know nothing is going on between you two and my husband.”
“Husband?” I whispered. “Sounds good, if you ask me.”
“Maybe. Depends on your snoring. If you go at it again, I’m kicking you out.”
“Does it even make sense to sleep?” I asked. “How late is it?”
She looked down at her wrist and then up at me again. “Four in the morning. Only four hours to go until the first deadline is over.”
“Yeah, might as well stay up, then sleep in till noon and see what’s next.”
“Jess, can you prepare a cold plate for us and some nuts?”
“Nuts?”
“Walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts. You know, the big glass containers in the kitchen. The ones I said not to touch.”
She nodded and walked back out. We ate mostly in silence until she appeared again several minutes later. We were just too tired.
“Do you want me to take it up to your room?”
Melina nodded. “Please.”
I waited for Jess to leave, and then whispered as her footsteps receded up the stairs, “Aren’t you using her a bit too much?”
“Why? She’s living under my roof, eating my food. She’s a keeper, unlike most of the other women here.”
I shrugged. “Maybe, but I don’t want to overdo it.”
“Don’t worry. I have an agreement with her.”
“Oh? Which one?”
“As if I’d tell you! Come on, eat up so we can check our spoils of war.”
We finished eating rather quickly, took some more cold drinks with us, and sat on the balcony. I pulled all the loot we got earlier from the pouch and placed them on my lap. A breastplate, sabatons, gauntlets, a ring, and two necklaces. The only things we got duplicates of were a pair of vambraces, a breastplate, and boots. I handed them off to Melina. She snapped them from my hands greedily and then stared at the pile of gear.
“You’re gonna use them all?”
I nodded. “Unless you want to take the brunt of the boss’s attacks?”
“Pfft, no thanks. I’d rather see your ass getting hurt so I can nurse you back to health.”
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, mistress.”
“Hey, not you too!”
I stuck my tongue out playfully and turned back to the gear, then picked up the breastplate and slid it on. I put the boots on next and then the gloves. I dropped back into the chair and gasped as the breastplate adjusted itself around my body. Multiple notifications popped up next.
Notification:
ITEM RECEIVED:
NAME: Kobold Breastplate
HEALTH: 50
DEFENSE: 12
ENMA SHIELD: 100
ITEM RECEIVED:
NAME: Kobold Gauntlets
PHYSICAL ATTACK: 18
DEFENSE: 7
SPEED: 0.1
ITEM RECEIVED:
NAME: Kobold Sabatons
DEFENSE: 10
SPEED: 0.4
I picked the ring up next and slid it on my finger, then the necklace and pulled it over my head. To my surprise, the two hurt at least twice as much as they adjusted and were “burned” deep into my skin, but the burn marks disappeared as if they weren’t even there. All of this took only three short seconds.
Notification:
HIDDEN QUEST COMPLETED:
Equip the first piece of jewelry
JEWELRY SYSTEM UNLOCKED:
TYPE: JEWELRY
Crown, Earring, Earring, Necklace,
Pendant, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring
Notification:
ITEM RECEIVED:
NAME: Kobold Necklace
ENMA: 50
ENMA SHIELD: 100
ITEM RECEIVED:
NAME: Kobold Ring
PHYSICAL ATTACK: 20
I gasped for air as my chest felt as if it were on fire. Melina groaned beside me and hissed as she shook her hands. I could see the vambraces adjust around her wrists and form a slightly different shape than mine. They were visible for only a couple of seconds before they turned translucent, just like the rest of my gear.
“Fuck, this hurt ten times worse than it did with the vambraces.”
“Oh, you pussy. It’s just some uncomfortable pricking!” Melina laughed.
I stared at her blankly. “When it’s just around the wrists, yeah, but try doing the same with your back and chest. Quite a few more needles will be pricking the shit out of you.”
“Ahh, whatever,” she murmured and pouted. “Want to go out again later?”
“Yeah. We can go alone so we don’t need to share our loot.”
She opened her mouth to reply but then stopped for a long moment. “You know, I think this is going to cause a lot of problems down the line. People privatizing spawns. Maybe even the tower if they’re strong enough.”
I nodded. “Exactly my thoughts and why I want us geared as soon as possible. We shouldn’t rely on anyone but ourselves.”
“Not even—?”
I cut her off as I put my hand on hers. “I promise to spend my life with you, Melina. I know you won’t like what I’m about to say, but I’ll still do it. I can’t promise to risk my life for Sandro or anyone else the way I do with you.”
“And that’s what I expect,” she whispered. “You’re possessive and protective. It feels suffocating if it’s too noticeable, but you’re still holding back, and I hope you’ll keep doing it.”
“How about you put that necklace on instead of dangling it around your fingers. It will hurt, though.”
“Yeah, I just saw your skin burn.”
“Just what do you think will happen once those rifts start appearing? Or once we’re inside the tower? I don’t think you’d mind the burning pain if it could save your life in there.”
“I’d have someone die instead of me,” she muttered. “No, I wouldn’t. What the hell am I even saying?”
“Mel, no one wants to die, so why would I judge you?”
She nodded weakly. “Does it make me a bad person if I agree with you?”
I shrugged. “If anyone’s a bad person, it’s me, as I’m sitting here with someone I met several days ago and have slept with. Oh, I’m also ready to pledge my life to said person. Now you tell me if that doesn’t make me the bad guy?”
“Maybe that person’s worth it?” She smiled.
“No, it’s not that, Melina. I mean, it is, but something changed after being reborn. I didn’t have this kind of emotional outburst and wasn’t as easily swayed. See, I was reborn through the rage and hatred I felt, and that’s what kept my soul alive for a century, according to the God who brought me back. I have no idea if I’ll be able to hold back in the future. Something might happen, and I could snap.”
“Isn’t that only logical after living for centuries? And after having achieved power unimaginable to ordinary people?” she asked and stared at me intently. “If anyone was to go through what you did, wouldn’t that make them slightly nuts?”
“The thing is that I have no idea if they’re purely my feelings, or if the body was a sucker for love and emotions.”
She shrugged. “We all have our baggage, Vik. Don’t let it weigh us down and I think we’ll be fine as long as we have each other and there’s trust. Just don’t keep stuff from me. No matter what it is.”
“All I want is you by my side. No matter the price.”
“You say that now.”
“And tomorrow, and the day after, and after that as well. See, I don’t change my mind so easily. The only thing I’ve been racking my brain about since I came here was you. I don’t think I’ve ever felt such turmoil in my life. I even asked Scar to dull my heart
or something.”
“Pfft! You’re crazy. Why would you do that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe to forget? Whatever. Come on, go check your status as I check mine. I’ve got some catching up to do.”
She nodded and turned to stare in front of her. I did the same and opened my inventory. We’d gathered quite a few crystals and colored gems, some new potions of strength and agility, and then all the equipment.
Inventory:
Enma Crystal Rank 1 – 15
Red Gem Rank 1 – 3
Blue Gem Rank 1 – 4
Green Gem Rank 1 – 2
Loaf of Bread – 13
Stamina Potion Rank 1 – 3
Strength Potion Rank 1 – 3
Agility Potion Rank 1 – 2
Nodachi Of The Blossom Tree – 1
Caesar’s Gladius – 1
Kobold Breastplate – 1: Kobold Vambraces – 1
Kobold Gauntlets – 1
Kobold Sabatons – 1
Kobold Necklace – 1
Kobold Ring – 1
All I needed now was for the next day to start and the seventy-two-hour limit to run out.
Chapter Twenty
Melina’s soft snores startled me from my own sleep. I must have dozed off for only a minute or two, but it was enough to put me in a daze. I got up and shook my head clear before I looked out into the distance where the sun was steadily rising behind the mountains surrounding Sylmar.
The morning air was slightly cooler than I liked it, but it didn’t matter much. It would do wonders with shedding the drowsiness I felt. I could use it as an excuse to snuggle up to Melina as well if there’d been more room on the chair.
I picked up several slices of cheese and cooked meat, then leaned over onto the balcony railing and started eating as I looked out onto the front yard. The sakura was always an eye-catcher, and I felt serene when my eyes lingered on it.
I sighed and pushed the food into my mouth, then started chewing. My eyes roamed the front yard and lingered on the open gates, then the wall and the plastered ground. A lot of it needed repairs now that I took the time to actually look. I thought long and hard about if any of it was worth the trouble and decided against it. Something told me I would need my energy very soon, especially once it was past eight in the morning.
Beginner Quest: A LitRPG Cultivation Series (Towers & Rifts Book 1) Page 24