The next day late in the afternoon Marlin made his way back to the cabin. He was walking on clouds. His parents made themselves scarce after they bought him a proper shield, a good saddle for Billy and got him registered at the local freebooter guild.

Him and Milly had spent the rest of the day together. It had been bliss. He started worrying about all sorts of stuff his inferiority complex hit him hard. Would he be good enough? Would she be disappointed? He had no experience with women of this world and his last years of his old life hadn’t exactly been a whirlwind of passion.

But his fears and worries were for naught. She had taken it slow, talked, cuddled stared at him lovingly and before he knew it they had made love for hours deep into the night. Having lots of stamina meant something.

Then he had worried if she actually enjoyed it. But a bout of another hour, after she woke up the next morning, with even more intense hunger on her end, absolutely crushed those worries. Two people into one another? Techniques, fears, worries, all went out the window.

Yea life felt good. It felt good knowing you were wanted and wanted someone back.

She had walked with him all day today, picking up his new shield and some requests from the freebooter guild. At his level, it consisted mostly of collecting herbs and keeping wild animal populations down. A map detailing dangers and where to go was given to him.

And why wasn’t it called the adventurers guild? Well adventurer was an actual class, from the specialists branch.

He picked a couple of hunting requests which gave him the perfect excuse to go back to town in a couple of days.

he lovingly stroked his new medium shield. It was black, simple and well made and looked almost identical to a certain black shield from a certain game that forced you to git gud. It was love at first sight.

The blacksmith even helped him out with some modifications to his armor and new shield. He had asked for a second handle closer to the tip of the pointy end of the shield, which he asked the blacksmith to sharpen. He had gotten odd worried looks from everyone when he showcased with glee how this made the shield into a heavy Katar.

He showed Bradford how it would help him deal with big weapons. He had practiced his own block into a riposte combo endlessly with Bradford over the years and now this shield was literally made for that combo.

Having said his goodbyes to Milly, which ended up taking another hour, he was walking away from town, smiling from ear to ear.

He had walked half an hour and saw three figures trying to hide behind the trees, he recognized them from the market yesterday. They had hovered around the girls Milly had been with.

He thought nothing of it but as he came closer it became clear they were eyeing him. “Is this one of those stay away from my girl scenarios”? Marlin thought it was a hilarious thought but dismissed it. So many willing fish in the sea, envy had to be a foreign concept.

“Hey you”! One of them walked in front of him. He looked angry.

Marlin’s heart began to drum, his instinct screamed a fight was about to happen.

the three of them looked fit each carrying a small weapon, an hand axe, a saber and a sling. all in all they came prepared.

“can i help you”? His rage was at the ready.

“yes you can”! The big one grinned wickedly. “You can stay away from Milly”! He looked angry and the way he was gripping his axe told Marlin he was out for blood.

“Ow for fuck sake” he muttered, really? The cliche trope? Marlin was more amused then annoyed.

Marlin had a thousand, mocking remarks about him, his terrible posture for one, but he held off, he didn’t know enough about T’jut culture.

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“who is she to you”? He asked slowly walking to the side, preventing himself getting flanked by the saber dude, Marlin kept his eyes on the one with the sling. He was the calmest of the bunch, focused, steady breathing.

“none of your concern asshole”!

“It is definitely my fucking concern if 3 guys decide to jump me for it”!

Marlin dialed up his rage and let the euphoria hit him ready to bring on the pain.

he growled: Threatening taunt “how do you three wana do it? To the death? Or friendly brawl? Im good either way”.

”Its his sister”. The calm one spoke. He had remained calm, his sling was spinning fast, Marlin took a moment to marvel at the perfect steadiness. But Marlin dropped his guard, sheathed his rage, his arms flopped down to the side.

“Holy shit. thank you for telling me dude! don’t think id have a single fucking chance left with Milly if i had beat up or gods forbid, kill her overprotective brother”.

Marlin grinned. and laughed, it helped him shake the trembling he felt after sheathing rage.

“Kotak! What the hell”? The brother looked back.

Kotak shrugged. “He’s not what you said he was Bron. A fucking warrior with this much constraint? When have you ever seen that”?

Kotak shook his head. And patted the saber dude on the shoulder. “Itak we are leaving”.

Bron yelled back at Kotak, “what the fuck! What are you doing”!?

“Hey Bronn”! Marlin yelled.

“what”!?

“I get it”.

“what the fuck are you talking about”!?

“if i had a sister like Milly… id be worse then you”. Marlin gave him a big grin.

Kotak burst out laughing, “seems like Milly got herself a crazy dude Bron”. Kotak and a confused Itak left.

“the offer still stands”, Marlin said, “what offer”? Bron eyed him suspiciously.

”to the death or a friendly brawl. You can make up any excuse you want for the outcome”. Marlin offered, “im still a warrior afteral”.

“Im not stupid”, Bron grumbled. And he stalked off. “Hey bron”!

“WHAT”!? bron fumed. “Use that anger to keep the ACTUAL douchebags away from her wil ya? Il be back in about two days after im done with these requests. And one last thing”.

Bron looked at him impatiently.

“you lucked out big time, with such an awesome sister. Cya”.

Marlin turned around and started walking. when Bron thought he was outside of hearing range, he scoffed, “you go have a sister with all the scum and villainy that stalks these woods”.

Mark was about to chuckle but the four bandits flashed through his mind and he couldn’t really blame Bron’s reaction. Marlin was a random dude to him, that swooped in, scary fucking eyes and his sister seemingly under a spell.

”fuck… I would be so much worse than you Bron”, he chuckled and mumbled to himself.

He kept walking still on clouds and wasn’t paying enough attention. And he barely blocked an arrow aimed straight at his head. Freak luck has it he was still gripping his shield.

The man he had outed, the one that had cheated on his fiancé, stood roughly 120 feet away and already knocked another arrow.

He had to rush forward, he surged everything he had. Blocking another arrow but a third arrow clipped him and got passed his block. it hit him on the armor and bounced off.

he had sprinted 40 feet, he couldn’t go too fast having to keep his guard up.

He rushed another 40 feet and had to block another 3 arrows. This time an arrow struck true and he took 3 damage or at least that’s what a small pop up told him he barely registered it.

the man had started running away not as fast but it definitely prolonged Marlin’s charge

another volley, another another 5 damage taken. The man was nervous and on the defensive running away as fast as he could.

Marlin was close. But the man was nimble annoyingly so, another 10 damage. this arrow stuck in his shoulder.

Marlin was close now 20 feet away and was about to consider throwing his axe but an arrow struck him in the head. It dealt 18 damage. Which made no sense that it didn’t kill him and he cackled in glee and threw all his sadistic glee into frightening the man.

“That’s all you got”!? He used tyrant speech, with his most threatening roar. It worked the man stumbled scared shitless as Marlin came running at him. This time Marlin had a shot and threw his axe. It struck him in the leg and his already stumbling body fell over. Mark was on him in an instant and gripped the mans throat and rammed the pointed shield into his face. “GIT GUD you little SHIT”! He roared. He pumped all his Fury into the blow and the man’s head caved in.

Hitpoints 12/52 Stamina 120/225 Status Severe bleeding.

He didn’t bother looting the man but ripped his shirt off to put pressure on his head wound and kept walking towards the cabin. He eventually made it. Bradford had been on the lookout and rushed over to do some healing.

Thing about healing in this world is that it consumes stamina from the person injured. So once the bleeding that threatened to kill him was stemmed, he promptly fell unconscious.