“Mark my words. There is something wrong with that kid.” Martin whispered just loud enough for his coworkers to hear. “It's not just the fact that he is treating this place as if it's not, well, you know what.”
“I have the same feeling, Boss.” Evelyn added.
“You do?” Slightly stunned, Martin wondered why.
The other two men stayed quiet as they listened and observed the boy in question as he began using his spear one-handedly to slice away huge chunks of hide, bone, and meat.
“Yea. He keeps ignoring me.” Evelyn replied.
“He does?” Martini asked. “How come I didn't see any of that? Moreover, you’ve barely interacted with him in the first place, so how could he have ignored you?”
“Stupid.” Evelyn condescendingly told Martin. “I notice every time a man ogles me. So I can tell you with certainty that the kid is ignoring me on purpose.”
“Doubt it.” Martin commented. “You're overthinking it, he's a kid. Doubt he'd even seen a naked woman before, much less be fancying one such as you.” Without even noticing it, an elbow struck him in the gut.
Guh
“This is why you suck at getting your way with women, Marty.” Evelyn insisted. “A pretty boy like him has probably seen more than you will ever in your life.”
“Cough… If that is the case, then he simply doesn't fancy you with your average looks.” That said, and knowing it was coming, Martin dodged the incoming elbow and simply went around his Boss to stand beside Paul. However, when he looked back in Evelyn’s direction, he saw her lips quietly utter out ‘cowered’.
“Ignoring the female, I meant when I said something is off about the kid. I am not sure what, but I am certain that something is.” Martin iterated again.
“Maybe… Paul?” Jacob finally spoke.
“I don't know.” Paul answered. “It is true that the kid appears to be quiet, umm… unafraid of our current location. If his story is correct and he's been trekking through the wilderness during the Day and the Dreamscape during the Night, then he may have lost any negative emotions towards this place from overexposure. It's not like it's never happened before, though it usually resulted in death because of carelessness.”
Stopping there, Paul narrowed his eyes as he noticed bones and meat float upwards around the boy. “Is that what I think it is?”
“Yes… He is using Aura to make it float.” Jacob clarified, causing Martin and Evelyn to stop glaring at each other and center their gaze on the boy as well.
“Everything so far makes me think he's not at the Second Rank.” Paul posited. “Is he close to reaching it? Too bad I am still stuck at the Green stage. Would love to see how he is doing it.”
“I am afraid you vastly overestimated the stage the boy is at.” Jacob informed before elaborating on what he was seeing. “His Aura has no color.”
“None?” It was not just Paul, but Martin and Evelyn, as well, were stunned to hear it.
“None!” Jacob confirmed. “He's doing what only those at the Third Rank can while only being at Rank 1.”
Gaping with their mouths for a moment, Paul readjusted his thoughts about the kid. “Then, that just confirms it even more. He's very important to someone if his Methodology allows such blatant Rank skipping.”
“Yes, that is why I said he's a living gold mind.” Jacob restated.
“If you had led with that, it would have been easier to make the right choice instead of arguing about the possibilities.” Paul corrected his friend and leader.
Shaking his head at the realization, Jacob apologized to his team. “My bad. I will be clearer next time when I come across an anomaly like him.”
“As long as you remember it next time.” Paul nodded quickly. “Anyway, are we to just stand here doing nothing, or are we going to help the kid? I believe a bit of good-natured behavior will vastly improve the situation between us?”
Glancing between his team and the boy, Jacob nodded and went tending to the bonfire the boy had made.
That left Paul, Martin, and Evelyn to choose their next actions when Paul spoke first. “I'll go help our leader, and use that time to go over the strategy for the next fight. You two see if you can help the kid somewhat.”
Seeing Paul already moving toward their Boss. Evelyn suddenly bellowed an order to Martin. “I'll go help the Boss and Paul. You go and help the kid, Marty. I don't want to bloody my hands any more than I have to without any water source nearby?” Then, she briskly walked her way toward the bonfire, knowing full well that all the help she would provide was to stand there and look pretty, a paltry thing to be doing as an Adventurer, but being the sole woman there, she could flex her womanhood further than normally possible for a female Adventure.
“Damn women.” Martin cursed and slowly made his way towards the giant dead wolf and the boy slicing it open. “You…ah… need any help?”
Hearing the question, Adam ceased further slicing while holding Sun Bearer upside down with only one hand to stare at the man in question with short black hard, a rough visage that knew the hardships of life and a physique that spoke of it as well, alongside the wide shoulders usually exhibited by the choice of a big longsword as the choice of weaponry.
Staring at the brown eyes, Adam spoke up. “Must admit… I had thought the woman would be here to butter me up.”
“She says you're somehow ignoring her womanhood so the job was offset to me.” Martin replied, not one whit sorry about throwing his female coworker under the bridge. “Anyway. Need any help?”
Huh… Was she a sharp one, or was that the female instinct? Adam noted in his head before replying. “Not really. I am almost done with extracting the most nutritious parts, though it won't be enough for all of us. Hmm… Once I am done, you can help hold one of the legs as I slice it apart at the shoulder joint before transporting it near the campfire.”
“Sure.” Martin agreed as it meant less work for him. “So… I am Martin… and… umm, sorry about earlier. You know, me accusing you?.”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Without even looking at the man, Adam replied nonchalantly. “It's fine. I am not angry or anything like that.” Hearing it, Martin sighed within his head, but the next words only brought the sigh back. “If we had fought, at most, I'd have been extra motivated to slice your head off. No personal feelings attached. Just plain and simple zzzip and I'd be done with you.” While saying it, Adam’s right hand and forefinger went over his throat and appeared as if slicing it away. “I am, Adam. By the way, nice to meet you. Been missing some human interactions the last two months or so.”
“Right… Glad you feel that way.” Martin said, trying his best to keep any obvious emotions away from his face. “So… Ugh... What were you doing out there in the Beastlands, if you don't mind me asking about it?”
Ceasing from his effort, Adam paid the man a glance, but catching the awkward countenances on his face, it was obvious that he was not sent to pry for sensitive information. No, the more Adam starred, the more he realized that the young man before him, somewhere between 20 and 25 in age, was like the worst possible choice for that.
Still, Adam left his guard up. “As I said earlier, surviving mostly.” That said, he elaborated a bit with a prepared speech of his for when he came into contact with people. “A benefactor of mine brought me up there. Gave me a helping hand with my Methodology before leaving me and telling me to find civilizations on my own once I've managed to Awaken.”
“Oh…”
“How about you guys?” Adam suddenly asked before returning to his slicing and peeling. “Any destination in mind.”
“That.” Quickly glancing back to his group of Adventures, Martin found the right words. “Can't exactly tell you… I mean, I can't tell you just. It will depend on your performance.”
“Interesting.” Adam noted. “Must be important when you say it like that. Let me guess, it's round and shiny?” Adam inquired with a smirk on his face, though he did not let Martin see it. “And it beckons you with treasures once you reach its end and overcome all its protectors?”
“What… Ho… How did you know?” Martin asked, flabbergasted.
Not quite sure if he got the right angle, but Adam played along, just in case, while being vague and teasing for the actual answer. “Not that many options out here for people like you. It was either to kill the… Nightmares, as you call them, to earn your reward. Or you're looking for the big prize by seeking a place where both could be found. So. How close am I?”
“Yy… You… Damn it…Not only is his head pretty but smart as well.” Martin cursed before murmuring something Adam could not hear. “You are right. Our goal is a Nightmare Gate, but I won't be saying anything until the Boss has vetoed you into the team.”
Nightmare Gate? Adam mused about the wording before nodding and saying nothing further.
It did not take long for the organs to be harvested and a foreleg to be chopped off for Martin to hold and carry over to the campfire.
Prepping the floating meat, through extensive Shroud manipulation, Adam organized everything by type before making his way to the campfire. However, just in case, he prepped a bit slower to allow Martin to proliferate the conversation they had had not long before.
Once there, he observed the campfire only to raise Sun Bearer slightly and recall the Eternal Orb floating above them.
At the same time, it dimmed its illumination before being slotted back into the black ring at the bottom of the spearhead made of pitch-black glass. Then, Adam turned the spear and pointed at the ground before stabbing it right before the campfire, however, only the upper part of the spear blade went into the ground.
The lower part, where the Eternal Light resided, was just above the ground.
That done, Adam infused more of his Shroud into Sun Bearer and the Eternal Light it bore before extending the said Shroud through said Eternal Light to flow over the ground in a straight line only to split it in two directions to encircle the campfire. Then, when the circle was complete, out of the circle arose a half bubble to encapsulate the campfire before the top part shifted into a flat piece of Hard Light.
After that, a few holes were made so air could flow in and escape. As such, Adam made himself a furnace and a plate on which to fry the meat, of course. Naturally, that was only after he adjusted the properties of the Shroud, mimicking and exemplifying Hard Light to allow the internal heat to be captured within the Hard Light bubble around the bubble and funneled to the flat plate upon which meat would be cooked.
That done, Adam turned his head to stare at the wide eyes staring at the golden apparatus he had just made. “Awesome, isn't it? It had taken me quite some time to figure out how to do it, but it was worth spending all that brain power. Don't you think so too?”
The sounds and the questions woke the group of Adventures from the stupor to stare at the boy in question only to absently nod, though, Jacob, being more experienced, centered his eyes on the spear.
The first moment he had caught sight of it, he knew it was special, but only now did he realize that it was more than just special, it was Profound. Not quite able to help himself, he posed a question. “What Rank is it?”
“Rank? Who? Sun Bearer?” Assuming that was the name of the Profound Spear in question, Jacob nodded at the inquiry. Seeing the nod, Adam answered. “Well… That is a tough one to answer because it varies on how you look at things. Instead, why don't you tell me how you rank your treasures so I can simplify it.” Slightly deflecting the question, Adam did not wait for the answer. “Anyway, I am not sure if Martin told you guys, but I am Adam. Introduce me to your friends. Martin.”
Somewhat unexpected to be called out, Martin did just that. “Right... Ugh… This is the leader of our Adventuring Team, Jacob, our Shielder, and main frontline fighter. He is also a Second Ranked Essence Master and a White Journeyman Adventurer.”
Hearing the introduction, Adam nodded to the middle-aged man who looked to be somewhere between 30 and 35 in age with short black hair. He also sported a slightly rugged black beard, as if he hated to shave, yet even more hated having a full beard. Jacob’s physique, on the other hand, was decently built, probably thanks to the balanced choice of weaponry in the form of sword and shield.
“Nice to meet you, Jacob.”
“You two, kid.” Jacob stated plainly, though, his eyes reflected something else. “However, if we do become teammates soon enough, you will have to call me Boss. That’s alright with you?”
“Sure.” Adam answered, not minding it one bit.
Still, for a moment, Adam’s eyes stared at the man’s see-through white Aura coating his physical body. However, to not appear as if staring, Adam swiftly shifted his gaze to the second oldest of the team, the man with the bow.
Seeing the gaze, Martin introduced him. “The man with the bow and arrow is Paul, our Ranger. He is a First Ranked Essence Master and a Green Apprentice Adventurer.”
“Hope we'll make a good team, Adam.” Paul said with a somewhat bright smile on his face.
“Me too.” Adam added before taking in the appearance of the slightly blond and ponytailed hairstyle. On the other hand, Paul’s face settled the man to be somewhere between 25 and 30 years of age. His physique was slightly unbalanced on his right side since that was the side doing all the pulling of the bowstring, thus causing that side to overdevelop compared to the left one.
Nodding one last time to Paul, Adam took note of the red, orange, yellow, and green colors infused into his aura before settling his eyes on the only female standing around the campfire. However, unlike any young boy of his age group, Adam’s eyes did not wander at all, but just flat out stared at her green eyes, instead checking out her physique, which appeared to be on the smaller side for a female yet filled with energy as if ready to burst instantly.
“The female before you is Evelyn, our Thief.” Martin introduced jokingly.
“Rogue, Marty. Rouge. I am a Rogue, not a Thief, you idiot.” Evelyn instantly retorted, thus breaking the staring contest between her and Adam. Regardless, she was a bit glad because the golden eyes were a bit too much for her, making her feel as if they bore deeper than just her physical appearance. “Bah… I'll do it myself. As said before, I am Evelyn, Eve for short. A First Ranked Essence Master and a Yellow Ranked Apprentice Adventurer just like the idiot beside you.”
“Haha.” Laughing a bit at seeing the two, Adam spoke. “Nice to meet you two, Evelyn.” Yet, unlike before, he did not wait for her reply before taking his gaze away, although not before noticing the red, orange, and yellow Aura, the same as Martins, and settling his attention on the meat floating beside him and the massive leg that still needed some proper dismantling.