There, in that moment, Evelyn witnessed it once again.
Yes, she wasn't the prettiest woman around, not by a long shot. However, she held enough physical attraction that warranted at least an ogling sent her way, even when she wished they did not.
Yet, the boy not only dismissed her womanhood but also her existence.
Of that, Evelyn was sure, and it ticked her off very much for some reason and way more than it should have. That being the case, Evelyn did the one thing she knew the best. She retaliated, though, subtly in this case, as there was no need to disenfranchise the boy from their group.
No, her Boss would not tolerate that kind of thing.
No, Evelyn had worked far too hard to get in her Boss’s good graces to simply jeopardize all her previous efforts to get close to him as one of the few Journeyman Adventurers who would tolerate her presence without lusting lust after her body just to prove he was the biggest and worst man around.
Oh, Jacob had done that alright, but not by having her pay with her body, and that was important for Evelyn much more than the threats of physical violence and coercion.
As such, Evelyn retaliated softly against Adam, who kneeled and drew out a pitch-black knife from a sheath tied to the black-furred leggings on his right leg.
“So, aren't you gonna introduce some facts about yourself?” Evelyn said, and despite feeling the gaze of Jacob, her leader, she went on. “I mean, we told you more than just names. How about some reciprocity?”
Glancing at her, Evelyn noticed his right eyebrow rise as if he was observing something curious, but only for a second before ignoring her and returning to addressing the giant wolf's foreleg.
“Honestly speaking? There isn't that much to be said.” Adam spoke up, and the group of four listened. “I am not an Adventurer like you guys, so I can't say anything along that line.” Not too surprised at that fact, they did not interrupt the boy. “At the same time, I can't say much about my Essence Master Rankings as it's barely been ugh… a month since I awakened. So just think of me as a beginner there.” Somewhat surprised and somewhat not, they did not interrupt as they felt the boy was not done. “As for your Roles? Well… I assume that was what they were, as I lack the contextual information to be any more precise with my current knowledge. Where was I? Ah, yes. Roles. Hmm… That one is a bit hard to explain. Actually, just think of me as a Jack of Trades if you're familiar with the wording.”
Ceasing there, Adam looked them up to check their response.
“We know what that is.” Jacob replied.
“Ah, good. I was ready to lay out the full saying for you guys to understand.” Adam nonchalantly laid out before returning to his meat slicing. “Anyway, the point is this. My methodology has its roots in everything, thus, once I figure out all the kinks, I will be able to take on multiple roles, hence why I referred to my role as a Jack of Trades.” Then, the group noticed an ‘aha’ moment go off in Adam’s head before he spoke it out loud for them to hear it. “Oh... By the way. Don't even bother thinking about trying to get me to spill my Methodology to you guys. Even if I did, I doubt you guys could even understand a tenth of it, much less memorize the complexity behind it.”
“Even I have yet to completely decode everything about it, and that speaks volumes to its complexity.” Shaking his head, Adam reasoned it out as if it explained everything. Then, as if he hadn't inadvertently insulted them for their intelligence, they heard the boy add more.
“Though, I am close.”
Silence reigned for a moment before the group of four witnessed Martin waive his right hand around his head before shrugging his shoulders.
Thankfully, the message of the simple Martin was easy to understand.
“Don't worry, we hadn't even thought about it.” Paul affirmed for his team before switching the topic back to the simple things. “If that is the case, then I take it you don't mind if we use your… expertise depending on the situation?”
“No!”
“Alright.” Jacob cemented the made choice. “However, we will have to understand what you're capable of before settling on anything above the basics. Considering you're a spear user, I think melee combat will be the obvious first choice?”
“Pretty much.” Adam replied as he cut up a large part of the leg muscles before simply throwing it on the slightly transparent but golden plate above the campfire. “I have a ranged option of attack available but do not place your hopes of me hitting fast-moving targets, as I have yet to practice my aim that fine. Ah, before you ask what kind, it relies on the spear as well, so if needed on the fly, it can be quick, but for anything powerful, it requires charge time. I’ll show you guys later when Sun Bearer is not busy.”
“I see.” Jacob commented. “Must be a High Ranked Imprint if it can have so many options.”
Ceasing all his actions, Adam took one second to consider his next words, however, lacking the context regarding the word Imprint and desiring to appear somewhat knowledgeable, he took the exaggerated offended route. “No… No, no, no, no. How dare you compare Sun Bearer to an Imprint.” Adam voiced out loud as he stared at the group of Adventurers. “Take that back and apologize to him.”
“What?” Martin reacted flabbergasted to the sudden change of tone sent toward him and his team. “You want our Boss to say sorry to your spear?”
“Yes,” Adam replied, entirely serious in his conviction. “Otherwise, he might take it as your Boss offending him on purpose. And since I am his wielder, I might find out that he suddenly did not want to cooperate with me at a critical point, and there goes my head.” Being somewhat dramatic, Adam even portrayed his head being sliced off and flying away. “Apologize by saying you're sorry and that he is a very good boy for his age.”
Still somewhat stunned, Martin looked to his Boss, as he was the one who had voiced out the word Imprint.
Stunned that he was even considering it, Jacob opened his mouth a few times before eventually sighing and just doing it. Gazing at the spear in question stabbed into the ground, he apologized.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
“Cough… I… Am sorry… ugh… Sun Bearer, was it? I… didn't mean to compare you to a cheap copy, I guess.”
In the same instant, the apology echoed out, and Jacob noticed a brief flare of all the markings on the spear shaft lit golden before dimming and returning to simple scratching marks.
“There… Wasn't that hard.” Adam said before returning to his meat slicing. “By the way, Sun Bearer says you're forgiven for your insolence and hopes that none of you repeat it.”
“Umm. Right.” Still somewhat stunned at what had just occurred, Jacob looked at his teammates before seeing Martin once again twirl his fingers near his head indicating the possible lunacy from the boy known as Adam.
Then, just as he wanted to return to the main topic, Evelyn interrupted him. “Wait… If your spear is not a Memory Imprint? Does that not mean you're carrying a valuable artifact that anybody can just steal away from you?”
“Ha… Are you sure you're not a thief as your friend described you?” Adam joked without even looking her way before placing the last slice and throwing a good chunk of thigh meat on the golden plate causing the meat to sizzle in response.
“I am not a thief.” Evelyn almost shouted in return. “Just because I am voicing the possibility does not mean I would be doing it.”
“Eve, the more you deny it, the more it makes it seem real.” Martin snickered on the side, cherishing the moment to its fullest.
“Mark my words, Marty. One day, I will shiv you in your sleep.” Evelyn promised, sending shivers down Martin’s spine. “Whatever. My point still stands. Should you be carrying a treasure around that you can't protect? How did you even get it in the first place?”
“Made it myself, of course.” Ignoring the disbelieving faces, Adam focused on the meat as it quickly seared, thanks to the Functions he'd embedded into the Hard Light bubble and plate. “As for its anti-theft features? If you're so worried, why don't you try touching Sun Bearer and tell me the results?” As if taunting her, Sun Bearer glowed for a moment before dimming. “See, even Sun Bearer is daring you to test him out.”
“N… No thanks.” Evelyn instantly replied. “Marty, you do it!”
“What? No… You dug your own grave, Eve, so go ahead and jump into it.” Martin urgently denied it.
Not quite done, Evelyn bartered. “If you do it, I'll rewind my earlier promise of slicing you in your sleep.”
“Ugh… Fine.” Martin agreed before stepping closer to the spear. The moment he was close to it, his left hand inched forward to grab it. At the same time, the closer it came, the more it shook from trepidation.
On the side, Jacob noticed a smirk on Adam’s mouth, yet his actions showed him fully concentrating on the sizzling meat. Then, the smirk grew further the closer Martin’s hand came.
Just as the first fingers touched the spear shaft, and Jacob wanted to warn Martin, Adam sprung into action by swiftly jerking his body at Martin, whose sole focus remained on the spear shaft.
“BOOHOO!!!”
“Eeeeeh” Martin cried out before jerking his hand and body away from the spear and the campfire, only to hear a burst of laughter grating at his nerves.
“Hahahahahaha”
Seeing the boy laugh his ass off, Martin instantly grew angry. Even his hands grabbed the sword on his back. Then, as if that was not enough for his self-esteem, Evelyn joined in on the laughing. “Hahaha…” Not having enough, Evelyn even began to diss at Martin even further.
“Haha… Look at his beat red face from embarrassment. Haha… That was a good one, kid.” Evelyn said as she stared at Adam. “Haven't seen him like that in a long time. Ha… Anyway. Was this a joke you've been preparing while all alone out here?”
Done laughing, Adam returned to his meat before replying. “True. I've been stewing on that one for quite some time, and since all I could do was ponder about things, at one point, I did imagine a few things here and there.”
“So… There are no anti-theft features, are there?” Jacob interjected, not quite sure what to do.
Obviously, the boy was not under his authority yet, so he could not punish him for a harmless joke.
Shaking his head, Adam replied. “No. When I made Sun Bearer, I was half delirious, with a hefty dose of Doom hanging over my head. At that point, I desired a weapon, even if it was half-assed.”
“And yet, I saw you use it to cut through a Second Ranked Nightmare’s hide and bones as if they were not there. How do you explain that?” Jacob inquired, still having a hard time believing what the boy said. In fact, the more he understood Adam, the more his claims became outrageous.
“Go ahead and touch the spear, and you'll understand.” Adam motioned before grabbing the big piece of meat barehanded and turning it upside down.
Dared to do it, Jacob had no excuse to not do it.
He moved toward the spear in question and without hesitation, grabbed it right in the center of the shaft. In the same instant, the markings on the shaft lit up with a golden color, and Jacob felt his hand warm up with an overbearing feeling of Providence, Protection, Purity, Heat, and Light.
Most of all, just like the glowing Light the kid had used before to prevent the Nightmare from returning to its Mistress, the sensations reminded him of the burning source trekking through the sky every single day in its unmistakable journey to chase the Darkness away.
Gulp Gulp
Gulping once, then twice, Jacob let go of the glowing spear shaft and looked at his hand to see nothing on it, yet the sensations remained.
As Jacob stared and felt the sensations on his right palm, Martin returned to the campsite with an ugly frown at being tricked so hard. Meanwhile, Evelyn stared curiously at her Boss. Paul, on the other hand, wondered what his friend and leader was thinking in silence.
Then, Jacob finally sighed and spoke out, though not in the way they had expected. “May Her Presence never wane in the Heavens.” The little prayer thrown out, Jacob’s rugged face with the scruffy beard turned to stare at Adam. “The spear… No. Sun Bearer, was blessed by Ina Herself?”
“Something like that. Yes.” Adam replied. “You see, what makes Sun Bearer so deadly is not the Enchantments on him. Oh, those are not ordinary, I promise you that. But what makes him deadly is the order of energy fueling the Enchantments. So technically speaking, all I am doing is swinging a bit of Ina’s Glory around and letting it do all the heavy lifting.”
“At the same time, during the Blessed crafting process, Sun Bearer was bonded to me, so unless I will it, none could make use of him.”
“I see.” That was all Jacob said before returning to his place around the camp, but then, just as he returned there and stared at the sizzling meat, his eyes centered on the golden plate right under it. “Wait… Boy… Are you using Ina’s power to create the frying plate for yourself? Why are you not already smoking for the blasphemy upon Her Glory? I've seen what happens to those who do.”
“That is because Ina and I have a certain understanding between each other.” Adam replied with a smirk on his face.
Ignoring the unbelieving expressions, Adam finally returned to the main topic that had spurred everybody's attention on Sun Bearer.
“So, since I am done sharing a few bits of myself, I think it's time we chip away at the strategy of that oversized chicken.” Seeing their confusion, Adam rolled his eyes before saying the proper name. “The Razor Clawed Bizard, I think you called it. Any ideas on how to kill it yet?” Then, as if remembering something important, Adam urgently voiced his opinion. “By the way, I am not repeating what happened to that one.” That said, Adam pointed at the giant dead wolf behind them. “Because there is a huge difference between trying it on a wolf with its tail up high in the air and a Bizard, as you call it, with its whip-like tail pointed at the ground.”
“Trust me, experiencing it once is plenty enough for me.”
“So… Any ideas yet?”