Ding Dong

With the sound of the bell reverberating around the small apartment, Karl knew he wasn't ready.

He had managed to do some cleaning up when he got home, but not nearly enough to be able to describe his apartment as "presentable".

But he knew there wasn't anything else to do l now that they were here. So, he stood up and walked over to the door.

"Welco-"

"Took you long enough. I was starting to freeze here."

The boy who interrupted Karl was one of his oldest friends. The boys name was Franz and he had short black hair. Him and Karl were around the same age and as such got along well after they met.

As the boy walked past Karl to enter the room. The person behind him was also able to enter the scene.

The girl that had been standing behind him was his Sister. Her long, Hazel colored hair flew all around in the windy hallway outside, highlighting her beauty. She had a slim body and was not taller than 160 centimeters. She looked like someone that could become a model, if she wanted to. But alas that was not her goal.

"And you Leah? Are you going to follow your big brother or just stand there?"

Karl asked as he smiled and looked behind him, at the boy who had already taken off his shoes.

The girl just stuck her tongue out and entered the room without a single word.

Karl closed the door behind them, and they all walked into his living room.

"I see, you even failed cleaning the two rooms that you do have." Franz said, putting extra emphasis on the "two".

"Shut up. I didn't have time." Karl replied as he went over to the fridge.

He opened it carefully and looked inside.

"What do you guys want to drink? Let's see, I have...."

He proceeded to list of all the drinks he had in his fridge. The list though, was not as long as he had hoped for it to be.

"You really didn't have any time huh. Even after knowing we were coming, you forgot to buy anything you could treat us with."

With a smile on his face, he proceeded to make fun of Karl.

He in turn had a slightly annoyed expression.

"I'll just have some water."

For the first time since getting here Leah, started to talk.

Karl proceeded to pour her some water and sat down next to them.

"And for me?" Franz asked annoyingly.

"You can do it yourself. You know where the stuff is." Karl replied, with a smile on his face.

"Blatant sexism I say."

After everybody got something to drink, they started talking. First, they talked about some less important topics, like school and gossip. And then moved on to more important matters.

"When will you quit adventuring?" in a serious tone, Franz asked the question, in complete contrast to his previous mood.

He was a person who liked to meander in a conversation, but when he got serious, he got to the point rather quickly.

Karl couldn't help but look down and stay silent. The atmosphere had taken a complete 180 and become one of uncomfortableness.

But Franz wasn't done yet.

"It's been five years since then. There's no reason for you to be doing this anymore. Do you think they would be happy, seeing you like this? Risking your life everyday, wasting it? You don't need to continue doing it anymore. Look, we can work together, earn money and live life easier. All you have to do is give up on this pointless revenge quest and join me."

Franz looked at Karl with a smile, not one of ridicule, but one of kindness, at having an answer for the others problem.

"I'm not doing this because I have to. But because I want to." but Karl wasn't ready to budge.

With that Karl tried to end the conversation. But Franz wasn't going to quit so easily.

"How do you think they would feel, knowing that you're willingly throwing away your life? Do you think they would be happy? Rank F adventurers are basically normal people. They aren't strong like the upper ranks. They can only use low tier spells and abilities, which is only slightly better than what a normal person can do."

At this, Karl didn't have a rebuttal. But he wasn't going to get discouraged just because he couldn't counter one argument.

He needed to justify his actions.

"The world needs people like me. There are too few high ranking Adventurers in the world. They wouldn't be able to handle all the Dungeons popping up recently. I might only be on the level of an average person, but people like me are necessary to keep the world a safer place." Karl was putting his outlook on his life into words and trying to make Franz understand him.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"But what is one person less? It doesn't have to be you who wastes their life keeping everyone safe. How often have you gone to the hospital since becoming and adventurer? How often have you gotten hurt? If you yourself know just how useless you are, then you should also know that if you were to quit, there would be no difference."

Franz had pushed Karl into a corner, a corner from which there was no getting out of. But instead of trying to get out, Karl just sank his gaze and looked at the ground in silence.

Silence fell upon the room for about 10 seconds, until Franz understood that Karl wasn't going to respond.

He was about to get angry and storm out, but...

"I think it's fine. If he wants to be an adventurer, you shouldn't be getting in his way. As a friend you should be supporting him instead."

Franz could do nothing but look at his Sister blankly.

After some more awkward silence. Franz decided to reply.

"I guess you're right...."

Even though he agreed with her, the sadness in his voice could be heard. This was not the first time Franz had tried to persuade Karl to quit, in fact he had done this numerous times in the past, but just like before, he had failed yet again. And this failure was tugging away at his heart strings.

"By the way have you heard? Rank S Adventurers from all over Europe are gathering in Vienna. Do you think this has some sort of connection to the meeting the politicians are conducting?"

Trying to lighten up the mood a little bit, Leah changed the subject.

"I don't know about that. But going into the parliament building has been a real pain in the ass recently. I had to go there yesterday to pick up some documents and I ended up having to wrestle my way in. It took me about 20 minutes before I finally got in. The number of journalists there was crazy. They were blocking the whole entrance."

Karl suddenly blurted out Laughing.

"Hahahaha hahaha"

"What are you laughing at?"

An annoyed Franz looked at Karl, demanding an answer.

"Nothing. It's just.... You wrestling... Hahaha"

"You little..."

Franz stood up and went over to hit Karl for laughing. But Karl managed to block almost all attacks while continuing to laugh.

"It's like that in front of the Adventurers Guild as well. Now that S Rank adventurers from all over are there, everybody wants to see them." Leah added.

"Those S Rank Adventurers. They're really popular, aren't they?" Franz asked.

"Are you kidding? Everybody knows who they are. They're the strongest among all the Adventurers. Which in turn makes them the strongest humans on earth. You'd have to be a weirdo to not know anything about them."

"Look, I have heard of them. Everyone has. But it never really interested me, so I didn't bother paying any attention to them. But instead of thinking about stuff like that. Shouldn't you focus on your studies. Your grades have begun to drop in every subject."

"Shut up. Don't start talking like Mom. Instead of worrying about me, make sure you study up on the S Rank Adventurers. It might come in handy if you want to become popular."

Leah looked at her brother with annoyance in her eyes.

"But…. you didn't bother paying any attention...."

They continued to bicker on about Franz's lack of interest in S Rank Adventurers. Karl could do nothing but watch the two siblings bicker with a nostalgic smile on his face.

***

After spending about two hours talking and having fun, the siblings were ready to leave. They had taken their stuff and were walking towards the subway, with Karl accompanying them.

"The world really has changed, hasn't it?"

Franz started the conversation, not particularly talking to anyone.

"It has. It has become much more dangerous then before. Not only has crime become more common, but with the lurking threat of Dungeons. It's hard to imagine how the future will look like" Karl said.

"Yeah... but that's why you're here right? To protect normal folk like us from the Dungeons."

Leah looked at Karl with a smile. But all he could do was nervously smile back as he responded.

"I'll try my best, but I'm not strong like the High Rankers."

"You're Damn right there."

"No reason to rub it in."

"I'm just saying it's good that you know you're not strong like them. Otherwise it could get really dangerous."

Franz and Karl kept arguing back and forth. Discussing the ranking system and the chances of rising in ranks.

"Look, you're still just an F Rank. High Rankings start at Rank D, you know. How long did it even take you to get to Rank F? Can you even remember?"

"It took me about a year. How could I forget something like that? Do I look like an Idiot to you?"

"My point is there's practically no way for you to make it up to the high Ranks. There have only ever been a few cases of E Rankers making it up to Rank D. And you're at Rank F."

"That doesn't mean anything. Just because it hasn't been done yet, doesn't mean it's impossible to do. I'll prove the whole world wrong, if that's what it takes."

Karl clenched his fist, filled with determination. But Franz wasn't convinced.

"Determination will only bring you so far. What you really need to be strong is Luck. And sadly, you don't have it."

Franz made eye contact and looked at Karl seriously.

"You know most Adventurers above C Rank started at Rank C right? They were lucky and were born with power. They were chosen."

Karl looked down for a second, pondering what he should say, but soon he answered.

"No matter what has to be done. I'll get there. I'll prove them all wrong."

His determination did not falter, even slightly.

Franz could do nothing but look at him and feel a sadness welling up inside of him.

***

"So, that’s it for today I guess. You can come again whenever you want. My doors are always open." Karl joked as he was sending them off.

"Better clean-up for next time tho..." Franz said as he walked off to the train.

"Haha...."

They proceeded to say their farewells and went separate ways.

Karl turned back and was walking back towards his apartment.

He was going the way he always went, but this time it was slightly different.

Karl could see in the corner of his eye an extra shadow, that was seemingly following him. He had not seen the shadow earlier, perhaps because he was talking with his friends, he thought. But now, when it had gotten quiet and lonely. An oddity like that could not escape him.

'What is he doing?' he asked himself as he cheated a glance backwards.

In the corner of a building, he could see a man wearing a black hoodie and sweatpants. The man was hiding behind the building. But he was obviously tailing Karl.

Having figured this Out, Karl was debating what to do. He wasn't sure if he should go to the police or try to get away and forget about the situation. As he was debating this, a mysterious voice in his head spoke to him.

"Take care of him yourself."

Karl's surprise was portrayed on his face in a beautiful manner. His eyes shot upwards and a cold drench was forming on his skin papules.

"Who said that?"

Karl nervously looked around, checking where the voice was coming from.

"Beat him yourself. You don't need to rely on the power of others, believe in your own power."

"Who is that?? Where are you??"

For some reason the voice he was hearing was recognizable for Karl. He knew he heard it somewhere before, but he couldn't put his finger on when and where.

Deciding it was not safe to just stay here, he hurriedly went towards his apartment.

'It's not safe to just stand around here. I'll go home and then figure out what to do.'

However, before he could get close enough to enter, the voice returned.

"This is not the Deal we agreed on. You are my host, and as such you need to listen to my instructions and commands. If you plan on always running away, then it would be better to just nullify the contract here and now."

Hearing words like Deal and Contract, Karl remembered where he had heard this voice before.

"The flying Head from the Dungeon...." he murmured to himself. "But, how can that be...... I already left the Dungeon..."

Seeing his opportunity to strike the man that had been hiding moments prior, walked up behind Karl.

Before Karl could notice something, he felt something pushing against his back.

The feeling of a slight shock Brough him back to the current situation.

'What is this feeling?' Karl wondered, as he tried to touch his back and find out what was hurting him.

"Don't move, not even an inch, you understand!!! If you move I will kill you, I swear!!"

Karl realized that this was the voice of the man that had followed him. And without thinking too much about it, he figured what could be at his back.

"Look, could we handle this peacefu--"

"S-Shut up!! Hand over all your valuables. R-Right now!!!"

Karl looked back and slowly started saying.

"My valuables are in my pocket. I'll take them out slowly OK?"

"Hurry it up."

The man was hurrying Karl by nodding with his head multiple times.

"Now is your chance. He let his guard down."

The voice in his head urged Karl to attack, after all, if he wanted to catch him by surprise now was the time.

But instead Karl just shook of the attacker and quickly put distance between the two of them.

"Coward."

"He has a knife! What do you expect me to do bare handed? Do you expect me to offer up my life to him just like that?"

Karl pleaded with the head, trying to explain his unwillingness to attack.

"You are just a coward. The only thing you have going for yourself is your strong spirit and the fact that you never give up. But both of those qualities are useless if you are afraid to take the necessary steps to succeed."

Karl couldn't stay calm anymore. How could somebody who didn't even know him, who didn't even realize what hardships he had went through, calm him a coward. He couldn't contain his rage at this remark.

"You don't know anything about me! You don't know what I had to go through. Putting my life on the line for the greater good every single day. I was face to face with death on a daily basis and you dare call me a coward? You don't know the first thing you're talking about!"

"I have only been observing you for a short while, and I can already see your cowardice. You are afraid to admit your true reasons for entering the Dungeon, afraid to create deeper connections with the people around you and most importantly afraid to take action when it is necessary. At the crucial times you always waver, afraid to take the first step. Back in the library and even here as well. What are you so afraid of?"

The words from the voice struck Karl's heart, inflicting critical damage. He had known all along that he was a coward, but hearing it stated so bluntly by somebody else was extremely agonizing. His heart was throbbing as he tried to hold back the tears he was shedding. To him these words were the most painful thing he could have imagined. But at the same time an anger was also awakened within Karl. He did not know who he was angry at, but his directionless anger only grew by the second.

"Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. I'm not a coward. I'm not. I'm not afraid of anyone or anything." he screamed as he reassured himself.

But the voice wasn't going to let it end there.

"Your words do not match your actions."

Karl stopped thinking when he heard these words. The thought of somebody else calling him out on his Cowardice was unbearable. His pain and his rage at his own Cowardice melted together and created a pool of anger.

"I'll show you who's a coward."

In words of pure rage, Karl intended to get revenge on the voice by proving him wrong. His mind had been Overtaken by anger. He had to let it out somehow, and the only way he could think of was, to prove the voice wrong and spite him.

He looked in front of him, to the man standing across from him.

The man looked quite shaken. Hearing Karl scream random things here and there, the man thought Karl had lost his mind. The Knife he had been holding in his hand was wobbly, as the man’s fear had taken control.

"D-D-Don’t come closer."

He held the knife in front of him, it barely hanging in his palms.

"You'll see who's a coward. I'll get my revenge, watch me."