“Care to explain what the hell happened back there?” Arlene asked, her voice firm as she stared intently at him.
Arlo nervously averted his eyes, turning his gaze towards the window.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he responded, his voice strained. "How much longer until we get back? It's pretty late, isn't it-"
"Don't try to change the subject," Arlene interrupted, her tone firm. "First of all, you were able to use a barrier even though you don't have an ability. But even if we ignore that, how the hell were you able to beat that Wyvern?" She pressed on, her eyes narrowing. "That's a High B-Rank monster! It takes over a dozen C-Rankers to kill one, and yet you did it all on your own!"
With each word Arlene spoke, Arlo's nervousness grew, his eyes remaining fixed on the world outside the window.
"We heard a loud explosion, and the next thing we knew, the entire chamber was completely destroyed, with only pieces of the Wyvern left behind. You can't do that with a simple barrier ability! So just what-"
"Um... Arlene..." Arlo interrupted, slowly turning to face her. "You swore, didn't you? That you'd keep what you witnessed to yourself," he muttered, glancing briefly at the driver.
Arlo hadn't spoken a word to the driver, nor had he interacted with him in the slightest. The middle-aged man had short black hair and sharp black eyes, but Arlo knew nothing of his origins or whether he belonged to the Association.
"It hasn't even been a day, and you're already going back on your word..." Arlo said, a nervous smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Arlene followed Arlo's gaze, looking at the driver before turning her attention back to Arlo.
"He's someone trustworthy..." she began, but Arlo cut her off.
"That's not the point," he said, his voice firm.
Hearing this, Arlene lowered her head dejectedly.
"...I'm sorry, but I still think we deserve an explanation..." she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
Arlo struggled to find the right words to respond, ultimately choosing to remain silent as he lowered his gaze. He understood Arlene's perspective, but it didn't change the fact that he couldn't reveal the truth to them.
Arlo felt a small sense of relief wash over him. It seemed that the others hadn't heard him chanting or seen anything related to magic; otherwise, Arlene would have mentioned it by now.
"Arlene, how about you just drop it there?" Argus asked, making himself comfortable at the front of the car once more. "I mean, I'm curious too, but it's thanks to him that we're alive. The least we can do is repay him by not prying."
Hearing Argus's words, Arlene lowered her head, seemingly giving up on her line of questioning. Silently, she resumed healing Arlo, her ability casting a golden light upon him.
Arlo turned his attention back to the window, but his focus wasn't on the passing scenery. Instead, he found himself staring at the screens hovering before him.
[Mail.]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have earned a level-up point.]
[Would you like to exchange your level-up point for rewards?] (Y/N)
-
[You've completed the 'Unique Quest: Clear The C-Rank Labyrinth'!]
[Completion rewards have been sent.]
[Would you like to receive them?] (Y/N)
-
[You've completed the ‘Emergency Quest: Wyvern Slayer!]
[Completion rewards have been sent.]
[Would you like to receive them?] (Y/N)
While he read the contents, Arlene spoke up once more, her voice quieter and more timid than before.
"One last thing... It's because of you that we're all alive right now... so... what I'm trying to say is..." She fidgeted nervously, averting her eyes from Arlo as her cheeks grew a little redder. "Thank you, Arlo."
"Yeah, we're also grateful. Regardless of how you did it, you really saved us," Liam chimed in.
"T-Thank you, Arlo..." Liam muttered, tears streaming down his face. "I thought I was going to die...!" he continued, his voice cracking with emotion.
"Man, it's embarrassing~ and here I went ahead and spoke so much about you not having to worry about anything. You really saved our butts," Argus added, a hint of admiration in his tone.
As their words of gratitude washed over him, Arlo felt a weight lifting from his chest. It still hadn't fully sunk in that they were all going home safely. The last time he had found himself in a similar situation, he had returned alone, faced with the hate and fury of his fallen party members' families.
He had felt like scum, like someone who should have died and had no right to be alive. But now, even if only for a little while, he felt a little better about himself.
….That disgusted him. Despite the warmth of their gratitude, Arlo believed he had no right to feel such joy.
'I'm not a hero... and I don't think I'll ever be able to be one. I didn't save them for some selfless reason... I did it because I thought it would at least help make up for running away in the past. I didn't want to run away again, I wanted to change. It was a selfish reason.'
Arlo clenched his hands into fists as he continued to stare out the window, his thoughts swirling with a mix of guilt and self-doubt.
'That's why I have no right to feel happy about their words... I have no right, but...'
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Before he even realized it, tears began to stream down his face. He kept his face turned away from the others, hoping they wouldn't notice his silent struggle.
'I still can't help but feel this way...'
Arlo remained silent for the rest of the car ride, and the others didn't say a word. He wasn't sure if they had seen him cry, but at that moment, he didn't really care.
The journey back to London took just as long as it had initially, with no problems encountered along the way other than the sight of destruction all around them.
Exhausted, Arlo asked to be dropped off at his home, deciding to leave everything for Argus to resolve. It was late, and he couldn't risk Sylvia finding out about his activities.
Argus, having Arlo's number, promised to text him with the details of their earnings that they would split evenly from the crystals and the labyrinth clearance. Arlo trusted him without any doubts and agreed to wait for his message.
As the van came to a stop outside his house, Arlo stepped out of the vehicle after saying his goodbyes to everyone.
"Thank you for the ride, everyone, and Arlene, thank you for healing me," Arlo said, giving a grateful bow.
"I-It's fine," she responded, looking away from him, her cheeks still tinged with a hint of red.
"I'm glad. Well then, I'll be taking my leave."
Just as Arlo was about to make his way towards his house, he felt a tug on his shirt. Turning around, he found Arlene looking at him with a flustered expression.
Silently, Arlene held out her phone, the number dial displayed on the screen. Her cheeks were slightly flushed as she shyly looked away from Arlo.
"P-P-Put down your number. T-That way, I'll also be able to contact you," she muttered, quietly.
Arlo glanced at the phone before looking back at her, with his brows raised in surprise.
"What!?" she asked, even more flustered than before.
"No, it's nothing..." Arlo responded, taking the phone and typing in his number.
As he handed the phone back, a bright smile appeared on Arlene's face. However, when she noticed Arlo staring, she quickly changed her expression to a frown, turning away from him.
‘The way that she’s acting... Did she fall for me or something...?' Arlo wondered, his gaze lingering on her.
He wanted to ask, but decided it would be best not to. Without another word, he walked away, watching as she happily closed the door to the van, occasionally glancing in his direction.
Arlo pretended not to notice her behavior as he made his way towards his house.
'I've never had a girl show any romantic interest in me before, so I'm not sure how to react in situations like these... For now, let's just act like I don't know anything-’
Arlo's thoughts were abruptly interrupted as Argus suddenly ran over to him, holding out a large, glowing red orb the size of a baseball.
"Oh, almost forgot, this is the Wyvern's Core. Since you defeated it yourself, you're free to decide what you do with it. You can use it for whatever you want," Argus said, offering the orb to Arlo.
A monster's core, much like the spherical cores that had manifested in humans' chests after the gates started appearing, could be found within the bodies of the creatures. These cores could be harvested and extracted from the monster's body, then sold for a hefty sum or utilized in various other useful ways.
"Are you sure? Giving something like this to me?" Arlo asked, his eyes wide with surprise as he stared at the glowing orb in Argus's hand.
The Wyvern's Core was a valuable resource, and Arlo couldn't believe that Argus was willing to part with it so easily.
"Yeah, I got it from the remnants of its corpse. You killed it, so naturally, you're the one who deserves to have it. The others also agreed on it, so please accept it."
Despite his troubled expression, Arlo couldn't refuse after hearing Argus's explanation. He hesitantly reached out and took the Wyvern Core.
"Alright, thank-"
Arlo's words were cut off as a system notification manifested on a screen before him the moment he held the core.
[You can sense the potent energy of the Wyvern’s Core coursing into you.]
[Would you like to consume the Wyvern Core?]
Arlo's eyes widened as he stared at the screen. It was common knowledge that there were ways to harness the energy of a monster's core to make oneself stronger.
This was one of the reasons why these cores were highly valued and sought after by hunters. The stronger the monster rank to which the core belonged, the more power one could gain from harnessing its energy.
The process was simple: direct the energy from within the monster's core into your own core. It helped many hunters grow stronger in short periods of time. However, while the process itself was straightforward, it could easily go horribly wrong.
For example, there were cases where the core's energy would overpower the energy of the person trying to consume it. In such situations, the person would be lucky if only their core exploded; otherwise, they might mutate or lose their life.
For Arlo, whose core rank was not even 'Ascendant' - the stage after the 'Awakened' rank - trying to consume the energy of a Wyvern Core would have undoubtedly been too much for him to handle.
However, as he stared at the notification, Arlo couldn't help but wonder if the system would help make it safe and possible for someone as low-ranked as he was to consume the core.
"Arlo? Hello? Earth to Arlo?" Argus called out, snapping Arlo out of his thoughts.
"Ah- Sorry. What did you say?" Arlo replied, his mind still reeling from the possibilities presented by the system notification.
"Nothing, I was just letting you know that I'm heading back. I'll text you the details and amount as soon as I get them. Alright?"
"Yeah, sure," Arlo responded, nodding his head.
After exchanging goodbyes, Argus made his way back to the waiting van while Arlo passed through the gates of his home.
As he approached the front door, Arlo's mind wandered to the screen that had asked if he wanted to consume the monster's core. Despite his desire to accept, he remained uncertain about the potential risks involved. Deciding to address the matter later, he paused before the entrance.
Unlocking the door with his key, Arlo began to mentally list the tasks that lay ahead of him.
'I need to receive my level up reward and the rewards from completing those two quests. I should also check what happens if I consume this monster's core and wait for Argus to update me on the money we earned... Am I forgetting anything?'
As he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, another thought struck him.
'Oh right, I need to return to the other world to figure out how I can obtain a Mana Core so I can use magic without the grimoire...'
"Haa... there's so much to do," Arlo sighed, making his way up the stairs.
On the way to his room, he noticed a faint light seeping out from beneath Sylvia's door, indicating that she was home. However, the absence of any discernible movement or sound suggested that she was likely asleep.
Arlo stopped in front of her door, his hand poised to knock. After a moment's hesitation, he withdrew his hand and turned towards his own room.
'She's probably tired from work, so it's best not to wake her... I'll talk to her tomorrow,' Arlo thought to himself as he entered his room, gently closing the door behind him.
Once inside his room, Arlo carefully navigated through the clutter that littered the floor. He gently placed the orb on his desk before shedding his clothes, leaving a trail behind him as he made his way to the bed.
With a heavy sigh, he flopped onto the mattress, his body sinking into the soft embrace of the sheets.
"I'm exhausted... could it be because I used so much magic power today?" Arlo mumbled, clutching the book tightly to his chest as he rested there. The fatigue seemed to seep into his very bones, weighing him down and clouding his thoughts.
"Ah... I'm really tired... There's so much I need to do, but..." He paused, his eyelids growing heavier with each passing second. "Let's rest for now and worry about it tomorrow... tomorrow, I'll return to the otherworld..."
As those final words escaped his lips, Arlo's eyes fluttered shut, and his consciousness drifted to sleep.