The adventure had finished earlier for the main team, and they set up a party at night. The party wasn’t only to celebrate Cole, who had got a class; they dedicated it for the deceased people too. Moreover, the joyous news didn’t come from Cole only as many people had leveled up, and one of them had reached level twelve in just a day.
Cole was happy to see them becoming productive, so he could relax when he left the party. He intended to tell them tonight, but he waited for the right time.
As for now, Jeff was having a speech, standing on the table; Lisa was drinking many alcoholic drinks, and Mark was sitting on her opposite side. They were having their own fun, so Cole didn’t want to pop the party with his announcement.
As for Cole, he was happy by just watching them from his station. Covered in the blanket, he closed his eyes, simulating a fight against the Ace Frost Wolf in his head.
Cole knew his capability the best, so his imagination about himself was ninety-nine percent accurate. As for his opponent, he didn’t know the wolf’s true potential, but he was sure his imagination about it was eighty percent accurate.
They were having a deathmatch in his mind with the wolf gained an upper hand. Cole might be stronger than the wolf, but he only imagined himself before he gained a class.
The fight was almost over. Cole had been in the lower hand several times, but in the end, he could take the beast down. In his mind, he was standing on the dying wolf’s belly. He was about to stab the beast, but a deep voice called him, awaking him from his lucid imagination.
“Cole, I invite you to stand on our side,” Jeff called as he extended his hand forward. On his sides, Lisa and Mark looked at him with a smile too.
Those people were standing at several connected tables. They called these tables a stage, but he definitely didn’t want to stand on it. It was too embarrassing.
Cole shook his head and smiled in embarrassment. After that, he covered his head with a blanket again. He thought tonight was the wrong time to tell them because they were drunk. He would tell them tomorrow, so he decided to sleep.
Cole thought they would leave him alone, but this time, Lisa and Mark called him several times. Having tired of hearing them, he threw his blanket to the side, and then he stood up from the floor. Sighed, he walked onto the stage.
“And our main star finally stepped onto the stage. Please gives Cole applause,” Mark exclaimed.
Cole looked at people who were watching him. He could see admiration on their faces. He felt bad about ignoring them, so he put on a shy smile.
“Thanks for having me,” Cole said lowly.
“You seem to be in a low spirit, young Cole. Cheer up, come on. This is a party,” Mark said as he raised his mug of beer.
Cole knew Mark’s intention was good, but hearing someone called Cole young was annoying. “Can I go now?” he asked, his veins popping out of his temple.
“Not so fast, Cole,” Jeff said. “An important person asked me to call you. She wants to announce something.”
“Who?” Cole asked.
The answer to the question descended onto the stage. She was a beautiful woman with a pair of wings. She was none other than the angel-like being who was guarding the counter.
The angel smiled at Cole and extended her hand. “First, I want to congratulate you for gaining a class. You are the third person out of countless people who have gained a class.”
“Thank you,” Cole replied calmly, while shaking her hand.
“It is my job to inform a group of explorers about the world when someone has gained a class, so I want all of you to listen to me.”
“First, you need to know that this Beginner’s Dimension #666 is small. It only contains around a hundred explorers. The highest level you can reach in this place is level thirty.
“Beginner’s Dimension is the safest type of dimensions. Immortals have created a barrier to protect void creatures from entering. In other dimensions, you can encounter void creatures. Because of this barrier, the Immortals are afraid you will find comfort in this place. That’s why they will create a hole for a void creature to enter when someone has gained a class. The purpose is so that you will be eager to leave this place.
“Before you ask a question, I will answer it. Yes, you can defeat void creatures. However, once you do that, another hole will form in the barrier, allowing more void creatures to enter. You have no choice but to gain a class and escape from this dimension.
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“You can escape from this dimension by entering the portal in the middle of this base, but you can only enter once you have a class. That’s all I want to say. Thanks.”
After explaining things, the angel turned into light and disappeared. She reappeared again on the counter.
Thanks to the angel, the crowd was having a fierce discussion. In other words, she popped the party. The situation got out of hand, and Jeff had to shut them up.
With just his words, the crowd calmed down. Jeff stepped out and spoke, “We need to relax. I promise you I will gather information about getting a class.”
“But what of the void creatures?” someone asked.
“What about them? If they come, we just kill them. The angel has said they are killable. If you don’t want to meet them, we will gain class together and escape from this place as a team. Now, the party is over. I want you to rest, and we will hunt earlier in the dawn.”
With a clap, the crowd scattered to their stations. As for the main team, they were still standing on the stage.
“I know you want us to have a meeting,” Mark said.
Jeff nodded. “Bingo, kid.”
“Um, before that, I have promised to tell you something.” Cole looked at them in the eyes. They looked back at him as if they knew about his thought. He sighed and confessed, “I wish to leave the party.”
Everyone was quiet, and the situation became awkward. Lisa’s face paled when she finally heard it from his mouth. On the other hand, Mark kept shaking his head, and he was the first one to break the ice.
“Cole, if my words still offend you, I will apologize. Okay? I am sorry.”
Cole shook his head. “No, it’s not about that.”
“Then why?” Lisa asked in a trembling voice. “Do you dislike us?”
“No! I have grown attached to all of you. I like you guys.”
Tears flowed out of Lisa’s eyes. “Then why? You are not making sense. Just stay here.”
“No, I—”
“Cole, I love you. Can you just stay here for my sake?” Lisa pleaded.
Cole frowned when he heard her confession. He was aware of her feeling to him, but he didn’t like it when someone used their feeling as their bargaining chips.
“Lisa, listen.” Cole patted her shoulders, trying to console her. “I like all of you, but I still can’t go with you because I have a family. Lisa, your family is here, and that’s why you have to stay here. As for me, I want to find my brothers. I hope you can understand me.”
Lisa looked at him with a complicated expression. After losing many of her dearest people, she knew well the feeling of wanting to see and get close to the loved ones, so she could only shut her mouth.
Cole patted her head. “I am glad you understand. It is not like we will part away forever. We can still see each other in the future. I promise to meet you guys again after I meet my family.”
Everyone said nothing, so he thought it was the perfect chance to say his goodbye words to them. First, he looked at Jeff. “Doucette, you are probably the strongest person I have met in this new world. You are a great leader, so I won’t be worried about their fate under your leadership.”
Jeff smiled. “I know this time will come. It is a pity that you don’t want to stay with us. We can achieve many things together.”
“Sorry about that. I hope you understand.”
“I understood. I just hope you can inform me about how to get class according to your experience.”
Cole laughed and handed him a paper. “I had a feeling you would ask that, so when you were partying, I secretly wrote this. It is a note about my experience when I have got a class.”
Jeff took the note from Cole’s hand. “Oh, well. Seems like you are in a hurry to look for your family. Thanks for this note. I wish you good luck.”
After Jeff, Cole looked at Mark. He bumped his fist to his chest. “Be a man, Mark. Don’t complain about many things. Solve your problem with action.”
Mark laughed awkwardly. “I can’t believe I heard this from someone who is younger than me, but you are right. I wish you good luck, Cole.” Mark gave him a bear hug.
After hugging Mark, Cole faced Lisa. “Lisa—”
Before he could finish his words, Lisa suddenly tiptoed her feet and tried to kiss his lips. However, Cole had a higher level than her, so he could react to her action. He had put a hand over his lips, preventing her from kissing him.
Cole pushed her lightly and said, “I appreciate the feeling, Lisa, but I’d rather not start anything weird between us.”
“Why?”
Cole didn’t answer the reason. As a murderer, he felt he didn’t have the qualifications to start a relationship. He belonged to the battlefield. He wished he could just tell this to everyone, especially the woman who had a feeling for him, but in the end, he only said, “I am sorry.”
Lisa smiled at him. She tried to be cheerful, but she couldn’t hide her teary eyes. Getting rejected hurt her feeling. “I—I see. Cole, I wish you good luck. I hope you can find your family.” After saying that, she jumped down from the table and ran toward the backyard.
Cole cast a last glance at her, and then he stepped down from the table too. Without hesitation, he walked to the portal in the middle of the room.
The portal was a clump of mana revolving to its center like a vortex. In the past, it couldn’t be used to teleport around. People had tried to enter it, but it hadn’t teleported them anywhere.
Tonight was different. The angel lady had told them Cole could use the portal, and it could take him somewhere.
Cole using the portal would be the first spectacle for the explorers in this area, so when he walked toward it, he drew people’s attention. They formed a circle around him.
Cole raised his eyebrow when he saw them getting closer. “I didn’t expect to withdraw attention.”
“Well, you are the first person to use the portal,” Mark replied.
Cole extended his finger into the portal, and it glowed. “Great, I can really use it. I guess this is a goodbye,” he said as he looked at Mark and Jeff. It was a pity Lisa wasn’t here to see him off, but he didn’t want to waste time looking for her either.
“Don’t you want to see Lisa first before you go?” Mark asked.
“Just send her my regards.”
“Alright.”
Cole gave Mark a bear hug, and then he did that to Jeff too. After that, he stepped back closer to the portal while still facing those two. “This won’t be the last time we meet, so don’t die early.”
Mark grinned. “That’s my words, fool. You are going to an unknown area. Take care of yourself.”
Cole nodded. “See you later.” With that, he walked into the portal.