ch13.png [https://i.ibb.co/kqwDD91/ch13.png]

"This is most exciting!" utters Luna, "Do you have carriages like this in your world, Sir Hero?"

"Yeah," I answer as I drive, "they're everywhere, actually."

"How wonderful! I wish to visit your world and see them myself."

"Uhh..." I couldn't respond to that, considering how me and Steph got here in the first place.

"Luna," Steph says, "I'd like to speak with Sir Manuals alone right now."

"Aw, but I want to watch the front."

"You can open the back door and watch from there."

"Very well. If you will excuse me," and she scurries into the back.

I hear the doors of the trailer open up as I comment, "I can't imagine what it feels like to see a truck for the first time."

"This world has its own wonders that we have yet to see."

"Yeah. I wonder what we're going to run into next. Speaking of which, where are we going? Where's our next destination"

"To the Kingdom of Torido. It's a whole area full of sorcerers and alchemists. Some of my scouts have informed me that there may be a clue as to where we can find our friends there."

"What's so special about this Torido place aside from being full of wizards and witches."

"Not wizards or witches, sorcerers. You gotta learn the difference."

"Well, they all use magic, right?"

"In this world, they are categorized as different classes. Wizards, Mages, Summoners are all under the umbrella term of Sorcerers. Witches, warlocks, and Wizards are Casters."

"I don't see a difference. They all use magic, right?"

"Yeah, but they're not the same. They have different approaches to magic. Take me for example, a Priestess. My main magic is more about altering stats, to boost one's power. That would make me a Caster."

"What does that even mean? It all sounds the same to me."

"It's in the name. I cast magic. I don't summon it, render, or conjure my spells. I cast them."

"But don't Sorcerers also cast magic?"

"No, they will their magic."

"To will something is the same as casting."

"Oh, Same, are you really going to be okay here?"

"I just don't see how any of this makes a difference."

"Same, you're being very insensitive. Imagine if you call a sorcerer a caster. that would be so rude of you."

"I don't see how. It's all the same thing. Your summoning magic."

"Oh? And I dare say you'd call me a summoner too?"

"Come on, you're taking this too seriously."

"And you're not taking it seriously enough. I tell you, you're no different than the rest in my D&D group." I then hear her gasp.

"What was that?"

"I meant... that..."

"You play Dungeons and Dragons?"

"No, no... not... all the time..."

"I do too!"

"You do?"

"Yeah. I didn't know you played it as well. You don't seem like the kind that does."

"Well, I didn't-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" A loud scream suddenly interrupted us as we both turn back and see a giant sword cleaving the top of the trailer!

I slam on the breaks as Steph gets up to investigate. Once the truck comes to a complete stop, I turn off the engine and run towards the rear exit as I grab my sword. Upon exiting, everyone had gathered a few feet away from the opening as they looked at the top of the trailer.

ch13a.png [https://i.ibb.co/ZdrLCzj/ch13a.png]

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"So there he is," a man with silver hair in a ponytail said, "the Chosen Hero."

"Who are you?" I ask.

"As I was just explaining to your companions, I am Rother, the King of Thieves."

"Oh, I get it. You're some kind of bandit waiting for unsuspecting travelers."

"You foolish boy. Do you really believe that I, the King of Thieves, would be the one doing the robbing? I have my minions for that purpose."

"So you're some big shot? I guess this is something serious."

"You have no idea."

At this time the other one, this weird skinny guy, dropped to the ground. He comes up to us and we back away in a defensive manner. Man, this guy is so disgusting and creepy looking as he seems to be sniffing us out. He turns around and climbs back up the trailer, rather quickly even.

"I smells it! They has it! The Crispies!"

"How strong is it?" asks Rother.

"Strong sir! I smells it, I do! But only one! Only one has them! But they all has eaten it! Faint it is! They all has eaten it!"

He gives a wicked smile as he addresses us, "I think you now know what I'm after."

"You want chips?"

"Chips? What is this about chips? I have no use for wood."

"I meant, Divine Crisps."

"Ah, now you get it, don't you. You're not so stupid after all. But then again, the Divine Crisps, this strange contraption that carries you around, and the fact that Oogle can sense that you ate many, you truly are the visitors from another world. You must be mighty strong, aren't you? Please, do show me your stats."

"Why should I? I don't have anything to show or give you."

"What a shame. I was hoping we could share." He goes into his bag and pulls out a bag of chips.

"You found some!" exclaims Stephanie.

"I found 3 bags. I don't know where you come from stranger, but I must thank you. Soon, the world will feel the wrath of the King of Thieves. I just need to find more to increase my stats by a hundredfold."

"Did you eat all of them?"

"No, I have not, young lady. It appears that those who eat even a small amount get a most terrible stomachache. Eat too many and your insides rupture. But it's all worth it to augment your strength. That is why I am eating them slowly. Oh, but poor Oogle here. I gave him just a few and he went mad, can't you see? Well, he was already unhinged to begin with, but giving him a few crisps has caused him to lose his very humanity. Oogle, show him your stats."

And with that order, Oogle's stats appear on the screen.

O̢̓ͭ́̾͐̊҉o̸̪͆́g̹̫̦͔̣̣̩͍͚͔͕̫ͩ͗̒̄̅́ͩ́̄ͫͬ̓̇ͅl̥̫̘͇̥̟̲̦̩̜͍̦̐̏̇͊͋ͦ͋̓̌̾͌͛e͍͞

L̨̛͖̝͓͖͇͐̔ͬͤ̉͜e͉̙̻̹̹̤͖͉͍̭͚͎̣͓ve͊̅̈́ͩ̃͗ͪ̄l̴̾̄ͧ̅̐̎ͫ̆̇ͮ̚ ͙̞͇͍̜͕8̹̪̦̼̥͚̜̲͆̂͆̋̐̓ͫ̓̊͞͠ͅ

Ẻ̠̯͕̜͉̻̺͙̼̝̘̫͕͛̆͗̅̍̇͂̊͛̊̇ͮx̶̰̫̩̲͋ͤͧ̿͢p:̦̯͖͔͇͓̤͈̱̥̓͒̇̋̓͂͆̌̂ͣ ̟̲̟̱͎͖̟̱͓̼̂͛͌̃̋̔̊ͣ̈͊̈́ͅ4̘̼̗ͨͦ́5̷̻̗̦̫̱̩̱̲̳͇͔̗̮̩̆̔̾̏̓ͫ̌ͥ͋̈́͑͑ͥͩ4̷̖̜̺̤ͬ́̐̂ͮ͟ͅ

Hͮ̈͆̄̅̃ͥP̯͇̯̱̞̲̔ͤͬ̂̌̈:̥̼̙̞̹̆̽̀̏̀ ̗̼̯͉̬͈̦̭͙̀ͮ̂͗͛̓̾̚̚͡͠4̷̶̫̾̀0̽̀͛̾̈́̌̂̿̓0͗͂ͤ͂̽̓̏ͬ͆́/͚̟̺̠̥̬̮͎͔̖̭͍̪̘̈̓͊̉̐ͬͦ̅͂ͬ̿̒̚̚4͌̋̍ͨ̂̇̕҉1͖͕͚̞̫̪̜̟̪ͮ̐̿͑ͮͨ̓̈́̈́0̙̻͍̮̰͔̘͙͖͉̪̿̅͂ͫ̑͌̇̎̽̅̈ ̱̟̼̟̙͎͈͇͖̰̠͔̼͇͕͆̑ͧ̅ͧ̒ͦ̉͊ͦ̋̑̀̑ͨ

Mͬ̅̍ͩ̐̇͐̓̈́͑ͨͧ̐P͝͏͙̥̬͙̱̝̮̬:̃͋͏҉͏̫̰ ̶ͮ̓̋͒ͫ̅̋͆ͦ̋ͣ͆ͭ͗҉̵2̧͐̃ͨ͑̏͊ͪ͆1̴̨͡/ͫ̄̊̎͂2̵̝̺͎̱̠̤̦̤1

Ä͎̘͇̝̜̯̝̹̽̓̔̽ͣ̈̋t̵̯̤̭̦̣̄̒̒̾̾͠t̃̓͌̊͏̢̱̟̩̘͝a͍̬͕̥̩͚͓͎̮͇͍͒͐͌̽ͫͣͤ̋͊̈́̆ͫͅç̛̫̻̤̮̀ͩͭͤk̀̕:҉ͅ ̸͇͗͟1҉̹̞̬̩̟͍͉͚̣̜̠̖͟2ͯͦͥͤͮ͑͋ͪͪ͏̜̣̻͙̞̟͚̺̥3҉͖̹̼͞ͅ8̕

D̀e̞̯̩̹f̗͖̫̯͕̺̖̙̤̉̐͛ͣ͛ͥͣ̑̐ͥ͋ͅͅę͓͕̰̬͇̘̺̼̮͎̦͞ͅn͕͇̙̤͔̯͖̝̗̮̲͙̪ͭ̒̽͛̆ͥ̒͆ͦ̐ͪ̐̒ŝ̡̊̀͑ͧ́̊̀e͉͓̬̥̪̯̘̻̫̦̋̽̿̍̎͐ͮͨ̓̓:ͯͩ̐͐̈ͭ͛͏̴̪̥̟͈̲͔͠ͅ ̵͢͞4̢́̾͋̏̕4̧́͜5͇̬̯̝͖̜͕̝ͬ̋ͩͭ̒̌̑̀

M̮̜̻͓ͮ͂ͤ̚a͉͚͔̗͋̄̈́̿ģ̦̮͙̦̪̟i̘͙̬̞̹͔̗̦̙ͨͭ͒͋ͮ̓̏̓͆ç̶̡̻̰͉͈͐̾ͯ̈ͨͅ:̡͜͡ ̛҉̵4̸̭̜̥͗̒̇ͣ́͜ͅ7̰̬̹͇͈ͪͦ͗ͨ̉8͟͜͡

F́ͫ͋̇̓̾̾̚o̟̱̳̠ͫͫͧ̉c̒ͦ̆̓̑̒̓ͥͥͧ̉̂͛̇̃uͨ̏̉̇̎͢s̭̖͍̳̮̺̲͇͉̻̪̺̅ͨ͛͒̉ͮ̈́ͮ̅̍̽̄:̦̭̻̫͉̻̠̺̜͂ͮ͑͆ͪ̏̏ͥ̒ ̖̟͙͓͇̬6̸̲̆͢͠6̧̩̐8̺͉͕̪͖̭̇̒̽͑ͦ͛̊ͅ

Sț̨̨̠͍ͅa̡̎̀̎̓͆ͭ̓͂ͮ̋̂͌͘͝mͬ͊̾̌͑̌̆̓̋͏͏͙̭̩͉̝̱̲̙ͅi̙͓̪̖͚͖̘͙̦̬͖͇̭̔ͧ͗ͦ̒̑̅́ͮ̌ͩ̀ͭn̹̞̟̩̬̮̍̋ͮ͗̈̾̀a̱̦͕͋ͥ̌:̡̱͖͔̭̟̗̳̰̼̖̟͎͐̆ͯͨͧͤͭ̈ͫ̆̏̑͗̓͠ͅͅ ̠̖̝̀ͥ̍8̍̂8̧͙͍̰̳̰̮̳̮͕̲͉̽ͬ͂ͦ̀̃͒ͣ͒̃̚͟7̡́́8̲̩͇̙̘ͥͯ̈́͊̊9̠̫͈̣͖͇̺̃̾ͭ̐͑̍̍9̠̻̥̟͔̞̘͛ͪ͑ͣ̈͒̅̔ͅ

V̴̢̩̣̘̫̳̤͖̳̦̭̞̣̦̕ͅǐ̹͉̝̻͔̘̥͔̣̓̿̏̾̇̅͐̇͟t̨̍ͪ̅ͦ͌́ͩ̓ͬ̇ͪ́҉̖̟͚͍͖̟͓̠̠̞͍a̢̩͓̗̮̦̹͎̙̦̪͔͊͐ͯ̀͋̈̈̔ͪ͒̚͡lͥͫ͋̑̎͡į̴͓͖̝͓̜̹̘͔͇͔̀ͪ̎̉ͥͤͩͭͪͫt̷̫̖̝̱ͥ̎ͬ̃́͞y̏̿ͤ̌ͩͧ̀͑͑̃ͨ̍:̴̢̓̏̐͌ͭ̾ͤ̅̿͂͏̮͍͍̭͇̺̬͕̤̖ ̬̩͎̱̮̜̰̟̦̯̘͎͗͗ͪ̐ͣ̎͑ͯ̓̈́͐̒̀ͅ4̴̲̻̖̜̭͙̦̮̘̩̱̻̇͐̆ͩ̅ͫͧͮͧ̍͂̚4̠̺̬͎̜͙̦̻̟̮̭͎ͭ͒ͫ̌̏̉ͯ͋͛͋͛̿̚ͅ2ͭͨ̍͛̾̓ͧ̔̇̎͐̂̚6̮͎̩̫̘̝̬̣̺̓ͦ͊̋ͮ͋ͣ͌̓

E̾̓̉̀ͯn͒̔͛ḑ̹̮̰͕̟̜͍͕̹͚̜̬ù̶r̬̮̪̲̜͙̮͕ạ̦̠̮̻̘͎̦̦ͅn̒ͪ̋̿̉̓͆́̎̈̚ce͖̣͈̯̪̺͔̣̖̜̖̼̭̘̜ͤͮ̄̊͊̆͆͐̇̈́̂̍̈͒̃:͚͚͙̟̠̘̙͖͐̀ͨͤͧ͋̄ͩ ̻͖̯̘̺͕ͫ̏ͦ̌ͨ̅1̠͍͉̰͇͉̙͔̤̹͓̦̬̿ͬ̆͑̉ͫ͛̊͑̈́̈́ͪ̈́0͉͓̗̜̣̗̼̞̮̘ͬ̔̆̓ͬͣ̏̈ͭͮ0̷̡̺̪̽̿%͗̒̾ͯ

C̶͉̭̝͖̩̰̪̯̥͚͇ͯͩͨ̿ͣͩ̉͆ͨ̌͒r͇̮̲̬̠͕̱̲̞͕̎ͥ̆ͪ̒̾͐ͩ̉̾i̺̖͈̯̙̻̪͕̞̗ͯ́̇̅ͪ̊̈̌͒̈́̃͑ͅͅt̝̣̠̜͎͙̫̭͙̭̥̖̳i͕̲̝̗̤̇ͮ̈́̏ͧc̦̲̦͖̹̮̯̦̞̩͍͕͂͋̃͊ͧͪͣ̅ͫ̇̽͗a̯͚̬̖͇̹͍̤̥̱̹̭͍ͩͦͨ̈̈̔̇̏̅͋̊ͯ͌͝l̺̭͚̘̆ͧ͌̎̌̍̕͠ͅͅ:̢̣͈̜̬͇̤̬̦͇̫͌ͬ̈̎ͣ̆ͮ͐ͣͪ̚͜ͅ ͮ̋͑͗̅4̴̶̝͔̻̰̘̖̟̫͕͔͖̹̙̥5̮͎̙̘%͚̜͉̜͔̼͍̬̠̹͙̌͑͌͂̇͋̽ͭ͐̿͆

L͆̓ͦ̂͌̅ͯ͊̓̓̆̑u̲̭̙͉͍͈̤̰̜̺̞̙̖̹̣͂ͨ̓̐ͬ́͌̌͂͗̓ͬ̈̒̽̕c̶̷̛͖̪͍͒̒͒k͑́̓̃̒̔̌͆̾̈́̒̇͗͘͝: ̷̢̲̲͔̼̘͍̹̣̲̲ͬ̓ͧ̅̿̾̒́̑͊0͖̝̊ͧ%͕͙͓̥͔̝͉̱

S͟t́͠҉r̴̡̢̗̪̪̲̖̗̲̰ͤͣ̍̊̃̾͌̈̿ͅẹ̷̙̱̣͢͜n̍ͪͩ̆͑̓ͤͥ̋͢g̦̞͇͕͙̬̣͚̩͎̖̰̥̤ͦ̃̓̅͐ͩ̒̔ͬ͛̇ͣ͊̏t̝̳̥̤̲h͆̽̍ͫ̒̽: ̎̄̽͊͐̉ͪ7̴̵̞͍͍̮̥͚̱̪̤̃̅̆̍͆ͬ͑ͪ́̚8̤͜͠2̹̲1ͬ̌̿ͭ̊̀̈̔̾͋̇̊ͫ͒̓4̙̹̼̞̯̹̭̓̎̾̍͑ͮ̾

R͍͔̝͚e͖̜̙͉ͨ͂̍͑̅ͅs̿̈̈́ͨͨ͛̊ͯ͋́ͭ̊͏͏i̦̻̮̬̮s͎̗t̤̣̪͍̘͍̩̗̬̳̭̪̣̅̌̏ͪ̅̎͌̒̀̐ͤ̄͊a̡ͧ͐n҉͔̝̱̦͎͍͡ć̶̟̲̦̣̜ͅe͔͍̮̤̬̭̗̞̫͇̯̹̤͙̟ͦ̇̿̔͐̓̇̄̂̍̃ͧ͐ͬ́:̴͎̝̝̖̥͇̺͚̖͔̮̭͉͍̫̌̏ͮͫ̍́ͮ̓͗̂̓̽̄ͬͣ ̷̛͕͔͍̳̞̥̲̫̝̱̺͎0̨͉͎̠͓̟̙̥̻̳̼̲̣̼̫͉͡

What the heck? His stats are... what is that? "Steph!" I address her.

"I don't know myself," she says. "I've never seen anything like this before."

"Nor have I," says Rother. "I know not what this means. Perhaps his madness had corrupted his message box. But all I know is that his strength has been augmented for certain. Though not as much as mine, his madness is that which cannot be contained."

Steph addresses me, "This is dangerous. Who knows what kind of power he has, especially since he ate Divine Crisps."

"Fear not, Sir Manuals," Elric says, "for you have eaten many more Divine Crisps."

"I don't want to fight," I say, "I just want to move on."

"There will be no passing by me," says Rother. "I will take whatever Divine Crisps you have on you."

"We don't have any."

"You won't comply? In that case, lend me this contraption. I do not know what this is, but clearly, something that is so big and yet rides so elegantly, it is something made for a King such as myself."

"You're not getting this truck, no way!"

"You really think you can stop me? Oogle, show them what you can do."

Oogle drops down once again, and this time with his sword. Targeting a tree nearby, he swings his long sword with a quick swipe. It took a few seconds for the top of the tree to slide down from the very middle of the trunk.

"He also has magic," says Rother, "so don't even bother taking him on. Even if you are the chosen one, I know for certain that your power comes from those Divine Crisps. So thank you for notifying me that you have none on you. Now I know the outcome of all this."

"I don't have time to fight you," I tell him.

"Same," interrupts Steph, "we have to."

I turn my head to reply to Steph who had her message box in front of her, but I couldn't read it in time to find out what it said.

"What is the meaning of this?" I ask her.

"Don't you remember what our main mission is? We need every bag we can get, and he has 3 of them!"

"But can't we just find others? Why do we have to fight him?"

"We can't let a single one pass us by. We need all the power we can get."

"I agree with Priestess," says Luna as a message box appears before her. "We can't let this villain get away with this."

"I'll fight by your side, Sir Manuals," says Elric, with yet another message box in front of him.

Are you kidding me? I have to fight some more? I would rather avoid fighting. But looks like he's not going to let us go. I guess I got no choice.

And as soon as this thought appeared in my head, a message box pops before me.

MISSION

Defeat Rother, the self proclaim King of Thieves, and continue on your journey.