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The Glitched One
Chapter 68: Retrieve the artifact

Chapter 68: Retrieve the artifact

Aiden and I sat at an empty table, steam rising from our bowls as we grabbed our spoons. I had barely chewed my first bite when two boys approached, nodding in silent greeting before sliding into the seats across from us. I returned the nod, my gaze flicking between them, trying to place their faces. They didn’t look familiar, but when one leaned toward Aiden and muttered something, I pieced it together—his roommates.

The one sitting closest to me had messy red hair that fell around his face like a halo of chaos, a man bun tied sloppily at the back. His dark crimson eyes sparkled with mischief, his smirk adding to the roguish air. The other boy was his opposite—neatly groomed, with blonde hair and sharp blue eyes. His stature was smaller, maybe 170 centimeters, and his cravat was tied so meticulously that it screamed effort. His uniform, however, had seen better days—faded and fraying at the edges.

“So,” Aiden began, pointing to the redhead, “Axel, meet Leo.”

Leo grinned, leaning forward slightly. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” I said, keeping my tone neutral.

“And this,” Aiden continued, gesturing to the blonde boy, “is Seker.”

“Pleasure,” Seker said, his tone polite but not overly warm.

“Same,” I replied with a short nod.

Leo’s grin widened as he picked up his spoon. “First day, and you’ve already got a story worth bragging about. Saving the Queen? Damn, man, you’re a legend.”

“Impressive,” Seker added, his voice softer but still sincere. “Not many would’ve stood their ground like that.”

I shrugged, stirring my stew. “Luck, mostly,” I said before taking another bite. “But thanks.”

Leo chuckled, tapping the edge of his bowl with his spoon. “If that’s luck, I’d love some of it. I was dead asleep during the attack, and when I woke up, people were raving about how you poured so much mana into a fireball that you destroyed half the ground.”

“That’s... an exaggeration.” My voice remained flat, betraying none of the discomfort their attention stirred. “I was just trying to survive.”

Despite my deflection, I could feel their eyes on me. My attempts to fade into the background were failing spectacularly, but honestly, I couldn’t bring myself to care. Blending in was the least of my problems. My focus was elsewhere—finding a way out of this world and back to mine.

The words from Void 101 echoed in my head. If people in ancient times could cast portals to the Void, surely someone here could replicate it. But where would I even start? My spoon idly stirred my stew as my thoughts spiraled, the noise of the hall fading into the background.

“You’re distracted,” Leo said, snapping me back to the present. His finger poked at the tear in my uniform near the shoulder. “And your uniform’s a mess. Arrow hole?”

“Yeah,” I muttered, glancing at the damage. “Forgot about that.”

“You should fix it,” he said, his tone light but insistent. “Can’t go around looking like a walking war story.”

“Good point.”

Seker leaned forward, his gaze steady. “You should join our team.”

“Team?”

“For the tournament,” he explained. “We’re still short by two people.”

I shook my head, leaning back slightly. “Not my thing. I don’t like fighting.”

“Fair enough,” Leo said, shrugging. “Not like we’d win anyway. Redwood’s never taken the top spot.”

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“You never know,” Aiden interjected, a hint of optimism creeping into his voice. “We could make history.”

Leo snorted, waving his hand dismissively. “Sure, in our dreams. But hey, I’m game to try.”

Seker turned to me, curiosity evident. “How did you do it? I mean, you’re F-Class. Your mana pool should be low, but you poured so much into that spell.”

I met his gaze, unflinching. “Like I said, luck.”

“Luck.” He repeated the word with a faint smile, his expression tinged with something I couldn’t quite place. “Wish I had a little of that right now.”

Leo frowned. “Why? What’s going on?”

Seker sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly. “Mom’s medicine. We still need four doses, but the price keeps going up.”

“How much now?” Aiden asked.

“Twenty-five gold,” Seker replied, the frustration clear in his voice. “It was ten just yesterday.”

Leo let out a low whistle, shaking his head. “That’s insane. Have you picked any guild quests?”

“Of course,” Seker said with a weary smile. “I’m always at the guild. But since I can’t pick from the main board, the pay barely covers anything.”

“Bastards,” Leo muttered. “A ten-to-twenty-five jump is robbery.”

Aiden leaned forward, concern etched across his face. “How’s your mom holding up?”

“Worse,” Seker admitted, his voice tightening. “We’re rationing the doses we have, but it’s not enough.”

Without hesitation, Leo pulled his pouch onto the table, spilling coins onto the surface. “One, two, three… I’ve got five gold.”

“Three here,” Aiden said, digging into his own pouch.

Seker shook his head firmly, pushing the coins back toward them. “Keep your gold. I’ll handle it myself.”

Leo rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair. “Always the prideful one.”

“It’s not pride,” Seker retorted. “It’s responsibility. I can’t rely on others for this.”

Leo smirked, his expression suddenly lighting up. “In that case, I’ve got a plan.”

Seker raised a brow. “What plan?”

Leo leaned closer, lowering his voice. “We’ll pick quests from the main board. They pay way better.”

“That’s against the rules,” Aiden said, frowning. “We’re not allowed. And how would you even do tha---”

I tilted my head slightly, cutting in. “You’ll get an adult to pick the quest for you and give them a cut. That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it?”

Leo grinned, pointing a finger at me. “Exactly! You’re sharp, Axel. We think alike, eh?”

That was something I used to pull back in middle school—getting adults to buy cigarettes for me. I’d slip them a little extra cash, acting like it was some masterstroke of rebellion. Back then, I thought sneaking my mom’s cigarettes and puffing away made me the coolest kid on the block. But as time went on, I dropped the habit. It wasn’t good for my health—or, of course, my wallet.

Seker leaned back in his chair, his fingers drumming a restless rhythm on the table. Across from him, Aiden propped his chin on his hand, his brow furrowed as he stared at the floor. Clearly, he was mulling over the proposal. Meanwhile, I kept eating, my eyes fixed on my bowl. Sure, I wouldn’t say no to earning some gold, but diving into mainboard quests? That sounded riskier than I cared for.

“Let’s say we go along with this plan,” Aiden said, breaking the silence. “What kind of quest would we even pick? I’m not killing anyone. That’s non-negotiable.”

Seker nodded, his lips pressing into a thin line. “Most of the stuff on the mainboard is… extreme.”

Leo scoffed, crossing his arms as he leaned forward. “Not all of it. There’s one quest I saw earlier—exploring some ruins and retrieving an artifact. Fifty gold for the job. Fifty!” His voice rose, excitement cutting through his tone. “Tell me that’s not worth considering.”

“A ruin?” Aiden raised an eyebrow, his skepticism tempered with curiosity. “I guess that’s… manageable? Maybe?”

I set my spoon down, brushing off the lingering heat of the stew. “If it’s on the mainboard, it’s there for a reason. Probably means it’s dangerous,” I pointed out, keeping my tone even.

“And,” Seker added, folding his arms across his chest, “there’s a good chance someone’s already taken it. Mainboard quests don’t sit around for long.”

Leo’s smirk widened as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled sheet of parchment. He slapped it onto the table, smoothing it with one hand for emphasis. The hastily scrawled text read:

‘Retrieve the artifact from Gullious Cave and bring it back to me. Reward: 50 gold.’

“There,” Leo said, his eyes glittering with mischief. “Still available. Found it right before dinner.”

Aiden glanced at the paper, then back at Leo. “You pocketed a quest sheet? That’s against the rules.”

“Rules schmules,” Leo shot back, rolling his eyes. “So, what do you think, boys?”

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