When the three siblings walked closer, they could see a group of people gathered in a circle in the middle. From body to body they were so tight it was almost the other open space didn't exist. It was like they were programmed to get as close from one another as possible.
16 dots in total, a married couple with their 11 years old boy, a boss and his subordinate, a grandpa and a grandma, five university students, a foreigner, a 14-year-old girl helping her mother bringing the soup to the other and a cop.
But, no matter who they were, they clearly gave the siblings a hostile glare, their eyes alone was enough to say that they didn't want the three siblings to join them. Glaring while clenching his mace, with a deep sigh the cop went to the three siblings. "Are you kids wounded?"
(Ah... I see.) Nashi thought as he noticed why they were giving them unfriendly glares. He guessed that was their normal reaction when they saw two people walked toward them with clothes covered in blood and weapons on their hand. Shaking his head, he spoke. "...No, It's the monster blood."
Some sighed and some saw them with a relief. "So... you kids are a strong one? are you have a strong Feature?" Said the good-looking college student.
"...Can't say I'm strong, but if it is the goblins or one treant I can kill them." Nashi answered, but inside of his mind right now he was wondered about one word the good-looking college student said. "...And what will you do if we don't have a strong Feature?" Clenching the mace, he felt the tone on his voice clearly said 'If you guys have useless Feature then don't join us!'
"Who cares!!! So can we join or not?! If not how about trading?! We have some food but we want clean water and clothes!!" Shouted Ume as she couldn't take the smell from her own body.
"Yes! We stink!!" Yuzu faithfully followed her sister, shouting while she was throwing her hands up in the air.
And the one that answered their tantrum was Grandma. "Oh my, dear, is it fine for those three poor children to join us?"
The grandpa silently nodded his head. "Just use the water on the drum behind my van, for the clothes you three can use ours."
With sparkly eyes, both of Ume and Yuzu immediately dashed to the direction the grandpa pointed at, with the grandma chuckled from behind and following those two girls. "You're not joining them, boy?" Asked Grandpa.
Sighed inwardly, if he was alone he would continue to pursue about that matter but considering he was with his sisters. "...There is no way I can take a bath with them." Said Nashi, as he slowly searched for a seat and slowly dropped his mace.
Then he began to scrape the fire stone, collecting the red flakes and taking a cube out. "Ooh..." He muttered when he realized that his guess was a bingo. And as the red flakes slowly entered the cubes and reshaping it from the inside. And when he began to sip another cigarette and wanted to close his tired eyes for a few seconds but two dots slowly moved closer at his direction.
"Hey."
A girly voice interrupting him. He opened his eyes and found the 14 years old girl bringing a bowl of soup as she approached him. And a few steps away from her back was the cop, seemingly wanted to talk with Nashi.
"Hey, do you want some food?"
Without hesitation, he shook his head. "Nay, we have our own food."
Raising her eyebrows, the girl walked away and immediately after she was gone, this time the cop went to him and started to talk. "Kiddo, can I have that?" The cop pointed at his last cigarette.
Although he didn't want to give it but considering they already gave them a shelter, there was no way he could reject his offer. Half-heartedly, Nashi gave him the last piece of his cigarette and burning it down like the subordinate lighting his boss cigarette. "....Thought you are gonna give me a lecture." Said Nashi.
But the cop only laughed at his words. "Considering you're the one that having a bloody mace I'll dare to do that." Said the cop. "Though, aren't you a little bit too young for smoking? Well, not like I can lecture you though since I kinda do that when I was at your age."
"...Oh."
"Oh, does this old man bother you? Geez, kid nowadays really doesn't know how to treat an adult." Said the cop as he twirled the smoke away.
"...By the way, where is your destination?"
"Destination? Nah we didn't have one. First, we heard the north is a safe place, but then we met people from the north running away and saying that south is the safe one. And guess what boy? We're from the south and that place is a hell on earth."
"...I see, so... you guys are kinda stuck in this place?"
"Seems so." And then the cop laughed as he scratched his own hair. "Anyway that's my story, so what's yours?"
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"...Nothing special, just your ordinary punk that somehow able to escape from the shit hole."
"That's all? Hm, that's weird. I think I have seen your face before." Said the cop, rubbing his chin and looking at Nashi as he was a rare specimen. "Then again, I'm kinda old so my brain might be playing a trick on me." He said and followed it with a loud laugh.
And soon enough, the sisters walked back with their new set of a clean shirt. Ume in a wool grey sweater with beige flare pants and Yuzu was wearing a big shirt that acted as a dress. Covering her nose, Ume shouted. "Hurry up and take the bath!! You stink!"
"Stink!!" Said Yuzu as she followed her sister act and words.
Standing up, Nashi only flicked her forehead. "...Stop following your sister." Before he went to the back of the van.
In there he could find several cars, alongside with several iron barrels full of water. Without hesitation he filled a basin and then remove his blood covered shirt, as the cruel cold water touched his skin, he began to groan as he washed it down. His backside was nothing but rashes, even bleeding in places and it extended a little to his arms and legs. Painful no doubt but he didn't protest much considering there was nothing he could do about that.
Finishing his bath, he changed with a red flannel shirt and blue jeans, though, it would be better if the short wasn't that loose. Sighed, he only thought that beggars couldn't choose nor ask. At least he felt refreshed after the sticky feeling was gone from his body.
He walked back to the main group and watched the others eating the crystal clear onion soup. As he walked slightly afar from them, both of his sisters already rummaging through the pile of cubes.
"...Yuzu, can you sort it down?" Said Nashi while thinking the way she took something from her Inventory was similar to the panicked blue robot cat.
With a big smile, she only tilted and scratched her head. "Ehehe... sorry."
Sighed, he only said. "...Don't be, it's our fault either for not sorting it for you." while he patted her head. "Anyway, what do you find?"
"Vegetable curry, steamed fowl over rice, thick n juicy steak, crispy fish sandwich, oil drizzled steam fish, soft tomato cake, orange cake... by the way... shouldn't we share a little bit with them?" Ume whispered as she turned her eyes to the group of people that gloomily drinking the soup.
Rubbing his chin, Nashi thought about it for a while, nodded and whispered back. "...So you're going to spend 160 points for them?"
"Wait!! You're not helping me?!" Her shout was enough to make the others turned their head to them.
Tilted his head, full of sincerity Nashi whispered. "...Why should I? That's your idea, right? well, I'm going to help you with the old couple, as for the other, good luck."
Then he took two food contained cubes with him, he stood up and continued his words. "Anyway, I don't mind for you to do that, but remember that our resources is limited."
And he went to the old couple, leaving Ume as she scratched her head in annoyment, groaning and cursing him from the behind. Then as he opening the vegetable curry with the steamed fish contained cubes right in front of everyone eyes and giving it to the old couple.
Just as the different kind of emotions directed to the old couple. "You! How do you do that?" Shouted a man in his business suit.
Scratching his head, lazily Nashi replied. "...Find the cube, kill the monster and use the point to open it."
"Duh, of course, we know about that. What he means is how the hell you can precisely open the one that contains food?" Said his subordinate.
Hearing his words, Nashi felt like he was rewarded right now. Rotating the gear on his brain, there are several possibilities that he could think off.
First, from the way he said it, seemed like they already had several cubes.
Second, they didn't have anyone that could inspect the cubes. This opened a possibility that some of them already got an ability or a Class.
Third, seemed like they needed the food but they didn't have that much Point to try and open the cubes.
Knowing several Nashi turned his head to the subordinate and didn't even bother to his mischevious grin. "Want us to help you guys?"
So Nashi began making a proposal, inspecting each cube that contained food though there was a condition he wanted to have. As he began to tell and explain his conditions, the businessman only snorted at his proposal. "Brat, don't make fun of an adult."
Shrugging his shoulder, threatening that they didn't need a reason to stay. The businessman expression turned grim, yes... no matter how good he was in doing a bargaining, at least for now he could take the control of their bargain. Fully knowingly knew the fact that they needed a food, in the end, the college students and the businessman agreed to his proposal while giving an unpleasant gaze.
Walking to their warehouse, Nashi and Ume found the cubes neatly arranged on top of the table, though.. they only had 12 idle cubes, but maybe because of luck was on their side, Ume eyes were sparkling when she looked at the skill scroll they couldn't use.
Scroll: Bouncing Arrow Lvl 1.
Requirement: Archery rank II. Follow the instruction.
Status: You aren't worthy to learn the scroll.
After Ume Inspecting the cubes, all in all, they had 6 cubes that contained food, 2 cubes contained health potion, and the other four was junk. And as they agreed beforehand, while Ume sorting the cubes with her, Nashi began to take the tent, several clean clothes, the other junk cubes and the skill scroll.
As the orange sky turned dark, while Nashi was building the tent, from out of nowhere Yuzu shouted with her hands clenched. Seemingly she had finished reading and understanding the spellbook.
She ran to her siblings with a big smile plastered on her face. Showing them the spell she had just learnt.
Name Light Lvl 1 Mana Cost 5 Cooldown 60 (59) seconds. Casting Time 6 (5.8) seconds. Range Touch. Effect Touch an object to make it shine, shedding a light in 10-meter radius from the object. Duration: 60 (66) minutes or until the caster cancels it down.
Cheerfully, Yuzu touched a rock and created the not too bright nor not too dim light, just the perfect light enough to make them saw clearly in the darkness, the siblings finally had a relaxing night as Nashi spending the rest of his night making several goblin bombs and Ume trained with her bow.