I am fourteen now and today marks the day I officially get promoted to the rank of Shadow Knight. The Dark Lord knighted me to officiate the ceremony and... that was it. You will hear a few clapping at most but don't expect a feast or beers being handed to you. Maybe in the Viking Guild perhaps.
Rick was among the small audience who watched the ceremony. He is at the rank of Dark Knight now. He came up to me and congratulated me. I did not expect him to shed tears to be honest. Getting all emotional on your kouhai getting promoted, maybe I might experience this one day.
I won't lie, the ceremony was barely on my mind. My main objective today was to gain an audience with the Elementalist and ask him about my grandfather along with the bounty hunter. Fingers crossed that I will finally meet him today. Otherwise, I will have to ask other guilds about information on this bounty hunter based on my memory description on him. Alright, time to update the quest log.
Main Objective: Seek audience with the Elementalist to gain information on the bounty hunter and possibility on grandfather's whereabouts.
Side Objective: Dig out the bloody gold chest for good.
That seems about right. Time to head to the Elemental Guild then. I brought my Shadow Knight badge with me just in case. Need to show some kind of proof to the reception on my rank. I headed towards the Elemental Guild. Upon reaching, I was flabbergasted. Their building is huge! Almost double the Dark Guild's building in size! Is this the reason why grandfather was loaded? The Elemental Guild had no problem paying for his service, is that it?
I headed in nervously. I knocked on the door just in case. Their door was double my guild's size as well. Not to mention fancier in the design and quality. I heard a "come in" and opened the door.
"Greetings, how may I serve you?" said the receptionist.
Ermahgerd, she is so beautiful! Wait, is this because I barely had any contact with the female member for the past few years or are my hormones starting to act up? I must keep myself in check, damn it. Oh, I just noticed the receptionist is an elf. Shiiittt.. am I a sucker for female elves now? Did Lily unlock some hidden fetish in me?
"Hello, I would like to gain an audience with the Elementalist if that is possible?" I asked the receptionist politely. She looked at me and smiled.
"Seeing the guildmaster on the day you got promoted? I thought you would be out there celebrating or something," said the receptionist.
Huh? How did she know I got promoted today? Do I know this lady or something?
"I'm sorry but, how did you know that I promoted today? Have we met before?" I asked her.
"Oh pardon me, we guilds keep track on each other to know what is going on. Otherwise some random stranger might appear and declare he is some high ranking adventurer with a fake badge. Don't worry, I assure you this is the first time we met," she winked at me. My heart thumped. Ahh damn it. I guess I really am a sucker for elven ladies now. I smacked my forehead.
"So, am I allowed an audience? Will this badge prove my ranking? I'm assure you that this is a real badge" I said.
"No silly, just wait here while I pass this news to the guildmaster. I believe he was expecting you some time ago," she said. Seems like I made a name to myself now. Glad that worked out.
After some time, the receptionist gestured me to head in. There was a member of the guild that escorted me. Why does it feel like I am about to meet a King? The inside of the building was beautiful. Gives off a rich mansion vibe. Marbles filled the floor while the ceiling was decorated with exquisite design. You can see statues and bust decoration all around the walkway and throughout the building. The meet-up was on the ground floor. I guess only members of the guild can head-up to the higher floors which might be their own personal rooms. So Lily was living in this fancy life? Damn I should have tried for Elemental Guild too!
The escorting member gestured me to head-in into a small room after he knocked on the door. I opened the door and headed in. Huh? This looks like a dining area. A small one too. There is only two chairs facing opposite each other and a small rectangular table in the middle filled with food and fruits. I was expecting to meet the Elementalist seated at the top of a flight of stairs and me bowing down to him surrounded by guards or something. Isn't that what guildmasters do? Maybe it is just the Dark Lord and his ego. It left me stumped for a couple of seconds until I heard someone saying something.
"Please, be seated," said a voice. The voice was soft yet commanding. Extremely soothing to hear. Not something you would expect from a guildmaster indeed.
I sat down and out came a well dressed male who seated opposite of me. We can see each other's facial features easily as the table was small. He is an elf with green eyes and brownish hair that is long enough to reach his waist. What a fabulous man. He stared at me for some time and squinted. I felt goosebumps as I am not used to being stared at, not to mention by such a pretty man. Please don't awake another weird fetish in me, please I still like women.. PLEASE!
"I expected you to come earlier. Yet it took you three years to finally come to me. May I know why exactly?" he asked while still squinting his eyes.
Is he annoyed that it took this long for me to finally see him? It is not like I would know that the Elementalist would agree to meet some random newbie that just came into the city.
"I did not know who the Elementalist was since grandfather only mentioned him in one of his letter. I only knew that you were the guildmaster of the Elemental Guild after I came into the city and did a bit of research," I told him.
I was honest, I did not know who the Elementalist was until I asked my guild to confirm. I know there is a Elemental Guild but who knows whether they were both related in the first place.
He sighed and dropped his head. Is this something a guildmaster should do? I guess not all guildmaster follows the dark and gloomy yet high and mighty Dark Lord of my guild.
"As expected of him. Richard was getting old in his age to remember what he was supposed to tell you. Not to mention he also forgot to inform you that you must never speak of the name Hawthorn to anyone before you come into the city," he said.
Huh? Richard? Who?
"R.. Richard? Who is Richard may I ask?" I stared at him blankly. Is that.. grandfather's name?
"Richard Hawthorn, father of Jack Hawthorn who in turn, is your father," he said. Wow, I did not know the name of any of my parents. It feels so foreign to me hearing them.
"I did not know any of their names. I thank you for telling me about them. But should you mention the H name so blatantly? Isn't the Queen capturing anyone at the mere mention of that name?" I asked.
"Not just capture. Execute on the spot, mind you. But have no fear, there are no ears here. Contrary to what you see outside, our perimeters are well-guarded. Not many can escape the ears of the many elven members. But enough about that, let's continue on the topic at hand. Your grandfather is a very reclusive man. Right after the battle with the Demon King and the announcement of the desecration of the Hawthorn family by the Queen, he went into hiding. I did not expect him to live in the forbidden forest, however," he said.
I said nothing, I only knew so much about grandfather but nothing about his past.
"I know why you are here. You wish to know who was the man that defeated your grandfather and the possibility on whether he is still alive, am I right?" he asked me. I nodded my head.
"I would advise you to give up. The man is known for being notorious in his line of work. He is known as the Silent Assassin. The best assassin and bounty hunter to date," he said.
"He is also one of the four great powers. Are you aware about this title? It belongs to certain individuals who have accomplished great deeds around the world," he looked at me after saying.
I shook my head as I had never heard of that title.
"Sigh, I would suggest you visit the library and seek out the book of the four great powers. You would need to understand that you are no match for him. Even I daresay that I might not be a match for him myself. In a fair fight perhaps, but his specialty is silent killing which is a coward way of fighting. You humans really go to great lengths in order to gain fame," he said.
I sighed. Guess I should visit the library in another day perhaps. I guess that is all the information he will be willing to tell me so I decided to take my leave as to not disturb him any further. As I was heading out, the Elementalist told me something.
"Another thing, mister Zen. As for the whereabouts of your grandfather, do not worry. I am doing everything I can to gather information about where he could be. Richard is.... a very good friend of mine. I would do anything to ensure his safety," he assured me.
I can sense some anger in his tone. Seems like grandfather was in good terms with him.
I bowed and said my thanks to him to which he bowed back to me. A guildmaster bowing to me, now that is a start. You would expect him to be more arrogant or something but I was mistaken. Guess I should not stereotype that Elves are generally snobbish and arrogant towards human.
I headed out and sighed. I've gotten some information but would still need to gather more. Time to update the quest log again.
Main Objective: Visit the library to seek out more information on the four great powers
Side Objective: Dig out the damn CHEST!
Alright! Time to head back to the cave and dig out the damn chest for good! Only a few centimetres more of solid hard rocks and I'll finally be able to open it. I ran as fast as my feet can carry me back to that very cave, bringing along probably a dozen pickaxes just in case. No way am I letting go of that chest today. I must open it, damn it.
I've always been careful in heading in. I usually made sure to check a few times in the event there are more goblins or some other creatures that inhabit it. But after a year of digging, I've concluded that barely anything wants to live here anymore. Which is great news for me as I can just rush in and out of the cave anytime I want.
I reached the so called dead end. I've covered the chest with rocks to prevent any potential looters from finding it. I pushed all the rocks aside and revealed more than three quarters of the chest top portion. Only a little more and I can finally open it. Time to dig in.
Pickaxe after pickaxe I swapped. I toiled and laboured with blood, sweat and tears. After a couple of hours of digging, I finally, FINALLY managed to dig it out with around five pickaxes remaining. I threw the one I was holding aside and hugged the chest. Tears were flowing from my eyes now. A whole year of manual labour and finally it was done. I prayed to all the Gods above that this was not a fluke. It better not be empty or some shitty common item that can be bought from a merchant or blacksmith.
I breathed deep and started feeling excited now. I opened it. It glowed with a golden light. I squinted my eyes and reached in. Hmm? Feels like.. gloves? Gauntlets perhaps? I held it in my hands. It glowed a shiny dull emerald colour separated by layers of protective material atop each other. The build quality is superb. It felt indestructible after I tried knocking on it. This is definitely a legendary item. Hell yeah! All my hard work finally paid off!
I tried wearing the gauntlets but thunk. My right arm fell into the ground instantly. Huh? Am I not strong enough to wear it? What is going on? But I can hold it easily. Strange. Maybe I should get it identified first. I unfastened the gauntlet and hid it in my portable sling bag. I proceeded to close the chest and hid it with rocks. I made sure to leave some visible part of the chest so as to cheat any future looters into opening an empty chest. Yes I am evil. Heh heh.
I rushed back to the city to look for my favourite blacksmith. It was late evening when I made it to Holly Begonia. I opened the door quickly before he decided to close up shop.
"Wow, what can I do fer ya?" said the blacksmith out of the blue. Is that his way of welcoming customers now. He then turned and looked at me.
"Oh, hey kiddo. Ye rarely come at this hour. How can I help ye?" said the smithy.
"I was hoping you can help me in identifying these gauntlets," I showed him. He inspected the gauntlets and gave an instant reply.
"Woah! No can do kiddo. Yer going to need a merchant identifier fer this. Where did ye even get this? It's beautiful and the design is out of this world. And light too," he said.
"I found it in a cave. Where is the nearest merchant identifier that I can find?" I asked him urgently.
"Hmm, closest one is at the edge of the city. Ye might be able to make it if ye start running now," he said.
And so I did. I ran with all my might and found the shop in question. Tiny Bittersweet was the name of the shop. I knocked before heading in. Glad it's not closed yet.
"Well now, how can I help you?" a lady appeared from the darkness. Is it a lady or a witch? The shop is eerie and lowly lit. There was only a candle on the counter area.
"I was hoping you can help me in identifying this item that I found," I showed her the gauntlets.
She held the gauntlets and took out a magnifying glass. After a while she spoke something.
"This is going to cost a lot of money kid. Perhaps around a gold coin or two. This is a legendary item you have here. Congratulations" she said.
"Make it happen. I need to know what I have here," I told her.
She complied after I passed her the coins. She took out a jewel or gem and began chanting. She began to rub the gem on the gauntlets as though to stimulate it or something. Wait, that is just me talking. I really need to keep my hormones in check now.
After a while, she took out a scroll and slam the gem onto it. The scroll glowed a bright light seemingly absorbing the gem. The lady then read the scroll and then passed it to me.
"Sorry kid, guess it is pointless for you after all," she told me. Huh? What does she mean by that?
I studied the scroll. Hand of the Lightning God is the name of the gauntlets.
Requirements > 25 skill
Hidden spell 1 > 30 skill
Hidden spell 2 > 35 skill
Hidden spell 3 > 50 skill
Nani?! I need skill stats to use this?? But.. I barely increase my skill throughout my journey. Damn it!
I asked the lady on whether she had any stats scroll in hand. She did and I bought it off from here even though it was pricier than what I can purchase outside. She took the opportunity to earn more but I did not care. I immediately blew on the scroll.
Zen
Strength - 25
Skill - 20
Agility - 30
Constitution - 20
Damn it. If only it was using strength stats then I can wield this gauntlets now. I need to increase my skill stats if I want to use this. But how? I need to find more information on this. Skill stats are barely used in this continent. Is there anyone who knows how to increase it? Hmm.
Should I ask the Elementalist or perhaps Lily? The guild is known for specialising in using skill stats for combat. But I can somehow imagine him telling me to search in the library. Guess I should check it out tomorrow or something.
I headed out and decided to call it a day. A brand new room will be waiting for me. A bigger room awaits me, baby. Today is a definitely a good day. I got promoted, met with the Elementalist and got the see what is in the chest. A bit of a bummer that I cannot use this glove now but I will make it happen. I need to unlock the three hidden spells.
As I was heading home, I heard a commotion. Then a door swung open with a little human girl falling to the ground.
"You're useless! You can't do anything right!" said a lady that came out from the door. Woah, scary mother alert. But you shouldn't call your child useless. That is just not right.
"You can sleep on the floor outside tonight! Don't come back for all I care!" she shouted. Typical Asian parent. She can go in after the mother calmed down. I hope.
"Why are you still crying? I'm the one who should be crying having to deal with you. You just can't do anything straight! I've had it with you. I'll beat you until you learn your lessons!" she held a glass bottle in an attempt to beat the child. Ok, that's it.
I rushed and grab the lady by the wrist to stop her from slamming the bottle on the girl. She was taken aback by my strength and speed that she couldn't mutter anything for a few seconds.
"W..w.... What do you think you're doing?! Let me go before I call the soldiers! This is assault!" she shouted while struggling.
"Calm down lady. You should not beat your own child not to mention in public. You're causing a scene here," I said. I've had it with this lady. You can't treat your child this way. This is abuse.
"She is not my child! Just some stupid orphan that the administration decided I should take care of. I would have been happy if she can at least help with the house work but nothing she does is ever right. She just can't do anything right!" she shouted to the girl.
I can't see the expression of the girl as her long pink reddish hair was covering her face. I would assume she is crying or something. But never mind about that, how to handle this situation. Hmm.
"Would it satisfy if I bought her? Keep her hands away from you? Is that what you want?" I asked her. I thought that threatening to buy the child would make the lady think twice but guess I was wrong.
"You want her? Take her for all I care. But you would need to pay a pretty penny for her. She is young and still a virgin. I bet someone like you would be having your way with her while she screamed for help. Hahaha!!" she told me.
Something snapped in me when I heard that. This lady did not care about this girl at all. All she wants is greed. This shall not stand.
"You want a pretty penny? Here is a damn gold coin for you. I'm sure this is enough right? Now scram back into your house and stop causing a scene here," I threw the gold coin at her face, snatched the girl by the hand and walked away.
The lady was laughing at the sight of the gold coin. She did not even bother about the child being taken away. I brought her far away from that place to calm her down.
Turns out, I was the one who needed to calm down. I smacked my head. I bought her on impulse because I could not stand that useless lady. But I do not know how to raise a child properly. Geez, now what do I do with her.
We stood by the railing facing a small river. I can hear sobs from her. Was she sad that I bought her? Or did she miss the lady that she thought was her mom? Maybe I shouldn't have bought her in the first place, damn it.
"Are you ok? Are you hurt in some way?" I asked her. I can still hear her sobbing with the occasional hick hick. I patted her head. She seems to calm down after a while. I noticed her legs had marks of being beaten. What a rough life she was living. Maybe taking her away from that place is not such a bad idea after all.
"Do you understand what I am saying? Are you able to talk?" I asked her. She seems to understand what I said before. Thankfully she nodded after wiping her tears away.
"Yes. Thank you for helping me earlier. I appreciate what you did for me mister," she bowed her head. I was taken aback. She seems well-mannered and she can speak so well. Is she really that bad in the first place?
"Are you fine with me buying you from that lady? Do you want to return?" I asked her.
"I do not wish to return to that horrible place. That lady is a greedy alcoholic that does not care about us. All of the fundings by the administration she spent it on gambling and drinking. I do not wish to return. I do not wish to return.." she trailed off. I guess she is worried that I would be sending her back.
"What is your name? If you wish to follow me, you'll mostly be staying in my room and help with the cleaning or something. Is that ok with you?" I asked her.
"I do not have a name. And yes, I do not mind helping you with the chores. Contrary to what she said, I can do chores properly. I can cook as well," she said.
"No name huh," I said.
Hmm.. should I give her a name? What would I name my kid if I have a child? I put on a thinking face.
"How about.. Rose? Your hair colour is pinkish with a hint of red. Let's call you Rose for your first name," I said.
I thought hard on what her second name would be. Can't seem to think of anything. I looked up to see the moon. An idea came to my mind.
"How about.. Rose Starr? Are you okay with your name being Rose Starr?" I asked her.
She looked at me with starry eyes. Then tears filled her eyes and she started crying. Despite her talking abilities, she is still young. I petted her head to calm her down. She continued to cry while saying thank you mister multiple times.
After she calmed down, I introduced my name to her (obviously only the first name). I also told her to call me "Onii-chan" instead. I am not old enough to be "mister" nor am I fit to be her father. I guess being her brother would be more appropriate instead. Hence, it is on this day that I officially found Rose and welcomed her into my life. My one and only little sister.
I am fourteen now and today marks the day I officially get promoted to the rank of Shadow Knight. The Dark Lord knighted me to officiate the ceremony and... that was it. You will hear a few clapping at most but don't expect a feast or beers being handed to you. Maybe in the Viking Guild perhaps.
Rick was among the small audience who watched the ceremony. He is at the rank of Dark Knight now. He came up to me and congratulated me. I did not expect him to shed tears to be honest. Getting all emotional on your kouhai getting promoted, maybe I might experience this one day.
I won't lie, the ceremony was barely on my mind. My main objective today was to gain an audience with the Elementalist and ask him about my grandfather along with the bounty hunter. Fingers crossed that I will finally meet him today. Otherwise, I will have to ask other guilds about information on this bounty hunter based on my memory description on him. Alright, time to update the quest log.
Main Objective: Seek audience with the Elementalist to gain information on the bounty hunter and possibility on grandfather's whereabouts.
Side Objective: Dig out the bloody gold chest for good.
That seems about right. Time to head to the Elemental Guild then. I brought my Shadow Knight badge with me just in case. Need to show some kind of proof to the reception on my rank. I headed towards the Elemental Guild. Upon reaching, I was flabbergasted. Their building is huge! Almost double the Dark Guild's building in size! Is this the reason why grandfather was loaded? The Elemental Guild had no problem paying for his service, is that it?
I headed in nervously. I knocked on the door just in case. Their door was double my guild's size as well. Not to mention fancier in the design and quality. I heard a "come in" and opened the door.
"Greetings, how may I serve you?" said the receptionist.
Ermahgerd, she is so beautiful! Wait, is this because I barely had any contact with the female member for the past few years or are my hormones starting to act up? I must keep myself in check, damn it. Oh, I just noticed the receptionist is an elf. Shiiittt.. am I a sucker for female elves now? Did Lily unlock some hidden fetish in me?
"Hello, I would like to gain an audience with the Elementalist if that is possible?" I asked the receptionist politely. She looked at me and smiled.
"Seeing the guildmaster on the day you got promoted? I thought you would be out there celebrating or something," said the receptionist.
Huh? How did she know I got promoted today? Do I know this lady or something?
"I'm sorry but, how did you know that I promoted today? Have we met before?" I asked her.
"Oh pardon me, we guilds keep track on each other to know what is going on. Otherwise some random stranger might appear and declare he is some high ranking adventurer with a fake badge. Don't worry, I assure you this is the first time we met," she winked at me. My heart thumped. Ahh damn it. I guess I really am a sucker for elven ladies now. I smacked my forehead.
"So, am I allowed an audience? Will this badge prove my ranking? I'm assure you that this is a real badge" I said.
"No silly, just wait here while I pass this news to the guildmaster. I believe he was expecting you some time ago," she said. Seems like I made a name to myself now. Glad that worked out.
After some time, the receptionist gestured me to head in. There was a member of the guild that escorted me. Why does it feel like I am about to meet a King? The inside of the building was beautiful. Gives off a rich mansion vibe. Marbles filled the floor while the ceiling was decorated with exquisite design. You can see statues and bust decoration all around the walkway and throughout the building. The meet-up was on the ground floor. I guess only members of the guild can head-up to the higher floors which might be their own personal rooms. So Lily was living in this fancy life? Damn I should have tried for Elemental Guild too!
The escorting member gestured me to head-in into a small room after he knocked on the door. I opened the door and headed in. Huh? This looks like a dining area. A small one too. There is only two chairs facing opposite each other and a small rectangular table in the middle filled with food and fruits. I was expecting to meet the Elementalist seated at the top of a flight of stairs and me bowing down to him surrounded by guards or something. Isn't that what guildmasters do? Maybe it is just the Dark Lord and his ego. It left me stumped for a couple of seconds until I heard someone saying something.
"Please, be seated," said a voice. The voice was soft yet commanding. Extremely soothing to hear. Not something you would expect from a guildmaster indeed.
I sat down and out came a well dressed male who seated opposite of me. We can see each other's facial features easily as the table was small. He is an elf with green eyes and brownish hair that is long enough to reach his waist. What a fabulous man. He stared at me for some time and squinted. I felt goosebumps as I am not used to being stared at, not to mention by such a pretty man. Please don't awake another weird fetish in me, please I still like women.. PLEASE!
"I expected you to come earlier. Yet it took you three years to finally come to me. May I know why exactly?" he asked while still squinting his eyes.
Is he annoyed that it took this long for me to finally see him? It is not like I would know that the Elementalist would agree to meet some random newbie that just came into the city.
"I did not know who the Elementalist was since grandfather only mentioned him in one of his letter. I only knew that you were the guildmaster of the Elemental Guild after I came into the city and did a bit of research," I told him.
I was honest, I did not know who the Elementalist was until I asked my guild to confirm. I know there is a Elemental Guild but who knows whether they were both related in the first place.
He sighed and dropped his head. Is this something a guildmaster should do? I guess not all guildmaster follows the dark and gloomy yet high and mighty Dark Lord of my guild.
"As expected of him. Richard was getting old in his age to remember what he was supposed to tell you. Not to mention he also forgot to inform you that you must never speak of the name Hawthorn to anyone before you come into the city," he said.
Huh? Richard? Who?
"R.. Richard? Who is Richard may I ask?" I stared at him blankly. Is that.. grandfather's name?
"Richard Hawthorn, father of Jack Hawthorn who in turn, is your father," he said. Wow, I did not know the name of any of my parents. It feels so foreign to me hearing them.
"I did not know any of their names. I thank you for telling me about them. But should you mention the H name so blatantly? Isn't the Queen capturing anyone at the mere mention of that name?" I asked.
"Not just capture. Execute on the spot, mind you. But have no fear, there are no ears here. Contrary to what you see outside, our perimeters are well-guarded. Not many can escape the ears of the many elven members. But enough about that, let's continue on the topic at hand. Your grandfather is a very reclusive man. Right after the battle with the Demon King and the announcement of the desecration of the Hawthorn family by the Queen, he went into hiding. I did not expect him to live in the forbidden forest, however," he said.
I said nothing, I only knew so much about grandfather but nothing about his past.
"I know why you are here. You wish to know who was the man that defeated your grandfather and the possibility on whether he is still alive, am I right?" he asked me. I nodded my head.
"I would advise you to give up. The man is known for being notorious in his line of work. He is known as the Silent Assassin. The best assassin and bounty hunter to date," he said.
"He is also one of the four great powers. Are you aware about this title? It belongs to certain individuals who have accomplished great deeds around the world," he looked at me after saying.
I shook my head as I had never heard of that title.
"Sigh, I would suggest you visit the library and seek out the book of the four great powers. You would need to understand that you are no match for him. Even I daresay that I might not be a match for him myself. In a fair fight perhaps, but his specialty is silent killing which is a coward way of fighting. You humans really go to great lengths in order to gain fame," he said.
I sighed. Guess I should visit the library in another day perhaps. I guess that is all the information he will be willing to tell me so I decided to take my leave as to not disturb him any further. As I was heading out, the Elementalist told me something.
"Another thing, mister Zen. As for the whereabouts of your grandfather, do not worry. I am doing everything I can to gather information about where he could be. Richard is.... a very good friend of mine. I would do anything to ensure his safety," he assured me.
I can sense some anger in his tone. Seems like grandfather was in good terms with him.
I bowed and said my thanks to him to which he bowed back to me. A guildmaster bowing to me, now that is a start. You would expect him to be more arrogant or something but I was mistaken. Guess I should not stereotype that Elves are generally snobbish and arrogant towards human.
I headed out and sighed. I've gotten some information but would still need to gather more. Time to update the quest log again.
Main Objective: Visit the library to seek out more information on the four great powers
Side Objective: Dig out the damn CHEST!
Alright! Time to head back to the cave and dig out the damn chest for good! Only a few centimetres more of solid hard rocks and I'll finally be able to open it. I ran as fast as my feet can carry me back to that very cave, bringing along probably a dozen pickaxes just in case. No way am I letting go of that chest today. I must open it, damn it.
I've always been careful in heading in. I usually made sure to check a few times in the event there are more goblins or some other creatures that inhabit it. But after a year of digging, I've concluded that barely anything wants to live here anymore. Which is great news for me as I can just rush in and out of the cave anytime I want.
I reached the so called dead end. I've covered the chest with rocks to prevent any potential looters from finding it. I pushed all the rocks aside and revealed more than three quarters of the chest top portion. Only a little more and I can finally open it. Time to dig in.
Pickaxe after pickaxe I swapped. I toiled and laboured with blood, sweat and tears. After a couple of hours of digging, I finally, FINALLY managed to dig it out with around five pickaxes remaining. I threw the one I was holding aside and hugged the chest. Tears were flowing from my eyes now. A whole year of manual labour and finally it was done. I prayed to all the Gods above that this was not a fluke. It better not be empty or some shitty common item that can be bought from a merchant or blacksmith.
I breathed deep and started feeling excited now. I opened it. It glowed with a golden light. I squinted my eyes and reached in. Hmm? Feels like.. gloves? Gauntlets perhaps? I held it in my hands. It glowed a shiny dull emerald colour separated by layers of protective material atop each other. The build quality is superb. It felt indestructible after I tried knocking on it. This is definitely a legendary item. Hell yeah! All my hard work finally paid off!
I tried wearing the gauntlets but thunk. My right arm fell into the ground instantly. Huh? Am I not strong enough to wear it? What is going on? But I can hold it easily. Strange. Maybe I should get it identified first. I unfastened the gauntlet and hid it in my portable sling bag. I proceeded to close the chest and hid it with rocks. I made sure to leave some visible part of the chest so as to cheat any future looters into opening an empty chest. Yes I am evil. Heh heh.
I rushed back to the city to look for my favourite blacksmith. It was late evening when I made it to Holly Begonia. I opened the door quickly before he decided to close up shop.
"Wow, what can I do fer ya?" said the blacksmith out of the blue. Is that his way of welcoming customers now. He then turned and looked at me.
"Oh, hey kiddo. Ye rarely come at this hour. How can I help ye?" said the smithy.
"I was hoping you can help me in identifying these gauntlets," I showed him. He inspected the gauntlets and gave an instant reply.
"Woah! No can do kiddo. Yer going to need a merchant identifier fer this. Where did ye even get this? It's beautiful and the design is out of this world. And light too," he said.
"I found it in a cave. Where is the nearest merchant identifier that I can find?" I asked him urgently.
"Hmm, closest one is at the edge of the city. Ye might be able to make it if ye start running now," he said.
And so I did. I ran with all my might and found the shop in question. Tiny Bittersweet was the name of the shop. I knocked before heading in. Glad it's not closed yet.
"Well now, how can I help you?" a lady appeared from the darkness. Is it a lady or a witch? The shop is eerie and lowly lit. There was only a candle on the counter area.
"I was hoping you can help me in identifying this item that I found," I showed her the gauntlets.
She held the gauntlets and took out a magnifying glass. After a while she spoke something.
"This is going to cost a lot of money kid. Perhaps around a gold coin or two. This is a legendary item you have here. Congratulations" she said.
"Make it happen. I need to know what I have here," I told her.
She complied after I passed her the coins. She took out a jewel or gem and began chanting. She began to rub the gem on the gauntlets as though to stimulate it or something. Wait, that is just me talking. I really need to keep my hormones in check now.
After a while, she took out a scroll and slam the gem onto it. The scroll glowed a bright light seemingly absorbing the gem. The lady then read the scroll and then passed it to me.
"Sorry kid, guess it is pointless for you after all," she told me. Huh? What does she mean by that?
I studied the scroll. Hand of the Lightning God is the name of the gauntlets.
Requirements > 25 skill
Hidden spell 1 > 30 skill
Hidden spell 2 > 35 skill
Hidden spell 3 > 50 skill
Nani?! I need skill stats to use this?? But.. I barely increase my skill throughout my journey. Damn it!
I asked the lady on whether she had any stats scroll in hand. She did and I bought it off from here even though it was pricier than what I can purchase outside. She took the opportunity to earn more but I did not care. I immediately blew on the scroll.
Zen
Strength - 25
Skill - 20
Agility - 30
Constitution - 20
Damn it. If only it was using strength stats then I can wield this gauntlets now. I need to increase my skill stats if I want to use this. But how? I need to find more information on this. Skill stats are barely used in this continent. Is there anyone who knows how to increase it? Hmm.
Should I ask the Elementalist or perhaps Lily? The guild is known for specialising in using skill stats for combat. But I can somehow imagine him telling me to search in the library. Guess I should check it out tomorrow or something.
I headed out and decided to call it a day. A brand new room will be waiting for me. A bigger room awaits me, baby. Today is a definitely a good day. I got promoted, met with the Elementalist and got the see what is in the chest. A bit of a bummer that I cannot use this glove now but I will make it happen. I need to unlock the three hidden spells.
As I was heading home, I heard a commotion. Then a door swung open with a little human girl falling to the ground.
"You're useless! You can't do anything right!" said a lady that came out from the door. Woah, scary mother alert. But you shouldn't call your child useless. That is just not right.
"You can sleep on the floor outside tonight! Don't come back for all I care!" she shouted. Typical Asian parent. She can go in after the mother calmed down. I hope.
"Why are you still crying? I'm the one who should be crying having to deal with you. You just can't do anything straight! I've had it with you. I'll beat you until you learn your lessons!" she held a glass bottle in an attempt to beat the child. Ok, that's it.
I rushed and grab the lady by the wrist to stop her from slamming the bottle on the girl. She was taken aback by my strength and speed that she couldn't mutter anything for a few seconds.
"W..w.... What do you think you're doing?! Let me go before I call the soldiers! This is assault!" she shouted while struggling.
"Calm down lady. You should not beat your own child not to mention in public. You're causing a scene here," I said. I've had it with this lady. You can't treat your child this way. This is abuse.
"She is not my child! Just some stupid orphan that the administration decided I should take care of. I would have been happy if she can at least help with the house work but nothing she does is ever right. She just can't do anything right!" she shouted to the girl.
I can't see the expression of the girl as her long pink reddish hair was covering her face. I would assume she is crying or something. But never mind about that, how to handle this situation. Hmm.
"Would it satisfy if I bought her? Keep her hands away from you? Is that what you want?" I asked her. I thought that threatening to buy the child would make the lady think twice but guess I was wrong.
"You want her? Take her for all I care. But you would need to pay a pretty penny for her. She is young and still a virgin. I bet someone like you would be having your way with her while she screamed for help. Hahaha!!" she told me.
Something snapped in me when I heard that. This lady did not care about this girl at all. All she wants is greed. This shall not stand.
"You want a pretty penny? Here is a damn gold coin for you. I'm sure this is enough right? Now scram back into your house and stop causing a scene here," I threw the gold coin at her face, snatched the girl by the hand and walked away.
The lady was laughing at the sight of the gold coin. She did not even bother about the child being taken away. I brought her far away from that place to calm her down.
Turns out, I was the one who needed to calm down. I smacked my head. I bought her on impulse because I could not stand that useless lady. But I do not know how to raise a child properly. Geez, now what do I do with her.
We stood by the railing facing a small river. I can hear sobs from her. Was she sad that I bought her? Or did she miss the lady that she thought was her mom? Maybe I shouldn't have bought her in the first place, damn it.
"Are you ok? Are you hurt in some way?" I asked her. I can still hear her sobbing with the occasional hick hick. I patted her head. She seems to calm down after a while. I noticed her legs had marks of being beaten. What a rough life she was living. Maybe taking her away from that place is not such a bad idea after all.
"Do you understand what I am saying? Are you able to talk?" I asked her. She seems to understand what I said before. Thankfully she nodded after wiping her tears away.
"Yes. Thank you for helping me earlier. I appreciate what you did for me mister," she bowed her head. I was taken aback. She seems well-mannered and she can speak so well. Is she really that bad in the first place?
"Are you fine with me buying you from that lady? Do you want to return?" I asked her.
"I do not wish to return to that horrible place. That lady is a greedy alcoholic that does not care about us. All of the fundings by the administration she spent it on gambling and drinking. I do not wish to return. I do not wish to return.." she trailed off. I guess she is worried that I would be sending her back.
"What is your name? If you wish to follow me, you'll mostly be staying in my room and help with the cleaning or something. Is that ok with you?" I asked her.
"I do not have a name. And yes, I do not mind helping you with the chores. Contrary to what she said, I can do chores properly. I can cook as well," she said.
"No name huh," I said.
Hmm.. should I give her a name? What would I name my kid if I have a child? I put on a thinking face.
"How about.. Rose? Your hair colour is pinkish with a hint of red. Let's call you Rose for your first name," I said.
I thought hard on what her second name would be. Can't seem to think of anything. I looked up to see the moon. An idea came to my mind.
"How about.. Rose Starr? Are you okay with your name being Rose Starr?" I asked her.
She looked at me with starry eyes. Then tears filled her eyes and she started crying. Despite her talking abilities, she is still young. I petted her head to calm her down. She continued to cry while saying thank you mister multiple times.
After she calmed down, I introduced my name to her (obviously only the first name). I also told her to call me "Onii-chan" instead. I am not old enough to be "mister" nor am I fit to be her father. I guess being her brother would be more appropriate instead. Hence, it is on this day that I officially found Rose and welcomed her into my life. My one and only little sister.
