Chapter 9: Lebel

For a man who never had 'guests', not saying anything bad was the best one could possibly do.

Though when put in action, it all became awkward.

"Hey, anyone want a drink?" A voice resounded towards the three figures sitting around a table.

"Booze."

"Milk."

"WHO SAID YOU COULD TOUCH MY STUFF?!" A blazing eruption of fury arose from Adam's eyes.

Who was this guy to act like this was his home?

"One glass of water, then."

"Did you hear me?!"

"Sir, I feel your pain. I know we came here on short notice, but can you find it in your heart to be kind?"

"Who are YOU to ask that of me…?"

"Kang Hyuk, but you can call me Hyuk."

"Don't get so cozy, you goofy son of a-"

"Language." Sebastian intervened. This second old looking geezer, who ordered milk, had no shame.

As for the first, he seemed to have a stomach ache from how he was hunching over with weak eyes.

Well, the drool and rumblings begged a differ.

The unsavoury capitalist sucked in his problems with a deep breath, then gestured to get on with it.

"Do you want some chicken? I've been getting better at my cooking skills and wanted to try it."

"Kang Hyuk…!"

"Please call me Hyuk~"

"Don't screw with MY fridge. Also, I don't have anything you can cook." He showed who's boss.

Still, the social butterfly didn't seem the least bit put off by his unfriendly attitude and demeanour.

He went off and poured the two the drinks they wanted before coming back with a peaceful look.

Seeing the two focus on what he brought, Kang Hyuk picked up his seat and sat in front of Adam.

"Sir, can I call you by your name?" The antisocial outcast turned his own chair and faced that gaze.

"Fine."

"You seem to not like me much."

"I don't like many people."

"You treat everyone like this?"

"You'd probably feel honoured if I didn't."

"You know me best~" Those easily distracted eyes became stern after saying this in a happy mood.

The corners of his lips fell the moment he asked:

"How are you related to the system?"

"I don't have to tell you that."

"You don't, but it'd really be helpful."

"Why would I be helpful to you?"

"Why not?" Seeing the lack of annoyance in the social butterfly's tone, Adam dialled it all down.

He shouldn't be like this to Gaia's 'Final Gift'.

"You're right… 'Why not?'… Ahem, so what are you guys planning to do to pay rent for this place."

"Not sure. Maybe the same job in my own world."

"Weren't you a fighter? Are you planning to join a hunting guild?" He guessed from common sense.

However, it seemed like he had a misconception.

"Oh, I'm not much of a fighter." These words had drawn the capitalist's attention more than anything.

He couldn't believe those words.

"What kind of world did you come from?" Adam suddenly felt a tinge of curiosity overcome him.

"From what I've read, I think other realms would call it a 'Wuxia World'. I was just a nobody."

"Don't brush it off."

"Seriously, there's nothing much to talk about. I'd be more interested in how you need a teacher."

The moment Hyuk dropped those words, Adam noticed the first old geezer slam down his cup.

His eyes seemed sober, but his body was drunk.

"I'm… interested..." The geezer with the rumbling stomach squeezed out. He ignored his condition.

"Old man, are you being serious here?"

"He seems a bit talented." 

Adam could only see this exchange as one between two conmen. What 'talent' did he have?

"Enough jokes. What could this old geezer teach me anyway? He looks like he'd die from falling over." These harsh words didn't seem to phase the duo. They merely turned to give him a look of pity.

"…What?" Adam didn't know why they looked at him like that. Was there something on him?

"Poor guy… Anyway, I need to check up on how Sebas is doing." Hyuk left them two alone.

The old geezer looking at him still looked as drunk as usual, and his eyes hadn't changed one bit.

There wasn't a hint of intoxication in them…  

"Are you really drunk…?" The true owner of the land felt suspicious towards this mysterious tenant.

"Does that really matter? Anyway, my name is Simon Rainglow. I have an interest in taking you in." 

Unexpectedly, the old drunkard didn't seem the least bit interested in answering that question.

He brought up the point without any detours.

"Why? Because you think I'm 'talented'?"

"Hmmm… Does it sound farfetched?" The geezer tilted his head while gesturing Hyuk for a refill.

That pushover went and got him that booze. The moment he did, it went down the hatch instantly.

With not even a moment of hesitation.

"Stop drinking. Weren't we having a talk?"

"Sorry… A big sip keeps the soberness away."

"That- Forget it… Just leave me alone."

"Weren't you looking for a teacher yourself? When one falls out of the sky, you decide to act like this."

"Even I have standards."

"Really now? What are those high 'standards'?" A smirk appeared on the wrinkly face of the man.

The capitalist decided to list it all off:

"They have to be experienced."

"I'm the oldest one here."

"What about that guy?" Adam couldn't help but point at the cat-like geezer drinking a milk glass.

"He's 20." If the antisocial gamer was drinking something, this would be the time to spit-take.

"He's younger than me?!"

"The youngest one here, but also the most put together and competent in protecting himself."

"Then what's with the white hair?"

"He said his life force was overdrawn. It looks like he survived a brutal incident before coming here."

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"Right… Anyway, my teacher also needs to know magic." He was sure Simon couldn't get this one.

And as he expected, the geezer didn't retort.

"Why magic?" He simply tilted again.

"Because martial arts sounds hard."

"It'd truly be a waste of talent."

"What do you know?" The old fart acted too much.

"You have a trace of 'Divinity' within you. I'm guessing something similar to a God gave you their blessing." This statement widened his eyes, he couldn't believe that was so easily pointed out.

"Divinity…?" Still, he had to be sure about this.

"It's what gives the 'Royalty' of this world their right to rule. If they knew you had this, then…" Simon swiped past his neck. There was no need to explain further. No one of a royal family liked competition.

They'd try capturing him, if not outright kill.

Adam could feel the slyness of an old fox in the eyes of the geezer. He was put in a tight spot.

"Do you think I'd kneel over like that pushover over there? Are you threatening me?" He didn't say anything extreme, but he also wasn't going to let someone control him. Better to break than bend.

"I'm not threatening you. In fact, you're not the first disciple I've trained that touched upon divinity."

"It isn't…?" Now that was a surprise. Were divinities selling like hotcakes to those who had ascended?

And here he thought it was special only to him…

"That kid was already a skilled swordsman before I found him. I just helped him realise his potential."

Such a statement meant that he could be sure Simon wanted nothing but to help him grow.

He could feel at ease.

However, a knot appeared in his heart even though they were talking strictly about doing business.

His mouth started to open, before saying:

"Why did you train him?" This time, it was him who boldly poked his nose in someone else's business.

He couldn't understand the motives.

"You say it like I need a reason."

"You do… Why wouldn't you have one?"

"The same reason I wouldn't. Sharing tricks and helping you learn the ropes will help in future."

"Maybe… but why 'share' knowledge?"

"Hmmm?"

"Knowledge is as precious as money. Even that bastard who keeps opening my fridge didn't outright teach me anything. He knows it could be sold later." He had made his point perfectly clear.

But Simon knew this wasn't his true question.

"So you admit you and Hyuk are similar."

"What? Us…? Don't say something so nasty." The disgusted expression he made would hurt anyone.

"You both are non-combatants. In fact, both of you would rather converse when it comes down to it."

"Don't normal people do that?"

"They don't." Adam didn't notice when the geezer's hand stretched out towards him.

He moved his arm to push the fragile-looking hand away, only to feel the inevitability of it grasping him.

The fingers didn't claw at his throat, but the way they all touched his voice box made him tremble.

It was only a moment, and Simon retracted his hand straight after. However, the feeling stayed.

The unsavoury capitalist felt his back run cold…

Sweat dripped down from his face, and he raised his eyes to see the nonchalant expression in front.

"I promise you this: 'Murder' and 'Death' will now be a part of your daily life. If you can't make the decision to kill someone when it's necessary, then you'll face the consequences of letting them live."

Adam had no response.

He could hardly breathe under the pressure that the old geezer had suddenly put on his shoulders.

'So… this is another world.' It might have sounded like an obvious thought, but sinking in took time.

Although the world was different, Adam never felt like anything here was different than on Earth.

There were still crimes, capitalism, those who thought of their pride above human lives, and the same kind of weather. Everything was only slightly altered compared to how things were on Earth.

However, Simon ignited a spark within his heart.

For the first time in his life, he felt such a 'real' threat. A sense of crisis on an instinctual level.

The unsavoury capitalist could see that his penny pinching ways were worthless in front of death.

In front of the horrors that this world held.

And especially in front of the man who so casually touched his throat with the intention to break it.

Either Simon was a psychopath, or this world didn't go by the same set of laws he believed existed.

Seeing Adam's empty face, the old geezer slapped his shoulder and gave what consolation he could:

"Hey, at least your talented. Think about how harsh your life would be if you hadn't had any blessings."

These words seemed to make the pushover taking care of Sebastian look at them with a weird gaze.

"Right, I have some blessings." Adam agreed since he had some Legendary Rank skills on standby.

He might not know how exactly they worked, but he was sure things would go smoothly with time.

Unlike others, the unsavoury capitalist was aware of his strengths and how he could improve them.

Without thinking, he said something rare:

"Thank you."

Simon saw it as nothing, but Adam's eyes widened after realising what words came out of his mouth.

A new message appeared in front of him.

['Antisocial Outcast' Growth Characteristic has been discarded. You have grown your community.]

['Polite Introvert' Growth Characteristic obtained.]

Though the latter seemed less extreme than the former, he wasn't sure if he really changed or not.

There didn't seem to be anything different.

The only thing that changed was the label Gaia put on him. Something he was already deeply aware of.

'Yeah… This much is fine.' At the very least, it was better than having that embarrassing title on him.

Rather, it was better to focus on reality.

The knots and social barriers he'd so desperately kept up were finally destroyed by this weird group.

Although none of them seemed reliable, he tried to put his faith in them rather than keeping distance.

They all seemed like nice people anyway…

Adam wasn't aware how this sense of kinship was brought about. The warmth and ease within…

This looked like a start of a new relationship.

However, if things were this easy, then life would be sunshines and rainbows in the nation of Pandorica.

Despair had no bottom limit, and the aristocracy of nation, the 'Dark Nobility', weren't peaceful people.

Their way of life was more sinister than the law of the jungle, and more humble than any other.

Atop of a nearby rooftop, four figures stood quietly in the silent night. A staff was raised upwards.

The sky suddenly became cloudy, and a storm started to pour down the moment that man did.

The raid made the figures even harder to spot.

Meanwhile, Duke Bryan watched through a television screen how his 'test' would turn out.

He'd hoped there was something good to see.

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