Code Collector

"Why do I feel like I haven't seen you both in a month?" Gwen said as they ate. "You two looked so different than when I last met up with you."

"You haven't seen us in a week and a half and then you act like that," Jeremy deadpanned. "It's a shame we even work together for the past few years and you even said to me before that you already memorized every detail of me."

"Exactly!" Gwen said. "That is why I know something is different because I know you."

"Dante," Jeremy said. "Do you mind, I asked a couple of friends over because they said they were in the camp. They were the friends that visited me in the hospital before."

Allen's eyes widened, but he quickly took it back. The boy just nodded and put on a fake smile. "Yeah, sure."

Jeremy smiled and suddenly raised his hands. Three people from a nearby table stood and walked up to them, Kyle, Selena, and Irene. "Hey guys, it's been a while."

Allen knew better. He wanted to act mature around his ex friends, but he was having a hard time doing so. Albeit he knew about what actually happened all those years ago, the memories in his mind were still conflicting.

Allen wanted to believe the true memories, but he just couldn't. He was still both heartbroken and upset about it. But he doesn't hold a grudge against these people, he just felt bitter towards them.

"Hello," Kyle smiled to Allen. "I remember you now. You're that boy from the Skill Altar that I saw a few months ago."

Allen wanted to smack his head down the table after Kyle mentioned this. Before, when they met at the hospital, Kyle wasn't able to remember him. However, now that the place and time was so random, he does?

"Yeah," Allen replied with a chuckle. "I also remember now. I asked you about how the Skill Altar worked."

"You do remember me!" Kyle cheered excitedly. He pushed Jeremy out of his spot and sat next to Allen.

They were in a booth where the seats were a long round shapes that enclosed the table. Kyle just nudged his other friend out of his spot just so he could talk to Allen better.

"How are you?" Kyle asked. "I forgot about you back in the hospital when Jeremy was there, but if you could remember I was silent the whole time because I was deeply thinking where I saw you before."

"Oh," Allen chuckled nervously. He looked at Selena and Irene who were smirking, knowing how their friend would act. Even Allen knew that this was just Kyle's attitude.

The man was bubbly and was always happy that he often bringe cheerfulness and warmth to where he goes. They were talking until the night had set and finally, was walking home.

Jeremy and Allen were back in Allen's unit. The latter was still forcing Jeremy to go back to his own place, but he insisted on staying. "I need to be here at all times. I am your secretary."

"No," Allen said. He was pushing Jeremy out of the bathroom after he saw the man brought out a toothbrush. "Why do you have to stay here? You have your own apartment in this camp."

"I sold it," Jeremy replied simply. "Well, not actually sold it because these units were free, but I gave it away."

Allen scoffed, "And why the hell would you do something like that? Are you out of your mind?"

"Maybe," Jeremy chuckled. He won the pushing contest and walked inside the bathroom to brush his teeth. "Don't you worry though. I will clean the house and do your laundry while you focus on training."

"Clean my what?" Allen scrunched his face. "What would you clean when we're in the forest to grind 90% of the time?"

Jeremy paused. "Oh. Then I guess I'll go serve you when we're in the forest."

Allen finally gave up. He knew that Jeremy won't surrendered until he does what exactly what the man wanted. He walked in his room and made sure to lock it so Jeremy wouldn't be able to enter.

-

A day had passed and the curfew got even more strict. After the three Primordial Beast Bearers were attacked, the curfew for the days that groups were allowed to hunt were reduced to only four and for solo Hunters, they must return by nightfall.

The punishment of investigation and a charge to accessory to murder was still in the line, so everyone should follow the curfew rules whether they liked it or not.

"I heard from the market," Jeremy said. "Hunters are quitting."

"Quitting?" Allen asked. "But why? Most normal people would kill to become a Hunter, and now they want to quit?"

"Let me iterate my statement," Jeremy fake cleared his throat. "The solo Hunters are quitting."

"Oh, makes sense," Allen nodded. "Nobody could grind in a day in the forest. What Code will you get? None. You can't even hunt a decent amount of beasts for raw materials with that time frame."

"I know," Jeremy sighed. "I just feel pitiful towards them. Being a Hunter is already a very dangerous job. A lot of us are Hunters because of the desperation. But because of this silly new rules, the desperate have lost all hope."

"We can't do anything about that," Allen just shrugged and continued walking. They arrived at the gate and the same old man was there. However, this time the man looked more stress than he did before.

Allen let Vince handle the negotiation while him and Jeremy stood at the back. They watched the man sluggishly checked all their ID cards and sighing from time to time.

"Is there a problem, sir?" Allen made Vince asked. "You look like you're filled with problems."

"No, no," the man replied. "I don't have a problem."

"Are you sure?" Vince tried to milk the words out from the man's mouth. There was silence for a couple of seconds and Allen wanted to give up when the man suddenly spoke.

"Money is tight right now," the man said. "And then I don't really have anything to do than work as a toll person. I can't earn from other jobs."

Allen looked at Jeremy who was smirking. "I think we can offer him a trade."

"But if we cancel our trip now, it would be too suspicious," Allen said. "We have to let this one go."

"Oh," Jeremy said out loud, making everyone look at him. He leaned in to the guard and looked at Allen, whispering, "Dante, do you remember that we have a certain someone as a contact? He could give this old man money."

"Money?" the man leaned in. "What money?"

"Do you know the Wandering Trader?" Jeremy asked. "We know how to contact him. We can contact him for your appointment tonight if you want."

"That sounds just like what I need," the guard said. "I'll cancel your trip right now. You go contact him and tell him to meet in the alley between the buildings orange and dandelion in the Rundown street."

"Okay, bro," Jeremy smiled. "We're going back now and the man will wait for you, okay?"

"Okay," the guard nodded rather excitedly.

Allen and the rest of the group walked away from the gate. Allen looked behind one last time and saw that the man was smirking with joy.

"He really needed the money, huh?" Allen asked himself.

-

The night came and it was time for their appointment. Allen was skeptical suddenly. He told Jeremy that he was going to use Vince as the Wandering Trader this time. This way, in case anything happens, he can just deactivate the Body and make Vince vanish.

Jeremy agreed to this idea. Since he was also getting worried about the man being a mole of the authorities. Maybe he was strategically placed in that spot so people would notice him and then contact the Wandering Trader. Then when they get the Wandering Trader in a tight spot, they'll catch him.

Vince carries the cloak and masked while Allen controlled him. The boy found a feature that lets him drive the Body himself, as if he himself was that actual body.

He leaped into buildings and jumped into high places until he arrived by the alley. When he got there, he wore the cloak and his in the darkness. Bodies gain his passive skills, so it was okay for Vince to stay there for a while.

Meanwhile, Stacey and Oliver were running around the alley. They were the lookout in case the guard was indeed a mole to leech them out. While Allen was in Vince's body, he controls the other two so now he was getting exhausted quicker.

"It won't be long before I run out of energy," Allen said. "That man better show up right now or else I'll kick him in his butt."

The boy then heard footsteps, and his eyes widened when thr person approaching him was not the man, but rather a very beautiful woman.

"M-Miss Lin?"