Draconic Ascension - System Apocalypse Isekai LitRPG

Michael tried to contain the disappointment blooming within him. He couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

…It’s alright. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I hope you find her. Remember what I said. Also remember this: the place you want to go to is five kilometers north of here. It’s where you’ll be able to complete the quest I’ll now give you.”

Michael grabbed the bag he was given. He watched as the dark elf’s serious and tired expression morphed into a carefully crafted, smiling, and carefree visage. Once it seemed to be just as good as the previous one, Sullivan dismissed the barrier surrounding them. Michael also tried his best not to show any emotions regarding what had happened on his face. It was already unusual enough for Sullivan to drag someone into a barrier to speak to them, or so it seemed. He could feel the burning hot gazes on his back as if they were trying to tear a hole in him. This included Rose’s look. Sullivan’s voice drowned out the noise in the room. Everyone seemed to focus on what he was saying.

“Those are the places where you’ll be most likely to find worthy enemies! Bring me the heads of three of the bright-green snakes that live near the locations I told you. I’ll give you a reward then. You will also be given food and water.”

Michael felt most of the gazes on his back disappear. Instead, the entire room was looking at Sullivan expectantly. It was obvious that the dark elf had created a smokescreen, a makeshift explanation as to why he had dragged the man into a barrier. The other people in the village – those willing to fight, at least - would likely rush to the town hall once the information about Sullivan giving out hunting spots was spread, but it seemed to be something that the dark elf was willing to deal with. Michael thanked the Village Chief in his heart but made sure to say it as well.

“Thank you, Chief. I’ll be back.”

The dark elf had sacrificed his time and comfort to give him important advice. The least he could do was thank the Chief. He also took note that no quest window appeared, even though Sullivan had given him a task. Next to him, Rose went forward and handed over her two snake heads. He barely registered her conversation, but Sullivan spoke as if he were a true NPC, his words sounding as if they weren’t being spoken by a person at all. Michael realized that this was finely calculated behavior. Everything, from the Chief’s tone and word choice to his body language and expressions, had the purpose of creating a specific image. Since the dark elf didn’t want others to know that he wasn’t what he seemed, Michael didn’t say anything about it.

Once she was done, he turned around with her and left the town hall. The people remaining in the place hurriedly flooded the area in front of Sullivan, a line forming in mere seconds. Michael felt as if he had glimpsed a hint of exhaustion on the Chief’s face, but it soon vanished without a trace. Another “thank you” resounded within him. He walked out of the hall with Rose by his side, once more beholding the sheer number of people in the village. Most were “NPCs,” of course, but the number of humans had certainly surpassed a hundred and twenty by now. He could hear Rose’s voice from next to him. He looked at her, realizing that she had turned toward him.

“I owe you an apology.”

Michael raised an eyebrow. She continued to speak.

“When we first met, I attempted to kill you and didn’t believe your words, but you still entrusted yourself to me and allowed me to guide you here. I apologize for the way I acted until now. I waited for the confirmation that you truly weren’t part of another settlement before saying anything.”

He blinked in surprise. He hadn’t really expected her to say this even when she said she needed to apologize. To be frank, from the moment she stopped fighting until now, she had never acted strangely. He was just as distrustful of her as she was of him. He had only chosen to walk with her because he absolutely needed to reach a place with more people, even if only to look for his mother. Every step he took he had to resist the urge to turn around or activate a Mana Shield. The fact that she was walking in front of him and could turn around at any point hadn’t left his mind for a second. It had been an exhausting journey.

“Don’t mention it. I would have done the same in your place.”

She nodded, still looking a bit… Ashamed? Apologetic? Maybe both.

“I’m sorry, again. I also didn’t expect the Village Chief to pull you into a separate area. I had never seen him do that, even though I had already been to his hut more than once for quests. I didn’t even know it was possible for an NPC to act so differently from their normal behavior.”

Michael almost frowned. He understood where she was coming from since Sullivan did everything in his power to ensure that he looked like a mindless being. Maybe Rose had believed him to be a real person when she arrived, but after interacting with him, started to think he was a mere NPC. Since this was the image that the Village Chief sought to carefully maintain, Michael saw no need to talk her out of her belief. Things were best left as they were. Containing the urge to do so, he replied.

“I didn’t know that could happen either, but I’m glad it did. He told me the best places for my current self to hunt.”

She sighed.

“I wish he had told me that. Still, at least I delivered the snakes’ heads. I’m sure you heard it, but he also gave me a quest to find more of the snakes. Since he gave you the same quest and told you of nice locations, wanna do it together?”

She seemed to be trying a bit to make up for her past actions, but it was certain that at least part of her was simply hoping to bank on the knowledge that Sullivan had theoretically given him. With this in mind, he didn’t share the place the dark elf had told him about outright.

“I don’t mind, but first, I gotta go find Tairy. He will be able to shed some light on the path I need to take moving forward.”

“You mean the wizard? That’s true. He might not be able to advise you on choosing a Skill since you’re already over Level 10, but he will probably be able to give you advice on how to use the one you did pick. That’s what the guy I went to did, anyway. Let’s form a Party, then.”

Once again, she assumed that he was already beyond Level 10. Maybe she thought that because she had seen him expand his Mana Shield when they fought, or because it hadn’t collapsed when faced with her attacks. Either way, he thought that forming a Party didn’t sound half-bad. He would also be able to test out if the Party members needed to be within a specific distance of one another. Worst-case scenario, he could simply leave the Party.

“Sure, I don’t mind.”

Rose fiddled with the air, finding her way through the System, before a shining blue message appeared in front of Michael.

[Do you wish to join Rose Jackson’s Party?]

Yes.

[You have joined Rose Jackson’s Party.]

A trickle of information made its way into his brain. Almost intuitively, he now knew where Rose generally was. It didn’t compare to a map or anything like that, but it still helped. He could tell she was at “the center of Bluestone Village,” though that was as specific as it got. At the same time, in the corner of his vision, two green bars appeared. His name floated over one of them, while Rose’s floated over the other. It seemed to be their health points.

At least I’ll be able to tell if she’s okay or not.

Rose nodded to herself, clearly satisfied with her decision. She spoke.

“Alright, I’m gonna go hunt and try to complete this quest. You do whatever you need to do. Come find me when you’re ready to venture out. And…”

“Yes?”

“You need a new robe.”

He sighed and nodded. Waving at him with a grin, she turned around and headed toward the Village’s entrance, which was its only way in or out. Michael watched her for a few seconds before turning in the direction of his goal.

To the left of the town hall. A wizard.

He should go and meet his possible teacher.