Fight. Level. Survive.

Chapter 54 - Mister Moneybags

“What do you mean she’s dead?!” Aiden shouted.

Not for the first time, Mason wished that there was some sort of Charisma stat that could help with situations like this, one that would allow him to just know the perfect thing to say. But alas, there was no such thing.

“Um, yeah, she kinda turned to dust.” Mason embarrassedly scratched his head, “Sorry ‘bout that.”

He had been in the world almost a month now, after being selected at random and bought here to embark on a quest for a sort of ex-god of chaos who was now a Demon but only a tiny part of a demon… yeah, to be honest, he didn’t really understand either.

He was in a whole new world full of Monsters and Magic and cute Elves. He had been given all sorts of abilities, but sadly none of them allowed him to deal with non-violent confrontations any better.

After a whole ordeal with an ‘Other’, which was sort of an alien the locals had myths about, he had left on a journey with his friend Mayry who had recently found out she was part Demon. They had immediately gotten lost, eaten some KFC from a magical KFC box, and now they were being confronted by another ‘Other’ named Aiden, who was (probably) banging the other ‘Other’ that they had killed a few days prior.

“Ah. shit. I am well and truly fucked now.” The man’s haughty demeanour dropped, replaced with one of worry and fear, but oddly not one of grief. After muttering a few words that Mason couldn’t hear, the man ran his fingers through his hair. Starting to pace back and forth, the man started ranting just loud enough for both Mason and Mayry to hear. “Shit shit shit. Just go and watch the girl, they said! You’ll be fine, They said! At least now I know why the bastards didn’t go themselves!” He suddenly stopped, looked at them both and asked, “Do you know who killed her? Was it one of the cult crazies? The wankers.”

Taken aback by the man’s radical personality change, Mason took a moment to realise he had been asked a question. Before answering, Mason surreptitiously moved his hand behind his back and summoned a dagger from his inventory. “Actually, It was me who killed her.”

Aiden, who had once again started pacing, stopped, and stood dead still. He looked at Mason, saying nothing for a full minute before his lip twitched, which then turned into full-blown hysterical laughter. “You? You killed Gael? Okay, sure, but seriously… it was the Cultists, right?”

Feeling pretty insulted, Mason took a step forward and brought his dagger into view, pointing it threateningly at the man. “No… It was me! I mean, I had some help from… someone, but… Why is that so hard to believe?!”

Aiden frowned, “Oh, you were being serious? No, sure, of course. Are you sure… It’s just, after the last time you fought her, she talked for days about how she beat you so bad that you looked like a panda who had lost a fight to a bottle of ketchup.”

Mason heard a snicker from behind him and turned to see Mayry holding back a smirk and a smile. He turned back to Aiden and sneered at him. “It was not that bad! And I’m far stronger now than I was back then!” Pointing his finger towards the man, he continued, “Don’t miss your girlfriend too much; you’ll be seeing her again as soon as we’re done here.”

“Wait. What? She definitely wasn’t my girlfriend… and you said she was dead. How would I see her if she’s dead?” Aiden said, confused.

Mason had thought that he had sounded pretty cool. He looked back at Mayry, who, for some reason, had her hand against her face. He sighed, “Well, I’m going to kill you now, so I meant you’ll be seeing her because you’ll be dead too. It sounded cool!” He said defensively.

“Oh,” Aiden said. ”About that, I’m not really a fighter… I’m more of what they call a support class, so thanks, but I’m going to pass.”

Mason summoned a ball of pure energy to one, and hand gripped his dagger tightly in the other. “You kidnapped my friend, and your partner tried to kill me twice! There is no possible way in this or any other world I’m going to let you leave!” he growled threateningly.

The ‘Other’ opened his mouth to say something, but instead, he held up a hand and gave a little wave. Not sure what was happening, Mason shot the ball of energy at the man. Just as it was about to hit the man, he grinned and disappeared with a POP!

The ball slammed into the ground, creating a small crater.

“Fuck.” Mason exclaimed.

“What’s the big deal?” Mayry said from behind him. He turned to look at her and saw she had completely reverted back to her human form. The red hue, sharp fangs and extra height had gone as if they had never appeared. “Isn’t it good we avoided another fight with one of them?”

“You don’t understand,” he started to explain. Your father warned me not to let any of them get away. If word gets back to the elites of their world of what I am and what I can do, I’m probably fucked. I need to become far more powerful before that happens. If one of the really powerful ‘Others’ comes looking for me, there’s no way I’d be able to do anything.”

“Ah, that does sound like you're fucked,” Mayry agreed. “But does Aiden even know anything about you? For all he knows, you could just be another ‘Other’ out here for the trial thing.”

Mason considered, “I was dumb enough to tell Gael a bit. I let slip I was from Earth and that I appeared on this planet. Seeing as I’m still alive, I’m thinking she either didn’t understand what was going on or didn’t tell anyone important. But there is no way of knowing what she told Aiden. If he does know anything, the information will probably get back the Ganehrel one way or another unless we kill him.”

Mayry placed a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll just have to find him then. There is only Sparkstown and Trilil anywhere close to here. We’re heading there anyway, I’m sure we’ll find him before anything bad happens.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. Thanks.”

“No worries, now, more importantly, do you have any more of that KFC?”

After another two hours of walking, they could finally see the city of Trilil in the distance, only an hour walk away. With each step, the city drew nearer, its details becoming more easily discernable. The towering spires, bustling streets, and the hint of lively activity within its boundaries beckoned them forward.

As they approached, the sounds of civilisation grew louder, carrying on the wind. The distant hum of voices, the clatter of hooves on cobblestones, and the occasional ringing of bells filled the air. The city definitely had a sense of busyness that the small Town of Sparksford lacked.

As they walked, their conversation turned to their purpose in the city. Mason, curious about their plans, voiced his question to Mayry. “So, apart from finding Aiden, what are we doing here?”

Leaning slightly against a nearby lamppost, Mayry took a moment to collect her thoughts. "Well, Mason," she began, her voice laced with a mix of determination and uncertainty, "I just needed to get away from my father for a bit, but beyond that, I think it's time for us both to take a breather, maybe we could just relax a while and see what the big city has to offer.”

Mason was quiet for a few seconds too long, Mayry noticed and asked, “Is… that okay?”

Mason thought for a few moments longer before saying cautiously, “Yes… I mean, of course, a vacation would be amazing… but I need to get stronger fast. I don’t think now is the time to start taking it easy.”

“Trilil has a huge Hunters Association. You could pick up a few contracts and relax in your downtime. How does that sound? I might even tag along with you, see if I can figure out how to control my Demon side better.”

“That works! Any idea where we’re staying? Or do you want to use the Trunk?” Mason asked.

She, in return, looked disgusted, “Ew, no way, that thing doesn’t have running water, and you always come back from contracts smelling like a Hogfarthen. You’re Mister moneybags, I’ll let you treat me to a nice Inn room.”

Mason stopped walking and opened his mouth in mock outrage, “Oh, you’ll let me, will you? You know, sometimes I think you’re only friends with me for my money.”

“Mason! Don’t say that! I’m obviously your friend for your power, the money is just a nice side benefit… why do you think I invited you?” Mayry replied smoothly before walking off.

“Hey!” He chased after her. “You better be joking!”

They made it to the city gates, and Mason marvelled at the sight. The gates stood twice as tall as the ones surrounding Sparkford. Their intricate stone carvings and ironwork evoked a sense of grandeur and power. Mason couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and apprehension as he took in the bustling streets beyond.

Mayry glanced back at Mason, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Well, come on, Mister Moneybags. Let's not keep the city waiting."

With a grin, Mason quickened his pace to catch up with her. As they entered the city, the vibrant tapestry of sights, sounds, and scents engulfed them. The streets were teeming with people from all walks of life—merchants hawking their wares, street performers captivating the crowd with their skills, and individuals bustling about with a sense of purpose.

The duo wandered through the busy thoroughfares, their eyes darting from one intriguing sight to another. Colourful stalls lined the streets, displaying an array of goods, from sparkling jewellery to exotic fruits Mason had never seen before. The tantalising aroma of street food wafted through the air, tempting their taste buds.

After walking around for a bit, Mason couldn’t contain himself, he ran from street to street just to see all the various denizens of the city. As well as Humans and Elves, he also saw Dwarves, people with cat-like features and tails that swished as they walked. He saw what he thought was a Gnoll, but it was bigger, and its face had a more lupine look as opposed to the canine Gnoll. Mayry, who was chasing after him, explained that these were Wolfmen and that comparing them to their Gnoll cousins was a big no-no unless he wanted a fight.

He saw dozens upon dozens of other beings, but one, in particular, caught his eye. In each street, he always noticed that there were hooded figures that he never seemed to see move. He asked Mayry about them, but she didn’t know what he was talking about, and anytime he went to point one out, they were always gone.

After exploring for an hour, Mayry's eyes lit up as she spotted a bustling ‘Magic Market’ square ahead of them. "Let's check that out!" she exclaimed, tugging at Mason's sleeve.

Mason nodded, his gaze following Mayry's enthusiastic gesture. Together, they navigated their way through the lively crowd, their curiosity guiding them towards the heart of the market.