Chapter 60: Sharing Some Treasures With Friends
"Eight days." instead Zoe answered.
"What!?" confirming it was painful. He looked at Cush to see if they and Lucy were playing a prank on him. Reality was a bitch. "We need to leave here fast." Ben still struggled to stand.
"Ben you are not fit for traveling." Evelyn who was behind said in a soft voice.
"I'll never make it in time." Ben mumbled to himself. Falling back to the bed because of his weak body and Cush stopping him. Right now he had a taste of what it means to be powerless.
"What do you mean?" Cush asked confused carefully laying him back down.
"Nah just forget about it." Ben knew there was nothing he could do since he'll clearly won't be able to make it back on time.
A few hours of silence as the group settled down, Ben used this time to calm his mind. He started circulating the power of his Universal Plane to aid him to hasten his healing. With a flip of his hand wearing his jet black ring he took out a few herbs. Sitting up calmly with Cush's help he took the herbs and munched on them and drank a potion. "So, what luck and fortune did you all get in the Badlands?" asked Ben breaking the silence.
Any fortune gotten outside a set mission would be something you keep to yourself, unless it was already seen by everyone. You wouldn't as much as tell any other person about it. The three were a bit reluctant at first, but after they gave it a thought, they felt they've garnered enough trust from each other. Well maybe except Cush.
Zoe was the first you react since it would be nice to compare and maybe even trade amongst themselves.
"I saw a lot of ancient elven vases that was long lost, and also beautiful linens and lots of jewelry. It's just that I couldn't fit everything I saw they were just too good to be left behind. But it couldn't be helped." Zoe started happily but ended in regret, well she was good at covering it up immediately.
"I got to they m the weaponry store and saw lots of powerful weapons some were even legendary to be left behind. I saw lots of big knight swords which I definitely took. Even a barbarian manifestation double-head sledge-axe. Do you have any idea what I could accomplish with this as my weapon?" Cush exclaimed excitedly and like Zoe regretted not taking a little more with the same space problem.
Once Cush was done with his gains they all expected Evelyn to continue the chain, but after a while nothing came.
"Evelyn, didn't you get anything in the Badlands?" asked Zoe.
"I... I actually never intended to go to the Badlands in search of treasures. Because I had an unstable spell model, I thought I could use this mission to... to end my misery, until Ben... Since I didn't have to continue with my previous plan, I really didn't have anything to look for as what Ben gave me was better than any Treasure I decided to roam about and found myself in some kind of laboratory; There were so many note books about potions scattered all over the place. I picked a few and felt they might be exchanged for a good amount of elemental crystals when I get back to my Magic School." she spoke slowly as she retrieved six set of notebooks. They weren't in the fashion of the present books Ben had seen in his father's library, but the really old ones. He was warned to never go near those books when he was still a little boy.
"Elemental crystals!? Evelyn, do you know what these books are worth? An entire S wizard school can decide to go bankrupt for any one of these books. And you're asking for elemental crystals. You have to be ready to make sure to keep them safe or not get exposed." Zoe blurted out as soon as she heard Evelyn dating she wouldn't need them. She knew even the elves would spend fortunes to get one.
"Evelyn, you are really lucky to get such an ancient record in alchemy. At the same time very unfortunate and dangerous. You have to keep them safe at all times." Ben said with a sigh. He too got some ancient records.
"Uhm, Ben, I actually want to give you these books as a sign of thanks to you for saving my life three time while risking yours twice. I really don't know how to thank you enough, unless..."
"Oh,don't worry, we are in the same team and I can say you are my friend, so why are you saying this. Besides, what are friends for?" Ben interrupted her before she could finish with a wave of of his hands. "How about this, I would like you to use these alchemy books and become the best alchemist in these glorious lands. I also want your name to be heard all over the world, how's that for thanks?" Ben told her to kill any idea of selling these books for any amount of wealth in the world.
"Thank you Ben." Evelyn stood up and crossed her hands over her chest like an X and bowed.
"That's a wizard bow." Zoe whispered when she saw his confusion.
"So what did you get?" Evelyn asked Ben after putting the books away.
"Well, I got this strange black rock and I had to fight a demon girl that was completely naked, she was very beautiful at first, really nice curves, large... oh sorry," Ben had to shut up when everyone was glaring at him, he scratched his head before continuing. "right, where was I? Ah, a few jewelries." he brought out three pouches, two were storage pouch he found in the treasures vault, they were about the same they had. "and many other stuff, anyway I brought some for you guys though." he knew they would reject it so instead he threw out at them. He threw the pouch Zoe had given him in the beginning of the journey back to her.
"You don't have to return it, you can have it." she says, rejecting the pouch.
"Well, the thing is, I couldn't find another storage pouch to put the things I brought for you in, so I could only use yours. Have a look." he said refusing to receive it back.
"Mother nature!"
"Nict's beard, take me!"
"Og, strike me!"
They all exclaimed when they saw inside the storage pouch. Their eyes were so round it was like it would fall at any moment if care wasn't taken. According to what the others said, Ben knew what he saw was where the real treasure was and every other thing found outside that vault weren't important at all to the eyes of the inhabitants of the Badlands. That's why he chose to share a bit of his wealth with his friends.
"Haha! Why would you want the Lightning God to strike you Evelyn?" Ben laughed.
"Ben, this is too much. We possibly take it, you've saved our lives a lot, yet, we haven't given you anything. How do you expect us to receive these things?" Cush outrightly rejected the gift. Even Evelyn and Zoe were all having conflicted emotions.
"Guys, come on. WE ARE FRIENDS! for crying out loud, we might not see each other in the future. So just use it as a reminder of going to one of the most dangerous missions amongst the top ten S Rank missions in all of the continent with friends of yours." Ben dramatically expressed every single thing he was saying.
"Then I will accept your gift Ben." Cush solemnly said.
The group showed the treasures Ben had given them. Zoe was very pleased with the ancient elven bow. She wasn't strong enough to pull the string of the bow to bring out its full power.
Cush got a sword from a very powerful elemental swordsman from back in the days. It could be clearly seen that it has shed so much blood.
Evelyn was stumped to see so many elemental crystals and a black curves dagger. She even saw two books on alchemy that were more advanced than the ones she had. She looked up at Ben when she saw it without taking them out, when she saw Ben signaling her not to take it out.
Ben was still hurt since the Consumable Lotion wasn't able to heal his punctured shoulder. The metal pole made a gaping hole through his shoulder completely. That night they all slept while taking turns to watch guard except Ben. Ben, when in his tent used the opportunity to recover as quickly as possible.
Weekly Power Status
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