Chapter 4: Chapter 4 - Guardian dog? (Edited)

Gon has walked for a while, but surprisingly, he doesn't meet any monsters. Not long after, a shimmering expanse of water came into view. The lake was a breathtaking shade of crystal blue, unlike anything Gon had ever seen before.

As they approached the lake, Gon's eyes landed on an unusual sight: a dog lounging in the water on its back, much like a human would while relaxing.

Gon turned to Mordred, his expression a mix of curiosity and confusion.

Knowing what Gon's mean, Mordred answered. "That's the guardian of the lake."

The weird creature looks like an enlarged chihuahua with lustrous golden fur. Gon speculates its height only reaches his waist.

Feeling interested in its adorable appearance, Gon took off his clothes and dove into the water, swimming toward it.

As he neared the dog, he couldn't resist pinching its cheeks. The dog blinked its eyes open and, to Gon's surprise, instead of a bark, it responded with a playful, childlike voice, "Woof, what do you think you are doing, boozu?"

Gon's eyes widened, "Wait, aren't you a dog... so you can talk?"

"Woof? Dog? How dare you, puny mortal, label this magnificent 'Qilin' a mere dog?"

It then stood up in the water and started to transform. Its body grew, reaching a daunting 10 meters (32.8 Ft).

Gleaming golden scales sprouted on its legs, and two majestic deer antlers came out from its head. Its fangs elongated, looking deadly and sharp.

Now standing above Gon, it boomed, "Now boozu, why do you come here and disrupt my peace???? Woof!"

Gon was in awe, looking at the chihuahua's dramatic transformation.

But when it ends its words with a "woof, Gon struggles to suppress his laughter

Imagine looking at this majestic creature towering over you but still using the innocent bark of a tiny dog.

Gon could feel his stomach hurling from holding back his laughter. Even though he felt confident in his new strength, he didn't want to risk angering this creature.

"What's the matter? Lost for words, little one? My patience wears thin. Woof!"

That "woof" again! Gon couldn't help himself. He burst into laughter, "hahaha hahaha," tears forming at the corners of his eyes.

Quickly, he tried to calm the situation.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry!" he gasped between the laughter. "It's just that a village magician recently tricked me, and for some reason, It's been making me laugh uncontrollably!"

Qillin's eyes narrowed, sensing a hint of deception in Gon's aura. With a ferocious roar,

"Groaaaaarrrrr!... ! woof!",

"State your purpose for coming here, or I'll turn you to dust, woof!"

Gon wants to laugh again, but he tries hard to control his laughter.

Biting his lips, then taking a deep breath, he said, "We were just passing by, and when we saw this lake, we thought we might check in with the Lady of the Lake, your master."

Qilin's eyes blazed with anger, causing the water beneath to churn.

"Master?!" His paw slapped the water's surface, sending waves that made it hard to stay afloat.

"That Slut! She's nothing more than a maid whom I took in out of pity. Yet she goes around, giving out MY treasures to every Tom, Dick, and Harry that comes her way! Woof!"

Gon struggled to stay afloat, his mind racing. This was not the Arthurian lore he remembered reading. 'How twisted is this story now?' He tough

"If you're looking for her, then do me a favor. Get the items she took from me. Woof! In return, I'll let you have one as a reward. Woof!"

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[Side Quest Alert]

Retrieve the stolen items for Qilin (0/3).

Reward: Choose 1 item from the retrieved goods as your reward.

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"Wait a minute, if I'm getting them back, couldn't I just keep them all? Why would I hand them back for just one?"

Qillin paused, pondering, "What do you desire in return? Woof."

"I want Excalibur, plus one more item of my choosing."

The Qilin looked puzzled, "Woof? Excalibur? I don't have any item by that name."

Hearing Qillin not knowing that name made Gon feel puzzled, but he decided not to ask about it."How about two out of the three items?"

Killin's eyes narrowed, "Woof! Absolutely not. I've already lost too many treasures."

With a mischievous grin, Gon replied, "But if I don't return them, you'll lose them all anyway, won't you?"

"Fine, woof! I'll agree, but make sure you retrieve all the items."

With that, Killin transformed back into its smaller chihuahua and leisurely floated on the water's surface, closing his eyes again.

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Side Quest Accepted.

Return items Lady of the Lake stole from Qillin (0/3)

Reward: Choose two items from the returned goods.

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Congratulations!

You've earned the title: 'Cheapskate'

Cheapskate

: The Thrilling Saga of a Man, His Wallet, and the Extraordinary Lengths He'd Go to Save a Penny.

Effect: None for now. Turn this into a trilogy, and maybe I'll reconsider!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Gon blinked in surprise, mumbling to himself, "Seriously? I'm not a cheapskate! I'm just...economically savvy.!"

[Who are you trying to fool? Just embrace the truth!]

"What truth? It's called being frugal, not wasteful!"

But as he continued to protest, the system remained. Realizing it's useless trying to argue with a non-responsive system, Gon decided to focus on his current situation.

He swam back to the shore, shaking water droplets from his hair...

After he dried his clothes, they continued their journey to Arthur's palace.

Not long after, they come out from the forest. "At last! There it is, Arthur's palace." Mordred said.

Gon paused, blinking in disbelief. He squinted into the distance and quickly removed his glasses. After wiping them carefully with a piece of cloth from his pocket, he put them back on, needing to confirm what he was seeing.

What stood before him was an astonishing and unexpected sight.

Instead of the grand stone fortress or castle he had looked forward to seeing, the structure resembled an ancient Chinese city.

Towering wooden walls stood impressively tall, intricately carved with motifs of dragons and phoenixes. These walls stretch all the way, surrounding the whole city.

Every few meters, there were watchtowers strategically placed, reaching towards the sky.

Their roofs were adorned with upturned eaves, typical of ancient Chinese architecture, and each tower had crimson banners fluttering in the wind, decorated with symbols Gon couldn't see from this distance.