Chapitre 21: First Time

Upon touching the necklace, Archer felt a surge of mana flowing into him, though it posed no cause for concern. He glanced up at the woman, inquiring, "Why is mana coming from this?"

The stall owner smiled in response, meeting his gaze. "I bet your girl will love that; they come in pairs."

She took out a necklace with a green gem and showed him. ''It is said these gems are linked somehow; rumor says they can communicate in dire circumstances; just drop some blood on it and watch it work.''

''How much?'' Archer asked.

''Two gold.'' The woman answered.

Archer took out the coins and handed them over with a big smile. ''Thank you.''

Leaving the stall behind, he headed towards the castle. It was late afternoon, so he waited for the sun to see her.

A few hours later, Archer was having a feast while sitting on a roof across from the castle. He could see guards patrolling the area.

Watching over the grounds as night fell, he couldn't use his hood anymore due to his horns, but that didn't bother him.

He Blinked onto the castle walls as the guard watching that section walked off. Archer sneaks along the wall to reach the courtyard. He has to find a way into the servant's quarters.

Making his way down the stairs, he heard footsteps approaching. Looking around and using Blink again, he appeared further into the courtyard, sneaking towards the servant's area.

Ten minutes later, he arrived at the backside of the castle and spotted the balcony attached to Ella's room.

Archer used Blink to appear on the balcony without any issues. Looking around, I saw it was basic but well-kept, with plants and furniture littering the place.

That's when he noticed the lights in her room were off. Archer sat down and waited, falling asleep on a comfortable chair, but his body may not be tired, but his mind.

***

[Ella's P.O.V]

After finishing her work, Ella was tired, so she returned to her room. 'I wonder how Archer's doing, and it's been nearly three weeks since I've heard from him.'

Ella was thinking about Archer, who she missed dearly. It hadn't been bad since he left, but she had noticed Aldwulf was paying more attention to her.

But she ignored him, not wanting to associate with someone who treated Archer horribly. Walking down the dimly lit hallway, Ella felt the cold touch of the stone floor beneath her feet.

The plain walls, devoid of adornment except for the first wife's personal touches, were clean and unremarkable.

The neglect from the other two wives was evident. Noticing her door drawing near, Ella trudged until she finally reached her room.

Stepping inside, she lit a warm candle as she prepared for bed. But as she passed by the window, something caught her eye in the periphery of her vision.

Pausing in her tracks, Ella approached the window, curiosity compelling her to peer outside.

There, she spotted him, unmistakable yet different. His once familiar form was now adorned with magnificent white horns and scales that trailed along his neck and body.

"It's him," she whispered, her thoughts racing, "but different, transformed into something." She said to herself.

Wondering what had happened to him, she didn't bother thinking about it anymore and rushed out the door.

Approaching the slumbering Archer, Ella carefully examined him. Noticing only a few changes, she observed the emergence of horns on his head and scales on his hands.

His horns were above his ears, curving in different directions before pointing upwards. Ella began to poke the horns on his head gently.

They seemed strong, similar to tough nails, and they felt dry when she touched them. The scales are a beautiful snow-white color.

She wondered what happened to him, and that's when she looked down and saw a pair of cat-like violet eyes looking at her with a smile.

***

[Back to Archer]

He felt the poking as he was sleeping, his eyes opened to see her poking his hand. He just stared at her with a smile on his face.

Ella looked down to see him staring at her, and that's when she turned beet red as she hopped back like a scared rabbit. ''It's good to see you. How have you been?''

She wouldn't look at him and kept looking down. 'So shy Hehe.' He thought to himself.

Archer stepped forward, and she took a step back. He was getting amused at her adorable behavior.

''Why are you so shy? I told you I would come to see you.'' He said in a loving tone.

Looking up at him, she spoke in a caring tone. ''You're late, what's happened to you?''

Archer looked away before answering. ''Well, as you can see, I evolved to level twenty. I got the eyes, scales, horns, and a dramatic improvement of my senses.''

She looked at him before asking with a curious voice. ''I know you were a Dragon-kin? But what are you?''

Scratching his cheek before answering. ''A white dragon.''

Ella's eyes opened before getting an excited look on her face. ''You're a dragon?''

He nodded at her question, and she got happy and smiled. ''I'm happy for you. I knew you weren't useless like everyone else thought.''

Smiling as he heard what she said. They caught up and spoke for hours under the moon's light.

He felt so relaxed that the thoughts that usually plagued his mind were gone. The two of them were sitting there in silence before Ella spoke.''Do you want a drink, Arch?''

Nodding, Ella smiled before standing up to fetch some drinks. She was away for a while, returning with tea that she carefully poured into cups.

As Archer sipped his tea, the memory of the necklaces crossed his mind. He stopped drinking, retrieving them along with a knife.

Slashing his hand, he let the blood flow over the necklaces. Panicking at the sight, Ella rushed over to him, trying to stop him. "Archer, what are you doing?"

He smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'm used to the pain already. Here."

The half-elf looked at the necklace and slowly reached out her hand to grab it. She started looking at it and felt so happy. Only her mother had ever gotten her something. ''Sorry about the blood, Ella.''

Archer explained what he had done. ''Well, I went to buy you something, and the woman behind the stall started her sales pitch, and in the end, I bought them.''

She put it on with a huge smile before lunging forward and hugging Archer while thanking him, which caught him by surprise.

He happily returned the hug, and they lingered in that embrace for a little while. As she lifted her head, her sky-blue eyes locked onto his.

They stared at each other for a while before she pulled him closer and looked into his eyes with a particular look and a smile on her pretty face.

Archer blushed in response to her smile, and as she pulled him closer, she surprised him with a kiss. The sensation was delightful, her lips soft and lavender wafting.

In retrospect, he probably should have seen it coming; the way she looked at him with those sky-blue eyes held a specific promise.

But he was still unprepared for it. They stayed there for an unknown amount of time, arms around each other until she drew away.

Her typically pale cheeks now glowed a bright red, and she smiled sheepishly. Archer felt a surge of happiness; he hadn't anticipated her kissing him.

Knowing her usual shyness, the bold side she revealed was attractive to him, and he spoke with a smile. ''Thank you, Ella.''

She nodded and didn't speak. They both went and sat down. Archer remembered the church of Light and asked if she knew anything. ''Ella, what do you know about the Church Of Light?''

She snapped out of her daze and nodded her head. ''Yeah, Mother taught me about them.''

A look of shock appeared on her face as she remembered something. ''Archer, they will be after you. They hate dragons more than anything.''

''Why?'' He asked with a curious voice.

Ella gazed at him as if he were lost, then recalled his memory loss. "So, the Church of Light harbors a deep hatred for dragons who once ruled the continent thousands of years ago. After the church survivors managed to escape, the dragons retaliated by nearly destroying the church, forcing them into hiding, and vowing to eliminate every dragon that appears."

She drank some tea and then continued. ''The Draconic-human wars kicked off thanks to the influence of the Church Of Light; ever since those times, they have hunted down all dragon-kin.''

They continued speaking late into the night before they went their ways. They had planned to meet up a couple of days later.

After they finished speaking, Ella kissed him again and returned to her room while Archer watched with a smile.

L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS
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Chapitre 22: Off On An Adventure

After Ella left, he was alone on the balcony, looking out across the city as a cold breeze hit his face.

Archer left the castle the same way he came. Once he got back onto the street, he started to look for an inn to spend the night in.

After a brief search, he stumbled upon a charming establishment named The Fading Ghost. Its exterior exuded a warm and inviting aura, appearing snug and unassuming.

Stone and Darkwood beams made up most of the building's outer structure. As he entered the inn through the thick, wooden door.

Archer was welcomed by unique but unknown scents and laughing voices. The bartender was swamped with work but greeted him with a short wave.

It's as charming inside as it is on the outside. Marble pillars support the upper floor, and rows of small candles are attached.

The walls are packed with rows of painted portraits. Archer recognized the bartender in one of the paintings, so the others must be family or previous owners.

He approached the desk to wait for someone to appear when a tall, burly woman walked out and glanced at him before speaking to the bartender. ''Darling, I'll deal with the boy, so don't worry yourself. ''

Archer looked towards the man who was walking away. The woman now turned to him with a smile. ''What do you want with The Fading Ghost Boy?''

He had to crane his neck to look at this giant woman. She must have been over six feet tall, with short, black hair and big, brown, lazy eyes.

Archer replied. ''I want a room for the night.''

The woman nodded as she pulled out a ledger from below the desk, thumbed through it, and stopped at a page before looking back to Archer. ''We have a free room. It's ten silver per night.''

He handed over the coins and took the key she handed over. ''Room thirty-one on the second floor. Thanks for the patronage, young man.''

Archer nodded and departed for his room, walking up the stairs while thinking about how he needed to level up his spells and skills. He decided to work on it on his next quest. That also reminded him to use his sword more for short sword skills.

Quickly locating his room, he turned the doorknob and entered. The room was simple and unadorned, featuring a cozy bed beside a window. Taking a moment to survey his surroundings, Archer settled onto the bed.

Feeling a thirst creeping in, he reached for his water skin and quenched it with a drink. Following this, he decided to make himself more comfortable, shedding his shirt before nestling into the bed.

When he woke up in an unknown bed, he panicked, wondering where he was. That's when he noticed a woman in her twenties lying beside him. Recognizing the smooth, short blonde hair, It was a girl he knew all too well.

However, she had blossomed into a stunning young woman. Quietly, he crept up behind her and tenderly wrapped his arms around her. As he embraced her, wetness caught his attention.

With curiosity, he gently withdrew his hand and sat up to see what it was. Before he could look at the cause, she suddenly sat up, fixing him with a weird expression. Her gaze bore into him, and an aura of mystery hung in the air.

Her sky-blue eyes were lifeless and void of any emotions. That's when he saw blood drip down from her eyes and nose as she mumbled. ''Archer help m-m-me.''

He woke up in a panic, sweat dripping down his face. He got up from the bed and sat on the edge of the bed as he put his head in his hand. The nightmares were driving him mad. 'Now I'm dreaming about Ella. This is getting worse.'

After preparing himself, Archer cast Cleanse to freshen up. Extracting Dwarven flatbread and succulent troll thigh meat, he settled on the bed's edge to enjoy his meal. Completing his repast, he bid farewell to the inn's bartender and ventured out.

His destination was the guild, where he intended to undertake additional quests. Archer stood before the guild ten minutes later, ready to embark on new adventures. After entering, he approached the counter and spoke to the blonde-haired girl behind it. ''Hello, is Sarah working today?''

The girl looked up with blue eyes and saw a handsome little demi-human standing before her. She inwardly thought, smiling at the boy, 'It's a shame he's so young.'

But the receptionist shook her head and spoke. ''Yes, young man, she is working today. Do you want me to get her for you?''

Archer nodded his head, and she went to get her. A few minutes later, she came walking back with Sarah in tow.

Upon seeing him, Sarah's face lit up with a warm smile, and she approached. ''Hello, Archer. We have just finished the paperwork, and for all the bodies you sold to us, you earned ten gold coins for the swamp drakes, three gold for the wild dogs, and thirty gold for the forest wolf corpses. Most of the bodies were in good condition due to the holes.''

She handed him a pouch containing forty-three gold coins. He flung the coin into his item box and thanked Sarah before going to check out the quest boards. Archer walked over to the large boards and started looking.

[Find me some moon grass; it's needed for my potion-making]

[Fifty silver for every one kilogram]

[Hunt the goblins that are terrorizing Glimmershade village in the south]

[Three gold for completion]

[Clear slimes destroying my farm at Oxchill farming village just south of Vassia City]

[One gold for completion]

[Gibberlings have been attacking people on the road to Stonethorn in the south]

[Five gold for completion]

Archer decided to take all four quests and walked back over to the girls. He put the quests on the desk as he spoke. ''I want to take these quests, and once I finish them, I'll only have to complete four more quests to rank up?''

She nodded at his question. ''Give me your guild card so I can register them for you.''

He took out his card and handed it to her. She stamped it four times and returned it to him before saying, with a worried look, ''Archer, the gibberings are tricky beasts to deal with and always in groups. I have no doubt you can deal with them, so just be careful, please.''

Before he could leave, she handed him a pouch and told him he needed it for the moon grass quest. The person who placed the quest left it for the adventurer who takes it up. Smiling when he heard the tone of her voice, Archer said goodbye and left the guild to start.

Storing the quest bag in his Item Box, he walked towards the southern gate. After an hour, he arrived at the Horn family farm.

Archer approached the door and knocked. While waiting for someone to answer, he looked into the distance and saw slimes wobbling around.

He saw loads of them loitering around like homeless people. The door opened, and a young woman answered and introduced herself. ''Hello, I'm Victoria. How can I help you?''

The girl had bright red hair and green eyes, and Archer thought she must be the prettiest girl in this farming village.

''Hey, I'm Archer. I've taken the quest to rid your farm of the slimes. I was letting the owner know I was about to start.''

The girl smiled. ''Okay, I'll tell Father you're here.''

She said goodbye as she closed the door, and Archer completed the quest. He approached the first slime he saw and cast Cosmic Sword.

Archer plunged the blade into the slime, popping it. The slime popped like a water balloon, leaving nothing behind besides the core.

He went from slime to slime, popping them like a kid's party on Earth. After an hour, he popped close to one hundred slimes while storing their cores in his item box. Archer gained a lot of experience from all the kills. He checked his status.

[Experience: 1200/3000]

[Level Up: 23>25]

[SP: 0>4]

[Mana: 3120/3120]

Archer was happy when he realized he had gained two levels. After killing all the slimes, he went to the farmhouse to tell the farmer they were gone. He dispelled the Cosmic Sword and decided to take a brief stroll. Upon his return, he knocked on the door once more.

This time, an older man opened the door, sharing the same distinctive hair and eyes as Victoria. He watched as the man spoke as he stepped out. "Ah, you must be the lad my daughter spoke of. Are the slimes finally taken care of?"

Archer nodded his head and pulled out a few cores from his storage. ''Look.''

The man peered into the boy's hands, discovering three slime cores neatly held between his fingers. A smile formed on his face. "Thank you, young man. I attempted to handle it myself, but they kept coming back."

Archer nodded, left the farming village, and went to the forest to collect some moon grass. He remembered seeing it in a book he had read. It's longer than regular grass and has a shine to it.

Two hours later, he was standing in a clearing. That's when he spotted it on the other side of it. Seeing the clearing was empty and quiet, he made his way to the grass.

As he was halfway to the grass, his senses went mad, and he Blinked away quickly, only to see a wolf standing where he once was.