บท 2: Time to Get Back to Work
Alex contemplated his doing with a mix of dismay and pleasure. His hands shook when he dropped the metal rod on the ground.
"Shit!" He muttered, gasping for air. As he dropped the metal, he watched a red mist leaving the monster's body. Alex took one step behind, and the thick crimson mist followed him. It looked like what came out of an old truck, but it had a powerful aura.
The mist hit Alex's hand, and he watched it healing his wounds on the arms and then his face, the blood vanishing from his pale skin. After a couple of seconds, he felt… awesome. No more pain, no more sore. He felt ready to fight again.
Alex remembered the girl with him in the alley, and when he turned his head to her, another box appeared in front of his eyes. 'Oh, I thought this had ended.'
…
Processing combat information.
…
Analyzing
…
Results:
Strength: Lacking
Endurance: Severely Lacking
Speed: Adequate
Intelligence: Adequate
Magic Power: Lacking
Physical Power: Lacking
Faction Power: Maximized
…
Checking Changes
…
Requirements achieved.
Initializing changes to:
Physical Power.
Endurance
…
Changes complete.
Physical Power upgraded from F0 to F1
Endurance upgraded from F0 to F2
'Interesting,' Alex thought while he analyzed the numbers before him. It was like he was in a video game or RPG. His capabilities were measured in the front of his eyes. Exploring his body, he could see why everything was low in the rates. He was tall and thin in this new life. His arms didn't look to have the strength he posed while defeating the orcish creature.
Most of the words were self-explanatory, but he was most curious about the magic he was supposed to be able to do. Besides that, the fact that his physical power and strength had been upgraded to some degree was also intriguing. He wished to see more of it, but before he could try to discover how to do it, a low voice came from behind him,
"Since when can you do magic?" The girl asked him, her pale features glimmering in the red light.
"Since now, I guess," Alex replied, assessing the situation. The original owner of his body was clearly close to the girl. He hadn't gotten a good look at his face, but if he would bet, he would say they probably related.
He had three options at the moment. Get out of there, tell the girl the truth, or assess the situation while playing the part as long as possible to discover as much as he could. The third option seemed the wisest one.
"I can't see the runes or the token. How did you do that, Valther? Where do you find all this strength?" Knowing the name of the owner's body would make things easier.
"I have no idea." He replied promptly. That wasn't a lie whatsoever. The only thing he knew was that it was related to the messages he was receiving, and from what Alex could deduce, only he could see them. "Let's get out of here before someone appears."
Alex said and started moving. He looked closely at the alley they were in, the building on each side made of orange bricks, like old houses in historical cities. Some levels had windows to the alley; someone could have witnessed the fact, and Alex knew how this could end badly.
He had acted in self-defense, that was true, but having to prove something in a 'new world? No, thank you.' He thought, walking to a corner and looking to the side. The girl walked close to him. The corner led to a street. No one stepped in them. It was probably late in the night already, and from what he could see, the place was a commercial center.
Stores with illuminated blue plates above the doors showed the products at sale. Most sell clothes similar to the ones used on Earth in the Victorian era. Immense dresses and luxurious suits adorned the places. He saw a weapons store, an alchemist guild, a tavern, and a butcher shop with a strange creature displayed. It looked like a dog but with three heads on the top. Alex was both amazed and disgusted with this new place.
"Can we talk about what just happened?" The voice came from behind him.
"Not really. We should find a safe place."
"Let's get back to work, then."
Alex halted and turned, "Of course, lead the way."
She raised her brows, her eyes showing no more tears or despair, and started walking in the same direction he was trailing before. 'Shit, she is not stupid. I need to be careful with what I say.'
Walking behind her, Alex thought about the next steps he needed to take.
1. He needed to find a safe place and see if he could assess these 'system messages' somehow.
2. Alex needed to understand exactly who he was and his relationship with the girl.
3. He needed to understand how the realm/planet worked.
And most importantly:
4. Alex needed to ensure he couldn't be locked up, or worse, for what had happened in the alley.
With these thoughts in mind, they kept walking narrow streets with no movement. After some time, the stores were replaced by what seemed like enormous apartment blocks. Like the ones created to help people in need. The vast blocks occupied entire blocks.
Alex saw a door on the ground between two of these buildings, just like the basement of his first orphanage. The place had scared Alex to the bones when he was a kid. Walking towards a similar one now made him shiver. There were chairs and tables close to the door on the ground. It looked like a place to rest and eat after work.
The girl knocked on the door and waited, looking over her shoulder to Alex, who remained stoic.
"You're acting strange," She whispered.
"Of course I am…" He said, raising his eyebrows and pointing his head to the back, thinking but not saying the following words, 'Of course I am. I just killed a freaking orc, something shit monster'. She halted at the place, her posture straight, showing they were entering a hostile situation. He would need even more attention now.
After a couple of seconds, a smooth voice asked from behind the door.
"Who's there?"
"Tina and Valther. We are here for the late shift." The voice behind the door grunted and opened the door slowly. The face behind it surprised Alex.
The woman was a dark elf. Pointed ears appear above silver hair. She was lean and busty, her eyes as black as her skin and black as the blackest night. The elf wore beautiful black pants and a white shirt with ample cleavage. She had a regal appearance in her posture, and when she spoke, Alex noticed how much she hated having to talk with them.
"You'll lose one coin for being late. Three coins for four ores.."
"But we are just fifteen minutes late," Tina protested, and the elf raised her hand.
"Doesn't matter. Three coins for the day, that's all I can do for you."
"Okay," Tina replied, and the other woman walked to the side and let them pass. Alex followed behind. The stairs lead deep into the ground, and on each wall were blue crystals in small rods. The blue minerals illuminated the place, creating large shadows on the ground and the wall.
After some minutes of walking, they reached a circular room with chairs, tables, notebooks, and several annotations on the walls. A table in the corner had some trinkets above it, resembling the belongings of an office employee. Above it was a plate written.
"Val'Tar - Dungeon Manager"
'Is our work inside a freaking dungeon?' That question posed both fear and excitement upon Alex.
"Both of you are on Section 3 today. There were reports of goblin breaches, so be careful and leave if something happens."
"Of course, there's a breach in our section," Tina muttered behind her breath, and the other woman feigned she hadn't listened to it.
"Do I need to repeat the safety precautions?"
'Yes, please.' Alex thought, but Tina was too fast to say no. Wanting to get rid of the woman as fast as possible. Alex sighed and moved, following Tina closely.
A delicate touch got into his hand. Sliding his arm with long fingernails and pressing it softly at the end.
"You are different today," the elf said, locking gazes with Alex, who tried to remain stoic. 'Is she some kind of wizard and discovered everything?' Alex thought, but to his relief, she continued, "I hope Grarp's threats didn't scare you… he can be vocal, but he's inoffensive. Like a little dragonling." He was far from inoffensive if she talked about the monster he had encountered in the alley.
"I'm just not feeling well today. It will pass." He said, smiling.
"Come see me later, and maybe I can help you." She said, raising her brows. There was something in her demeanor, a distance between her and he that screamed that they never got intimate. Her eyes were full of desire, but it was bait.
"Thank you. I have to work now."
"Of course, of course." She said, losing his hand and smiling promptly. "But be careful out there, okay? I don't want you being killed by these devilish goblins."
"I'll try," he said, smiling and turning his back to the woman, already following Tina, who had not waited for him and was already at the end of the corridor.
"She doesn't give up, does she?"
"Apparently not," he replied and rushed to get close behind Tina. She stopped at the end of the hallway. She tied up her long white hair with fixated eyes on the wall, probably looking at a mirror. Only then did Alex realize she had pointed ears, too.
He walked towards her and looked himself in the mirror. He wasn't able to hide the shock on his face.
'I'm a damn elf!'
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