Chương 124: Chapter One-Hundred and Twenty: New Day, New Questions.
Drake sat in front of a cauldron stirring a pot of food as he looked off into the distance thinking.
"So the agenda today is…." he sighed, "Well nothing in particular if Shigure doesn't come through. And after yesterday I don't think it would be a good idea to just barge into his camp demanding what I wanted either."
"Less talking, more stirring!" Natto yelled from inside his head.
"Yes, yes your gluttonous majesty," Drake yawned with a wave of his free hand, then looked to his side, seeing a drooling Sherry, "How is it I ended up with two of the same people in a tutorial that is made for only five thousand, when the world has billions of people? Does this system hate me?"
"Everyone hates you, it is the only reason you are special, you ape," Natto laughed.
Drake got up, placing the pot into his inventory. Sherry gasped before she devolved into a banshee-like wail.
"I was only jesting! Yes, only a joke!" Natto screamed.
Drake sat back down taking out the cauldron and casually started stirring once more, as he used his other hand to practice his aim with his spells along with some of his other skills that were falling behind.
He chanted skill after skill whenever it came off cooldown, his body flashing green while his arms stayed a solid red as they were encased in his Martial skill.
Drake assumed today would be a solid resting day of training and upping his skills but trouble soon found him in more form than one.
"And I'm telling you! You should not lower yourself to trying to sneak into a man's tent at night! It is disgusting behavior, Chels!" Megan snapped as she yelled.
Drake looked out from the corner of his eye, still sitting down as he lazily stirred the food. He could make out that Chelsea was tired from hearing the same thing, apparent from her eyes rolling.
"Meg, I'm not lowering myself to do anything… You think I do that just for any guy? I messed up with Drake and now I have to put in that extra effort!" she said, giving a small arm pump.
Drake chuckled as silently as he could, amazed she was still so gung ho about him.
It really is about just not showing any interest huh? Who knew Timmy Turner's bus episode would come in so handy? Drake laughed internally.
"I do not believe that is the full extent of what is going on here, Drake," Natto scoffed.
You're right, it must just be my massively good looks, and being an overall impeccable male specimen of the human race. Drake fired back jokingly.
"The only example of species you are the ideal for is the one that drags knuckles and hoots in the jungle, eating ants with sticks," Natto laughed.
That is an oddly specific insult… Also, Silverback Gorillas are majestic. I thought we went over this?
Natto ignored Drake as the conversation died down for him and for the pair joining them.
"Well, sleep alright you two? Surprised Megan decided to join us out here in roughing it," Drake grinned sarcastically.
"She decided to come after some things… and apparently seeing you fight Bear put the last nail in the coffin about that. Right now she's bunking with Jacky, Julia, and I," Chelsea said as she sat down next to Drake.
"Oh…." Drake said, wiggling his eyebrows, "Sounds like a gay old time."
Chelsea frowned as Megan growled back.
"Take a joke," Drake laughed, but slipped in his question after, "So what was the reason? Does it have to do with the people well er- things we found yesterday night?"
"It does," Megan sighed, stretching her arms above her head, "There are some problems here that are apparently an open secret."
Drake stopped his stirring for a moment to focus on Megan, the sounds of footsteps coming up behind him.
"What kind of secret?" Drake asked seriously.
Megan pulled back slightly adjusting herself from her stretch.
"The kind where people go missing on hunts for monsters, then start to show back up during the night for a few days," Megan explained.
"That doesn't sound like too much of a problem? Couldn't they just have gotten lost fighting monsters, then just made their way back a few days later?" Drake offered.
"Well, the problem is they changed when they came back. Small things at first, they are paler, don't eat, don't go out in the daytime. But then it gets worse and more weird, they don't respond to healing magic, then after a few days they disappear again," Megan said.
"Ok, maybe my vampire theory isn't so crazy now…" Drake thought aloud.
"Vampires? Are we talking like 1900's Dracula, or 2000s Edward?" Bjorn said, thumping down on the other side of Drake, Hudson, Amir, Theodore, and Harley finding chairs.
"I'm thinking Big ooga booga scary vamps from like games and fantasy fiction. There aren't any in the tutorial though I thought?" Drake asked.
"There are no monster Vampires that we have seen no. But that does not rule out they could have recently appeared or we have a variant that someone has changed into," Natto interjected.
"Oh, there is one that I know of," Bjorn said, pulling a canteen of something sweet smelling from his inventory.
The group's eyes landed on him waiting for an explanation for the bomb he had just dropped, but he seemed to willingly ignore them or just not notice as he took a long swig of his canteen. Several seconds passed as they all waited, Bjorn finally letting go of the container with a satisfied gasp.
"Yeah, I hate the guy but you probably saw him yesterday, Adam, pale scraggly guy. He's a 'Strigoi Viu" if I'm not wrong," Bjorn explained.
"And he's still alive, why?" Chelsea asked.
"Well honestly," Bjorn sighed, looking down into the fire of the pit, "He shouldn't be. I tried to kill him once I saw his race," Bjorn said tapping on his eyes, "It should be alright to say since you're all with Shot. My perception skill is very useful, and can see past alias and reveal more information than the standard identification."
Drake gasped, covering his body.
"Pervert," he said in faux disgust, "That explains some things then. That's probably why you think you could have won in that fight, you got better raw stats than I have huh?"
Bjorn chuckled.
"Yeah, that's part of it, I told you though bro, I also have two legendary skills, and honestly they're pretty bangin'," Bjorn laughed then became serious, "But Adam hasn't really been a problem, at least not how you would think. He's a good fighter, he specializes in plague magic and curse magic, I haven't exactly figured out the difference, all I know is it's nasty and it's hard to deal with."
"That does seem like a problem," Drake thought, "So that's why you didn't or couldn't kill him?" Drake asked.
Bjorn shook his head, "No, I can kill him. He's a mage type," then he looked up back to Drake, "A real, normal, ordinary mage type. The problem is Shigure needed him to help with the goblins. Even with Shigure and myself, there were a lot of goblins, man. And his magic allows him to section off most of the forest if he wants. So I had to stop because Shigure physically won't let me."
"Art thou implying he can barrier thou from slaying him?" Theodore asked, his face showing disbelief.
"Not exactly. Adam was one of Shigure's first team members and now he follows him around all over the place. So when I tried, he just stood in front of Adam each time. I can't very well kill the kid for not wanting me to kill Adam, so I gave up. And Adam hasn't been a nuisance with anything I've seen. Those missing people you are talking about could be him. But I have no evidence to back it up. Adam has always stayed within the walls of the camp. And before Shot asks about doubles and illusions, yes I'm sure it's actually him, my skill can see through that stuff, and I know he only changed races because of an item, it wasn't a stone. Or at least that's what Shigure has told me. If he's lying then I've been played, but I doubt it."
"Well," Drake said, finally getting back to his pot and beginning to stir again, "As long as he stays out of our shit, it's not our business. That's Shigure's problem until they want to make it mine. But just to make sure, everyone stays in pairs and finds a buddy. Speaking of which, where are Tom, Jacqueline, Julia, and Claire?"
Chelsea raised her hand from her seat on the ground next to Drake, "Jacky is still sleeping in the tent with Julia, they both like to sleep in, Tom I have no clue though."
"Ok, anyone seen Tom? Claire?" Drake asked again.
"Tom is back in my tent, guy couldn't find anyone to bunk with, so had to let the idjit spend it in mine. Either that or I had to hear him cry like some lost puppy outside it all damned night," Hudson chimed in, his arms crossed, "Think the poor bastard is still sleeping in there, but he should be fine, set up some of the little guys back there since we had those wacko visitors last night. There is the big un' in there as well, so they're welcomed to try to get him."
Drake nodded, "Then I'll go check for Claire, Chelsea would you mind taking over for the food?"
"Yeah no problem, I don't mind," Chelsea replied, scooting over a bit so she could grab the ladle.
"I'll be right back then," Drake waved, walking to the back end of their small camp, "Why didn't she just bunk up with Sherry…." Drake sighed.
A few moments later, Drake stretched out his Aura and saw that someone was still in her tent which he assumed was her.
Getting to the edge of the tent entrance, he stopped.
"Do I knock? There isn't exactly a doorbell… Ah, I know!" Drake smiled, flexing his aura, thankful he had done more practice through the night.
A second later he heard a yelp and the crashing of some metal objects. Another several seconds he saw a blonde woman come to the tent entrance, her staff ready and blonde shoulder-length hair a mess, blue eyes staring at him in fear.
Drake stood there smiling back, her face relaxing slowly, then scrunching in anger.
"Do you have to do that!? I swear I almost died of fright!" Claire huffed.
"Well, I didn't want to go into your tent without asking," Drake said honestly, "And screaming at the top of my lungs felt inappropriate."
"So you decided to scare me to death instead? I thought we were being attacked again!"
Drake winced feeling awful for having forgotten that she may still have issues with what happened to her.
"Would you forgive me if I said I just didn't want to ruin my singing voice by screaming?" Drake said, cringing back slightly.
"Fuck you. Next time just come in and wake me up," Claire said flatly, folding her arms as she blew a strand of hair out of her face.
"Excuse me?"
"I meant what I said, you're welcome to come in and wake me. I trust you," Claire reiterated.
"Nah no thanks, not interested," Drake replied.
"Not like that!" Claire said, in a rage, but quickly deflated as she looked at her feet, the mood changing drastically now that they were alone, "I mean, I wouldn't mind… but you just don't…. I mean…. Is it because I'm dirty…?"
Drake recoiled, honestly shaken by the question.
"What? Of course not. I'm just not interested in anyone right now, I told you that," he explained.
"That just means I'm not good enough then! Right?! What is it then, why am I not good enough for you!?"
Drake looked back at Claire, his mind trying to untangle how she could even ask that question. He had told her exactly why already.
"It isn't you, it's me," Drake said, then slapped himself as the words exited his mouth, "I can't believe I said that, but it is. Look, I'm just not ready right now, especially after everything that's happened to me. I'm just not looking for anything. Maybe after the tutorial when everything settles down."
"Drake, it will never settle down," Natto said, muscling her way into the conversation for a moment.
Yeah, but she doesn't know that. Drake thought.
He could feel Natto shake her head but she went back to being silent.
"Then," Claire said looking upwards, "When I find you after the tutorial, will you take me then…?" she asked with pouting lips and puppy dog eyes.
Drake sighed, "I'll think about it."
"Yay!," Claire said, more animated than ever, "Then it's a promise!" she added, sticking out her pinky.
Drake laughed and met her hand with his own, but when they met she tried to pull him in, her face coming inches from him.
But Drake was ready for it, his reaction speed too fast for her as a priest-based class. And after his many battles, his instincts took over as he pulled her in past him, and flipped her on her ass.
She fell forward after being somersaulted with a yelp and thump on the ground, her face pointed towards the blue sky, in a long exhale.
Drake turned around and looked down.
"You really thought that was going to work?" Drake smiled.
"You're an asshole.." Claire whined.
"You're the one who tried to assault me, but I'm the dick?" Drake laughed, helping her up.
"I was shooting my shot!" Claire argued.
Drake scoffed but pulled her into his arms giving her a soft embrace of a hug. Their height difference allowed him to rest his head on hers.
"I'm proud you've come so far from where you were. You still need to tell me about your brother sometime though," Drake said softly.
Claire was surprised by the embrace and shrank in his arms, just nodding.
"Also sorry for scaring you," Drake laughed, "My bad Claire."
Drake gave her a pat then let her go after a moment, walking back to the fireplace.
A loud tongue-click sounded in Drake's head.
"Damn it… I might be losing this bet…." Natto cursed, Drake chuckling lightly, as he put his hands behind his head.
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