Back at the inn, the atmosphere was incredibly awkward, Laura sitting on the bed with a heavy blush on her face and Clark resting on the window sill with an expression that looked like he had received enlightenment.
A few more minutes passed by like that before Clark chose to break the silence. With a calm voice he said, "It's not the first time this has happened".
"Mm"
"And we both know it's a mistake". He continued, with his back facing Laura as he stared at the sun with narrowed eyes.
"Mm"
"So how about we move on from this fortunate situation". Clark added
"Mm"
"Could you say something other than 'Mm'?!". He spoke with a slightly exasperated expression as a blush formed on his face.
"Wh–what else do you want me to say?". Laura responded as she covered herself with the white blanket with a wary expression.
'What's with that tender expression?!, I'm not some predator!!'. I screamed inwardly.
"It's not like you haven't kissed me before". I grumbled as I studied a painting hung on the wall with a serious expression.
"Th–that was different!!". Laura responded loudly as her blush went a shade deeper.
"Th–this time, our...tongues....met". She continued as she covered her face that looked like it would produce steam, in the blanket.
I was speechless as I sat on a wooden chair with an unreadable expression.
Yes, yes, so what if I 'mistakenly' slipped in my tongue when we kissed and her soft tongue met mine?, a wise man once said, those who grab every opportunity with both hands will never lose in life, and that was what I did, okay?!
"That was a mistake". I defended with a straight expression.
"Mistake my butt, you're so shameless!!". Laura retorted with her face still buried in the blanket.
'Who says butt nowadays?'. A weird thought crossed my mind and I walked towards Laura and pulled the blanket off her.
"W–what are you doing?". She asked flusteredly.
"We're going hunting to wash this awkwardness with blood". I muttered with a straight face.
"You sound like a barbarian". She muttered under her breath as she floated upwards and fixed her hair.
"I heard that". I said with my eyes twitching in annoyance.
"Oops, teehee". With a light chuckle, she made her way towards the door.
"Hey!, you didn't apo–".
Opening the door, Rose– the receptionist who always had a neutral expression on her face, stood in front of my door with an unreadable expression.
'Lauraaa!!!'. I screamed inwardly at the floating Laura who had a cheeky expression.
'That's for being shameless, hmph!'. Sticking her tongue out, she floated about the corridor.
"G–good morning, Rose, how may I help you?". I asked nervously.
'She's not going to put me in some mental institute right?, I swear I'm going to risk my life with whoever comes to take me away!'. I screamed inwardly as I stared at Rose who still hadn't responded but stared at me with an unreadable expression.
"Hello?". I waved my hand in front of her after a while passed and she still hadn't responded.
"O–oh, uhmm, y–you have a mail". Finally snapping out of her trance, she responded flusteredly as a blush appeared on her face.
"Oh?, why thank you–"
Before I could finish thanking her, she had already sped off and ran into her room which was a few doors down.
Placing the mail on the roundtable close to the door, I asked Laura with a confused expression "What was that about?".
".....Pfft". Laura held her mouth as she tried to stifle her laughter.
"Hey! why are you laughing–".
Trying to step forward, I felt a light tug at the bottom of my feet and looked down slowly, desperately hoping what I suspected happened was just a wrong assumption.
It wasn't.
My trousers were down at my feet and my blue boxers were displayed for the world to see.
"I see....". I muttered lowly as I stared at the ceiling with an unreadable expression.
"Pfft...bwahahahahahahahaha". Laura who couldn't hold in her laughter anymore laughed loudly as tears gathered at the corner of her eyes.
"If I die, I would be reincarnated in another world right?". I asked with an unreadable expression.
"Bwahahahahahaha". Another fit of laughter erupted from Laura as she heard my question.
"Why didn't you tell me anything!!". I asked as I jumped to grab Laura who was mid air.
"It's not like I knew she was there". She answered nonchalantly as she floated even higher.
"Yeah like I'm buying that bull shit". Giving up on catching her, I tightened my trousers as I mumbled something under my breath.
"Don't be a baby and let's go hunting". After having her fill of laughter, she threw her arms around me and suggested with a smile.
Kicking her butt with the heel of my foot, I clicked my tongue as we walked to the entrance of the inn.
Entering the forest once more, we entered the now well furnished tree house and sat on the tree stomps that were placed inside.
"I did a good job didn't I". I asked with a smug smile as I looked at the base of the tree house that was covered with wyvern fur that acted as a rug and the horns of boars that acted as wall ornaments.
Of course Laura would never let me have a win as she commented with a teasing smile on her flawless face, "I killed all of the wyverns and boars, remember?".
"Tsk, who asked you to huh?". Sticking out my tongue, I brought out a map and laid it on the tree stomp table.
"Since I've finished my wyvern mission, let's go hunt some goblins". I circled a spot on the map and placed a finger on a place close to it.
That's right, no fantasy world could exist without goblins, it's like an unwritten rule the universe follows, so obviously I was going to check out some of those green freaks for myself and possibly get some heads for my collection.
"We'll go here first, since the goblins aren't as populated". I analyzed.
Laura floated closer to me and hovered right above my head as her yellow hair tickled my neck.
"Hmm....yeah makes sense since you're a coward n all". She muttered with her fingers under her chin.
"It's called strategy!". I retorted.
"Yeah sure, strategy". Rolling her eyes, she flew out of the tree house, clearly not believing me.
"Hey!, wait up!". I shouted after her as I placed the map in my storage ring.
Making small talk as we made way to our destination, we spotted three figures in the distance with red outfits.
Hiding behind a tree and making sure they didn't see us, I talked to Laura telepathically, 'Hey, Laura do you know who those guys are?'.
'Hmm....their outfits look familiar but I can't seem to remember which organization they come from'.
'Shit, just when I wanted to get some goblin heads for our collection'.
'That's all you, don't lump me in with your freak'. Laura retorted immediately with a repulsed expression.
'Tsk, whatever'. Rolling my eyes, I watched the three people with my skill [Eagle's eye].
'They seem to be transporting what looks like weapons, possibly enchanted grade or higher'. I relayed what I saw to Laura.
'Maybe they're just merchants?' I added.
'Merchants don't wear uniforms since it'll be easier to identify them if they swindle you or something like that'. She responded with narrowed eyes as she inspected them.
'What are we going to do now?'. Taking my eyes off the people, I asked Laura.
'Can't you attack them or something?'. I added.
'No, it's against the rules to attack humans in this world or in any world infact'. She explained.
'That's troublesome'. I placed my hand under my chin as I rested my back on the tree I was hiding.
'Maybe we can–, Clark watch out!!'
*Boom* *Crack*
It all happened too fast before I could react, even with my [Masseuse] and [Calculative] activated, I still couldn't see the attack that was aimed at me till Laura called my attention to it.
My body was launched sideways by what I assumed was a kick to my side and broke through a few trees before falling on a rock.
'Clark!!, are you alright?!!, you have to–'
Laura was saying something to me, but my hearing and probably all my other senses had been overwhelmed with pain, 'I think my ribcage is broken'. I thought inwardly as I coughed a mouthful of blood.
'We shouldn't have gone goblin hunting, huh'. I thought inwardly as I stared at the red figure walking towards me in calm and calculated steps.
'Clark, don't give up!, I'll heal you, so you can escape!'. Laura said frantically as a pleasantly warm energy coursed through my body.
Wiping the blood from my mouth, I rolled sideways and dodged the incoming attack aiming for my head.
"Wait, I'm sure we can come to a compromise!". I shouted as I ran in a zig zag movement and luckily dodged all the long range attacks aimed to end my life.
There was no response as the figure started chasing and slowly caught up to me.
'Shit, Shit, Shit!!'. My heart was beating unbelievably fast as I jumped on a few branches and propelled myself forward with mana imbued in my feet.
'Stop thinking about Shit and find a way to lose this guy before he calls for backup!'. Laura shouted as she relayed a faster path to leave the forest.
'Almost there!!'. Seeing the light at the end of the forest, a smile appeared on my face as I ran even faster.
*Pierce* *Pierce*
'Huh?'
'Nooo!!!!'. Laura shouted with sadness filled in her voice.
'It hurts, my leg isn't moving anymore'. I thought absentmindedly as the floor and my face got increasingly closer.
With a thud, the two arrows that pierced my thighs travelled even deeper, causing an extra amount of pain to course through my body.
"AAAAAAGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!". I screamed loudly as the pain finally registered in my brain.
'No, No, No, not again, why do they always want to take you away from me'. Laura muttered as she held my body with tears gathering in her eyes.
The red figure stood right above me with an emotionless look in his eyes as he raised his golden sword and aimed at my heart.
'Am I going to die like this?'. I thought, as I saw the blade for increasingly closer to my heart as it passed through Laura who had probably put herself in harm's way to save me.
'But I just survived the wyvern hunt though?, I haven't even spent half of a month here and I'm already going to die?'.
I could see my life flash before my eyes – not my past life as before with Oliver, but the time I spent with Laura and Miriam, heck I'm pretty sure I saw the receptionist there too.
'Laura, if you heal me now, will I have any chance of survival'. I asked the weeping Laura with a sad smile.
Shaking her head reluctantly as tears spilled from her eyes, she responded, 'Our thought process moves faster than realtime but your body... can't move at that speed and if I change your body position to dodge your attack,it'll cause an imbalance with the world will'.
'What is she saying?'. I wondered, 'So, I'm really going to die?, where's my plot armor for god's sake?!'.
*Boom* *Boom*
Seconds before the blade connected with my heart, a familiar figure punched the red bastard on his head and sent him flying sideways.
'Ahh Greg, what a perfect example of plot armor you are'. I smiled inwardly as I watched him break the wooden part of the arrow in my thighs with an unreadable expression and told something to his two guards.
The two guards rushing to the location the red clothed person was punched to, I and Greg were left alone with Laura holding my hand tightly as she stared at Greg with gratitude he couldn't see.
"Thanks for saving me". I said with a hoarse voice after coughing up another mouthful of blood.
'What is with me and coughing blood?'. I reflected as I stared at my bloodied hands.
Shaking my head to get rid of the thoughts, I stared at the silent Greg and waited for a response.
"That guy is part of an organization called Crimson blade".
Sitting me on a rock, Greg explained as Laura healed me once more with tears still at the corner of her eyes.
"They were planning to launch an attack on Brinehurst – the town close to this one and we were following them before we lost track of them". He continued
I nodded as I watched my injury heal and the pain subside steadily.
"We were lucky to find them here after hearing an explosion in the surrounding area."
"Yeah, lucky you". I commented wyrly.
'Hey, Laura are you alright?'. I asked while listening to Greg's explanation.
'.....I couldn't protect you again'. She responded after a brief moment of silence.
Looking at her with a solemn expression, I started, 'Hey, look at me, it's not your job to protect me, you're here as a tour guide of some sorts so don't beat yourself up about something as small as this. Understand?'.
'....Yes'. She nodded meekly
"They've been very active this year as it would seem their one hundred year break has come to an end". Snapping back to reality, I listened to Greg who had a solemn look on his face.
'Of course the universe would want to fuck with me by sending me at the time these Crimson freaks are active'.
"By the way, what were you doing here anyway?". He asked as he helped pull me up and walk towards his guards who had the red clothed man on his knees before them.
"Oh, I was planning to go hunt some goblins". I answered nonchalantly.
"We could assist if you wouldn't mind". He asked as we squatted in front of the masked man.
"Sure, the more the merrier". I agreed as my eyes scanned the masked man.
Greg nodded and extended his hand to remove the mask from the face of the man.
"May I?". Holding his hand, I asked Greg who about to remove the mask so I could remove it instead.
His eyebrows raised a little before he nodded and stepped back, 'Ooohhh I've always wanted to do this after watching Scooby all those years ago'. With an excited expression, I cleared my throat to say the legendary line.
"Let's see who this really is!". I said as I yanked off the mask.
"I guess you don't know your lines, huh". I muttered dissapointedly as I stared at the emotionless bald headed man with bruises all over his face.
Greg stepped forward and tapped his index finger on the man's head with his eyes closed as I watched the man's face turn pale gradually, before it burst open like a watermelon.
'Gnarly'. I thought, while distancing myself from the headless man who died without uttering a single word.
Suddenly, Greg's expression changed as he whispered something to his guards and turned to me with urgency written all over his face.
"I apologize, we will have to reschedule, turns out there were two more people and I assume they must've made their way to Brinehurst by now".
Without giving me a chance to respond, Greg flew with his guards right behind him to the direction the two others followed.
"What an exciting day". I muttered as I and Laura went back to our tree house, needless to say, our goblin hunt would have to be postponed to another time.
Just finished writing this at 5 am....I'm tired.
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