As we travelled in a group this time, his other two teammates couldn't help but notice how Noobie kept pace with them as they walked. I'd noticed all their names and health bars.
The first one being Exiled, his health bar being the shortest showed he probably invested in damage. He is a rogue class just from his duo swords and his outfit matching that of a ninja or even a cloaked thief. Ones that I've heard stories of from my father.
The second health bar belonged to Kit, His health bar being the middle and being twice as long as Exiles' made me curious what kind of adventurer he was. Still, it seemed he too had by his waist a long sword sheathed and another great sword on his back.
The last health bar belonged to Noobie; his was the longest of the 3, and his health bar included mine right underneath, which paled in comparison. Perhaps if anything, Noobie is the tank of the group. Probably never invested any knowledge or skills into any evasion or speed.
Wait a second…why is my health bar registered under Noobie, and I CAN SEE HEALTH BARS and names again now!? I paused and looked at both of my hands as the group stopped to stare at me, freaking out. I began noticing icicles forming in my palm while the blizzard kept going on.
"Is she okay?" Exiled asked Noobie with a concerned look.
"She probably isn't used to us," Kit replied with a confident look.
Without saying anything, Noobie sighed, and he summoned the fire sprite familiar once more, this time, commanding the sprite to follow me instead of him. It was warm…warm and gentle, like my mother's hug.
We'd arrive at the village as instructed by the request paper, get it stamped by the mayor, and we were put to work right away, shoveling snow. This wasn't just any snow; this was the worst snow; this was snow WITH HEALTH BARS!!!
We'd begin shoveling with shovels, which weren't doing much. Exiled was tiring himself out more than he was destroying the snow piles. Kit was getting frustrated with the longer routes, as they were demanding work. Then you have Noobie teaching village kids how to make snowmen…with health bars and levels. Wait, snowmen have levels too!?
It wasn't long before Kit came to drag Noobie by the ear to help with the shoveling.
While we shoveled, we talked about how and where the money goes, then Noobie brought up a good point.
"Hey, how come this time I'm able to catch up with you two? Normally, it'd take me weeks or even months just to get to where the quest is." Noobie remarks.
___
Kit and Exiled would look puzzled as well; nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then they noticed something funneling and a wind-like breeze coming from both my feet and Noobie's legs as well. They'd investigate and find out that I was temporarily buffing the Party's agility and speed based on how close they were to my proximity.
Within 10 meters, any party members nearby would feel a wind gust from their legs. Exiled was super excited as he was able to double jump with the buff. Kit wasn't bothered; he kept shoveling. Noobie, for the first time ever, was super happy to just make it to the quest on time before the fight or the chore ended. For the first time, I felt relief that I was "helping" someone.
Once we were done shoveling, each one of them got 6 gold coins. The two remaining 20 coins per house were given to Exiled to hold for guild taxes and such. I couldn't understand it and didn't know it. Noobie took me to the local armory in the village to buy me some clothing.
That's right…I WAS still just wearing the ragged armor and leather and a mixture of equipment and such that was never mine. Noobie would spend his entire paycheck of 2 gold to get me a nice dress and a warm long-sleeve tunic for me, a young adult female elf size. He'd also buy me a copper sword to fend for myself, so I didn't have to rely on stolen gear.
For once, the clothing, the armor, the equipment felt… warm, reminding me of when my sister gave me her old clothes after my mother altered them to my size. To know that it was my own. Then, to top it all off, he bought me a drink. It was an apple drink, red fluid, but it tasted sweet, a little tart, and wonderful. Reminding me of when my father would come back from his hunts and sneakily give me something. I don't recall it all, but it was bitter... and sweet.
After all the shopping, Noobie gave me his remaining income, 3 gold coins, as I held it in my warm knitted gloves. He handed them to me, telling me they were my share.
I stared at the coins as if they were rare treasures that had been passed down to me.
The trio was waiting for me as I had changed into the new outfit, clothing, and gear that were bought for me. They waited patiently while they bantered and made fun of each other.
"Nay, now look what you did, all the kids around the village are going to build snowmen level 1!!" Kit growled.
"I wonder how much HP they'll have." Exile smirks with confidence.
Noobie just smiles proudly, knowing they'll soon have an army of snowmen to defend them from wild monsters.
I'd catch them mid-conversation before Exiled takes out another request.
DELIVERING GROCERIES to the local Noble Man.
Kit groans in frustration, "No monster parts to sell for money."
Exiled sighs but decides to go along with it. Noobie reassures me that mundane jobs are the everyday struggles of adventurers; after all, adventurers need to make a living.
Somehow, when he reassured me, it reminded me of when my father was still alive and how he hunted small game to keep my mother, my sister, and me fed during rough times.
I suppose life is also hard…for them. (flashbacks of the adventurers I've killed in the cavern).
Exiled pats me on the shoulder, "Come, we have a long walk, we're going to have to rely on you to continue to help us tread this horrid weather."
I was stunned; they're relying on me.
I don't know where to go.
"Oh, don't worry!" Kit reaffirmed, "The request paper will start glowing a compass for Noobie since he's your master."
Sure, an arrow glowed up from the request paper, and we were guided to a nobleman's mansion. Thankfully, it's just grocery delivery, and the groceries were packaged as an item already, so Exiled was the one to deliver them to the doorway.
Upon greeting Exiled, who handed the grocery in exchange for the stamp on the request paper to be fulfilled, the nobleman exchanged a disgusted look, suddenly asking Exiled who he was.
When Exiled replied that he was Team Omega, the nobleman's expression changed immediately, and he welcomed us in, asking us to participate in his winter feast, the Christmas Feast.
The feast would go well. Exiled exchanged conversations with the nobleman while Kit had his own plate of food and studied hanging swords and armor like a museum. Then there was Noobie, who was clapping and enjoying the tales sung by the bard and the entertainment.
I stood by the doorway of the huge room, not wanting to interfere with anything, but ostracized by everyone present. Noobie would gesture for me to come and sit with him to enjoy the festivities.
I denied it and shook my hands, saying I didn't want any part of this celebration, then, out of nowhere, Noobie grabbed my hand and passed me the apple drink once more, telling me to drink and sing my heart out with the bards.
I'd drink it and feel happy. I don't believe this was the same drink as before; it wasn't red, and this one was more yellow. I'd sing and dance alongside the bard and the entertainers. Then it was just them listening to me singing in my traditional elven language. I sang the one song I still remember, the song of the "3 heroes who came to save our town".
Those 3…they'd remember the song as each one of them dropped whatever they had in their hands slowly. But they weren't the only ones that were staring; the nobleman stared at me with intent, and it wasn't good intent.
Exiled felt the rush of bad intent and demanded to leave immediately. The nobleman would try to persuade Exile to stay due to the weather. Kit would get the message and follow suit, Noobie who couldn't read the room, agreed with the nobleman until Exile gestured and signaled Noobie, who now understood the room.
The Team would leave without any gifts.
Exiled would lead the front this time; they'd head to the guild Tavern to report the issue. But they'd have to dodge assassins and mercenaries hired by the nobleman to protect me.
Exiled made 4 doppelgangers of each of us and had them go in groups of 3 in different directions to deliberate and stall the pursuers.
True enough to Exile's instincts, we watched from behind a huge boulder covered in snow to see our doppelgangers get murdered as the assassins and mercenaries would follow our doppelgangers to the other groups of doppelgangers.
By the time our pursuers had figured out that the doppelgangers were decoys, we were already at the guild Tavern, and it was late. Very well, late the next morning, we rang the guild receptionist's desk. A very tired Guild receptionist greeted us, still in her pajamas.
It was very unsettling. She woke up immediately upon seeing Exiled, Kit, Noobie, and me. She knew something was up. Team Omega never interrupts any midnight quest unless something goes wrong.
And this time something did.