Chapter 176: Finally some realaxation

"So, uhhhh. What's your take on pizza there?"

"Pizza? The hell are you talking about, it's the apocalypse there isn't any more pizza. Come on, we're supposed to be watching the entrance in case any monsters show up."

"I know, I know. Just humor me. I swear to god, a pizza can't be eaten unless you have some nice fucking wings ya know?"

"Man, you're making me hungry. I could go for some wings, and ranch dip…"

"RANCH DIP? The fuck are you? Some kind of animal?! I should put you in the trunk and drive you into the desert! Fucking Ranch sauce!"

"What? I like ranch dip! I'm not a fan of blue cheese."

"Blue cheese or fuck ya motha!"

"Fine, whatever. Blue cheese with the wings. But I was just thinking with ya know the early monsters. How did you get by?"

"What? You calling me fat?"

"Joey… I'm not calling you athletic, that's for sure. Are you really going to those jujitsu classes?"

"Of course I am! Haven't missed a session."

"Ok, sure. But back to what I was saying. Jamie can you pull up the screen- fuck Jamie didn't make it now that I think about it- Anyway, you heard those apes right? They sounded just like I said on the show didn't they?"

The two guards idle talked outside of the entrance that Drake had made. The sun was still coming down for the day and there was plenty of daylight for them to relax for now.

They were so relaxed that they didn't notice Drake walking up behind them.

He poked his head in between the pair, "Hey guys. Watchya talkin' about?"

The pair spooked and nearly jumped out of their armor.

"Ah! Who the fuck is this guy!"

"Oh it's that dude Shigure was talking to," the guard said, bringing his voice down to a whisper, "You know. The one that can kill us all with his pinky toe…"

Drake's eye twitched slightly, "Man, I can hear you still…" he sighed, "I'm not going to do that. But if you keep talking about ranch dressing, I might."

The pair nodded, but Drake could tell they were still weary of him. He didn't exactly want to get back to the camp in a rush, wanting to spend some time away from the rest of the group. So Drake took a seat next to them, making a stool out of earth.

Drake pulled a deck of cards from his inventory and waved them in front of himself.

"You guys know the Tyrant of the Forest?" Drake asked.

Both of the men's eyes sparkled, "Yeah, we know it. We betting?"

"Only if you want to lose," Drake grinned, moving his mask.

"Hey… You're actually pretty human under there aren't ya? Always thought you'd have some kind of monster face or somethin'."

"No still… Well, not human, human-like," Drake laughed wryly, "Alright, I'll even give you guys a handicap, I'll take turn three."

"Oh confident huh…. You ain't ganna snuff us if you lose right?" one of them asked sitting down.

"Of course not…." Drake smiled.

Both of the guards looked at him suspiciously but pulled cards from their inventory.

—--------------

"Have you found the forest that Shot spoke of yet?" Shigure asked.

"No Lord Shigure, the hive is incredibly large. It may take days at this rate."

Shigure sighed, "What about you Uta?"

In a flash of smoke, Uta appeared kneeling.

"I have had no such luck as well my Lord. As they have said, the hive is vast. I hate to admit it but should we not ask that man for his help in finding it?"

Shigure grimaced but admitted they needed to get the food as fast as possible.

"Fine. I'll return to the surface. Continue searching, I will be back as fast as I can."

Shigure turned, backtracking through the tunnels, as Uta disappeared once again doing her own reconnaissance.

"I feel that I am becoming far too comfortable with asking that man for assistance… I'm sure his amicable cooperation will run out sooner or later, or he will ask for something in return soon enough."

He sprinted through the tunnels, following the trail of torches that his group had left to track their way through the maze of tunnels. It was a boon that he was traveling alone, his stats allowing him to cover the distance in a fraction of the time it took for them to explore downward.

Within an hour he had reached the exit, coming out into a more dimly lit surface, the sun falling behind the treeline.

"It's already this late?" Shigure mumbled, scanning the surroundings of the guards he had left to watch the entrance.

"What! How do you even have that card! My last three turns are useless now! That's fucking insane!"

Shigure turned to the noise, seeing a table lit by hovering lightning and white fire. One of the guards he placed throwing his hands up.

"Ha! I didn't trade that many weapons back at the outpost for nothing! Fear my power! Fear the Dazzling Tyrant!" Drake shouted.

"Wait, doesn't that picture look a little like you…?" the other said leaning down to look at the card, "Wait this is a fucking holographic! There's less than ten of these things in the tutorial!"

Drake pushed the guard backward, "Yeah and that's why you need to keep your grubby hands off it! Don't even breathe on it, you'll get it dirty!"

Shigure placed his head in his hand, sighing. Then moved over to the group.

"What are you three doing… And Shot, I expected you would have gone back to the outpost by now, what are you still doing here… Playing games no less…"

Drake turned around and waved to Shigure, a ball of lightning moving over to illuminate his face.

"Oh, just ya know chillin'. Needed some relaxation for a bit. By the way, what's your take on blue cheese on wings?"

"Hey! I thought we were over this… Let it die, dude."

"Blue cheese or fuck ya motha!"

"Well?" Drake asked, smiling at Shigure.

"What is blue cheese…?" Shigure asked.

All three gasped in unison.

Shigure shook his head, "Never mind your games, I need your assistance again to find the chamber you spoke of. We are having trouble locating it."

"What.. I gave you the map didn't I?" Drake replied confused.

"Many of the tunnels have collapsed for one reason or another. The map is useless to us."

Drake cleaned up his cards and grumbled, "Alright, I'll come down then."

"You will?" Shigure asked surprised.

"Yup, I will," Drake answered.

I need to burn some time anyway. I can only imagine how mad Claire is that I skipped out and have been gone a few days already… Drake thought keeping his picturesque smile.

"F-Fine…. Then let us be going quickly," Shigure said tersely.

Drake put a hand to his head saluting, "Yes cap-i-tan!" turning back to the two guards, "It was fun while it lasted guys. And no I've never played Quake, I'm not that old…"

He smiled one last time, scooping up his winnings and his priceless cards into his inventory before following Shigure down the deep dark hole.

—---

"So," Drake said breaking the silence after the first few minutes, "Since we have time, what's your plans after the tutorial? We are making an alliance for the summits, but I assume we will be worlds apart, so I won't be of much help early on if at all. I doubt there are any planes that will still be working. Not to mention what if there are flying monsters? Don't really want to deal with that inside a metal tube…."

Shigure slowed down his pace, looking over his shoulder.

"I plan to do what I have always planned. My parents expected much from me ever since I was a boy. It is my job to carry on the Kenzo legacy. Now more than ever. I will most likely establish one of these system-sanctioned towns that have been mentioned and go from there," he paused looking down for a moment, "Although I hate to admit it, the burden of being placed in charge recently has helped me grow greatly… Thank you for that."

Drake whistled, "Wow, two thank yous in a few days? Are you sure you are really Shigure and not some body snatcher?"

"I am being grateful! Can you not just accept it!?"

"Of course I can, but it would never be fun if I didn't tease you a bit. Lighten up!" Drake said, putting his arm around the disgruntled Shigure, "Look, you've grown a lot somehow. I'd like to take credit but, it was all you. Don't go ruining it by saying thank you to someone you don't like. Makes me all itchy. You might be a disrespectful little brat, but it works for you for now."

Drake let go, moving the subject forward.

"Then, once this is all over our first goal is what we already have planned. Make a town. Then find a way to communicate before the summits. Whenever that will be," Drake said, crossing his arms, "I don't know what's ahead, but I won't be happy if you somehow croak before them. So I'll be beating your ass this time around till we are out of the tutorial!"

Shigure brushed his shoulder off, "I can do without you telling me to do what I am already going to be doing," he said, finally giving a snide smirk, "And since you have become so strong, you will not be opposed to me going all out during our sparing will you?"

Drake gave a smirk back and chuckled.

"No problem there. Remember you're pretty weak. Number 3," Drake laughed again.

Drake continued to laugh as he passed Shigure, who was grinding his teeth together as his hand went for his sword.

"Don't be so stiff, we just had a good rival moment! Come on, this way. I can feel the mana in the air, and someone ahead so we must be close to your people. Let's get this food. I need to take my licks from the missus."

After a few brief minutes, Shigure and Drake came upon the group Shigure had left. One of them held a map and a torch to the collapsed tunnel.

"Ah Lord Shigure, you've returned. It seems we've reached another dead end."

"So you have," Drake said, talking over Shigure.

Without waiting for the argument to start Drake walked up to the collapsed tunnel. Placing his hand on the rubble like he had before above. His hand glowed with a vibrant orange hue, as each finger held a magic circle on the end of them before beads of magma inserted themselves into the dirt.

"Alright, give me some room, it's going to get smoky in here. Any mage that can use wind magic is free to aerate the place with me."

Drake lifted his other hand, a green-tinted magic circle forming as a gust of wind began sucking up the smoke from the smoldering rubble, forming a twister of gray clouds that spun past the crowd of people behind him.

He made sure to reinforce the wall with more earth as he went, managing seven different magic circles easily. Even before his new skills, the task would be trivial, but now it was second nature and his mana could keep up.

Drake quickly burrowed through the rubble coming out the other side, hearing oohs and awes behind him.

"Alright, where to next?"