Chapter One-Hundred and Twenty-One: Meeting the People who can kick my ass.

Drake walked back to the campfire, many eyes following him as he sat back down. Chelsea had finished the morning stew and handed it out to the group.

"So how was your mini date bro?" Bjorn asked, scooping a spoonful of stew into his gullet.

"Wen't ok, we'll find out how great it was in about 9 months," Drake said deadpan.

Drake could hear several forks drop as heads no longer looked at him from the corner of their eyes but instead turned to focus on him.

Bjorn laughed, the others of the group not taking the joke quite so lightheartedly.

"What the fuck do you mean 9 months! I thought you didn't have any interest!" Chelsea spat, raising to her feet.

Megan slightly choked on her food, coughing while hitting her chest lightly. Harley offered her a cup of water as she grinned wryly.

Amir turned his head away, mumbling something under his breath as he decided to continue eating.

Theodore looked with a smile.

"My Lord! Shall thou be siring heirs already!? My what a wondrous day it is!" he shouted before Harley could hit him in the side.

"He's joking love…" she whispered.

Theodore's eyes widened before he slumped slightly.

"This one sees, so there will be no heirs of the great Lord to serve then…"

Drake sighed.

"What is wrong with all of you? Do you think this is some romantic comedy or something?" Drake laughed, sitting down and grabbing his own share of the food.

Remembering to grab a good portion for the black hole that was currently residing in his head. A very loud and dramatic reminder.

"S-so you didn't do anything…?" Chelsea stammered, lowering herself to pick up her spoon.

Drake scoffed, "No, I'm an innocent church-going boy. Never once have I done anything," he chuckled.

"Hey, too far," Bjorn said, nudging him in the left shoulder.

"Sex jokes are fine but that is too far?" Drake asked.

"Hell yeah, bro we know literally anciently described gods are actual things now. Who are you to say the big man upstairs won't actually come down now to come put you on your ass if it tickles his big fancy?" Bjorn laughed half joking.

Drake paused, thinking about it seriously for a moment.

"Well, that is true. From what Natto told me, Dragons, Liches, and a bunch of other things are real as well so he could definitely be real in some form," Drake chuckled taking a scoop from his bowl.

"Tis true? The mystical beasts of legend art not fiction but living breathing monoliths of destruction?!" Theodore asked in glee.

"Well, they technically stand on two legs from what she said, but yeah, breathe fire, super strong, kill you by looking at you, like shiny things. Whole shabang," Drake explained.

"Pup, you might be too used to all this system hub-bubbery but do you realize what ya just said? Them Dragons are real? Doesn't that moisten your leggings?" Hudson said, his brow raised.

"Yeah, of course, it does. But we won't be dying for another 10 years so all good!" Drake said.

Now he had the attention of everyone again.

"Oh right, I haven't told you all this…." Drake chuckled looking around the fire, "Well short of it is when we get out of the tutorial we have like solar system witness protection. Only for 10 years though, then the big baddies can come get us. And from what Natto said, those dragons I mentioned are maybe hosting this thing and will come get what they gave all of us and more in this tutorial."

"Huh… So even the stones?" Bjorn asked, tilting his head, and ruffling his beard in curiosity.

"Yup, even those. Crazy right?" Drake answered.

"Eh. Mine now bro," Bjorn laughed going back to eating.

"How can you two be so calm about this?" Megan asked.

"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots. Just look at my feet," Drake said, shaking his dented boots," See? Shaking."

"Mr. Shot I feel like this is no laughing matter…. Are we going to be alright?" Harley asked.

"I would give us honestly a… thirty percent chance of living after the ten years if I'm being optimistic. Around ten percent if were speaking realistically," he said.

Theodore smiled next to Harley, placing his hand on her lap comfortingly.

"My Lord, what do thou think art our chances of longevity after the said time period?"

Drake smiled back, "One hundred percent, Theo my good man."

"How can you say that?" Megan asked.

"Because I'm here," Drake replied seriously, his smile gone, "I have too many people I care about to just lay down and take it from some old gatekeepers. The system might be cruel, but it's never given me zero chance of survival. If there is even a sliver of hope for us to make it," he said looking around, "Don't any of you worry. I'll grab it."

Drake broke his deadpan expression quickly, going back to eating. The rest of the group mulled over the information he had just given them. But their faces relaxed as they heard his following words. It had been tough, that was certain but Drake had seen them through it all so far.

"You're kinda preachy aren't you bro," Bjorn said, filling another bowl.

"You aren't supposed to talk about it, man. Way to ruin the moment," Drake scoffed.

"Talk about what?" Claire said, walking into the group, and sitting down next to Drake, albeit slightly sheepishly, her hair damp, and her clothes different from when Drake had seen her earlier.

Amir turned scarlet. His mind apparently went wild as whatever fantasy he had in there grew or found the piece that completed the puzzle.

"Morning after shower…Haram…." Amir mumbled.

Drake sipped the broth of the soup, pretending he didn't hear him. Harley and Chelsea seemingly did the same as they had excellent hearing from their classes and stats.

Chelsea was far more interested and invested than Harley as she leaned over lightly bumping shoulders with Drake.

Drake ignored it, continuing to eat.

This is going to be a problem now, isn't it…. He thought.

"Only if you continue to not take one of them. I would certainly say so," Natto laughed.

Thankfully Drake was saved.

Tom had woken up, and him being him, Pushed his way through, sitting right next to Drake, forcing Chelsea to move, her face turning to a deathly scowl.

"Oh, stew again?" Tom sighed.

"What, don't like it?" Drake asked.

"No, all your food is amazing for some reason, but we've been eating it a lot lately," Tom complained.

"That's fair," Drake said, pulling the pot of food back into his inventory.

"What?! No, I didn't mea-"

"You said you were eating too much, so try my new recipe. 'No soup for you' a la mode," Drake smiled.

"But… but.." Tom said, his face crumbling into a frown.

Drake enjoyed teasing the guy, but he was stopped by the approaching group of people who were coming from Shigure's camp.

He dropped the food back down, Tom bowing in thanks. As Bjorn and Drake both left to meet them.

"Good morning Shigure," Bjorn greeted.

"It is nice to see you as well Sir Bear. Shot…." Shigure said reluctantly.

"Watch it. I'm not the one on thin ice kid. Are these the people I asked for?" Drake pointed with his chin.

Looking over the group, Drake was able to see several people of decent level. Some were around level 15, others at level 14, and one individual at 16. They were no match for Bjorn or Drake, but that was not the point.

"Yes, these are several of the people from our camp with formal martial arts or military training. I am also included in this, as I have formal Kendo experience as well as Judo," Shigure explained, fixing his attitude.

"Thank you, but before that. What do you know about the people or ghouls that showed up last night?" Drake asked pointedly.

"I- I am uncertain as to what you mean. We have no one who is of that race and I can assur-"

"Don't want assurances. Especially when I had to snuff four of them last night as they tried to enter our tents. Where's this Adam guy," Drake asked.

Shigure glanced at Bjorn, but Drake redirected him, with a small flex of Aura, chilling Shigure for a moment.

"He… He is within the camp. Apparently, he is sensitive to light at his current rank and doesn't want to exhaust himself after having to come out yesterday. But I am certain he was not the culprit," Shigure offered.

"Ok, I'll bite. Why?"

"Because we have also suffered losses from these attacks. Even Adam's own group has lost people to them when they are out at night."

"Why exactly are they out at- oh vampire, right. Well, that doesn't exonerate him of the act. He is the only vampy we know of. And don't forget you and your little friend stepped on my toes. So I'm going to be nice one last time. If I get a whiff of stinky dead people again. He. Is. Mine," Drake growled, his eyes shifting colors.

"I will…. Pass the message along…"

"Make sure that you do," Drake smiled, then looked past him at the group.

"Alright, hello people I don't know. But you might know me!" Drake said, spreading his arms, "I am in need of someone to kick my ass."

The group began mumbling to each other, some of their eyes widening.

"I know what you all are thinking. 'Oh, how are we supposed to do that to you?' Well, It's going to work like this. I will be lowering my perceived stats to match yours. And yes it works, I tried it a bit yesterday with some trial and error. I will move slightly slower, hit slightly weaker, and no magic. I need to gain experience in martial arts and self-defense because I'm a novice. So who's up to beat the shit out of me?" Drake asked.

The entire group looked on confused doing nothing. Shigure on the other hand shot his arm up excitedly.

Drake laughed and sighed at the same time.

Does Shigure think he's at school or something… He thought.

"Ok, whoever agrees to help me will get a few thousand F-Grade Monster Cores, as well as a Rare Skill Stone of their choice from my inventory," Drake added.

All the hands of the group shot up like he had just offered his weight in gold with a sports car on top.

"Good. Now, who's first?" Drake smiled.