Departure [2]

"Hmm!? Sure, why not!?" Kobi smiled and jumped from the wooden bed.

"I am pretty curious about your job as well!" Kobi smirked, stretching his arms lazily.

"Hahaha! It's nothing but a measly thing, why're you so curious?" Reka started walking outside.

"Hmm! I like the old stories of this little place." Kobi answered honestly.

"Old stories?" Reka's thoughts drifted off, before her feet halted and she stared at Kobi.

"Oh! I see..." She nodded and kept walking silently.

Kobi feeling the sudden suffocation in the air, tried to change the topic, "I... I will leave today!"

"Huh?" Reka halted and glanced back at him, her eyes trembled as she sized him up, "Oh!" After a nod, she kept walking.

"Tch! Look at you, so happy at a good child like me leaving." Kobi snorted and folded his hands.

Reka chuckled lightly, not looking back.

Hearing the forced laugh, Kobi's eyes widened slightly, 'Oh! So it's actually the opposite?'

Kobi smiled slightly, "Don't forget me in your joy, I might just come back and help you etch my memory in your brain."

"Hahaha! That's a bit difficult, surely you liked this rundown village so much that you would want to leave the comfort of the city." Reka peeked at him from the corner of her eyes, "Same for me though, it's a real hassle dealing with you."

"Hoo?" Kobi raised a brow, "Then I will just have to come back and pound myself into you."

Reka giggled, "I doubt it!"

Seeing the forest being swallowed by the ground behind him and the village turning into a dot, Kobi sighed as the grass grew bigger with every step he took.

"This is quite far from the village!"

Reka just shook her head with a wry smile.

"Hey! Wait, wait! You were near the boundary, right? Where you met me? What were you doing there? Didn't you say it's super dangerous? ...Don't tell me that's a part of your job!" Sweat trickled down Kobi's forehead, 'If the villagers are complaining about her job' ease even though she has to risk herself there... I might've to knock some sense into them.'

"Aw! No, no! That day, Rio just had a quarrel with his friends and dashed out of the village, so I had to search for him... That idiot ran away to the boundary... Haven't I told him the dangers here?"

Kobi could feel the heat oozing off of her, suddenly, remembering how the two lived, he smirked and replied, "Yea, you didn't!"

"Huh!? What do you–" Reka's eyes suddenly widened. An abashed smile evaporated her anger and she lowered her head shamefully.

"Spot on, wasn't I? You told the dangers to everybody in the village except him, because if you did, he wouldn't have let you come here!"

Kobi's words felt like a crisp slap, she bit her lips, her heart squeezing from guilt.

"Listen maid girl Reka, I am a very straight man so I am giving you a straight advice. Honesty... is the best policy!"

Reka halted and glanced into his eyes, "...A devil valuing honesty? Must be a scheme!"

"..." Kobi wanted to spank this girl but he held on, her lies she had fed Rio could cost him his life. Just as he wanted to persuade her further, she spoke again.

"Thank you!"

"Humph! O maid girl Reka, your mischief amaz–" Kobi's words halted, his eyes turned cold, his ears stood up. Vigilantly, his eyes darted around.

His brow shot up in intrigue as he turned his head to Reka, intended to warn her and realising that she didn't need it.The latter already had her hand on her sword, her posture like that of a beast about to pounce.

'Hoho! She's not bad!' Kobi would never admit she was better.

Reka glanced at Kobi's stern posture and nodded internally, she motioned for him to halt and nimbly tip-toed around.

Her feet softly dug into the hard soil, squashing the soil beneath it. Suddenly, the grass in front of her rustled, and without hesitation, her hand flickered.

'What the–' Kobi blinked his eyes several times trying to get what just happened, after a while, he grinned 'Swift moves! She reacted the instant the creature moved and hurled her sword, not bad at all!' Kobi nodded, with such qualifications, she could be his disciple.

Then he pushed back his blonde hair and dumbfoundedly stared at his moist hand.

'Ahem! Alright, I admit. I did feel something strange and sweated a little due to her fast moves.'

"..."

'Aww! Fine, fine, yea, I did feel a sword hung around my neck due to her lethal aura...'

"..."

"No! Absolutely no more acceptance!" Kobi straightened his clothes and flashed a thumbs up to Reka.

Reka smiled and walked towards the creature, Kobi also tagged along.

"Huh!? Isn't this a rabbit? ...With a horn?" Kobi scratched his head awkwardly.

"Yea! Horned rabbit!" Reka smiled, "Finally something edible."

Kobi raised a brow and started walking. Knowing his thoughts, Shik popped up in front of him, he hovered along and answered.

"This world has similar creatures to your planet, I choose this specifically so that you could coup with things more easily!"

Hearing his words, Kobi nodded.

'Though I am the one having to coup with you!'

As he was lost in thought, Kobi glanced at the dried blood tracks on the grass they had been following, in a moment of epiphany, he realized whose's blood it was, 'This... what can I say? Such ruthless treatment for poor me?'

As they traced back, they soon reached the area where he fought with the wolf.

It was easy to spot... after all, some half a fist sized bugs were flying all around it.

"OI! THAT'S OUR MEAT!!" Kobi rushed towards them and tried shooing them away.

Reka shook her head and walked over, from beneath her thick clothes, she took out a green stone.

With it in hand, she calmly strode over, causing the bugs to fly off like they encountered a plague.

"...Nice smell!" Kobi nodded approvingly.

But soom, his smirk vanished, "THEY FREAKING CLEANED MY FOOD!"

Kobi felt he would shed blood if he kept gazing at the skeleton, "Bugs... you have invoked my eternal vengeance."

"It's not them..."

Kobi tilted his head, shifting his eyes on Reka.

"Its the wolves."

"Hmm? My ears are buzzing."

Reka ignored his mischief, her grip on her sword tightened till her skin turned white.

"Oi, oi! Calm your nerves!" Kobi took a step back, a wry smile on his face, 'So... this is what's inside her?'

Kobi's eyes flickered, his heart palpitated in front her ruthless blood-thirst. She took a deep breath, her grip on her sword loosened slightly.

"When you were fighting this wolf, it used its ability called Last Laugh, it summons all its nearby brethren.

"These wolves are treacherous, they come and tear the enemy apart but if the one who summoned them is injured... they wouldn't even wait for its death and kill it themselves and savour its flesh."

Kobi hissed, "So... These wolves are my eternal vengeance?"

"Even if they didn't find us when they reached here... they would still trace the blood-tracks. I hope nothing bad happens!" Reka frowned.

"Hmm? Why worry so much? These wolves don't sound the type to hold a grudge in place of someone else." Kobi smiled while waving his hand dismissively.

"If only such wa–" Reka paused and smiled wearily, "Hmm! true!"

Kobi blinked his eyes before he suddenly remembered something, 'Oi! Can my skill work on bones?'

Shik smirked, "You can even eat dung."

Kobi face's darkened, 'Fuck... Shik's getting better. If only he didn't have that blackmail material, I would've so shut him up. I haven't do something about it.'

'Well... let's forget that for now,' Kobi smirked and walked over, "Maid girl Reka, help me look for my weapons."

"Huh? Oh, yea!" Reka glanced around before walking in a particular direction.

"I couldn't take them with me, so I buried them here." She dug her sword in the ground for a while before squatting and grabbing three machetes.

"Here!" She smiled widely and handed them over.

"Hahaha! Thanks!" Kobi took the three before handing one to her, "Take this, its sharper than your sword."

Reka blinked her eyes,. "O-Of course it is! It's much more expensive as well."

"Hmm! Glad you realize it's worth!" Kobi smiled.

Reka blinked her eyes cutely before taking it, "Thank you!"

"Do mention it!" Kobi chuckled and walked towards the bones.

Rema shook her head wearily before walking behind him, "What are you up too?"

"You'll see!" Kobi struck the bones heavily.

"Oh! Wait, wait! Don't tell me you want to make bone soup? That's not possible? Don't you know, it's inedible for us." Reka suddenly stepped closer, thinking she understood him.

"Bone soup? What's that? And... it's inedible?" Kobi froze and glanced back at her.

"You don't know bone soup? Oh! You don't even know it's inedible?" Reka raised her brow questioningly.

"..."

"Monster meat is extremely hand and sturdy, just like stone, you can't chew it with normal jaw, you need to be an awakened in order to eat it. Same for its bones, they are toxic to normal humans, its just like eating glass shards."

Kobi's mouth hung loose, 'SHIK YOU SH–'

"You're different! You have the skill." Shik shrugged nonchalantly. Peeking at him cheekily from the corner of his eyes.

Kobi blinked his eyes, a smile crept atop his face. Pushing back his hair, he calmly grabbed a small bone he smashed and muttered, "I am... an awakened!"

[Congratulations! You have unlocked the Silver Wolf language.]