5 Keeper of Monsters 1
"Is she asleep?"
"Yes. I think she is."
"I thought it's mom."
"Me too."
"But how did she entered here?"
"I don't know. Maybe she used some items like us."
I continued to listen while pretending to be asleep. From their voice, it seems they were kids, one boy, and a girl. They were siblings perhaps? Since they kept saying mom this and that.
"Is she a bad person?"
"No. It seems not."
"She's a stranger. Mom warned us so many times about strangers. How can you be sure that she's not bad?"
'Yeah kid, you should be more vigilant like your sister.'
"Well, she looks stupid."
Asdffghhjkk. This boy! Who are you calling stupid?! And what kind of illogical reasoning is that?!
But...
"Grah! grah!"
That sounded weird? Where did I hear those?
"Grah! Grah!"
When I heard those sounds for the second time, 'that sound?!' I immediately open my eyes.
*Gasp!*
"!" I immediately went up to the bed and posed a fighting stance. The white dragon twin-blade quickly emerged in both of my hands.
The goblins saw my blades and immediately set a distance between us.
I quickly count their number. 1, 2, 3...Shit! They are 20 in total! How did they enter here?
With their number, I should have noticed in an instant if they enter here. The door was lock tightly. If they will enter at least they need to break it. And where were the kids that I heard before?
[Astral Remaining Time to be used again: 116:43:25]
If I get to fight here, I might really die now if I got injured.
Ah. Wait! I'm rich now, aren't I? Hahaha.
"Arghhh." I clutched my head. It started hurting as soon as it was bombarded with lots of voices.
Damn it! This Insight, I really needed to control it sooner.
{{Human girl is laughing.}}
{{No, she looks like crying now.}}
{{Human girl is both laughing and crying. There must be something wrong with her head.}}
These goblins!
I focus my Insight so that only those around me could be heard.
{{Human girl has a weapon!}}
{{Is she going to attack us?!}}
As the last goblin said that, they also make a fighting stance. All of their voices stopped and waited on who was going to make the first attack.
I peered at them one by one. I, alone can't handle these tons of goblins.
I brought out an item from the system.
[Magic Mask
It's a mask that can block one from inhaling any poison gas or any magic dust.
Note: It can be used one time.
Time limit use: 24 hours
Stock remaining in the shop: 0/100
Number of your purchase: 100
Currently own 100 ]
I wore the mask instantly.
{{What is she doing?}} The goblins started to become more cautious, that's why I instantly brought out another item.
'Sleeping dust' I said in my mind. One blue pouch landed on my hand.
[Magic Sleeping Dust
This item when being thrown will release dust particles. Whoever inhales it, will be put to sleep in an instant. This is the same dust use to make the whole kingdom of the sleeping princess enter their long-term slumber. But don't worry we reduce the time limit for this one. It would make one sleep for at least 8 hours.
Stock remaining in the shop: 0/50
Number of your purchase: 50
Currently own 50]
I threw the pouch, high up in the air.
"Everyone!!! Don't inhale it!"
It was the boy kid, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere. I see, that was why I didn't detect or notice any presence when I got here.
But the boy was too late. The dust exploded, and one by one they fell down.
"Rio, I'm sleepy." The girl next to the boy also fell down.
"Rea!"
The boy, whose name I heard is Rio, managed to cover his nose. But that wasn't enough to stop the dust from being inhaled. He tried to fight his drowsiness and that made him the last one who was still up. But in the end, he could only glare at me as he too fell down asleep.
"Yey!" Now, the two kids and the twenty goblins were all sleeping.
When I'm sure that all of them are sleeping. I placed the two kids in the bed.
I picked up an item from the ground.
[Invisible Mantle:
An item that can cover anyone's presence and be invisible. It can grow to how many beings needed to be covered.
Stock remaining in the shop: 0/2
Number of your purchase: 1
Currently own: 1]
This mantle was the reason, why I didn't see them on the mini-map.
This item's worth was the whole starter coins for two people. It was 200 small silver. Why did they buy this expensive item? If it was only for being invisible to hide, they could just buy the <fairy white stone>, which also made one person invisible when it was being held, and cost only 2 small silver.
They looked like smart kids so they should be more practical. Or did they buy this to also hide these goblins? Hmmm.
I'll find it out later. For now, I need to control my Insight.
I never tried this, but this should work just fine. First,
I focused my Insight on the two sleeping kids.
[Analyzing Target Statuses.]
[Analyzation Complete]
[Name: Rio Fay
Age: 10
Ht: 138.5 cm
Wt: 35.6 kg
Race: Human
Title: Older Brother of Rea Fay, Protector of Dreams
Status
Level: 6
Hp: 40
Mp: 50
Strength: 7
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 10
Defense: 8
Dexterity: 8
Vitality: 8
Skills:
Barrier: 3
Dream Brigade]
[Barrier:
It can create a ball of a light shield with a duration of 3 minutes. It will increase in size and duration as it levels up.]
I read also the other skill. My eyes squeezed as I read the dream brigade. This skill was terrific.
Then I glanced at the girl.
[Name: Rea Fay
Age: 9
Ht: 134.5 cm
Wt: 30.3 kg
Race: Human
Title: Sister of Rio Fay, Keeper of Monsters
Status
Level: 4
Hp: 32
Mp: 43
Strength: 2
Agility: 7
Intelligence: 7
Defense: 2
Dexterity: 2
Vitality: 5
Skills:
Multi-Literacy: 3, Gluttony]
[Multi-Literacy:
With this skill one can talk, understand, read and write any languages of different creatures.]
My eyes widened more with surprise as I read the girl's stats.
"These two kids, what a coincidence. They were Jessica's children. Whom she will meet at the 4th Mission Event."
|||Finding out that her daughter and son had sided the monsters. She was conflicted about what she will do. She upholds justice the most and she saw monsters as evil creatures. So she can't understand why her daughter and son were protecting the monsters.
When it was time to fight, she chose to fight on Rey's side. She thought that maybe the monsters did something with her kids. Once they defeated them she will be able to get and save them.
When her daughter and son were being cornered by other people. They still chose to protect the monsters. She asked them, 'Why?'
They answered her with such determination in their eyes saying that they'll never abandon the monsters.
Seeing that, Jessica understands that her kids were not controlled or anything, their actions were of their own will.
But the people around didn't have any intention to wait to finish their family drama.
Greed filled their vision since the children had a bounty of a hundred gold each.
In the end, Jessica chose to protect her children and fight those who plan to attack them. Then she saw a spear, heading fast to her daughter. She moved with all her might to reach her. So instead of her daughter, the long spear stab through her instead.
"I'm so-rry for be-ing not there to the both of you. I love you." Jessica breathed her last.
Her daughter, filled with anger and grief chose to self-destruct since they are now being cornered. Her brother created a huge barrier to prevent anyone from escaping.
Both of them hugged their mother as they brought out an item that would destroy everything within a 10000 sq. m radius.
Rey, who just arrived after defeating one of the leaders of the monsters, saw the exact scene where the siblings activated the bomb.
"Stop!" He tried to reach them. But he was pulled back by Argaux to a portal.
Then the whole place exploded.
"No! This is not what I wanted to happen! Damn it!" When they reach the other side of the portal, Rey punched the ground so hard that it created a small crater in it.
That day he promised himself that he would do everything so no one would die again. -J.O.E|||
Jessica and her kids were not characters of the Dead Fairy Tale that Rey read. That's why he was not certain of their future. From that moment of the novel, Rey became more careful in protecting his comrades to the point that he sacrificed himself multiple times so that everyone could live.
"Hah! Waas this fate or something? To meet these children. Indeed both of you are not part of Dead Fairy Tale but you are part of something I've read. I sigh. This is going to be a lot of work."
I placed the goblins too, in many proper places. I didn't forget to wear some plastic gloves I found in the kitchen. Though, I knew that they were those good goblins that Zash pointed out. I still had some qualms about touching them directly. I have a mild OCD, you see. And they really looked icky.
After I place the last goblin, I finally took a seat on the sofa beside the kid's bed. I placed every goblin in the living room.
This place was really big, to accommodate so many of us.
*Growl*
What's that? Did a goblin already wake up? But it's not 8 hours yet.
*Growl*
"What? OH! Hahaha. It's only my stomach. I forgot that I haven't eaten dinner yet."
I looked at my watch. My goodness, it's almost 2 am!
I immediately stood up and went to the kitchen to look if there was something I can eat or cook.
I opened the refrigerator. "Wow. Lucky, it's loaded with food."
Hmm. What should I cook? Let's see. There was pasta here. Meat and eggs. "Woah! all the ingredients are here."
Yosh! Let's cook Palabok! So that when all of them wake up, they too could eat.
As I started cooking,
[Artistry: Art of Cooking has acquired.
All the food you cook would be 25% + tastier.]
"Woah. What's this? My food would be more delicious? My stomach grumbles more. Ah, I can't really wait to eat now."
I grabbed some biscuits and eat them for a while, to ease a little bit of my hunger while I continue to cook.
After almost an hour! Done. Yey!
"Zash, it's time to ea..." I immediately closed my mouth. Crap. I kept forgetting.
*sigh*
My mood dampened but as soon I took a bite. "Ghash! This is so good!"
"Mmmm!"
Then I squeeze a bit of lemon before continuing eating.
*slurp*
Yum! The juicy sauce has a perfect blend of sweet and sour taste. The slice eggs, shrimp, and crushed chicharron blended really well.
It was so delicious! I eat and eat that I didn't notice that my plate became empty quickly so I got another serving.
I wondered if this is as delicious as Argaux's cooking. In the novel, they said that his cooking skills were so delicious that it seems they have eaten godly food.
I finally stop after the third plate. And washed the dishes quickly. I went back to the room. I'm afraid if I stay longer there, nothing would be left for the kids.
As I sat on the sofa, I checked my status again. I level up to two times. And learned a new skill. Only my Solitude skill still remained at the same level as before.
My weight also increased by two kg. I only just ate one time now and it increased my weight by two pounds already! I should be careful in the future or else I'll get fat!
After I checked a few more things, I started to brainstorm the other things I needed to do.
On Monday, at exactly 4 pm, the real challenge from the story would began.
A huge tower would appear in the middle of the city.
It is foolishly called Tower of the Princess with a golden long hair but I simply called it Rapunzel's tower.
The quest there was to simply obtain an artifact, the Golden hair of Rapunzel.
Also, you need to free Rapunzel from the tower. Most think that it was just like they needed to save Rapunzel from the Sorceress who put her there.
But that was not it. That story was already finished. Rapunzel was already free remember? And she lived happily ever after in the kingdom of the prince she loved with their twins.
Rey and Argaux also knew this. That's why they will do something different.
So to what thing or case, we will save Rapunzel?
"Via if, by chance, you are given the chance to create a story where everyone gets a happy ending, would you do it?"
I closed my eyes and relaxed on the sofa. Thinking back with my answer back then, I just answered what would be in Zash's favor. Now everything was unfolding exactly from her story.
"Zash, Who are you, really?" Was everything a coincidence that your story suddenly comes to life? If not, what do you want me to do? Do you know this could all happen? Do you want me to save the world since I read your work?
But if I think about it, at the end of your story the world had been saved as the main characters clear all the quests. Perhaps do you want me to change something?
"Is it the happy ending for everyone we last talk? That would be very unrealistic since many still die in the end even with or without this apocalypse, just like you."
Then an ending for everyone without dying? But since the first quest, so many people had died already. What is truly a happy ending you want to create Zash? Was it something different from what you write?
"Sigh. You know what kind of person I am Zash. Right? And you seem to expect so much from me."
I stood up again. And decided to survey the outside for a while. Since only dots can be seen on the mini-map.
I make sure to hold a fairy white stone I bought. Since I didn't know how solitude could still work.
There were no many people around. I checked the other empty rooms for food supplies and place them on an expensive item I also brought from the shop called fairy pouch. Man, it was nice to be rich in a world that had magic now.
[Fairy Pouch:
It can store inanimate things infinitely. Nothing would be destroyed or decayed here since, inside the fairy pouch, the time is not moving. Don't worry about it getting lost because the owner, who makes a blood contract with it, would automatically return it to him/her if it gets separated in an instant.
The ownership would only be terminated if the owner willingly gives it to others or if the owner died.
Stock remaining in the shop: 0/10
Number of your purchase: 3
Currently own 3]
I went room after room to gather supplies. I felt like I become a bonafide thief now. Well, it was not like people are going to be back in their room anymore. But if some of them did really came back, their foods that are stored might be rotten already.
If you are wondering, yes, the rooms were a lock. How did I enter the rooms then? Simply, these fairy white stone also has some similar used when I'm in astral form.
[Fairy White Stone:
Make one invisible and also passed through any kind of wall.
Stock remaining in the shop: 10/50
Number of your purchase: 20
Currently own 20]
Though I can't move with much unbelievable flexibility and circus movements when I'm in <Astral > form, this was already much fine.
"I guess I should return now."
---------------------------
After 7 hours, I leisurely watched some movies on DVD. 'Ah, what I carefree life I had.'
I turned the tv off when I saw that it was almost 9:00 am. "The kids will be waking up soon. I should preheat the food for them too.
In less than had an hour, I set the table and prepared twenty-two plates.
"You! Get out of our house!"
Perfect Timing.
I smiled gently sweet at the two children who entered the door to the dining area. Rio held an arnis in his hands and pointed towards me.
Rea hid behind him among the twenty goblins. Well, they don't have their weapons right now. Since I put it on my magic pouch.
"My, my, Good morning everyone!" I greeted them with the nicest, cutest smile I could muster.
