Bitter defeat

Aldrich revived under the seal of Tindalor. He woke up choking and coughing violently. He gingerly touched his abdomen and his left eye.

Finding that everything was in place he sighed. And then punched the wall in anger. He was trembling in rage at his death to those Ahuizotls.

If only his knee hadn't been broken he would have decimated these trash. Aldrich looked at his knee, it was back to normal. Aldrich picked up a random sword and sprinted outside.

He didn't get even a single essence orb out of that whole thing. He didn't have the time to collect any because he didn't come into physical contact with any of the bodies of the dead mice.

His old body was still there with his long sword, shield and the coin pouch that he got from today's hunt. No way in hell he was going to let these little shits get away with what they've done to him. And he wasn't going to wait for even a single second more.

Aldrich sprinted through the street and when he turned around the corner he came back to the horrific scene of his own dead body being feasted on.

Aldrich had encountered this very scene a few time but he still didn't get use to it and he wasn't sure that he wanted to.

Aldrich charged in with all his rage and slashed around wildly, then he stomped for all he was worth, the problem was there was no end to the horde.

Eventually the mice climbed over him and brought him down. When he tried to run they had bitten of the tendons in his ankles. Finally Aldrich experienced another gruesome death.

Aldrich looked blankly at the high ceiling of his room. He had never really gotten the chance to look at it clearly.

Aldrich remembered the chest he found on one of his most recent hunts, it was actually hidden very sneakily under the plaster of the wall. Maybe there's something hidden in the other buildings too?

Aldrich busied himself with such thoughts as the time passed by because he didn't want to think about what happened.

After his second death he found himself back in the real world without feeling the same pulling force as always and without him directly exiting through the seal of Tindalor.

He was just expelled. This left a bitter taste in his mouth. Even more so when he remembered his stupid actions.

He won a dangerous fight against two powerful husks and that made him arrogant. No not only that, with the increased attributes the husks became quite an easy opponent.

Out of greed he attacked the mice horde without considering their superior numbers and his own broken knee.

He heard that even a grade two Crestmaster can be taken down if overwhelmed by enough numbers. Then what about him who was basically just a normal human?

However, all of this can be brushed aside by saying it was a spur of the moment thing. Then what about the second time?

He lost himself to the shame and pain of losing to a bunch of mice. To Aldrich his first death couldn't be helped because he was fighting for his life for the first time.

His second death was to an opponent that surpassed him in almost every regard, some part of Aldrich felt that it was only natural to lose against such a monster.

But his defeat at the hands of a bunch of mice made him unable to contain his temper. All of that turned into blinding rage that literally drove him to his death.

Aldrich woke up in the morning but somehow still felt extremely exhausted, he felt a dull headache that simply wouldn't stop.

The matter of the forced expulsion still weighed on him. This experience had at least taught him that if he died twice in raw he would be forcefully expelled out of the nightmare realm.

Noon came by and he was still in bed. He couldn't remember the last time he spent his day in bed.

This took him back to the old days when he didn't understand that his mother was in debt or why they had to move house. He didn't have to worry about putting food on the table.

He used to just fool around with the other kids in the village, play chase with at least fifty kids at once. He would do dangerous stunts like climbing up a tree to get a kiss from a girl.

He used to go fishing in the river and built castles and forts of haystacks. When it was the hottest day of summer he and the kids would go swimming in the lake.

He used to have a best friend called Nars, they used to do everything together. They competed in races around the village while being run after by the guards, they played pranks on the girls all the time.

But soon after he had to look for a job and the time he could play with Nars got shorter and shorter until one day they stopped playing or talking at all. Aldrich didn't know when it happened or how.

Nars is dead now. Along with the rest of the people of Wakefield. Aldrich thought maybe, someday when things got better he could play around with Nars again.

He wanted to apologize for letting their friendship drift apart. But now Nars is dead. He wouldn't be able to make amends with the dead, will he?

Aldrich got out of bed and washed his face with the cold water from the pitcher. The tears on his face were burning hot. What is already done cannot be undone.

Aldrich went to the great hall and climbed up to the special guests quarters. It was empty save for the staff, everyone was already done with lunch.

There he once again indulged in all sorts of new sea food, he tried all what he could stuff in his starved belly. He even tried an onion soup even though he didn't like onions much when he was younger but it seemed like the food had all lost its taste, what happened? Why did the food taste like shit today?!

"Ale, do you have ale?" Aldrich asked the waiter beside him. Trying his best to seem calm.

"We certainly do, our alcoholic menu is not lesser than our regular one."

"Then get me a mug of ale."

"Perhaps some beer sir? It's much easier to swallow your first time."

"Fine."

"Right away, sir."

This would be Aldrich's first time trying alcohol. He felt that today was as good as any day for some beer.

The beer came in a pitcher. Aldrich tried it and almost vomited his lunch out. Why did the adults like this so much? He was under the impression that it was supposed to blow his mind away.

Aldrich tried a few more gulps and after his second mug, it didn't taste that bad after all. Well, it didn't have any taste to speak of but the headache got a bit lighter, maybe. Or maybe it was just his imagination.