aether city -II

Apathy awakened from his slumber at midnight, noticing Anna peacefully sleeping in her separate bed across from him. Her black hair remained sleek, as if she were awake, with closed eyes reflecting serenity and pink-ish lips.

Apathy rose from his bed, ensuring he grabbed a spare key before venturing outside to avoid being locked out. Stepping through the inn's doorway, he strolled along a stone-paved street teeming with cheerful people engaging in conversations, drinking, and children playing. The houses were constructed with intricate stone details and stone fences. Descending the stairs onto the main street where carriages traversed, he glanced up and spotted a clock tower radiating light. In an alleyway, he discovered a box with a lone kitten and crouched down to observe.

The kitten meowed at Apathy, who marveled at its cuteness and gently petted it. As he looked up, a droplet of water landed on his forehead, signaling the start of rain. Apathy carefully tucked the kitten between his shirt and body and hurriedly returned to the inn. Once back, he placed the kitten next to Anna and proceeded to wash himself before completely forgetting about the furry companion and drifting back to sleep.

When the sun rose, Anna, as usual, woke up first. Observing Apathy's satisfied slumber, she shifted her hand and felt something pressing against it. Lowering her gaze, she discovered an orange kitten quietly sleeping.

She cautiously removed her hand so as not to disturb the kitten and pondered where Apathy had found it. Approaching Apathy's bed, she kicked him off, waking him up abruptly.

"What the hell was that for, Anna?!" Apathy exclaimed.

"We need to join a guild to earn money. I couldn't wake you up conventionally, so this was my solution," Anna responded, exuding an intimidating aura.

Apathy glanced at her and acquiesced, saying, "Fine, I'll get ready."

Both Apathy and Anna washed their faces. Apathy adjusted his black hair with subtle white streaks, slicking it back. He possessed brown-ish skin, brown eyes, stood at a height of 7.75 ft, had a fit physique, and maintained good posture. He wore a bull-shaped earring on his right ear, adorned with a crown.

Meanwhile, Anna sported fully sleek black hair and blue eyes, with her milky skin fully visible. She stood at a height of 5.88 ft, also possessed a fit body, and wore a bull-shaped earring on her left ear.

Once prepared, they made their way to the nearest guild, the Herrex Guild, under the leadership of Guild Master Berost. Entering the guild, they approached the front desk where the clerk awaited them.

"Hello, how may I assist you?" the clerk inquired. She had a slightly curvaceous figure, brown hair cascading down her shoulder, and a mildly plump face that carried a certain charm, blurring the line between cuteness and beauty.

Apathy responded, "Where can we register in the guild?"

"Ah, right this way. You'll only need to fill out these forms and pay 10 copper coins," the clerk explained.

Apathy handed the coins to the clerk, and both he and Anna took a form each. After completing the forms, they returned them to the clerk.

The clerk stamped the forms and presented Apathy and Anna with bronze medals featuring the guild mascot's design. She cheerfully informed them, "Using these, you can enter low-danger dungeons, pick up quests from the quest board, and return them to us to receive your rewards."

"Thank you," A

pathy replied in a gentle tone.

Anna then appeared at Apathy's side, showing him a quest.

"Danger level: bronze. Collect 10 goblin hides. Reward: 50 copper coins," she explained.

Apathy, wearied, gazed at the quest and said, "Anna, I'm going to go back home and get some rest."

Anna looked at Apathy and promptly kicked his legs, asserting, "Don't you dare go home, or I'll kick you out, even if you're my brother."

Apathy regarded Anna and reluctantly conceded, "Fine."

Venturing beyond the kingdom, they searched for goblins either in small groups or solitary ones, easily manageable for them. They scoured the surroundings for hours, eventually ascending a 5-meter-tall tree.

Shortly before dawn, they encountered a group of 12 goblins. Anna and Apathy unsheathed their weapons. Seizing the opportune moment, they ambushed two goblins, crushing their bodies. Five goblins lunged toward them, prompting Apathy to swing his greatsword, injuring and slaying two in the process.

Anna leaped over Apathy, swiftly piercing one goblin's neck with her rapier and withdrawing it, killing the goblin instantly as its blood stained the ground. The remaining goblins noticed Anna, and four of them hastily charged at her. However, her knowledge of monsters allowed her to anticipate their attacks, leveraging her understanding of female anatomy to dodge their strikes. Evading their assaults, she returned to Apathy's side.

Unbeknownst to the four goblins focused on Anna, they failed to notice her maneuver behind Apathy. Seizing the opportunity, Apathy swung his greatsword, cleaving one goblin from shoulder to waist. He then seized another startled goblin and hurled it at the remaining two, knocking them to the ground.

The other goblins capitalized on Apathy's distraction as he battled the two goblins, lunging for an attack. Unnoticed by the goblins, Anna activated her accelerated ability, swiftly piercing the necks of five goblins, instantly dispatching them. Exhausted, she collapsed to the ground.

Apathy pulled out a knife and severed the throats of the remaining two goblins. Observing Anna lying on the ground, completely drained and perspiring, he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just need some rest," Anna replied.

Apathy then carried Anna back to the tree where they had ambushed the two goblins, ensuring they were truly deceased before proceeding to skin the twelve goblins. An hour later, with the goblin hides in his possession, he piggybacked Anna and made his way back to the city.

Upon their return, Apathy left Anna at the inn and proceeded to the guild. Approaching the clerk, he handed over the goblin skins and sold the two goblin hides, earning a total of 56 copper coins.

"Thank you for your service," the clerk expressed, smiling.

Apathy then returned home, took a bath, and went straight to bed, succumbing to sleep.

Anna, unfazed, purchased cooked food from a shop, ate her meal, and retired to her bed to rest, playing with the cat before dozing off.

And so, the events of their day concluded as Apathy returned, took a bath, and joined Anna in slumber.