Chapter 29: My mistakes

(Please check authors thought at the bottom after reading)

Alex waited ten minutes, but no one attacked him or showed themselves. They were likely observing him. While he waited, Alex found a few unlocked space nodes, but they would not lead him out of the barn area.

"Hey, guys, why don't you come out already? A locking talisman could only last so long, and I doubt you have more like that one." Alex voiced calmly.

What he said was true. A locking talisman would only last an hour or two depending on its level after being fueled with a mana stone.

But Alex's assailants already knew that; Alex was simply trying to incite them to act since he already had other plans for tonight, and his shadow troll barely had twenty minutes left before it vanishes.

Alex's words worked, and in came his assailants into the barn; they were mercenaries, five of them, and one, he recognized. 

'Inspect'

---------------

Name: Asur

Level: 23

Race: Human

Class: mercenary

Element Affinity: Darkness

Mana core: level 1

HP: 285

Mana: 190/190

STR: 240

Agility: 260

Intelligence: 175

Stamina: 150

-----------------

Name: Luke

Level: 25

Race: fake beast-men

Class: mercenary

Element Affinity: shadow

Mana core: level 1

HP: 350

Mana: 240/240

STR: 260

Agility: 300

Intelligence: 175

Stamina/dexterity: 150

-------------

Name: tup

Level: 20

Race: human

Class: mercenary

Element Affinity: water

Mana core: level 1

HP: 250

Mana: 200/200

STR: 240

Agility: 200

Intelligence: 105

Stamina/dexterity: 100

----------------

Name: ether

Level: 20

Race: human

Class: mercenary

Element Affinity: water

Mana core: level 1

HP: 250

Mana: 200/200

STR: 240

Agility: 200

Intelligence: 105

Stamina/dexterity: 100

-------------

"Luke, I haven't seen you for so long," Alex said in a banter-like manner as if Luke and he were old friends. Luke had increased his level twice from their previous encounter.

"What are you talking about? Didn't we see each other two nights ago", Luke repealed grimacing in annoyance as the other mercenaries looked at him.

At that moment, Luke realized he should not have replied. But his nature was bold, effusive, and indefinable. He did what he wanted, nor did he care what the other mercenaries thought. They were humans, and he a cursed beast-man. How would they understand his anger, nature, and pride?

"Yea, your right. Good times, good times! You left a poisoned knife in the back of my thigh last time, but that is in the past. My dear Luke, I appreciate your skill, but this could not be all of them, right? I could wipe the floor with them in ten minutes, " Alex said while pointing at the four mercenaries, "why don't you tell the others to come out from hiding?"

This time Luke did not reply; it was not his position to reveal the others.

However, one by one, in came three familiar faces; the party of adventurers that Alex met in the elegy forest, which was a surprise to him!

*Ding*

[new quest] Kill the party of three for being ungrateful.

[reward: perception will level up]

Seeing the new quest, Alex would gladly kill them.

"Ms. Adventurer, we meet again; it seems you hold me accountable for Tony's death!" Alex asked inquisitively.

The party leader smiled at Alex, and it was hideous; Alex was sure she was the ugliest woman he had ever met on Echo since he arrived.

"I am not here because of tony; I am here because they paid us, generously, also the gold that you have on you seems to be a little too much! Then again, am here to pay back the favor," the female party leader gestured at her sword while laughing savagely.

She was telling Alex that her sword, too, was covered in poison just for him. Alex smiled behind the mask as he thought _ if I had time, I would tortured that bitch; where did the proper etiquette she used in the elegy forest disappear too?_

"Luke, this couldn't be, all right? Even you know that this lineup is nothing in front of me. I am sure you heard the stories of the knight's disappearances!" Alex continued his banter-like behavior with Luke as if Luke was unquestionably his only friend in a sea of enemies. The others present could not help but look at Luke again. Luke just shrugged his shoulders at Alex's provocation, As paul made his entrance.

"ahh, it's you, I didn't get to know your name, but I promise you, you won't be needing it anymore! But how were you all able to track me?" Alex asserted while looking at the man that was hidden when he rescued Christopher.

"why would I tell you? ha hahahahahah, old friend, didn't I tell you it wasn't good to mess with other people's business. You were too careless." Paul said while shaking his head and clicking his tongue disapprovingly. He still was not a fool to give Alex his name or how they found him. Not until he was sure Alex was dead.

"mmm, ok," Alex replied nonchalantly before turning to look at Luke.

"Luke, this lineup isn't bad; how did you meet this old bastard?" Alex asked as he pointed at Paul. "And aren't the others that are hiding on the left and back of the barn going to come out?" Alex queried. "are they hoping to ambush me? There is a better chance that I stab myself in the eye!"

Right on cue, in came two girls. Alex was familiar with them in a sense. They were the Assassins that killed baron lock and his wife, Mimi. The only features that were visible about the girls were their green and pink hair. They wore all-black ninja-like clothing covering their entire face and body.

The others that were still hiding probably were the seven he saw with them in the cellar.

"Hey, I don't remember having a grudge against you all?" Alex raised curiously. The two girls did not respond.

"Now that everyone is here, I have a confessing to make. I have made a few mistakes, and I hope that you all can help me correct them all today," Alex declared, grabbing everyone's attention.

Especially paul, who thought, 'what mistake? Is he going to give up the women and Christopher? So without space, he is nothing. Does he thinks he can walk away now without paying the price?'

Paul was already anticipating Alex's surrender and forcing Alex to work for the mercenaries as compensation. Even thoughts of enslaving and gifting Alex to the guild leader as a pet intruded his mind.

Alex looked at Paul and announce, "After I saved that fool, I should have returned and killed you; that was my mistake."

Alex looked at the Adventurers, "I should have killed you all in the elegy forest, but I was short on time; that was my mistake!"

Alex then stared down the girls. "I should have killed you two while you were pissing on corpses or when you were in the cellar hiding like rats. Again that was my mistake."

Alex then turned to Luke, "Luke, my dear friend, I wouldn't have killed you," he said in the same banter air while shaking his head.

Their entire dialogue and introductions lasted less than five minutes. Alex was not a talkative person, but he was setting up traps with his words. Alex wanted his assailants off of their game; this lineup would be formidable for him, especially if he still planned to keep his innate skills hidden. Alex wanted them to know that he could have killed them at any time, and it was because of his grace that they were alive.

Alex's words had some effect. The adventurers knowing that Alex could have killed them in the elegy forest, were angry.

The pink and green hair girls had a shock of their own, so did their comrades, who were still hiding.

Paul was the only one not affected by Alex's words; there was no should, if, or would in his book. Besides, he was sure that he had Alex trapped.

Everyone in the barn looked at Luke after hearing Alex's last words, wondering what the relationship between him and Alex was. Some knew Alex was sowing discord between them, but they still had to keep their guard up against Luke. Paul even made a mental note to inform the higher-ups in their guild. Like Usually, Luke didn't care, even when everyone was looking at him. To him, he was the lion king, and everyone else around him was a peasant. Luke could guess what Alex wanted, and it was working, but that did not phasis him. Again, Luke just shrugged his shoulders.

While everyone but Paul was looking at Luke, Alex took that time to draw both of his ghost blades, Blinked, and reappeared in the middle of two mercenaries. 

Although they were 3ft apart from him, Alex raised both arms horizontally at his side, his ghost blades in hand, closing the distance, as his blade brushed past the mercenaries' shoulder, nicking them softly. This was all Alex needed, a simple superficial wound from his sword, and they were practically dead.

While Alex was in action, a ball of raging purple lightning was sent to where he was standing between the mercenaries. Alex Knew if that ball hit him, at his current strength, he would take heavy damage!