Relax

Under the tree's shadow, a completely relaxed figure was seating supported by the trunk. He is our little main character Luke, that was relaxing for today.

And he wasn't alone, as a cute brown and white figure was in his lap, and was enjoying his patting. It was a squirrel that resided in a little hole in a nearby tree, and that was passing by before Luke too his attention.

Now that Luke doesn't have that gloomy face, different animals are attracted to him by... maybe his self or something else?... he isn't sure about that, but animals from little squirrels to also big ones like wolfs and bears don't seem repelled by him, differently from others people...

Obviously, this occurs only with friendly and neutral animals, while nothing changes with hungry or furious beasts or monsters for that instance...

And now that is relaxing, he remembered a stray dog that was wandering near his house... maybe he could take him... not because of pity or anything, but for genuine desire...

In this dungeon, he found that having a companion is really important... talking, walking, sparring or also somewhat simple as offered a drink had become important for him... as in the normal world he distanced himself with the people near him...

He was sure that he must at least express gratitude towards his uncle and his friend... Coming here remembered him, or maybe didn't make him remember, but maybe reassured him of the heat of family and friend...

He was sure, obtaining the Gamer worked in his favor. Now that he is more open about himself, dreaming of not having his Gamer ability... he did not want to think about that. Maybe re-opening to others could have been difficult, or maybe impossible...

The squirrel started to bite his thumb and smiled at him... he was sure that the little creature sensed his dark thoughts and took his attention... he remembered a documentary that explained that maybe animals could feel the human emotions, and he smiled, thinking that was sure about that...

Resurfaced from his dark thoughts, he watched the cute animal 'purring' under a now more powerful petting, and moved his sight from the companion to the leaves that were rustling under a somniferous breeze, and started to close his eyes...

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In a castle's room, two muscular figures were exchanging cups with each other while sitting on a circular little table. Obviously, the two of them were Cú and Fergus.

"But really, another disciple at this time? I never dreamed something like that, and discovering that was more surprising!"

"Heh, that's true... knowing our shishou, I was sure that it was this generation with the two of us could come here... you don't know how surprised I was when Mei and Mai come and told me about another disciple... and... well..."

"Oh? Something in your mind? Straightforward as you are, I don't expect you to falter in either action and speech"

The man in blue smiled a bit, and that expressed his thanks to the comment, but also the insecurity of continuing the argument...

"...Is something wrong with our new friend?"

While the two of them could be exchanged for having an easygoing attitude, the persons of significance and all of the castle residents know differently. They are easygoing, but all of them knew that they have a great mind, and while not omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, they have good minds, muscles, and movements.

Fergus had sparred yesterday with the newcomer, and while he praised his mind, knew otherwise of the other aspects...

"You know... it's not like I have something to say about a new newbie, but there are different questions about him that I am not sure of how to react... The first day he was here, we sparred a little, and while he knew of how to swing his weapon, his strength, technique, and mind were really bad... all he knew was to swing, and swing and swing... But now, he grew, but not at the right pace..."

"So... you are jealous that he is growing at a much faster rate than you?"

"No, and I'm sure that in between ten and fifteen years he could surpass shishou... sure I have questions of his fast growth, because I'm sure that it's not his personal talent, but something else is doing a great job to boosting him, but I'm preoccupied with our master since he came. She wasn't much sociable before, but now it's like she's purposely avoiding all of us..."

At those words, Fergus stood silent, contemplating his options and what could be the cause of all, and apart from a few improbable hypotheses, nothing came...

"Maybe... maybe she is in a dilemma..."

With those words, Cú took Fergus by surprise, as a dilemma uncontemplated to him... and started to think with those few words as the center of other hypotheses... and he came to a conclusion... one that was more impossible than having his shishou becoming male...

"You don't think that it's... her dream?"

"Yes... I'm sure that she is between duty and pleasure..."

A few moments were spent wordless, but nonetheless, their respective opinion was made clear to each other...

"Let's do our best... for Luke and for shishou"

And with a cheer for the news, they started to drink into the oblivion...

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At the top of a tree, a purple-clad woman was standing with her red eyes fixated on the night sky...

Under that, the remains of a corrupted ghoul, a wandering creature that fed on the local' people meat was impaled to the ground, with five blood-red spears connected to his arms, legs, and head...

A stench of blood was oozing in the area, but the woman was unfazed... no, the woman, Scáthach, was too immersed in his thoughts to notice something mundane like 'stench'.

He was sure, he knew the boy that she saved from the crazy monster back then from before... but she didn't know how to make sense of why...

She was sure of that... and was also sure that maybe he was the one that could realize the unreachable dream that was taken from her long ago...

She was happy... she was happier than ever... happier than times where she trained heroes, but she was also feeling a bit empty for a so sad dream... but that didn't matter to her...

She was happy, but also a bit sad... sad that she forced a sad dream to his disciple that will surely become sad himself... she was sad because of sadness...

But for the second time, that didn't matter... his disciple will become sad, but surely as he lived he could become happy another time...

Extricating herself from those paradoxical happy and sad thoughts, she stared directly at the moon and exclaimed a few words that never in her life would expect to say.

"Please, O'gods, please help Luke to realize my dream. Please, O'gods, please help Luke realize his dream!"