Chapter 5: Bitter home

"Weakling! It is no use for you to be a better adventurer, kuhahaha!"

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Status:

- HP: 180/300

- Sta: 25/25

'That creature! Damn it!'

Hivon falls into a state of despair. He realizes another tactic.

Wrapping rags around his last arrow shafts, soaking the rags with the troll's blood to make a makeshift bait club. He uses the collected daggers and sticks them to the ground low enough so the wolf doesn't notice within his rage. He also soaks himself with the rest of the troll's blood. This is madness but a way to kill this wolf.

He throws the bait club on its head. The wolf is hurt and it is coming to him with rage. As it dashes from ground to ground. It doesn't notice the trap as the rabies blinds its wisdom. Despite the bleeding legs, it still charges at Hivon. He dodges it. Using rope and hook to restrain its movement, Hivon desperately pins it down. He quickly grabs the garrote and strangles it. It is a fight of endurance between the two

- Sta:15/25

- Sta:10/25

'Damn it, this wolf was badly injured but its HP is too high'

- Sta:5/25

'Come on! Come on! Just die already'

- Sta:3/25

- Sta:2/25

- Sta:1/25

Finally, it is dead. He relieves because that thing dies because of a strangle combination and blood loss. It is quite a bloody mess. A level 4 wolf has been slain. But the exhaustion takes Hivon a toll. He just lies there for a moment to recover stamina.

Outside again, Hivon wants to get back to the town as soon as possible. When he is at the adventurer guild, people are minding their own business. Nobody seems to care about a tattered level 5 like him. In hunger, he reaches the receptionist.

"Give me bread please. I did not expect to be that long"

"Surely, everyone makes their wrong judgement anyway. So can you report about the labyrinth that you just surveyed?"

"Gladly, but first. Here is the payment"

He puts on the counter the pelt of the wolf he had slain.

"Not too bad but I can only give you an additional 20 copper coins. Because this wolf had a rabies so the quality was quite disappointed"

"Thanks. Now, I promise under the witness of darkness that I will not lie a single word or hide any truth"

Hivon tells the entire story. At first many doubt as soon as he mentions the dullahan at floor 5, how undead are those corpses which have flame of <living will> and to the point where he collected Davick's tag and his bag of coins, he shows them both including that silver coin he mentioned.

**Fwish**

A spoon is thrown at Hivon's back. It hurts.

"Davick never goes to that floor before and leaves his tag behind. How come that corpse has his tag and belongings?"

"I don't know."

"I think you are lying."

"I made a promise to the dark already."

"Doesn't matter, I am not convinced. I think you just killed Davick by pushing him into the lower floor"

**Wham**

"Hey hey. No fighting here. You can issue a duel. But I believe Hivon is telling the truth here." The receptionist slams the counter with her fist

"I may have a theory here. Davick might be possessed by a ghost and he just killed at least an archer and two or three swordmasters."

"Tch. A weakling like you witnessed things on the lower floor?"

"I saw a bag which was filled with heads. I almost vomited"

"It is not possible." He kneels down

"Sadly, it was possible theory I can think of"

"Hivon, thanks for your help. I will contact Davick's family and tell them that he is dead. I will not speak of any theory of yours since there is no clear evidence." She bows down and takes all Davick's belongings to the storage

Hivon goes out, there are still eyes daggering at his back. A weakling like him is expected to be unbelievable when he tells about the entire report like this event.

Most people in this town have never seen what is under his helmet. There is a reason why Hivon never takes his helmet off.

He is back at the inn which he usually stays at. The owner taps on his table to signal his daughter to get his cup of tea.

"Hello young lad. It has been a week since we last met. How was your work?"

"Almost died"

"Haiz, be more optimistic. You can take off your helmet here now"

Hivon takes his helmet off. On the first day, they were a bit in shock but they got used to the face. There is a mark of demon claws right on his left eye. The wound forever graves his face. The scar is convex unevenly and it cannot be covered with an eyepatch.

"To be honest, this helmet is my face now"

"Don't be irrational," The owner sways his hand ", just go to your room and read a book. I bought a few novels on the shelves."

"Thanks"

"You are like my son to me"

The owner of this inn lost his son years ago. The son was a great adventurer who had an affinity for bow and he died due to a teleportation trap. His corpse was found and it was not a one-piece scene for parents to witness. When Hivon arrived here for the first time, the owner taught him a lot. Social skills and bargaining skills, but he didn't forget to tell Hivon to be careful. The owner doesn't want to let a lad die due to his own carelessness.

Hivon goes to his room, takes a book and reads until the candle dies.

By the next morning, Hivon goes to the guild. He takes another quest. This time, he has to survey a cave.

"For the provision this time, you are covered. Make sure that you report everything to us so the mining guild knows what to do when they comes there or not"

"Potential threats?"

"Watch out for bats."

"I am not a mage"

"Fine. This time, you have to escort an alchemist who has an affinity of spear and flame magic"

"What level is he?"

"3 and make sure that he can also take some samples of rocks so we can do some research. He knows what to take and I don't think you know any"

"His name?"

"Vunson"