Chapter 30: Just... Great...

Venture is completely lost on what's going on until his active mode [Title] quickly gave him enough clues to understand what's going on and what to do. As to what he needs to do right now is to shut up and keep his mouth shut. Something about this conversation wasn't something like he should be in, even if he is technically still currently listening to their conversation, but Venture just felt like it because these two didn't really care about Venture's existence at the moment and go on talking to each other only.

Therefore, quick and steady. Venture moves away from Gat and Frisk while making sure not to draw any attention towards himself. Once he creates enough distance between himself and those two. He turns around and exits the gun store, then stands next to the door and waits for Gat to come out. This way, he might not get punished for leaving Gat behind and easily reunite with her after she is done with her business.

"Excuse me, but you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

Venture looks to his right, where the voice came from and see a tall, near Venture's height, olive-skinned man. With a wide face, a large nose, large lips, and his light brown eyes. He has short, fine, dark brown hair which is a complicated style. Long arms, a thin torso, and short legs. Wearing a worn-out leather armor. With a double-edged sword sheathed attached to the left side of his belt.

"Go ahead." Venture decides to see what this dark brown hair man wanted from him, who have this weird creepy smile, making Venture a little creep out. Of course, he prepares for a fight in case this man wanted to cause any problem with him.

"Hi, I was wondering if you want to form up a party, for a courier job." The man said to Venture, who has already used [Ally or Foe? Spell].

"Sorry, I'm already in a faction and just waiting for a comrade of mine in the store to come out." Venture decline the man, who turns up in red. A sign of a foe, much to Venture's surprise, because he didn't think he has an enemy other than maybe the [Poison Fang Faction]. Yet, his [Title] that's still in active mode gave him enough info, that this man wasn't part of the [Poison Fang Faction] at all, thanks to all the ones he had killed during the protection job, where the common attires these members of the [Poison Fang Faction] would wear. Most of them always seem to wear either the color green, purple, and black or just a mix of all three.

Yet, this man before Venture doesn't have any of these three colors. Of course, there is the chance of the man changing his outfit to not let others know about this man is part of the [Poison Fang Faction]. However, that doesn't mean this man wasn't sent by them. After all, from what Venture remembers about the rules on [Faction War]. One of the loopholes is to send in a third party to deal with each other. Therefore, maybe that's why this man ends up as an enemy under the effects of the [Spell].

"Oh, I see." The man continued to smile and just nods his head.

Venture pushes his guard up even further and already have [Flowing with Time Spell] to be cast right away the moment this man does something remotely of showing hostile action.

"Hey, Venture! Why you left me behind?!" Gat open the door, right before the man and Venture could do anything. "Hm?" Gat looks at the man, who looks back at her with a smile on his face.

"What's the hold up?" Frisk came out of the shop, that was then the man's facial expression changed dramatically upon seeing Frisk.

"Sorry, for taking your time. Gotta go!" The man didn't wait for any replies and ran off as if the devil was chasing after him.

"Who was that?" Gat asks Venture, seeing how that man was talking to her minion for a while now.

"No idea. Just came up to me and wanted to ask me if I wanted to team up to do courier jobs." Venture didn't bother to hide anything to Gat.

"Oh, it's a good thing I came, then." Gat narrow her eyes at the retreating figure of the man from a distance. "There have been cases, where random 'friendly' people would appear before others that are alone. With the intention of teaming up with them for courier jobs or something else that requires going out of the city. These people would usually aim for newcomers, something that many would easily figure out how they will know if the newcomers just started off their own independent life or not, then trick them into going outside the city before either killing them to take their organs or turn them into a slave to be sold. Sometimes both." Gat frown, that her minion almost was tricked; well, not really. She knows Venture is smart enough not to fall for others, or at least she hopes so. Even then, Gat can easily imagine Venture escaping from captive with ease, after killing everyone that is.

"Hm. I got the feeling, I have seen him somewhere." Frisk rubs her chin. "Eh, who cares. Anyway, you ready to head off, Gat?" Frisk asks Gat, then look at Venture.

"Well, seeing how you got your shopping done, leader. It's time for me to leave." Venture noticed the extra bags Gat is holding; therefore, she should be done with her shopping and the way Frisk is looking at him. Kinda made Venture a little nervous, but thanks to his [Title] making it doesn't show up on his face and suppress the emotion as well.

"You sure you don't want to hang out a bit more before going back?" Gat pout a little, unconsciously making her look cute in many people's eyes, including both Venture and Frisk.

"It's fine. We can schedule another time to hang out. I just remember I have something to do soon." Venture can read the mood and knew that Frisk wanted to be alone with Gat for the time being. Plus, he got to avoid Gat a bit since he would never think that he would find Gat cute; well, sure at the beginning before she starts shooting him out of nowhere, making Gat's image go down the drain of any possible idea of Venture wanting to court her. But, now that Gat just pouted, showing her cute side made Venture question himself if he like Gat in a romantic way or not.

"I guess." Gat wanted to let Venture get to know about Frisk, seeing how he will see her often around the apartment. Either way, it's time for her to enjoy the day with Frisk. "See ya later, Venture." Gat said her farewell to her minion before dragging Frisk around the place, who didn't bother to pull her hand away from Gat's grip.

-LIABG-

After learning about who Frisk is from Gat. He did a bit of research about Frisk just out of curiosity really and a side of cautious, even if she turns up as an ally. Doesn't mean she will stay as once forever. Therefore, the moment Venture came back to his bedroom. He quickly whips out his smartphone to access the internet and by the time he was done. The urge to pick out more [Spells] mainly for defensive than offensive became stronger after he finished researching about Frisk.

Therefore, Venture had been putting it off lately, but now it should be the start, for Venture to switch his third [Title: The Unknown's View] to active mode instead of just keeping it in passive mode. That just made it so Venture can see spiritual things a bit, which becomes stronger by the day since he got it. But, now putting it in active mode would lead to many outcomes, where Venture doesn't know if it's for the best or the worse.

The moment [The Unknown's View] turn into active mode. Venture finally 'see' an entirely new world compared to before. Everything Venture seeing right now is crazy, not crazy. Insane. That is what Venture can think up what he is seeing right now. The view of an insane person, where their point of view is completely different from others. Or in this world case, Venture might be seeing the views of what other people with special [Skill] and/or [Title] that let them see things that others can't.

One moment, Venture sees the worlds made out of strings. Blinking once, then he sees numbers everywhere. Blinking a second time, Venture sees the colors of various of a different kind. A third blink, Venture can now see through walls. A fourth blink, Venture can see phantom figures everywhere. Even in the walls.

And that was enough for Venture. Switching the [Title] back to passive mode, because he was starting to get a headache from all the different changes of views by a blink of an eye. However, just as he was about to. Venture noticed something disturbing on his right, where outside his door. There is a large humanoid shape black fog of the unknown. Literally standing there doing nothing.

On instinct, Venture switches his [Title: The Cunning One & Scholarly of Magical Formula]. Then, cast [Ally or Foe? Spell] on this humanoid shape black fog, which lights up as blue, much to Venture's disbelief. Yet, what disturbs Venture still is that this humanoid shape black fog didn't do anything other than standing outside his bedroom's door.

So, Venture uses his [Title: The Unknown's View] to change a bit, to see what the humanoid shape black fog really is, then pale a bit. Because the moment he changed his eyesight to something else. To only find out there is nothing outside at all. Therefore, this might be a spirit, ghost, what the hell it is, but it's a little creepy yet at the same time, Venture wasn't too wary of this thing. Since it wasn't a hostile enemy from the result of the [Spell] he just cast.

Before Venture could have a brief time to think about his next action. The humanoid shape black fog must have noticed it was found and disappear right away. As in, it literally disappears, no longer in the area, but under Venture's eyes, which have already changed due to his [Title]. He can see a small dot covered in black smoke and a line connected to it, that should lead to where the humanoid shape black fog had gone to.

Now, most brave people that are in Venture's shoes would follow after the humanoid shape black fog. But, he wasn't brave nor reckless enough to go without thinking about the cons first before the pros of following this trail.

Venture's name may mean taking risks, but he knew exactly what risks he mainly takes and survives through it. While there are the foolish, suicidal risks that are 50% or higher of him dying just because his curiosity got the better of him. Therefore, Venture didn't dare follow this trail left behind by the humanoid black fog. In fact, instead of risking his life by going there physically. He will use [Spells] as a means to find out the whereabouts of the humanoid shape black fog and maybe find out what it is, alongside the main important questions about why it was standing outside Venture's bedroom and how long?

So, if the trail still there tomorrow. Venture will prepare and head off. But, for now. He will sleep. Though, Venture decides for tonight to keep his [Title: The Unknown's View] on active mode for a bit. Just in case he gets some unwanted visitors. Plus, the headache was slowly disappearing too. Not that he is scared or anything. Nope. Not at all.

Also, Venture does not see any piles of dead bodies on the rooftop either. Nope. Venture just seeing random things thanks to his [Title] giving him a test run of what it could. That's all. Nothing more.

-LIABG-

"Hey... Venture. Are you okay?" Edify asks Venture, who seems a bit off. If anything goes by how Venture's eyes sometimes wander around the place before going back to the previous main focus.

"Yeah, why you ask?" Venture look at Edify, where he noticed the way Edify flinch a bit and realized it without having his [Title: The Cunning One] in active mode to figure out why she flinched. Then, decide it's time for him to switch back to the passive mode for the [Title: The Unknown's View]. Something Venture should have done first thing in the morning.

"Well, you seem... off?" Edify looks around at the table, where there are Note and Firm sitting with them.

"Yeah, you got this look that screams, 'I'm not here!' on your face." Firm said to Venture, causing the latter to raise an eyebrow at this.

Note didn't say anything as she just continues eating her salad while quietly listening to the conversation going on before her.

"Oh, just have some thoughts going on my mind lately." Of course, Venture wasn't going to tell anyone that he was having a nightmare last night or at least Venture wished it was all a nightmare. Then, he can just sigh in relief upon waking up in the morning. But, last night, Venture didn't even fall asleep at all. Too busy watching all kinds of creepy, weird-looking creatures that make Venture question more than once about why he hasn't switched [The Unknown's View] back to passive mode. Yet, the curiosity in Venture had forced himself to go through this whole thing out of some gut feeling that he should or else something bad will happen if he so much as close his eyes for more than a few seconds.

It's a good thing, Venture has made changes with himself aka able to reduce the physical fatigue and mental fatigue, especially the latter, otherwise, Venture won't know what would happen last night if his mental fatigue hit 100%. Either way, at least, Venture wasn't really tired, neither physically nor mentally. Just felt a bit empty, that's it. Better than finding out what the bad outcome if he didn't stay up last night.

"Does it have anything to do with Frisk?" Edify could only think about her as one of the reasons why Venture not so focus today compared the other days when he a bit more focused on things he does every day.

"Not really." Venture wasn't really lying, but at the same time, he is; however, right now, what happened last night didn't have anything related to Frisk. Therefore, Venture didn't lie at all. Yet, Venture noticed the look he is getting that think he is. "Just thinking about what jobs I should grab. After all, it has been a while since I last took one. The protection job is nice and all, but I don't think it was best for me at the time."

"Yeah, I can understand that feeling." Firm nods his head.

"Actually, I've been wondering but am I the newest member of this faction, or have you recruited others after me?" Venture asks Firm, since he just remembers a question he wanted to ask Firm a while but forgot about it at the time.

"Yeah... About that." Firm scratches his right cheek, with his right index finger. Where he noticed the rest are now looking at him, making Firm feel a little embarrassed. "You're the only one that I have recruited and manage to stay in the faction for this long." Firm avoid looking at anyone in the eyes.

Venture raises his right index finger in the air.

"No, you can't leave the faction." Note said coldly, causing Venture to slowly lower his finger.

Venture wanted to make a joke about leaving, but it looks like Note took it as if he was serious or she just doesn't have any humor.

"Anyway... I have tried recruiting many after you, Venture. I think around 10 or so by now. No luck." Firm lets out a sigh while shaking his shoulders. "Honestly, I think you're the only first successful outsider we've recruited and didn't run off after a week."

"Yeah..." Venture wasn't going to mention, how there were countless times, where the desire to just quit the faction and go solo during the first week joining this faction. Luckily, Venture stayed since he gets a rent-free bedroom, food, and the best things joining this faction is the smartphone. Venture has never been so thankful in his life for having a smartphone again. Even if there no entertainment. Better than not having any internet access at all.

"By the way, Venture. You mind doing a job for me?" Edify asks Venture. "It's something that will greatly help our leader's problem." Edify hinting about the seal instead of outright saying it. Even though both Note and Firm knew about it.

"Depending on what the job is and if it really something I could do." Venture hopes whatever Edify has in store for him. Won't be anything that would cause more Venture's somewhat unstable mindset to further head to the borderline between being sane and insane.

"It's nothing too dangerous, trust me." Edify said to Venture, who looks a little relief, that he won't end up having to do something similar to the danger level of the protection job, which was also a [Faction War] too.

"Oh-"

"You just need to kill something outside the city and help bring it back here to me."

Venture wonder if he should have stayed in bed today, even skipping meals wouldn't be much of a problem for him at this point.

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Author Note: So, volume 1 of Life is A Big Gamble is done. I feel like I did some progress and at the same not. Either way, I'm going to place on hold of uploading any more chapters and rework on some of the plots I was planning for volume 2. Therefore, I'm a little surprised I've managed to reach this far with an original novel at all. 30 chapters some good for me.

Anyway, since I'm putting this story on hold, that leaves me with the weekly focus slot open until I decided to upload volume 2's chapters next. Thanks for reading!