Chapter 45. Troublemaker

After the sumptuous meal, the girls were appeased, and they seemed to enjoy Michael's company more.

Tia even shamelessly asked him to visit more often, irrelevant to his relationship with Helen. Which obviously prompted another chasing session.

Shaking their heads, the other girls watched the duo exercise after lunch. Mia's voice brought Michael back to his senses.

[Excuse me, but what Level are you?](Mei)

[Mia! That's not very polite of you!](Mina)

"It's okay. To be completely honest, I'm not very familiar with the set of conduct deemed 'polite' around these places, so no questions would bother me. I am Level 6 at the moment."

[Hmm...](Mei)

"It's something wrong?"

[I was thinking... even Evelyn is too high-leveled to help you through a Dungeon. Having someone stronger guide you would be much easier, but the Sanctuary doesn't seem to like that.](Mei)

Hearing the kind proposal, Michael smiled and turned back to look at the running girls.

"It's not a bad thing. This way, the risks are higher, true. However, the Wanderers that survive are much stronger and more capable."

[That's indeed correct.](Hella)

[I still don't think going alone is a good idea.](Mei)

"Alone?"

Smiling, Michael reconnected to the 'other plane' - as he called it - where his minions patiently awaited his summons.

A small portal appeared as if their skeletal hands ripped through the very fabric of reality and stood behind him, outside the pavilion.

"A Necromancer never fights alone, Miss Mei."

The girls didn't seem to be bothered about his act of summoning the Skeleton Warriors and even got up to their feet to examine the weak bonny minions.

They touched and prodded the minions for the next ten minutes or so, curious about them. Even the two girls who had been running around called for a truce and returned to inspect the four new additions to the yard.

On the other hand, Michael was almost crying.

'Seriously!? I timed that quote so damned good, and that's the reaction I get!? *sob* These girls are all Barbarians! I should've known better than to expect anything.'

Sounds of giggles and gasps brought Michael back to his senses.

[They don't smell of death and decay at all!](Evelyn)

[Indeed. With how much the Church of Light hated Necromancers, I expected to be repulsed by their very appearance. Yet they feel... somehow...](Mina)

[Noble? That's the feeling I get.](Mei)

[Yes, yes! Same here! Even their bones are gleaming. I'm pretty sure that human bones don't look like that. Wanderer or not.](Hella)

[Indeed. When I met demons in the Dungeons we cleansed, I always felt disgust and hatred toward them. I don't feel anything similar, even when I'm touching them. How strange.](Mina)

[It's bizarre. As a Druid, even as a newbie, I can feel the life energy of humans, animals, plants, and other things around me. I was expecting to sense something opposing from the Skeletons. However, it doesn't feel wrong. On the contrary... it feels...](Evelyn)

"Like two faces of the same coin?"

[Yes! Wait, why? It shouldn't be the case.](Evelyn)

"Well, while it can be said that Life and Death are contrary forces of the universe, I would also argue that they are complementary to each other. Without Life, there would be no Death. Without Death, there might not be any new Life."

[That sounds... complicated.](Evelyn)

"It's a philosophical topic. It's meant to be convoluted enough for those that speak of it to appear more bright than they actually are."

After a quick laugh, Michael dismissed the minions back to their realm and even cut his connection to them, leaving them to go back to whatever matters they might have to attend in their own plane of existence.

Michael rose to his feet some minutes later and bid the girls goodbye.

"It's been a real pleasure to be in your company. I must get going, as I have much to do today."

[You're leaving already? *Tsk* Thought we could delay you until dinner time...](Tia)

[Ignore the brat. Do you plan to meet Prava?](Helen)

"Most likely. But not today. For now, I need to meet up with Gonk and finish wandering the rest of the city."

[Hmm... I don't like Prava that much, but if a Lorath insisted on getting their help, he must've done that for a reason.](Helen)

"Mhm. I think so, too."

[Come visit us more often, Michael.](Mina)

"I would try my best, though, probably only in Helen's presence. I would prefer not to get beaten half to death."

Getting punched in the shoulder and seeing the five girls giggle again, Michael's eyes glazed over, and he couldn't help but understand why the other 'boyfriends' couldn't keep it in their pants.

All five of them were absolute beauties.

[Careful, big sis! He's eyeing us like a wolf would a flock of helpless sheep.](Tia)

"*Cough* Miss Tia, please don't tarnish my good name. I am an honest person."

[Sure, sure.](Tia)

Smiling awkwardly while the other five, including Helen, were laughing, Michael removed the 'harem' dream from his mind.

Without a cloning technique, there was no way in hell his back could keep up with another girl, much less five.

Bidding farewell to the ladies, Helen escorted him to the gates, though he could feel the attention of those five in the pavilion glued to him.

[Be careful and try not to cause too much trouble once you're out.](Helen)

"Why are you saying that as if I'm a troublemaker?"

[I let you be for less than a couple of hours, and you managed to turn the entire plaza upside-down.](Helen)

"That was an exception. It's not like I knew things would escalate that badly."

[Exactly. Keep in mind that there are political games behind the scenes, and it's not a good idea to stick your nose in their business until you're not strong enough to endure the consequences.](Helen)

Nodding while agreeing with her words, Michael couldn't help but think it was strange that he and Gonk just 'happened' to encounter such a thing after walking around the city.

After all, what if the Sanctuary was pushing things forward without waiting for his consent?

"Say, do you have a way I can contact the guards in the city? Something similar to that whistle you used before?"

[What are you planning to do now!?](Helen)

Seeing the glaring tigress, Michael couldn't help but laugh and hug her closer to his chest.

Feeling his breath on her skin, Helen blushed and weakly tried to push him away. Against her complaints, he kissed her and only parted his lips from her a few minutes later.

Satisfied at the breathless and somewhat appeased tigress, Michael continued.

"Just in case I find myself in trouble again. It would be good to be able to call the guards in case of an emergency without having to bother you."

[Leecher! Here. It's a one-time use, though. It can draw the guards less than 500 meters away from you.](Helen)

"That will do. Hopefully, I won't have to use it. Thank you, darling!"

[Scram! You've embarrassed me enough for one day, don't you think?](Helen)

Hearing the giggles coming from the pavilion, Michael smiled and approached her again. Seeing her wary and ready-to-fight posture, he grinned, and instead of kissing her, he moved his lips to her ears.

"Planning to come over tonight? I was thinking we could continue where we left off."

The feverish red on Helen's face made her look adorable. Unsurprisingly, the peeping 'ladies' also gasped, and one of them even hooted—definitely Tia.

So Michael stole another quick kiss, after which he bolted fast before the tigress could kick his ass.

Before he could get too far, he heard the crying pleas of a caught Tia.

'Well, that went much better than I initially expected. This whole 'meeting the sisters' operation seems a success. Also, with their high levels, after I catch up, we can have Aylin join as well and attack Dungeons as two parties instead of just me walking about. Then, if we get Gonk, Martel, and Hoduin, we can get a third team. Overall... yeah... I'm getting ahead of myself... huh!? What the hell is that smell?'

Michael's stomach churned as if triggering a bad memory, and he almost threw up his lunch. The smell was too similar to the stench of the warehouse he was brought to for the ritual in Nevesk.

"Blood. Ugh... fucking hell, Sanctuary. Can't you take it easier on me?"

Complaining and walking in circles for a couple of minutes, the sound of steel falling to the ground stopped him in his tracks.

Hating himself for dismissing the Skeletons and thinking he was safe inside the city, Michael equipped his shield and scythe and carefully walked toward the source of the stench.

Thinking that he was only about ten minutes of walking away from Helen, Michael swallowed his saliva and noticed a small stream of blood extending from a nearby alley.

'Goddamit! It looks like the start of a horror movie! I should just fucking run away and call the guards...'

Sighing and gathering his resolve, he took several steps forward, peering into the alley.

There were seven 'corpses' on the ground. Actually, using his vision as a Necromancer, he realized that only five were dead, while the other two appeared to be alive.

Not hesitating any longer, he pulled out the whistle Helen had just given him and blew into it. Surprised for a moment to see 10 Essence disappear from his Resource pool, he recovered quickly and calmly walked forward.

'Even if the remaining two are not dead, judging by the wounds on their body, they are certainly out of commission.'

On his way to the still-breathing duo, Michael inspected the corpses of the five dead guys and saw three of them covered in arrows, while two had stab and cut wounds.

The two unconscious people were a man and a woman. The woman still grasped a bow in her right hand and an arrow in her left while the man's two-handed sword lay on the ground next to him.

Before he could move further, an intense feeling of danger washed over him, and he barely got the time to see the bloodied woman get up to her knees and fire an arrow at him.

Scared senseless, Michael blocked with his shield but watched helplessly as the arrow pierced through the Buckler and into his right shoulder.

The Buckler fell into pieces on the ground, and Michael saw the woman collapse for good this time. Then, he watched, appalled by the arrow that embedded itself into his body right above his heart.

"Ooookay. I need to calm down. Fuck, it hurts! I need to get it out to avoid infection or other crap. But how? Just pulling the arrow out like a madman won't work since I already tried that once and almost passed out because of the pain. What else can I do?"

Seeing the feathery end and looking behind him to see a very metallic arrowhead, Michael was almost in tears.

Gritting his teeth, he held the feathery end with his left hand and applied pressure with his right, trying to break the shaft.

He did succeed, but the shock from the snapping of the shaft reverberated through his wounds, making him topple over. Glowering at the fallen woman, he downed a Weak Healing Potion and reached out with his right hand to the arrowhead.

Pulling it slowly and hoping that no damned splinters would stay inside the wound, Michael managed to get the thing out.

"Looks like it's healing properly. Fucking crazy woman! The fuck did she shoot at me for!?"

Swearing and getting back up to his feet, he watched his wound close up and did his best not to faint at the sight. Using his fingers, he resisted the pain and fished in his wounds for a couple of seconds, pulling out two wooden splinters left inside by the shaft.

Breathing in the disgustingly metallic air, Michael walked toward the woman scythe in hand.

Deliberating for a moment while in front of her, he sighed and shook his head at the sound of heavy footsteps. Getting another vial from his pouch, he pried open the woman's mouth and poured it in.

Then, he walked cautiously to the man, prodded him with his boot a couple of times, and only then crouched to feed him a potion as well.

[You there! Stay your hands! What in the High Heavens happened here?](?)

Seeing six guards with their weapons pulled out and glaring at him, Michael finished feeding the man, grabbed the scythe from the ground, and put it back in his Inventory.

Calmly, he also put the empty vials in his pouch and then lifted his hands up in the air to show he wasn't hostile.