Sherry's Request

After a few hours of restorative sleep, Alex felt rejuvenated and began recounting the recent events to Aurora.

After earning a handsome sum, he had already purchased enough food to last him a week, storing it in his system inventory.

He took out a plate of food, munching on it as he began sharing his experiences in the wilderness with Aurora.

"The first day was hectic but so much fun. I came across a cave full of Green Vipers and Dimwigeds Bats. But the main highlight of that day was the pack of Monster Wolves...that movement spell of you taught me was amazing, and..."

Alex, with a joyous and excited expression, recounted his adventures to Aurora.

"Mou, so you had lots of fun and forgot to come back to check up on me once, hmph!"

"...Sorry, I was so engrossed in hunting that day that I totally lost track of time. And by the end, it got very late for me to even come back."

"Hahahahaa, look at you all flustered trying to explain."

'And...when I was worried you might have been alone.'

"Don't think too much, as you won't have to worry for long."

Alex gave her an angry glare as she again started to mess with him and kept hiding something. "Hmm, why?"

"It's a surprise. Now, tell me how you came together with that pink-haired human. You were avoiding her two days back, and now you guys seem to be on good terms."

'I can't exactly ignore her when she saved me, can I?'

Hearing this, Alex had a dark expression as he smiled bitterly, "Well, today, if not for her, I might have really become a ghost like you."

'I am a spirit, not a ghost, but why did he suddenly have such a bad expression.'

She was more like a spirit, not a ghost, but she didn't correct him as she was inclined to know more about what had transpired today for him to say that.

"It occurred on the second day. I headed straight for the red zone, and that's when it all began... they left me as bait to buy time."

He narrated the day's events to Aurora, and a myriad of expressions danced across her face, from shock to anger.

'I've heard much about the harsh realities of the outside world, and humans have always been this way. Someday, he needs to know about it too.'

"I knew humans weren't virtuous. I was cautious about their deceitful nature, which is why I warned you to stay away from there. But who would have thought they'd come to you themselves."

"Yesterday, a group of adventurers, upon seeing me, fled, and even the city gate guard warned me to be cautious. Yet, I never imagined something like this would happen."

"Alex, I don't know much about your previous world, but here, there's no absolute law other than your own strength. I had a feeling something like this might happen, but experiencing it yourself is always better."

'You could have been more specific, not spoken in riddles like "you can't trust anyone out there".'

Alex wanted to complain, but he realized he needed to grow if he wanted to survive this harsh reality.

'Should I have properly warned him about the dangers? NO! He won't grow that way. I don't want him to end up like me.'

"So, what happened after that, and where does this Sherry come in, saving you?" Aurora inquired, steering the conversation back to the crucial details.

"The issue lay in the fact that the monster those bastards sought to evade was no ordinary creature; it was a C-rank monster, Grim Hound. Perhaps, if it had been a D-rank monster, I might have stood a chance. However, as the Grim Hound fixed its gaze upon me, I—"

Before he could conclude his sentence, Aurora interjected, taking over his narration.

"Your body started feeling heavy, both body and mind frozen in fear, right?"

Recalling the piercing stare of the Grim Hound, Alex clenched his fist and nodded.

"How do you know?"

"Well, you can consider it a characteristic or a sort of skill of the Grim Hound. Monsters above C-rank all possess something like this. Its mere presence induces a natural paralysis, rendering the prey unable to move due to fear and the impending threat of death."

'That's why I couldn't move a finger; I was paralyzed.'

"That, coupled with your significant inferiority to the Grim Hound, contributed to its intimidating aura. Are you alright? It must have been challenging, especially experiencing it for the first time."

Aurora expressed growing concern and attempted to comfort him.

"It's fine. I-I was scared, felt death approaching, but it wasn't my first time facing death, so I managed to regain some composure after a brief moment."

'It's reassuring to see his mental strength; he'll overcome it.'

"It must have been tough, but if you could come back, that means you have a strong will. A person with a weak will couldn't have done that, and it's good to see you okay." She cheered him, observing his overthinking.

"Did you then attempt to fight it, and someone saved you... Sherry, perhaps?"

"Yes, as you mentioned, seeing no other option, I attacked it with both magic and my sword. Yet, as you can tell, I only managed to scratch it once, having exhausted all my powers."

'Why does he sound so somber? What he accomplished was extraordinary. It was a monster leagues beyond his own, and the Grim Hound's mere presence makes many surrender before attempting anything.'

"I was at the brink of life when..." He then recounted how Sherry arrived with her tamed monsters and rescued him.

"Ooo, that girl was a monster tamer. That's rare; even in my time, it wasn't very well-known." Aurora expressed surprise at the revelation that Sherry was indeed a monster tamer and had already tamed two C-rank monsters.

"Is it that rare?"

"You could say that, as monsters are not exactly friendly, and taming them is also not an easy task. So, does she now know about your dark magic affinity?"

"When she came, she had already seen me use <Dark Barrier>, and I couldn't just lie to her after she had just saved me. So, after informing the incident at the guild, I finally followed your advice and had a conversation with her to establish a sort of mutually beneficial deal."

Aurora had earlier suggested to him that she definitely wanted something from him, and this could help him keep her mouth shut about his secret in return for his assistance.

It was a risky and not the best option, but according to her, Sherry seemed meek and easily controllable, so it could be considered one of the options if needed.

Alex then shared the details of his discussion with Sherry and the nature of the deal they had agreed upon.

"Listening to her reasons, I couldn't ignore it, and she kind of reminded me of my neighbor's daughter, who was just like her. So, I decided to help her in exchange for her not telling anyone about my secret."

'You are really kind, Alex. I guess that is one of your charms, and I also don't hate it.'

Aurora listened carefully to what Sherry wanted and asked, contemplating, "...That girl wants your help in opening the entrance to a hidden place?"

"Yes, she said her parents entered some sort of ancient ruins before going missing. The entrance to the place has since disappeared. She did find the key to finding and opening that place, but to use it, she needs my help, or more specifically, a person with exceptionally high affinity for dark magic."

"How strange. I have heard and visited some peculiar places myself, but I never came across one with such specific requirements."

'It doesn't feel right somehow.'

'Hey, I am new to this world, so don't look at me.'