Awakening The Class [2]

The night was cold and peaceful in Cromwell Barony, with darkness only punctuated by the soft glow of lanterns from numerous houses. Windows shuttered open and closed in response to the chill brought by the wind.

It was midnight, and the entire town was asleep, except for a few who remained awake.

"Gotcha, checkmate!"

"You bastard, cheater!"

"Oi! Cheat? I wouldn't lower my esteemed self to that level. Cut me some slack, please..."

"Hmph, says the man who scammed the king!"

On the towering walls of Cromwell Barony, which were as wide as a road back on earth, Nathan and Elvin were playing chess with booze beside them. The two men reeked of alcohol, and if one looked closely, you'd notice they were wasted.

Unlike the normal townsfolk, these two and the rest of their friends hardly got any shut-eye because they felt vulnerable whenever they did.

Although the kids didn't know it, these men had participated in the great war that marked the Age of Rebirth. They had witnessed bloodshed and massacre and had taken their fair share of lives, both innocent and evil.

It wouldn't be a stretch to say these men had seen the worst of humanity. They feared that if they closed their eyes for too long, one of their numerous enemies from the past would come back to bite them.

While the two old men were busy on the wall, a five-year-old with black hair streaked with sparse red and midnight eyes was facing a pristine white fat cat.

Nox's immature face was very serious as he looked at the cat lounging on the cushioned couch. The atmosphere was tense, as if they were about to strike a multimillion-dollar deal.

'Hope this proposition works,' he thought. He had considered this plan throughout the night, including methods to sneak out of the barony to the temple, but all of it hinged on whether this haughty cat would agree.

But the bombshell dropped much earlier than he anticipated.

[I decline your offer.] Fluffington licked his paws. [What makes you think I would be interested in such pedestrian offers?]

'I expected this. Fortunately, there's still one card left to play.'

"You jumped to conclusions too soon, Fluffington," Nox stated. "There are benefits for you if you help me with this."

[Elaborate more on these benefits you speak about.] There was a look of sudden interest on Fluffington's face, and Nox couldn't help but curse the feline bastard in his heart.

Regardless, he continued, 'You see, I recently found a rare and exotic herb, one that will not only make your fur even more luxurious but also much more shiny.'

Nox paused and displayed a grin that was very similar to his grandfather's own. Of course, there was nothing of such! This was a scam in the making!

"Not only that, if you accompany me on this journey, I'll give you the finest massage with the most exotic bowl of milk!"

[Hmmmm, this sounds interesting.]

Fluffington's tail started to twitch but then suddenly stopped, and he narrowed his eyes. [Why go through the trouble when I can just force you to give me this herb and massage you speak of?]

'This bastard' Nox cursed. If Fluffington wanted to do that, there was nothing he could do. Although he was no longer a little toddler, he was still scared of this bully of a cat who would constantly smack him for the slightest offenses.

At that moment, Fluffington yawned, revealing his sharp teeth. 'If it were any other time, I'd have you know that I would not hesitate to use my... paws to acquire the herbs and massage you so generously offer. But, for once, I'm curious about what you're up to.'

"Before I change my mind, tell me about this place."

Nox nodded and proceeded to tell Fluffington about their journey, omitting some important details. He wasn't worried the fat cat would reveal this information because, in the time he had spent in this world, he had learned that he was the only one who could communicate with the cat.

Nox strongly suspected it had to do with the Pantheon of Mythical Beasts.

Fluffington looked at the mischievous youth for a while. The cat suspected he was not revealing everything. However, he still chose to follow along.

His reason was solely because he was curious about what this journey was about and also because he wanted to keep a close eye on the mischievous boy so that he wouldn't get into trouble.

Although he didn't show it, the cat was very fond of Nox, not only because he gave him massages but also because the boy was the only human he could communicate with.

Thanks to the map pre-installed by Terra, Nox knew what direction to take.

Fluffington was fat and massive, unlike the cats back on earth, so Nox was able to mount him. Although the prideful cat didn't agree at first, he had no choice because Nox was slow and fragile.

If he let the boy walk, it would only hinder their journey and risk them being caught.

Following the road that led to the field at the back of their mansion, Nox, mounted on the cat, suddenly came to a halt when they noticed someone.

'Mother,' the boy thought as he watched the solemn expression on her face.

Under the blanket of darkness, Aina, her beauty illuminated by the lantern, the most beautiful woman Nox knew, fixed her gaze northward with a longing gaze.

'Why does she sit here every night and look in that particular direction?' Nox wondered.

It felt as if she was waiting for someone to return, and he had seen her do this since he was a baby...

Some days, he and his twin sister would accompany her.

Nox's little heart ached at the sight. His mother was clearly suffering silently, and he didn't like it.

'I remember asking who she's waiting for, but she never tells me.'

The little boy clenched his tiny fist. He knew the reason nobody mentioned his father was because he must have died, so he didn't even consider that Aina was waiting for her husband.

From what he saw and heard from the goddesses Terra, the world of Eos was a place where the strong dictated the lives of the weak. Though they were well off, Nox didn't consider his family and the barony to be powerful.

Especially when there was a bag of bones who was very close to his grave as the baron.

In fact, for some reason, the town was mostly populated by children and women, with few young adults.

Considering all these facts, the little boy felt even more determined to venture to the temple and awaken his class. The power he witnessed Gustavo wielding in those illusions—he wanted it.

'Because with such power, I can protect the citizens of the barony, my mother, my stupid sister, this stupid cat beside me, and my grandfather... I just pray he doesn't die before I return.'

Steeling his mind, the boy, mounted on the cat's back, skillfully maneuvered through the fields, carefully evading Aina's gaze before they disappeared into the distance.

"I don't know when you'll come back, but I'll keep waiting," Aina whispered, tears streaking down her cheeks. "No matter how long it takes."

She looked utterly heartbroken.

***

'Phew, that was easy!' Nox sighed in relief.

[Hmph, we are not done yet,] Fluffington sneered, interrupting the boy. [We still need to traverse these mighty walls.]

"Thanks for the reality check, Mister Fluffington," Nox said, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, got a plan?"

Fluffington didn't reply. He simply approached the wall, placed his paw, and it stuck perfectly like a magnet.

A grin spread across Nox's face as he tightened his grip on the cat. They quickly climbed the wall as if taking a stroll on the ground.

Nox didn't know how this was possible, but in this fantasy world, common logic didn't always apply.

Unbeknownst to the cat and the little boy, their location had already been revealed.

In a dark, ominous room filled with the presence of death, the green eyes of a skull began to glow as if coming to life.

A split second later, the skull smiled eerily. "Indeed, you were right, master. The pipsqueak and the descendant of Whiskarus are up to no good."