Chapter 27: An odd encounter [II]

Word count: 2400

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The three days leading up to the dragon mission were some of the most intense I've had since arriving in this world.

When I received the missions, I knew I had to prepare everyone. Fubuki, Ayanokoji, Ringo, and even Felix needed to understand their roles in this, and I had no time to waste.

On the first day, I gathered everyone and laid out the plan. Ayanokoji, with his sharp mind, helped explain the finer details. His ability to break down complex ideas into simple steps was invaluable.

I spoke to Felix privately, making sure he understood his role, he was to be my hidden ally, influencing the king's view of me without revealing our connection. Each of us was going to operate separately during the mission, our reputations growing individually.

The idea was simple, to act as if we didn't know each other, each doing our feats to make a name for ourselves. I gave Ayanokoji the special task of setting up the situation with the first prince, Hadrian. He'd create a life-threatening moment for him, one where I would "save" the prince, securing his favor.

This would make sure Hadrian spoke highly of me to the king.

During these three days, Ayanokoji helped me with something even more important, training. His control over mana was improving rapidly, and he passed that knowledge to me.

Together, we worked on enhancing my strength, speed, and durability by channeling mana throughout my body. At first, it was a struggle to keep the flow of energy steady, but by the end of the second day, I had it under control.

Every punch, every movement felt stronger, more efficient.

And then there was my demon bloodline. I couldn't ignore it anymore. I tapped into that dark power for the first time in training, turning into demon mode. I felt it, a slight detachment from my emotions, making me colder. It was manageable, though.

The power boost was undeniable, but what shocked me most was the discovery of Hell's Blaze. Purple flames… uncontrollable for now, but they were there. I decided against using them anytime soon since I needed more time to fully master them. I didn't want to lose control in the heat of battle.

Now, here we are, the present day. The day of the dragon mission. Every adventurer participating has gathered at the Adventurers' Guild. The place is massive, large enough to fit all of us and more. I arrived alone, making sure to keep my distance from Ayanokoji and Fubuki. We're playing our roles now, strangers with the same goal, but no connection to one another.

I can feel the tension in the air. Everyone's on edge, and they should be. This mission is going to change things for all of us. It was a battle against the epitome of power in this continent, Dragons.

It was either victory or to get annihilated.

At that moment, the strategist from the other day came to the front of the big room, a tall, sharp-eyed man who had the air of someone used to giving orders. His presence alone silenced the crowd as he stepped forward, looking over the sea of adventurers. This alone speaks a lot about his past.

His voice, firm and clear, cut through the air as he began the briefing.

"Listen up! This is the plan for the upcoming mission." he started, looking around the room, ensuring everyone's full attention. "The royal military is already on the battlefield as we speak. Their job is to clear out the monsters closest to the city and push forward toward the dragon's nest. However, progress will be slow. They're facing hordes of monsters, and we can expect their advance to be steady but not fast."

"Your role, and the role of the B-rank adventurers, is to support the military. We have gathered during the preparation period 162 B-rank adventurers for this task. You will be tasked with clearing as many of the weaker monsters as possible and helping the military advance. Together, you'll work to push through the monsters and make your way toward the nest!"

The strategist paused for a moment to catch a break, this room was quite big so he had to scream to the farthest ones to hear.

"Now, for the 36 A-rank adventurers and the 1 S-rank adventurer, You will be working with the five elite guards of the king and General Hadrian, the first prince himself. Your task is not to simply assist in the monster clearout. You will be going head-to-head with the dragon itself."

'Sending 42 people to face not only the dragon but the monster with it too, does he want us to die?' Suspicion couldn't help but rise in my mind, but I decided to wait and hear to the end.

A wave of murmurs and gasps moved through the adventurers, but the strategist didn't let it break his focus, showing that they were having the same thoughts as Nouflex. But he kept speaking with the same confidence as before.

"I understand that it indeed is dangerous, you will not be facing the dragon alone. The monsters under its command at the nest are numerous, and based on our scout's report, the weakest one of them is B-rank. In total, 189 monsters are surrounding the dragon's nest."

"But! Your mission is not to fight it directly, but simply to hold out long enough for the military, alongside the B-ranks, to finish the clearance and catch up to you. When that happens, they will deal with the remaining monsters, freeing you up to focus entirely on the dragon. The key is timing. We need to create an opportunity for all A-ranks, the S-rank, the general, and his elite guards to isolate the dragon and take it down without any interference."

He paused again, letting the intensity of the moment settle over the group. "If my calculations are correct, once the A ranks and above start their confrontation within the nest, it will take 55 minutes for the military to reach it, but with the B ranks help I expect 35 minutes."

'Oh I see, I'm not going to lie now that he finished it, it seems like a solid plan. If nothing unexpected happens then it should be doable.' I thought to myself.

The strategist looked around the room one final time, locking eyes with several of the A-ranks, the S-rank adventurer, and a few of the military officials present.

"General Hadrian will be in command of the entire mission. Follow his orders to the letter. This is not just about individual glory, this is about teamwork, precision, and surviving long enough to achieve victory. Are there any questions?"

The room remained silent, the adventurers understanding the gravity of what lay ahead. The strategist nodded, satisfied.

"Good. A and S ranks, prepare yourselves. You leave in an hour and a half. As for B ranks, follow me, we will depart immediately to support the military"

The B-ranks began filing out of the hall, and I stood back, watching them leave. My thoughts drifted to Ayanokoji and Fubuki. 'They're already leaving with the others, I hope they handle everything well. Not that I have any doubt, they'll outdo themselves and everyone there for sure.'

Suddenly, my reflection was interrupted by a voice cutting through the murmurs of the adventurers. "Hey, it's you! From the other day!"

I blinked, pulled from my thoughts, and turned toward the source of the voice. It was a young man, no older than seventeen probably, with a head full of spiky red hair and an overly displeased frown. He strode toward Nouflex with a swagger that screamed arrogance and... Anger?

The young adventurer pointed directly at him, voice dripping with dissatisfaction. "How dare you make me wait for five hours at the guild!"

I raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. I scanned the guy's face, but nothing about him jogged my memory. 'Who the hell is this guy?' I thought, feeling a mix of curiosity and mild irritation.

The guy, noticing the blank expression on my face, crossed his arms and huffed dramatically. "You seriously don't remember me? The Whispering Wood? The rogue mana beast?"

'Whispering Wood? Rogue mana beast? That doesn't really narrow it down…' I scratched the back of my head. "Are you lost or something?"

The young man's jaw dropped, eyes wide with exaggerated disbelief. "Are you kidding me right now?! I'm the guy you promised to meet after you killed the rogue mana beast! You said you'd party up with me after that, and then you never showed up!" He threw his arms in the air like this was the greatest injustice in history.

It suddenly clicked me. The memory came flooding back. 'That random kid I ran into at Whispering Wood. Right, I said something like that to get him off my back…'

"Ohhh, you're the funny one hahaha. So what if I made you wait? Am I courting death? Oh please young master don't cripple my chi channel, HAHAHAHA." I laughed maniacly, catching everyone's attention.

"Huh? What the fuck are you on?" Even he seemed puzzled by my sudden burst.

"Bro, you act like an overly pampered kid, could you perhaps be a noble?" Typical noble behavior, on top of that expensive gear, there is no way a B rank can afford that.

"N-no, what are you talking about." His pupils started looking at everyone except me, trying to avoid contact.

'Bingo he is a noble, if he wants to be in my party I might as well accept him and make use of him too.

"First of all what's your name?" I asked.

"Jayce." He quickly replied.

"Alright Jayce, how about this? If you prove to me during the battlefield that you are worth my time, then I will take you in. What do you think?" I proposed with a smile on my face.

"For real? In that case, I hope you don't go back on your words..." He turned around and followed behind the group of B rank leaving with a happy mood. "I'm going to kill all those monsters hehe."

Watching him leave with a smile, I took a small device made by Ringo from my pocket. It is as big as a small phone charger, with a small button on it. Pressing the button, I brought it next to my face. "Ringo, tell Fubuki and Ayanokoji to protect the kid we met in the whispering woods. She knows him so she will show Koji which one is it."

Letting go of the button, I brought the device closer to my ear and waited for three seconds then I received an answer. "Well received, I will let them know." Ringo's voice came out. I put it back in my pocket.

Now with an hour and a half to kill, I figured I might as well do something to pass the time. Sitting around with nothing to do wasn't really my style.

I made my way over to the guild's bar area, weaving through the crowd of adventurers. It was lively, as usual, with people prepping for the mission, chatting nervously, or, like me, just trying to kill some time before things got serious.

I took a seat at the counter, giving the bartender a nod. "Give me something strong," I said casually.

A drink was slid my way, and I took a swig. The burn of alcohol was familiar, comforting even, considering what lay ahead. The drinks here weren't exactly top-shelf, but they did the job.

As I settled into the barstool, I caught sight of a couple of the staff members lingering nearby, a couple of waitresses who were eyeing me up.

One of them, a brunette with an apron tied tightly around her waist, caught my eye. She smiled, a little flirtatiously, as she passed by. I smirked back, leaning on the counter. 'Well, why not? Might as well make the wait a little more interesting.'

After downing another drink, I got up and made my way over to her. "You work here often?" I asked, my tone casual but clearly not uninterested.

She giggled. "Part-time, only when there's a big mission coming up. Lots of adventurers, lots of gold flowing, you know?"

I chuckled, leaning in slightly. "Sounds like you're making the most of it."

We exchanged a few more words, harmless flirting, playful teasing. It didn't take long before things got a little more physical.

Nothing too intense, just a hand resting on her waist, fingers brushing her arm. We kept things light, but enough to pass the time. The other staff noticed too, throwing glances our way, but none of them said a word. It was all part of the game here.

Maybe they would've intervened if it was someone else, but they now know what happens to people who want to pick a fight.

I waited for that dizziness coming from the alcohol, but it never came. 'Why can't I get drunk?' I thought to myself, but then it clicked to me. "Oh right... Meliodas immortality doesn't allow me to get drunk..." As disappointment washed over me, the system's voice came in clutch.

[If the host wishes so, the system can deactivate some effects of your powers to your inconvenience. Would you like the system to allow the effects of alcohol to fully take hold, or would you prefer to continue neutralizing its influence?"

'Maybe another time, now I have a serious mission to do. I need to be at my 100%'

Anyways, Between drinks and the flirting, the hour and a half flew by without me even realizing it. 

Before I knew it, the signal was given. It was time.

I stood up, stretching a bit as I felt the anticipation building. 'Time to head to the dragon nest.'

With a final smirk at the staff, I made my way toward the exit.

TO BE CONTINUED --->

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