Chương 15: Friends Or Not Yet?

"Oscar, use fire!" Maximus roared as his Thorn Whip lashed outward, snapping toward the four-meter-long dark green tarantula that spat acid-soaked webs at the trio. Oscar activated his new skill, flames erupting along his spear as he weaved between the streams of thick webbing, which hissed and bubbled as they struck the ground. As he moved, he thrust forward, igniting the webbing still clinging to the monster's legs.

"Lead it here!" Felix shouted as he etched an icy glyph into the ground, frost spreading outward in jagged lines. Maximus reactivated his Thorn Whip, the vine coiling tightly around one of the spider's front legs. Paralysis poison seeped into its body as he triggered Bear Claws, muscles bulging as he yanked with brutal force. As he dragged the creature closer to the trap, Oscar darted in and slashed across its flank, leaving deep, sizzling wounds where flames bit into chitin.

With a primal roar, Maximus pulled the spider directly over the glyph just as the vine snapped apart, making him fall to the ground. The rune detonated in a surge of freezing mana, encasing the spider in a thick, crystalline prison of ice.

"It won't hold for long!" Maximus shouted as cracks had already begun to spread across the frozen shell.

"Back away!" He stood and summoned his staff, finishing the final motions of his spell as power gathered at its tip.

"Nature's Wrath!" A beam of emerald fire erupted forward, searing through the ice and obliterating half the spider's head in an explosion of frost, ichor, and burning green light. Skill Leveled Up: [Thorn Whip (F) Lv. 12] Skill Leveled Up: [Nature's Wrath (E) Lv. 8] You have defeated: [Acidweb Tarantula Lv. 9] Battle Tokens earned: 145"Anyone level up?" Maximus asked, a hint of disappointment in his voice. He had been waiting to reach level fifteen to see what new options would unlock.

"Nah, but it stands to reason, don't it?" Oscar shrugged.

"That spider was a lower level than us, no matter how dodgy it looked."

"Wait… So, the level of the monster affects how fast we level?" Maximus asked, eyes widening slightly as he thought back to his earlier gains.

"Yeah, exactly, after a bit, fighting low-level monsters becomes a total waste of time." Oscar nodded.

"It's also the system's way of poking us to go and fight something stronger."

"I see… That's good to know," Maximus murmured.

"Anyone want the corpse?"

"No," Felix replied simply.

"Take it," Oscar added with a casual shrug. Maximus stepped forward, carving out the core with practiced efficiency before storing the massive, headless spider.

"That storage of yours is bloody insane," Oscar said, unable to hide a trace of envy as he chuckled.

"Let's go. We're halfway there." Maximus said, tone firm as he turned toward the road ahead. Without further delay, the trio continued toward the next village.

On their way to the next village, they fought three groups of goblins, all around level five, and as expected, none of the trio gained even a single level. Finally, as night began to settle over the First Plane, they reached the next settlement, Shimmering Stone. Named after its rocky walls, it was the first proper fortification Maximus had seen in the planes.

"Who goes there?!" one of the guards on the wall shouted.

"Alright, mate! We've come from Resting Bench, heading up towards the Wildlands. Any chance of a spot inside for the night?" Oscar called up, his natural charm already taking over; If he could, he'd talk the hind legs off a horse. Maximus thought as he chuckled.

"Where are you from, then?" another guard shouted back.

"Manchester, why?"

"Haha, you absolute beauty! Oscar Jones is that you?" the guard burst out laughing.

"Get the gates open, they're sound!" The sound of chains scraping echoed as the gates slowly creaked open, allowing them inside. Within the houses were similar to what they had seen before, but the settlement was nearly twice the size of Resting Bench and far more populated, with dozens of participants moving about.

"Wilson, you absolute muppet! What are you doing here?!" Oscar shouted as he rushed forward, pulling a black man wearing rugged gear into a tight embrace. The man held a strange weapon, wooden in make, with a long, metallic pipe fitted to its front.

"Been here about a month, I'd say. Me and a few other lads fancied our chances deeper in, to get a bit stronger. You know how it is." Wilson replied with a grin.

"Eh… I bottled it, mate. Spent two months in the beginner bit like a knob." Oscar admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, you were always a bit of a shite-bag," Wilson smirked.

"Come on, let's get a proper drink." Before Maximus or Felix could respond, Wilson dragged Oscar away.

"I'll catch up with you later, boys!" Oscar called out over his shoulder. Maximus watched them go, then turned slightly.

"Felix… What was that weapon he was carrying?" he asked quietly. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

"Seriously?" Felix looked at him, confused.

"It's called a rifle," he continued after a pause.

"Some classes specialize in modern weapons powered by mana. But they rely heavily on ammunition… Unless they can generate mana bullets themselves, which is rare."

"I see…" Maximus nodded slowly. Felix stepped closer, too close. His eyes sharpened.

"How about you tell me the truth for once?" he said quietly.

"Who are you… Really?" Maximus stiffened slightly, forcing a chuckle.

"What are you talking about? I'm Maximus, from Earth, same as you."

"And let me guess, you don't remember your country or city either?" Felix pressed, disappointment creeping into his voice. Maximus exhaled softly.

"That's right. My memory is still missing." Felix held his gaze for a moment longer… Then looked away.

"Fine, Maximus. Be that way," he said quietly.

"I just hope… One day, you'll actually trust us." Without another word, he turned and walked off, leaving Maximus standing alone in the dimly lit street. I would tell you… But forgive me, I can't trust anyone just yet. Maximus let out a quiet sigh before jogging after him.

"Hey, Felix, wait!" he called out.

"Let's grab something to eat. My treat!"

Maximus caught up to Felix just as he stopped, still looking annoyed.

"What is it?" Felix asked coldly.

"Come on, dinner's on me. Don't ruin the night. We survived quite the ordeal today, didn't we?" Maximus pressed, offering a small smile.

"Fine…" Felix exhaled, the tension easing slightly as the two continued through the town, taking in the sights and passing all kinds of unfamiliar faces until the sound of shouting and cheering reached them. They followed the noise, eventually arriving at a small cluster of buildings that vaguely resembled a restaurant district. They picked one with an open table and stepped inside.

"Evening, gents. What can I get you?" a middle-aged woman greeted them with a warm smile.

"Your best meal, and some good mead," Maximus said, almost like he was ordering in some ancient tavern. The woman burst into laughter.

"Listen to this one, mead, he says! Honey, we barely have clean water half the time. Drinks come from the Store if you've got the tokens. I'll bring you some food." She walked off, still chuckling. Felix shook his head and purchased two tall mugs of amber liquid.

"Try this," he said, taking a long gulp without hesitation. Maximus followed suit, taking a cautious sip before immediately coughing.

"That's… Strong," he muttered, his face already flushing. Maximus… Can't you even handle liquor? What kind of man were you? Aurelius mused with growing curiosity.

"Drink slowly. You'll get used to it." Felix smirked.

"I swear, you drink like an old man. How old are you anyway?" Maximus asked.

"Twenty. And I've been drinking for a while." Felix replied casually before taking another large gulp.

"What were you doing before all this started?" Maximus asked.

"Training. I wanted to be ready when the system finally chose me." Felix shrugged.

"Though… If things ever go back to normal, I'd like to be a writer." He relaxes when he drinks… Talks more, too. Maximus noted silently.

"The world changed quite a bit when the system appeared, didn't it?" Maximus said.

"Would you say it's for the better or worse?" Felix's gaze dimmed slightly.

"We lost a lot of people. Entire cities fell during the early years of the Awakening. Even now, whole regions, oceans, and islands are infested with monsters. Life isn't what it used to be."

"That makes sense… But change isn't always bad, no matter how painful," Maximus said, slipping into a more thoughtful tone.

"Everything in existence is in motion. If something stops changing… It starts to decay, and sometimes, no matter how much you wish it, some things can never go back to what they were." He fell quiet for a moment. Memories surfaced, late nights speaking with Ariene, laughter stolen from a world that kept them apart. Regret, heavy and suffocating. All the time he had… And still, he had been too late. As a single tear slipped from his eye. A ripple of spirit energy spread outward.

"Why… Do I suddenly miss my mother?" someone muttered nearby.

"You're telling me… I just remembered my grandmother…" another voice cracked. Felix blinked, shaking off the strange wave of emotion. He turned to Maximus, concern replacing his earlier irritation.

"Maximus… Are you alright?" Maximus inhaled slowly.

"Sorry… A memory surfaced. A heavy one." Felix glanced around at the nearby patrons, some quietly wiping tears.

"Did you do that?" he asked, lowering his voice. Maximus focused inward, sensing the shift. His spirit energy had darkened slightly, rippling outward, influenced by his emotions. So… Spirit energy can be influenced by my state?

"Possibly," he admitted quietly.

"This is new." He concentrated, drawing the stray energy back into himself. Gradually, the atmosphere settled, and the room returned to normal. Felix watched him carefully. Some of the coldness in his expression faded.

"You lost someone, too?" he said quietly.

"It must be… Hard, remembering only fragments." Maximus gave a small, distant smile.

"Everyone carries regrets. They stay with us, so we remember to be better… To do better… I'll be fine." He took another sip of the drink and immediately grimaced. Felix chuckled.

"For someone who talks like that, you really can't handle alcohol."

"I think that I've read a lot. That counts for something!" Maximus protested.

"Oh? So, you do remember more?" Felix asked, one brow raised.

"Fragments. Barely anything." Maximus replied, guilt flickering beneath his calm exterior. The conversation faded into lighter talk as the night went on. They ate, rested, and eventually searched for shelter. Finding an abandoned house with two rooms, they settled in without much trouble. The exhaustion of the day finally caught up to them, pulling them into a deep sleep. Elsewhere, Oscar spent nearly all his remaining tokens on drinks, laughing loudly as the night carried on around him.

And far beyond the safety of Shimmering Stone… A pack of crimson beasts stirred within the Wildlands. Then rushed out, moving in a hurry. ‎