Chương 99: (B2) Chapter 26 - Hope

Ethan looked down at the old man with a mix of emotions. This was someone he had known for years. Someone who had survived all the way to the end of the trials while focusing almost entirely on healing. A feat that was far more impressive than most people realized. Yet somehow Seb had endured. Somehow he had climbed alongside the strongest humanity had to offer and earned a place amongst them. The man Ethan had seen moments ago, however, wasn't someone he recognized. He had heard the stories, of course.

He knew what had happened after the first level. Like many people in the trials, Seb had broken when he realized everyone he cared about was gone. His son had died years before the trials even started, taken by cancer despite all the surgeries and treatments. That had left only his granddaughter. Then the trials had arrived and stolen her too. For over a year the old healer had searched. Spent every waking moment trying to find the last piece of family he had left. Eventually reality had caught up with him.

The hope had faded. The search had stopped. Then came the drinking. It had taken a long time before Seb eventually found purpose again, turning all that grief into helping others instead of drowning at the bottom of another bottle. Now though, with Ethan offering even the smallest glimpse of hope, he could see traces of the man he remembered. The fire burning behind those eyes was filled with determination. The same determination that had carried the healer through the trials in the first place.

"What do you know of my situation?" Seb asked. His voice was rough, though noticeably steadier than before.

"Who are you?"

"I'll tell you everything you want to know," Ethan replied.

"To start with, my name is Ethan. And like I said before, I know where to find your granddaughter. In fact, if you're willing to get out of this foul alley, I'll tell you everything I know." Ethan waited while the healer considered his words. He lowered a hand, waiting to see how he would respond. The man's gaze lingered on him for several long moments before eventually dropping to the hand Ethan offered. For a second Ethan wasn't sure he would take it. Then Seb reached out and grabbed his gauntlet.

Ethan pulled him to his feet and immediately turned toward the alley entrance.

"Let's walk and talk," Ethan said.

"I know a good spot." He had barely taken two steps when Seb's voice stopped him.

"How about you tell me what you know now." Ethan paused. The old healer hadn't moved. His eyes remained locked onto Ethan.

"Then I'll decide if you're worth listening to." Ethan let out a slow sigh. Truthfully, he really wanted to leave the alley. [Keen Sense] had become far too effective recently. As the skill approached its evolution, all of his senses had sharpened considerably. His sense of smell in particular had become ridiculous. He could now distinguish individual scents with alarming clarity. Unfortunately, that meant he was currently experiencing every disgusting odor the alley had to offer.

Still, he supposed he owed the man something.

"As you wish." Ethan folded his arms.

"I know your name is Seb. I know you've been in the trials for a little over three years. I know you were a surgeon back on Earth and continued down that path after arriving here. I know your son died of cancer ten years ago and that you took his granddaughter in afterward. I know the two of you got separated on the first level and that you've spent the last year searching for her. And finally..." Ethan met the healer's gaze.

"I know where you can find her." Seb opened his mouth. Then closed it again. Ethan waited as the alley descended into silence. A dozen different emotions flashed across his face. Shock. Confusion. Hope. Fear. Disbelief. Ethan watched the struggle play out in real time as the old man desperately tried to process everything he had just heard. Eventually one emotion won. Anger.

"And how the fuck do you know any of that?" Seb demanded, stepping forward.

"What have you done with her?" Ethan blinked. Then immediately understood how the man had reached that conclusion.

"Ah." He raised both hands in surrender.

"Right. In hindsight, I probably should've led with the fact that I've never actually met your granddaughter. And no, I'm not going to tell you exactly how I know all of this." Seb's eyes narrowed.

"What I can tell you is that I have access to a rather extensive information network. One that's been gathering information on people since the trials began. Important people. Powerful people. Influential people." This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Seb snorted.

"And I'm supposed to believe I'm one of them?"

"You were important before the trials. That's only heightened with the use of magic." The response seemed to make the healer pause. Ethan pressed on.

"You were a surgeon. A good one. You've saved more lives than most people will ever know. Then you arrived here and did it all over again. Whether you believe it or not, people notice things like that. I notice things like that." Seb's expression didn't soften, but some of the anger faded. Ethan felt a little bad. Truthfully he was just using information Seb had once confided in him. It made him feel a little sick, but the only way he could get Seb on his side is if he helped save the last of his family.

Really it was a win-win. The old man folded his arms.

"Let's pretend for a moment I believe that nonsense. What exactly are you telling me?" Ethan leaned back slightly against the alley wall.

"I'm telling you that your granddaughter is alive. I believe she's on an island roughly two days from Nexus." The old healer swallowed. Then his jaw tightened.

"You know or you believe?"

"It's an educated assumption."

"You don't know."

"No." The honesty seemed to surprise him, but Ethan didn't want to lie to the man. Not any more than he needed to.

"I'm not going to lie to you. I can't be one hundred percent certain." For a few moments neither spoke. Until eventually Seb broke the silence.

"Start explaining." Ethan nodded.

"When your granddaughter left the Mirage, she arrived at a city called Rest's Edge. From there, she traveled with a group clearing dungeons and leveling up like many do early on. Until eventually she seemed to have a change of heart and booked passage toward Nexus." The healer's breathing had become noticeably heavier. Ethan could practically see the hope fighting against caution.

"Then what?"

"The ship never arrived." That seemed to physically hurt the old man. His shoulders slumped slightly. Ethan continued before the man could spiral.

"The route crossed an island chain. It's believed a dungeon collapsed there roughly around the same time." Now the old man's eyes sharpened, some of that fire returning. It was honestly quite sad to see the range of emotions the man was displaying. It was obvious to anyone how deeply he cared about his family.

"You think the ship went down."

"I do."

"And you think she survived."

"I do." The alley fell quiet once more. Eventually Seb looked away.

"Why?" Ethan frowned.

"Why what?"

"Why do you think she survived?" For a moment Ethan considered his answer. Then settled on the truth.

"Because she's your granddaughter." Seb barked out a humorless laugh.

"That's your reasoning?"

"It's reason enough." The old healer stared at him. Ethan met his gaze.

"She is a true hybrid. You've taught her how to stay alive, how to heal herself and with the system's help, if I'm to believe my source, then she's also become a powerful warrior." A small scowl formed on Seb's face. Ethan ignored it.

"If she's anything like you, she's still alive." The healer remained silent for several long moments. Eventually he looked toward the alley entrance. Then toward the city beyond. Then back toward Ethan.

"How do you know all this?" Ethan sighed.

"We're back to that question."

"Because you haven't answered it."

"No." Seb frowned.

"No?"

"No. I haven't. And I won't. At least not yet." The old healer looked thoroughly unimpressed. Ethan shrugged.

"Believe me or don't. Doesn't really matter." That seemed to catch him off guard as he narrowed his eyes at Ethan.

"You came looking for me."

"I did."

"Then why doesn't it matter?"

"Because whether you believe me now or next week changes nothing. If I'm lying, you'll eventually figure it out."

"And if you're not?"

"Then you'll eventually figure that out too. I think it's a risk worth taking." For a moment the old healer simply stared at him. Then, surprisingly, he laughed. It was a short, exhausted sound.

"You're an irritating bastard."

"I've been told that before."

"I imagine often."

"More than I'd like." The old man shook his head. Then finally turned and started walking toward the mouth of the alley. Ethan didn't stop him. Didn't offer to come along. Didn't offer help. Didn't mention his guild. Instead he simply watched as the man left him behind. When Seb reached the end of the alley, he paused.

"If I have questions?" Ethan removed his Farscribe book and ripped a spare page. He moved to Seb and handed it to him.

"Just write on here and I'll receive it. But I won't be able to respond." Seb took the paper, looking down at it for a moment, before shrugging and folding it to stow away. Without another word, he left. Ethan watched him disappear into the crowds of Nexus. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He hadn't even said thank you. But Ethan knew Seb. And he knew exactly what would happen next.

The old man would spend the next few days trying to find out everything he could about Ethan and the information he had told him. Then, when he realized Ethan could be on to something, he'd come looking for answers. And when that happened, Ethan would be waiting. A small smile tugged at Ethan's lips as he stepped out onto the street. Recruiting people had never been his strong suit. He much preferred hitting things with a sword until they stopped moving. Unfortunately, building a guild required more than strength.

It required people. Good people. Reliable people. People willing to stand beside him when things became difficult. Seb was one of them. Whether the healer realized it yet or not. The smile faded as Ethan's thoughts drifted toward the rest of the names on his list. Some would be easier than others. A few would likely tell him exactly where to shove his offer. Then there were those who would require considerably more effort than simply finding them at the bottom of a bottle.

Ethan adjusted the sword at his hip and began walking. There was still plenty of work to do.