0003 Saltsine; Bosses loss

Another Three months went by, and like that, I had been here for around six months. From all the work and the hunting, I had now saved up around 100,000 draks; With the achievements from hunting and 10000 draks, I could apply to be a warrior. It was a title that interacted with the system, more importantly though; it acted as a form of identification and would allow me to enter any human city.

I had spent half a year in this city and was ready to getaway. I hesitated as I stood by Callise.

"You look nervous George, what's up." He sounded so easy going, we had been sitting on the city wall, enjoying this world version of a cold beer. It looks like a regular bottle but the liquid inside was a pale opaque blue colour, and it was constantly smoking. I didn't hesitate any longer.

"I'm going to leave the city." He paused as he was raising the beer to his lips. His eyes and thoughts looked extremely complicated for a moment. "will you come with me."

He starred out over the wall, seemingly lost in the view. Then a quiet voice came from his lips. "just give me some time, I have some things to sort out before I leave. I only need a week, can you wait the long."

"Bro Take as much time as you need Bro." He smiled a little.

"Thanks Bro."

The rest of the night was hushed as we discussed where we would go. I got back to the inn earlier than usual, looking quite glum. But my decision had been made. The next day I spoke to Boss that I would be resigning and then searched for any escort jobs to saltsine that would be leaving in the next few weeks.

There was leaving in eight days heading to saltsine. It would be perfect timing, and the pay was decent. The next few days were busy. I was selling all the thing I had left in the little flat as I had decorated it. The Boss bought the stuff of me, and I donated anything I couldn't take with me but couldn't stay in the flat.

Boss would transfer the money. What I had on me was the new computer I had bought after transferring all the date from mine, and a phone that came from this world as well. I also brought along the papers and designs I had made while researching some interesting things in the library. It was all then stored inside a 50-litre backpack.

Also inside included my survival gear, which included the rope and flares and distress beacon from before. With some new things that were more catered to surviving for long periods. I hadn't seen callise at all that week and had only spoken to him by sending a text about the day we were leaving and where to meet.

But I had an amazing surprise as I was leaving the restaurant.

"George, for the brief time you were here, your smile lit up the room. You will always be welcome back."

"Thank you for expressing concern for my family and me and for the constant advice and support each day."

"Thank you for covering for me when my sister was sick."

It was a lot of thank you and congratulation, and it really touched me. I had never been in a community as strong and supportive as this. With this, they had also chipped in to buy me a pair of titanium gauntlets. "all of you thankyou so much. I'm going to come back in the future, ill always be around so please don't lose touch."

This was the first community I had ever really had around me. Back on earth, I had tried to avoid groups because of how they acted. But once I was forced into a group, I found I really liked them. Boss had given me a recommendation I case I wanted to get a job once I get to saltsine.

I met up with Callise at the gate. His eyes were swollen and fists bloodied.

"What happened." I approached him as I spoke.

"something came up and it angered me, so I hit the gym." He looked down, unable to meet my eyes. I figured there was more on the subject. But he didn't seem to want to talk about it, so I wouldn't pry. We waited around 15 minutes before the other escorts showed up.

"Hey, who do you think is going to be on this job." It was a familiar voice that I hadn't heard for the past 6 months.

"I don't know, but it's us, and then there are three others." It was the voice of the seven so-called heroes. I quickly turned to callise.

"Hey, sorry to spring this on you but there are some people I want to avoid meeting." Before he had the chance to respond, I changed into Ivy. MY hair turned black and grew down to my waist. My figure shrunk and the sound of my bones cracking could be heard. Skin turning very white with only the slight hint of a tan. My eyes turning a deep purple. Using shadow steps to accelerate, I switched into my other armour while Callise covered me. This all took less than two seconds.

"Sorry, but this is another form that I like to take."

He was obviously startled for a second, then "who is it". I gestured with my eyes and the seven approaching warriors right as they rounded the corner to the rendezvous point.

"Are you guys here for the saltsine guard request."

"Yes, I take it you're the seven, then we're just waiting for the loner and the client." I tried to respond naturally. But seeing there armour and equipment, I wanted to find out how strong they were. Thinking about it, I glanced at my wrists.

Given Names George

Race Humanoid Titles

Chaotic Neutral

Warrior Level 13

Basic Skills

Kinetic learner Extreme

Visual learner Extreme

Natural Energy Manipulation Soul weapon

Shapeshifter

Learnt skills

Shadow steps (movement skill) lv 3

Personal space (defensive skill) lv 2

Honed Battle edge (blade skill) lv 4

Mystic Knives (throwing knives) lv 4

Warrior Hand-to-Hand (advanced)

Warrior Blade skills (advanced)

We had managed to get the combat skills into the warrior category from basic, but we still hadn't decided on a new skill, and it had been a month since we had learned the Personal space skill. We could see which skills were amazing of course but we simply didn't have the funds to get the pills. And we hadn't been lucky enough to find a creature that skills could be synthesised from.

The last person to arrive was someone I recognised. His name was Horatio, I had served him at the inn a few times and he had taught me a lot about being a warrior. But I guess he had thought I was just interested because his next question took me by surprise.

"George, you're a Hunter." He had treated me warmly, so I shot him a smile as I held up my warrior token on my arm. But he wasn't normally alone, so I asked him about it.

"What happened to your team."

"We still are a team, but I have some family to visit in saltsine."

It made sense and we continued to talk as we headed over to the cars. To call them cars might have been mistaken. Be sure they had wheals and you could here and engine. But they were twice the size and more heavily armoured than a military jeep. It also explained why I hadn't seen any within the city, they just wouldn't have fit.

It was better that people used bikes and motorcycles inside the city. Of course only on the select main roads that moved around the outside of the city. We both talk about the trip as easy pay and a good way to get around. Then I heard someone scream a name.

"Callise." I heard a girl. I turned around to see a girl about the same age as callise tackle him.

"They allowed me to come with you" After the somewhat frantic reunion she spoke to the man running the transport flashing him her warrior tag and saying that she wouldn't need to be paid. At first, the man did have some objections, but then he seemed to notice something about her and said he would allow it. After talking she walked back to callise, he kept glancing at her, not in lust but fear it seamed.

The girl came back, and Callise introduced me. More specifically, she introduced herself to me using, callise as the bridge.

"You must be George Calise's partner, he has told me how close you have been getting. My name is aria." She took out a hand and held it out to Horatio. He glanced at me, so I decided to make a move and get this out of the way.

"Hey actually that would be me, my name is George, I prefer to be called Ivy." I shook her hand, as I took it it was like she tried to send sparks my way, but I just smiled and returned talking to Horatio. We chatted about popular hunting spots, as well as popular places to eat and live within Saltsine.

Aria returned to talking to callise, and I slipped him a mental note through the bond. 'Don't tell her about the shape-shifting, I didn't have a choice but to show you but the fewer people that know about it; the better.' After a few minutes, we finished discussing I turned back to them. I had made sure to give him plenty of time to come up with a story.

"So, are you joining our team." I tried to speak non-threateningly but something in her eyes still flashed."

"Yes, if you wouldn't mind having me."

"That would be great just having two people was making things very difficult, It's nice to have you onboard aria."

After that little hick up we finally got on the cars and started to move out, I took place on the top looking out over the convoy as we got on our way. After five hours or so of travelling at 60 miles per hour, we could finally see saltsine's wall looming in the distance.

Suddenly the seven started to get very fidgety, what were they doing. I looked over to Horatio, he just sighed and pointed outside. This was when I started to notice the heavy footsteps approaching. We moved instantly and acted before the beasts could get to the transport, there was a pack of what looked like feather velociraptors but their claws were substantially longer.

Their feathers seemed to have a metallic sheen as the light bounced off them. Our so-called heroes rushed out instantly. I waited for a second and held the others back, I still wanted to see how they worked. Besides with there numbers handling four of them should be easy.

Skills got flung anywhere, and some of them even collided with there teammates skills created an explosion that would be more likely to kill them than the monsters. They had no sense of teamwork or understanding of there skills. Don't get me wrong those skills were definitely powerful but if you don't hit ou target correctly, you'll only be doing around 20% of the skills total power.

I looked at callise and he gave me a nod, I could see the power well up inside of him as he used the skill personal space to block the raptors movement for a second, then a throwing knife sunk deep into its neck before a violent eruption sounded.

Before anyone had time to register the first one's death, both callise and I were starring down one each with the blade already descending on its neck. blood-splatter covered me as arteries in its neck were all severed. The last one thought about leaving and as it turned to run, the throwing knife that had been heading towards his head missed and buried itself in the ground.

The explosion caused the raptor to jump back, and as it raised its head to the sky. At that moment the other was buried in the base of its neck, however, unlike the bright point of white light on the tip of the dagger, like the first. This one's edges were covered in blue light. It tore through the scales exiting the other side light there was no resistance at all.

The creature looked stunned for a second before its body promptly collapsed to the ground. Its spinal column and trachea had been severed so it was only a matter of a few seconds before it would die. The battle had been ended in a few seconds. I walked over to each of the corpses and to the teeth eyes and the largest feather on each of the raptors. Other components of their bodies would be useful but hauling them would be a hassle so it would just have to be left here unless our seven heroes wanted it.

Both me and callise were given strange looks by everybody except Aria. Callise had clearly told her stories about other hunts we had completed, the convoy had an awkward silence and it took another two hours to get to saltsine. After we arrived we were let go by the transport boss but the seven where in it for the ride back, he looked at us as if he definitely would prefer it the other way round, but I would stay here so I could only give him my sympathy. Horatio left and I decided to leave those two love birds alone.

I had some stuff to take care of, the eyes of the raptors would be turned into sunglasses and the teeth and feather could be used to make some mean throwing knives. So I put up a request that someone complete and the exchange would manage it from there. Then I head to the Silver fox shop Boss had told me about. Even though it had been less than a day, I still missed him. I really had started to treat him like family and I think that was because he had also treated me like that.

It wasn't a restaurant like the sister shop in the capital, but a designer shop for clothes and a desk to the side suggested that they also did interior designing as well. I rung the small bell at the counter and a boy quickly came out to greet me.

"Hello miss, how may I be of assistance." He was polite with fitted clothes and a tidy hair cut. A good face for a designer store.

"Hi, I have this letter from the Boss; I mean from the sister shop in the capital." The boys face changed from a salesman to a more relaxed curiosity.

"MAMA FIA, there is someone here with news from the Boss in the capital." He walked away after that, but it was interesting that even the employees over here called him Boss as well. I decided to take a seat near the counter as I waited, I wonder why Boss wanted me to come here.

As I looked around, the shop felt more like a high-class home more than anything, it had closets instead of the open hangers which made the environment exquisite. Even with the few customers in here, it still felt very private.

"Hi, I understand you have a letter for me." A small elderly lady spoke, she had a hight of around 5,5 with silvery hair cut off at the shoulder, her skin looked very tight despite her age. I handed her the letter, try to be subtle. I started to take glances at the clothes around the shop.

Truth be told I only had one change of casual clothes and was currently wearing my combat kevlar armour, that hugged my figure. The woman gave me a knowing smile, "Its alright dear, by the looks of it I have a lot to read through, so you look around, the Warrior section is the white cupboards over there." After that she sat down, the level of armour I had wasn't adequate anymore, so I decided to look around the white cupboards to find some armour. To my own surprise, the armours in the white cupboard looked like casual clothes.

It wasn't a mistake, the clothes were amazingly strong. So along with a new kevlar armour that had far higher defence, I also got the casual clothes so that I would always be under a type of protection. I also got some clothes if I changed into a male anytime soon.

I returned after paying at the counter with the boy. Apparently, she had just finished the letter.

"Have you read this." She looked up at me, a few tears in her eyes.

"No, he said it was only for you to see."

"He wanted me to offer a place to rent that is just outside the wall of the city."

"Do you know why." He was probably just trying to help me out and get me a place to stay. But I felt something was off because of the way she was looking at me.

"He didn't say exactly, but I suspect its that you remind him of our son. He died around half a year ago."

I chocked a little, my throat started to get tight, I knew what that loss felt like. And how easy it was to project your feeling onto someone else. This was Boss I had gotten to know like family, how could I not feel something find out that he had lost his son.

"Personally, I don't feel comfortable… could I get a job so that you could see what kinda person I am, and I can get to know you, his wife." I paused for a second, I was feeling almost sick, it wasn't that I didn't like Boss, it was just; I hadn't had a family dynamic so knowing that his fondness for me might be because of the loss of his son. It tore me up a little.

"Its alright dear," she stood up and took my hands at this point "if you really insist there is a shift you can do from 2 till 7 and I can get to know you then." She then took me in her arms. It felt warm.

"Thank you." For some reason, I was unable to control my emotions as tears started to trickle down both her face and mine. It took a few minutes to settle down both he and the memories that had been brought up by this. We manage to calm down and began to chat about my hunting, what the house was like and how I would be helping out in the shop. We also spoke about her and boss, why they were separated for the moment and there past.

My job here in saltsine would be very different as I would be in control of all the books and bank manager for the branch. While technology was advanced in this world the with and academic education where few and far between. They had 4 branches in this city so I would be handling all of there accounts. It would pay around 60 draks an hour. This was fairly good considering it was basically just mental labour and making sure things added up.

The following day we didn't go out hunting; instead, I started to get things sorted with the house. I don't know what I was expecting, but when I arrived, I was greeted by something quite surprising…