Chapter 7: Companionship and Updating

We didn't waste any time with Jake as we approached the men he had stolen from. My eyes narrowed behind the white bear mask. I wouldn't say I liked the way they started looking at the boy at all.

"So, you caught the damn thief. I have to thank you," the man whose shoulder Jake had robbed smirked at me before looking disgusted at the boy. "Not that it would have mattered much since I recorded your face, it just made things easier."

"You don't have to worry," I said, placing a hand on Jake's shoulder. "The kid won't try to steal from anyone else. Here." I threw the bag of Valis coins at the man. "Don't let them take your money like that again. Let's go, kid."

With Jake still, at my side, we were about to walk away. Until one of the men stood in our way, blocking our path.

I frowned but didn't pay much attention to him, instead continuing to move forward without trouble, stopping just in front of the man who was blocking us. "Move," I warned.

The leader of the men stopped right in front of me with an arrogant smile. "Money is missing from our bag. Step aside and leave the damn thief. This problem is not your concern."

"That's a lie! All the money I stole is in the bag, I didn't take anything!" Jake pointed angrily, furrowing his brow as he looked at me hesitantly.

I looked into Jake's eyes, searching them deeply for any trace of a lie before sighing with exasperation and heaviness. "As the kiddo said, all the money is in the bag. I chased him the moment he stole it from you, he didn't have time to hide anything. Now move," my patience was running thin, and I wasn't willing to put up with the crap of a liar who wanted to hurt someone just for the sake of it and teach them a lesson.

Seeing that they didn't budge an inch, I continued, "The money has been returned to you without any shortage. The problem has been resolved. So I won't repeat myself. Step aside, old man."

The man just laughed mockingly before taking a step forward in an intimidating manner. "And I said I'm missing Valis. So either you compensate for it or get out of the way of the kid. Move before we hit you along with the thief you're protecting."

I simply laughed with scorn and disgust toward these guys. I approached until I was face to face with him, standing tall and leaning down slightly to bring my face in front of him, to appear more intimidating. The black lenses of my mask began to glow with a sickly purple color.

"I'll recommend you go fuck yourself, old man and leave the kid alone. I assure you this won't happen to anyone again, and I'll personally make sure the kid regrets his actions. Understand?"

The man tensed up, but his expression changed from disbelief to anger. It seemed a fight was about to start. I could feel Jake tensing up at my side.

All the men were about to draw their weapons and start a scene in the middle of the streets of Orario. I could even see people from the corner of my eye moving away from the impending brawl.

Fortunately, for the men and unfortunately for me, someone intervened before things escalated into something much more violent.

"Cease any confrontation in the name of justice." All voices turned to the female voice that had interrupted the guaranteed adventurer fight.

I immediately recognized the girl who had intervened. It was Alise Lovell, one of the members of the Astraea Familia. Alongside Alise was that Pallum girl, Lyra, looking at me with a shrewd and curious smile.

"Getting into trouble again, big guy?" Lyra approached us, making the other men nervous as they whispered among themselves.

"Hey, you're Mikey." Alise pointed at me when she realized who I was. "I barely recognized you with your mask and new clothes. I approve, by the way." She gave me a thumbs-up. "But... What's going on between you guys? You know we shouldn't be against each other when Evilus is still out there, right?" Alise approached, putting a hand on her hip while gesturing with her index finger from left to right.

I looked at the men who were surrounding us before looking at Alise. "We were just having a little disagreement, don't worry, nothing serious." Then I smiled with a kind of mockery, even if no one noticed my gesture. "They were about to leave right now."

The man stared at me for a moment before clicking his tongue. He stopped near my ear and was about to say something, but suddenly he stopped and pushed past me, pushing my shoulder. "Let's go, guys, don't waste time and let them handle this."

Once the men were gone, I sighed with some relief. I looked at the boy named Jake with weariness. "So, do you have a place to stay?"

Jake grimaced as he looked down at his feet on the ground. "I live in an orphanage. I don't get along with the other kids, but I try to help out where I can."

"I see." With that, I approached the girls who were looking at us with curiosity but patiently waiting for us to explain. "So, this boy here stole from those men." Lyra sighed heavily. "How troublesome. You shouldn't steal again, those men didn't seem to have good intentions for you," she scolded Jake. "And although I understand you want to contribute to your orphanage, stealing is not the best way."

Alise nodded. "We'll let it pass this time, but make sure you don't repeat it. You never know who you're stealing from, and not everyone is as lenient as we are, so you could end up in a cell for several days." Then she smiled sweetly at the boy. "But don't worry, I'm sure you'll find a way to make money the right and fair way. And if my awesome self tells you, it's because luck will be on your side."

"Next time, I won't save your skin, kiddo," I added seriously. "And try to stay away from dark and sparsely populated areas. Those men might be looking for something against you, but it will probably pass over time, so give it at least a few days."

"Thank you. I promise I won't do it again," Jake promised.

I looked at the boy for any signs of deceit once again but finding none, I sighed. "I'll take your word for it, kiddo." Then I tossed him a bag with 20,000 Valis inside, and Jake caught it in his hands with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Don't spend the money too quickly. Try to spend it wisely. Maybe some people can give you a legal job suitable for your age."

"I got it, old man," Jake smiled gratefully.

"Old man?" Lyra and Alise looked at me with confusion.

"I told you to call me Mike," I complained before looking at the girl. "Ignore him. Jake here is bitter because I stopped his little heist and criminal act."

"That's not true, just look at him, he looks exhausted and hunches his back like an old man," Jake pointed out my apparent flaws.

"Brat," I said as my eye trembled with disbelief before sighing with weariness and exasperation. I wasn't going to start arguing with a kid.

"Well, gotta admit, you do have the posture of an old man," Lyra smiled mischievously.

"Not you too," I groaned. Then I took off my mask and placed it on the side of my face so they could see my youthful face. "As you can see, I'm still young, just exhausted from a long day, and that's very different from being old."

Alise then gave me a playful smile. "Hmm, I don't know, you still give me that feeling of an old soul. The same feeling that grandparents give."

My body tensed. I looked her in the face, trying to decipher what she was saying. I stayed silent for a few moments, trying to keep my expression unreadable as I tried to read her.

"Whatever. I just want to drop the kiddo here at the orphanage so I can rest," I said with a sigh before remembering aloud, "Although I still need to fix my previous clothes. The monsters made a mess of them."

"Was it your first day in the dungeon?" Alise asked, surprised.

"Yes. I registered at the Guild this morning. Then I saw some posters about the people you warned me about, and after that, I was in the dungeon for hours."

I wasn't sure how many hours I had been diving into the dungeon, but I was certain it was more than 14 hours.

I saw the girls following me and Jake, so I had to ask to make sure they weren't busy... with, well, police stuff.

"Aren't you working yet?" I asked them curiously.

"Not more. The day is about to end, and we were about to head back before we heard all the commotion you brought," Alise replied with a smile.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to be a bother," I commented with an embarrassed sigh. This was the second time I caused a commotion in this new world. So, I couldn't help but wonder if this world was much more problematic than my previous one.

Alise shook her head before giving me a smile that eased my chest. "You don't have to worry about that. It's our job to help those in need and always intervene to ensure situations are fair and just. And to maintain order if necessary." Then she looked into my eyes with her piercing emerald eyes. "You did well in handling the situation, and I thank you again, Mikey."

"You're welcome, I guess," I felt a bit uncomfortable with the praise she was giving me. I wasn't used to it.

"Just try not to get into too much trouble, big guy," Lyra put her hands behind her head. "And I'm curious about which floor you reached in the dungeon, considering you said your previous clothes were torn to shreds."

"Well, saying they were torn to shreds is an exaggeration, but they did get quite damaged," I replied with a raised eyebrow. "I made it to the fourth floor. The monsters weren't a concern. They were pretty weak, but it seems the dungeon didn't like me much as I had to deal with several monster parties attacking me."

"Huh? That's awesome. So, you're quite strong, old man," Jake looked at me with a curious gaze.

Lyra looked at me with surprise. "Floor 4. Well, I would say I'm very surprised, but I'm slightly impressed after you faced a Level 2 on the day we met."

Alise pouted. "And I still don't know the secret to how you were able to defend against them. Although I bet it's some special magic."

"Magic?" I expressed my amusement at her assumption.

"The men we interrogated said you had a strange magic that made them feel heavier," Lyra clarified. "And although I'm curious about what your real powerful magic is, I won't pry since an adventurer's abilities and magics are very personal."

"I see," I said, amused and relieved. "I appreciate that."

"By the way, your mask is cool. Can I try it on?" Alise looked at me with pleading eyes. "I like the bear shape it has, and the white color is very representative of light."

"Not just light," I commented before she could think of the proposal. "I guess I don't mind lending it to you as long as you give it back before you leave," I said as I took off the mask and handed it to her.

"Oh, where did you get one of these made?" Alise said as she admired how well-made and sturdy the mask was before putting it on her face. "Maybe I should consider making a mask." She looked at Lyra. "What do you think, Lyra? I think it suits me perfectly, just like anything I wear."

"I think you should take it off. You don't fit the mysterious look, and you just look ridiculous," Lyra then looked at me. "The mask suits you much better and adds a sense of mystery waiting to be unraveled. Do you know what materials the mask is made of?" she asked me.

"No, I don't know the materials it's made of. I never bothered to ask. And I didn't get it; it was a gift from a good friend before... well before he passed away." I looked up at the night sky with cloudy eyes, remembering the short time I spent with my friend before we were separated.

Lyra made a pout. "It was a good gift, then."

"Yes, it is."

Alise then took off the mask and gave me an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, we didn't mean to bring up bittersweet memories, but I'm sure your friend would be happy to know that you're keeping his gift close to you." Then she smiled at me before handing me the mask again.

I smiled, grateful for Alise's words. "I guess." Then an idea came to my mind. "By the way, you've helped me a lot, and I haven't done anything to thank you. How about I prepare a meal for you? I'm good at cooking. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that I'm one of the best chefs."

Alise looked at me in surprise, blinking several times. "Ah, it's not necessary for you to do that. We didn't help you expecting a reward. We do it because it's our duty as daughters of justice and because we enjoy helping people."

Lyra rolled her eyes. "Despite the captain being right, I'm now really curious about the truth behind your words. Plus, I haven't had a good meal in a while, so I'll hold onto your words, big guy."

I gave a confident smile. "Once you taste my food, you'll become addicted to it. Trust me. And don't worry, Alise, just as you do things without expecting a reward, it would be impolite not to accept the rewards people offer you."

Lyra gave Alise a mischievous smile. "He's got a point, Alise."

Alise looked at me with a grateful smile. "Are you going to cook regardless of what we say, right?"

"You got it, darling," I said, giving her a playful wink before making a slight grimace for letting my accent slip.

Alise's cheeks blushed slightly, but above all, she gave me a curious look.

Lyra had a knowing smile. "You speak in a very peculiar way, but I suppose it just adds to the mystery. Are you going to tell us where you're from? Or are you still going to say it's from very far away?"

"Very far away."

Lyra sighed without pressing further. "I guess I should've guessed."

With that, we continued following Jake to the orphanage before bidding each other farewell. Once I separated from the girls, I went to buy groceries and, once I had them, I started walking towards the residence of the Goddess Persephone.

.

.

.

.

When I arrived at Persephone's house, she looked at me with a concerned expression.

"You're quite late. Is everything okay?" she commented while looking me up and down before sighing in relief.

"Yes, no need to worry, Goddess Persephone. By the way, I brought food to prepare dinner," I said, gesturing to the bag of groceries I had bought on the way back.

Persephone sighed. "You know, you should at least let me handle the groceries so that you can have more spare time. As a goddess, I should also contribute what I can. Besides, it would ease my mind, and I can help you with the heavy burden you carry on your shoulders, even if just a little."

"I suppose. Do you want me to prepare dinner?" I asked.

Persephone looked at me for a while before sighing and smiling at me. "Since you insist, I could use some food after all the worry I've had for you." Then she narrowed her eyes at me. "Are you going to eat with me?"

I shook my head. "I don't need sustenance in my body to survive, so I'll refrain from eating until I feel comfortable doing so. I'll probably start with liquid and easily digestible meals before eating normally." I told her, as there was no point in keeping it hidden after what happened the previous night.

"Alright. I just want you to know that you can talk to me at any time. I won't force you, and it's possible that I may not fully understand, but at least I can listen to you and support you."

"Thank you," I smiled appreciatively, grateful that she gave me space and understood. "I'll keep that in mind," I said before heading to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

"By the way, your new attire suits you well. You do look quite handsome," Persephone said.

"Goddess," I couldn't help but say, embarrassed by the sudden praise. Still, I sighed before smiling. "I suppose it's to be expected from someone like me," then I grimaced at the phrasing before shaking my head to not dwell too much on it.

Once I prepared dinner for the goddess, I waited patiently for her to update the status on my back.

Michael Afton

Race: Vengeful ghost.

Familia: Persephone.

Level 1.

Strength: I0 → H143

Endurance: I0 → F364

Dexterity: I0 → I90

Agility: I0 → H186

Magic: I0 → E432

AGONY: S

Skills:

Grim Determination: Exponentially increases the amount of exile gain. The effects of the increase will be based on strong negative feelings or the fulfillment of any goal of the user. The user becomes immune to the mental impacts and curse-based magic.

Cursed Body: Denies the soul leaving the user's container. When the container is damaged and enters a critical situation, the regeneration capacity increases, and its healing abilities will be affected by the amount of AGONY of the user. Damage caused by fire causes triple affliction to the user's container. The soul inside the user's container can be destroyed by excessively high temperatures.

Gravitational Control: The user can control the center of gravity of the body. The amount of AGONY increases the strength of the effect. Causes serious internal injuries from overuse.

Curses:

Remnant: The user can resurrect any living being. At the cost of a part of the user's soul. Resurrected users gain the effects of Cursed Body and the ability to use AGONY momentarily.

"Your soul is mine. My soul is yours. Let the hate flow into your body, Let the sadness out of your body. Rise and cause grief to the people who tormented you"

I looked at my condition with surprise. Even though I had barely been in the dungeon for a day. I had earned a total of 1215 Excelia. Which was quite a lot according to the average of what a normal adventurer earns. From what Sophie had explained to me.

I couldn't help but laugh at the look of disbelief and surprise on Goddess Persephone's face before my smile turned to one of sadness. Maybe living a new life wouldn't be so bad.

I wonder if I can be happy again or stay bitter and cynical forever.

I sighed wearily.

Only time will tell.