104 A Favorable encounter

"Please save me!! I have a small daughter!! This croc is going to jump!!" with these words from the driver the calm picnic of Fusion souls ended,

Jue rushed towards the carriage without a care in the world while wearing his knuckles. The Toxic croc was going to jump on the driver when Jue shouted,

"[Gravel claw]!!" his knuckles got the gravel infused in them as he jumped towards the toxic croc, who already jumped towards the driver punching it barely a second before it could've reached the driver.

"I am alive!!" the driver seemed shocked yet relieved and held the holy orb he was wearing tightly. when Jue's attention was focused on the Toxic croc, the one on the top of the carriage tried jumping on him,

Ryu, who was watching this happen, used [Quickening] and rushed in the path holding his dagger toward Toxic croc's head and spoke in a low voice,

"[Impact thrust]" making short work of the toxic croc whose head got pierced combined with its own force of jump and [Impact thrust],

"Jue, are you fine there?" Ryu asked and Jue, who already went in front of the other Toxic croc, shouted,

"Just 5 minutes big brother" meanwhile the driver was more than shocked.

'What are they even!?' he thought as he saw Jue who looked barely 12 or 13 to him fight a toxic croc with punches on equal terms,

"Ouch, it got me!!" Jue shouted as one of Toxic croc toxic spit hit his cheeks and the driver thought,

'It will take a while to heal…' but before he could think further, a slight yellow glow appeared on Jue healing him completely,

"A… Healer…!?" the driver stuttered as he turned his neck towards Aiena who was casting the healing miracle on Jue and Ryu, who already killed a toxic croc, said in a calm voice,

"Jue, if you get hurt once more, I am going to take over the battle… hurry up!!" hearing Ryu's voice Jue replied,

"I won't get hurt just a minute!!" and Ryu nodded, as he looked towards the toxic croc, he just killed with watering mouth,

'Food came running towards me. Is it what we call super luck'?

"I'll be taking this," he said to driver as he held the tail of Toxic croc high. The driver, who was confused by seeing Jue, just nodded.

The toxic croc jumped towards Jue but it couldn't lift off the ground and Jue smiled.

"You are getting better at this Jue," Ryu said as he noticed the tail end of Toxic croc buried by [Ground Bound],

"[Smash]!!" Jue shouted as he moved his fist higher than his head jumping towards the toxic croc's head and once defined face of toxic croc become mangled mess leaving the lower jaw, the blood from the impact splashed on Jue's cheek who seemed a bit relieved that he killed it in one shot,

'It did not have to suffer much' he thought, even though a lot of times Jue killed various mist crocs and now it was his 4th toxic croc he still has to get over his care for killing monsters in a single shot,

'I need to forget it!!' he thought as the scene of Ryu leaving a mist croc to suffer till death flashed back in his head. He was struggling till he felt a pat on his back,

"Jue, your punches are getting stronger. I honestly thought I would have to intervene," Ryu said as he praised Jue.

'Big brother praised me' Jue thought and turned back happily to Ryu, who took two steps back,

'After all I can't get used to his face when it is splashed in purple blood!! It is almost like a zombie movie!!' Ryu thought, the driver who saw this all unfold asked,

"Is it really…. Really de…dead?" his eyes widened. He couldn't still believe that the child who was so young killed such a monster, but Ryu sighed.

"No, it is just resting…. Man it's head is smashed!!" his reply was filled with sarcasm but driver genuinely looked scared as he moved his hands in front of his face,

'Is he an idiot?' Ryu thought and Aiena, seeing the driver scared, couldn't help but say,

"Ryu is just kidding Uncle don't be afraid," as she stepped aside Ryu,

"Ryu, should I dismantle them too?" she asked to Ryu who instantly nodded,

"We can't let food go waste now, can we Aiena!!"

"Yes yes," Aiena sighed, remembering how mere minutes before Ryu was acting like he is on a diet,

'Eating a bit more is just fine…' she thought,

"Did those damn crocs die!?" the passenger asked the driver, who said,

"Yes, somehow both of them are killed"

Ryu and Jue both turned their gaze towards the carriage gate and from inside stepped out a person with a healthy belly which was so chubby that buttons on his shirt seemed to be struggling to hold on, he moved towards Jue and Ryu,

"Thank you!! You guys saved my life… can I ask you of a favor?" the man asked, and Ryu instantly replied as if waiting for it,

"Yes," and the man spoke a little baffled as he was not expecting an instant acceptance,

"As I shouted earlier, I will pay twice as any normal escort request… can you please be with us until we reach hinsmark… I will pay you 40 silver coins,"

Ryu was waiting for this and shrugged his shoulder.

"I am sorry, but we have work"

Jue and Aiena were staring at Ryu's back wondering,

'Weren't we looking for a carriage?'

'Ryu, what are you thinking?' Aiena thought and the chubby man clicked his tongue as he said,

"How about 50 silvers" he was looking expectant.

"I am really sorry but it isn't about money," Ryu insisted and Jue pulled at the side of his sleeves despite all of his accomplishment,

'After all, he is just a kid who doesn't want to walk much' Ryu snickered and patted Jue's hand hinting him to wait and Aiena was more confused as to what Ryu was thinking.

"Help me out please, I am a Nobel's son from Hinsmark… you wouldn't have a single problem if you help me, I will even give you 80 silvers" the chubby noble pleaded,

Ryu made a deep-thinking expression and a little burning smell came into Aiena's and everyone's noses and she shouted,

"The meat!!" and rushed back to camp fire with Jue. The noble mouth also watered seeing the meat Aiena and Jue pulled aside and Ryu laughed as he thought,

'He seems gullible. I shouldn't push further' and sighed as he replied,

"I will take you up on your offer…. But first we'll have our dinner care to join us" as if the noble was waiting for it. He nodded heavily,

"Father taught me to deny food from plebeians… but exceptions could be made," he smiled in a gluttonous way and Ryu thought,

'Was asking him a mistake? Is it going to be a food contest?' Ryu made a bitter expression, but he was taught better than to take back an invitation.

And Aiena come forward as she asked the driver who was standing near the carriage,

"Uncle, would you like to join us too? We have too much meat now?"

The driver scratches the back of his head awkwardly as he asked,

"Is it really fine miss"

Aiena nodded but Ryu thought,

'There goes one more portion of the meat!!' and clicked his tongue. After a bit of preparation and cutting, everyone sat surrounding the camp fire. The Fusion soul's sat on the mat while the chubby noble and driver sat on the ground.

This scene was something that most would never believe in. A noble sitting on the ground while plebeians sitting on the mattress all eating together and Ryu thought.

'Now we don't have to walk all the way, thank God!!' and finally their feast began everyone was more than satisfied with one Toxic croc meat leaving the chubby noble and Ryu who alone ate the meat of leftover meat of other two crocs,

'This boy got spirit!!' the noble thought,

'How can he eat this fast!?' Ryu thought as he himself was reinforced with hunger due to [Power nap] but the Noble was eating faster than him,

'After all he is just a beginner' the chubby noble thought as he took 4 portions of meat in one go,

Ryu looked at the bones of croc as he disappointedly spoke.

"I lost in the speed!!" and the chubby noble patted his shoulder with a strange sense of comradeship and spoke,

"Don't worry young one, a bit more eating a bit more time. You'll be as graceful as me!!"

'I would pray every day for Ryu to not be like that!!' Aiena thought as she gazed at the unfit body of noble and Ryu said,

"By the way, I forget to ask, but how did those crocs ended up this way?" he was truly confused as a toxic croc couldn't possibly jump this high,

"It is due to him….!!" the chubby man said,

"Due to who?" Ryu asked confused and the chubby noble answered with a look of contempt as he remembered the horror he felt,

"That crazy follower of Teran!! I will get his adventurer card banned!!" he said as he began recounting the events that lead to his strange situation,

-to be continued