WANDERER (2)

Getting to the village, Hel headed straight to the guild in order to submit the core. The guild was a large building that could accommodate almost three hundred people.

When they saw him coming, the elders who gave out missions started to talk amongst themselves.

" The wanderer is back, does that mean he didn't make it?", One bald old man who had a large moustache said. His name was Ringbal.

" of course, he couldn't kill the Oni", another man with red hair said " where has it ever been heard that a person without a grimoire could kill an Oni", his name was Leto.

" Does that mean he ran away?", Ringbal asked stroking his moustache .

" Of course he did", Leto exclaimed. " look around you, here are men who have all awakened their grimoire yet they still couldn't kill an Oni and you think he can?".

Ringbal shrugged and waited for Hel to get to them and give them information.

Hel got to where the elders were sitting.

" So how did it feel facing an Oni, huh?", Leto asked mockingly.

"....", Hel didn't answer.

" Wasn't it terrifying?", Leto continued" isn't that why you ran".

" Ran?", Hel was perplexed.

" of course you ran From the Oni, that proves why you came back unscathed", Another elder chimed in. He had a long crooked nose. His name was Geralt.

".....", Hel didn't say anything. Instead, he reached for his pouch and took out the core, placing it in front of their faces.

Their eyes almost popped out of the socket in shock.

" How?", Ringbal muttered. Leto prayed the ground would open up and swallow him.

" My money", Hel demanded not minding their reaction.

They gave him a bag of coins as was the agreement, their mouths still opened in awe.

Hel gave them the core .

" No, you can keep that thing, not in any where in history since the arrival of the Oni have we ever heard that a person without a grimoire could defeat the Oni you can keep the core, see it as a reward", Geralt said rejecting the core.

The core was very expensive if sold. Hel wondered why they were giving it to him. He eyed them suspiciously even as he put the core back in to the pouch.

Feeling strange eyes on him from somewhere across the room, He shot a glance to the direction. He saw three people staring daggers at him, two men and a teenage girl .

Upon meeting his gaze, they turned their faces away. Hel left the guild.

**********************************

The three who Hel had caught staring at him were seated around a table, drinking.

One of them, a man with muscular build and an eye patch on his left eye spoke.

" so that bastard who hasn't awakened a grimoire wants to go about with an Oni's core?".

" What's that to you Ingrid?", the second man who was thinner and had a goatee asked. He sipped his drink.

" Common, can't you see the bright side, Rafael, think about it, we are more powerful than that guy. We have grimoires and he doesn't, we can easily take him on and take the core", Ingrid said trying to convince the others.

" I don't know dude, what do you think Sin?", Rafael asked the girl who had a tattoo on her left cheek. It was the tattoo of a magic circle. She looked thin and had blue hair that fell below her shoulders.

I don't think we should go after that guy", Sin objected " After all we have something good going here for us, I thought we promised not to do this kind of thing again".

" Haaa, Sin, as gentle as always", Ingrid sighed " We are owing debts, Sin , if we get that core, we can sell it to make money and settle what we owe."

Sin looked at Rafael, who in turn looked at her and shrugged.

" okay, just this last time", She said. Even though her spirit didn't agree to it, there was nothing she could do. They needed the money.

" Alright then, let's track a prey", Rafael finished his drink and stood up.

The three went after Hel.

*********************************

The first stop Hel made was at the alchemist shop. The Alchemist was the one who made the paralysis poison .

Hel walked into the shop that looked old and unkept. The Alchemist was just coming out from an inner room when he saw Hel. He was a short man with scars ridden all over his face. He had a kind of evil glint in his eyes.

" Oh, ay, it's you wanderer, brought my money yet?", He asked as soon as he saw Hel.

Hel nodded and pulled a couple of gold coins from his pouch handling it over to him.

" So you did manage to survive huh? It seems the paralysis poison worked", the Alchemist said stroking a none existent beard.

" yea it did", Hel said " Thank you".

" Oi, you don't need to thank me boy, I should be the one thanking you, You see, the Oni was wrecking havoc around these sides, It was kidnapping people for food", the Alchemist said.

Hel nodded. Bowing, her proceeded to walk away.

" If you need anything do not fail to let me know", the Alchemist called after him. Hel nodded.

" Aahh, such a fine young man", he sighed " It's a Shame that his heart has grown cold" .

What the Alchemist didn't know was that Hel didn't really have a heart.

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Hel made another stop at the healer's shop. Stopping by the door, he said softly.

" Hello Miss Setr". A pretty young lady about sixteen looked towards him. She had black hair and grey colored eyes.

" Hel", She screamed excitedly as she jumped on him. Hel was lucky he had enough stamina, If not, he would have gone crashing down under her wild embrace.

" You made it", She said, still hugging him tightly.

" Mhm", he nodded.

" Oh I'm so happy", she said squeezing him again so tight that Hel had to forcefully pull away from the embrace. Her cheeks immediately gained a flush of red .

" sorry", She said rubbing the back of her head.

" Are you perhaps not well, Miss Setr", Hel said. He had noticed the red on her cheeks.

" No I'm alright", She answered. The truth was that Setr really liked Hel a lot but she didn't know how to tell him. She was just too shy and always thought about how he would react when she told him something like that .

" Here for the healing potion", Hel produced some coins.

" No don't worry, keep it", She declined.

" Are you sure?".

" Mhm I was only doing my job".

" Thank you", Hel said.

" By the way, I love your new earring", she reached for the grimoire " Looks good on you".

Hel nodded" Thanks". He placed his hand on her hair, patting it." And your hair styling looks good today", He told her.

She had actually styled her hair in a ponytail fashion.

" Thanks", She blushed, her cheeks becoming red once again.

Hel bent closer . He was a bit taller, So he had to stoop a little in order to get to her height.

Setr realized how close his face was to hers making her cheeks turn crimson at once .

Hel held her cheeks gently.

" You must be feeling unwell, Miss Setr", he said looking concerned. Hel was ignorant of what he was doing and how it affected Setr.

" No I'm fine, don't you know it's not right to grab a girl's cheeks like that?", she pouted.

" Oh sorry Miss Setr", Hel bowed in apology. " I'll give you some time to rest while I head to the inn", He told her and began walking away.

Setr just sighed and rubbed her cheeks where he held her.

***********************************

Hel left Setr's store heading back to the Inn where he stayed.

While walking, He noticed a poster on the walls of the street.

' Admission in to the Oni Extermination Brigade,

For those who have just awakened their grimoire', the poster read.

Hel smiled. It was always his dream to attend the prestigious O. E. B . Now that he had finally awakened his grimoire, he could now apply. He was getting closer to his dreams.

Hel continued walking until he got to an alley way. He noticed subtle movements behind him. Turning back, he saw three people looking back at him.

They were the three who had been staring at him at the guild.

" What do you want?", He asked them, his hands already positioned on the blade by his side.

" We want that core", The Man in the middle who had an eye patch on his left eye said.

Just then.......

[ Host has been threatened]

[ Mission has been given ]

[ Defeat any enemy to gain 50 exp ]

The system had given him a mission.