chapter 8 End prologue

(here are the fonts used to differentiate and to help readers understand)

Thought or think

[digital or robot or digital communication voice]

{telepathy}

Big or loud echoing voice

"Ok, so that is how they were treating them, typical," Dave murmurs as he takes cover behind a tree, seeing the hovel not a long way from his location and seeing a great deal of criminals all through the cabin and clearly tying up their belts back on their jeans.

It's been 10 minutes since he set out to track down the hut first, and he is right here, pausing and noticing. Dave totally needed to examine the movements of the watchmen so he could simply get in and take the prisoners and recently run.

Yet, he suddenly recollects that he really needs to kill the criminals for the mission, so the arrangement is through of the window in a flash. with that idea far removed. He then, at that point, takes a gander at the cottage, which is completely protected by bandits. He takes out his dust-bound iron hachet and draws out his blades.

"I don't like to get myself more bloody as it is, I already look like a psychotic killer as it is. Welp, can't be helped." Dave shrugs and then sighs, and then comes out of the bushes and stops hiding behind the tree.

Meanwhile, within the confines of the opulent cabin, a stark contrast to the squalor outside, a group of women and young children huddled together, their bodies covered in layers of dirt and tattered garments. The weariness in their eyes spoke volumes, a testament to the horrors they had endured. They longed for liberation from this wretched nightmare, their spirits crushed as the children cried and trembled in fear.

"Fucking Shut up you brats!"

"urgh! thats it!" Suddenly, one of the bandits, overcome with frustration, rose from his seat and approached a defenseless child with a sinister glint in his eye.

(Author: ಠ_ʖಠ Wtf? FBI, FBI!)

"Oi what you doin? don't damage the goods, they are already broken as it is" another bandit interjected, concerned about damaging their already broken possessions.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to have a little fun with one or two of them. After all, they belong to us, and we can do as we please," the bandit replied, a malevolent smile spreading across his face. He knelt down and forcefully grabbed the trembling little girl by her chin, her panic palpable. "Besides, who would even notice if their lifeless bodies were to disappear?"

"No... please..." the girl's mother, exhausted from enduring countless violations, pleaded desperately as she witnessed the impending danger her daughter faced. Summoning every ounce of strength, she mustered the courage to rise and cast a fearful gaze upon her child. "Please... spare my daughter..."

"hm~ she looking fine~" The bandit's grin widened, his eyes gleaming with perverse delight as he savored the taste of his sadistic desires. The tears streaming down the little girl's face only fueled his twisted pleasure.

Just as the scene was about to descend into an unspeakable atrocity, a cacophony of groans and screams of pain pierced the air. Gunshots and the clash of blades reverberated outside the cabin, each cry carrying the weight of agony and fear. The bandits guarding the hut exchanged apprehensive glances, their hands instinctively reaching for their weapons.

"hey, check on what's going on outside" With a commanding voice, one of the bandits calls out to his companion, urging him to cast his gaze upon the unfolding spectacle outside. Intrigued by his own curiosity, the bandit cautiously opens the door, allowing his eyes to feast upon the scene before him. In a split second, a lethal hatchet hurtles through the air, finding its mark on the bandit's forehead, freezing his visage in a macabre display before his lifeless head descends to the cold, unforgiving floor.

Another bandit, paralyzed by fear, finds himself trapped in a moment of dread, but alas, it is too late. Their enigmatic adversary forcefully kicks open the door, shattering any semblance of safety or sanctuary that once existed within the confines of the hut.

Before them stands a figure shrouded in mystery, adorned with a resplendent golden mask, intricately crafted in the likeness of a human face. Clad in a suit of supple leather armor, hints of iron peeking through its seams, this enigmatic being exudes an aura of silent authority. With a discerning gaze, he surveys the humble abode, meticulously counting the remaining five bandits that stand between him and his ultimate objective - their swift elimination.

This man, none other than Dave himself, has just emerged victorious from a fierce battle against a horde of twenty-seven bandits, his prowess in combat earning him the privilege of ascending two levels in his formidable killing spree.

Undeterred by the futile resistance of the bandits, Dave's eyes narrow with determination as one of them lunges forward, brandishing a knife. In a display of unparalleled skill, he deftly seizes a hatchet, its surface coated in a fine layer of dust, left behind by the fallen. With a single, fluid motion, Dave effortlessly severs the bandit's head from his body, a testament to his unrivaled mastery of the blade.

[You killed a bandit; 50 exp]

The second bandit, desperate to turn the tide in his favor, swiftly transforms his weapon into a firearm, aiming directly at Dave's head. However, before he can pull the trigger, Dave's lightning-quick reflexes come into play. In a display of uncanny accuracy, he hurls three knives with unerring precision, piercing both of the bandit's eyes and lodging one deep within his neck.

[You killed a bandit; 50 exp]

Amidst the chaos, the hostages, including women and children, were in a state of panic as Dave effortlessly fended off the bandits single-handedly.

The third bandit attempted to wield his hatchet against Dave, but it was futile as Dave's own hatchet, imbued with mystical powers, created a whirlwind that sent the bandit crashing into the wall with great force, causing him injury.

With a deft flick of his wrist, he sent another blade hurtling towards the target's forehead, ensuring a swift demise. As his gaze shifted, the fourth and fifth bandits, ready to engage in combat. The fourth bandit lunged forward, delivering a flurry of punches with his gloved fists, while the fifth bandit aimed his bow and arrow at Dave. However, Dave's immense strength was not to be underestimated. With a quick dodge, he seized the fourth bandit's wrist and effortlessly used him as a weapon against his companion. The impact sent both bandits crashing to the ground, defeated.

Rising to his full height, Dave brandished his dust-bound Iron Hatchet, its blade crackling with power. The weight of the weapon seemed to increase due to the gravity dust, as he swung it down with precision, causing the heads of the bandits to explode in a gruesome display of gore. Blood and entrails painted his armor and golden mask, a stark contrast to his unwavering gaze as he stood amidst the chaos, a formidable figure in the aftermath of battle

[You killed a bandit; 50 exp]

[Level up!]

The captives within the humble abode cast their eyes upon the enigmatic yet menacing figure with trepidation. Each one quivers in fear, their hearts pounding with terror as they desperately attempt to retreat into the recesses of the room, bound and clad in tattered garments. The women and children seek refuge, shielding nothing but their soiled, violated bodies from harm.

Little did they realize that the bloodstained, icy-eyed renegade was merely there to liberate them from their plight and dispatch the marauders.

"... Damn you charisma.." he muttered under his breath, opting not to elucidate his intentions further as he stowed his weapon away, indifferent to the inconvenience of removing his mask.

Kneeling before the women, he observes them with a mixture of pity and detachment; some resigned to their fate, others clinging to hope within the confines of their captivity.

"The brigands have left their mark on you all," he remarks solemnly, extending a hand adorned with a gilded mask beneath his stained leather armor. "want to come back to the village?"

It required some effort, but Dave managed to rescue the women and children hostages from the hut with determination and bravery, despite the intimidating sight of his golden, blood-stained mask and leather armor under his robes. He successfully brought them out of the hut.

The women and children were overwhelmed with joy, hugging their kids tightly, it was a heartwarming moment that Dave let them have without interruption.

After they had calmed down from their tears of happiness, Dave got back to business and turned to the older, more mature women, asking them, "So, was it just you all here? No one else took you out or anything?"

"No, you arrived just in time, they were planning to sell us off tonight," replied one of the women.

"Phew, guess I made it in the nick of time," Dave remarked.

"Well, if there's nothing else to wait for, head straight over there; your husbands and fiancés are all safe too. I dealt with the bandits earlier, so they're probably fortifying the village and calling for backup from the huntsmen academies," Dave informed them.

The women were filled with happiness, crying tears of joy once again.

"Alright, alright, that's enough tears, save some for when you're back in the village," Dave chuckled.

"You're right. What about you, sir? Won't you come with us?" asked one of the women.

"Me? Haha, I've got some bandit hunting to take care of." With a two-finger salute, Dave bid farewell and left the rescued hostages, who were now running back to the village with their children safe by their side.

As they are all gone, Dave naturally comes back to the hut and loot the corpses.

Dave recalled from what he interrogated that he just had to go to the north and walk forward, and so he did, and he strolled for 20 minutes, and he managed to discover the bandit camp, of course, there are a lot of them.

Of course, Dave counts them all and sighs at the number of bandits.

It was 380 of them, he sighs. As he looks up at his point of view, he notices a little bell icon at the top right of his eyesight, and he raises his brow. "Oh?"

He taps on it.

[Axemanship Lvl. 4] -> [Axemanship Lvl. 5]

[Marksmanship Lvl 1] -> [Marksmanship Lvl 2]

"Oh!" at that point, he muttered "status."

[Dave Lvl 13]

[Race: Human]

[Class: Jack Of all Trades]

[Title: Survivalist]

[HP 25/25]

[Free points: 9]

[Strength: 114(+5)]

[Dexterity: 17]

[Constitution: 10(+5)]

[Intelligence: 23]

[Wisdom: 10]

[Charisma: 1]

[Inventory: 65 leather armors, 34 knives, 11 pistols, 64 dust mags, 5 spears, 7 swords, 14 weapon shifts, 500 lien]

[Skills:]

[Versatile Memory Lvl. Max]

[Adaptive Instincts Lvl. Max]

[Axemanship Lvl. 5]

[Marksmanship Lvl 2]

[Artisan's Mastery Lvl 1]

[Titles attained:]

[Survivalist]

[Mass Killer]

[Bandit Killer]

Dave experienced a profound sense of satisfaction upon successfully plundering numerous lifeless bodies. However, he couldn't help but ponder why the bandits he encountered were in such dire straits. Nevertheless, he chose not to delve deeper into this inquiry as his attention swiftly shifted towards his status screen. He proceeded to access the quest board within his system, only to discover that his quest had already made significant strides.

[Hidden Chain Quest: Bandit Terror, Part 3 Finale]

[Description: knowing the location of the bandits camp and the hostages being placed, eradicating the bandits and rescuing the hostages]

[Bandits killed: 32]

[Hostages rescued: 50 completed]

After reading the screen in front of him, he swipes the system away and it disappeared from his view, and then he changes his focus down to the cliff and to the bandit camp and then raises his dust bound Iron Hatchet, and knives fold like cards on his hands.

"It's time..." It is the moment... He then jumps off the cliff.

"LERROOOOYYY JEEENKINNS!!" With a fierce battle cry, Dave hurls himself off the cliff towards the outpost.

KABOOM!

[You killed a bandit; 50 exp]

"What the hell!?" one of the bandits exclaims, scanning the chaos as the dust clouds obscure their vision and the outpost begins to collapse.

"Ambush! Pull out your weapons! And kill that fucker!" The bandits arm themselves, ready to face the unknown threat lurking in the dust clouds.

As the dust clears, Dave emerges from the smoky haze, his bloodied, gilded mask gleaming in the sunlight, his eyes fixed on the bandits frozen in fear. One clutches a hatchet, the other a cluster of knives.

"Why do you all fucking stand there like bloody fools!? Attack!" One of the bandits commands.

With a swift motion, Dave wields his dust-infused iron hatchet, the blade swirling with the power of the wind element. He swings it with unparalleled strength towards the bandits who had dared to challenge him, the blade cutting through the air like a tornado. The impact is so fierce that it creates a whirlwind of dust and debris, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. The hatchet collides with the bandits' weapons, knocking them off balance and sending their firearms spiraling into the air. Overwhelmed by the force of the blow, they fall to the ground, disarmed and defeated.

[You killed a bandit; 50 exp]

[Level up!]

[You killed a bandit; 50 exp]

Dave swiftly decapitated the bandits with a single, precise strike. Whirling around, he effortlessly caught the arrow hurtling towards him, returning it to its sender with deadly accuracy. The remaining bandits, panic-stricken and disoriented, scattered in all directions. Dave pursued them relentlessly, effortlessly evading bullets and obstacles with unparalleled grace. His knives flashed in the sunlight as he disarmed and incapacitated his foes, leaving them trembling in fear.

[You killed a bandit; 50 exp]

...

[Level up]

"Fuck! Fuck!" cried one of the bandits, fumbling for a grenade and yanking out the pin.

But Dave was quicker, drawing a sleek pistol form his inventory and deftly reloading it before taking aim at the grenade. With a steady hand, he squeezed the trigger, the bullet striking true.

BOOM!

[You killed a bandit; 50 exp]

The grenade detonates, engulfing the bandit in a blinding flash and deafening explosion. The other surviving bandits scream in horror and disbelief as they witness the gruesome fate of their comrade. Their fear and panic give Dave the advantage, allowing him to pulls out another pistol out if his inventory.

And starts firing in dual pistol action

"Fuck where did that fucker get those guns!" One of the remaining bandits exclaims in fear as they scatter around, ducking for cover behind crates and debris. Dave continues his relentless pursuit, weaving through the chaos with a cold, calculating precision. He dodges another volley of bullets and launches a knife at a fleeing bandit, striking him in the back and pinning him to the wall. The thug's lifeless body slides down the crate, leaving a trail of blood on the dusty floor.

[You killed a bandit; 50 exp]

...

"Don't panic men! This is just one stupid fucker!" The bandit points his gun and starts firing again.

"Right! Kill him!"

The remaining bandits, emboldened by one of the bandits words words, charge at Dave. But they're too slow, and too disorganized. Dave effortlessly dodges their attacks, using his blades to deflect their weapons harmlessly aside. He ducks behind a crate, using it for cover as he reloads his pistols and readies a new knife. The bandits continue to fire wildly, their bullets ricocheting off the metal crates and dusty ground.

Suddenly, a grenade flies through the air, thrown by one of the panicked bandits. Dave quickly pulls the pin and tosses it back at the thrower. The grenade explodes in a blinding flash, engulfing the bandit in a cloud of smoke and debris. The other surviving bandits scream in terror and flee the scene, abandoning their weapons and supplies.

[You killed a bandit; 50 exp]

Dave stands triumphant amidst the chaos, his golden mask stained with blood and dirt. He holsters his pistols and takes a deep breath, surveying the carnage around him. The air is thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood, but it was done and then sighs after the success killing spree.

With that said, Dave gracefully rose to his feet, his majestic golden mask, supple leather armor, and elegant rogue robe all adorned with the blood stains of battle, as if he had luxuriated in a bath of the finest scarlet nectar.

Yet, despite the gruesome sight before him, he let out a weary sigh, acknowledging that there was nothing he could do to change it. "Fortunately, I have grown use to it quite easily."

Turning on his heel, his gaze fell upon the last remaining grand tent, undoubtedly the lair of the notorious bandit leader. Having vanquished all other obstacles within the bandit camp, he confidently strode towards it, anticipation coursing through his veins. As he stepped inside, his eyes widened at the sight that greeted him.

What piqued Dave's curiosity, however, were the opulent drapes adorning the bed and the soft glow emanating from within the tent. He surmised that the flickering candlelight was responsible for this lavish display.

Peering through the parted curtains, he beheld three enigmatic silhouettes, one imposing figure and two alluring forms. In that moment, realization dawned upon Dave, and he whispered to himself, "Oh... oh!"

Dave, ever the observer, refrained from interrupting and instead strained his ears to catch any sound. Leaning closer, he yearned to confirm his suspicions, eager to uncover the truth that lay within his thoughts.

He then overheard the resonant voice of the imposing gentleman utter, "Oh yes, please..." as the woman emitted a melodious moan of pure delight.

Following this, Dave affirms the situation, and he is utterly astounded that this man, who is about to be killed, is on the verge of meeting his demise, is being in the middle of engaging with two women simultaneously?

He thinks to himself, "Time to break some balls."

With a swift motion, he draws the curtains closed, raising his formidable iron hatchet. "Play time is over," he declares, delivering a powerful right hook that connects with the large man's face. The impact causes him to crumble to the ground, succumbing to unconsciousness.

The two women, overwhelmed by shock, fear, and surprise, instinctively shielded their exposed bodies with their arms. Dave, composed and collected, lowers his hatchet and calmly inquires, "Victim or no?"

The smaller, more delicate woman, clearly submissive in nature, promptly responds, "Victims!" Her companion, though silent, silently affirms her agreement, clearly displaying signs of fear.

"Did you get forced to or not?" Dave probes further, seeking the truth.

The more slender of the two affirms, tears cascading down her visage. "I did. Please spare me from harm," she pleads, her voice quivering.

"Did you two live in the village over there?" Dave gazes at them with his countenance concealed behind a resplendent golden mask, adorned with blood stains. He extends his finger, indicating the direction in question.

The slimmer one nods, tears falling down her face. "Yes, we did. We were taken from our homes a few weeks ago."

"Alright, I rescue the other hostages; they have gone back to the village already. If you two should go now, you might be able to catch up with the others. Leave now; I'll have to deal with this place," Dave utters in a voice tinged with disarray, concealed beneath the mask.

The slender one nods, still trembling with trepidation and gratitude. "Thank you, kind sir. We will leave immediately." She casts a glance towards the larger woman, who continues to tremble and weep softly. We can't stay here." The two women hastily gather their belongings and advance towards the entrance of the tent, ensuring not to emit even the faintest sound as they stealthily navigate past the lifeless bodies of the vanquished bandits.

with that Dave is left alone with the unconscious bandit leader and he looks down at the unconscious body, and he sighs. "That's it? Well, that's okay, I'm getting tired of killing anyways..."

He then raises his ace and did the finishing decapitation on the bandit leader. With that, Dave sees a a screen pops up infront of him, but then more and more popping more screens infront of him.

[You killed the Bandit leader; 150 exp]

[Level up!]

[Congratulations]

[Due to the amount of corpses the player accumulated, the title, Mass Killer promotes to Spree Killer]

[Due to the amount of corpses the player accumulated, the title, Spree Killer promotes to Genocide killer]

[Description: increases damage by 50% and +30 strength when title is equipped]

[Due to the amount of bandits he slayed, the title, bandit killer promotes to Bandit Massacre]

[Due to the amount of bandits he slayed, the title, Bandit Massacre promotes to Outlaw Slayer]

[Description: dealing extra damage of 40% on any Outlaw or Criminal Element Classes]

[Congratulations]

[Axemanship Lvl. 5] -> [Axemanship Lvl. 7]

[Marksmanship Lvl 2] -> [Marksmanship Lvl 4]

[Player completed the hidden chain quest!]

[Congratulations]

[Hidden Chain Quest: Bandit Terror, Part 3 Finale completed]

[Description: knowing the location of the bandits camp and the hostages being placed, eradicating the bandits and rescuing the hostages]

[Bandits killed: 412 completed]

[Hostages rescued: 50 completed]

[Quest competed!]

[Rewards will be given to the player!]

[Rewards:]

[200 free points!]

[Item chest!]

[2000 lien!]

[Tier 1 mount!]

[Would the player like to claim them?]

[Yes/No]

"Holy shit!" Dave looks at the multiple screens popping infront of him all at once

"Ok, ok, one by one" he mumbles him self, and then looks at the screens infront of him as he reads each text.

"Okay, can my two titles be promoted, huh? And it seems like these titles are insanely good, especially 'Genocide Killer.' But I don't like that the name of the title is 'Genocide Killer', it makes me look like a character in a random show that is just there to kill and has a bad background, used to make the main character stronger. Still, I'll probably use it when the time comes. But I'll just use this 'Outlaw Slayer' title, good for any creepy and dangerous strangers to easily beat them up if needed." Dave sits down on the bed of the dead bandit leader.

"Let's change the title. 'Survivalist'-this thing has been my greatest asset when I was in a tight spot. I'll remember this title." Dave then fiddles with his system and changes his equipped title.

[Dave Lvl 16]

[Race: Human]

[Class: Jack Of all Trades]

[Title: Outlaw Slayer]

[HP 20/20]

[Free points: 18]

[Strength: 114]

[Dexterity: 17]

[Constitution: 10]

[Intelligence: 23]

[Wisdom: 10]

[Charisma: 1]

[Inventory: 65 leather armors, 34 knives, 11 pistols, 54 dust mags, 5 spears, 7 swords, 14 weapon shifts, 500 lien]

[Skills:]

[Versatile Memory Lvl. Max]

[Adaptive Instincts Lvl. Max]

[Axemanship Lvl. 7]

[Marksmanship Lvl 4]

[Artisan's Mastery Lvl 1]

[Titles attained:]

[Survivalist]

[Genocide killer]

[Outlaw Slayer]

The following set of notice panels catches his attention.

Dave smiles behind his mask, "Aye! Axemanship and marksmanship level up twice! Nice~"

He then notices that the quest has been finished, gets the rewards, and views the claiming screen after receiving the last set of notifications.

[Would the player like to claim them? ]

[Yes/No]

"Pfft, obviously," Dave presses yes, and then his status in front of him now has 200 free points, an item chest, and a mount! It is a mount of Tier 1. Dave said, "But it's good enough for me!" As soon as the prize items appeared in his inventory, he yelled, "Not only that! I'm rich!" Then, with excitement, he took the item's chest out and opened it.

When he takes up the little scroll that it reveals, the chest vanishes, but he returns his attention to the scroll and asks, "Okay, what does this do?"

Abruptly, a screen appears before him.

[Scroll of Elemental Burst: A one-time-use scroll that, when activated, unleashes a small burst of elemental energy (fire, ice, lightning, etc.) damaging nearby enemies.]

"It's a magical grenade, I see. Well, it's useful when I need a distraction or a surprise attack," Dave remarked as he placed the magic scroll in his inventory.

That puts a stop to all of Dave's alerts, and he now shuts his displays in front of him, making the floating system panels vanish and leaving him by himself once again to do nothing. Then he sees the bandit leader decapitated on the ground, and he hums inquisitively, scratching behind the mask, "I wonder if this guy has a bounty on him."

He then starts looting the Bandit leader as well as the the 380 corpses and everything else had been in the former bandit camp which is completely wiped out like a clean as slate.

He then breaths some fresh air and then sighs with a smile underneath the blood stained golden mask as he then turns around and then pulls out a coin and then looks at the coin with a symbol of the horse as then suddenly a screen pops out infront of him.

[Mount coin!]

[Description: use the coin to summon your mount! Player can Sion theount at any time!, the mount is a wild horse in breath of the wild! The wild horse is already tamed once the player summons it to reality]

[How to guide: put the coin on the ground and say "summon"]

"Huh... Interesting..." He then shrugs and then toss the coin to the ground and then mutters "summon"

A bright flash of light engulfs the coin as then a large magical glyph starts to create on the floor and then the horse slowly coming out of the magic glyph with such many particle effects.

And once the summoning is done the wild horse stands before him , with a saddle already in place on the horse's back and then pats the neck of the horse he has now and said "well, buddy, I'll call you Bob"

The horse neighs at him, and then Dave hops on top of the horse, slowly and steadily petting the horse's neck again. "Alright, Bob, let's go! To the village!"

The horse then loudly neighs and then starts galloping wildly, and then, of course, Dave screams at the same time, "AAAAAAAHHH! Slow down! SLOW DOWN!"

But it did not slow down.

And because of it, he was able to reach the village as quickly as possible.

As 20 minutes have passed, Dave hops down the horse and unsummons the horse and pants as he is exhausted from all the screaming he makes while the horse runs like the wind. "I need a riding skill..."

And then, after giving some time to breathe, he then walks back to the village, where he sees a lot of people with mecha shift weapons and all sorts of costumes or cosplay-looking people with them, as they seem, or Dave assumes, to be interviewing the women that were rescued.

"Huh, those must be the huntsmen or huntresses I heard about." Dave thought so and walked right, passed by the group, and went to the inn.

"Halt!"

"Of course..." Dave sighs and then turns around. "Yes?"

"What are you doing with that mask on? And what's with the blood stains all over your armor? Sir, I might need to see your ID for confirmation." A huntress walks towards him, and Dave shakes his head. "No, no, you got it all wrong."

"This Man here, is my benefactor." Dave heard the voice of an old, familiar man, and his head turned around and he saw the innkeeper. "I ask him to rescue my wife and daughter and the rest of the hostages taken from the bandits."

"Him? He doesn't look... The trustful kind," the huntress says, looking up and down at Dave. His golden mask is covered in blood stains, and his leather armor is covered as well in pools of blood. The rogue robe of his is also turned red from all the blood bath he has taken after killing literally hundreds of bandits all by himself.

Dave sighs again, shakes his head, and looks down. "Damn charisma. I'll note that I'll need to manage and train my looks." He thinks so in his head.

"I can vouch that for him too." Dave then heard another familiar voice and turned around and saw the blacksmith that he assisted in making the armor for him.

"Well, I mean, he does look like he killed a lot of bandits, so I guess it's true." The huntress sighs and looks at her hands. "I'll go check it out." She then turns around and walks past Dave and the innkeeper.

Dave turns to the innkeeper and bows slightly. "Thank you again for your help."

The innkeeper waves his hand dismissively. "No need for thanks. You saved my family and countless others. Besides, you look like you could use a drink on the house." He leads Dave into the inn, the sounds of merriment and celebration filling the air.

As they sit down at the bar, Dave looks around, taking in the warm atmosphere. The air smells of ale and roasted meats, and laughter fills the room. He can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment, despite the bloodshed. The huntresses and huntsmen are gathered in groups, telling stories of their own adventures and experiences. Some are even dancing to the lively music playing in the corner.

Dave takes a sip of his drink, feeling the warmth spread through his body. It's juice. He glances over at the innkeeper, who is watching him with a smile underneath his mask "thanks of this occasion, But..." Dave trails off, shrugging. "I guess I can get use to it..."

The innkeeper chuckles. "Oh, don't sell yourself short. You've done more in a few hours than most of us have in our entire lives. You're a hero, alright. And you're welcome here anytime you like."

"A hero? Haha, no thanks. But... Thank you. I'll keep it that in mind." Dave then thought for a moment and then looked back at the innkeeper and asked, "Do you still keep the deal?"

The innkeeper nodded. "Don't worry, I ask one of the hunstmen and huntresses if you ever need a ride, you need to go to vale right?"

"Yup." Dave takes a sip of the juice.

"Well, that's on the other continent. I heard that once the group of huntresses and hunstmen finish their duty in this investigation, you can fetch a ride with them on the bullhead, some are going to Argus, and Argus... is a large city with a large trading route; its harbor has an airport and shipping ducks, you could probably go to Vale if you want to; and the other way around," the innkeeper says while pouring himself a drink.

Dave nods and looks around the room again, feeling more at ease than he has in a long time. He takes another sip of his drink, enjoying the taste. "Thanks, I'll be going now."

"Oh, leaving so soon?" the innkeeper says, feigning disappointment.

"Well, I've got some business to attend to, but I'll be sure to stop by again soon enough," Dave says with a smile underneath his golden mask, finishing the rest of his drink. And stand up. "And besides, I'm going to check if the dead bandit leader has a bounty, and I am going to take that opportunity to make some coin, you know?"

The innkeeper chuckles. "Of course, of course. You do that. And if you ever need a place to stay or just someone to talk to, you know where to find me."

"I appreciate that," he said, then nodded and turned around.

"Oh, by the way, I never caught your name, even our first meeting, benefactor," the innkeeper said.

Dave grew silent and thought for a moment. He hums underneath his golden mask and speaks, "Orion... Orion Graystone."

"Ah, Orion. A constellation known for its brilliance and nobility. Seems fitting for someone like you." The innkeeper nodded with approval. "Well, safe travels, Orion Graystone. May the stars always guide your path."

With that, Dave leaves the inn and quickly does what he needs to do.

He went to the guard station and showed them the head; they were surprised and grateful for his deed, but they had to verify his identity first. Dave waited patiently for a while, and soon enough, the guards confirmed that the head belonged to the wanted bandit leader. They rewarded him with the promised bounty of $10,000 and even gave him a medal for his bravery.

He is glad he is wearing full leather armor, a rogue robe, and his golden mask, and he fled quickly, so he didn't need to be asked to verify his identity.

As it's set to afternoon, he then sees the hunstmen and huntresses are going.

"Hmm, time to go to Argus, then... Then go to the airport to Vale, since it's on the way," Dave mutters to himself as he approaches the group of huntsmen and huntresses. He spots one of them, a tall, broad-shouldered man with an air of authority about him, and walks over. "Excuse me, sir?" he says, with a ruffled voice in his golden mask. "I was wondering if I might hitch a ride with you all to Argus. I have some business there; I want to go to Vale, you see."

The man looks him up and down, taking in his leather armor and the hatchet at his side. "I see," he says finally. "You're the one who took down that bandit leader, aren't you? I'm impressed. We could certainly use someone like you on our team." He extends a hand. "I'm Aaron, by the way. Leader of this group. And yes, you can most certainly join us for the journey to Argus."

Dave shakes the man's hand. "Orion, Orion Graystone, thank you, Aaron. I appreciate it." Aaron nods in acknowledgement, then turns to address the group. "Alright, everyone, we've got someone wants to go to argus. Let's get moving. We've got a long journey ahead of us."

With that, the group of huntsmen and huntresses begin to take the Bullhead, basically a jet-like carrier, and they're all going to Argus. The ride there is uneventful, with everyone on board sharing stories of their adventures and lives. Dave listens intently, occasionally contributing his own tales of derring-do. As they near Argus, Dave looks out the window as he sits there inside the bullhead.

Finally to see a large city after weeks in the forefront of the world. Argus City; it's grand and majestic, even from the distance. The airport is already in sight. Dave gazed out the window of the bullhead.. "Welp, Guess this is the beginning..."

That right this is the end of the prologue, oh? Didn't know? Well I didn't write the first chapter was the end of the prologue no? That was the beginning, this chapter is the end of prologue, time for the first volume!

In the next chapter that is.

To be continued....

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