Published at 18th of December 2020 11:53:37 PM
Chapter 357
Chapter 357: The City of Promises
The west side of Colossia City suffered a lot of damage . Rebuilding the city were tasks usually assigned to low-ranking squads since the jobs were risk-free . Back when the city needed to be cleaned up after the Shadow Army took Colossia City from the Heavenly Dragon Guild, a large portion of the cleaning was assigned to the 99th squad .
With his achievements making up for his mistakes, Sila finally received respect from people as the man who brought peace to the city . While there were casualties on both sides, they decided to not pursue the matter or ask for responsibility . The war naturally led to casualties . It would be counterproductive to the collaboration if they were to ask for compensation .
Sila had been in Colossia City for less than three days, but he felt like he had learned a lot from this place . Although he didn’t get to engage in a fight to the death like usual, the situation forced him to rely on magic power which he was bad at, and that helped him make another breakthrough . His mindset, techniques, and how he perceived lives had all developed from what he experienced as well .
Players and goblins dismissed their past grudges and contributed to restoring the city despite it not being required of them . The sight of this made Sila feel that a ray of hope always existed even in the worst situation as long as he didn’t give up .
Sila was a human representative, together with Yardpirun, to negotiate with the two goblin kings . It took a lot of effort and time for them to finish the agreement for both races to coexist in the same city . The meeting started at two in the morning and ended at seven o’clock . Sila was spent . The sunlight was already shining down as he exited the meeting room to help his squad clean up the city, indicating the dawn of the new day had arrived .
“Hey, Leader!” Upon seeing him exit the main building, Alpha, Miki, and Isaac came to greet him . Looking around, Sila found that his squad was one person short .
“Where is Midnight?” asked Sila .
Miki was surprised . “Ah? Isn’t he with you? We didn’t see him return, so we thought he was also in the meeting . ”
Alpha added, “We actually came here to seek him . We don’t know what happened, but Lady Risa from the 9th squad suddenly stormed into our headquarters and demanded to see Midnight . We didn’t know what to tell her, but we thought you might know where he is . ”
Isaac’s expression turned quite pale . “Her tone made it sound like he is important to her . . . like he’s more than a simple acquaintance . ”
Miki tapped Isaac on his shoulder . “A pervert like you had no chance from the start, so there is no need for you to grieve . Actually, if I was asked to pick a man in our squad to be my date, I would pick Midnight as well . ”
“Well, if I was asked to pick any girl in our squad, I would immediately choose you too, Miss Miki,” Isaac commented . “ . . . Since you’re the only choice . ”
“Hahaha!” Alpha laughed as he saw Miki become annoyed . She raised her hand and tried to punch Isaac, who bent his body to dodge it . Although he managed to avoid her fist, he lost his balance and fell over .
Seeing all of this, Sila smiled . “Midnight must be with Fowl . It’s a personal matter, so we should let him handle it himself . The city is mostly fixed . They won’t need us anymore, I guess . How about you go to the Skills Training Ground? I have something to announce tonight . ”
“Aren’t you coming with us?” Miki asked as she pulled Isaac up .
“Not yet . I still have something to take care of . Oh, before I forget . Alpha, take this . ” Sila handed Alpha a metal dagger . The man showed a confused expression at first, but he obediently followed Sila’s instructions by equipping it . Once equipped, the weapon transformed into a pure white dagger, illuminating .
“Just as I thought . If it’s you, you must have the Level 100 Dagger Mastery skill . You can keep it . This dagger suits you . ”
Reading the dagger’s description, Alpha was stunned . This grade Seven Strikes Dagger had an amazing ability . Alpha was a tactical magic fighter . His weakness had always been his inability to deliver a lethal strike, making it difficult for him to finish off his opponent . With this dagger, however, he would always have a chance regardless of who his opponent was .
Before Alpha could say anything, Sila cut in, “Using daggers isn’t my style and I want to focus on practicing the skills I already have . I don’t intend to start learning how to use daggers any time soon . ”
“Thanks, Leader . ” Alpha was grateful, storing the dagger in his system window .
“Sorry I don’t have any gifts for you, Miki and Isaac . Well, goblins are going to open a weapon shop soon . If you want something they’re selling but don’t have enough money, you can tell them that I’ll cover the costs . ”
Sila had told people about the truth regarding goblin-made weapons, so players were more than welcome for goblins to start their business in Colossia City . The prices of the weapons were expected to be expensive, however .
The three gave their thanks to Sila again before leaving . Sila waited a few moments before raising his voice .
“You must have waited a long time, Miss Risa . My schedule is quite tight today, so you should hurry up . Tell me what you want . ”
Around the corner of the building he had just left, Risa’s body appeared out of thin air . Well, at least it should have looked that way for anyone else . Her illusion didn’t work well on Sila, however . Seeing the building blurry without a proper reason was undeniably eye-catching .
Risa’s Unique Magic focused on the art of illusion, so it granted her a decent level of concealment . It was thanks to Moon Reflecting Mirror enhanced by Monster Heir that Sila managed to see through her illusion .
“May I ask where Midnight is?”
Sila sighed . “You won’t be able to follow him even if I tell you where he is . He intends to leave you behind, for your own good . ”
Risa’s expression changed . “Do you know about Rin and I?”
“He mentioned your name to me only once, but that one time was enough for me to understand how much you mean to him . For him, this must be a painful choice, but he is willing to stick to it for you . ”
Risa turned back, ready to leave . Seeing so, Sila couldn’t help but be amazed . He thought for sure she would press him for more information .
“I thought you would be more persistent . ”
“There is no need . Because I will find him myself . ” Risa stopped for a brief moment . “Just knowing that he is still around is enough . Whatever reasons he has, I would like to hear it from his mouth, not from someone else . ”
“ . . . The Decagate World . ” Sila sent her a sound transmission . “You are probably unqualified to go to that place yet and I don’t know how long Narin plans to stay there . Still, that is his current goal . This is the most I can tell you . ”
“Thank you . ”
Risa left . Sila was sure that Zero wouldn’t mind him telling her . He knew that Zero, too, wanted to meet her . Otherwise, given Zero’s ability, there would be no way for Risa to recognize or even catch a glimpse of him .
“Phew~ That ended well . ” Sila sighed .
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His next destination was the Information Building . He went there in order to deliver a message . He couldn’t do it via his system window since his current status was offline from being dead .
The mail delivering service is helpful when people want to send messages to someone not on their friend list . The service cost was usually trivial but became more expensive during the war event . In a sense, everyone’s system window is like a smartphone, capable of making video calls and sending free messages . It wasn’t strange that the outdated mail delivery service was unpopular .
Sila wrote a letter, which was a very rare sight to see in modern times . In fact, most people in the current generation have no idea such a thing even exists . Still, by writing the letter, Sila felt a sense of nostalgia . When he lived in the dojo, he could only make phone calls for emergencies . Contacting another dojo for anything—like requesting a match—was always done via written letters, most likely because receiving a letter of challenge was cooler than receiving an email of challenge . While it was true that he couldn’t operate an automatic-cooker or drive new cars, he was quite knowledgeable when it came to analog objects .
As Sila finished folding the letter, the mail transformed into a white pigeon and flew away, ignoring his confusion . Asking a nearby NPC, the man said that it was because Sila had brought the cheapest type of letter—the pigeon kind . While it was romantic, it took time for the pigeon to reach the receiver .
“Will it reach the receiver for sure?” Sila asked .
“Definitely, sir . No one in their right mind would catch harmless flying birds . They’re like parts of the background . ” The NPC ensured, totally clueless that such a person actually existed . In fact, that person had already caught ten thousand tailorbirds .
With that, another matter had been resolved . The letter he had just sent was for Varee . Seeing how she was in a bad mood due to the death of her close friend, Sila didn’t want her to worry about his death . He hoped his letter would help to soothe her mind a little .
“Come to think of it, Varee has more friends than I thought . She frequently showed up in front of me back then . I thought she only had a few friends . ”
As soon as Sila exited the building, he suddenly heard the sound of quick footsteps approaching him . He moved away, not blocking the entrance . However, seeing the face of the person coming his way, he scratched his head in confusion .
The person was none other than Varee, her hand crumbling the letter he had just sent less than a minute ago . Coincidentally, she was nearby, so his mail was in her hand faster than Sila anticipated .
“I knew I was right . No wonder I thought you felt familiar . ”
“I think you got the wrong person . I—”
Varee caught his arm, pulled a black invitation card, and announced, “Go to the Mansion of Secrets . ”
The two of their bodies vanished from Colossia City and reappeared next to each other in the garden in front of the mansion . The scenery would be more romantic if a stern-looking wuxia man statue wasn’t standing there as part of the landscape .
As Sila was about to insist on denying her claim, Julia appeared and greeted them .
“Mister Sila, Mistress . Welcome back . Would you like some snacks?”
Sila sighed . He never expected Varee to use his maid against him . Julia could recognize him due to his status as her master, not his appearance, so she was the best proof Varee could ever ask for . It was too late for him to even rely on the ability of the Thief Lord’s Mask to temporarily disguise his face .
“Hello, Varee . Long time no see . ” Sila removed his mask .
Varee’s gaze lingered on Sila’s face, which she hadn’t seen for a long time, to the point where she forgot to reprimand him for his past actions . Sila’s face was still the same, but his eyes had changed significantly . The first time they met, Sila’s eyes were like ones belonging to a child—clear and bright, stubborn, yet filled with determination . Now, however, his eyes were mystifying and arcane . They were ones belonging to a man who had experienced countless hardships and had been through the world . Not much time had passed since the last time they spoke, but it seemed Sila had become a totally different person .
“Varee?” Sila wondered . He rubbed his face . “Is there dirt on my face? Did I get it off?”
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“No, there is— Kya!”
“Watch out!”
A small black silhouette lunged at Sila . Realizing what it was, he pulled Varee behind him using his left hand while using his right hand to gently receive the mysterious object .
“Don’t worry . This little guy is my pet . He is as energetic as Lookhin was in the past . ”
Sila’s palm wasn’t particularly large, but the two-headed small puppy could manage to balance itself on it using its two legs . One of the heads stuck its tongue out, panting, while the other head opened its mouth, playfully chewing Sila’s thumb . If it wasn’t for his qi aura protecting him, the thumb would have already become the puppy’s snack .
Varee distanced herself from Sila, hiding her embarrassment . “Another pet? Is it because you’re the Monster Emperor that you have to surround yourself with pets?”
“That’s not true . Aside from Lookhin, this guy is the only one . I only have two pets . The rest come and go as they wish,” Sila replied before turning to Julia . “By the way, have you come up with a name for him yet?”
“Not yet, Master . Knowing that you got him from Zhongsuyuan City, I thought about giving it a Chinese name such as Hei Se (Black) or Fu Qi (Good Fortune) . However, he was very adamant about rejecting all the names I suggested . ”
Observing the puppy, Sila frowned . “Well, this guy came from the Town of Beginnings, actually . He became the Werewolf King, then was possessed by souls in the Inverse Zhongsuyuan City . . . ”
Julia clapped as she got an idea . “Soul? How about we call him Ling (Spirit)?”
“That sounds great . Okay! From now on, your name will be Ling . ”
Chomp—! Chomp!
Its two heads simultaneously bit Sila’s hand . Witnessing the scene, Varee couldn’t help but chuckle . “Could it be that it doesn’t like the singular-sounding name because it has two heads? How about Ling Ling?”
“Is that so? Ling Ling . Do you like it now?”
You have successfully submitted the name of your pet, Ling Ling, the Two-Headed Orthos, Level 1 Squire Rank .
“Finally . ” Sila put the puppy down, letting it run around . “Took you long enough, Ling Ling . Do you want to go outside?”
Julia put a dog bowl on the ground . “Master, while Ling Ling’s rank is low, his skill pool is far beyond standard . It seems he is still not used to cultivating Vast Sky Qi . I sometimes saw him squirming in pain, prompting me to carry him to sleep in the dojo . I think it’s safer for him to stay with me in the mansion . ”
“I guess so . ” Sila turned to Varee . “Can you please take care of him for a while, Varee?”
“Eh? Where are you going?”
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“I have to complete a certain quest . It’s a quest that I have to do alone . I can’t tell you much, but I will explain once I come back in the evening . Can you wait?” Sila told her the truth . Knowing her personality, he was finally aware that being honest with her was the most effective way to deal with her .
“Is that a promise?”
Sila nodded . “It is . You don’t need to take a bet for killing bandits or anything like that to force me . I’m considered the Thief Monarch, remember?”
Varee chuckled . “Hahaha! That’s right . You’re the boss of bandits . If you don’t keep the promise, I will teach you all the way by hunting you down . ”
“It’s good that you can laugh . See you again in the evening . ”
Sila teleported, exiting his mansion . He exited the city and visited the goblin’s temporary camps, located on the east side of the city .
He had talked to the two goblin kings last night . The two didn’t agree to help him, however, though they did so out of their concern for him . Still, Sila insisted on meeting them again today .
Since the agreement regarding living together was more or less finished, today would be the last day the goblins lived outside the city . They were removing their camps . Some of them had already migrated to the city, setting up areas to open their businesses .
Each goblin wore a bright smile on their face . For the first time after ten years, they finally got to return to their beloved hometown . While it was true that Colossia City wasn’t their birthplace, it was still the town they had built from the ground up . Sila’s current feeling was similar to when he had just befriended Rex and the Single-Horned Dragons .
Even though the world of Monster Soul was brutal, he was confident that there was more to it than just the darkness .
“You should reconsider, Sir Sila . I personally think that you’re not ready for this task yet,” Remdier dissuaded Sila once he saw the human arrive .
“I’m ready . I promised everyone I will meet them again this evening . I’m going to come back no matter what . ”
Remdier and Ramidas looked at each other . They no longer stopped Sila . Each of the goblin kings took out a small dagger, which was identical to the one Sila got from the tournament . They stabbed the daggers into the ground, then pointed at an empty spot .
“Plunge your dagger down to make the area become a triangle, then stand inside . ”
Thrusting the dagger into the ground, a white line formed between the three daggers . The triangular area inside was glowing pure white .
“The Holy Sanctum of Weapons is a domain that requires at least three monsters of Lord Rank or above who possess the Weapon Enlightenment skill as activators . It’s fortunate that your rank is Lord, so we can pull it off . For the Dichotomous Crucifix Sword, you may spend a lifetime trying to find it but to no avail . One of the Blade Daughters is Anastasia—the World Detester . Unless she is willing to appear before you, no one will ever find them . ”
“Thus . . . Unless they are interested in you and decide to show up, you will have to display what you’re capable of in order to summon them . Please be careful . They were originally swords, so they can activate their abilities even without external energy . And . . . exactly because they were originally swords, their swordsmanship is top-class . ”
Remdier gave Sila a metal sword . “I will let you borrow this sword . You’re going to need everything you can ask for in order to survive . ”
Sila didn’t reject their good intentions, and gratefully received the sword . Walking into the domain, the last thing he heard was Ramidas’ parting words .
“Make sure you come back, my friend . May Lady Igsia smile upon you . ”