Ch. 131..140

Chapter 131

As the sun was setting behind the mountains by the now distant valley, Jack and Rydel entered the city.

The two adventurers had made an agreement to always talk telepathically whenever they needed to communicate. It made things easier and safer, avoiding any possible wandering ears.

’Jack, let’s find an inn for the next couple of nights. Then, let’s gather information about what’s happening with the catacombs. If the other noble families plan to arrive at the same time as the Treall family, they’ll probably be here sometime tomorrow morning.’

’Okay, lead the way.’ Jack gave a silent nod and followed the hunter through the crowded streets of the small city.

Soon they found a decent inn. It wasn’t the most luxurious but it also wasn’t the cheapest. They felt it was well worth their money and decided to scope out the tavern on the first floor for information.

After ordering two specials and a round of brundy, both of them listened carefully to their surroundings.

"Did you hear about the catacombs? I can’t believe how many nobles are coming."

"Including the Pon Family that owns the catacombs, the Lyre and Maronn Families are coming too!" Two drinking buddies were going back and forth, trying to one-up the other with gossip.

"Don’t forget the Treall Family! They came by special invitation from Reinolt. Rumor says they plan to desert Reinolt for the Zuran Empire."

"Maybe, but that doesn’t mean they’ll do better than the other families in the catacombs. Everyone says there are zombies and other monsters down there. To find treasures, they’ll have to beat those first."

True, true. Hey, you think we’ll get a chance to enter?"

"Sure, they’re letting others go too, so long as they’re lv. 20 or higher. But if you go without a background, they’ll make you share all the treasures you find."

Jack and Rydel glanced at each other, both smiling wide. They quickly understood that they would be able to join the families in the mine, though they’ll be at a disadvantage with only the two on them.

’Sounds like we can get in. Think the zombies will be any trouble?’ Rydel mentally asked Jack.

Jack shook his head as he sipped his brundy. ’Nah, if they’re letting lv. 20’s in then the zombies can’t be much stronger than that. Maybe they’ll even set a level cap on those who enter? That way there are fewer chances of the Pon Family losing their treasures to powerful experts they can’t force to cough up items.’

"Makes sense. Anything else we need to know? According to them, the catacombs will be opened to the public tomorrow evening, so we’ve got till then to collect info."

Jack chuckled and glanced at the two men who were now aimlessly chatting. They were drunk and were already struggling against intoxication. Two seats from them sat another pair of drinking buddies and they were equally drunk.

Seeing that this would be too easy, Jack disappeared from his seat and reappeared between the two pairs of people.

"Shut your yap!" Jack yelled as he threw a punch to the drunkest man of the four.

The drunk was floored and fell from his seat. He scampered to his feet, looking at the two men across from him with fuming anger.

Already back in his seat, Jack chuckled and watched the show with Rydel who remained quiet.

"You! An ugly pestro like you tells me to shut up!" The man stepped forward and punched the man he believed to have shouted at him. It surprised that other man, but he handled the punch decently and stayed on his feet.

"What did you say?!"

"You heard me, you pestro!"

"That’s it!"

Without warning, all four men starting throwing punches and throwing themselves at each other. Bottles were smashed and mugs were shattered. Everywhere they went, the bar was flipped upside down.

"Break it up! And get out!" Before long, the bar manager arrived and separated them all. As they were swiftly kicked out of the tavern, the atmosphere quickly returned to normal.

’What was that all about?’ asked Rydel, curious why Jack had started a bar fight.

Jack was looking at his most recent achievement with a smile on his face. ’Nothing special, just doing what I need to get stronger."

Rydel was eyeing Jack. He wasn’t quite sure how to respond. Getting stronger? All he did was cause a bar fight, and he didn’t even fight himself. How can that make him stronger?

With seventy-eight points, Jack purchased Penetrating Fist. With only three skill points left and a smile on his face, Jack downed his brundy and scarfed down his meal. ’Let’s walk around town. There’s something I want to check.’

Not complaining, the two paid their tabs and left the bar. As it got later, the streets were becoming less crowded.

Heading to the town’s center, Jack wore a pensive face. He couldn’t help but feel like he should know something about the Ponlinne, but he was certain that the town had never existed in Ancient Kartonia.

’Rydel, is there anything special about Ponlinne?"

’Not that I know of, other then what I’ve already told you.’ Rydel shrugged and looked ahead. ’What’s got you acting strange? Was there something about Ponlinne during ancient times?’

’No, but that’s the weird thing,’ sighed Jack. ’I can’t shake the feeling that I’m supposed to know something about it. The name is familiar but I don’t remember a single town by that name.’

They continued walking and were now in a park. It marked the center of town and was a common place to visit for some peace and quiet. No merchants were allowed to sell anything inside the park, showing how important it was to the town.

In the very center of the park, the two adventurers approached a large, golden statue. At its base was a plaque, which read:

"Ponlinne, a great hero of the Zuran Empire."

"After the Holy War, when most heroes started to vanish without a trace, Ponlinne remained to guard this growing town. No matter the monster and no matter the number of foes, Ponlinne fought them all and won. In memory of the great hero, Ponlinne, we name our city in honor of your legacy."

’Ponlinne! It’s actually Ponlinne!’ Jack was shouting inside his head, barely able to contain himself.

Startled to hear Jack’s mental screams for joy, Rydel asked, ’Well yeah, but what’s so special about a dude with a weird name like Ponlinne?’

’You don’t get it, Ponlinne was famous for a short time during Ancient Kartonia. Though he wasn’t the strongest, he rose up the ranks and created a guild of clerics and healers of all kinds. It was the first of its kind! Never before had there been such a guild, but it quickly gained support from everyone as their healing skills were needed by everyone,’ explained Jack. ’Ponlinne, that same Ponlinne stayed after the Holy Wars’

Wanting to clarify a hunch, Jack opened his achievement list again. As he expected, another new achievement had appeared.

[Find the tomb of Ponlinne: in progress]

’Rydel, I think I know where to find the life spring.’

The hunter laughed, ’Let me guess, in the catacombs?’

’Yes and no,’ answered Jack. ’Inside the catacombs, if I’m not mistaken, there’s a hidden tomb, or more specifically, Ponlinne’s tomb.’

’Okay, so we get to raid another tomb. What’s new?’

’You don’t get it.’ Jack shook his head and laughed hysterically. ’Ponlinne wasn’t like the weak hero we found last time. Ponlinne was maxed out.’

A look of shock and awe appeared on Rydel’s face all of a sudden. ’You mean..."

’Mhm, Ponlinne was lv. 85.’

This was the first time that Jack would be able to find a lv. 85 hero’s tomb. Not only was he excited to get the eighty-five skill points for opening it, but he was ecstatic to get his hands on Poninne’s treasures, weapons, and items. He would be loaded! No wonder a life spring was hidden there yet no one had found it!

’The Pon family should know something about this, but they’re not as sure as I am. They must want to find Ponlinne’s old treasures too. And after failing so many times, they invited others to join the search, making their jobs easier,’ stated Jack.

’Can you find it, Jack? Didn’t you need to have an item the person owned to find the tomb last time?’

With a nod, Jack turned and left, letting Rydel catch up. ’Yup, that’s exactly what I need.’

’Then why are you smiling like it’s too easy?’

’Because it is that easy,’ answered Jack. ’Did you notice anything special about that statue?’

Rydel squinted and looked back at the golden figure. It was almost twice the size of the average man, yet the staff seemed to be a little small in comparison. Other than that, everything looked normal.

’The staff maybe, but what’s the big deal?’ Even with his Eagle Eye, Rydel was unable to notice anything peculiar about the statue.

Shaking his head, Jack chuckled, ’Don’t trust your eyes for everything. Sometimes your gut feeling is more important, like now. That staff should be Ponlinne’s old weapon. It must be layered in gold, but I can recognize a custom, player-made staff when I see one.’

’That was his weapon?! A weapon used by a lv. 85...’ Rydel was lost in thought. Anyone over lv. 50 were all legends to him. Lv. 85 was comparable to a deity in his eyes, so if that staff were really that high of a weapon, then it was a priceless treasure across the continent.

’Wait, you don’t plan to--’

’Oh I don’t plan to just steal it, I plan to make it disappear without anyone knowing the wiser,’ Jack laughed. His blood was pumping and the adrenaline was already filling his veins. ’I’ll wait for nightfall. Until then, let’s head back to the inn.’

Like he said, Jack waited patiently at the inn with Rydel all night. After midnight came and the streets were dead, Jack waved goodbye to Rydel before he vanished.

Rydel could only laugh to himself, waiting like a happy child for his mom to come home from the candy store.

In the dead of night, no one noticed a shady figure stroll through the park. There was a fraction of a second where he had become illusory, but he returned to normal just as fast. Soon, that person walked into an alley behind an inn. There, he disappeared into thin air.

Inside the inn, Jack reappeared with a giant smile on his face.

The next morning, an incident was reported to the town guard, something about the beloved statue missing its staff. Yet, no matter how they searched, no one was able to find a single trace of the missing staff.

 

Chapter 132

The city was in an uproar thanks to the statue incident. Almost everyone from the city had rushed to the park to verify the truth. When they saw the statue missing a hand that had been broken off, they didn’t know what to think.

According to those who were inspecting the statue, the cause was undetermined. Apparently, the statue’s arm had broken from the inside and snapped on its own. It was impossible to determine what really happen because clearly the arm didn’t just break out of nowhere and fall to the ground.

Far from the city park, Jack woke up after a hard night’s sleep. He was too excited to sleep well. The moment Rydel woke up, he saw Jack sitting cross-legged on the floor with Bowzer next to him.

’You’re too smart, kid.’ Rydel was amazed to see Jack using Bowzer to remove the gold.

The foxes burning bite could easily break the layer of gold over the staff and Bowzer could do it without releasing any fire that would draw outside attention. Bits and pieces of gold fell to the floor as an ancient wooden staff slowly appeared. Though it was made of wood, Jack wasn’t worried about damaging the staff. Why would he, it was a lv. 85 weapon?! If anything, Jack and Bowzer attacking it while using flame bodies couldn’t even scratch it.

As rumors of the missing staff were covering the city, Rydel and Jack were soon inspecting a fully recovered lv. 85 cleric staff.

’It’s called "Midas’ Hand," make’s sense to have it coated in gold. How ironic?’ joked Jack, it was impossible for him to not be smiling.

Rydel asked, ’Jack, what are you going to do with this? After we find the hidden tomb and get back to Reinolt, what will you do with that staff?’

’I’m not sure, honestly,’ Jack shook his head, still finding it hard to believe that he found such a treasure. Had he not been focused on finding the life spring for Slivia, he would plan to wait for a chance to sneak into the catacomb and more easily find the tomb so he could raid it in peace.

’Maybe I’ll ask Zarris about it. Maybe I can get some amazing things for trading it? It’s not like it would be much use to me?’

Though it was lv. 85, it was useless to him. Jack, with the achievement junkie subclass, had the chance to possibly learn cleric skills in the future, but why would he keep a staff that he may never use, even when he eventually reached that level? It would be far more beneficial for him to trade it for stuff more applicable to him.

Rydel laughed and shook his head. ’You’ll make me cry acting like that. Only you would be willing to immediately trade a lv. 85 weapon in secret. If the world knew what you were holding, then everyone would go crazy just to get their hands on it.’

’But who would be willing to buy such a weapon, and who could actually afford it? In the end, I may have to trade it in with the Adventurers Association in order to get the best deal.’

Jack put the staff away and continued, ’What I’m interested in is what’s in the hidden tomb. It should be filled with Ponlinne’s treasures and items.’

He didn’t mention it, but Jack was very curious to see Ponlinne’s status log and review it. It was a given that he wanted to see what had the ability to kill a lv. 85 cleric with outstanding healing abilities after the Holy War had ended. What could have that kind of strength? Was it still out there in the world?

Though Jack was anxious to find everything inside the tomb, Jack also understood that he wouldn’t have the chance to better analyze the items after he left Ponlinne.

’Well, should we check out the town? Maybe we’ll get a chance to learn about any nobles that arrived already,’ suggested Rydel.

’Just give me a minute.’

Jack was surprised to see that he had an unread notification. Opening up his menu, he noticed that yet another achievement had been completed and he didn’t even know it.

[Steal a city’s totem item without getting caught: completed]

[Steal Ponlinne’s totem item without leaving behind any evidence or being recognized, even as the entire city is an uproar searching for you. Special reward: 20 skill points.]

A light chuckle left Jack’s mouth as he stood up and left with Rydel. They got some breakfast at the tavern and overheard the many rumors about the statue’s missing staff.

With nothing else to learn there, the two exited and took to the streets. It took some time for them to find a street merchant that mentioned a noble family arriving in town.

Rydel browsed the man’s wares and bought a small ring for a gold piece, which was far more than the asking price. "You mentioned the Maronn Family earlier. What can you tell us about them?"

"I can tell you plenty," answered the man. He smiled wryly and continued, "The Maronn Family arrived early this morning and are staying with the Pon Family until further notice."

"What do they specialize in?"

"The Maronn Family is known as a family of Berzerkers. They’re able to use brute force and strength to overcome any obstacles. It’s their philosophy that with enough strength behind their sword, anything will bow before them." The merchant proudly explained. "I also hear that the Lyre Family will be arriving shortly and the Treall family will be the last to arrive before they open the catacomb for everyone."

Rydel gave a satisfied nod and picked up another small trinket for a gold coin. "And what do you know about the Lyre family?" Since the Treall family was from Reinolt, he knew plenty about them.

The merchant happily took the gold coin. "The Lyre Family is famous for creating some of the most powerful mages in the empire."

"Anything special about those catacombs? There’s got to be a reason why so many noble families agreed to come and search the catacomb, right?"

"You’re right. Word on the street is that there are many hidden treasures inside the catacomb," explained the merchant. "Many powerful magic items were found in there in the past but lately the Pon family hasn’t been able to find anything. That catacomb has existed longer than the Pon Family. It may be called the Pon Family Catacomb, but that’s only in name. Not a single ancestor of theirs is buried there."

"No matter how many times the catacomb was raided, zombies and undead continue to appear and protect the place. Many locals believe that it was an ancient crypt for some powerful being or organization." The merchant paused for a moment, waiting for Rydel to purchase another trinket before he continued, "Most people don’t know, but it’s rumored that the great hero Ponlinne decided to stay here and form a town to protect that catacomb personally. Maybe the great hero even perished inside of it? Nobody knows."

Jack spoke up telepathically to Rydel, ’He may be right about that actually. I know that the Zuran Empire once had a crypt known for having undead hordes. It was used by a lot of heroes to grind and level-up.’

Rydel nodded and bought one last trinket. "Thank you, I hope we can keep this purchase a secret."

"Of course, for such great customers, that’s the least I can offer. Come again whenever you need," replied the merchant.

Both men left the small stand and continued further into the city, heading toward the Pon Family estate at the north end of the city. They wanted to be ready to enter and wouldn’t dare waste time.

As they expected, a group of well-dressed men and women were ahead of them. Those people had just arrived outside of the Pon Family gates and were waiting for entrance to be granted.

A servant hurried out of the manor and opened the gate. "So sorry for the wait, please forgive us. We didn’t expect you to arrive so soon. Your rooms have already been prepared. Please, follow me."

The group’s leader nodded and followed in silence. Very quickly, the group entered the estate and the gate closed behind them.

Crowds were already starting to form near the Pon estate, showing that many people were interested in the event that would soon be taking place. Most were only there to observe and not participate, but a small group was already forming of people waiting to enter the catacomb.

’It looks like the moment the Treall Family arrives, the catacomb will instantly open for everyone,’ reasoned Rydel. ’Let’s hang around near that group over there. The more we blend in, the better.’

They assimilated into the crowd easily, blending in with the masses.

Time passed slowly for most people, but Jack was entertained by exploring the achievement system. Eventually, thuds of hooves and armor were heard in the distance and everyone started smiling.

"Finally!"

"Now we can get in."

"Be careful, this will be dangerous but worth it!"

The crowd exploded into enthusiasm as the Treall Family neared the Pon estate’s gates. Three groups came to welcome the Treall Family and each was being led by some extraordinary-looking people.

Jack took a deep breath and refocused himself. He reminded Rydel, ’Stay sharp, we’ll have it harder than anyone else.’

 

Chapter 133

Before long, there were four groups of people surrounded by a growing crowd outside the Pon Manor. One group stepped forward and led the others to the outskirts of town while the crowd followed.

Those in the lead were from the Pon Family and they had to be on their best behavior as the hosts for such a grand occasion.

Behind them were the Maronn, Lyre, and Treall Families, each keeping their distance from each other. They may not have been enemies, but none of them planned to mingle or chat amongst the groups. Each group came with an agenda and didn’t want to share any benefits if they didn’t have to.

The sun had yet to set when the Pon Family stopped just before exiting the city walls. They turned towards the others and smiled brightly.

One man among them stepped forward and announced, "Everyone, we’re glad to have your help exploring our family’s special catacomb. For those who don’t know the rules of the event, allow me to explain."

All eyes and ears were on him as the man continued, "Since so many people have arrived, we’ve adjusted some of the rules to make things fair. Only those who are between lv. 20 and lv. 29 may enter the catacomb, without exceptions. Also, be aware that everyone must be respectful of each other. Fighting should be done between us and the monsters roaming the catacomb. There are many young geniuses here and we don’t want anything unnecessary to happen to you all."

Jack scratched his head, realizing that it would be even more difficult than they had anticipated. Without Rydel, Jack would very likely be alone as the weakest person to enter the catacomb.

"Keep in mind that the reason we’re allowing you all to enter is to help us secure some of our family treasures deep inside. If you find anything of value, you are to report it. Now, we won’t steal or take anything from you unjustly. Know that we will compensate anyone who can bring us treasures from inside very handsomely," explained the man. "Any questions?"

"What kind of monsters are inside?" Someone from the Treall Family spoke up.

The man smiled and responded, "A good question! Inside are many types of undead. You must be careful because more undead will spawn without end. For that reason, we constantly need to raid and purge the catacomb. They should all be under lv. 30, however, if someone above lv. 30 should enter, then undead under lv. 40 will spawn also. That’s why we must regulate your levels, so please don’t be mad with us."

Another person from the Maronn family asked, "What kind of treasures are inside? Is there anything, in particular, we should keep a lookout for?"

"Inside you may find random magical items. We’ve found many things, ranging from magical weapons to armor, or from gold to valuable gems. If you find gold or gems, you may keep them for yourself, but anything magical in nature should be traded to us of the Pon Family for something of equal or greater value."

"How big is the catacomb?" That time a crowd member asked, probably from someone waiting to enter after the noble families.

"It’s not too large, but it’ll take you all night to explore the catacomb fully. We’ll give everyone till tomorrow morning at sunrise to explore the caverns. At that time, you’ll be called back to trade in your items. Anything else?" asked the man, still patient and waiting to clear any doubts.

"What if we don’t want to trade our findings with the Pon Family?"

Jack’s question caught everyone’s attention, especially those from noble families. They were especially curious about how the Pon family would handle such a situation.

With a chuckle, the man answered, "I’ll be honest with you, we hope that everyone will willingly trade the goods with us. We promise on our name to offer you something just as valuable, if not more! Isn’t that fair if we’re the ones allowing you to enter the catacombs?"

The same voiced responded again, saying, "But what if the person doesn’t come from a noble family? How can we guarantee that the trade will be fair? And if it’s not fair, how can we avoid being pressured into a trade we don’t wish to make?"

This time the man felt irked by Jack’s words, but he didn’t show it. "We can assure the fairest compensation, how else have we become known as the generous and kind-hearted Pon Family? To all those here without any sort of background, you’ll be treated the same as those from noble families in terms of compensation."

"And what if nobles team up against us inside the catacomb? They have powerful backers to make sure nothing happens to them, but how can you guarantee our safety? What happens if someone dies inside, will you provide investigation and seek out justice?"

"If anyone is to die inside by any means other than from the undead, then it shall be investigated immediately before anyone is allowed to leave. Is that fair enough?" The man’s voice was becoming colder with every answer.

Everyone understood that he was mad that the same person was asking such blatant questions.

"Good, I’m glad the Pon Family is so caring, even for us!" Jack ended the conversation with a compliment, letting the man continue without ruining the mood.

"Very well. Now, let us enter the catacomb. When I call your group, please step forward. Pon Family!"

A group of five people stepped out from behind the man. Three of them were young like Jack, but the others were older. Rydel warned Jack that those two were both lv. 29 and probably sent to be bodyguards.

"Maronn Family!"

Another group of five people stepped out of the Maronn Family. Like the Pon Family, three were most likely the young masters while the other two strong bodyguards.

"Lyre Family!"

"Treall Family!"

The other families followed the same pattern, proving to Jack that it’s not going to be as easy as he wanted to find that tomb in secret.

"Now, for those inside the crowd, we’ll only be letting fifteen of you participate. We’ll have a quick screening and select who will be joining the others in the catacomb. Step forward if you’d like to enter."

Jack and many others in the crowd stepped forward. One-by-one, the Pon Family inspected the many people, instantly sending away some candidates without a second thought.

In no time a man approached Jack, who still appeared to be a slouching middle-aged man.

"Name and level," asked the man performing the screening.

"Jack, and I’m lv. 20."

"What a load of crap!"

A shout was heard after Jack answered the question, startling the man who was handling the screening. He looked to the Treall Family and saw that one of the young masters was the one who had yelled. The man asked, "Is something wrong?"

"There’s no way that old man is lv. 20! I’ve seen him fight with my own guards personally and I demand he reveal his level to all of us!" shouted Glen, the lv. 15 young master from the Treall Family.

He was already in a bad mood for not being able to enter the catacomb. Now that everyone over lv. 30 was barred entry, he and those from the Treall Family understood that they were the weakest because their young talents were the weakest of the noble families.

Glen then saw Jack and could help but yell in disgust. He truly didn’t believe he was only lv. 20 and he wanted to let loose some anger at the same time.

"That’s what you’re complaining about?" Suddenly, Jack’s level information was no longer so mysterious. "There, take a look for yourself."

"L-lv. 20..." Those from the Treall Family were stunned. They understood that this man was probably the person who caused a ruckus in their town. But could a lv. 20 really be that strong? He had overpowered two guards and used a rare fire spell that would have burned both of the guards to death had it made contact.

"Can I go in now?" asked Jack, showing his impatience.

"You can step forward and enter. Remember to respect the young masters," stated the man as he moved on to the next candidate.

Jack didn’t quite understand why the screening went so smoothly, not until the screening had been completed.

’We’re all below lv. 25...’ Jack realized that the Pon Family was trying to rig it in favor of the noble families.

Killing people wasn’t allowed, but they never mentioned anything about stealing each other’s treasures. If the nobles dominated the others, wouldn’t the fifteen regular people just help them gather the harvest and make things easier for the nobles?

He snickered and gave Rydel a meaningful look. ’Since there’s a change in plans, maybe it’s best if you wait with Ayden till I call you. When we exit the tomb, I’m sure things will get complicated.’

’Don’t worry too much. You’ve got your sudden death skill and I’ve got one of the fastest beasts. Put those together and we should be able to make a clean getaway when the time comes. Good luck!’ Rydel winked and turned to leave.

Jack sighed and looked around him. Once they were inside the catacomb, he had a feeling that the nobles would stop acting so noble.

Chapter 134

"Alright, Pon Family, lead the way!" The man gave out last joyous shout to send off those waiting to enter the catacomb. He then looked into the behind him.

There was a dirty, foul-smelling marsh not too mar away. As the man lifted his hand and raised a magical pendant, the marsh opened up and a sinkhole appeared in the ground. "That’s the entrance. Good luck to you all."

With that, the Pon Family young masters led the other nobles into the sinkhole. As they trickled inside, the sinkhole stayed open and showed no signs of closing.

Once they were out of sight of the crowd, the different groups split up. The nobles didn’t spare the commoners a single glance and left in different directions.

The inside of the catacomb was larger than anyone had expected. It had multiple paths and could suffice to contain a small battlefield on every path. There weren’t any undead yet, but hey had just entered and were in the most well-lit part of the catacomb.

Jack pulled out a torch and lit it. He looked at the others, but no one said anything. Some ran off even faster than the nobles while others waited patiently at the exit as if they were waiting for someone to follow.

Shaking his head, Jack quickly said, "Well, I wish you, kids, good luck. I’ve got some exploring to do."

"Wait!" The one lv. 25 commoner shouted to get Jack’s attention. "You should stay with us. You may be the weakest at lv. 20, but you seem to have a lot more experience than any of us. With your help, we’ll be able to find some good treasures between us all."

A hearty laugh echoed in the cavern, confusing the commoners. Jack calmed his laughter and looked back at the others. "You don’t get it, do you? They may not kill you, but those nobles are gonna rob you blind after you do their dirty work and snatch their treasures."

"That’s all the more reason to work together! If all us stick together, then we can stand up to them," reasoned the young man, instilling courage into the others who were listening.

"And what about all those lv. 29 bodyguards? How do you plan to handle them?" asked Jack. His harsh questions stifle some people’s courage. "I’m after gold and jewels since they won’t be taking those from me and the noble already have plenty of that. And since that’s what I’m after, why should I split it with any of you?"

"Y-you..." The others stared at Jack. Angered by his words, some tried to approach him.

"Don’t worry about little, old me, kids. I’ll be just fine." When he finished speaking, Jack vanished into thin air, startling those who had tried to surround him.

The commoners were are all amazed. They understood that the man was special yet that made them even madder when he refused to help them. He just ran away and it was impossible to catch him. Deep down, some wished they wouldn’t have to fight the mysterious man later.

Jack had disappeared into one of the winding paths that no one had taken.

Sensing that no one was following him yet, he smiled and retrieved something from his storage. It was Ponlinne’s staff, and it was emitting a blinking red light.

Before the Treall Family had arrived, Jack had already performed the needed ceremony in secret. Now, he would be able to let the staff guide him toward the hidden tomb. Of course, he couldn’t let others see it. He had to hide the staff the best he could because everything was riding on that staff.

If the others somehow forced him to give up that staff, he’d never make it to the tomb first.

After understanding the general direction he needed to go and sensing that he wasn’t anywhere near it yet, Jack stored the staff and starting walking. He took a couple of turns and found an intersection of paths.

In the middle was a group of people facing off with a small batch of zombies. Jack laid low and didn’t join in the fight. He wanted to see how strong the Lyre Family mages were.

As expected, the fight didn’t last for very long. A few holy spells were enough to render the zombies to ashes and allow the group to move forward.

’So, they can use multiple types of magic. I’ll have to keep that in mind,’ thought Jack. ’If they went that way, then..." With the coast clear, Jack checked his staff. In a second he knew to take the opposite path and put away the legendary weapon. ’Looks like the Lyre Family chose the right path. Here’s hoping I don’t run into them just yet.’

Keeping his distance, Jack always stayed out of sight and out of mind of the Lyre Family. Eventually, there was another split but Jack went the direction opposite the Lyre Family that time.

’So far there have only been low-level zombies, between lv. 20 and lv. 22. Any deeper and we’ll probably find more powerful undead.

Jack hit the nail on the head with his guess. Before, he had the Lyre Family to clear the way, but now he was alone. However, why should he be worried?

Zombies and most undead were weak against flames, so why should he be scared when he had a Hell-flame Fox with him?

Obviously, Jack didn’t want to reveal Bowzer at all, but Jack could confidently peruse the catacomb that nothing there could kill him if things went haywire.

When Jack neared another intersection, he found three zombies waiting for him.

He smiled when he saw that they were lv. 23 and lv. 24. ’Looks like I’m making progress.’

Without hesitation, Jack cast Flame Burst. The zombies exploded in the fiery plumes, leaving only ash and bone behind.

Jack removed his staff and checked his way, making sure not to lose track of his path.

"Hey, old man!"

That shout startled Jack. Immediately storing his staff, Jack glanced at the people who had come up from the intersecting path. Jack recognized them as the Maronn Family, the bright ride robes and armor gave it away.

"That was some spell! Why don’t you journey with us? We could use a powerful mage like you," offered the young man leading the group.

"Sir, I don’t think we need--"

"Quiet, you may be lv. 29 but what’s wrong with partnering with a powerful mage?" That young man cut off one of his bodyguards, refusing to be swayed. "He may be lv. 20, but I doubt the Lyre Family mages are any stronger than that.

The young man pointed to the crater filled with ash and charred bones. As they all looked at it, even the guards felt amazed.

"Thanks for the offer, but I’m not interested in traveling as a group. Since they’ll be taking everything later, I’m after gold and gems. That way I can at least keep what I find," answered Jack. He wanted to appear transparent and blunt yet stubborn, like most cranky old men.

"If that’s what you’re after then you can have all the gold and gems we find. Or is that not tempting enough?" asked the young man.

Jack squinted and answered with a question. "What’s your name, kid?"

"You must address him proper--"

"Flint Maronn is my name, but you can call me Flint if I can call you a friend. How about it?"

Jack grunted. He understood that Flint was persistent but was seemingly a kind person. Also, Jack knew that if he didn’t join them, there was a chance that they would follow him.

"Hmmm... I don’t like teams. I don’t trust anyone I don’t know, just like how they don’t trust me," said Jack as he pointed to the two guards.

"See, he doesn’t know kindness when he sees it. We should just take his treasures now and save the time," groaned one of the guards.

"Do you really want to test me?" Jack’s right arm suddenly caught fire, yet his clothes didn’t burn. The flames were condensing toward his palm, showing off how much explosive power was contained in a single Flame Burst spell.

When they saw the fire personally, the guards swallowed some saliva. They were both lv. 29, yet they were intimidated by the intense heat, and they were five meters away. Imagining the explosion that terrifying flame would cause scared even them.

"Now, now, come down friend!" yelled Flint. "You, why are you opening your yap when you’re not asked to speak? Speak out again, and I’ll have you demoted!"

"Sir, yes, sir!" responded the guard who had threatened Jack.

"Your name was Jack, right? I’m sorry for troubling you. We’ll take our leave first." Flint gave a quick bow despite his high social status and led his group into one of the tunnels.

As he was leaving he shouted, "I hope you can trust me if the occasion arises!"

Not sure what to think of Flint, Jack recalled his flames. He then moved ahead into the tunnel opposite the one Flint took. That was the way his staff told him to take.

 

Chapter 135

Jack kept pushing forward. He was lucky to only run into low-level undead so far, but he knew that soon he’d be facing stronger monsters.

He saw a few people every now and then inside the caverns. The catacomb was a natural underground maze. It was no wonder it would take the entire night just to explore it all.

Amidst his fast fights with zombies, Jack had found over one hundred gold’s worth of coins and gems. It was nice, but Jack would never be satisfied with that. In his anxiousness to find the tomb, Jack retrieved the staff and saw that the glimmering red light was slowly getting brighter.

A soft yawn broke the silence, followed by a gentle voice in Jack’s head. ’Jack, where this?’

Jack shook his head, in disbelief that Bowzer could sleep so much. Bowzer was currently hidden in his cloak and he wasn’t allowed to show himself. ’It’s about time that you’re up! Here, smell this.’

Pressing the staff against his chest, Jack let Bowzer get a good whiff of the staff. Then he put it away and asked, ’So, can you smell the tomb?’

It took a moment for Bowzer to respond. The fox was wriggling around in Jack’s coat as if he was rolling around and looking every which way. After almost a minute, Bowzer calmed down. ’Keep going. Me say which way.’

They traversed the caverns, letting Jack’s torch light the way in front of them. ’Hey, Bowzer, why are you sleeping so much? Are you okay?’

’Yeah, me just tired. Soon Bowzer grow.’

’Bowzer grow? What do you mean?’ Jack got curious. If Bowzer was about to grow then maybe he’d reach adolescence soon. ’How big will you get?’

’Soon, very soon. Me grow stronger," answered Bowzer.

Jack chuckled. He could feel Bowzer’s head bobbing up and down as if the little fox was agreeing with itself. ’Well, just let me know, okay? It would be best for us to take it easy when that happens.’

’Jack, go left.’

With his personal GPS, Jack wasn’t too worried about getting lost. Now he could focus on fighting undead and avoiding the other wandering groups.

Thanks to all the zombies he had killed so far, Jack and Bowzer were now lv. 21. By then, they were only encountering zombies between lv. 24 to lv. 26. Jack was wondering if he could reach lv. 25 before he had to leave.

"Hey, look who it is?" A joking voice echoed through the cavern.

Jack frowned and glanced at his provokers. "What do you brats want?"

"Hand over your treasures and we’ll let you leave without injury," said the young man leading the Treall Family group. His name was Gret Treall and he was Glen’s older brother. He had made it his goal to harass and take advantage of Jack at every opportunity he could.

"Wow, those are big words for a weak brat like you. What gave you the courage to taunt your elders?" Jack laughed and turned to leave down the cavern to the right.

"Where do you think you’re going, you coward? You only know how to pick on people weaker than you, so I’ll do the same thing to you!" Gret shouted and ran toward Jack, followed by the other four people in his group.

"Coward!" They kept yelling until they were about to reach Jack. Gret drew a sword and lunged forward, attempting to cripple Jack forever.

"Clang!"

"Huh?" Gret’s sword, which was about to pierce Jack’s side, suddenly stuck itself into the cavern wall. "What? What happened? Where did he go?!"

They were going insane! After chasing Jack and forcing him into a narrow cavern, the middle-aged man somehow disappeared from under their noses.

Across the stone wall and in the left cavern that ran parallel to the other, Jack was already walking away while laughing to himself. The more he used Sudden Death, the more he grew to love the skill.

’Jack, be careful. Me no can help, no?’

’Right, you can’t help Bowzer because it’s a secret that we’re here,’ explained Jack. ’But don’t worry, after we exit this place, we’ll make a fast getaway and then you can come out.’

’Fine, but me no like hiding,’ replied Bowzer.

Jack sighed and continued walking down the path with Bowzer’s guidance. The number of zombies he would encounter started to dwindle. He began to wonder if someone was ahead of him clearing the path. That though was soon confirmed when he heard a few voices in the distance.

"That sword should be ours, you know that!"

"We fought for it, so it’s ours. Please, let’s just keep moving forward."

When Jack recognized both voices, Jack made sure to stay close to the wall and stay hidden. ’I guess Flint is the first to find a magic item. Too bad those Treall jerks found them.’

He peeked around the corner and was surprised. On the ground was the corpse of a zombie troll. It was lv. 28 and was surrounded by lv. 26 zombies. It was clear that Flint and his group had to really fight to get the sword in Flint’s hands.

Sadly, Jack also noticed that one of the guards around him was heavily injured. It was easy to guess that it came from the zombie troll.

With one guarded heavily weakened and the others being exhausted or having minor injuries, Flint’s group wasn’t in the best place.

"Flint, just give it up. You won’t be able to protect it for long without both of your guards, so why hold on to it?" reasoned Gret. He was laughing coldly and eyeing that magical lv. 30 sword.

Flint shook his head and smiled. "No matter what, I can’t give it up. If you really want it, come and take it already. What, does the Treall Family only know how to bark?"

"Hand it over, Flint." A second voice came from one of the caverns.

Jack quickly recognized the Lyre Family group. He sighed and scratched his head. Moving ahead was going to get complicated.

"Tarnel, so you’re here too," Flint laughed as his group was effectively surrounded. "Let me guess, you want the sword too?"

"Just pass it over and I can guarantee that we’ll protect you," stated Tarnel. There wasn’t a frown or a smile on his face. He looked emotionless as if this were a common happenstance for him.

"We don’t need your protection, but thanks for the offer. If you hurry, then you’ll find the next magic item." Flint did his best to convince his aggressors to leave him alone.

"Hey, Tarnel, if we beat them bad enough then everything in here will be split by the two of us. We can cut out the Maronn Family entirely," Gret chuckled and looked to Tarnel. "How does that sound? More for us, right?"

A wand suddenly appeared in Tarnel’s hand. "That’s not a bad idea. How about whoever defeats Flint can have the sword?"

"You read my mind."

Both groups slowly walked forward, making their encirclement tighter and tighter. There was no escape for the Maronn Family.

While Jack was on the side, he was startled. Someone had noticed Jack but hadn’t given away his position. To his surprise, it was Flint that noticed Jack and occasionally saw him. When Jack didn’t act or draw any attention to himself, Flint smiled and signaled for Jack to join in. He even held out the sword, as if he was offering it in return for Jack’s help.

Shaking his head, Jack watched as the attackers were about to make their move. With a big sigh, a lv. 20 sword appeared in Jack’s hand.

"Flint, it’s your last chance. Hand it over!" Tarnel yelled, hoping to get the sword before Gret had a chance to take it.

Gret laughed and launched himself at Flint. "Too late!"

A glowing rapier appeared in Gret’s hand, the same that had nearly pierced through Jack’s side.

"Bring it on! You’ll regret it!" The magic sword disappeared and a different lv. 25 sword replaced it. A brutish aura burst forth from Flint as he charged against Flint.

"CLANG!!"

A heavy ringing filled the corridor as Flint’s greatsword and Gret’s rapier met in full force. Gret was pushed back a couple of meters, unable to counter Flint’s superior strength.

"This is the strength that allows you to boast in front of me? Ridiculous!" Flint charged him again, anxious to force Gret into the ground.

A frown appeared on Tarnel’s face as his wand began to glow yellow. "You chose this Flint, not me."

Sensing the tension, everyone burst into action. The Maronn Family took a defensive position and did their best to protect their young masters as they fought the other young talents. Their biggest fear was the Lyre Family because they were adept mages. The Lyre Family would be able to support the Treall Family if they wanted or just attack from a distance.

Sparks of electricity started to fly around Tarnel’s wand. "Lightning Verdi--"

"THUD! CRACK!"

The massive electrical energy dispersed into nothingness, startling everyone on the battlefield. Even more shocking was that someone had appeared behind Tarnel and managed to hold a sword to Tarnel’s neck.

No one understood what those sudden sounds were until they noticed Tarnel’s limp right arm.

"It’s... broken..." They didn’t know what was happening. Tarnel was about to cast Lightning Verdict and incapacitate Flint in a single attack. Yet now, Tarnel was ambushed and overpowered out of nowhere.

Though the Lyre family didn’t recognize the culprit, the others did. The Maronn Family guards had embarrassed faces, unwilling to look at the man responsible for saving them.

"You, again! Stupid old man!" Gret yelled at the top of his lungs.

 

Chapter 136

Jack showed a wry smile and his eyes were sharp and unhesitant. He looked around at the Lyre Family with a demeaning gaze.

None of the other members of the Lyre Family understood what Jack was doing or why he had suddenly ambushed their young master.

"Sir, what are you trying to do?" asked one of the bodyguards as he stepped closer.

"I wouldn’t recommend you come any closer," stated Jack, keeping his cool. "You all are fine with picking on others when they’re down, so why can’t I do the same?"

"But sir--"

"Hurry up and pass me all your rings!"

The sudden demand caused everyone to freeze. Even the Maronn and the Treall Families put a pause to their battle.

"Are you threatening the Lyre Family?! You’re insane!" One of the other young masters shouted back. He looked almost identical to Tarnel, so Jack assumed them to be brothers.

With a smile, Jack replied, "Sure, why wouldn’t I?" Just then, a bead of red blood started to dribble from Tarnel’s neck. "Do you believe me now?"

"You are insane, you know we can’t kill here!" Both of the Lyre guards started to panic. It’s one thing if their young master was injured and needed some healing, but to be disgraced like this and possibly lose him would lead to their death. They would fail at their only job!

"Maybe not, but I can do this." The sword vanished as Jack put Tarnel in a headlock. His other arm smashed into Tarnel’s other arm, cracking many bones and letting it hang limp like the other. "Shall I keep going?"

"You..." The guards froze. They weren’t able to decide, it was up to their young masters.

"J-Just give it to him!" Tarnel’s shaky voice filled the cavern.

His younger brother nodded and threw a ring at Jack’s feet. "Here, you can have it for now. But don’t think you’ll be able to avoid punishment after you exit the catacomb."

The others nodded and followed suit, each throwing their storage item in front of Jack.

Like taking candy from a baby, Jack slid Tarnel’s ring off his finger and quickly stored it away. "Alright, now all of you should head back to the catacomb’s entrance. I don’t want to see you until morning when I’m about to leave this place."

"Why should we--"

"CRACK!"

"Aaah!"

As Tanel’s brother tried to speak up, Jack sent another punch to Tarnel’s left thigh. Tarnel’s femur had not only broken, but it had also splintered and was now impossible to walk on. The young noble yelled in agony as his leg also fell limp and dragged on the floor.

Jack didn’t say a thing. Instead, he smiled and watched the Lyre Family carefully. Just when they wanted to open their mouths in anger, Jack’s fist would get closer to Tarnel’s last functioning limb, his right leg.

"J-Just go already! Wait till morning!" Tarnel was fuming mad but was crying in pain as he sent his people away.

None of this was warranted in his mind. It was always the strong taking from the weak, but he never would have guessed that he would be weak to someone else.

Everyone’s eyes were on Jack. After some silence, the Lyre Family members started backtracking. Soon they were out of sight and earshot.

Flint had a huge smile on his face. There was a lot of admiration in his eyes as he watched Jack. He wanted help, but this was way more then Flint had asked for, but he was more than happy it happened. Anytime the Lyre Family was oppressed, the Maronn Family would relish in it.

Gret had an aching feeling in the pit of his stomach. He and his followers had already tried to steal Jack’s stuff earlier, yet he somehow escaped into thin air.

Now, the middle-aged man had reappeared out of thin air and he successfully robbed all the members of the Lyre family in front of his eyes. And he did it without anyone even daring to attack him!

Jack waited a couple of minutes until he let go of Tarnel and picked up the items at his feet. "Until this is over, you’ll be with me. I won’t kill you, that I can guarantee."

Tarnel swallowed some saliva and sat on the ground. He was too injured to run even if he wanted to try.

"As for you..." Jack glanced at Gret with a wicked smile. "I think we have some unfinished business, don’t we?"

"Shut up old man! You only caught that idiot by surprise because he was distracted. You can’t take on all of us!" Gret shouted, keeping his followers on their toes.

"Who said he’s alone?"

Gret instantly frowned and looked Flint in the eye. "What does this have to do with you?!"

"We’re you and Tarnel competing to see who could get this first?" Flint retrieved the magic sword and held it up high. "Well, now that he’s taken my offer to help me, it’s his."

Disbelief filled Gret’s heart as the magic sword was thrown to Jack, who caught and stored it without a glance. "You-you planned this?! How dare you plot against the Treall Family?!"

"Shut up!" Jack’s voice echoed in the open space. "I may have been paid, but I haven’t finished my job yet."

"Guards! Protect me!" Gret and the two other young talents of the Treall Family tried to escape.

"Not so fast!" With another heavy strike, Flint swung his greatsword but was blocked by one of the lv. 29 guards. "You can’t..."

Flint never finished his sentence. He was too amazed to see Jack already on the other side of the guards with Gret held up by his neck.

"CRACK! CRACK!"

"NOOOOO!!"

Tears of pain rolled down Gret’s face like mountain streams. Unable to fathom how Jack could teleport at will, all he could do was cry. Why was Jack so strong? He was only lv. 20 but Gret’s defenses couldn’t take a single blow. And he was a powerful mage too. Who was he and where did he come from?!

"I think you all know the drill, or should I repeat myself?" Jack laughed as Gret was squealing in his hands.

"How dare you?!" Gret managed to find the strength to try and defend his pride. Unlike the more humble Tarnel, Gret was hurt more mentally than physically. "When this is over, my father will--"

"CRACK! CRACK!"

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH..."

"Will you shut up now, or do I need to teach you another lesson?" Giving Gret another two punches, Jack rendered Gret immobile until someone could get him medical attention. "Now, throw me your things."

The two other young masters complied without a word. They were absolutely terrified of Jack and needed no more convincing to do as he said.

Both guards for the Treall Family groaned as they both removed storage rings and lobbed them to Jack.

"Good, now get! And make sure to remind the Lyre family that if I see them down here, it’ll only cause more harm to their young master," stated Jack while he found Gret’s storage bracelet.

Though they wanted to curse Jack to hell, the guards kept quiet and led the other two young masters back toward the entrance. They followed the Lyre Family’s path and disappeared.

Letting Gret fall to the floor, Jack let go of the now crippled young master and gathered his new things.

"Wow! You’re amazing!" Flint was even more amazed now. "Seriously, you should join us, and I don’t just meanwhile you’re in the cave. You and I can be great friends. If only you were younger than we could enjoy our youth as friends of adventure!"

A chuckle left Jack’s mouth when Flint spoke about Jack being younger. The disguised hero glanced at Flint and shook his head. "And what’s to say that you and your guards will just ambush me and take everything I’ve worked hard to earn?"

Before Jack finished speaking, a ring fell to the cavern floor in front of Jack. "If you want our things, I’ll make it easy for you. But seriously, why don’t you join me?"

Jack was at a loss for words. He had contemplated doing the same to Flint to guarantee his safety while he was in the catacomb, but his opinion of the crazy young master of the Maronn Family only got better by the minute.

"I don’t think I’ll need this, not after everything I’ve already found in the cave," said Jack as he kicked the ring back to Flint.

The others were flabbergasted, not only by their young leader but by Jack.

Flint, without any second thought, had given up his personal storage ring before Jack even threatened them. Not even Halmut knew what kind of treasures might be in there since Flint was the heir of the family. And then, after giving up everything he owned, Flint proceeded to again ask Jack to join him in the Maronn Family.

Jack had just robbed two noble family heirs and their servants after taking both heir’s hostage. He was supposedly only lv. 20, yet his skills and abilities allowed him to do that without a single scratch on him. Then, he returned Flint’s ring by saying that he had "found" enough treasures already. Didn’t the old man say that he was only interested in gold and gems a little while ago?

Things had changed drastically and none of them understood what would happen next.

 

Chapter 137

"So, what do we do now, friend?" asked Flint. Since Jack responded kindly, he had already decided that he and Jack were good friends. That’s just the type of guy he was.

"Well," Jack sighed and looked at his two hostages. Tarnel was pretty calm by then but Gret was still weeping and crying. "I don’t want anyone to be following me, so I can’t just let you all go so easily."

"Say no more," replied Flint. As he turned to look at his fellow party members, he bowed. "Thank you for taking me this far, but I’ll be traveling with my new friend from now on. Would you all please wait by the entrance. I’m very grateful for your cooperation."

"But young master--"

"Now go, there’s not much time left. We’ve already been in here for at least six hours. I’ll be fine, so don’t worry about me," Flint cut off his guard’s interjection and sauntered over to Jack’s side and put an arm around him. "Oh, and make sure not to come back down. I don’t want to force my new friend to hurt me, so please don’t."

None of them could believe what Flint was saying, even Jack. They were all speechless.

It took a moment for one of the guards to bow and start heading for the entrance. Out of the entire party, he best understood Flint and he knew that Flint would never change his mind. As they all left, that same guard even laughed to himself, thinking, "Maybe the young master will actually succeed in recruiting Jack." He thought that would be the best outcome of it all.

When the other’s were out of sight, Flint nodded to Jack and asked, "So, where are we going now?"

Jack couldn’t help but laugh. "You’re something else, aren’t you?"

"I get that a lot."

"Fine, then help me with those two." Jack pointed at his hostages. "If that one keeps whining, then just gag him to shut him up! As for you, since you seem cooperative..."

A few thin wooden boards appeared in Jack’s hands. After Slivia had passed, Jack held on to her storage necklace. Being a cleric, she had all sorts of basic medical items to help her in the field, including those wooden boards used for splints.

Jack took some time to board up both of Tarnel’s arms and his femur. "It may not do much, but at least you can move your arms now. Your leg will be harder to heal cause I hit it a little harder. Sorry, I got caught up in the moment."

From Slivia’s storage, Jack pulled out a pair of crutches. "Do you think you can use these now?"

"I can manage." Tarnel gave Jack a strange smile. He had never expected that Jack would actually be so kind to him after taking him hostage.

Though he was currently Jack’s hostage, Tarnel understood that it all happened due to the situation. Jack’s mysteriousness and his actions to force three of the noble families away led Tarnel to believe that Jack may actually have a plan to find some extremely valuable treasures. If that were true, he might be willing to forgive Jack since he was being treated quite well.

"Good." Content to see that Tarnel was cooperative, Jack glanced at Gret and Flint. Throwing Flint some rope, Jack said, "Here, you can use that to help carry him. For someone who focuses on strength, that shouldn’t be an issue, right?"

"Easy-peasy!" In a flash, Gret torso was wrapped in rope while Flint carried the other end of the rope over his shoulder. "Lead the way, buddy!"

It still made Jack laugh when Flint was so friendly to him.

"Some ground rules. When we encounter any undead, you’ll drop him and help me fight. He’ll stay behind with his crutches to avoid any further injuries," explained Jack. "Running into the Pon Family is the only other major complication to deal with. How do you suggest we deal with them?"

Tarnel and Flint looked at each other, wondering if either would say anything. Gret didn’t have the option to speak and he was already gagged.

Surprisingly, it was Tarnel that spoke up. "You’ve got some kind of plan, right? You probably know exactly what you’re looking for."

"Yup." Jack didn’t hide the truth. Hiding it would be useless because they would eventually see him open the tomb anyway.

"I think we’re all after the same goal then. We all want to best treasures that the Pon Family is adamant to find, and none of us want to trade them in. Since you’re willing to do all this, you might even have a way to escape," Tarnel elaborated some of his thoughts, surprising Flint and Gret.

"If I took one of them hostage like you, do you think it would have the same result?" asked Jack, not denying or confirming any of Tarnel’s thoughts.

"Probably, but you’ll have to take even more risks when trying to escape after you exit," reasoned Tarnel. "Offending our families would only lead angering them, but they can’t do anything to you while you’re in town because you obeyed the rules that were clearly announced beforehand."

"But if I offend the Pon Family, you’re saying that exiting the city would be much more difficult?"

"Exactly." Tarnel nodded, glad to see that Jack understood things easily. "You may be from Reinolt, but getting out of the city is your biggest obstacle."

"Wait, you’re from Reinolt?!" asked Flint.

Tarnel had figured it out since Jack already had a run-in with the Treall Family, which was also from Reinolt. Gret clearly knew that too. Flint, however, hadn’t put two and two together and became quite sad when he heard that.

"Just because I’m originally from Reinolt, doesn’t me you and I can’t be friends," joked Jack. "I can’t stay here, but we may run into each other in the future."

Sadden yet able to understand, Flint gave a disappointed chuckle. "So, that means you won’t join me and the Maronn Family? Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Fine... Let’s get moving then." Lifting Gret up high, Flint started walking into one of the tunnels.

"We’re going this way, Flint!" Jack shouted as he walked into a different tunnel, letting Flint rush back to them.

The makeshift party slowly traversed the catacomb. Some undead were found, but they also passed a few battle sites which looked similar to the one where the magic sword was found.

"The others should be nearby. Remember, if we see the Pon Family, just stay out of sight if you don’t want me making things more difficult for you," stated Jack, making sure they were all on high alert.

There were plenty of times where Gret had tried to speak up and retort Jack, but he was never able to undo the gag. Eventually, he stopped struggling and kept quiet, but they still never removed the gag.

"Shhh, you all stay here."

’Jack, people ahead.’ Bowzer’s young voice warned him.

Taking a quick glance, Jack found exactly who he was hoping to see.

They were finishing up a fight with a lv. 29 zombie troll and lv. 27 zombies. It was easy to see that the fight was hard, but the Pon Family managed to keep the advantage.

The moment the zombie troll fell and the Pon Family members made a move for the magic book it was guarding, a figure suddenly appeared behind the young woman who was leading them.

"Please, don’t make me hurt such a pretty lady," reasoned Jack.

"What do you want?" The Pon Family guards seemed to be the most cooperative of the noble families. Then again, it might have been because they were guarding their family head’s only daughter.

"I want that book and all your storage items. I promise not to harm her if you do that and wait at the entrance for the remainder of our time inside the catacomb," explained Jack. "I only want to explore the caverns without intrusion or followers. Wait there, and she will be returned by morning without a single scratch."

"Go, I’ll be fine." The young woman smiled at her guards. She was grateful for their concern but she still waved them off.

"Very well." All of them then removed their storage items and tossed them to Jack’s feet. "Not a scratch, otherwise you’ll be sorry."

Without another word, the party left and quickly made their way toward the entrance.

Jack was amazed at how cooperative they were. Even the young woman was shockingly easy to convince.

"Here." She handed Jack her ring and smiled at him. "My name’s Keela, what’s yours?"

"Jack. Thanks for listening so well."

"Can you release me now? It’s clear that you’re stronger than me. Even if I’m higher level, I’m only a cleric, so what chance do I have against you?" asked Keela.

"True, but know that I’m not merciful if you act funny."

She didn’t fully comprehend Jack’s warning until she saw three silhouettes come out of a corridor and greet them.

"Hey, Keela, I see you’ve met my new friend, Jack!" Flint greeted her with a smile as he dragged the crippled and gagged Gret behind him.

"So long as you cooperate, he’s actually very understanding," stated Tarnel with a casual shrug.

Keela was amazed and looked back at Jack with a smile. "Weren’t you only lv. 20? How did you--"

"I have my ways. Now, tell me, have you and your parties already dealt with the other commoners?" asked Jack.

Tarnel and Keela both nodded. Gret bobbed his head up and down, as if he was trying to be extra nice in order to get the gag off of him.

"Perfect! Then I can open the tomb in peace!"

"Tomb?!" All the others went wide-eyed.

 

Chapter 138

"Tomb?!"

"Yeah, that’s what I said," Jack laughed when he saw their surprised faces. "To be specific, I’ll be opening Ponlinne’s hidden tomb that’s somewhere inside this place."

"Ponlinne’s tomb..."

They didn’t know what to think. Though they had guessed that Jack understood the catacomb better than all of them, none of them would have guessed it was related to Ponlinne the Great’s tomb.

"You mean that his tomb is in the catacomb?" Keela asked timidly. She was raised near the catacomb her whole life and this wasn’t her first time entering it. Her father had always talked about the amazing treasures that kept appearing inside the catacomb. They had hoped in their wildest dreams that Ponlinne’s tomb was related to the catacomb, but that was just a hunch.

"Yeah, and it shouldn’t be too hard to find. Keep up, okay Miss Keela." Leading the way, Jack started heading deeper into the catacomb.

"Is it just me, or does he not act much like an old man?" Keela asked the others.

Tarnel nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. If you had the same thought, maybe that’s not his true appearance. If that’s so, then that’s a terrifying mask. Not even our parents had recognized him."

Even more confused, Flint tilted his head and squinted. "You mean, he’s not an old man?"

"Most likely not. Guessing by how he’s treating us, he’s probably around our age, in his twenties," reasoned Tarnel. "Then again, that’s only a guess--"

"Yes!" shouted Flint. "Then that’s perfect! We can be adventure buddies after all!"

Laughter filled the corridor as they all looked to Jack at the lead. "You guys are pretty smart."

"So you are young like me? Show me! I want to see my buddy’s real face!"

"Not necessary," answered Jack as he waved his hand nonchalantly. "The next time we meet, it’ll be with my real face, how about that?"

Flint frowned stubbornly. "And how will I know it’s really you, huh? I’ll never be able to tell if you don’t show me now!"

"I’ll make sure you recognize me, don’t worry," added Jack. "For now, focus on what’s at hand. We’re getting close, so stay on your toes. Keela, you’ll be the party healer. And Flint, this is just in case!"

A ring was thrown to Flint, which he caught out of reflex.

"That’s Tarnel’s ring. Also, I put a few healing potions inside in case he’s needed to fight."

"Seriously?!" Both Flint and Tarnel were shocked. With that, there was a chance that Tarnel would be able to run or escape. Not to mention the possibility that the three of them team up against him.

"It’s just a precaution. Plus, that way I won’t forget to give it back before I take my leave." Retrieving another more feminine ring, Jack smiled. "Keela, this one’s yours. I can trust you, right?"

She flashed a flirty smile. "Of course. Since you’ve been so kind, I might as well. And if you can really take us to Ponlinne’s hidden tomb, I don’t see why we can’t work together."

"I’m sorry to say this, but after I open the tomb, I can’t let any of you inside," stated Jack. "There are some things I need from inside it and I can’t let anybody know that I have such items. Those items are the reason I’m doing all of this. It’s very important to me."

Tarnel shrugged, he had already expected Jack to say such a thing.

Flint’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. He was just proud to go on an adventure and was happy he had made a friend. Normally, he’s not let out much and doesn’t do anything other than family responsibilities. This was his first real adventure, and it was far more exciting with Jack in the mix.

Keela frowned, but like Tarnel she expected Jack to say something along those lines. Jack had taken so many precautions to remove the high-level bodyguards. Also, he had already proven capable of handling all of the young masters, so it made sense.

"Can you at least let me take a peak? It can be after you’ve stored everything?" Keela really wanted to see the tomb first hand.

Also, she and the others were well aware that Jack would have to perform a miracle to escape. Though he surprised them all inside the catacomb, they weren’t too confident in Jack’s ability to escape with all of his "found" goods.

"I’ll be nice and let you visit the tomb, but only after I give you all the okay. Alright?" reasoned Jack. "Either way, be ready for anything. You have to realize something. If Ponlinne’s hidden tomb is here, doesn’t that also mean this is where he died?"

Suddenly, a sense of dread washed over the other party members.

Keela’s and Tarnel’s confidence in Jack’s plan started to waver after realizing that fact. Gret was panting heavily, unwilling to continue further upon hearing that. Flint smiled wide and let his adrenaline pump through his blood even quicker.

Unfazed by the fact that Jack had known all along, he continued following Bowzer’s guidance.

They fought two more zombie trolls and claimed two more magic items. It was clear to everyone that the items weer random and varied in level.

One was only lv. 15, which saddened them all except for Jack who knew it was peak-tier equipment.

The second item amazed them all. It was lv. 45! If any of them returned to their families with such an item, it would cement their standing in the family and guarantee that their parents would offer them only the best resources in the future.

"Shhh... we’re almost there." Jack stopped the party in its tracks and pulled out a simple-looking wooden staff. Its appearance wasn’t extraordinary, but Keela instantly recognized it.

"That’s the missing staff!" Keela announced the truth to her fellow hostages without carrying if Jack heard her or not. "You were the one who stole it? Why?"

"Isn’t it obvious? It’s how I’ll find the tomb." The staff was blinking red somehow and the others felt it’s strange light. "See, we’re close!"

Holding the staff ahead of him, the blinking became brighter and brighter. After five minutes of walking, Jack stopped in the middle of a tunnel. The staff was emitting a solid stream of red light without a single flicker.

"Here..." Jack took a deep breath. Though it wasn’t the first tomb he had found, it would be the most influential to his progress. There was no telling what he might find inside the tomb.

"Stay back, if you get too close to the door before I give the okay, I won’t be merciful," stated Jack coldly, stunning the others who had gotten adjusted to the smiling, friendly Jack.

Not wanting to wait any longer, Jack swung the staff harshly against the cavern wall.

"Thud!"

No marks were seen on the wall and the sound the attack made wasn’t all that loud. The young family heirs felt left down. They were expecting an amazing entrance and thunderous reveal for a mighty hero’s tomb to open and appear.

However, another second passed and they all looked back at the wall. It was changing! An opening was somehow forming and a marble entryway appeared in the wall exactly where Jack had hit.

Looking up, they all read the name on the tomb’s entrance.

"Ponlinne"

"Wait here for five minutes. If I haven’t come back out by then, you have my permission to enter." Jack gave one last warning before he went down the winding staircase inside the marble entryway.

Those who were hostages now had no captor, but they all remained just outside the marble entryway. They thought Jack would be forced to later surrender his findings, so why piss him off now?

Inside the tomb, Jack struggled to remain calm. He had been in that world for a short time and he had never really learned about any truly powerful people. Now, he finally found an ancient tomb of one.

The inside was lined with dozens of chests and there was also a fountain just beyond Ponlinne’s sepulcher.

"The life spring..."

Jack walked up to it and ran his hands through the water. He knew that the water had healing properties and was quite valuable. However, he wasn’t after the spring’s water, Jack was after the source of the spring’s water.

After filling a handful of bottles with the spring’s water, Jack stepped into the fountain. Nearing its center, Jack reached inside of the fountain’s spout.

It took a moment but Jack found what he was looking for. Gently, Jack pulled his hand back out and it was now in a fist.

Opening his hand, Jack saw the life spring jewel. It was the very rare item used to revive fallen comrades, given that they hadn’t perished too long ago. Being filled with life energy, an unused life spring jewel would over time create a spring’s worth of water which had properties similar to healing potions.

Jack stored it with haste and ran his hand over the sepulcher to gain Ponlinne’s activity log for further study. He really wanted to know how such a powerful adventurer died and what could kill him outside of the Holy War?

With everything stored and a minute to spare, Jack quickly entered his system menu and hurried to claim his tomb achievement.

There was one small detail that struck Jack dumb. He had gained exactly eighty-seven skill points, not eighty-five.

The last two tomb achievements had given Jack skill points equivalent to the tomb owner’s level. If Jack had received eighty-seven skill points, didn’t that mean...

 

Chapter 139

Chapter 139 Strengthing Bonds of Friendship

Dumbfounded by that small detail, Jack was lost in thought. Before he knew it, the five minutes he had given the others had passed.

"Time’s up! I’m going in now!"

Flint’s boisterous announcement filled the tomb, startling Jack and derailing his train of thought.

"Whoa..."

After Flint hurried in, Keela and Tarnel were right behind him. In their haste, they left the gagged Gret outside. Sadly, he would never get the chance to enter the tomb.

For them, they had never seen a hero’s hidden tomb before. They didn’t know that this one was far more beautiful and ornate than the others that Jack had raided; probably due to Ponlinne’s high level.

Unlike Jack, they scoured the tomb and took in every detail. They noticed many statues that looked like armed adventurers, lining the walls of the tomb. In the center was a magnificent sepulcher and just beyond it was a great fountain of the clearest water they had ever seen.

Only now did Jack pay attention to the statues around him. He had just thought that they were representations of Ponlinne’s past guildmates. However, he soon realized that there was something special about each statue.

"Those weapons..." Some of the statues were holding high-level items! Most of them didn’t, but some actually had a high-level weapon that most likely belonged to whoever the statue represented.

It was hard to tell because they were covered in dust, cobwebs, and mildew like the rest of the statue. But would Jack’s system not recognize such things in plain sight?

While Jack started gazing at the different statues, the others approached the fountain with sparkling eyes.

"It’s a former life spring." Jack’s words gave them goosebumps as they gripped the edge of the fountain tightly. "All that water has the same properties of common healing potions."

"Water... that works like a healing potion?" Keela was shaking as she slowly extended her hand to the water’s surface.

While Flint was taking deep breaths to help control his enthusiasm, Tarnel was eyeing the spring heavily.

"Go ahead, jump in. If you can spend an hour in there, Tarnel, you’ll probably leave fully healed."

The moment Jack gave Tarnel the okay, the broken mage let go of the crutches and fell into the water.

He only kept his head above the water’s surface, everything else was being cleansed by the water’s magical properties. To him, it felt like the most comfortable bath he had ever taken. Slowly but surely, the magical properties of the water would pulsate against his skin and gradually seep into his body.

Not wanting to lose out, Flint jumped high into the air and did a cannonball into the fountain. The sloshing waves dripped out of the fountain and made Keela realize what was going on.

"Hey, don’t taint the water!"

"Don’t worry about them, this water can’t be tainted so easily," explained Jack, who was still examining the statues. "It’s magic, so how could dirt affect it? If that were true, then why is everything here covered in centuries of grime other then the fountain?"

"Well... I guess you’re right," agreed Keela. That’s when she noticed how carefully Jack was examining a few statues. "What’s caught your eye? Something special?"

With a laugh, he looked back at the other three. He was pondering what to do with those items he had missed. If he wanted, he could take them all for himself. Or... he could cement a few bonds as allies for the future.

"Tell you what, I’m going to be nice to you guys."

The other two also looked at him, wondering how Jack would be nice? Was he going to share some special treasure?

Jack grinned and faced the three people that others thought were his hostages. "Some of these statues contain magical items, and all of them are at least lv. 60, if not higher."

"Lv. 60!" Their hearts started pumping and their gazes returned to the statues they had overlooked.

"I’ll let each of you choose a single item to keep, then I’ll take the rest. Go ahead, choose your items." Jack motioned with his hands as if to give them permission.

"Don’t mind if I do!" Flint bolted out of the fountain and toward a statue with a menacing-looking greatsword. "I want this one!"

The crazed berserker had already started trying to pull the sword out of the statue’s hand when Jack said, "That’s just a regular statue. That helmet, however, is a lv. 70 peak-tier piece of armor."

"Lv. 70! Peak-tier!"

Every word that came out of Jack’s mouth startled them even further. "Lv. 70, I want it!"

Chuckling at the sight of Flint acting like a child on Christmas, he offered some more advice. "Wouldn’t you rather have an item more fitted to you or your family? Like that war axe over there, or that long sword?"

"Longsword, where?!" Flint instantly forgot about that statue and dashed to the one Jack was pointing at. "You mean this longsword?"

"Yup, go ahead and wipe your hand against the blade. Then’s you’ll see that it’s a true lv. 75 peak-tier weapon."

"Lv. 75 long sword?! It’s mine!" With all his strength, Flint pulled and broke the statue’s arms off as he finally got his sword. "Uhhh... sorry for breaking the statue..."

"Don’t even worry about it, it’s already served its purpose anyway." Jack was laughing and enjoying Flint’s simple-minded antics. Looking at the other two, Jack asked, "And you two, which do you want?"

Tarnel looked at all the statues and finally shook his head. "I don’t know. You should pick for me since you best understand what’s what."

Hearing Tarnel’s suggestion, Jack smiled and walked to a statue of a sorcerer.

When everyone saw Jack take not the weapon but the statue’s robe, they were shocked. They wondered how they hadn’t recognized a robe around one of the statue’s earlier.

"Don’t bother feeling stupid. This robe has a metallic quality aleady, so after being covered in dust and gravel it blended in with the statue," explained Jack, helping clear their confusion. "This is a lv. 75 dragon sorcerer’s cloak. It greatly boosts the wearer’s magic abilities, as well as their physical defense. It’s also peak-tier, just like his longsword."

"Thank you, Jack!" Even though Tarnel knew that Jack would by far have the best harvest of treasures during this trip, Tarnel thought his struggle in the catacomb was well worth finding a legendary item! He had already forgiven Jack after Jack let him bathe in the fountain, now he was over the moon with joy. Finding a lv. 75 peak-tier item was a thousand times greater than anything he had expected to find.

Jack placed the dragon robe on the fountain’s edge, that way Tarnel could grab it easily after finishing his healing process. "So, which one do you want, Keela?"

She looked pensive while inspecting the many statues many times over. Keela kept looking and thinking until she shook her head. "I don’t want any of these."

"HUH?!" All three men were taken aback by her words. Even Flint, who was swinging his new treasure around like a madman, stopped and looked at her funny.

"What do you mean?" asked Jack.

"The only item I want is Ponlinne’s staff. Would you please allow me to have it?" Bowing to Jack, Keela humbled herself and continued to explain, "According to our history, the Pon Family are descendents of Ponlinne, that’s why we took the name Pon. Plus, Ponlinne was a powerful Cleric, the most powerful in Ancient Kartonia, so his staff should be the best weapon for my family of clerics."

"Hmm..." Jack scratched his head, unsure of what to do. Though there was still a handful of peak-tier items, none of those items were lv. 85. The best was lv. 75, like the items the other two had chosen.

"Please, Jack, I’ll do anything! I’d even agree to marry you if my family could have such a treasure."

"What?!"Again, the others were stunned by Keela’s actions.

Jack looked at her and couldn’t contain his shock. "You’d be willing to marry an old man like me just for some old staff? Your family may never be strong enough to use it. They’d probably just hang it up as their greatest family heirloom. Why give yourself up when you’re such a stunning young lady?"

Even if Jack didn’t want to admit it, his heart twitched when he heard her offer. All of a sudden, he felt like Daruun may have been right to say that Jack and Slivia hadn’t yet fallen in love.

"We all know that you’re not who you say you are, so don’t give me that excuse. Am I not pretty enough? Is my beauty not worth "some old staff?""

Turning his own words against him, Jack felt somewhat helpless in front of Keela.

"I’ll tell you why I’m hesitant. It’s because Ponlinne’s staff is stronger and more valueable than all of these remaining weapons combined," stated Jack.

Keela, Tarnel, and Flint had thought that they couldn’t be any more surprised then they already were. However, Jack’s statement about the value of Ponlinne’s staff proved them wrong as all of there jaws went slack.

 

Chapter 140

"It’s... that valuable..." Keela didn’t know what to say. She thought that all those items were priceless and had assumed that Ponlinne’s staff may only be slightly better. The truth left her speechless.

"Let me explain." Jack retrieved the staff. With the red glow gone, it looked like it was a simple wooden staff made from an ancient tree. "This is Ponlinne’s staff. It’s a lv. 85 cleric staff and it is a mythic-tier weapon."

The tomb instantly was filled with the sound of heavy panting. Revealing Ponlinne’s staff as a lv. 85 weapon and that it was mythic-tier was too much. It wasn’t a straw that broke the camel’s back, it was an anvil.

"Lv... 85... mythic..." Those words were echoing in their skulls.

"It was crafted from the trunk of a life tree by one of the greatest weaponsmiths of Ancient Kartonia. Though it just looks like a simple staff, it’s stronger and more durable than the longsword that Flint chose. It also amplifies a clerics abilities even more than the dragon robe the Tarnel chose. This is a peerless item that only other mythic-tier items can compete with."

Finished with his explanation, Jack waited for them to come back to their senses.

After some time, Flint was the first one to speak. "How do you know all this? And... Ancient Kartonia? What’s all that about?"

Realizing that he had said too much too late, Jack sighed, "What I said is 100% true, but there’s no one else who can validate it. Take the information however you wish."

Tarnel was calming down but Keela was torn. She really only wanted Ponlinne’s staff. It meant the world to her clan and hearing that it was so valuable only made her more anxious to give it to her father.

"Please, Jack... Can I please have that item?"

Her whimper caught Jack off guard. He watched as she fell to her knees and bowed even lower to him. "Please... Let me take the staff... I can only offer myself in return."

Groaning and struggling to keep his cool, Jack’s determination to keep the staff was wavering. Jack walked up to her and helped her up. "Keela, tell me why it means so much to you and why that other lv. 75 cleric staff wouldn’t suffice?"

Tears started welling in her eyes as she looked up and met his gaze. "Jack... I need that item because it’s my only chance at freedom."

While Jack was confused, both Tarnel and Flint sighed. They quickly guessed what she meant by that.

"And why is that?" asked Jack.

"A long time ago I was betrothed to one of the Zuran Empire’s many princes. It may sound like a wonderful opportunity, but that prince is a known lecher. He’s a pig that only cares about using women for his own pleasure," Keela explained, disregarding the tears streaming down her face.

"The reason I’m down here is to find something that belonged to Ponlinne. My father only cares about gaining more influence in the empire, so that was the only way I was able to convince him to possibly rescind the betrothal. If I can’t find such an item, then I’ll be sent to the Zuran palace by the end of the month. The prince doesn’t even want to wait till we’re married to..."

Overwhelmed with emotions, Keela stopped talking and tried her best to wipe away her tears.

Shaken by her story, Jack couldn’t help but struggle with his decision.

A few minutes passed in silence. Soon, Jack spoke up, "So that’s why you were willing to give yourself up. You thought that I’d be a better candidate than that pig of a prince. Well, you’re not wrong about that."

His joke lighted the air a little before Jack continued, "Keela, do you really think that your father would give up the betrothal that easily? What are the odds that your old man keeps the staff and hands you over anyway?"

Frozen in thought, Keela started to think more deeply about everything. Though she may have expected something like that, she still held to her belief of becoming free before Jack reminded. Why wouldn’t she, that was her only chance?

"You know that Jack’s right, Keela," added Tarnel. "If anything, your father would just hand you over quicker. With your betrothal and that weapon, the Pon family would cement itself as a key family throughout the empire."

"True, your father’s a jerk!" yelled Flint, adding more proverbial salt to her wounds.

"Maybe you’re right... but what else can I do?" Trembling where she stood, she turned back to Jack. "Please... It’s my only chance..."

The other two were also looking intently at Jack. They wanted to know what he would do. Even if he had taken them captive and forced their bodyguards away, it was obvious that Jack had a heart and wasn’t cold-blooded.

"Keela..." Struggling to find the right answer, Jack groaned. "What if... there was another option for you?"

"What?!" Her sadness vanished instantly. She stared deeply into Jack’s hesitant eyes.

"What if there was a different option for you? I’m not from the Zuran Empire and no one here knows who I really am. At least, not yet..."

The others blinked and wondered what Jack meant by that last statement.

"If I could guarantee you passage out of the country, would you take it?"

"YES!"

There wasn’t a moment of hesitation in her voice. Again, she started trembling as her eyes grew watery, but this time it was from overwhelming relief.

"Don’t get too emotional yet, you didn’t let me finish," stated Jack, catching everyone’s attention again. "I have my own background like you all have guessed. Even if your family realizes who I am, then they’ll have no choice but to stop looking for you, at least not publically."

They were all startled by Jack’s confidence. What kind of background did Jack have exactly? Considering his knowledge and high-level skills, it didn’t sound like a bluff either.

"However, if I take you away, you won’t be able to leave my side until you’re strong enough to keep yourself safe from your own family. Also, you’ll have to keep your identity a secret at all times, possibly acting as my maid or anything else depending on the situation," reasoned Jack. "Are you sure you want to do this? There’s no option of returning once the deed is done. I won’t let you go back even if you begged me to let you go."

Keela wiped her eyes and looked at Jack. Her timid expression and her sense of fragility made her look particularly attractive at that moment. It made Jack want to hug and shield her from the outside world.

"You... You really mean it?" stammered Keela. "You... would be willing to take me away?"

"Only if you’d be okay with it. Like you can see now, you won’t be a prisoner or a hostage when you’re with me. If you take my offer, then you would have to willingly follow me and do anything I ask of you. Is that clear?"

"Crystal!"

Keela leaped for joy and wrapped her arms tightly around Jack. At the moment he was a middle-aged man, but she knew that, in reality, he was a powerful adventurer around her age. That thought alone made her heart skip a beat, making her want to see his true face even more. She wondered, ’How handsome are you, my knight in shining armor?’

If Jack knew what she was thinking, there was no telling how he would react. His heart felt weird at the moment. He felt like he wanted to protect Keela, but even more, his heart wanted to return to Reinolt and save Slivia, who had given her life for him.

Jack patted her on the back and sighed, "Calm down, you’ll be just fine. The getaway will be a little more difficult, but there shouldn’t be an issue. Now, my question is what you two will do after this."

Tarnel was already able to move his body again, but he stayed in the life spring to make sure he was fully healed. "Jack, is that your real name?"

"Yes, it is. The only thing that I’ve changed is my face and appearance," answered Jack.

"Then, I’d like to ask if we can call each other friends after this mess blows over. Is that okay?"

"Of course you can, we’re all buddies now!" Flint’s shout showed his excitement and he made no intention of hiding his big smile. "Can you take me away too?"

Everyone broke into laughter after Flint’s comment. Not sure what was going through Flint’s head, Jack answered, "I’d rather not piss off the Maronn Family, or the Lyre family for that matter. Angering the Pon Family was already beyond my plans, so don’t ask such a crazy thing."

"Then you must come and visit! But how will I recognize you when I don’t know your face? You should show us, just in case!"

"That’s enough, neither of you two can see my face. For all I know, you’ll have your memories scanned when they look for evidence," reasoned Jack. "Don’t worry, when we meet again I’ll make sure you know it’s me."

Disappointed, Flint grunted, "Fine, have it your way."

Laughing at the side, Tarnel asked, "Will you come to visit me too? I can’t wait to see who you really are."

"Time will tell," answered Jack. He turned his attention back to Keela, who was still tightly embracing him. "Umm... You can let go now."

"I don’t want to." She shook her head, stubbornly holding on the Jack.

"We’re about to run out of time and you’ll have plenty of time to talk with me after your gone, okay?" Nudging her away, Jack smiled and chuckled as he saw her tender expression.

"Okay," agreed Keela, not pushing her luck too much.

She was determined to get closer to him though, no matter. In order to guarantee that he would never let her return, Keela wanted to become his woman. Plus, Keela knew that Jack was probably her best option as a potential partner that she would ever have, in terms of personality and strength.

"Now we wait. Let me explain a few things now, to make it easier later," said Jack.

At first, all three of the family heirs were hesitant to believe that Jack could escape after everything he had done. But now, they all had a newfound belief in his abilities. Thanks to his natural confidence and charisma, they all wanted him to make a clean getaway, especially Keela.