Chapter 81: True and False

Luge found it interesting and wanted to chat a few more sentences with the little guy, but who knew the little guy would turn and run away after speaking.

He stood in the yard pondering for a moment, then looked at Kalu's tightly shut room door; although Kalu had just instructed him not to disturb him, Luge suddenly recalled he seemed to have no money on him, and the few storage pouches from the Wild Wizards should have some, but those pouches were either damaged or sent flying by Ba'angte's sword under some dancer's skirt in the great hall, and Kalu hadn't given time to search for them.

He thought for a bit, and had no choice but to knock on the door again.

Asking for money for nothing isn't good either, I'll trade magic stones for some! Luge thought.

He actually realized a point back in Mystery City, that he was also an authentic Wild Wizard, and one of several common Wild Wizard origins at that — picking up someone else's things and stumbling into the Supernatural Realm. If not for the Half-Man, meaning the current Kalu, he would likely be just as Kalu said at the dining table, scraping by in some third-rate mercenary group or adventure group with the identity of a low-level Apprentice spellcaster, probably relying on a single Fireball Technique to survive his whole life.

But that wouldn't be bad either, getting by with food and drink is also a life, Luge chuckled to himself.

Clang clang clang!

After a long time with no response, he increased his force and knocked three more times.

With his force, the door slowly opened a crack.

He pushed lightly, and the open gap gradually widened with the force; a pretty decent-looking room appeared before his eyes — so-called sturdiness here meant extensive use of a kind of stone block. He looked around this stone house, slowly stepped inside, then walked to the inner compartment.

He scratched his head; the situation's development seemed somewhat beyond his expectations.

Kalu was actually gone!

He recalled the scene of their first meeting and began using spiritual power to sense, but after a round of fussing gained nothing.

Could he be dead? Turned to ash?

Luge let his thoughts run wild.

In this manner, he had suddenly welcomed his true Wild Wizard life all at once; he had a feeling of not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

He shook his head, deciding not to think so much for now.

He turned and closed the door, returned to his own room, lay on the long-missed bed — the lower half of this bed was also made of stone blocks; looks like those burrowing worms really scared the Abyss people. After a routine round of meditation, he fell asleep.

He felt surprise and loss simultaneously, but actually also a kind of relaxed feeling; after all, the Half-Man was too mysterious, completely unfathomable. No matter what happened, Luge still had to move forward, so everything was worth relaxing over; this was a day worth relaxing. Moreover, Kalu had brought him to the human world, able to contact supernatural power — that alone was enough. And he should be stronger than the average Wild Wizard, with a strange object in hand to boot.

A burst of miserable screams woke him with a start.

He strode into the yard, only to see a strange figure lying in a pool of blood, one leg already missing, while a hole had inexplicably appeared in his yard.

Burrowing worm?

That person had already fainted from pain.

Luge looked on, momentarily at a loss — how to handle this kind of thing in the Abyss? Just throw him out?

"Hey, big guy!"

The kid came running at the sound, still standing in that same spot as last time.

"You've definitely been targeted; one look and you're not from the Abyss; the intel's surely been sold; he came to steal. Give me some food and I'll help you deal with him." The kid spoke with absolute conviction.

"I don't think that's necessary; I can handle it myself."

He spoke, completed the Bull Strength casting, lifted the man from the blood pool with one hand, and assumed a throwing posture.

He hadn't used full strength since becoming a Dragonborn Kobold.

This yard was already near the town's edge; he was confident he could throw this person out of town in one go. The man felt lighter in hand than imagined — should be a frail fellow.

The man spun two circles in Luge's grip, just as he was about to release and throw.

"Stop stop stop!" The man in his hand suddenly spoke, "I was wrong, mighty and imposing sir, I was wrong, I just wanted some food; it was him, he said you'd be easy to trick."

The fellow in his hand suddenly pointed at the kid behind the wall.

Luge smiled, carrying him over.

"Where's your leg? Hidden behind your back?" He said as he walked.

"Uh, reporting to Adult, when I was young a burrowing worm bit it off at the street side." The man said with a dry laugh.

Luge exerted a bit of force, tossing the man beside the kid behind the wall.

The kid's face was tense; this was the first time he saw the kid's face clearly — only a dirty little face full of scars, looked maybe under ten years old, currently staring with wide eyes fixed on his every move.

"I only have this," a fat meat worm appeared in his hand; he bit down hard on it in front of the kid, then said, "If you want to eat, I'll give it to you; don't come disturb my sleep again."

He threw more than half the meat worm over the wall.

The kid fumbled to catch it, pulled the one-legged man beside him, and both bowed to him.

Luge paid no further attention, turned to Kalu's room, checked once more — still no sign of anyone, still no clues found.

He simply didn't sleep anymore, straightened his robe, put on his hood, and swayed his way toward the town.

"Sir, sir!"

The kid chased up from behind.

"You're very strong and look fierce; I can introduce you to a very good mercenary group." The kid hurriedly said from behind.

Luge didn't stop his steps, waved his hand twice vaguely behind him, and didn't bother responding further.

He began strolling through town with purpose.

Integrate here, solve the money problem, try to contact other Extraordinaries — preferably spellcasters, must have Wild Wizards — then get into that circle; Wild Wizards certainly have their own private ways of communicating and trading.

He thought to himself, this really is quite suitable for contacting some mercenaries and adventurers.

These two groups actually overlap considerably; adventurers mainly focus on exploring ruins and dangerous places for treasure, but occasionally moonlight as mercenaries; mercenary groups are the same, sometimes even dabbling in more promising professions like banditry.

Bursts of clamor attracted Luge's attention.

Many people were crowded there.

Luge also squeezed through with force; it was a group making preparations for an expedition, recruiting some temporary members, and the pay was extremely generous.

Not only had they hired an adventure group simultaneously, they'd also engaged a mercenary group; at this moment, recruiting members explicitly welcomed mysterious spellcasters, preferably a Wizard. Of course, these were just ignorant honorifics — what they meant were still Wizard Apprentices, not Official Wizards.

A crowd of onlookers whispered among themselves.

Luge stroked his chin, somewhat tempted.

He was pondering: if he joined, what identity should he present? Whether to say he was a Wizard Apprentice, and with his appearance, he didn't know if he'd scare these people into not wanting him.

(Chapter End)