Jin was once again amidst the colony within the earthen walls. Suprisingly, the person governing the Colony was an actual Wizard; he even founded the place to begin with. There were citizens and workers and Hunters all busy on a daily basis here. People sold goods at stalls, so were, of course, shoddy but there were still goods. Citizens at tis had little ceremonies, especially religious ones. And the Hunters held big events like the Hunter's Tournantin which Jin hoped to enroll.
The village was a sizable place. People were even surprised that there were only three attempts to conquer the settlent from the outside world. The walls provided great protection from Voids and creatures and many other threats. Intrusions seldom happened when these walls were so effective. Unless, of course, Jin simply walked right through the walls like nothing.
Jin smiled upon returning to the village. He looked around. Citizens were busy this afternoon. There were also more carts and traverses happening than before. Sothing had spiked up the business in the colony in his absence. The place also slt strong of food. Jin loved food, and he was quite hungry today. The cake had done much less than he'd thought it would.
The clone behind him also looked around. This clone had Doctor Alan slung over his shoulder. Jin had only rembered this. He turned around, and faced the clone.
The clone stood solemnly.
Jin jamd his hands in his pockets. "That body will decay quickly in the open like this. Plus, I don't want to be seen carrying to dead body around the place like so mortician. Ensure the body is preserved sowhere. Maybe in a freezer."
The clone nodded, and disappeared.
Jin turned around again. In front of him, the Wizard stood. He looked up slowly, and then smirked. The Wizard looked happier than normal. He seed genuinely happy. Jin hadn't quite seen him genuinely happy before. Was he happy to see him or was he happy to see him to gain benefits?
The Wizard folded his arms, and tapped a boot upon the floor. "Well, are we going to just stand here like we're falling in love at first sight or are we going to actually greet and converse?"
Jin grinned. "The staring was enough for , but I'll like to converse."
"Good day, Jin," The Wizard said, "great to have you back."
"It's great to be back," Jin said, "in here makes out there like like hell."
"I'm working on making it not look like hell but actually be hell," the Wizard said.
Jin shrugged. "Great."
"How was your travels?" The Wizard asked, looking at Jin in his eyes.
Jin was about to avert his gaze, but he relented. Trouble maintaining eye contact was like an obvious sign that soone was keeping the truth buried sowhere. "It was ... good."
"Thought you said it was like hell," The Wizard said.
"It was like hell," Jin said.
"Franklin told that there's no need for you to kill in order to gain points," the Wizard leaned in, "You didn't kill anybody in there, did you?"
"Nope," Jin said, "I just knocked out a few."
The Wizard raised a brow.
Jin grimaced. "What's with that look?"
"I saw your clone toting a human body just now, Jin," the Wizard said.
"That was just an injured drunkard I found outside," Jin said.
The Wizard frowned. "I really hope you didn't stir up too much trouble in there, Jin." He turned around and started roving at the surroundings. "It took quite so ti to build all of this up from rock bottom. Sweat and tears. Things are finally beginning to look like my hard work is paying off." He turned to Jin again. "Please don't ruin this for ," he put out her hand, and directed it behind him, "please don't ruin this for them."
Jin simply looked away. He couldn't care less about ruining anything. As long as he was leveling up, not even a splinter in the foot could bother the living hell out of him.
He looked at the Wizard. "I won't ruin it. I'll just renovate the place a little. As long as I stay a Hunter, you should expect a lot of greatness. Just make sure I have people to fight or I'll start turning to our citizens for so points."
The Wizard glanced at him. He said that last thing coldly, like he didn't care, not even a trifle. "I'll make sure you have opponents to fight, Jin. Like the upcoming tournant ..."
Jin started walking.
The Wizard followed. "I'm surprised you're back so soon, Jin. As a matter of fact, I'm shocked. Less than three days and you're already back. Did you hold back on fighting more people or sothing? Because two days is a short ti, Jin."
Jin shrugged. "I honestly didn't want to return yet."
"Back ho in two days," The Wizard said softly.
Jin looked at him. "Who said this was my ho?"
The Wizard slowed his gait. "Isn't that what this is? In case you haven't noticed, I offered you a place to stay herea ho."
Jin furrowed his brows. "Yeah, but it's a place to say I'm paying for. You think I'm doing all of this hunger business for free? You think I'm holding back from slaughtering all of your people for free? You think I'm not using you people as a ans of getting more leveling benefits? I know you're not keeping here for free either. You're using just as how I'm using you."
The Wizard smirked. "Precisely."
"Nothing cos free in this world," Jin said, "kindness isn't a thing. Kind people always want sothing in return."
The Wizard let the words etch behind his mind.
Soon, the walk had beco quiet. All they heard were their footsteps on the ground, and citizens working and talking and battling each other. The place was busier than normal, and so, there were more onlookers than ever.
People watched The Wizard walked the streets in awe. They praised him, and tried to give things to him, all of which he had kindly declined acception. Even Jin had gotten so praise despite being a new guy everyone was afraid of. Jin liked himself so good praises.
"So ..." Jin trailed off, "what did I miss?" He looked at the Wizard. "What big thing happened while I was gone? How are the stocks?"
"Things are running smoothly," the Wizard said, "I could only hope it continues. We haven't had anything drastic happening since the defeat of the Mole, credit, of course, due to you.
"Nothing else really happened. After all, it was only two asly days you were gone for. We're simply building a new Hotel for people to stay at. The scouts also found so new people. The only thing that happened big was the refurbishnt and renovation of an old battleground we have here. That place is where the tournants will be held monthly."
"Monthy?" Jin raised a brow, looking at the Wizard.
The Wizard smirked. "You heard right," he said, "monthly. I figured it would be the best choice to make. People are spending a lot to see this tournant and we're promoting ourselves and imploring people to train themselves in order to climb the social classes here. But I mainly did it so that we can make you and Kaylie stronger. After defeating about, say, twenty weaklings in a free for all or a twenty versus one battlethink about how much points you can obtain."
Jin couldn't hold back a wide smirk. "But isn't that basically similar to beating up or even killing the citizens anyway?"
The Wizard looked over his shoulder, smirking. "It isn't. You don't get to kill them. You get to knock them out. Franklin told that knocking out suffices when you're system user. Said he learned it from Kaylie. But ..." The Wizard's face hunger at his guilt, "it's basically similar to beating up the citizens for the purpose of leveling up."
Jin tittered. "Exactly! My point right there!"
"But you see," The Wizard said, "they just sign up to get a chance to move up the ranks and probably later beco Hunters themselves or if already Hunters, higher-ranked Hunters. They don't know they're signing up to get their arses kicked in order to contribute to the growth of the system users."
Jin rubbed his hands together. "I'm quite fond of this proposal."
The Wizard smirked as well. "Oh no," he said, "this isn't a proposalit's a thing that's happening from now."
Jin perked up upon heeding all of the benefits. This was great for him. The number of gains he could make had him excited for what's to co of Hunter's Tournant. Surely he didn't like hearing 'successors' he wanted to be the only one there was. But this was great at the mont.
"Don't the thought of leveling just makes you excited?" Jin heard a voice say.
Jin answered, "yes, it does."
The Wizard looked back at him. "What does?"
Jin's lips parted and suspicion took his face. That voice again. It certainly wasn't Cliff's nor his nor anyone he knew.
He simply shrugged and moved on with his life. It was, after all, a busy life. An intriguing one.
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