Nul was also completely tight lipped about his own origins although Randidly didn’t doubt that Daniel interrogated him on the subject at every chance he got And if Daniel couldn’t drag the answer out of him
They crossed through the forest with only one small incident A group of imps had been lurking below a hill hidden from Randidly’s sight When they walked over the crest of the hill the imps rushed outward with gleeful shrieks
There were 7 and 2 were close enough that Randidly moved instantly to them his spear flashing out before they could even attack 4 more were instantly crushed by Mana Bolts
Only 1 had enough time to get off an attack in this doomed ambush a blast of fire that missed Randidly completely rendering his peremptory Mana Shield useless Instead the fire rushed towards the still cloaked figure
At that moment Decklan stepped forward and used his small buckler shield to take the brunt of the force grunting and getting slightly burned but surviving Within a second the offending imp was dead
The issue arose when the surprise of having a ball of fire thrown at her caused the cloaked figure to shriek and fall backwards her cloak unraveling around her head revealing long blonde hair and a beautiful face
Decklan turned with disdain towards the weakling he had been forced to save and then froze as he saw her face
You aren’t you Vivian Plath
Randidly scratched his head awkwardly unsure of what was happening It seemed like she was famous too but he had never been one to pay too close attention to actors And what with the system taking over their lives
Kal stepped forward Yes but now’s probably not the time for this Let’s continue to safety
Oh yea I’m just such a huge fan of your work Decklan said lamely still staring at Vivian She kept her eyes on the ground as she stood pulling her hood back up over her face Decklan’s gaze followed her as they began to move again heading deeper into the town
Randidly had gained a level in Pathfinding by the time they reached the area he had spawned and they wordlessly followed the weird half street in the woods to a cross street letting them head deeper into the town
Bodies of monsters just littered the streets rotting a testament to the town’s victory last night over the monster horde The group was oddly silent even Decklan’s fixation on Vivian swayed as they stepped over the rotting flesh
Annoyed Randidly waved his hand and used Root Manipulation to lift bodies out of the center of the road clearing a path They walked down the road for about 300 meters before they came to a bus parked sideways effectively blocking the road The area around the bus had boards nailed up It likely wouldn’t withstand an actual assault by monsters but an intimidating mounted machine gun sat on top of bus a hefty warning to any who wanted to approach
When they were about 20 meters away the guard who had been sitting at the gun straightened his eyes widening as the bodies in the road shifted pressed to the side by Randidly’s roots
Stop right there
Decklan was bored The guard had hailed them to stop then sent for someone higher up on the food chain to deal with them As it was they were simply standing in the street stinking of rot
Decklan glanced at Vivian again his heart thundering in his ears Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined that the weirdos that hung out with Sam were famous actresses and actors And of all people Vivian Plath
Movement on top of the bus brought Decklan’s attention back around The tall black police officer looked over their group
You shouldn’t have come He said simply a small hint of something in his voice It wasn’t fear it was more like dread
And it seemed like the Ghosthound had heard it too because when he spoke his voice was sharp Some of our camp preferred yours And also we had a deal
That is true but The police officer hesitated He opened his mouth to speak but another voice overrode him
Hahaha we have guests Well well well
An average looking man stepped forward His face was unoffensive but also not very attractive There were only two distinct features of his countenance
The first was his sneer The second was the huge tacky crown he wore
Almost unwilling the police officer stepped to the side and the crowned man stepped forward We get a lot of refugees coming to my town what makes you different Why should you be allowed entry
Decklan wrinkled his nose at the arrogance and it seemed like it didn’t sit well with Kal either The Ghosthound seemed rather bored his eyes scanning the nearby rooftops But Vivian wasn’t dissuaded stepping forward and removing her hood
Please there’s no civilization out there We just need a place to stay that’s all we ask And afterwards Vivian smiled Decklan didn’t know how she did it in the post makeup and showers world but she looked stunning
The crowned man seemed similarly taken with her Oh wow you’re beautiful Hey aren’t you that actress
A satisfied smile spread across Vivian’s face Haha those were different times It’s honestly embarrassing I’m not sure what to do when the world is like this
Oh no worries The crowned man’s smile was huge now You and your friends are more than welcome Come in all of you
Eager Kal and Ellaine walked forward following Vivian Even Decklan felt a strange regret a weird compulsion to follow He shook his head ruefully Vivian had apparently really done a number on his head
Ellaine The Ghosthound spoke shortly as the tall honey skinned woman passed him She stopped almost unwilling a hint of disgust turning the corners of her mouth down
Yes
I have two friends Sydney Harp and Ace Ridge While you are inside Ask around to see if anyone knows anything about them Please
Ellaine blinked and then laughed her eyes crinkling up at the corners You honestly every time I assume something about you you end up proving me wrong I’ll look for your friends but you protect Lyra alright I can’t tell if she’s spoiled or playing the fool but she really has no self preservation instincts with the world like this
I will The Ghosthound responded and Ellaine turned to follow Kal and Vivian The Ghosthound turned and gestured to Decklan who followed behind him as they began the long walk back through the streets filled with rotting flesh
Oy where are you two going The voice was cold enough to make the hairs on the back of Decklan’s neck prickle Glancing over his shoulder dismissively Decklan saw the crowned man was still leering at them The Ghosthound didn’t even bother to respond
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA I give you a personal invitation and you blow me off Interesting Interesting How about you kneel and beg for my clemency
Decklan stopped abruptly and dropped to his knees as if his legs had lost all of their strength
He blinked slowly looking down at his legs which refused to move
What what was going on
Interesting
Decklan looked up to find the Ghosthound still standing turning and measuring the crowned man with his eyes I assume you would be the mayor I’ve heard rumors about you
The man bared his teeth Call me Constance And I am the King So KNEEL before royalty peasant
Chapter 41
Congratulations Your skill Mental Strength has increased 1 Lvl
The notification took Randidly by surprised He had a weird pressure in his head but hadn’t imagined that he would encounter an enemy that could use mental attacks And this enemy was the leader of the nearby Newbie Village
Due to the presence of a bunch of random people including the eccentric seeming leader Randidly wanted to leave for now and come back later to confront the Police Officer It wasn’t worth the hassle of dealing with this many people to resolve this Not when he could simply sneak in and steal what he wanted But if the other wanted to be an asshole
Interesting Randidly said turning to look back towards the ridiculous man wearing the crown who he assumed was the source There had certainly had been something strange about the way he spoke but without the notification Randidly probably wouldn’t have noticed it was a skill The combination of his high Willpower and the Mental Strength skill made most things like that useless