Chapter 519: Bored!
Chapter 519
"Okay, that is it." Grey yawned out as he finally stood up from what he had been doing. He had been crafting weapons now for six full hours without standing up, his legs stiff and his back aching from the long posture. In front of him were the sword he crafted, Dame’s gauntlets, the pair of gauntlets he bought, and finally, the robe.
These were the successfully created items, and after working tirelessly on them, he heaved a heavy sigh of relief.
He rubbed his tired eyes with his knuckles, feeling the strain, and then carefully packed Dame’s items aside into a sack. His gaze then shifted to his own piece, a robe that was pitch black, radiating a faint ominous aura that made him feel oddly satisfied with his craftsmanship.
Also, the second mask he bought had been magically modified, and he was pleased with the results. The new design enhanced its sturdiness and mystical feel, and his grin knew no bounds when he looked at it.
But surprisingly, he decided not to use it for himself. Instead, he tossed it into the sack along with Dame’s crafted items, setting it aside as if it never belonged to him in the first place.
"And I have ten cores left. Should I create more pills, or should I save them for later?" He muttered as his eyes swept around the messy room full of burnt fragments, dust, and faint lingering energy from the circles he had used.
"I don’t know about you, but I’m bored. You have been continuously making items over and over for a few days now. How about a change of pace for once instead of doing the same thing again and again? You’re boring me to death." Thalos yawned loudly as he glared at the lad, his wings twitching slightly.
"Feel you’re right. I’m also tired of making equipment, and I need a change of pace for once. I have something exciting planned for us, but I need Dame to come collect his things first. I feel like it will be tomorrow before he shows up." Grey sighed as he looked outside the window to see the sun still shining brightly, bathing the room in gold.
"So what? You want us cooped up in this room for the rest of the day?" Thalos asked with a deep frown, his stone-like features scrunching together.
"Why are you suddenly hyper? Didn’t you stay inside the castle I came to free you from for so many years? Sat in the same spot without moving, so why are you suddenly picky now?" Grey asked with a raised brow, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Point of correction, you didn’t free me. I could leave anytime I wanted, but I needed to find someone worthy. Which unfortunately for me... was you." Thalos scoffed angrily, crossing his arms.
"And you say I didn’t free you?" Grey asked with another raised eyebrow, tilting his head towards Thalos, who now had veins bulging across his forehead.
"Okay, I feel like you are right though. We can’t stay cooped up here any longer. We need to do something fun, but I don’t even know what." Grey muttered as he rubbed his temples in deep thought, pulling off the mask from his face and placing it aside.
"I have an idea." Thalos grinned, his sharp teeth showing as his eyes glowed faintly while he stared at Grey.
"Which is?" Grey asked flatly, one brow raised again.
"A spar between both of us. I feel stiff and need a good sparring partner. You are half-decent." Thalos replied with a shrug.
"Nope! We will destroy this place if we tried that." Grey shook his head immediately at the amount of risk involved. The thought of the room collapsing under their clash was enough reason to decline.
"How about that abandoned world where you hunted beasts earlier? Let’s give it a shot there." Thalos suggested, his tone casual but his grin widening.
"Fine." Grey sighed in resignation as he crouched down and began drawing a magic circle, the glowing runes slowly taking form beneath his hands, preparing to take them to their new battleground.
’Great! I’m glad you accepted. Oh, I have been itching to give you a damn good beating for your sharp tongue. Now I will make you pay for calling me your sidekick, for the insults and abuses, and for all the nonsense you constantly spit out.
Yes! I want to protect you from danger, but I still need to discipline you, right? Kek.’ Thalos chuckled inwardly as Grey finished drawing the circle. Without hesitation, Grey placed a core into it and activated it with his mana.
The ground rumbled slightly, glowing patterns spreading like veins of light as a portal opened up in front of them. The rippling oval gave off a faint humming noise as if beckoning them to step through.
"Try not to cry when I break your bones," Thalos muttered with a smirk.
Grey rolled his eyes, ignoring the taunt as he stepped through first. Thalos followed closely behind, grinning devilishly, already fantasizing about flattening Grey into the dirt.
The moment both figures vanished inside, the portal snapped shut with a loud crack that echoed across the room, leaving silence behind.
---
Meanwhile, far from Grey and Thalos, Dame could be seen in a noisy bar lit by dim lanterns and thick with smoke. Seated across from him were Alba and Ash. The table between them was cluttered with empty mugs and scraps of parchment.
"More supplies from the Supreme Magus," Dame said flatly as he tossed a small pouch across the table. The bag slid to a stop in front of the duo, releasing a faint medicinal fragrance.
"Which means he is back here?" Alba asked with a raised brow, her sharp eyes lingering on the pouch.
"Yup."
"So how about the meeting I asked you to set up with him?" Alba demanded, her brows furrowed as she leaned forward slightly, her voice carrying a hint of impatience.
"Till the battle I have is complete—where you keep your promise by sending in Killian, you aren’t meeting the Supreme Magus. Until then, I’ll keep getting more pills from him to keep our little pill-selling company afloat." Dame replied sternly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"You’re really stubborn, huh." Alba muttered with a deep frown as she leaned back into her seat, crossing her arms. "Just that I’m confused about something."
"Which is?" Dame asked, one brow raised.
"For someone to be able to make these pills, it means he is an alchemist, right? So why not ask for his help in making something special that could give you an edge in your upcoming battle?" Alba asked, her eyes narrowing as if she were probing for more information than she let on.
"I don’t know if he can." Dame shrugged. "I only ever saw him making pills and nothing else. Also, I don’t even know if he’s that strong to begin with."
"Tch! That’s fine." Alba muttered as she slid the pouch containing the pills towards Ash, who silently caught it and tucked it away.
"I’ll be expecting good sales from these... no, more like the Supreme Magus himself is expecting them." Dame corrected sharply before standing up. Without another word, he walked out of the bar, leaving Alba and Ash still seated at the table.
Ash leaned closer, lowering his voice. "So what do you want me to do? Should we follow him, see where he’s headed?"
Alba’s lips curled into a faint, cunning smile. "Dame might look reckless, but he is no fool. I’m sure he won’t run straight to where the Supreme Magus is. If we trail him now, he might mislead us on purpose.
We need to be patient. Build more solid trust with the fool until the time he no longer suspects us. Right now, we look too desperate to get to the Supreme Magus, so of course he knows we might follow him. That’s why we wait, bide our time, and earn his confidence first. Then he won’t see us coming."
She chuckled quietly to herself and lifted her mug again, taking another slow drink as Ash nodded silently beside her, the faint glimmer of intrigue burning in both their eyes.