Child of Destiny

...

Alucard left a little awkward after regrouping with the rest of the group. He might be a member of the Empyrean Talons but there was actually no one in the Adventurer Team that he could say to close with.

He might also spar with some of the members but that also shouldn't be enough to be really close with any of them.

Ironically, the guy that he could say that he was closest with was Akailu, a guy who he detested the most and always picked a fight with him.

He wanted to sit in a corner away from the others, but he also felt that he needed to get along with the others even for a little since he no longer wanted to walk the same solitary path once again.

He did it before since no one could match his pace, not even his brothers. He continued moving forward and did not look back. But what he saw, in the end, was nothing but emptiness.

His brothers even left him, or more precisely, he left them behind.

This time, he wanted to enjoy the journey and share the experiences with the people that he could trust. This was the real reason why he chose to join the Empyrean Talons back then. He wanted to give it a try.

Moreover, he was no longer the one who was walking ahead of the others. Instead, he was the guy who was chasing after their back.

It was an entirely new feeling for him. And he would not lie, he somewhat enjoyed that feeling.

Having those thoughts, he walked towards Owen, who – just like Leonard and Lawless – was currently slumping on the ground. "What's with that appearance? Did you get beaten up that badly?"

Owen gave Alucard a sidelong glance before rolling his eyes. "Don't try to copy those guys. That is not like you. Just continue being a loner and observe the others from the sidelines. Just talk when you have something important to say."

"Tsk! And here I am wanting to have a change. Can you be a little more cooperative? Even just a tiny bit?" responded Alucard, clicking his tongue.

"Go away! I am too tired to talk to you. Just leave alone," said Owen while shooing Alucard with his hand.

Unfortunately, Alucard ignored his words and asked. "Hey! Why did you join the team? I mean what makes you join the Empyrean Talons when you are someone who loves to play alone?"

Owen was taken aback by the question and couldn't help but slightly open his eyes. He then looked at Alucard who was staring at the sky before sighing. "I am also not sure. At first, it is because of the circumstances that Ithilien had, but aside from that, I am also quite curious about Brother Sickarius, to be completely honest."

"He beat me in the Shadow Ranking Cup, not just once, but twice. I want to at least have a re-match and win, but I later found myself chasing after his back instead."

He took a brief moment of pause before continuing. "Then I met the other members of the group who are in a completely different bread of monsters compared to him. And I became more curious about them."

"I actually enjoy fighting alongside them. Not only do I feel secure and can trust my back with them, but I also feel the healthy competition that we are having from time to time, which is making me grow significantly stronger."

He then took another pause and turned to Alucard. "Isn't it the same as you?"

Alucard was silent for a moment and continued to stare at the sky before slightly nodding his head. "Well, you are not wrong about that."

Not far from them was Charlotte who overheard their conversation. She was actually somewhat the same as them, so she couldn't help but nod her head in silence.

She was curious about Shin who she felt was full of mysteries. Setting aside the incidents that she had with him in the real world, the events where they encountered each other inside the game were also quite peculiar.

She then learned about his insane growth rate which seemed to be not going to stop no matter how far he got. He even overtook her, who was currently regaining her previous form from the past games that she played, and reached the height where the peak-class players were currently standing.

At the same time, there was also the feeling that she couldn't explain whenever he saw him talking and laughing with Cloe. Whenever she saw the sight of them being together, there was a stinging sensation inside her chest that made her hard to breathe.

"What's wrong with me?" she asked herself before turning her head towards Shin was currently walking towards Cloe.

She could only sigh to herself and shook her head, trying to shake off that feeling. She then turned away from them and looked at the others.

She then caught sight of the couple who seemed to be arguing with each other about pointless things.

"Hey! Did you buy that vacation package offered to you by Emma? I remember seeing the tickets lying on the side of the bed before we log in," asked Ravier with a suspicious tone.

Ember flinched when she heard those words before acting innocently. "W-what are you talking about? Those tickets are gifts she gave to me. Yeah, gifts."

"Tsk! I know that you also want to see the others, but you don't have to go that far. You can just tell me that you also want to head to their country and meet with them," said Ravier while shaking his head repeatedly.

Seeing his actions and hearing the tone of his voice, Ember couldn't help but feel annoyed. "Yeah! I want to see them! What about it? Are you the one who suggested going traveling together a few days ago?"

"I just buy the vacation package since it is way cheaper and very convenient! Not only we can save some money, but we can also have a relaxing vacation!"

"Why it sounds like it is my fault, huh!? Huh!? Tell me!" Ember suddenly started yelling at Ravier, pointing her finger at him and not caring about the others who would overhear them.

The corner of Ravier's mouth started twitching uncontrollably after hearing the barrage of words that were coming from Ember.

He just wanted to ask about the tickets and tell her that it was fine. He was not planning to reprimand her about it or anything. But why it suddenly became like this instead?

Sigh~!

With a helpless sigh, he could only flash a bitter smile and repeatedly nod his head, accepting his fate. He already learned it from experience, there was no point in arguing with a woman since they were always right – he learned it the hard way.

Chaotic Luck, who was currently assessing his performance earlier not far from them, couldn't help but look at the two weirdly. And since he could no longer concentrate because of them, he could only stand and look for another spot where it was quieter.

…

Shin chuckled a little as he watched the others while moving toward Cloe. She was currently smiling and waving at him.

"Ah~!" he sat beside her and quickly asked about the items that Nel had dropped, going straight to the point. "So, what did you guys get from the general? Is it something good?"

Cloe didn't mind his actions and reached out on her inventory, quickly taking out the black bead and iron mace that they received after defeating Nel.

Shin quickly examined them before pursing his lips. "It is pretty much the same as the ones that we got."

He then took out the black bead and warbow that Caelum had dropped. Cloe took a quick glance at them before telling Shin to take them away.

She then looked at the surroundings before saying. "It looks like that Grand Marshal Draco is not going to show himself any time yet."

Shin slightly nodded his head. "Yeah. It seems like it is also another part of the quest."

He then took a brief pause before continuing. "Based on our current progress, the next battles are most likely the main quest scenario."

"But we haven't encountered the Vampires yet?" asked Cloe with a frown.

Shin raised his brow before explaining. "I think it is going to be a link quest. We must remember that this is Arthur's Empire Quest."

"If my guess is right, then the main quest should be about freeing the dragon sealed somewhere here. And when it is done, it will most likely help us melt that towering wall of ice surrounding the whole region."

Taking a brief pause, Shin slightly creased his brows before continuing. "And given the current information that we have, this region is going to be unlocked and become available to the public while another race or religion is going to be introduced."

"I don't know about the race but the religion is probably the so-called Dragon Worshippers," he added after careful thinking.

"Then what about the vampires?" asked Cloe once again.

Shin thought for a moment before answering. "If I am not wrong, then that is where the World Quest that the Pandemonium Descendants will come into play. It may also be the reason why our quest and theirs somehow coincide with each other."

"Well, we will find out about it soon enough," he added with a mystifying tone.

He might not be completely sure about it, but he was confident about his assessment. And if he was really right, then the next course of events was most likely a separate event where they needed to divide their forces once again.

...…