I followed my usual morning routine: taking a shower, cleansing my body, and making myself feel refreshed; brushing my teeth, which were beautifully white and free of cavities; making breakfast, enjoying eggs with bacon and toast on the side, along with a delicious herbal tea; and exercising, stretching and doing yoga. Overall, it took me a couple of hours, and it was now slightly after eight. If today were a weekday, I would be leaving for my classes, which usually start at nine. But it wasn't. It was Saturday. On Saturdays and Sundays, I just relaxed. However, the form of relaxation that I wanted to partake in was not available, and so I did what I usually did to relax – I drew illustrations. When noon came, I put my drawing tablet aside and walked to my capsule. It was time.
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It was true; I could use my other hand again. I could use my Kendo again, which awarded me a seventy-five percent weapon damage buff, but I couldn't use it because I didn't have a two-handed sword. I didn't consider the frail stick to be one because it was just that – a stick. It had no durability and the lowest possible weapon damage. I needed to find a proper blade. Too bad Xanda's Maou's set didn't include one.
Fenrir was barking as his stomach grumbled. It was hungry. Yesterday, I logged out around nine-thirty, meaning he hadn't eaten anything for more than forty-eight hours. "I have to feed you?" That's annoying…
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This was more annoying, though, but it was understandable because Xebec was not just a simple friend but my best friend. She tried time and time again to make me play Pandemonium, to which I always said no. I even stated that I would never play nor try it, as I believed games were a waste of time. And here I was now, playing it for the second day in a row.
< < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < Fenrir kept annoying me throughout my conversation with Xebec, activating my blessing of wrath, "Alright already!" I looked at him. "Can't you just eat the elder grand wolf and the matriarch wolves? Or any other wolf from this den that is lying dead?"
Fenrir shook his head as he didn't want to commit cannibalism. He would rather starve to death.
"Fine then," I led Fenrir out of the den of wolves and looked around. There were a lot of animals now that there were no more wolves around. "Which one do you want to eat? Or will any do?"
"Woof! Woof! Woof!" Fenrir barked for each type of animal in our vicinity.
"You are too greedy, but fine,"
< < < "Go on, eat." And while Fenrir ate, I waited, not doing much of anything, just enjoying the realism of it all: the warmth of the spring sun, the sounds of the forest as well as its smells.
< "Just like that?" It was because Fenrir was on the verge of starvation. "Woof!"
As per the advice of Adam, the clerk of the store, specializing in everything Pandemonium, I left the forest and entered Eden. He made me tell him my name after he helped put my capsule into the car, and then he told me his name.
It was my second time in the city; the first was when I attempted to find a job. However, I was already familiar with it. It consisted of three layers: the vagrant layer, the commoner layer, and the noble layer. In the first layer, there were no jobs, as it was basically the slums with no points of interest. The second layer offered craftsman jobs and the marketplace. In the third layer, there were knight and priest jobs, and the gōngdiàn[1] stood in the center. The Tower of Heroes, which I was looking for was in the third one, inside the gōngdiàn's[2] courtyard. I made my way there.
There was a long line, and by the looks of it, it was for the building in question. I queued up.
While waiting for my turn, I ended up overhearing a conversation between some players. It was about Eden. Before, I was confused because the name Eden was used both for the empire and the city. But in truth, Eden was the name of the empress. And she named them after herself. But that was not even the main part: a very long time ago, there was a war between Eden and the first maou…
"You already know it, don't you?" Xanda asked. "The reason why I gave you my blessing and why I am raising you, to kill Eden!"
< < < < < < [1] A formal term for a royal or noble residence. Usually has courtyards, multiple halls, and layered architecture.
[2] A formal term for a royal or noble residence. Usually has courtyards, multiple halls, and layered architecture.