Chapter 31: Until we meet again
--Chapter 31--
Title>> Until we meet again
"I’m not a healer."
Xavier scoffed and rolled his eyes, denial dripping from his voice.
"But you just—"
"I fixed your shoulder," Xavier replied, his expression unreadable.
"That’s Restore."
"Not healing."
Timothee looked at him, still surprised. He wanted to argue...
But the master had said it wasn’t healing, so why would he argue?
Waving his hand, Xavier wanted to shake off the intimate feeling the skill forced on him.
But that attempt was nothing but a bust.
Because Dex and Priya were already staring at him like they were lost sheep or something.
Xavier let out another sigh, lines of annoyance hanging on his forehead as he waved them forward.
"Alright...come forward."
He placed his hand on Dex’s back, golden light flared from it, and quickly returned his body and HP bar to tip-top shape.
The boy quickly ran to Timothee, punching the air like a boxer. "This is so damn cool. Hunter X is the full package mehn."
Next was Priya.
The woman moved closer than any of them had.
So close Xavier couldn’t miss the intriguing aroma drifting from her.
Xavier didn’t think much about the proximity. He simply placed a hand over her shoulder.
She tapped his hand softly, making Xavier raise an eyebrow.
Looking down, she gestured to a spot above her cleavage.
"That’s where it hurts, Master!"
"I see..." Xavier smiled.
He moved his hand from her shoulder and placed it somewhere else instead.
Priya’s eyes widened, her cheeks flushed for a second, but she hid it expertly.
A small pool of golden light swirled from Xavier’s hand and poured into her.
The swell on the side of her head, the slight dislocation in her left arm...
All of it disappeared and her HP spiked back to full.
[Player Priya --HP: 160/160]
She looked at him with those grey eyes. Her expression didn’t change. But something in her eyes softened.
Moving in even closer, she leaned in and stood on her toes for a moment.
Mwah!
A soft and gentle kiss landed on Xavier’s cheek before he knew what was happening.
She leaned back and stood on her heels again.
"Thank you... Master."
Xavier was clearly surprised but by no means stunned.
This wasn’t his first rodeo, but he didn’t feel like he deserved that.
Looking down at Priya, his dark brows curved into arches.
"Don’t call me that. And what was that for?"
"For saving my life," Priya answered immediately with a smile.
It was the first time he’d seen her smile.
He raised his head and glanced around the cathedral.
Spotting Timothee and Dex in the corner, Dex was stunned, his reaction too obvious to hide.
Timothee, on the other hand, forced a grin that never reached his eyes.
With a thumbs-up that was more a fist than a thumbs-up.
Xavier’s eyes narrowed as he turned to Priya. He held both her hands in what looked like a hug.
"I am not the one you’re supposed to thank, Love."
Quickly he opened up his body, turning Priya in that direction.
And towards Timothee...
"You should be thanking him. He’s our hero."
Priya looked at Xavier and then at Timothee, who at this point wanted to bury his head into the shattered mirror floor.
She nodded, her smile becoming warmer.
"I understand, Master X."
’Would you guys stop calling me that,’ he screamed inwardly.
***
A few minutes later...
The party was done with the final sharing of the loot. In the end, Priya got the Sentinel Sword. Dex and Juo got the 4000 Copper Coins and the crafting materials.
Xavier was also given what he asked for. The twenty-five Silver Coins.
According to the currency exchange rates in Arillion Online, that was equivalent to 2500 Copper Coins.
He took it gracefully...
This was definitely changing his status from Broke Dragon. Even if for a moment.
The party climbed the single-person staircase. The cold air grew warmer by the second as they ascended.
By the time they arrived at the Hall of Broken Oaths, the names on the walls had vanished.
Leaving only their names etched into them.
The dungeon was dead. Whatever had been bound beneath it was asleep again. And it was a job well done on their part.
They emerged through the iron gates, which opened silently as they passed.
The late afternoon sunlight outside felt alien after so long in the dark.
The forest was surprisingly quiet. There were no birds in sight. It was calm. Maybe even too calm.
But that calm came with serenity. The fountain at the cliff’s edge was still bubbling.
"So you think I should still keep her in the party?"
"Yeah, why not..." Xavier replied.
"But--" Timothy sighed.
"If you can keep an eye on her, then there is no problem."
Xavier paused, looking ahead at the rest of the party.
Dex, Priya and Juo were discussing and laughing.
"She’s smart and ambitious. That’s not a bad thing. If you can make her a team player."
Timothee nodded. He understood Xavier’s point.
The duo, who had been lingering behind, increased their pace to catch up with the rest of the party.
Who were already talking about getting to Nexus City. One of the bigger settlements on the server.
They were talking about bloodline quests and the insistent countdown to the world event he’d been ignoring for a while now.
[06:20:35:19]
Xavier walked with them. He was actually amused by Timothy and Priya, who had been sneaking glances at each other throughout the walk.
Finally, they arrived at a point where the path split towards Stockholm and another that led onward to Nexus City.
"This is me," Xavier spoke, stopping at the split. His sights were set on Stockholm.
Timothee and the rest of the party turned towards Xavier.
Before anyone else could speak, Juo surprisingly stepped forward first.
"You’re not coming with us to Nexus City?"
Xavier couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Something in him wanted to ask her if she was scared he would sabotage her again.
But he was quick to shelve that thought.
Instead, he waved his shoulders.
"Maybe later... I have to get something in Stock--"
"We can come with you," Priya spoke up as the others nodded.
"No... no. I’ll be dragging you guys back," Xavier rubbed the back of his neck.
"You guys need to get your bloodlines. The first world event is fast approaching."
Luckily for Xavier, that logic calmed his fans, grounding them in their present reality.
He continued...
"Don’t worry about it, guys. Get stronger and we’ll meet before the first world event. I promise."
Timothee looked at him for a long moment and nodded.
"Thank you," he said. "For real."
"Yeah... you were awesome," Dex added.
"We’ll see you," Juo adjusted her glasses and bowed slightly before turning away.
In a moment’s notice, they had already begun walking away.
Dex led the way with Juo falling into step beside him.
Priya walked side by side with Timothee. She looked back once, activating her skill for a split second before turning away.
"See you later, Sir X," Timothee waved without looking back at him.
Xavier watched them go until they completely disappeared from his line of sight.
Only then did he turn towards his next... Or was it his previous destination?
Stockholm Village.
He was barely a few steps in when a system notification flew into his line of sight.
[SERVER ANNOUNCEMENT]
"Oh... shit!"
"...Here we go again."
--End of Chapter--
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T for Thanks