Chapter 9 : They Almost Fell Out


    Back then, Straight observed the panicked young man running through the forest at a glance, where there might be something more to the situation than meets the eye. His prediction as a seasoned player told him that there must be something in the young man''s possession that had triggered the 3 Horns Bear''s aggressive behavior.


    No, he believed that any focused and observant player would have a guess that the young man was not just running away from the 3 Horns Bear because the bear wanted to eat him out of hunger. But most likely because the young man had incited the bear for whatever reason. What was the best way to know the reason beside taking out the answer from the perpetrator himself?


    Naturally, prediction was just prediction, that was why he needed to seek out the young man. And the best way was to seek him out privately.


    The less people in the know, the better the situation would be. Who knew if there was something great being brought by the young man? If many people know, they might do their best to snatch it away.


    Leaving behind the players behind him was not just so that they could tank for him. He had attacked the bear and showed them some confidence, hence they started to attack the bear too. It was all part of his plan. Naturally because he wanted them to be left behind too. It was also so that he could get away easily without any hindrance when the two parties were busy by themselves. It was killing 2 birds with one stone.


    "Alright, about time for you to show up." Noah said a bit loudly as he faced toward a certain area.


    And this was why the less people in the know, the better the situation would be. If he could have such a guess, how could the others not? Taking that into consideration, there most likely would be one or two who decided to just follow Noah.


    Like what the players left behind said before. At all costs.


    As he said that, there were no movements whatsoever. As Noah and the young man stood in the desolate place, a tense atmosphere somehow hung in the air.


    The young man beside him was dumbfounded when Noah suddenly said this. Noah''s sudden declaration truly caught the young man off guard, his eyes widening in surprise.


    "What do you mean?" the young man stammered, unsure of what was happening.


    Noah''s smirk widened as his Mage’s Spear pointed towards a specific location. "I know you''re there," he called out, his voice firm. "Don''t think you can hide."


    There was still no response coming out of that direction even after he waited for few seconds. Noah shook his head helplessly. His voice became pretty serious as he spoke in a rather cold voice, "If you don''t come out, I will take that as aggression."


    Moments passed in silence, and then, as if obeying Noah''s command, figures emerged from the shadows. It was Trevor and his underlings, including Lyra and Marcus.


    "Well, how did you know that we are here, aa.... Straight?" Trevor asked, his tone interested.


    "I believe the question is, what are you doing here?" Noah replied calmly. He could see that these people were players just like him.


    "We were just passing through," Marcus chimed in.


    "Passing through, huh? Like who in the hell is this sweet summer child? Does he think I''m a 6 years old or something?" he retorted half laughing.


    Marcus had a slightly ugly expression as he heard what Noah had said. It was true that what he said sounded funny, but he was trying to give an excuse alright, at least he had tried to help even though that would even make it more suspicious.... Wait... When he realized that point, his faced turned even uglier.


    Even Trevor looked like he had a vein popped out on his forehead….


    The young man beside Noah looked bewildered, caught in the middle of the unfolding confrontation.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    “Alright, what do you say now?” Sometimes, a person would always be in denial about something. There were many factors around it, but one of the seldom reasons was that because one wanted to catch a chance. Noah knew this very well.


    The young man''s eyes darted between Noah and Trevor, his confusion evident. "I don''t understand... I thank you Sir for saving me, but please....?" he asked quietly.


    "I still got some questions for you alright," Noah said, sparing the young man a reassuring glance. "For now, let me handle this."


    Turning his attention back to Trevor and his underlings, Noah gave it another glance, "I don''t have time for games. Are we trying to make some smoke or something?"


    Trevor seemed to be calm and composed, "You might already know, that my side is a pretty powerful and influential one…" Noah listened without much interest, unfazed by Trevor''s attempt, seemingly trying to impress him. Still, he didn''t try to cut him off.


    "But what does that have to do with anything here?" Noah replied casually.


    Trevor''s smile wavered slightly at Noah''s lack of reaction. "Well, you see, I could use someone like you on my side," Trevor continued, trying to regain his composure. "My captain guard holds a prestigious position, and I only offer it to those with exceptional skills and potential."


    Noah raised an eyebrow, understanding Trevor''s motive.


    It was true for Trevor as he needed a solid position if he wanted to get a big pie in the intrigues of him. He wasn''t just interested in recruiting Noah for his skills, he wanted to boost his own image by having someone as formidable as Noah at his side.


    "I appreciate the offer, but I''m not interested in becoming your captain guard," Noah replied calmly, declining without hesitation.


    Marcus, feeling the need to chime in, added, "You should feel honored. Not many players get an offer like this from someone like Boss Trevor."


    Noah smiled, brushing off the attempt to flatter him. "Yea yea, that sounds pretty exciting alright," he said in a half laugh. "Now if you excuse me, I have something important to do at the moment. We can catch up later on then..." Noah started to walk away while dragging the young man with him.


    Trevor''s fa?ade of charm and confidence faltered as he struggled to comprehend Noah''s refusal.


    "You''ll regret this." Marcus said with a fierce look.


    "I doubt it," Noah replied calmly, unshaken by the veiled threat. "You can prove it to me right here, show me what you got."


    The young man, who had been listening quietly, looked admired by Noah''s resolve and bravery. He could sense that Noah was a man of straightforwardness. Even though Noah was surrounded by a bunch of people, he still remained unfazed and brave.


    "Oh, did I mention that I am from a guild called Red Lotus? You might think twice if you want to offend me then.." Noah said while grinning playfully.


    The people in front of him suddenly became apprehensive after they heard what Noah had said.


    Red Lotus!


    It was a popular guild that was known for having skilled players, especially in terms of PVP. It was a pretty giant guild that someone like Trevor would tread around it carefully.


    True that he was from an influential family, but he was not the only one, damn it. How could I be so daring to offend someone from such a powerful guild like it? And more than that, this man Straight is an expert too...


    But Trevor knew that Noah might be bluffing too, which placed him in a dilemma.


    Just as they were in a stalemate, the ground started to tremble once again as a huge monster dashed toward their location.


    Whaambb Ggraanng Kraaakkc…


    Amid the brewing conflict, the 3 Horns Bear suddenly emerged from the forest, its massive form towering over everything in its path. Despite its slight injuries, it looked even more fearsome than before, driven by rage and the thirst for revenge.


    "The 3 Horns Bear… is back!" someone shouted, panic spreading like wildfire between the people that Trevor had brought with him.


    The young man, visibly trembling as fear gripped his heart, feeling like there was no escape.


    “Rhaaaa…..”


    The bear growled, seemingly contemplating its next move.


    Though, the son of Aiden made a sudden decision. With a swift motion, he pulled a weird looking fruit from his pocket and hurled it towards the bear, shouting, "Here! Take it! Let me go!"


    The fruit flew through the air and landed right before the bear. The creature sniffed at it, its attention momentarily diverted by the strange offering. The young man didn''t waste any time and took the opportunity to sprint away, leaving the bear and the others in shock.


    "Did he just... give the bear a fruit?" Marcus asked, bewildered.


    "Let’s take a look at it..." Lyra added, equally surprised.


    Trevor, who had been watching the scene unfold with a mix of irritation and curiosity, was now intrigued by Aiden''s actions. "What''s so special about that fruit?" he asked, his interest piqued.


    When they observed the fruit enough, they got the description from the status panel. As they looked over the description, their eyes felt like they almost fell out of their pockets as they saw that this fruit was one of the hidden rarity items in the game…