《Guild Management with My Cute Imouto》 C1: Nightmare *Crackle* *Crackle* The world around was set ablaze. Aiden Dwain walked amongst such a fiery world. In the body of a young boy, he flinched and squeaked with every crackle of the fire around him threatening to engulf him. "Mother, save me..." a single whisper came out of his mouth. He couldn''t even voice it out with confidence as he knew that his pleas would not be heard. His skin was melting away... his feet were scorched. The flames were engulfing him from all around. He wanted someone to rescue him. The pangs in his stomach were to unbearable as fear was gradually creeping towards his heart. But his pleas only got the fire to get even more furious. Aiden took a step back knowing he can''t get caught up in the approaching flames. "Scary... scary." But more than the fear of getting scorched there was also something else that was keeping him vigilant around the flames. "Please let me out of here," Aiden cried. But then surprisingly his pleas were heard? A chilly and swift wind blew past him as they swept the flames away. The skin that was melting a moment ago now shivered under the cold air. Aiden could swear that the mere chilliness of the winds to THAT day. Was it a coincidence? But before Bane could collect his thoughts, the world around him changed. From a burning world, he was driven back to some unknown street. But he himself hadn''t noticed such a change, for his eyes were fixed on the car that was lit ablaze and also his heavy back that was now carrying his unconscious sister. "Mother?" Aiden put down his sister at a safe spot and then rushed towards the vehicle. He walked over the flames but his already charred skin could feel no pain. As he took a peek at the front seat what greeted him was the last visage of his mother. Her head was bleeding... it had dyed the entirety of her favorite dress all red. Her legs were crushed under demolished car. It scared Aiden... it plagued him to see his mother in such a state. But even if she was injured to this degree, there could be a chance that she was breathing, couldn''t it? Aiden reached out his hand to check but... *Cough* *Cough* The sound of coughing resounded in his ears making him stop. Rather it was more so of someone having trouble to breathe in the oxygen deprived air, instead of mere coughing in cold. "Ai--den?" It was his father, sitting on the driver''s seat. It seemed that he was still somewhat conscious. "Father! Please help me take mother out of here." *Cough* *Cough* Aiden''s father glanced towards his wife with a look of melancholy. For he already knew she had stopped breathing. But he believed that there was no need for Aiden to know this. And he himself wasn''t in any better state either. He could already see the reaper coming to take his life. "Ai..den, you go and stand beside your sister... T-ake care of her, okay? Cough Cough, I will take mother out of here and reach out to you." "I want to help, father!" "Cough, No!~ It''s dangerous here, stand back.. Let the adults do what they can." "But--" "No buts" Saying so Aiden''s father pushed Aiden away. With his light body Aiden flew a few meters away and crashed on his back. Aiden tried to get up, but before he could... BAM CRACKLE The car burst forth engulfing whatever was inside in flames. Aiden''s pupils glowed in a similar glow as it reflected the same in the dark and musky night. "Wait, No" Aiden reached out his hands only to get burned. *** "ARGH," Aiden woke up reaching his hands in the air and screaming out in pain. But surprisingly the pain he was feeling was imaginary, which he soon realized as he checked out on the surroundings. The hand that he reached out with sure had burn marks but they were old and had healed. Not to mention that he had just woke up from his bed at his flat. Aiden held onto his head as it felt too dizzy for him to move. "That nightmare again..." His whole body was sweaty and his bed was all in a mess. It was evident that those old memories still gave him the chills. He would be having these nightmares from time to time as it plagued his everyday life. And whenever it happens, he had to give some time to himself to remind him that it was all in the past and there was nothing he could have done in those days. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Aiden held onto his head with both of his hands as he collected his thoughts. "What a bad way to start the day... I have so much work to do and yet..." It wasn''t a mystery as to why his entire day would turn into a misfortune whenever he had such a dream. But time wasn''t stopping for him, he had to do his work despite how he felt. Otherwise it was questionable, if he would be able to put food on his table. "Ah yeah... breakfast. I have to make breakfast." Aiden got up from his bed, splashed his face with water. After brushing his teeth. "Today is Yuna''s exam, isn''t it? Ah no yesterday was the last one, it seems," Aiden muttered to himself fiddling with the calendar in his phone. After washing up, Aiden went straight to the kitchen to make breakfast. Since he would be outside working for the whole day long, he at least makes sure to make a healthy breakfast. It was usual routine. Ever since his parents died, Aiden had to cook himself to feed two mouths. His sister back then was a little too young to be playing with fire and he was the only one who could do it. That is why, even though he was horrible at cooking at first, it was his necessity that drove him to learn this too. [Big Brother your cooking tastes like poison.] Aiden chuckled to himself as a certain memory of Yuna cursing him resurfaced back. "I am passable now. I guess?" Aiden was pretty satisfied with his self proclamation not bothering to ask others for an opinion. It was the usual omelet for breakfast. Aiden himself didn''t like it too much but it was one of the quickest dish he could make early in the morning so it was always a hot option for him. Aiden carried his dish in a tray and walked to Yuna''s room. *Knock* *Knock* "Yuna, Yuna. Breakfast is ready. It''s time to wake up." The knocks on the door got harder and harder. Usually his sister would wake up as soon as he called her, but today something was amiss. ''Is she okay?'' Aiden couldn''t help but be worried. *Knock* *Knock* "Yuna, are you okay?" *Knock* "Ni-san! Can''t you let me sleep a bit more? I just had my last exam yesterday, you know?" "But breakfast is..." Aiden had always been strict about it. Food shouldn''t be left aside cold. Ever since his parent died he had work to the bone in part time jobs to earn this food. So he knew better than anyone how valuable it was. But today he smiled as he let it be. ''Yeah, she must have been studying non stop. She deserves a break.'' Aiden nodded. "Okay, I am leaving it covered though. I am leaving for work so do make sure to eat it later, okay?" "Fine," her voice came in somewhat muffled. Aiden left the food covered as he had said and went back to his room to get ''dressed'' for his work. A chainmail for protection and hard leather boots for his scorched feet. That''s the most what he could afford for his work. He slipped his arms inside of his equipment bag which already had a pickaxe sticking out from it as he lifted it up all prepared for his job at the ''dungeon''. Doing part time jobs and fiddling with straps didn''t provide Aiden with much cash. But he didn''t have much option in regards to the matter. No one wanted to hire him for a full time job. But that was only until weird dimensional gates called dungeons started appearing all around the world pouring out otherworldly monsters into their own world. And followed by such an occurrence several anomalies called ''awakened'' were found among the general public. Fortunately Aiden was one of those awakened, and working in dungeon was much more profitable than doing part time jobs for scraps. "I am leaving," Aiden claimed out of habit before leaving through the front door. "Wait, Ni-san!" "Huh?" Aiden turned around. His sister had come out of her room with a ghastly pale look as if she had come out of a hospital for mad men. Her eyes were droopy. Sleep crust had accumulated at the corner of her eyes. Her raven hair was in a mess and her lose t-shirt was only struck at one of her shoulders leaving the other one bare. Once Yuna noticed that his brother hadn''t left yet, she let out a sigh of relief. Walking closer she didn''t give the confused Aiden to collect his thoughts as he planted a kiss on his cheek. "Take care and don''t do something too dangerous, okay?" "Ah...yes." C2: Secrets "Take care and don''t do something too dangerous, okay?" Yuna whispered with a glint of worry. "Ah...yes." "You are blushing! He he~" Aiden looked away clearly caught red faced. But it wasn''t the small cute morning greeting that had caused him to turn embarrassed. Rather... "NI-SAN again? Why would you call me that? Honestly, its sounds embarrassing for some reason." Both of them had no origins to Japan and Aiden could have swore that he knew nothing of Japanese language either. So there was no particular reason why Yuna would call him such. But Yuna didn''t seem to agree as she puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. "Mu, but you said that its fine when we are alone." Turned out that Yuna was one of those ''Anime Connoisseurs'' and she got some kind of thrill out of those selected few ''words''. Calling her Ni-san was one of her everyday joy. ''It leaves me worried sometimes though, considering she is so much into it, recently. Well I guess as long as she doesn''t loose track of her studies its okay with me.'' It was obvious that eventually his sister was bound to develop some tastes of her own that were completely foreign to her. Aiden had already prepared himself for that day. And as long as she doesn''t mess up it was okay with him. Aiden himself didn''t know anything about anime. But he was definitely aware of the popular titles and everything else someone who is not part of the community and yet has a sister who loves it should know. Aiden reached out and caressed her messy hair straightening it to the sides as he smiled. ''Should I allow it? Or should I not?'' Aiden wasn''t sure. But there was one thing he was sure about... Even her pouting seemed so cute to him. "Okay fine. But only when we are alone okay?" "Nice" "Okay then, I am off to work! Don''t forget your breakfast." "See you soon, Ni-san!" Yuna cheerfully pushed him out, and then closed the apartment door behind him once she had waved him off. But as soon as he left, the air around Yuna changed promptly. There was no particular change in her appearance. Her hair was as messy as it was before. But the air around her was heavy in contrast to the cheerfulness before. Her shoulders drooped as she sighed. She pulled her hair as she made a mess out of them all over again, making Aiden''s earlier effort to fix them all for naught. She did care if it hurt her. It was as if she wanted to punish herself!You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Only after doing that she was able to calm down. "Ahhh, I hate myself. I hate myself. I couldn''t tell him today either." With her everyday failure Yuna was getting more and more frustrated. Even the monsters at the dungeon didn''t seem as daunting as when her ''Ni-san'' becomes, whenever she imagines telling him all about her secrets in her imaginations and nightmares. "I shouldn''t have kept it a secret," she sighed again. At first, it was just her playing around and her ''rebelling phase'' acting up. She knew that her brother would probably not be happy with her being involved into such things, so she kept it a secret to not make him worry too much. At first, she even thought that it was somewhat cool having her own little secret, since her brother knew almost everything about her. But as time went by those little secrets began piling up as they formed into something huge. It was like a great mountain that she couldn''t shrug off any more. She was living in fear in every moment. She feared that her brother would figure out it all. She feared that this huge mountain would come crushing down on top of her. "I hope he doesn''t find out." Yuna pursed her lips. That is why Yuna wanted to confront him herself. At least if the revelations comes from herself rather than some outside party, she would have a way to explain herself to her brother. But the problem was that it was taking her everything just to confront him. Words would never come up to share her troubles and defend herself. ''I don''t want him to get angry.'' Yuna sighed. She was scared that her brother would get angry and then leave her alone. After all, she knew to what lengths he had gone just because of her. And she couldn''t even pay him back with anything. "Ni-san...," Yuna whispered as she stared at the door. Part of her wished that Aiden would just hurry up and figure out how she felt. He knew everything about her, so he should also know how she feels doesn''t it? Dealing with all of those emotions was so daunting that it scared her even more. After all, even if she kept some secrets, it was her feelings that counts the most, didn''t it? "Ugh" Her stomach growled. All of this depression and thinking were only making her more hungry. Seriously, she could tackle the hardest problems on paper but she couldn''t bring herself to face her brother. She pulled out her phone and ordered something light for breakfast. Whatever she put in the virtual cart was extremely expensive, but she didn''t bat an eye at all, as if it didn''t even matter at this point on. She walked to the kitchen still in her pajamas as she pulled out cold water from the refrigerator. The cold water was needed to make her feel refreshed. Only she knew how hard it was to force herself from bed just to confront her biggest secrets when she hadn''t had a brink of sleep for days! And how could she even sleep? It was like she had caught up some sort of insomnia with all of her stress piling up. That is when her eyes trickled to the breakfast kept by his brother. She pulled off the cover. But she immediately covered it back again with a jolt. "It''s poison. It''s poison again." Aiden thought that he had improved. But the truth was that he hadn''t improved at all! His food was the same disgusting poison as it always was. And while Yuna didn''t like the food cooked by him, yet she wasn''t willing to give up on the luxury of her Ni-san cook for her either. "I will have to throw them out without Ni-san knowing." Yuna glared at the breakfast as if she was being vigilant against a monster. It was true that she was a selfish girl who wanted her brother to keep cooking for her just for the ''act of belonging'' and not for the food itself. But she was going to continue to being selfish. Knowing that she was the only one for whom his brother cooked was gratifying in itself. Yuna sighed. The breakfast being her ''daily dose of poison'' was just another little secret of hers but it was nothing compared to the mountain she had piled. She placed the bottle back in the refrigerator as she sighed. Then she turned around and cusped her hands and immediately a perfect replica of her body was formed. "Take care of the house. I have to leave after having my breakfast," Yuna passed orders to her clone and went back to her room yawning away while also being unable to blink an eye in worry... C3: Brothers Dilemma "Yuna''s birthday is coming up, what should I buy her?" Aiden pondered as he waited for his team mates to arrive. There were only so many things that would work out with his income. So he was being somewhat skeptical about it. When it came to her tastes, it was pretty obvious what she likes. But the cheap stuff that he can afford for her, will it even be to her liking? Aiden sighed. It would never be an easy path for Aiden. He always knew that. He was at least successful in paying up for her to study at a proper school unlike himself, and was already piling up money to help her get into a proper university. But would just paying the tuition fees be enough? One must note, that despite them being poor, Yuna''s classmates weren''t getting any poorer. ''A teenager like her can''t help but compare herself to others.'' Aiden had some definite basis for believing it. Her suspicious behavior being one of them. But there was nothing that Aiden could do to help her with that. Luxuries were only owned in their dreams and no matter how much he worked as a hunter... with his current rank he couldn''t earn any higher than what he does. And there was no way that his rank was going to magically increase either. Yuna was bound to feel inferior to others.. she was bound to feel out of place. He could probably push her to a school of elites thanks to her talent, but there was nothing that Aiden could do to get her out of those complexities. ''No wonder she always seems to be hiding something.'' Aiden wasn''t completely clueless on the matter either. It had been happening for quite a while but it had escalated recently. And Aiden was aware of her unusual behavior though he never got to the root of its cause. That look of her that seemed to be forcing a smile... ''It was as if she was hiding a lot of things and couldn''t bring herself to discuss with me. Sigh. Perhaps she is worried that she would be burdening me with her troubles.'' What disgusted Aiden the most was the fact that she was absolutely right about it! If Yuna really came upfront and began to be demanding stuff from Aiden, then Aiden would literally break himself from over work. As it is he was already pushing himself quite a lot. "Perhaps I am a failure as a brother." Aiden was always worried about her. Was the reason why her sister wasting her time in weird stuff lately also because of this? Aiden felt like a failure and couldn''t keep his promise to his father. "If only mother was here..." Aiden whispered as he looked above at the stars SLAP Aiden immediately slapped himself awake before he could complete his sentence. He couldn''t let himself drown in sorrow. He was the pillar supporting their small family. "Tch, this is why I don''t like days when I have a nightmare." Those nightmares make Aiden more conscious of his situation and failures. it makes him latch onto his past. A past that would never return back. "Still crying over spilt milk?" An old and musky voice crept into his ears. Aiden turned around to be greeted by Makayla Parkor. He looked particularly annoyed as if Aiden''s troubles were already reaching him. Makayla was a middle aged man. A D rank hunter in Aiden''s party who had a stubby physique. And despite being almost the same height as Aiden he looked smaller from afar due to his slightly budging belly. Aiden almost instinctively reached out to his cheeks to check if they are wet. Only when he confirmed that there were no tears was he able to calm down and breathe a sigh of relief. "No, how could I? There is no point in crying over spilt milk. I can''t break down. Not when I have responsibilities to keep." Aiden lied.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Aiden said the only line he knew that would cause the D rank adventurer to calm down. Although it would always be embarrassing to accept it, but Aiden used to cry a lot when he was a kid especially after his parents had passed away. But over the years with the burden that was left on his small shoulders, he had toughened up his heart. "Hmph" the hunter grunted as he folded his arms waiting for the other members of the team. They were going to raid an E rank dungeon today and most of the other party members were E rank just like Aiden with Makayla being the only exception. ''Phew, guess he is convinced,'' Aiden relieved a sigh of relief. No one wanted to work with a cry baby. Had it been Aiden in place of Makayla, he would have probably felt the same. If need be, he would have rather knocked some sense into such a brat with his fists even though he had himself been in such a place. In fact, Aiden had been beaten up pretty bad because of it in his past. One might call them bullies but those punches were actually highly needed in Aiden''s case to knock some sense into his bleeding soul. And he himself had beat up some newbies for the same reason as well. Everyone here had their own problems. No one wants to risk their lives just because they ''want to''. It is the circumstances of their life that force them into such a threatening job. Certainly those working in the bottom of the society like this, couldn''t possibly be the priviledged ones. When someone in the group cries over their troubles, it only makes the others re- live their own ''nightmares''. That is why Aiden always makes sure never to allow his emotions get the better of him... at least not at his workplace. And Makayla also shares the same thoughts as him. They both understand as official ''senpais'' of the group, what is needed and what is not needed to keep the group stable and constantly moving. Aiden for all he remembered had been working ever since the first generation of people started awakening to their ''powers''. And Makayla himself had been working for a long time to feed his children as well. Every awakened person is identified with a ''special title'' they receive. A single awakened can have multiple titles too. And under every title one receives multiple skills that fits the best with that title which they are endowed. Depending on the ranking of the skills and an awakened''s stats they receive a ''hunter rank''. Aiden himself was an E rank, the second lowest to the lot only second to F rank. E rank hunters who were lucky like himself, could only work in those small independent groups like the one Aiden was currently working in. No guild would normally accept them as they are mostly useless to them. And while their group was not important enough to have a name yet. But its members were more or less constant now for quite a while without any causalities. They were the more ''careful'' and ''experienced'' hunters of the lot of E rank hunters. And all of them had some sort of consensus that they got to show up when the others come together. But those E rank hunters who were unlucky enough, had to look for scrapes at all times looking out for an opportunity for someone to hire them in their team. Without proper connections their life was a hell. ''I hope today we get a fine harvest'' The only reason why Aiden wasn''t amongst the unlucky hunters was because he was one of the older and more experienced one here with more experience and connections than the others. But even so he was always careful not to do something rash. This group itself wasn''t something that was formed in a day either. Rather it was a lot of coincidences and bad lucks added with deaths piling onto one after another that brought his group to its current state. At least unlike before, Aiden can now go back home with the assurance that he at least would have work to do the next day and won''t have to waste time looking for hunters to dive into the dungeon along with him. And it was not only him, other E rankers in the party felt the same. Makayla being the only D ranker was indeed the true senpai of the group, unlike Aiden who was only figuratively called so because of having more experience with dungeons. Little by little, the other E ranks of their group also began to join along. The fixed time was 9 A. M so no one was late, rather it was Aiden who was rather early. "Oh, hello Mrs Parkor, it seems you are short on money again?" Mrs Parkor was one unusual ones of their group, who only joined them occasionally on a hunt. "Ha Ha, you know it is hard to feed so many kids. You would also come to know my troubles when you marry. When will I meet Mrs Dwain after all?" Parkor grunted with a sneer in her eyes. Aiden couldn''t help but blush. He was indeed a young man and at ''that'' age but he wasn''t priviledged enough for him to be interested in it. He shook his head. "No way, I have a sister to take care of. There is her tuition fees to pay and you know its so much work raising a teenage girl." It turned out Yuna was the only one Aiden had the luxury to actually care about. For better or worse he was trying his best to keep his promise to his deceased father. Thus, he was keeping himself away from such thoughts. "Wait you are paying your sibling''s fees??" "Our parents passed away early on, so its just my sister and I. So I dropped out and started working." "Oh my. Such a young kid is going through so much!" Aiden took out his phone. "It''s nothing much. Would you like to see this? This is my younger sister." Aiden showed a picture with him and his sister together. "Oh my, she is quite pretty. Tall too." Aiden smiled. "Of course, she is really cute. And she''s also really kind and understanding. She had always excelled in her academics and there was nothing she hadn''t been able to do since she was younger..." Aiden nodded. "I sometimes can''t even believe how I got such a great younger sister. Really if Yuna hadn''t been such a good kid then I would have probably not dropped out of college to earn money by doing all this hard work. But she deserves so much better, she is such a good kid with absolutely nothing wrong with him, and he grew as a great and polite woman. She had also never never lost his place as the top student when he takes exam and also never entered any of those so called ''rebellious phase.'' I was always so worried when I began raising her that what would become of her later on. But she even listens to every word. I can definitely see the fruit of my hard work showing up here..." "HOLD YOUR HORSES, AIDEN!!" Makayla screamed at the top of his voice shutting him quiet. On the other hand Mrs Parkor was already in a total daze. Perhaps she had already lost what was being spoken to her half way through. "Sorry, dear. He is always like this whenever he starts talking about his sister." "I see..." C4: Mysterious Girl "Mr. Parkor shouldn''t we move? We are already running behind schedule." "Not yet. All of them are not here yet." Makayla whispered. Aiden furrowed his brows. He couldn''t be wrong in counting. So it could only mean one thing. "New member?" Makayla nodded. Aiden expressed his worry. All the members were already here and yet they were waiting outside of the dungeon. Shouldn''t they have been hunting inside already? Aiden wanted to quickly finish his job and go home. Today his sister was supposed to stay at home. An occasion like this rarely comes by and Aiden wanted to make full use of it considering his sister''s birthday was coming close. ''As it was, she is somewhat acting strange.'' Aiden furrowed his eyes in worry. ''If it is a new member then he shouldn''t have acted so haughtily and should have been on time!'' Aiden cursed this newbie in his hearts of hearts. ''Is it really important to wait?'' Makayla ''should have'' felt the same as Aiden, at least that was what Aiden thought. It wouldn''t have been far fetched if Makayla were to drop the idea of this new member and enter the dungeon without waiting for him. But that never happened. Why entertain a late comer in the first place? Aiden had no idea. Instead, Makayla had a look of worry instead of annoyance. ''Is it some kind of big shot?'' The only one who could make Makayla sweat like this would be a C rank or a higher level D rank. And when it came to B rank or higher... well there was no way they were going to join such a hopeless team of nobodies. Having a D rank or higher was always welcomed. In fact, they were sought after and hard to have on your team. The earnings of the E ranks of the team doesn''t necessarily get higher with a strong ally. As the high ranked hunter sure took its own large chunk of ''cut'' in the money. But it sure got a lot safer to dive into the dungeon with such strong helping hands. Between the option of not having one and having one, the latter had ruled out by a fair margin. *Gulp* Aiden gulped down his saliva. "IS it probably a C rank?" Aiden asked Makayla in a squeaking voice. Sure having a C rank teammate was nice, but you had to be on your tows when you are around them. An E rank like himself couldn''t really afford to offend someone like that, especially considering that Aiden had 0 family backing. Hell, he was the only earning member of his family. "Ho-" Makayla whispered. It was just for a split second... But Makayla raised his brows in surprise. No one in the group would have arrived at such a conclusion but Aiden being the most experienced one there could easily perceive Makayla''s troubles. Perhaps that was why Makayla was taken aback. But he shook his head denying it.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. "No, it is an E rank." "E rank? The same as me?" ''Wait a minute, this sounds really suspicious.'' No matter how much Aiden thought about it, it didn''t make sense. He couldn''t put 2 and 2 together. The only solace that Aiden had was that he trusted Makayla. Not to mention that he wouldn''t have brought his wife on this mission, had he believed that this new person was someone dangerous unless Makayla was himself plotting something with this newcomer. Aiden turned towards Mrs. Parkor. No matter who the person is, their family always took priority. it was the same for Aiden and the same for Makayla too. And especially true for all the people of their group, they wouldn''t have been risking their lives pointlessly if they didn''t care for their families. At least that was what Aiden believed. Aiden shook his head. ''I guess I am overreacting.'' They waited for a bunch. While they were waiting Aiden didn''t forget to check up on Yuna and sent her a message. [Hi Yuna, did you finish your breakfast?] Aiden didn''t have to wait long as there was an immediate reply. [Yes, Ni-san doesn''t worry, I had my fill. But where are you now Ni-san? I thought you were diving in the dungeon already.] Aiden smiled. ''As always, she is hooked to her phone.'' [Was it nice?] Sadly he completely ignored the later part of her text. [...] [Don''t watch too much Naruto, okay?] [For the love of God! Every anime under the world is not NARUTO!] Yuna was obviously annoyed. From her perspective, her brother just pried into her life a bit too much. And he was inconsiderate as hell. [I know. I know. I was just joking. It''s cute when you get flustered over it.] [That''s not the point here.] Yuna wanted to have a little more freedom in the things that she wanted to do without his brother going after her tail. And Aiden probably understood that too. But he couldn''t help but be worried about her. [Hmm, take care okay?] There was a long pause with no reply from the other side. Perhaps Yuna was expecting Aiden to pass on some inconsiderate comment. But all she got was an indirect good bye. It was a misunderstanding on her part with underlying emotions hard to reach on the other side with the barrier of text. Aiden was definitely just expressing his genuine concern. But perhaps deep down he didn''t want to come off as nagging too. After all, Aiden was definitely sure Yuna was hiding something from him. That is why he cut the conversation short. [You too. Take care.] Aiden smiled. Then he began typing... ''If there is something that is troubling you, then... '' But he could only go halfway through the text as his fingers stopped in between. Aiden felt a chill down his spine as if someone was glaring at him with cold eyes. His hair rose up in response to such a stimulus. With such a stimulus he was more worried about his surroundings rather than his phone. He forgot to send the text. When Aiden lifted his head out of his phone screen his eyes met her. She was walking towards them with a blue hoodie on her head and her blue sweatshirt covering her blouse. She didn''t show any of her skin. Her sweat shirt covered most of her arms and her long legs were hidden under a baggy and greyish trousers. It was hard to guess her appearance because of her attire but you could say at a glance that she was pretty tall. Even her face was mostly covered as she wore a white mask on top of her mouth. Her pale blue prismarine eyes were the only contrasting feature about her that helped her in standing out of the crowd. They were quite in contrast to the normal blue eyes that one gets to see normally and had a foggy feel to them. When Aiden stared in those eyes he gulped a mouthful of saliva. But even that didn''t help him in wetting his scorching neck which was now devoid of any moisture. No, Aiden wasn''t smitten by a breathtaking beauty or anything cliche like that... her charms as a woman were mostly hidden. Not to mention Aiden''s mind was already coggled with the troubles he was having raising with his younger sister.. Thanks to her baggy attire you wouldn''t be able to figure out anything. Guessing her gender from afar was out of the question. At least Aiden had a hunch that she was a girl. But rather there was something about her that immediately made him feel uneasy. ''She is definitely not an E rank,'' was what Aiden wanted to say but he swallowed his own words as he realized that he was the only one acting weird. ''No way.'' Upon closure inspection, Aiden realized that he was the only one she was staring daggers at and others hadn''t noticed the cold gaze that he was being subjected to. Makayla walked closure to her. "She is an E rank. She will be joining her today. Though she is an earth elemental but she has high defence based skills, and would mostly work as our tank. And her name is..." "Kaguya...My name is Kaguya Otsutsuki." the mysterious girl blurted cutting off Mr. Parkor. "Wait sorry?" Aiden cried. How could he not? He could hardly have been mistaken about her being suspicious here. ''It''s like she is not even trying to hide the fact that she is suspicious here!'' The only complain that rang in Aiden''s head was that she could have picked up a better and more convincing alias. C5: Acquaintance?
[author] I was thinking about working on constant update schedule. How would 4chaps/week be coming on alternate days(Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)? Any thoughts?[/author]
"Wait, sorry?" As soon as Kaguya mentioned her name, Aiden had a casual slip of tongue out of utter surprise alone. But that heartfelt rebuke turned into a double-edged sword, now that he had become the center of attention. It was not only Kaguya now, in fact, everyone was staring at him as if waiting for him to say something. ''Seriously, you all can''t be clueless about her, can you? She is definitely suspicious from head to toe.'' *Cough* "I mean, your name has a strange resemblance to someone I know," Bane whispered as he tried to get out of the tricky situation. But that didn''t seem to work as Kaguya gradually came closer to him as she scanned him from head to toe. It wasn''t the lecherous gaze that lovers gave to each other. Rather it was a condensing look descending from her judgemental eyes. Aiden didn''t particularly do any favors to himself to stand out from the cloud. Just like his sister, he was taller than most guys but lacked the muscle to back it up. The old bag and the pickaxe sticking out from it seemed to perfectly represent his presence in human society. "I can''t believe Yuna is stuck with a fucker like you," she spoke with a condensing tone. "Language please?" The first words that came out of Kaguya''s mouth were pretty sharp for Aiden to digest. She couldn''t be referring to some different Yuna now, could she? It was a weird surprise for Aiden to bump into one of Yuna''s acquaintances like this and he couldn''t say that he particularly liked this person. *Sniff* After a while, the girl began sniffing him for some reason. Aiden couldn''t help but feel even but squirm in his place, as several gazes were now focused on him. "Are you an acquaintance of my sister? How do you know her?" With Aiden''s abrupt question, Kaguya took a step back and shook her head in disbelief. "You don''t even know anything about her. Useless. You sicken me." ''Wait, this is nothing to feel sick about!'' Aiden wasn''t surprised that he didn''t know a damn thing about this Kaguya. Due to his busy schedule, he hardly gets to familiarize himself with any of Yuna''s friends. ''Yuna hadn''t even brought anyone home before let alone introduce me with anyone. How would I even know who she hangs out with?'' Aiden thought. But deep down he knew that she was probably ashamed to bring them to such a shabby house. After all, he too had been a teenager once. Aiden turned towards Kaguya who was now walking away. Although there wasn''t much material to work with, on closure inspection he realized that she was probably the same age as Yuna and also someone she might hang out with. But Aiden didn''t like her personality and was worried that she might be the one negatively affecting Yuna''s life. Yuna''s suspicious attitude at home didn''t give off good vibes. Kaguya''s sharp tongue and disregard for others'' feelings were definitely something Aiden couldn''t put up with. Even if his parents died early, but before they did they had drilled enough manner into him. ''I accept that I have not been able to give Yuna what she deserves, but I am trying what I can do, aren''t I?'' But Aiden shook his head keeping his complaint within himself. He was the adult here out of the two. A kid was just messing around with him. How could he give in to her obvious provocation? And it wasn''t like her saying anything was going to change any aspect of Aiden''s life. He had to take care of his own shit, no one is gonna help.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Enough with the introductions. Let''s go, we are already running late." Aiden spoke to everyone, shrugging off the earlier conflict. Makayla who was staring at him till now also nodded. ''This is why I hate waking up with a nightmare.'' All of them headed towards the greenish gate that seemed to fluctuate now and then. It was the essence of the dungeon, the lowest one at that, it was its physical manifestation in their world. All dungeons glow in different colors depending on the concentration of mana present in them. In general, the higher the concentration the stronger would be mobs and bosses inside making them significantly difficult to clear. Every awakened naturally acquire a status screen to tell them how strong they are stat-wise and also to tell them what skills they possessed. But the same rule didn''t apply to dungeons. They seemed much more natural than the obviously suspicious status system that awakened possessed. Apparently, this came at its own price. There was no way to tell the danger level of a dungeon from the outside. But statistically speaking humans did have some deductions. It was Dr. Gregor and his team who had first posted their findings. It was a timely help for the community of awakened who were on a decline. It was a scale from S to E rank assigning danger levels to a dungeon. These ranks were assigned to them based on the corresponding awakened rank that could safely take them on in a minimum team of 10. Anything Green - E rank. Blue - D rank Purple - C rank Olive - B rank Orange - A rank Red - S rank. This system of grading dungeon wasn''t absolute though. It was just a rough estimate of what rank of awakened needed to take on them to prevent too many casualties. In the end, it was an awakened''s experience that allowed them to better judge the level of danger. That''s why experienced hunters were preferred. For example, a green dungeon could be called an E rank. But if it was on the farther edge of the green spectrum on the harder side, then it would be impossible for E ranks to take them on. It would probably need a D rank team. Fortunately enough, the dungeon that Aiden and crew were targetting now wasn''t as dangerous and could be safely looted. Makayla wouldn''t have brought his wife otherwise. Of course, his wife was awakened too, but not strong enough to fight. But Aiden wasn''t anywhere better either. He might be the most experienced awakened of his crew and he might have a good enough level, but that didn''t make his skills get any better. But hunting in a dungeon was still a far better option for him to support Yuna than to hunt for jobs. A dropout like him wouldn''t be hired anywhere. *Crack* *Crack* Aiden swung his arm holding onto his pickaxe as he mined for more and more mana crystals. He had tossed his shirt inside his bag already and was now just with his chain armor. Sweat poured from his entire body due to the sheer force he had to put into every strike but that wasn''t enough to make him stop. Yes, Aiden was more of a miner than a hunter. They had someone like him in every well formed team. Mostly because hunters were supposed to be more focused on fighting monsters than grinding pickaxes so they needed someone to do the work. Aiden took part in the hunting process too, thanks to him being awakened but his skills were mostly supportive. Aiden considered himself lucking out on this, as he was definitely getting a much more stable income than others of the same rank and skills as him. He couldn''t even imagine what would have happened to him if he wasn''t part of the team. That is why Aiden worked extra hard to make sure that he wasn''t so easily replaceable, even though it was just never enough. And this was also the reason why he didn''t cause a scene when Kaguya was cursing him for no good reason. Adults have far difficult things to worry about than their temper. *Crack* *Crack* Mrs. Porkar was also doing similar work as Aiden. Thankfully, she wasn''t as shameless as him to toss away her clothes. She mostly looked after her children at home while her husband worked but she also came to work from time to time to increase the profits of their household. "Aiden! We would need a bit of help here." It was Makayla''s voice. "Coming." Aiden left the pickaxe inside of his bag and rushed to where his team was fighting dire wolves. Aiden wasn''t sure but his closest guess was that they had run out of the status boost he had granted to them. He checked his status screen to make sure if that was the case and he was on point. "I am here." "Good prepare that spell of yours." "Yes!" Aiden immediately prepared his skill and applied it to Makayla and the others. Speed Boost was a skill that Aiden could use to increase his ally speed to 130%. It was an E rank skill that lasted one hour. Other than several more skills that came under his "White Sherman" title. He could increase attack or even defense albeit to a 120%. But Aiden tends to not think too much about it and gives out whatever the hunter in question asks for. After all, he wasn''t doing the fighting and would only be coming off as nagging if he were to state his opinion every time he came to a dungeon. Many others wanted the boosting skill since all of their boosts lapsed out at around the same time. "Done" And with that Aiden''s job with the team was done for the next hour and he had to go back to mining. But before he went back he did turn to peek a glance at Kaguya. She was the only one who didn''t come for seconds of Aiden''s skill. She stood at the very front of the attack force defending against the wolf''s every attack with her earth shield that rose like a wall sticking from the dungeon floor. No matter how much the E rank wolves tried they couldn''t breach her defense even when they worked together. ''Kind of counterintuitive isn''t it?'' "Of course. No way she is the same rank as me. I don''t know why is everyone overlooking her obvious strength." But in the end, she was just making the job for them easier and danger free, so Aiden couldn''t complain.
[author] I finished stockpiling 7 chapters. ~Hehe. I am hard working aren''t I? You can find them on my patreon. [/author]
C6: Independence Aiden rushed back to his mining spot. "Working hard, aren''t you?" Mrs. Parkor asked as she watched Aiden rushing back. Aiden shrugged. "I have to do at least this much. Otherwise, I wouldn''t be able to support my sister." Aiden continued picking up his pickaxe from his bag. "And also, my sister''s birthday is coming up. And I don''t have enough money for a proper birthday present." Aiden probably could have given her something decent if he cracked open his savings. But he didn''t want to do that. Those savings were for her college tuition, and Aiden couldn''t lose them anytime soon. Mrs. Parkor glanced at him with an apologetic gaze. "You are working yourself too hard, child. Shouldn''t your sister at least be independent by now and pay for her own tuition fees? Why are you spoiling her like this? At worse, she should take student loans and not trouble you like this." she continued. "Have you ever seen yourself in the mirror? You are working yourself too much. Your sunken cheeks and eye bags aren''t just for show." Aiden sighed as he said no more words. What Mrs. Parkor said was probably not wrong. Yuna was not a child anymore. At least she wouldn''t be after her coming birthday and should be responsible for her own burden. At least anyone of her age should have already taken it upon their own shoulders. "Our family situation is a little different," Aiden sighed. "She was very young when our parents died. Unlike me, she doesn''t even remember their faces properly." Aiden didn''t mention the part that he was literally plagued by nightmares every other night. Rather than calling it that he couldn''t forget them, it would be more fitting to say that he was forced to remember them no matter how much he tried to forget. Aiden continued... "She had never felt the love of her parents. And while I couldn''t possibly have replaced the love that her parents could have given her, I didn''t get to act a proper brotherly figure either. I was too busy earning scraps while she was all alone in that empty apartment. The only solace that she had was that if she waited long enough, her brother would probably come back home at the end of the day. Do you think going through any of this is normal? How could I leave her alone knowing this? She is a good child, you know? She doesn''t deserve this." Aiden turned towards Mrs. Parkor in a questioning tone. He wanted to affirm from an actual adult to confirm if what he is doing is right. He had always believed that he should fulfill his promise to his father. And he worked hard for that.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. But was all of that needed, or was it even worth it? Perhaps it was an affirmation that Aiden wanted. That what he striving for... was a noble cause, even though deep down he didn''t want to continue anymore. Mrs. Parkor was an adult woman with a lot of experience. She should have the answers that Aiden sought, didn''t she? But Mrs. Parkor''s lips pursed in confusion. "I think you should talk it out with your sister and ask for her opinion on this, at least? It would be a nice time to talk since she has passed out of school, hasn''t she?" Was that what he should do? Aiden felt devastated for a moment. It wasn''t the confirmation that he desired. "But-" "Look at yourself Aiden! Today is the first time we are talking like this, but I can already see how hard you are pushing yourself. You are just killing yourself for no good reason. I am worried about you. Does your insensitive sister who can''t even see this, deserves your sacrifice? I don''t think so. You have a life of yourself too." Aiden was at a loss for words. Was this it? Is it finally time for her to let her go and fly on her own? Aiden felt weird and empty just by thinking about it. Perhaps the right choice on Aiden''s part now would be to pass on all of his savings to her. And to let her have her independence on her own. But the problem was Aiden couldn''t stop his pupils from hands from shaking. Mrs. Parkor had easily taken notice of all of Aiden''s reactions from the start. Mrs. Parkor patted his back. "The problem is not with your sister but it is with you, isn''t it? You say that your sister has always been alone. But, isn''t the same true for you as well? Worse is the fact that you had to go through the trauma of losing your parents while she wasn''t old enough to understand anything. You tell me that your sister would be devastated if she is left alone. And her only solace is waiting for you to return home... But isn''t it more for yourself? Aren''t you scared that one day when you go back home there would be no one there waiting for you?" It was so true, and Aiden felt guilty. It was like she had some kind of control over Aiden''s consciousness. Mrs. Parkor''s words felt like a jolt of lightning to Aiden''s conscience. Was this it? Was he the cause that his sister was acting weird lately? There was always that kind of atmosphere around her. Perhaps she wanted to break free of the cage made by him. But couldn''t bring herself to say so on his face? ''I see. So it would have to end soon.'' Perhaps Yuna felt guilty or perhaps she felt too indebted to say it on his face. And Aiden as a brother was just being inconsiderate not giving Yuna her deserved freedom, even though she would soon be an adult. ''Even if I don''t consider it to be the case, it doesn''t change the fact that it is time she must be independent on her own.'' Aiden sighed. "I see. I will talk it out with her and see what she wants." Mrs. Parkor shook her head. "I am sorry Aiden. I overstepped my bounds and came in between you two siblings. But, you have got me all wrong, Aiden. You shouldn''t be looking out for just what she wants, but it has to be what BOTH of you want." Mrs. Parkor continued as she pursed her lips, "The reason why I am so worried about you is that you are just like that brother of mine. He too, had always catered to my selfishness but eventually died in a dungeon. By the time I realized my mistake, it was far too late. I don''t want you to go down the same path, okay?" "I am sorry to hear that." Mrs. Parkor tilted her head. "Don''t be. It was entirely my fault." Aiden wanted to know which mistake she was referring to. Was it prying into his personal matters, or was it the death of her brother? Aiden felt that it was the latter, but he didn''t ask any further. C7: Freedom "You were right Mrs. Parkor. Regardless of what she thinks, I can''t be spoiling her forever. I think there has to come a time when I have to let her go," Aiden whispered as he swung his pickaxe not bothering to turn towards the lady. "Is that what YOU want? Wouldn''t you be lonely?" Aiden nodded. "Yes, I want her to become independent. Me being lonely is no good reason to be stopping from it. I am not a kid anymore. And regardless of what she thinks it is the RIGhT thing to do." "I see. Well, I am happy as long as you don''t work yourself to death. And I have a feeling that you won''t be lonely forever. You are tall and also so caring, Aiden. Surely not all girls are blind. Do you want me to set up a blind date for you? I have a few good girls in mind." Mrs. Parkor winked as she chuckled away. Aiden could only look away in embarrassment. "No, I don''t think that would be necessary..." Aiden whispered in between his breaths. But a voice from behind cut both of them off. "Pathetic." Kaguya''s voice was muffled by her white mask, and yet they resounded behind them giving a cold chill to Aiden''s spine. Aiden and Mrs. Porkar turned around only to find Kaguya standing behind them? ''Since when was she there?'' And while Mrs. Porkar had tilted her head in confusion. Aiden had only alarm bells ringing in his head instead. ''What''s she doing here?'' Kaguya was definitely the tank for the day. And while she wasn''t the only tank, it was highly unusual for the tanks to be leaving the battlefield. After all, they were the front line of defense. ''Don''t tell me...'' Aiden''s pupils shook. He was suspicious of Kaguya from the very beginning and she was now acting even more suspicious. He couldn''t help but think that Kaguya was too dangerous for both him and his team. She seemed like some kind of suspicious homicidal killer. What Aiden feared most was that all of his teammates were already dead and with Kaguya''s rank she was perfectly capable of doing that. Aiden quickly opened his status to check without bothering to confirm everything. [List of Boosted Players] Makayla Parkor - Speed Boost (57:20) Ardent Setstone - Speed Boost (56:40) Bane Vossel - Attack Boost (54:00) ... "No, they are alive." Aiden''s status system always showed the list of players he had applied his boost against and also a timer to signify the time they had left.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. As long as they were all alive, they were going to appear on the status screen. That means Aiden''s worry was for naught. But when you have a powerful individual standing like a ghost behind you just like in Horror movies, you couldn''t help but be spooked out. "Since when were you here?" Aiden asked. "You fucker. Do you think your sister is some kind of burden on you? How can someone be so sick in the head! You are just a useless good for nothing!" "So you heard everything? Despite that, there seems to be some kind of misunderstanding..." Aiden never remembers calling his sister a burden. Rather Aiden had always assumed his sister to be that same odd teenager. But little by little even that teenager was growing. She was already 17, and it was but a few days before she would be a bonafide adult. Well to him she would always be a little one. But it was bad for him to spoil her too much regardless of whether Aiden could even afford it or not. What Aiden was planning rather was to let her make her own choices and live independently. ''I would transfer all of my savings to her to pay for the tuition. As a former guardian of hers, it also makes sense if I send part of the money I earn monthly to her.'' Aiden thought disregarding the core emotion that was driving Mrs. Parkor''s argument. But before he could word it out, he already felt cold hands wrapped around his neck. Aiden''s hair stood up as alarm bells began ringing on his head. Aiden looked up at Kaguya. Her pale blue eyes had turned frigid. It was as if she had lost her cool in anger. Mrs. Parkor immediately got alarmed as her eyes popped out. She reached out and pulled Kaguya''s hands instead, in an attempt to free Aiden. "Stop! What are you doing?" Mrs. Parkor''s scream was able to bring Kaguya back to her senses. Her hands shook as she pulled them back in disbelief. "I am sorry," Kaguya whispered turning towards Mrs. Parkor as she pulled back. *cough* *cough* Aiden panicked for breath. ''Shouldn''t you be apologizing to me instead?'' ''What''s wrong with her?'' Aiden thought. Aiden not only feels threatened by her power but this Kaguya seemed to have some kind of personal grudge against him, which was really bad. Aiden felt his legs shaking from her unsurpassable killing intent alone. He was directly subjected to it after all. He couldn''t even hear the verbal lashings that Mrs. Parkor was subjecting Kaguya now. ''Mrs. Parkor, if you don''t want to get in trouble. You should stay away from her.'' Aiden couldn''t even begin what kind of dangerous person Yuna was in friends with. He would have to reach home talk this out seriously with her. "Godammit! I said I am sorry. It was just that I... I lost my cool for a bit and was threatening him. I wasn''t planning to harm him," Kaguya began to defend herself. From afar it would seem like an old lady lashing her daughter like a girl, but it was a far more complicated situation than that. "You should apologize to him." "No, I won''t! It''s all his fault in the first place. This son of bitch is just a useless piece of junk with useless skills. He can''t do anything but mine in dungeons. It pains me to see someone like him, holding back Yuna. This bastard is just a burden to her and should just go somewhere and die!" Mrs Parkor was taken aback. "That''s a really rude thing to say considering what he is going through. And it is not like one can choose to be born with powerful skills and titles. He is trying his best." Kaguya shook her head. "That won''t be changing my mind. He is still a useless good for nothing... I won''t apologize!" Saying so Kaguya stormed off leaving Aiden and Mrs. Parkor behind. *sigh* "Kids these days. Aiden, are you okay, child?" "Yeah... yeah, I think." Aiden nodded. "You shouldn''t worry too much about this. Just be careful around her okay?" "Yeah" Aiden didn''t know what more to say. Mrs. Parkor who was watching from the third person''s perspective had a better idea though. It was just a hot-blooded youngster who thought that her friend''s brother was an embarrassment and lost her cool. But she didn''t point that out to Aiden and only sighed. How could she say it? It would only burden the poor child more. And none of it was Aiden''s fault in the first place. He had been giving it his all. But circumstances had brought him to a tough place. And there was only so much she as an outsider could interfere with. ''Scary. Scary.'' Alarm bells were ringing in his head. The killing intent that he was subjected to had reduced his capacity to think as his whole body shivered. No monster had done this much damage to his soul as this girl had. And perhaps, had Mrs. Parkor been subjected to that same killing intent, she wouldn''t have come up with such a basic conclusion either. Passing it off as just another ''hot-blooded youngster'' was probably a little too far-fetched. C8: Pick Ups
As Aiden came out of the dungeon breathing out fresh air, he finally felt a bit of relief and security. Diving in dungeon was always dangerous but today he felt threatened for a completely different kind of monster altogether. ''At least everyone else is here. I have to make sure I don''t end up alone with her from now on.'' Aiden wasn''t really sure what her true motivations were but he couldn''t help but be wary after what happened. ''Scary, scary.'' Aiden thought as he glanced towards her as she came out. She had her hands tucked inside her shirt pockets and it was difficult to figure out where she was looking cause of her hoodie. In the end, Mrs Parkor ended up deciding not to discuss the matter with the others. Rather she assured Aiden that she would secretly talk it out with her husband and see what they could do. After all it was her husband that brought Kaguya to the team. Aiden had no idea why Kaguya was lying about her rank when she could profit more by revealing it. But if she really was a high ranker as Aiden thought then there was no use in arguing over this matter with Mrs. Parkor. After all, the team would always welcome a higher ranker than a lower one if conflict were to arise. So, Aiden could do nothing other than helplessly agreeing. The Sun had already set and it was already past dark. Yet it was not yet enough to the city to fall asleep yet. In the distance one could see the brilliant light adjourning the city coming from every other household. If one were to focus enough they could easily here the cars honking in the distance thanks to their awakened senses. It was still not time for Aiden to head home though. "I hope he comes back fast. I don''t want to be in the vicinity of this woman for too long." Ardent Setstone, was sent to sell the resources they had collected so far. He had skills specifically suited to fast movement and with Aiden speed boost he was even faster. It shouldn''t take long for him to make a round trip and come back with the money. And then they would have to split the money amongst themselves for the day. Aiden didn''t know about others. But for him, it was mostly earn everyday and eat everyday situation where he would just stash away a little bit to his savings which would pile up for paying Yuna''s tution fees. The amount that Aiden earns was probably enough for a bachelor like him to eat and sleep in comfort and also to support another girl but it was Yuna''s expensive school fees that took up majority of it. It was like a perpetual never ending black hole that sucked away all the gold that he got. ''Those elite private schools never showed any mercy, but at least its over now. University would be far more leniency thanks to scholarships.'' Aiden curled up as he rubbed his shoulders. It was a chilly night. Or perhaps it was because he was shivering in fear of Kaguya that he felt cold? ''What kind of age we have ended up in. I have to be wary of some random teenager.'' Being an adult, it was a blow to his pride, but there was nothing that could help it. He turned around again stealing a glance of Kaguya confirming what she was up to. He also heard several familiar faces complementing that vision.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Hey, Kaguya? Want to hang out with us for a while after this?" Bane Vossel asked out. "No, thanks." "Ow, don''t be live that." Bane tried to curl his hand around her shoulders trying to be friendly. Kaguya shook her off but he kept on pestering her with other things. It was kind of hard to find out what kind of expression Kaguya was making but Aiden had hunches. ''Scary, Scary. Is he tired of living?'' Aiden couldn''t help but think. Aiden was aware that Bane had the habit of hitting and picking up whichever girl he could. Aiden was also aware that Kaguya with her youthful appearance certainly seemed to be the type of her girl he would hit on. But Bane didn''t know how scary Kaguya was! Aiden rolled his eyes in disbelief as to how his party members still couldn''t figure out that she was not an E rank. Could someone really be this clueless? What''s more? This guy was supposedly fighting alongside her unlike Aiden. "Please don''t die on me." Aiden whispered a secret wish. Bane could be a jerk sometimes but he knew how to do his job and was an intergral part of their team. If he died wouldn''t the group fall out? That would certainly be bad for Aiden''s income. "Ugh," Aiden greeted his teeth and walked straight towards them. "Bane, can you come with me for a second? I have something important to tell you." Aiden tried his best to keep on a forced smile. "Huh? Can''t you see I am busy at the moment? Fuck off dude." Aiden lips pursed. Even though Bane''s choice of words was rather harsh, he had a face that seemed to be pleading. Bane was giving Aiden the signals to not come in between when he was busy with a girl. But that made Aiden feel even more guilty. On the other hand, it was hard to guess what was on Kaguya mind. ''Why is she so silent?'' "Come on, Babe. Let''s go somewhere else." "No, I am not interested." That was what Kaguya claimed but Bane still pestered as he tried to grab her hand. Bane didn''t have a bad game either as him reaching out seemed completely natural instead of him being desperate. But before he could do so Aiden grabbed his hand instead. Bane turned towards Aiden with a look of disbelief, for he knew that Aiden wasn''t the type to interfere with his ''pick ups''. Bane''s lips moved without a sound. ''What are you doing?'' he asked as he raised his brows. Aiden sighed. Could he tell him that he fears that one of his homies was going to die because he tried to offend someone too dangerous. How could he say that with the person in question just being in front of them? "I am sorry to say this Bane. But I have to ask you to stop. I wouldn''t have interfered normally but she is my sister''s friend. How could I show my face to my sister, like this? If she were to learn that I allowed her friend to be treated badly at my workplace? I don''t care what you do outside. Hell, I don''t care what you do at the dungeons either. But please have some manners while you are here, isn''t that fine?" Aiden ranted whatever came to his mind. That''s what Aiden said but after he did so... he made slight whispers making sure that these whispers didn''t reach Kaguya. ''Listen, she has problematic BACKGROUND. And also...'' But before he could complete his sentence. *Bam* Kaguya grabbed the hand that was reaching out for her a moment ago causing Aiden to stop in his speech. But before Aiden could figure out what was happening Kaguya put all of her strength into her grab and tossed Bane into the air. "AHHHH!" he screamed in utter shock. Aiden who had but a lose hold on Bane''s hand couldn''t do anything as he slipped by. He could only watch him fly. In the end he got slammed mercilessly to the floor. Aiden looked at Kaguya in disbelief. He wasn''t the only one. Others turned towards her too. ''Yeah, definitely not an E rank.'' "I don''t need your help to deal with jerks, you asshole. What could a good for nothing like you even do?" Kaguya clicked her tongue as she faced Aiden. "Language?" Aiden didn''t say anything more as he swallowed the other words he had. ''There seems to be some kind of misunderstanding here...'' Why would Aiden ever try to help Kaguya? At most he was trying to help his homie. While Aiden was at a loss for words, Mrs Parkor stared daggers at Kaguya. Feeling an itch up her spine Kaguya noticed her glare. "What? He was getting handsy with me so I knocked him out." she said in her defence. Mrs Parkor too could only sigh as she had nothing to say. She too knew about Bane''s nature. She too had been a victim once and things ended up quite similar as well. Aiden turned towards Bane who was now knocked out in the floor with his hands and legs turned in distorted directions. "Ouch, looks painful," Aiden whispered. ''Why do I feel like I am responsible for this?'' Aiden laughed awkwardly. ''It isn''t likely that she beat Bane up just to let out her frustration over me, now could it?'' C9: Cracks The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.