《Zero Attack Armor Stacker》 1. A Giant Mistake Elian Ward always thought attacking Blunderbore, the Giants'' capital, was a laughably insane idea. Now, he was part of the force attacking it and wasn¡¯t laughing. And it truly was insane. Each one of them participating in the attack knew that. But they also all knew they had no choice. It¡¯d be the beginning of the end for humanity. That was why the Council of the United voted to send humanity¡¯s strongest heroes to stop the ritual. Elian was strong but far from the strongest and shouldn¡¯t have been part of the attack. He wasn¡¯t a hero either. At least, he never thought of himself as one. But if everything went according to plan, he¡¯d be the most heroic hero in all of history. The earth trembled as another of the Giant King¡¯s elite guards fell. Flying debris dinged off Elian¡¯s barrier as he treated the wounded. ¡°Stay still, Yanira,¡± said Elian, holding his glowing green hands over her. Emerald tattoos curling in the runes of Sirona surfaced on his skin. ¡°I¡¯m doing the best I can.¡± ¡°Elian¡­¡± Lady Yanira of the Mist Barrier coughed up blood. ¡°Do-don¡¯t bother¡­¡± She looked down at her body. Everything past her abdomen was gone, entrails strewn across the ground. A swing of the Giant guard had caught her. She would be dead if not for Elian. His Melded Greater Boon of Lasting Relief allowed him to match the abilities of the most adept healers and was the reason the Council let him join the assault despite lacking in the firepower aspect. Boons, abilities granted by deities to their chosen, were akin to miracles. But they had limits. Elian couldn¡¯t reconstruct Yanira¡¯s lower half because he had expended too much energy during the course of the attack. Tears pooled at the corners of her eyes. ¡°Le-let me die. Re-remove¡­ pain. Heal others.¡± Elian knew he should move on. If he successfully pulled off his plan, her death wouldn¡¯t have happened. But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to leave her after all the years they¡¯ve fought together. Yanira was one of the earliest friends he made after getting yanked from Earth and thrown into the world of Fellenyr. Yanira touched his cheek. ¡°You were always¡­ so unwavering. Go.¡± ¡°Rest now,¡± Elian said, weaving her into a deep sleep before he withdrew his healing magic. He left her as she breathed her last. All of this will never happen, Elian reminded himself as he jumped over a severed Giant leg and joined the push into the castle of Giant King Gogmagog. He called up the Covenant with the Gods, a magical display only visible to the specific person that showed their attributes, Boons, and Curses. It was akin to the stat table of RPG games on Earth. Just like checking his pocket several times for his wallet before he left his apartment¡ªElian hadn¡¯t been in his apartment on Earth for almost fifteen years¡ªhe always checked and rechecked the Covenant to make sure there actually was a plan. He never trusted that Timekeeper not to withdraw his Boon suddenly. Elian Ward | Human | Level: 228 Health: 136,000/136,000 Energy: 951/66,550 ATTRIBUTES: Attack Power: 220,245 Magic Power: 0 Armor: 53,119 Magic Resilience: 35,702 DIVINE BESTOWAL: Melded Greater Boon of Lasting Relief III Melded Greater Boon of Abundance and Famine III Melded Greater Boon of the Enduring Circle III Greater Boon of the Timekeeper¡¯s Secret Gift III Greater Boon of Seven Sorrows III Greater Curse of the Berserking Abyssal Eye III Lesser Boon of the Final Throne III Lesser Curse of Tranquil Corrosion II I¡¯m unwavering because of this, Elian thought as he focused on the Boon from the bastard Timekeeper who yanked him from Earth and tasked him with saving the humans of Fellenyr. Greater Boon of the Timekeeper¡¯s Secret Gift For a great sacrifice of your present and future, the way to the past is opened after you death. A hundred Favors and half of your improvements, so demands the Timekeeper. Along with your mind from the future, you can bring a Greater Boon or Greater Curse with you to the start of your journey. Forbidden from sharing knowledge of this gift, your tongue is tied lest you destroy the Timekeeper¡¯s work. The conditions set by the Timekeeper¡¯s Boon severely weakened Elian despite him working much harder than the next guy. All of his attributes gained were halved, not to mention he had to start from level one though already an adult. Everyone should applaud him for reaching this far despite the massive challenges. And that wasn¡¯t all. Each level rewards the person with a Favor Point. Elian had to set aside a hundred of those for the activation of his time travel instead of progressing his other Boons or Curses. Not to mention he had to invest Favor Points into the Timekeeper¡¯s Secret Gift itself to make it a Greater Boon and lessen its penalties. It was much, much worse before. So many attribute points were eaten away by this Boon. The Favor Points of a hundred level wasted. Or not. Everything would be worth it once Elian returned to the past. This was why the deaths of friends and allies never hit him as hard as they should. He was going to save them all anyway. He always kept note of important events that transpired and studied the Boons and Curses that¡¯d best suit the situation once he literally restarted his life on Fellenyr. Too bad that there was a restriction from being able to tell others that he had a reset button or he could¡¯ve brainstormed much more. Nonetheless, he was confident in his plans. He chose the Greater Curse of the Berserking Abyssal Eye to bring back with him. Greater Curse of the Berserking Abyssal Eye Attack Power multiplied by eight. For every thousand points of Attack Power, increase the multiplier by one. Magic Power reduced to zero. The Abyssal Eye curses your body to never feel the touch of healing from any deity. The efficacy of all potions that touch your lips will be cut in half. Boons and Curses¡ªElian would always say they were almost the same because they both granted benefits at a cost. Slight differences in obtaining them, he conceded. Boons were also generally less harsh. Even the Timekeeper¡¯s condition was mild for the price of resetting the world. In comparison, what the Abyssal Eye imposed on him was much more burdensome and dangerous. A healer who couldn¡¯t heal himself, that was Elian Ward. After all the time and sweat he paid to gain favor from two gods and merge their gifts for the much-coveted Melded Greater Boon of Lasting Relief, people thought him crazy or stupid for approaching the Abyssal Eye for its Curse. But he needed the massive increase of Attack Power to change early key events that¡¯d certainly affect the future. He wasn¡¯t going to waste years as a weakling like before.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Trust in me, Yanira, Elian thought. Everyone. Trust in me. He¡¯d make sure to prevent their deaths in the next timeline. He¡¯d personally take care of this damned Giant King. Elian insisted on joining this mission because he couldn¡¯t get information about the defenses of the castle and about Giant King Gogmagog anywhere else. He was certain no one would survive this attack to return and share what they¡¯ve learned. This was a suicide mission, a last-ditch attempt of humanity to survive. As the heroes cleared floor after floor of the castle, descending deeper and deeper into its bowels, Elian committed its guards and defenses to memory. The next time they¡¯d attack this place, he promised none of them would die. Maybe some. They lost two-thirds of their number fighting from the walls of the city up to the castle gate. And they continued to dwindle. ¡°Can we take on the Giant King?¡± asked Reuben the Faint Wind. He looked around, probably counting those remaining and thinking the same as Elian. Forty-seven of them left. ¡°We have to,¡± was the curt response of Marcus of the Iron Walls, their de facto leader after the Great Hero Salvinor died outside the castle. Any more discussions were cut short because they arrived in front of towering doors. The doorway was wide enough to fit a human-sized castle through. Not really surprising because this was built for Giants. The problem was that the doors were made from faewyrm bones, resilient to magic, and secured by layers of warding runes of the Elder Giants. Beyond them must be the place where the ritual was held. ¡°Are there any Runebreakers still¡ª?¡± Marcus began to say when a low rumble made everyone tense up. The doors slowly swung open. The darkness beyond looked like a monster¡¯s maw, inviting them to come inside with the promise they¡¯d never leave. ¡°The Giant King mocks us!¡± shouted Witchblade Maria. ¡°Saves us time too,¡± Elian mumbled under his breath. ¡°Let us enter.¡± Marcus sent flying light orbs ahead as he passed through the doorway. As the rest of the group followed, he ordered formations and preparations. ¡°Don¡¯t slack in your detection. Spread light. We don¡¯t want to be caught by an ambush.¡± But there was none. No traps or Giants lying in wait to attack them. Their group wandered into a room so vast they couldn¡¯t see the walls or the ceiling despite the spells they cast. It might as well be a cavern with no end. Each of the hundreds of pillars holding up the dark ceiling was bigger than the towers of the Iron Walls. ¡°WELCOME, HUMANS!¡± A forceful wave washed over Elian and his comrades. Some of them fell on their knees. A couple outright fainted. Migraines suddenly plagued Elian as he tasted bitterness at the back of his tongue. Just hearing those two words, he knew they could never defeat the one who had spoken. From the shadows stepped forth the biggest Giant that Elian or any of them had ever seen, standing twice taller than the castle guards. They barely came up past the Giant¡¯s ankles. Wearing regal attire and adorned with jewelry boasting gems the size of a wagon, there was no doubt that this was Giant King Gogmagog. ¡°I CONGRATULATE YOU FOR REACHING THIS PLACE,¡± said the Giant King. ¡°YOU TINY CREATURES NEVER CEASE TO AMAZE ME.¡± None of them could respond to the Giant King. Only a few of their group remained standing straight on their feet. Most wobbled. Others were on the ground. Elian bent over as he vomited. The world spun. He fought for focus. What did he learn about the Giant King so far? Nothing! He couldn¡¯t pass out now. ¡°Yo-you¡¯re going to die!¡± Marcus found his voice and fought the Giant King¡¯s overwhelming pressure. The last knight of the Iron Walls conjured dozens of golden spears in the air in a blink and sent them flying to the Giant King. Inspired by Marcus¡¯ bravery, the others snapped out of their paralysis. They shouted in defiance of the unbeatable foe and used the last of their strength to attack. Even Elian joined in, desperately seeking the weakness of the Giant King. But there seemed to be none. They couldn¡¯t even singe his clothes, their spells stopped by an invisible wall. Someone tried to attack the barrier with his swords, only to be shocked by powerful lightning upon contact. I don¡¯t know how to beat this guy! Elian raged in his head. They had traveled so far and fought through hell only to discover nothing useful. No matter. There was a next time. And the next, and yet another next after that. He could rely on the Timekeeper¡¯s power to endlessly retry this until he won. ¡°ENOUGH!¡± Marcus exploded into fine red mist. Elian didn¡¯t see what happened. Some of them started to flee; their screams were cut short as they died in a blink. Those who stayed pressed on with the fruitless attack, bursting and dying one by one as Marcus had. Elian stopped fighting. I¡¯ll avenge all of you, was his only thought. Twelve of them left. Now, eight. Five. Three. Elian nodded at Reuben the Faint Wind before closing his eyes to receive his fate. Silence. No more screams. No more explosions. The only sound he could hear was his breathing. Elian opened his eyes to the last of the glowing orbs of Marcus flickering out of existence. But he didn¡¯t need to cast any skill for light because the gems worn by the Giant King shone brightly. The floor was painted red with the blood of Elian¡¯s comrades. He couldn¡¯t make out anything recognizable from the gore. Even the pieces of armor they had worn were pulverized. The monster responsible for the massacre remained unmoving where he stood, an amused look on his face high above. ¡°DO YOU KNOW WHY I LEFT YOU ALIVE, HUMAN?¡± asked Giant King Gogmagog. ¡°No¡­¡± Eli pushed on his knees and straightened himself to look up at his colossal enemy. ¡°EACH ONE OF YOUR LITTLE FRIENDS WAS AFRAID. THEIR BRAVERY OVERCAME THEIR FEAR. BUT NOT YOU. I SENSE NO FEAR IN YOU.¡± ¡°Someday, the one who¡¯ll defeat you will come!¡± Elian shouted, his lungs struggling to push out air. It¡¯ll be me, he added in his head. He activated the runes inside his armor, preparing to detonate his surprise. ¡°YOU WHOLEHEARTEDLY BELIEVE YOUR OWN WORDS DESPITE FACING CERTAIN DEFEAT. I WONDER WHY¡­¡± The eyes of the Giant King turned gold with inscription of burning red surfacing. What was the Giant King doing? Elian made sure to remember every stroke of the inscriptions though his vision was hazy. The symbols might hold a clue to the Giant King¡¯s magic. He¡¯d research them in the next timeline. ¡°Humanity¡­ never gives up!¡± Elian stepped forward though his legs felt like lead. He flitted in and out of consciousness with one thought left¡ªput even just a scratch on this colossal bastard before dying. ¡°AH¡­ I SEE. AN INKLING OF YOUR PLAN, I HAVE.¡± The Giant King must be talking about the bomb that Elian carried. He couldn¡¯t have known about Elian¡¯s Timekeeper¡¯s Boon, could he? A few more seconds. Whether the Giant King killed him or the bomb exploded, Elian would be on his way to the past. None of the Giant King¡¯s nonsense would stop him. ¡°I PRAY FOR MY ANCESTORS TO CURSE YOU!¡± rumbled Giant King Gogmagog. A mountain of a shadow loomed behind the Giant King. ¡°MAY YOU SURVIVE TO WATCH THIS ALL UNFOLD ONCE MORE BUT BE POWERLESS TO DO ANYTHING.¡± ¡°Wha-?¡± "I BID YOU, GOODBYE.¡± And Elian exploded.
Elian stirred as sunlight danced on his eyelids. He blinked to adjust his eyes and looked up at the bright sun of Fellenyr, gold with occasional strings of green that were said to be good luck. He felt the soft grass below him as he pushed himself to sit up. Just like the previous time, he was wearing a plain shirt and shorts. His last moment on Earth was buying groceries. Looking around, he beheld a familiar sight he hadn¡¯t seen for so long. The house of old man Wendell and his wife stood across a plot of freshly tilled soil. Their barns were further beyond. The rolling hills to his left were where groff roamed. And behind him, there was the tree with that awful-tasting fruit. He tried eating it before and ended up puking the whole night. ¡°I¡¯ve returned to the past! It worked!¡± Elian cheered. He was concerned for a moment back there that the Giant King had a way to stop it. He balled a right hand into a fist. Angry red tattoos of different eye designs appeared on his arm. The Curse he designated to bring was also here. Excited to test it, Elian punched the tree for revenge, expecting the bark to break. But the tree was unharmed. 2. Sticks and Stones ¡°Huh? What just happened?¡± Elian stared at his fist. Tattoos of the Abyssal Eye blazed. He punched the tree again, giving it his all this time. His knuckles connected with the rough bark. But instead of a loud crash or a crunch, there was only a gentle thump as if he had tapped it. The bark wasn¡¯t cracked at all. The tree didn¡¯t shake. Not one leaf fell. A cold hand grasped his heart. Something was very wrong. With a wave, he summoned the Covenant with the Gods and made terrifying discoveries. Elian Ward | Human | Level:1 Health: 150/150 Energy: 50/50 ATTRIBUTES: Attack Power: 0 Magic Power: 0 Armor: 1,620 Magic Resilience: 0 DIVINE BESTOWAL: Greater Curse of the Berserking Abyssal Eye III Greater Curse of the Powerless Physical Immortal I Attack and Magic Power both started at a hundred the last time. His Armor and Magic Resilience should be ten each. The Greater Curse of the Berserking Abyssal Eye reduced his Magic Power to zero as a penalty. That was supposed to happen. But why was his Attack Power, which was supposed to have increased, turned zero as well? And what was this other Curse? He hadn¡¯t heard of it before. Greater Curse of the Powerless Physical Immortal Transfer all your Attack Power and Magic Power to your Armor, becoming helpless in a fight while gaining durability beyond measure. Suffer the ultimate vulnerability to magic in return for quadrupling your Armor. So wills the Elder Giant, whose skin is impervious to steel but not magic. ¡°Elder Giant?¡± Elian replayed his last moments before dying. Was the dark wall that came up behind the Giant King one of the Elder Giants? Was the awakening ritual already completed? If so, even if they had enough forces to kill the Giant King, their mission would have been in vain and humanity still would¡¯ve lost. Elder Giants were considered deities by other gods before they were defeated thousands of years ago. The Giant King must¡¯ve somehow suspected what Elian was doing¡ªperhaps he was knowledgeable of the Timekeeper¡¯s shenanigans¡ªand asked the Elder Giant to counter it. The Elder Giant couldn¡¯t overcome the authority of the Timekeeper, but he sure could make life very hard for the returned Elian. Bizarrely, the Elder Giant was able to inflict him with a Greater Curse. It should start from a Lesser Curse and it was up to Elian to invest Favor in it. Another thing was that it stuck with him through the time travel. His two Curses affecting each other meant that for every point of Attack Power, he¡¯d gain sixteen Armor. The Elder Giant didn¡¯t know that Elian had stored the Greater Curse of the Berserking Abyssal Eye and didn¡¯t account for this interaction. But it wasn¡¯t something to celebrate. From a healer who couldn¡¯t heal himself, to a tank who couldn¡¯t heal himself and was a wet toilet paper defending against magic. And he didn¡¯t have any Attack or Magic Power to contribute to a fight! Elian rested his forehead on the tree and closed his eyes to compose himself. ¡°Fine,¡± he said after several minutes. ¡°If the Giant King wants me to stay on the sidelines of every battle, so be it. I have plenty of testing to do to see how things would play out. I can always return to the past and¡ª¡± Can I still return? He hurriedly checked the Covenant again to make sure his eyes weren¡¯t tricking him. Two Greater Curses. Nothing else. The Greater Boon of the Timekeeper¡¯s Secret Gift was gone. Was it a one-time thing? ¡°Timekeeper!¡± Elian walked around the tree, shouting for the Timekeeper to show himself. He wasn¡¯t expecting that creepy cloaked man carrying a dozen kinds of clocks to respond. The first and only time they met was right after the Timekeeper randomly yanked Elian from Earth. In the whiteness of the dimension called the In-Between, the Timekeeper granted Elian his Boon and plopped him on Fellenyr with the task of saving humanity from getting wiped out. This time, Elian didn¡¯t come from the In-Between. He was from the future, carrying two Curses. He wasn¡¯t the same Elian granted the Timekeeper¡¯s Secret Gift or else he wouldn¡¯t have the Curses. There must be a time travel paradox explanation for this that he wouldn¡¯t understand anyway. Bottom line, there were no more second chances. If he died¡­ that was it. His mind raced. He wasn¡¯t giving up. Searching the field for a stone, he found one the size of his fist. If his punches couldn¡¯t do any harm, would wielding a weapon circumvent the limitation? He repeatedly hit the trunk with the stone. The ¡®hit¡¯ became a tap. Other than a few tiny scratches on the tree that must¡¯ve come from the stone¡¯s rough surface rubbing against the bark, there was no other damage. Frustrated, Elian threw the stone up. It got lodged in between branches. He looked up and laughed. It reminded him of a basketball stuck to the side of the hoop. Been a long time since he had played basketball. Not that he was any good at it. Just a bunch of unfit office guys trying to get some exercise after work, relaxing before diving into the horrible commute on the way home. He was starting to forget the faces of his friends. The Timekeeper promised to return Elian to Earth after he saved the humans of Fellenyr. He might never meet any of his family and friends again because of the Greater Curse of the Powerless Physical Immortal weighing him down. What am I going to do now? Elian asked the stone above him. A gust of wind rolled over and made the tree sway its branches. Even the wind could do more to the tree than him. As the tree danced, the stone got free and fell on his head. It harmlessly bounced off of him because of his high Armor and landed on a fallen twig on the ground.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The stone broke the twig. ¡°Newton!¡± Elian jolted at the epiphany. ¡°Wait. Newton¡¯s the guy who got hit by the apple, right? Not Einstein? Oh, wrong time period.¡± If Elian was having difficulties remembering his life before he was taken from Earth, science lessons in school were a distant memory. Elian picked up the stone and dropped it a few more times on pieces of bark and twigs. Whether he dropped it from a branch or straight from his hand, the expected happened¡ªthe falling stone damaged whatever it landed on. The Elder Giant¡¯s Curse didn¡¯t work in this case because Elian wasn¡¯t doing any attacks, hence his zero Attack Power wasn¡¯t a hindrance. Conversely, if Elian threw that same stone at the tree, it didn¡¯t do anything. He was technically attacking the tree with the stone. ¡°I¡¯m not so helpless after all,¡± Elian said, sitting next to the tree. ¡°Given how this Curse worked, I still should be able to use bombs and potions.¡± Did a crossbow count? It wasn¡¯t the shooter who propelled the bolt forward but rather the rope pulled back by mechanisms. But the line in the Curse about ¡°becoming helpless in a fight¡± might extend to a crossbow since it was still a weapon he¡¯d operate. He¡¯d figure that out with more testing. This was the hand he had been dealt with. No use complaining and moping. Always look on the bright side. That was his mantra to survive the corporate world as one of the cogs of the massive wheel. He¡¯d drown in misery if he only focused on the negative. He was very hard to kill. A very huge deal in this dangerous world. He also didn¡¯t need to spend any Favor Points leveling the Abyssal Eye¡¯s Curse while the Elder Giant¡¯s Curse only had two more levels to go before its highest tier. He should avoid taking any more Curses because they couldn¡¯t be Melded together like Boons. Be more conscious of what Boons to fill up the remaining six slots for Divine Bestowals. Wrapping up his self-pep talk, Elian headed to Wendell¡¯s house. The kind old man would give him breakfast, and he could begin training. Unlike the humans of Fellenyr who were born with the Covenant, Elian obtained it as an adult. His actions had just started to be taken into account for attributes. Every level gives one Favor Point. Unlike the RPGs he used to play, the level-up didn¡¯t give points to Strength, Agility, or those sorts of things. There was none of those in Fellenyr. A person doing push-ups would increase his strength, and that would be reflected by higher Attack Power. Studying and practicing magic spells would increase Magic Power. That meant people slowly increased their attributes through the years. Elian had a lot of catching up to do. Walking up to the door of the small farmhouse, Elian breathed deeply, taking in the smell of grass and manure. There was also the scent of freshly baked bread. He arrived just in time. He sorely missed this place and also felt guilty he wasn¡¯t able to return here. Elian never saw Wendell and Thalia, his wife, ever again. This area and the rest of the valley would be trampled by the Giants in a few years. Elian knocked on the wooden door, barely making a sound. ¡°Good morning!¡± he loudly said. He spoke Angloise, an odd mix of oldish sort of English and the other languages of Fellenyr. Humans weren¡¯t native to Fellenyr, which was why the Giants wanted to wipe them out. A long time ago, different groups of humans from around the Renaissance Period of Earth got transported here. They survived and thrived, mingling with the other races. Hundreds of years later, humans carved a large portion of the biggest continent as their own territory. The door opened and out came an elderly man, stooped because of age but retaining some muscles due to working hard every day. He raised a bushy white brow and looked over Elian, no doubt wondering about his half-Asian features and his clothes from Earth. Elian¡¯s black hair in a crew cut wasn¡¯t common for men in this world. Probably most notable for the old man was Elian¡¯s complexion, with no hint of working under the sun as he spent most of his waking hours in an air-conditioned office. ¡°Mornin¡¯, good sir,¡± said Wendell, assuming that Elian was someone high-born from abroad. ¡°How may I help you? Are you lost?¡± When Wendell and Elian first met in the original timeline, they skirted the cliff of incoherence. Angloise had just enough English words for Elian to understand maybe ten percent of the conversation. It was the pronunciations that made comprehending them more difficult. Wendell also had thought Elian was a noble or the son of a rich merchant who had lost his way or been left behind by his caravan. The old man took him in and gave him food and a roof over his head for a month while Elian learned about the new world. If there was an award for the most charitable person on Fellenyr, Elian would give that to Wendell. ¡°I¡¯m not lost,¡± Elian said, smiling so broadly it must¡¯ve appeared unsettling. He wanted to hug the old man but that¡¯d make things awkward. ¡°My name¡¯s Elian Ward from Gilders beyond the Sunder Valley.¡± Wendell gave an airy whistle through his missing tooth. ¡°Sunder Valley? That fiery wilderness next to Cinder Town? I know someone from Cinder. That¡¯s a mighty long way away, young man.¡± Wendell leaned to the left and looked behind Elian. ¡°Don¡¯t have anyone else with you? How did you get here?¡± ¡°With two groffs pulling my wagon,¡± was Elian¡¯s reply. He was prepared for his second first meeting with Wendell. ¡°But the axle was broken. That rough patch of road outside the town claims credit for causing our party such a headache.¡± Wendell scratched his sharp chin covered by a patchy beard. ¡°I¡¯ve been tellin¡¯ the mayor we should get that fixed. You¡¯re not the first one to suffer misfortune there. Where¡¯s your wagon and groffs?¡± ¡°I left them in town with my companions while I visit you. I decided to walk because it¡¯s not too far. Good thing the road passes through here is in a much better condition. Made walking easier.¡± ¡°Visit me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an acquaintance of your friend, Patel of Gilders. Always offers me a discount for the supplies I buy from his shop. Whenever my family butchers a Filloswine, I make sure to give him the head. He adores it. Patel told me that you gave him a Filloswine head as a gift on his wedding day. I came here to say hello and see if you have a message I can bring to him.¡± Wendell¡¯s face lit up and more wrinkles appeared at the mention of Patel. ¡°You know my childhood best friend? Damn right, he likes his Filloswine. Eats so much of it he ends up lookin¡¯ like one too. Er, it¡¯s been years since I last saw him. Is he still¡­?¡± Wendell shaped a large belly in front of him. ¡°Most definitely,¡± said Elian. Five years from now, he¡¯d walk into Patel¡¯s store to stock supplies for exploring Sunder Valley. Their conversation would lead to another until Patel realized that Elian had met Wendell. ¡°Come on in.¡± Wendell opened the door wider. ¡°Any man who makes sure Patel doesn¡¯t lose weight is a friend of mine.¡± Elian couldn¡¯t help but feel nostalgic as he looked around the cramped house made of logs. Fifteen years he lived on Fellenyr and he¡¯d never forget his first month. This farmer couple was a blessing to him. He had zero idea of survival. Typing away on a computer for twelve hours a day never prepared him for the mission that the Timekeeper gave him. Wendell introduced his wife and they all shared a meal of bread and soup with vegetables. Thalia thought their meal was too simple for a well-off-looking guest like Elian, so she cooked a few slices of the cured ham hanging from the rafters and fried a few eggs. ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± Elian said. ¡°It makes me feel inadequate for not bringing a gift.¡± ¡°No worries about that, Sir Ward of Gilders,¡± said Thalia. ¡°We scarcely have a guest in this part of the valley. Enjoy it here after your long trip.¡± ¡°It is relaxing on your farm. I was supposed to have a quick chat before returning to town, but I¡¯m thinking of staying until the sun sets if that¡¯s okay with you. Enjoy the air and the beauty of the landscape. Our group will resume traveling tomorrow.¡± Wendell took the plate of sizzling ham and eggs and placed them in front of Elian. ¡°You can sleep here for the night if you want. Tell us stories of Patel, and your travels as well. Storm God knows we get no news ¡®round here.¡± Elian readily agreed, for he intentionally stirred the conversation this way. This was what he had been waiting for. Tonight, a Myrclaw would come to attack the farm. It escaped from a passing caravan transporting beasts for a nobleman¡¯s collection and somehow wandered here. Elian would make sure no harm came to the couple. This wasn¡¯t related to the big picture of defeating the Giants. This was about saving his friends. And because he¡¯d earn money for fixing the nobleman¡¯s problem.