Serum - Chapter 54

Sp4de

Hello everyone, Author here.

Just wanted to let you know why I disappeared on Tuesday. At the beginning of the week, I very suddenly came down with a nasty flu. I'll spare you the unappetizing details and just say that I was unable to even get out of bed for a few days, resulting in my absence. Even now I haven't gotten over it, and it's taking an embarrassing amount of energy in order to post chapters. But I wanted you to have something and let you know that I didn't fall off the map. 

Unfortunately, today there's only going to be one chapter posted. But I promise to reward everyone once I get better, so look forward to a small chapter dump in the future. 

Thanks and apologies,

Author

Dirk's group exited the dungeon and basked in the cool, fresh air. Without wasting time, they made their way to an inn. It was already dark out since it had taken the whole day to cross the sand dunes to the exit, so not only were they tired, but dirty with sand in their clothes. 

"Two rooms for two nights please."

Alec paid for the inn, and upon getting the keys, the group rushed to their rooms. The girls shot toward the baths, as did Alec and Garet. 

Dirk saw their eagerness and shook his head. Because of his body refining, he almost never sweat even under strenuous conditions. His skin didn't release many oils and dead skin wasn't any longer a thing. He felt about as fresh as the first day he stepped into the dungeon. The only thing he needed to wipe off was the small amount of sand that dusted his face. Other than that, he could be said to be perfectly clean. 

Not even other body refiners could maintain cleanliness for so long. This was a perk afforded to Dirk who had undergone skin destruction. His skin and hair were resilient and wouldn't dirty for long periods of time. Plus, his body was more resistant to changes such as temperature, so only if he pushed himself to his limit would he sweat and become dirty. 

Because of this, he didn't particularly need to shower. It would only be a matter of comfort. 

That night, everyone went to bed with a smile on their face. All except Dirk. Because they were planning on spending a few days outside of the dungeon, he decided to practice his enchanting. Specifically, the rune that he would need to plant onto his mana heart. 

This rune was a couple of steps above anything he had ever seen. Luckily, the book was detailed in its description about how to create it, so he merely needed to practice. It would take a while to successfully form, but it would happen. 

That night, he spent a few hours messing around. Using earth and metal mana, he drew runes in the air continuously. The rune he needed to make was comprised of many smaller runes that would both fuse together and cooperate together. Some runes oversaw the timing of the heart compressions, while others tracked the beat rate of the physical heart. Others would draw on the power of the mana heart to fuel the rune while some would monitor the cycling of mana through the blood. It was a surprisingly complex rune that ensured not only the beating of the mana heart, but its symbiosis with the physical heart. There were even some runes that laid the foundation for heart fusion in the future. These were easily the hardest ones to form. 

For him who had only just formed the most basic rune recently, all of this was exceptionally difficult. In the few hours that Dirk worked on it, he had failed nearly every rune he formed. There were dozens he needed to learn and form, but only one was successfully created. This was the easiest rune too. Naturally, it would take a long while to make all of them. 

But he advanced rapidly. While he may have failed almost all of them, he had gained many little pieces of knowledge that laid a strong foundation for enchanting. Usually, enchanters in training would be given systematic teachings in order to bring them up step by step. But he was jumping straight to the top, and by filling the gaps in himself, he was able to increase his natural ingenuity and attunement for enchanting. While it may not be the most conventional way to learn, introducing inconsistencies into one's general knowledge, it was definitely an effective practice for those that could actually make progress. 

Besides, the Mana Heart technique was one of the greatest techniques in the world. Naturally, the runes created by the techniques creator wouldn't be garbage. That person may have been one of the greatest enchanters of their time. Only someone that smart could create such a technique. If Dirk could form those runes, he could be said to be proficient in enchanting.

Dirk had no qualms about how he went about things. He practiced until it got late, after which he finally decided to go to sleep. 

...........

The next morning, everyone was slow to wake up. Because this was a day off, they indulged in their dreams until late in the morning. 

Dirk, naturally, wasn't one of those. He woke up bright and early. Despite going to bed late, he was refreshed as if he had gotten 12 hours of sleep. If he were on Earth, he wouldn't be so energetic. But because he had trained mana, he could go without much sleep and still be well rested. 

After waking, he did a bit of mana lung training as he dove into practicing the runes again. Because of his practice session last night, he had several ideas to try, and he was able to make even more progress than before. 

However, when noon came around and everyone woke up, he had only succeeded in forming one more rune. This was two out of dozens. He sighed at how long it would be before he completed everything. 

The group woke up and decided to get some food in a nearby restaurant. They congregated around a table and Alec ordered a whole platter to fill everyone up. Unfortunately, this cost more money, and the hopes for making any kind of profit from this job were dwindled down further.

By this point though, Alec couldn't bother with that much. He had eventually shifted his mindset from making money to taking this trip as a way to gain experience. And surprisingly, he also had similar thoughts as Dirk when it came to Garet and Casma. 

Alec also felt that his porter and water mage didn't contribute much to this expedition. Over the week they had been inside the dungeon, Casma had only been useful when it came to filling up their water bags. Only occasionally did she ever fight. All fighting had been left to Dirk, Alec, and Ava. 

However, Alec was different from Dirk in that he still accepted the value of a porter who could carry their luggage. Alec wasn't like Dirk who could so easily go with only a few items on him. He wanted his tent, his rations, blankets, and other necessities. This took up space, and if he had a bag to carry, it would inhibit his fighting ability to some extent. So, he appreciated having someone like Garet.

At the very least though, if Alec was able to stick with Dirk and Ava for another job, he would only bring a porter along. He didn't see a need for any more combat power as the three of them had proved to be more than enough. 

That day after eating, the group went and restocked on supplies. They bought enough rations to last them over a week as well as a few other convenient items. After that, they went to wander the town for a bit. Although this town wasn't nearly as glorious as the capital city, it was still a new place with new sights. 

Dirk and his group walked down a street in comfortable clothes. The only one armed was Dirk who carried a hidden knife strapped to his abdomen.

They looked around, finding many street vendors who sold a myriad of items. Most of them sold food whose aroma and sizzling greasiness pleased the senses of passerby. Others pawned off some items they had found. These items were mostly mana crystals, skink leather, and dune worm teeth. There were even vials of blood that some collected. Ava saw this and dove into thought. Blood was mostly used in alchemy, and she had learned some about it. 

Other than that, there were those who sold jewelry and even some who sold weapons and armor. Anything that a dungeon diver would take a fancy to was here. After all, this town was founded around a dungeon. It naturally catered to dungeon divers who brought in the money. 

After walking around some, Garet and Casma decided that they would take their own walk around town. So far, Dirk was the only one who knew about their relationship. However, Alec and Ava had their guesses seeing their behavior over the week. Their splitting off from the group for privacy was another give away. 

This caused Ava to think though. For several minutes, she pondered in silence as her, Alec, and Dirk continued to explore. Eventually though, she lifted her head. 

"Sorry Alec, but I need Dirk for a bit."

"Oh?"

Alec turned to her, surprised. Dirk was also surprised. Alec didn't mind though, merely smiling as if he knew what was going on. 

"Don't worry, you two go ahead."

"Thanks."

Ava's face reddened a bit as she grabbed Dirk's arm and walked off. Alec chuckled as he walked in a different direction. 

Dirk followed Ava who walked in silence for a while. Since she had pulled him away, he intended to let her speak first. 

And eventually, she opened her mouth. 

"...Um, do you know why I got mad?"

She asked wierdly as they walked beside each other. Dirk's mind started to move as he pondered the question. 

Up until now, he truly hadn't understood what the problem was. He had only refused her repayment. As a friend, she didn't need to pay him for gifts he gave her. That was it. Dirk was a straightforward person and a straightforward thinker. That's how he had been raised. Where he came from, there were no friendly relationships and hardly any emotion. The only good relationship he ever had was with a grown man who had been his superior but also a father figure. And even then, there weren't any fluffy things like feelings to be discussed. 

But although he hadn't had any sort of emotional development back then, he could still learn. His own mother had introduced a sense of compassion, a sense of likeness for another person. And as his first friend, Ava was the recipient of this newfound sense of affection. He took care of her when she needed it. His giving her potions to heal from wounds he gave her was an example of this. 

But perhaps it was the heightened emotional presence within him that caused him to think of other things. He wanted to take care of her, but she also wanted to take care of him. Their feelings were mutual, and rejecting one side would lead to either conflict or separation. 

Dirk had eventually thought of these things. Normally, he would have thought them to be crazy. After all, he had never had anyone who wanted to take care of him like this before. But now, in this new life where he had a loving mother, and now a caring friend, he figured that it wasn't so crazy. 

Dirk sighed after thinking of these things. At some point, the two had reached a more barren part of the town, so he stopped walking. Ava stopped with him and turned to him. 

"I rejected your kindness."

Dirk spoke, a tiny bit awkward.

"Your first potion was made for me. You spent time and effort to make it so you could help me. Sorry for not realizing it sooner."

"...No, it's alright."

Ava sighed, suddenly feeling bad. She knew Dirk and how he acted. This shouldn't have gotten her mad, but such blatant rejection from him made her feel like he didn't think of her as a friend. It felt more like he was paying a debt. As Dirk thought, they were friends. It was supposed to be a two way relationship. 

Ava spoke these thoughts. 

"Dirk, you've given me a lot. You gave me your expensive potions, let me use and stay in your house, training, food, and treatment. And I... I feel like a parasite. I've basically given you nothing. And I know you don't want me to repay you, but I do. I want to give you something at least as a thanks. Or I wanted to try. But... I can't make any of those good potions. Alchemy is hard, and I wasted so many materials just to make that bottle of crap. I just... I hate how there's nothing I can do in return. I mean, who needs anything from a useless deer girl who can't mix some stupid plant juices correctly?"

Ava's fingers clenched as the corner of her mouth twitched. Dirk was surprised she started degrading herself. How hard had she tried just to get that single potion? Now he was feeling even worse for rejecting her hard work. 

After a few moments of anger though, Ava let out a long breath. She closed her eyes and shook her head. 

"I just... I'm not mad at you. I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you mad, but I was mad and an idiot. Oh god, I'm such a bitch."

"Excuse me?"

"S-sorry. My friends say that word, and I'm basically the embodiment of it right now."

Ava sheepishly covered her face before massaging her temples. 

Seeing her stress, Dirk sighed himself. It looked like she was placing a lot of pressure on herself. He felt bad, but definitely not as bad as Ava who was heavy with regret and shame. 

Dirk opened his mouth to speak, but Ava beat him to the punch. 

"Hey, I know you're probably still mad... but I'm sorry. I don't know why I got mad when I did. I was just... frustrated."

"It's fine."

Dirk gave a small reassuring smile. Sure he was mad, but he now at least understood the situation. In this world, there were many like Ava who bore the pressure of their families and expectations. She was just another young girl trying to do her best, and Dirk's lack of supportive understanding caused her to blow up a bit, especially when he was the one she wanted support from the most. 

She cautiously looked up at him. 

"Are you mad?"

"I was. But I know I'm not the most... normal person to have as a friend. It's not your fault. I should've encouraged you."

"No! I mean, sure you're not totally normal, but you're not that weird!"

"That weird?"

"W-wait, not like that. I mean, you're different, but in a good way? You know, you're really strong, but you don't talk to... well, anyone. And that's not bad! It's just... you're not like Alec who everyone in the school is friends with because he's one of the strongest. But I don't care about that. You're perfect!"

"I am not perfect."

Dirk chuckled a bit. Being who he was, he naturally wasn't normal, and he never tried to convince himself that he was. But unfortunately for Ava, she had to put up with all his abnormalities. And while she liked him enough to do so, Dirk knew he could still frustrate her. 

Thinking of this, Dirk felt a bit crestfallen. He didn't enjoy frustrating his friend. He wanted to be more normal, but he had no idea what that meant or how to go about it. 

Seeing Dirk get a bit depressed, Ava became hasty. 

"Hey, what's the frown for? Are we good now?"

"...Of course."

"Then let's hug!"

With enthusiasm, Ava rose up on her toes and wrapped her arms around Dirk. He felt the comfort of her embrace and couldn't help but hug back.

The two stood there until Dirk raised his head and saw some other man who sneered at them from a short distance away. Dirk frowned and separated from Ava before pulling her arm and walking the opposite direction. He didn't want to be bothered when he was just now getting back in a good mood. 

Ava was confused as she was lead away, but after hearing a chuckle she turned her head and saw the same man. Realizing what happened, she also frowned. 

Unfortunately, it didn't seem like that man intended to let them be. 

"Hey kid!"

"..."

The man shouted, causing Dirk to stop walking. He looked back at the man with a mean gaze. 

The man chuckled sarcastically. 

"Oh no, so scary! What's your name, little boy?"

"None of your business."

"Aw, come on now. I just want to get to know you better. Here, let me introduce myself and my friends."

At that moment, two other people emerged from some alleyways behind them. Dirk's mind immediately went on high alert. Ava also realized something was happening. 

They were being targeted. 

"I'm Gut, and these are Barsol and Hurel. Hey kid, we've been a little tight on finances recently. You wouldn't happen to have any spare change, would you?"

Gut spoke as he stepped forward, exposing the point of a knife from a pocket. Dirk moved Ava behind him. Ava herself started to panic. Unfortunately, this was on the outskirts of the town. They had come here for some quiet, but that meant there wasn't any nearby help. 

Ava had fought people before, but she had never been in a disadvantaged position like this. She wouldn't know anything about fighting someone with a knife while barehanded. Her only solace was Dirk. When she looked at him, she could sense his emotions. His mind moved rapidly, but it was calm. 

His breathing didn't change, his heartrate didn't rise, and there were no outward signs of stress. The only thing she noticed was his gaze. It turned cold, apathetic. It was like he cared for nothing. It was like he turned into a puppet. 

Ava was slightly startled, but the slow, gradual approach of these robbers caught her attention. 

Seeing how Dirk didn't respond, Gut smirked. 

"What's wrong little boy? We don't want to hurt you. We just need some money, and for you to never speak of this to anyone. How about it?"

"Gut, I think he's too scared. He's paralyzed!"

The man Barsol chuckled as he saw Dirk's rigid body. The next moment though, Dirk's eyes turned to Gut. 

"I'm not giving you anything. Turn around and walk away."

Dirk spoke with a monotone voice. It didn't have a single hint of shakiness or commanding. It was as if he were merely informing them of a decision they had to make.

Gut was surprised by his calm, but didn't think too much of it. He knew that Dirk dungeon dove, so he would naturally have some semblance of calm in the face of danger. 

He frowned at Dirk. 

"Boy, don't push me. I'm sure you don't want anything to happen to that little girlfriend of yours."

Gut took another step forward. Hearing him, Dirk felt anger well up within him. 

Kill him

An insidious voice echoed in Dirk's mind. He felt an urge, a sense of bloodlust. His hand twitched. 

"Take out your money right now, and maybe I'll let you go."

Gut moved even closer, coming within a few feet of Dirk. The other two also closed in, surrounding them. Ava shrunk back, feeling the anima inside her begin to activate. Being cornered like this, she felt her fight or flight response creep in. 

But Dirk didn't move, so she didn't either. 

Meanwhile, from afar, a pair of eyes watched this confrontation with curiosity. The eyes focused on Dirk and how he reacted. 

"Hehe, this kid isn't so bad. No wonder the big boss sent me to watch him. He's a real treat! Hopefully he can handle this little present I gave him."

With a weird laugh, the pair of eyes hid away, moving to get a better view of the show. 

Sp4de Hello everyone, Author here. Just wanted to let you know why I disappeared on Tuesday. At the beginning of the week, I very suddenly came down with a nasty flu. I'll spare you the unappetizing details and just say that I was unable to even get out of bed for a few days, resulting in my absence. Even now I haven't gotten over it, and it's taking an embarrassing amount of energy in order to post chapters. But I wanted you to have something and let you know that I didn't fall off the map. Unfortunately, today there's only going to be one chapter posted. But I promise to reward everyone once I get better, so look forward to a small chapter dump in the future. Thanks and apologies, Author Dirk's group exited the dungeon and basked in the cool, fresh air. Without wasting time, they made their way to an inn. It was already dark out since it had taken the whole day to cross the sand dunes to the exit, so not only were they tired, but dirty with sand in their clothes. "Two rooms for two nights please." Alec paid for the inn, and upon getting the keys, the group rushed to their rooms. The girls shot toward the baths, as did Alec and Garet. Dirk saw their eagerness and shook his head. Because of his body refining, he almost never sweat even under strenuous conditions. His skin didn't release many oils and dead skin wasn't any longer a thing. He felt about as fresh as the first day he stepped into the dungeon. The only thing he needed to wipe off was the small amount of sand that dusted his face. Other than that, he could be said to be perfectly clean. Not even other body refiners could maintain cleanliness for so long. This was a perk afforded to Dirk who had undergone skin destruction. His skin and hair were resilient and wouldn't dirty for long periods of time. Plus, his body was more resistant to changes such as temperature, so only if he pushed himself to his limit would he sweat and become dirty. Because of this, he didn't particularly need to shower. It would only be a matter of comfort. That night, everyone went to bed with a smile on their face. All except Dirk. Because they were planning on spending a few days outside of the dungeon, he decided to practice his enchanting. Specifically, the rune that he would need to plant onto his mana heart. This rune was a couple of steps above anything he had ever seen. Luckily, the book was detailed in its description about how to create it, so he merely needed to practice. It would take a while to successfully form, but it would happen. That night, he spent a few hours messing around. Using earth and metal mana, he drew runes in the air continuously. The rune he needed to make was comprised of many smaller runes that would both fuse together and cooperate together. Some runes oversaw the timing of the heart compressions, while others tracked the beat rate of the physical heart. Others would draw on the power of the mana heart to fuel the rune while some would monitor the cycling of mana through the blood. It was a surprisingly complex rune that ensured not only the beating of the mana heart, but its symbiosis with the physical heart. There were even some runes that laid the foundation for heart fusion in the future. These were easily the hardest ones to form. For him who had only just formed the most basic rune recently, all of this was exceptionally difficult. In the few hours that Dirk worked on it, he had failed nearly every rune he formed. There were dozens he needed to learn and form, but only one was successfully created. This was the easiest rune too. Naturally, it would take a long while to make all of them. But he advanced rapidly. While he may have failed almost all of them, he had gained many little pieces of knowledge that laid a strong foundation for enchanting. Usually, enchanters in training would be given systematic teachings in order to bring them up step by step. But he was jumping straight to the top, and by filling the gaps in himself, he was able to increase his natural ingenuity and attunement for enchanting. While it may not be the most conventional way to learn, introducing inconsistencies into one's general knowledge, it was definitely an effective practice for those that could actually make progress. Besides, the Mana Heart technique was one of the greatest techniques in the world. Naturally, the runes created by the techniques creator wouldn't be garbage. That person may have been one of the greatest enchanters of their time. Only someone that smart could create such a technique. If Dirk could form those runes, he could be said to be proficient in enchanting. Dirk had no qualms about how he went about things. He practiced until it got late, after which he finally decided to go to sleep. ........... The next morning, everyone was slow to wake up. Because this was a day off, they indulged in their dreams until late in the morning. Dirk, naturally, wasn't one of those. He woke up bright and early. Despite going to bed late, he was refreshed as if he had gotten 12 hours of sleep. If he were on Earth, he wouldn't be so energetic. But because he had trained mana, he could go without much sleep and still be well rested. After waking, he did a bit of mana lung training as he dove into practicing the runes again. Because of his practice session last night, he had several ideas to try, and he was able to make even more progress than before. However, when noon came around and everyone woke up, he had only succeeded in forming one more rune. This was two out of dozens. He sighed at how long it would be before he completed everything. The group woke up and decided to get some food in a nearby restaurant. They congregated around a table and Alec ordered a whole platter to fill everyone up. Unfortunately, this cost more money, and the hopes for making any kind of profit from this job were dwindled down further. By this point though, Alec couldn't bother with that much. He had eventually shifted his mindset from making money to taking this trip as a way to gain experience. And surprisingly, he also had similar thoughts as Dirk when it came to Garet and Casma. Alec also felt that his porter and water mage didn't contribute much to this expedition. Over the week they had been inside the dungeon, Casma had only been useful when it came to filling up their water bags. Only occasionally did she ever fight. All fighting had been left to Dirk, Alec, and Ava. However, Alec was different from Dirk in that he still accepted the value of a porter who could carry their luggage. Alec wasn't like Dirk who could so easily go with only a few items on him. He wanted his tent, his rations, blankets, and other necessities. This took up space, and if he had a bag to carry, it would inhibit his fighting ability to some extent. So, he appreciated having someone like Garet. At the very least though, if Alec was able to stick with Dirk and Ava for another job, he would only bring a porter along. He didn't see a need for any more combat power as the three of them had proved to be more than enough. That day after eating, the group went and restocked on supplies. They bought enough rations to last them over a week as well as a few other convenient items. After that, they went to wander the town for a bit. Although this town wasn't nearly as glorious as the capital city, it was still a new place with new sights. Dirk and his group walked down a street in comfortable clothes. The only one armed was Dirk who carried a hidden knife strapped to his abdomen. They looked around, finding many street vendors who sold a myriad of items. Most of them sold food whose aroma and sizzling greasiness pleased the senses of passerby. Others pawned off some items they had found. These items were mostly mana crystals, skink leather, and dune worm teeth. There were even vials of blood that some collected. Ava saw this and dove into thought. Blood was mostly used in alchemy, and she had learned some about it. Other than that, there were those who sold jewelry and even some who sold weapons and armor. Anything that a dungeon diver would take a fancy to was here. After all, this town was founded around a dungeon. It naturally catered to dungeon divers who brought in the money. After walking around some, Garet and Casma decided that they would take their own walk around town. So far, Dirk was the only one who knew about their relationship. However, Alec and Ava had their guesses seeing their behavior over the week. Their splitting off from the group for privacy was another give away. This caused Ava to think though. For several minutes, she pondered in silence as her, Alec, and Dirk continued to explore. Eventually though, she lifted her head. "Sorry Alec, but I need Dirk for a bit." "Oh?" Alec turned to her, surprised. Dirk was also surprised. Alec didn't mind though, merely smiling as if he knew what was going on. "Don't worry, you two go ahead." "Thanks." Ava's face reddened a bit as she grabbed Dirk's arm and walked off. Alec chuckled as he walked in a different direction. Dirk followed Ava who walked in silence for a while. Since she had pulled him away, he intended to let her speak first. And eventually, she opened her mouth. "...Um, do you know why I got mad?" She asked wierdly as they walked beside each other. Dirk's mind started to move as he pondered the question. Up until now, he truly hadn't understood what the problem was. He had only refused her repayment. As a friend, she didn't need to pay him for gifts he gave her. That was it. Dirk was a straightforward person and a straightforward thinker. That's how he had been raised. Where he came from, there were no friendly relationships and hardly any emotion. The only good relationship he ever had was with a grown man who had been his superior but also a father figure. And even then, there weren't any fluffy things like feelings to be discussed. But although he hadn't had any sort of emotional development back then, he could still learn. His own mother had introduced a sense of compassion, a sense of likeness for another person. And as his first friend, Ava was the recipient of this newfound sense of affection. He took care of her when she needed it. His giving her potions to heal from wounds he gave her was an example of this. But perhaps it was the heightened emotional presence within him that caused him to think of other things. He wanted to take care of her, but she also wanted to take care of him. Their feelings were mutual, and rejecting one side would lead to either conflict or separation. Dirk had eventually thought of these things. Normally, he would have thought them to be crazy. After all, he had never had anyone who wanted to take care of him like this before. But now, in this new life where he had a loving mother, and now a caring friend, he figured that it wasn't so crazy. Dirk sighed after thinking of these things. At some point, the two had reached a more barren part of the town, so he stopped walking. Ava stopped with him and turned to him. "I rejected your kindness." Dirk spoke, a tiny bit awkward. "Your first potion was made for me. You spent time and effort to make it so you could help me. Sorry for not realizing it sooner." "...No, it's alright." Ava sighed, suddenly feeling bad. She knew Dirk and how he acted. This shouldn't have gotten her mad, but such blatant rejection from him made her feel like he didn't think of her as a friend. It felt more like he was paying a debt. As Dirk thought, they were friends. It was supposed to be a two way relationship. Ava spoke these thoughts. "Dirk, you've given me a lot. You gave me your expensive potions, let me use and stay in your house, training, food, and treatment. And I... I feel like a parasite. I've basically given you nothing. And I know you don't want me to repay you, but I do. I want to give you something at least as a thanks. Or I wanted to try. But... I can't make any of those good potions. Alchemy is hard, and I wasted so many materials just to make that bottle of crap. I just... I hate how there's nothing I can do in return. I mean, who needs anything from a useless deer girl who can't mix some stupid plant juices correctly?" Ava's fingers clenched as the corner of her mouth twitched. Dirk was surprised she started degrading herself. How hard had she tried just to get that single potion? Now he was feeling even worse for rejecting her hard work. After a few moments of anger though, Ava let out a long breath. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I just... I'm not mad at you. I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you mad, but I was mad and an idiot. Oh god, I'm such a bitch." "Excuse me?" "S-sorry. My friends say that word, and I'm basically the embodiment of it right now." Ava sheepishly covered her face before massaging her temples. Seeing her stress, Dirk sighed himself. It looked like she was placing a lot of pressure on herself. He felt bad, but definitely not as bad as Ava who was heavy with regret and shame. Dirk opened his mouth to speak, but Ava beat him to the punch. "Hey, I know you're probably still mad... but I'm sorry. I don't know why I got mad when I did. I was just... frustrated." "It's fine." Dirk gave a small reassuring smile. Sure he was mad, but he now at least understood the situation. In this world, there were many like Ava who bore the pressure of their families and expectations. She was just another young girl trying to do her best, and Dirk's lack of supportive understanding caused her to blow up a bit, especially when he was the one she wanted support from the most. She cautiously looked up at him. "Are you mad?" "I was. But I know I'm not the most... normal person to have as a friend. It's not your fault. I should've encouraged you." "No! I mean, sure you're not totally normal, but you're not that weird!" "That weird?" "W-wait, not like that. I mean, you're different, but in a good way? You know, you're really strong, but you don't talk to... well, anyone. And that's not bad! It's just... you're not like Alec who everyone in the school is friends with because he's one of the strongest. But I don't care about that. You're perfect!" "I am not perfect." Dirk chuckled a bit. Being who he was, he naturally wasn't normal, and he never tried to convince himself that he was. But unfortunately for Ava, she had to put up with all his abnormalities. And while she liked him enough to do so, Dirk knew he could still frustrate her. Thinking of this, Dirk felt a bit crestfallen. He didn't enjoy frustrating his friend. He wanted to be more normal, but he had no idea what that meant or how to go about it. Seeing Dirk get a bit depressed, Ava became hasty. "Hey, what's the frown for? Are we good now?" "...Of course." "Then let's hug!" With enthusiasm, Ava rose up on her toes and wrapped her arms around Dirk. He felt the comfort of her embrace and couldn't help but hug back. The two stood there until Dirk raised his head and saw some other man who sneered at them from a short distance away. Dirk frowned and separated from Ava before pulling her arm and walking the opposite direction. He didn't want to be bothered when he was just now getting back in a good mood. Ava was confused as she was lead away, but after hearing a chuckle she turned her head and saw the same man. Realizing what happened, she also frowned. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like that man intended to let them be. "Hey kid!" "..." The man shouted, causing Dirk to stop walking. He looked back at the man with a mean gaze. The man chuckled sarcastically. "Oh no, so scary! What's your name, little boy?" "None of your business." "Aw, come on now. I just want to get to know you better. Here, let me introduce myself and my friends." At that moment, two other people emerged from some alleyways behind them. Dirk's mind immediately went on high alert. Ava also realized something was happening. They were being targeted. "I'm Gut, and these are Barsol and Hurel. Hey kid, we've been a little tight on finances recently. You wouldn't happen to have any spare change, would you?" Gut spoke as he stepped forward, exposing the point of a knife from a pocket. Dirk moved Ava behind him. Ava herself started to panic. Unfortunately, this was on the outskirts of the town. They had come here for some quiet, but that meant there wasn't any nearby help. Ava had fought people before, but she had never been in a disadvantaged position like this. She wouldn't know anything about fighting someone with a knife while barehanded. Her only solace was Dirk. When she looked at him, she could sense his emotions. His mind moved rapidly, but it was calm. His breathing didn't change, his heartrate didn't rise, and there were no outward signs of stress. The only thing she noticed was his gaze. It turned cold, apathetic. It was like he cared for nothing. It was like he turned into a puppet. Ava was slightly startled, but the slow, gradual approach of these robbers caught her attention. Seeing how Dirk didn't respond, Gut smirked. "What's wrong little boy? We don't want to hurt you. We just need some money, and for you to never speak of this to anyone. How about it?" "Gut, I think he's too scared. He's paralyzed!" The man Barsol chuckled as he saw Dirk's rigid body. The next moment though, Dirk's eyes turned to Gut. "I'm not giving you anything. Turn around and walk away." Dirk spoke with a monotone voice. It didn't have a single hint of shakiness or commanding. It was as if he were merely informing them of a decision they had to make. Gut was surprised by his calm, but didn't think too much of it. He knew that Dirk dungeon dove, so he would naturally have some semblance of calm in the face of danger. He frowned at Dirk. "Boy, don't push me. I'm sure you don't want anything to happen to that little girlfriend of yours." Gut took another step forward. Hearing him, Dirk felt anger well up within him. Kill him An insidious voice echoed in Dirk's mind. He felt an urge, a sense of bloodlust. His hand twitched. "Take out your money right now, and maybe I'll let you go." Gut moved even closer, coming within a few feet of Dirk. The other two also closed in, surrounding them. Ava shrunk back, feeling the anima inside her begin to activate. Being cornered like this, she felt her fight or flight response creep in. But Dirk didn't move, so she didn't either. Meanwhile, from afar, a pair of eyes watched this confrontation with curiosity. The eyes focused on Dirk and how he reacted. "Hehe, this kid isn't so bad. No wonder the big boss sent me to watch him. He's a real treat! Hopefully he can handle this little present I gave him." With a weird laugh, the pair of eyes hid away, moving to get a better view of the show.