[Nightmare]

"Look, kid. You're lucky I didn't snap your pelvis bone in half before your girlfriends arrived." Tyrene declared in a serious tone.

Helix looked away from her in shame.

"By some grace or fucking miracle, we're alive right now." She continued.

"And as much as I loathe to say this, you passed with flying colors."

Helix chuckled while scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"Thank you, master." He said while taking a bow.

"You better thank me." Tyrene grumbled under her breath.

"Damn kids, doing stupid shit and somehow making it work."

She turned around and started walking away but stopped after a few steps.

"Oh. Go see Tilo. He has a joint present from us." Tyrene announced.

"Not that you need or deserve it. Little brat.

I'm going to sleep till I'm dead.

So if you need me, just don't.

If you wake me up, I'll beat you to death with my pillow after gouging your eyes out with the feathers."

Helix shivered, but he was smiling.

His partners sent word they'd be arriving in the evening, and he was thrilled to see them.

He walked over to Tilo's trailer and knocked on the door hesitantly.

Tilo still hadn't recovered from his [death by harem] escapade.

So Helix didn't want to disturb him.

He felt Tyrene was punishing him by sending him to Tilo but knew she didn't know the details.

Perhaps that was for the best.

After last night, he was uncertain which of his masters was angrier.

"Hoh? Is that you, death applicant?" Tilo chuckled with madness in his eyes.

He had a five o'clock shadow from not shaving in the morning.

For someone so pristine at all times, the minor detail look made him look disheveled.

"Hello, master. It is I, death applicant." Helix joked with shaky eyes.

Tilo narrowed his eyes on him.

"I'm sorry to bother you.

I… was told to visit you by Master Tyrene for a present, and I didn't know which order to follow…." Helix chuckled awkwardly.

"Hoh? So you fear Tyrene more than Master Tilo?" The man asked with a wicked grin.

Helix swallowed again.

"I…. No, Master. It's just… my partners will arrive today, and she threatened to shatter my pelvis bone…."

Helix felt incredibly shameless for his reasoning.

However, Tilo found it amusing and burst into laughter.

"You fear a shattered pelvis pre-girlfriend arrival more than death." He chuckled in disbelief.

"If that wasn't so rational, I'd shove a [Charge Trigger] into your bed to prove I also know how to threaten where it hurts."

Helix shivered in confusion.

"Haaaaaaah. You have an actual harem…. How… awkward." Tilo laughed with bitter eyes.

"Well, while you neither need nor deserve our present, I'll show you to it anyway."

Helix was confused when he heard the same admission twice.

He followed Tilo through the city until they walked up to a house.

"Who lives here?" Helix asked nervously.

"Hah. You and your girlfriends. Well, temporarily." Tilo replied with an amused expression.

Helix's eyes widened with disbelief, and Tilo ate it up.

"Thank you… Master. They'll be so happy." His eyes welled with tears.

"Heh. Don't mention it, boy." Tilo laughed.

"Renting you a house was a bit of an inside joke between Tyrene and me."

Helix gave Tilo a quizzical expression.

"Why are you so surprised? You've made us three a small fortune." Tilo chuckled with amusement.

"Thing is, we've worked you sixteen-hour days minimum seven days a week.

So you couldn't rent one even though you wanted to!"

Tilo burst into laughter and wiped light tears from his eyes.

Helix gave him a wry smile, but it became warm soon after.

"Thank you, Master Tilo. I'll thank Master Tyrene when she wakes up."

"Wakes up? It's 9 am!" Tilo cried.

"About that…." Helix chuckled awkwardly.

"We got back at 5 am from our hunt. So, it's better to say she woke up just to yell at me and tell me to see you."

Tilo's eyes widened in disbelief.

Then he burst into laughter again.

"Please tell me you did something equally bad with Tyrene." Tilo requested.

"Worse? Maybe. I don't know." Helix replied while thinking about it.

Tilo's jaw dropped to the floor.

"What…?" He asked dumbly.

"I don't know how to judge…." Helix explained with an awkward expression.

"I passed the test with shocking results but…."

Tilo narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"I almost got us both killed? I don't know if I like the sound of that."

Tilo chuckled in bewilderment and doubled over.

"You? Tyrene? Almost died? Surely you jest, boy." He roared.

"Yeah… about that…." Helix chuckled clumsily.

"You're serious?" Tilo asked with wide eyes.

"It's… complicated. We weren't really in danger, but… could have been?" Helix responded pensively.

"I'll let her tell you the story. If I told you, you'd probably pat me on the back.

Then Master Tyrene would beat me senseless for speaking lies to you."

Tilo's eyes glided to the left.

"Yeah…. That's a wise point." He chuckled in disbelief.

"Haaaaaah. Well I hope it's consolation for what I've suffered." Tilo said with a wry smile.

"It's more than enough to make you feel like you're not alone." Helix said while averting his gaze.

Tilo narrowed his eyes and then clapped.

"Hmmm. Good enough. I'd grill you senseless, but you need some furniture." He suggested.

"You've put us through hell, but you deserve this day. So enjoy it."

Tilo slapped Helix on the shoulder with enough force to snap a mortal's spine.

However, Helix was strong enough to withstand it with light pain.

"Thank you, Master." Helix said with a warm smile.

After that, Tilo walked away while humming with madness in his eyes.

Helix was starting to worry about the man's mental health.

"Well, it's time to get some furniture." He chuckled.

As Helix passed through the streets, dozens of people called out to him.

"Hey, Helix! Isn't this the day your girlfriends are arriving?" A smiling woman asked.

"Yes, it is." Helix replied with a beaming smile.

"Well, here! Take some fresh fruit with you." She requested.

Helix walked up to her and humbly accepted.

"Thank you, Sia."

"Hah. Don't mention it, boy. Your [Air Conditioner Circle] has been life-changing." Sia laughed.

"Some customers show up just to stand near the thing."

"Glad I can help." Helix chuckled with a warm smile.

He continued walking down the street, and people tried to load him up with dozens of items for his three partners' return.

Helix requested they hold off till the day off he earned last night.

He'd be back the following day on a date, so he wanted them to save the products.

While everyone knew Helix's partners were arriving that day, his behavior wasn't abnormal for his trip to the city.

People were thankful for the modern conveniences he brought to their lives through magic circles.

"Hey, hey! If it isn't the great Helix." A warm voice called out.

"Hey Smith." Helix replied with a warm smile.

"Haven't seen ya in a while. What can I do for ya?" Smith asked.

"I'm here for furniture. I rented a new place for my partners and me." Helix replied proudly.

"No way! Here, come in. Let's get you fixed up."

Smith's eyes widened in shock when he saw a king-size mattress, a dresser, a mirror, and other bedroom items disappear in thin air.

"How much do I owe you?" Helix asked with a warm smile.

"I'm not short on cash, so there's no need to bargain."

Smith gave him a bewildered expression.

"Are you kidding me, boy?" The man burst into laughter.

"Do you understand how much money I've made because of your circles?

The boxes for the [Refrigerator Circles] alone netted me a fortune.

Now it's [Swamp Cooler Circles], [Hair Dryer Circles], and [Toaster Circles].

Boy, there's a new circle you've handed out every week, and I've made a fortune on each.

So whatever you need, it's on the house."

Helix handed out his [Refrigerator Circle] to every restaurant and food seller in Lexion.

He drew them during his endurance training with Tilo, so he had to draw 80 daily.

After that, he ate for free whenever he had a chance to go to the city.

So never.

p The same was true of any convenience circle.

Every time he had a chance to make a new spell, he duplicated it and handed it out en masse.

Every magic circle was free of charge.

Helix made a small fortune from a separate and more embarrassing venture Tilo roped him into somehow.

"Thanks, Smith." Helix said with a small bow.

After a short exchange of pleasantries, Helix headed for his new home.

He felt awkward only getting one bed.

He'd be in an awkward position if they didn't want to share.

However, he knew the furniture would be free, so he didn't want to seem greedy.

Helix planned to hit the other furniture stores if his partners had concerns the following day.

"It's almost time…." He whispered nervously.

"I'm glad they sent a message. Otherwise, I'd be an emotional trainwreck."

—

[A/N: His mid-term test with Tyrene isn't skipped. It's coming up shortly. ;)]