Chapter 50: Digging the clues
Chapter 50: Digging the clues
?{You can communicate with the Wolf Ben because of your 'All Tongue' ability. }?
?{As for the reason they are surprised, it's because normally humans can't talk with monsters without using a magical tool.}?
Ben bit his tongue; it was such a minor thing that he didn't bother asking the system, and now he was regretting it. In a moment of desperation, Ben's mind ran through options to cover up his lies. As his eyes were searching for clues, a thought hit his mind, and he looked at the 'Fang of Wolf' necklace with twinkling eyes.
"This one; it's the magical device I use to communicate with monsters." Ben pointed at the half-moon crescent ornament hanging on his neck. All he needed was a magical device that could cover up the plothole in the story.
Others looked at the necklace hesitatingly, as if trying to say something but wanting someone else to interfere first. After a few moments of silence, all three of them somewhat agreed with Ben's point, moving on to the next topic.
"So what is our primary goal right now? To find out why they are attacking the village or to prepare for the upcoming attack?' Ray asked with seriousness on his face. If there was even a 1% chance that what Ben was saying was correct, then they all might be in big trouble. Not to mention, there was no reason for Ben to lie to Ray.
"Our primary goal right now is to run away from the village as fast as we can," Freya responded, which in turn added to the sad expression on Ray's and Alexe's faces. It was true that they wouldn't stop Ben from going away, but internally, they were desperate to get any help they could.
"But Ben said he would help us if we answered his questions," Ray asked in a soft tone, contrary to the chaos in his mind.
"And you didn't answer the question," Freya claimed.
"Aren't there any other ways we can ask for your help? Like money, skills, or weapons, maybe?" Alex came up with a diplomatic approach; even if it cost them a few gold coins, Ben's help would still be invaluable in comparison.
"Chill down, guys; I haven't yet decided whether I am running or not." Ben chimed in, stopping Alex midway. There was a warm smile on his face; he could feel what Ray or Alex were feeling if they were in his place.
"Our deal was to guard the village at night, and the night is over. So according to the rules, we are free to rest for the day, right?" Ben stood up from the rock and cracked his fingers. This sudden change of topic was both unprecedented and calculated for Ray.
"But Ben, we are on a serious discussion.." Alex objected in a weary tone, but he was stopped by a pat on his shoulder. Alex turned around to find out it was Ray nodding in agreement.
"You are right, Ben; your shift is now over. Feel free to rest for the day; we will take it from here." Ray responded with the same calm tone as Ben before he walked towards the guard post on the other side. "Let's go, Alex."
"Ah.Yes." Alex responded as he took long steps to match up with Ray's pace. He was taken aback by the sudden turn of conversation but still decided to follow his friend's decision.
Ben, on the other hand, looked at them going away with a sharp smile on his face until Freya walked near him and asked, "Don't tell me you are planning to stay in the village."
Ben turned around to look in the direction of Freya. Her face had a confused yet deep expression, but Ben didn't notice the conflict in her emotions because his eyes were locked on something else. Past Freya, Ben was looking at a broken church with a sharp smile on his face.
"If I will stay or not, it truly depends on the answer to my question," Ben said as he walked past Freya, in the direction of the church.
"But didn't you ask the question already? Wait..." Freya was now more conflicted with Ben's answer as she followed him to walk in the same direction.
"Well, I never expected the exact answer from them in the first place. " Ben responded to Freya's question while rubbing his hands together. "That's why I decided to find out the answer on my own."
"If you had to find the answer on your own, then why did you ask them in the first place?" Freya asked again; the more Ben answered, the more confusion it got for her.
"I just wanted them to know what the question is," Ben responded, but a notification sound attracted his attention, so he continued to answer while operating the status window. "Curiosity is an infectious disease; as long as there is a question, the human mind will crave its answer."
Freya was somewhat understanding of what Ben was planning to do, but there were still so many questions in her mind that she asked, but somehow Ben seemed too busy swiping his hands in the air and scratching his chin to listen to Freya's question.
"Weirdo.." She responded in a low tone, an annoyed expression on her face.
On Ben's side, there was a new notification from his system, and he already had a decent idea of what it was. He had been waiting for this notification for the past few hours since he gave the six beast cores he obtained from beasts to the system.
[ UPDATE ]
[Beast core synthesis is now complete: 6x Basic Tier Beast Core]
[Rewards: +6 points in magic]
[Note: You can only use the magic powers after you have levelled up to level 5].
'So I did unlock the magic thing from this world, but I need to level up to use these points in any case.' Ben thought with a mixed expression on his face, but one thing was clear to him: he needed to level up as fast as he could.
Closing the status screen, Ben stopped walking and looked at the structure before him. With a frown on his face, he said, "We have reached."