Realm Wars

195  Split up

When it was Ryu's turn, no one questioned when he said he didn't have any items to give. The seal on his forehead clearly indicated that he was just someone's servant.

But when it was Rosa's turn, everyone's brows rose above their forehead.

"It's true." Rosa smiled sweetly amidst her lies.

"Are you sure?" Roger questioned with a knowing face. "If I'm not mistaken, you're a mage, right? Since you couldn't use magic here, I think it's best if you give up your items than join in the scavenger squad."

Rosa gave an elegant half-shrug. "I already told you. I don't have any items. I've used it in the previous dungeons. This isn't the only dungeon we came across, you know."

"Dungeon?" Roger looked at Nash, and the latter nodded.

". . . , fine then." Roger finally gave up after staring Rosa in the eyes for a whole minute.

The woman could really lie straight on the face of anyone. Ryu thought.

"Alright, now that we got you settled into your roles. The rest of the staff will tell you what to do next."

"Wait." Nash interrupted Roger and went towards Ryu.

"He's a halfbreed. Part Beast. His physical attributes and combat skills are high compared to the others. I think he'd be more useful in my team than anywhere else."

"Your team?" Roger shifted his eyes between Ryu and Nash. "You mean the main offensive team?"

Nash nodded, and Rosa cut him a pointed glare.

"What do you think?" Nash asked Ryu, ignoring Rosa's murderous aura directed at him.

"What does your team do?"

"We're mostly the main fighters who will fight the Lich," Nash answered straight to the point.

At the mention of Lich, Ryu agreed without a second thought, not knowing that Rosa was slaughtering him with her glares. "Alright. I'm in."

"Wha––!"

Rosa didn't finish her sentence when the two beast-men talked like she wasn't there. Like they couldn't see her.

Ryu looked at Rosa and said with a serious face. "I'm going with Nash to defeat the Lich so that we could get out of here as soon as possible. Meanwhile, you be careful and stay alive."

Rosa was angry, but at the concern in Ryu's voice, she found her guard destroyed, and she almost said that she wanted to go with him but was stopped by his next words.

"I don't want anything to happen to you. You still have to give Ferris back to me."

Ryu wasn't worried about Rosa one bit. With her brain and items, she could probably outlive anyone in here. He was more worried that something might happen to her traveler's ring when he was not by her side.

But instead of an answer, Rosa glared at him and stepped her pointy heels on his boots.

Ryu didn't feel any pain, though. Just an itch. Rosa lacked the strength to even make him wince, which just angered the woman more.

"Shut up, mutt! I don' need you anyway." Rosa flipped her hair and followed her group when they were led outside.

Ryu tilted his head, face serious. "I'll never understand her."

Nash watched all this happen with a weary sigh and dead eyes. "And I think you'll never will."

"Let's go." Nash led Ryu and the others out of the room and towards a series of archways with thick metal walls. Ryu told Nash about Cathy and what happened to her along the way.

"I see . . ." A flicker of worry broke Nash's stoic face. "I'm actually glad that she didn't come with you. She's probably on another dungeon that is much safer than this place."

"Are you two close?" Ryu had never seen a servant who was close with his master, and he felt envious of Cathy and Nash's bond.

A small smile played on Nash's face as if he remembered some fond memories. "I watch my lady grow from being a babe to a young woman. I was both his guardian, playmate, brother, friend . . . we have a special bond."

"Don't you hate the humans for forcing you to become a servant?"

". . . I do hate them," Nash admitted. "But not all humans are bad." He stopped and looked at Ryu meaningfully. "I bet you already know that."

Ryu didn't say anything. Yes. Not all humans were bad, and not all humans treated halfbreeds and servants like they were pieces of trash.

Cecily had her good points despite her abusive behavior towards him. Lucian was lukewarm and didn't have any prejudice against halfbreeds like him. And Rosa . . . well. She had her moments. She was mean, but she wasn't bad once he got to know her.

And he'd really appreciate her more if only she would give Ferris back to him.

"Here we are." Nash stopped inside a wide automated door made of metal. He entered some code, and the heavy door opened, revealing a vast expanse of space. The room had a big center table with a widescreen as a countertop showing maps and all sorts of creatures. There was also another wide screen hanging on the ceiling. At the same time, multiple cabinets and tables were staggered to give room for items that were inspected by humans, elves, halfbreeds, and even demons.

"This is the strategy room or the humans in this world likes to call it. In here, we planned and strategies on how to reach the Lich's castle and defeat it using our physical strength and the items present in here."

"And what have we got so far?" someone asked.

"Not very far," admitted Nash. "We didn't actually tell you this because we feel that it would just cause unnecessary panic. But we believed that in order to defeat that Lich, we require at least a god-tier item or above."

". . ."

". . ."

Everyone was silent. A god-tier item was what they had been looking for since day one. If it were easy to find, then they wouldn't be here in the first place.

Ryu was thinking. Seraphina said that his items were already God-tier. Does that mean he just had to use it on the Lich? But he wondered if the Djinn could actually defeat the Lich?

How about Ursula's bottle? Ryu dissolved that idea. The Djinn might help, but the sea witch's bottle was a double-edged sword that could either kill the Lich or kill them first.

Its disheartening to see that your work which you put blood and sweat just gets pirated in the end. T-T

I might put this story in slow updates. My motivation just went down the drain. 

*cries at the corner

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