Chapter 16

Blaine retraced his steps from memory and finally arrived at Marco’s workshop. The door was wide open, so he knocked lightly and stepped inside with caution.

“Excuse me…”

Inside, Theo and Marco were deep in conversation but turned around at the same time. Their reactions were completely different.

“Blaine! Welcome! I heard we got the Spider Silk thanks to you. Thank you so much!”

Marco practically bounced with joy as he greeted him.

“Oh, no, the others who came with me were just amazing. I think that’s why we got it so quickly.”

“Aww, and humble too! I’m really glad you joined the guild. I’m Marco. I’m 22.”

Marco held out his hand cheerfully. Blaine looked a little flustered but smiled and shook his hand.

“I’m Blaine. I’m two years younger, so feel free to speak casually.”

“Wait, really? Then I’ll drop the honorifics. If you ever need a weapon or gear made, just let me know. I’ll help with both hands—literally!”

“Really? Thank you.”

Blaine smiled shyly, his face glowing. Marco gushed that he looked like a big gentle giant, then quickly added the real reason he was excited.

“In exchange, if you get your hands on any rare materials again, promise you’ll sell them to me.”

His eyes gleamed with genuine anticipation. Theo, clearly unimpressed, shoved Marco aside and asked,

“So, what brings you here?”

His face was expressionless, like he wasn’t particularly happy to see him. Blaine, disappointed without meaning to be, forced an awkward smile.

“Oh… I was just curious about some things.”

Theo tilted his head, eyeing his drooping wolf ears. What was it now? Why the gloom?

“So, how was the guild house?”

Even though he wasn’t all that curious, he couldn’t ignore him, so he asked anyway. Blaine perked up instantly, his ears standing straight as he smiled brightly at him.

“It was great! I was totally blown away by the ceiling! Oh, and Holanghee was there too!”

He babbled excitedly, and Theo gave a half-hearted nod. Marco chimed in, saying the ceiling had surprised him too when he first saw it.

“By the way… what happened with the weapon?”

Blaine glanced past Theo’s shoulder toward the forge. Marco swung a huge forging hammer onto his shoulder and rolled up his sleeves.

“About to start now. It’ll take around two days.”

“Wow, that long?”

“Well, the materials are pretty tough to work with.”

Marco added that it was a difficult job but smiled like he was enjoying the challenge. Blaine clapped in admiration, then carefully asked Theo,

“So… what are you going to do now?”

“I’m gonna strip the skill off the gear and go buy some strength.”

“…Strength?”

Blaine tilted his head, puzzled, then eyed Theo’s weapon. He had seen him use a bow. Since bows used skills, any other weapons he used were probably skill-based too. But now he was suddenly talking about strength? And removing a skill?

No matter how hard he looked, Theo didn’t seem to be carrying anything other than a bow. He had a hunch.

“Are you, by any chance…”

He was just about to ask if he was an Origin when Marco jumped in to explain first.

“Oh, you don’t know yet, huh, Blaine? Theo hyung has an Eternal too. It’s for melee. But since his Origin is bow-based, he’s currently remodeling his character.”

Blaine’s jaw dropped.

He had heard before that he had been to the sanctuary. But this was the first time he learned he had an Eternal, that it was a melee type, and that he was remodeling his character because of it.

How could a ranged character who used a bow suddenly become someone who needed Strength for melee? Blaine couldn’t wrap his head around it. Besides, weren’t the Kallia Wood and Bamia Spider Silk both materials for making a bow?

Whether Theo knew he was confused or not, he turned and started walking toward the exit.

“Alright, I’m off to strip the skill. Take care of the weapon.”

“Leave it to me! I even bought a brand new anvil just for today!”

Theo didn’t bother replying—just waved a hand and walked out of the workshop. Blaine looked between Marco and Theo’s retreating figure, then quickly bowed to Marco before hurrying after him.

He thought he’d followed him out immediately, but by the time he stepped outside, Theo was already quite far ahead.

“Theo!”

He called out and jogged toward him. He stopped when he saw him catching up, allowing him to close the distance in one breath. Still panting, he asked,

“Um… would it be okay if I came with you?”

Theo instinctively tilted his head. Why? The question sat on the tip of his tongue, but he didn’t feel like wasting time arguing.

“…Sure.”

With that one word of permission, Blaine lit up like the sun. His cheeks flushed pink, and his lips curved into a bright arc. Theo squinted and shielded his eyes with his hand out of reflex. Guess he’d have to get used to that radiant glow eventually.

They headed for the blacksmith NPC in one corner of the plaza. Enchanting or stripping stats from gear and Actions could only be done through blacksmith NPCs in each village.

Theo stood there for quite a while, removing the skill stats from his gear. Once he was done, he moved on to the Storage. He checked how many Strength stats he had saved up from the sanctuary and the Spiderweb Labyrinth. Then he went straight to the marketplace.

There, he registered the stripped skill stats for sale and searched the listings for Strength stats—buying every one available.

Still, it wasn’t nearly enough. He considered placing a standing buy order or shouting in the public chat… but then he made eye contact with Blaine, who was standing idly nearby.

“Do you have any spare Strength stats?”

“Strength? I think I do.”

“Can you sell them to me?”

“I’ll just give them to you!”

“…I want to buy them.”

“I really don’t mind giving them…”

His ears drooped again. Why was he so desperate to give things away for free? What if he really was a bastard and took everything?

“Why are you so obsessed with giving stuff away? Did you do that with everyone? What if some moochers latch onto you?”

He couldn’t help scolding him a little. Blaine mumbled, looking like the saddest person in the world.

“It’s because it’s you, Theo…”

“…Even if it’s me, you shouldn’t do that.”

Blaine fiddled with his fingers, then gave a reluctant nod.

“I’ll sell it…”

Then he added softly,

“But… can you speak casually with me?”

“…What?”

“I… I’d like it if you spoke comfortably with me. Is that… okay?”

“There’s no reason you can’t…”

Theo hesitated as he spoke informally, and Blaine’s face lit up in pure excitement. Then, with hopeful eyes, he asked,

“Then… can I call you hyung?”

His sparkling eyes really did look like a puppy’s. Theo looked at that innocent face and gave him a nod.

Even after buying some Strength from Blaine, he only had 87 points total. He was still short 47. And considering how much he needed for both his weapon and his Action, he’d probably need to buy at least 100 more. But there was no point in stressing over something that wouldn’t just fall from the sky. For now, he decided to browse around and see what else he could find.

He bought some national-treasure-level Luck stats to help with drop rates, and checked every stall along the main street and plaza to look for new Actions.

He even scanned all the basic Actions sold by NPCs—but none of them felt right. No, more honestly, he just had no clue what kind of Action he should be looking for.

After walking nonstop through the city, the two finally decided to take a break and ducked into a restaurant near the main road. It was a popular spot, often used by members of Father’s Guild.

While Blaine’s eyes darted around, mesmerized by the delicious smells, Theo went straight to the counter and ordered a beer and some simple snacks. He then made his way to an outdoor table instead of sitting inside.

After they took their seats, Theo handed Blaine the beer. He accepted it with both hands and thanked him politely. Without a word, they sat there sipping their drinks and picking at snacks, watching the stream of players and NPCs passing by along the boulevard.

Before they knew it, night had fallen in-game. As lights started to flicker on along the road one by one, Blaine finally asked quietly,

“Hyung… what kind of Eternal did you get?”

Theo’s gaze turned to him at last.

“One you wear.”

“There’s nothing on you now though, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why haven’t you…?”

“Well, I’m switching from ranged to melee, so I’m nervous. I won’t reveal it until everything’s ready and I can guarantee decent damage. I might have to sell it, too.”

“Ah…”

“But why are you still using honorifics?”

“Huh?”

“You told me to talk casually, but you’re not doing the same.”

“Oh… I’m just more comfortable speaking formally.”

“Is that so…”

“Yes.”

Once again, the conversation came to a halt. Theo downed the rest of his beer early and picked at the snacks. He was starting to feel like calling it a night, but since Blaine was with him, he figured it would be rude to leave first. A moment later, Blaine emptied his glass too, and Theo stood up like he’d been waiting for that cue.

“I think I’ll head out and rest for the night.”

Blaine looked startled by the sudden decision but quickly nodded.

“Right… It is getting late…”

He clearly looked disappointed, but it was already past midnight in real time. Unlike him, Theo probably needed to sleep. Still, he dragged his feet a little, reluctant to part ways. Just then, Theo stepped up beside him and asked,

“Where’s your house?”

“Ah, I’m in Polia Village.”

“…That’s far.”

The game world was divided into six major territories. Vikechi, with Lucilvania as its capital; Niro, with Polia; Tiernan, with Gerda; Karlo, with Flam; Nilam, with Rakvana; and the Holy District Shekinah, with the sacred city Helier.

“Not planning to move?”

“No, I think I’ll stay at the guild house tonight and go house-hunting tomorrow.”

“Got it.”

“What about you, hyung… where do you live?”

“Ratteon.”

“Ah…”

“Well, I’ll get going. See you tomorrow.”

Waving his hand, Theo turned around and quickly walked away, leaving Blaine behind. The entrance to the village and the guild house were in completely opposite directions. Blaine stood there blankly, watching his back until it disappeared from view.

Even though it was late, the boulevard was still bustling with users. But Blaine somehow looked very alone. He stared at the road where Theo had vanished, as if trying to hold onto the fading shadow of his presence. Slowly, his gaze dropped to the ground. With slumped shoulders, he finally turned and began walking toward the guild house.

Unbeknownst to him, someone’s eyes had been trailing him persistently. That gaze had watched everything—from the moment he and Theo entered the shop, to when they drank together, to when they parted ways. All in silence.