BXBX NOVEL Chapter 20 20: The Plot Thickens; The Merchant
(Twelve Hours Later)
Corey sat in a cross-legged position with his back resting against a wall, a hint of anxiety on his face. His face showed struggle a few times until a few minutes later, he sighed very softly.
"I was a fool."
Corey said and rested his head on the wall while closing his eyes.
Corey had slept for 8 whole hours after his death experience.
After waking up, he spent an hour laying in the same spot just looking at the wall in front of him blankly, sometimes images and memories of his death in the virtual room appeared in his mind making him shiver instinctively.
After Corey stared blankly at the wall for a whole one hour, Corey decided to take his bath and eat some food.
While eating, he thanked Kyle for saving him once again but Kyle just waved it off and told him he should not do foolish things that can cost him his life.
Not once did Kyle ask what the foolish thing he did was and Corey was grateful for that since he would have felt somehow keeping his secret from Kyle who had saved him twice.
After doing all of that which took 2 hours 30 minutes, Corey came back to the kitchen and had been sitting in the same position ever since.
Right now, Corey was remembering everything that happened ever since the combat simulation started. He was trying to figure out the mistakes he made which led to his death.
And the first mistake he realized was his cockiness and foolishness for choosing to fight four Smileys who were five levels higher than him.
He had zero combat experience and the first thing he chose to do in his first virtual battle was to fight four Smileys who had higher levels than him.
Another thing was that he underestimated the warning of the virtual room. It warned him that every sensation would be transferred to his physical body but he who rarely experienced physical pain still chose to increase the difficulty level of his fight to impossible making him die a horrible death where he was bitten and eaten to death.
The third mistake he made was that after the combat simulation started, he did not bring out his weapon and was instead looking at his surroundings with curiosity and not a ounce of wariness, thinking he was safe.
Observing his surroundings was not wrong but what was wrong was that Corey was observing his surroundings not so that he could use it to his advantage, he was doing that because he was just curious and interested in it, and the most foolish thing was that, he was doing that without a weapon.
The fourth mistake he made was after the smileys were produced. Instead of him to be in a defensive, offensive or a position which would enable him to instantly react to any situation or most situations, he decided to talk.
Talk like those foolish third rate villains in superhero movies would!
And the worst part of it was that he was talking without holding his weapon!
Even third rate villains wouldn't do something as foolish as that!
When he thought about the more, he was more like a very low-budget fourth rate villain or whatever was lower than that.
Although there were more mistakes Corey made, these four were the main ones that he deeply ingrained into his soul, not wanting to forget them ever again.
First, never try to battle beings way higher than one's level unless one has a foolproof plan.
Second, never underestimate the feeling of pain and death especially been bitten and eaten to death.
Third, observe your surroundings while thinking of ways to utilize it.
Fourth, in a battle, always have your weapon out and if you're not in a battle, always have a weapon that can be unleashed easily.
This four lessons, Corey decided that no matter what, he would never forget them.
And with this four lessons, Corey steeled himself and decided to enter into The Library Of Records and gain combat experience, but this time he would start from ONE Smiley at his level before increasing the level and numbers of Smileys gradually.
Although he was scared of the pain of death especially been eaten alive, what fueled is determination was:
'I can't let my sister to be stronger than me.
She might decide to have revenge against me and take out of my food when I eat or even keep on waking me up with pillows.
I can't allow that!
I can never allow that!'
And with this thought as his determination, he gritted his teeth, brought out Smile Reaper and walked towards the door leading to the virtual room.
'Time to kill Virtual Smileys.'
Corey thought, then entered the virtual room, taking his first step to becoming one of the most powerful beings in the multiverse all because his sister was stronger than him.
A strange thing can be what motivates humans to do some things.
And when one thinks about it, it's a funny thing actually.
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(Meanwhile in a room in the Cafeteria)
"Boss. Are we going to take this group of survivors to the place this night? I think they're ripe enough." Mac asked as he sat beside Mat and in front of them was Kyle sitting while crossing legs, with a table in between them.
"Not yet. Corey is not ripe enough yet. He's still too weak." Kyle said while tilting his glasses upwards slightly.
"I can't believe that bastard is just level 5 since all this time. Won't he take forever before he becomes ripe enough? Let me just kill him, having one less wouldn't matter." Mat spoke with visible hostility in his tone.
"Don't kill him now. We'll just bring him along with us and strengthen him, it shouldn't take too much time considering our level." Kyle said and Mat calmed down slightly, not disobeying the order, though he still had an expression of hostility.
"I wish we didn't save him, then we would not have to wait." Mac said a few seconds later thoughtlessly, then with panic he looked at Kyle and quickly spoke.
"I don't mean you made a wrong choice boss. It's just that-"
"It's okay." Kyle cut him off then continued. "I wish we didn't save him either. I thought he was in a very high level because of the way he fought those Revenants." Kyle said then sighed softly.
"You guys can go. I have some thing to do." Kyle waved them off and Mat and Mac bowed before taking their leave.
Kyle sat and stretched out his right hand and a translucent screen hovered on top of his palm.
Looking at his status window, Kyle frowned looking at three things.
[Level -> 69 (Awakened)]
[Talent -> Supreme Magus (Awakened)]
[Legacy -> Successor Of The Seventh Supreme Magus]
"It's getting more and more difficult to level up." Kyle said with a frown and looked down.
"And my stats are not improving as fast as they used to do." Kyle paused then sighed softly after dismissing his status window.
"I need to strengthen Zane and the others. Especially Zane." Kyle tapped the armrest of the chair with a pondering expression.
"Should I meet that bastard?" Kyle muttered, then stood and walked out of the room.
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(Somewhere In E-Academy)
"Oh. What brings the successor of the seventh magus to my place and at this time?" A man with white hair spoke. He was wearing a black robe and he had a chain around his neck, the pendant of this chain were two axes crossed together.
The man was sitting around what looked like a roadside stall and at the top of the stall was a sign board which read: The Merchant.
Kyle with an indifferent expression replied the merchant. "Give me the same product."
The merchant with a smile chuckled. "Is that how to speak with your superior?"
Kyle did not reply and kept on looking at the merchant with an indifferent expression. The merchant seeing this just chuckled and spread out his palm, a small bottle containing a purple liquid appeared from thin air.
Kyle seeing the bottle moved to take it but the merchant closed his hand and waggled his finger.
"Ahn ahn ahn. You know the price." The merchant said and Kyle with an indifferent expression produced a silver coin.
The merchant took the coin with a satisfied smile and opened his palm, allowing Kyle to take the bottle. After taking the bottle, Kyle was about to leave but the merchant spoke causing Kyle's footsteps to pause.
"Are you going to use the bottle tonight?" The merchant asked and Kyle replied with a cold tone.
"What's your business?"
The merchant chuckled, then spoke. "You're right. It's not my business. Just bring the drop of blood for me."
Kyle started walking off after hearing the words of the merchant, not bothering to reply the merchant. The merchant seeing this just smiled and said nothing.
'A drop of divine blood and also one of the candidates to take over the position of the seventh supreme magus. This planet is definitely my lucky chance.'
The merchant thought as the wind blew.
Closing his eyes, the merchant enjoyed the wind and the silence, his pendant blowing alongside the wind.
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This bonus chapter was sponsored by The_Founder. Thanks a lot man.