Three more days have passed. Clyde woke up from his sleep and immediately opened his Character Information before he even got out of bed. Can't wait to see what developments will occur in his Character Information.
However, to Clyde's surprise, he didn't see any change. No other parts are open apart from the Name section even though Clyde was looking forward to it.
"This is so weird."
Clyde thought that his Character Information would recover over time because he had seen the Name part recover.
But it turns out that not everything is going to go that smoothly and Clyde can only sigh.
"It doesn't matter. Besides, I can still use my skills."
Clyde got up from the bed. His disappointment had dwindled because even though his Character Information had not recovered he could still use his skills like [Burning Hand].
Even though there is no clarity about Inventory, Coins, and Stats, Clyde suspects that all of these will be solved over time. Or else he'll find his way of getting it back.
Clyde plans to grind his fighting skills again. Because he wanted to quickly get out of this place and find Rodney and avenge his treachery.
While he was letting the cold water from the shower run down his head, Clyde suddenly thought about Asqa and Sonya. They were both innocent and Clyde genuinely hoped that the two of them could still hold on well.
For Clyde, Asqa and Sonya are the first friends he gets after years of living in loneliness. They supported him against the Outer God when Rodney and his fellow Regressors just stayed in their place.
That time, Clyde didn't blame the Regressors because maybe they were scared. He didn't even expect that Asqa and Sonya would come to help him for the same reason.
But when he found out that Asqa and Sonya had come to help him despite all the terror and fear they felt from the Outer God, Clyde felt his heart touched.
Even though he knew that in the beginning the two of them just tag along with him because they thought that their survival change would be higher if they were with him. But they wouldn't jump into danger to help him if their feelings hadn't changed from just that.
From just people taking advantage of him, it becomes a feeling of a comrade.
Clyde knew that the two of them would be useful. So from the start, it was a good choice to make them strong because, in the end, they would be useful as comrades who help him when he is in a difficult situation.
However, everything he had planned was destroyed by the betrayal of the Regressors while he was off guard.
*BRUKK!*
Clyde punched the bathroom wall until the concrete cracked. His teeth were also grinding tightly as if they could scrape against each other if he kept doing it.
Every time Clyde remembered that incident he felt like killing something. He had to grab Rodney's neck with both hands and choke him with all his might. And watched as the man's soul flew out of his body.
Only then did he feel relieved.
But to get there Clyde knew he still had a long way to go. He didn't even know where Rodney was right now. And even when he found out, he was sure that he couldn't just kill Rodney when he was with the Celestial who picked him up.
The Celestial who picked him up was most likely powerful since Rodney had stolen his achievement as the one who managed to finish with the highest Grade.
Realizing that he had spent too long in the bathroom Clyde came out. After he was dressed, Clyde headed straight to the available portal in the city center.
Several eyes that noticed his presence stared at him with various looks. Some felt amazed by his strength, some felt envious because of it. And some are interested in making friends with him because it will benefit them.
However, their hopes of getting closer to him were blown away by the cold wall he always put up. Clyde's facial expressions and gestures always showed that he didn't want anyone to approach him and tell them to fuck off.
Clyde saw a short, brown-skinned man with a long red beard sitting by the portal to the plains used for training.
The man was much shorter than him but his body was very muscular. His biceps stick out until they are as big as Clyde's thighs, seeming out of proportion to his body.
Clyde ignored him because he thought the man had his own business there. However, it turns out that the man's business is with him.
"Good morning!" the man greeted with a wide smile showing rows of large teeth.
Clyde frowned as he realized something. The man's features looked like one of those fantasy creatures he knew.
'Is he a Dwarf?' Clyde thought, curious. Judging from his features and the fact that there were all kinds of creatures living in this place, Clyde was almost certain that the man in front of him was indeed a Dwarf.
"Good morning," Clyde replied flatly.
"You must be wondering who I am, right?" the man still said with the same big smile. Clyde wondered if he wasn't tired of maintaining that wide smile all this time.
Clyde just nodded in response.
"My name is Hammer," the man introduced himself. "I am a Dwarf and serve as a blacksmith in this fortress."
"Hammer?" Clyde remembered hearing that name somewhere. "Oh, you made all those swords."
Clyde didn't want to say that this Dwarf made shitty swords that broke easily. There's no reason to hurt someone who shows smiles this wide.
"Yes." Hammer scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "You know that the quality of those swords is pretty bad, right? Those swords aren't much different from trash."
Clyde was a bit taken aback because Hammer was aware of the quality of the swords he made.
"You know why that is?"
"Of course not."
"Because the materials I got are trash too!" Hammer suddenly looked irritated and his smile turned to anger.
"So?" Clyde didn't see what that had to do with him and why Hammer had told him about it.
"A-Ah, I know you don't like small talk. So I'll get straight to the point," Hammer said. Then he leaned closer to Clyde and looked around as if he didn't want anyone to hear him.
"I'd like to ask your help in finding good materials. Otherwise, I'll be stuck creating trash weapons and equipment over and over again!" said Hammer in a hushed whisper.
Clyde even felt that he could see the despair in those big brown eyes because he had been making poor-quality equipment and weapons for too long.
Not that it matters to Clyde, though.
"Why should I help you?" Clyde asked.
"I will make you the best weapons and equipment depending on the materials you get. At a good discount," said Hammer.
"But I don't think I need a lot of equipment or weapons," said Clyde.
"That's because you haven't gone on an expedition yet."
Hearing Hammer's words, Clyde blinked a few times. "What do you mean?"
"Sit down."
Clyde sat next to Hammer, right next to the portal.
"Samuel and the senior members of this fortress often go on expeditions to The All Territory. Their goal is usually to find materials and information about Celestials," Hammer started his explanation.
"What is The All Territory?" Clyde asked.
"That is where the world of Celestials resides. It is vast and there are various domains occupied by those Celestials. Gods, Angels, and Demons are all there and coexist within their territories.
I don't know much about that place either. But at least I know some useful things for you."
Clyde was hearing about it for the first time. So, there is a place where the Celestials live. That meant Rodney and the others were in that place.
If Samuel and the senior members can go there, he must also go with them.
"How can I go with them?" Clyde asked.
"With your current strength, I think you just need to persuade them a bit. I'm sure they won't keep you out for too long since they also need a lot of members to continue the expedition.
The journey to The All Territory was very dangerous. Every time they go there they risk their lives.
But, it's also their fault because they never want to spare some time to look for good materials."
"That sounds stupid. If the expedition is dangerous why don't they try upgrading their gear?" Clyde said.
"Because their members are few and they seem to be running out of time for something I don't know about," Hammer said. "With your presence, they can have people looking for good materials."
Clyde thinks that getting good gear is important if he wants to get to The All Territory. Even though Hammer seemed intent on taking advantage of him, Clyde thought getting a discount and getting good gear for himself was essential.
"Alright," Clyde said.
"Good. You can start today. Don't worry, you don't have to go to The All Territory to get those materials."
~~~
