Chapter 57 I Want To Be Your Friend

In the control room.

"So, what kind of spirit is she?"

Bastien giggled. "She is good. I mean, she might be good later when she is a bit older.... She is a fae-beast. I got her a couple of years ago when looking for herbs to make medicines in Yunatea. Her combat skill level is low since she hasn't learned how to use her power yet. She is just a stupid fae who can only play with weird illusion skills." Bastien replied.

"But then, why did you agree with me to release her? Aren't you afraid that her existence will only increase my beloved brother's chances of winning?"

Bastien laughed quietly. "It wasn't planned that way. It was you that came up with this idea. You wanted me to bet on it, remember?"

Leon pouted his lips and muttered, "Oh, yeah... That was what we agreed on."

Then he looked away from Bastien and stared at Polly, who was standing next to Nathan.

Bastien smirked wickedly. "Yes, she looks cute, even if I say so myself. But there are also some things I don't like about her either...," Bastien said slowly with a grin that could scare someone easily.

Leon furrowed his brows with confusion.

Bastien continued in a soft voice while pointing at the girl with his index finger. "The girl looks really similar to Marcos' sister, Linda." He took a deep breath as if savoring something sweet. Then he let out a small sigh.

"...Well, maybe not exactly the same, but..." Bastien mumbled under his breath.

Leon raised one eyebrow questioningly and asked, "...Are you saying...?"

Bastien shook his head and quickly put his hands together in front of him, clapping lightly, and interrupted him, "No! I didn't mean anything by that!" His smile returned and spread across his face again, almost too brightly for Leon to see his face clearly. "Both of them are killer maniacs. I can't stand people who kill others without any reason or purpose."

Leon nodded. "I think I agree with you on this point."

Leon crossed his arms with a slight scowl on his face. He was thinking for some time before turning back toward Bastien with an exaggerated frown on his face. "You must have lost your mind after spending so much time with these two."

Bastien grinned wryly and nodded his head. "Maybe."

Leon laughed softly at Bastien's response and tapped the table once more with his fingers. "So, do you think my brother will win? Even though he is already surrounded by enemies? I'm so worried."

"If the battle were to continue now, it would be hard to tell," Bastien replied honestly.

"Oh well, then... I guess I need to find a way out then... I thought this would never happen. To lose in the first round... It seems like such a waste..." Leon sighed deeply. He clenched his fists.

"Do you know why we haven't been able to get our hands on Marco and the others?" Leon said suddenly, in a sharp tone, with narrowed eyes glaring at Bastien.

Bastien remained silent for a while, pondering over what had just happened.

"Master Bastien." Bastien's subordinate near him called him.

Bastien just kept silent.

"There is another attack outside the mansion." He continued.

Another large screen showed the events outside the mansion. On the screen, a girl with black clothes covering her whole body was making a scene by provoking the guards outside. She pushed away the guard that tried to grab hold of her and ran into the forest nearby. The guards followed her and disappeared from sight among the trees and shrubs.

"If all your guards follow that girl, then how will my beloved brother kill 30 of your people? You must be held responsible, Bastien." Leon said slowly.

Bastien gulped slightly. "That little thing? There are still a dozen more guards inside the house. I'm sure they are going to fight until everyone is dead." Bastien said with confidence in his voice.

Leon put his hand on his chin and puffed out his cheeks before sighing again with his shoulders slumped forward. "This is so boring. I need a more intense fight than this."

***

In basement 4.

"My friend, may I know what your name is?" Polly said.

Nathan looked up at the sound of her voice, but he didn't reply immediately as he simply stared at her face without saying anything.

She finally broke down and started talking faster when she saw Nathan's reaction.

"Ah... umm... sorry about... everything. Can we start over again... like we were... friends...?" Her words were awkward and shaky, like those of an impulsive child who was afraid of getting scolded by their parents.

Nathan shook his head slightly while smiling softly. Then he raised a finger and pointed it towards her, motioning for her to come closer to him while still sitting on the floor, looking at the opposite wall in silence.

Polly walked slowly toward him with a confused look on her face, stopped in front of him, kneeled on the ground, and waited quietly. She seemed as though she would remain seated in that position forever if not for Nathan's instruction.

"You're very brave." He said in a calm tone, staring intently into her eyes from where he sat, leaning back against the cold stone wall behind them.

"Do you have something you want to ask me?" He asked calmly.

"Yes..." She nodded. "If I promise to be good, will you let me be your friend?"

"Do you know that I don't really have many friends in my life? Most people are either enemies or slaves." He replied coolly. "If I allow anyone near me, they might only bring pain and suffering into my heart."

Polly frowned slightly at his words but remained silent instead of arguing back.

"If I release you now, and you can survive until we get out of here... You'll still be a slave... A dead end." He whispered as he lowered his gaze and closed his eyes as he spoke.

There was a moment of silence before Polly answered carefully with a voice so low she could barely hear it herself, "...Then what should I do?" she whispered, with her face close enough to touch him on the shoulder.

She moved her hand toward him and felt his skin beneath her fingertips. His muscles were tense; she found it hard to hold her fingers there when her hands shook violently.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and spoke in a barely audible whisper. "Can you tell me why I should not be your servant?" The words felt as if they were coming from someone else as if they had been uttered before.

Nathan looked at her with curiosity at first, then he took a deep breath before saying gently, "I don't practice slavery, either. So I don't think there are any options for you."

It was natural for them, the Fae, to become slaves to humans, driven by a strong internal urge to serve. For only in this way could they unlock their potential and bring great benefits to their masters.

Polly's expression remained unchanged after hearing this response. She closed her mouth silently after listening carefully. The light coming down through the ceiling illuminated her pale face, which was now covered with red spots of anger. But she kept silent anyway and simply looked down at the floor, waiting patiently for his next words.

"But... I'll make an exception... This is the first time I have ever given someone a chance," he said softly. "So please... give it your best effort. Don't waste what little kindness I've managed to keep inside of me." He continued gazing at her face as if searching for some kind of sign to tell her what to say. Finally, he sighed loudly and said, "...I guess we can start over again like we were friends." His voice sounded almost as tired as he felt, but his voice wasn't that low anymore; it was filled with strength again.

Polly lowered her head and gave him a small smile before she whispered a quiet "thank you." She bowed slightly, stood up quickly, and turned to the giant man near them.

Nathan leaned forward a bit so he could see better from where he sat on the floor.

"That is." Marco said. "That's what I said before, about you, Nathan. Something that only someone like you could achieve. A charisma that you alone can hold. Even with my intelligence, I would never be able to guess such a storyline. How could something change this drastically? My instincts are never wrong." He said excitedly.

"Shut up, Marco. I'll cancel the contract once I get out of this place. And immediately get you away from my life."

"That would be the worst choice, Master. You're better off killing me and gaining experience from me. That would be a better option for you."

"Poor girl." Luna immediately appeared and floated not far from Nathan.

Nathan smiled and grabbed Linda's shoulder. "Linda, please."

Linda nodded and helped Nathan to his feet.

Nathan held his body by embracing Linda's body. He was dragging a sword in his right hand.

The giant man, who had just barely killed him, was kneeling on the floor. His hands clawed at his face. Drops of blood were clearly visible.

"Master Nathan, she is suffering." Luna floated close to Nathan. She looked sadly at Polly.

Nathan passed Polly, who was standing straight and not moving an inch.

Nathan glanced and saw blood flowing from her mouth. "Thanks, my friend."

"I am very happy." Polly stared at Nathan, tears streaming down instantly, along with drops of blood on her face.

Nathan nodded, and then he turned to the man.

He whispered softly. "Berserker Form, Fire Blade Aura, Acceleration."

Flames instantly enveloped the blade of the sword in his hand. He shot quickly from Linda's grasp.

Nathan slashed his sword at the man's neck. Once, twice, he needed more power, even against someone under the influence of an illusion.

But it didn't take long because a system notification appeared right after that. It showed that he had passed the challenge before his very eyes.

[You've killed Michael Hung Beginner Lv. 100]

[You received 19,853 experience]

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

[Level: Unranked Lv. 51]

[Exp: 3,798/11,833]

[Congratulations, the tier 2 skill has been unlocked.]

[You can create skills with more significant potential than before.]

[...]

Nathan stood holding a sword covered in blood. His breath panting rapidly.