Free Web NovelChapter 127: After Party Blues
--
Ren woke up with a headache. Hangover, more specifically...
He couldn’t exactly recall how much he drank or what he drank—was it beer? Whisky? Cocktails? Wine? A little bit of everything? He honestly can’t remember. But he knows that it was a lot. He didn’t refuse anything handed to him...well, it’s more like he didn’t want to refuse. Everybody was getting drunk to forget their depression, just wanting to have a good time because last night might be the last time they’d see each other again.
Who was Ren to remind them of moderation?
Besides, if Kaycee were old enough to be married off to some rich young master, then they’d be old enough to get hammered.
Aside from that, Ren also couldn’t exactly recall how he got home. He remembers leaving the Rosewater Inn and calling a cab. Did he throw up in that cab? Maybe. How did he end up in his room? He doesn’t know either. Maybe one of the guards helped him out.
But he managed to return to the clan and to his house, somehow.
He could’ve stayed in the Rosewater Inn, but it would’ve been awkward once he woke up there. Ren wasn’t sure if he’d be able to leave in peace. That’s probably why he dragged his ass back here despite being absolutely hammered.
Ren sighed and got up. The sun was already up. He woke up so late; it’s practically noon now.
He sniffed himself and winced. He smelled horrible. Not like vomit, but sour nonetheless. There’s some faint smell of the drinks that spilled on his clothes, too.
Ren took an ice-cold bath to wake up his spirits and be refreshed. This also helped with his hangover. He changed to a fresh set of clothes and made food for himself.
He didn’t feel like training today. He wants to spend the rest of the day thinking about his next steps, because that would be important.
"Yo, Cousin! You alive in there?"
It’s Alex, no doubt about that. Ren opened the door for him and invited him in wordlessly.
"Hmm! Smells good!" Alex hummed, smelling the freshly cooked meal that Ren just made. He also looked at him from head to toe and said, "Well, you handled that hangover pretty well. It seems like you’ve learned how to party properly! Good for you."
"It’s not like that." Ren shook his head at him as he walked to the kitchen to make more food. Alex will be eating here as well, no doubt about that. He didn’t cook enough, so he had to cook more.
He then explained what happened as he expertly moved in his kitchen. By the time he was done explaining, he also finished making more food.
"Oh, my bad, then." Alex looked remorseful at least. "So that’s happening too? Man, that sucks!"
"Tell me about it..."
Alex joined Ren at the table, and they ate in silence for a bit. Alex then asked, "Well? What are your plans now?"
"I’ll go solo for a bit," Ren admitted. That has been his plan since he knew what was coming. "I’ll try to clear the elite and boss stages up to stage 30 on my own."
"It’ll take some time, but maybe by the time I’m done, some things will have changed, and I can find another way forward. If not, then...I guess I’ll think more about it once I get there."
Ren wasn’t being completely honest here. He meant the first part—he does want to solo elite and boss stages up to stage 30, but beyond that, Ren didn’t want Alex worrying about him.
"How’s your party, by the way? I hope it’s not as bad as mine."
"All good," Alex replied. "None of them are from any prestigious clans, so I don’t have to worry about us disbanding. Dad wouldn’t dare pull me out either; that much I’m sure of. So, we continue as we are. We completed the re-registration yesterday, too. We’re cleared."
"That’s nice." Ren feels somewhat relieved. "How about the others from the clan? Have you heard anything?"
"I did, but...it shouldn’t be a big deal. It’s not like there are many of us who insist on being in a party. Parties are not very welcoming of us, to begin with, so most of us are used to being passed from one party to the next. Some prefer going solo, but knowing how difficult it is, especially for us, they don’t tend to go very far."
"Simply put, the changes might’ve been drastic, but they didn’t really change the situation of the clan. We aren’t that much affected as the rest." ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
Ren thought so too. The Banished Arms Clan had always been at a disadvantage. They’ve grown so used to being slighted and being the last option that it had become an expectation by now. This has passed on from one generation to the next. So, for the clan, it’s always been like this.
Sure, the clan could do the same as other clans. They could force their youth to create parties of their own. No outsiders. But that would’ve been foolish. Even if they’re together, they will be weak.
The sad truth is that the Banished Arms Clan isn’t known for their strength. They’re not known for anything other than holding on for so long when all others failed. Stubborness is not strength.
Mikel isn’t stupid. Forcing the clan’s youth to form parties together would just be sending sacrifices straight to the jaws of the beast. Instead of doing that, he might as well tell them to continue as they always do. Because if there’s one positive thing about this whole situation, it’s that it doesn’t affect the clan that much.
It’s business as usual for them. That’s the best move.
Alex stayed after lunch. They played games where Ren proceeded to beat him again and again, much to the other’s dismay. Ren is just good at everything he does.
Eventually, Alex left, and once again, Ren was left to think about his moves moving forward.
Clearing the more difficult stages of the dungeons was locked in already. But it’s what comes after that he needs to be careful with.
’I’m close to reaching the late stage of bone forging,’ he thought to himself. ’That should be enough time for me to make it.’
’With that level of strength, it should be more than enough for me to qualify for that mysterious realm. There are some really useful treasures in there and good opportunities, too. I have to get in.’
’I’d be changing the timeline by taking those things, but fuck it! So what? I’ve already altered a lot of things; what’s a little bit more? ’
With this in mind, Ren began his preparations...
**
"I can’t believe this..."
The Verdant Immortal Matriarch massaged her temples as she dismissed the reports that she just perused.
Nearby, the Azure Radiance Saint sat, calmly taking a sip of her tea as if none of this had anything to do with her.
"Has it really been that long since we left? Have we really been this neglectful? How could this happen? How did they manage to force us this much?"
The Verdant Matriarch felt her head and heart throb at the things she just learned, the things that happened while they were gone.
She returned, replacing the Crimson Tyrant, who has now returned to the frontlines. Once she returned, she heard things that made her feel as if she came to the wrong place, even though the place looked exactly the same as the one she remembered.
Only when the Azure Saint sent her the complete reports of what happened while they were gone did she realize just how messed up everything was.
They left thinking that they were protecting their home by fighting at the frontlines, not realizing that they practically left it undefended and the enemy took advantage of that.
Even though Azure Saint returned in time and managed to do something about it. In truth, she wasn’t the one who discovered it. Without the whistleblower, she wouldn’t have known either.
They did handle the main threat, but there are still damages everywhere. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
The dungeon gates were compromised, as were the Archstones. As strong as they were as martial gods, they couldn’t fix it because it was already a done deal. Regardless of their actions, the cult still succeeded with some of their schemes.
They imposed a ’rule’ on the dungeon gates and the archstones. Making it so that if people from different places of origin enter the gates and the dungeons, the specific dungeon they chose will immediately turn to Black Shade Tendency, which is the most dangerous state of the dungeon.
This was no different from sending them to their deaths.
The rule stating that the party shouldn’t be from the same origin place was twisted. It doesn’t refer to the human civilization as a whole; it refers to the same city where they’re born and raised.
Violating the rule was bad; following it or even going above and beyond by having a party coming from the same bloodline, for example, gets them rewarded.
This is why both the GMU and the Imperial Court established the new law. It wasn’t their choice. It’s the cult that decided for them and left them to handle the consequences.
