Free Web NovelChapter 28: _Death Sense
Three days later.
[DAILY QUEST COMPLETED.]
[Host successfully ran for 8km around the city.]
[REWARD: Death sense ability.]
Ambrose saw all these system notifications flashing in front of his face as he collapsed on a random bench in the city’s park. He wore a handless ash sweatshirt and black shorts.
It was already three PM and the sun shone brightly above Aurelia City. People in the park by this time were scarce, giving him some more... privacy.
Three days.
For three consecutive days since the S-Rank dungeon raid, Aura has been giving Ambrose daily quests—each seeming more strenuous than the last.
The first one was something simple but slightly scandalous. Getting Devon to be shirtless in front of him. He accomplished that by "accidentally" spilling coffee on him when he visited. Other than the three points reflexes boost he got rewarded, it was so fucking worth it.
Then the next daily quest was something more mentally taxing. Solving a Rubik’s Cube given to him by the system. It literally took him all day but he got it before dusk and got a reward... an intelligence meter added to his normal stats.
As he levels up in power, he can also experience a natural increase in his intelligence.
Which brought him to today’s mission reward—
"Death sense?" He mumbled after emptying the water bottle he carried along. "What’s that? Can I sense when I’m about to get killed or something?"
[... Or something.]
[The ability lets you sense if entities — including humans and monsters — have died in an area around you. And also to sense when death is coming for someone five seconds before it happens.]
[But never the host’s own death.]
Ambrose’s nostrils flared, his exhaustion almost fading as he sat up. "Why the fuck should I care about knowing when others die?"
[Because as a Guide, you’re obviously meant to act as support in missions. This ability can help whatever team you’re on get a whole five seconds head start in a life-or-death mission.]
Those words gave Ambrose pause.
Perhaps this ability wasn’t so bad...
[Of course, it has a limited range of two hundred meters around the host.]
Sigh.
Of course.
Stretching his legs forward, he was about to lie casually on the bench when his phone buzzed with a notification. He frowned.
Could that be Devon with Orion?
These past three days, the Esper has stuck close to their shared child from the future without complaints. It made doing a quest like this much easier.
But no... the notification wasn’t from Devon.
"God, it’s him again," Ambrose mumbled to himself, lips pursed into a thin line. The contact name on his screen glared back at him, as if alive and expectant. "Viktor..."
Another constant these past three days was the texts from the S-Rank Esper. He never knew a man of his status could be so persistent. Or maybe he was the one accidentally leading him on.
The texts were harmless at first. Casual bantering and questions about his day. Then, slowly, they started being more direct. Flirtatious even.
Like this one for example:
"Took a swim today. Care to join? Xoxo."
And then attached to that was a selfie of the Esper sitting at the edge of a swimming pool. Shirtless. Soaking wet. Obviously flexing with that big white grin of his.
Ambrose’s cheeks burned as his eyes darted around the park. The closest person to him was a woman several meters away rolling her baby in a stroller.
She glanced at him, a smile lighting her face which he returned. While mentally panicking.
’A shirtless pic, Aura.’ he lamented. ’He’s sending me shirtless pics now!’
[Okay. And?]
’And?!’ he nearly lost it. ’That’s totally not a friendly thing to do. He’s hitting on me so hard now.’
[Aww, sweetheart. Like that hasn’t been obvious since day one...]
He brushed his hand through his hair, lowering the phone. Then his mind began to wander to something else.
Just yesterday, he discovered that Devon and Han had broken up. At first, he found out through gossip rolling around the Guild’s HQ. Plus common sense—Devon no longer mentioned Han and hung around him more.
When he confronted Devon about it, he seemed unbothered. Saying ’there was no need’ for them to still be together. The implications behind those words made his stomach twist.
Did this mean Devon planned to ask him out? Why hasn’t he done that already? And more importantly...
"I’m not ready for anything serious with any man right now," Ambrose muttered, lifting his phone again. His eyes lingered on the shirtless pic for a second too long before he cleared his throat.
He typed down a response he saw as dry, smiling with satisfaction when he was done:
"Looks like fun, haha."
[Now that’s just cruel.]
"Oh, please." Ambrose clicked send, ignoring Aura. After shoving the phone back into his pocket, he added. "It was a friendly thing to say. Won’t give him any ideas that I’m interested or—"
DING!
Another notification.
It came so quickly too.
Ambrose swallowed, hesitantly pulling out the phone again. Sure enough, it was a follow-up text from Viktor. One that made his chest tighten.
"It would be more fun with you here." Followed by a winking emoji.
With shaking hands, Ambrose dropped the phone, not bothering to open the text so it won’t seem like he’s read it. "Fucking hell."
A jogger slowed nearby, glancing at him strangely after he cursed.
The man had been sitting there for five minutes now, staring at his phone as if it had personally offended him.
[You’re being actively circled by two S-Rank Espers right now, hon.]
[One can’t help but wonder who’s going to bite first.]
"I’m not letting anyone ’bite’ me."
[Yet you were stroking yourself while thinking of Devon the other day.]
"It was ONE time!"
Fortunately, before he could spiral further, another notification came in. The patriotic-sounding tone playing from his phone gave him the awareness that it wasn’t Viktor this time... thank heaven.
Rather, it was from the Phoenix Flight Guild’s human resources management:
"Brave Guide of our prestigious Guild! This is your reminder that the Phoenix-Talon joint gala is being held tonight. We hope to see you there."
Right.
That was one last thing that had come up in recent days. Phoenix Flight and Glacier Talon were having a joint gala sponsored by the United States Hunters Federation.
To celebrate the closing of the S-Rank dungeon Rift.
It was starting in four hours—
—And he was still in this damn park sweating like he just crawled out of the devil’s armpit.
"It’s party time." He smiled to himself, getting on his feet. However, only two steps forward made him dizzy thanks to his run, forcing him to slump back onto the bench.
He groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Maybe I’ll just stay here... for a bit..."
