Chapter 22 - The Call

Tom opened his eyes before all the liquid in the capsule would have a chance to dry out. He took off his mask pulled the lid open, leaving the place in a hurry.

A few moments later, Tom was already changed and heading to the nearby parking lot where he left his bike.

"Damn," he muttered under his nose, twisting the keys in the station to fire the engine up.

Tom didn't allow his disappointment to influence his driving. On the contrary, even on the empty streets of the countryside, he made sure to pay his utmost attention to the surroundings. But rather than having some principles forcing him to ride safely, he was just unwilling to let a random accident deprive him of his chance to look for his father.

'Just what the hell is that origin mage?' Tom gripped his hands over the motorbike handles. He tightened them so much that the whites of his bones shoved underneath his skin.

It was a simple question but one of great importance. If Tom could not figure out what this ability was capable of, his potential for the following skills would be severely limited.

'It's powerful for sure. With how much I packed into the preceding skills, there is no way it isn't,' Tom thought, grabbing the handlebar of his bike even tighter.

Prrrt.

His sone rang, spreading its vibrations through Tom's entire outfit. He pulled to the side of the road before picking up the call.

"Yes?" Tom asked.

"Tom? Great, you finally picked up," Cleo sighed a sigh of relief before changing her tone to a scolding one. "What happened, though? Usually, you are quick to pick up," she asked.

"I was in the game," Tom cut the talk with his short response before striking right for the crux of the matter. "From the fact that you call, I assume you organized everything necessary?"

Forcefully turning the call into a business one would put a wrench in their relationship. After all, Tom grew up with Cleo and Marvin on his side. Reducing their childhood friendship to just the business relationship wasn't Tom's intention. Still, he was too annoyed by the problem of his skill.

It was a stopgap to his growth that he couldn't fix by any indirect means.

And the stall of the growth of his avatar would put a wrench in the grand plan that his father left as Tom's inheritance!

"I don't like how you put it," Cleo protested, only to release a short sigh and continue, "but you are right. I called about the matter we talked about last time, but now I'm curious. Tom, what happened?"

'Dang it.' Tom tightened his hands on the handles of his bike. He then took a few breaths to calm himself down.

"Nothing escapes your attention, does it?" Tom asked with a sigh, shaking his head.

A car drove by, proving that the area wasn't all that deserted.

"Well, to put it in short words, I have some troubles in the game. Also, I think I might need some more things already." Tom escorted the car with his eyes as he spoke to the phone.

"Sure, what else do you need?" Cleo asked as if no matter what Tom would ask, she would be capable of procuring.

"Well, let's say I want to dig another basement at my place," Tom replied with a first, random lie that came to his mind.

'It feels bad to lie to her, but it will be better if she won't know what I'm planning,' Tom thought while looking in the distance. Way further than his eyes could reach, a vast dome was built. In fact, that dome was the only building visible from his farm.

It was also the reason behind his father's disappearance and the appearance of the online hub in the nearby city.

Because hidden within that dome was the true form of the Dungeons Online.

The portal connecting the earth to those very dungeons that the players were tasked with exploring.

"A basement, huh?" Cleo asked in a doubting tone. "If you don't want to tell me what you are planning, then just don't tell me anything at all." She sighed. "I don't want you to lie to me just to protect your secrets," she added in a confident tone.

"As always, your considerate nature makes it the most pleasant to interact with you," Tom replied, putting a slight smirk on his face.

'Between her looks and her attitude... I wonder if there is a single greater mismatch of character and looks than her!' Tom shook his head, pondering over this unnatural occurrence.

From her looks, Cleo looked like a mix of a punk and a seasoned mercenary who saw death as a daily occurrence. The shaved side of her head only made such an impression stronger.

Yet, in daily life, Cleo was the fluffiest and kindest person that one could find in the entire area. Even the people she was dealing with that empowered her to organize various stuff for her clients didn't shave away at her true nature.

"Thanks for the compliment," Cleo replied. Then, a moment of silence ensued on the call, indicating that all the main topics were already covered.

"Well," Tom said to the phone, not to let the silence fester for long enough to turn into an awkward situation. "We will meet at my place, or do you want me to drive somewhere?" he asked, trying to be considerate of Cleo's possible reservations.

After all, he was almost like a complete stranger for someone dealing in arms and all kinds of other stuff. All those years that he spent in the city were bound to put a wall between the two of them, forcing Tom to earn the girl's trust from scratch.

"Let's met at your place," Cleo cut Tom's doubts without a second thought. "I believe it would be inconvenient for you to drive around with a rifle at your shoulder!'