Chapter 419 - NPCs Everywhere Are Undergoing Their Trials

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~~~(POV: Cera Adamo)~~~

~~~(Location: The Palace in Greshina, Elven Kingdom)~~~

~~~(Time: 8:23 AM)~~~

A day has passed, and Hailey and Jasmine are off trying to figure out how to make her a Player like us. Helda has been sharing some of the reports she's been getting from other Kingdoms. She's taken up the role of Leader until all of this is done. In my opinion, there isn't a better person for the job. Apparently, Kingdoms are filled with NPCs trying to become Players.

It wasn't too long ago that NPCs hated us with every fiber of their being, and here they are now, racing to become like us. It's a tremendous thing... The hypocrisy that lives in people... Can't say I blame them... Being spared from death like Players is hard to pass up. "Thanks for taking this time with me..." Mom and I are on one of the many balconies of the Palace.

She wants to spend some quality time with me. She claims it's to make up for all the time we have missed. Regarding my mom's motivations, they're usually much simpler. "It's been a long time since we last talked, mom. I can't remember when it was just the two of us like this." It's always been the family around or things occupying our time.

There is a problem crossing my mind, and that problem is my parents don't know about me knowing things about The Ancients World. About coming back through time. Being the catalyst for all of this. "Sally seems like a sweet and kind girl. Not to mention beautiful. I'm glad that you found someone you liked. I was worried you didn't know what love was." I understand that.

I didn't give much effort into the love that a man and woman share. It was never a priority. "I'm a lot of things, mom, and at one point, I did believe that I'd be alone for the rest of my life. That was before I met Sally. She treated me so differently." I came into the Inn she was working at after killing hordes of monsters and smelling worse than death.

Sally never deserved the life she got, and now that it's behind her. She can move forward with a smile and a better outlook on life. "You and her make a good team. Doing all this is proof of that. Things are going to change now that she can fight next to you without dying." She's right about that. Sally is going to push herself pretty hard.

I wouldn't expect anything less from her. Sometimes, the best part of her is her drive to change her life and others. "Maybe Hailey can find a nice man and get the same love that you've found... It's so hard seeing you two grow up... And Marcus isn't far behind..." Her voice starts to crack as the tears begin falling from her eyes. It's hard to see my mom cry.

That's one thing a son never wants to see. His mother crying. I take a step over and wrap her in a one-armed hug as we overlook the balcony. "I'm hoping for the same thing regarding Hailey... I'm sorry that I grew up to fast." I can't help saying that with a smile and a chuckle, which causes her to laugh and dry her tears too. Her mood is already lightening up.

Hailey and Jasmine are already long gone from Greshina and are heading to one of the closest cities outside the Elven Kingdoms Borders to figure out what they need to do. "Hailey seems so different... Like she's seen some horrible shit... The same look I see you have from time to time... If breaks my heart..." She's more astute and observant than I gave her credit for.

When Hailey learned the truth about her fate in the future, it mentally broke her for a while. It took me some time to help her put everything back together. "You don't need to worry about Hailey. She's strong and can handle anything that this world can throw at her." I have confidence in my sister. She's proved that she's capable and is ready to fight any threat to her life.

My mom dries the corners of her eyes, and the wind blows slightly. "What about you, Cera... Should I worry about you... You seem to bury a lot of pain away from the world." A mother knows... Even after so much time apart and growth, she still sees that I'm holding on to some dark shit. There are things about my past and life that I've never given a second thought.

Mainly because of how horrible they were. Seeing my sister become a crack whore and my mother dying is at the top. The implosion of my family and our lives haunts me even now. If Hailey knew everything I knew, she'd not sleep at night. "You don't need to worry about me. I'm used to it." For some reason, those words cause her to cringe.

It's probably because it's something parents never want to hear from their kids. That they're used to something that causes them great physical or emotional pain. "When someone says that... They're not alright..." She leaves it at that, and I'm grateful she does. My problems are my own, and I don't want or expect anyone to try and help me with them.

~~~(POV: Christian Adamo)~~~

~~~(Location: The Palace in Greshina)~~~

~~~(Time: 8:47 AM)~~~

It sucks that I didn't get to spend any time with Hailey before she got to leave, but I'm happy that Cera and Violet are getting some time together. I'll want to speak to my firstborn son alone too. There are things we need to discuss. "Mr. Adamo. Can you tell me what Cera was like when he was a kid?" My attention is taken away from my thoughts by Sally's question.

I remember those days like they were yesterday. Out of all three of our kids, Cera was the easiest to raise. He made it fun being a parent. It's funny being asked this by Sally. Since she's older than all of us. "He was a quiet and composed kid... There were times he'd cry, but only when it was serious... Violet became really attached to him." He was so easy to love.

Hailey grew jealous of Cera, and we tried to do something about it. There wasn't much to be done. Cera never demanded attention. He was always off doing his own thing when he wasn't around us. And that only frustrated Hailey more. He made it seem like no matter what, it wouldn't matter as much to him as it did to her.

Pretty soon, Cera started to grow both physically and mentally. Leaving behind his immature sister, gaining love and admiration from Violet. Something Hailey never got... Not the same way Cera did... Hailey is my princess and my favorite. That really helped her get over a lot of her issues. Cera never cared about who was favorite or more loved. 

Sometimes, I wish he did care. That way, Hailey could see that Cera had imperfections too. But he was too smart for his age. Still is. That scorned Hailey for a long time. "There was a moment when he saved Hailey from drowning in the river... He was so young..." He was old enough to have an intelligent conversation, but he wasn't older than 8 at the time.

Sally looks across the large hall, and Helda can be seen talking with various people and looking sleep-deprived. "Thanks for sharing, but I think I need to have a talk with Helda about resting." Sally goes out of her way to help a lot of people, and that's a good trait. I'm glad that Cera found her.

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A/N: Below this line, I'll be keeping Cera's player information. That way, I won't have to place it into the story above anymore. It takes about 180 words up.

[Slayer (Zern) Lvl.211]

[Exp: 40/100%]

[Title: The Son of Arch-Angel Michael (Hidden)]

[Stats] [Strength - 7095][Endurance - 7045][Dexterity - 7215][Speed - 8240][Focus - 19,660]

[Mana aura control: 6/100%]

[Health: 76,560,000,000/76,560,000,000] [Mana: 216,600,000,000/216,600,000,000]

[Stat Points: 200] [Armor rating: 500]

[Inventory] [Dice of Wayland (Divine)] [Hardened Tree sap Armor (Very Rare)] [The Witness (Legendary Sword)] [Fenrir's Whistle (Divine)] [Sally's Dresses 5x] [Camping gear] [Food Rations 3x] [Dried meat 3x] [Fishing poles 2x] [Fish 8x] [Festival Garbs 2x] [4x EXP Boosts]

[Passive Perks]

[Inheritor of the Sword] [Son of Heaven] [Slayer of Evil] [Holy Willow Trees Savior] [Finder of Legends] [The Divine who has Legend] [Destined for Greatness] [Dungeon Diver] [An Overachiever]

[Active Skills]

[Heavens light Lvl.74 325/7400] [Protected by Heaven Lvl.74 225/7400] [Slash Lvl..92 4600/21000] [Parry Lvl.68 80/6800] [Double Strike N/A] [Kingslayer N/A] [Raging Machine N/A] [Winged Glory] [Angelic Flight] [Divine Pressure Exertion] [Divinity Pulse] [Controled Fun]