Chapter 11: Friend

Chapter 11: Friend

"Geez, man! Look at you!" Harold exclaimed as he sized up Cedric. "I almost didn't recognize you! I can't believe someone could change this much within mere weeks!"

"...my sleeping schedule has been fixed, that's why," Cedric replied calmly. His bland expression showed no signs of changing despite blurting out such an obvious lie. Finnd new chapters at novelhall.com

"Bullshit!" Harold slammed his plate on the table before sitting down next to him. "If that's all it takes for people to suddenly experience a growth spurt, and become more swole, then this world will be filled with giants."

"I've always been like this." Cedric lied once more. "I'm just plagued by insomnia and have a really bad posture. My diet is also trash and I'm depressed. With all of those piled up, it shouldn't be surprising that I look different than normal."

"But...eh? Really?" Harold trailed off, seemingly nearly convinced by Cedric's lie. "You mean, all of this is just from having a good sleep?"

"Surprising, isn't it?" Cedric chuckled, evidently intent on pushing through his lies. "I've read some blogs about the benefits of good sleep. There are also tricks there that I used to maximize its benefits. I tried it and it worked. Never felt so awesome in my life, I'll tell you that."

"...what about your diet then? Don't tell me that you're satisfied with this shit?" Harold asked, emphasizing his words by raising the contents of his plate.

A grimace found its way to Cedric's face, he knew he couldn't lie about that so he decided to add some truths to his lie...

"Hell no!" He exclaimed softly. He watched his tone since he didn't want to offend the cooks. "I've been buying food from the shop instead. Also some nutrient solutions. It helps me sleep better."

"Oh, I see! Yeah, that makes sense." Harold nodded, finally looking convinced. "And here I thought you had a Sugar Mommy/Daddy or something."

"Wait, what the fuck!?"

"What!?" Harold exclaimed in innocence. "I mean, being sexually active has its perks too you know? Plus, that would explain how you have more Demon Souls to spend on cosmetics!"

"And how would you- no, no don't tell me! I don't wanna know. Keep it to yourself."

"Shut the fuck up, Dude! I just overheard the details from others! Don't look at me like that, I'm telling the truth!" Harold complained, his voice low and embarrassed.

"Something tells me that if your assumptions were correct, you would join in on it."

Cedric and Harol stared at each other for a solid minute before Harold said:

"Okay...you got me there." He snorted as faced his meal. "But that is not a crime."

"Why would you even-...you know what? Whatever, I really don't want to know."

"I'm just saying, you know?" Harold replied, exasperated. "As long as the other party knows basic hygiene, I wouldn't be 'opposed' to it. Especially at a decent price!"

"..."

"I mean, think about it, right? You get to have sex, although it'll be debatable whether it's good sex or not, and get paid while doing it!"

"..."

"Beggars can't be choosers. We don't have that kind of luxury. Can you really blame me for considering it? No, right? Life here already fucking sucks, but it doesn't come with a 'Dry Spell', so at the very least, we still have that. Don't you think so, too?"

"...it almost sounds like you're convincing yourself more than defending the idea."

Harold clamped his mouth shut, a sign that Cedric certainly didn't miss.

Age: 21

Race: Human

Class: Tier 1 - Swordsman

Level: 2

Aptitude:

Body: B-

Energy: B

Spirit: (S) - Locked. Tier 2 req.

Final rating: B

Skills:

Actives: Fencing Lv.7, Kickboxing Lv.5

Passives: Vision (M), Learning (M), Breathing Lv.8, Smell lv.8, Multitasking Lv.7, Taste Lv.7, Touch Lv.7, Listening Lv.8, Footwork Lv.8, Recovery Lv.8

Mandatory Task:

Hell Dive: Survive the Endless Undead Horde for 3 Hours. Current Record: 12 minutes

Rewards: 100% Demon Soul gain.

Failure: +1 Strike. Current Strike Counter: 1/3

*

A small smile appeared on his face as he looked at his updated profile.

There were only a few days left before he had to attempt to complete his month's Mandatory Service.

In truth, he could've started his attempts as soon as the start of this month, but he decided against it since he was still preparing himself.

Now, there are only two weeks left for this month. He plans on starting his Hell Dive on the last week of the month to give himself some wiggle room. This means that he only has a week's left work of practice before he throws himself to the real thing.

It'd be a lie if he said that he wasn't nervous, cause he definitely is...

Sure, he felt confident about his chances but he's also aware that there are many factors out there that could jeopardize his chances. Sadly though, he doesn't have the luxury to choose other than direct confrontation.

Lying on his bed for a solid while, Cedric already knows that he won't be getting sleep, so instead of wasting his time here, he gets up, leaves his room, and goes outside.

'I'll try my best to master the 『Fencing』 skill before this week ends.'