Chapter 17 Huh . . . That Bracelet?

"Egh?" I was stunned silent when Luke approached me and whispered in my ears that he saw me sneaking on the girls' bed last night.

We were outside the inn in the early seven in the morning, waiting for the girls to finish whatever they were still doing in the room.

"I won't tell the girls," he said with a solemn expression. "If you tell me how you just suddenly went back to sitting on the floor in a blink of an eye."

I was more bothered that he was blackmailing me about my newly acquired skill than him catching me sneaking on the girls' bed.

I thought he was a good guy.

I felt betrayed all of a sudden.

<Host is truly naïve. Everyone is evil, and it naturally comes out if you desire something.>

What should I do now?

Should I tell him?

But my guts told me that I shouldn't. Luke was already blackmailing me with just my newly acquired skill. What more if he found out about the system?

I could only lie to save myself from future troubles.

Anyway, he wouldn't know since he couldn't see through my screen.

"It's a spell that I acquired when I leveled my INT."

As I expected, Luke was skeptical. "How much is your INT now?"

"Uhm . . ." My brain was working overdrive to formulate a believable number.

"15."

"That high? I thought you only leveled your STR yesterday?"

"I did. But all my bonus EXP in the beginning, I put it on INT since I'm a mage. And I've been fighting monsters before we even met and partied, so . . ."

Luke stared me in the eyes, and I could only stare at his brows so I wouldn't lose my nerve. If you couldn't stare them in the eyes, then stare them at the center of their brows. It gave the same feeling that you were staring at them in the eyes.

A little trick I picked up since I easily get intimidated, especially if the person had more education and money than me.

"Soarsie!"

My heart leaped to my throat when Luke called at the approaching girls. I literally stood there like a corpse. My body froze, and sweat coated my skin, and it felt like a knife was twisting my stomach.

"How high is your INT?" Luke questioned with a serious face, and my knees almost gave way when I released the breath I held.

I really thought he would tell her about last night.

Soarsie was surprised and confused as she said, "12. Why?"

Luke was silent for a moment. He briefly shot me a look, and I pretended to check my boots if I stepped on a dung or something.

Why did the air smell like shit?

He then shook his head and muttered, "Never mind."

I had a feeling that he was still not over it. But there was nothing he could do if he couldn't see my screen.

Thank God that the game was designed that way. Something to be thankful for.

However, now that Luke was on me, I had to be careful about using my skills. And since I already used Evil Speed, that left me with 120 MP enough to cast Evil Wisdom a single time if I had to use mage-related spells.

Though I doubt I could cast anything with its low success rate.

*sigh . . . I was probably the unluckiest person alive. I had cheat-level skills, but I couldn't even use them properly.

<If Host just let go all your inhibitions and embrace your evilness, everything would be easy.>

I ignored it and pressed forward when the group was leaving the village.

"I hope we can reach the goblin's cave this time."

"Yeah, fighting the same monsters, again and again, is getting dull."

Soarsie and Jane were making small talks while Luke led the front in silence. I took the back and followed behind them, contemplating what to do about my skills when I caught something.

In one of the inhabitants guarding the entrance and exit of the village, a glint of a bracelet captured my attention.

"Huh?"

I skidded to a stop and paused to study the bracelet. Isn't that the same bracelet the teenager wore yesterday?

It was hard to miss since it was a colorful glass bead with a unique feather as a centerpiece.

"How did you get that?" I blurted, surprised.

The inhabitant's stoic face instantly warped in anger. "Mind your own business!"

<WARNING! Host relationship level with Alfred went down to Ruffian. Any further conversation might result in your early death~>

My lips instantly clamped shut.

I wanted to ask where he got it, but something told me that I'd die without knowing how if I persisted with my line of inquiry.

Each passing second that I just stood there, Alfred's face darkened, twisting in menace. His murderous stare remained fixed and pressured against me. The cold glint of malice in his eyes sent shivers down my spine.

"Cross?" Soarsie called and waved her hand. "Hurry up, or we'll leave you behind!"

"C-coming," I stuttered and jogged after them while occasionally turning to the village that was getting smaller and smaller in my eyes.

I could be wrong.

But I got this nagging feeling that the village had turned . . . dangerous all of a sudden.

I shivered.

I certainly have watched enough horror movies to get my imagination running wild.

Anyway, I hope that the kids were alright. I thought as I ran after Soarsie and the others.

However, I stopped midway when a notification racked my world.

[CONGRATULATIONS for triggering World Quest, Village of Sacrifice!]

‖ V I L L A G E OF S A C R I F I C E ‖

There are rumors of kidnapping and missing persons being sacrificed to an ancient God long forgotten.

Enter the Secret Lair and find out if the rumors are true.

Rewards:

❶ Skill Book (?)

❷ Spell Book (?)

❸ 1000 gil

‖ E N D ‖