[Desire Fragment: A Friend in Need.]
[Type: BOND]
["Help Raymond Cross survive the day."]
[Reward: unranked skill (evolvable)]
[Failure: Termination of character AIDEN VALERO.]
Aiden stared at the windows that appeared in his view. He cursed under his breath, wondering how Raymond could trigger more wishes than anyone else he had met.
However, he was ecstatic.
He hadn't fulfilled a single wish since he came to this world. The Wishbound System promised him strength in return for fulfilling wishes, and this was the easiest wish to be fulfilled that he had received.
"I'll make sure that you survive the day, young master Raymond," Aiden told the young man. Raymond was surprised. "But remember that I was there when you had no one."
"A debt I will never forget," Raymond said. "I can see the others glancing at us from a distance. Let's avoid suspicion, and only talk when needed."
"That's how I like it."
"…you are an interesting man."
Raymond began talking to the others, asking them all kinds of questions. His attempts to glean whatever information he could were unsuccessful, as Elijah kept dodging his questions and the others remained silent.
Aiden studied the dynamics of the group. Elijah was the leader and the most sociable, but he had a habit of consulting Catherine whenever there was a decision involved. Claw and Silas seemed close, with the latter never uttering a word.
After another hour of walking, they reached the base of the mountain. They could see the large cave from down there, and the group stopped for a strategic meeting.
"Once we are inside, it will be difficult to see in the darkness. Shadow weavers have a tendency to create shadow webs, an environment that hides them well. Catherine will be our source of light inside,"
Elijah explained while handing out items to the rest.
"These lanterns should last an hour each. Use them only in cases of emergency," he said. "Stick close to one another, and let's do this without leaving anyone behind."
The group nodded.
[Magical Lantern (unusable): an item that could illuminate any environment. The Light Ashes in the Lantern need to be replaced.]
A window popped up in front of Aiden, confirming his suspicion. He placed a finger on Raymond's lantern while the others weren't looking, and confirmed that it was the same.
The group advanced toward the cave's entrance, and Aiden pulled on Raymond's hand to whisper in his ear. Raymond looked at Aiden in surprise, and the two shared a nod. Then, they followed after the group.
Once the six were standing in front of the cave, they felt like they were facing a giant maw of an ancient monster. Nothing could be seen inside, with the cave's entrance having jagged teeth protruding out of the ground and the ceiling.
"Claw and Silas will cover the back, while Catherine and I will cover the front," Elijah commanded. The four took position, leaving Raymond and Aiden in the middle. "Let's do this."
Once the six stepped into the cave, the darkness swallowed them like a liquid. No light could be seen inside. Catherine raised her wand, and a blue light pushed the darkness back.
Aiden and Raymond shared a glance, and the six began exploring the cave. It wasn't long before the others made their move.
Catherine's light flickered out.
The darkness swallowed them.
Aiden could still see, thanks to his cultivation of the void. Elijah turned around and used some kind of weapon, aimed at Raymond. He shoved the young master aside, and the weapon fired.
"Ambush!" Aiden shouted. Raymond rolled on the ground, and rose once again.
The two did not hesitate to strike. One attacked the back, while the other attacked the front. They worked in perfect unison. Raymond targeted Elijah, the mastermind behind this. Catherine threw a shield to protect him.
Aiden wasn't as capable, but he had the element of surprise. His attack struck the shapeshifter, who screamed for the first time. Claw panicked once Silas was down, rushing to their side in the darkness.
Raymond was relentless in his attacks, but Aiden had to pull him back and turn toward the exit. The two made a run for it, and the other four gave chase. Spells rained on them, and Elijah used the weapon he had to destroy the cave around them.
"Chase them!" Elijah shouted.
The team ran after Aiden and Raymond. However, once they reached the entrance of the cave, they could no longer see the two. In the end, Elijah shouted in frustration.
At the base of the mountain, Aiden and Raymond took slow but steady steps. Aiden raised a hand, carrying a bracelet that Maverick had given him — one that would create a small sphere of stealth.
The two exchanged no words, nor did they run down the mountain. Both actions would disable the stealth of the bracelet. Once they made sure that the team could no longer see them from the top, they began running.
"You saved my life," Raymond said. "I was prepared for anything, but that weapon that Elijah used… is something no ordinary seeker could obtain."
"It looked like a large crossbow," Aiden said. "One that had several red gems embedded into it."
"A rift weapon," Raymond concluded. "These kinds of weapons require a fortune — one that I doubt a small team would have. Someone gave them the weapon to kill me."
"You need some life-saving items," Aiden said as he looked back. "It could save your life in a pinch."
"My family believes that having such a fallback when things go rough would limit my potential," Raymond said. "In their own words, they would rather I die than live as a deadbeat."
"Being a young master is hard," Aiden said with surprise. "But I guess your family is also burdened with the expectations of the world."
"Not the entire world," Raymond said. "Just a single clan. As long as we prove ourselves to them, we can…"
"Join them in the Midworld? I heard that story before," Aiden said with a roll of his eyes. "I can't believe that people are killing themselves over joining these clans."
"You don't understand."
"I truly don't," Aiden said. "Because if you ask me, I would rather build a clan than join one."
Raymond looked at the young man in front of him with a mix of awe and surprise.
"And people call me ambitious," Raymond said with a smile.