"Woah!"
A startled shout sounded out as a light erupted from a thick, old book. When the light receded, Olivier opened his eyes and studied his surroundings. A wave of relief washed over him. He had finally returned. He was back in the study, back in the café!
"I really wasn't sure if I would survive this one…"
Olivier gradually calmed his heart. This trip had been frightening for him. Turning around towards the desk he found the black cat sitting there, staring at him with an expression of disapproval. But Olivier didn't care. In fact, his emotions were probably similar to the black cat's. He didn't want to talk to her until he had thoroughly rested.
Thus, Olivier reached out and demonstratively closed the strange book which transported him to another world. Or at least that was what he planned on doing. But he suddenly realised that he couldn't move his arms that far. Looking down he saw that there was still a pair of metallic handcuffs around his wrists! A bad feeling overcame Olivier. He naturally didn't have a key for these shackles.
How was he supposed to open them? Return to the other world and find the key? Brute force?
In fact, Olivier might be able to force his hands through the handcuffs. They would be mangled in the process but thanks to the café they would quickly heal. However, just the thought sent a shiver down his spine. This could only be his last option.
Perhaps the black cat could help? This thought came to Olivier, and he glanced carefully to the side only to be met with undisguised disdain. Olivier immediately looked away. He would find a solution without the black cat!
Olivier silently looked down his own body, contemplating. Old white shirt, rough trousers…
"Got it!"
An idea came to Olivier's mind. He showed a victorious smile. With a thought his clothes changed back to his tailcoat. Olivier moved his hands to the front and turned them left and right. The handcuffs had disappeared!
Olivier glanced towards the black cat but there was no change in her attitude. Well, it was not as if Olivier needed her approval. He turned his head away and finally closed the thick book. This trip had officially ended!
Just as Olivier thought so, he felt his heart palpitate. A chill ran down his spine. What was going on? He was in the café. There could be no danger. Did the sensation come from the black cat? Olivier's mind was growing chaotic when an incredibly intense force suddenly overcame him.
A wave of pleasure abruptly filled Olivier's entire body. His vision was teeming with stars; his brain was as if flying on clouds. Every cell of his body was celebrating like never before. His muscles spasmed. Olivier fell to the floor, moans escaping his mouth. The intense sensation lasted for almost thirty seconds before it slowly receded. Olivier panted with a wide-open mouth. Sweat drenched his body.
"What… was that?"
A hoarse voice came out of Olivier's mouth as he slowly recovered his bearings. Remembering the feeling just now still made him shudder. It was the most intense sensation he had ever felt. Even when he lost his eye… no, better not think about it.
As he sorted out his mind Olivier gradually realized something. The feeling just now was not unfamiliar. He experienced it before. Killing those strange meatballs, selling coffee, destroying the hunter's anchor… it was the feeling of his lifespan increasing. However, it had never been this intense before. Obviously, he received quite a substantial increase. But why? Was it a reward for the successful mission?
Olivier's mind was filled with doubts. He glanced towards the black cat. But unexpectedly there was a hint of surprise in her abyssal eyes. The lifespan wasn't granted by her?
Olivier couldn't figure it out. He shook his head and put the matter aside for now as he dragged his body up. After the ordeal just now, Olivier expected to feel weak and tired but the opposite was the truth. His body was brimming with energy, and he even vaguely felt a strength which wasn't there before.
Confused, Olivier looked at the table. He placed his hand on one leg and pulled. The solid table leg left the ground, and Olivier didn't even feel a strain in his muscles.
Hiss!
The black cat let out an annoyed hiss. Olivier got startled, letting go off the table leg. With a loud bang the table crashed back down on the floor, shaking the room lightly. Olivier drew a sharp breath.
"So heavy? Then my strength… I'm probably not weaker than the guard commander at home!"
The guard commander was the strongest person Olivier knew. He once watched as the commander bare-handedly punched a swampbeast the size of a truck until it escaped. That day the commander left the entire tribe in awe. And now Olivier felt he could do the same! A sense of heroism rose in his mind. Perhaps with his newfound strength even the black cat might have to take him more seriously?
As this thought rose in him, Olivier glanced towards the feline again and was instantly met with a cold gaze. He felt drawn into an abyss as if these eyes alone could kill him. Olivier was frozen in place until the black cat looked away. When he regained his movements he took a deep breath, feeling his entire body tremble.
"Don't get arrogant! Don't get arrogant!"
A single glance from the black cat was enough to get him to recognize reality. He might be a bit stronger than the average person now, but so what? Was this strength of any use in the face of obscure magic like the black cat's? No! Honestly, with Olivier's experience in combat his strength was not even enough to overcome some of the more skilled guards. And in front of the guard commander, he wouldn't be much more of a threat than a little kid. The strength he had now could only provide him with a sense of security against people like the hunter. If he had this much power before diving into Sam's world he could have acted with more confidence.
After thinking it through Olivier adjusted his mind. He didn't dare to have any overly ambitious thoughts. He would keep honestly playing his role. Being the barista in the café was actually not all that bad except for the boredom. His only hope was that situations like this where he was sent to other worlds wouldn't occur too many times.
Olivier threw one last glance at the voluminous book. As he finally got ready to leave, however, he noticed something else. In the bookshelf at the rear wall there was a single book. It was not exactly thick. Its cover was a pure green with a single word on it: Kerv.
"Sounds familiar…"
After a moment Olivier remembered where he heard the word before. Wasn't this the name of Sam's world? Olivier was intrigued. He was quite confident that the shelves had been empty before. So where did this book suddenly come from?
Filled with curiosity Olivier grabbed the book from the shelf. However, he didn't read it immediately. Right now, he didn't want to stay any longer in this study. Thus, he took this book with him and returned to the cafe. Even before he stepped through the door, he heard the subtle melody coming from the gramophone and his soul relaxed. When he finally entered the café and stood behind the counter he had a feeling of coming home.
Olivier let his eyes wander through the small, peaceful room and was hit with another surprise. There were actually four people sitting at the various tables. Other than Old Demon and Valentino there were two new customers. They were a man and a woman sitting on the same table, conversing quietly. They had rough faces and their clothes constituted of multiple thin cloth layers of black and brown colours.
When Olivier entered, everyone's eyes immediately focused on him. While the new customers appeared curious and vigilant, Valentino perked up and shouted joyfully:
"Boss! You are finally back! Please, I need a cup of coffee!"
Valentino was sitting on pins and needles. Yesterday the boss suddenly left before Valentino could get his daily cup. After not being able to taste the coffee for more than two decades, now that he could finally come to the Café of Dreams again, he deeply realised how much he missed this place. After a few hours he was afraid that the new boss would go missing as well and the café would disappear again. Now that the boss was back, Valentino felt a strong relief.
Olivier watched the scene and felt some warmth in his heart. Although he and Valentino couldn't exactly be considered friends it still felt good to know that someone was waiting for him after going through such a turbulent adventure. He nodded lightly towards his customers and began grinding coffee. When the smell wafted through the room everyone felt invigorated. Olivier brought a cup to Old Demon and Valentino. He glanced towards the new costumers but those two showed some vigilance and didn't speak up.
Thus, Olivier could only shrug his shoulders and stand next to Valentino's table as the painter began talking about some of his recent experiences.