Chapter 40

"Ling Zhue!?" said Zuyuan in surprise as he didn't expect to see someone he knew from the sanctuary. 

Ling Zhue was a young man he met when Zuyuan had checked the tavern option. It was an option in the hotel's menu that would transport the missionary to a room that the missionary had reserved. The tavern option would let missionaries to let out their stress by holding a drinking party or even for those missionaries that would love to drink alone without disturbance around them. 

Zuyuan found out of this feature one day after he had a little talk with one of his opponents in the Hall of Fame. The enemy was a man dressed like an ancient Viking with his beard reaching his chest and holding a giant war axe with both of his hands. He invited Zuyuan to a drinking party that he always hosted on certain days. 

And that's how he met Ling Zhue, a young Chinese man that came from earth just like himself. Although Ling Zhue was just a normal civilian unlike him who was a modern cultivator, Ling Zhue had his own special circumstance as well. He was a son of a yakuza that migrated from Japan to Chinese because of falling in love with Ling Zhue's mother. 

But as fate willed it, Ling Zhue's mother had been stabbed by some robbers in an alleyway and that led Ling Zhue's father to grow insane with revenge. Ling Zhue's father overthrew the entire district and taught the young Ling Zhue how to use a gun and fight. At the end, Ling Zhue died in some gunfight. Of course, as the death system's agent wouldn't miss a potential candidate for their soldiers, they approached Ling Zhue at that moment. 

"Your mission world is in here too?" smiling at the eighteen years old young man, Ling Zhue, Zuyuan glanced around as inquired, "Where's your team? I remember back then when we met each other, you had something people to watch your back." 

Shaking his head, Ling Zhue pointed on the staircase and replied, "They were gathering for supplies. We could get limited free weapons and food supplies thanks to the support of the goblin's chief. Although.. The residents of this town gave us a disdainful gaze whenever we did that..." 

"Oh? How so?" asked Zuyuan curiously. 

"Well…" Turning his head right and left, Ling Zhue's face showed a hesitant gesture as he whispered, "It's quite a sensitive topic, uncle. Wanna go to get a drink? There's a good bar in town." 

Smiling, Zuyuan nodded and said, "Lead the way." 

Nodding, Ling Zhue walked right in front of them as he greeted XB11 and ask how was Zuyuan's impression of this world. 

As they chitchat on their way to town on the staircase, Zuyuan halted his steps as his eyes were fixated towards the sunset in the horizon. 

'Somehow, it reminds me of that day, huh.' mused Zuyuan as loneliness filled his heart. 

'Hey, do you know that even though the sun was the brightest thing in the world, it would always have its time's up and let night envelop the sky.' 

A distant memory flashed in Zuyuan's eyes as he saw two teenagers sitting side by side on the edge of a cliff. Both of them were a young man and girl. The girl placed her head on top of the young man's shoulder while she spoke, 'It's just like what we have now. Though it was the brightest, nothing lasts forever.' 

'Silly, what you are talking about. Although most things will change. But this one would never change.' said the young man with determination as he pouted slightly. 

'Wow, that sounds so cliche.' giggled the young woman and said, 'Words are empty and feelings are ever changing. Don't be so sure.' 

Gently brushing a strand of hair on the young woman's face, the young man let his face become closer with hers until both of them could feel each other's breaths. Smiling sweetly at the girl, he whispered softly, 'I will. For I will know that I'll always love you.' 

"Uncle Zuyuan?" 

Ling Zhue's voice suddenly snapped at Zuyuan reverie. Quickly turned his head towards Ling Zhue, Zuyuan asked unconsciously with a puzzlement in his voice, "Yes? " 

"You suddenly stopped walking down and followed us. So I called you." Answered Ling Zhue without much thought as he turned his gaze towards the direction where Zuyuan had daydreamed, "What are you looking at? There's nothing except for twilight." 

Shaking his head, Zuyuan said it was nothing and walked back between Ling Zhue and XB11. But as they chatted together on their way, a small earthquake suddenly occurred. 

Three of them stopped on their track. XB11 quickly stopped its walk because it had seen its master and master's companion suddenly seem to be distracted with something. For Zuyuan and Ling Zhue, a notification sounded right inside their mind at the same time the earthquake had appeared. 

[Side mission has appeared!] 

[Side mission: Someone or something had lured the great ruler of the Blood Creek, Khanda, a creature with a thin bloodline of dragon that flowed in its vein. It sensed the presence of goblins nearby and wanted to destroy them. Dispel the predator from the goblin's settlement. 

Reward: 7000 Death points, Silver rank Treasure chest. 

Hint: You have to participate or help in dispelling the predator in any way. If you don't involve with the town's defense, the System would deem the Missionary's side mission as failure. 

Punishment upon failure: Automatically deduction on 2000 of the Missionary's death points. (In case the Missionary wouldn't have enough points to deduct, the system would take one random equipment that the Missionary wore to fill the cost.] 

Glancing at each other, Zuyuan and Ling Zhue moved their gaze towards the direction of the town's entrance. Covered behind the forest, something gigantic stirred the trees and made them fall to the ground one by one. It has a large spike on its back as the spike traversed the forest whenever it walked. 

Soon, the creature revealed itself while it walked out from the edge of the forest. It was twenty meters tall with silver scales all over its body. It had the physique just like the dinosaur T-rex on earth, but with golden lights shone from its eye sockets. 

Suddenly, it held its head high as it roared, its voice shook the air itself. 

"Wer ritran daar, svaklar re wux?! (The hobgoblin king, where are you?!)" 

Commotion broke out as all the warriors and guards in the town marched on their position and prepared for their heavy weapons. For the civilians goblin, they ran right towards their own residence while locking all the doors and windows. Even some ballista was already pointed right towards the creature. 

Noticing that all the missionaries right below the tree that supported the palace gathered in groups, Zuyuan glanced at Ling Zhue and said in a wry smile. 

"Guess our drink will have to wait."