Chapter 15: Returning to Danario Pt. 2

"Who.. are you?"

"Well you need not know that for now, I am but a humble merchant and a little bird told me you were heading to danario?"

'How does he know about that...' oza gave a small smile as he tried to look like he loosened up "Yeah actually i was planning on leaving about a week from now."

"Ah that is splendid, I humbly invite you to come along with me, i am also on my way to danario on official business."

"I would love to accept but i will only be trouble to you."

"Ha i insist, it's not very common for me to see such a powerful adventurer." oza awkwardly chuckled as he replied..

"I think that mask is obscuring your vision, i'm only a Third degree G rank s-" he was caught off guard when a sudden scalpel was thrown his way, he dodged it but when he directed his attention to the man he was already in front of him. 'What th-!"

The man had grabbed oza by the neck and raised him up into the air with little effort, oza was struggling only making the man grip his neck harder.

"How very amusing, I suggest you drop the act young man, and you better come along with me when i depart to danario or i burn this hole town, your choice."

"Don't.. involve.. innocent.. people!" trying his best to release from the grip only made the man laugh..

"Then i suggest coming along with me when the time comes. I'll be patiently waiting for your reply whenever you feel like seeing me."

The man dropped oza on the ground as he kicked him the stomach sending him a few feet away. Oza coughed profusely as he clutched his stomach checking up on him with a worried expression. The man turned around and walked away but stopped and glanced at oza.

"You really are something special Mr. Oza only a select few are like you and are quite rare. Well i best be off a doctor slash merchant such as myself are very busy tata~"

Oza watched his figure get slowly farther away as he sat up with the help of ali as he held is throat, he turned to ali and reassured her..

"That was one hell of a kick.. and how he appeared in front of me in the blink of an eye? that was some insane speed. He's probably one of the First degree S ranks.. But only a select few? What the hell does that mean.."

"Oza let's go, that one kick drained a thousand of your hp. I don't know what he meant but.. do you think he's the man Sir. daniel told us about?"

"I don't know.. but if i were to fight him.. i'd definitely lose no questions asked."

Oza stood up and ali assisted him in walking they made their way back to the inn. As they entered oza collapsed on his bed while ali sat beside him, oza then turned to look at her and asked..

"Hey what's the matter?"

"Doesn't this seem all too.. weird? An S rank just attacked you out of nowhere and he said that you should stop pretending.. He knows way more than he let's on."

"Hey, we'll deal with him when the time comes, now tell me, what were you going to talk me about before he rudely interrupted."

"That? Oh yes, i was going to say i think i found the kid again but we better not get involved, and it looks like he's traveling with a man."

"He's dad maybe?"

"Highly possible but still.. He's too abusive like he doesn't care about his own child, so i concluded that, A, he travels with his abusive father to steal, B, he's been kidnapped and is trouble and we should call the authorities, and C, This has a deeper meaning to it."

"I think it's a mixture of all three, no telling how this will all play out, i want to help the kid but him and the man he's with are constantly on the move just by the reports you tell me. Well i think it'll be the last time we see the kid or not, i hope i'm wrong but i can't just barge in on something with no concrete evidence. As a G rank on paper and presumed dead i'm still a nobody, i can easily be thrown into jail or something. So when i get strong enough i'll have to get a reevaluation."

"Wouldn't that be suspicious? A G rank suddenly climbing up the ranks?"

"Actually no, there have been cases in which a adventurer goes through what's called a divine boost or something granting them stronger abilities thus making them go to a higher level, but those are really rare."

"Well either way it won't look suspicious, and if you want to get stronger i suggest using the event key that you still have and go check what those random boxes do."

"I guess so, the difference between me and that S rank was huge.. Ali if you were to judge my abilities now what wold they look like?"

"Th rough assumption would be a low ranking E rank."

"R-really?"

"Yes, why are surprised of how little progress you made hmm?"

'I see where this is going and i ain't going the nagging side' Oza chuckled as he scratched his head "No actually i'm more surprised of how far I've come, It may not have been zero to a hundred in like a fantasy book but here zero to five is still progress so is 0 to 0.5, hahaha!" ali laughed along as oza was back to normal

"That's a bit more pleasing to see, that negative side to you was always annoying to deal with, if i wasn't the network i would have hammered a nail in your head by now."

"Jeez, but hey i got you and all that's left is to go back to danario make a guild and make real allies."

"I suppose, well oza have good night's rest i'll be on stand by if you need me, and.. thank you for this 'date' " oza remembered what he said as he blushed a bit but he remained calm and answered with a smile.

"Anytime ali."

Ali disappeared into blue pixels as oza just stared off into space as he slowly drifted to sleep not worrying about the problems to come tomorrow or the day after.