14 - I hate riddles!
It was the middle of the afternoon, and the sun's scorching rays made Dexter pant harder than his mule as it carried the heavy materials they had bought earlier.
"Is that all you've got, kid?" Gridlock taunted.
Dexter forced himself up on shaky legs.
"That's what I should be asking you, old man! Is that really all you've got?" Dexter shot back between gasps.
"I like that determination, kid. Here I go…"
Gridlock suddenly vanished before Dexter's eyes. Dexter frantically looked around but couldn't spot him.
'Invisibility!'
Dexter reached into his bag and pulled out a helm that could see through invisibility—but before he could put it on, Gridlock smacked him on the head with the hilt of his sword.
Stella burst out laughing at the tragic spectacle of Dexter's training.
"Stella! Heal me… my HP's running low! Actually, never mind—damn it, I can't trust this lunatic…"
Dexter knew Stella was now wielding a Holy Staff, but the Fireball incident made him hesitate.
He tried again to grab a Holy Staff from his bag to heal himself, but Gridlock kicked him once more, sending him tumbling across the white sand.
"Fuck! Let me heal! I'm seriously gonna die!" Dexter shouted, coughing up sand.
Gridlock laughed maniacally.
Then—with a downward stab—the sword's blade pierced clean through Dexter's body.
[!!!]
[HP: 0/350]
[MP: 130/521]
[SP: 2/436]
[9 seconds before Death]
[8 seconds before Death]
Gridlock switched gear instantly—no bag needed—now wielding a Tier X Masterpiece Holy Staff. He pointed it at Dexter.
"Resurrect…" he murmured.
Dexter jolted back to life, gasping for air!
"FUCK! FUCK! HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU WANT ME TO DIE, YOU MONSTER OF A MASTER?!" He thrashed wildly, sand flying everywhere.
Gridlock doubled over laughing, tears nearly in his eyes.
"I warned you yesterday—this training would be worse than Hell."
"Mr. Blacksmith… when will I learn that kind of spell?" Stella interjected.
Gridlock looked at Stella with contempt, then turned his gaze to Dexter.
"You didn't tell her?" he asked.
"Tell her what?"
"That people can't cast spells, unless they have a medium?"
"Isn't that common sense?" Dexter smirked.
"So, you're telling me I don't have one?!" Stella shrieked, kicking and stomping Dexter into the ground.
"DAMN IT! THIS IS FUCKING UNFAIR! WHY IS IT 2V1 NOW?!"
'I really shouldn't have Duel that old man.'
…
Night fell, and the three of them reluctantly ate the fish Stella had cooked—what choice did they have? It was the only dish she knew how to make.
"Kid… you better teach your wife how to cook," Gridlock said, then stared at Stella, who turned red from head to toe.
"And you, lunatic—learn how to cook! Remember, the way to a man's heart is by eating his d— ahem —through cooking!"
Dexter choked violently on his food.
"What the hell are you talking about, old man?! She's not even my wife!" He pointed accusingly at Stella, who was now covering her blushing face with her hands. "And what kind of nonsense are you teaching her?!"
A pause.
"By the way, old man... how do you switch equipment without even opening your bag?"
Gridlock studied Dexter, then sighed.
"Bags aren't just for storing items. You wonder why they can hold countless things without changing weight—only size—but never asked yourself where those items really go?"
"I... the former Leader of The Forgotten, learned its secret. A secret no one else knows." His voice dropped to a growl.
"And I'll share it with you because you're my apprentice now. As your Master, you'll be my living legacy."
"Wa-wait... so 'The Forgotten' wasn't a title, but a group?" Dexter interrupted.
"'The Forgotten' was never a title," Gridlock snapped.
"It was a clan—my clan. We ruled the Uncharted Zones. But I handed it over to my Right-Hand Man... or rather, those traitorous bastards demanded to learn my secrets. Like hell I'd let them." He spat.
"So I exiled myself to this damn island. They're still hunting me, you know."
"Well, that's basically why I could massacre millions with ease. They even called me the God of War—but hell, I'd rather craft than kill. What choice did I have? They wanted to enslave me as their royal crafter. They fought wars over it… Even when I fled to the Uncharted Zone, they chased me like flies, demanding this and that… So I slaughtered them all." Gridlock laughed wildly, his voice cracking like dry thunder.
"Th-then you're basically the God of Slaughter…" Stella muttered, but Gridlock didn't even glance her way.
"I kill—but not mindlessly. Those millions? Their own kings sent them after me. Entire nations. What was I supposed to do? I just wanted freedom… Even my own guild betrayed me in the end."
"That sounds like an epic adventure!"
"That sounds fucking tragic…"
Stella and Dexter spoke at the same time.
"Fuck it, kid. Do you want to learn it or not? Stop asking useless questions—it makes me reminisce about the past."
"Of course I do! It sounds awesome! No more clicking… I mean, no more doing it manually. So versatile! You can even use it in combat! That's a damn brilliant 'secret' you've got there."
'This fucking feature wasn't even in the original game,' Dexter thought.
"Can I learn it too, Mr. Blacksmith?" Stella stared with puppy-dog eyes.
"Are you my apprentice? Better get to sleep after eating…" Gridlock replied.
...
They finished their meal, and afterward, Stella left the two of them alone.
Gridlock closed the door, locked it, and even cast a barrier around his hut—making Dexter wonder just how important this secret was if it required multiple layers of protection just to keep it from Stella.
"Get your bag," Gridlock said.
Dexter showed his bag and opened it. All of his equipment was inside, magically smaller than normal until taken out.
"What do you see?" Gridlock asked.
"My things… I guess…" Dexter muttered.
"Idiot… look carefully. What do you notice?"
"Fuck it! It's just my things—nothing more!"
Gridlock smacked his knuckles against Dexter's head.
"Have you never wondered why those things are small but return to normal when you take them out?"
"No… why? Old man, I just got here—stop with the damn riddles!"