Chapter 44: Guess Who's Back.

"...You can't be saved today! Even if the boss himself pleaded for you!" Franco snarled, his voice laced with false fury—thinly veiling the tremor of fear that made his hands shake like leaves.

"Huh?" The sound escaped Jasper and Ivar in unison, their voices cutting through the heavy silence that had settled over the stronghold

The moment Franco's eyes spotted Jasper's familiar silhouette at the gate, his expression flipped like a coin—diving from feigned rage into a sea of desperate relief. He leapt from the platform, sprinting toward him. "Boss! You're finally here!"

Ivar's sword flashed between them in an instant. "You've got some nerve, talking like that behind your boss's back."

"No, no, you don't understand!" Franco's voice cracked as he jabbed a frantic finger behind the platform, his knuckles white with terror. The gesture sent ripples of unease through the gathered crowd. "Look!"

Jasper and Ivar followed his trembling gesture, their eyes adjusting to the deepening shadows that pooled behind the platform. Three barbarians sat in the shadows, their glares sharp enough to cut stone. The air thickened with tension as the onlookers held their breath. Then, the barbarians rose slowly, and stepped forward.

Franco scrambled behind Jasper, his bravado crumbling. "You filthy savages! Now that the boss is here, you're all dead!" His finger, once thrust out like a blade, now trembled like a wilted stem.

No one paid him any mind. The barbarians closed in, their movements heavy with intent. The crowd braced for bloodshed.

Then…

The leader's massive hand shot out, gripping Jasper's ribs. In one swift motion, he hoisted him into the air.

"Brother!" The word erupted from both Jasper and Azm simultaneously, their voices harmonizing in joy and relief.

Everyone was surprised, they felt a sense of pride that their boss was not only monstrously powerful, but a brother to barbarians too, that means they are allies to barbarians as well.

"B-Brother?!" Franco's face was drained of color. Sweat poured down his brow, his nose dripping like a leaky faucet. His defiant finger drooped, limp as a dead leaf.

Ivar shot Franco a sidelong glance, smirking as if to say, "You are doomed."

"It's nice seeing you here all well, Azm."

"It pleases me to see you again, Jasper, and you too, Ivar," Azm said, stretching out a fist.

"Heh heh heh," Ivar gave a friendly chuckle, bumping his knuckles against Azm's in greeting

Franco intervened with the desperation of a man clutching at straws, his voice pitched high with nervous energy. "Boss! If this barbarian is your brother, why did he treat us like dogs?"

Jasper's brow furrowed as he turned to face his barbarian brother, genuine confusion clouding his features. "Hmm? What happened, Azm? Did they insult you in any way?"

"We are the ones who were insulted, boss!" Franco felt pressured, trapped between a monster and a barbarian.

"Ah, about that—they didn't." Azm's face creased into something resembling an apologetic expression.

"We were just suspicious of their identity. We got information from the Jabr Clan that you told them about the announcement of the kingdoms, so we started a combing campaign. We are looking for any suspicious hideouts or individuals who are tracking us or gathering information about us. We came here yesterday after finding them tracking our movements. They didn't seem to be related to the kingdom, so we were discussing how to deal with them. But if you hadn't shown up today, we would have probably foolishly killed them," Azm said, tightening his fist.

All the stronghold residents felt their throats dry. "Oh? And why is that?" Jasper asked with a calm tone.

"We found this parchment. They were hiding it well—they even went as far as to burn it when I asked them about it. I took it from them by force, and I nearly killed them when I saw what was written."

"You're really lucky, guy. I wasn't going to come here at all, but something happened, and I changed my mind at the last second." Jasper said as he turned to face his subordinates

"Please visit us frequently, Boss," Franco said, cunningly.

"No worries. Barbarians are one family—knowing one means you know the others. So you don't need me here every time a barbarian visits you."

"Phew, that's a relief."

"I know that you don't miss me—you're just afraid that another barbarian will knock on the door."

"Heh heh heh, I'm ashamed that you can read my mind, Boss," Franco admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with embarrassed resignation.

…

Jasper and Ivar relaxed with Azm and the other barbarians. They kept talking about their experiences after their separation while taking a rest from the long trip.

"So you're saying that you need at least ten of us to help you dig a tunnel so you can freely smuggle your goods?"

"Yes. If my subordinates do it alone, it will take too much time."

Azm patted Jasper's shoulder, saying, "Consider it done, brother. If you wish, you can come along to visit our clan, and then we will go together with you."

"That would be great."

The next day, at the gate, they prepared themselves to leave. "Hey, you lot—if I hear news about you slacking off, be prepared to be sent to the barbarians' clan to learn some discipline."

Everyone gulped, remembering the previous two days passed under the watch of the barbarians. "Don't worry, Boss! We won't dare to!"

"That would be for the best."

And so, Jasper and the others set off toward Azm's clan. Although they faced monsters along the way, the travel was smooth with the barbarians as guards.

Inside the carriage, Jasper was focusing on his training with the butcher. He learned about the anatomy of the monsters and how to carefully dissect them. As usual, the training was in 3D mode, giving Jasper a good experience.

The trick was in how precisely you had to dissect and extract the heart and there is also an order to it. The process was delicate like a deadly dance—each cut had to be exact, each movement calculated.

The weaker the monster, the harder it was for crystallization to occur if you didn't precisely follow the steps of extracting the heart. There were some cases when crystallization occurred even if the dissection wasn't as precise, but that would lead to the core being of low quality, so the gain wouldn't be as good.

The cores were divided into three categories: high-quality, mid-quality, and low-quality. Also, cores couldn't be formed if the monster had been dead for a long time.

Ding! Congratulations, you have obtained a new skill! [Dissect]

After finishing days of training and helping in the slaughterhouse, the butcher approached Jasper.

"You were a good help, Jasper. I hope you got what you wished for working here. I wish to reward you—do you have something in mind?"

[Mute]

"What would I want from a butcher? Let me leave safely, maybe?"

Stop with the lame jokes, dear user. You can ask for the cores he's stacking there like a mountain.

"Why would I need a lot of Stage 1 cores?"

Consuming those cores will get you to Level 7. Do you still need any other explanation?

"But how?"

Let me clarify it for you, but let's pause the game first. [Pause]. To reach any level, you can consume the core corresponding to that level, but be prepared to either die or face serious consequences if you jump many levels at once. Now, for the normal ways:

Level 1: You need a Tier 10 Stage 1 core.

Level 2: You need a Tier 10 Stage 2 core or 2 Tier 10 Stage 1 cores.

Level 3: You need a Tier 10 Stage 3 core or 2 Tier 10 Stage 2 cores or 4 Tier 10 Stage 1 cores.

Etc…

So, those cores are your best reward for now. Another small tip: Consuming all of them at once is a stupid thing to do in the real world. You have to let your body adapt to the changes slowly—the whole process will take months. As for the game, you can do that in two days.

Jasper started kissing his ArmBrace and hugging it against his chest like a treasured heirloom. "You are the best ArmBrace I've ever had."

Of course, there's no armbrace like me—well, at least on this continent.

"Huh? So there's another like yo—"

"Hey, Jasper, who are you talking to?" Azm's curious voice cut through the moment as he extended his head through the carriage window, his eyes scanning the interior with mild concern.

Jasper's body went rigid with shock, his eyes darting frantically between Azm's questioning gaze and the glowing game screen

"He's always speaking to himself." Ivar interjected with casual dismissal, his voice carrying the weariness of long familiarity. "You don't need to concern yourself, Azm. I've gotten used to it—riding this carriage for more than two weeks now."

"Ah ha ha ha, that's a bad habit of mine," Jasper said, forcing a laugh.

"Well, a lot of people do this, so it's not something new," Azm said, then focused on riding his horse.

Jasper sighed in relief, then glanced secretly right and left before whispering, "Hey, ArmBrace, how couldn't Azm see the screen?"

Without a complicated explanation, that's all because of the lenses you're wearing.

"Aha, so that's how it is. Oh, I nearly forgot—what did you say about other armbraces like you?"

Well, not technically armbraces. There is another device, but I'm the only one with a game-like system. The other one is on another continent, so you don't need to concern yourself about it. Also, don't try to pry into its location because I won't be telling you, no matter what happens.

"Tch, how stingy."

…

At night, Jasper reached Level 5.

Now that you have reached Level 5, you have two kinds of skills. The dexterity will be further explained.

Dexterity will be calculated depending on the situation you are in: in battle, it depends on your average level of battle skills, and in crafting, it will depend on your average level of craftsmanship skills.

Skills list:

Battle skills:

Ace Swordsmanship (A-Sw) Lv.5

Craftsmanship skills:

Alchemy (Alc) Lv.3

Dissect (Dis) Lv.0

Stats:

Strength: 9.5 +3 → 12.5

Vitality: 10 +3 → 13

Agility: 12 + 3 → 15

Stamina: 9 + 3 → 12

B. Dexterity: 5 (B. skills) + (0.25 Str + 0.25 Vit + 0.25 Agi + 0.25 Sta) → 6

C. Dexterity: 1.5 (C. skills) + (0.25 Str + 0.25 Vit + 0.25 Agi + 0.25 Sta) → 2.5

"Why make it this complicated, ArmBrace? Wouldn't it be easier to make it like the other stats?"

Dear user, dexterity is the skill or proficiency in performing tasks. Making it complicated here is to show you that by focusing on one skill, you will increase your dexterity quickly. If you focus on a lot of skills, your dexterity will not be stable—sometimes it will be high, then it will be low once you add another skill to your skills list. In-game, you will be able to handle that, but in reality, it's nearly impossible.

"Well, that's logical."

Ding! Quest "The Corruption Within" completed.

"Oh, I nearly forgot about this quest."

Now you can use the Map freely, and you can use a real-time map once a month for a minute.

"I was really questioning where the map button had gone—so it was only available at Level 5. And hey—why only one minute a month?"

It's already costing me a lot to provide this minute.

"Well… thanks for always helping me. I mean it." Jasper flustered, genuinely expressing his feelings.

That's my duty, dear user.

Jasper continued the journey, focusing on the game until he reached level 7. He prepared all the cores on his own using his skill [Alchemy] that had reached level 5.

Stats:

Strength: 12.5 +2 →14.5

Vitality: 13 +2 → 15

Agility: 15 + 2 → 17

Stamina: 12 + 2 → 14

B.Dexterity: 5 (B. skills) + (0.25 Str + 0.25 Vit + 0.25 Agi + 0.25 Sta) → 6

C.Dexterity: 1.5 (C. skills) + (0.25 Str + 0.25 Vit + 0.25 Agi + 0.25 Sta) →2.5

Jasper headed back for revenge against the Ogre, but he couldn't continue playing as they reached Azm's clan.

The clan guards noticed their kin and an unknown carriage approaching from afar, so they questioned Azm about their identity. But once he told them that it was his brother who had helped save his wife, their cold faces instantly shifted to friendly ones.

"Everyone! Welcome our clan's brother and our sister's savior!"

The entire clan erupted into motion, streaming from their tents and gathering around Jasper.. Their faces beamed with genuine warmth and welcome. But when the clan leader emerged from the largest tent—a giant among giants whose presence commanded instant respect—they formed orderly lines, creating a clear path as naturally as rivers part around stones.

"Welcome, savior of our daughter, and brother of our hearts. It is our greatest honor to finally meet you face to face." He raised a hand in the air. "Listen, my people—tonight we feast in celebration! Prepare our finest food and strongest drink!"

"Yeeaaaaahhhh!!!!" The roar that erupted from hundreds of throats.

Standing among these towering warriors, Jasper and Ivar felt like children who had wandered into a land of legends. Jasper, in particular, found himself shorter than some of the clan's younglings, a fact that might have been humorous if not for the overwhelming respect radiating from every barbarian present.

Through the crowd, a woman approached, a small child clinging to her hand. This was Arinas, Azm's wife, her face bearing the kind of beauty that speaks of inner strength and wisdom. Beside her walked young Aderfi, her child, whose eyes held the bright curiosity of youth.

"I am truly grateful for everything you did, Brother," Arinas said, her voice carrying a deep gratitude. Her child's voice joined hers in harmony: "Thank you, big brother."

"There's no need for gratitude between family. Azm is my brother, and helping him is no different from helping myself."

"Thank you, Brother Jasper," Arinas continued, then turned to her son with gentle insistence.

"Now Aderfi, thank your brother properly, as I taught you."

But I already did, Mom," Aderfi protested.

"No, my little warrior, say it with the respect it deserves," Arinas corrected, her tone firm but loving.

"I'm eternally grateful, big brother, for helping Dad save Mom from the terrible danger."

Jasper smiled warmly behind his hood. "Your big brother will do anything for the sake of helping your clan. Ask me anything, and I'll help you."

"Then I want your hors—" In the blink of an eye, Arinas' hand clamped over her child's mouth with the speed of a striking serpent, lifting him into her arms. "Oh ho ho ho, thank you Brother Jasper, we'll speak again later." As she carried the squirming child away, her voice carried a mixture of embarrassment and maternal correction: "Do you want to steal the horse from your mother's savior, you little bandit?!"

Ivar elbowed Jasper with barely contained amusement. "That was closer than a blade to the throat, Master."

"Indeed. Thankfully his mother possesses wisdom beyond her years, or you would have found yourself dragging our carriage all the way back to the royal city by hand," Jasper replied, wiping his sweat from his forehead in an exaggerated gesture that made Ivar stare in disbelief.

"I should be the one sweating about such prospects, not you, Master!"

As night embraced the clan with its star-studded cloak, Jasper found himself seated at the place of honor beside the clan leader. The massive table groaned under the weight of delicious food—roasted meats that filled the air with mouth-watering aromas and exotic fruits that painted the feast in vibrant colors.

"Jasper, ask us for anything your heart desires. I can see there's something weighing on your mind."

"Well, Clan Leader, I'll speak plainly—I need to borrow at least ten of your strongest warriors."

"Hmm… May I ask what purpose drives this request?"

"I'm planning to dig a tunnel beneath the royal city itself—a secret passage to smuggle my goods without detection. The kingdom would see me executed if they discovered my activities. But the excavation would take my men years to complete without assistance, and time is a luxury I cannot afford. Of course, I intend to compensate your warriors generously for their labor."

Slam!

The clan leader's massive fist struck the table with force, the sound echoing through the night. Every voice fell silent as hundreds of eyes turned toward their leader.

"Brother Jasper, speak no more of compensation! When we help a brother, we ask for nothing in return except the knowledge that we have honored the bonds of kinship. Listen well, my people! Our brother needs at least ten of our strongest for a task of great importance. Who among you will volunteer to stand beside him?"

The response was immediate and overwhelming—every warrior present shouted their willingness to serve, their voices creating a chorus in the night.

In the midst of all this enthusiasm, an ancient woman emerged from the largest tent. Her steps were slow and purposeful as she approached Jasper through the crowd, her presence commanding respect despite her age.

"Mother, what brings you from your rest?" the clan leader asked, his voice carrying the deference of a child addressing a beloved parent.

She raised one wrinkled hand, weathered by countless seasons, gesturing for silence. "Young man, would you remove your hood so these old eyes can see you properly?"

Jasper kept staring at her hesitantly, then, he pulled the cloth away from his face. The collective gasp that arose from the assembled clan was like wind rushing through a canyon.

"So that's the face of legend itself," the old woman murmured, "Forgive me, my brave child." She turned to address the celebrating clan with the authority of a queen addressing her subjects. "Look well, my people, upon this young man before you. He is a living legend, a survivor of impossible odds. The proud Jabr clan faced the same poison that courses through this unfortunate child's veins, but not one of them could withstand its deadly embrace. Yet this young warrior survived what our own kinfolk could not—he faced the thousand-needles poison and emerged victorious. You should consider it the greatest honor of your lives that he calls you brother."

All the clan started shouting, making the area even more tense. Some monsters fled the area.

The old woman turned to Jasper, giving him a bottle. "Take this and drink it, my child. Surviving such poison drains vitality from your body."

Suddenly, the ArmBrace began vibrating with frantic urgency, the sensation traveling through Jasper's body like electrical current. The device's interface demanded his immediate attention, the earpiece extending automatically. He quickly complied, fitting it into his ear

Dear user, under no circumstances should you consume this or any other core-based preparation without first ingesting an herb called "Cleansing Root." Your body cannot process cores as normal individuals do. Your system is so weakened by the poison's lingering effects that even a Neural-Chem Catalyst made from a basic Blackheart core Stage 1 could prove fatal. However, if you can locate that particular herb, it will neutralize whatever harmful side effects the liquid contains, whether pain, toxicity, or worse.

"I'm deeply sorry, honored Grandmother, but I cannot consume this liquid, or it might very well kill me."

The old woman's face crumpled with shock and concern. "How can such a thing be possible?"

"My body cannot process Neural-Chem Catalyst unless I first consume an herb called Cleansing Root. The poison has left me too weakened for anything could shock my body. However, I can offer you this Tier 10 Stage 5 core in exchange for that bottle and a Neural-Chem Catalyst prepared using a Tier 10 Stage 2 core."

The grandmother's eyes widened with understanding and regret. "Forgive me, my child, I nearly made a mistake that could have cost you your life. As for your request, yes, I would be more than pleased to help you properly."

Jasper turned to Ivar smirking. "Prepare yourself, my friend. As of today, you will become a true predator among men. The experience will be somewhat painful, so you must endure."

Ivar gulped, but he was determined to do it, "Yes, Master!"