Chapter 71: Two Homes

News Around The World

Several Tokyo City Blocks Were Destroyed In The Aftermath Of A Battle Between A Behemoth And Leviathan

JSDF Soldier Becomes The First Person To Die From Extreme Level Up Fatigue After Landing Final Attack On Behemoth

Leviathan Left The City After Killing Behemoth To The Cheer Of The Populace

Scientists Believed The Leviathan Was Defending Its Territory Against The Behemoth And Considered Humans To Be Of No Threat Or Concern

VVVVVV

The snow outside of the Guild Hall had many trails in it from Adventurers that left for the night. The wind had died down and the sky was clear to allow the stars to shine down below. Tom dialed Steele's number in his cell phone.

"Just going to make a quick report, girls," Tom said. "Lead the way to your home."

"Sure thing, Tom," Reia said.

Tom's phone rang twice before Steele picked up.

"Everett!" he said in a fairly upbeat tone. "How did it go at the Adventurer's Guild?"

"We were successful in becoming Adventurers and, thanks to the Proofs we turned in, have become top ranked. From here, our fame will grow and we will find the other Elementals."

"Good, good."

"How did the meeting with the Governor of Skysign go, sir?"

"Our diplomats were able to establish relations with Skysign that includes trade and free travel for both our civilians. The Canadian diplomats sweetened the deal by offering the services of snowplows to clear Skysign's streets. I think that massive snow storm also helped things along when it came to food aid."

"I really hope we're not trying to take them for a ride. We are trying to win hearts and minds."

"I assure you that our deal is mutually beneficial. We are looking towards creating alliances, not animosity. Speaking of which... Have you heard any word of the Eikoryu Empire? Concerning Zyer."

"We haven't run into their people yet but according to Reia's old teacher, Jux Oro the blacksmith, the war they were in with the Zokot kingdom ended. He warned us that it is only a matter of time before they show up to demand her."

A worried look came across Reia's face when Tom mentioned the Eikoryu.

"We discussed this before, but I don't believe we can resolve this situation peacefully."

"Do what you have to. That's all we can ask."

"Understood. We're just going to visit their Skysign home and return back to our other home for the night. Starting tomorrow we're going to take up some quests and try to spread our name. Do you want me to pass out the integration booklets to any of these towns while I'm at it?"

"It would be appreciated."

"Alright. Anything else, sir, before I turn in?"

"Nothing else. Take a break."

"Thank you, sir."

Tom hung up his phone and threw it into his Inventory. He saw the anxious expression on Reia's face. Tom placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Don't worry. We got this."

Reia smiled. "Just nervous. I'm worried about how far the Eikoryu will go to take me."

"No matter what they do, we'll keep kicking their asses all the way to their fancy castle," Vivian assured her.

"We sure will."

"So where is your house located?" Tom asked.

"It's located just between the Farmer's and Middle district," Sylmae replied. "It's a meager home, but it's home."

The girls noticed Tom looking all around the streets.

"Something wrong?" Tala asked.

"Are the streets usually this empty at night?" he asked.

"We don't have street lights here," Reia said with a chuckle. "No one wants to be on the streets at dark."

"No one except those guys who have been watching us from the shadows," Sylmae said as she pointed her thumb towards the shadows.

"Anything we can help you people with?" Tom asked the unseen figures.

"Uh, uh, no!" one of them blurted out. "N-Nothing! We didn't mean to bother you. W-We'll be on our way."

The two figures ducked away into an alleyway and out of sight.

"That was... weird," Amber said. "Who were they?"

"Likely thieves," Reia replied. "Wave a knife around and most people would give up their personal money. They probably checked our stats to see if they could ambush us. Sylmae seeing them probably freaked them out."

"Certainly smarter than those bandits we ran into. Good. Are we getting close to your home?"

"Just about, Amber," Sylmae answered. "Oh! There it is."

The house Sylmae pointed to house that could be described in contemporary terms as rustic. The walls were made from stone and mortar and a roof made of wood planks. As the group approached the house, they saw that the windows were broken.

"Syl, Reia, our windows!" Tala gasped.

"Oh, no," Reia muttered.

Sylmae, Reia, and Tala rushed ahead and into the house. Tom, Vivian, and Amber looked at each other and then quickly followed after them. They entered inside the house and found it ransacked. Furniture, that was left behind, was tossed around. Papers were scattered on the floor alongside the shattered glass. Piles of snow were on the floor near the broken windows. Sylmae, Tala, and Reia frantically searched the rooms with sorrowful looks on their faces.

"It's all gone!" Sylmae cried out. "Our stuff. Money we had saved up. It's all gone."

"I'm really sorry," Tom said.

"It's not your fault," Reia sadly sighed. "We were gone for over a month."

"It's just that everything is gone," Tala added. "We built up many memories here."

Vivian hugged Tala from behind.

"I'm sorry for all the stuff that were taken," Vivian said. "I'm sure they were all important and sentimental. You still have the memories in your mind and are able to make new memories. So please cheer up. It pains me to see you all sad."

"I guess you're right," Sylmae said. "This just sucks. We go through the trouble to save the world several times and we come back here with our home robbed. What's that term that Humans use? Karma?"

"Karma," Tom confirmed.

"We did a lot of good. You think good would come back to us."

"The universe isn't always balanced. That is up to us. Anyways, if the world won't return any good to you, I will."

"Oh... Smooooth," Vivian swooned. "I think you're getting better with the sweet talk."

A laugh escaped Tom's lips.

"Vi's right," Reia admitted. "This sucks, but we can't let it keep us down."

"Ya," Sylmae sighed.

"So what are you going to do with this house?" Amber asked.

"No use in having two homes. We'll have a home seller take care of it for us. Sell it for cheap to a family that needs it."

A sudden thought of realization struck Tala and she gasped. "Oh my goddess, Tom. We've been here complaining about our home being ransacked when your home was completely wiped out by Umbra."

"It's alright," he assured her. "I've made peace with it."

"Have you visited since then?" Sylmae asked.

Tom sighed, "just twice. Once to see the aftermath from a distance. The next was to go there alone and check the damages. All that's left was a blackened crater. Barely any of the foundation was left behind. I still managed to save the two most important things that were in the house before the bombs dropped. My computer and Amber."

"I remember," Amber said. "It was the most terrified I've ever seen you."

"While my computer had important documents on them, what was really important to me was the photos on there. Photos I have since made sure to create back-ups."

Tom produced a photo from his Inventory.

"This is my most treasured possession."

The girls crowded around Tom to see the photo. It was a picture of a younger Tom standing next to a man and woman. The three stood in front of a desert landscape with unusual rock formations.

"You looked so cute when you were younger," Reia said. "And these are your parents?"

Tom nodded.

"You never showed me any pictures of them. Why?"

It was then they noticed a tear go down his cheek.

"Because they bring me so many memories. It was several years ago when the mutated strain of the Spanish Flu spread across the world. It was brutal and tens of millions died around the world. I think the final death toll was around a hundred and sixty million. It felt like the apocalypse at the time. Also when I mention the death toll, I only mean from the disease itself. Many died from the panic and riots. It was so catastrophic. It was near the end of the pandemic when my parents and I caught the flu. I happen to be the one of the very lucky point zero-zero-zero-zero-one percent of people with a high resistance to it. I burnt through the flu within two days. My parents weren't so lucky. I still have nightmares from those times. I think most of the world still does. But since I met all of you, I haven't had any nightmares."

Tom wrapped his arms around everyone and pulled them into a loving embrace.

"This photo brings me many happy memories. It was when the three of us decided to drive cross country around the United States during the summer. This picture was taken in Standing Rock National Park. I remember how hot it was that day. Car alarms went off in the parking lot from the heat. My eyes stung from constantly sweating. Despite the heat, I still had a lot of fun with my parents there."

"You know, I think your parents would be extremely proud of you," Amber said.

"Yeah... I think they would. Come on let's go home. We'll go to a house seller another day."

VVVVVV

The Next Day...

Mid day, Tom walked down the beach towards the lagoon while humming a tune.

"Where it is wetter, take it from me da da dada."

He soon arrived at the lagoon where some uninvited guests sunbathed. On a rock cropping in the center of the lagoon was a school of mermaids. The mermaids, like according to Human legend, were half fish, thighs down, and beautiful women above; specifically, they resembled green or blue skinned Elves. While having sapience and intelligence comparable to any of the main races of Xoth, they have little concern for civilization or society. Mermaids even forgo wearing any clothing of any type. At most, they will wear rings or necklaces they find.

Tom stood at the water edge and made a quick count of the mermaids in the lagoon and came up with eight. The mermaids were made aware of Tom's presence right away and they all smiled.

"Tom!"

"Tommy!"

"Thomas!"

They all called out to him. The mermaids went into various seductive poses on the rock to gain Tom's attention. Their nudity added to their alluring appeal.

"It's good to see you again, Tom," the leader of the mermaid school said. "We just love seeing you. What do you plan to do today?"

"Well, definitely not swimming in the water, that's for sure," Tom replied in a snarky tone.

"Oh, come now. We will treat you nice. Come into the water."

"Remember last time you caught the girls or me in the water?"

While mermaids have a wide variety of characteristics in Human folklore, to Xothicans, they are sometimes referred to as goblins of the sea. Like goblins, they are monogendered and they reproduce through rape. Mermaids will lure men of any race to the water edge where they will grab them and drag them into the water. While in the water, the mermaid will drown the man while they rape him. Mermaids do this simply because they gain a sick sense of gratification from both the murder and sex.

This group of mermaids appeared at the island several days after the worlds fused together. As soon as they spotted Tom in the water, they attempted to mate with him. He managed to teleport out of the water before they could get a hold of him. Afterwards, he and the girls made attempts to kill them, but the mermaids were extremely fast in the water and simply dived under to dodge. While not inherently strong, mermaids are known as one of the fastest sea creatures.

Since their appearance, Tom and the girls avoided the water. The girls avoided the water to prevent themselves from being used as hostages on the mermaids' behalf. The mermaids still persisted in their attempts to lure Tom into the water by using a Charm skill. Tom's Unbreakable skill helped counter it.

"Oh, come on, Tom," another mermaid pleaded. "We were just having a little fun. We weren't really going to kill you. Why would we? I mean there are at least eight of us here and just one of you. All of us want strong children. You can do that for us. We can be yours. Only yours. All we ask for is strong children."

"Were I a weaker man, I might have given into to such temptation," he teased. "Though maybe we got off on the wrong foot."

"Do you really think so?" one of the other mermaids chirped.

"Yeah, I do. In fact, since you all seem to be staying here for good, I thought I'd get you all a house-warming gift."

Tom pulled out a raft from his Inventory and then piled a large mound of gray blocks on top of it. Each gray block had an electronic device attached to it. Tom planted his foot on the raft and gave it a shove onto the water. The momentum carried the raft across the water towards the mermaids' rest.

The mermaids rushed over to the raft with great excitement and grabbed a block each with still many more on the raft. They rotated the blocks in confusion and then looked to Tom.

"Tom... What are these?"

Tom held up a small device in his hand. "C4."

Tom activated the trigger and the raft erupted into a massive ball of fire. The shockwave caused the trees around the water edge to bend back for a couple seconds before they returned to normal. The rock cropping that was in the center of the lagoon was completely gone and all that remained of the mermaids was the blood in the water.

Notice

You have earned 1200 experience.

Notice

3 sheets of mermaid scales, a gold ring, and a Sea Charm Necklace has been added to your Inventory.

Sea Charm Necklace

RankCDurability50/50

Persuasion Increase+15% SuccessElement Resistance+5% Water

A necklace created by a mermaid by using treasures she found in ship wrecks. Her charm and water resistance rubbed off on it.

Tom saw the mermaid scales and uttered, "ew."

"Tom!"

Tom heard Vivian yelled from the direction of the house.

"What the fuck was that explosion?! And why did we suddenly gain experience?"

"I got rid of the mermaid problem!" he yelled back.