As Rye and Hawks headed toward the exit of the building, the wind bustled through the courtyard, carrying dust and warmth with it. The sun hung high, lighting the sky in a sharp, brilliant blue.
The weather's pretty nice today… Rye thought.
Ring! Ring!
A sudden ringtone chimed from Hawks' pocket.
"Wait a sec—" Hawks said, quickly fishing out his phone.
"Who's that?" Rye asked, watching him.
"It's my mom."
"Oh? Really?"
"Yeah. Excuse me for a second, Rye. Gotta take this call."
"Yeah, sure. Don't mind me." Rye gave him a thumbs up.
Hawks stepped a few paces away, already speaking into the phone. Rye didn't try to listen.., none of his business anyway.
Left alone, Rye glanced around the courtyard. His eyes landed on a statue near the entrance.., one he had only passed by earlier without paying attention.
I never got to inspect that properly… He approached it, leaning closer.
It depicted nine figures.
The Nine Heroes… the first generation climbers.
A short-haired girl holding a staff at the edge of the formation.
A young man clutching a book.
A tall man clad in heavy armor.
A long-haired woman drawing a bow.
Another tall man, this one holding a massive battle axe.
A masked man aiming a crossbow.
A woman with another staff.
A handsome man gripping a dagger in each hand.
And at the very front.., the leader.
A man with long, flowing hair, raising a sword above his head as the other eight stood behind him in a proud formation.
So that's what they all looked like… Rye thought.
Weird seeing such primitive armor and clothing…
"Rye!"
He nearly jumped out of his skin as Hawks suddenly appeared behind him.
"Oh jeez—didn't see you there."
"Yeah, sorry about that." Hawks laughed awkwardly.
"About the phone call… my parents want me to help them move stuff at home."
"What? Really? But I already had plans for us today…"
"I know, I know.., sorry." Hawks rubbed the back of his neck. "I just moved back here yesterday, so my parents need help unpacking. We brought a lot of stuff."
"Really?" Rye sighed. "No worries. Go ahead. We can talk some other time."
"Yeah… sorry again. Oh..! before I forget. Let's exchange contact info. I'll message you when I get some free time."
The two quickly exchanged numbers.
"Goodbye!" Hawks waved as he jogged toward the gate.
"Yeah…" Rye waved back, a bit deflated.
He watched his friend disappear through the exit.
Honestly… I wasn't expecting him to come back here at all, let alone register as a climber in brookvein.
But I'm glad he did.
It's nice seeing a familiar face near the tower
Rye quickly left the tower grounds and headed straight toward his apartment, gripping the guidebook tightly in one hand.
That really sucked… he thought. I already had a place in mind for me and Hawks to visit. It's been three years since we last ate there…
He sighed, staring down at his feet as he climbed the apartment stairs.
Because he wasn't looking ahead, he bumped into someone coming down.
"Ack!" the stranger yelped, nearly slipping off the steps but catching themselves by clinging to the railing.
"Oof..." Rye grunted. He barely moved an inch.
Why the hell do I keep bumping into so many people today…
"Ayaya…" the stranger whimpered.
Rye blinked. The person he bumped into was a small guy with ruffled short brown hair, tiny round glasses, and long, lush eyelashes that made him look like a girl at first glance. His outfit.., layered T-shirt, polo, black shorts, a little pouch bag at his waist, and the oversized staff on his back made him look even younger. Honestly, he looked like a kid playing adventurer.
"You okay?" Rye asked, offering his hand.
"Yes..., yes, I'm fine." The guy accepted his help, cheeks red in embarrassment.
Dang… I really thought he was a girl for a second, Rye thought when he heard the boy's soft voice.
"Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going," Rye said.
"It's my fault too… I'm always clumsy," the stranger said, rubbing the back of his neck.
Rye's eyes moved to the big staff strapped to his back.
"You a climber?" Rye asked.
"Ah..! yes. I registered today, actually."
Really? I didn't even notice him during the test… maybe he's one of the weaker ones, Rye thought.
Then the kid asked, "Are you perhaps the person who cast the weakest fireball?"
Rye smiled stiffly.
The audacity of this kid… Is this what people are calling me now? The 'weakest fireball guy'?
"Yeah. That was me," Rye said, his frustration leaking through.
"Ah.., s-sorry! I didn't mean it like that…" the boy stammered.
He was timid. Shy. Practically trembling. He looked twelve.
How is this kid a climber? Rye wondered. "Hey… how old are you?"
The boy answered.
Rye stared at him, eyes wide.
Holy..! he's older than me? Isn't he practically my senior?!
"Sorry, I have to go. I'm in a hurry…" the stranger said, bowing slightly.
Rye stepped aside. "Hey... what's your name ki— I mean, sir?"
"It's Fren. Fren Goldies," he replied, already hurrying down the stairs.
"Mine's Rye. Just call me Rye," he said.
"S-Sorry for causing trouble… Sir Rye!" Fren said while jogging down.
Rye waved him off.
After the encounter, Rye rushed into his room, tossed the guidebook and staff onto the table, and flopped onto his bed.
He let out a long, exhausted sigh.
"So many people… I didn't think I'd meet this many in just one morning. Let alone Hawks…"
He buried his face into a pillow like someone who had just finished a whole day's work and returned home late in the afternoon.
"Oh yeah… [system]."
Ding!
[Name: Rye]
[Class: Necromancer]
[Skill: Summon Undead lv1, Aura detection lv1, Commander lv1, Fireball lv1]
[Traits: Coward]
[Magic Power: 10]
[Strength: 1]
It still bothered him that Aura detection had activated on its own earlier… and that it felt so strange.
Does it sense negative energy or something? I felt a little aura from everyone in the lobby, but I couldn't focus… someone was staring at me way too intensely… Rye shivered.
He sat up straight and fixed his posture.
"Let's try this then…"
He raised his hand in a casting gesture.
"[Summon Undead]."