Chapter 26 - Ezekiel's Delusion And Village Chief's Gift
The elder walked towards Alex skillfully, with very light footsteps, even with wooden sandals. "My name is Jin, the village chief of Honey Combed village." Jin then reached out his hand to both of them. "The two of you must be here to get your armors and skills." The village chief asked the two of them.
"Yes," Alex answered while observing the elder. Jin\'s age looks to be in his late 70s, but his movements don\'t seem to match his age at all.
"Wait here for a moment. I\'ll grab what\'s left in the armory." Jin then entered the house and left the two of them.
Staring at the elder\'s back, Ezekiel can\'t help but be amazed at the number of scars. "The elder looks to be even stronger than the guards we\'ve met earlier, don\'t you think?"
"Same thoughts," Alex nodded in agreement. The elder\'s temperament resembles a veteran on the battlefield that survived hundreds of wars.
"The NPC in this game is so smart they felt like real people. You wouldn\'t even be able to tell whether they are NPC or players if they wear the same clothing." Even though Jin is the first NPC they had a conversation with. Ezekiel can still tell just by listening to the discussions happening with other players with different NPCs.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Jin came out of the house carrying two leather armors.
"Here are two leather armor for the both of you. It\'s the only decent ones left in our armory since you came very late. But knowing your strength, I know that this armor won\'t be a great help in the future for the two of you." Jin then handed the leather armor to the two of them.
"You flatter us too much, grandpa. We are still kids compared to you."Alex has high respect for elders as well as soldiers that always risks their lives for the people.
Alex looked at Ezekiel on how to put on the armor, since she doesn\'t have her A.I. guide.
"Equip!" Wearing a piece of equipment in this game is pretty easy. Just like in the game Guardian, where you hold the item and say the word equip.
The item in her hand then disappeared and replaced the cloth armor she\'s wearing earlier.
Name: Leather Armor
Defense: 3
Stats Requirement: Strength 5
Description: this lightweight armor offers basic protection.
"Grandpa, where are our starting skills?" Ezekiel asked politely.
"What are your weapons, young ones? So that I can give you the right skills." Jin has a very good impression with these two little guardians, compared to the rude people that came before them. He did not see anyone with good potentials among those kids earlier. Jin guessed that they are likely to be the first ones to die and run in a losing war.
"Weapon Equip!" The 6-feet-long wooden stick then appeared on Ezekiel\'s right hand.
"By the way, I forgot to ask. You said that you are a healer, didn\'t you?" Alex realized that the four of them similarly picked some very odd weapons.
"I am a healer!" Ezekiel understood Alex\'s confusion. After all, he did pick one of the strangest weapon in the healer weapon category.
"Aren\'t a healer\'s weapon supposed to be holy staffs, wands, or spellbooks and hide in the backline? Your weapon... It\'s more like you\'ll charge forward with everyone with that weapon." How can Ezekiel even heal with that weapon? Will he bonk his injured ally using that long wooden stick?
"That\'s what I\'m planning... There\'s no way I can support you if I stayed on the backline. So I choose to be a healer that can also fight." Knowing how Alex usually fights, where she will be so engrossed in fighting, she\'ll forget that she has some allies to protect. If Ezekiel really stayed in the backline alone, he will instantly die without any resistance.
"Huhhh!!? I thought you said that you will not be making any mistakes in creating your character this time? Now, look at you going back to your delusions." Alex folded her arms and scolded. Ezekiel really did not learn his lesson this time.
"This game is different."
"I promise this one will surely work this time." Ezekiel hid the fact that he is only confident because Alex was with him this time. He can just leech off Alex and let her carry him in the early stages of the game. While Ezekiel tries to discover how to make his weapon work out somehow.
"Don\'t worry young lady, give your friend a chance. I am sure that it will work in the future."
"See, even grandpa agrees with me."
"Thanks, grandpa." Ezekiel thanked Jin.
"Anyway, since you are planning to become a healer. I suggest that you go to Hale and received your starting skills. Hale is the sole healer of this village, and you can find him in the western part of the village."
"As for you, young lady, what is your weapon?" Jin asked.
"I am weaponless..." Alex shyly whispered silently to the elder\'s ears, since Alex is also guilty of choosing a strange weapon.
"A weaponless?? Is there even something like that? I don\'t remember weaponless recorded in our history.
"Yes..." Alex was not surprised by Jin\'s reactions at all. After all, Lumiere said that only one person was able to properly use this.
"I am sorry, but there is nothing I can do to help you, young lady. I don\'t have any knowledge of your situation."
"It\'s ok, grandpa. I\'ll just figure this thing out on my own." Alex now misses Lumiere that can answer a lot of her questions.
"I am truly sorry as compensation. I\'ll give you 500 silver coins as your starting money for you to buy supplies. Normally, I only give 100 silver coins to everyone." Jin felt sorry for his incompetence to help the young guardian with very great potential and good manners.
"No, no, that\'s too much!! we are fine with the 100 silver coins." Alex rejected.
"Treat it as my gift." Jin then pushed the 500 silver back to Alex.