Leveling up the World

Chapter 139: Miscalculation

Chapter 139: Miscalculation

Work was slow and uneventful. The mornings events had brought in a few more people, mostly from the guild, but on the whole, there were two improvements and about a dozen mendings. The gains were far from what they had been when Dallion had started, but he didnt mind. If anything, he welcomed the calm.

When everything was over and all but a few regulars had left, Dallion went to have his lunch at the counter. Hannah had gone to take care of some supply issues and left Jiroh in charge of everything. The fury wasnt overly concerned, taking it as an opportunity to slack off a bit.

What are you thinking about? Jiroh asked.

Huh? Dallion looked up, startled.

Youve been stirring your food. The fury pointed.

Dallion looked down. There were a number of circles on his plate dividing the food into several small piles.

Aspan will be mad if he sees you playing with his food like that.

Yeah. Dallion took a bite.

Jiroh was right, of course. Aspan was spending extra care to prepare the food of an awakenedan incredible achievement, despite the increasing difficulty. Even after Dallion had reached the level cap of his perception, the food tasted just as wonderful as it had upon first arriving at the inn.

So, whats up? Jiroh pressed on.

Ill be going to the awakened shrine in a bit. Dallion didnt want to get into the entire chainling thing again.

Ah. Jiroh nodded, as if that explained it. Dont worry. You should be able to handle that without a problem. Eury tells me you catch on fast. Plus, you have some a-class gear.

Thats not the issue. What will happen when I enter double digits? No one talks about it much, but I get the impression that things change. There was another pause. Was that when Eury left the inn and opened her shop?

Is that what youre worried about? Eurys leaving had nothing to do with her level. Despite what Hannah thinks, it had nothing to do with her either. There was a whole set of different circumstances. Besides, youre not Eury. If you like it here, you can stay. You dont have to work for your room, you know, you can pay like everyone else. Its a good place, better than most, and not that expensive when you start doing the higher-class jobs.

That made sense, and in a weird way it also made Dallion feel a bit better. True, he didnt have to leave the inn, and yet there was something troubling him Back on Earth his parents would have said that was a sign of maturity. Here, he had no idea.

My advicethe sooner you go, the better, Jiroh said. The more you delay, the more doubts youll have. Get it over with and then fret about the consequences, if there are any. After you finish your meal, of course. Getting Aspan angry is never a good idea.

Dallion laughed. Deep down he knew that she was right. Finishing his plate, he then went up to get his gear. There was one last moment of hesitation, after which he grabbed the coin purse and headed out of the inn.

So, were really going? The shield asked.

Dallion dashed forward. This whole time he had waited for her to blink to gain the upper hand, and when she had, he had descended upon her, Harpsisword in hand.

The thief didnt take long to react. At Dallions fifth step towards her, she had already left her spot. To Dallions surprise, she hadnt run away or moved to the side. Instead, she had charged right at him. At this point there was no way for him to evade her. Relying on his training, Dallion swirled to the side along a semicircle. In the awakened realms, he would have instantly slashed at her, but here he hesitated. The thought of injuring a person was still foreign to him. Unfortunately, it wasnt for her.

Without a moments pause, the thief slid beneath his shield arm, throwing a knife at his sword hand.

The pain felt like a prick that kept increasing until Dallion found himself dropping the harpsisword. There was nothing elegant or deep about ita simple disarming attack then left him completely open. A sharp kick to the side of the head followed, knocking Dallion to the ground and very much unconscious.

When Dallion next opened his eyes, he was alone in the alley. His pouch was missing, as were his shield and harpsisword. His first reaction was to check whether his boots were gonethey werent. The relief was short-lived as Dallion realized what had happened. He had been robbed for the first time since hed arrived in the city. Shock combined with disbelief kept him on the ground, frozen as a statue, for several minutes. His mind was still trying to process the notion.

How was it possible for there to be an awakened thief in a city like this? Didnt the nobles see everything that happened within the citys realm? They should have been able to prevent this, or if not, they should have reacted fast enough to catch the perpetrator.

No, Dallion thought. No, no, no. This cant be happening.

How had he managed to lose the harpsisword hours after seeing the guardian? Not only that, but the shield still belonged to the general. Now not only was he penniless, but he didnt have the gear needed to complete the trial, or any trial for that matter.

Overflowing with panic, Dallion looked around in the hopes of finding a clue to the thiefs whereabouts. Some of the tracks were clearly visible, only to vanish completely after a while. It was as if she had jumped out of existence.

Left with little choice, Dallion rushed down the alley. His only chance was to catch up to her. With luck, the equipment she was carrying would slow her down enough so he could claim it back.

After running for ten minutes, though, there was still no sign of her. The new passers by Dallion had asked, hadnt seen anyone matching the thiefs description. There was the option to go to the nearest bastion of the city watch. Given the lines and bureaucracy there, Dallion would most likely be asked to fill in a report of some kind, and wait. No, if he wanted to get things done, he had to resort to alternative methods.

Running as fast as he could, Dallion made it back to the Gremlins Timepiece.

Hannah! he shouted upon entering. The room was completely empty. The few regulars had left until evening, and neither Hannah nor Jiroh were anywhere to be seen. Jiroh!

Please be here, Dallion thought. He had no idea how either of them might help, but at least they could do something. Never before had he felt so vulnerable. It wasnt only because hed been muggedsomething similar had happened back on Earthit was the ease with which it had been done. The thief, whoever she was, hadnt even put in any effort, disarming him and knocking him out with one single action.

I should have just handed the money over, Dallion thought with regret. At least then he would still have his equipment. Now he had lost pretty much everything.

Dal? The fury emerged from the kitchen. Whats the matter? She stopped mid-step upon seeing him. Youve bleeding.

Dallion looked at her, then at the blood dripping from his arm. That was right. He had been injured, but the pain had been driven away by anger and panic at the loss.

I he said, eyes burning with rage. They took my harpsisword. They took everything.