CHAPTER 84: MASTERPIECE

The Guildmaster exhaled, he looked deep into Lucien’s eyes and began to explain.

"To raid a level 50 dungeon, at least five levels 50 Adventurers has to team up. Of course, this team has to consider the long range, melee, tank, healer and support. It has to be complete. All of that was missing and you singlehandedly take down a dungeon of level 50 monsters, not to speak that majority of them are variants. A variant lost its predictability, they are dangerous to fight alone. Most times, Adventurers have to spend some times studying them before daring to attack them. And attacking variants in group is a suicide move."

He breathed, after he seemed to be short of breath from talking too much.

"I can go on and on about the several Impossibilities that are wafted in this event. It makes absolutely no sense."

Lucien looked at him, smiling a little bit behind the wolf mask. He scratched his hair a little.

"I’m sorry?"

The Guildmaster’s eyes widened.

"Sorry?!! No! Never! Never be sorry! You are a masterpiece! You should not apologize."

Lucien only felt more awkward in that moment. But he swallowed and stared down.

"So... this is the reason why you think my Adventuer rank should be tier 5?"

The middle-aged man nodded.

Lucien asked again.

"What levels do Adventurers of tier five usually are?"

"Tier one Adventurers are usually between level 10 and 29, tier 2, Adventurers are usually between level 30 and 49, tier 3 Adventurers are usually between level 50 and 69, tier 4 Adventurers, tier 5 Adventurers are usually level 70 and level 89. While Tier 6 Adventurers are usually between level 90 and 109. From tier 7 Adventurers, the requirement changes."

Lucien nodded.

"I see... is it alright if I ask another question?"

The man gave permission.

"Please, feel free."

Lucien hesitated.

"The man that left here... the Tier 11, Adventurer, what is his level?"

"Ah... The Gambler. I am not sure but he is in his 300s."

Lucien made sure to let the name sink in. He was also quite surprised that the man had gone that far.

To be honest, he almost thought he was just some fine posh player who spent a lot of money and owned a great guild that he splashes a lot of money on and now he wants to own him too.

But that asides, he was not going to ride anybody’s bus in this game.

He exhaled and then looked at the Guildmaster.

"Alright, I guess that concludes all I need to know for now."

The man smiled, his gentle face almost radiating.

"Alright Sir Cien. Your Adventurer tag will be ready, alongside it, we will prepare your citizenship papers and identity card. Tier 5 Adventurers are usually second class citizens, which means that your voice and decision will matter greatly to the authorities, you will have to be careful sometimes."

He smiled shyly.

"But it is no pressure. There are a lot of advantages that comes with being a second class citizen, since I need to get busy with reports and send them to the Mirrors."

Lucien and Gayanna stood up, as the Guildmaster also did. He faced Adrian.

"Guide them properly, and give them a comfortable place to stay."

He turned his gaze to Lucien and Gayanna.

"Sir Cien, Lady Gayanna, feel free to explore the width and breadth of the city for as long as you want to. Vel’Rhameir is a very interesting city. For now, I have to journey to Rodon to make my report."

Lucien looked at him one last time before nodding slightly as a show of respect and then leaving the room. Gayanna followed right behind him. But it wasn’t until after like five minutes that Adrian came out.

The handsome Attendant, smiled as he came out.

He paused for a moment, thinking about something with his face down. Then he looked particularly at Lucien.

"Lord Cien."

Lucien raised his hand and halted him.

"Stop right there."

Confused, Adrian raised a brow of skepticism.

"When are you going to stop that?"

Adrian smiled gently, not still sure of what Lucien was talking about.

"Stop what?"

Lucien sighed.

"You keep calling me Lord Cien. It’s getting quite uncomfortable."

Gaya tilted her head.

"Oh! You never mentioned."

He gave her a demeaning look then turned back to Adrian.

"I believe it is save to call ourselves friends, isn’t it? We even fought together. Even though you ran away. Which I don’t take against you by the way."

Adrian chuckled dryly, his expression a bit down. He touched the back of his neck, and said in a low tone.

"I apologize about that. I was just trying to do what’s best for us."

Lucien waved it off.

"Boy, don’t worry at all. I am glad you did."

He smiled genuinely.

"It’s alright. Just call me Cien."

Adrian hesitated.

"C...Cien?"

Lucien grinned, not that Adrian could see any of his smiles and grins. He tapped the young man on the shoulder.

"Good, very good, makes me feel more closer to you."

He took a step closer to Adrian.

"I need a favor from you by the way..."

Adrian looked at him.

"You do? What can I possibly offer to you that can be considered help?"

Lucien placed his hands around Adrian’s neck and walked him forward stylishly, away from Gaya.

"I need to meet a friend. I have sent message to them already, because of their identity, they want us to meet in a very private place."

Adrian stood still for a second, thinking.

"Well, I think I know somewhere, I am going to have to pull some strings to make it work but I believe that it is doable. You should be able to meet your friends, privately without any disturbance."

Adrian lingered.

"However, are you sure it is a good idea?"

Lucien frowned beneath his mask.

"Whoever they are, I’m sure they can’t be as recently discussed as you are. I don’t think there’s any amount of privacy that can shield people away from that mask of yours and your armor, it stands out a lot."

Lucien exhaled.

"Yea, actually, I figured."

He removed the mask and returned it to his inventory, letting it dissipate into a blue light.

His armor also dissipated, replacing it was a grey ensemble, that made him look, gentlemanly, calm and ancient.

Adrian looked at him from up to down, and down to up, blinking a lot.

"What?"

He shook his head, immediately Lucien’s asked the question.

"It’s nothing at all... I was just... not expecting... this..."

He turned his face away, trying his best not to look at the scar on Lucien’s right eye.

Lucien meanwhile manifested the Darkness Cutter and hooked it to the sash of his dainty clothes. He raised a brow as he returned his gaze to Adrian.

"Is something wrong with the way I look?"

"No. Not at all. You just look very gentle... unlike what the ferocious wolf mask suggests and your character sometimes suggests."

Lucien winced.

"I don’t know if that is a compliment or not. But I will just take it as one."

He smiled with his teeth.

"Thank you for your help Adrian. So, do you want to show us where we will be staying?"

[Adrian’s favorability towards you has increased]

Lucien glanced at the display while Adrian responded.

"I was actually worried about your identity, the people are still crazy over you, and it may get worse after the Guildmaster comes back from his trip to meet the Mirrors. But there’s no need to be concerned anymore."

He glanced at Gayanna.

"Although... they may be able to trace lady Gaya to you... but that’s alright, you can just deny."

He brought out a jade comb and handed it to Cien.

"This is a magical item that can change your hair color and name if you want. It is called the Hauming comb. Make sure you have it on you at all times, it will effectively work to hide your identity."

Adrian tied the comb to the side of Lucien’s sash himself and nodded with an approval smile.

While Lucien stared at him in slightly shock.

Adrian did not seem to care at all.

"Now, think of a color and a name."

Lucien broke out of his shock and thought for a second.

Immediately, his hair color began to change, darkening until it reached something like dark blue, even his eye color changed.

His name also changed to Ghost.

He smiled.

"Wow, this is very convenient. Thanks!"

Adrian chuckled.

"You do not need to thank me... you are my friend, I will try to look out for you as much as I can. I have never had a friend by the way... my social position has kind of always distanced people away from me. So your words mean a lot to me."

Lucien looked at him, a bit confused.

The word, is something people throw around a lot whenever they want to ask him for a favor. He didn’t used to buy it though and he certainly never thought it would work out this smoothly.

Now, that it did, and he knew he didn’t seriously consider becoming friends with a game character. He felt strange... he felt bad.

Fact was, it was getting difficult in fact to differentiate NPCs from humans in this game.

He watched as Adrian walked back towards Gaya and felt like he ate a bad food.

At that moment... his stomach grumbled.

’Damn it. I’m hungry.’