CHAPTER 441: PAIN AND CONFUSION

[Quizen’s Quest {2} done! Receiving rewards...]

Coco paused what she was doing, her grip on the tough crocodile she was holding loosening as the quest scroll appeared before her eyes that had the words that made her heart drop to her stomach.

[Advancing [Fool’s Gold] to level 2...]

Her heart raced at the words that she read, her eyes widening as the feeling of dreadful realization washed over her body.

Her shoulders slumped and her grip on the dead monster before her practically fell from her hand, her lips parting from both surprise and horror as she kept staring at the floating scroll.

[Congratulations!]

[With [Fool’s Gold] having successfully advanced to level 2, you may now be able to use it whenever you so desire!]

Coco wanted to grab the scroll and scream at it, to ask the piece of floating paper to explain how she finished the quest without doing anything.

However..

"Mrs. Hughes?" Neo called, his voice scratchy from staying silent ever since they started looking for monsters outside the city’s gates.

"Are you okay? Why did you drop the monster? Is everything alright? Should I call for the guild’s doctor?" The helper inquired, scratching the back of his head in an attempt to try to understand the hunter.

Hunters having anxiety attacks while they’re in the middle of hunting is not unusual so Neo knows exactly what to do.

Although, from the hunters he was asked to assist, Coco seems to be having a different anxiety attack due to how horrified yet shocked she looked as she stared into nothing.

The black haired man let out a sigh and shifted his attention to the direction she was staring so horrifyingly, only for his eyes to go wide behind his bangs when he spotted a large goalter among the trees.

"Mrs. Hughes!" He exclaimed, his heart quickening.

"Coco! There’s a monster!" The garden fairy cried out, pulling Coco’s dark locks to make her friend snap out of whatever daze she’s currently in.

Fortunately, the sensation of her hair getting pulled quite harshly and frantically was enough for her snap out of it.

"OUTLANDER!"

An ear piercing screech reached Coco’s ears which was soon followed by the tremor of the earth beneath her weight, causing her to stumble on her footing and get knocked on her ass.

Neo quickly ran over to her and grabbed her by the arm, hauling her over to her feet.

"I’ll kill it." Coco grunted out as she got back on her feet and gently pushed Neo away from her. "Go back to the guild and get me a mission that says something about a goleter getting captured so my effort wouldn’t be in vain."

"You’ll fight it?! But that’s not a normal goleter—" Neo started, but he was cut off when Coco whipped her head to his direction and stared.

"Just do it." She stated bluntly. "If you stay here, I won’t be able to protect you."

"I can’t leave you, Mrs. Hughes—"

This was Neo’s first time to encounter a special monster and with Coco being confident about her defeating it on her own made him nervous for her own safety.

"I’m telling you to beat it." Coco hissed and pushed him away, glaring.

Coco felt hurt after she saw the quest scroll telling her that she had done her job on helping Quizen find his new love and received a good reward.

She knows that she should feel happy about it.

She knows.. She knows that, but her heart is beating incredibly painful inside her chest.

The talking goleter appeared just in time because with it making its presence known to her, Coco will have an outlet to let her pain and frustration out.

Now, all she needs to do is make Neo leave her alone so she wouldn’t have to worry about anyone else.

The said man, however, still looked reluctant as he flickered his gaze to the approaching monster to Coco and the weapon she’s holding, which is her trustworthy unbreakable hoe, before he closed his eyes and took a deep inhale.

He let out a sigh and nodded his head. "I’ll come back with the mission, ma’am."

Coco felt a relief wash over her and flashed him a small grateful smile, then she turned away from the man, but it wasn’t enough to lessen the pain she’s currently feeling.

"Good.. Then go and fetch this." Coco ordered and picked up the dead tough crocodile by the tail.

She unceremoniously threw the monster over her shoulders without breaking eye contact with the sneering goleter, but it still landed next to the cart that Neo uses to carry her kills for the day.

Neo quickly ran after it, not questioning anything.

Coco tightened her grip on the hoe and took a deep breath, her eyes shifting to the skill scroll of [Fool’s Gold] that had just advanced to the second level.

The sight of the level made her heart ache, reminding her what Quizen needed to feel for the quest to be completed.

Divorce.. Coco thought, biting her tongue as she dashed towards the large goleter and met the monster halfway, reeling her arm back to land her first blow on the stone creature.

She wasn’t thinking of divorce lately because she thought that she had more time..

BAM!

Neo paused on hauling the tough crocodile on the cart and snapped his head in Coco’s direction where the loud sound came from.

Debris scattered around and dust filled the space, but once they all cleared, his hold on the dead monster tightened when he saw Coco’s face was glistening with tears, looking like she was devastated.

What could have possibly happened?

He wanted to ask aloud, but he shook his head and went against it because it wasn’t his business.

He turned away and continued loading the crocodile on his cart, then once he was done, he started pushing the cart towards the direction of the city gates.

By the time he left, Coco had taken down the goleter.