Chapter 72: The message
He continued reflecting for a few more brief moments about that mysterious achievement.
The notification remained suspended in front of him. It was difficult to ignore.
The Tail of Ouroboros.
It was a name that imposed an image difficult to ignore. For that reason, he tried to analyze it in search of clues.
Evidently it was not a decorative or casual achievement. The various events he had survived had shown him that fact.
With such a striking title, it certainly hid a certain depth.
Ouroboros.
He had never heard anything like it before. If he had, he would remember it immediately. Because that word invoked a transcendental majesty, like a metaphysical concept bent on going against the current.
He felt a small headache threatening to emerge.
He tried to rationalize it.
The achievement appeared immediately after that conversation, where Edward had spoken of a greater shadow.
It was too clear a connection to overlook. But even so, it was still not a provable fact.
They were probably intimately related. But they were only intuitions.
Intuitions could be providential, but they were never enough to establish reality.
With a movement he closed the interface. He was still far from the truth.
But he recognized that he would not obtain any answers by remaining still. With successive experiences, mysteries were revealed.
He then opened his inventory. He observed directly that dozens of materials occupied a considerable space.
They were diverse and numerous. Practically all the collection they had obtained from the dungeon.
It had been an extremely beneficial expedition for him.
Many materials had a certain value, but none had an immediate usefulness to him.
Keeping them motionless in his inventory was only a waste of space and time. Fortunately his pockets always needed money.
So he had to participate in one of his favorite and most lucrative activities.
It was time to sell.
***
The central market of Bérsaic retained an ancient and extremely reverential appearance. Its streets were narrow, with countless ancient constructions of stone and wood.
It was probably the perfect refuge from the cold and disinterest of the north.
Carts remained in constant movement.
In the air there was a certain penetrating smell of different animals in captivity and on display. Mixing with the aroma of bloody meat and the intense aroma of fresh fish.
It was certainly bustling. A small commercial center where economic activity was concentrated.
But even so, it did not lose its unique atmosphere that differentiated it from a great city.
"For the first time... It shouldn’t be so different," he murmured.
The merchants shouted offers without rest and coins constantly changed hands.
However, his attention was divided instantly. He quickly lost interest in the merchants when he observed the players.
There were entire groups that conversed freely with enthusiasm while walking along the market’s cobblestones.
The thread of the conversation always pursued the same central point.
"They say it appeared out of nowhere..!"
"Some people are already theorizing that they are not common dungeons."
"Could it be because of that blessed world event?"
Gabriel slightly reduced his pace. He did not show evident interest on his face, but he heard the trace of their conversations.
Two players argued fervently leaning against one of the walls.
"I’m telling you! I heard that an entire body of soldiers was sent east..."
The other immediately interrupted him.
"Idiot! Lower your voice." He looked around before continuing.
"Have you still not heard about the penalty?"
The first one denied, answering:
"What kind of stupid penalty?"
"The lord of the city has been going for months without even sleeping with a prostitute. He’s unloading all his frustration on anyone who spreads malicious rumors."
The two ended up laughing.
Gabriel only heard briefly. It allowed him to reorganize certain pieces that remained disconnected until that moment.
Some players had spoken about a ruin and others about a dungeon. But they all agreed that it had recently emerged, practically out of nowhere.
No one knew its origin.
A group of soldiers had been organized by the Lord of the City and had finally disappeared. There was no news or updates about the real state of the ruin.
It was an unknown that had begun to attract discomfort to the high command.
And the city was trying to prevent the rumor from continuing to spread.
It was extremely interesting, but he quickly lost interest. In comparison, he was still too weak.
He had defeated a Tyrant only under unrepeatable circumstances.
He could not trust in a miracle again or he would only be an arrogant fool. His priority remained exactly the same: to strengthen himself.
In his mind there was nothing that had greater importance.
Without stopping, he concentrated again on the commercial stalls.
***
The negotiations occupied a large part of his time, but it was a form of investment.
As always, Gabriel never accepted the first price. Questions and counteroffers were constant.
He even received some insults. But his threatening presence was not too harmless.
But without a doubt the object that had been most valued was a bluish tear. An object that the Aquatic Undead had dropped.
"Boy! You have a treasure there... It’s a genuine Undead tear."
The old merchant immediately adjusted his glasses.
He finally concluded:
"Its attributes are aquatic. They must have suffered a lot!"
His voice had acquired a completely different interest.
The negotiations immediately began with the usual intensity.
Fifteen minutes later they closed the deal for a considerable sum of money.
Gabriel carefully stored the coins, thanking the virtue of the great merchant.
At the end, he had practically managed to sell all those objects he had no use for.
He had obtained a large sum of money, which immediately satisfied him. They were heavy coins.
Sixty gold coins.
He could not help remembering the official who had practically stripped him of everything. His valuable money, stolen by a corrupt man!
A small satisfaction appeared inside him. He had finally recovered with interest that humiliation.
Bérsaic was a land of opportunities.
He slowly left the market. The crowd had already begun to decrease, with the conversations disappearing with the wind.
It was then when someone lightly bumped into his shoulder.
He realized it wasn’t an accident when the stranger continued walking beside him.
He wore casual clothes and stood out in absolutely nothing.
It was one of those typical faces you were doomed to forget.
"Young man, I come on behalf of Charles."
There was no kind of greeting.
The man continued walking beside him, as if they were casually conversing.
"He needs you. That’s all." He finally ended up turning at a corner where the streets divided.
Gabriel had not responded at any instant.
He watched as the stranger left with subtlety.
At no moment had he abandoned his walking pace. He did not need to pursue him.
He understood that that man was only a fleeting messenger. Quite useless.
***
Charles...
The name awakened feelings difficult to express. Their relationship had never followed a conventional logic.
They had started confronting each other, then negotiating and, finally, Charles had ended up treating him with a strangely natural friendliness.
As if their friendship had already been decided unilaterally.
Gabriel had never managed to understand his erratic behavior. Although he had not wasted time trying to do so either.
Charles is quite arrogant. But his strength allows him to be so. Interfering with an ant like me... should not be his favorite activity. Or could it be?
The ideas were discarded and reality began to take shape. He did not need to impress him and he would not gain anything by pursuing him.
The sudden message only became even stranger.
Why seek him out?
While he advanced along the street, different possibilities began to arise.
Had he discovered something related to The Despots?
Did he need help?
Did he intend to use him?
Or simply... did he want to check how far he was capable of going?
For a few seconds he even imagined another possibility. It was quite absurd.
Could he really be that kind of person with strange sadistic fetishes?
He discarded it. There was still no proof.
But his line of thought immediately began to evolve in another direction.
Charles was an extraordinarily rare person. He could be capricious, violent and proud.
But he could not afford to waste time without obtaining anything in return.
There must always be a reason.
But he did not know what connected them both.
He slowly raised his gaze.
The wind arose with violent intensity, agitating the different wooden doors.
The Frozen North.
He needed to return.
Which implied temporarily abandoning the relative safety of the city, returning to venture into its dangerous lands.
But he also could not allow himself to ignore the invitation. Growth many times depended on those decisions.
The Despots still existed.
He needed to hunt Tyrants.
And the gigantic shadow mentioned by Edward remained in his mind.
He needed to go, whether it was an opportunity or not.
Enthusiasm began to grow inside Gabriel.
In his life he had learned a truth engraved in fire...
Events never asked if one was prepared. They simply happened and only those who decided to advance anyway survived.
He was still not strong enough to face The Despots directly.
He needed more power and experience.
Charles represented a cornerstone that would bring him closer to his objectives.
He would have to use him.
If he intended to help him, he would discover it.
If he intended to betray him, he would also end up discovering it.
Gabriel had always survived in the same way.
He had never been the strongest. He only turned the factors around him.
And when necessary... He even became difficult to catch.