Inside the Swanlake General Hospital, the nearest and biggest hospital near the portal, Theo sat next to a white bed.
His body was covered with bruises as well, but it wasn't as bad as Alea, who was unconscious on the bed.
Suddenly, he turned around and found his master coming in.
"How is she?"
"No change at all. But the doctor said she will wake up tonight, especially due to your strange medicine."
"That's good." His master felt relieved before looking at him. "I'm leaving in the next five minutes, so I will just say two things."
"What is it?" Theo squinted his eyes before he lowered his head. "Before that, I would like to thank Master for saving us first."
"Haha, I didn't do anything. The reason you could stay alive until now was due to your perseverance. You have told me about the story and I can only say one thing about it. You've done a great job. I just want you to remember this… She has done it when in the group, but whether you're a man or a woman, you each have an obligation to help each other.
"Instead of taking the full brunt of an attack and killing you, it's better to share it together and live on just like what you've experienced with her."
Theo remembered when Alea took the first blow before he blocked the residual attack. And because they would be in trouble late, Alea took the fall too. If he were alone, there was no doubt that he would die immediately.
His expression mellowed a bit as he nodded. "I understand. Thank you, Master."
"Good. The next thing is, what do you think about this trip?"
"Horrible."
"But I can proudly say that you have learned a lot, right?"
"Yes."
"The greater the risk, the bigger the reward. This is very true even in the very basic form of EXP points. There are many Elite Ranks hunting in a Level 20 to Level 30 area because they can kill more of them without high risk. It will be slow, but they will definitely progress.
"However, if you go to a higher level area, you will find yourself surrounded by powerful monsters. It's true that you will get more EXP points, but your life will constantly be at risk. You need to be on alert the whole time.
"I want to ask you… Do you still have the confidence to keep challenging monsters with a higher level than yours? That's the only way for you to catch up with the rest of your peers… Well, you are already among the top for the first year, but you are still nothing compared to second and third year students. That's why I ask you this question. Look at my eyes and tell me your answer."
Theo took a deep breath as he recalled everything he experienced today. It was truly a gruesome experience where he could die at any moment. Even Alea experienced the same thing despite her level. There was also the fact that the assassins didn't care about his age.
Yet, when he opened his status window…
Name: Theodore Griffith
Status: Elite
Level: 53
EXP: 537/2206
Blessing: God of Mischief
Skill: Pierce (F), Clone (D), Monkey Fist (F), Magic Bullet (E), Haste (E), Focused Charge (E), Blink (D), 3 Slots Remaining
Attributes: Strength 80, Endurance 47, Agility 62, Vitality 42, Magic Power 80
Free Attribute Points: 10
Just by running around and killing around twenty monsters, his level already increased two levels. It was truly worth the effort in his opinion. Besides, playing it safe would just slow him down to reach his goal and there was even a possibility of him failing to reach his goal in the future.
So, Theo knew his answer. "I am ready to do anything. Of course, I will be assessing the information from this point on. Since I have been relying on her to choose the location, this time I want her to tell me first, so I can get enough information about that place."
"That's a good resolve." She smiled. "As much as I want to reward you, I won't for the time being. Instead, I'm going to increase your training tomorrow since I believe the training will be restarted either tomorrow or the day after. But you need to make sure that you meet me at the usual time tomorrow."
"Yes…" Theo let out a long sigh and nodded. "I will definitely come there."
"Then, it's time for me to leave. Take care…" She patted his head and left the room.
Theo then leaned on his chair as he looked at the white ceiling, recounting his own performance.
Suddenly, he felt another person entering the room.
Since he had no family, he quickly rose from his chair and turned around, finding a middle-aged man with a black suit. His blonde hair looked like Alea and his eyes were locked at Alea until he arrived right in front of Theo.
It was then he slightly widened his eyes before his vision lowered a bit for an instant to see Theo's pocket watch, which was hidden underneath his clothes.
Appearing to be unsurprised, he stretched his hand with a smile. "Are you Alea's teammate in the training group?"
"Yes. My name is Theodore Griffith."
He closed his eyes for a few seconds as if pondering over something before patting his shoulder. "I have met the doctor and paid the bills. You should rest too."
"…" Theo never expected this reaction. He thought that her father would be mad at him, saying he was useless or something to even let his daughter in this state. Believing that it was better to address it, Theo apologized. "I'm sorry, Sir. I was too weak."
"There is not a single monster around the area that can reduce my daughter to this level. And the fact that he has chosen you over other people means that your ability is above the rest. Hence, the only conclusion why she ends up in this state is a very powerful monster. So… I can understand. I'm angry, of course, but toward myself." He patted his shoulder while offering his best smile.
Theo knew that her father was trying to hide his sadness because his heart must be wrenched in pain to see his daughter in this state.
"Since you're here, I should probably leave now."
When he was about to leave, he stopped Theo again and asked, "How is your injury?"
It took him a moment to answer him as Theo just knew this person today. "The worst part is my legs because of continuous usage of Haste. Other than that, it's fine, Sir."
"Is that so…" He thought for a moment and grabbed another chair on the corner of the room. Sitting down next to Theo's chair, he gently hit the chair a few times as if telling him to sit down. "Do you mind telling me about your experience today?"
"I understand." Theo nodded with a smile. He sat down and started explaining how the story went.