Alaric's POV
I was looking through some paperwork when someone knocked on my door.
"Guild leader, I have some papers to show", Park Dae, the guild's assistant guild leader, spoke behind the door.
I looked up and replied, "Come in"
She came in and handed me some papers and explained, "These papers are the recent movements of Talos"
"Hm… it seems they went into a small dungeon in Suwon", I replied, adjusting my glasses and looking through the documents.
"Yes, it would be advised to go there now, I can assign a team-"
"No", I cut her off "I will go day after tomorrow, with someone"
Park Dae looked at me, dumbfounded, "You're going alone with that tailor?"
"Yes", I replied
"But he's a gatekeeper! He's partially useless!, I doubt he can clear a dungeon-"
I glared at her, "Assistant Leader Park… I advise you to shut the fuck up"
She looked up at me with surprise, "I-" she coughed out, "I'm sorry, guild leader… I spoke up and offended you-"
"No… You didn't offend me… You offended Ambrose, so you should apologise to him by respecting him"
"Yes, Guild Leader", she bowed.
I sighed and sat back down "Anyway, he has experience in clearing dungeons, Lee Hayoon told me"
"But do you think he will say yes to your deal?" she asked.
"Of course", I replied.
She sighed and turned to leave.
I turned and looked out the window, looking at the sky.
After a while, I took out a tablet from my inventory and started drawing. I drew a boy with black hair with white strands and dark skin… I drew everything to memory, but I could never remember the face… I could only remember the blue eyes.
Come to think of it… doesn't Ambrose have blue eyes?
… No, he has a red rim around the iris.
I closed the tablet and looked up at the ceiling.
I just want the meet him again… but he didn't tell me his name… or maybe he did, but I don't remember.
I put my glasses on the desk and put my hands on my face, rubbing my eyes.
He's my reason for everything… I have to find him… no matter, I couldn't care less about anything… but he's kind and loves it when I help people… So I'll do that… then tell him about every good thing I did, and we can be together…
I smiled, waiting for the day I meet him… I'll not let him leave me, it's been 345 years after all…
He must be 435 years right now…
"Alaric…" the boy looked at me with a solemn face.
I was just done with a surgery, my body was hurting all over… the poison hurts so much, but because of him, I'm alive and can see his beautiful face.
"I'm thinking of escaping… and I want to bring you with me", he explained.
I looked at him in surprise, but then nodded. I want to go with him.
"Of course, Mon Cœur", I smiled.
He blushed, oh so sweetly, and asked in a flustered voice, "Where do you even get these nicknames from?"
I smiled, "I heard two researchers talk about it, it means my heart"
He looked away in embarrassment "Well, you shouldn't call me that… It's embarrassing"
I chuckled, and his face went red.
After a few years of discussing and planning, we finally did it…
But we got caught
And they separated us… for years, I asked them again and again what happened to him, but they never told me, I was worried and scared…
After 15 years, one of the newer researchers told me that they decapitated him and threw him outside the facility.
Something in me shattered, and I asked why they did that to him.
"Well, if you want to know so bad 865, it's because you're more valuable", he smirked.
"With your high poison resistance and with 245's blood in you, you'd be excellent", he laughed out, and I felt disgusted all over.
I started to breathe heavily, I could smell the poison mixing with my breath, but it didn't hurt… well, at least not now, I could feel my fingertips going numb and my eyes going bleary.
"He was so useless, heh- what… Ah! AHHHH!"
I snapped and destroyed the whole facility…
I chuckled, it was satisfying… hearing those 'researchers' screams…
Sigh, well enough remembering the past, I need to focus and prepare to meet Ambrose tomorrow…
Then I got a message from a system chat.
⌈system message ⌉
⌊ from: Awakener 奇迹医生 」
(奇迹医生 means Miracle doctor)
I put on my glasses and clicked the notification.
⌈奇迹医生: I have your reports ⌉
⌊AA: ok ⌋
I stood up and cleaned up my desk a little, and left my office. While walking down the hallway, I saw SG, and she came up to me and asked.
"Guild leader, are you going to Miss Bai Meixia?"
"Yes, is there something you want to tell me?" I replied back
"Ah… nothing in particular, just that… Lee Hayoon and I just finished a dungeon and wanted to give you this report," she explained
"Just put it on my desk-"
Before I could finish, she ran into my office and came out in under 5 seconds.
Sigh… she is ranked number 5 after all.
I started walking, and she quickly started walking beside me.
"Guild Leader! I have something else to ask!" she exclaimed
"What is it?" I asked in return as we got into the elevator.
I pressed the ground floor button, and she pressed the 4th floor button.
"Is it true that we are a tailor in our guild as a new member?"
"Not as a member… who told you?"
"Lee Hayoon did! He told me that the tailor's name is Ambrose and that he sells his S rank gear for cheap! He also told me…" She rambled on and on about what Lee Hayoon told her
Which was what he already told me earlier… but I didn't know he sold his S rank gear cheap to everyone, which could damage his business… I'll tell him later.
Then the elevator dinged, reaching the 5th floor, and SG said goodbye to me and left.
When the elevator reached the ground floor, I went out and drove my car to Lang Yao Ge, Bai Meixia's Guild office.
Which is no surprise, a hospital.
I walk inside and go to the receptionist's desk, and ask.
"Which lab is Bai Meixia in?"
"Good evening, sir… The guild leader is in her office," she responded.
I walked to the elevator, pressed the button where Bai Meixia's office is, and leaned against the wall.
This was odd… Bai Meixia is usually in one of the labs…
The elevator dinged, and I stepped outside and went to Bai Meixia's office and knocked.
"Come in", a muffled voice came behind the door, and I went in to see Bai Meixia sitting by her desk.
"So, what's the report?" I sat opposite her and asked
"This is about the Creature you bought recently", she hands me a folder. "It details what-that guy-Ambrose's skill did to that creature", she continued.
I looked at the folder and kept it on my lap, and then she gave me another stack of folders.
"These reports are from Mujin", she explained.
I sighed and spoke up, "Keep those, they are for the creatures… guess your boyfriend wanted to give them to you personally…"
"Shut it… that idiot is not my boyfriend", she retorted and frowned.
I shrugged and got up, and she continued.
"Anyway, that's not the only file he gave" She gave me a blue folder with yellow paper inside.
"And this is?" I asked her
"Papers from the facility you used to be experimented on", she replied
My eyes widened, and I quickly looked through the files
They were about random test subjects, documents on how they got funded and so on
But then I saw it…
His file
I glanced at the picture and saw him, although it was worn out and smudged, I could see some features.
Black hair, dark skin… but he has light colour on his neck, hands and some on his right eye.
"Huh… I didn't know he had vitiligo," I mumbled.
Bai Meixia heard me and said, "Or you forgot…"
I looked at her and then back at the files.
I must have forgotten…
I wanted to hit myself… how could I forget this… I'm supposed to know everything about him!
But-
"How did Mujin get these files?" I asked
She looked at me like I was joking and spoke.
"Munjin has international branches, they got these from the French government… probably bribing", she shrugged.
So the facility had given copies to the government…
I sighed, this is troublesome… why can't you just come to me, Mon Cœur… I miss you-
"So what's the name of this facility you were in?" she asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"I don't remember the name, nor do I want to remember… It's destroyed anyway", I scoffed.
I stood up and walked out of the office with the files in my hand.
I walked out of the lobby and overheard two nurses talking.
"You remember that guy with white hair, the one who came with Lee Hayoon" the one with black hair spoke.
"Yeah?" the one with the blonde hair replied
"Well, turns out he was a gatekeeper"
"What!? He was a gatekeeper? I thought he was a hunter"
"Same, it was so disappointing, he had a skill which helped him heal faster, which was the only thing good, he could leave early", the black hair nurse scoffed
"But the worst part is that he was a hunter before", she continued
"What!? He should have stayed as a hunter," the blond nurse gasped and retorted
"Honestly, though, I bet he couldn't handle it and was too weak"
They both chuckled
I stood next to one of the vending machines, pretending to buy something… they were talking about Ambrose…
I walked towards my car.
Most people who are not awakeners just don't understand the reason… ignorant basdards
I opened the door and sat in the driver's seat, opened the reports and read through.
My eyes widened
Ambrose's skill…
It drained all the blood from the creature…
I drove off.
___
Ambrose's POV
I didn't want to acknowledge it, but…
I feel awful…
It's been a day since that creature incident, and I feel like I have a migraine…
Did I take in that creature's blood?
Thinking about that makes me feel like I'm going the vomit…
Wait…
I ran to the washroom and started puking blood in the toilet, The blood was dark red, almost black.
"Ew.." I mumbled out, looking at the blood, and I puked some more.
But then I heard the washroom door swing open and turned my head to see Charlotte, worried.
Ah… today was her first day working with me.
"Sorry Charlotte-" I coughed out, but she sat beside me and patted my back, trying to comfort me
After a few minutes, I finally stopped puking and sat on a chair next to the counter, drinking water… the taste of iron was strong in my mouth, making me shiver.
"Are you ok?.. Does this happen often?" Charlotte asked
"No… It's probably an old injury acting up," I replied
"Alright… is there anything I can do for you?"
"Can you take care of the boutique? I'll come back in 30 minutes"
"Alright"
I got up and left the boutique, going to a nearby cafe.
I ordered a pastry and coffee… I have to get the taste of blood out of my mouth…
Brings back bad memories
I sat at a table waiting for my food, just then the cafe door opened and Alaric came and sat in front of me.
Suddenly, I felt all eyes on us.
I looked at him, confused "Isn't our meeting tomorrow?"
"Change of plans", he said, and before I said anything, he dragged me out of the cafe and next to his car.
I pulled back, "Hey! I ordered something-"
"Why do I smell blood on you?" he cut me off, holding my wrist again and pulling me closer.
"Was it because of that creature?" he continued.
"It's nothi-"
"Don't piss me off Ambrose… tell me what happen" he cuts me of, glaring at me.
…How did he know?
I looked away and explained, "I puked blood"
He holds my chin and makes me look at him, then he starts examining my mouth, then lets go, and I walk back, creating distance.
"There doesn't seem to be any internal bleeding from the mouth…" he mumbled.
"I-"
"If you're going to say anything about the deal, then save it", he cuts me off, "We will discuss this tomorrow".
He sighed and said, "Let's go to Bai Meixia, she will look into your injuries"
"No need… I'll be fine", I replied
He looked at me and sighed in frustration, "Fine… give me your system name"
I hesitated, but then we gave our system names to each other
Maybe he doesn't know the system name of the previous ranked number…
"Mh… It's the same as the previous rank, number 1," he smirked "Don't tell me, you were the previous ranked one?"
I sighed… this is why I don't give my system name to other rankers… I was lucky enough that Lee Hayoon didn't notice"
"Oh… So you are…" he chuckled, "that's why you didn't want me to tell your name to the branch"
I looked away, I didn't want to see his smug face.
He then started laughing, "Pfft… Alright"
And then he left, I went back to the cafe and packed my order and went back to my boutique.
Sigh… This is going to be bad…