Chapter 366 (1/2)

“You made a gym?”

Donny looked up, the voice that grabbed his attention clearly amused. Randidly Ghosthound stood there, in the underground wooden training area that Donny had made for himself, pouring most of his points with the Village into making his perfect paradise. This was where he came to work, where he came to train, where he came to get away from everyone.

Everyday 6-10 AM, Donny would come down here, and just let everything fall away. It was his sanctuary, and it was somewhat annoying to him that the Ghosthound had chosen this time to come visit him, finally.

Quick as lighting, Donny shook his head, banishing that feeling away. It was a necessary skill, learning to control his emotions, especially when dealing with this man. Based upon the timing, Donny suspected he was one of the final visits, but he didn’t mind that part. After all, it meant that their talk could be more productive.

Or perhaps, Donny reflected, it could be less so, just catching up. He almost shivered with how much he wished for that. Things were definitely… different, with the System. But not all in a bad way.

“Well it’s more than a gym,” Donny finally said, setting down the weights he had been working with. He gestured at the punching bags and weapon racks. “It’s a great place to train, too, and to try out new things. We’ve been doing some research into creating our own Skills, and Mrs. Hamilton is very optimistic about what we can accomplish moving forward…”

The Ghosthound simply nodded, and Donny considered the man that had changed his life so much. His feet were still tanned and bare, the legs of his pants ripped to shreds around them. He was a tall man, and muscular, although it was a very different beast than Dozer’s slabs of meat that covered him. These muscles were all built for a very specific purpose… to kill.

His hair was still long and black, his eyes still burning a bright emerald… Basically, what had changed was that it seemed like the Ghosthound’s arms had gotten marginally longer, his shoulders widening more noticeably. And also, although the color of it hadn’t changed, the tone of his eyes had definitely shifted. There was a harder cast to his features, a cruelty and violence to it.

Donny recognized that from his own face, magnified 100x on the person in front of him. This was the dark side of the System. The way it warped you, shifted you, changed you to fit a mold of something that you were not.

He could only guess what mold the Ghosthound was growing into.

Feeling slightly awkward at the silence, Donny said, “So? Did you have… something to say to me?”

The Ghosthound smiled, but it was extremely sad and tired. “Well… yes. But I think I need to wait for a bit to say those things…”

He trailed off for several seconds, then his emerald gaze snapped to Donny, with such force that Donny almost jumped. The examination was intense, and lasted for several long minutes, but then the Ghosthound turned away, sighing. “Perhaps… what I really want to say is thank you. I could not have managed to do this if you hadn’t stepped up. You’ve kept this town alive.”

‘What other choice did I have,’ Donny wanted to say, but he simply nodded seriously. Everyone had their own burden to carry. He didn’t need to add his small weight to the Ghosthound’s back. After all…

“Thank you but...is what the notifications say true? That the energy in the air…?” Donny let the question hang in the air, but the Ghosthound’s shift in expression was all the answer he needed.

“Yes.” The other man whispered, his eyes narrowed to slits. “And I suspect it’s a bit more complicated than that. I’m going to need to borrow some of Donnyton’s strength in order to handle it.”

That… was slightly shocking to hear, even though Donny had expected it. The rumors about a group of 10 going to clear the Raid Dungeon would be true, then. Did that perhaps mean…

The Ghosthound’s eyes flashed, and Donny could see the man clench his fist, then force himself to relax. It earned a certain amount of admiration from Donny, because the struggle of emotion never crossed his face, just in that small physical expression of the hand. That degree of control…

“So then, there’s that, that I do want to talk about.” The Ghosthound said. He folded his hands, giving Donny a level look. “Tell me about the people here. Who would be worth considering to kill a monster?”

*****

Randidly’s conversation with Donny left him thoughtful. It was almost noon now, and Randidly hesitated. Of all the people that Randidly had intended to visit, the one he hadn’t yet visited was Sam. Still…

He could feel inside himself that Lucretia was clamoring to speak with him, in regards to some of the Aether he had absorbed. In addition, Randidly had left Neveah alone for a while, and she was starting to grow bored of interacting with the Squads of Donnyton.