Join my Discord!

https://discord.com/invite/qWjTAwRY

======================

Arthur and I arrived in front of the quaint house that, for now, I called home. Pushing the door open, I stepped into the familiar warmth that greeted me.

"I'm home!"

My voice rang through the entryway, echoing the traditional greeting.

From the kitchen emerged my mother, her face lighting up at the sight of us.

"Welcome home, Dominic, and welcome, Arthur!"

"It's nice to see you again, Auntie," Arthur greeted warmly, a respectful nod accompanying his words.

Leaning towards Arthur, I informed my mother of our plans. "Mum, Arthur wants to hang out for a while."

Celine nodded and smiled. "I see."

Ding!

The sound of the oven timer interrupted our reunion.

"Oh, it seems my blueberry pie is done!"

With that, Celine excused herself back to the kitchen, leaving us in the entryway.

I turned to Arthur, motioning towards the interior. "Let's go in."

Nodding, Arthur followed me into the living room where we both took a seat on the comfortable couch, sinking into its familiar softness.

In the quiet of my home, three significant thoughts occupied my mind: Lumi's unexpected attendance at my middle school, Maurice's surprising role as a teacher before possibly moving on to Verdant Arcanum, and his unexpected offer of personal training.

"Haah!"

A sigh escaped me, a sound that felt like the release of the day's accumulated tensions and curiosities.

"Doms, you know that sighing makes you older, right?" Arthur chimed in with unsolicited advice.

I shot him a side glance, half-amused, half-exasperated. "Those are not real."

"Yeah, they are. That's why you look older," he teased, sparking a hint of mock indignation within me.

Me? Old? Despite the circumstances, I couldn't help but feel a touch of offense.

"Me? Old? Have you seen my pretty face?"

I countered, feigning offense while knowing full well the blend of humor and camaraderie that defined our friendship.

Arthur's response came with a smirk. "Yeah, you're pretty...for a Gorilla."

Why this little—

Creak!

The familiar sound of the front door opening brought a sudden halt to our playful exchange. Andre stepped into the room, his eyes lighting up with a warm smile as he spotted me.

"Dominic! Welcome home!"

I smiled, "Hey, Da-"

Fwoosh!

In an instant, a gust of wind swept through the room, and before I could comprehend what was happening, Arthur stood before Andre, brandishing a sword conjured from pure yellow light.

With a swift motion, he aimed a strike at Andre's neck, but Andre caught Arthur's wrist with ease, a knowing smirk playing on his lips.

What the hell just happened? It happened so fast that I had trouble comprehending on what just happened.

Why would Arthur attack Andre? And why was Andre's reaction one of amusement rather than alarm?

Arthur's smirk mirrored Andre's.

"Hello, uncle, I'm here for a rematch."

"Really? Then, let's start, shall we?"

Without warning, Andre's flung Arthur towards the wall with a force that seemed to defy the casual atmosphere just moments before.

Crash!

Arthur was propelled outside the house, the impact sending shockwaves through the air. Andre wasted no time in pursuing Arthur, their movements a blur to my untrained eyes.

This sudden shift from a peaceful homecoming to what appeared to be a duel left me stunned.

"Oh, there they go again."

I turned around and saw Celine holding freshly baked pie.

She looks nonchalant. Does this often happen before my transmigration?

==New Quest!==

Quest: Help Arthur in the fight.

Reward: 10 Stat Points and a Gun Arts Manual.

=============

The red holographic screen once again appeared before me.

Another Quest and this time, Stat Points, what's that?

Also, I will get a Gun Arts Manual? Is it like a martial arts manual but with guns? Seems cool.

However, accepting this quest brought its own set of dilemmas. If I were to participate in the fight, questions about my guns will rise, potentially revealing the lies I made around Arthur and my parents.

But since I would get a manual, then I'm just going to do the quest.

I stepped through the hole in the wall, emerging outside the house to a scene of intense action.

"Haa!"

The sound of exertion filled the air as I caught sight of Arthur, his light sword in hand, launching a series of attacks towards Andre.

Despite the ferocity of his strikes, Andre seemed to dodge the onslaught with ease, his movements fluid and precise. He flipped, sidestepped, and, in a move that caught me off guard with its grace, slid right under the swing of Arthur's sword.

What a badass.

Regaining his footing, Arthur took a deliberate step back, pointing his sword directly at Andre.

"Avalon Blast!"

Bling!

At his command, three orbs of light materialized beside him, their glow intensifying before unleashing concentrated beams of light that streaked towards Andre.

The attack was powerful and deliberate.

Yet, Andre's reaction was one of amusement rather than concern. With a confident smirk, he charged directly into the oncoming beams.

His audacity was astonishing. Instead of evading, Andre chose to confront the attack head-on.

"Shield of the Abyss."

With Andre's command, a dark shield manifested in front of him.

Clank! Clank!

The light beams clashed with the light shield and Andre kept running forward.

"Grasp of the Damned."

Andre's fists were then enveloped in a shadowy aura.

Arthur's eyes widened in recognition of the impending strike.

!

BOOM!

The moment Andre's shadow-covered fist collided with Arthur's radiant shield, a tremendous explosion ensued, sending debris flying in all directions.

I covered my eyes from the debris. It seems Andre possesses the Dark magic attribute, another rare magic attribute.

As the dust began to settle, the aftermath of the clash became clear.

Arthur was found kneeling on the ground, his breaths coming in heavy pants from the exertion of the battle. In stark contrast, Andre stood tall and unphased, his gaze fixed upon Arthur with an air of calm superiority.

"Hah...wow Uncle Andre...hah...I can't even make you sweat..."

"Stand proud, you are strong."

Observing their exchange, I realized they hadn't noticed my presence—a perfect opportunity for action.

With a moment's hesitation, I reached into my pocket, drawing one of the guns I had received.

'Sorry, Dad.'

The thought flashed through my mind as I aimed at Andre's leg, a pang of guilt accompanying the decision.

BANG!

The gun's recoil pushed me back slightly as I pulled the trigger, releasing a red energy bullet that shot towards Andre with astonishing velocity.

Andre seemed to sense the incoming threat as he turned around and caught the bullet between two fingers, halting its deadly trajectory in its tracks.

I'm not surprised by this as Andre dodged beams of light earlier.

"So, who has the audacity to—"

Andre began, turning to identify his assailant, his voice trailing off as his gaze locked onto mine. The shock and disbelief that initially painted his features soon turned into a knowing smirk.

"Oh, looks like someone wants to join in."

Andre began to walk toward me...menacingly.

I gulped, the realization dawning on me that this might have been a step too far—Andre was likely about to teach me a lesson I wouldn't soon forget.

Instinctively, I raised the gun once more, aiming it directly at him in a desperate bid to halt his advance.

Bang!

Yet, Andre's reaction was as swift as it was dismissive. With a mere flick of his wrist, he effortlessly deflected the bullet, continuing his stride towards me without missing a beat.

Oh, hell nah, he's coming.

Desperately, I drew the other gun, wielding one in each hand to double my firepower.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

The quick series of bullets boomed through the air, and the recoil from handling both pistols at once jolted my arms with a force well beyond my previous experience.

My aim slipped beneath the power, and just one of the flurry of bullets fired came near to hitting Andre.

Andre's reaction was immediate and precise.

Effortlessly, he manifested a sword, shrouded in shadows, into existence, and used it to easily deflect the bullets.

Oh nah.

My best attempts were little more than playthings to him.

Because of his abilities in battle and his command of Dark magic, Andre was able to perform at a level that seemed unattainable.

Not only was my strike nullified by his ability to create and handle a Dark blade so expertly, but it also highlighted just how far apart our skills were.

Fwoosh!

In an instant, Andre vanished from sight, leaving nothing but a swift gust of wind in his wake.

My heart raced. Every story I'd ever read, every battle I'd witnessed in fiction, whispered a warning—disappearing usually meant reappearing somewhere you least expected, often right behind you.

Shit!

I made no hesitation since I was guided by instinct. I executed a move that I had only ever dreamed of doing: I rolled to the right.

And my quick thinking turned out to be vital, exactly as I had anticipated. I turned to see that Andre had moved to exactly where I had been standing just a second before.

"Looks like you have a talent for evading attacks, Dominic." Andre's voice, imbued with a mix of surprise and respect, reached me as I regained my footing. "I didn't know you have that in you."

Gripping the guns tighter, I aimed them at him once more, determined to prove that my earlier success wasn't just a fluke.

Just as my finger tensed on the trigger, ready to test my aim against Andre's skill once more, a commanding voice cut through the tension.

"All of you, that's enough!"

The urgency and authority in Celine's voice halted my actions instantly.

Lowering the gun, I turned to see Celine, her expression one of anger and concern intermingled, clearly not pleased with the spectacle before her.

Celine then walked over to Andre and pulled his ear.

"Ow! Ow! Why are you doing this?!"

"You tried to slice Dominic!"

The scene was almost comical—Andre, a formidable figure moments ago, now reduced to wincing under Celine's firm grip.

==Quest Completed!==

You have successfully helped Arthur!

-10 Stat Points have been added to you!

-Do you want to receive the Gun Arts Manual now?

[Yes/No]

================

Looking at the screen, I wished this holographic screen thing offered me the option earlier with the guns during school.

"Dominic, where did you get the guns?"

The question snapped me back to reality, and I found myself facing Celine, whose expression was one of deep concern mixed with a hint of impending discipline.

Her gaze, sharp and penetrating, conveyed more than words could. The intensity in her eyes sent an unmistakable message, and a chill ran down my spine in response.

Never underestimate the power of mothers. Their intuition and protective instincts can unravel the most carefully woven secrets, reminding us of the uncompromising love and concern they hold for their children's safety and well-being.