Chapter 121: Last night with my family

I don't have any idea who that guy is, but I have no interest in what he has to say or talk about. Now that he is gone I can focus on my family. He'll be sorely disappointed that I'm going to be a no show at the hospital tomorrow. I'm going to spend this last night with my family and leave for my continent tomorrow with Hailey in the morning. I should use my reward to find out where I'm going. I open the request form from the system and ask it which way I need to go to get back to my original continent. I send the request and there is a slight delay before anything shows up. I get my message from the system and I open it. What I read makes me sick to my stomach, I cant believe how far it is.

[To get back to your original continent you must head 14000 miles east.]

This will take at least 4 days to cover, and that's with none stop flight. With breaks its going to take around 6 or 7. This is both disappointing and surprising, it is the only option I have right now. It is getting late and the sun is setting, this is going to be the last night I have with my family. I wont be seeing most of them for a very long time. "I don't want to bring down the good mood right now, but it has to happen." My parents look at me with sadness, in reality I got here just a little bit ago. Now I'm already leaving. "Hailey and I will be leaving first light tomorrow. So this is going to be the last time we see you guys for awhile." I watch my mothers face cringe in pain. I never like causing her pain, but this is a new life. I have things I want to do and see, I'll be gaining strength faster now. Its a very bittersweet moment, but life has them.

I lean back in my chair and take a breath. I have been going and going without a break, with taking anytime to really rest. Only a couple hours here and there, and I wont lie. Its weighing down on me mentally. This journey will be my longest one yet, and I'm extremely happy I don't have to do it alone. "Do we have to leave right when the sun rises? I'd like to spend more time together as a family before we go. Can we wait a couple days?" I understand and sympathize with her words. Hailey is right in this situation, we should stay here a few days and spend time with our family. We aren't going to do the right thing though, we are leaving to be our own people. The longer we stay with mom and dad the more appealing it is to stay with them.

I look at her and she already understands what I'm thinking. "We are leaving tomorrow morning Hailey, its time for us to go. Mom and dad will be starting a new chapter, and I'm not going to get in the way of that. You shouldn't either." Hailey silently agrees with my words. Mom and dad will be on a new adventure together with Marcus, both Hailey and I have had ample time with mom and dad. This is a perfect chance for Marcus to get the same amount of time and treatment we did. "I do want to spend time with you guys. So that only leaves one question. You guys still got your 'The Shattering' decks?" I don't have one on me, but we are going to be able to share and take turns. When I ask them that, everyone except Marcus and I pull a deck out from their inventories.

I move the old desk in the room between the two beds. Everyone sits on the beds, using them like chairs. "We'll play until we are to tired. I want to have some fun." Everyone smiles at my words and we get into playing. While the Adamo family spend one last night together the guild leader that visited earlier is talking with his members. Sir Erikson is having a very private conversation with people that know the real truth behind Zern. 

I look at my members and silently pray for the rest that are lost throughout this word. "We have found him. We have actually found the divine class wielder. This is a great day my friends, I'm meeting him tomorrow afternoon at the local abandoned hospital. I'll be going alone like last time, I want you guys guarding the area so no interrupts our conversation. This might be the only chance I'll get to recruit him." Everyone around me nods their heads, this is going to be my most challenging recruitment ever. If I can succeed then that only secures Steel Legions future. We will thrive in this new world if we can get him to join us. I make my way out of our secret meeting place, its a nice secluded location under an old restaurant.

I make my way to the street and start walking to the community building. Its a make shift market that the players have made to trade stuff with each other in the city. The area is packed right now with people bartering and selling. With the arrival of monsters and dungeons the people have gotten a shot of life, while its a risk to fight. The drops and rewards from fighting monsters works the same way. Many players are coming out of there shells and getting over their fears, that's good for everyone. If we work hard enough we'll be able to find and fix the teleporter. I don't know how long it will take, but its a possibility now. With the help of Zern I'm sure that we can be the first players back on the original continents. 

I walk into the old community center and appreciate the size it has. A place to have this sort of trade was dire, and now we have one. With the sun almost down most people will be going to bed. I will be doing so as well, I have a private room in this place. In truth its an old office that I made into a room. "Sir Erikson! How are you doing today!" I hear the voice of one of the younger players. A boy named Gizmo, not even past 14. "I found that thing you wanted!" I suddenly start to panic. I don't want anyone else knowing about that. I hold a finger over my lips to indicate silence. He sees and stops yelling. Gizmo is a wielder of a legacy class, but it isn't a combat one. His class allows him to track down rare and unique materials. Whether it be an herb or an ore, even when something is buried deep underground he can find it.

He has been my newest recruit. He was hiding his class from others so he wouldn't be taken advantage of. I made him a deal, he joins my guild and I provide protection and a supply of gold. While I cant pay him yet, I'm making sure he is getting payed in food and water for now. "Lets go up to my room. I already have someone waiting there for me." I really lucked out. My wife, Riley, is a player too, and she has been playing Ancients World with me since the beginning. We both make our way to the stairs and make our way up my room. We eventually reach my room and I open it. I see my wife going through some things that Gizmo has brought us. We have both de-aged back into our mid-20s. It is sad I wont be growing old with her anytime soon, but in a way this is better. We'll get even more time together. Being married for 30 years can do a lot. Now that we both have our youth back... Lets just say we've broken the proverbial bed.

I walk up behind her and kiss the back of her head. I look at the things Gizmo has brought us and its everything we need. "You did perfect Giz, You got everything we needed. Now we can craft the device." Riley is a smith, but not just any smith. She is a legendary smith, she isn't what you would call a normal blacksmith. She can create really obscure things, and she is my ace in the whole when it comes to fixing the teleporter. While these two are both amazing for the guild, they are none combatants. It will help when we get the proper materials to make good weapons, but that wont be for awhile. We don't even have a forge, so Riley is limited with what she can do. She looks to be almost done putting the pieces together.

I watch her work and its one of the most attractive things to me. I love her for a lot of reasons, but the biggest is because of her work ethic. She is beautiful, and smart. However, nothing is more attractive to me then a strong woman. Riley is every bit of that and more. "When do you think you would be able to use it?" This device plays a critical role in finding where the teleport gate is, and once we find the teleporter gate we can start looking for pieces to repair it. That is where my wife will take over, everything is going so good right now. If Zern joins my guild nobody will stop us.