NOVEL NEXT Chapter 163: Burden
"And that's how I managed to get away from the big bad Skeleton!"
Geth finished his story and took a bite of the steaming mutton before him. The children stared at him, dreams of adventure dancing in their eyes.
"Show us!"
"Hahaha, you can't let your dad eat first?" He questioned.
"No!"
He shook his head and put his utensils on the table.
"All right. I'm only gonna do this once, so watch closely."
Geth activated Osmosis and filtered his way through the wall of the treehouse. He felt like a grape being mashed as his body oozed and reformed on the outside.
'Geez! What a rush!'
The Skill still made his head spin a bit, but he soon gained his bearings and walked around to the front door. Stark was already standing in the doorway waiting for him.
"That's amazing!" He cried.
His youngest son squeezed between them, "How did you manage to do that? It doesn't make sense that your body can handle that kind of pressure."
"There are a lot of things in this world that can hardly be explained."
Geth finished dinner and spent the rest of the day hanging out with his children. He talked Zolis and Filthy into playing ball with them while Jen watched from the side.
Things might have felt almost normal if it weren't for the distant wall and the looming tower.
Geth's constant glances in its direction were full of curiosity. Even if he'd just gotten back, he was ready to open it up.
He pulled Filthy to the side when they'd finished playing ball.
"I know it's short notice, but I need you to get everyone together. We set out in the morning."
A grin flashed on Filthy's face, his eyes already gleaming with excitement.
"Finally!" He exclaimed, "Being stagnant isn't my style."
The man flashed off into the distance, presumably to let the others know. Geth could have asked Larz to do it, but the Elf still had a small line at the Southern Gate.
Zolis approached him after the kids went over to Jen's house. They had gotten used to staying with their older brother while Geth and Zolis were off adventuring.
"We will be down a party member for this raid," Zolis told him.
Geth thought for a moment, "Alise made up her mind, then?"
"Yes. Once she saw the kids, reality sank in. She just needed something to distract her while she sorted her feelings."
"And how do you feel about that?"
Zolis sighed, "I could tell from the beginning. Still, I think that it was a good experience for us."
Both were quiet for a moment before Zolis spoke again.
"You're a lot easier to deal with when I have someone else to share the burden," She teased.
"Hahaha!" Geth laughed while stroking his beard, "Is that so? Well, how about I show you just how big a burden I really am!?"
He scooped Zolis over his shoulder and proceeded to carry her into their temporary home. Her laughter made him smile as her fists playfully beat on his back to put her down.
****
The rays of the sun peaked over the edge of the Northern Gate. Frost still blanketed the blades of grass in the wall's shadow.
A large group stood and waited as they watched their rapidly approaching leader. Geth closed the distance swiftly, followed by another small party.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone," He apologized when he stopped before them.
"Who are the runts?" Hulk questioned, stepping closer to get a good look at the newcomers.
Geth introduced them, "These are some promising recruits. Peter, Rift, Jack, and Sindri. They will be temporarily joining the main party for the Tier 4 raid."
"Are you sure they can handle it?" Blaze asked, his eyes filled with doubt.
"I believe they will be a greater asset than anyone we can pull from the city."
Blaze nodded and didn't ask any more questions. Geth looked at the recruits Hulk pulled into the second party, instantly recognizing three faces.
Bill stepped forward, "It's nice to see you in one piece, young man!"
"I never doubted your return for a second, unlike these two bozos!" Bob called.
"Hey! You were the one who was worried about him!" Brad retorted.
The three began to argue while Geth looked on incredulously. He shook his head while he laughed at the old men.
"It's good to see you old fellas haven't turned to dust yet."
"We wanted to thank you for that buff you gave us before leaving. We managed to put it to good use in some nearby Solo Dungeons."
Geth could tell that the three were considerably more powerful than before. He looked around at the other recruits.
Aside from Harris and Farris, he didn't know the names of anyone else.
He did take note of the man who used to train the local MMA fighters. The older man carried a long staff and wore simple leather armor.
"Are there any questions before we head out?"
Hulk spoke up, "Even with the new recruits, you only have an eight-man party. How do you intend on taking on a Tier 4 Dungeon?"
Geth waved his hand. The air behind him turned dark as four figures ambled out of an indiscernible void.
The Skeletons came into full view. The pressure they gave off weighed on everyone present.
A handful of the recruits took an involuntary step back. Some hands went directly to their weapons.
"It would be best if you refrained from doing that," Geth stated. He lifted his hand again, his Tames disappearing into a puff of smoke.
"Tier 3 Dungeons and above have a chance of containing Taming Cards. Make sure to loot the place properly."
"Any other questions?"
He waited for a minute. When it was evident that there were no more questions, he cast Mass Invocation. A gasp sounded from those who hadn't experienced it before.
"Everyone meet at the rally point.. We'll discuss the rest in detail from there."