“Wow! You guys had it rough, huh?” A man shouted from across the room. It was Xander, waiting patiently for his team to return from their various activities. Unlike his partners, Xander didn’t have anything important to do once he returned to his hometown. Lust was his only priority, but she had to return home for a few days. This was their first time apart since they first got together.
Their happy little relationship was already being tested by living in two completely different worlds. It was obvious to see why. One was a sin. The other was a hero. Not only that, Lust was in charge of many things. She may have been relatively carefree, but she was still a high leveled demon that needed to monitor her subordinates. It was hard to stay away from her realm for too long. Plus, her workload was increasing with every vacant spot on the sins’ roster.
Of course, Xander was more than welcome to live with her, but that was easier said than done. He’d have to leave his team. He’d have to give up on his mission as a Genesis Program participant. He’d essentially lose everything in his life except for his lover, which he wasn’t ready to do just yet. Instead, Xander was left at The Feral Tomcat like a sad lost puppy. It was why he perked up when his friend returned home.
The Feral Tomcat was as great as ever. No, it was more accurate to say business was booming even more than before. Why wouldn’t it be? The Unnamed Team could live and drink anywhere in the world, yet they chose this establishment every time. Commoners and nobles alike couldn’t control their curiosity. They had to see for themselves what was so special about this tavern. Of course, they weren’t aware that it wasn't extraordinary. The Unnamed Team simply chose The Feral Tomcat because it was close and cheap. They still lived there out of habit and because they trusted the owner, Jenna, and her husband, Mateo.
“I suppose so,” Nicholas said. He turned to Rex who was also making an exhausted expression. The two made eye contact before nodding. They knew the kind of pain they were both experiencing. One could relate to a person that just lost all of their money. It was a common experience, especially for this team. They thought their financial issues would be a distant memory at this point, but it was becoming extremely obvious that their troubles had no end and always found a way to rise.
“Do you mind, prick? We’re trying to get to our room.” Rex said to Xander with an irritated voice. His eyes narrowed as if he were telling off Xander without actually using words. He wanted to do nothing more than go to sleep. Rest was the quickest way to heal from wounds, both physical and mental. He simply wanted to put the day’s events behind him immediately. The only issue was the idiot that wanted to extend the conversation.
“Prick? Wow, you guys haven’t called me that in a long time.” Xander said. The interaction reminded him of his earlier adventuring days. Back then, he was a simple lone rogue. He’d steal from a person then hope his skill [Forgettable], the previous evolution of [Unadorned], would erase all of his memories of a person. Those were good times… Until Xander realized no one could remember him. That was when he met Rex and Nicholas. The three hit it off and eventually formed a team. He was more than happy to finally meet people that wouldn't forget about him…
“Yeah, well, what else would you call a random dude that's bothering you?” Rex asked. He was even more aggravated than when the conversation started. The day was already bad. Why did it have to be worse? What could Rex do to get the hint across that he didn’t want to talk? In the end, he couldn’t think of anything. That was why he opted to just start being even ruder. He hoped it would scare off the annoyance, but it only added to the growing confusion.
“My name? Xander? Come on, act like you know me.” Xander said. A flash of worry crossed his mind. This was exactly like the team’s first encounter in The Feral Tomcat. It seemed like he wasn’t the only person to be reminiscent of their earlier days, but these two were taking the joke too far. The act was over. A simple Go away, Xander would have been enough to satisfy him. Anything that showed that they weren’t playing around. Xander took a few breaths. He needs to calm his nervous mind.
“We don’t know you,” Nicholas said with a blank face. He never made that face. It was the kind of look only directed at annoying strangers. The team had used that same expression ever since the tournament and their debut as heroes. It was the best method of shooing off aspiring challengers. That said, it didn’t always work. Many strong individuals, like Rose and Damian, saw through the gaze and challenged the team anyway. But that still left a lingering question: why was that particular expression being directed at Xander?
“Right, and I’m the king of Diosevich. Come on, you got me, give it up. Really.” Xander said. His voice was much more serious. The joke was over. Done. Dead. Oversaturated. Sure, The Unnamed Team had their fair share of inside jokes and skits. Some were even intentional, but the consistent rule was that the team’s antics had an end. They usually knew when a gag reached its conclusion. That was why Xander was shutting it down. It wasn’t funny anymore. No, it was starting to become worrying, in a way that only Xander could see and relate to. If this was a reality, it’d be a nightmare.
And Genesis wasn’t in the mood to wake Xander up.
“NOTICE. SKILL [UNADORNED] HAS REACHED ITS MAXIMUM LEVEL. FREQUENCY OF ACTIVATION HAS ALSO INCREASED. AS A REWARD, OTHER SKILLS WILL ALSO BE INCREASED.”
