The Last Legendary System

Turning away from Benign, the elf chief drew a slow breath before gesturing ahead.

"Sir Benign, I offer you two of the best our makeshift station has to offer."

Benign brought his feet together and straightened his back. Habit. The old chief spoke in a tone akin to his generals handing over recruits for his guidance.

Not facing the soldier, the chief continued.

"On your way, you can stop by the Kamon station. If you mention your connection to my daughter, Lyra," he gestured to the elf girl, who curtly bowed.

"You also gain assistance from the Two-Winged Sisters, an organization like the Protectors but exclusively for elves. They wouldn’t mind assisting you with food or information, at least."

That would be enough. Benign kept his hands behind him. "I appreciate it. Thank you."

The chief nodded. "And finally, I want to personally thank you for saving my life."

When he said that, his authoritative tone dropped. He faced the soldier. "It had never been heard that a person was saved mid-glitch, and usually, putting the victim out of their misery was the fastest way."

The first experience with the injured man and the lizard-man replayed briefly in Benign’s mind. ’So did the lizard-man put the warrior out of his misery or just settle a score? Or both?’

He let the chief continue.

"Also, the words I spouted during my trauma— I don’t even remember." The old man laughed lightly. "My daughter had asked what I meant, but nothing came to mind. Perhaps it was my own bias after being saved by a human."

Benign’s jaw tightened. That disappointed his expectations. Surely it couldn’t be a coincidence that the delirious words of the glitching victim revealed his current situation.

"I understand."

That was another lie he knew he’d regret, but at least it didn’t affect anyone but him. If the chief couldn’t explain, and LEG assured they were only delirious words, he would accept it as such.

’There is no reason to try to force meaning on myself.’

’I am simply a soldier on a job.’

Lyra placed a hand on her father’s shoulders. "I’ll take our guest to them. Go in and rest, Father."

Her father momentarily placed a hand on hers before trudging towards his hut.

"Come, Protector." She headed for the entrance. "I’ll take you to your new members."

Benign’s gaze followed her. ’Wait, isn’t she coming along?’ He adjusted his clothes for the new members he’ll be introduced to.

"So the name is Lyra?" he started a conversation. "It is a pretty name."

Her lips curved upwards. She didn’t slow down her confident gait. "Benign is a strange name. Even stranger than those uniforms you insist on wearing despite the clothes we offered. So don’t expect a compliment back."

His foot slid to a stop, and she laughed and kept on walking ahead. Benign only shook his head. "You can’t just be nice."

"Will it give you good luck?" She squinted her eyes at him, expectantly.

Benign revised his response considering the books he read, which described elves as beautiful, nature-loving creatures any adventurer should be fortunate to meet.

"Maybe," he answered.

His uncertainty stemmed from the unconventional appearance and practices of the elves of Noria had.

Her nose flared. "No!"

Her purple eyes flashed. She spun on her heel to face him.

"We elves are NOT ornamental charms a warrior should hang around their waist," her eyes dropped to his hand she held earlier. "Or hands. So don’t try to butter me up, Protector. Your human is showing."

With that, she spun back around, the force of her movement slapping her hair across his face.

Benign stood there, staring blankly at her retreating figure.

"And I thought she was flirting." He touched his abused face. "I can never really understand girls, can I?"

[You aren’t handling that mission well, Host.]

[Can I interest you with a tip?]

[Reminder.]

[Reward: Tips on winning the Elf Girl’s Heart.]

Hearing that voice turned Benign’s disappointment to anger. His hands clenched beside him, and with the balled fist, he swiped the reward screen to the right.

Surprisingly, that worked. He also possibly looked stupid punching the space in front of him. A sigh left him. "Did you have a good rest as well? Be coherent now."

[Again, I am always coherent, Benign Crocs]

[Error.]

[Benign... Cross.]

[Now...]

[Do you want the tips?]

"Damn the tips."

[Very well. You have a new mission.]

Benign hastened his pace, seeing that the elf girl glared daggers from her position ten steps ahead.

"What is it?"

[Mission Alert!]

[Mission: Survive The Journey Through The Desert.]

[Reward: Location of Ancient Artifact.]

"How is that necessary to my main mission?"

[How is an Ancient Artifact necessary to your mission?]

"You heard me. Is it the Primordial Core or what? I’m not a collector."

The last word was emphasized because of Benign’s disdain for people who treated every shiny trinket like a life-or-death acquisition. Like Kendrick.

[For the sake of Re....]

[Error.]

[It is simply necessary for your mission.]

[Also, you have the spatial storage.]

Benign spent the next second staring at the four consecutive messages on the screen. He swiped them to the right.

"That doesn’t mean I want to fill up the storage..." he trailed off, reaching the elf girl and spotting the two elves standing with her. Thankfully, they were normal-sized elves. While not as delicate as web novels described, they were certainly not built to tank rhinos.

"Good day, gentlemen." He greeted, taking in their appearances with one glance.

One elf carried a thin, rough-edged book with a red feathered pen in his hand. He wore a full outfit, a long-sleeved light shirt, and tailored trousers fitting his lean body. A second later, Benign noticed a small bottle of ink floating beside the feathered pen.

’Interesting. I can already tell what kind of person he is.’

The other clenched a thick, blunt rod in his hands. He had a soft, muscular build. An old scar crossed his face, from his left ear, over his nose, to his right side chin. Apart from his knee-length shorts, and a large scarf tied around his neck that extended to his upper torso. That was all he wore.

There was a sparkle of curiosity in his eyes that made Benign conclude he wasn’t a seasoned warrior and still sought adventure.

"Vergil," Lyra pointed at the bookworm. "He knows a lot about the glitches. At least everything we have known so far."

"Stun. He’s one of our best fighters and thoroughly experienced." She nudged the other standing closer to her right. "They will journey with you across the desert."

She met his gaze. "To find the Primordial Core."