Ali walked up to the modest wooden door of the house and lifted his hand, preparing to knock — but before his knuckles could touch the surface, a series of unmistakable noises leaked out from within.
"AAAAAh!"
"AAAAAH!"
"YES, YES, KEEP GOING! AAAAAH!"
Ali froze in place, his hand still raised mid-air. His expression darkened slightly, and a long breath escaped his nose.
'Just my luck…' he thought dryly, lowering his hand without making contact with the door. There was no way he was getting involved in that situation right now.
Turning on his heel, Ali stepped down from the porch, deciding to simply wait it out.
'I'll just stand here until he drags himself out,' Ali mused. The last thing he needed was to kick down the door and interrupt… whatever was happening inside.
That's when movement caught his sharp eyes.
Across the street, about a hundred meters away, a figure was approaching with a gentle, almost dreamlike pace. She carried a large woven basket brimming with freshly baked bread, steam visibly rising from it under the morning sun.
Ali immediately recognised her short-cropped hair and warm, earnest smile.
'Isn't that…?' Ali's mind pieced it together in an instant. It was Siline, Jacob's girlfriend.
He narrowed his eyes slightly as he considered his options.
'Should I stay out of it and let him get fucked over?' Ali debated internally, his gaze flicking between the basket and the door.
'…I need the bastard today. Can't have him tangled up in drama right now.'
Sighing, Ali opened his interface with a thought and fired off a quick message to Jacob.
Almost immediately, chaos erupted inside the house.
BANG
BANG
CRASH
Ali heard the sound of furniture being overturned, things smashing to the ground, and rapid, panicked footsteps.
'You better hurry, you son of a bitch,' Ali thought with a smirk, mildly amused at the desperate scrambling happening behind the door.
"Oh, Ali!" Siline called out sweetly as she reached him, her cheeks pink with exertion from carrying the heavy basket.
"What are you doing here? Are you waiting for Jacob?" she asked, tilting her head with a sincere smile.
Ali nodded, his massive frame easily blocking the entrance. "Yeah. He's getting ready," he said calmly.
"I guess we can wait together then!" Siline chirped, seemingly delighted by the idea. She uncovered her basket and picked up a steaming piece of bread, offering it to Ali with both hands.
Ali accepted it without hesitation. "Thank you," he said, his voice low and smooth.
Siline's heart skipped slightly at hearing the simple words of gratitude from him. 'He's human after all,' she thought with a soft, relieved smile. So many people treated Ali like some sort of untouchable figure — more a force of nature than a person.
Ali bit into the bread, and immediately his senses lit up. It was soft, warm, buttery — practically melting on his tongue.
'Damn. I should expose Jacob just for this bread alone…' Ali mused, half-serious.
"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you…" Siline said suddenly, breaking the brief silence.
Ali raised his eyes, chewing patiently, waiting for her to continue.
"Congratulations," she said sweetly, hugging the basket tighter to her chest. "I heard you're off the market now."
Ali almost choked on the bread.
He swallowed, then replied bluntly: "Well, you heard wrong. It's just people who have nothing better to do than spin fake stories."
"Oh really…?" Siline's face flushed slightly with embarrassment. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked sheepish. "Sorry. I should be careful not to believe everything I hear."
Her gaze drifted past Ali toward the door behind him.
CREAK
The door swung open hesitantly, and Jacob stumbled out, wearing a simple white T-shirt and grey joggers. A towel draped over his wet head, and his face was still flushed — not from the shower, Ali could tell, but from the frantic cleanup job inside.
Ali's sharp nose picked up on scents that told the real story — sweat, perfume, adrenaline. Definitely not a man who just stepped out of a relaxing shower.
Ali said nothing, merely taking another bite of the bread as he observed.
"Siline! You didn't tell me you were coming this morning," Jacob said with forced cheerfulness, trying desperately to sound casual. He didn't move from the doorway, clearly blocking her entrance.
"I thought we could have breakfast together," Siline said brightly, smiling. "And now that Ali's here too, we can all eat together!"
She tried to step forward up the small stairs, but Jacob hurriedly raised a hand to stop her.
"I'm sorry, baby, but… we really don't have time right now," Jacob said hastily. "We're heading out immediately on… uh, urgent business. Right?" he turned pleadingly to Ali.
Siline looked at Ali for confirmation.
Ali, still chewing, casually nodded. "I would have liked to eat breakfast together, but Jacob's right. We gotta go."
Siline's smile wavered ever so slightly. She looked down at her basket for a moment before regaining her composure. When she looked back up, it was with a tight, polite smile — the kind women wore when their hearts cracked a little.
"I see. I guess we can do this another time," she said, stepping up and kissing Jacob on the cheek before nodding at Ali.
Then, without another word, she turned and walked away, the bread in her basket swaying gently with her steps.
Jacob exhaled heavily and wiped his forehead again. "You're a life saver," he said, tossing the towel inside and locking the door. A white hoodie materialised in his hand from his inventory, which he threw over his head.
"You owe me breakfast," Ali said pointedly as they began walking down the street, heading in the opposite direction of Siline.
"Sure," Jacob muttered, his tone filled with regret. His mental image of Ali's monstrous appetite flashed through his mind, and his imaginary wallet wept.
They walked under the clear blue skies of Paradise, the buzz of morning life filling the streets around them.
"She's not enough for you?" Ali asked bluntly, breaking the comfortable silence.
Jacob's face darkened slightly. "It's not about that. She's just a tool for me… and against me.", Jacob replied with a cold tone.
"How so?"
Jacob didn't hesitate. He figured it was better to be honest with Ali — he had long since realised that trust with someone like Ali was priceless.
"Siline's a spy or more like a caretaker assigned to me. She watches every move I make and reports to the Air Guild higher-ups, making sure I'm keeping their interests at heart," Jacob said coldly. There was no anger in his voice — just a resigned bitterness.
He continued, his voice sharp. "The bitch even asked me once if I wanted to join the Adventurer's Guild with her. That stupid whore thinks I'm a fucking retard."
Ali nodded thoughtfully.
"It's a good thing lying comes naturally to you…" Ali said with mild amusement as he suddenly leapt into the air without warning, soaring skyward in a controlled flight.
Jacob watched him ascend with envy flashing in his eyes.
'Being so damn strong that you can say whatever you want… Just you wait…' Jacob thought darkly.
With a grunt, two miniature tornadoes formed under Jacob's feet and propelled him upward, chasing after Ali's black figure.
They stopped in front of a cozy little cafe near the centre of the Second Level. An older French woman ran the place…
She greeted them warmly, recognising their faces instantly. Every smart merchant in Paradise learned quickly to recognise influential players — and tread carefully.
Jacob slipped her a few Paradise Coins discreetly and asked her to close the shop temporarily. He couldn't be bothered to hear whispers and stares this early.
The two of them sat down at a large wooden table, far from the windows.
As they settled in, Jacob raised an eyebrow. "So… you're gonna tell me what this is about now? Wait, do you have the ring already?"
"It's not about the ring," Ali said calmly, taking the steaming cup of hot chocolate placed before him. "It's about making money."
Jacob blinked, confused but intrigued.
"And how exactly?"
"Have you seen the necklaces that resist Telekinesis?" Ali asked casually, sipping his drink.
Jacob leaned back, thinking. "Yeah. I remember one of the Water Guild guys used it against Siline in a duel. It saved his ass — stopped her from expanding the air inside his lungs and popping him like a balloon."
Ali raised an eyebrow. "She can do that?"
Jacob chuckled darkly. "Oh yeah. Siline's actually the second strongest after our guild leader. Stronger than me, for sure. She just doesn't show it publicly — rarely ever fights in the arena."
'I see why he hates her so much… and why he's so desperate to leave,' Ali thought, tapping his finger on the wooden table thoughtfully.
This only made his plan more difficult…
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Five chapters ahead of webnovel on patreon.com/Rondo312