When I returned, the atmosphere was surprisingly calm. Even Celeste's complexion had improved somewhat.
"It is good that all of you have calmed down a little. Now that we've had something to drink, about the soul-links we should-"
Iris cut me short.
"Cole, there's no need for you to worry about it."
I was perplexed. If I was not to worry, then who would?
"Iris, explain what do you mean."
She explained that the three of them had come up with a solution. And that was all she would explain to me.
"What do you mean that you all came up with a collective decision, but wouldn't give me the exact details of it? It doesn't make sense, Iris. I don't know how you expect me to take it on face value. This is something that involves us all, and you're just going to push me aside?"
I looked at the other two.
"Is that how much you guys trust me?"
The question hung in the air. That was enough of an answer.
After that they just tried giving excuses one over the other. I simply acknowledged their decision and left. I was disappointed, especially when I thought at least all of us were at a position to speak our minds without holding back. It seemed I wasn't someone they trusted enough to burden with it. I was not angry at them. At the end, it meant my failure to showcase my capabilities. But that rationalization didn't make the feeling any less shitty.
I returned home.
_______________________
"Hey, Bastard, what do you think you are doing, grabbing and throwing me around so suddenly?"
I grabbed the bird from our couch and took it to my room.
"I need a quick workout to take my head off of things. Find me a dungeon right this instant. Scratch that. Find me at least two. One wouldn't be enough for me to think properly through all this mess."
"And why would I do it? After how you ignored me while your mother and that accursed cat played with my fragile body, how do you expect me to-"
The bird fell silent abruptly. I was holding it upside down from my balcony after all.
"Hey, stop it. STOP IT. I will do it alright. Get me in, GET ME IN NOW."
It didn't take long for Penguin to start screaming with tears in its eyes.
"Hey, you are a machine right? How are you crying?"
Still angry at me, Penguin replied. "You shouldn't apply your worldly logic to me."
I nodded, "Hmm. I guess so."
After calming down, Penguin asked me a question.
"So, did you have a couple's fight or something with your girlfriends to be fuming like this?"
"Watch your words, Bird."
"Ok, okay, calm down, stop curling your fists. Man, the department has really thrown me in with a bird abuser."
"Buddy, stop the drama. You are just a machine."
"Machines have feelings too. At least this one does."
"Yeah, yeah, find me the dungeon."
And so, the Penguin began searching.
After a grueling twenty minutes, Penguin found a dungeon. It was in the city tower this time.
________________________________________________
"Hey, Penguin, I know I acted a bit harsh with you but you don't have to get revenge like this. Are you sure this is where the dungeon portal is?"
I stood on the narrow stairs that led to the top of the tower. The stairs were so narrow that I could only place a single foot in each step. It was only accessible to technical staff. But using Penguin's 'mystic powers' I got in.
"Stop with the nagging and move your ass, man. You wanted this right? Go ahead, the key should go through the flag pole there."
"Easy for you to say when you don't have to see the city under us. We are too high above the ground without any good support and the view isn't really helping."
My whole body felt the wind crashing on me. It was super windy on the top.
After quite a bit of a struggle and crawling, I placed the key in the flag pole. Soon, I was pulled into the dungeon portal.
"It sure was windy even in here."
I looked around to see that the space around me was a savanna. As I was admiring the sun in the horizon, a horde of bulls were running in the direction I was standing, albeit a little far away. But, a single bull separated from the pack and started running towards me. I wasn't even wearing anything red.
I started warming up as the bull got closer, stretching my arms and legs. Just as its horn was about to pierce my torso, I jumped into the air. I landed on the side safely. I thought the bull would just keep going in the same direction without any concern for me, but soon it stopped and began circling back towards me again.
"I guess even this bull has something against me today."
Penguin pulled out my new gauntlets from its pouch at my discretion.
"This better be good. I even put all of my pocket money to get the required shop points for this."
I was excited. It was the first time I was going to use it, after all.
As the bull neared me, I punched it squarely at its snout. It lost its footing from the punch and fell a little away from me.
"That was a good punch."
The bull had recovered from its shock and even started to try to get up onto its legs. Before it could stand back up, I jumped over it. It again fell on the ground due to my weight. As I grabbed its horn, the bull started shaking its head to push me away. Using that moment, I bound my legs onto its neck as a stronghold. After securing my legs, I elbowed at the center of its forehead, in an attempt to cause a concussion and stop its thrashing.
The bull was stunned and stayed still for a moment.
I gripped the horns even more tightly and started pulling it. Along with the pulling, I began twisting my legs, in turn, its neck started to be constricted. From all the continuous stress, the horns separated from its skull and it fell onto the ground for the third time. It struggled to breathe as I strangled its neck.
After another minute of pressuring and punching its skull a little, the bull took its last breath. And so, I drew my first blood in the dungeon.
"It wasn't so bad, right, Penguin? I used to not be able to even stand against them, but I could now kill them after a little struggle."
"Yeah, that is good. But please wipe the blood off your face and stop with the creepy smile already. Who even gets this excited from fighting like this? You goddamn battle junkie."