Chapter 12: The Call of Ravager's Den.

The afternoon sun was dipping low in the sky, its golden rays spilling softly through the little windows of the house. The scent of freshly washed dishes floated in the air while Elise scrubbed away at the last of the plates, humming quietly to herself.

In the cozy living room, Ethan and Adrian sat cross-legged on the floor. This had become their routine for the past couple of days. Every afternoon, Ethan would patiently explain different life and death scenarios that he himself faced the most and what to do and not to do in each one.

The lecture would contain anything from how to start a fire in harsh weather to how to dispose a body with minimal evidence.

He also wanted to give Elise these lessons but he quickly discarded the idea. He knows that it is too soon for Elise to know these things. Because, even if he did tell her about these things, it is highly unlikely that she could pull it off.

Unlike Adrian, who spent most of his childhood on the streets, and Ethan who spent over a decade in the battlefield in his past life, Elise was just a normal kid. She was kind. Too kind. Even if she knew these tricks, she probably couldn’t bring herself to use them. She still hesitated to squish spiders. Well, the spider thing was probably more about being scared than being hesitant but you get my point.

Today’s topic had been particularly grim. Ethan explained, with a disturbingly casual tone, how to spot if a lost child asking for help was actually bait — someone trained to lower your guard and kill you. Crazy right? Well, its a real scenario that happens frequently during war.

Once the lesson was over, silence settled between them. Ethan tapped his fingers against his knee, thinking. Finally, he spoke in a low, serious voice.

“Adrian... I need a favor.”

Adrian raised a brow. “Woah. What’s with the serious and formal tone all of a sudden? You sound like you’re about to confess to a murder.”

Ethan shot a glance toward the kitchen, checking if Elise was still busy. She was. He leaned in. “I’m heading out tonight. I need you to watch the house. And Elise.”

Adrian blinked and then whispered back. “Why are you whispering like we’re in a spy movie? If you gotta go somewhere, just go. Elise is not a little child anymore that you need to constantly keep your eyes on her.”

Ethan exhaled slowly. “Because this time is a little different. I won’t be back for a while. It may take over a month. And I don’t want Elise to know yet.”

Adrian’s playful expression disappeared. He sat up straighter. “Hold on. Over a month? Where the hell are you going? And why are you hiding it from her? You’re not in trouble, are you?” He squinted suspiciously. “...Or are you about to cause trouble? If so, I’m coming with you. It's been so long since we made anything blow up.”

Ethan shook his head with a small smile. “Relax. No trouble. And sadly, no blowing things up Either. I’m going to fix our money problem. It might not clear all our debts, but it should give us enough breathing room for now.”

Adrian crossed his arms. “Yeah, you mentioned something like that during training. But how exactly do you plan on doing it? This isn’t some get-rich-quick scam, right? Those are always too good to be true, Ethan. You know that.”

Ethan chuckled softly. “No scams. I’m going hunting.”

Adrian’s eyes narrowed in disbelief. “Hunting? You think the debt will be cleared by hunting some foxes or something like that?"

"If it was something like that I would not mention it to you, would I?" Ethan replied chuckling.

"Then what exactly are you planning to hunt? If it’s so effective, why haven’t you done it before? And why have I never heard you mention this place?” Adrian bombarded with questions.

Taking a deep breath, Ethan replied, “I wasn’t sure before before. Now I am ready so, I'm going now. I’m heading to The Ravager’s Den.”

It took Adrian a moment to process Ethan’s words. When he finally understood, his eyes widened in horror. “WHAT?!” he screamed, his voice echoing throughout the house.

Ethan lunged forward and put his hand over Adrian’s mouth. “Are you crazy?” he hissed. “Why are you shouting so loudly? You want to inform the whole neighborhood or something?”

Pulling Ethan’s hand away, Adrian replied fiercely. “You’re the one who’s crazy! You’re actually going to that hellhole! How do you expect me to react?”

Adrian added, “Sure, it might be a great place to make money, but do you know what else it's a great place for? A one-way ticket to a horrible way to die if you’re not careful. Heck, even if you are careful, you can still die. That forest isn’t even a forest anymore—it’s filled with mutated animals that could overpower even the best hunters. Why on earth are you going there?”

Before Ethan could answer, quick footsteps echoed down the hall. Elise appeared in the doorway, brows furrowed, hands on her hips. “What’s going on? Why are you screaming? Has The One Piece finally ended?”

Ethan quickly composed himself. “Nothing, really. I just asked Adrian to stay over, and he... overreacted,” he explained quickly. Then he added with a forced laugh, “Besides, one piece has been running for centuries now. Do you really think it’s going to end anytime soon?”

Elise shook her head and sighed. “That may be true. The world would end before one piece ever ends.”

Ethan laughed in his mind. "You have no idea how true it is my sister. In my past life the world really did end before the ending of The One Piece." He sighed.

{The dilemma of a die hard fan. Wants to know how it ends but does not want it to end. Also any One Piece fan here? Raise your hand.}

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

But Elise wasn’t done. She squinted suspiciously at Ethan, "Still, that’s a lame excuse. Adrian has stayed over many times before. Why would he scream like that? You are lying aren't you?” Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Ethan. “Are you hiding something, brother?”

Before Ethan could respond, Adrian suddenly grinned and jumped in. “Alright, alright. You caught me.” He leaned back dramatically. “Your brother offered me some of his Crystalvine Jerky as a bribe.”

Ethan blinked, his brain freezing for a second. “Crystalvine Jerky?” Ethan thought for a split second before realization struck. “Right. Crystalvine Jerky. I still have it some of it around this time.”

Elise’s jaw dropped. “Wait, WHAT?! You’re giving him the Crystalvine Jerky?! Even I haven’t had a bite of that!” She turned to Ethan with betrayal in her eyes. “You never even let Mom and Dad try it! Why does he get it? What are you hiding, huh?”

Ethan shot a death glare at Adrian. "I’m gonna strangle you."

For context, the Crystalvine Jerky was a legendary delicacy his dad had gifted him on his fifth birthday. Only ten boxes existed in the whole world. As a true foodie, Ethan had guarded his stash like a dragon with treasure.

Adrian, meanwhile, shrugged like it was no big deal. “Well, what can I say? Hard work pays off. I’ve been killing it in training. Naturally, your brother’s rewarding me.” He grinned at Elise.

Her face turned red with jealousy. “You think you’re better than me?! You’re not!”

Adrian smirked. “I didn’t say that. But... thanks for confirming it.”

Elise looked ready to explode. Smoke might as well have puffed out of her ears. Before she could scream, Adrian raised both hands. “Okay, okay! I’ll stop teasing. Look your brother is just heading out for a few weeks on a job. He asked me to watch over you and the house. That’s all. No big drama.”

Elise’s tone turned a bit sad as she remarked, “A few weeks, huh? Must be a really good job if you’re leaving for that long.” Quickly, she changed her tone to avoid worrying Ethan. “But why is Adrian staying? I can watch the house myself. I don’t need anyone watching over me either.” she huffed, crossing her arms.

Adrian ruffled her hair, earning a slap to his hand. “Oh, don’t worry. I’m mainly here so you don’t accidentally burn the place down or anyone that may break in. That would be murder and we don't want our little baby sister to do that, do we?”

“Excuse me?!” Elise snapped, hands on her hips. “That’s insulting! I’m not a child, I’m—”

“Yes, you are still a child compared to me,” Adrian interrupted with a smirk. “Stronger, smarter, more mature than you can ever hope to be — that’s me. Naturally, I’m the perfect person for the job.”

Elise growled in frustration and stomped off, muttering under her breath.

As soon as she was gone, Ethan looked at Adrian. “You are _so_ dead.”

Adrian chuckled. “Hey, I saved your butt. You’re welcome.”

"You are still not getting any of my Crystalvine Jerky." Ethan warned.

Adrian just chuckled. “Well, it was worth a shot,” he replied with a shrug that quickly turned more serious.

“Now, about your trip—we’re not completely desperate here. We could still manage if we both got jobs.”

“Who’s going to hire us in this city after we pissed off Victor?” Ethan retorted. “Besides, I’m not doing this on a whim. I’ve planned everything carefully. Don’t worry—I won’t go too deep. I’ll stick to the outer areas.”

Adrian paused, then asked, “Are you sure you’re prepared?”

Ethan leaned back with a confident grin tugging at his lips. “Who do you think you’re talking to? I always have a plan. I’ve sorted out all the prep. I’m packing enough dried food, and if I need more, I can rely on the meat from the beasts I hunt. I’m even taking that storage ring Mom gave me on my birthday.” He paused, then added in a lower tone, “And for weapons… I’m taking Nightbane.”

A heavy silence fell between them before Adrian’s face tensed. “You sure? I thought that was—”

“I don’t have a choice,” Ethan interrupted firmly. “I didn’t want to bring it up like this, but I need it. Whether it likes it or not, it will have to obey me.”

"I'll give you my hunting knife. Bring it just in case." Adrian suggested.

Ethan nodded. "Thanks."

Adrian gave a slow nod. “Alright, just please don’t get yourself killed. I can't handle Elise alone."

Ethan smirked. “That’s the plan.”

With nothing more to add, Adrian patted Ethan's shoulder and left the room to help Elise, leaving Ethan alone to finish making the final tough preparations for his trip.

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After carefully checking his travel kit one last time, Ethan took a deep breath "Mary, you there." He called out.

Almost immediately, a thick white mist filled the room, swirling gently around him. Out of the haze, Mary appeared.

Without wasting any time on greetings, Mary asked in a rushed tone, “So, have you decided which mission you'll take?”

Before Mary could continue, Ethan cleared his throat and coughed a little while waving his hand to push the mist aside. “Mary, do you really have to show up with that white mist every single time?”

Mary huffed, a playful pout on her face. “What do you know? It’s called a dynamic entrance! I need to make an impression,” she replied, a slight laugh in her tone.

"We have might guy and rock lee for that. You don't need to follow their footstep too." Ethan grinned. “Well, if you still feel like you must do it, then go ahead. It’s not like you’re the one who has to deal with the consequences,” he remarked lightly.

Mary’s smile softened as she repeated her question, “So, have you decided?”

Taking a deep breath, Ethan answered “Yes. I’m going with Mission Two.”

Mary’s eyes widened with concern. “Are you absolutely sure about that?” she asked, her tone edged with worry.

Ethan nodded firmly. “I’m sure. I made this decision carefully. Even though the mission will be tough, I believe I can make it out alive—and come back stronger, as long as nothing goes horribly wrong. Emphasis on the horrible.”

Mary let out a long sigh. “Fine. It’s your decision. Just promise me you’ll be careful, alright?”

"I'll try." Ethan replied nonchalantly.

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Later that night, after Elise had finally fallen asleep, Ethan quietly slipped out. He moved with care, so as not to disturb Elise, each step measured and sure.

Wrapped in a dark, hooded cloak that nearly hid the long, cloth-wrapped sword slung across his back. A sturdy belt around his waist held a small pouch and a reliable hunting knife. The flickering light of a nearby lantern revealed a small tension around his jaw.

Near the entrance, Adrian waited with his arms crossed, his face illuminated by the faint glow of the moon. In a quiet voice, he asked, “Are you really sure you want to do this? Are you ready for what’s out there?”

Ethan couldn’t help but chuckle, his eyes twinkling with a mix of humor and determination. “What, are you getting cold feet?” he teased. “Relax, I’m the one going out, not you, princess.”

Adrian let out a deep, resigned sigh. “Alright, fine,” he said softly, his tone carrying both concern and acceptance. “I won’t try to stop you anymore. Just promise me you’ll be careful.” He extended his hand, as if sealing an unspoken agreement between them.

Ethan met his gaze and shook Adrian’s hand firmly. “I promise, I will. And you take care too. Remember, Victor might pull some tricks, so stick to the training plan I gave you and follow it every step of the way.”

Adrian nodded slowly, understanding the gravity of the situation.

With one last adjustment of his cloak to ensure it was secure, Ethan turned toward the dark night. His heart pounded with a mix of excitement and fear.

He’s finally heading out on his first adventure to the mysterious and dangerous Ravager’s Den. Stick around to see how it goes!