Chapter 43: Lars's Sorrow (Part 2)
"We followed Boss Lars voluntarily, no one forced us. I don't think Boss Lars did anything wrong either."
"Doug, you..."
Lars stared at Doug in astonishment.
"Boss Lars, don't say anymore."
Doug wiped away a tear.
"Do you still remember? When Gus and I underwent our Class Change, back then, we couldn't find any low-level Squads. Nobody looked down on us, nobody was willing to bother with us, not even the Squads made up of three or four Tier Class Changers were willing to let us join. Gus and I had no choice but to go out alone for Trials. Several times, we were almost hacked to death by Monsters. Which time did we come back not covered in wounds, barely escaping death?"
Doug still clearly remembered how he and Gus, two newly promoted Rookie Barbarians, had foolishly snuck out. To describe them as young and ignorant wouldn't be an exaggeration. Due to a severe lack of Experience, coupled with their carefree personalities and the Barbarian's low initial Dexterity, they weren't liked by other Class Changers. They could only wander alone in the wilderness. Several times, they were almost surrounded and thrown alive into the Fallen's Large Pot.
"Do you know why Gus is so cold and quiet? Gus wasn't like this at all before! It was all from back then, seeing through the coldness and warmth of Favor, experiencing the terrifying death threats, being tormented alive into this state! I wasn't always this talkative either. It's just that since then, the fear of loneliness and helplessness has left an Imprint in my heart. I have to talk desperately, only then can I dispel the fear in my heart, only then can I feel that I'm still alive..."
"Back then, only you, Boss Lars, who were only Tier 4 yourself, refused the invitations from other Parties and took in us two Rookies. Our combat and coordination were all taught by Boss Lars. You are Gus's and my Master!"
Regarding this, I felt it deeply. Lars's Technique was indeed beyond reproach, and his method of teaching was also quite effective. Even I, who was countless times more of a Rookie than Doug and Gus, was able to face brutal combat within just a few days under his guidance...
"Whoever dares to speak ill of Boss Lars, I, Gus, will Chop him."
Gus's eyes were also red as he fiercely pulled out that sharp Axe. An honest Man can be the most terrifying when he gets angry...
"Doug, Gus..."
Lars's eyes also became Moist. He stood up and heavily patted the shoulders of the two Men. The three of them hugged each other. Their deep Friendship made my nose sting as well. Sigh, I was a little jealous...
Lars suddenly shifted, leaving an empty spot. He smiled and glanced at me, tears still rolling in his eyes, looking quite comical and disheveled.
I was stunned for a moment, wiped my eyes, and also joined them.
Doug and Gus probably hadn't showered in a long time. That was my first Feeling.
Lars's Clothes were very tidy and had a clean smell. It seemed his Wife, Shali, was truly beautiful and intelligent. That was my second Feeling.
I, Wu Fan, have three good Brothers. That was my last Feeling...
"Alright, alright, four big Men hugging each other, what kind of Appearance is that? Hurry up and sit down, let's eat."
Shali's voice came, and we exchanged smiles, separated, and gathered around the table. The Little Loli, Sha La, looked at us with a curious Gaze, seemingly not understanding why her Dad and the other three uncles suddenly started crying.
"Cough cough... Shali, you don't understand, this is Friendship between Men..." Lars touched the Little Loli's Brain, which was full of Question Marks, and said to Shali in a very manly way. It seemed he intended to assert his Husband's Authority, but after being lightly glanced at by Shali from the Corner of the Eye, his head dropped again. Boo, Lars, you henpecked Man...
Shali was worthy of the title of a virtuous wife and loving mother. The delicious lunch almost made the four of us fight over it. Even Sha La, the cute Loli, joined in. Sigh, with her small hands and feet, how could she compete with us gluttons? Seeing her spoon moving back and forth, looking anxious with no Method, I put the piece of meat I had already gotten onto her plate. She seemed stunned for a moment, looked at me, and her small face suddenly revealed a radiant Smile like an Angel's. It was deadly!
After the meal, the four Men, full of food and drink, gathered together, chatting about everything. Especially Doug, his miraculous ability to brag was even more superb than Gheed, the most Swindle and cunning Merchant in the Rogue Encampment.
Lars's Wife, Shali, had already taken the sleepy Sha La to take a nap. Seeing that the people who were in the way had left, I suddenly interrupted Doug's spitting.
"I say, Lars, you probably have other purposes for going to kill the Countess this time, right?"
Hearing me say this, Lars looked at me with a Gaze as if he had seen a ghost: "You... How did you know?"
"Isn't that very simple?" I looked at Lars with a Gaze as if looking at an idiot.
"Although I'm still a Rookie, I also know that at your current stage, it would be very Reluctantly with only three people. Such a Dangerous Matter doesn't seem like your style!"
"Haha... Was it seen through so easily?"
Lars let out a bitter Smile.
"This great lord is a genius blessed by Heaven. How could such a small trick hide from my eyes?"
My nose was almost pointing to the sky.
"Mm..."
Hearing me say this, Lars, uncharacteristically, didn't mock me. Instead, he stared at me carefully and seriously for a while, muttering to himself, "Not bad, not bad," looking lost in thought.
A chill ran down my spine. I wished I could kick this old Abnormal flying.
"Not bad what?" I asked, staring with wide eyes.
"This time killing the Countess, I do have other plans," Lars suddenly said in a faint tone, his indifferent Appearance making me feel a bit unfamiliar.
"I thought, I can't keep going on like this. Instead of suffering like this, being caught between a rock and a hard place, and ultimately achieving nothing, it's better to steel my heart and make a clean break." Taking a deep breath, Lars said, trembling yet firmly.
"Going to kill the Countess this time, to be honest, I'm not confident."
He picked up the Cup on the table, his hand trembling violently. He wanted to take a sip of water, but found the Cup was already dry. He could only put it down with a bitter Smile.
"But, I want to make a change, I have to. If I can successfully kill the Countess this time, then I will steadfastly walk down this path."
"If I fail, hehe, it doesn't matter. I will try my best to hold her back. This revenge, I'll entrust you guys to help me get it later." Lars tried hard to squeeze out a Smile, which was very dry and haggard.
The three of us were stunned.
"Originally, I was still thinking that Doug and Gus are not suitable for taking care of people. I didn't know if Shali and Sha La would be Wronged if I entrusted them to their Protection after I left. Now Heaven has let me meet you, Wu, so I can rest assured. If something happens to me, I'll entrust them to you. Sha La is a Kind child and very beautiful."
When Lars spoke of Sha La, his eyes were full of hazy doting.
"If you don't mind, I'll entrust her to you..."
"Uh..."
I naturally understood what this "entrustment" meant.
But, I didn't understand, I really didn't understand.
"Damn it..."
I suddenly stood up and fiercely threw a Fist at Lars's face without any reservation, causing a "crash" as Furniture was knocked over and crushed.
"Lars, you coward..."
I stared with red eyes at Lars, who had been knocked flying and was lying on the ground.
Doug and Gus also had red eyes: "Boss, how can you leave us behind? Are we, Doug and Gus, garbage who fear death? Even if we lose, we will never leave Boss and run away. Even if we die, we will die together."
"Shut up, the Biggest problem isn't that."
I glared at the two Barbarians, walked up to Lars, squatted down, and fiercely grabbed his Clothes, pulling him up.
"Lars, I'm asking you, are you a Man or not..."
"What the hell are you talking about making a clean break, what change? It's all bullshit! You're just escaping, you coward, you wimp! Are you worthy of being a Man?"
"By doing this, are you worthy of Shali, worthy of Sha La? You bastard! Saying if you succeed, you'll walk down this path, and if you fail, you'll die. Do you think this Idea of yours is cool, glorious, heroic, and arrogant? Where do you put Shali and Sha La? What they need isn't someone else's care, it's YOU, do you understand? You're escaping responsibility! You're not worthy of them at all!"
"I'm more afraid of death than you, weaker than you, more cowardly than you, and even less willing to be this so-called Savior! But at least I understand the most basic responsibility of being a Man!"
I wasn't satisfied and slapped him a few more times. I wanted to kick him again, but Doug and Gus quickly pulled me back.
"Lars, damn it, wake up! Don't be such a failure anymore!"
I shouted almost hoarsely.
"Otherwise, what should I do?" Lars said, looking lost. "If I lose, I die. If I win, sooner or later I'll have to go to Lut Gholein, and I'll still have to leave them! How can I bear to! It's better, it's better to..."
I was stunned: "Just take them to Lut Gholein with you then, you idiot!"
"It's easy for you to say. The road to Lut Gholein requires passing through the Misty Forest and then crossing the Endless Desert Sea. There are countless Enemies and Wild Beasts in there. Even we Class Changers dare not be careless, let alone the mother and daughter."
Damn it, I was dizzy. In the Game, when entering Lut Gholein, I only saw Diablo crossing the Desert with that old Man in a few minutes of animated cutscene. I didn't expect the real journey to be so long and Dangerous. Looking at Shali and Sha La's frail Appearance, they would probably die instantly if a Monster just brushed against them. No matter how Powerful Lars is, he can't completely protect the two of them.
Seeing Lars looking so sentimental, I was both angry and anxious.
"Uncle Lars, do you believe me?"
Lars raised his head and looked at me blankly, not understanding what I was trying to say.
"I guarantee you right now, I will definitely surpass you and obtain the qualification to go to Lut Gholein before you. Do you believe it?" I looked at Lars with sparkling eyes, the Confidence bursting from my eyes made Lars swallow the word "impossible" back into his mouth.
A Gap of 9 Tiers, and the difficulty of leveling up increases exponentially with each level later on. If Lars believed it without hesitation, then he would truly have a problem with his Brain.
"Don't worry about what Method I use. In short, I promise you, I will definitely do it." I said with full Confidence. With the existence of the Bugged Amulet, I definitely have the ability to do this.
"By then, I'll Escort your whole family to Lut Gholein, plus Doug and Gus. You should be at ease now, right?"
"Thank you, thank you, Wu." Putting aside how much of my words were serious and how much were comfort, it was enough to give Lars a glimmer of hope.
"That's right, Wu is a Druid. By then, he'll have Summon Dire Wolf, Poison Creeper, and Raven. Protecting Shali and Sha La should indeed be no problem." Lars calmed down and calculated, saying with uncontrollable joy.
"Don't thank me, you should worry about yourself. Look at your degenerate Appearance now."
I pouted. Lars today really disappointed me. Although I knew everyone has Weaknesses in their humanity, seeing the weak side of Lars, who had trained me into a qualified Class Changer and held a relatively high Status in my heart, still made me sigh endlessly.
"There is only one Method that can fundamentally solve your concerns."
At this moment, I felt like an elder patiently guiding Lars. With the miscellaneous Knowledge I had learned from countless online sources, and from the perspective of an outsider, I easily found the problem.
"What Method?"
"Become Powerful."
I clenched my Fist at Lars. This was the simplest truth, but with Lars's intelligence, he had overlooked it because he was too caught up in the situation.
"Won't it be fine if you become Powerful? On Sanctuary, the one with the hardest Fist is the boss. As long as you kill more Enemies than others and make greater contributions than others, who would dare say you are incompetent? You have exquisite Technique and Experience. Doug and I were both taught by you, and we know this best. You are very Powerful, and definitely have more Aptitude/Talent to become an Expert than us. It's just that you've been troubled by responsibility and Family Love, and haven't found your direction."
Lars was stunned. He sat on the ground, lost in thought. He wasn't stupid, and his Brain couldn't be that rigid, otherwise he wouldn't be worthy of the title "scheming".
"Thank you, Wu. You are the benefactor of my whole family."
After a while, Lars stood up. His face had returned to Calm, and it shone with an unprecedented spiritedness. The old him, no, it should be said, the enhanced version of the old him, was back.
"Damn it, don't say such disgusting things. When you taught me how to fight before, did I ever say thank you?"
I reached out and pulled him up from the ground, patted the dust off his back, and said with a playful Smile.
"That's true. Alright, consider this as you repaying one-tenth of the Favor I showed you before. You can slowly compensate me later." Lars replied as if it were only natural.
Uh~~! Even his thick-skinned Effort had returned...
Meanwhile, Doug and Gus hadn't recovered from what had just happened.
Just as I sat down, I suddenly remembered a very, very important Matter. I called out weakly.
"Lars..."
"Hmm, what is it?" Lars had just been beaten by me and was clearly still a bit petty. Now that he had recovered, he immediately glared and responded with a bad face.
"You just said you'd entrust Sha La to me, does that still count?" I said awkwardly and shyly.
"Get lost..."