Amelia the Level Zero Hero

Chapter 143

Now that Xakor was gone, I had significantly fewer customers than before. That didn’t mean Bucky’s Out of this World Restaurant was empty. There were days we had a full house, and days where we barely had half-occupancy. It just meant that there was no longer a long queue cutting across Wolfwater at all times of the day.

Honestly, it was somewhat of a good thing that we were no longer so busy. Harlan and Arthur had been overworked for a while, and I had been struggling to find a reliable waiter or waitress to work at my restaurant. So the fact that we were getting a lot less traffic than before meant that they had much less of a workload than before.

I also didn’t need to spend as much time of my day cooking away at the kitchen. Without Xakor here, I had no one to substitute me when I wanted to take a break. But it wasn’t even necessary since I had some downtime between lunch and dinner.

Still, I didn’t want my restaurant to completely lose all relevancy— especially when I still had new menu items I wanted to introduce. So I planned a handful of… marketing stunts to help with that.

“You…” Jax gritted his teeth as he stared at me. “This is humiliating. I will never forgive you for this.”

I grinned back at him, crossing my arms. “This is payback for fucking with my foodstand back in Windrip.”

I looked him up and down as he flushed. He was the Forsaken Archer— one of the highest-leveled individuals in all of Vacuos. And he was the only SS-ranked adventurer in the entire world.

He was currently dressed up like a butler.

I had his clothes [Tailor]-made specifically for him. The outfit was completed with a tail-coat, white gloves, and a vest. His hair was even combed back and styled for the occasion. He looked fancy— which was a stark contrast to the usual savage look he wore.

In fact, he looked quite timid with the way he was blushing.

“How was that my fault? You cannot blame me because no one in Windrip wanted to eat your shitty cooking!” Jax sputtered.

I rolled my eyes as I patted him on the shoulder. “You’re adorable— now go do your job. You’re my mascot for the day. I expect to sell out of malim juice with your help.”

Thanks to the help of Dorien and Nolan, I now had a steady supply of malim fruits for my restaurant. Because of that, I could produce enough malim juice each day to sell it. I was expecting it to be a big hit here in Vacuos. After all, it was like a soda— but without the fizz.

Of course, I needed to get people to give it a try first. That was why I recruited Jax’s help for the day. He could serve as an attraction for now, while also offering an extra pair of hands for the increase in customers he would bring about.

“You owe me a duel after this…” Jax grumbled as he stalked out of the kitchen and into the main lobby. He carried a tray full of small cups— shots of malim juice, given out for free as a taste test.

“Yeah, yeah— maybe tomorrow.” I waved a hand dismissively, watching him step out to be greeted by the whispers of the gathered crowd.

“Is that really Jax the Forsaken Archer?”

“That’s impossible— he’s just an ordinary elf!”

“This is Xakor’s restaurant. With him, anything is possible! Even an angel!”

“Angel’s breath… first Xakor, then an angel, and now this?”

The excitement only grew louder as I could see Jax visibly shriveling up in embarrassment. I chuckled, placing my hands on my hips. I turned around, returning to my cooking, before I paused.

“What’s Z doing anyways?” I wondered aloud to myself. “He went to see Grat-ra’zun, but… then what happened?”

And someone, far from Wolfwater…

—-

The Frozar Mountains lay blanketed by a thick layer of snow. It was a natural barrier separating the Astrad Kingdom from the dwarven enclave of Shorheim. Many dangerous monsters wandered this icy landscape. It was a perilous journey for any traveler to trek through the mountains.

But even the mightiest yetis and ice elementals of the Frozar Mountains paled in comparison to the two beings hidden deep within the mountains. They were creatures of myth and legend— unique entities whose presence alone would make any who encountered them cower in fear.

They waited there, hidden away in a dimly lit cavern. Deep within. Discreetly masking their presence, it was like the cave was empty. It was as if the cavern had been recently vacated, and they were no longer there.

…

But they were still here, right?

They had been here for the past week.

They couldn’t have just left.

Not unless they had somewhere else to be.

…which was very much possible.

But where could they have gone?

Perhaps somewhere even further beyond the Frozar Mountains…

—--

Guardian Angel Z357 raised his head. His wings beat slowly behind him, and his twelve eyes focused on his destination. He had been here— long ago. Things had changed since then. As he had learned, ten thousand years was a long time for many changes to occur.

Countries would vanish and reappear. Islands sank deep beneath the ocean. Wars would be waged, and entire races wiped off the face of the planet.

Planet 16B might not be the most technologically advanced place in all of Vacuos. However, it was certainly the most diverse. Because of that, the course of nature would take hold, and the planet itself would evolve greatly over the millennia.

Guardian Angel Z357 hadn’t accounted for this fact when he had first been reactivated. He descended from the moon, assuming that no change had occurred. And because there had been many changes, he was left confused and at a loss of what to do for the longest while.

His goal was to put a halt to the return of the Fal-Deus. But he felt like he had barely progressed towards that goal. That was until he finally met with Grat-ra’zun.

The Great Rakaarzun. The Glorious Terror of Mount Arkais. But most importantly— an Elder Dragon. One of the last in the world.

Or perhaps even the last in the world.

Grat-ra’zun himself was uncertain. However, he had regaled everything he could to Guardian Angel Z357. The two immortal beings had spoken extensively over the last week since they first met, and when the Elder Dragon recovered from his injuries, they left the Frozar Mountains.

And their destination?

“Welcome to Novus— the Capital City of the Grand Nova Empire,” Grat-ra’zun said as he flew up to the angel.

The two of them hovered high in the air, overlooking Novus. And while Guardian Angel Z357 had no face— only eyes— he somehow still wore a look of disbelief.

This is… Novus? he asked.

He stared at the Capital City of the Grand Nova Empire. Or at least— he looked at what was left of it. And he slowly descended from the sky.

Once, it had been a glorious sight to behold. A city of wonder. A place of incomprehensible magic. A floating city that hovered above the clouds, glistening with the most precious jewels in all of Planet 16B.

It was the home of dragons. Where the Grand Elder Dragon Arrak’tun resided.

And now, it lay submerged beneath the ocean. Nothing but rubble and ruin. Even with his astute vision, Guardian Angel Z357 could barely make out the shadow of the fallen city.

He flew down to investigate the sunken ruins as Grat-ra’zun followed. The Elder Dragon quickly cast a spell, creating an air bubble as he dipped under the water surface. He trailed slowly after the angel.

They both slowly dove deeper into the ocean as the water around them grew darker. Shadows swam around them, and the light of the sun began to fade away. But Guardian Angel Z357 saw clearly— he did not need magic or sunlight to illuminate his path.

As a machine, he was designed specifically to be a perfect combat being. His creator had given him enhanced senses for fighting— whether it be touch, sight, or hearing. Taste and smell didn’t matter, which was why he had no mouth or nose.

His original programming prompted him to merely be obedient to his creator, and because of that, he lacked a voice box too. There was no need to communicate when all he had to do was listen. Having a mouth to speak was unnecessary and quite a waste of parts.

However, now he could speak telepathically, because the World System had enabled him to do so. That was why he was grateful to it. That was why he was content with being its servant—

“Kraken!” Grat-ra’zun’s muffled voice called out.

And Guardian Angel Z357 raised his head. He watched as a purple tendril shot through the water, aiming straight for him. He easily dove out of the way as even more tentacles emerged from the water. A shadowed figure rose from the wreck of the city of Novus.

Between the broken spires and the fallen towers, a colossal creature emerged— one which even dwarfed the size of the Elder Dragon behind the angel. It opened a single glowing eye, revealing a horizontal slit-like pupil. Its body was shaped like a spearhead, and it had to have been a thousand feet wide with appendages that extended many times its own length.

Grat-ra’zun opened his mouth as flakes of crimson flame wisped between his sharp teeth. The kraken shrieked— its shrill voice causing the water to quake. According to Guardian Angel Z357’s calculation, it had to have been an SSS-ranked threat at the very least. Capable of bringing widespread destruction to Planet 16B.

His twelve eyes flickered as the kraken swung one of its massive tendrils down at him. And he raised his lance.

Heavenly Sunder. The weapon flashed.

And the ocean exploded. A towering pillar of water shot into the air as Grat-ra’zun reeled. A powerful shockwave rippled across the sea, creating a clearing in the water of over a dozen miles. A crater in the ocean.

Guardian Angel Z357 lowered his lance, watching as the remains of the kraken rained all around him from the sky. He was no longer submerged underwater, instead surrounded by the tall walls of the sea that rapidly rushed in to fill the empty basin. The seabed was exposed, and the ruins of Novus glittered under the sunlight.

“Amazing…” Grat-ra’zun murmured. “Truly the power befitting a sentinel of the System such as you.”

Guardian Angel Z357 fractionally craned his neck to face the Elder Dragon. It was a simple comment, and yet it was more than enough to draw his attention. It made him hesitate.

He was an angel. He was a servant of the World System. A role he had played for tens of thousands of years. He had been more than happy to play his part because of the blessings he had been given. He should have been forever content to simply continue listening to the directives he was given. But, for whatever reason, he questioned his gratitude— his wavering servitude.

After all, he now thought of breaking free from the World System. And it was all because of Amelia.