Dragged Into Another World Because of My Otaku Friend-Chapter 104: Desperate

The reason Linus joined the Black Eagle group was simple, he needed help to free his hometown.

He had approached many S-rank adventurers before. Some were too arrogant to listen, while others demanded more coin than he could ever hope to afford. His pleas always fell on deaf ears or greedy hands. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Then came Phoenix, the leader of the Black Eagle. Though not quite an S-rank, she stood at the peak of A-rank power, respected, feared, and undeniably strong. She was the only one who agreed to help him. But there was a price.

"I’ll help you," she said, "but only after we break into the palace vault. There’s something I want in there. You help me get it, and I’ll help you save your people."

Desperate, Linus agreed. He joined her crew, putting aside his morals for a chance at salvation.

But everything changed after a fateful encounter with two strange individuals.

From the moment he met Alan and Bob, something about them felt... off, but in a good way. There was a peculiar aura surrounding them, a sense that they didn’t quite fit within the natural rules of this world.

And then came the Lily Town disaster.

It was tragic, yes but for Linus, it became a revelation.

That night, he watched the two men move like forces of nature. They tore through hordes of monsters with power that shattered the limits he thought existed. No hesitation and fear. Just overwhelming strength.

Linus couldn’t forget what he saw.

And he was sure that this wasn’t even their full power. There was more. Much more.

Their potential was terrifying... and yet, their personalities were disarmingly approachable. Just two easygoing adventurers with absurd strength and a ridiculous appetite for one of them.

It didn’t make sense. People with power like that were usually tyrants, walking storms of ego. But these two? They were friendly. Humble, even. That contrast made Linus trust them more than he should have.

So, he made a decision.

He would leave Black Eagle behind.

He would follow these two.

He would earn their trust, observe their limits, and,when the time was right, ask for their help.

On the surface, he told them a simple version of the truth during their journey to Rose City, that he needed help to save his home. But the full stor he kept to himself for now.

And now, as fate would have it, the perfect opportunity had arrived.

An S-rank adventurer, one of the strongest in the region, was challenging them. Linus could barely contain his anticipation. He had to know.

Could these two men stand against the top?

Because if they could... then maybe they could save everything.

---

"No. We’re not using that skill," I replied firmly.

At first, I considered lying, maybe telling him that the skill could only be used once a month. But Linus wasn’t like Bob. He was sharp and observant. Lying to him would only make things worse. So I decided to tell him the truth.

"Yes, it’s a powerful skill, but it comes with a major drawback. I’m not willing to risk it for... this pointless challenge," I said honestly.

Linus gave a small smile. "Fair enough. Then just use what you’ve got."

I narrowed my eyes. "Why are you so obsessed with us? Ever since that day, you’ve been unusually interested. You’re not into... that kind of thing, are you?" I asked, half-joking as I hugged my arms around myself in mock defense.

Linus rolled his eyes. "Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not that kind of person. I just want to see what the two of you are really capable of."

"Are you accepting my challenge, then?" Cerdic interrupted.

"Sorry, what was the challenge again?" I asked, having missed it while talking to Linus.

"He challenged us to a hunt," Bob explained, already stretching his arms. "We’re a team of three, and he’s going solo. Whoever reaches five Red Condor kills first, wins."

Bob was already fired up.

"We accept the challenge!" Bob declared confidently.

"Very well. You have five minutes to prepare," Cerdic said with a smug smile. He turned to his group, who immediately sprang into action, one helped him put on his gloves, another removed the decorative trappings from his horse to make it lighter. It looked like he intended to ride it while hunting.

"Why even waste your time, Prince? They’re not worthy of it," one of the women muttered as she glanced disdainfully at the three of us.

"This is excellent training," Cerdic replied. "I’ve grown tired of fighting low-rank monsters. Besides, I’m genuinely curious about what that fat guy with the S-rank badge is capable of." He shot a glance at Bob. "Perhaps our guild can extract some useful information from this little encounter. You’re seeing this, Dalma?"

He turned to another woman in the group. She held a book tightly in her hands. Her long green hair partially covered her eyes, but from beneath it, her sharp gaze was unmistakable.

"I’ve got everything," Dalma replied coolly.

I looked up at the sky, there were now multiple Red Condors soaring low, scanning the field for prey. Massive, ominous birds, circling like reapers. Just looking at them made my stomach tighten.

Are we really going to hunt those things?

Our original goal that was to grab a few eggs quietly, now had drifted far off course.

"What’s your plan?" Linus asked, snapping me from my thoughts.

"We’ll just go in and strike them down. Our usual Gun and Slash tactic," Bob said confidently.

Linus tilted his head, confused. I glanced at Bob and raised an eyebrow.

"For the gun part, sure, that makes sense... but slash? How do you plan on reaching them?" I asked.

Then it hit me.

"You’re going to use that new skill set, aren’t you?" I said, recalling the routine we recently unlocked, [Windpiercer Routine].

Bob grinned smugly. "Bingo, genius."

"Hmm... in that case, we might actually have a shot at this." I couldn’t help but grin back. "And I think I can tip the odds even more in our favor."

With a flick of my hand, I summoned my newest pet, its form materializing in a burst of red light.