CHAPTER 9: The Woman in Violet
For several seconds, Zodac felt nothing. No pain. No pressure. Just silence.
"What's going on?" he muttered, opening one eye cautiously. Nothing had hit him. The clearing was empty, the air still. Slowly, he lowered his hands and looked around, his gaze darting between the trees.
"Where is that balloon?" he asked, frowning. He scratched the back of his head, puzzled. Then, as his hand brushed his chin, he noticed movement on his arm.
"Oh, shit!" he yelled.
The orange balloon creature was hanging from his right arm, its tiny serrated teeth biting down hard, trying desperately to chew through his skin. Yet, strangely, Zodac felt nothing. No pain, no discomfort—just the faint vibration of the creature's futile effort.
A faint flicker appeared before his eyes, his system panel glitching for a moment before stabilizing.
> **Hector Aura:**
> A protective aura resembling armor. Nullifies attacks from lower-level monsters and can heal minor wounds.
"Oh, so that's what this is," Zodac said, raising an eyebrow. "A personal shield, huh? Kinda cool, actually."
He smiled faintly, shaking his arm until the balloon creature fell off. The tiny beast hit the ground and began hopping away pitifully, defeated.
Aiden, a few yards away, had just finished dispatching his own opponents when he noticed Zodac standing there, calm as ever, with one of the creatures biting him like a chew toy. His eyes narrowed.
"How the hell is he doing that?" Aiden muttered, curiosity and irritation mixing in his tone.
To test it, he bent down and grabbed one of the bouncing creatures that had wandered his way. The moment it bit into his arm, he gritted his teeth in pain.
"Grrghhh!" He shook it off quickly and impaled it with his spear, the creature popping into a puff of orange mist. He looked back toward Zodac, who was brushing his sleeve like nothing had happened.
"…What *is* that guy?" Aiden whispered.
The sun had long begun its descent, casting a golden hue across the open plains. The other heroes were packing up, returning to camp, their laughter echoing faintly through the hills. But one figure remained outside the city gates, sitting cross-legged on the grass with a dark crossbag beside him.
His screen flickered once again.
ELEMENTAL: WOOD — Level 5
Skills: Hand-to-Hand, Hector Aura
"Been killing these balloon monsters all afternoon, and still stuck at Level 5," Zodac sighed, gathering the shredded orange remains scattered around him. "At least these count as materials. Maybe I can trade them for coins or something."
He stuffed the remains into his bag and stood up, stretching. His eyes lingered on the horizon, watching the sun sink behind the trees. The other heroes had already gone. Their laughter was gone too. The fields felt empty again.
"Maybe… I should rethink this whole solo thing," he muttered to himself. "The king did say we'd walk different paths, but…" He trailed off, looking down at his glowing crystal. "Maybe things *could* go differently in this world."
He shook his head, dismissing the thought, and started walking back toward the city lights of Sundara.
The tavern was alive with laughter, clinking mugs, and the rich smell of roasted meat. Zodac sat at a small table in the corner, quietly eating. The food here was surprisingly good—better than he expected from a medieval world.
"Their delicacies aren't half bad," he said with a small grin, chewing thoughtfully. "Still not better than pizza, though."
He leaned back in his chair, eyes fixed on his plate, his mind racing.
"Alright… Hector Aura works like a personal shield. Nullifies weak hits, maybe even heals scratches. But that's not enough. If I'm going to level up faster, I'll need real armor—and to fight things that can actually hurt me."
He took another bite, deep in thought. "These abilities suck, but maybe… I can make them work. There's always a loophole, a cheat. I just need to find it."
That's when the tavern door creaked open.
Every head in the room turned.
A woman entered, her presence silencing the crowd. Her long, **violet dress** shimmered faintly under the candlelight, brushing elegantly against the floor. Her blonde hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, and her eyes—calm, calculating—scanned the room until they found him.
Zodac didn't notice her at first. He was too lost in his thoughts, fork scraping softly against his plate. She walked with quiet confidence, her heels clicking lightly against the wooden floor. Then, without asking, she pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down.
"Hello, handsome," she said, her voice smooth and almost melodic.
Zodac didn't look up. He continued eating.
"You're one of the new heroes, aren't you?" she asked.
"No," he said flatly, his tone cold.
She smiled. "Hmm, I don't believe that. Your clothes aren't from our world—and that glowing crystal on your chest?" She leaned forward slightly. "That's a dead giveaway."
When her hand reached across the table to touch his, he pulled back instantly, expression unreadable.
"Alright, Mr. Hero," she said with a small, knowing smile. "How about a drink?"
Zodac's eyes stayed on his food. He didn't even flinch.
She chuckled softly. "Not much of a talker, are you?"
Zodac finally stood up, his plate empty. "I don't drink," he said simply.
The waiter hurried over, and Zodac reached into his cross bag, pulling out a few silver coins.
"For my meal," he said, handing two coins over. Then he placed seven more on the table. "For the lady. Anything she wants—on me."
The woman arched an eyebrow, her smile fading for a split second as Zodac turned and began walking toward the stairs leading to his rented room.
"You know, hero," she called after him, "where you're from, I imagine it's rude to refuse a drink offered by a lady."
Zodac stopped mid-step. Slowly, he turned his head, his expression sharp—calm, but intimidating enough that the nearby tables fell silent.
"I have bigger problems," he said quietly, "than walking a drunk girl to her room."
He turned his gaze fully on her, his red eyes glinting in the candlelight.
"I'll leave you to be another man's problem."
Then he turned and left, the echo of his footsteps fading up the tavern stairs.
The woman in violet sat still for a moment. Then, slowly, a small, **devilish smile** crept across her lips.