Gathering Husbands with a System in a Game Like World [BL]

”That’s an assassination contract.”

Kai stared at the parchment in Elias’s hand.

”I know.”

”And you’re showing it to me because...?”

Elias folded the contract neatly.

”You’re my partner.”

Kai looked at him.

”That’s not how Adventurer Guild partnerships work.”

”It is how ours works babe”

”Stop with the babe stuff i have told you time without number that we aren’t dating”

”I mean... practically..”

[He is right]

Shut up!

Kai sighed, he should have known, less than an hour had passed since they had received his honorary A-Rank promotion and Elias had already managed to turn it into an excuse to drag him into another assassination, Kai glanced toward the upper floor of the Guild where the A-Rank commission board stood behind a reinforced glass partition, only adventurers of sufficient rank were permitted beyond it.

He had imagined his first A-Rank mission would be something grand, perhaps a dragon hunt, a dangerous dungeon, a massive monster extermination, instead Elias had handed him a piece of paper that essentially said find this man, kill him, Kai rubbed his forehead.

”What exactly did I choose when I became an adventurer?”

Elias smiled.

”Me.”

”That wasn’t an option doofus”

”It clearly was because you choosed me”

Kai snatched the contract from him, the target’s information was written in neat professional script,

Marcell Veyr,

age forty-eight,

occupation: merchant,

public reputation: respected trade magnate, known associates: numerous,

criminal suspicions: smuggling, information trafficking, illegal artifact acquisition, financing organized criminal activity,

Current location: Ravenport, Kai read the page twice.

”He’s a merchant.”

”Officially.”

”And you’re supposed to assassinate him.”

”Yes.”

”Why?”

Elias shrugged.

”Someone or the guild wants him dead.”

”That’s not an explanation Elias”

”It’s the important part.”

Kai lowered the paper.

”Do you know who hired you?”

Elias’s expression became slightly more serious.

”Yes.”

”Are you going to tell me?”

”No.”

Kai stared at him.

”Why?”

”Because the client isn’t part of your business.”

Kai scoffed.

”Then why am I involved?”

”Because I want you involved.”

”And if i said no?”

”I know you can’t”

The answer was so straightforward that Kai momentarily had nothing to say, Elias leaned against the railing.

”You chose the Adventurer Path, you wanted to travel, you wanted to see the world.”

”I didn’t say I wanted to become your accomplice.”

”You didn’t have to”

Kai looked at the contract again, Ravenport, a new city, a new region, new people, he had spent the last month moving from place to place with Elias anyway, cheap inns, roadside camps, commissions, monsters and the occasional assassination, it wasn’t exactly the peaceful adventurer life he had imagined but it was interesting, and now that he had A-Rank privileges the world had opened considerably wider.

The System appeared.

[Adventurer Path progression opportunity detected.]

Kai’s eyes narrowed.

What opportunity?

A translucent panel unfolded.

[Adventurer Path: Regional Expansion.]

[Objective: Establish a recognized presence across multiple territories.]

[Requirement: Complete qualifying activities in three different cities.]

Kai stared.

You’re telling me I have to visit three cities?

[Correct.]

That’s it?

[The objective represents a progression requirement, not a complete summary of the Host’s future activities.]

Kai frowned.

You could have just said yes.

[Acknowledged but that would be dishonesty.]

Kai looked back at Elias.

”When are we leaving?”

Elias’s grin returned immediately.

”I knew you’d say yes.”

”I didn’t say yes to the assassination.”

”You said yes to leaving.”

”Don’t twist my words.”

”I didn’t”

Kai folded the contract and handed it back.

”Ravenport?”

”Three days if we travel properly.”

”And our target?”

”Already there.”

Kai sighed.

”Fine.”

Elias pushed away from the railing.

”Then let’s go.”

They left the city the following morning, the road stretched beneath a pale blue sky winding through rolling grasslands before disappearing into a distant forest, Kai had expected the journey to feel different now that he was A-Rank, it didn’t, the road was still the road, his boots still collected dust, the sun was still too hot, and Elias was still annoying.

”You’ve been quiet.”

Kai looked ahead.

”I’m enjoying the silence.”

”But i need to hear your voice, it’s comforting ” Elias pouted, Kai rolled his eyes.

”You’ll survive.”

”I’m an S-Rank assassin. Of course I will.”

Kai rolled his eyes again this time with a groan, the journey was surprisingly peaceful, they passed merchant caravans, groups of adventurers, travelling performers and small farming settlements, every few hours Kai found himself looking around, there was something refreshing about being outside the enormous cities, fresh lands... the beautiful adventuring experience.

Then, like an inevitable event ...Elias ruined it.

”There’s something ahead.”

Kai immediately became alert.

”What?”

”Monsters.”

Kai looked into the distance, a group of travellers was running toward them, behind them came several large beasts, their bodies were covered in dark scales, their jaws lined with crooked teeth, Kai activated Arcane Eye.

[Appraisal.]

[Gravelmaw Pack.]

[Threat Classification: C+.]

[Number: 7.]

Kai looked at Elias.

”Those are C+ Ranked beasts.”

”Yes, we can defeat them in a swoop.”

”Should we help?”

Elias shrugged.

”They’re not our problem.”

Kai stared at him.

”They’re being chased.”

”Correct.”

”People are going to die.”

”Probably.”

Kai stopped walking, Elias continued for three steps before noticing, he turned, Kai was already moving, Elias smiled.

”Of course.”

Kai rushed toward the beasts, one of the Gravelmaws lunged, Kai raised his arm, the creature slammed into him, the impact pushed him several metres backward, Kai dug his boots into the earth, his eyes widened.

”That actually hurt.”

The beast attacked again, Kai twisted aside, his fist connected with its jaw, the result was immediate, the Gravelmaw flew sideways and crashed through a tree, Kai stared at his fist, the beast didn’t move.

[Infinite Strength output detected.]

Kai swallowed.

”Okay.”

Another Gravelmaw charged, Kai stepped forward, he punched, the ground cracked beneath his feet, the beast was launched backward, another came from his left, Kai turned, he caught it by the neck, its claws scraped against his arm, Kai tightened his grip, the beast struggled then stopped, Kai threw it into the others, three creatures collided, the remaining beasts hesitated.

Elias appeared beside Kai.

”You’re getting stronger.”

Kai looked at him.

”That sounded almost sincere.”

”It was, oh! Look, they are fleeing”

Kai looked in alarm,Elias was right they were indeed fleeing.

Kai stood in the middle of the road and looked at the destruction around him, several trees had been damaged, a large crater marked the ground where his first punch had landed, Elias walked over.

”You know you’re paying for that.”

Kai looked at the crater.

”Who am I paying?”

”The forest.”

”Shut up.”

Elias smiled as the surviving travellers approached cautiously.

”Thank you.”

Kai nodded.

”You’re welcome.”

One of the adventurers stared at the A-Rank plaque hanging from Kai’s belt.

”You’re A-Rank?”

Kai touched the plaque.

”Apparently.”

The man looked impressed.

”No wonder you took down those beasts like they were nothing”

Kai blushed and rubbed the back of his head smiling sheepishly ”it really is just luck”

Elias placed a hand on his shoulder ”he is being modest.”

Kai elbowed so hard that he coughed out of the pain.

They continued, by sunset they stopped beside a small stream, Elias built a fire, Kai sat on a fallen log, his arms still tingled from the fight, he flexed his fingers.

”Eight percent.”

Elias looked over.

”What?”

Kai shook his head.

”Nothing.”

He couldn’t tell Elias about the System, not about Infinite Strength, not about the Husband Collection System, not about Candidate 004, that secret remained entirely his, he stared into the fire, eight percent compatibility, it still wasn’t enough, he knew that, but the difference was already noticeable, the entity had pushed him far beyond what his body had previously endured, now he needed to keep going.

Elias tossed him a piece of roasted meat.

”Eat.”

Kai caught it.

”You cooked?”

”Of course i did”

Kai stared at the meat.

”It looks suspicious.”

”It’s edible.”

”That’s not reassuring.”

Elias laughed, Kai took a bite, it wasn’t terrible.

”Not bad.”

”I’ll treasure that compliment.”

”You better do because this would be the last time i am complimenting you”

They ate in silence, for a while the only sound was the crackling fire, Kai looked at the road ahead.

”Ravenport.”

Elias nodded.

”Tomorrow.”

”What is it like?”

”Large.”

”That’s vague.”

”Merchant city. River port. Smugglers. Mercenaries. Nobles. Criminals. Everyone passes through there eventually.”

Kai smiled.

”Sounds interesting.”

Elias looked at him.

”Don’t get distracted.”

Elias said as he unbuckled his pants and pulled it down exposing his pent up dick.

”I won’t.” Kai’s eyes widened.

”You will.”

”Probably.” He said as he stood up and began undressing with Elias’s dick already out in the open, jumping in excitement.

**

The next afternoon Ravenport appeared on the horizon, Kai stopped, the city was truly enormous, a vast river curved around it like a silver serpent, massive ships filled the water, tall buildings rose along the riverbanks, merchant caravans entered through several gates, magic-powered cranes moved enormous cargo containers, the streets beyond the walls looked packed, Kai stared.

”Wow.”

Elias continued walking.

”Like we discussed last night don’t get distracted.”

Kai followed.

”I said wow.”

”I heard you.”

”This place is truly huge.”

”It’s one of the largest trade cities in the region.”

Kai smiled, he could already feel the difference, Voltra had been overwhelming because of its sheer scale and diversity, Ravenport felt different, busier, sharper, everything seemed to revolve around commerce, money, information, movement, opportunity, and somewhere inside that enormous city was their target, Marcell Veyr, Kai’s new A-Rank career was beginning with an assassination, he wasn’t sure whether that was a good sign.

The System appeared.

[New Territory Discovered.]

[Ravenport.]

[Adventurer Path Progression: 1/3 Cities.]

Kai smiled, one city down, two more to go, Elias glanced at him.

”What are you smiling about?”

Kai looked toward the enormous city.

”Nothing.”

Elias narrowed his eyes.

”You really need to not get distracted”

”I won’t”

Kai said and laughed then they passed through the gates.