The Cheat Seed

Chapter 38

"All three of us have Monarch ranked Seeds except Kerin," Luka explained. "She has a Legendary Seed."

Marcus grinned at Kerin. She blushed furiously as she avoided eye contact with him.

"Well that's just great!!"

Marcus broke the silence and Kerin managed to flash a smile at him.

"We were supposed to celebrate her birthday today... after the mission," Melova said quietly, but Marcus easily caught her almost silent words.

"It's your birthday today??" Marcus asked Kerin in surprise.

"Yeah..." she replied, fidgeting with her fingers.

"Happy birthday... and I'm really sorry for breaking your nose earlier," Marcus said, cowering in embarrassment.

"Thank you," she replied with a smile on her nervous face.

*Man she's deep into something!! Lol,* the System commented in his mind.

"By the way, when is yours... Marcus?" Kerin managed to spout out after repeating the question in her mind about a thousand times.

"Ah, mine's on October twenty-fou..." His voice faded as his eyes waltzed around trying to find a calendar.

"What's... the date today??" he asked Kerin when he gave up on finding the mystery calendar—which was hanging right behind him.

"October twenty-fourth," she replied.

"Ah, shit." Marcus slapped his forehead.

"What happened??" Kerin asked, a frown creasing her brow.

The rest of the three looked at them silently from the side.

"Damn... Why do I feel like they would look good together??" Cloy asked Luka.

"It's just because they do," came the quick reply from Luka.

"She's finally found someone," said Melova with a slight waver in her voice.

"Wait... do you have someone?? You know? Any relationships?" Cloy asked as he fumbled with his words.

"Umm... I do have someone in mind, but I still haven't told him anything," was the reply from Melova.

Cloy crumbled at those words and tried NOT TO look depressed as much as possible. So he said...

"Oh... K" in the most dejected way possible and looked down at his boots.

Melova flashed a quick smile at him and blushed at his expression.

"It's my birthday today!!" Marcus said to Kerin.

"October twenty-fourth, I turn 18 today," he continued, looking at the ceiling. He was an adult now.

"It's legal then!!!!!" Kerin shouted and jumped up in joy.

"Eh?" Marcus stared at her blankly, a sweat drop rolling down his cheek.

"Nothing!!" Kerin blushed and sat down on her chair. Her thoughts started dancing around her mind. It was all about how their birthdays were on the same day, how she was just one year older than him, just a year, and she hated that.

"Happy Birthday Marcus," said Luka first, breaking Kerin's bouncing thoughts.

"Happy Birthday Marcus."

"Happy Birthday Marcus."

Cloy and Melova said in unison and smiled at each other.

*Oh no!!* She should've been the first one to wish him. Kerin pouted at her crew, who were smiling at her smugly.

"Happy Birthday Marcus," she finally said with a smile.

"Ah, thank you all," Marcus said softly as he sat back on his chair.

"So fun things aside," Marcus's expression changed to something serious that sent a chill down their spines.

"I wanted to discuss something serious."

The atmosphere suddenly grew tense.

They all drank some water.

The tension in the air was so thick it could be easily cut with a kitchen knife.

All four of the assassins straightened up, and it felt like they were struggling to breathe.

"Why don't we..." Marcus started speaking, breaking the tense atmosphere.

"Form a guild??"

All four of them looked at him in surprise. Wasn't this the same thing he said before? What was his plan?

"As you know, to form a Guild, you must have at least 5 members," Marcus continued explaining.

He spread his hands and motioned in their direction.

"And if you guys join me, we will be a new guild... What do you say?"

All four of them stiffened a bit and started thinking about his idea.

"Of course, I don't need an answer right now... I'll give you guys one hour," Marcus said with a smile.

The crew breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Marcus loosen up.

"But... if you guys deny my offer..." Marcus's expression turned back into something scary when his canine tooth poked out of his mouth as he smiled widely, his face shadowed.

The assassins stiffened again, this time holding their breath.

"I'll just... let you go..." came the rest of the sentence, and the smiling Marcus returned.

The atmosphere changed for the better when Marcus let his serious stance drop.

They were given an hour to think about it. Luka gathered them to a corner and asked each of their opinions.

"I'm okay with him... This man didn't just let us live but treats us better than others we knew," Cloy said.

"True. Even if you guys weren't coming, I would've stayed back as his lackey for a lifetime," Luka said.

He quickly gazed at Marcus who was eating an apple while sitting on his chair.

"And I'm pretty sure he won't treat us like slaves but like his comrades."

Luka remembered how he had lost half his sight and his ability to walk during the SC ranked Dungeon raid. He remembered how a Two-tailed Demon Fox slashed his eye. He remembered how he ran to the exit portal made by his comrades, covering his b****y eye. He also remembered how another fox missed his legs by a millimeter and cut off his nerves when he jumped for the portal.

It was a memory he didn't want to bring up again and wanted to bury it down with his regrets. Luka shook his head and then looked at Kerin.

Kerin was already nodding frantically at them from the start. It was like she was steaming up at the fact that they were taking so much time to choose the obvious and easy option. Cloy chuckled at Kerin and scuffled her hair. He loved her like his own sister.

Now only Melova was left to give her opinion.

She first looked at Luka, who was determined, and then at Kerin, who was looking at her with cute cat eyes, and she finally took a quick glance at Cloy who was smiling at her.

"Do you guys even need my approval? I'm already outvoted."

"YAY!!!!"

Kerin jumped into the air and almost hit the ceiling, but Marcus's hand was suddenly between her head and the ceiling.

"Careful, there," Marcus sighed as he jumped back down with her, the apple still in his other hand.

She blushed at him and jumped back behind Melova.

"I'll not... wash my hair anymore," she whimpered.

"Hehe, that'll make him avoid you," Melova replied to her junior with a lovely chuckle.

Cloy grabbed his chest at her chuckle and almost lost balance if it weren't for Luka holding him from behind. Nosebleed!!

"We have made our decision, Marcus," Luka said.

"Oh, that was quick." He grinned at them.

"So what's your decision??"

"We accept your offer... Boss," Luka said, bowing down to him.

"Ah, thank you, and calling me boss isn't necessary at all," Marcus replied, embarrassed.

"Ok then I'll call you Marcy," Kerin said, totally excited. She almost jumped into him, but Melova held her back with her dagger on Kerin's collar.

"Sure... Hehe," Marcus chuckled.

All five of them laughed together and had a nice time. It was almost 6 PM now, and they were sitting together on the chairs.

"So now we are teammates, and remember... What we need is trust between us," Marcus said, pointing out to everyone.

"Whatever trouble, let it be anything, if it's troubling one of our crew then it's our problem as well."

He continued to speak. Luka felt proud working under Marcus when he heard him talk like an actual Guild leader.

"So, I'll meet you guys tomorrow outside my Academy. I have an Alumnus meeting tomorrow over there," Marcus said.

"It's better now that you guys return back to your secret base and try finding more about the person who filed that contract to kidnap me," Marcus said in a deep voice.

The rest of the four felt the magnitude in his voice and nodded in return.

They got up from the chairs and walked towards the front door. They wished Marcus once more, and Kerin almost hugged him if it weren't for Melova.

"Remember, tomorrow outside my Academy... around the evening."

"Yes boss," said the trio in unison except Kerin.

"Yes Marcy," was what Kerin said as she blushed and smiled at him.

Marcus sighed at her and flashed a smile back. They were soon gone, and Marcus closed his door.

He turned his back to the door once he locked it and heaved a huge sigh of relief. He had teammates now!! Actual friends who would look after him!

He knew deep inside that he was maturing.

Maturing into someone who was good at leading.