The Homeseeker: Elemental Adventurer LitRPG [Isekai] (Series Complete!)

Zalan stretched himself out luxuriously on the bed. He felt well-rested and alive for the first time in what felt like ages. He opened his eyes and looked around the room. He half expected to be in complete darkness, but saw cracks of sunlight sneaking in through a window that had one of the wooden panes removed. Light was such a wonderful experience, and the warmth of the sun was like a blanket on his soul. Content, he rolled out of bed without considering resting any longer.

He felt around his person, ensuring that he still had all his money and the strange Artifact that fell from the defeated Mind of Madness. With everything in place, he made his way out to the living area. Penelope was cooking a meal and looked up when he entered. Rep sat over a bowl of stew, looking up at Zalan with a smile as he entered.

"He lives," Penelope said. "You were sleeping for over fourteen hours."

"Wow, really?" Zalan said, amazed. "I feel like I needed every second of sleep. It's like I'm reset."

"I slept for a similar number of hours," Rep said jovially, taking a spoonful of food into his mouth. "You must be hungry."

"Starving," Zalan agreed, sitting down at the table and joining Rep.

Penelope placed a bowl in front of him, the steam hovering over the food a welcome addition to Zalan's meal. If he wasn't outside basking in the sun, the warmth of food was a decent second option. Especially after living on scraps and monster meat while in the Depths of Despair.

"Rep tells me you found the boy-thief Finnegan," Penelope noted. "And killed the Mind of Madness?"

"Yeah," Zalan said quickly.

He began shoveling the food into his mouth, his hunger overtaking his need to be polite. He was a lot hungrier than he thought. But it made sense considering how long he had been asleep for. It was interesting that the single night of rest treated him much better than the wallowing he had been doing in Journey House before Gorb dragged him out. Rep was right in that going out would be good for him.

He looked up at Penelope who watched Rep and Zalan curiously. It was clear by the look on her face that she truly hadn't expected to see either of them alive again.

"Thanks for all your advice," Zalan said, his mouth full. "It really helped."

"My words helped in the Depths of Despair?" she asked skeptically.

"Yeah. A lot, actually," Zalan said, recalling the effect it had on the despondent Finnegan.

"Mmm," Penelope hummed, though her tone sounded pleased.

Rep and Zalan swallowed their bowls of stew and were elated to see second helpings poured in without asking. Again, they aggressively stabbed at the meal, chucking all the nutrients they could into their mouths.

"Penelope, do you know what happened to the city?" Rep raised his head thoughtfully. "Portions of it were destroyed. I do not believe it was that way when we last passed through."

"I forgot you were not here to see it. I witnessed it myself," Penelope said. "The darkness rose and left, taking a black Elemental along with it. Everywhere the Elemental passed, a home was shredded apart. Luckily, few people were inside since it was midday. But we saw the night of Nightfall leave, taking its creature along with it."

Rep and Zalan shared a glance, Zalan's mouth full of stew.

"I think the Elemental took the darkness with it. Likely a Dark Elemental," Rep told her.

"That does not make sense. Darkness has been here longer than Elementals. Which one would control the other?"

Zalan blinked several times, swallowing his food.

"There's so much to that question that I wouldn't even know if my answer made any sense," he said, taking another bite of his meal.

"That is because there is no more explanation needed. I told you what I saw," Penelope said confidently.

There was a light knock on the door. Rep and Zalan didn't even look up from their bowls as Penelope went to open it.

"Excuse me miss, but this is for you," they heard Finnegan say at the door. He sounded ashamed.

"What is this?" Penelope asked.

Zalan looked up, interested, when he heard the sound of coins clink into her hands. The door wasn't opened fully and he couldn't see Finnegan standing on the other end. Penelope squinted with one hand over her face, almost hiding from the sunlight.

"It is to pay back for the money I took from you," Finnegan said in a shy voice.

Rep and Zalan looked at one another. Finnegan was already going around trying to pay people back for the funds he had stolen. It didn't occur to Zalan that he stole from Penelope. It could have been why she was so interested in their money last they were in her home. Or perhaps all of Nightfall were poor, given that Finnegan's parents went out in search of wealth.

"This isn't nearly enough," Penelope said firmly.

"I know. I apologize. I will get you the rest when I find the means, I swear it," Finnegan said.

"Well… I did hear you assisted in defeating the Mind of Madness. I suppose I can give you an extension," Penelope said.

"Let him in!" Zalan called. "I want to talk to him."

Penelope looked back at Zalan. He had already gone back to shoveling the remaining stew into his mouth. Penelope rolled her eyes and opened the door wider, allowing Finnegan inside. When she turned around, Zalan saw that she only had bronze coins in hand. It was possible Finngean had given all the money he had to try and pay her back.

"Rep! Zalan!" Finnegan said, his face lighting up when he saw them. He rushed in and joined them at the table. His hair was cut very short, matching what remained after the Giant Arachula took a chunk of it.

"How are you?" Rep asked.

"I am well! Very much thanks to the two of you. Both your actions and your words have helped me greatly. Nightfall is calling me a 'hero' for having defeated the Mind of Madness," Finnegan said.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"As they should." Rep nodded.

"They credit me much more than I deserve," Finnegan said, discomfited by his own words. "I would have done nothing were it not for Zalan."

"It's fine, don't worry about it," Zalan said between chewing bits of stew. "And just so we're clear, this is the first time I stretched the truth about one of my adventures," he teased with a full mouth and a smile.

Finnegan couldn't help but smile, himself. "But the people should know the good you have done… For your mother's sake."

Zalan considered the point, putting his spoon down for a moment.

"They already tell me that my parents will be enshrined in legend along with me for my feat. I think you should be there as well," Finnegan added.

Zalan tilted his head to one side in consideration. Tapping his spoon against his bowl and looking down in thought, he shook his head slightly.

"I don't know. Mom wasn't really big on taking credit for things, herself. If I don't end up getting written into legends of the realm, it's fine," Zalan shrugged.

Finnegan stared at Zalan in awe. The way Finnegan was looking at him, made Zalan shift uncomfortably in place. It was too much respect and admiration. He didn't think he deserved to be looked at so highly.

"Are you going around giving money to people?" Zalan asked, pointing his spoon to Penelope who was stowing her restored funds underneath a sack.

"Yes. I resolved to try and undo the title of 'thief' that I earned in Nightfall. Hopefully the death of the Mind of Madness may assist with rebuilding my reputation. But I will continue to repay others until I have undone all the troubles I caused," Finnegan said proudly.

"How much money do you still need to pay back?" Zalan asked.

"I am uncertain… Perhaps… Fifty gold coins," Finnegan said, his voice getting quieter with every hesitation.

"Fifty!" Penelope yelled.

"More than some earn in a lifetime," Rep said, amazed.

Finnegan lowered his head in shame. Zalan felt bad for him. He would have to go the rest of his life working out something that he did when he was young and foolish.

"How much money do you have left?" Zalan asked.

Finnegan nodded to Penelope slightly. It took a second for Zalan to compute.

"That was the last of all your money?" Zalan clarified.

"For now!" Finnegan said quickly.

"Where did it all go?"

"A tracker… To find my parents," he muttered. "But I suppose, in the end, the swindler was swindled. I paid a fortune for them to be found, only for the tracker to never return."

"I want to feel bad, but it kinda feels like you deserved it," Zalan teased.

"I will find work as soon as I can to pay off all my debts!" Finnegan said firmly, slamming his hands on the table.

Zalan smiled, impressed. Zalan, himself, would probably be suffering alone were it not for Rep. And Asher, back in his homeworld. And he felt the need to pay that assistance forward in some way. He picked up his pouch of gold coins and laid it on the table. Finnegan looked at it with interest.

"You're done being a thief?" Zalan asked.

"I would rather be dead at the hands of the Mind of Madness," Finnegan said without hesitation.

Zalan hesitated, looking over his money. Finnegan used to be a con-man. All of this could be a ruse to get him to feel sorry and give him money. But he was down to his last bronze coins. And Penelope wouldn't be in on any schemes with him. Zalan picked out two gold coins.

"Here, take these and use them to pay off some of the debt," Zalan slid them toward Finnegan.

Finnegan stared with wide eyes. He looked up at Zalan, then slid them back, shaking his head.

"I can not take this. It would not decrease my debt to others at all. I would owe you for your favor," Finnegan said. "The idea is to pay everyone back, not accrue more financial burdens for others."

Zalan was pleased to hear the answer. He picked the two gold coins up and popped them back in the pouch. Then, he pushed the pouch to Finnegan.

"Take it all," Zalan said. "Pay everyone else back first, then pay me back."

Rep dropped his spoon into his bowl and choked on his stew. He was the only person aware of how much money was in the sack of gold coins. Zalan was trying to give away a fortune.

"No, I can not," Finnegan said, pushing the money back. He was appalled at the suggestion.

"I'm serious," Zalan said, pushing more forcefully.

"As am I! This would not be fair to you to pay off my bad acts," Finnegan insisted.

"Finnegan. Listen. Take the money. I'm not taking 'no' for an answer."

"No!"

"And why not?" Penelope asked sharply. Zalan and Finnegan turned her way, not expecting her to join the conversation. Arms on her hips, her face the epitome of disappointment.

"You said you would repay me by whatever means you could. Now that you have the means, you refuse it?" she demanded.

Finnegan winced at her words and looked back at the money pouch. Zalan nodded to him with encouragement. Wringing his hands, Finnegan slowly took a peek inside the pouch. He opened it gently, then his eyes went wide and his jaw dropped open. He leaned in close to Zalan.

"This is all gold coins!" he whispered in a panic, quiet enough for only Zalan to hear.

"I know," Zalan said.

"This is far too much for a generous offering!"

"Think about it this way. It's the same debt, but you only have to pay it back to one person. Make sure you make everyone else whole, then you can come back to me and pay me back in installments. Those people need their money back now, but I can wait. I'll be in Oriton," Zalan suggested.

Finnegan looked back at the pouch and closed it uncomfortably. He returned to speaking at a volume the others could hear.

"Are you certain?" Finnegan asked, leaning into the idea slightly.

"Yeah. And you know what, if you hear that I'm gone from this realm when you try to pay me back, then consider the loan forgiven," Zalan added.

Finnegan nodded slowly, then increased to animated nods. He took Zalan's hands in his and shook vigorously.

"I will not let you down! I will pay you back after the others!" Finnegan exploded.

He shoved his hand into the pouch and pulled out two gold coins, rushing to Penelope to give them to her. She tucked them away and nodded to him, the debt seemingly settled between them.

"Thank you! I will see you in Oriton!" Finnegan said, picking up the coins and running out to repay others.

Rep looked at the door as Penelope shut it behind the young man.

"That was generous of you," Rep said. "Especially the part about forgiving the debt in the case you pass away."

"Pass away? No, I was talking about being forgiven if I find a way back home. Like if I'm no longer in the realm," Zalan explained.

"Oh! I see, I did not think of it that way," Rep said. "Then you are confident you can still discover a way home?"

"I don't know, but I don't want him freaking out if I find a way back." Zalan pulled the Homeseeker from his pocket.

Rep nodded, ready to leave. Penelope looked between the two of them, confused by the exchange of words about Zalan going back home. Zalan activated the Homeseeker, and Rep placed his hands on the Artifact. The two of them turned to Penelope.

"Thank you for everything," Zalan said.

"We hope to not have been a burden on you," Rep added.

"You were not a burden, but what are you doing?" Penelope asked as they started to glow in a dark shade.

"We are leaving," Rep answered.

With that, the Homeseeker warped them away, leaving Penelope shocked and alone in her home in Nightfall.

Zalan found himself thrown onto his cot in Journey House, Rep on the cot across from him. Zalan was ecstatic to see the sunlight sneaking in through the space beneath the door to the guild. He was back in a land that felt natural to have sun. Nightfall had gone so long without it, the sunlight felt encroaching and artificial.

Flinching, he suddenly felt something crack in his hand. In shock, he raised the Homeseeker at eye level. Rep saw it and widened his eyes in surprise. The Homeseeker was beginning to break apart. The Artifact had degraded. It had no more uses.