He had to admit it smelled better than the Georgina’s extermination he did 3 months ago, but slick rats are an enemy modern hygiene could never be prepared for.As he turned the corner, his Sense Weakness skill detected his targets injured leg less than 100 feet away.He was thankful his skill had evolved to not rely on smell any longer, specifically on this mission.


    He stopped 6 feet before the corner and took the hood off his cloak, tossing it in front of him.Once the cloak passed the wall, a small shadow pounced on it, stabbing a knife directly into where the neck would be.


    Just as Jordan drove his sword toward the goblin’s neck, it disappeared in a cloud of red smoke.Jordan accidentally inhaled some and began coughing loudly, before he felt a sharp pain in his calf.The goblin had appeared behind him, and went for another strike with its dagger.


    He screamed in pain as blood and spit flew from his mouth, and Jordan grimaced as he felt some of it land on his leg.“That’s going to need a lot of disinfectant” Jordan said as he turned around.The goblin shrieked with rage, and with red den crackling around his dagger, Jordan knew from the report what was coming.


    That trip was to sign up for a Journey Quest, a type of quest sponsored by the Zyphtal Everwatch Branch that allows adventurers from the city to take on quests in far off locations.Instead of normal quests that take 1-2 days and are finished within the city, Journey Quests require the party to leave the city and live in the quests location for 1-3 months.Due to the requirement of leaving their homes, these quests pay extraordinarily well, both in gold and guild points.


    Bryn had reserved their spot already, so all they had to do was qualify when the day came.Soon after the battle with the Minotaur, the Desert Dungeon was closed by a party of black rank wizards.With that source of quests cutoff, Bryn did the math and figured out it would be more beneficial for them to split up and do individual jobs.


    His most recent quest was to track down Bermuth, a goblin rogue who had gone rogue (haha) from Everwatch and was doing work for Red Hank, an infamous crime boss who controlled the flow of illegally modified weapons and potions for most of Zypthal.


    Jordan took a brief moment to think of his options, knowing he couldn’t take that strike or even let Bermuth get close.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Normally he preferred fighting with a bow, having the mobility and range it provided played to his strengths better in combat.However, that morning when Jordan looked at his viewing stone, a new skill popped up.


    A peculiar skill was unique to its owner, with no other adventurer having that skill.Although, because no one else had it, there was no way to know his the skill worked outside of trial and error.


    He sighed as he got up, lamenting the fact this peculiar skill was still a mystery to him.As he traveled through the sewer, he found the entrance he had come in from and climbed up.


    As he made his way down the street, he noticed an unusual amount of noise coming from an alley he was approaching.Peeking around the corner he saw 2 men, a large half elf and a skinny human,in hoods cornering a young elven woman.She had a look of fear on her face, and the men were surrounding her.


    “Ok guys let’s calm down, I''m sure you can see how bad of a look this is so-” Jordan said as the 2 figures immediately dashed toward him.“Ok surprisingly aggressive!” Jordan shouted as he jumped back.He took a moment to examine the assailants, his perception improving with every level he gained.Based on the speed at which they were moving and the gear they had, they couldn''t have been higher than level 4.


    The human kept low, going for Jordan’s leg with a dagger.Spinning out of the way of the blade, he struck down on the small man, cutting deeply into his back as he let out a pained scream.The elven man dashed and got behind Jordan, a ball of lighting forming in his hand.He threw the crackling sphere of den at Jordan, who barely ducked out of the way as it exploded against the wall next to him.Jordan looked over at the wall, hoping to assess how strong his magic was.


    She must have tried to escape when the fight started, and he was too focused on the fight to notice.He didn''t even remember she was there for a moment.All he had been focused on was swinging his sword and figuring out this skill.It would have been simple to change his positioning to ensure her safety, but he dove right in so he could use his sword.


    With blinding speed, Jordan took his bow off his back and fired a shot into his leg.The man fell to the ground once again, his moans of pain echoing through the alley.Without looking, Jordan equipped a paralyze additive and fired at the elf, striking him in his shoulder before he could fire off another spell.


    He watched anxiously, hoping he was still within the potions time limit.He breathed a deep sigh of relief as he saw the burns fade.He walked over to the paralyzed elf, smacking him in the head with his bow as he fell unconscious.After taking the girl to the nearest Cleric Clinic, Jordan reported the thugs to the guild and began his walk home.


    Rangers are generals, captains, and… leaders.But a leader doesn''t let someone innocent get hurt to feed his ego.If something like that happened on the Journey Quest, both he and Bryn would be dead very quickly. Jordan tightened his fist as he walked, the frustration he felt with himself nearly causing him to shake.


    “It’s my job to see everything, I need to remember to look” he said, the darkness of his home district feeling oddly comforting for the first time.