《The Immortal》


 1: My Wasted Life

    I look down on what is driving me mad; a white cast around my leg. The lack of movement is driving me crazy, yet I must persist in gaining all advantages for when it once again comes off. I glance at my former glory adorning the shelves. Countless trophies weigh on the wood, arranged by my mother in chronological order. From the left it starts with the cheap plastic children''s stuff, but the farther right you go you notice the trends.


    First that they are of better quality, real metal. Secondly that it is more medals. Thirdly the increasing rarity of that all sportsmen desire most; the golden color. If you inspected them further you would also notice that with age, a lack of the coveted gold appeared. Specialization also occurred. It has been over 10 years since anything with more than 400 meters has been put up there. Those were the times. When I could be the best simply by putting in the effort. When everyone praised me for my abilities.


    Shit! I cannot get distracted reminiscing, that''s when it is really over, when you rest on your laurels and wish yourself back to the glory days. The moment you stop working for the future is when the future really takes a turn for the worse. But try as I might, I have a hard struggle against reality. The lost training of the remaining month is gonna be a pain to reclaim, and the doctor even recommended that I stop. He doesn''t understand, nobody does. Once I stop it is over. I do not have anything else.


    Shaking my head to regain focus. I look over the depressing charts once again. I have undoubtedly gotten slower ever since I turned 26. But I still do not have any of the great achievements. I have never been the best in the states. I have never even made it to the olympics yet. I must find something, anything to give me the edge I need, but apparently you can train too much, much evidenced by the current state of my foot and the impact I need to become good enough keeps growing bigger now. Shit! Just ignore it. Focus on finding areas you can improve on!


    A knock on the door interrupts my thoughts.


    "Come in."


    My mother opens the door to the room. I can already tell from her face that she is going to bring an uncomfortable subject up again.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Brian, we need to talk."


    I sigh "We''ve been over this, mom. I just need more time, I can do this, but not if I have to deal with other distractions."


    "But that was before the fracture. The doctor said you can''t keep pushing yourself"


    "WHAT DOES HE KNOW? I KNOW MY OWN BODY THE BEST AND I CAN DO THIS!"


    The outburst shocks both me and my mom. Shit, these past weeks spent not moving is getting to me. I need to calm down.


    "Sorry, mom, it''s just... I need to do this"


    She replies sounding distraught "I can''t keep seeing you like this. You''re not happy anymore. Why don''t you think your father''s offer over again?"


    "Okay mom." I say, hoping for her to leave me alone. I have no intention of working that desk job though, but the last few years my mother''s constant support has turned into this whole "get a normal life"-thing. Keeps talking of finding a sweet girl and starting a family and finding a hobby and stuff like that. It annoys me to no end.


    As she closes the door, I feel the frown stuck on my face. Shit, sorry mom, but I need to focus on this. Without this, I have nothing, I am noone.


    Then, a light starts shining in the room. It slowly grows, becoming shining cracks in space itself. I am speechless. A pair of small hands appear and tear it apart, revealing a shining, childlike nude figure of indeterminate gender.


    "Greetings" it says.


    I just nod my head. Did the stress finally get to me? Am I going insane?


    "I''ve been looking for someone like you"


    "like me?"


    "Someone who doesn''t give up, no matter what. Want to have a second chance?"


    I think I am hallucinating at this point, but part of my heart is tugged on. A second chance at what? Being the best? Running?


    "Life" it says.


    I think for a moment. Honestly, I want to, I really want to. I could get a better start, start the right diets and workouts earlier, plan out my training better, become the best! But countless stories I have encountered throughout my life also runs through my mind. The monkey''s paw, deals with the devil etc. And most likely, I am having a dellusion, I need to dismiss this.


    "No, go away" I say, hoping to turn my attention back to my charts and notes before I go insane.


    "Too Bad" it says, "But your cooperation was only wanted, not needed"


    I swing my head to look at it and is blinded by a flash of light from the shiny child.


    The light turns into darkness. I feel warm. Then, a sudden pressure from everywhere hurts me, I scream out before light envelops my vision once again, and when I come to my senses, I just feel warmth, and a wave of tiredness washes over.

 2: New Opportunity

    It took some time to fully realize, but it has become evident to me. What first was so alien and bizarre is now a fact, I have been born for the second time in my life from a second mother. Part of me is excited, exactly due to the thought I made when the glowing child made me the offer. I get to be better this life, I thought. I get to be the best me, unlike all other, I get the opportunity to plan my life from the beginning and build myself up to whom I want to be.


    It''s not all sunshine and roses though. It is evident to me that there are more than a few problems in my way. First off, the location I have been reborn in. I have not yet seen the outside world, but is apparent that this is some third-world country. The walls are made of bare stone stuck together with some sort of mortar, framed by wood. The floor appears to be merely packed dirt. There are no windows, only wooden planks that are either open or closed. I have tried to look outside but they are too high and all I can fathom from my vantage points have been a blue sky. There are no electrical appliances in sight and night is completely dark. It is not too much of an issue though. If I can truly show world-class "talent" in this second life of mine, I should easily be able to receive the help I need. There are always organizations looking to bolster their nations reputation through these international event.


    Secondly the language is unintelligible to me. I would have been able to manipulate my surroundings to better achieve my goals, but the language is neither English nor the Spanish I had a cursory understanding of from high school. It is going to be annoying to learn an entire new language, precious time that could have been spent building up a better foundation from running.


    Thirdly, and perhaps the biggest obstacle, is that I am a baby. One of the first things that happened upon my birth was a nipple was shoved into my mouth, and despite feeling grossed out and wanting to escape I found myself instinctually sucking on the teat. In addition, one of the first efforts I made was to try and have a look around, but my head wouldn''t follow my neck and it hurt so much I was seriously afraid I had caused some permanent damage. I also instinctually cry when I get hungry. I shit and pee myself constantly and it is incredible embarrassing having my second mother or the old lady (my grandmother?) wipe me as I am incapable of doing so myself. I can''t even move my legs and arms the way I want to or make my mouth make sounds I want to make. I constantly fall asleep even if I try to stay awake, making it impossible for me to keep track of time. It is truly a humbling experience and I can''t wait to have some agency over my bodily functions.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Speaking of my mother, there is a total of 5 other people in the house. My mother is quite plump, but the way she nuzzles me and what I assume to be my older brothers with a delighted expression in my face makes me confident in saying she is full of love and care. She seems to be somewhere between late twenties and early thirties. She was bedridden sometime after I came to be in this place, but she was soon up and doing all manner of stuff. She seems to make and mend clothes, cook food, clean, and carry firewood. Often with me in a sling around her torso. It is both warm, comfortable and slightly unnerving, with all the movement I feel.


    The person I spent the next-most time with is the old lady. I presume she may be my grandmother. She is rather thin and looks stern when working or resting, but often makes a wonderful smile when she handles me. She mostly just rocks me asleep or changes my diaper cloth and hands me back to my mother or the crib, but she also talks to me and is the one to do so the most. She also often seems to be sewing or knitting something.


    Then there is what I presume is my two older brothers. I have a hard time pinpointing their age, but somewhere around 4 and 6. They don''t pay much attention to me and seem to be off playing most of the day and returning for lunch and in the evening.


    Lastly, there is my father, whom I barely see. He seems to leave early morning and return in the evening. He must be a hunter, since the few time I have observed his return, it is with a burlap sack, revealed to have meat inside. He has only ever held me twice. He seems to have a permanent stubble, is quite broad of stature but not muscular and feels a decade or so older than my mom. He does have incredible strength though, as I have seen him rather easily handle what looks like quite heavy furniture.


    All are fair-skinned. My brothers and mother both have blue eyes and blond hair, while my father sports a short red tuft and green eyes.


    Now, let''s focus on getting grandmother to speak to me so I can learn the language!

 3: Strange Land

    Time has passed and I assume I am now a little more than 6 months old, judging by how I can hold my head high. I have only learnt the simplest phrases and names, but pronunciation is really foreign, and I just can''t seem to reproduce the same sounds as I hear.


    I have been introduced to plenty of strangers, so many I can''t remember most of them. The troublesome realization began brewing when I saw a few unusual hair and eyes. Blue hair, green hair, red eyes and purple eyes. I don''t think that exists.


    I had also been introduced to the outside, and the few houses that surround us. It took me some time to realize, but it is truly bizarre. There is no sun. Things in the open do not have shadows, only things past opening like our window cast one. And there is this strange fog looming in the distance. I first assumed it was merely fog, but it was there each time I was taken out of the house, so I assume it to be a permanent phenomenon.


    Today is special, I think. I am dressed up in a grey sort of dress and given a thorough bath, which reminds me how seldomly that happens. I think I have only been bathed some 6 times so far. My mother and father are then escorting me through the village we live in, dawning more bizarre relations on me.


    I see no fields or livestock anywhere. Surely a sedentary society cannot survive merely by hunting as my father does? I want to ask, but I also don''t want to appear as though I am expecting something. These people do probably not have access to education and will likely be extremely superstitious. I fear the day I say I am a grown man in a child''s body and get burned at the stake, so I have decided to try and act properly like a baby.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I am taken to a building clearly different from the rest. It appears in entirely green, polished stone. It is also massive in comparison to our house, easily able to house dozens of people. It is shaped like a dome, but flattens out very quickly, so that it more appears like slightly slanted circular walls, with a low angled circular roof and surrounding this central structure is six pillars.


    Inside a fair amount of people are gathered, sitting on the green stone floor, and my mother and father walk up to a man leading the crowd. The people are initially chatting among themselves, but it dies out quickly as we approach the man. He is dressed in green robes, much different from all of the clothes I have seen until now, being mostly grey and brown, with some white and black pieces here and there. He smiles at me.


    Then some sort of ceremony starts. He speaks loudly while he picks up a wooden bowl with some red paste inside. He takes the paint and smear it on my forehead, painting something. It is grainy and clammy, and my discomfort makes my baby instincts fire and I want to cry, but I hold it back as it would probably interrupt the ceremony.


    Then, light emits from my forehead and the mans gentle smile widens into a complete grin. My parents also seem ecstatic, hugging me and cheering is heard all through the hall. The ceremony seems to be concluced, as people rise from the floor and swarm around, offering cheery exclamations and seemingly congratulating my mother and father. A lot of them smile at me.


    That was probably some sort of baptism ritual, but what was with the paste and light and is this level of cheering normal? I have decided I will wait until I can ask these questions more naturally, but I am incredibly curious

 4: Fairy Tales

    I am more than 2 years old now. They do not note down the date of birth here, but every year there is a children''s festival of which I have just experienced my third, where all of the children''s age change. Probably the adults too, but the festival is for the children. It is a momentous occasion, where most of the village shows up. It is held in the main square outside the green church/temple. Parents give their children gifts, and the ones turning "adult" are given a ceremony where the priest man, who smeared something fluorescent on my face, blessed each of them in a similar fashion. I say adult, but they''re really young teenagers, since this happens on their thirteenth children''s festival. There are tables set up, a lot of food is brought in, people sing and dance and great merriment is had. It is also the only real holiday event I have observed here. Some days seem holy, but they mostly consist of the adults going to the temple for a few hours before returning to their daily lives.


    This year I am very happy because I received shoes. Up until now, I have simply had some kind of cloth wrapped around my feet, but as I started running it became unwrapped or tore. And if I ran barefoot, my mother would scold me for forcing her to waste water, which seems to be, alhtough not a rare ressource, something to be used in moderation. So I wished for shoes and I got them. It seems it was troublesome though, I guess they are expensive, but I am receiving special treatment for some reason, much to the dismay of my older brothers Lod and Sten.


    The younger of my older brothers, Sten has especially given me a lot of trouble. I have tried to act like a kid and play with whatever sticks and stones I could find, but he has recently made it his mission to ensure that my sticks and stones are his sticks and stones, pushing me down and tripping me etc. If I tell mom, she scolds him, but that only seems to make him madder. The oldest brother Lod only seems to ignore me no matter what I try to play with him or ask him something or hide from Sten behind him.


    My given name is Yos, by the way, which is weird because I still feel like Brian, so sometimes I forget to react to my own name. It probably just takes some getting used to. I do not know the name of my grandmother, since my father and mother simply call her mother, but my parents name from her are given. My father is Karar and my mother is Luvia.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    I have since noted down even more exceptions from my old world that cement the strangeness of this one. Not only are there no livestock, but I have seen no animals whatsoever. No birds, no insects, no rodents, no nothing. In addition, no seasons or temperature changes seem to occur. Night is as warm as day, which is the same year round. I really wonder what makes the light appear in the sky.


    Since I have reached a certain age, I think it is okay for me to ask questions about how the world works now, but I have simply been told stories as a reply. I have asked about the place food comes from and I was told a story of how the world came to be. God apparently discovered this world once, and saw that it could sustain man created in his image. But god could not create anything as great as himself, so the beings he created required food and sleep. They died of old age and wounds. So God created the dungeons. It was places where food and water and wood and all they could need sprung forth endlessly. But man was greedy and squandered god''s gift. They took more food than they needed and left the rest to rot or grew fat. They left some of what God had given them in return for what they thought was more delicious or valuable. God was mad that they didn''t appreciate his gifts or works, so he created monsters from the food. Now most of it would make man pay for being greedy, killing those who took more than they needed or were unprepared. Thus man now had to fight for their daily food, water and whatever else they needed.


    I had asked why I was given special treatment after receiving my shoes and soon found myself being told yet another tale. God wanted his children to be plentiful and spread across the world, but the monsters now made each of them only take what they need, and whenever they found themselves facing with the other people of this world, they would back down because of their lack of strength. So god gave some of his children gifts in form of great power and the ability to use magic. But not every man was worthy of capable of having this gift, so he only gave it to his chosen children, and those are to be revered because they will hold great power and lead humanity. When I inquired how many have this power, I was informed than seven people other than me currently had a gift in this village. When Iaskedabout their nature, the only two mom knew ofwere quite different. When old man Jorgen runs, nothing can stop him and he can topple large monsters or even houses when he needs to. And the priest of town can make wounds close in a fraction of the time they do so naturally. I ask what gift I have and mom says she doesn''t know, it is something for me myself to figure out. I hope it has something to with running. I leave the house and start running with my new shoes.

 5: Other Peoples

    I have a problem with the language. I don''t know for example, if the metal that makes our cutlery and father''s spears is iron, but it''s the most common metal used in this world, so I am going to think of it as iron, even though it may not be. Same for dragons. I don''t know if they are dragons as any on earth would understand it, but they are giant, winged beasts who are known for their greed and hunger, so I am calling them dragons. They are surprisingly enough, not monsters.


    My fourth children''s festival has come and gone and I have learnt a lot in the last year. The dungeons seem not only a source of all we need and want, but also a disposal facility. People do their business in chamber pots or outhouses, that are emptied into kegs which the hunters bring with them when they go to the dungeon.


    Other people exist. Not different races of man, but different species all together. They are often villains in our fairy tales. The Sylvestri are a race of alleged half-monster men, powerful and large, fierce and unsympathizing. The dryads are a race born of trees, uncaring towards anyone else and out of touch with reality, living long lives by themselves, only interacting with human society to lure innocent young children away from their parents. The dragons are legendary powerful tyrants who often enslave entire kingdoms, only to be slain by heroes with particularly powerful gifts.


    I take these with a grain of salt of course. If one got their understanding of wolves from "The Little Red Riding Hood" and "The Three Little Pigs", one might severely misjudge the intelligence, motive and abilities of a wolf.


    All of this has relevance today as I have been sent on an errand. I think I am quite too young for that, but apparently I am very mature. If only they knew. My older brothers are in some sort of school one starts after their 7th festival, and my dad is off hunting. Usually they send Sten, but he has begun the school. Apparently if they wait for evening, when my father is home, it will be more expensive. My mother is in late pregnancy, expecting her fourth child and has trouble moving around, and a caravan of Sylvestri traders are coming today, so I am going to get salt from them. Apparently, salt doesn''t appear in our dungeon, so it is imported through trade, and often the Sylvestri take up this role, though I do not know why, but Sylvestri either appear as evil, mighty warriors or sneaky, cheating merchants in our stories. I suspect they are quite biased, but I don''t think I can blame a society such as this, where we are uniform in culture and strange people of a different species exist. Racism is probably quite common. Or is it specieism?


    My mother hands me a string, onwhich is 5 coins. 4 of these coins are red and one is blue, which is quite weird. Is colorful metal a norm here? Both coins have a shield with the same pattern on one side of them, while the other is a picture. The red coin has what I believe is a bowl with a spoon, and the blue a sword and an axe.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Start by offering 3 of the red coins for filling this sack with salt, and pay as little as possible okay? At least offer something lower than his first counter-offer." I receive a small burlap sack half the length of my arm and twice its thickness.


    I nod, but have an inevitable question: "How much is the blue coin worth?"


    "One iron sword" is the reply I get.


    "No, I mean how many red coins is the blue coin worth?"


    My mother looks a little confounded and thoughtful. "Somewhere between 10 and 20 red coins. I don''t know right now". I am very confused.


    "What makes the coins worth what they are worth?" I ask mother.


    She kneels down with great trouble and explains.


    "The red coins can be exchanged for 1 meal in any castle, the blue for 1 sword or equivalent" my mother explains to me.


    Wait what? Does the country have two currencies backed in different natural resources with each their own demand and supply variable? Must be a nightmare as they don''t seem to think of it as cents and dollars, but rather as if I were to trade swords and food itself.


    "Now be a dear and go fetch that salt" I am told. I receive a kiss on my forehead and dash out of the door towards the village entrance. I love running and my mother who continually mends and alters my shoes so I can keep doing it. Lately though, I feel as if I have been receiving a few odd stares lately. Oh well. There is only a single road that leads to the village, rest are merely small dirt pathways that branch out from the main road to all the houses. I am told one leads to the county capital, while the other leads to the dungeon. I will meet the traders where the road enters the village from the capital side.


    I am slightly confused by the appearance of the Sylvestri traders, whom I observe from a little away before going to trade. First off, they are huge. If my dad, who seem fairly average for this world, would be 6 feet tall then these guys would easily be 8 feet tall. They only wear pants and are very muscular. Something strange, since the people I have seen appear to only vary in whether they are thin or fat, not by how muscly their are. Their hair is incredibly abundant and from their head it covers both their necks and a large portion of their backs, as if it was the mane of a lion. They have no beard or whiskers, but very broad noses and normal human eyes. Their ears are like a piece of paper is rolled alongside its diagonal, the chopped in two and placed on the side of their heads. Two have a brown mane and one has a red mane. I wonder if they come in all the crazy colors of the villagers.


    One of them walks up to me slowly, kneels down and asks "Ya here fo sumting, poy?" It is a heavy accent, or maybe someone who has not learned our language well. "Ya dunt haf to be afrait" seems he mistook my quiet observation for fear. "This sack, with salt" I gesture with my hands. I could speak more completely, but I have developed a habit of trying to speak incomplete and cutesy to conceal my adult age "Oh, ya running a errant for mams, poy?" I nod, he takes the back and fills it quickly. "Tha''ll be ten rets, poy" Oh, I should bargain right. I shake my head "too much, only 5 reds" to which he laughs. "Ya a merkand, poy? 8 reds and no lower". I nod, but I quickly realize something wrong. I only have 4 reds and 1 blue, so I hold the blue up "This, worth 15 reds". The merchant shakes his head "Nae, only 12 ll do ya" I nod, remove the blue coin from my string and got 4 reds and a bag of salt. When I later returned my mother thought they cheated me, but I was just glad it was over.

 6: New Relations

    A beautiful baby sister is born! To be honest, I had kinda missed being an only child as in my last life, as Sten and Lod don''t seem to be very keen on me. But now I have an incredibly cute baby sister. I may have resisted starting a family in my previous life, but I have always found children to be quite cute. I just didn''t want my running career to be ended due to the responsibilities of having a family.


    I was not allowed into the temple for the ceremony a few months later. Turns out that children aren''t allowed in the temple at all, apart from their own ceremony. I couldn''t guess as to why that is the case, seems to me it would be better for a religion the younger they can gather the children?


    A few days later, I am out running when 2 girls approximately my age walk up to me. I ignore them while doing my stretches, when one of them speaks up. "Hi", she says.


    "Hi" I return curtly.


    "I am Ysa and this is Laia" she continues.


    "I am Yos" I again try to keep it short.


    "What are you doing?"


    Stretches may not be a known thing, so I''ll try to answer with something nebulous. "I just feel like doing this helps me run faster"


    "Yeah, I have seen you run. You are really fast"


    This pissed me off. I have seen a few older kids run and they beat me by a little still. Fast? This is fast? Is she mocking me? Why is she mocking? Since she is mocking me, I better say something back, don''t want to be bullied. "Well, your eyebrows look weird" The girls freeze, before the one called Ysa start sniffling and runs away. The other called Laia gives me a disapproving look before chasing after her. What''s her problem? Did she pick a fight being weak on the defense? So strange.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    The next day, as I was heading out to play after lunch, mother stops me and wants to talk.


    "Ana said you made her child cry, Yos. Why would you do something like that?" She started with a stern expression on her face.


    "She was mocking me, so I mocked her back". My mother loosens her expression a little.


    "What did she say?"


    "They just came up to me and started talking, and then she said I was fast even though I am not fast at all" Now my mother looks confused. Is it not bothersome to constantly change your face like that?


    "Yos, dear. I think you have misunderstood. I think she was trying to flatter you." My mom explained.


    "Why would someone flatter me?" I was genuinely confused.


    My mother makes a bitter smile and pauses before starting the conversation up again. "Do you know you are special, Yos?"


    "Yeah, I got the gift, I know"


    "But do you know what that means?"


    I think a little, before remembering the fairy tale. "I am one of God''s chosen, right?"


    "That''s right, but there is more to it than that." Mom says. I simply express my confusion so she continues. "Those with gifts can get more out of life, and share it with the village and those close with them" she explains. "Old man Jorgen, for example, can do much more work in the dungeon than the average person, both carrying stuff and fighting, so he gets a bigger share. That means his wives and his children gets a bigger share too. And the priest, Yuro, he gets gifts and payments in return for his healing, so he and his family can live a comfortable, without ever risking injury or his life in the dungeon"


    I grimace. It feels like pressure is being put on me to do stuff I don''t wanna do. I wanna run... Wait, it just ocurred to me that I can''t run for a living in this world? Does that mean I have to learn to fight in the dungeon and have a family? I don''t really want to even think about that, at least not now.


    "Ana probably said she should get along with you, in hope that you get closer and regardless" my mother continues, "You were clearly in the wrong here Yos, so we will go apologize together before you get to do play again, okay?" That "okay" feels more like a threat than a confirmation. "okay" i reply silently.


    My mother then comes with my little sister in a sling and me in hand to Ana''s place, where I sincerely apologize. Geez, human relations are troublesome in this life too.

 7: Failed Invention

    It is my cute sister''s first festival and she is scared, but I am taking her dancing. Very slowly and safely of course. I am helping her walk already and it is actually great fun. I hope to teach her pointers about running in the future and running together with her.


    Up until this point I have spent a lot of time thinking outside of my running and helping my little sister. I have no ill regard towards the people of the village, but their way of life sounds awful. To go into the dungeon, risking your life for food almost everyday.


    I have chatted some with the Silvestri traders, to get options about other ways to live. I ended up hearing their tale of creation which goes like this: Long ago, the monster god and people god wanted a world, but neither was powerful enough to make one on their own, so they worked together to create it. Once it was built, they disagreed on who should populate it. The monster good wanted strong monsters to roam the world, while the people god wanted intelligent people to do the same. Both feared a direct confrontation, so they decided to battle it out with their creations. It was a tragedy for the people, and the god saw the error. He had created rounded creations with no clear advantage. They couldn''t hope to stand up to the speedy Jaggers, the cursing Xheovas, the cursing Brials. So the god of people made his own specializations. The Humans with their gifts, the Dryads with their magic, the Tarruns with their crafts, but what they truly needed was strength, and thus he made the Silvestri. Seeing how strong his new creations were, he gave the Silvestri a special task; to roam the earth, become strong, and wipe out the monsters to fight in the battle between gods, that still goes on to this day.


    I am confused since they are merchants, so I ask the Silvester why he is a merchant if his task is to fight monsters, but he replied with "Nae poy. We merkands only sumtime, sumtime other be merkands. We merkands cuz we naow we neet elp. Tarruns for makeen weaporns, Dryads for magicks, Humans for mani to pay wit."You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Seems this is also a dead end out of this life. Maybe becoming a blacksmith or a priest would be the only options? But the blacksmiths seem to gain muscle on their arms I don''t want. It would make me slower with the added weight. And I am not ignorant enough about my own social skills to attempt to become a priest.


    Maybe inventions? I have knowledge from my previous life. I may not have been the smartest kid in school, but I can work from the concepts. What was the biggest leap out of the middle ages? Steam power? If I managed to harness the wealth and thus the power from that, I would be free to what I want. Run and host races with prices for the fastest runner! I can already picture it now!


    And thus I fashion a simple pinwheel bby whittling wood. It takes me a few weeks to even get it to work, since I had no idea what I was doing, but I eventually assemble it from a few different pieces of wood cut into petal shapes, fastened on an axle, and it would finally move when I blow on it. Now to test it out. The easiest access to steam would probably be my mom''s cooking? So I go to the evening stew, excited to test my new invention out.


    Except, there''s no steam. Only cuts of meat and a small amount of vegetables in a pot of water. Is it really hot? I see no bubbles either. "She must have just set it over, let''s see how hot it is" So I think, while sticking my finger into the pot.


    The next few moments are a blur of pain. My hand was stinging with intense pain from heat, which made me instinctually draw my hand back. Only trouble was, accounting on my small height, I had bended my arm over the edge of the pot to even be able to touch it, so the pot was between my hand and I, so I pulled it over myself.


    HOT! OUCH! PAIN! SO HOT! It is freaking scalding. My screams lead my mother to the main room, in which the kitchen is, and the rest is a blur due to the pain.


    I am able to gather my thoughts after the terrible surprise. All I really remember is the scolding, the priest rubbing me in salve and saying a spell, my sister crying, my mother''s worried looks and the males of my family scolding me for ruining dinner. I am in my bed consisting of hide over straw, lamenting it''s discomfort especially today, since I am sensitive and sore all over from the pain. Apparently I have a few days to wait before I am good again. Magic is pretty amazing, huh?

 8: Gift

    <div>


    The very next day I was feeling much better. Running my hands over myself, I felt no pain, only the salve had dried out and came off as flaky somethings over my skin. I quickly got up and wanted to run a bit before breakfast, but I was stopped by mom before leaving.


    "Go rest, Yos, mister Yuro told you to rest a few days, right?"


    Yuro must be the priest, I guess.


    "I''m all fine mom" I pulled up my shirt to show my tummy, that had been scalded yesterday. "Mr. Priest is really amazing!"


    Mom looked a bit confused. "Yuro is usually never wrong about these things." she seems to think a little before continuing "Stay in bed for now, and after breakfast, we''ll let him have a look and see if it''s fine for you to be out and about already"


    I nod and dejectedly return to my bed.


    After breakfast we end up with the priest, who we called out from the temple and he also seem a little surprised. After confirming that I am no longer wounded, a smile appears on his face. "Luvia dear" He says in a sweet voice, "There''s no way those burns would heal so quickly. I can think of only one answer"


    "You mean?"


    "Yes, the nature of Yos''s gift is self-healing" The priest then makes a guilty smile, as if asking for forgiveness pre-emptively and reveal why. "It would be wise to get an idea of exactly how potent this gift is. One of us should make a deep cut in his hand, and you can come back when it is fully healed" I shudder. That would hurt. I turn to my mom and put on the best begging dog eyes I can muster. Much to my dismay she simply evades my eyes and says "You will have to do it. I can''t bear to hurt my son." The priest nods and fetches a dagger from somewhere, then holds my hand against my will and makes a deep cut across my thumb. "Yeooouwh" I wail. The cut is much nastier than what I was expecting, the meat is clearly apart half an inch down. While ignoring my wailing, the priest then proceeds to wrap it with some simple cloth he had fetched at the same time of the knife.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Surprisingly, when I woke the next day, I could no longer feel pain, and sure enough, as I removed the cloth, all that remained as evidence of the cut was some dried blood. No wound, not even a scar. I must admit even I thought that this would take a little longer.


    In our second session with the priest, he seems estatic and proceeds to explain why "Gifts come not only in many shapes, but also in many degrees of strength. And you, little Yos, seem to have a particularly strong gift. I have heard the strongest self-healers can even regrow limbs, and I wouldn''t be surprised if that was the case with you" Oy, don''t go chopping off anything to test it now, I think to myself.


    As we leave, my mother gestures me to show thanks, to which I say "Thank you, Yuro" but that was apparently a mistake. The priest made a grimace, before saying "It''s fine" to my mom. On the way home, my mother hits the back of my head and explains that it was very disrespectful.


    "What did I do wrong?" I ask


    "You just don''t address your elders by their name." is the reply I receive.


    I have kind of self-isolated myself, in part because it would be weird for me as a grown man on the inside to spend times with kids, but also because more people may notice I was strange and think I am some kind of monster. Seems that had left.


    A few days later is my sixth children''s festival, but also Lod''s thirteenth, meaning he has become an adult. The festival was very fun, but a week or so later after it has passed, tragedy struck. Instead of my father, a stranger appeared at the door for dinnertime, informing my mother "Karar has fallen in the dungeon". What will happen now, that our one source of income has disappeared?

 9: Uncertain Future

    Mom took the news surprisingly well. She simply nodded and let out a word of affirmation of her husbands death and accepted a sack of what I presume is our share of food, before turning to us three boys, who were all home in expectance of the imminent dinner, and says "Let''s eat first, we will talk later". Not that I care that much myself. He was always gone after all, he never really taught me anything or really interacted with me apart from a few scoldings. I wonder if I would have had a stronger reaction, and check to align my expression with my brothers in order to subvert any suspicion. To my surprise, Lod is making a scowl as though this is troublesome, while Sten looks genuinely sad. I decide to show a little somber sadness, not that I wouldn''t do so naturally. After all, a person has just died, even though I almost regarded him as a stranger.


    "The day after tomorrow" My mother starts after the meal. "We will have to attend the summit. That will decide our new life."


    "It will probably be my time to go" The unexpected grandmother interjects. I have barely interacted with her since I could run, so I have only really seen her during meals or when playing with my little sister, in which cases she has been very quiet.


    "Mom, we don''t know that yet" my mother says half-angrily.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    "Of course we know that, it''s all inevitable" She retorts.


    I can''t handle this "being spoken over", so I ask "What''s going to happen to grandma?" in a slightly worried tone.


    "Look, now you''ve worried the children" My mother spouts in the same tone as earlier.


    "They are better off knowing now than when I go" Grandma barks back sharply. Then she completely changes tone to a slower and calmer one while explaining the predicament to me. "We elders, especially the women, have little use here in our later years. Now that someone else will have to take on the burden of feeding each of you, I will have to go"


    A moment of silence falls over the table before I ask "Go where?"


    My mother looks at me and smiles "I will try to make it to the city. I hear sometimes, well-off people will house and feed the old in exchange for doing the more mundane tasks of daily life"


    I get the distinct feeling that this only the best-case scenario.


    "Who will take care of us?" Sten asks


    "That''s for the summit to decided" My mother regains the conversation.


    I don''t know much of the summit, except that it happened sporadically and all men, including father, went to it for a few hours each time it was held. Guess it is the governing body of the village, since I have not heard of a chief or elder or mayor.


    "Won''t we get a say?" I ask, but this was a mistake. Grandmother looks furious and blasts "Your life will be supported only by the goodwill of another person! You will do damn well to remember this only be grateful for it!"


    The room turns silent again and not much is said until we turn in for the day, while I worry for what is going to happen now.

 10: The Summit

    The summit consists only of the adults, and women are usually only considered for opinions, not as votes. As such, the only one in our family that has any say, and that being a miniscule one, of what happens to us is Lod. So even though he has been ignoring me for the most of my life, I will request what I want of him.


    The day before the summit, I catch him after dinner. "Lod, I really don''t want to be separated from mom" There''s no doubt that even despite my best attempts, I have turned out as a weird kid. Mother has supported me and cared for me regardless. I really don''t want to risk being neglected or figured and suspected of being something unnatural or evil.


    My brother appears to think a little before asking "Why are you always like this?"


    "Like what?"


    "You always refuse to refer to us respectfully. Noone else can get away with that. When we have complained, mother always took your side, brushed it under the rug, promised she''d correct you"


    I feel like I''ve been told to refer to my older brothers properly a few times but I thought I did.


    "You know what? Before you were born, Sten tried to refer to me as Lod a few times, but he was always scolded immediately. Just because you have a gift, just because you are chosen, you were ignored for paying no respect. Maybe mother just really wanted you to think of her as fondly as possible, I don''t know, but I''ll be sure to advocate for you to be placed with someone much stricter"


    I am speechless. It''s rude to refer to someone by name? Now that I think about, the few times I have seen interactions between other people, there have been a pattern. My mother referring to Old Man Jorgen as Old Man, or the priest Yuro as simply priest, when in direct conversation with them.


    "Lod is no good?" I seek to affirm it.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "Lod is no good! Only those older than me refer to me by name. You should have spoken to me as "Older Brother" or at least "Brother" all this time"


    Is including "Old" in the referral more respectful?


    "Why didn''t you tell me before?"


    "We wanted to correct you ourselves, but mother always insisted that she''d do it"


    It strikes that it may not be smart to implicate his guilt right now, when I am trying to curry favor with him.


    "Older brother, I am sorry, I didn''t know, but please don''t separate me from mother"


    Brother sighs "You do know I am only one of many, right? And that I am young and my voice will be light compared to those who are older, right?"


    "Please just try!"


    He frowns. "Even then, I think mother has been bad for you. You would probably have been better off with a stricter parent, had more friends, perhaps"


    No, no, this isn''t the fault of her, it is my own choice. But that would probably be too weird for a kid to say. I merely hang my head, and Lod goes towards the outskirts of the village, where the men are gathering up before heading to the dungeon.


    I''ve been told that I am to wait outside the temple for the verdict. Grandmother has already left the village, sure in the judgment that would befall her. Mother went into the temple to influence the conversation, even though she is a woman without a vote. Sten is out here with me, but it appears he wants nothing to do with me and sits far apart from me. I think some old woman is taking care of little sister.


    Being in this situation, I can''t help but get a little melancholic as I compare this new life to my old one. I first thought it seemed pretty fantastic. A bit of fantasy, I was a chosen one, there''s a literal infinite source of ressources, but as of recently, I have grown more and more frustrated with what lacks from my old world. And people didn''t have to literally risk their lives for food. And there were interesting pastimes, one could undertake alone such as books or games. And shoes weren''t a massive expense. And there was a government that could have helped mother when father died.


    I feel depressed as I sit and mull over these thoughts, but then people start coming out from the temple. One of them spots me and comes over. I recognize him as Old Man Jorgen. He has high status in this village, on account of his contribution to it and his gift. He has a lot of scars visible, both on his arms and face. He has grey-white short hair, a lot of wrinkles and constantly looks like he is unhappy with something. That man walks up to me and says "From today on, I''ll take care of you".

 11: Jorgen

    "What of mom and the others" I ask Jorgen. "Are you going to take care of them too"


    "No" he says "Your mother and your little sister is with a guy called Hagar. Your brother Sten ended with a family I don''t know and it was decided that even though Lod isn''t at the age where you''d expect him to live by himself, he is an adult after all and will take over your old house"


    "Is Hagar a good guy?" I ask, fearing a little for the well-being of my mother and sister.


    He slaps me over the head. It didn''t hurt a whole lot but was still painful.


    "Your brother wasn''t kidding about a lack of respect. I don''t know how lovely Luvia raised an improper brat like you, but I''ll take it into my own hands to fix it." I caress the spot he hit to ease pain, but he continues. Ridiculous, it is disrespectful to refer to him by name even if he isn''t here? "Still, good of you to worry about your family, that''s a fine trait. Fear not, for Hagar is one of the most dutiful of his generation." A sharp look suddenly enters his eyes. "More than your father at least".


    My father. Not that I really know anything about him, but was he irresponsible? He did bring home food for my family every day.


    "What was wrong with my father?"


    "He wasted his youth, didn''t train a lick as a young adult. He was always the weakest and dragged the rest of us down because he needed more food than he earned. On his days off, he still didn''t train and spent it with his drinking buddies".


    I knew father had days off because I''d sometimes see him at home between lunch and dinner, but he still wasn''t that much there. So he went drinking huh? Was I in a dysfunctional household or is it normal? But more than that, there''s one thing I can''t let go, as I saw it myself in action.


    "My father wasn''t weak! He could lift all of the heavy furniture really easily!" PANG! Another hit over the head.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "You just think that because you are a kid, listen to your elders" I feel like this is going to be a downgrade from my previous family. Still, my argument didn''t phase him? Is it common for people to be that strong in this world? Was my father really weak.


    "Pray you only inherited his hair and eyes, now let''s go fetch your stuff from your previous home".


    I had green eyes and red hair like my father. Because he didn''t do much for me, this is probably the only thing I will have inherited from him.


    We arrive at my house, and I fetch what little I think is mine. 3 tunics and 2 cloths, which are used to bind around the groin. Children don''t get pants, even Lod doesn''t have any yet. I am wearing my shoes, and I fetch my pinwheel, which I decided to keep for some reason.


    When I exit, Jorgen looks confused "Is that it?" he asks.


    I just nod my head.


    "No wooden swords or dolls? No accessories" Sword I could understand. I have often spotted other boys playfighting with such thing. But dolls or accessories? What am I, a girl?


    "Don''t have" I say. Maybe I haven''t received what is common for a child since the shoes were expensive? The other kids are wearing only cloths wrapped around their feet after all.


    "By God, Karar, at least have the sensibility to get your kid a sword" Jorgen says while shaking his head.


    "Now, let''s head to your new home" he says, turns around and we walk back the way we came.


    On the way, we meet mother, walking with a man who seems to be around her age, which is around 35 now. I think I should up my act as a kid, given I am going to a new home, so I run towards her, into her arms. She appears a little surprised, but quickly adapts and starts caressing my head. "Don''t worry", she says in calming tone. "We will still live in the same village. You can come see me or Vella whenever you want". I look at Vella, my little sister, now soon at her second children''s festival so she is still less than two years old. My mother is holding her with her other arm and I look at her and caress her head. She was a new experience for me, and I am genuinely sad to let this little cutie out of my life.


    "Lavia, don''t spoil him" Jorgen says. "And I don''t know about letting him see you whenever he wants. I have plans for this little fellow."


    "Old Man Jorgen, he''s a good kid. He doesn''t cause much trouble or ask for much, so go easy on him, okay?"


    "That''s up for me to decide. He''s mine now." Is it just me, or does that line sound off? "Enough with that" he continues, pulling me out of the embrace I hadn''t released myself from "We''re heading to my home now"


    As I am begrudingly following him, I cast my eyes back to mother and they only meet my little sisters eyes. She looks shocked. Jorgen''s harsh tone probably spooked her, seeing as after we move a little further apart, I can hear a faint crying.

 12: Wealth

    Jorgen apparently lives in a place across town. I am speechless when I see it. It is much larger in comparison to my own house. In addition, there are glass windows. Metal form a neat pattern that holds small circular glass disks. It is incredible distorted to look through, but still, glass windows. When I enter I also see that there is a wooden floor, in comparison to the old packed dirt one. And there appear to be more rooms. In the old house, one room was parent''s bedroom cum kitchen cum living room, one room as the children''s bedroom and that was it, but here, we have stepped through a small room at the entrance to see something that is only kitchen and living room, as there are no beds. It''s like it''s a real house, I catch myself thinking.


    "Oh welcome, I thought he''d get you as he wanted" A woman is greeting us. She has brown hair and eyes, and seems to be younger than mother.


    "I''m home, dear" Jorgen says, walks up and kisses her. Is she?


    "Please to meet you, Yod" She says to me. "I''m Hannah, Jorgen''s wife" This age difference. Jorgen must be at least twice her age. Must be one of the perks of being so productive for the village.


    "Pleased to meet you" I say in a quiet voice "My name is Yos, not Yod". PANG! Another hit over the head. This is getting real annoying.


    "It''s "pleased to meet you, LADY" Yos, get it already" I seriously don''t get the rules for this. I think I have seen my mother talking to others quite often without a form of address. "Now come, I''ll show you your room"


    It is pretty small, maybe 100 square feet, but that is only in comparison to the old world. As signified by the only bed in here, but the comparative luxury speaks for itself. In comparison to my old bed, which were straw and hides for all bedding, this one clearly had a mattress and a soft looking cover. Jorgen is like, really rich in comparison to my old family.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "You can do whatever today, but if you go out, make sure you can find your way back here. Be back for dinner at the latest. Tomorrow, you start your new life" I simply nod, not daring to speak as to get it wrong again and another hit over the head. I spend the time running of course.


    Dinner is also delicious when I return. I didn''t see the cooking take place, but I think maybe spices are used. There is also much more vegetables and fruit in it, compared to mother''s. Is meat only the low class diet? That''s kinda bizarre. There are still no good source of starch though. No potatoes, bread or rice. I wonder if they even exist in this world?


    The next day, after a delicious breakfast, Jorgen is taking me slightly outside town. "Run back and forth between here and that tree, as fast as you can, as long as you can" is the order I receive. Well this is a pleasant surprise. I start dashing with all my might. So far, I have mostly been keeping a reasonable pace when running, in order to not get too developed with my muscles before I am fully grown. Excessive excercise cause trouble for young ones.


    So I am surprised. both at just the speed I can reach and how long I can keep it up. I feel like I am going maybe 15 miles per hour, and I can keep it up for almost an hour, a feat a 5 year old shouldn''t be able to accomplish. When I am tuckered out and sprawl myself on the ground, Jorgen has a big grin on his face "Splendid" he says "That''s some good legs you got there"


    He picks me up from the ground, and fetches a wooden sword and shield from a sack he brought with him. "Alternate between swinging the sword and bashing with the shield, put as much force in it as you can, and keep going as long as possible" I kind of consider denying, as the amount I want to train my upper body is limited, but as I think about it, I can already feel the back of my head hurting.


    As I start following orders, I am constantly corrected, and eventually he also gets me to alternate my swings. Overhead, from the side, stab, repeat. And with the shield, bash and slice. Almost another hour passes, before my arms feel too heavy to move. I wonder if I did well? Jorgen, at least, has a beaming smile on his face.

 13: Goodbye

    A month or so passes and it is time for the children''s festival again. I am happy because I''ll get to see my little sister. In this past month, I have been sprinting and swinging till i am a temporary parapalegic and I must say, this procedure has produced great results. I can already feel the difference from one month ago.


    Jorgen has also proven how strong he is. Yesterday, I got him to show me, since he had mocked my father, even though he had considerable strength from my point of view. Before I even know what had happened, I had the air knocked out of me, and was several feet up in the air. Sufficed to say, Jorgen is really strong. In addition, he seems to at least be 60 years old, and not that muscular.


    Time and time again I am reminded by this world to throw all I think I know from the old one out of the window, but I just can''t seem to pinpoint my deepset assumptions before I have gotten hurt by it at least once. I wonder how exhausted I would be from this, if it weren''t for my self-healing power. Every night, I go to bed sore and exhausted, but in the morning, I awake fit as a fiddle. Jorgen also seemed slightly surprised at first. My healing power may be truly outrageous.


    At the children''s festival, my sister calls my name and hugs me dearly when we meet, seems she really missed me. This little  Sten is also here, seeking to meet up with our previous family, but we kinda just don''t talk to each other. Lod is nowhere in sight. I wonder if he thinks he is not welcome? It sounded like Jorgen let slip that he advocated our separation.


    I go to sleep in my comfy new bed, but the day after the children''s festival, I awake in a carriage. It seems Jorgen is pulling it at quite the impressive speed.


    "What happened? Where am I?"


    "Oh, you woke up" Jorgen said astutely "We''re heading to a new place for training"


    "What? Why did you move me in the middle of the night?" I ask, genuinely confused.


    "So you wouldn''t know the way back" Every now and then, Jorgen have given me some serious bad vibes, and my skin is crawling right now. I take a look around. There is no road, only a grassy field. In addition, the damn fog that is everywhere doesn''t let me see more than, at best a mile in every direction.


    "Why should I not know the way back" I fear the answer.


    "Because you''re gonna want to run away". I knew it, this guy is a psycho, he is gonna put me through hell.


    As I climb up, jump out of the carriage and aim to start running, Jorgen quickly abandons the cart and catches me. Even though i am so fast, I can''t hope to compete with his speed.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "Give it up, Yos. What are you gonna do? Aimlessly wander around and die of starvation?"


    "Let me go!" I scream, trying to struggle as much as possible with my arms and legs flailing, but Jorgen quickly subdues me.


    "Listen up, kid. You may regret it now, but I am going to forge you into the strongest hunter this world has ever seen!"


    Slightly resigned to the superior might, I ask "Why me? Why did you take me from my mom? What do you gain from this?"


    Jorgen starts to calmly explain. "In the cities, there are what is called the hunter''s association. They dispatch contracted hunters to fetch rare or difficult materials from dungeons in the vicinity, or leases them out as escorts."


    "So what! What does that have to do with anything?" PANG, a strike hits my head.


    "Listen till I am doing speaking, you insolent boy. When I was young, I sought my fortune in the city. It''s where I met Hannah, and it''s where I became strong and it''s where I met the strongest man I have ever seen in my life. Do you know what that gift that strongest man had, boy?"


    I just jerk a little defiantly in response.


    "Self-healing" I freeze a little. There should be all manner of gifts, how can self-healing be the strongest?


    Jorgen continues "When I inquired him how he got so strong he told me that every day, he could train in almost perpetuity, because his stamina kept regenerating and increasing. Every wound he got, first from monster, later from himself, only served to grow him tougher and more resilient, and you know what the best part of it is?"


    "No" I said, having lost all hope of escaping.


    "He only started when he was around 20. I only insisted on getting you, because a little while before, it spread like wildfire through the village that your gift was one of strong regeneration."


    Silence falls, and it starts to feel awkward, having this old man embrace me.


    "And you, what do you get out of this?" I ask with a spiteful tone.


    "I am already an old man. My purpose in life is now to create the best future, the one with the most and strongest hunters. You have real potential here kid. And I won''t lie, it''s gonna be hard for you, but I am going to forge you into a man many people will rely on in the future"


    "Don''t need. All I want is to run. And spend time with my little sister."


    "Run? And how can you make a living just from running? Best bet is a courier but you''d have to spend most time sitting around and doing nothing, only waiting to run. Do you want that?"


    "I don''t know"


    "And noone goes through life alone kid. It is not only better for you to become a great hunter, but also for all of those around you. You have the potential, so you have responsibility to do so"


    Even if he puts it like that... "I-"


    Jorgen immediately cuts me off. "And you know what? The greatest hunters often get in cahoots with nobility. There you can make your own rules, even make a small paradise for running if that is what you want to. Power not only improves your because of what you can do, but also how you can shape society."


    Ugh, I feel like he''s got me. I don''t really want to, alarm signals in my head are still ringing about trusting this old man, but I can''t refute him anymore. And even if I could, he''s kinda right in that I don''t know the way home. I don''t even know the way to the village. If I come across civilization before I starve, I might be able to convince somebody to help me because I have a gift, but what if more weirdos will seek to do what they want with it.


    Jorgen relaxes his grip and we both stand up. I follow him reluctantly to yet another drastic change in my life.

 14: Training

    When wearrive,Jorged immediately starts emptying the cart. I take a look at our destination. It seems to be an old building.I explore a little and find it has ten small, identical bedrooms, a relatively large kitchen and a somewhat large dining area. It gives off a feeling of not having been used for a while, even though there is no dust. Now that I think about it, I haven''t learned the word "dust" in the native language, so it probably isn''t a thing.


    I run up to Jorgen and ask "What is this place?" PANG! Goddammit, leave my head alone!


    "Address me as Old Man Jorgen" He reminds me again "It''s an old training ground for association hunter apprentices"


    "Why here?"


    "There''s a dungeon nearby. One that is not fit for earning money or living off, so you can get it all to yourself, and not cause trouble for the village"


    I am puzzled. "Aren''t dungeons an infinite source of food? Why can''t you live off of it? And Why would you cause trouble to the village?"


    Jorgen sighs tiredly, then starts explaining. "Villagers don''t only need a source of food, but one that doesn''t kill them and is worth the effort. The dungeon close to this place has a lot of small, poisonous critters that are too dangerous compared to how little food you get out of it. In a addition, there is barely any edible plants."


    He pauses, presumably thinking over his next words a little. "As for causing the village trouble, when training you hunt more than you bring back. So if you are in a village, you always have some jackass who goes on and on about wasting god''s gifts."


    Right, I remember that story, the fable explaining monsters.


    And thus training began. We aren''t going to the dungeon yet, apparently. Just more running and swinging, with more weight on my back or in the sword. Just why did we come out here then?Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    I get my answer as the sunless sky darkens and we have had dinner. Jorgen presumably had brought some food with him. Immediately after the meal, I ask him "Is Hannah not coming" to which he chuckles a little and says "In a few years. Is this old man''s cooking that bad". I shake my head, I merely thought about her because she used to prepare dinner.


    Jorgen walks silently up to me and grabs my hand, then leads me a bit harshly while looking... sad? I think. He leads me up to some poles behind the house. A rope between them means they are probably used for drying washed clothes. It then starts to feel wrong. He forcefully removes my tunic. He ties me to the pole.


    "Really sorry about this" he says, fetching something. "But remember what I said about the guy starting to wound himself? This is likely going to save your life in the future, so bear with it" WHAT IS THAT OMINOUS TALK! STOP?! I want out, I should have run away!


    Looking back, I see him holding a many-tipped whip. Oh no. And intense pain hits my back. FUCK OW. It burns and hurts and stings, and a few minutes that each feel like an eternity later, I lose conciousness.


    I wake up in one of the identical bedrooms. I feel no pain, only refreshed. Seriously, this self-healing power is kinda outrageous. As I open the door. I grab a tunic left at a bedside table and put it on. As I leave the room, Jorgen is immediately to my left and jumps out from a sitting position in a split second. I freeze. Thoughts of the intense pain last night freeze my body and I can''t do anything.


    "Wow, you really healed all that in just a night" Jorgen says. I simply hold my head down, not daring to make eye contact. He sighs, then states "You''re gonna appreciate this in the future you know." I just keep my head down.


    Over the next few months the schedule becomes training during the day, whipping during the evening. When I stop bleeding, he pulls out another whip with small metal bits stuck to it''s tail and it is hell again. It feels like being stuck in hell. Maybe I died and this whole thing has just been a delusion of hell? Would certainly make more sense than being reincarnated in a different world that dashes my hopes and dreams with an old man hell-bent on whipping me.


    I try to tone everything out, and don''t feel that much more. Somewhere in there, Jorgen tries to fit in two whippings a day, but it seems I only heal after I sleep or something, so it is quickly discarded. I don''t know how much time passes while I am in this state, all I know that one day, the metal-tipped whip stopped hurting me, Jorgen smiled and said "Let''s go the dungeon".

 15: Dungeon

    I can''t really bring myself to resist Jorgen on any level anymore. All I know is that I can''t run away. And that he brings pain, whether I obey him or not.


    "The critters on the first level here are probably the nastiest critters on any other dungeon''s first level" He explains to me, while we trod through a forest. My first time seeing one in this world, but I can''t really get excited. "However, with how tough your skin is now, their fangs shouldn''t even pierce your skin, you''ll see." He forces a smile on his face, but when I look at him, he averts his eyes and scratches the back of his head. Did he realise that he has done something awful?


    After a bit of silent walking, he starts speaking again "Sometimes the best decisions can be painful to make you know? But you will see here today, that the improvement is real, and that the pain was worth it. Don''t make me out to be such a bad guy, alright. You''ll see". It sounds like he has a bit of remorse for his actions, but it is too late. I have already decided on my new purpose in life. It is to get strong enough to send this old geezer straight to hell for what he has done!


    We arrive at the dungeon, still in the middle of a forest. It looks strange, like rocks unnaturally sticking together to form a hallway. It seems like the inside has these rocks cover every surface, making the ground ridiculously uneven. At the top of the dungeon, there is a sign. It doesn''t look like any language I have seen before.


    "Ah, that sign. Seems that the dungeons were named back in time immemorial, or even by God at the dawn of time. This one is called "meadow", allegedly. Funny name for a dungeon in the middle of a forest, right?"


    Allegedly? So he can''t read either. Wonder how common it is in this world. Maybe only the priest Yuro could read in the village.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Here, before we enter, take this" Jorgen hands me a metal sword and shield from a sack he brought with him. They are surprisingly lighter than the training weapons, at least the ones with weight added to them. As I receive the sword, I briefly consider surprise attacking Jorgen, but this old man is strong as hell. In the few spars we have had, I have not managed to land a single hit. It is still much too soon.


    "Now, just to show you the fruits of your... efforts, let the first pack we encounter bite you"


    There is no light in the dungeon, but Jorgen quickly fetches a torch from the sack, and grabs a weird, orange stone too. As he scrapes the stone with his knife, sparks fly and the torch is quickly lit.


    "We are little light on manpower for this" Jorgen says. "Usually you''d have 6 hunters as a vanguard and a support group"


    I don''t pay any attention to him and continue in, Jorgen just follows. A little bit later, I encounter my first monster. A group of three. They are about the size of a rabbit, which powerful-looking hind legs of one to boot, covered in grey skin and have a head resembling that of a rat but with two large fangs sticking out. Two of them jumps at me, but I just let them bite me as Jorgen instructed.


    There is no pain, only a sense of some sort of pressure being applied to my arm and leg, where the two of them had attacked. I then quickly stab the one at my leg, tear off the one on my arm and do the same. Appears the last one had gone for Jorgen and is already taken care of. I didn''t even hear a sound. This old man is much too formidable.


    "Now, let''s head a little deeper, I know the way past the first five floors or so" He says, now taking the lead. "What I want you to learn in this dungeon is how to kill. Monsters have weaknesses, and being able to identify them is one of the most important aspects of being a hunter." he kicks one of the dead beasts while passing them. "Not gonna happen with these ones. Small ones tend to die no matter where you strike them. But larger beasts awaits us on the fourth layer"


    I meekly follow, quickly killing any of those rats. None of them seem to avoid us, all attack on sight. I eventually get down how to kill them in the middle of their leaping attacks, but my tunic is already heavily busted up. Not that it even fits me that well anymore.

 16: Four years pass

    At the second floor, we encounter a new enemy. They are like tailless squirrels, but they climb along the ceiling, and jump at us from above. And it isn''t long before we are on the third floor, where we meet yet another enemy, a smallish hog-type. It has a flat, squarish head with 4 tusks protruding from it and a kind of mane.


    After taking care of the first stray one with aquick stab in its stomach, Jorgen informs me "For monsters, you have generally 5 types of attacks. In order of danger, they are strikes, charges, grabs, projectiles and traps. For chargers, the only thing you have to do is evade or deflect them, then cut at a weak point. Their most annoying trait is that they disrupt the formation of the party, but we don''t really deal with that, since we''re only two down here. And see here" He uses his sword to point at some think hairs by the beast''s neck. "This one has some kind of hard neck hair, so you''ll be much better off aiming for the stomach in this case. Charge monster often have some sort of neck protection. Then, you decide whether to stab at it directly from the side or from the opposite direction of the charge, the advantages with the first being..."


    Jorgen goes on a long, long rant about all manner of tips and tricks regarding charging monsters according to their hide, armor, horns and tusks, speed etc. and any exceptions to his tips are quickly added too. It truly gives of the air of someone who has been doing this for longer than I have even lived. And that''s with the time of both my lives combined.


    After his lecture, I ask a question there has been bugging me. "Is there only one type of monster per level?"


    "Generally yes" Jorgen says "Mostly there is only one type of ressource and one monster on each level, but sometimes, a monster from a lower level will move up to a higher one and you will encounter unexpected opponents every so often, so always stay on your guard. Complacency is truly the biggest killer of all hunters".Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Lessons such as those quickly became the norm. Each dayconsisted of dungeon in the morning, followed by a spar or some special training, and then training the basics till exhaustion.


    During dungeon training I learn to deal with all of the major types of monster attacks apart from grabs, since none of those are at this dungeon. Seems they are fairly rare to begin with though. I am taught about strikers primarily using some bug-men with long, spiky limbs. They are poisonous, but the force is minimal, not even enough to piercy my skin, so I can learn without fear.


    For projectiles there were two. A flying owl-like creature that seems to shoot sharp feathers and some outlandish small creature I can best describe as a short, fat shrimp that shoots tiny spikes at incredible speeds.


    For traps I have only really seen the traps themselves and not the monsters, since those don''t engage directly with humans if they can help it, and they''re the only type to do so, so most don''t even bother hunting them. I am introduced to some webs. They are nigh invisible, and they apparently aim around head-height to clog up a human''s breathing and asphyxiate you... Incredibly scary.


    The other type was some caltrop-looking things that actually got me, since my feet hadn''t been whipped. Luckily my self-healing took care of the poison, which was pretty weak all things considered. My poor shoe still has a hole in it, and Jorgen whipped my feet for months after, though.


    Special training consisted of whenever Jorgen got bright ideas, though I think their purpose was mainly to torture me. It sounded like he rarely thought his ideas would work, but he subjected me to all manner of treatments. Wanted to see if I built up resistance to poisons, fire and crushing. Each projects that lasted months. The answers were yes, yes and no.


    In such a manner, four years pass. My skin is tough as leather, my swings are deadly, and I know the monster well enough to take on several of them on alone. I am also faster. Some days I really wanted to give in, to say no more, to run away, but what kept me going was that one day, I will wipe smug grin off Jorgen''s face and pay him back in kind for all he has done to me.


    I was having such thoughts while one day, a guest I had completely forgotten was scheduled to arrive, came to our little house. Jorgen runs up and kisses her. It was Hannah.

 17: Hannah

    Hannah looks exactly like I remember her, which is weird. Even Jorgen seems to have aged a little over the course of time I have been here.


    After her reunion with Jorgen, in which I simply ignored it and swung my sword and shield, she walks up to me. "Do you remember me, Los?"


    "Yes, Lady Hannah, it''s Yos though" I can''t shake the feeling that this form of speech makes it sound like I am speaking to an aristocrat, but it is merely the respectful conduct of this world. My time with Jorgen has taught me that when you first address someone in a conversation, or speak about them in third person, you add their "title", especially important if they are older than you. Addressing them only by name presumes you are equally worthy of respect, and that''s insulting to the elders, apparently.


    In addition, referring to someone in third person with only their name is like saying "That person is a close friend of mine", which can also be insulting if incorrect.


    "Has Jorgen been to hard on you? He didn''t want me here presumably because I''d find it too harsh" she continues.


    A brief session of recollections of the various tortures Jorgen has subjected me to pops up. I feel myself frowning involuntarily.


    To my surprise, Hannah hugs me immediately after, and I am also perplexed by my own response to that. I can feel myself easing up, and tears well up in my eyes. I remember the love and affection my moms from both my lives have shown me up this point. As I lean into the embrace, I am happy that I still have the form of a kid, otherwise it would be really embarrassing.


    After half a minute so, Hannah lets go with a "must''ve been hard". I quickly wipe my tears, before they spill out on their own.


    Hannah quickly starts to work on a few things. First she has brought some tunics, which she adjusts so they fit me. My old ones, that went down to my knees when I first arrived, only barely covers my stomach by now. She also cleans, which we apparently neglected too much. We still did so, but apparently not to the standards of Hannah. She also cooks in the evening, which end up being the best meal ever, at least as far as I can remember.


    The next day, I prepare myself for the dungeon as I had been doing every morning for a long time, but Jorgen stops me and brings me to living room. "You know how humans with gifts can use magic?" Jorgen asks.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    I feel like I heard my mother mention something like that before, so I just nod. "Well Hannah is here to teach you how to use magic. Usually you''d have to sign up for working as a retainer to a noble, or with the church to learn, so treasure this oppurtunity!"


    "Hannah has a gift?" News to me at least.


    "Not quite" Jorgen smiles wrily. "Eldrymheh, show him".


    Upon hearing that foreign-sounding name, Hannah quietly nods, turn around and shows me her back. She drags down her dress and I am astonished by what I see. There is a hole in her back. Not only that, the inside is clearly wood. The skin approaching the hole seems to crack and split before reaching the rim of the hole, at which point, the cracks become finer and finer until they reveal themselves to be part of the grain of the wood.


    Jorgen laughs upon seeing my stunned expression. "Eldrymheh is a dryad, probably the best among the races at magic. I had Hannah come here to teach you, Yos". But something slightly bugs me.


    "But why aren''t you teaching me yourself, Old Man?" to which Jorgen does an embarrassing maneuver. Making a grimace and averting his eyes. He clearly finds it embarrassing.


    "You gotta understand, I didn''t have anyone to teach me. And when I did have the coin to finance it, I was working everyday and me and others were dependant on my income. And then I felt I was too old and it wouldn''t have made much difference anyway. And I never was good at sitting still and paying attention". Excuses fly out of the old man''s mouth, one after the other. This shitty old man, he deems fit to torture me for some minor, possible benefits, but couldn''t bear learning magic. What a hypocrite.


    "I tried teaching him when we first met some 60 years ago" Hannah says. "But he didn''t take to it very easily, and has been avoiding it ever since".


    "Hannah!" Jorgen exclaims, presumable to try and salvage his reputation.


    But 60 years ago huh? Leaving aside that would probably make Jorgen older than I thought he was, Hannah, or Eldrymheh, is also that old?


    "Are dryads immortal?" I ask.


    "We live until we are killed" she astutely informs me. How envious, all that time on their hands, they can do anything.


    "Why were you pretending to be human?".


    "Boy, do you remember the teachings about god, and what our purpose is on this world?" Jorgen interjects, to which I nod.


    "It is our purpose to multiply and spread across the world. While some think it is fine for the children to be whatever, but some people, especially the priests think it''s a betrayal of humankind to produce children of another"


    Wait, so they can have children? I had expected them to be unable to produce offspring between different species. Or maybe it is races at this point.


    "It would be one thing for a human woman to take a non-human husband, but for a man to take non-human wife is considered unacceptable"


    "Why the difference?"


    "Children share the species of their mother, of course"


    Well, there goes my understanding of reproduction. I wonder if I have learnt anything in my previous life that''s useful in this one.


    "Well, Jorgen, make yourself scarce and go hunt some food. We''ll begin the first lesson immediately" Hannah ends my lesson on biology, eager to start one on magic instead.

 18: Dryads

    "Let us start with a cursory instruction in what mana is" Hannah starts.


    "Before that, what should I call you?" I interject.


    "Hannah will be fine" she says. "Now mana is in essen-"


    "Do all dryads look just like humans?" I knew it was rude but I was curious. I also felt slightly alive for the first time in a long time, since I could spend time with someone that wasn''t my own personal torturer.


    Hannah sighs. "It seems we will have to deal with some questions first. No, dryads do not necessarily look like humans. We are a special sort of tree, one with a consciousness. If we live long enough, about 500 years, we start to become proficient in magic. We then shape a new body out of our wood, but as you have seen, we can never quite close it off. This is because we can bend stretch and compress our wood, but we can''t fuse it together, so somewhere on our bodies will be a hole betraying our true nature."


    "Can you change how you look? Can you appear as a monster? or a dragon?" I continue my onslaught.


    "I could change how I look. If I were to change shape to that of a monster, it would take me at least half a century, though. A couple of years should be plenty to change my face and hair beyond regocnition. I could change into a dragon, but I can''t really control my size or mass, so I would just end up as a small one".


    "How much do you weigh? What do you eat?"


    "Well, I just eat any regular food, though contrary to humans, we only take in the mana and water trapped in the food, and expel the rest. As for my weight, I think there''s a joke in there somewhere, but let''s just get it over with. Come and lift me up" I do as instructed.


    I lift her by the waist. I can''t help but be slightly flustered. I didn''t have much contact with any women who wasn''t one of my moms or my little sister, so something inside of my reacted a little. It is overshadowed by the surprise of her weight though. I''d guess she only weighs around 50 pounds, maybe a little less. Around double the weight of my weighted training sword. I suddenly find myself imagining swinging her around as a sword and chuckle.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "That''s quite enough, young man" Hannah says with a slightly stern tone. I completely forgot I was holding her and put her down immediately.


    "Any more questions?" she asks. I have a bunch, but I don''t dare ask them. I wanted to ask how babies are made, since it may differ from my world, and whether she could conceive no matter what form she is in. And how it turns out, she is a tree after all. Are her babies nuts or fruit? But I let it rest so that the lesson can begin.


    "Mana is produced by every little thing, be they monster or dryads or even humans without gifts." She starts. "The difference is that those who are capable of utilizing mana is because they have a mana vessel. A way to hold mana inside their body. Only dragons, dryads and a few monsters and those with gifts can hold mana"


    "First lesson is, expel the mana inside of you!" She stated.


    A few moments pass. "You''re not gonna teach me how?" I ask to break the silence.


    "You don''t know?" She seems genuinely puzzled. "Children usually find it out by themselves when playing. Most have this instinct to try and manipulate the world without touching it, and during play, children often find the sensation and remember it"


    Urgh, maybe because I was never really a child, I didn''t try any of that. In my previous life, I do remember trying all manner of stuff like trying to light stuff on fire, move things, imitate superheroes with their beams or heat vision or whatever.


    "Gimme a moment" I try to focus, convincing myself to shoot fires. Nothing happens. I try to store up the nonexistant energy and shoot it out of my hand. Nothing happens. I try to move some nearby stuff by concentrating. Nothing happens.


    "Erhm, I don''t know how" I say.


    Hannah sighs again. "Well, keep trying different stuff and play around. Consider it your first assignment. I have heard of this before, and it shouldn''t take more than a week, if my sources were to be trusted.


    And so I spend the next few days playing like a kid. Imagining myself doing all manner of impossible stunts. Finally, on the third day, I feel something distincly real. When I tried to shoot down a cup, an unpleasant sensation like that of a thin rope being pulled out from the palm of my hand could be felt. It did not do anything to the cup though.

 19: First Magic Lesson

    "I did it!" I run in to to the living room. Part of me didn''t think it was real, but after the sensation I felt, I feel like I really might become able to use magic!


    "Lady Hannah, what''s the next step?" Hannah is in the middle of knitting something, but quickly puts it away. She closes her eyes for a few moments, then opens them again.


    "Show me" she says.


    "You can see mana?" I ask


    "Nevermind that, just show me quickly"


    I do as she says and fire it like before. It is exactly the same as last time, a grating feeling in my hand and the sense of something escaping it. As Hannah sees it, she makes a grimace as if watching something unpleasant.


    "Doesn''t that hurt?" She asks me.


    "It is uncomfortable, but I wouldn''t say it really hurts. Is it not supposed to feel like that?"


    Hannah sighs. She does that a lot. "Noone''s emission is perfect at the start, but your is particularly crude." She says.


    I just generally want to her to elaborate, so i put on my best puzzled expression.


    "You can think of your mana emitted as a string. That string needs to be arranged into a certain pattern to take effect in the real world. Otherwise, it simply remains as an inert string, before dissolving into it''s surroundings. You can roughly think of it as a spells potency coming from the string''s thickness and it''s duration from it''s length. Yours is much too thick, though, well, everyones is at first. Yours is just much thicker than average."


    She grimaces again, presumably from remembering the sight that made her make that face to begin with.


    "To train magic, you need to practice manipulating the string, but if it is too thick you run out of mana and will have to wait for your soul vessel to refill, which usually takes between 3-5 days if you go from empty to full. Your first task will be to reduce the amount of mana you let out to the smallest amount possible, such that you can practice as much as possible."This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "And how do I do that?"


    "You probably used some sort of image or idea to get it out the first time, but once you have felt the sensation, you''re meant to focus on that and draw it out manually. Separating it from the primitive idea or image is necessary to manipulate it precisely"


    I try and remember the sensation, then try feeling that sensation in my arm. Staring at my palm, I suddenly feel it once again, but it abruptly stops. "Ah" I let slip, surprised that it ceased so quickly.


    "You just ran out of mana, didn''t you?"


    "Yeah, I think so" I admit quietly.


    "It''s probably gonna take some time to reduce the string, but magic school is officially back in season, now that you have the most essential requirement out of the way. I will see when your mana vessel has filled, so that you can practice in as long sessions as possible. When dealing with this at the start, it is important that you get as long sessions as possible to make progress."


    "How do you see if my mana vessel is full?" I ask.


    And Hannah explains "One of the most useful spells that everyone learns at first. This spell sends out a thin wave of your own mana, then returns a signal for each living thing with either a filled vessel, or none at all."


    Sounds neat, like a radar for most living things.


    "I use it pretty much constantly by habit, so I will simply inform you once you are ready to go. In the meantime, you will return to training normally with Jorgen, but instead of heading to the dungeon, you will practice patterns with me"


    "Don''t I have to have the mana to practice the patterns?"


    "Well, yeah, but you can get a good feeling for them simply by trying them out in the dirt. Come, I''ll show you what they call the three basic spells" Hannah proclaims joyfully, as she takes me by the hand and drags me outside. She breaks a stick off from a nearby tree, which makes me question her.


    "Do you not respect trees?" I ask, remembering her origins.


    "Nah, trees are just trees. The only thing that makes something worth caring about is a conscious mind, you know. Wood is just wood" She repeats herself before introducing me to three patterns, the first too of which are quite simple.


    One is an indefinite series of spirals, the trace going once into the center, then out again making it look like an extremely curly ocean wave. The waves alternate between having two facing the right direction, then one in the other. The second pattern is mostly the the same, except the waves have rounded ends instead of pointed ones, it makes one more revolution and has two facing left, then one right.


    And the last pattern is just an alternating line of rectangles and flat line in a string. The rectangles are not only the outline, but going back and forth in a jagged pattern to form the shape.


    "These are the three basic spells, in order from top to bottom, heat, cool and force is produced when emitting this pattern".


    I am then handed the stick and urged to reproduce them as closely as possible, which I initially thought would be easy given their simplicity. I am, however, quickly proven wrong as I look at a mess of lines and swirls, all uneven and different sizes.

 20: Bestowal and Creation

    The next day I am quickly met by a perplexed Hannah.


    "How is your vessel already full?" She says while holding my shoulders with her arms and staring right into my eyes.


    "Eh, it is? Weren''t you the one who said it will take 3 to 5 days?" I quickly think of the likely culprit though, "Maybe, my gift is responsible?"


    "That would be ridiculous. I have heard from Jorgen that it is quite the powerful healing effect. If it also recovered mana, that would be... unfair!"


    Unfair? That''s a weird way to put it.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Gifts are supposed to be balanced! Greater effects with greater drawbacks and narrower conditions! It is normal for self-healing to be subtle, but affect both your stamina, mana and wounds. Then it will be more powerful if it doesn''t include all three, and strongest if it has only one. And the ones with the power to regrow limbs, they usually only work under certain circumstances, like eating way more than usual, or only when sleeping or restrictions like that."


    "And all gifts work this way?" I ask


    "Well, it''s really only a guess, but one that has proven remarkably accurate over time. But if it really is your gift, then I can''t help but think it has been completely proven wrong."


    It is eventually laid to rest, as I can''t hope to explain the details of my power, I am just as clueless as her, but it is great if I can get in 3 to 5 times the practice people would normally get.


    Time goes on with me training and I eventually refine my rope to a string, thus making me able to use it for much longer and two months or so later, I am able to use the three basic magics I was introduced to.


    Then one day, the subject of my magic lessons is changed.


    "Magic consists of 3 types", Hannah starts, "We categorize them into emission, bestowal and creation magic. What you have learned so far is the easiest of the three, emission types. These are characterized by their effect working as the pattern is produced, generating a current of effect as long as it is produced. Bestowal, on the other hand, requires forming a loop with the correct pattern, and cycling it over an object. Depending on the pattern, one can imbue various attributes to that object. The most used versions of this magic are enhancing the strength of your limbs, the hardness of your skin or the sharpness of your weapon."This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Hannah pauses and waits to see if I got it. I simply nod and she continues.


    "The tricky thing here is to not only move your string outside your body, but also mainting it. Both the pattern and structure of the string can be easily comprimised. If you simply push or pull the string with where it exits your body, the pattern will be distorted, and if you don''t supply an appropriate amount of mana to your string, it will either shrivel or expand as it takes effect, quickly rendering it inert once again."


    Sounds difficult. The "simple" emission magic already has me concentrating substantially. I can''t really imagine myself using it on the fly.


    "Last is creation magic. Where bestowal magic requires control outside your body, this requires control inside of it. You have to build a three-dimensional object, using your magic, and doing that while the mana is dispersing to the surroundings in nigh impossible. So you must learn to create an almost complete object within yourself, ejecting it while it is still in an incomplete form, then finish it off outside your body. It is both the hardest magic to learn and the least useful, so we will only practice it if manage to learn all the other useful magic I know. It really only comes in handy if you find yourself without a weapon and can create one quickly, or if you need a bestowal magic to function for something, you are not in contact with, since the mana of the object can feed it instead of yourself."


    I try to imagine creating the object and quickly become overwhelmed by all the things I have to remember when doing so. The thickness of the string, the size of the object, I would have to not only wrap it losely around an object, but create it from the bottom up, covering everything the object will be, but again, I can''t push or pull the string in order to not distort it. I wonder if I will ever learn it.


    But I do. Over the course of the next few years I become more and more intimate with the constructing of the magic patterns, and a few I learn so intimately, that I can use them at a moment''s notice.


    I have mostly been back to dungeon crawling nowadays, training to use the magic in actual situations. The spars with Jorgen have slowly begun to turn in my favor, though I suspect it has as much to do with him getting weaker with me getting stronger. One day, while swinging weighted training sword, as Jorgen starts speaking to me.


    "Well, it''s about time to go back."


    "Back, why now?" I ask. I have been itching to, since I miss my little sister and mother dearly, though not as much as before Hannah arrived.


    "Well, son, can''t really miss you becoming an adult now, can we?"

 21: Preparation

    After we packed our various gear, I was told to pull the carriage, while Jorgen and Hannah sit in it along with their belongings. I think back to the time I have spent here as it is enveloped slowly by the fog due to me moving farther away. I have become something outrageous by old world standards. I really wanted there to be an athletics organisation where I could compare run times and weight lifts to see how bad it is in this world. I should be far stronger than normal according to Jorgen, but that old codger still had the upper hand last time we sparred.


    Jorgen shouts directions to me and we eventually end up at the village. I wonder how he tells which way is which, as I couldn''t tell if I was running in circles or going in a distinct direction. There was no road and a general lack of landmarks. That coupled with the generally low visibility of this world must make it incredibly tricky to navigate.


    When we arrive at Jorgen''s house it is already close to dinner time. "Old man Jorgen, I am going to say hi to my mom" I say, as I turn to leave, wanting to leave the unpacking to Hannah and Jorgen, but I am stopped.


    "Don''t! That would be very rude." He informs me. "Your family has new homes and you can''t just show up unannounced at them, especially around dinner time. What would people not think?" I was about to log this under "rules for new world" in my brain, but then I remembered I never really did this in my old world, and thus don''t know if it is general common sense or not.


    "They aren''t running anywhere, boy, you can see them tomorrow. Let''s unload the carriage while Hannah makes dinner." And so the evening is spent eating dinner and practicing magic patterns. I can''t make 2 different patterns simultaneously yet, but Hannah has complemented in almost all other aspects, so I try to get it to 100% by practicing it whenever I can.


    The next day we enjoy a simple breakfast, before Jorgen and I head to the temple. I am getting excited.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Priest Yuro sees us and comes running with a troubled expression on his face. "By god, Old Man Jorgen, would it have killed you to tell us you where coming back? We had thought you headed to some other village or died somewhere."


    Jorgen just laughs before saying "You know how I am, young Yuro. I trust adding this one to the batch this year isn''t going to be a problem, right?" He says while gesturing at me.


    "Is it young Yos? You seem to have become a fine man. Old man, I always have spare supplies, but if everyone acted like you did it would be complete chaos, please consider it in the future."


    I simply nodded at the question and took the compliment while the two old men bicker on.


    "Good thing there is only one of me then!" Jorgen says and laughs. Yuro furrow his brows a little.


    "Anyway, we must make haste, there is less than an hour till we begin, come with me young Yos."


    Wait, it''s today? I was sure there would have been a couple of days of leeway. Jorgen has no sense of decency. So I think while being dragged along hurriedly by the priest. We enter a large house, which I have seen before. It has a large room usually used for dining on the children''s festival, but today I am dragged to a smaller room in the back. I am given a white tunic and something else; a pair of white cloth tubes with two holes in them and pieces of thin rope.


    I put on the tunic and soon someone else comes in and helps me with the rest. I follow his intructions of putting tying one piece of rope to one of the holes, drag it on with the rope facing my back, then drag the rope over my opposite shoulder and tying it to the front end of the pant leg at a place where it feels comfortable, then cut off excess rope. They are extremely loose, like slightly larger than my thighs all the way down, but it is quickly "fixed" by tying another piece of rope around my ankles.


    Through the years spent in the woods, I have outgrown my shoes, but here I am also given some wooden ones, slightly difficult to move in. When I am done, I am hurried by the person who was helping me, I suspect a volunteer or apprentice or something, as he drags me along to the temple. Twenty or so kids the same age of me, are already lined up, so I take my place at the end of the line. Seems the ceremony is about to begin.

 22: Ceremony

    <div>


    When we are all lined, priest Yuro silences the massive crowd. Man, a village of what I guess is less than 1000 people sound pretty small until they turn up in one place like this. I wonder how crowded the dungeon must be.


    "Today, these young men and women stand before you and before God, to enter the ranks of the adults..." Yuro starts a drivel of a speech I have heard more less the same version off for many years while I lived in the village.


    The premise is basically that we have been given much, by the land, by our parents, so now we have a duty to provide for others, have our own children. I have noticed this before, but the religions here are really hardcore on making sure we have a lot of children.


    "And you have received bounty from the land, provided to you not by your own power, but gifted from..."


    I kinda zone him out while scouring the crowd for familiar faces. Ah, Jorgen is there all the way in the back. I wonder why Hannah is not very well known or come to the village. Maybe she is just trying to hide her never-aging dryad thing, but she could easily have pretended to age naturally, if I understand their powers correctly.


    "And thus we learned not to squander the gifts given to us, but to appreciate them and..."


    This guy can really drone on. Oh, there is mother. I try discreetly winking, but some other people give me the stink eye, so I better not cause a commotion. Her hair is grey now. Is that girl next to her my little sister? I have been gone for seven years, so it would be a miracle if she remembers me. She stares at me specifically, mom probably pointed me out for her though.


    "So today our young children will take their vows and become adults. They will forsake their indolence and embrace diligence. They will provide the world with more families and spread our kind further, as God has willed it."


    Seems the speech is over. Yuro opens the massive doors to the green temple. Those closest to him start following him, so I start following too. I wonder if they practiced this or it''s common knowledge? we then enter the room where I was first painted with the weird stuff that made glowed on me. In hindsight, it was probably a way to detect if we had a gift.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    We are all instructed to kneel in front of an alter. On it is several statuettes. One shows a pregnant woman, lovingly carresing her tomb. One shows a man with a spear and the last shows a girl and a boy, looking playful. I have thought this before, but gender roles are heavily cemented and encouraged in this world. Kinda glad I am not a woman.


    "Repeat these vows as I anoint you" Yuro proclaims. "I will appreciate what you have given me, I will be fruitful as you have commanded, I will work diligently for a better world".


    The priest then smears some red paste on our heads. Now each and every one of them glows. Kinda scary, hope this isn''t some magical way to enforce our adherence to these wishes, I''d really like to be lazy every now and then. When the priest comes to me, he starts annointing me and I repeat "I will appreciate what you have given me, I will be fruitful as you have commanded, I will work diligently for a better world" and wait for him to proceed to the next person.


    When he is all done, he stands before us once again and speaks. "You are now adults. MEN! You will do good by attending the summit, becoming dependable by earning your keep and growing strong! WOMEN! You will do good by finding a respected man, who hunts well, taking care of the home and birthing children. Now, go and enjoy the party, but don''t ruin your clothes, we will expect them back after they have been washed!"


    Again, as one who was originally brought up with a general idea of gender equality, or at least and idea that one shouldn''t be forced to take certain actions because of their gender, it seems a little harsh, but no matter. I want to reunite with my family! Well, my sister and mother at least.


    As we exit the temple, I quickly spot the now grey-haired woman, and run up to her, giving a big hug. "Mother, it''s been so long" I exclaim. I have genuinely missed her love and care and gentle nature these past years. She also hugs me firmly "Welcome back, Yos. Did you become a good man?"


    "I believe so" I answer while separating from her. "And is this my little Vella?" I ask, trying to meet the eyes of the girl hiding behind her mother.


    "Say hello, Vella, it''s your older brother"


    "Hi, older brother" Vella timidly says. When we left she was a cute toddler, but now she is a cute little girl, I seriously want to hug her tightly, but I also don''t want to frighten her.


    "Hi Vella" I say with a big a smile on my face, which she returns. Ah, what radiance!

 23: Festival

    <div>


    "How is older brother Lod and older brother Sten?" I ask mother, while trying to interact with my little sister as much as possible.


    "Lod is already a dependable. He got married two years ago and his wife is currently pregnant. He should be here somewhere. Sten left for the city as soon as he turned adult."


    I simply nod, I really didn''t care but I don''t know what else I could have asked.


    "And how have you been mom?" I ask while making a few funny faces at Vella, to which she grins.


    "Oh, it''s been a little difficult, but it has settled. I didn''t give any children to Hagar, so I have been scolded a little" she makes a slightly guilty expression.


    We chat about meaningless things. Vella doesn''t remember me at all, but is quick to trust me, by the time it starts to grow dark and people start going home, she is already sitting on my lap and having me hold her doll. Jorgen comes over.


    "Come, Yos, there is something I should give you" He says, dragging me away slightly forcefully.


    I follow him back to his home, where either he or Hannah has prepared a few items on the table.


    "I have invested my last few good years in making you an excellent man, Yos. Now I am going to invest my last bit of wealth and knowledge" He start by handing me a chainmail. "Even if you''re tough, don''t let it go to your head. Don''t sell this, wear it, it is made of hyacite, the second best metal readily available."


    The chainmail has a blue luster to it. The shine makes me think it has been polished.


    "Hannah has also worked on this leather armor. It will serve you well" A shirt and a set of pants that look really thick is given to me. Wait, these are normal pants? The annoying ropework I had to do with the ones I am wearing now had scared me, but it seems these are just some ceremonial clothes.


    "This sword and shield is my old prized possessions. I don''t know how well the shield will hold up, but the sword is made of flavite and will hold up quite well as long as proper maintenance is used" The sword has a yellow tinge to it. It really tells me very little that all these metals, that I don''t know is used.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "Then, some money. Use these to solve any manner of problems you may run in to without reserve" He hands me a leather purse, in which there are 20-something blue coins and 1 yellow one. The yellow coin has a depiction of a man working.


    "What is the yellow one worth? I have never seen it before." I state curiously


    "Six years of labor. It is almost unusable as it is, so you should exhange it somewhere when you can. It should give you between 100 and 150 blue coins" Wow, this is expensive, but wait.


    "I thought the coins could be exchanged for their value, butwhat do you exchange the yellow one for?"


    "Ah, in the city, man do not live by the dungeon, but make their living in many weird ways, one of them involving money. Should someone borrow money they cannot be back, or doesn''t trust themselves to feed themselves, they can be forced or they will volunteer as servants. The local nobility will hold them, and in exchange for the coin given to the nobility, who will use it to pay their debts, or to themselves after their work is done. That makes them your servant for 6 years. But many avoid it since it has all manner of complications."


    Jorgen chews a little on nothing before continuing.


    "When one is such a servant, one is considered subhuman, useless and unreliable. The owner is priviliged to punish them in any way they see fit. And if you buy them, the nobility will meddle with you, making sure you don''t kill them. Many lesser men have also bought their wives in this way, though that sometimes causes serious trouble when the six years are over."


    So basically, there is an indentured servitude system here... Better never fall into debt.


    "Now, lastly I have advice for you. You are a man now, and thus entitled to make your own decisions, but you should see the world, young Yos. If you stay in the village there is only really one way to live a good life, but if you see the world, many options will open themselves for you. I highly recommend you join the hunter''s association. They get around a lot and do a lot of different things. Take this, it''s a recommendation from me, which should hold a little weight" He hands me a letter. Wait, I thought he couldn''t read?


    "I recommend you leave quickly, before you make too many relations in this village. Those gets harder and harder to abandon, the more they grow." He says sternly. But I had already decided. I am going to create a life, where I can compete with my body against others, I want to race again and I will make it happen.


    I cast a look at Jorgen. I really hated this man to death some three years ago. Still do a little. But he did what he thought was best, and he has sacrificed much for me. In addition, it has also been three years since he did anything too outrageous and he kind of felt more like my father now, than Karar ever did. I smile and say.


    "Thank you"

 24: Brahms

    The very next day, I set off after saying goodbye to Jorgen, Hannah, my mom and my little sister. I also stop by Yuro to get a letter of passage, such that I don''t have to pay to enter the city. He quickly inquires about the clothing I wore yesterday, but I just ensure Jorgen will bring it sometime later. After some inner debate I had decided to skip Lod. We have had very little interaction and I feel like he doesn''t like me, so I would just eliminate the possibility of any unpleasant conversation by ignoring him.


    There is only one road through the village, one end leads to the dungeon, the other to the county capital, so it should be quite easy to find my way there. The "road" is only dirt though, presumably formed just by being heavily traveled. According to Jorgen, if I keep a decent pace, I should make it in time for dinner. I am really far out in the boonies, apparently.


    I briefly consider using bestowal magic on myself to cut some time off the trip, but it really can''t be sustained for any meaningful time. I''d rather use the "Read" spell every now and then, that detects signs of life in a large radius around, just in case. Apparently there are some dungeons unsuited for villages that are just left alone, like the one I trained in. Jorgen apparently thinned it out every so often, but if they are left alone, monsters will leave them and roam the land, attacking any living thing on sight.


    The trip is extremely boring, and it is slightly annoying to move. I am wearing the leather armor and chainmail. though the chainmail is a bit too large for me, as it almost goes down to my knees. Over my back I have a burlap sack with my few possession, and on my back, my shield is fastened. My sword is loosely tied to my hip and I still have no shoes, so mere cloth is bound around them. The first thing I will use this money on is probably a good pair of shoes... Or maybe boots, which may be a little more practical.


    A few hours in, the dirt road joins a cobblestone one. It luckily joins in an angle, because I was only told to "follow the road". If it had split into a cross-section, I wouldn''t know what to do. Another few hours later and I see what I presume is the county capital. It is a fair size larger than my village. There is a wooden palisade around it. If I had to guess, it would probably be home to some 10,000 souls. By the entrance with the road, there is a single guard standing and another in a nearby guardhouse. There is also a few people, looking to be squatting around the gate. Is there a problem?The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Another one." The guard says impatiently as I approach. "There is a soft quarantine on the city right now, so only those who can prove their identity can leave or enter" he states.


    "Will this do?" I say, fetching the letter of passage I had kept at the top of my sack.


    The guard opens it and skims it. The envelope and letter is some kind of paper I think, but it is weirdly yellow and wrinkly. "Oy, bring the church powder" he says, and the other guard brings a small flask. The first guard pops it open and sprinkles a little on a red seal, Yuro has left at the bottom of the letter, which begins to shine. Seriously, what is it with the church here and shining things?


    "All good, you may enter. Welcome to Brahms" the guard says. Brahms, huh? I have never heard it as anything other than the county capital or the city, but I guess the villagers have no need to distinguish between those. I look at the people squatting outside and a few are giving me quite the evil eye. I am just happy that I didn''t think it would be fine to pay the toll and not pay Yuro a visit beforehand.


    "Thank you. Can you tell me where I can find the hunter''s association?"


    "Yeah, just follow the main road till the marketplace and look around. There''s this big sign with a sword and a spear on it"


    I thank the guard and head there. It is pretty quiet around here, with a few people walking around, but I guess it is around dinnertime. There is evidence of a medium-small market here with some 15 empty stalls around. I then spot the sign. It is outside quite the modest building. There is some kind of plaster over where one would expect stone, had it been the same as in the village.


    The inside is decently spacious. There is a large notice board in one end of the wall, partiationed off into two smaller segments and two larger ones. There is a variety of mismatched table and chairs around and a large counter with noone besides it. There are 3 people sitting at the table, eating some crispy thing and drinking. Talking and laughing. Noone seems to have even noticed me.


    "Excuse me elders, I have been sent here with a recommendation, do you know who I have to talk to?"


    "That would be me" one of the men say "But you come in the middle of dinner. Go sit on a chair and wait for us to finish".


    I sit down at a different table, put my sack down, and with nothing to really do, I just end up observing the three men joyously sharing a meal.

 25: Recruitment

    They all seem to be around their forties and good friends. But pretty quickly after I start staring at them, they start to stare back. Whoops, was that impolite? I guess I will just turn and look at the table. With nothing else to do, I just pick up on their conversation, which seems to be a mix of rumours and personal lives.


    By the end of it, I have learned of one having a troublesome apprentice who wants to go solo already, but he won''t let him because he isn''t ready yet. Some mutual acquaintance has apparently gotten his fourth wife, which they all laugh about. The local noble has apparently trouble acquiring a tamed monster, something relatively new and rare by the looks of it. I am also surprised if it is true, but never hold too much stock in rumours.


    Soon the guy from before calls out to me


    "Come to the counter now and I''ll settle this quickly"


    The other two men continue talking while we settle into our respective positions around the counter. I take a look at the man guiding me. He is relatively thin and tall, seems to be constantly narrowing his eyes and has a bit of a long face. His brown hair has a weird bowl-cut that ends far to early on his head.


    "I assume you are here to sign up for apprenticeship?"


    "Apprenticeship? I assumed one could just join and start earning money?"


    The man behind the counter sighs and mutters "every goddamn year" in a low voice, though probably a little louder than intended since I heard it.


    "No, we don''t just hire people off the street. What keeps the association going is trust that the contracts will be completed in a timely manner, so only those judged to be appropriately strong and responsible can take contracts. We have three ranks of hunters here, and you start at the third rank, apprentice. If you want to advance to second rank you need at least 1 year of service, 25 requests completed and a recommendation from a mentor. You can only fulfill requests by accompanying your mentor on requests he selects. The mentor is expected to teach you about the trade, how to handle communication with the contracts, how to assess your own abilities against what information has been provided and so on. Now, do you wanna sign up?"


    Everything but the last part was spoken in a horribly monotone voice, as if it had been said hundreds of times before. Wait, I did kind of serve as an apprentice under Jorgen? I fetch the letter of recommendation from the sack.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "I learned to fight from a man who wrote this" I say as I hand it over.


    He nonchalantly takes the letter and reads it. But a few moments later he seems to be a little more engagsed.


    "Sorry, since it is not from an active adventurer and you haven''t completed requests, I can''t admit you to second tier right away, I can however set you up with an apprenticeship with one of the guild''s own hunters!"


    "Hold on" A voice interfers from the table, as one of the men walks up to the counter. He is rather wide, and has a hell of a nose on him and gives off a somewhat savage feel. "THE Yirgol is taking on extra work voluntarily? What kind of gem have you found here?" He says while trying to snatch the letter, but the man called Yirgol protects it by holding it far away.


    Was the letter a great influence, what did Jorgen write?


    "Behave, Bosir, go mind your own business"


    Bosir just emits a grunt and turns to me.


    "Well, if Yirgil wants you, that''s good enough. Listen kid, you shouldn''t apprentice unter the association, they''ll just end up hiring you and you will be stuck doing all the jobs noone wants"


    "Not true" Yirgil states "You will also get a premium position and large cut of the loot for any major operations!"


    "But those happen once a year at best, it''s better to join a clan so you can hunt on your own terms, boy!"


    Ugh, I feel like I am stuck between a rock and a hard place.


    The last man joins in. He is rather small both in height and width, at least compared to the two others.


    "Now now gentlemen, don''t crowd the boy."


    ""Stay out of this"" the two men say at the same time.


    "What, I am not even a member of the association anymore, I am not going to hire him" He states. "And can''t you see how uncomfortable you are making him?"


    Well, he said that, but then immediately proceeds to put his hands on my shoulders which make me very uncomfortable too.


    "First, Yirgil, why don''t you tell us why you want him this bad"


    "First off, he has a gift. Scratch that, THE gift"


    "Self-healing" boris mutters while nodding.


    "Next, he is raised by Jorgen"


    "Jorgen Sure-Foot?" the man behind me asks, to which Yirgil nods. "Now that''s name I haven''t heard in a long time. How is he, kid?"


    "He is doing fine, but his age is catching up to him." I state, glad to finally being spoken to into of being accosted. "Is he famous?"


    The man behind me laughs. "Well, not really, but he has a bit of a reputation here among the old-timers. Have you heard his famous deed?"


    I simply shake my head.


    "Well, the story goes some fierce monsters had crawled up multiple floors and posed a risk to the normal hunters here in the city. The association organized an emergency response with whatever hunters they could get their hands on to minimize casualties, some 10 guys or so. That hunter party, however, was completely outdone, so they try to escape. The monsters had poison though, and the men started falling one by one as they escaped, but Jorgen picked them up and carried them one by one as well. And what the reinforcements saw, as Jorgen booked it out of the dungeon was him carrying 6 hunters on his back while running up the stairs. He became a bit of a local hero after that, though the story has faded from the young ones these past 25 years."


    So Jorgen did such a feat, huh? Sounds impressive

 26: Clan

    "He can also use magic" Yirgil continues.


    "What, more than the three basics? At that age?"


    "Yeah, seems he has the repertoire of the average graduate of the magic academy, though more focused on combat, according to the letter".


    "Now are you quite done? Both of you should try to appeal the best you can to him, one by one. Yirgil, you can start" The man behind me suggests, still resting his hands on my shoulders.


    "Okay then. As an apprentice of the association''s own hunter, you will study under a hunter who is stronger than average. You will live in the association barracks along with any other apprentices. You will of course be fed and we will provide a modest salary, along with half the worth of whatever your cut would have been, had you been a full-fledged hunter. Our hunter have more downtime than the regular ones, so you will spend more time training and growing stronger than you would at other places."


    Yirgil pauses and when it is clear he is done, Bosir starts up.


    "As an apprentice of the clan, you will learn from many talented individuals. We like to think of ourselves as one big family. You won''t get a salary, but we have the same 50% rule for apprentices, and since we do a lot more hunting than here at the association, it will probably turn into a bigger cut. You will also get more real-world experience, and if you want, I can make sure you meet the request requirement by one year, so that if you prove your character, you will become second tier after one year only"


    Bosir then pauses, but as I was about to speak, he gets an idea "And girls! There are no female hunters at the association, but we got two!"


    The man behind me chuckles "Are you counting Mynie? We both know that would be close to fraud on your behalf."


    To which Bosir click his tongue.


    "We also got girls, for what it is worth" Yirgil interjects. "Though we have no female hunters, plenty of the guild''s non-hunter staff are girls. Caretakers, contacts etc."


    "Now", the man behind me taps my shoulders, "What do you think, young man?"This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    To be honest, I am not too worried about training. Due to my gift I could train every night and still be fresh and ready to work the next day. The salary seems nice, but what I think should be most important is job experience, so...


    "I''d like to apprentice under you, old man" I turn to Bosir and bow a little.


    "Yes!", Bosir makes a fist pump and Yirgil make a slight grimace to indicate his frustration.


    "I am just about to head home, let''s introduce you to the family!"


    He rougly take me and drags me along. "Ah wait" I say, but I am just roughly pulled regardless. We exit the association, leave the marketplace and go down various alleyways until we reach a house that is entirely made of wood and looks a little rundown, although it seems fairly large.


    "I''m hooooome" Bosir shouts. It was probably necessary, for even though there are a lot of people in the same room we enter at, they are involved in what seems to be heavy discussion.


    "Oh, welcome home boss" A tall, thin man, who is wearing an eyepatch and has a few scars say.


    "Who''s the runt?" A woman maybe thirty years old, with dark red, curly hair. she has very little clothes on, and the body she has is completely covered in scars.


    "Right, let me introduce you! This our new apprentice, uhhhhh...." Bosir stares at me. Oh right, he never got my name, did he. "It''s Yos"


    "Yos, right, our promising new apprentice!" Bosir affirms.


    "Does that mean I am graduating?" A young man with brown hair in what is almost an afro says.


    "Ah, you''re not quite ready, give it a year more at most" Bosir says.


    "Ehm, can you introduce me too?" I ask, finding it annoying to not know the names.


    "Right. Guys, introduce yourselves!"


    The woman is first. She appears quite rowdy in everything she does. "My name''s Mynie! I use the spear and have a gift! I''m also the vice-head of this place!"


    "Right, I''m the boss", Bosir says even though the skinny blond man has already stated so.


    "I''m Larn, Usually vanguard, occasionally marksman. Pleased to meet you." he says.


    "Oh right, I forgot, nice to meet you!" The woman says, looking weirdly proud of herself.


    "I am Asger, I will be your senior apprentice, nice to meet you" The afro guy says. It is weird to see an afro on a white guy. Now that I think about, I have seen nothing but white people, is it because there is no sun?


    "Where''s Bern?" Bosir asks.


    "Who knows? Probably at the club again" Larn answers.


    "Always wasting his money on useless stuff" Bosir grumbles.


    "Well, and in addition to the guy missing, there''s a team of five out on a contract right now, they''ll be back within a week or so, so you can meet them then... Assuming we don''t go out of town on a contract in the meantime."


    "Well, a new apprentice call for a little celebration, don''t you think?" Mynie suggests.


    "Even though you already were drinking" Larn mocks her.


    "Shut it, it''s only a celebration when all of us join! Let''s roll!" She says, running somewhere and coming back with a keg.


    Come to think of it, I have never even tried alcohol before.

 27: Celebration

    In my previous life, I never drank alcohol. I had always been very obedient to rules, and once I was old enough to drink, I was already heavily invested in maintaining a body as high performance as possible. No way in hell I was going to pour empty calories that are also poison in there.


    But things are different now. I literally have a super power, that let''s me heal from just about anything. And it''s not like I wasn''t interested in the effects of alcohol. I always thought people behaved a mix of weird, bold and pathetic when under influence, and I was kinda itching to try it out myselves.


    The celebration starts with a single keg, maybe a foot in both height and diameter emptied. I don''t think it is very strong alcohol, since it has a sweet taste, with a little bit of a bitter, unpleasant aftertaste and I have heard that strong alcohol will be downright digusting to drink pure for any first-timers.


    Bosir and Larn start bragging to each other, trying to outdo the other with more impressive achievements. Mynie wants in, but they just ignore her. Maybe they can''t win against her? Asger is pretty quickly starting to moan and cry about how the world is unfair, how he will never become a dependable man who can support a family, to which I end up comforting him, repeating "That''s not true", "I''m sure you''re a splendid man" again and again.


    Three of the same kegs later, Bosir and Larn start fighting, but Mynie quickly beats down both of them soon after. I guess her gift is one that just makes her stronger? Or she is just really excellent. But then she turns to me. I look to Asger to hope and avoid her, she seems rather boisterous for my taste in company, but he is already sleeping in a pool of what I think is his own drool and spit.


    "Haha, boy, we ended up completely ignoring you, let me fix that" she says as she pours me another cup of the sweet alcohol. She gives it to me and slings her arm around my neck. "So, what can you do? What''s your specialty?"


    "Running" I answer immediately, confident in my ability.


    She starts laughing hard "Running? Ain''t ever heard that before! HA! You gonna skimp out on any sign of trouble, boy? HAHA"


    The second meaning of the word had completely eluded me. "No, I mean, I am fast. But if we limit it to dungeon... eering my skin is probably the most unique feature!"


    "Dungeoneering? Skin?" Whoops, seems I have also been affected even though I have drunk far less than anybody else here, I accidentally made up a word.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Yeah, yeah, just watch." They had a more common kitchen knife lying around, they had used to prop off a tricky cork in a keg earlier. I picked it up and slammed it into my hand.


    "WHAT ARE YOU- huh?" Mynie utters a confused sound, seeing the back of my hand was not punctured.


    "You got a gift that makes you tough, huh?"


    "Nono, it''s just from repeatedly destroying the skin, my gift''s self-healing"


    Mynie smile broadens and she creeps closer, then starts laughing after a little bit.


    "I knew you would be something special after Bosir brought you in without consulting anyone! HA! We usually all weigh in on the stuff that goes around here. Figured you had a gift but one this special."


    I feel differently to when this normally is brought up, maybe because of the alcohol. Normally I get a sense of anxiety, as people appear to pile their hopes and dreams into my future, that I have something to live up to just because I have this gift, but now, I feel great, larger than life.


    "I can also do a fair amount of magic" I say, then suddenly become a little depressed "But I can''t cast two different spells at once yet".


    "HA! It is fine to only cast a single spell at your age!" Mynie cheers me up and makes me feel great and pours more and more of the alcohol.


    <hr>


    I am lying in a bed. What happened last night? I can''t seem to remember more than up to a certain point. I suddenly feel a little uncomfortable. A hand is resting upon my bare chest. I look to the right and see Mynie. A few seconds pass and even though I had a shock and jerked a little, Mynie is snoring away happily. Don''t tell me I... I get out of the bed. I am still wearing the cloth around my groin, and Mynie, though lightly clothed as she was from the beginning, appear to do the same. Phew... I don''t feel like I was ready to risk being a father yet. Worse, if it had somehow happened and I had missed out on the experience, I would be very sad.


    I walk down into the living room the little celebration took place at. Bosir and Larn are lying on the floor, Asger lying in the same pool of bodily fluids as before, only now it is larger and has started dripping on the floor. I can''t quite come to terms with whether it was a good experience or not, but next time I will definitely not be pressured into drinking as much.


    I couldn''t find my clothes anywhere, so I simply find my burlap sack still in the room to fetch a fresh tunic at the very least. As I make a little sound, a few grunts appear, and Asger appears to have awoken. "Good morning" he says, having turned his head, but still resting it in the pool. "Did she get you?"


    "What do you mean?" I ask.


    "Three years ago, when I joined. Mynie... Mynie did it with me?"


    Oh, does she like young boys? But he seems unsure of the fact.


    "I don''t think so, I still had a minimum of clothes on" I say, also trying to assure myself in the process.


    "Unfair" he mutters. "Everyone deserves the same half year of teasing I got"


    "But she is a hunter. Is she not afraid to get pregnant?"


    "Ah, she''s on some potion or other that make it difficult" He grumbles. "Rule is, if you see her drink it, warn everybody under 20" he pauses for a yawn "Still tired, gonna sleep. Why don''t you go outside so you don''t disturb us" He says, then closes his eyes without his head ever leaving the pool beneath it.


    I couldn''t find the armor I came in, so I leave the house with only my tunic and some cloths around my feet.

 28: Shopping Trip

    I also brought some cash. Thought I might spend the time finding someplace to get footwear. As I wander randomly, I end up at the marketplace again. The stalls have people setting up, but nobody is really there to shop yet. Since I don''t really know where to look, I end up asking one of the men setting up the stall. He is filling boxes with wares from his cart, mostly cured meat, by the looks of it.


    "Sorry old man, can I trouble you for a moment?"


    "What is it, boy?"


    "Do you know where I can get buy some shoes or boots?"


    He directs me to a certain place, close to the market place, where I immediately head over. It is easy to identify by it''s sign being a giant boot. As I enter, I hear a bell ringing. Looks like there is a piece of string the door barely touches when opened, that makes it do so.


    "Welcome, welcome" A gruff voice says, but when I see its source, I am dumbfounded. A bald child with an adult face, huge nose and ears and a small, well-cut beard stands before me.


    "I take it the young man has not seen a Tarrun before?" He says.


    I shake my head and say "No, sorry, just came here from my village, so I am experiencing all kinds of new things." I had heard about Tarruns, but I expected them to look something like dwarves, not this... creepy thing.


    "I need some shoes or boots, old man. Anything you recommend?"


    His eyes drop to my feet and asks "Do you need some now? Because then I can modify some ready-made ones. But if you can wait, I recommend doing so, the comfort and longevity of a custom-made is far apart."


    I ask "How long will it take to make the custom-made shoes?" to which I hear "With my current orders, 2 or 3 weeks?"


    Confident I can afford it even if it is a little expensive, "Then both please, a cheap ready-made altered now and some custom-made for later".This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    He nods and starts getting me to sit down, take of my cloths and he takes various measurements of my feet. "How often will you be using the shoes sir? Any special condition?"


    I know it is probably only something like customer service, but damn it feels nice not being called boy. "Ah, I''ll use them everyday, and I am a hunter, if those have any special shoe requirements."


    "Then might I suggest these half-boots for now. They are somewhat durable and practical, and after you receive some custom-made hunter-grade boots, you can use them for social events, in which they should be acceptable, where the boots are not"


    Makes sense. After a couple of modifications and try-outs, I receive my footwear. The shaft of the boots goes a little above my ankles. They are fastened with some kind of durable-looking line on the outside and have brown colour to them.


    "For the ready-made 1 blue, for the custom 5, so I suggest 6 blues in total" He says. Uh-oh haggling. I was sent a few times by my mom to the traders but always got mildly scolded for being cheated. I really hate it, but I guess it''s just throwing money away if I don''t.


    "Let''s make it 3 blues" I say after mustering some courage.


    "Sir, I am appalled you would believe my goods to be of such low quality" He looks really sad. Ugh, now I feel bad.


    "5 blues and 5 reds is the lowest that wouldn''t be an insulting amount"


    I cave, having a feeling I did so way too easily and get told to check in after two weeks time. At least I got shoes though. Would be nice to have pants, though. After wearing the leather ones, without them, I feel weirdly naked even though I have spent so much time without them, maybe it has to do with the fact that there are a lot of strangers around me.


    I realise I don''t really know where the clan house is, so I go to the hunter''s association to maybe ask Yirgil.


    There''s a decent amount of traffic in and out of the building, and when I enter it is very lively. Maybe some 50 people are in the room and it feels rather busy and crowded.


    I spot Yirgil, but he and another, a 30-ish year old woman is both tending to rather long lines. I shouldn''t trouble him when busy. I discover a good amount of people eating, do they serve food? I see another woman of some age delivering two bowls of some sort of stew to two gentlemen. I haven''t eaten since yesterday, and though maybe not as hungry as I could be, I could grab a bite right now.


    "Exceuse me, old lady, could I have a bowl too?"


    She look at me and then says "Sorry kid, hunters only"


    "Ah, but I joined a clan yesterday as an apprentice, is it still no good"


    She sighs and holds out her hand "1 red" cheap! or maybe not, they are supposed to be worth one meal after all.

 29: Request

    The food is not all that tasty, mostly tastes of salt and the broth is quite thin. I quickly finish it and then begin to wait for Yirgil to have a break, or the line to let up or something. But before that happens, I spot Bosir entering the guild. Larn and an unknown man with a solid build and light blue hair is with him. I walk to up to them.


    "Good morning old man Bosir"


    "Oh, why are you here? Nevermind, Bern, this is Yos or promising new recruit, Yos, this is Bern, easily the second most pathetic man in our clan" He starts laughing at his own "joke".


    "Good morning young man" Bern answers, completely ignoring the insult. "I am Bern, spear-user and emergency cook for the clan"


    Emergency? Is that just meant to sound funny or do they have a more permanent cook among the ones still out on a job?


    "We are looking for something simple we could do with you to get an impression of your abilities" Bosir explains. "I can show you how the notices work at the same time."


    "See how the notice board is split in four? From the left it is emergency, in-town, out-of-town and then finally escort requests." He says while guiding me to the "in-town" section. "Can you read?" He asks, to which I shake my head, "Well, they can mostly understood well enough to decided to take it. The clerk on duty will explain the rest then. See those lines at the top? If there are two of them, it''s second rank and if there is only one, it''s first rank."


    "What are the requirements for becoming a first-ranker?" I ask. "It is something the guild gives out semi-randomly. It is merely showing that they trust in your ability to judge what you can do and that you possess a certain level of strength."


    "Then, top left corner designates the recommend amount of people for the request. a vertical line is 1, a circle is 5. You just add those together. Same for the reward in the bottom-left corner. The three coins are shown by these differently sized circles, where the largest one is yellow, then blue then red." They don''t have a size difference, but I guess it works to separate them through.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Oh, there you see a cross, that means 20. And bottom right, for the out-of-town ones, the number by adding all the symbols together is estimated days of travel, for the in-town ones, what floor of the dungeon the request is regarding" Since they have all this going on, reading might not be the most common skill around. I wonder if I will have the opportunity to learn it?


    "Generally the out-of-town ones are somewhat easier than those in-town. If it is out-of-town you will only usually have to deal with the top few layers of the dungeon, while in-town can have you going much further down, sometimes even spending days in there, oh this one looks nice" Bosir points to a specific piece of the weird, yellow wrinkly paper.


    "Let''s see if you listened, what can you tell me about this one"


    "Out-of-town, second rank, 3 people recommended, 10 blue as a reward, 1 day of travel?"


    "Ha, at least we have eliminated the possibility of you being completely stupid." He seems to pick on other people quite a lot, doesn''t he? He takes down the paper and we line up. "It''s a request to clear the top few layers of an unused dungeon, so that it doesn''t gush monster out into the open. It is one of the more common type of requests." He tells me.


    Bern has just been standing quietly behind us the entire time. Does he not speak much? Oh well, it''s not like I love conversing anyways. We line up for Yirgil, and when we arrive at the counter, Yirgil just quickly confirms that Bosir knows the location and jots down something behind the counter, presumably to keep a record on who has taken the request.


    As we exit the building, Bosir asks "Oh yeah, did Mynie give you a warm welcome last night?" Then laughs again.


    "I mean, I don''t think we did it, but I can''t remember anything past her constantly topping up my drink"


    "Haha, shame! Many don''t regard you as a man until the deed has been done, though that usually comes a few years later and right after marriage!" He then laughs it up again. "I thought you had been taken, since Bern here found a full set of armor, sword and shield lying in the middle of the hallway!"


    I feel a little ashamed of having done something like that. But thank god it didn''t happen, this man would probably bring it up constantly and make fun of me. Desperate to change the subject to something else, I fish out a line from last night.


    "Bern went to some club yesterday, right? What place is that?"


    Bosir laughs heavily again and seems to want to egg Bern on "Yeah, Bern, explain what kind of place is that?"


    Burn turns his head away from us. Is he also ashamed?


    "It is a man''s paradise" He answers curtly.


    "A MAN''S PARADISE! AHAHA" Bosir cracks down with laughter. "Ahhh, listen kid. It is a place where you pay women to fawn over you. Only those that lack the qualities to have them do so in the first place would ever pay for it, haha".


    "Shut it" Bern says. "It''s nice to feel wanted".

 30: Dungeon Crawling

    We pass by the clan house to allow me to get my gear and ask if anybody else wants to join, even though we already have the required amount. I try to remember the path from the association back to the clan house, but it is really messy. Unlike the road that goes straight to the marketplace, it is a mess of small, curved paths, which constantly messes up my sense of direction.


    When we return Larn is gone and Mynie is still sleeping, but Asger is in the middle of training and joins us. We also fetch an empty cart, presumably for what bounty the hunt itself will provide us. It is slightly troublesome to move around as it pretty much takes up the entirety of the paths, until we are out on the road again.


    "Can you pull the cart?" Bosir asks me.


    "Shouldn''t be a problem" I answer shortly and get in position.


    Some small chatter and a few hours later at a fast walking pace, Bosir has led us to our destination. The last bit of travel were over just grass. I wonder how he could find out here? Let''s just ask.


    "Oh, see the roads have these small stone pillars every so often, so you use them to navigate. Otherwise it''s just picking the right direction and walking?"


    I want to ask how he keeps going straight, but I am afraid of it being something natural in this world, and they would think I am weird for thinking otherwise.


    The dungeon here is fairly smooth-floored compared to the one I trained in. There''s also a sign over it. I ask what it says.


    "I don''t know, Bern?"


    "Don''t know either"


    "I thought you could read?" I ask Bosir


    "Ah, but the dungeon names and a few other things are in God''s language, only priests are usually trained in reading it."


    "God''s language?"


    "Well, it is said that when God came to this world, he named everything and told us his story. But apparently, it is really hard for mortals to understand God''s language, so one requires decades of study to be able to grasp it, and we received another language instead."This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Why learn it, if it is only good for reading dungeon names?" I ask


    "Ah, apparently god sends a message to all the priests every few centuries. Sometimes a warning, or a command or an order, but every priest hopes to be the one to receive it, and God stills speaks in God''s language"


    God directly interferes with the world? I had thought the religions were more or less quackery, as the different people seemed, at least the two I have talked to about it, have different stories that put themselves as "the chosen people" as well as differing amounts of gods. Maybe this is just the church exercising an order that must be followed, that they are only using sparingly?


    "Well, enough about that. Yos, go ahead alone and show us what you can do, we will be right behind you."


    I nod and enter the dungeon. The smooth stone has plenty of patches covered with moss that are somewhat slippery, maybe the hunter''s boots will have some sort of spikes on them to deal with issues such as these?


    I activate my read magic a little inside. I used to think this was an invincible magic, but as soon as I came to the city, I realised how utter useless it was in crowded places, as I just get a signal from... well, everywhere. But here in the dungeon, I can ignore the signals behind me as my group and sense ahead of me. I limit it to some 150 feet.


    4 responses at around maximum. I walk forward and enter a crossroads. This is a second limitation. Mana is apparently blocked by dungeon walls, so all the previous signals appeared to come from straight ahead, but once I use it again at the crossroads, I pick up 1 signal to my left and 3 ahead. I choose to go for the three. Once I reach what should be 30 feet away from them, I still can''t see them. I fire the signal once more, and notice it is coming from slightly above.


    I crouch my feet, preparing for the maneuver. I sprint a little, jump up and make a sideways slay across where the three signals come from. Even though the torchlight doesn''t reach them, I manage to strike all three, and they fall to the ground, chopped in half. Some slightly large bats with oversized fangs and claws, it seems.


    "Ooh, impressive" Bosir praises me. "However, why did you jump and slash at them, don''t you have any throwables?"


    "Throwables?" I try to get him to elaborate.


    "Yeah, you know, some knives or axes or javelins? Having one or two of them is only slightly annoying and can be a great boon in battle".


    Huh, never heard about that.


    "I was never taught that. Only magic and the sword and shield"


    "We will have to work on that, also you seemed to know exactly where to go. Did you use magic? How much mana did you use?"


    "I can cast the spell I used about 150 times per day, and used three to track them down" I know this from my time spent training.


    "Isn''t that a little excessive use of mana?"


    "Ah, my gift also fills my magic, so I have about 4 times the average mage''s use of mana per day" I answer


    "Well, let''s move on, this shit ain''t worth dismantling" Bosir says as we draw deeper in the dungeon.

 31: First Day of Work

    The two first floors are cleared all by my lonesome, but having to take care of everything myself I overuse read and end up with only around a third of my mana pool left.


    "Very well then" Bosir says, "Time for us to do our coaching job. Have you ever fought alongside other people before?"


    "Not really, old man Jorgen was just there to either show or observe, we never really hunted together..."


    "Okay, Bern, join up with him. The most common way to fight is sword-and-shield with spear in pairs. It is difficult at first because for the formation to become efficient, you gotta be close together and move while staying close. The basic tactic is for throwables to draw monster aggro, for spear users to attack and shield users to defend."


    He scratches his chin a little. Ah there is some stubble I hadn''t noticed before.


    "There is a bunch of things you only can learn through experience, though. Like, how much do you have to advance to take a charge without crashing into the spear-user? How much you can move without disrupting him? or later, those besides you without disrupting the entire formation? and so on. We usually find the best way is just to practice little by little till it becomes natural."


    And so, Bern and I advance together. I try to be conscious of it, but it is really hard. The third monster have something that looks like a small rhino. One portruding horn in the center of it''s face, dark brown skin and the height of a large dog. I have my habit of deflecting charges while moving myself to the other and stabbing them, but that movement both disrupts and exposes Bern behind me.


    By the time we''re done with the fourth floor, I have a sense of how far I can move, but it feels really constricted and I end up being really passive. I guess it is time for me to explore what moves I can do while in such a position. But Bosir stops me. "All right, that''s quite enough, we''ve gone farther than we had to, and I don''t want to end up arriving home too late, or we will get another slow start tomorrow."


    So he says. We have been dismantling stuff along the way, but now on the way back, I see all of them at the same time and I can''t see anything.


    "Where are all the stuff we gathered?" I ask


    "Oh, right, I forgot to mention it. That''s Asger''s gift, a storage type! Our little golden goose" Bosir says while furiously rubbing Asger''s head. He bashes the hand away.


    "Storage type?"


    "Yeah, like your self-healing gift, it is a group that comes with many different capabilities and restrictions. Luckily for us, those not suited for transportation of goods often end up with us hunters."


    "So, what kind of restrictions does it have?"


    Asger answers: "I can basically have a very large amount, enough that I have never reached the limit... But it kinda stops working after a few hours, and if I don''t take it out myself, it just launches incredibly fast in every direction and hurts like hell, so... But I have a good idea of the time now, and I even think it is slowly improving, so it is pretty good still."Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    "You wouldn''t believe the amount of animal parts we had launched at us in the first six months after Asger joined" Bern adds.


    I half-stifle a chuckle at the picture of everyone being bombarded by slabs of meat.


    We quickly exit the labyrinth as we didn''t have to fight, and Asger unloads the loot to the cart, and I start pulling it.


    "You can still go, even with the extra weight?" Boris asks in a mildly surprised voice.


    "Yeah, should be fine" I have confidence in my stamina.


    "Amazing what self-healers can do" Bern mutters, but I correct him.


    "Ah, my power doesn''t work like that. It just cures me of all wounds and fatigue and fills up my mana every time I sleep"


    "Did you say it "just cures you of all wounds", geez people with gifts don''t know how good they have it, really" Bern complains.


    "Still, amazing for you to have so much stamina though, what kinda training did you do?" Bosir asks.


    "Ehm, ever since I could, I have running for hours each day. When old man Jorgen took me in, it was dungeon crawling till noon, then sparring or... special training for a few hours and then I exercised till I couldn''t move. Then when lady Hannah came, ah that''s my magic teacher, it was magic lessons till noon, sparring or dungeon crawling for a few hours, then exercise until sleep time"


    There is a bit of a pause.


    "When did Jorgen take you in?" He asked.


    "Just after my 6th festival, if I remember correctly" Not entire sure, now that I think about it, could be the 5th or 7th.


    Bosir laughs all of a sudden "Haha, well, aren''t you diligent. Keep it up, work on teamwork and learn your throwables and you will be second rank as soon as one year is up".


    "Yes sir, I will do my best"


    The rest of the trip home turns to chats of a more mindless variety.


    We easily gain admission into the city since it seems the guards know Bosir and the others. We all go to the association.


    "What of all the loot, what do we do with it?" I inquire earnestly.


    "Ah, you have surely seen the marketplace. Most of those are the assocation''s. They don''t haggle and buy quite low, but it is nice and easy to sell everything to them instead of going around, haggling with merchants and only selling what each think they can move."


    We enter the association, a middle-aged lady confirms our cart and pays us the quest fee along a sum for the goods. Bosir hands me half, saying I practically did all the work, so I should get a half of the entire fee, instead of half of a fourth. Nice, this basically pays for the boots I got earlier, maybe he didn''t ask for much. And here I was afraid I had been scammed once again. Speaking of scammed, something comes to mind.


    "How do they know we actually completed the request? Couldn''t we just have told them we did it and leave it be?"


    Bosir laughs heartily again, before answering "Kid, it takes at least a year of low income work to become a hunter. If you are ever caught doing that, you will lose your tag and be shamed out of town"


    "License?"


    Bosir and Bern pull up a piece of metal from under their clothes. I can''t tell what they say, but Bosir''s shines like gold and has a single, thick line at the right-most end, while Bern''s is matte blue and has two of those same thick lines in the same place.


    "These are what authoritates you to take quests. It doesn''t matter much when everybody in the local association knows you, but if you ever work together with another branch, or you change your city, it is nice to have."


    I nod, and we soon return home. I feel quite exhausted and forget to pay attention to the route.


    Larn and Mynie are enjoying some roast meat and alcohol when we arrive. I join in for the meat, the rest join for both meat and alcohol.


    "I''m beat for today, so I guess I''ll just turn in for tonight. Where do I sleep?"


    "In my bed of course" Mynie says and winks, which makes me a little uncomfortable.


    "Uhh, right, we''re actually full occupancy at the moment, will have to do something about that, but you can sleep in the room second-farthest from the staircase on your left. It is Kamas'', one of those out on a big mission right now, but he basically doesn''t own very much, so there should be little chance for you to mess something up."


    "Thanks" I say and retire for the day.

 32: Monster (Bosirs POV)

    The boy scampers upstairs quite fast. One would think he would have run out of energy by now.


    "So, how was he?" Larn asks in a soft voice, presumably not to alert the boy.


    Before I answer, I let my eyes wander to Asger. I wonder if his confidence took yet another hit today. His gift is a godsend for our dungeon work, but both his fighting ability and judgment are lacking. He was probably eager to join today because he thought he could not be worst one for once.


    "An absolute monster" I say in my most serious voice. "Only way to describe him".


    "Hoh? What makes you say so?" Larn looks baffled, but then quickly switches to an expression of interest.


    "He practically cleared 4 floors alone in 5 hours. And it was only an hour for the first two floors, when he still had magic to find the monsters, and then 4 hours for the last two floors. And he didn''t run out of mana, but seemed to want to keep a reserve for emergencies..."


    "No wonder he was beat" Larn adds, but


    "That''s not all. He pulled the cart both ways, and we had a decent haul on the way back."


    Ah, Asger looks slightly depressed. maybe it would have been better to send him to bed also under the pretext of a meeting or something.


    "Ah, impressive. But a self-healer having impressive stamina is standard, right? What else did he do?" Larn is really curious.


    "First off, his gift apparently only when he sleeps or something like that, according to himself. Secondly, he didn''t use magic to fight, only to find monsters, nor did he seem to overly exert himself. I am guessing he still has a lot more up his sleeve. The second half of the floors he was in formation with Bern, bu-"


    "Didn''t you just say he cleared it practically alone?" Larn interrupted


    "Bern, care to elaborate?" I shove it to the guy who should know best.


    "I barely did anything" Bern said. "He basically took care of everything himself. And that''s with him having never hunted in formation before. He seemed to stifle his movement option considerably, but even then, if I didn''t have my spear aimed at a monster, that he happened to let close enough, he would still reach it before I did".


    "To be honest" I add "He is probably already the third strongest member in this clan"


    "After me and Kamas?" Mynie asks, to which I nod.


    "Heh, well I can share a bit about him too" she continues. "Last night, he did a little party trick in his drunked stupor. Jammed a knife hard into his own hand. It barely had a scratch."The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Jesus christ, just what kind of training did that kid do?" Larn asks a rhetorical question, but I have an answer.


    "Seems he has basically been training all day, every day since he could walk. He also mentioned some "special" training that made him grimace, so I imagine it wouldn''t have been pleasant."


    "He seems so awkward though" Mynie adds.


    "Right, and unfortunately, not arrogant. We would do best to try and get him cocky, while we can still put him in his place. And by "we" I mean Mynie and Kamas, because that ship has sailed for the rest of us." Is my best take. Young ones always get cocky sooner or later, think they are better than they are. And you need to teach them that there are always someone stronger out there, before they forget to be careful and get themself hurt. I continue with a vague idea of my plan going forward.


    "I know it''s extra work, but I suggest we keep him completing requests until he realises he is pretty good. We keep Mynie or Kamas, when he returns, with him all the time, so they can step in when he decides to overextend, okay?"


    "Uhhh, but that means I have to work more" Hunting with the association is dangerous, but in return you either get a lot of days off or rich. Mynie definitely belongs in the "days off"-camp.


    "Also, is it just me, or is he a little stupid?" Bern adds.


    "Certainly he is ignorant and awkward, but that can be excused by his upbringing. What do you mean, Bern?" I ask


    "Well, he showed he understood that the request was for three people, proceeded to complete it basically alone, the connection between the two seemingly never dawning on him."


    "Well, I can confirm he is awkward by my conversation with him last night" Mynie adds "He told me never had a friend, and he only ever spent time with the adults and his little sister, and that his older brothers hated him" She is grinning. Ah, she does have a terrible personality after all.


    "Speaking off, what was the deal with him being only almost naked" Asger asks.


    "Ah well, after hearing he had a gift for self-healing I upped the amount I wanted him to drink. They tend to take quite a lot. But he just passed out. No longer having the option of bedding him, I then got the idea of just making him think we slept together, but after getting the stupid armor off him, I just wanted to sleep and took him to bed."


    "You really are horrible" Asger says.


    "Aww, don''t be mean, little man. It''s called acting with privilege. If you come to be the strongest in a clan, you too can get the honours of acting with total impunity!"


    Silence falls a little, indicating that we have talked what we needed to talk about. But then Mynie adds:


    "But he is strange in more ways than one. Why is he so clean? I first thought he was some low-ranked son of a noble. And how early did he get up? We went to bed basically just before it became bright outisde."


    "He was up early in the morning, he woke me for a bit before I continued sleeping" Asger answers one part.


    My brain starts working furiously on something. "Maybe" I postulate the idea it came up with "His power does more than healing his wounds, filling his mana and curing his exhaustion. Maybe it also cleans him, and even removes his need for sleep. It could be that it just fires once a day, and that he has drawn a wrong conclusion because it happens early in the morning and he always wakes up."


    "Do we test it?" Bern asks, but I shake my head.


    "If it happened to be true, I get the feeling he would train all through the night, and I don''t want him to abandon humanity even further."


    "I for one, am just looking forward at how his interactions with our little "princess" are gonna pan out" Mynie adds.


    Certainly, that brazen little girl with this awkward young man, that clearly is her superior is most likely gonna produce some interesting results.

 33: Return of the Rest

    The next few days, we did a one-day request each day. I was always accompanied by Mynie and Asger, the rest kinda come in shifts, usually only one of them. Asger took the role of the spear behind me, while Mynie just observed. I can feel the difference between Bern and Asger in that Asger gets way more in the way, he even whacks me with the spear on accident every so often, which is frustrating. Guess just as I am learning it, he is too, huh?


    I also start to pick up throwables. I borrowed a knife from Bosir, a throwing axe from Mynie, a javelin from Bern and tried them out. The axe and javelin are way harder to aim. Larn, the self-proclaimed marksman has a weird stick, into which he loads a javelin, and sends it flying with impressive force. I tried borrowing it, but where his flew straight, mine spiralled all over the place and flew astray. It apparently take a lot of practice to master, so I am gonna pass for now. The axes and javelins do more damage, but I think I am going to stick with the knife that is easier to aim with, so I should have a set of throwing knives made sometime soon.


    I have also settled somewhat and found a new routine. I get up before anyone else, guess they drink pretty much every night. Is being a hunter a stressing job? I recall my father from my previous life sometimes coming home late, because he needed to go "unwind" from the stress. He was a legal secretary. Wonder if laws and courtrooms exist here, or it''s just kinda enforced by what people feel is right? Anyway, after the daily request, I swing my weighty training sword before turning in relatively early.


    It is a day like any other this past week or so, but what makes it different is when we enter. There seems to be a full-blown party going on, much greater than the one held for me, but I guess that impression mostly stems from there being more people. One of them is a tall silvester, even for his kind. He is sitting down, but he is still taller than me and Mynie.


    There is a pale young girl with blonde, almost white hair and light red, almost pink eyes. If I had ever heard the fairy tale of vampires or fairies in this world, she would definitely be suspected of being one. There is two look-alikes with brown hair and green eyes. They are of a rather normal stature and the only thing I can tell that separates them is that one has a scar on his right cheek. And lastly there is an old man, sitting quietly in the corner. He seems to be wearing a lighter armor than most, and has a cloak wrapped around him while enjoying a drink. He has quite the magnificient beard, going down in a neat isosceles to his stomach.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    "Ah, there they are" Bosir yells accompanied by his trademark hearty laughter. "Come, come, everybody greet the little fellow."


    The first to get here is the silvester. He is giant, must be 9 feet tall. The ceiling is tall here, but he would hit his head if he jumped.


    "I am Kamas, nice to meet you little one" He says, extending one of his hands. I take and shake it, it is rather rugged. "Greetings, old Kamas, I am Yos"


    The next to greet me are the two look-alikes but they approach me at the same time. "That one is Toben" one says, "That one is Caper" the one with the scar says. ""Nice to meet you"" they say and each extend one of their hands at the same time. What is this? Did they practice this weird introduction? I just shake it off and hold each of their hands with one of mine, they have extended one left and one right hand towards so it works out, even though I have to cross my arms to do so.


    "Greetings Old Caper, Old Toben, pleased to meet you"


    Next is the girl. "I''m Atna" She says curtly


    I extend my hand and say "Pleased to meet you Atna, I am Yos", but she completely disregards it, in fact looks a little insulted and says:


    "You will do well to address me as older sister" Whoops, maybe this is another custom. I don''t want to necessarily offend people, and I have just been addressing Asger as an equal the entire time.


    "Forgive me, my mistake older sister Atna" I say, still holding the hand out, but she merely emits a grunt a retreats to the central table. Oh well, at least I can probably make other amends here. "And forgive me if I have offended you, older brother Asger" I say, turning to the fellow apprentice who had entered together with me, but he just mutters "ah, no" and looks really uncomfortable. Maybe he is bad with formalities.


    And lastly, I am lead to the old man. "Greetings, old man, I am Yos" I say.


    He slowly moves his eyes up and looks me all over. "Greetings Yos, this old one is called Sirgut. I am awaiting your ascendance to hunter, so that I can retire in peace" He says and lets out a dry laugh. I then try to escape the inevitable drinking, but Toben, Caper and Mynie and latch on to me and get me to start drinking. Oh well, it isn''t so bad having people insists you have some fun, so let''s just surrender and drink a little. But I am watching you, Mynie.

 34: Duel

    There a two tables in the living/dining room at the clan house, but the larger one is already at full occupancy so Mynie, the twins and I sit down at the smaller table.


    "Old Toben, how did you get that scar?" I wanna thank whoever did it so I can tell the difference between you, I think to myself.


    "Ah, it was myself. When we were young I was mad that our dad kept confusing us, so I carved it there so he could tell the difference, but that''s not the funny part."


    When did you ever mention it was a funny story?


    "The funny part is, as I was finding Caper to show him the fresh wound, he was about to cut himself in the same way!" He says and the twins start laughing.


    "Sometimes I wonder if we were just the same person split in two" Caper wonders out loud.


    "We even liked the same girl once!" "I remember, you actually suggested she marry both of us, you absolute madman!"


    Such banter and laughter continues accompanied by drink for a while, and some brief moments where I fend Mynie''s hand off my thigh, until a yell interrupts the whole place.


    "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" It was Atna. Something appears to have ruffled her feathers.


    "It is what it is, don''t embarass yourself and see for youself sometime." Bern says.


    Atna moves her head in one swift, violent motion and locks her eyes on me. What, did it have something to with me? She points and declares "YOU, ME, DUEL, NOW" She must be very angry for her not to form complete sentences.


    "Quiet down, girl, you are-" Larn starts, but Bosir interrupts him. "Isn''t it fine. Let''s take them out back" Don''t I get a say in this? Oh well, I haven''t been sparring with anyone since I got here, so might as well take the oppurtunity.


    I fetch my wooden sword and shield and we all head out back. Here is a small courtyard, though it only dirt. I have used it to swing my sword after requests are completed a few times already. The only thing not dirt is a small, flimsy fence that designated this courtyard from that of surrounding houses.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Drop the chainmail, Yos" I get ordered by Bosir and I do as he says.


    We are standing face to face now, both in only leather armor and armed with wooden weapons. She has a fierce scowl on her face. It feels bad, like it is the first time I am facing someone with actual malice towards me.


    "No aiming at the face, you can still poke an eye out, now Start" Bosir says. I immediately take up a simple posture and she does the same. I have to be careful of her superior reach, I think as I inch closer.


    Suddenly! A strike towards my unguarded legs. I think of it as the striking, long-limbed bug that lived in the "meadow" dungeon and move to parry and close the distance, as I had done countless times before, but I am surprised. The wooden spear clearly pierces my wooden shield, and only by a panicked jerk motion, do I avoid it striking me. What the hell was that? My shield did little to nothing.


    "Atna!" I hear someone scream, but she charges me, striking at my stomach area this time. Thinking quickly, I channel two bestowals into my legs to enchance them and dash slightly to the side. I get cleanly within range and the look of surprise on her face is somewhat pleasing to see. With my charge, I strike full might at her stomach, albeit without bestowal. To my surprise, she goes cleanly flying backwards, into and breaking the sad excuse for a fence behind her.


    "Ah" I let slip. It is the first time I have ever landed a clean hit in a spar. Jorgen really was too hard on me. I heard her scream as Bosir shouted "Winner, Yos!". She struck the fence hard, so I am about to run up to see if she is fine, but back out as the giant silvester Kamas is doing the same. "Are you all right?" He asks her, extending his hand. She simply grunts, smacks his hand aside and stands up. Then she gives me an incredibly mean look and dashes inside.


    "Did I do something wrong?" I ask, trying to clarify why I was hated.


    "Don''t mind" Bosir says and shows a bitter smile. "She had just convinced herself she was as strong as an apprentice could be, but now she get beat by another, her junior no less. I think it is only her pride that has been seriously wounded, which is good for her in the long run."


    "And possibly her insides, which isn''t. That looked like a pretty nasty blow, make sure she sees the priest tomorrow, boss" Bern adds.


    "Don''t you think it''s the one who got her riled up in the first place that should take her"


    "Nah, I was going to stop her, you are the one who allowed it"


    "Nevermind that, let''s go back to drinking." Caper says


    "That''s right, the night is still young" Toben adds.


    As for me, I rejected it. I feel a little better about actually winning a spar for once, but also bad for pissing her off... And maybe slightly disappointed for it being so short, it felt slightly unfilfilling. So, I swing my sword in the courtyard for a while, thinking over the events. An hours or so later I turn in for the night.

 35: Gearing Up

    When I wake up I receive a bit of a shock, as the giant silvester Kamas is lying on the floor. Completely forgot about using his room when I went to sleep last night. I sneak my leather armor outside, and dress there as to not wake him up. I expected to be the only one up, but I hear grunts and groans. I follow them to the courtyard, where Atna is doing some practice. Better sneak out on my morning run, would feel kind of awkward running into her now.


    When I return, there are a few people around in the main room. "So, that''s Kamas, Atna, Larn and Bern in." I hear Bosir''s voice


    "In for what?" I ask.


    "Oh, I got a contract while you guys were out yesterday. Somebody specifically asked for us to do an escort. We need four hunters to satisfy him. I will go if necessary, but I prefer to hang around here in case something happens, wanna join?"


    Atna gives me a mean look. It seems she doesn''t want me in, but I want the experience.


    "Well, yes but don''t you already have four?" I ask


    "Haha, the more the merrier." His laugh is really distinct, almost like he yells a little on the first breaths before calming down on the later ones. "Besides, that''s four hunters, apprentices don''t count, so even with you, we''re still short one."


    At that moment, a rusty voice sounds from the stairs "Count me out, I need rest after that last trip" it was Sirgut.


    "Mynie is the only one left I haven''t asked yet" a very heavy sigh sounds. "She''s gonna refuse though, she has been out with you the last week or so, and she is not a very diligent worker. I''ll ask her just to be sure though." he says as he goes upstairs.


    I use the oppurtunity to apologize "Sorry old Kamas, for stealing your bed"


    "Mind not, I suspect you had only forgotten. It is an issue we have to fix long term though. We''re out of rooms, so perhaps adding a bed to Asger''s. He seems to think highly of you, so I doubt it will be an issue."This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Asger think highly of me? I wonder what part? I want to go up and ask him, but that would be really awkward.


    Bosir returns "She''s in on one condition: that she gets to share a bedroll with Yos, haha"


    Huh? Well, I honestly don''t know what to think of the situation with Mynie. She is not really attractive, nor ugly. Or maybe she is attractive but it is difficult to tell. People here only wash themselves with a wet cloth, so everyone tends to be a bit smelly and have messy hair and sometimes even dirty skin. I luckily don''t really seem to have a problem with it, though.


    Her forward attitude, her scars, the age difference (perceived, anyway) and her lack of modesty are also not really appealing to me. But it is honestly also a little nice to be reminded you are attractive to someone constantly like that. But ultimately.


    "Please no" I answer.


    "Haha, figured as much. Looks like I''ll go with you. I''ll pop over and inform the client. We leave early tomorrow. Oh, and someone take Yos to get him outfitted for the trip. It''s only three days away, so no need to pack" He orders as he is leaving the clan house.


    After a brief talk, it ends up being Kamas that brings me along. I am instructed to pull the cart and follow him. He leads us to the marketplace, where we go behind the association''s building to find a peculiar storefront. Nothing is displayed, only a single man I haven''t seen before.


    I left the cart outside and watch as Kamas recites a long list "A cloak, a backpack, medium size, a bedroll, a canteen, a sparkstone, a carving knife and a hundred portions of cured meat"


    "Erhhh, a little less at one time, Kamas" The guy answers. They sort it out in smaller chunks after that.


    Seeing all this cured meat makes me think. There''s no animals, but the food goes bad, so microbial life must still exist right? But I have never seen someone turn up sick if not for eating something that has gone bad, neither have I seen a fungus. I asked my mother when I was younger why food goes bad, but was merely met with a fairy tale of how God doesn''t like his people wasting his gifts, so he curses food uneaten, in hopes we will do it in more moderation, but that would make preservative methods kind of blasphemous, right?


    Oh, looks like they are done. All the gear is loaded into the backpack with the bedroll stuck on top. The straps are very loose and there is no adjusting mechanism. Guess I will have to learn it. The cured meat, presumably provisions for the trip is loaded into the cart and we head back. I am kind of looking forward to this like a camping trip.

 36: Rivalry

    The next morning we assemble outside the city. Four carts and six men are waiting for us. All of the carts are filled with kegs, except for one, that has various supplies in place of one or two kegs.


    "What are we transporting, old Bosir?" I ask.


    "Water, boy."


    "Huh, I thought everyone got their water from the dungeon they live at." At least that has been the case for the village, the "meadow" dungeon and here in the city.


    "Only most dungeons have water, and some don''t have water in a practical place. We''re heading to a mining town, where the dungeon grows a lot of metals, mostly rubrite and azurite, but it doesn''t have any water."


    "But why are we escorting then? Will people really steal the water? Don''t most places have plenty of it?"


    "That''s true. The route used to be unguarded, but the last shipment was robbed, and then it was sold back at an extreme price, so Gol there asked me to come along. Hopefully if the bandits come and see us, they''ll turn tail."


    Some part of me wishes they''d attack so I get to do something. Just walking for three days doesn''t sound that exhilerating, but I fully recognize that if they attack, they do so thinking they can win, and we might be hurt, or worse.


    As the trip continues, day turns to night and we set up camp. I say camp, but it really isn''t anything like the ones I know from my previous life. There are no annoying insect, no chance of rain, it doesn''t get cold, we eat only cured meat and we don''t start a fire. People simply whip out their bedrolls and lay in them.


    "Okay, me, Kamas, Bern and Larn will do the nightwatch duty, so Yos and Atna can just relax." Bosir proclaims. Atna walks over to the opposite side of the carriage, presumably to escape my company. I have chatted a little with everyone today, bar Atna. Her blatant mistreatment of me is starting to get on my nerves a little.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll have a talk with her" Kamas says, maybe reading something from my expression. "Those who don''t talk together, don''t fight together... At least not well" he mutters as he goes over to her.


    It seems they will do nightwatch duty in pairs, first Bosir and Bern, then Kamas and Larn. I try asking for a slot. Since I have not been doing my regular exercise, and only casting Read every so often, I feel like I could easily stay awake, contrary to my usual early sleeping.


    As I lay down on my bedroll, all manner of things annoy me. It doesn''t have very heavy padding, so one can clearly feel the ground. In addition, since we have to be ready I sleep in my leather armor, which I am not used to, so I feel like I won''t be able to sleep. Thinking so, I fall asleep an hour later.


    <hr>


    Someone shakes me. Urgh, this a feeling a haven''t felt in long. My whole body feels lazy and I don''t want to rise, but do so anyways sayin "Good m-" before being cut off by a shushing. I look at the one that woke me, Atna, and think about what she could want. It is still dark out.


    "What is it? An attack?" I mutter softly


    "No, I had to tell you something." What, waking me in the middle of the night to tell me something?


    "What is it?" Better hear her out before getting mad at her.


    "I heard the other talk, about your gift. They think you don''t need to sleep for it, only that it happens once a day, thought this would be the perfect moment to test it."


    "Huh? But if that is the case, why wouldn''t they tell me? And why would you? Don''t you hate me?"


    "I don''t know why they wouldn''t tell you. But I don''t hate you, I just want to be better than you. And I want to be better than you at your best, so I am telling you. Think of the extra training you can get in, if it works. You''ll become greater and I will become even greater when I surpass you! Now, good night, I am going back to sleep again. Oh, and don''t tell them I told you, tell them you thought of it yourself. I don''t wanna get in trouble for disobeying them."


    I nod my head. What is this feeling, this getting pumped up, the warmth in my body. I search my memories for where I have experienced it before and I find it quickly. In my youth in the previous life, I competed regularly in track-and-field circles and sometimes, that special existence occurred.


    Both of you being better than the average, you realize the only thing to challenge each other around these parts are each other, and you duke it out again and again, sometimes winning, sometimes losing. This desire to rise to the challenge, this desire to compete against someone, it''s the wonderful feeling of a competitive rivalry!


    Such thoughts fill my head, as I try to stay awake without alerting the night watch.

 37: History Lesson

    I worry that I will not be able to soundly tell that my gift will trigger if just my sleepiness get dispelled, so I use my sword, pressing it against my thumb till there it starts bleeding, then just a little more to make sure there is a cut for me to tell if it is gone.


    I then don''t know what to do. I contemplate practicing my magic, still the two different spells at once elude me, but I don''t dare in case my gift doesn''t trigger and I run out of magic tomorrow. I''ve been casting read at my max range, which is about a thousand feet every 15 minutes or so while we travel, but I have kept what I think is a third of my mana left for emergencies, so I wouldn''t have to omit it tomorrow even if the gift doesn''t work.


    I pass the time trying to guess what this world looks like from space. Either there is no sun, or it is completely blocked by the fog, only emitting a weak perception of light to slip through. But the temperature isn''t changing. There aren''t seasons, and no difference in heat between day and night. Probably between 60 and 70 ¡ãF if I had to guess. Where does the world get it''s heat from? I also wonder if this is pointless. The world doesn''t obey the rules of physics I know, I have already confirmed that with the experiment I did as a kid.


    Soon the sky starts to brigthen. I dare not sit up, since it seemed like the guys at the clan did not want me to test this, I won''t let them know. I stare intimately at my thumb.


    Then, all of sudden, a wonderful feeling washes over me and the cut is gone in the blink of an eye, note just the cut, the surrounding dried blood too and I also feel completely refreshed. This gift has truly been great so far, but it got even better! In addition to the slightly drowsy feeling being gone, the hunger and thirst that had started to build is also gone. Do I not need food? Well even if I didn''t, it would be tough telling whether ignoring it would have an effect on my growth or not, so let''s not think about it and just eat when I can.


    Thinking about it, I have never really been hungry in the morning here, but I always forced myself to eat some, since I remember hearing something about breakfast being the most important meal of the day or something like that.


    After that, people slowly start waking up and organizing themselves. We fill our canteens in our own water barrels and drink and snack on the dried meat. Kamas brought our own, but he was allowed to stash it with the others, since it was easier to carry and we march on.


    After some time walking, I walk up to Atna, who distanced herself a little from the group and looked at me.


    "Thanks" I say in a low voice. "With this, I can grow even stronger."


    "Hmph, be grateful that I want to surpass you at your strongest" She says. How beautiful is this? Last night, I thought about our duel, how she pierced my shield with ease, and how it would be the form of competition and unfortunately not racing.


    "Older sister Atna, if I may ask, how did you pierce my shield at the duel?"


    "It is my gift. I can use it some 15 times a day, but the number is still increasing. It allows me to pierce anything, but only for one thrust, and it has a little delay before I can use it again. How did you move so fast for the counter?"


    "Huh? I just used bestowal magic on my legs?" I answer, thinking it would have been obvious since she knows my gift has nothing to do with it.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "A-as I thought. How did you manage to learn it so young? I hear one needs to graduate from the magic academy in the capital to use bestowal and creation, and that should take at least five years"


    "I was taught by my foster mother. My gift also gives me extra mana so I can practice a lot more than regular people."


    "Your foster mother also had a gift?" It is quite unusual for people of close relation to each other to have gifts, since it seems random and is only about one in a hundred people who have it.


    "No she was a dryad"


    "A dryad? Living among humans? Wasn''t she scared?"


    "I can understand uncomfortable, but why would she be scared?" I remember hearing most humans don''t like other races, especially the women since they interfere with their God''s directive.


    "You haven''t heard about the massacres?" eh? Massacre? I show a confused expression and use it to beg her to elaborate


    "I can see that you don''t. I hear that if you kill someone with a mana vessel, while you yourself have one, you will be awarded with part of it, growing your own mana vessel. This apparently led to hunts and killings of dryads some hundred years ago, when a faction of dryads remained neutral in the great dragon war".


    "The great dragon war?" I actually don''t remember any history being taught to me, maybe that''s just a thing rural hunters don''t care about?


    "You really are a country bumpkin, huh? Very well, let this great older sister teach you".


    And thus I learned about the dragon wars, a series of conflicts that took place a hundred years ago. Dragons are few and breed incredibly slowly, but sometimes a young dragon will get cocky. Apparently dragons usually live in the dungeons, in order to satisfy their enourmous appetites. Young dragons are supposed to fly far from home, finding an unused, suitable dungeon for their own, but sometimes they will end up thinking "Hey, there is a perfectly good dungeon here, and I am not allowed to use it just because the humans do so, that''s ridiculous" and take up residence in a dungeon used by humans. The dragon''s consumption of ressources will starve any settlement it live by, so the agreement since time immemorial has been that humans should deal with it on their own, ousting or killing the impertinent young dragon.


    But once it was different. The perpetrator was the off-spring of the dragon king, which offered a large sum of wealth for only ousting it and not killing it. Apparently dragons are super rich because they can harvest materials while hunting for their food, never using much of it. The king of the nation the dragon had taken up residence in accepted, and a stern order not to kill the dragon was issued to the party going to fight it.


    One man, however got greedy and killed the dragon after it was beaten, seeking the increase in mana it provided. The king was furious. He tried to make an apology to the dragon king by offering the perpetrator, all the gifts returned and a personal apology, but the king would not have it. Apparently the king thought that one dragon is worth at least a hundred humans, so the king should offer as many lives, but the king was not willing to sacrifice the innocent and so a war started.


    The humans were losing as the dragons were terrifying in war, not only due to their magic and massive strength, but also their mobility able to easily flee should they judge the odds were against them. To combat this, a special group of gift users were formed, but the king feared they would not be enough. Hence, they sent an expedition to the far away lands of the dryads to ask for an alliance, but the dryads declined, remaining neutral.


    It is said that the party then killed dryads by the thousands. At first only those who had not taken on human form, using magic to identify them, but the other dryads resisted by the killing of their brethren and a full-scale slaughter of them took place. Using this newfound power, the special corps completely overwhelmed the dragons in a large attack and finally took a significant victory.


    Both sides tired from war, and now both thinking they could lose ended up signing a peace treaty. The terms of the treaty included the new rule that any dragon taking residence in a dungeon in human lands would not be spared and would be isolated from all support from other dragons by the dragon monarch in order to avoid the full-scale conflict again.


    The special corps became known as "The Dragon Slayers" And were immensely respected and took up various positions in the country and nobility, but the last one died before Atna and I were even born. Once the history lesson had ended, Atna and I ended up chatting naturally until the time to make camp once again came.

 38: Nightwatch

    I approach Kamas to tell him of "my discovery".


    "Hey old Kamas, I was kind of anxious last night, since an attack may come and I repeatedly woke during the night. Once it was about to get bright, I stayed up still tired, but as morning came around, my gift seems to have activated and cleared me right up. So I can stay on night watch and still be fine."


    Kamas makes a difficult face. "Look, it is obvious Atna told you, else you wouldn''t have spent the entire day talking together."


    I kind of just end up admitting fault by instinctually looking away, which in turn makes me embarrassed.


    "By the way, what did you say to her? It is like her animosity just disappeared."


    "Oh, I merely told her the truth. That her attitude was impertinent, childish and would hold her back. She was simply mad at you for being praised as being better than her, but I got her to see that was no reason to hate you, but rather a reason to imitate you and grow together."


    "If you know, then I guess I will ask, why didn''t you tell me of my gift?"


    Kamas looks a little sad or thoughtful, before he nods and starts to talk.


    "Bosir and I once had a master, much like we are to you now. He had a powerful gift, one that seemingly wouldn''t allow him to break. He even held an exhibition once where he took down a monster completely naked in Roxburg. People not only revered him, but also feared him. As you can probably guess, what with him being a young, orphaned Silvester''s master, he wasn''t much for social conventions."


    He looks sad, a chews a little on his words, like it is hard for him to say.


    "Let''s just say that one day he went against power, and fearing his might and popularity, he was crushed. It is good to be strong, young Yos, but bad to be too strong and too willful. If you shake the world, it will put you down. You are already developing at a terrifying rate, and we fear you will not learn what fights to pick before you are too strong to stop. As such, we thought it would be best if you didn''t gain yet another boon to your growth as you have done."If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    That warning, it sounds ominous given my plans for the future, but I don''t mind. I don''t think I will be "shaking the world" by merely wanting to create some competitive sports.


    "Sooo, can I take night watch?"


    He looks at me a little and sighs "Fine, but you should know to preserve your strength in case anything happens" He says. "The rest of us still need to sleep, so we will go you and me first, then Bern will switch out with me." He heads over to Bern and Larn, where I see Larn doing a fist pump.


    During the night, we keep watch, sleepiness still comes over me, but Kamas keeps me awake by chatting. I learn of Roxburg, an apparently magnificent city more than a hundred times the size of Brahms, and it''s many wonders. Among these are what sounds to be an amphitheater, where Kamas'' master fought. They capture monsters alive and use them to do exhibition shows, in addition to duels or what he calls small wars, which I guess are just team battles. I would like to go see it some day.


    Suddenly, a read I cast gets a signal. "Six people in that direction" I say as I point. We camped on a hill to get a better view, but under the cover of darkness I can''t even spot them just by looking, even though I know that they are there. Scratch that, I definitely saw something move. "Go wake the others, if we can show them that there are guards, they will turn around." I do as he say, waking and informing Bern, Larn and Atna. As I return I check with read again and they within 150 feet.


    "Shouldn''t we ambush them, so that they can''t cause more trouble for the people here?" I whisper to Kamas.


    "That is not the thinking of a hunter who grows old" Kamas responds. "Our responsibility ends with our job" In other words, better to be safe and let harm come to others than to risk fighting for altruistic reason. We all take simple positions, with Larn in the back, Bern behind me and Atna behind Kamas. I use Read again. "Still 150 feet away" I inform Kamas.


    "We know you are there! Leave or die!" Kamas says in, while not a loud, an audible and threatening voice, but no response is heard. I use my Read again. "500 feet away". We relax and wait a little longer. My read now picks up no signals not close to me. "Beyond my range" I say, as we all fully lower our weapons.


    "Well, I am going to get some sleep and let Bern take over" Kamas says. Soon he, Atna and Larn go back to sleep.


    It annoys me something fierce that we didn''t take a more radical approach, but I have learnt by now, that you don''t talk back to your elders. I am looking forward to growing up.

 39: New Routines

    The rest of the trip is without incident and we make it to the mining city in late afternoon the next day. They call the settlement Gounod. It doesn''t feel like a normal living space. There is a terrible smell in the air. There are also no normal houses, only large buildings, some with open forging areas. As we walk through the city I see what I think is forges, metal being cast into shiny, blue and red ingots. There are also large stone vats I see people pour both rocks and liquid in. I wonder how it all works?


    We follow Gol, the leader of the caravan to some sort of office building, where the successful completion of the request is confirmed. They seem very grateful, even though the issue still remains a problem. We also get offered to stay the night; to sleep in a bed, but Bosir rejects it, saying we''d lose a day that way. As we leave I wonder out loud. "Old Bosir, did we not get paid?"


    He merely smirks "Ah, no, not yet. The deal I struck was not with the miners here but with the craftsmen''s guild in Brahms. I get 10% of the profit of the next shipment of azurite, which should be a fine sum. Some 25 blue coins or so." Is he well connected?


    The return trip takes us much less time, as we can keep up a good, jogging pace without the carts and we return by mid-afternoon two days later.


    My new routine is drawn up quickly upon return. Complete daily request when I can, train until exhausted, magic training till dawn. I have gotten confirmed a few times now that all the hard work I was forced to undertake, and that which I took upon myself have brought amazing results, and I will continue doing that, at least until I can start mingling with nobility, as Jorgen predicted I someday would. Then I will use that influence to start up sports activities, though I am quite unsure if this world''s physiques and physics will pose any problems. I also arrange to spar with Kamas and Atna each once a week.


    And so, time passes with steady improvement. I find myself growing fast friends with both Asger and Atna. Three months in, Asger and Atna are offered their recommendations. Asger receives it tearfully, crying out the word "Finally" again and again, but Atna refuses. She says she can''t very well become a hunter before me while I am still ahead of her. I have become friends with her, often enjoying our chats, but sometimes she lashes out. It is clear that the difference between us is increasing, but what could she expect? I literally have 50% more time on my hands thanks to her.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Another 3 months pass. I have recently mastered casting two different spells at once. This is significant because it allows me to imbue my creation magic with Force and literally shoot projectiles from nothing. I am only able to use about 5 of those per day though, and they eat significantly into my Reads, which have proven extremely handy. Shortly thereafter Bosir wants to talk to me.


    "Take a break" he said suddenly after isolating me. "You are working too much, it is hard to see and you make the rest of us feel bad and lazy, heck even Mynie is taking jobs at an increased rate."


    "Isn''t that a good thing, old Bosir?"


    "NO! One of the perks of being a hunter is supposed to be few work hours in exchange for danger, and you are making all of us feel guilty about it. At least one week of rest a month from now on, you hear me? Besides, going through life like that can''t be fun, you gotta enjoy the world. You should have a fair amount of coin to your name by now."


    Huh, I have heard this before, in my previous life. My mother would always nag me to skip out on training to join them on a trip to India or something, but I always declined. I am not allowed to be so brazen to my elders here though, so I will just leave town and go train in secret.


    "Understood" is all I reply with.


    If I am going to leave town to train, I should probably go back to my village. It will also be a pleasure to see Jorgen, Hannah, Mom and my little sister again. I have a good amount of coin, so I should get them something fancy like jewelry? And thus I seek Atna''s advice since I have seen her wear some before.


    "Sister Atna, do you know a store that sells jewelry?"


    "Not really in Brahms. But if you go to the blacksmith he usually has some fancily forged metal you can put on a leather string. Why? Finally going to take care of your looks?"


    How rude, my looks are none of her concern.


    "Ah, no. Bosir told me take a week off and so-"


    She displays a playful, teasing smile "Don''t tell me you''re going to buy a gift for a girl?"


    "Well, actually yes. The cutest girl in the world in fact."


    "Really?" She appears slightly dumbfounded.


    "Yeah, I am going to my hometown to-"


    "Don''t care" Oof, you could feel the cold emanating from that tone of voice. Is she lashing out again? Does she have some problem with me going to my home town?. All I have learnt over the past six months is that it is better to just evacuate when she gets like this, so I quickly bail and head to the blacksmith.

 40: Sad News

    Armed with a few gifts, I pack up the rest of my stuff and head towards my home village. I am honestly a little worried that I can''t find my way back there, but I think I can recognize the dirt road that connects to the cobble one. I don''t really know much about what gifts to pick, so I got help from the smith by describing mom, Vella and Hannah and got him to recommend something to me. I had no idea what to get Jorgen, but ended up finding some expensive alcohol, which I am praying he will like.


    The trip home doesn''t run into any complications and I make it somewhat fast. It took roughly ten hours of decent-paced moving last time, but I made it in eight hours today. It is getting late, so I am thinking of going to Jorgen''s first and head to my mother''s place tomorrow. But as I arrive at Jorgen''s house, something is wrong. I try knocking and yelling, but no answer comes. I open the door and look around the house, but there isn''t anyone here. Oh well, maybe he''s cleaning out the dungeon again, he did mention that was a responsibility he had. I will speak to Yuro tomorrow to see if he can give directions to the place. I feel that if anyone would know it, it would be him.


    The next day my sleep is magically cured. I also discovered that pretty much any dirt, sweat or whatever is removed too, though my clothes will still end up stinking from it, I can just change tunics and I will be fine. The problem is more the leather armor that is starting to stink something fierce.


    I go to the church. Since I am an adult now, I should be allowed to enter, but I still feel somewhat uneasy about it. Luckily I quickly encounter Yuro.


    "Greetings priest Yuro, I am back for a bit."


    "Oh, greetings young Yos. I was just about to send a letter for you, though the peddler from Brahms haven''t been here since I needed to."


    "What good would it do to send me a letter, priest Yuro, I can''t read."Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "Hmm, so you haven''t heard?"


    "Heard what?"


    "Truth is, Jorgen died last month."


    Time freezes a little for me. Jorgen died? That strong, old, stubborn, traditional man died? It somehow feels unreal.


    "And so it should fall to you". I have a feeling I was stunned and missed something there.


    "Sorry, I didn''t hear that, could you repeat it for me?".


    Yuro gives a sympathizing nod and talks again. "I said, when Jorgen came here some thirty years ago, he apparently left a lot of grown children in the city, but we don''t know their names or where they are exactly, making it pretty hard to pass his property to them, but you were his foster son, and so it should fall to you".


    I am still a little confounded. I have this feeling like I lost something irreplaceable. Couldn''t I have visited earlier, somehow said goodbye? He''s just gone? And you want me to take his stuff?


    "What about Hannah?" I ask


    "That young thing that lived with him? Seems she went somewhere pretty quickly afterwards, not wanting to remarry I presume."


    Oh yeah, other people shouldn''t know she is a dryad. I wonder if it is a problem I told that to the others from the clan? They all feel like good guys so it shouldn''t be.


    "Do you know the place where Jorgen sometimes went to clear the abandoned dungeon?" Maybe Hannah is there. I don''t know what to do right now, but I feel like finding her and... hearing about his last moments from her might help.


    "Ah, yes. I have some old, crude map somewhere you can look at."


    And so he guides me to what seems like an office room in the temple. It is filled with all matter of small, decorative objects and a lot of paper. It smells a little weird too, wonder if that is a property of that weird yellow paper. He goes through an area of stacked papers while I take in the various things. There are wooden carvings of all manner of things: A ship, which I haven''t seen before in this world, some monsters, a young woman and two dragons.


    Seems he found it. He lays the map on the desk, on top of some already loose papers and I look at it. The map is very old, and I think it doesn''t reflect how the village currently looks. I end up spending a little time finding a route that goes past some landmarks and hope that I can get there without problems, though I somewhat doubt it.


    I load up all my baggage once again and head out to the abandoned dungeon. I don''t really know if I can do anything to dispel this sinking feeling inside me, but I feel like I have to try.

 41: Grave

    As I travel along my planned route, I feel sad, I feel frustrated. Jorgen gave me a lot in this life. He gave me strength, he gave me a plan for my life, he gave me access to Hannah and in turn, magic. He gave me money, my armor, my sword and shield. He gave me pain. I had wanted to repay all of it. Contrary to normal kids, I was already grown up once. I had taken much from my parents in my previous life without minding it because they were my parents, and I was a kid who did not know anything but what they taught me and brought me up to be.


    But Jorgen was different. He wasn''t my parent, this life or previous one. He didn''t have to do anything, no expectation was placed on him. Sure I toyed with the idea of coming back and kicking his ass once I got stronger as a repayment for the various tortures he subjected me to, but I still spent seven years with him. He felt an indomitable figure that would never topple. Even as he grew weaker day by day in the end, I somehow felt he would always be stronger than me. But he couldn''t be. He is gone.


    I arrive at the cabin next to the dungeon, and search it for Hannah, but she is nowhere to be found. That is, until I start looking outside in desperation. There Hannah is, standing still, buck naked with her back to me. She doesn''t look good, very wrinkly. I thought she decided how to look. I know she looked young, presumably like before, when Yuro saw her, so what happened to make her do this? She is not only wrinkly, she is also looking discolored, partly brown, I can hardly recognize her.


    "Hannah!" I call out to her. She doesn''t turn her head, but simply answers. The voice is wrong. She normally sounded warm, comforting, cheerful, but this is a raspy, low tone that leaves her. "Hannah what happened to you?"


    "Ah, this? This is my choice." She says in the raspy voice. "I told you dryads live until they are killed, right? Well, truth is we dryads usually don''t stick around for too long. Sooner or later life just gets to you, you know, and it just ends up being easier to be a tree than a person. I could see you wondered why I lived away from all but Jorgen, well. This is why. I have been walking around for some 500 years already, and it is high time I rest."This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Hannah is going too? It feels... unfair. Like she is just bailing on it. Akin to committing suicide.


    "Can you at least tell me... What his final moments were?"


    "Remember how he basically chased you out of the city? He wanted to rest, but he didn''t want to appear weak in front of you. The months since your departure was mostly spent with him in bed, increasingly needing me to nurse him, before he quietly slept in to the eternity."


    I am overcome with this feeling of helplessness. He was so bad off? How come I didn''t notice? Couldn''t I have done anything to ease his pain? Or help him get better? It feels... unfair.


    "What happens to people after they die?" I ask. My old world had its fair share of customs to help deal with death. I hope to get a little bit of closure from this. This world has an actual, interfering God and actual magic. I hope I can put some stock into it.


    "I do not know the human way. But the dryad way tells us that those who are left us to soon, will eventually return in some shape or another, to give back to those they are indebted to, to live out the regrets they had, and those content with their lives, will simply disappear into nothing. I believe Jorgen was of the latter."


    Disappear unto nothing, huh? Seems this world doesn''t have a culture around graves, but I feel like I have to do something. And so, I cut a thin tree with my sword and whittle it with my carving knife, finally leaving a message. I don''t know the written language here, so in good old plain English it says.


    "Here lived a man named Jorgen. Great hunter, beloved husband and father. Rest in peace."


    "What are you doing?" Hannah asks. I don''t think she can see any more, but she must still detect me. by hearing or magic.


    "Making a marker, signifying a great man and beloved man once lived here."


    "You know, in a way he is not completely gone. We dryads, when we return to our original form we will use what we have... collected from our beloved ones. In a couple of hundred years, dryads, sons and daughters of Jorgen, will roam this land, and that at least gives me some solace."


    I put the expensive liquor I bought for him by the marker. And put my hands together in prayer. I don''t know what I am doing by now, but it helps... it helps...


    "I wanted to show him how strong I could become." I notice myself crying as I have fully accepted that Jorgen is gone.


    "I wanted to show him that I can use two magics at once now. I wanted to become a hunter and show him. I... I..."


    Hannah doesn''t say anything. I simply lay down. It is already late in the day, night even. I close my eyes and I sleep for the first time in a while...

 42: Vacation

    I wake up next to a grave. A bit bizarre. I had a dream. It was my previous life, but my parents were Hannah and Jorgen. Instead of begging me to get a job and start a family, they helped me train and become a better runner. Jorgen was tough and had me training constantly, screaming something about "I had decided to do this, so do it properly". It didn''t make much sense, but it felt nice.


    "Good morning" I say to Hannah but there is no response.


    "Do you know if anyone''s been clearing the dungeon?" I ask, but still get no response. Maybe she is asleep, it is really hard for me to tell with her in this state.


    For safety''s sake I might as well do it. Can''t have monsters popping up so close to home. I have been on a request to exterminate escaped monsters before, reported by the villagers and there were a few casualties before we arrived. If something happened to Vella or mother because I neglected it, I would hate myself, so I clear the first two levels in an hour or so. It goes really fast when you can tell where the monsters are.


    As I exit, I go past Hannah one last time, before I will head to join up with my mother and sister. "I am planning to come to the village every month or so for at least the next half a year... So, see you in a month."


    "Please don''t" is the answer I receive in that same raspy voice. "I have made my decision, reminding me of the one bond I have left is only really going to hurt more".


    I quietly nod. I don''t know if it''s because it''s her choice, that she will not really die or that I spent less time with her than with Jorgen, or that Jorgen''s death is still weighing on me, but I don''t begrudge it nearly as much. I had half a mind to call her mother here, to show what I thought of her, but it seems it will only make it more difficult. I leave the azurite decoration I bought for Hannah in the cabin. It had a carving of a tree on it. I thought it would "fit" since she was one, but now it kind of feels stupid and off, somehow.


    On the way to my mother''s house I pass by Yuro. "Priest Yuro, I don''t need the house. Tell the summit they can use it as they see fit, as long as I have bed to sleep in when I am in town" To which he just nods.


    Once I reach the house, Vella is playing outside with two other girls. This is probably only the second real meeting we''re going to have, so I am a bit nervous. I crouch down beside them, asking Vella "Do you remember me?"


    She slowly nods. Seems I interrupted something. "Just go on and play" I say, as I retreat to the house to say hi to mother. Seems her new husband is already gone, but his wife is also here.


    "Greetings, I am Yos, Luvia''s son" I introduce myself.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Greetings, I am Mila, I will just leave you two alone." She says. It seems a bit cold. I wonder if there is some social convention about not meddling with a new wife''s previous family or something like that.


    "Yos, my boy, good to see you" My mother says, hugging me. I am just about as tall as her now, which is weird, since I distinctly remember being a few inches short when I left. Young bodies grow quickly, huh?


    "I brought you something" I say, as I bring out the amulet I chose for her. It is also azurite, so its blue colour shines wonderfully, but its engraving is different. It has a circle containing a spiral. It is apparently a symbol for motherhood here, or so the blacksmith told me.


    "Oh thank you, Yos, that looks lovely. Was it expensive? Don''t use too much money on me, now you hear?"


    "What''s the point of earning a lot, if I can''t spoil my mother and sister a little?" I say as I bring out the second gift I had prepared. 50 blue coins in a leather pouch, meant to deal with whatever. These past months, even with my expenditure on fancy boots, throwing daggers and various smaller parts of gear, I have an astounding income. I must have made some 200 blue coins. And that is with the 50% taken because I am an apprentice. Though, I do work a lot more than you are supposed to, apparently. And a day''s stay at the inn costs a single blue coin, so if I stayed there, I would only have a little left over. Ah, but I also pay absolutely nothing now for my upkeep? I don''t know, I feel rich and I can spoil some people important to me, so that''s what I will do.


    "Ah no, I can''t accept this, it would be an insult to Horag" Horag is her new husband.


    "Just keep it for emergencies then, for a situation where an insult to Horag is worth the money" I reply, to which she reluctantly accepted. I think of grandmother''s fate. I had thought of searching for her in the city, but if she served a noble, like she seemed to hope was her best option, there really isn''t a good way to go about it.


    Afterwards the girls come in. Apparently they are her step-sisters. I simply thought they were neighbourhood girls. The two other girls are directed away by Mila, so it ends up just being mom, Vella and I. Vella is shy at the beginning, but immediately opens up and comes a lot closer after receiving her gift. This plate is like the others, but decorated with some flower, apparently it meant beauty, and I thought it would be a perfect fit for the little beauty.


    By the time I am asked to leave before dinner time, I then ask if I can come by again tomorrow.


    "Ah, Yos, it''s nice that you came to see us and spend time with us, but we''re part of a different family now. You really shouldn''t intrude so much" This damn world and its annoying conventions.


    "Can I at least take Vella out to play?" My mother thinks a little before giving her okay.


    And so I spend the week at my hometown, mostly training, but often playing with my cute little sister who tells me about everything. About Horag, so is mostly away and doesn''t really speak to her, but she isn''t his kid, so she should not pay that any mind, according to mother. About the sisters, who she is fast friends with, but also have a manner of criticisms, like one always says her hair is the prettiest, when it clearly Vella''s, such nonsense. I also hear about how happy she is about the amulet, and how envious the others are of her.


    Seems most kids get here is some crude etchings on iron, but she has an azurite one from a genuine craftsmen, so it is obviously enviable. On the last day, I say my goodbyes and promise to come in another three weeks, before heading home. Strange, how I already think of that place as home after half a year.

 43: Emergency Request

    When I come back, Atna enthusiastically greets me and asks about my trip, but I don''t really want to talk about the sad stuff, so I just talk about my mother and little sister, how I felt it was annoying being denied entry to their home, and how cute my little sister was.


    "So the cutest girl in the world you mentioned?"


    "My little sister Vella of course"


    "You''re not planning to take her as your wife, right?"


    "Huh? I mean, I never heard of a brother marrying his sister before." I was just about to ask what was wrong with her, but it may be something not unusual to this world.


    "Well, I guess it is uncommon outside... the royal family. It is frowned upon as it doesn''t strengthen the ties between families and communities. Only the royal family do it, since their house was deemed too powerful and were forbidden from marrying outside it in order to cut down on their alliances" she says.


    Her pause must be because she has a brother married to one of her sisters, or that her brother wants to marry her. I kind of don''t want to poke into that, sounds complicated. But what I do want to ask so bad is if it doesn''t cause genetic defects, but I really don''t think DNA exists here, since literal trees and people can have children together. I guess that would also somewhat lessen the stigma associated with such practices.


    "But no, I have no such plans" It is at least impossible with me and my ideas of incest as a weird thing ancient Egyptians did to preserve some non-existent divine blood or whatever.


    A few days later, as I return from my morning run, and get ready to wash the sweat off and head to the association, Bosir''s loud voice rings through the entire building "Everybody meet up!"


    And so a few moments later everybody is gathered in the main hall, sitting around the two tables, waiting for Bosir to speak.


    "An emergency request is dispatched. A dragon whelp has appeared in a dungeon two days¡¯ march from here, and in approximately a week, an entourage from the capital will pass through here, picking up any one who will participate. Remember, there are always casualties in these things, so how many will join?"This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I put up my hand without question. I am going to become a great person that will influence the country, and if I shy away from a fight with a dragon. I sit at the front to Bosir, so I turn my head in order to see who''s in or out. There are only two people with their hands down. One of them is Sirgut, and to my big surprise, the other is Atna.


    She always seemed so prideful, so I was sure she would join. Part of me wants to ask her what''s the matter, but at that point I feel like I am pressuring her to join, and if she did happen to be casualty, I would probably feel terrible, so let''s ignore it.


    "As expected" Bosir says with a wide grin, somehow seeming proud of us. "I know Bern, Kamas, Mynie and I have fought a dragon before, but anyone else with experience?" He asks. The rest is Asger, Caper, Toben, Larn and I. None of us reply.


    "Great, now I am going to explain how it''s going to go. First off, to fight a dragon is unlike any monster you have met before. Even if they are a youngster, they are as tough as azurite, capable of powerful magic, fast as hell, especially in flight. These fights usually go the same way, first"


    And thus follows a long explanation of fighting dragons. First we are split into pairs of two. Since the dragon is so hard, conventional weapons can do little to harm it, so pairs of two are armed with a stake and hammer. One runs up and holds the stake, while the other tries to smack it with a hammer. It has to work in unison, go fast and not harm the stake holder, so we will have to practice.


    Secondly, it is nigh impossible to deal with a dragon in flight, so it is almost always dealt with inside the dungeon. Luckily for us, as long as no one provokes it, it seems it rarely comes out. All of its food and all the treasure it will start to accumulate will be in the dungeon anyways.


    Thirdly, the team will split into two. One will stand by the entrance, while the other goes inside. This is done because dragons, once they detect a massive amount of opponents, they often try to run. So much for my idea of them being exceedingly proud creatures. Since it will almost inevitably know the dungeon better than the party coming to subjugate it, it will often make it to the entrance, engaging with the second group.


    Fourth, the general attack plan is to form as much of a circle around it as possible and attack simultaneously. It will almost always choose to attack instead, since the option of running has been cut off, and whoever it attacks is usually regarded as an unavoidable casualty, a matter of chance. Suddenly, this feels analogous to playing a low-odds game of Russian roulette.


    Luckily, Bosir has three sets of dragon slaying tools from his last experience, so he only needs to procure one more, and we can start training immediately

 44: Hunting Party

    The training is weird. Little can withstand the force of this combination of hammer and stake, so the target is something easily repairable, a mound of dirt and straw. I am paired up with Asger, who gets the stake and I have the hammer. It is very heavy and difficult to wield. And so, I stand at various different places, trying do a running approach, and strike the small mound with all my force.


    Meanwhile, Asger is beside me with the stake. It is more than a foot tall, and the surface area at the top is about 8 inches in diameter. He has a spot marked, and so our goal is to get the timing down, before attempting to do it together. The reason for this, is obviously injury the stake holder could sustain, were we to attempt doing this together. It is almost insanity, like shifting a nail in place while you swing the hammer, but the process has to occur fast.


    Gradually all of us improve in this bizarre technique. Caper and Toben have paired together, as has Bern and Larn. The last three participants have argued who should sit out of the pair training, and in the end, Bosir does. I am once again impressed with the sheer strength Mynie has, every time she swings the hammer, I feel all in its path will be obliterated. She has a strength-boosting gift after all.


    Days pass and we eventually end up with a much larger "hill" of dirt and straw we try our craft on. I am exceedingly nervous, as I feel a small mistake will easily crush Asger''s hand, but I trust in the training. I have synced my speed to Asger''s and watch him, and the moment he starts dashing, I follow at the same speed, giving him the same moment to put the stake in place, which I strike with all my might. The hill is soft and it easily pierces deep, I am getting kind of excited to try this on the living tank known as a dragon now.


    When the day comes and the party from the capital is arriving, some 40 hunters are ready to join them. There should be a few hundred association hunters in the city, so I had expected much more, but seems our clan is just extraordinarily suicidal. The leader of the profession is riding a monster, what look to be giant, almost ostrich-like bird. This must be one of the tamed monster, that are so rare that I have heard about.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    In addition, the man himself is covered in a yellow-golden armor, the trademark of pure flavite. My sword was called flavite, but that is an alloy, mostly a dull grey metal color with streaks of yellow in it. I am told that most flavite equipment takes this shape, though pure flavite is the best quality, it is prohibitively expensive, and the alloy apparently comes pretty close for a fraction of the cost. My sword has also been estimated by Bosir to be worth around one yellow coin, so I can barely even imagine how expensive the full, pure armor must be.


    He is currently idling slightly out of town, and the leader of the procession is riding the bird-monster closer to us, before starting a small speech.


    "Brave hunters of Brahms, it pleases me to see such a turn-out! Are you ready to risk your life for fame and fortune? Are you ready to protect the land from an aggressor? Are you ready to SLAY A DRAGON?"


    Each question is followed by a chant from our group, though I find it difficult to join in after noticing neither Bosir, nor Kamas do so. We then quickly join the end of the procession as it moves past us. These large parties never enter the cities, since it can''t accommodate that many people. As it walks past I get the sense that there must be around 200 people.


    Our group is led by three of the association''s hunters. These apparently get a privilege during exactly this kind of request, though they are a little grumbling. The request is larger than the scope of just Brahms, and so they have been robbed of some of their power, having to answer to someone higher up. It is no doubt a little infuriating for them.


    When we camp we unexpectedly do not mingle. We simply stay in our own small group. I wonder if we shouldn''t clarify the plans and roles, etc. but Bosir says "There is only following orders when it comes to these large requests. If you want everybody to discuss and form up a plan together, there are too many people for such a task, and we would never get anything done. So we just have to obey the chain of command, which runs through the pompous fools to the association''s guys to me to the rest of you, got it?"


    And so, a few days later, we end up outside the dungeon that supposedly houses the dragon.

 45: Encirclement

    As we arrive, we are split into teams. Apparently, those who go inside are at much greater risk of injury, so Bosir has chosen to let the split happen by age. That means Asger and I, as well as the twins are left outside while the rest go in. Every clan is split in two, lest there be commotion about what percentage of the reward each part deserves for taking on risks.


    I kind of want to protest. I want to see a living, breathing dragon in all of its glory, even when I have to take risk to find it. If they just end up killing it and I only get to see its corpse, I am going to be somewhat disappointed. I then think it is silly to think about these things, when the situation is apparently really dangerous.


    Time passes, while we chat with our neighbors in the circle formed around the dungeon''s entrance. This is the first dungeon entrance I have seen, that looks like a regular cave. Both of the others have this "man-made" vibe to them, like they have somehow been put together, or worked on, but by this one, I can see no features that I wouldn''t find difficult to be naturally occurring.


    Asger and I end up chatting about our theories of why Atna didn''t come. Asger thinks she is a noble from the capital, anxious that she will be recognized.


    "Come one, Atna can''t be a noble. Don''t they have, I don''t know, a more dignified air to them? Atna is kind of wild, arrogant and an anger management problem." She will often appear frustrated or ice cold at a moment¡¯s notice, like someone set off a bomb no one knew about.


    "You only know her now, but you didn''t see her when she first became an apprentice" Asger argued. "She was in fine clothes and acted impeccably, though she fairly quickly inherited the general boisterous conduct of our clan. Also, don''t even pretend to not know that you are the source of her mood swings."


    Hmm, I am? "What do you mean?"


    "Really? Are you dumb or just ignorant?" Due to my mental age, I feel it painful to be called dumb by a kid some 16 years of age, but I bear with it.


    "Before you two started to get along, she only ever got angry when someone insinuated that she shouldn''t be a hunter or that she was weak because she was a woman."This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    That''s strange. "But she is strong? Why would someone ever argue the opposite?"


    Asger proceeds a little carefully. "Well, normally a woman in a hunter''s position is completely unthinkable. But an exception is usually made for those with gifts, hence why both Mynie and Atna, the only two female members of our clan has gifts." He holds a small pause. "Some people think that it is wrong. That a woman''s place is at home, raising children and tending house. Have you seriously not noticed how despised Mynie is?"


    Well, I did, but "Isn''t that just because she is a sexual predator and completely irresponsible?" Mynie often tried to skip out on any form of work, went drinking every night and would frequently hit on young boys whenever they were near, often with some physical contact.


    "I guess that exaggerates it, but Larn is pretty much all of those things, and he doesn''t get nearly the same amount of hate now, does he?"


    Well, he is certainly right, but Larn is also way more quiet about it, and usually goes to the bar in town specifically catered towards that sort of inappropriate behavior, whereas Mynie attacks whoever. Then again, I don''t think there exists a bar, where the waiters are young boys you can grope while you drink. Mynie would definitely be their top customer.


    "Ah, you weaseled out of the thing with Atna again, listen here, you little..." Asger suddenly went quiet. I cast my read magic, but nothing is really around us, except for the encirclement itself.


    "What is it, Asger?"


    "Is that, the dragon?" A quiet, nervous voice coming from Asger sounds while he extends his arm and finger at a certain point in the sky. People look in the direction he points. And something far away is flying towards here, at incredible speed, judging by the rate it grows in my field of vision.


    "Oh no" I remember Bosir''s words. A dragon that can fly is unbeatable.


    "Everybody, emergency! Break the encirclement and enter the dungeon." Some older hunter shouts, while the disorganized group breaks and scrambles for the dungeon entrance. Asger and I are amongst the one furthest from the entrance, and we start running, but since the circle collapses in on itself, there is not room enough for everyone, and some get pushed back. Asger trips and falls, and I stop and turn around, wanting to spot him, get him inside.


    I hear some random guy ask in a panic: "Are there two of them? Did it leave the dungeon for some reason?¡±


    There he is! "Asger!" I shout, as I approach him.


    But just as I am about to reach him.


    With a loud slam.


    A tri-pronged appendage with claws is crushing down on him.


    An ear-deafening roar is soon all I can hear.

 46: Dragon

    I freeze. There is a behemoth before me. Clad head to toe in large, large, overlapping, oval scales. With a fierce slit eyes and a head larger than me. Wings that just before was carrying this monster through the sky, now drape over its long body.  This can''t be a dragon whelp. It must be an adult. If this is a whelp, no way in hell humans could ever have won a battle against such monstrosities.


    I have this unnerving sense that nothing is in my power now. That if I run or fight, I die. All I can do is sit still and pray it does nothing. More people than Asger were trampled, why did it have to land here? Why did I have to go back? Why did I have to join this request? Such decisions and thought are what I am lamenting, as I keep as still as I can for as long as I can.


    For what feels like an eternity, I focus all my being into sitting as still as possible. It feels exhausting, and I feel like I can''t swallow, that I am about to cry, that my throat is dry and sweat is pouring out of me at an incredible pace.


    "You" a low voice bellows. I can feel the vibrations in my bones. "You came to kill my son?"


    Ah fuck, I am so fucking dead. Shit. Fuck. No. Shit. Fuck.


    "N-no?" I stammer out.


    "Foolish human" Is all it says. Before I can even react, sharp teeth are over me, excruciating pain follows from my waist and the-


    It hurts. It hurts. Something pressing on me from all angles. It''s warm. It burns. Am I being born again? Did I die and I am being born again? Did I die the first time? Can''t breathe, I try to take some air in, but all that fills my mouth is making me nauseous, burns and makes me want to vomit.


    In a panic, I struggle. I have no weapon. I must get loose. I pour all of my magic into a single creation magic, one that forms a sword. I cut all around me, swing wildly, struggle for everything. I am dying! I have no air! LET ME OUT! I feel the sensation. I hear the sound. I am definitely cutting something. More! It is if I am trapped in a giant yarn ball, and each cut loosens the strings. MORE! I must get loose! Argh shit, can''t breathe, can''t see. Everything shakes. I am losing strength. I must... con-Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    I can''t breathe again. I struggle with all my might, expecting the same resistance as last time, but I meet relatively little resistance. Once I am free, the first thing that assaults me is a putrid odor and taste in my mouth. I puke. My face is caked in something.


    I slowly get the worst off me with my bare hands. I am stark naked, bar whatever is covering me. I look over the scene. A collapsed dragon, out of which is a trail of blood and... shit? And where I emerged from. I am goddamn covered in shit and blood. What happened? Did it swallow me whole? Did someone rescue me?


    I look around. I think I am in a dungeon. The place has a large, cave-like structure to it, I haven''t even heard of just... caves in this world, so I presume it''s a dungeon. I look around and see that I am alone. Only the dragon lies there, with its blood and feces that I emerged from. What just happened? That question comes over me again and again.


    I can''t do nothing. I can''t just sit here. I must do something. I slowly convince myself out of my confusion. I must try to leave this dungeon. I cast Read. I only pick up a few signals relatively far away. The opposite way must lead out of here. I start to slowly trod in the direction, Read leads me.


    I am still confused. Didn''t I die? Was that somehow an illusion? Is Asger alive? Things course through my head as I mindlessly go in one direction, relying only on guesswork to take me through intersections and Read to go away from the monsters to get out of here.


    I don''t know how long it took, maybe a few hours, but I emerge from the dungeon. There is no one here either. It is the same dungeon I arrived at just a while ago. But there is a trail and... some blood in the dirt. Where Asger was. No, that doesn''t mean anything. He could just be hurt. The trails show the depression of wheel and footsteps of many men flattening the ground. Good thing I can follow it; else I would have no idea how to get back home. I just want to go home.


    I take a deep breath, crouch down, weave bestowal magic into my legs and run with all my might, following the trail at a breakneck speed, completely naked.

 47: Lie

    We only travelled at a slightly fast walking pace to get to the dungeon in two days, so if I pace myself like this, I should make it back in 6 hours or so.


    As I travel towards Brahms, I become more and more convinced of a certain fact. I died back there. I was chewed and swallowed by that dragon. And the only reason I can think of being alive now is... my gift.


    I was trapped inside the dragon the first time I woke up. The gift must have restored what pitiable remains of me that were left at that point to my human form once again. I then died of asphyxiation or entrail juice or something. But I killed the dragon from within and revived outside once again.


    And then I become confused again. How long have I been using bestowal magic? I should have run out at this point. Oh right, the mana vessel from killing things with mana vessels. I must have received quite a lot of mana from that dragon. I am struggling at how to convey this information, or if I should once I get home.


    They already somewhat considered me a freak at the beginning, even more so when I discovered I didn''t need sleep. How would they react to the potential of me not being able to die? Would that be too unnatural? Would I get ostracized from the one group I have really felt somewhat welcome in?


    So I decided I will lie. I use what information I have learnt, and how I ended up to create a story, that should be good.


    And some time later, I arrive at the gates of Brahms. I roll in the grass, trying to rid myself of as much shit and stuff as possible, then walk up to the entrance, holding one hand over my private parts.


    "Halt!" Is screamed. "Who are... Are you that apprentice with Bosir?" One of the guards ask.


    "Yes, I was with the dragon hunting party and... " I gesture with my one free hand towards myself "A lot of stuff happened and I got left behind. Can you let me in, so that I can get to my clothes?"


    The guard looks somewhat suspiciously. "Or you can call Bosir or anyone from our clan" I suggest.


    "Oh well, go inside. They just arrived here a few hours ago, so you better go show them you are still alive." he says. "But first, take this. You can bring it to me after you wash it" He fetches a simple cloak from the guardhouse.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Thanks!" I say.


    I run to the clan house, and open the door.


    There is a scene happening. Atna has red eyes, not like, her normal eyes which are kind of red, but red eyes like she has been crying. Bosir is next to her with a hand on her back, Kamas is behind her with one on her shoulder. The rest are positioned around the room either by themselves or in a pair.


    "I''m home?" I say cautiously. Atna flies up and hugs me hard.


    "Don''t ever scare me like that again" She says crying.


    Wait, is Bosir crying too "So, you were okay, kid" he says.


    "Yeah. How about Asger?" The relieved looks on their faces immediately turn sullen once again. Ah, so he didn''t make it. Fuck. He was pretty close to being a friend to me. I sure am losing a lot of relationships lately.


    I become a bit melancholic myself. And I find myself remembering my current situation. Atna still hugging the very-almost naked me. The people around me. I think I was missing this when I learned that Jorgen died. A reminder I still had a family. I feel a bit more optimistic after realizing that.


    After what felt like a few minutes of silence, Bosir speaks up.


    "Anyway, what happened to you? Why are you dressed like that? How did you survive?"


    "Asger spotted the dragon. When he did so, everyone started rushing inside, but there was panic and people got pushed down and trampled upon. I turned back to Asger, who fell, in order to help him. Then, the dragon landed right on top of him. It asked me whether we were here to kill its son which I denied." Everything so far has been the truth, now comes the spinning.


    "Then, it called me "foolish human" and slapped me, sending me flying. I landed hard, couldn''t move my legs, and I passed out. As I came to, I was naked. I didn''t know what had happened. Maybe someone saw me, presumed me dead and took all my stuff. My gift presumably healed my injuries, but I didn''t know where any of you where, so I looked inside the dungeon."


    They made it home so they must have been gone for two days already.


    "To my surprise, the dragon was there, lying on the ground in a pool of blood, dead. After searching the whole day and finding no one, I decided to return." There, that should be pretty good.


    "But why do you smell so bad?" Atna asked. Shit, think of something. "Ah, I investigated the corpse of the dragon to try and figure out how it died. The blood seemed to come from... Well, it''s ass, and I got something on me." Am I safe?


    Atna suddenly recoiled and let go of her until now tight embrace, stepped back, smelled her arm and made a face in recoil.


    "Then I ran here with all my might and came here. I was buck naked, so the guard lent me this cloak."


    Bosir slowly nods "Truly, self-healing is the strongest gift to save your life from a wound inflicted by a dragon"


    Boy, if only he knew.

 48: Stories and Thoughts

    "But the dragon was dead, eh?" Bosir scratches his stubble. "Better get this to the party from the capital as fast as possible. I''ll get someone from the association to run up and tell them."


    "Ah, I could do that" I say.


    "Boy, stop. You almost died, you have lost all your gear and you come here clothed in nothing but a cloak and shit. Take a damn rest!" Bosir says kind of angrily before leaving the clan house.


    But I don''t want to take a rest, I want to object, but again, he is my elder. I also lost all my gear, huh? That sucks. That means I am in the red when it comes to the whole pay to cost thing. Luckily I still have the yellow coin Jorgen gave me, so I should be able to re-equip myself without much trouble.


    "Ill go wash and dress up" I say, as I leave for upstairs.


    "What do you think killed the dragon, Yos?" Mynie asks me before I have left.


    "Don''t know, all I could tell is where the blood was coming from" I answer, careful not to sound nervous.


    "I hope it was the dragon king taking care of it" Kamas says. "That way there won''t be another war. I don''t want to fight those monsters."


    After I have gone upstairs, washed myself with cold water and dressed up in a new tunic and cloth for the private parts, I come downstairs again. I wanted to go train, but I am stopped before I reach the courtyard.


    "Oh, Yos, we are sending Asger off the proper hunter way. Come and get some drink" Bern says.


    Guess it''ll be nice to deal with it.


    And so, drink comes on. We mostly tell stories of Asger around us. Mynie tells of how she slept with him when he first came here. Bern tells of how he once was carrying corpses with his gift, how he overestimated his gift, and that Bern got a bloody cadaver sent right into his face. Larn told us of an attempt to weaponize this aspect of his gift, but it didn''t work out since he had no control over where stuff flew, and most importantly, it only functioned on a timer after picking stuff up.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Bosir returns and the stories carry on. Everyone here has known Asger for at least three times longer than I have, and I don''t feel I have any good stories. I feel heavy when we talk about him, but some of the funnier episodes still get me to release a chuckle. Like once, Larn brought him to the club with the sexy waitresses, and he froze like stone due to the attention received, before asking the girl to marry him, as they were leaving.


    It continues way into the night, and soon, everybody else is a asleep. I simply sit alone in the main hall. Well, Mynie is here too, but she is passed out. And I think back to a proposition I heard in my old world. On some online forum, somebody had asked "Would you be immortal if you could" And below where the comments. The general consensus was, only if there were an opt-out and certain situations were described. Living past the extinction of humanity, the sun expanding and engulfing the earth, the heat death of the universe. If you lived forever, the vast majority would be spent alone, unable to do anything.


    There were also other fears posted. Fears of being trapped somewhere, like falling into a pit and being trapped. The fear of being taken by the government and performed experiments on. The fear of going insane as you lose everything you once loved. Fear of having children and grandchildren, who would then die before you did. I wonder if I have an opt-out to this power? Not that it matters now, I am quite content to be alive.


    I stop thinking about it and go training.


    The next day, I go to obtain some new equipment. Armed with one yellow coin, and some 100 blue ones, I scour the local blacksmith for ready-made equipment. I obtain a chainmail, a sword and throwing knives, but I am sure the first two are of lower quality than my previous ones, gifted by Jorgen. Shit, I lost Jorgen''s stuff, I have less to remember him by. It only sets me back 70 blue coins though, so I go to also procure some new leather armor and boots.


    All in all, I avoid using the yellow coin, but only have 5 blue ones left. The yellow coin isn''t really personal, but I somehow want to avoid spending it now. Maybe I can find something of Jorgen in his house or the cabin once I return there.


    And so, with new equipment and without Asger, the next 6 months pass by relatively uneventfully. I grow closer to my sister, whom I see every month now, but one can feel the lessened energy in the clan, as one of the three people I most regularly spent time with is now gone. Nothing against Kamas and Atna, but I hope this next year, we will have another apprentice. Bosir offers me the recommendation immediately once the year is coming to a close, which I accept.


    We end up at the association to register me as a second-rank hunter. It is fairly painless, basically they just confirm I have been here for a year, have completed 25 requests and that Bosir says it is okay. And a few days later, I receive my own shiny blue plate, with what I presume is my name, and two, thick, vertical line indented onto it.

 49: Bragging

    "Ah, there''s something troublesome I accidentally did" Bosir says on the way back from getting my plate. It feels great, like I could make it anywhere now.


    "What did you do, old Bosir?" I ask, but not really caring.


    "Well, the count here meets with various clan leaders a few times a year." He chews on his words, slowly bringing them forth. "And I kind of ended up bragging a little. So there is a problem."


    Did he get settled with an unreasonable task? I have a bad feeling.


    "You see, I bragged about... how my apprentice survived a dragon attack."


    "So?"


    "Well, I kind of made it sound like he valiantly challenged the dragon to protect his friend and survived the encounter due to his skill and toughness"


    "What?" I blink a little. Who is this mysterious apprentice Bosir has had while no one noticed?


    "Are you kidding me? Why would you do that?"


    "Shut up, drink makes fools of us all" he says dismissively. "anyway, I promised to introduce you, once you became a proper hunter, so we will have to go visit. And that means getting some proper clothes. Ah, and if you could just lie and retell the story like I did, that would be great"


    "Are you completely shameless!?" I am shocked. He wants me to go to the count and lie my ass off, what the hell?


    "I am also in trouble! What do you think the count would say if he figured out I lied to him?"


    Well, yeah I don''t want harm to come to Bosir. "Can I at least make it sound like you just embellished it a little?" I asked.


    "Ah, that should be fine" Bosir says while scratching his stubble. I wonder if he purposefully keeps it like that instead of growing a beard or going clean-shaven?


    "And shouldn''t you also be a little grateful? Did you not speak of how you would gain some influence and make some weird thing or other happen?"This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Ah, that is right, but the timescale is a little wrong. It is something I would start working on once I became a "proper" adult in my mind. Still, I have grown even stronger during this past half year. I can now go almost toe-to-toe with Kamas at sparring sessions and have even come out on top once or twice.


    As we prepare various clothes and accessories, Bosir gives me some hints.


    "Never speak unless spoken to." "Always call him and his kin with "Lord" or "Honored" "If you go somewhere, always walk behind him, never besides him" and so on, but one comes out a little weird.


    "If he introduces one of his daughters to you, be careful what you say, or you may end up getting engaged to her". Hn?


    "Would he really randomly engage his daughter like that?" I ask.


    "It is customary for nobility to keep a few unwed daughters on hand to snatch up talented hunters that show themselves. But I figured you''d want to avoid it, since, you know..."


    "Know what? Wouldn''t it just help me get the influence I want faster?" This world is almost devoid of the idea of love. Most women end up getting married the moment they come of age to a man 5-10 years older than them through a deal with their parents. Some hunters are known to chase love, but I have never really cared about those kinds of relationships.


    "You mean to say there''s no one you feel you have any prior obligations to?" He asks.


    "What do you mean, come on out and say it so that I can understand." Seriously, did someone engage me without my knowledge or something?


    "You have no idea what I am talking about, do you?" He once again comes up with something like that.


    "No, I do not. Please tell me" I collect myself from getting pissed off by his attitude and answer.


    "Ah, I am not sure I am allowed to. I''ll check sometime first."


    "Well, that''s fine but what about the count? When exactly am I scheduled for?"


    "You will join him at lunch the day after tomorrow, I''ll sort the matter before then, hopefully.


    I look over all the random things that have been bought for me. First, some kind of fancy shirt. It is colored red with lines running along the arms and looks very frail, like one could easily tear it. It is very long, and ends in a looser fabric, that resembles a skirt. There are also so kind of stockings, which is going to challenge my masculinity, but apparently that is common practice to wear for males of high societal status here. The shoes are impractical. They are somewhat high-heeled with a large flap, that dangles everywhere when I walk in them and they are quite uncomfortable.


    I am starting not to look forward to this. It really feels way too early to talk about marriage and such arrangements. It feels like I am still a kid in this world learning things and it feels like I am not ready to bring what I want to life. But I have decided I am going to create sports, racing, running in this world, so I steel myself and prepare as best I can for the situation.

 50: Meeting

    The next day I am brought into a meeting with a peculiar make-up. It is in the room I used to share with Asger, but now is mine alone. There are only two other people, that being Bosir and Atna.


    "First off" Atna starts "I want you talk about exactly why you want influence with the noble society."


    I know what I want, but how do I spin this.


    "Ever since I was a young kid, I loved to move my body, especially running. I would go outside and run for the entire day. I would beg my mother for shoes so that I could run easier. I would neglect to spend time with the other kids because I liked running". This part is technically correct, if you ignore I was a grown ass man on the inside.


    "But, something always nagged me. Am I getting faster? Am I the fastest? Is there a better way to run? Stuff like that, and I realized what I wanted in life was a community built around running. But no one cared, everyone was understandably occupied with the tasks of daily life. So what I want to create is games. Games, where people come and compete to be the fastest. Money to promise the best so more fast people will come to compete. Land where we can build even tracks and perhaps even training facilities. People would possibly find it entertaining to watch, so I want the permission to share this with as many as people as possible, preferably through public channels."


    After I have held my little speech, both of them look confused. "I mean, isn''t that just like the amphitheater in Roxburg, only sounding much, much more boring?" Bosir suggests.


    "Nono. The amphitheater is for fights, yeah? So many factors go into it, but this... This will be a pure competition for who has the best form, technique, will etc. only to force one ability of human, their run, to the outmost limits of what is possible" It is hard to communicate this feeling, but I have it experienced it, dammit. Pushing your body to the limit in the pursuit of one single task is hard, punishing and incredibly rewarding and satisfying.


    "You do realize WHY nobles want powerful hunters right?" Atna asks.


    "Actually, not really. They''re great people?" I admit.


    A sigh is heard and Atna starts explaining "Nobles constantly have qualms with each other. Who presides over what land, who has the right this toll or tax and which person is going to succeed this or that title. However, they almost never end up in fighting, since that only ever happens when two or more sides are relatively equally matched. Now, how do nobles bolster their strength?"Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "Powerful hunters, I am guessing"


    "Correct, but how do other people know you have powerful hunters under you, and that you aren''t simply propping up some random stooge on a pedestal?"


    "They do powerful things?"


    "Yes, each and every noble house wants to show their might by having their hunters lead great hunting parties, taking down large monster that happen to escape, clear difficult dungeons and bring home rare and difficult-to-procure materials. The rumors of their strength and the materials from their hunts is what is actually measured, regardless of actual strength."


    "Your point being?" I understood now why they wanted me, but why was that a problem?


    "Do you think you can just relax and use the influence they lend you and give nothing in return? NO! You must still go out and show you are worth something."


    Ah, so I can''t spend all day running.


    "In addition, how much influence do you think a count has? Nowhere enough to spend frivolously on one of his affiliated hunter''s endeavors."


    "But, isn''t it a rare opportunity? I doubt everyone just gets offers of marriage all willy-nilly. I might as well take it, when the opportunity presents itself right?"


    Atna''s pale skin reddens and her mouth frowns. Oh no, she is lashing out again.


    "LISTEN!" She shouts "DO! NOT! MARRY! ANY! DAUGHTER! OF! THE! COUNT!" Each word is said slowly, harshly and loudly.


    I usually just leave the room as soon as possible, when she gets like this, but it feels impossible right now.


    "If you can do that!" It becomes a more normal level of shouting. "I will arrange something that can grant you more influence" She says. Hn?


    "Do you have noble connections, sister Atna?"


    "As a matter of fact, I do. And I will share them with you if you can reject the count nicely."


    "And they have more influence than a count?"


    "Much more" sounds the reply.


    "Well, fine, I will try my best. Meeting adjourned?"


    "Meeting adjourned!" She replies immediately and storms out.


    Bosir also starts to walk towards the door, but he turns and asks me:


    "I am curious; why do you think she is doing this?"


    I had not really thought about. All I got out of that conversation was that I would get more influence if I could avoid getting tied to the count tomorrow.


    "Does her house and the count''s house have some rivalry or something?" Seems the most logical explanation.


    "You really are stupid." Bosir says. I feel like I have received that insult quite a lot lately.


    "Oh wait, Bosir, I meant to ask you something." I quickly remembered. "Did anything ever happen over that dragon incident?"


    "Well, I haven''t heard anything, but they do say that no news is good news" Huh, they have that expression in this world too?

 51: Audience

    These clothes are really uncomfortable. I want to scratch myself. Am I going to sneeze? Such thoughts run through my head, after I have been dolled up in what would likely be considered effeminate clothes in my previous world, waiting to be allowed in.


    This morning two guards had come to escort me one whole hour before the lunch hour, but Bosir had seen this coming and asked me to prepare two hours before. The downside of it, was of course my limited activity in this... mess. In addition, I had equipped various accessories, armbands, necklaces, rings suitable for the occasion. It is apparently improper to not have anything, in addition to having loose hair, so it was tied up in a short pony-tail. It was either that or a special hat, the nobles wear, where your hair is bunched up inside, but it gets really hot. My hair has gotten quite long, since I neglected to have it cut ever since Hannah last gave me one.


    I was led through a part of the city, or rather, slightly outside the city proper, that was entirely different to what I knew. The quarter had guards posted outside as an additional checkpoint inside the city, and once inside, there were trees, green lawns and some ten villas. I have never been inside of a gated community, but I imagine it being pretty close. I also wonder who all the villas belong to. Relatives? Wealthy merchants, perhaps?


    I was then shown to this... waiting room? A couple of chairs with fancy paintings. I had hoped to be given room to relax, but they left a damn guard in here with me, so I don''t feel like I can scratch my nose or adjust my stockings, which just feels weird to wear. Maybe it is just a matter of getting used to it, but not two full days have passed since I first tried wearing it. I am feeling sweaty and itchy all over.


    Suddenly a guard opens the door. "We are ready to escort you" is said, which I promptly rise at. Urgh, all this is making my stomach churn. In addition, I kind of lost my motivation since I was promised to be introduced to a more influential family later, so now all I have to do is to clean up Bosir''s mess. I am going to hound him something fierce after this.


    When we leave the room, the other guard rounds up behind me after closing the door. With one person on either side of me, I feel more like a prisoner being escorted to his execution than a guest. I am escorted through a few hallways, seeing many large paintings and sculptures on the way. I have never seen this kind of art in this world before. Peculiarly, they all seem to depict scenes of fighting, struggle and power. A scene of a man besting a dragon on that canvas, that sculpture of a muscular, almost naked man holding a spear and so on. I guess fighting is more intrinsic to this world than my old one.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Finally, we appear before another set of massive door, which leads me to what I can only call a throne room. A man sits on the chair elegantly. He has his gold-brown hair tied in a ponytail. He is fairly slender, fairly old, maybe 40. He is wearing a long open coat, which shows off his incredibly fancy shirt, with yellow or perhaps even golden lines sewn in and on his legs he wears stocking like mine, but these have another pattern in that same yellow-gold line on them. His boots have a fair amount of padding underneath them, making them look like those plateau shoes, only with what looks like a stylish slipper on top.


    As we step in, the guard in front me says "Announcing the arrival of the lord''s guest, hunter Yos". I do as I practiced with Bosir. Go down on one knee, look to the ground, hold my left hand in front my heart and the right one behind my back while announcing.


    "This one greets Lord Haiden and thanks the lordship deeply for the invitation" Pronouns are considered part of common speech in this world and you have to use combinations of other words.


    "This one accepts the gratitude and bids you welcome to the residence. You may stand up and raise your head, young Yos" Such says the lord of the region, Count Erebyl Haiden. Last names are a little strange here. They are not simply names inherited, but is a public record of your allegiance to what house. If you work for the Haiden house, you will also have the Haiden name. Logically, the lord''s allegiance is with his own house, but his daughters will have no last name if married to another noble''s house, while retaining it and granting it to her husband, were she to marry a commoner.


    He slowly rises and walks over to me, inspecting me. I want to ask what he is doing, but I am not allowed to speak my own mind, only answer his inquiries. He is a little intimidating, looking down on me like that. He has a long, crooked nose and piercing blue eyes.


    "This one apologizes, merely wanting to ascertain the chances of a bet this one has made" He says, as he backs a little off.


    "A bet, my lord?"


    "Pay it no mind. Now, follow behind this one" I am starting to think I am going to hear "this one" so much that it loses all meaning.


    The count then lets a guard walk slightly behind him, with me behind further than that and we leave the room I had just arrived in. When we reach another door, the guard steps up and opens it for him. Inside is a large dining room, with eight people already seated and the table decked. One guard then steps between him and me, and escorts me to the end of the table. The other end of the long table, with a taller, fancier chair is sat on by the count.


    "This one fears these all long to hear the story, but I beg the young man to stay his tongue till the first recess" Recess? What is he talking about? Oh well, guess I will figure it out as we go.


    "As the lord wishes" I say as I nod my head. Damn, it is irritating, I was just about to call him "you"

 52: Lunch

    Two people enter the room from what I presume are the kitchen doors. They carry more dishes than they have hands, which they quickly place in front of each person at the table. Then, they come and pour a glass of I don''t know what in each person¡¯s cup. I look at the other people at the table, not only to not be the first person to move and perform some kind of taboo, but also to spot which of the three spoons I should use.


    The dish itself looks like a completely white slab of meat in some pale sauce. When I spot the others starting to eat, I do the same. Seems one can just split this meat with a spoon. The taste is that of a fish, something I haven''t had in this world yet, I wonder if we are far from an ocean? Does normal fish exist, or is this some kind of monster? But it is truly delish. The fish itself has a light taste and texture, but the sauce provides an incredibly delicious sweet and savory kick to it. The liquid served tastes somewhat like a tart juice, and it leaves my mouth weirdly dry after each sip, but it somehow works with the dish and makes this meal probably the best I have ever had. And that is with me often missing the old world''s food, as the regular quality of the meals here seems pretty low.


    The dish is quickly gone, and not long pass before it is removed before me.


    "First" the count starts. "allow this one to inquire about the taste of the dish"


    "Ah, it... The taste of the dish was extremely pleasing to me, Lord Haiden" I fumbled a little bit.


    "Very good to hear. The meat was something novel acquired from Dagon territory, which has proved quite the rage as of late. Now, will the young hunter please indulge us in the story of how one stands up to a dragon and gets out alive?"


    I want to ask what Dagon is, but I don''t want to appear rude.


    "Before the story starts, this one begs the lord to understand that master Bosir painted the story a little too beautifully, in the shade of too much good drink."


    And thus follows the pre-crafted story of my friend tripping, the dragon landing on top of him, me begging to dragon to move (which didn''t happen), how the dragon sends me flying (didn''t happen) and how I came to be eventually as unharmed, due to my gift.


    Without anyone other than the lord and me talking, it feels a little eerie, what with mostly young girls and boys sitting around and listening without saying.


    The main dish is then served. It resembles a steak covered in meat sauce and mashed potatoes. Again I look over the surrounding lunch attendees to spot the proper procedure. There is no fork, but it appears remarkably easy to cut the steak holding it in place with the spoon, which I imitate. The dish is incredibly savory and flavorful, accompanied by a light, sweet tasting drink. After this dish is done with, the lord inquires about the exact nature of my gift. I have already discerned that all Bosir told was that it was an unusually powerful self-healing ability, so I can reveal as much or as little information as I need to.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "Once a day, in the morning, all of my- this one''s wounds are healed without exception. The gift also dispels any exhaustion and the need for sleep" I omit the mana restoration, and obviously the part about me probably being immortal.


    "Very interesting" The lord says, gently caressing his own chin. "And what does the young hunter know of the gift''s capabilities? Has the young hunter ever received a wound unable to be restored in a single instance? Has the young hunter ever restored a lost body part?"


    "This one has never received a wound unable to be restored in a single instance, nor lost any body parts" I mean, I am technically not lying.


    After that a sweet fruit salad with some sort of sweet sauce is served, enjoyed with pure water and after the meal, I am invited into the lounge, which we are promptly escorted to with guards on both sides.


    The lounge is filled with exquisite, soft-looking furniture. Sofa chairs and couches and what I believe is called a chaise longue fill the room. There is a fire place already roaring and shelves filled with all manner of small curiosities. Not all the guests from the previous lunch is led in here, merely the count, what I believe is one of his wives and two young kids, maybe between 7-10 years old.


    "Ah, this one hopes the young hunter will participate in a small party trick."


    "Of course, my lord" I answer, nodding gently. I have been directed a sofa chair that is extremely comfortable.


    A waiter-looking guy enters the room with an ornate box, which he presents to the lord. He opens it and picks up a vial by its end. The vial is filled almost completely with yellow liquid and both ends are capped with beautiful decorations.


    "This is a little party tool. One merely grasps the vial like this" He presents the vial to his son, which grabs it by the glass and not ends, "and it changes color to show the dominant aspect of your personality" The vial changes color to orange, then red.


    "Haha, this one fears the red color represents rashness and an ill temper, but also often a sense of justice and passion" the lord then picks up the vial by one of its ends and shakes it, which promptly returns it to the yellow color. I have often wondered exactly what the alchemy described in this world is, but if this is true, it might be the most magical application I have seen yet. It could also just be some fortune-telling that is nebulous enough to always be truth-adjacent.


    The vial with the once-again yellow fluid inside is placed inside the box and ferried over to me. I slowly lift it by its edges, then hold my hand over the glass. The color in the vials changes through orange and red before, but this time continues to change through purple and stops slightly before becoming a purely blue color.


    "What does the bluish color say about this one?" I inquire


    "Forgive this one for playing a little trick on the young hunter, or rather, dragon slayer." I freeze at the words leaving the count''s mouth.

 53: Unravelling

    I stand still, say nothing, try to look at nothing as if that somehow would solve the problem. Luckily, the count starts talking.


    "As the young hunter may know, this dragon hunting episode was somewhat curious. First a dragon appears in direct opposition to established laws to provide aid for an illegally trespassing dragon. Then said dragon is reported to be rampaging ferociously and uncontrollably after losing a child. Then, most curious of all a rapport arrives that the dragon was found dead."


    A waiter approaches with a tray of drinks, of which he promptly takes one, shakes it around a little and takes a sip.


    "Now, as the supposedly ferocious and furious dragon rampaged no longer, the case was considered shot. Most likely, was thought, the dragon king had quickly sent someone to deal with the issue, but as a delegation was sent thanking the dragon king for his help with tribute, the dragon king denied the gift, stating no involvement in the case was provided by the dragon kingdom. In fact, the dragon king appeared to have no idea such an event had even transpired."


    The waiter made it to my side and has been offering me a drink, but I am shaken and dare not move.


    "Go ahead, take a drink, be comfortable" The count interrupts his story to say to me.


    As ordered to I take one and sip it. It appears to be a strong, alcoholic, sweet drink.


    "Now there were two possibilities. Either someone or something terrible enough to best a dragon did so and was still hanging around in my territory, or the dragon, crushed by the loss of the young had committed suicide. But there was a rapport about the corpse. One that suggested no such suicide was the possible answer. The dungeon had of course already removed all evidence, but the rapport was tracked down to one veteran clan leader in town, Bosir"


    He empties his glass and without me even noticing him moving around, the waiter was already there to receive the empty one, which the count seems to trust fully in, as he doesn''t even look as he puts the glass down beside him.


    "I had Bosir invited here and pressured the old hunter to give me the story. To tell me how one came to be in possession of such a story, and the old hunter merrily told me of an apprentice who had delivered the news. When this one wanted the apprentice summoned and to explain the situation, such an act was negotiated to be when the apprentice became a hunter and here we are today."


    He takes a deep breath before continuing.


    "What the young hunter holds in the hand is an alchemical fluid, designed to be able to detect the size of a mana vessel. The fluid was originally used to detect dryads living among humans, should a need to identify those arise, but it can also tell if one has expanded one¡¯s mana vessel beyond their original. A dryad would register green on such a vial, a normal gift user as red, but the young hunter appears to be blue or purple. So unless the young hunter wants to confess to a murder, the young hunter appears to be the slayer of the dragon"This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    I am outed with no way to excuse myself, huh? Then, the strange part should come.


    "The curious part however, is why would a young and up-and-coming hunter lie and hide the fact that the young hunter bested a dragon? Would such a happening not be worth bragging about and harvesting fame and fortune for? And how could the young hunter have such power? Going alone against a mighty dragon and coming out on top? Maybe plausible if the hunter was in possession of a gift of great destruction, but one that merely made him heal and tougher? How could such an event be happening?"


    He collected himself a little after being a little heated up during the last part.


    "I deemed such an event impossible, but the daughter here" he gestures to the young girl ¡±made a bet upon seeing the arrival of the young hunter, that the young hunter did indeed slay the dragon. This one is afraid the young hunter is not only guilty of lying, but also costing me a favor with my own daughter, so this one asks humbly: Please. Explain."


    He appeared not mad, but very menacing. I can''t find a way out of this. If I keep spinning stories, who knows what may end up being wrong and I haven''t been given enough time to think of a good one.


    "This one will tell the truth, but begs the count and the count''s family to brace for a story both humiliating and revolting. In addition, this one asks permission to speak in the common, vulgar tongue. Correcting my own speech before speaking would only serve to make this one seem scheming and lying."


    The count furrows his brows, before proceeding with a "Very well, the young hunter may do so. Does Adelai wish to stay for the story, revolting as the story may be?" He asks his daughter, while turning his head to face her.


    She simply nods.


    "Very well, the young hunter may carry on."


    I brace myself. I don''t really know what will happen once he knows, but I am resigning myself, as I can''t see a way to wiggle myself out of this one.


    "The dragon did not brush me aside. It ate me. I was dead." The count and his children''s eyes flare up


    "But I came to, within the dragon. Not knowing where I was, thinking I was dead, I used creation magic to form a sword and slash around me like a mad man. I did not know how long it lasted, but it was not for a long time, before I died again, not being able to breathe."


    They are making faces. It appears the son looks mad, the count looks unsure and the young girl looks like she has seen a wonder.


    "I then awoke a second time, this time in a pool of blood and excrement. It appeared that my earlier rampage in the dragon''s inside had killed it. I didn''t share the story because I believed there was nothing to brag about, and more importantly, due to some advice from one of my masters at the clan. They explained that while power was good, too much power was terrible and one could easily end up being an enemy of society".


    The count was not left much time to think, because as he seemd to start processing the information, his daughter bursted out: "Father, Adelai has decided on the favor! Give the immortal hunter to Adelai!"

 54: Negotiation

    "Now, now Adelai, let your father worry about that" the old count says.


    "Father stingy, cheater!" She says. Wait is she thinking of people like things.


    "Adelai!" Her father sounds much more firm in contrast to the mild tone he used earlier to which the girl quieted down immediately.


    "Geras, escort the two out of the room" He says, and the waiter quickly guides the young boy and girl outside, though the young girl looks discontent, the boy has been pretty much expressionless the whole way through.


    "Now, let the talks begin." The old count says calmly. "I believe my own needs are clear. The support of a young, strong, promising hunter is clearly enticing to the Haiden house. Does this one make himself clear?" I find myself nodding. Fuck, I have clearly put myself in a disadvantageous position. I should have at least tried to lie once more.


    "This one even promises to keep the conversation that happened in this room hidden, if you desire." I saw him as an upstanding looking guy till recently, but now he is giving off the vibe of a sleazy businessman. "But this one does not only desire the young hunter''s support but also devotion. Tell me young hunter, what is it you want from life."


    Well, I am kinda fucked here, aren''t I, so can''t I just try to get the most out of it?


    "I have -"


    "Speak properly please, the young hunter''s story is over". Shit, I really have to speak in this annoying fashion once again?


    "This one has a dream, one where people compete against each other in a peaceful manner, measuring peoples speed, strength and stamina in contests. I wish to make that happen."


    The old sleazebag holds his head with his right hand and scratches it a little with one hand.


    "This one doesn''t understand. Can''t the young hunter just invite acquaintances to these bouts of ability?"


    I shake my head. "What this one wants is different. This one wants to determine who the fastest and strongest are in the whole world. Where people polish their speed and strength specifically for these competitions, in order to do so."


    "And how does the young hunter propose this comes to pass?"


    "Money, my lord. Money offered to fastest, less to the second fastest and so on. Enough that people will flock to a location and try thei- uhm... try the utmost to win." I have though this through before. "And to let people know that money is given, news spread to every corner of the land" I feel myself fired a little up.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "That proposal sounds... Expensive" the count says. "Very well. How often would the young hunter propose these events take place?"


    I have even given this some thought. In lieu of not being able to support constant competitions, I will use a model from my old world. "Every 4 years, this one hopes will be an adequate time interval"


    "Very well, every four years this one will bestow an amount worthy of the young hunter''s devotion. The amount will naturally increase if this one have needs of your services or the young hunter¡¯s achievements or reputation grows. The young hunter will marry Adelaide when she comes of age. And lastly, a party will be sent to the clan house one week for now, at which point of time, the young hunter will be shown to premises more suited to his new station."


    "I- this one will have to leave the clan?"


    "That much is natural. This one, nor any other noble for that matter, would not allow competing loyalties amongst their supporters."


    Shit, I really like the guys at the house. I hope Atna won''t get too mad, but I kind of fell for this, hook, line and sinker.


    After a few formality talks I don''t really pay attention to, seeing as I start to worry more about what excuses I can provide to the clan for my mistakes. Do I just tell them the truth too? But that would probably lead to an increased risk in it getting exposed. Shit.


    I am escorted all the way out of the quarter, to the guard station within the city. I half-run home, even if my outfit really isn''t suited for it, I really want to get out of this clown suit as soon as possible.


    When I enter the clan house, Bosir and Atna are sitting in the main hall, maybe even waiting for my return.


    "How did it go?" Atna asks in a cold tone of voice.


    "Ah, I completely failed. The count wants me to marry his daughter, and... he even got some dirt on me. But he did promise to help me realize my dream!" I say, trying to get forgiven for realizing just a little of my goals, even if Atna said it wasn''t the best path to it.


    A sigh is heard from both Atna and Bosir. "I told you so" Bosir says. "What else did I expect from this idiot?" Atna adds. "Hey! That''s not very nice" I add to it. I feel like I am getting insulted for my intelligence at an ever increasing rate as of late.


    "Sit, Yos" Atna commands.


    "Ah, can I go change first? This suit is rea-"


    "SIT!" Oof, she is mad. I better just obey for now.


    I sit down at the table and Atna is looking at me quite intensely. When I stare back, she suddenly evades my eyes and turns her heads. She takes a deep breath and turns back to confront me.


    "Yos, what is our relationship?" That''s easy.


    "Rivals furthering each other, comrades in arms and good friends!"


    "Am I important to you" She asks. Weird, but.


    "You are either the most or second-most important person to me" She spars with me often, we talk much together as fellow "Juniors" in the clan, and both Jorgen and Hannah are out. The only competitor is my little sister. Huh. I wonder if I am really immortal, would I get to see Hannah again?


    As I were in my own thoughts I didn''t notice before now that Atna has turned her face completely away from me. What is this strange behavior?


    "Listen Yos, I will make you an offer." she starts, still completely averting her face.


    "Are you sure?" Bosir interjects. "It will possibly be dangerous."


    She looks at him and nods and turns to me.


    "If you accept, I will make your dream come true in a better manner than that count could ever hope to." She pauses and takes a deep breath again.


    "Yos, would you marry me?"

 55: Minera

    The silence is deafening. Bosir, Atna and I are all completely quiet. I can¡¯t take it, so I just say what is on top of my head.


    ¡°Well, that came out of nowhere¡±.


    Atna lets her mouth loose and stares at me. Bosir takes his hands to his eyes before answering for all.


    ¡°It really didn¡¯t, Yos¡±


    What does he mean? As far as I am concerned, I have never engaged in anything particularly romantic regarding Atna.


    ¡°By God, you are serious? And here I thought you were just stringing me along for fun¡± Atna half-mutters and lowers her head ¡°I am reconsidering the whole thing.¡±


    ¡°And besides, even if I went along with the proposal, he would still have dirt on me.¡±


    ¡°It really doesn¡¯t matter. All you had to do was enthusiastically agree¡­¡± I think Atna is sulking. Maybe she was hoping for a more fairy-tale like development. Now that I think about it, the fairy tales told to me as a kid really didn¡¯t have the tropes of love and princesses and focus on beauty. It was much more ¡°became a noble and had many wives¡± for the hero.


    ¡°What do you like about me anyway? What did you see in me that made you willing to marry me¡­ And by the sound of it jump into danger all at the same time?¡±


    Bosir looks like I asked something egregious and Atna lowers her head even further before starting speaking.


    ¡°Every day, you work so hard. Every day, you push yourself to the limit in the pursuit of bettering yourself. I see that constant look of determination and your stalwartness, never faltering, only taking time off when forced too. I think you are a great man, and will be an even greater man in the future, perhaps even the best. And I¡­ I want you¡­¡±


    Wow¡­ I have never put much stock in love. I always saw it as a way to derail me from my training and ignored it the best I could, so I could focus on what I regarded as the more important things. But being praised and desired right now, it fills me with a warmth and embarrassment I really like. I wonder. I wonder if it would be so bad to indulge in this.


    ¡°Now you¡± She says.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You think I am a great person too right? Important to you, why?¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Well, that¡¯s simple. ¡°You want to be great, maybe even the best. In my book, that alone is a superb character trait. But not only that, you, even if you seemed prideful, decided to help me get better myself, even as you seemed to want to compete with me. It made me feel really comfortable, not only competing with you, but bettering ourselves together¡­¡± That was a little embarrassing


    ¡°Geez, both of you are beet red, should I leave?¡± Bosir suggests.


    ¡°NO!¡± Atna shouts. ¡°You still have to be here to do the thing.¡±


    ¡°Have you re-reconsidered?¡± Bosir laughs heartily, as he always does.


    ¡°Yes, Bosir, please introduce me for real¡±


    ¡°Very well. Yos, pay attention. Our little Atna is actually a noble, and not just any noble. Her name is actually Minera of the Oboern family!¡±


    Silence once again.


    ¡°Is that an important family or something?¡± I ask ¡°I had pretty much figured out Atna was a noble.¡±


    Bosir sighs and rubs his eyes with one hand, as if he were a father watching his son fail to answer what you get when you mix blue and yellow.


    ¡°Remind me to drill you some politics, sometimes. Great hunters are never outside of politics.¡± Bosir says. ¡°The Oboern family is the royal family. They have held the power of the throne for the last 400 years.¡±


    ¡°Wah, so Atna is actually a princess?¡± I am flabbergasted. I had not imagined she would be a royal.


    ¡°Yes, I came to this city a little over two years ago, as my mother was fearing for my life¡­ You see, there is a bit of chaos within the family.¡± Atna confirms and starts to give me some explanation.


    ¡°What kind of chaos?¡± I ask.


    ¡°The king is old and nearing death. However, there is a bit of an issue. The rule of succession we have followed since we took the throne has been as follows: The youngest, adult, male, direct descendant of the king with a gift takes the throne.¡±


    ¡°But no such person exists?¡± I ask, remembering something or other about English monarch confusion a history teacher glossed over in high school.


    ¡°Correct. When I left, it seemed there was debate whether, in case the king dies before one such individual presents itself, should they waive the rule about direct descendant, allowing in a slew of possible candidates from branch families, to eliminate the requirement for a gift, which sits badly with many, because having a king without a blessing from God is bad publicity, or should they allow a girl to take the throne, keeping more order and unity in the family?¡±


    I am surprised the latter option is even on the table. This world seems¡­ Incredibly sexist.


    ¡°But there are problems with instituting a girl. First, the number of direct descendant a woman can have is severely limited, secondly, a lot of nobles oppose the idea of being subordinate to a woman. Thus, people apparently sought to eliminate the basis for the discussion, before it could take effect, me¡­¡±


    She chews a little on her past words, and just as I am about to say something, she continues.


    ¡°Ever since I heard of it, I wanted to be king. But I also valued my life, so I obediently went into hiding. But, if being king can help you, and you in return will stay by my side forever, I will eagerly pursue it with all my might.¡±


    I need not think much of it. Atna is one of the few people I have gotten along with, this is a clear path towards my goal, and I think I am immortal, so what¡¯s the worst that can happen?


    ¡°I agree¡±

 56: Special Cards

    ¡±So what do we-¡±


    Just before I can ask what our course of action is now, Atna rushes out of her chair and hugs me. I am still sitting, so it more end up being her hugging my head. She has hugged me a few times before, but instead of my usual floaty arms, as she one-sided hugs me, I deem to return the gesture now, pressing her into me.


    It is nice. She is currently wearing a plain dress, rather than her armor, so I can feel the heat and a slight shaking coming off her. Maybe she is scared? Or excited?


    She slowly separates me, shoots me a beaming smile with the words ¡°please take good care of me!¡±


    ¡°Ah, likewise¡± is all I manage to muster up.


    ¡°By the way, Yos, what kind of information does the count have on you, that you were so hesitant in acting against him?¡±


    I still want to keep it secret, but one party apart from myself already knows. I wonder if I should tell them?


    ¡°What is wrong? Did you do something horrible? Do you not trust us?¡± Atna eggs on.


    I look to Bosir and Atna. Bosir took me in, taught me a lot regarding the hunter profession and watched over me in a manner of ways. He may be slightly too soft on the actions of his fellow clan members, but I have no doubt he¡¯d drop everything in his hands to come help me if I were in trouble. I trust him. And Atna goes without further elaboration. My friend, rival and now¡­ Betrothed? So I proceed to tell them of my gift, and how it allowed me to slay the dragon.


    ¡°You may want to be careful¡± Bosir says ¡°There is a story, well, more of a legend about a man, who could not identify his gift. He lived a full life as an excellent hunter, and on his deathbed he was surrounded by many friends and a large family. But as he drew his last breath, a miracle happened. The old man¡¯s skin split apart and he emerged from it young and strong once again, and got a second chance of life. Though the legend says, he did not come back a second time.¡± He pauses while striking his signature thinking pose, scratching his stubble.


    ¡°It could be the same type of gift. Maybe it only works for a certain number of years or a certain number of times, so don¡¯t go sacrificing your own life for just about anything, you hear?¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    I nod, though the gift in the story is obviously not like mine, since I have been granted with all the other restorative power.


    ¡°So what do we do now?¡± I mention once again. ¡°How do we proceed from here?¡±


    Atna nods and states ¡°The first order of business should be to drum up support. And we are behind. The last few years, a member of a branch family have gathered considerable support for his bid to the throne, and he is a count in Aseel, so he may get support from there too.¡±


    ¡°What is Aseel?¡± I ask. Heads are shaken at my ignorance.


    ¡°It is a neighboring country to Cospia¡± I know Cospia, that is the name of this country, though it rarely comes up in conversation.


    ¡°However, we do have a few special cards to play¡± Bosir states.


    ¡°Quick question, how exactly are you tied in to all of this, Bosir?¡±


    ¡°Me, well¡­¡± Bosir looks a little startled a scratches his cheek. ¡°I am actually also an Oboern. Some 20 years ago I left because I felt it was too stuffy and constrictive to be a noble. I wanted to be like the heroes of old and go on grand adventures. So I left. I kept in touch with a few of my sisters who were sympathetic, that¡¯s how Minera ended up here¡±


    ¡°So you are her uncle?¡±


    ¡°Yes he is¡± Atna intervenes. ¡°Can we get back on track?¡±


    Well, excuse me for being a little overwhelmed.


    ¡°Right well, one of our special cards to play are the Silvestri¡± Bosir says, ¡°Long have they lived inside the kingdom and long have they been discriminated against. Many parts of the kingdom refuse to let Silvestri inside. They don¡¯t hold any political influence, but were we to recruit them to our cause, we will have a sizable force backing us. In exchange we plan to outlaw the banning of different species from both territories and establishments.¡±


    Atna and I nod. Wait, should I think of her as Minera now?


    ¡°Second is Minera¡¯s mother¡± Bosir continues ¡°I have not kept in touch with her in order to not draw suspicion, should anyone attempt to find Minera, but if I know her right, she has her own clique with a potential goal of theirs.¡±


    He scratches his stubble.


    ¡°Third is the clan, we are a family and ready to back up and help our cute, young hunters in life¡± He makes a broad smile and laughs.


    ¡°So, I propose the following actions: Tonight, we spring it on the clan. Then tomorrow, Minera will go have a chat with the local count regarding, I will contact her mother, and Yos¡­ How do you feel about Silvestri?¡±


    I answer honestly ¡°I don¡¯t particularly like or dislike them, but as a boy, I found it interesting to listen to their stories¡±


    Bosir laughs. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. You will go with Kamas and tour round to the Silvestri tribes in the kingdom. It will probably take a while, so pack well.¡±


    Am I seriously involved with a plan to secure the throne? It feels a little unreal as I nod to Bosir¡¯s talk.

 57: Silvestri

    That night, Bosir brought the news to the clan. There were many voices of concern, but those that could not be convinced by the reliability of Bosir and their loyalty, were quickly swayed by the promise of riches and wielding royal influence. Only the old man Sirgut seemed to be reluctant to the end. He has been extremely careful the last half year, and I get the feeling that he just wants to retire from troublesome things already.


    As I lay in my bed thinking about how absurd this really is, I hear a knock on the door. When I open it, Atna rushes in, into my chest.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, sister Atna¡± I ask.


    ¡°Drop the sister, Yos, we are going to get married¡± she says, as she looks up at me with a beaming smile. She is only a little shorter than me, but she was taller when I first arrived here. Reminds me that this body is merely that of a 14-year old.


    ¡°It could very well be dangerous¡­ So in case something happened¡­ I wanted to¡­ at least¡­¡± She slowly forms a sentence, but I am a little confused.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I ask


    ¡°Just, shut up¡± she says, and kisses me, pushing me down on the bed.


    The next day we barely talk but look at each other only at fleeting glances. I am leaving today with Kamas, so just before we depart I muster up a ¡°goodbye¡±.


    I started to feel somewhat guilty, but the age of consent is 15 in some European countries, so I did nothing wrong, right? I convince myself that between many parts of my old world and it being normal for even younger girls in the new one, I have done nothing wrong. I still feel a little scummy though.


    Cospia is huge. The distance from Brahms to Roxburgh, the capital in the heart of the country seems to be some 500 miles, and even then, Brahms is nowhere near the border of the country, though that is both loosely defined and not all that important. There are tons of unused land everywhere, since all can resources come from the dungeons. It is a little mind-boggling how little land is used, as it is basically only people living there, and no one has a field or something.


    Kamas is leading the way. According to himself, he once lived in a tribe, but it ran afoul of a lord who resented them for travelling through, and so it was slaughtered. The tribe mother, the primary caretaker of all children in a tribe, escaped with the children to a city, where the children started to dive into the dungeon, which caused many casualties. Kamas broke off from that group and ended up as a hunter apprentice under a guy named Flut, who saw the boons of the strong physique of a Silvester in the dungeon.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    One year later, Bosir came as a junior apprentice, even though he was much older. They constantly argued who was supposed to be the senior one, but in the end they formed a life-long friendship. They both recognize Kamas as the strong one, and Bosir as the smart one.


    That story and many other filled our time, as we ran for most of the day to get to our first tribe. Kamas knows their locations, since he has some grasp of how they move. He apparently got this grasp, since human women generally aren¡¯t interesting to him. They all seem so weak and fragile, he says. Well, apparently except for Mynie, but she has no interest in and old man like him.


    The morning of the second day, Kamas starts talking once again. ¡°We¡¯re almost where we should be, guess I should prepare you a little for Silvestri culture¡± he says. ¡°Just, don¡¯t avert your eyes to much or you may give them the notion that you are offended or something¡±.


    ¡°Why would I avert my eyes?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Well, Silvestri don¡¯t really hold breasts to be in any way indecent, so they are often just¡­ out there, you know?¡± Huh, I suddenly felt myself lose some confidence that I could.


    ¡°And don¡¯t pay any compliments to appearances of any sort. For a Silvester, that is a sign of submission and everyone will think one strange for doing so without being confronted and bested. Strength is king among Silvestri, everyone fights and it is considered cowardly to try and talk your way out of things.¡± The thought crosses me, that it really seems like a barbarian culture.


    As we approach the area, we enter some woods. Apparently Silvestri much prefer camping in woods to open fields. Kamas slows down to a walking tempo. As we enter the camp, I immediately notice some bare-chested Silvestri women, but that is not what takes my attention. I had assumed that they would mostly look like a slimmer, curvier form of the Silvestri men I have seen in the past but that is not correct. They are practically as large as the men, with the only difference, except for the obvious one, being their hair.


    The Silvestri men have manes, looking much like those of lions. By comparison the females appear to have something resembling a horse¡¯s. They all seem to have short normal hair on their heads, but down their back it continues to grow from the skin, but less and less, sharpening and shrinking slowly down to around the middle of their backs. It looks bizarre.


    Kamas nudges me slightly harshly. ¡°Don¡¯t stare, either¡± he tells me. As we walk past some of the women, they start harassing Kamas.


    ¡°Haha, wart a puny one, I pet he hides from danger!¡±


    ¡°So weak! No stronk feelin come from him at all!¡±


    ¡°And ugly too! None will look at dat face¡±.


    I look slightly judging at Kamas. None of the things they say are true of course. Kamas is large, even by comparison to the other Silvestri, at a guesstimated 9 feet tall. And while I haven¡¯t seen other Silvestri fight, I get the distinct feeling that he is very strong too. So I leap to a conclusion ¡°Just what horrible thing did you do to these women the last time you were here?¡±


    Kamas laughs dryly. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. That is the way Silvestri women find their mates. They goad them into a fight, and should the male win, he is free to make her carry his children. You¡¯re lucky you don¡¯t look as strong as you are, or they would come for you too¡±


    Silvestri are weird.

 58: Representative

    Kamas talks his way through the camp, while I just follow and listen. I am considering what I am even doing here¡­ Did they just send me somewhere so that I wouldn¡¯t do something unnecessary? I doubt it, but my uselessness lingers.


    We are apparently going to call a summit, like in the village. The tribe doesn¡¯t make decisions on its own. Luckily we arrived early in the day, so they had not yet left for the dungeon. Kamas makes sure to hear them out first. Apparently they can trade with villages, but are banned from selling to cities, or entering them in a group.


    I remember from my childhood that Silvestri often corroborate with Dryads, but I can¡¯t see any, so they must either not be here or they have molded themselves. Thinking of it leads my thoughts to Hannah. Last I was there, you could only tell it was her based on very faint lines and curves from her previous female form. She will likely be indistinguishable from a normal tree soon. The thought makes me sad.


    The summit is gathered, and a large circle is formed with bare-chest people everywhere. I can only spot 4 or so that are wearing any clothing over their chest.


    The people gathered are murmuring. I hear a few quips signifying that Kamas is not generally well-liked among the men. Monikers like ¡°womb-stealer¡± and ¡°traitor¡± are thrown around. This may not go smoothly. They die down after Kamas¡¯ first few words.


    ¡°Fellow Silvestri, I come here today, not to take part in the hospitality you have so graciously extended to me time and time again, but to bring forth a suggestion that might improve your lives. Long have you lived in these lands, and long have you been unfairly treated and barred from making the most of yourselves, but today, I aim to lay forth a plan to change that.¡± Kamas lowers his arms, that he had up in a form of greeting, turns around and scans the giant circle he is standing in the middle of.


    ¡°For the first time in forever, the successor to this lands highest seat of power is up for debate as to who should inherit it. A dear friend of mine is a possible candidate. She, unlike other human women, are not only full of power and determination, almost a Silvester of heart, but also sympathetic to the troubles of Silvestri. She makes no demands, but her coming to power would result in better treatment, and everyone who pledges to her cause is helping her towards that end.¡± Kamas¡¯ gestures are heavily emphasized. He touches his heart when he mentions the word, and spreads his arm out to the circle, as addressing many individuals when referring to everyone.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Murmurs immediately spring to life, when it has become apparent his short speech is over. We are directed to wait outside the camp while the summit comes to a conclusion.


    ¡°What happens if they don¡¯t accept?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not how Silvestri society works, Yos. They will pick a champion to fight, regardless of them agreeing or not, and only through besting that champion will the agreement be made. Silvestri only respect strength, and any decision must be at least symbolically commemorated by a fight. The degree of their agreement determine just how powerful a fighter they send out.¡±


    He runs his hand through the mane around his neck a little. ¡°Speaking off, I am thinking of sending you in, in case they don¡¯t send out a top contender. If I had to fight all these battles, fatigue may set in and we may be in trouble down the road, we are going to three other camps before we are done.¡± His hand pauses. ¡°Better give you a rundown of rules of Silvestri fighting just in case.¡±


    I am not offended by being his backup. It gives me a purpose on this trip, and I know Kamas is still stronger than me, although the gap has shrunk considerably these past six months. From the explanation, it seems rather simple. A circle will form around the fighters. Victory is only granted if a contestant touches the people forming the perimeter. Fights are also in complete nude, as to pit body against body with nothing else. This, apart from the embarrassment from being stark naked is a great boon to me, since my skin is so tough, but I wonder about other implications. Not only are Silvestri much larger than humans, but my body is only that of a juvenile. And while some inexplicable force alters strength in this world, so that mass is not that big of an issue, reach still is and I would probably find myself well within striking distance before I can get too close.


    ¡°What about magic?¡± I ask, curious as to how it factors into the competition.


    ¡°Urgh, I don¡¯t really know.¡± Kamas answers ¡°You will probably be fine if you keep it to bestowal, but if you start tossing those instant spears of yours, some may cry foul.¡±


    Kamas has been training with me and has seen the result of my mastering two patterns simultaneously.


    A Silvester approaches us from the camp. ¡°We have come to a decision¡± He says and we are lead back into the camp.


    ¡°ah¡± Kamas makes a smile before whispering to me. ¡°Seems we did surprisingly well, this one is all yours, Yos¡±


    As we pull into the circle, another Silvester from the one who went and got us loudly states ¡°The council will be represented by Garros!¡±


    In response, Kamas states in an equally loud voice ¡°We will be presented by Yos¡± and gives me a push at the back to step into the center of the circle.


    I am now face to face with my opponent. He has the average height of a Silvester, but that is still a massive eight feet, especially compared to me who probably haven¡¯t reached 6 feet. He takes some stance with his body. Now that I think about, I have never fought with my bare hands before. I hope you know what you are doing, Kamas.

 59: Camp

    After I have stripped down to match my opponent, I feel weird. All eyes are on us, I am butt naked with my bits dangling and I am not used to nakedness in general, so I feel like I have some trouble not overly averting my gaze from my opponents private region, but recoiling a little internally, when I look at all of him. Goddammit man, pull it together, this here is a serious fight. Once I have cleared my mind, I take a haphazard stance just to show I am ready to fight.


    "Let da fight begin!" The Silvester that announced my opponent earlier shouts. My opponent immediately approaches me, not too fast, but not slowly either. I have half a mind to just dive straight into him, but it feels like there is a trap, like he is making it too easy, so I dash forwards and to the the side, as he approaches me. I go full throttle, but keep of using bestowal. I am using that on my left arm, as I turn my upper body with all my might, but it only hits air. In panic, I immediately extend it into a backhand, that I feel colliding with something though I can''t quite see what from this angle. I quickly turn around and step away, facing my opponent once again. He has a big red mark on his left shoulder.


    He seems more careful now, but I slowly build bestowal in my legs to end this quickly. Simutaneously, we inch closer to each other. Since I barely moved at first and he came at me, he is considerably close to the perimeter currently, so only after two steps or so, I break into a sprint as unnaturally and unexpected as possible. I see his eyes widen, before going low to try and receive me, I think, but he is that close, so I spread my arms to grab him if he dodges and run at him full speed.


    He tries to withstand it, clearly putting force against me as we collide, but my momentum with the speed gained from bestowal quickly overwhelms him, and I grab the lower end of his chest as he is pushed into the crowd. Though I am happy I won, the moment is heavily overshadowed by landing on top of him and feeling "that" pressed against my chest. I quickly recoil and feel a little repulsed at it... Am I a homophobe or just straight in a non-exposure culture? I think to myself.


    The crowd had been silent during the short bout, but murmurs I can''t make out have broken out as Kamas comes and congratulates me. "Good job, Yos, I knew you could do it!"


    Though I was unsure at first, I really did it, but we were expected to win anyways, so I am still unsure if I should feel happy or not. I am little surprised that I manage to relative easily overwhelm a grown, large silvester on my own, but I guess I have my training and magic to thank for that.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The council is quickly reformed and details are laid out. In a month''s time, they will send a representative to Brahms, where they will be picked up at the hunter''s association, where they will convey their support however needed until the issue is settled. In addition, Kamas gets their word they don''t move camp until then. Apparently, Silvestri move their camps at intervals between a few months and a few years, something about facing all the dangers of the world.


    We are invited to spend the day here, which we accept and I am even given a short tour among the camp. Unlike the village I grew up in, the camp is very close to the dungeon, presumably because they hunt so much in it that monsters overflowing from lower floors and wrecking havoc on their modest homes are not of concern. I am also shown what I can only describe as a daycare.


    Seems Silvestri don''t personally care for their children, but are all kept at one of two places in their camp. The first such place is called "The Den" and is headed by a "den mother" and her assistants. Small children seem to be cared for here, and they are taught lessons and eat and sleep in the same large tent, but play outside. Second is "the forge" headed by a "forge father" her children go when they grow a certain size, then they are drilled in fighting and training almost daily. When they are of age here, they simply are expected to make their own way in camp, with no further guidance.


    They do not count years, but simply judge their age by growth, and when close to fully grown, they are considered adult. It seems nebulous. If that was the case for humans, I would have had a few more years of childhood, but I am relatively quickly I got my independence so fast, since being an adult male on the inside, being in somebody else''s care like that kind of got to me.


    As Kamas and I are shown to a tent for the night, we start talking. The subject touches on why humans generally dislike Silvestri. "They travel from place to place. If they are within known lands, they usually head for abandoned dungeons, but in some cases, they hit up those used by villages too." Kamas explains. "When they do, there is naturally less ressources on the upper, more safe floors and people are forced to go deeper to meet their daily needs. This sometimes results in a death that gets pinned as being the Silvestri''s fault, and it kind of is, the way I see it. They could just settle down somewhere" Kamas chews a little on nothing before continuing. "But then again, I have been colored inside by living in human society for so long. If only more strong or Silvestri women were in town, I don''t think I''d ever pay visits to these camps again" he laughs a little.


    Soon, we sleep.

 60: Missing

    Over the course of the next 15 days or so we make it to three more Sylvestri camp. I had a few tips on how to fight effectively barehanded from Kamas, which greatly improved my ability, yet he deemed it was a risk at the last settlement and fought himself. They must have been more opposed than the previous ones and sent out their best fighter, but even if they disagree, we seem to be planning on forcing them through the strength they respect so much.


    What I bore witness too was nothing short of amazing. The match started with powerful-looking strikes being flung at each other at breakneck speed, most often being blocked, but making amazing sounds as they did so. Kamas''s opponent seemed to constantly push for the match to go into a grappling fight, but Kamas kept him at a distance and severely punished him as he repeatedly tried to close the gap their difference in size created, Kamas being a good bit larger than the average Silvester.


    Some five minutes in, both contestants were short of breath, but the opponent was clearly worse off, strikes starting to swell and redden, while Kamas looked relatively unhurt. A solid kick to the stomach then ended the fight, as the opponent stumbled back into the perimeter formed around the contestant.


    I was not a big fan of fighting sports in my previous life, but maybe that was because I only ever saw a few clips on TV, or from other events at my races, or the fact that the previous world was bound by some troublesome laws of physics. Heck, I regarded the fights I had been in so far here as a chore, and felt they often played out in an almost comical fashion, but this was different. Standing so close to it, feeling the insane power behind his moves, knowing the contestant, I don''t know what it was, but I was totally enamored for a while and heavily praised Kamas constantly for the first day of our trip home.


    When we arrive at the gates however, the uplifting feeling still lingering in me is quickly shot down. "Ah, you guys, huh?" The guard says "You better return quickly, something has happened and rumours are floating around with treason and the like". Sounds bad... Wait, can what we are doing be seen as treason? I guess at least not if we come out on top, but with the general Silvestri attitude towards Kamas, many regarding him as a traitor, I feel there may be some real negative connotations for working together across species.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    When we arrive at the clan house, nobody is there. Worried, Kamas is asking me to wait, while he is going to ask around, so I simply go to the courtyard and train, making sure to be quiet and attentive enough to be able to hear the door, should any return. And a few hours later a sound is heard, and as I go to check, it is Kamas alongside Bern and Larn, all looking depressed.


    "What''s wrong?" I ask. It had to be something regarding Atna, since Bosir could not feasibly make the trip to the capital and back in the 15 days we were gone, which unnerved me.


    "Ah, I''ll explain from the beginning" Bern says, while we all sit down around the large table in the main room.


    "When you guys first left, Atna went to the count and had a talk which seemed to go fine. She had brought Mynie along for company, since she is not only the strongest of us, but perhaps even in the city. It seemed the talks regarding you had proceeded without trouble, and a second meeting was set up to discuss potential support for her bid for the throne." Bern''s tone of voice feels somehow apologetic. I am growing anxious.


    "That''s when the first weird thing happened. Two days later, Mynie was just... gone. We asked around, but nobody had seen her, nor did we hear any rapports about fighting, and Mynie wouldn''t just be taken down easily, and we still have no idea where she is." Sounds bizarre and almost like he is accusing her of something. Not that I think I would suspect it. I don''t know her story in particular, nor anyone else''s for that matter, but Bosir seemed to be the recipient of a ton of respect from the people of the clan.


    "Then Sirgut announced it was making him uneasy and he was going to retire and drop out of the whole business" I never did have a good impression of Sirgut, but it seemed in line with him. He was generally always complaining and talking about retiring, so it was really no surprise.


    "At the day of the next meeting, Caper and Toben went with Atna to see the count, as we were missing Mynie, but none of them ever came back. We tried to go to the noble quarter to find out what is what, but we were not even let in, and we were not about to start a fight we might not need to. To be honest, we have kind of been lost, not knowing what to do since then." Atna is missing??


    Thoughts of worry immediately fill my head, and uncertainty strikes me, fearing the worst. My head is immediately filled with speculations. I quickly suspect the count, and my head is already filled with anger for him, even though I realize his wrongdoing is not yet proven, I can''t stop it.


    "I will go immediately. I have been let in before, so they I can probably get in again." I say resolutely. I must know what happened as soon as possible.

 61: Threat

    "Wait". It''s Kamas who protested my action. "You can''t seriously be thinking of going alone right after four of our comrades have gone missing."


    "Right" Bern says, "Of course we will join you"


    Larn adds his piece "Couldn''t we wait instead? We have tried to get in, but we couldn''t do anything. Bosir is much more used to dealing with nobility anyway."


    A small discussion ensues, but we ultimately end up all going together. And so we walk as a group of four towards the noble district. The guards to the entrance stop us. "We have orders to let only the young man through. The rest of you will have to remain outisde." Am I expected?


    "Go" Kamas says, "If you don''t make it back in two hours, we storm the place" He says it clearly so that the guards can hear it, probably so that it can be reported, increasing the likelihood of my safety being guaranteed.


    One of the guards ends up escorting me to the massive Heidel residence I was last inside of half a month ago. It is quite late in the day, and in contrast to the very dark village, or the mostly dark city, this place has many open flames everywhere, to the point where I would think some festival was being set up, was it not for the utter lack of people outside.


    As I arrive at the manor, another guard takes over the escort duty, while the one that brought me reports something in a whisper to another colleague. That man runs ahead, while I am slowly being walked to the "waiting" room. This time I am not clad in an effeminate clown suit, but rather just in my leather armor. I am asked to at least leave behind my sword and shield in the waiting room.


    A much shorter while goes by than the first time I was here, probably somewhat concerned about the deadline Kamas set, I am escorted to the audience room, where the count sits atop his throne. The throne is also on a higher part of floor, with a small staircase between us, giving the feeling of him being in power. "Greetings to the young hunter Yos" The count says as I reach the middle of a room. "What a pleasant surprise, given how the young hunter clearly ignored any deals between the parties present just a few days ago." The tone feels mocking.


    I cut him off "Enough with the bullshit! Where is Atna!?" I feel I am being less diplomatic than what is optimal, but I am pissed, especially after hearing his tone of voice, and feel the need to lash out.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Whoever could the young hunter be referring to? This one simply has no idea." He says in an exaggerated tone. I can see two guards besides him and one besides me and a Read reveals they are at least two others in the room that I can''t see, one somewhere behind me and one somewhere behind him. That''s way too many for me to realistically take on, so I push an urge to threaten him down.


    "Don''t play stupid! She came here half a month ago and once again some 7 days ago, when she went missing. I know you met with her, so what did you do with her!?" He is seriously pissing me off.


    Heidel taps his cheek a little, before exaggeratedly brightening up "Oh that Oboern girl. I simply returned the girl to some family of hers. Not a strange result, considering how the girl thought one could just waltz onto the scene of politics so ill prepared" He continually pisses me off with that vibe. Like a good actor playing a role badly on purpose, that''s the vibe I am getting.


    "WHERE IS SHE!?" I feel myself reaching my breaking point, but the count just smirks.


    "Just where could the young girl be?" He muses falsely. Suddenly he takes on a completely different face and his next words are stern and serious. "The young hunter played a game unsuited for the young hunter. The young hunter broke his promise with this one with the help of that girl, and even if this one decided to help the young hunter recover the girl, the matter is out of this one''s hands by now. The young hunter has a choice. To either become an enemy of this one, or to honor the promises given."


    Out of his hands... Fuck it, I am going all in. I channel bestowal in my legs and start a small creation in my right hand and dash as suddenly and unexpected I can towards the count. It seems everyone is taken by surprise, and I reach him within a few seconds, without being stopped.


    Holding a knife forged by my creation magic to his throat, while my other hand is pinning his head to the throne he sits in, I shout "Nobody move, or the count dies!" I suddenly realize it may be tricky to escape from this situation.


    "Now, dear count, what exactly did you with Atna? Speak, or your life is forfeit"


    An unexpected smirk appears on his face and he starts talking "The young hunter dares threaten a noble? Does the young hunter not know what happens to people, who show no respect for nobility."


    "Don''t know, don''t care! Now Answer me!" I threaten.


    He chuckles a little "The young hunter doesn''t have the guts. Gua- ARGH!" As he starts calling for the guards, I thrust my blade into his shoulder and quickly removes it again.


    "The next one will be to the throat" I say, as menacingly as I can. "Now tell me! Where is Atna!?"


    The general smirk and feeling of superiority fades from the count and leave behind a look of fear.

 62: Interrogation

    <div>


    "Thi- this one sent the girl to the capital!" He stammers, looking frigtened.


    "Why!?" I want more information.


    "This one is already loyal in the succession war! This one wanted favor for eliminating a competitior!"


    "Who!?"


    "Wiyam! Wiyam, the count from Aseel!" I vaguely remember hearing about that candidate from Atna and Bosir.


    "And the others! What of those that escorted her!?" He pales and shakes more in response to this. Did something happen to them?


    "The woman was bought off! The woman wouldn''t betray the clan, but took money and agreed to leave the matter alone!"


    Mynie, shit, what the hell were you thinking, not even informing the others of this guys ill intentions!?


    "And the twins!?" He turns his face away.


    "AND THE TWINS!?" I repeat, pressing the blade slightly more against his neck.


    "de-dead" he lets out in a small voice. Shit! Fuck! I didn''t have the closest relationship with them, but they were pretty funny and livened up whatever requests we went out on together. In addition, they were pretty competent as a team, leaving me thinking I may be in trouble as soon as I don''t have my knife to the throat of the count, and the knife I created will only last a minute more or so.


    "You, come with me, somebody quickly run and fetch my sword and shield and meet me at the entrance." I order the count and one of the standby guards.


    I move relatively quickly, all the while keeping my knife close to the count''s throat, which ends up scratching it a little. He is crying, but he is following my pace without trouble, and I even manage to get him to guide me. At the entrance, the guard, who is faster by the nature of not escorting a hostage is already there. I hold one hand around the count, pointing the knife at his throat, while extending the other to receive my equipment.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The guard drops it, and I try to fetch it quickly, leaving behind the count for only a moment, but as I turn around, the count is further removed and behind a person clad in leather armor and a wrap around his head.


    "Kill the bastard!" The count screams, and both guard and the masked man move towards me, probably with more incoming, I can''t fight this.


    I kick open the door, channel bestowal with a huge investment of mana into my legs and run like the wind.


    "Stop that man by order of the count!" I hear some scream, and guards come out from the other manors in the area.


    I have to get back to the others as soon as possible.


    As I arrive at the gate I spot the group hanging out. The shouts from behind me alert the guards, but Kamas seems to quickly grasp the situation and knocks them out swiftly.


    "Shit went wrong, hurry and run!" I yell. And so we do. Running through the city, through the guards at the gate. I could cancel my bestowal since I had to keep pace with the others. What I expect is several miles away from the city, we can''t see our pursuers anymore and even my read picks nothing up.


    "Shit, what happened?" Bern asks.


    "Mynie was bought off, Atna sent to the capital and... Caper and Toben killed."


    Faces that could be interpreted as a range of emotions form on the groups face, but they are definitely negative ones.


    "What do we do now?" Bern one again asks.


    "We head to the capital of course. If we run, we should catch up with them before they make it there."


    "Can I... Can I quit?" is heard from Larn. We all turn around, a little stunned and face him. It is Kamas that takes up the rebuttal.


    "This situation is probably more and worse than you had thought or hoped, but we are enemies of the local lord now, we can''t go back."


    Larn makes a grimace "Shit, I know. I just wanted to complain. I thought my job was just gonna be a little posturing and escorting, but now we are fucking on the run. Shit!"


    That last shit was not part of his rant, but rather him stepping forward and blocking a javelin aimed at Kamas'' back. It pierces his left arm and cries of agony ensue . Fuck shit, someone is here and read isn''t picking them up, which can only mean one thing.


    "At least one gift user is after us" I inform the crew, as I quickly properly equip my sword and shield that I was merely carrying earlier. My read only registers living things without mana vessels or with full mana vessels. Since I get no signal, it means that the perpetrator is someone who has a mana vessel, with some spent mana.


    We take up position, but I quickly feel uneasy. We are used to fighting as pairs of two, one sword and shield, one spear, but all three of us are sword users and our only spear user already heavily injured.


    "That can''t be" Kamas makes a worried statement. "I spotted someone moving, but they unnaturally disappeared from my view"


    This may be an annoying battle.

 63: Pursuit

    We have been standing on guard for quite a while, while Larn suffers.


    "We can''t continue like this" I say. We haven''t moved, we don''t know where the enemy is, so we merely stay vigilant. According to what Kamas said, they may have some kind of ability that obfuscates them in some form or another.


    "Right" Bern says. "What do we do? Can you move, Larn?"


    "Yeah, but fighting is probably impossible." I look at his left arm that was pierced. He had since then removed the spear and bandage but that bandage turned red real quick and there was a lot of blood that fell on the ground. I am not certain on the effects of blood loss in this world, but it probably has some negative effect.


    "What do we do?" I repeat Bern''s question, but to myself in a low voice, while thinking about the circumstances. It''s scary fighting something we can''t see.


    "We have got to move" Kamas says.


    I simply nod, but I don''t think I am in his line of sight, so I add a vocal confirmation "Okay".


    "Bern, you support Larn, Yos, watch our backs" Kamas has somehow become the de facto leader as he issues orders, and we form up with Kamas at the front, Larn and Bern in the middle and me at the back. I am trying to stay vigiliant and block any more missile attacks that may come.


    "Do we have anything to make a trap with?" Kamas asks.


    "I think I can make some with my magic, but they''d last a few minutes at most" I answer. I haven''t explicitly tried it, but I think if I combine creation and bestowal magic, I can create something that would explode if stepped on.


    "Not good enough, any other ideas?" Kamas asks again, as he leads us off the road.


    Bern inquires "Where are we headed?"


    "We need to find somewhere, where there is only one entrance. I am certain that we could do something about that. However, if they just waited outside we would be in a heap of trouble. I was thinking of going to one and waiting for morning, while booby trapping the entrance so that we can rest and leave in the morning."


    "Can''t I just stand guard?" I ask. "I mean, I don''t need sleep, but that guy probably does."Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "Are you confident that you can protect us alone?" Kamas asks.


    "No, but it is better than nothing" I don''t know how his power works at all, but if he has stayed far away from us so far, it is probably severely limited in close quarters.


    "Are there any abandoned dungeons nearby?" I ask.


    "The closest one is the one we went to on your first request, but that is on the other side of the city". I remember, it took a few hours in a decent walking pace.


    It is quite late in the day, it is getting dark to the point where we are able to see nothing and when it does, I fear we are done for.


    "There''s a forest close by, we will pass through and hope we drop their pursuit" Kamas comes up with a new plan of action.


    I get an idea. This guy is a gift user and can therefore use spells. Maybe he is following us using read. I have used plenty of my mana, so only the three other guys should be visible. I instruct the others in a low voice, in case there should be anyone close enough to hear:


    "I will try something, you guys go ahead for another 10-15 minutes without changing anything when I do".


    Bern turns his head, but as Kamas keeps walking, he and Larn starts too. Luckily it seems Kamas at least trusts me enough to try this, I just hope it pans out.


    As we get a little into the forest, I break away from the group and I move behind a tree so that I shouldn''t be visible if anyone should approach us from where we came from.


    A few minutes later, I hear footsteps on the undergrowth. I feel myself panic a little. I planned this far, but this guy seems to be a seasoned adventurer with a gift. I may be strong, but I am still weaker than Kamas and especially Mynie, so I am under no delusion that I can fight this fairly. I tense up a little more.


    It is hard to pinpoint the footsteps in the short amount of time allotted to me, but I get a general idea. As I feel he has approached closely enough, I charge out from the tree as fast as possible, trying to pierce him with my sword. But with what looked like a little panic, me manages to parry himself with a peculiar dagger, that has a wide guard on it.


    Shit! I hoped this would end in quick swoop, but I am not so lucky. I get a look, but it is harder to see in the dark, and now inside a forest too, but this is the man with a covered head from the mansion earlier. I take a stance, trying to find a plan of attack. He is holding what looks like one of those tools Larn uses to launch javelins with incredible speed in one hand and the weird dagger in the other. As long as I pressure him and prevent him from drawing a proper weapon, I should have some advantage over him.


    However, to my surprise he seems to carelessly stroll toward me. His weapon is short range, so I try to gauge the distance and strike at a crucial moment. But when I do so, something weird happens. I was sure I was aiming straight at him, but as my sword reached it''s destination, it simply went through with no resistance, and I quickly to draw back, but I feel a heavy stinging pressure on my arm, which buckles under the pain and pressure and I withdraw it. It didn''t pierce me due to my incredibly tough skin, and I quickly slash at the man''s new position as soon as I recover from the pressure and pain. He seems baffled at his weapon''s ineffectiveness, chance! And I get a deep cut on his left arm as a result.


    We are back to facing each other, him being one wound down, but I still don''t get his power.

 64: Struggle

    <div>


    When I got hit by the dagger earlier, I felt that it should have left a wound. I suspect the dagger is built for being sturdy rather than sharp and I think my opponent realized he needs to draw his main weapon, I can see sheathed my his left hip, and that is what I am aiming for. The weird stick may be great for launching javelins, but it is just a stick in melee combat.


    Once he backs off, I try to follow him, but weirdly and unnaturally, he is already further away than when he should have been, considering when I saw his retreat start. His gift obviously messes with people''s perception of him in some way, but I have a hard time figuring out what the limitations on it is.


    Suddenly the stick comes flying straight at me, without me seeing him move once again. I raise my shield to block it, and dash forward to pressure him, but when I lower the shield from blocking, he is already gone from my sight. Shit. I think he might try to approach me from somwhere outside my field of views and turn around, slashing my sword in a wide arc around me violently. It hits nothing, but I spot him once again to my left, seemingly having just jumped back, unfortunately already having drawn his sword. Most swords I have seen here have a traditional design, with a long, flat, dual-edged blade. His, however, I much thicker and looks sturdier, looking clearly designed for only piercing.


    I think he can force any visual information I receive for him to not "update" for a very short amount of time, which he is abusing to create holes in my defence, so my counter-play is clear. every time I have been caught off-guard, he has been standing still and masking the start of his movement, but if I keep him moving, it will be much easier to notice the discrepancy.


    So I charge him, attacking ruthlessly with a light bestowal in my legs to give me additional speed. I used a lot of mana to escape the mansion, so I have to be conservative. There is no exhaustion or feel for how much mana you use, and I have used a variety of on-the-spot spells today, so I don''t have a clear idea of how much mana I have left.


    As I charge him, he steps back and evades, every slash met with his weird dagger, but I keep moving in on him. We move quite a lot around in the forest while the pursuit continues. I make a mistake. I let my sword linger too long on his dagger, after some fatigue has built up, and he turns it, creating a friction I did not anticipate and I lose my balance while clinging on to my sword. Immediately, a sharp pain hits my left knee, which he pierced with his sword, when I look.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    In a moment of madness and inspiration, I twist my own knee, gritting through unbearable pain, and he loses his balance much like I did a moment ago. The sword is still stuck, so I make a split decision to let it go, and aim to punch his face with a hastily constructed bestowal in the arm.


    It connects, and he staggers, loosing his grasp leaving his sword behind, but I fall. The pain in my knee catches up to me and I scream from the insane pain. It feels like it''s burning, and wet and it is incredibly painful. I dare not look at it. He slowly gathers himself, and approaches my sword. As he does, I grit through it once more and dash up from my sitting position, trying to tackle him, but it is slower and clumsier than I would like due to the completely ruined leg.


    He quickly gains dominance in the grapple, even though he is on the bottom, grabs the sword and lifts it. I put one last urge of strength into pushing him down, but I quickly feel another sharp pain in my lower backside as he jams the sword into me. I feel like I am almost done.


    But then, a sword pierces the man''s head, killing him instantly, and I look to my saviour, Kamas, standing right there.


    I had planned on merely trapping this guy in a few for a while from the beginning, since Kamas and crew would definetely come back once the time was up, also lead by the sounds of our fights and grunts and the scream.


    "Not looking all that good, Yos" Kamas says with a smirk.


    "You could have come a little earlier" I reply with my own smirk "I am leaving the cleanup to you" I say before letting myself lose consciousness.


    I come to the next morning, Kamas, Bern and Larn sleeping around, the latter two in bedrolls. Judging from the humongous size of the one I am in, and him lying on the bare ground, I must be in Kamas''. I have a bandage around my waist and a another, very red one around my leg. Shit, that hurt so fucking much, I never want to do something like that again. I wonder if I would have been able to do something so suicidal if I were ever forced to feel the consequences of my own wounds in this world.


    Oh well, thoughts for later, we gotta catch up to Atna.

 65: Lost

    That morning our party is quickly reformed and we are heading towards the capital at good speed. According to Kamas, travelling at the standard pace puts the capital around two weeks away, but if we keep up a good, running pace for most of the day, we should reach them before we reach the capital.


    Because Bern and Larn have a tougher time keeping up, not only in terms of stamina and speed, but also because Larn is injured, we split up and Kamas and I go ahead and for the next five days we travel quickly along the stone road. On the way, we often encounter people, who try to speak with us, but we ignore them and push on. I wonder if it''s considered common sense to have a quick chat with whoever you encounter on the road.


    Unfortunately, we don''t encounter any thing that could be used to transport a prisoner, before we the reach the gates of Roxburg. The gate and walls of the city are massive. Compared to the wooden palisade surrounding Brahms, this city has massive stone walls, looking to be easily 30 feet in height.


    Just before the capital, there are a lot of converging roads, causing there to actually be a lot of traffic, something I haven''t really seen in this world. Tons of people, mostly with carts being pulled with them are leaving and entering the capital. There are two different checkpoints with guards to enter the city, and Kamas directs us to the empty one. The other has a semi-long queue, with tons of carts filled with stuff.


    "This one here is for association members and nobility only" Kamas explains, as we approach. "The other checkpoint you are checked and tolled for any wares you bring through. Though, if you are a hunter and try to pass through with goods to sell, there will be hell to pay if you are discovered" Wait, so if nobility travels the road, they get a free pass on paying toll? Sounds hard to compete with.


    We show our association tags to the guard. It is the first time I see Kamas'' and to my surprise, he is only second rank. He pulls it out from his mane, which looks a little surreal. After receiving a nod from the guard, Kamas asks if there has been any suspicious carts lately, that got a free pass, but the guard refuses to answer. He seems to have an obvious disdain for Kamas, probably due to him being a Silvester.


    "Not that much of a loss" Kamas says, "They probably didn''t even use this entrance. There is one for nobility only, that leads directly into their district." That''s not the case in Brahms, where you have to go through the city to reach the inner noble wall.


    What do we do now? I go sullen, thinking we have lost our chance. If she has already been delivered to the noble. We had trouble with one talented person employed by the local lord. There''s bound to be tons more of those in this city that''s many times larger than Brahm. If I remember correctly, it is said that there were a hundred times more people in the capital, making it a population of one million.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    A large hand is upon my shoulder. "Cheer up, let''s kill some time, there''s a certain place we might be able to find help, and maybe even Bosir too". That''s right, Bosir is here in the city. It seems impossible to just stumble upon him, especially since he is probably among the nobility.


    And so we walk, Kamas shows me the marketplace. It is an incredibly large and bustling place, so much so that I have no idea just how many people are present here. Most of what seems to be sold is foodstuffs, but there are also a few places selling skins, horns, jewelry and other knick-knacks. According to Kamas, most permanent, crafted stuff are sold in stores, and the market is mostly for food.


    I have a hard time enjoying anything, filled with anxiousness over the fate of Atna. I already severely regret my decision to participate in this nonsense. Atna and I could have just run away, if she liked me. I feel stupid for risking everyone''s life just because I wanted there to be sports, to race like I did before.


    Eventually, Kamas guides us to the hunter''s association, or rather, one of them. They apparently have five separate buildings in the capital. Here we get some of the bad, cheap food that was also offered in Brahms, except it costs two red coins instead of single.


    Kamas walks around and tries to gather some information in the vastly more busy branch, than the one at Brahms, while I sulk over the current situation. Eventually he comes back, considerable time have gone by.


    "Come, they should open soon" Kamas pulls me along.


    "Where are we going?"


    "Someplace that deals in information. It''s pretty expensive, but we have to do, what we have to do." He says while pulling a painful expression.


    We go down various, curved alleyways with few intersections after that. Just like in Brahms, apart from the main roads, the layout of the city is incredibly confusing, but Kamas walks with a steady gait and no hesitation, so he probably knows where we are going.


    We happen upon a door quite unlike any other I have seen. it is made of metal, and the house of stone, compared to the wood usually used in these buildings further away from the main road. Kamas immediately knocks upon it and a slit in the door opens.


    "Member?" a sound comes from the door.


    "No" Kamas replies, and holds out 5 blue coins.


    The slit is closed, a few sounds of sliding and clicking are heard and the door opens. "Come in" says the same voice which asked us before we entered. It is revealed to belong to a Tarrun, and this individual is looking creepy, even more so than the usual member of the species.


    The small, child-like body that bears an adult, bald face is normal, but this guy has a few nasty scars on his face, one running over his left eye, which has last all color and doesn''t move like his right one. It gives me the creeps.

 66: Split

    The creepy Tarrun leads us downstairs into what looks like an empty bar. Kamas quickly takes a seat at the counter and gestures for me to do the same. Behind the counter is an assortment of glass flasks, but none are labelled, and they are incredibly dark, so it''s hard to tell what the inside of them would look like. Every piece of furniture but the chairs are in stone, and the tables around the room look incredibly heavy and massive, more polished boulders than tables, really.


    "Well, you''re early and the only ones here, so if you got any sensitive inquiries, fire away." The Tarrun says.


    Kamas leans over the counter and says in a low voice: "It''s regarding the Oboerns" To which the Tarrun solemnly nods. "A short time ago, a kidnapped girl should have arrived here, we want to know where she is. In addition, a man should have contacted a lady of the Oboern not too long ago either. We want his location."


    The Tarrun scratched his bare cheeks a little, before saying "I''ve got the first piece of information, that''s 50 blue if you want it. The second is trickier, but a commission of 1 yellow now and 1 yellow upon delivery and I''ll have it for ya by the day after tomorrow or your money back."


    The price is insane. The accumulation of my entire work of one year, which should be high considering my activity, but low due to me being an apprentice and only receiving half, amounted to less than three yellow coins. He''s basically asking for an insane fee.


    "And how much for discretion?" Kamas asks. The Tarrun widens his functioning eye a little "Hoh, so you''re accustomed to how this works. I recon I could easily get a fair amount, so, say 2 more yellow."


    Kamas fishes up a leather sack, and rummages through it a little before finding a four yellow coins. "1 now, three for later. Easier for both of us to trust each other that way" He says and hands over one of them and puts the rest back. Kamas is really rich, huh? Guess unlike Mynie or Larn, he is both fairly diligent and doesn''t spend much on frivolities.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The Tarrun snatches the small coin out of Kamas'' hand and says "Fine. The girl arrived ten days ago. The Wiyam faction are pinning some shady dealings and planning to execute her soon."


    "WHAT!?" I am outraged! They want to kill her? "How can they pin a crime like that on someone so young! Noone is going to buy it!" I protest, though I know the man has no stake in it.


    "Easy boy, the rash meet their ends sooner. It is an almost standard practice for cutting down power-hungry youths, so the public already thinks it is likely as they have been told the lie countless times before." He turns to Kamas after lecturing me. "The Wiyam faction primarily operates out of the south palace, she is most likely being held there." Kamas makes a grimace.


    "Any idea of how soon it will happen contra how soon you can locate our guy?" he asks, but the Tarrun merely raises his shoulders to indicate he doesn''t know. Shit!


    "We have got to free her!" I turn to Kamas and voice my opinion


    Kamas looks at me. His gaze is calm, but he bears a sad expression. "Yos, let''s stop here" He says.


    "WHAT?" It''s outrageous! How can he suggest that!?


    "I only see us dying. If we had a complete team, with some backing secured we may be able to do something. But it''s too much. We probably aren''t going to get to Bosir in time, and we can''t aid Atna if she already has crimes pinned on her. The whole thing is a bust. We''re probably even gonna end up fugitives soon." Kamas tries to explain to me.


    "You wanna stop now! Then what did Caper and Toben die for? What will Atna have died for? And Mynie and Sirgut have abandoned us for? We can''t just throw all that away!" I am mad, really mad at Kamas. He always seemed the reasonable, calm guy, but this is too much.


    "We have got to cut our losses when we can" He calmly says. Fuck! Fucking coward!


    "Then we''re done here" I say harshly to him. Fuck him, we''re basically family, he can''t just abandon her!


    "Yos, I don''t want you to die" He says, as he reaches out an arm for my should, but I brush it off and storm out. He is following me. He doesn''t even know that the sentiment may not even be able to apply to me.


    "Yos, YOS COME BACK HERE!" His shouting voice, which I never heard before, is surprisingly powerful, I even fear it a little, but I run away. Fuck. I will just have to do it myself.

 67: Infiltration

    After runnig away from Kamas, I ask my way around to the south palace. Turns out there''s three residences of the king in Roxburg. The Grand Palace, used by himself, the Earth Palace a little outside the city, kind of a vacation home, and the South Palace, usually reserved for foreign nobles visiting and seems to be the king''s residence only in name. I forgot the culprit''s name, but I am pretty sure he was a count from a neighboring country, so that makes sense.


    I go to try and take a look and form a plan, but like Brahms it is behind another walled off district. where people with no business have a hard time attending. I am planning on rushing through that checkpoint tonight. I do not know if I have any skill in stealth, but I have my Read, which basically allows me to know the rough position of any that might spot me. What is the larger piece of trouble is getting past the wall.


    Shit, I quickly lose confidence that I can do this alone. If only Larn wasn''t injured. Or we could find Bosir. Or Kamas wasn''t such a fucking coward. Or Mynie didn''t get bought off. So many things that could have gone well, went wrong. Should I try to bribe the guards? But that would quickly end if it doesn''t work out. Should I try and kill them as fast as possible? Though they''re innocent in this matter and merely tools of the nobility... Shit, I think I have to with the latter option.


    The only piece of geniality I come across in my planning is the timing. I start one hour before my gift usually activates, that way I may can use my magic and stamina liberally and possibly only have to wait a little while before it refills. I know the timing from the brightness. I have spent many nights awake, so I have a general idea of how the brightening in the sky relates to time by now.


    I spend my time in some random alley I find, sitting, waiting. Once it gets dark outside, I move towards the southern walled off section and observe. There are two guards. I start a limited time stake-out, in case I can slip in, during some interval. In a few hours, just before my ideal time for entering, I spot an opportunity. A guard seems to have received permission to sleep, and have been doing so for some 20 minutes now, so if I move now I only have to kill one of them.


    I create a spike the length of my hand, and imbue with bestowal magic. You can use bestowal on everyday objects, but you have to remain in contact with them and it apparently quickly degrades it, if it is not made of azurite. Objects made with creation magic however, can use the mana in the object to sustain itself and carry the effect over. Bestowing the spike like this will make it fly much faster than if I were to throw it with my strength alone.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I hesitate.


    I am about to kill a person, and not one that has done anything to me.


    Maybe not to anyone


    But if I don''t do this, Atna will surely die.


    I grit my teeth and send the spike flying with all my might. It cleanly pierces the head of the guard and imbues itself deep within, whereafter he almost unnaturally slumps over. It''s creepy the way he crumbled, like all of his muscles just gave out at once. But I stomach it, and move closer, dragging him behind the wall, so no by-passers see him. Luckily there is some shrubs neatly arranged here, and I dump him behind one of them. I think of killing the second guard, since he could wake up, notice something wrong and send out an alert... I decided against it, even though it may risk my success.


    It doesn''t take a genius to locate the south palace. A large building, with an incredible amount of windows with metal and glass in the are present. In addition, crisp white walls with blue decorations adorning them, a massive fountain in front and tons of shrubs and trees, neatly trimmed and arranged symmetrically around the entrance. There are a few other neat building, but they all pale in comparison to this obvious centerpiece of the quarter.


    I spam my Read spell every ten seconds or so, while I move around and get a good idea of where there are guards. I had hoped that there would only be some at the entrance to the quarter, but there are also guards outside the main door, and when I move around to the back and find another door, I assume the two signals coming from immediately behind it are yet another pair of guards. When I try to finish my circling motion, I end up spotting a small, wooden door.


    As I creep closer to it, I notice it has a keyhole. I pray while moving to push down on the handle. Success! I think as I open the door, but it quickly stops and I feel fear again. I look through the small crack I have opened and spot some thin latch in it. I get out my sword, and try to lift it off or something, but I can''t. I think of cutting it, but the sound may make people come. After a little consideration, I position my sword on the latch, channel bestowal in my arms, and press it down with both my hands using all my might. It quickly snaps with a small sound, I hope small enough that nobody heard it.


    I think I am halfway through my mana and there is still an hours till the refill, but I am inside the palace.

 68: Search

    The door I entered appear to have been some kind of kitchen door, possibly to ease the transport of food and stuff. After climbing a few stairs, I find myself in the first room I can truly call a kitchen in this world. Previously, there has only really been a "main room" where cooking, eating, and general being in takes place. Sometimes there aren''t even bedrooms. The few times I have been in places, where there might be kitchens, like the count''s manor or the association, I have only been in the dining area.


    As I walk around, searching for Atna, I quickly run into a piece of trouble, that being I don''t know the layout of the palace at all. My read allows me not to cross the path of anyone else, but I have no idea where she is. My first instinct was to look in some kind of basement, a dungeon maybe, but I can''t find any stairs or the like leading downstairs, though I know there is one, since my read gets a few signals from below.


    In addition, more and more signals are starting to move around. My power activates pretty early in the morning and I am used to be among the earliest up, when I fall asleep, but with less than an hour till that time, people are starting to move about the mansion. As I am passing in a hallway, my read catches someone who is right next to a door close to me. Panicking, I rush there and as soon as the door opens, I tackle the person, holding my hand over their mouth and my sword to their throat.


    It appears to be an old maid. I briefly remember my grandma. Damn, why didn''t I have enough luck for this to be her? Well, this could still be a boon to me. Panicking a little, I exert pressure and speak in a low voice, but as intimidating as I can.


    "No screaming, or I kill you. Answer my question and stay quiet about me, and you can leave as if nothing happened, understand?"


    She is clearly terrified. Shit I feel like a scumbag, but she nods her head none-the-less.


    "A girl should have been brought here recently, do you know where she is?"


    She nods slowly.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "I''m gonna remove my hand and you are going to tell me how I can get to her, and I am reminding you, scream and you are dead".


    She looks like she about to cry, but still nods. Fuck, why do I have to do this? Shitty world, shitty nobility, shitty game we were playing.


    As I remove my hand she speaks in a shaking, hoarse voice "Continue down the hall. You will get to  large room. Up the stairs and the hallway to the left, the third door on your left, she is being held there" Thank god I didn''t end up down in the dungeons then.


    I nod. "Really sorry about this, and thank you." I don''t know what to do with my guilt, so I give her some blue coins from my pouch, which she hesitatingly accepts.


    I use read to check for a clear coast and move. I can duck into many empty rooms along the way, and I do so close to the great hall, since there is a decent amount of traffick here. Shit, when will it clear up?


    It takes nearly twenty minutes of waiting, but I sense an opening and go as quickly as I can without making too much noise. In the middle of the room, I sense people are starting to move. Shit, I have nowhere to fucking go! Don''t come here! Don''t see me!


    But my prayers aren''t answered. "Intruder!" Is yelled loudly and I immediately break into a sprint following the directions I was given. But more bad news, I recognize a small cluster of signals are at my location and as I enter the hallway, I see two guards standing outside the door. Fuck!


    I quickly create a spike like the one I used on a guard outside and throw it hastily, but I am already noticed and it is parried away. I read my sword and shield and charge in anyway. I try to use bestowal, but panic strikes me as I can''t. I run out of mana in the middle of constructing the pattern, shit. Luckily there shouldn''t be long left before I get my refresh, but right now I have two people in front of me, and some chasing me, this is bad...


    I see my only option is to overwhelm the guards in front of me quickly, but my strikes are met with parries and returns and my anxiousness grows to incredible levels. I hear an "Over here" behind me. I have to do some drastic shit again.


    I block one sword with my shield and immediately grab another coming towards me with a free hand, yanking him as hard as I can towards me. He is thrown off balance, and I slash my sword deep into the side of his neck. As I tug it free again, I stumble a little, and lose balance, in which the other guard sees an oppurtunity to deliver a blow. It cuts deep into my shoulder, which starts bleeding profusely and I can feel myself losing all strength in my shield arm. I regain my stance, but as I do, I feel a cut in my back. I didn''t even sense them approaching, being caught up in what was in front of me.

 69: Imprisonment

    I am quickly overwhelmed and surpressed, held down by multiple people.


    "Tie him up!" "This little shit!" "What the fuck are you doing here!?"


    Multiple shouts come at me, but another feeling is swelling up within me. Jorgen disappeared when I wasn''t even there, Hannah chose to go on her own, Asger was dead before I knew it, but this. It feels like me failing right here, right now is what is killing Atna. My ineptitude.


    "ATNA!" Not knowing what to do, I cry out "ATNAAA! ATNAAA!" but I hear "Shut up!" and soon a sharp pain in the back of my head makes me lose conciousness.


    <hr>


    I wake up what I determine is not twenty minutes after, since that was the most time I think I had left before my gift would be activated. I try to get up, but can''t and stumble. My legs are tied together, and behind my back, my arms too. The floor and walls made from stone make out a small room, maybe 50 square feet. The last wall consists mostly of what looks like a massive, metal door with two slits in it.


    My mana should be full, so I weave bestowal as powerful as I can and try to use all my might to break free of the restraints, but it is no use. They way they position and restrain my limbs, I can''t seem to get any real strength into them.


    In frustration, I scream and bang my head on the wall, but quickly thereafter, there is just complete silence. I don''t want this. I scream and bang some more.


    After some time spent thinking about my next move, I have a hard time telling how long, the door''s upper slit is opened and a pair of eyes peer through.


    "Huh?" the owner of those eyes are clearly confused. "How are you already fine? Gift?"


    I aim to ignore his inquiry and play the last card that I can in this situation. I came up with it while imprisoned.


    "Listen up! I am immortal, you know? Tell the guy in charge, Wiyam or whatever, that if he doesn''t let me and Atna go, it doesn''t matter how long, but I will eventually get out of here, and then I will kill him. And if he is already gone, I will kill his children instead, and if they are gone, his children''s children and so on!"


    The eyes slightly widen, and the slit is shut. I don''t know what will happen now, but it was the only way I could see myself still having influence.


    Nothing happens for a very long time. Days even. I can tell because of my gift''s activation. I am fed nothing, and but my hunger and thirst never exceeds a certain point, as I am no longer hungry or thirsty when gift activates. The only pastime I have is struggling against the restraint and doing some very awkward squats.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    On the third day, the door opens. "Have you deci-" I start asking the guard who enters, but I receive a spear thrust to my throat. The pain is excruciating and the sense of asphyxiation following soon after is somehow even worse. I try to breathe, try to get words out, but I can do nothing but die shortly thereafter.


    The next I am of course back, and go back to doing my modest workout. The guard returns. "Ah, good day again." I say sarcastically. "Don''t worry, I don''t mind you tested out if I was immortal, but now that you know, please let us go" I try to be amicable. He is visibly shocked and exits the room and closes the door quickly.


    I start thinking, hoping that shit finally goes my way. If this really works, I am gonna torment myself for ever trying to play spy and infiltrate this place. The two guards I killed didn''t have to die. But my hope is crushed, the guard simply enter a few hours after, I greet him, and receive another spear to my throat.


    Over the next few weeks, I get killed everyday. I don''t know what they are doing. I start waking up in different rooms, then without my restraints sometimes, then with weird pieces of broken metal around me.


    Then that day happens. I am no longer in the room, I can''t move, can''t see, can''t breathe and asphyxiate quickly after waking up. This happens countless times. Each day, I wake up and struggle as much as I can before dying from a lack of air. Eventually, while I did not notice the change from day to day, I am definitely surviving longer and and longer each day.


    <hr>


    (POV change Wellam)


    "What did you just say?" This one is astonished.


    The guard in front of this one is trembling. "Thi-this one thought the young man was spouting nonsense. This one didn''t want to inconvenience the graceful lord."


    The report this one just received was astounding. The young man, who either came to rescue the girl or kill Wiyam to disrupt the bid for the throne, declared immortality, and had sworn if this one didn''t let him and the young girl go, death would befall Wiyam, or failing that, Wiyam''s descendants.


    The guard in quesiton brings this one these news, along with confirmation of the alleged immortality a day after the young girl has already been executed. This one looks to Wiyam. Wiyam appear frightened.


    "F-father, what should this one do?"


    Don''t worry, son of this one, I will protect you.


    I turn to the guard and give an order. "Kill and behead the young man, then place the head in a different cell." The guard brightens a little, but too soon. Once this one no longer lacks manpower, the guard is sure to be executed.


    But the next day, dire news reach us. The head is mysteriously gone and the young man is alive and well in the cell with the body.


    After that, a variety of methods are tried. This one arranges for the young hunter to be chopped into fine piece, to be separated into many small pieces and put in various boxes in different cells. To burn the corpse, to fill the corpse with spikes piercing every inch but nothing works. In addition, worrying reports of the young man getting a little more difficult to kill, or the young man training worry me.


    In the end, this one decides what cannot be killed, must be sealed and arrange for a hole to be dug. The corpse is to be suspended by wire and molten azurite shall encapsulate it. This one will then tell the story to Wiyam, and Wiyam''s children. An unspeakable evil is sealed here, and it must be kept there under any circumstances... And so the issue is regarded as resolved until the day of my death.

 70: Darkness

    I struggle. I still only have less than an hour each time, though it is steadily growing. I can barely move and use all my strength to try. Sometimes, I try new things, like using heat or force or cool on the metal, but it doesn''t change much. Maybe it becomes a tiny bit more malleable with heat, but I am betting on bestowal instead.


    I die, I wake up, I die rinse and repeat. Sometime I give, resigning myself to my fate of being trapped forever, but I can''t stay that way, so most time I struggle.


    I die and I wake up so many times I can''t keep count. I must have been in here for years.


    My sense of time is completely out of whack. I notice this, because one day, I am suddenly still awake when my power activates. I try holding my breath. I don''t think I need to breathe anymore... First sleep, food, water and now air is unnecessary for me.


    I no longer die, but each day seems to flow into the next at breakneck speeds if I think back, though the moment itself feels long and unbearable.


    I suddenly become aware that progress is being made. I can move a little. I definitely remember a time I could hardly move at all, so the shuffling I can do now feels incredibly liberating.


    And empowering. Shit I will get out of here and I will kill that fucking Wiyam guy with my own two hands. I was clearly imprisoned he because my words spooked him, maybe Atna is still alive?


    I struggle each day now, with a newfound passion, but still many days pass. I tried to keep count but gave up after a thousand, not being sure where I was, and realizing it was impossible.


    I sometimes feel like I am going insane. Maybe this whole thing is going to turn out to be one bizarre dream. Maybe I am going to wake up in my bed, with my father and mother... Or maybe in the clan house, going for a morning run and finding a request with whoever is willing to join me that day. But such thoughts do nothing. I struggle on.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Weird, this part my hand is pressing against was definitely cracked, a nice certain sign of my progress, but it disappeared. Almost like it grew back, but I can''t fault that. I struggle on.


    It definitely is growing back! What the hell? How is that even possible? But fortunately, it seems my strength is forever growing, since I think I notice the progress being made faster and faster. Though that may just be a trick of the mind, since so much time and yet none at all seems to have passed since I got trapped in here. It is difficult. If I try to mark a day, just a few days after, if becomes difficult to know if two or three of four days have passed, since there is nothing to distinguish one day from another. I struggle on.


    Though it is small, I feel progress is tangible day-by-day now. It won''t be long now. I will get out.


    Suddenly, one day while pressing against the metal with all my might, a crack forms. Large. In front of my face. I can''t see it, but I heard the snap and could feel debris falling on my face. This is it.


    I channel bestowal at the highest power I can, as much power as I can hold in my being. I can feel it coming apart. My arms are actually feeling their movement forward through the metal in real time. Large snap and cracks are heard all around me as I finally break free.


    Pulling myself out of the small metal crater, something is off. I was definitely in some dungeons before, but this place is... creepy and weird. Large green stones make out the walls now, there is rope hanging around, and as I turn to see the stone it is covered in weird talisman-like things, with line of rope around the metal clump seemingly having held them up, now strewn across the room. I am clearly still underground, and I couldn''t see anything if it wasn''t for a source of light. I look at a young women, on her ass on the floor, visibly shaking. Next to her is some kind of lantern. She has a bucket and and a mop close by, and she is clearly in a pool of liquid, though I don''t know if that is water from the bucket or... a more natural source. She is clad in a dark, long robe. Doesn''t look like a maid.


    "Greetings, young lady" I say to her, ignoring the fact that I am completely naked and trying to put on a nice demeanor. "Would you be so kind as to tell me where Wiyam is?" I don''t think I am in the dungeon of the palace anymore, but he was a known character, I should be able to be pointed in his direction.


    She shook visibly as I talked to her. Her mouth is flapping, opening and closing quickly in succession, but no words escape her lips.


    "Are you alright?" I ask.


    But as soon as she seems to get a grip on herself, she gets of her ass and down on her knees, bending over to the point her face must be rubbing against the cold stone floor. "Please don''t kill me!" She exclaims. What in the hell?

 71: Realization

    ¡±Calm down, I won¡¯t kill you as long as you can point me to Wiyam¡± I say.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know any Wiyam¡± the young woman stammers and is visibly shaking. She really is afraid of me, huh? Guess I did just tear apart metal with my bare hands.


    ¡°He should have been in the south palace¡±. I say, trying to guide her a little.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know any south palace!¡± huh.


    ¡°Are we not in Roxburg?¡±


    ¡°We-we are in the temple in Roxas, o spirit¡± Roxas? Never heard of that city before.


    ¡°I am no spirit. Am I still in Cospia?¡± I ask, curious as to how far I was moved.


    ¡°I know of no Cospia, as I said, we are in Roxas, o spirit!¡± What nonsense.


    ¡°I obviously meant the country. What country are we in?¡±


    ¡°I, we, I¡­¡± She feels terribly confused. ¡°We are in human territory, O spirit!¡±


    Human territory? What is she talking about?


    ¡°Who is the king?¡± If Wiyam made it to the king¡¯s post it will probably be trickier. But I still strangely powerful, since I have exited from the metal prison and have started moving around. Like I could break a brick wall with my fists. I have half a mind to thinking I could just walk up there and beat his head in, if he hurt Atna.


    ¡°There haven¡¯t been any kings for years, o spirit!¡±


    ¡°STOP THAT SPIRIT THING!¡± Seriously, listen to people, it¡¯s annoying. Ah, the puddle earlier was evidently from the bucket, as a new one formed under her in response to my shouting. But no king, eh? Did a democracy break out or something?


    ¡°Then who is in charge?¡±


    ¡°The¡­ The human leader is the honorable Edelrit, o spirit¡± I inwardly sigh, why the fuck does she keep calling me that.


    ¡°Why do you keep calling me that!?¡± I accidentally let my annoyance slip clearly through my tone. She is looking like she is ready to die.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°I, it was not me, it was what they told me, what they said.¡± She gets defensive.


    ¡°What have you been told?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ That the evil spirit was sealed in here, and that should he ever break free, he will aim to kill all of humanity!¡± huh?


    ¡°Please, please spare me, I will do anything!¡± she continues.


    ¡°I am no spirit, just a man. How long was I sealed for?¡±


    ¡°The legend says since time immemorial, but at least since the temple was built.¡±


    ¡°And how long ago is that?¡± I feel myself fearing the answer to that question. I didn¡¯t have a good perception of time in there. I thought 30 years or so would have passed, purely by guessing, but what if it is a hundred? Will all be gone?


    ¡°800 years ago, o spirit!¡± 800 years? 800 YEARS!? That would mean everything and everyone I had ever known was gone. I grasp my head. My mother, my little sister Vella, Bosir, Kamas, Bern, Larn, Mynie and so on. Every relation I had built. Every expectation I have had. Gone. What was it for? It can¡¯t be true. She must be lying.


    Language! I know, in just 500 years or so, language transforms beyond recognition! I learnt as much in my old world!


    ¡°You lie! Why do you lie?!¡± I feel the uncertainty in my own voice.


    ¡°I- I would never dare lie to the great spirit! I will even help you destroy humanity! Just please! Please spare me!¡± Holy shit, what a declaration. The fear she feels for me. It convinces me that she is speaking the truth. But. Everything. I only got to spend a single night with Atna. I never got to repay Kamas and Bosir for their help, like Jorgen. I have lost everything.


    Wait. Jorgen, Hannah! There may still be someone in this world I know! I feel my mind locking fast on Hannah.


    I decide I could use some help, so remembering her declaration.


    ¡°Very well, just find me some clothes, it doesn¡¯t matter what. Oh and what are these?¡± I point to the strange papers attaches to the metal blob I emerged from.


    ¡°Those.. Those are ***¡± Huh, a word I never heard before showed up.


    ¡°What are those?¡±


    ¡°Magic, on paper, so it works without a caster. These were placed to repair and harden the seal.¡± Huh, I was not imagining things, it did grow back!


    As the young woman leaves the room, I think to myself. I don¡¯t know where I am. Even if I assume I am still in Roxburg, most likely not only the name, but also the layout and the roads would change over such a long period of time. How can I find back to the abandoned dungeon? Wait, I remember its name. it was ¡°meadow¡± right? I remember the comment from Jorgen about it being ironic since it was in a forest.


    As she returns with a black robe similar to her own, and immediately kneels before me once again, I feel guilty. But I have to know.


    ¡°I need to get to a specific dungeon, do you know how to find it by name? It is only known as ¡°meadow¡±¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord. The hunter¡¯s guild has charts of dungeons all over the land as to guide expeditions!¡±


    Guild, not association huh? Shit, I hope I can convince them to just show me instead of having trouble of having another apprenticeship. Though I could probably also just show my strength, which I feel is insane now.


    I am thinking of what do with the girl. If people generally believe my seal to house an evil spirit, they will inevitably panic if they hear about it. And this girl has seen me and can describe me. I even feel the idea of killing her entering my head, but I shake it off.


    ¡°Please guide me to the hunter¡¯s guild¡± I ask nicely.


    ¡°Understood¡± She says as she rises. Huh, now that I notice it, I am considerably taller than her. Have I grown up since then?

 72: Guild

    I am first led up by stairs. A lot of them. Five whole floors underground was our position. Once we reach what is the ground floor, she asks me to stop.


    "What for?" I ask.


    "Forgive me my lord, I thought you would not want to be observed, so I will scout ahead".


    I cast read. Noone in the room ahead of us.


    "It''s alright, it''s clear" I say.


    She looks a little puzzled, but simply nods and guide me. Walking behind her, I wonder how we look. The clothes she brought me was a robe matching her own, and there is a hood on it. She has worn it drawn over her head from the beginning so I mimicked her.


    After I am led outside, I am astonished. The stone roads I were used to were mere flat stone laid down together, but the road here is neat cut stones with an inter-locking pattern. The houses I were used to seeing were either entirely wood, had wood framing and were at most three stories tall, but there are plenty building here, that look to be between five and seven stories, judging the by the windows.


    We went out a side route, but I also look to the temple we exited. It is absolutely massive. Maybe a 300 feet tall spire, and several lesser ones. It may not be very much going by my world''s original standard but it was completely alien when compared to before I was sealed. Technology really developed quickly.


    We enter a street, that is overflowing with people, so much so that I repeatedly have to rub shoulders with people going in the opposite direction. Some streets have signage, most depicting a cart with a red cross over it. "For pedestrians only" it''s pretty easy to get the meaning.


    We finally arrive at what I assume is the hunter''s guild. I judge so, because even though it is far more intricate, with a few extra elements, it has the same usual base symbol of a crossed sword and spear. As we enter, there is a queue to the counter, so we go line up. As we do, I hear some gossip here and there.


    "What business do acolytes have here?"This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    "The hero''s dead! What do you think the next one''s going to be?"


    "The alchemists guild got fined yet again. Why are they always doing such shady shit?"


    Is a sample of the most interesting bits I hear. I wonder what the hero is, if it is some sort of special hunter or military position? And are we dressed as acolytes?


    As we reach the counter, I state my purpose.


    "I need to go to a specific dungeon. Can I borrow your map?"


    The clerks is a middle-aged man.


    "Sorry, only for registered hunters" I feared this.


    "Then, can I register?"


    "You need to take an apprenticeship if you wanna be a hunter, though few are actually taken in by capable people here in Roxas, you would do better to start in a smaller city. Alternatively you can take an exam for ten asti."


    Fuck, the currency is different too. I have no idea how much it is. I look to my female companion.


    "Do you have any, eh.... What was your name again?"


    "Acolytes are forbidden from having personal possessions my lord, I am truly sorry." She should stop looking so afraid all the time, it''s making me feel guiltier about using her misconceptions to help me. She also didn''t say her name.


    "If you have no business, move over, the traffic is heavy today." The clerk snarks.


    "Please listen to me, I am terribly strong, can''t we work some deal out?" I plead.


    "Sorry, youngster, I am bound by guild policy, please move over" I dejectedly make way for the others, but one makes a fuss.


    "Please sir, you must, you don''t know who he is!" It is my escort doing so.


    "Hey it''s fine, don''t bother him." I pull her away. Ah, she is shaking again, maybe she thought she did something wrong.


    "What is your name?" I ask once again.


    "Amina..: I am Amina..." She says quietly.


    "Nice to meet you, I am..." I wonder, I can give myself my own name now. I think a little, but realize I am ultimately more comfortable with Yos than Brian. "Yos, I am Yos". Amina simply nods in response.


    "Amina, how would one make money in a hurry?"


    "I... I am sorry lord, I have no clue, I have been in the temple all my life" Huh.


    "Then how did you know the hunter''s guild had maps?"


    "That is common knowledge, lord. Ah, not that I would make my lord out to be ignorant, please forgive this foolish servant." This girl is hella weird. She still thinks I am going to destroy humanity, and she is dead set on helping me, as long as I spare her. I don''t think many people would literally betray the entire human race so easily.


    I get an idea. I gather a little air in my lungs and sound out to the people chatting around tables.


    "Any of you pansies got some ill-placed confidence in your strength?" I get a lot of mean looks.


    "What the hell is an acolyte saying?" A man says as he rises up. He is both taller and wider than me and looks like a seasoned veteran.


    "Ten Asti says I can beat you in an arm-wrestling match!" I am brilliant.


    "The hell is an arm-wrestling match?" He says with a sneer. Shit.

 73: Exam

    <div>


    "It''s like, we both put our elbow on a table, and the we try to push the other guys arm down" I try to explain, but he just seems annoyed and confused.


    "Why not just do grabbers?" Now it''s my turn to be ignorant.


    "What''s grabbers?" He marches up real close to me.


    "Out with your hands!" He commands. Uwah, this guy is actually pretty scary. I just do as he says, then he grabs each of my hands, interlocking each of his fingers with mine. It feels a little gross.


    "Then both try to twist the other''s hand backwards. I win when you surrender or kneel on the floor" That last part is a clear provocation, but I don''t let it touch me.


    "Sure, for 10 asti?" I ask. He just replies with "cocky little shit" and starts to turn the pressure against me, which I return in kind.


    He quickly finds a new expression, one of surprise and fear, as I easily turn the tables on him. He grits his teeth and tries to hold in, but I just slowly increase the pressure.


    "Enough, I yield, I yield!" He says. His comrades at the table look really surprised. "So, ten asti?" He emits a grunt. He fishes up a single coin and flips it to me "Take it you bastard".


    There''s only a single coin, so I was just about to complain, but upon further inspection, it appears to have two circles on it. I remember the roman numeral-style symbols of this world and recognize it as 10, which means that the new monetary system is probably much close to the one I remember from my old world.


    I simply reply with a thanks and go line up in the queue again. Fortunately it is a bit shorter this time.


    "I would like to take that exam, please" I ask of the man behind the counter, handing him the coin I just practically robbed. He creases his eyebrows, but accepts it anyway. He turns, opens a door and shouts "Ergad! I''ve got one for exams!" To which a tall man with white hair and the air of a veteran comes in.


    "Follow me, please" he tells me. Amina follows me, but he stops her "please wait here, it will take a little while". She looks terrified to be left alone. I then follow him to a small room, where I am asked to take a seat.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    "Now, I will ask you some questions." Wait, is this an oral exam? Shit, I hope it just a common sense thing.


    "Name?"


    "Yos"


    "Age?"


    "I don''t rightly know actually, just write down what I look to be around" That reply makes him look a little displeased.


    "I''ll just note down... say... 22?" To which I just nod. I think he would be more displeased if I told him the truth.


    "What prior hunting experience do you have?"


    "I''ve been in dungeons for 7 years under the guide of various people" He makes a slightly surprised looking face.


    "Then why didn''t you apprentice under any of them." Eh, how to wiggle my way out of this one? I know.


    "They all unfortunately died" ouch, I actually feel it hurting as I say it. I remember the faces of my relations, lost to eternity once again and feel myself take on a sullen mood.


    "Sorry for your loss." Ergad says as a routine. "What weapons do you have experience with?"


    "Sword and shield, throwing knives".


    "Do you have a gift?"


    "Yes. Self-healing" me mutter an "ooh, nice" and continues.


    "Do you know any magic?"


    "Yes, both bestowal and creation magicks" He makes a smirk.


    "Are you a member of any other guilds?"


    "No"


    "Have you ever committed a crime"


    "No" Shortly after replying there, I remember the few innocent lives I took. Shit, I just replied without thinking, so it is probably more convincing, but I can''t help but squirm a little once I recall it.


    "Now then, this is not a standard question, but I kinda wish to know how an acolyte end up taking an exam for the hunter''s guild, or how someone with this background ended up as an acolyte." Oh right, I am still wearing the church robes.


    "Eh, that''s... difficult" I stumble my way through an uncertain excuse.


    "Sorry, didn''t mean to pry" What the hell were you doing if not prying?


    "Okay, then let''s go have a spar to finish this off" He says, and he leads me to a small open area, with tight-packed dirt, wooden weapons, dummies and targets.


    He pick of a wooden sword and shield and gesture for me to do the same.


    "Remember, this is an exam, you don''t have to beat me, you just have to show a certain level of combat prowess" he says, as we go position ourselves at the center of the area.


    "Start" He says. I immediately just charge. I am to knock his shield away with my own and slash at him immediately after, but the shield bash is way more effective than I had anticipated and he is knocked down on his ass.


    "Eh, that should be enough. Young man, you really are a bundle of raw strength, aren''t you?" I don''t know what to say, so I just nod, slightly confused myself, as to what just happened.


    "You can just leave through the door there. Your tag should be ready the day after tomorrow, so please wait patiently until then" Eh, I have to wait? I grumble a little.


    I return to the main room and meet up with Amina. I technically don''t need her anymore, so I tell her she can go back to the temple. She immediately adopts an uncertain expression. "Eh, my lord, have I done something wrong? Please don''t throw me away!" This damn lunatic.

 74: Amina

    ¡°Listen, Amina, I don¡¯t plan on killing anyone, you have nothing to fear, you can just go back. Just don¡¯t tell anyone about me¡± I try to shoo her away.


    ¡°Eh, are you sure my lord?¡± Why do you sound disappointed?! ¡°ev-even then, can I not stay with you? You don¡¯t know much about this world, right?¡± How bothersome.


    ¡°Why are you so insistent on this? Is the temple a bad place to be?¡±


    She turns her head down a little. ¡°I don¡¯t know my lord, that life is all I have ever known. But, at the very least, it seems dreadful. And I fear I may be in trouble¡­¡± ah, that¡¯s probably my bad.


    ¡°Then, why did you join?¡± I ask simply.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, my lord. From when I first remember, I was already part of the orphanage at the temple. Then I became an acolyte when I came of age.¡± Ehh, orphanage at the temple? I wonder if it is a new thing or something the temples have always done? When my father died, I was kind of given away to any takers at the summit, I wonder if the orphanage function was only if there were no one willing to take you in. Remembering him also leads the thoughts to Sten and Lod. I had presumed I would settle my differences with them sooner or later, but now I will never get to¡­. I should stop thinking about it.


    ¡°Anyway, I am planning to basically wait until my card is made. I have no money, nowhere to go. You still need to eat and drink, right? So go home.¡±


    ¡°But are you not strong, my lord? Can¡¯t you simply go into the dungeon and take something, my lord? Do you have anything else to do, my lord?¡±


    ¡°Enough with ¡°My lord¡± can¡¯t you just speak to me normally.¡± Ah, this time she didn¡¯t cover at my reprimand.


    She thinks a little. ¡°As you wish, master¡±


    ¡°Just¡­ no¡­ why are you like this?¡±


    ¡°Surely it would be proper to address a great spirit with some form of respect, master?¡± She says.


    ¡°Listen, I am not a spirit, I am just a human. I don¡¯t know much and people seem to actually think I am pretty stupid, so I am not all that great either.¡± She looks at me incredibly doubtful.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Believe what you will, but in any case, address me like you would an equal, please.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir¡± ¡­ I choose to stare reproachfully at her.


    ¡°An equal wouldn¡¯t have the authority to tell me how to address them, sir¡±


    I sigh. I give up.


    We end up going to the dungeon. As expected of a dungeon in a big city, it seems many of the first few layers have big, bulky beasts that are relatively easy to kill. I stab a dagger created with magic in the head of a few, and do my best to dismantle them and take the best cuts of meat at a reasonable pace. We can¡¯t carry that much as we have neither sacks, nor extra people, so the rest of the corpses is given to some passing young people, who thank me reapeatedly.


    We then locate a few trees. I create a small saw and cut them down. One might think creation magic is handy this way, but it is just not comparable mileage to using it in other ways. I could only have some ten minutes with such tools in a day before my magic would run completely dry. The trees in the dungeon also carry a few fruits, which I give to Amina to snack on.


    We ask some hunters leaving the dungeon, if they can help us start a fire, which we do in an alley. The wood from dungeon trees is always weirdly dry and easy to light, in comparison to trees growing above ground. They warn us that it is illegal though, but we don¡¯t really have any other options.


    Once the meat is roasted, I just watch as Amina digs into it.


    ¡°This is not very good¡± She complains. Well of course, we don¡¯t even have salt. ¡°Aren¡¯t you eating, sir?¡± She asks me.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t need to¡± Maybe if I was used to eating I would feel hungry, but I have no such feelings now. In the past, I discovered I didn¡¯t need food, but ate anyway in case it would affect my growth, but I grew up fine even with no food, it seems. Measuring by people we have encountered, I am a good deal taller than the average guy.


    ¡°But there is no way for me to eat all this by myself¡± She is right. We have way more meat than necessary. I reluctantly take a bite then.


    It is so good. This sensation feels like I haven¡¯t felt it in forever. The sensation of taste and the feeling of chewing and swallowing. It is so good. I feel tears streaming down my cheeks.


    ¡°Eh, sir, did I do anything wrong? Are you unhappy? Is it that bad?¡± Amina is perplexed. ¡°No, I just¡­ It¡¯s been so long since I last ate something. The feeling overwhelmed me.¡± I happily dig into the rest of it, as Amina¡¯s face changes to one of satisfaction.


    We live homelessly for the next two days, before I turn up at the guild again. I am slightly worried. Our robe is stained in blood and dirt, from butchering monsters and sleeping on the floor, and I have a hard time telling, but I think we smell too. I hope it won¡¯t cause trouble, since there is usually a bit of a stench in the hunter¡¯s guild, or at least in the hunter¡¯s association.


    We queue up without problems and I receive my tag. It is, however, quite different from what I expected.


    My name is on there, that I can recognize, but instead of the two lines denoting second rank, as I expected, there is a circle denoting a five instead. Weird.

 75: Third Class

    ¡°Then, can I check out the map?¡± I ask impatiently.


    ¡°Only when you take a request that requires you travel to an abandoned dungeon.¡± Jesus Christ, just let me look at the damn map already. I go to the request board, and I look for a request for travelling to a remote dungeon¡­ Only problem is, I forgot I can¡¯t read, and the general queues and formatting that made the request semi-legible before I was sealed have changed. Shit. Wait.


    ¡°Amina, can you read?¡±


    ¡°Then please find a request for abandoned dungeon. The closer it is, the better, the recommended number of people doesn¡¯t matter¡± I am confident in my absurd strength now. Wonder if I basically did 800 years of workout?


    Amina appears very pleased with helping me. She has grumbled a little about being useless these past few days, and before long, she has a request for us.


    ¡°1 day¡¯s return trip, recommended 6 people, reward 25 asti. Goal is to retrieve six sacks of the fruit that grows on the eight floor¡± Huh, I wonder where we could get some sacks.


    I ask the man behind the counter quickly between handling clients, even though I am not in the queue ¡°Can I borrow sacks from the guild?¡±


    ¡°You can, for a 5 ibris fee¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s an ibris?¡± I ask Amina in a low tone of voice.


    ¡°One sixtieth of an asti¡± is the reply I get. So we got both dollars and cents, huh? Though the denomination breaks down a bit weirdly. Ah, I need some quick money again. I wait for the man behind the counter to take one more customer, before I skip the queue with a quick question again.


    ¡°Any chance I can get a few sacks on credit? I¡¯ll cover it with the mission fee.¡± He looks madly at me.


    ¡°Shut up and go stand in queue, but no, if you won¡¯t even put down such a small fee, we know you are just going to run with it¡± Shit, I probably look like a bum.


    ¡°Please, I paid ten asti for the exam. Does it make sense for a guy to pay ten asti to steal sacks worth half of one? If you cover the fee for me, I¡¯ll double it when I return!¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Shut up! Get in line if you need anything! I will have you fined if you continue disrupting the line!¡± Shit.


    ¡°Hold up, I¡¯ll take you up on that¡± A voice approaches me from behind. It¡¯s the guy I played the strength game with.


    ¡°How about I lend you that half an asti and you pay me back that and the ten you hustled out of me earlier. I know your strength is good for it, and I know how it is to have no money.¡±


    Hey, even if he looks like a bit of a bandit, he is actually a nice person. ¡°Thank you very much, we have a deal¡± I say as I receive some bronzish coins. There is two with two circles with a line through them, probably twelve, then a coin with a single circle, a 5, and one with a single line, totaling 30 ibris, half an asti. But what the hell is up with the coin denominations?


    We go back in the line, but the man behind the counter, who probably hates me by now, protest as we try to take the request. ¡°You are only two people and only one of you registered, you are going to fail no doubt!¡± He states.


    ¡°Take it easy, didn¡¯t you hear from the guy I took the exam from? I am crazy strong. Besides, isn¡¯t it rather a recommendation, rather than a requirement?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Tch, just listen, if you abandon a request, you will get fined. If you can¡¯t pay the fine, you become a 3<sup>rd</sup> class¡±


    I look at my badge. Wait, what?


    ¡°I thought I was 5<sup>th</sup> class, wouldn¡¯t that be a promotion?¡±


    ¡°You are 5<sup>th</sup> rank, idiot. I am obviously talking about 3<sup>rd</sup> class citizen¡± Huh, sounds like something everybody knows about, I¡¯ll ask Amina later.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I am going to complete it properly.¡±


    He emits a single grunt, as he pulls out a map to show me where to head to. Bingo!


    ¡°Wait a second, could you also quickly point out the meadow dungeon?¡±


    ¡°What? That makes it sound like you are going to run there.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I wouldn¡¯t tell you if I was going to run.¡± I think a little of my reasoning for it. ¡°I was just told to meet a friend there, so I plan to head there eventually. I even came in here just looking for the map at first, right? I¡¯ll properly do the request.¡±


    He groans and shows me the map. The landscape depicted is severely different from what I know. Several of what seems to be larger settlements, where they shouldn¡¯t be according to my memories, are depicted, and there are even road marking to abandoned dungeons. Maybe infrastructure has been significantly improved.


    He carefully shows me first the route to my current request, then the route to the meadow dungeon. I actually have half a mind to just head to the meadow dungeon right away, but it could bring trouble, so let us just complete the request properly. I then arrange to borrow six sacks.


    As we exit and start to head in the direction I ask Amina what a 3<sup>rd</sup> class citizen is.


    ¡°When you fail to provide for yourself or your family, the government will take you in and provide for you, but give you harsh labor in return. You can also be sold off to private individuals, but you will have to demonstrate your capacity to feed and house them¡±


    So, basically debt slavery? I think back and remember something about indentured servitude, but I never really encountered it. Oh well, let¡¯s head off for this request.

 76: Physical Ability

    As we leave for our little expedition, one thing clearly annoys me pretty quickly. Though the roads are impressively large and even compared to before, like they dug down into the dirt and replaced it all with interlocking stones, my travel companion does not seem particular well adjusted for such an endeavor.


    Her pace is slow and after twenty minutes she is already sounding like she is dying from a lack of oxygen.


    ¡°You know, you can just wait here?¡± I suggest to her.


    ¡°No, sir! *huff* please don¡¯t *huff* abandon me¡± Seriously what is wrong with this girl? I decide on an inelegant solution. I crouch down in front of her.


    ¡°Climb on¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t *huff* sir! I just couldn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Climb on or I leave you here and go ahead!¡± Man, why is she being so fucking difficult. Soon after I feel her pressing against my back. The cloak disguised her figure, but now I suddenly become aware that she is a woman. One with rather large assets, at that. I shake off the thought, and I start running.


    It really made no difference carrying her on my back, and I start picking up pace. Once I reach a speed I thought impossible without a car. I hear a concerned voice from behind me.


    ¡°Are-Aren¡¯t you going a little too fast??¡± Man.


    ¡°Shut up, can¡¯t talk, running¡± I say, as I speed up even more. It is a wonderful feeling. I suddenly feel incredibly liberated to travel at this speed with my own body, something I would likely never have experienced had I never come to this world. I can¡¯t stop thinking of how fast I could go, if I sprinted with all my might, but I keep the admittedly still insanely fast pace, as I am also afraid of tiring myself out.


    On the way, bombarded with a few weak protests accompanied by even fewer, but louder screams, I notice something weird. My Read is picking up signals constantly along the way, even if they are far away and don¡¯t really move. Following the route, we arrive at the dungeon, and I decide to investigate one of them. It is a small monster. I immediately stomp on it, where it proceeds to make a minor blood explosion, spilling its innards to one side as it dies.


    Weird I have never heard of monsters outside dungeons before. I want to ask Amina about it, but I have to wait for her to finish puking. It doesn¡¯t even yield much when I do, it just seems to be common knowledge, but then an idea hits me.


    ¡°What type of requests were available at the guild?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Eh? There was one for guarding miners for a few weeks, but the rest were all fetching some fruit or plant or monster part¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°There was no request to clear out the top few floors?¡±


    ¡°No, not in that guild.¡± Those requests were usually pretty unpopular, left for the association¡¯s own hunters to deal with. Guess they did away with the policy and as a result, the world is now populated with monsters, but how does that affect the smaller settlements? The cities probably all have walls, but the village I was born in at least had none.


    ¡°Well, never mind, stick close to me¡± I was originally planning to leave Amina out here, but if there are monster about, I can¡¯t very well do that.


    The request itself goes relatively smoothly. I use read to avoid most monsters as we climb down and collect the fruit. It is around a foot long and has a green color and is weirdly thick. We both try one, and they send up tasting like¡­ A sour banana? I can¡¯t count on Amina¡¯s strength at all, and it starts being real awkward carrying the full sacks. I have to keep the ends together with my fingers and walk around with three in each hand by the end. I constantly have to set them down in order to readjust my grip. I don¡¯t want to spill them all over the floor.


    It should have taken some six hours to get here at caravan speed, but because I ran like the wind it was cut down less than an hour. I feel with the sacks between my finger, and Amina desperately clinging to me on the way back, I have to go way slower and I make it in somewhere between two and three hours. It is annoying having to readjust my grip on the sack all the time, but not being absorbed in running at superhuman speeds, I immerse myself in the feeling on my back on the return trip.


    All in all the return trip that should have taken us a day, ended up being somewhere between 3 and 4 hours. Adding in the time it took for us to get the sixth floor and pick the fruit, I say somewhere around 6-7 hours in total? We left in the morning and it is still fairly bright out.


    When we arrive at the guild, it is fairly empty. Another clerk is at the counter, a 40-something woman, that¡¯s quite heavy-looking. There¡¯s no line, so I just walk up.


    ¡°I am here to complete a request¡± I say.


    ¡°Please show your hunter tag¡± I am sure I just saw her wrinkle her nose at us. We still don¡¯t look or probably smell very good. I hand over the tag, that was hung around my neck by a chain that accompanied it when I received it.


    ¡°For the future, you are supposed to deliver any materials and have them verified through the side entrance¡± she says, as she stares at my many sacks.


    ¡°Sorry¡± I say.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter now that is slow anyway, but I wouldn¡¯t verify it if there was a line, you understand¡±.


    She looks through some papers.


    ¡°There appears to be a mistake, it says here you accepted the request earlier today.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s half a day¡¯s travel away, and on the sixth floor to boot?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct¡±


    ¡°Did you have the fruit already laying around or something? They are supposed to be fresh, you know!¡±


    ¡°Nono, we ran there, went to the sixth floor, picked them, ran back and got here just now.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± She looks very doubtful. Well, I guess it basically was a superhuman feat, but I don¡¯t sweat it.


    When I receive the pay, I contemplate letting her hang on to it, so she can give it to the guy who lent me money, but I don¡¯t know his name, and I am not sure I can describe him adequately. Guess I will have to wait for tomorrow anyway, I don¡¯t think I have the stamina in me to make it all the way to meadow while it¡¯s still bright enough to navigate.


    ¡°Do you know any inn around, old lady?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Just who are you calling old? Also, nobody is going to let you stay looking like that¡± She says and points to me, or rather, my bloody and dirty robes. I guess we spend another night in the alleys. Not that I sleep, though.

 77: Tree

    The next day, we start by going to the guild, where I can settle my debt alongside with an apology. I have less than 15 asti left. I consider buying clean clothes, but from what I can find, but I decide against it. It would cost at least 5 asti for each of us, so I would rather get a few supplies. A common sword is too expensive at 10 asti, so I end up getting a shoddy dagger for 5, along with a canteen for 2.


    The distance there is about 30 times what it was to the dungeon we went to yesterday. In other words, it will take more than a day to get there, except if I possibly sprinted there alone. Speaking of, I am currently waiting for my passenger to mount her transportation.


    ¡°Ca-can¡¯t we go there in a more leisurely way?¡± She asks nerviously.


    ¡°Nonsense, we don¡¯t have enough supplies to keep you alive for the trip, if we take it slow.¡± I have procured both water and a little to eat from the dungeon for her. Huh? Now that I think about it, why am I accommodating this girl that much? As if sensing my thoughts, she suddenly complies and climbs on my back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do as you say¡± Her voice is meek as she suddenly agrees.


    The trip there is relatively uneventful. The only problem being during the night, a few monster came, but it was a simple matter of disposing of them. It is strange, the monster in the dungeons seem to hate all living thing and will relentlessly attack once they spot them. The monsters outside though, appear a little more docile, sometimes watching from a distance, sometimes even walking away.


    As we pass where I should have gone to get to the location of my old village, I almost want to go there. But I decide against it. Even though it may have been where I was born, there is nothing waiting for me there.


    We finally make it to the meadow dungeon. Amina is looking incredibly exhausted, even if she just rode me. She rubs her thighs and breast area, while complaining about them being sore.


    The area is looking much different from what I remember. The cabin is just¡­ Gone, and the forest is more overgrown. I can¡¯t tell what tree might be Hannah¡¯s, since the location has changed so much, but I quickly identify the only tree giving off a signal from read. I stand before it.


    The tree is not very large, but certainly more tree-like than it was before. A thin beam of wood makes out its trunk. It is a nice dark color with a few even darker blotches on it, and only a little taller than me.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    I don¡¯t know what to do. I hug the tree. ¡°Hannah, it¡¯s Yos. Turns out I am immortal. Won¡¯t you answer me?¡± I whisper to the tree as I hug it. But there is no response, there is no heat coming off it. According to what I remember, Hannah said it would take a couple of years to form a body.


    ¡°I am going to wait for you here, Hannah, so please get ready to go with me.¡± I don¡¯t know if she can hear me. ¡°Talk to me, please¡± I feel tears welling up in me. Part of me knows she can¡¯t hear anything, but she is all I have left from before. Not receiving a miraculous response, I feel the despair and weight of losing everyone once again. I end up crying my heart out, all while hugging the tree.


    When I am finally done, I see Amina looking at me incredible perplexed.


    ¡°Got a problem?¡± I ask her. It is an annoying look. She immediately adopts a scared attitude upon hearing the tone in my voice.


    ¡°No, sir, not at all, sir!¡± Seriously, this girl.


    ¡°I am planning to stay here for a while. We should get up some shelter or something.¡± I say non-committedly. I don¡¯t really know what to do, but I don¡¯t think Amina can live here as I could. The bad living conditions could cause trouble for her in the few years I plan to wait.


    But first, water. This dungeon was not suited for villages, due to its low food output, but there is a water source on the eighth floor. It is fairly deeper than the other water sources I know, that of Brahms and Roxas.


    I see many familiar monster on the way down there, but they are far trickier to deal with. The monster may be same, and I may be stronger, but my tools this time around is far inferior. Especially when we come to the long-limbed bug-men. It is almost impossible to deflect the strike with the dagger, so I have to use my body for it, something that doesn¡¯t leave it unhurt, though we make it through relatively fast.


    Once we reach the water source, what could be described as a shallow river, Amina asks for something.


    ¡°Can.. Can I take a bath?¡± Unlike me, Amina doesn¡¯t have an automatic self-cleaning option. I can only see her face, but it is incredibly dirty. Her robe is less dirty than mine, but it too, definitely needs some treatment.


    ¡°Ah, sure, can I ask you to wash my robe at the same time?¡±


    She looks slightly horrified at that suggestion, but eventually nods, before turning away. I undress and throw it over to her. She picks it up and goes to what I can only describe as an incredibly shallow river.


    Thoughts filled my head, her inviting me and us ending up ¡°having fun¡± in the water. I never really cared about girls in that way before. I wonder if Atna awoke me to something?


    But the whole idea seems bad. She seemed extremely uncomfortable right now. I end up up waiting for a few hours, but both the robes and herself were incredibly dirty and probably required a good amount of effort to get clean. There is no soap or scrubbing tools either.


    When she is about to deliver my robe, it is almost comical. She calls out, walks backwards and holds it behind her back. She is acting like it would be the death of her to see me naked, even if she already did so once.


    And so starts the life by the meadow dungeon.

 78: Honecker

    We have been living here for a few months. A shoddy shelter made of badly interlocking logs mark our home. Skins neither of us knew how to treat is draped over plant stalks neither of us knew how to make into straw making for very smelly, uncomfortable beds.


    The food is bad. I pity Amina, since she needs to eat. We have no fire and non-meat edibles are rare and few in the meadow dungeon, so she often consumes raw meat. Her physical condition appears to be deteriorating.


    I have asked multiple times if I should return her to the temple, or perhaps another city, but she vehemently disagrees. I don¡¯t get her. I don¡¯t know how bad the life of an acolyte is, but it has to be worse than this.


    I talk to Hannah almost every day, bar when I go deep into the dungeon for more than a day. I have been trying to find more non-meat edibles, or valuable but the dungeon continues to be poor in any of these raw materials, even as I descent to the twentieth layer. I have gone no further because I died. I didn¡¯t even manage to find out what killed me down there, so I have yet to return to that layer again. It also reminded me that strong as I may be, there may very well still be stronger things out there. I wonder how deep dungeons go. I think I remember somebody saying they continue forever, but what is the deepest one could go in them, I wonder?


    Anyway, Amina¡¯s condition has gotten so bad as of late, I have decided to bring her to the nearest town. Previously I was afraid to wander from here, but now a nifty road can guide me both to here and elsewhere, so as long I remember the directions, I will be able to find my way. I decide to head towards where my old village was, carrying a ton of badly skinned, small¡­ skins? I can¡¯t call them leather, the way that they look. And carrying Amina too, of course.


    I am a bit astonished when I reach what I thought would be the same quaint village. There is now a wooden palisade, some 10 feet tall surrounding the city, and a single guard at the entrance. It is very reminiscent of Brahms, though.


    The guard lets us through with a showing of my hunter tag, a ¡°Welcome to Honecker¡± is given. The village I grew up in had no name, as far as I know. We simply called it ¡°the village¡±.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Where can I sell off these skins?¡± I ask the guard, having lodged many of them over my back, sandwiched between me and Amina.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can get much for those¡­ If the guild won¡¯t take them, I don¡¯t know who would.¡± Guild? There¡¯s a guild? Though the time seems several times larger than my village was, it should still be much smaller than Brahms, so I was surprised to hear this. I could make money to make wait more bearable for Amina.


    Speaking off, I have put her down, but she her weakness and perhaps illness is incredibly evident. I have never seen anyone fall ill in this world before, but her subpar diet may be the cause of it.


    As I am about to enter the front entrance, I remember what was said about materials, and I quickly find a side entrance down a wide alley to a much wider door that resembles that of saloons in old westerns. I bring my skins inside. There is no line or clerk, but I see a bell with a rope attached to it. I ring, presuming it will bring me service.


    Shortly thereafter, a young woman in her twenties enters the room.


    ¡°What can I do for you?¡± She says.


    ¡°Can I sell these?¡± I say, as I unload the skins on the counter.


    After a brief examination, she shakes her head. ¡°These are worthless. They are also not fresh, so they won¡¯t serve as proof for any kills.¡± I dampen.


    ¡°Then, can you dispose of them for me?¡± since they¡¯re useless, I just have to be rid of them. She nods.


    I bring Amina around to the main entrance, where I get her to find a request, which I promptly accept. I asked to locate one that could be done quickly and it appears to be one for the local dungeon, to bring 5 cadavers of the monster on the seventh floor. It is describe as being small enough to easily carry, so there should be no problem.


    I still have some 7 asti left from our reward in Roxas. The guild still serves food as it did before. The price is 20 ibris, which is first real comparison I get for the old currency to the new. This would mean 1 asti is equal to three red, if a direct comparison like that could even be made. We currently seem to be quite poor. I had somehow thought of them as equal to one blue, so it is a sudden downgrade of the wealth I thought we had available.


    After dinner Amina is looking better, though she keeps the very quiet quality she has acquired over the course of the last few months. I never know what to talk about with other people unless I have a goal, so we have mostly just been living in silence together.


    I leave her in the town with the rest of my money, before sprinting to the dungeon and running through it myself. The monster on the seventh floor is very snake-like, except it has two arms with claws in addition to what looks like poisonous fangs. I quickly eliminate them and bring them back to the guild.


    I only receive 5 asti. Aren¡¯t hunters ridiculously worse paid than they used to be?

 79: Rank Up

    Life then carries on, slowly getting better. Amina had spent a bit of coin on another set of clothes, which I think is fair, since the robe was often worn for long periods of time and had stains and blotches irremovable by our simple rinsing. We also procured a wooden barrel, so I no longer had to fill our canteen in the meadow dungeon each day. Lastly, we got a way to light fire. I used to get a special rock, which I would run my knife over to create sparks, but innovations seem to have been made and they have an all-in-one option, which seems like an ancient lighter.


    It is shaped like a cylinder, on which you attach a special easily flammable sponge on one end, the you put in a tiny bit of the rock that was all we used earlier, and strike into the cylinder with a lever, which light the sponge on fire. It is really neat and much easier to light a fire with, than the sparking stone alone.


    I start completing requests for the guild regularly, almost every day. I also start leaving Amina behind, once I start to get the guild staff to read for me. I should really consider learning to read the language, but I have never been good at school. I don¡¯t think I would have ever learnt, if it was not mandatory in my original world.


    We slowly gain more and more things to adorn our pathetic little hut with. Proper tanned leather to cover proper straw, making for much more comfortable beds. Candles for lighting, cloths for washing, a few spare sets of clothing. A sword, shield and carving knife much improve my efficiency in dungeon diving. And lately we are basically spending it all on consumables such as spices, salt and replacement sponges and rock.


    Amina and I also start to bond. Though she tells nothing of herself, I have started telling tales of my life, both the one before the seal, and before the angel kidnapping, though constructed to make sense without knowledge of my previous world. She seems to think of them as fairy tales from a long time ago, but that is fine by me.


    One night she even crawls into my bed, stating a difficulty falling asleep. Unfortunately, she only seemed keen on sleeping. It is bothersome, since I rarely sleep, but merely keep her company, then go out and train, but it I end up finding it surprisingly relaxing having a warm body that close to me. And sometimes I even fall asleep myself, though I try not to, as the nightmares can get pretty gruesome.


    I fear falling asleep ever since the first time I did so, and Atna appeared without eyes, blood coming out of empty sockets blame me for letting her die. Or I will be spending time with someone like Kamas or Bosir, and they will just disappear, leaving me alone. I don¡¯t like those dreams. I prefer not to think about it.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    After a year or so, as I complete a request at the guild, I am stopped by the receptionist. ¡°Are you going to apply for rank up? You have been qualified for a while, but you never did so?¡± the youngish woman says to me.


    ¡°What¡¯s a rank up?¡±


    ¡°Nobody told you? Guess it is rare for hunters to be working completely alone like you¡­ Anyway, you just sign up once you fulfill the requirements, and you can be upgraded to a higher rank if you are approved by the guild.¡±


    ¡°But what¡¯s the point? I can take any request I want anyway, right?¡±


    ¡°Right, but you don¡¯t get paid very much. Each rank comes with a multiplier on the base price of contracts.¡± How does that even work? How do they calculate the cost of each request relative to the reward? Well, I won¡¯t say no to more money. What I make now barely keeps us going. Well, if they are currently only paying a fraction of what they could, I guess that explains the slashed request fees.


    ¡°Sure, sign me up.¡±


    ¡°Great. Though, usually rapports about you from others are gathered. I wonder what they are going to do with you. Oh, and you will have to pay a fee of 10 asti. We will let you know once something changes.¡± It is a pretty harsh fee, as it is pretty equivalent to one day¡¯s worth of wages, but I hand it over. I have a bit of spare cash for emergencies.


    Once I return to the hut, it is pretty late and I do my routine of talking to Hannah. She has not done anything over the course of this last year. No change, whatsoever. But I know she is still alive in there. I wonder what I should do.


    In a moment of desperation for meeting my old comrade, I pick up my carving knife, and stab it slightly into the tree. Maybe she can still feel pain, maybe this will make her come out, I think. Guess I will have to wait another year to see if this bears any result.


    That night, as I chat with Amina by the fire, she asks me ¡°What¡¯s wrong sir? You seem a bit sad today.¡±


    I am feeling guilty of stabbing Hannah, even if she is just a tree currently. Thinking of excuses for when she returns. If she returns. I deflect.


    ¡°Why do we always talk about me. Let¡¯s talk about you.¡± Her gentle face, which is looking much healthier these days, scrunches up a little, showing her disdain for the subject change.


    ¡°I have always been a bit curious. What makes someone side with what they consider an evil spirit against humanity? What makes someone abandon their life and follow a stranger?¡±


    She has abandoned her position at a temple to end up becoming essentially my house-keeper. She cooks, cleans, washes and mends clothes, etc.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I think I owe it to you, right sir?¡± I soften a little after seeing her grimace like that.


    ¡°No matter, you just do what you want to do.¡± She seems to think a little.


    ¡°You know what they sometimes call acolytes, sir? Honorary 3<sup>rd</sup> class citizens¡± She begins her story.

 80: Acolyte

    ¡°I was¡­ I was just fed up, sir¡± Amina starts carefully ¡°I saw no opportunity, only a continuation of being used and loathed, like I was a filthy Silvester¡± Whoa, that shocked me. It¡¯s the first time I heard of the Silvestri since my re-emergence. And for such unbridled disdain in her voice, guess their standing in society has only worsened over the years.


    ¡°Before I knew anything, I was in the orphanage attached to the temple in Roxas. The orphanage only takes in a few children each year, mostly girls, and mostly before they can talk.¡±


    I think back to my old world, where I think I have seen a couple of Christian orphanages¡­ in movies? ¡°Did they teach you a lot about God then?


    She shakes her head. ¡°To learn about God and God¡¯s language is a matter for priests. We were taught to clean, cook, read and write, so that we may perform such tasks for the priests.¡±


    ¡°What did you need to read and write for?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of paperwork and letters to being a priest, which are left to us to draft up and send to the head temple in Dauvern. Mostly reports about donations, births, gifted children and so on¡±


    I nod my head. I don¡¯t really get it though.


    ¡°Anyway, once you come of age, more¡­ Uncomfortable things start to happen. Acolytes can¡¯t get married, and that is not for their own benefit, but rather for that of the priests.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you¡­?¡± I try to form it in a tactful way, but fail to find the words.


    She just puts on a pathetic smile.


    ¡°I had once planned to serve the temple for all they had given me, but I had an older sister in the orphanage. Not by blood, but by her sheltering me from blame and caring for me¡­ But a few years after she came of age, she first turned really sad, and complained to me about the smelly priests. But then she suddenly disappeared, and when I asked why nobody would answer me. I was so afraid. I tried to flee, but ended up almost starving to death, before I was brought back by a passerby and severely punished for my actions¡­¡± She let out a waterfall of details, as if to obscure the previous admission by an avalanche of words. I have a hard time keeping up.Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°But when I saw sir emerge from the seal. I first thought my life was about to end, but then a thought sprung up in me. Those priests. Who did this and that¡­ And stole my beloved sister from me¡­ I wanted to see them die first. And by the time I realized you were harmless, I saw another opportunity, one to escape that horrible temple forever.¡± Well, that did happen, though I was kind of worried for her mental state and she happened to be a bit of a nuisance. I am happy now that I didn¡¯t though.


    She starts to look very sad and lonely. I don¡¯t know what to do. I want to comfort her and tell her it¡¯s alright now, but I don¡¯t know that and I can¡¯t find any comforting words to say. I end up just scooching closer to her, watching over the fire that now has been reduced to some smoldering ashes. I place a hand on her shoulder. This should be fine.


    She suddenly hugs me. I think she is crying. It must be hard recalling stuff like that. After some time of floaty hands, I gather the courage to hug her back and soon she seems to fall asleep in my arms. I carry her to bed and go outside to do some dungeon diving before tomorrow.


    As dawn comes and I return, I see Amina has already gotten up.


    ¡°Thank you, sir, I feel so much better today¡± She says.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. And you can stop calling me sir, call me Yos¡­¡± I was about to suggest she also could call me brother, but I don¡¯t know if that would be appropriate.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try, sir¡± I sigh and chuckle a little.


    ¡°Anyway, I am heading to the city¡± I inform her, and she merrily sends me on the way. I arrive at the city pretty early in comparison to how most folk get up, but I try to get whoever the receptionist is that day alone, so that I may get an explanation of the requests without bothering the others.


    As I walk up to the counter through the empty guild hall, I am not the one to say the first word though.


    ¡°Hey sonny, wait a minute¡± The receptionist today is a middle-aged lady, who always addresses me in some way, that indicates I am a youngster. I sometimes feel the desire to tell her how old I am.


    ¡°What is happening?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about your promotion, boy. It was decided late yesterday, that since you operate alone, the branch leader will go with you on a request. He¡¯ll be here in an hour or so, if you can wait that long.¡±


    I just nod. Branch leader, huh? I guess that would be the 40-something man I have seen around, but never behind the counter. He has one hell of magnificent moustache though. Since he is rarely around, I always feel a little lucky to see it.

 81: Derby

    After a spot of waiting, the magnificently mustachioed man enters, not from the entrance, but from behind the counter. I guess they have an employee entrance. He quickly spots me and walks over to greet me with a steady gait.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you, hunter Yos, my name is Derby¡± I shake his hand.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you, Derby¡± I have learned that calling people ¡°old¡± is no longer a sign of respect, and I often have to be conscious of it, or I do it by mistake.


    ¡°I have already secured a request for us at the local dungeon, so let us leave for it immediately.¡±


    I just nod. He seems to be a little pushy.


    ¡°Where do you live, hunter Yos?¡± I think about how much I should say.


    ¡°About an hour¡¯s walk outside of town¡± I try to be a little vague.


    ¡°Don¡¯t the monsters bother you? Or perhaps, the reason there has been so few of them lately is your effort?¡± I do pretty often kill the monsters I encounter, and I always make sure there is nothing close to the hut with read before leaving.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know; I just kill what I come across.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of, why don¡¯t you move into the city? I am sure we could find a residence for a competent hunter like yourself.¡±


    ¡°No thanks, I am currently staying in a place that¡¯s important to me.¡± I am only here to keep an eye on Hannah. I guess I could live here and go check every few days, but it is honestly really comforting living in about the same place as I did with Jorgen and Hannah for all those years.


    ¡°Are you married?¡± He continues asking questions, even after we have entered the dungeon.


    ¡°No, I am not and never have been.¡±


    ¡°What about the young woman you sometimes enter town with?¡±


    ¡°We are more just living together by some weird circumstance I don¡¯t even understand.¡±


    He just leisure walks behind me, as I cast read to navigate around monster. Our target is on the tenth floor.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Where were you born?¡± I think a little of how to answer.


    ¡°I should have been born in this town, but I apparently didn¡¯t live here for very long¡± Ugh, it feels a little like he is snooping.


    ¡°Are you ever thinking of settling down, starting a family? You are well over the average age¡± I think about it. It¡¯s not something that I really ever thought about, even with Atna¡¯s marriage proposal, starting a family and having kids, huh? Sounds interesting, but I have heard there is no greater pain than your child dying before you, and with me that seems to be an inevitability.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I want to.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to? You are not afraid of the temple?¡± Oh right, the whole God told people to do it thing.


    ¡°Why, are they going to hunt me down for not having kids?¡±


    He laughs. ¡°Well, no, they just really, really hate it and will scold you every day if they find out¡± sounds annoying, kind of like this old man. We are now on the tenth floor, and I switch to tracking down the signals instead of evading them.


    ¡°What was your gift, again?¡±


    ¡°Self-healing¡±


    ¡°Right, right¡± He muses to himself ¡°Is that why you so rarely take a day off?¡±


    ¡°I guess so¡± Oh, there is one of the bastards. I quickly lunge forward and place my sword in the throat of it.


    ¡°Who taught you? Magic and how to fight?¡±


    ¡°My father died when I was young and I was taken in by a veteran hunter. He taught me to fight, while his wife taught me magic¡±


    ¡°Oh, what a power couple! What are they called?¡±


    ¡°They were Jorgen and Hannah, though Jorgen is not in this world any longer.¡±


    ¡°My condolences¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    We are carrying it upstairs. The branch leader has done no fighting or decision making, but he is helping me carry the cadavers of the rather large beasts.


    ¡°Are you going to hire any supporters? Or take on apprentices?¡± Supporters are people you hire, who do not take part in any of the hunting, but will help with dismantling and carrying.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really want to, I like being alone.¡± I have been very hesitant to form new relations. After all, they are just going to disappear one day, and it will hurt thinking about them.


    ¡°But don¡¯t you know? All the best feelings in the world comes from being together with other people!¡± He says enthusiastically.


    ¡°So does all the worst pain¡± I reply solemnly. We are making our way back to the guild.


    ¡°By the way, I have both a son and a daughter. My son just recently came of age and has been looking for someone to apprentice under, are you interested?¡± Does he have the memory of a goldfish?


    ¡°No, I just told you.¡±


    ¡°I also have a daughter, though I would not be too happy with her living outside of the city, she will be ready to marry in a few years and I am still looking for a good man, want to come for over and meet her?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Do you have condition affecting your memory or something?¡± I ask.


    He just laughs. ¡°I was just trying to see if you really meant it.¡± What a weird guy. As we deliver the goods and fulfill the request, he starts up again.


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry, even though you¡¯re such a weirdo, you seem both capable and conscientious, I will be sure to have you promoted in no time¡± He strokes his mustache.


    ¡°Sure, thanks¡± I meekly reply.


    Well, time to get back.

 82: Bias

    When I return that day to Amina, a thought pops up in my head to inquire about the obvious negative disposition she showed towards the Silvestri the other day.


    But when I ask ¡°Why do see Silvestri in such a bad way?¡± She looks confounded, as if to say ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious¡±.


    ¡°Please,¡± I start ¡°can you tell me how you see Silvestri?¡±


    Going along with me, she starts. ¡°Very well, sir. Silvestri are filthy savages. They care not for their young or anyone elses, they hold strength up above all else and have sought to dominate others in the past, they do not wash, they do not wear clothes. They stink and they are stupid. They have sought to subjugate humans without provocation time and time again, only to be rightfully subjugated in return each and every time. If left to his own devices, a Silvester will sow chaos and confusion, leaving death and destruction in their wake¡±. Wow, heavy.


    I think she noticed me flinching at her explanation, as she soon asks ¡°What is the matter, sir?¡±. I try to formulate my thoughts on how to approach this. Basically, her holding such opinions make me uncomfortable. Kamas was a good person, and well, even if we parted on not the best terms, he was basically right. Still, I think I would have made the same decision, were I given a second chance.


    ¡°How many Silvestri have you met? And spoken to?¡±


    ¡°Well, sir. I have only seen them in their subjugated form, with humans putting their strength to actual use building roads and erecting monuments.¡±


    ¡°Then, how do you know how they think and feel?¡±


    ¡°My teachers taught me alongside reading and writing, sir.¡±


    I scratch my head. ¡°Your teachers also told you about me, right? How I was an evil spirit bent on the destruction of humanity.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡± She seems to have realized my point quickly ¡°You mean to say that Silvestri are not like that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡± I explain ¡°Well, they are certainly quite different from humans. But it is not necessarily better or worse. True, they don¡¯t wear shirts, but they are not prohibited from it either. In that way, do they not simply have more freedom than us humans, whose ideas dictate we should be fully clothed.


    Sure they value strength, but it is used more as a symbol than something absolute. Whenever they made a decision, they commemorated it with a fight, but they tried to stack the odds in favor of what decision they logically reached.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    I didn¡¯t experience them being especially stinky, nor trying to subjugate humans, to sow chaos or anything else like that.¡±


    I go on a little speech. I grew up in a quite liberal household. My father was black and my mother was white. I can¡¯t help but think of racism as some sort of ultimate evil, so I try to dispel it as best I can.


    ¡°But why would they tell me such, if it wasn¡¯t true, sir?¡±


    ¡°Maybe because they are a cheap and efficient work force, and it is easier for people to carry that on, if they believe they deserve it.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, but I am not entirely convinced, sir¡± I sigh a little. I think the best way for people to find out that people aren¡¯t so bad is to get to know them. But if the entirety of Silvestri-kind are slaves, that would probably end up being difficult.


    We leave the discussion at that. I don¡¯t know exactly what to say and do in order to show her the truth, but it¡¯s not like there any Silvester around, so it isn¡¯t that urgent. Though it still sits ill with me.


    The next day, I receive my new tag, with four line engraved in it. The color is also slightly different, one more of a green hue than the previous bronzish one. I am also told that I basically get one-and-a-half times the reward stated on the requests from now on.


    ¡°What does it take to rise to the 3<sup>rd</sup> rank, and what are the benefits there?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Each rank is the same. One year of service as the previous rank, with at least 50 requests completed, alongside a judge of good moral character, though the exact scrutiny of that is supposed to rise a little for every rank. 3<sup>rd</sup> rank is double the states pay, 2<sup>nd</sup> rank is triple, 1<sup>st</sup> rank is five times, but those are seldom given out. It not only requires the same as the previous ranks, but also an outstanding achievement, which is often set as a very high bar¡± I simply nod. But still, seems like I will earn more and more money. Still the purpose of the system eludes me.


    ¡°What is the benefit of ranks for the guild?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Simply, first off it is a way of communicating between guilds. Having a higher rank tag means you are more trusted and a longer time asset. Secondly, it is to discourage youths from hunting. I am told that long, long ago, hunting was much more lucrative for entries and suddenly the need for hunters increased. They thusly introduced the exam, skipping the apprenticeship, but in return many people showed, registered, then died quickly. We were then instructed by the Leader of Man to address the problem. First, a fee was introduced to the exam, but this didn¡¯t help much. Then, we implemented the ranking system. We still take in more or less the same fees for requests, so we could support all of our hunters, even if they were first rank, but the guild is much more profitable for the state now.


    ¡°Wait, the guild is owned by the state?¡± I always had the impression it was an independent organization.


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s common knowledge.¡± She says before continuing. ¡°Lastly, the achievement requirement was set to distinguish ¡°elite hunters¡±. Sometimes something particularly dangerous or nasty pops up, and we have to deal with it, without sending scores of the unprepared to an early demise, thus the 1<sup>st</sup> rank was modified to this. I am told the transition period was quite chaotic, but most agree the system is better now.¡±


    I don¡¯t know about that. I miss having a lot of money.

 83: Visitor

    Time passes, hunting on request, getting more money, improving out living standard and so on. Every so often, I find myself making a cut on Hannah. A little deeper. Maybe this will wake her up. I have to stop after six months, because I am feeling tormented and guilty by how visible and noticeable it has become on the tree.


    A full year has passed. I have ranked up to the 3<sup>rd</sup> rank as hunter. I am feeling incredibly downcast, though. Over the course of this year, I have had two goals. The first one was clear, to make contact with Hannah, but it has now been two years since we arrived here. She has not responded to my hugs, to pressure, to cutting her to nothing. It¡¯s as if she is just a damn tree and I am an insane old man. I repeatedly find myself using my magic, just to check if it really has a signal, but it does every time. I am not insane.


    My second goal was getting closer to Amina. We already live together. And she is beautiful. And buxom. It¡¯s not that I particularly care for her, nor can I exactly tell when this became the goal, but I tried finding some warm comfort in her. Not that she wants to. Every time I try hugging her, or patting her head, or massaging her shoulder, or anything, she retreats immediately.


    On the other hand, she often seeks these same traits of affection from me. It is leaving me confused and slightly hurt and impatient for something to happen. I didn¡¯t plan to get involved with anyone, but Amina somehow forced herself into my life and seeks my affection, but if I give it to her uninvited, I am thrust away. It makes me feel bad.


    Due to the increased pay, I no longer have to work anywhere close to every day, not that I could. The guild often had no requests for me, that was within a reasonable radius of the town, as I cleared them out with startling efficiency. I was even asked by the guild master to only show up every second day, so that other hunters can have a chance to take the requests. Apparently many of them have already left the city due to a lack of work. Whoops.


    I am laying down in the undergrowth of the forest after lunch. Amina¡¯s cooking has become pretty damn great. I can hear her humming happily as she does the dishes. Why won¡¯t that woman let me love her, dammit?This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    But this is when something unusual appears. I hear faint footsteps and activate read to get something, but nothing turns up. We have a gift user visitor. I rise up from my relaxing pose to go greet them and find out what they want.


    I spot him from a distance. Short, blue hair, blue eyes and a small stature, almost that of a child.


    ¡°Greetings¡± I say as I come to meet him. He freezes up.


    ¡°Wh-What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Me? I am living here. I thought you came because you have business with me?¡± Huh, he is not here for me?


    ¡°No, uh, sorry. This place is important to my family and I only came to check it out¡± Reminds me of how Jorgen used to live here with me for seven years.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, feel free to look around, not that I dare claim I own the place or something¡± I laugh a little, but he seems pretty tense.


    ¡°We just ate, but if we can get you something, I am sure Amina, ah, that¡¯s a woman I live with, can conjure something up for you.¡±


    He nods. ¡°Then, can I have some water please?¡±


    I lead him to wear our keg is stored. I recently filled it, so we are good for like, half a month. He looks increasingly anxious.


    ¡°Anything specific you are looking for?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Well, there is this one tree¡± I shirk at the mention.


    I point to Hannah ¡°Do you mean this tree?¡±


    He looks over ¡°AH? WHAT HAPPENED TO HER?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, sorry, she wouldn¡¯t wake up no matter what I did, and I¡­.¡± I feel my voice trailing to nothing as I try to find an excuse.


    Wait.


    ¡°wait, ¡°Did you just?¡±¡± our voices overlap.


    ¡°You know Hannah?¡± I ask. ¡°Are you a dryad?¡±


    He nods, but corrects himself. ¡°I don¡¯t really know her, but I know I sprouted here and that she is my mother. How could you do this if you knew she were alive??¡±


    ¡°Sorry, really sorry. She is also kind of my mother, I was just desperate to wake her.¡±


    ¡°Impossible, you are no dryad, I can tell!¡±


    ¡°Well, I did say kind of! She raised me for a couple of years! And taught me magic!¡±


    We start to raise our voices at each other.


    ¡°No-one calling her mother would do such a thing!¡±


    ¡°I said, I AM SORRY! I had to do something!¡±


    He suddenly looks confused.


    ¡°But wait, what are you, if not a dryad? How could you have known her, interacted with her?¡±


    Ah, yeah, I was planning to tell as few people as possible. Well,


    ¡°You are kind of my step-brother, so I will tell you. I have a gift I am immortal¡±

 84: Worth

    <div>


    After a bit of confusion and clarification with the young-looking boy, he seems to accept my position.


    ¡°So, you knew mother when she was still animate, huh? How was she?¡±


    And so I recount of Hannah. Her mild temper, her warmth, her kindness and slightly playful attitude¡­ And her sorrowful goodbye.


    ¡°I remember being a tree. You can decide anything. If you don¡¯t want to feel anything, you won¡¯t feel anything, same with all the other senses. If you are completely cut off, you only have your consciousness to content yourself with. There is no use in waiting around here, it could very well be millennia before she returns.¡±


    Something about that bothers me.


    ¡°How do you know? I mean, she didn¡¯t teach you anything, did she?¡±


    ¡°No, but some of it is sort of¡­ Primal knowledge, I am born with it. We apparently instinctually develop ways of observing with the world, and upon observing other species, provided they do not mistake us for trees and cut us down, we mimic their appearance and sounds.¡±


    ¡°What is the rest of it, then?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t really explain, but we Dryads can tell who else is a dryad. Some sort of intimate feeling, that you receive from them. Upon meeting one for the first time, she recognized it as that ability, and taught me about our people. She also gave me various hints, like adopting the form of the young makes it easier for you to escape, especially if you take the form of a girl, though I have always like matching my shape with my gender.¡± He smiles a little mischievously. ¡°Also makes it easier to get with the girls, if you know what I am saying?¡± He is probably referring to looking as his gender, and not to looking very young. But who knows how many Mynies there are in this world?


    ¡°So, what do you gain from visiting her?¡± I ask, wondering if there is some special way for them to interact.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know. I was told that long ago, in a Dryad nation, there were forest consisting only of their ancestors. But after the massacre by humans, those forests have been cut down and most find themselves without any ancestors present. It seemed that it used to be custom to care for your ancestors and pray by them, so I thought I should do so every so often, now that I have the opportunity that so many lack.¡± He looks a bit sadly at the tree. ¡°Though it is a pity what you have done to her¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Again, really sorry¡± I say and bow my head down deeply.


    ¡°No matter, she won¡¯t feel it anyway.¡±


    His words bring me a little relief.


    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± He asks me.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were here, waiting for her to wake? Since you know she isn¡¯t going to, potentially for a long time, what are you going to do?¡±


    What should I do? I don¡¯t know really.


    ¡°I guess I will just keep living here till she does come back¡± I say. I feel a heavy tug towards the only possible relation I have from my old life.


    ¡°You could also come with me¡± The dryad suggests. When I look at him, he has a big smile. ¡°I am actually in a clan, mainly as a magic user. I am sure everyone would like an immortal guy like you on our team.¡± Clan, huh. Brings memories back.


    ¡°Nah, I feel like I won¡¯t like it when they eventually disappear¡± I say downcast.


    ¡°Hey, why are you sounding like that? What else is more fun than spending time with people? Listen to me, while I am younger than you, I have had much more experience than you. And what makes life worth living is not the end result, but the journey, the memories and the relationships you make along the way.¡±


    His hook doesn¡¯t sink into me.


    ¡°Think, what are the happiest times in your life.¡± I think. I really liked Hannah¡¯s warmth and kindness supplementing Jorgen¡¯s staunch rigidness. Her hugs, her food, her care. I really liked the clan. The sights I got to see, even the dragon, though it took Asger, was a marvelous sight. The happy nights I spent drinking with friends. And Atna. Especially the short time before our permanent separation. The feeling of being wanted and desired. The feeling of that night.


    ¡°Now, you can either mourn the loss of the people you had those memories with for eternity, or you can go out there and make new ones. New memories with new people. Or even old memories with new people. Though the people change, what makes your existence worth it doesn¡¯t.¡± He has held a little speech for me. I actually feel pumped up. I feel like I could actually do it. But I remember something.


    ¡°Ah, what about the girl I live with?¡± He seems to be a big question mark.


    ¡°Hang on, I¡¯ll introduce you two¡± Guess he just forgot I mentioned her earlier with our grand talk. I lead him to our hut and enter. Amina has washed the dishes and is currently cleaning up the fireplace after cooking.


    ¡°Amina, I would like you to meet¡­ Hang on, I never got your name?¡±


    ¡°Name is Yorgar, pleased to meet you¡±


    ¡°Right, Yorgar is my step-brother¡± Amina is looking like a big question mark, but quickly gathers herself.


    ¡°I am Amina, pleased to meet you.¡±


    Yorgar looks over her once or twice before saying ¡°Quite a wife you found yourself, huh?¡±


    We both deny it immediately

 85: Past

    ¡°But¡­ ¡° Yorgar is protesting our denial ¡°Aren¡¯t you, man and woman, living outside in the woods, all alone?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t necessitate marriage¡± I say. I sneak a look at Amina. Damn, she is calm and collected. If she had only been a little more flustered. I don¡¯t know.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Sir is merely my benefactor and friend.¡± She says. It stings a little.


    ¡°But then, what is the problem? You can just leave, if you have no responsibility for her?¡± What cruel words. Amina is also visibly scared by the prospect. Don¡¯t think she has it in her to survive by her lonesome.


    ¡°Amina happens to be pretty important to me, I won¡¯t abandon her¡± I hoped that line scored a few points.


    ¡°Well, she can come too. We are based out of the large city Berliso. Besides our clan house, most of us have a private residence. I also have a wife waiting there for me, you know?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± I turn to Amina and ask. She doesn¡¯t answer immediately but appears hesitant.


    ¡°Why are you asking her? Aren¡¯t you the provider? Couldn¡¯t you just demand she comes if you want her to?¡± This guy, really.


    ¡°It is important to me that she feels comfortable making the move¡± I say. She has been through a lot.


    Yorgar¡¯s eyes widen and light up a little as he seems to have gotten an idea. ¡°Ah, I get it now!¡±


    ¡°What do you get?¡±


    ¡°Ah, nevermind, nevermind, stuff for later. But doesn¡¯t it get stupid lonely out here? And to be honest, this hut is pretty damn small, too. And you don¡¯t seem to have the luxuries you could get in the city¡± He gestures to our skin and straw beds. Ah, I totally forgot feather mattresses and bedframes were a thing. It was not that I couldn¡¯t get them.


    Amina seems to have made up her mind in response ¡°I¡¯ll go¡±, she says in a meek and quiet voice.


    ¡°Great, great. Do you have any business to take care of here?¡± Yorgar inquires ¡°I mean, before we leave?¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    I think of the guild. I pretty much do half their work, so I better inform them, that I am planning on leaving.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll have to pop by town before leaving. I work there every other day.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t the nearest town a couple of hours away?¡±


    ¡°Hey, dryads are pretty light, if I remember correctly?¡± I smirk and grab Yorgar, lifting him up. He is even lighter than I remember Hannah being.


    ¡°He-hey!¡±


    ¡°Do you like travelling at high speeds, Yorgar?¡± He looks confused.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get us to town in less than an hour. Amina, you think of what we should bring in the meantime.¡± I hold Yorgar in my arms and start to pick up speed.


    The intention had been to have a bit of fun scaring him, but¡­ ¡°Woohoo!¡± He is absolutely loving it. But as the city appears, as if emerging slowly from the fog, he taps my arm and shouts ¡°Stop!¡± Which I do.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± I ask.


    ¡°What would people not think if they saw that?¡± I think a little. ¡°Well, these folk may be pretty used to it.¡± I have multiple times carried Amina into the city after all.


    ¡°Really? People must think of you as quite the weirdo¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh, no I think they just think of me as a little obnoxious¡± I did drive like half the hunters out of town after all.


    ¡°No, I am pretty sure they will regard you as weird¡± I just cave in. I have never been that good at estimating what other people think, anyway.


    As we make our way to and enter the guild, the young female receptionist makes noise ¡°eh?¡±


    I walk up, planning to state my move, but she comes in advance ¡°Hunter Yos, isn¡¯t this an off day?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not why I am here. I am planning on moving away. Just came to inform you¡± She looks shocked upon learning that. ¡°Pl-please wait here for a moment¡± she says, while running to the back. Moments later, the marvelously mustachioed Derby enters.


    ¡°Yos, my boy, why don¡¯t we talk about thi-¡° He freezes as he sees Yorgar, who also suddenly seems to try and hide his face.


    ¡°Yorgar? Is that you?¡± Well, they know each other.


    ¡°He-hey, I am not Yorgar, I am Yorgar¡¯s son, uhm,,, Yorgir¡± What the hell, that sounds so made-up. Even


    ¡°Yos, what is your relation to this young man?¡± Eh, now he is asking me. Well, if Yorgar is pretending to be his own son.


    ¡°He¡¯s my nephew!¡± I heard a smack from besides me, but I don¡¯t turn to look.


    ¡°Nephew? So he is the son of your brother?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Yorgar is my step-brother¡± Derby is looking very confused.


    ¡°Well, I knew Yorgar back in the day, he never really mentioned a brother.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t know then, he was born after I had left the house and set out on my own¡±


    ¡°Yos, aren¡¯t you supposed to only be around 24 years old?¡± Ah, I got confused by this whole thing. I fucked up.


    There¡¯s a loud sigh beside me ¡°Derby, I am Yorgar, as you suspected. Please lead us to a private room, I will explain.¡±


    Derby flashes a smile, and leads us up to a room on the second floor. The smile seems warm and welcoming.


    Once we are seated, Yorgar starts ¡°Ah, Derby, been a long time.¡±


    ¡°Sure has. I learnt much from you¡±


    And so, an entangled past is exposed.

 86: Taxi

    ¡°Anyone care to fill me in?¡± I am pretty lost.


    ¡°Ah, when I first became a hunter, I apprenticed under Yorgar here. What I want explained is¡­ How are you still looking the same? And you have an even older brother?¡± Derby is stroking his mustache. Seeing this action gives of a feeling that I myself want one, but I am not growing any hear on my face at all.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Something is wrong here. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious he¡¯s a dryad?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡± Yorgar who was having trouble responding looks panicked as I suggest it. Did I do something wrong?


    ¡°What¡¯s a dryad?¡± Derby inquires. Oh. Wait, what? I look at Yorgar, which he takes as a queue to continue the conversation. Thank god, I was constantly fucking things up.


    ¡°We are a race thought to be extinct among humans¡± He says. ¡°We leave virtually forever and are made of wood, and are often the most skillful magic users in any given room¡± I see Derby¡¯s eyes widening.


    ¡°Why keep such a thing secret? Is that the reason you disappeared all of a sudden?¡± Derby sounds a little emotional.


    ¡°Well, the reason we went extinct is¡­¡± I know this, so I take over as he trails off.


    ¡°If a gift user kills a dryad, they receive part of their mana vessel. Meaning you can hunt them to get stronger. There was a whole nation in the past, but it was massacred to bolster human strength¡±


    Yorgar nods to affirm my explanation. He probably heard it from the dryad that taught them.


    ¡°And how old are the two of you?¡±


    ¡°I animated 300 years ago¡± Yorgar explains.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t know how old I am¡­ At least 800 years old¡±


    ¡°I see. I thought you were abnormal from the start, hunter Yos, but to think you were a dryad.¡± Ah, well, I guess it is better to let him believe that rather than knowing the actual reason. Yorgar doesn¡¯t correct it either.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°So please, keep our secret¡± Yorgar says. ¡°We don¡¯t want people to hunt us again.¡±


    ¡°On one condition¡± The middle-aged man says. So, he¡¯s aiming to get something out of this. I start wondering if I should just end him for safety¡¯s sake, if his demands are too brazen.


    ¡°You two are going somewhere right? Let me join you!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Both Yorgar and I express in unison.


    ¡°Can you do that? Aren¡¯t you the branch leader?¡± I ask, but he puts on a smile as he answers.


    ¡°Sure, but that was just a few years of corporate climbing and I am already sick of being stuck in a small town like this, unable to achieve more. I wish to go out, having an adventure again, and I sure feel like I will find it with my old master, that turns out to be an immortal, magic man!¡± He laughs heavily thereafter.


    Yorgar is perplexed, but he already brought me along, so isn¡¯t it fine? After a bit of chatting and discussing, we decide to pick him up tomorrow morning.


    We spent a few hours after that to pick up supplies. Fruits and vegetables treated for long-term storage, alongside dried, salted meat. I once again run home, this time with Yorgard riding my shoulders like a kid.


    The next day, we put all our supplies, our clothes and our keg of water into the cart. I suddenly feel reluctance in leaving. I pretty much built this place, and slowly made it what it was today. It might not have been much, but it was entirely the fruit of my own effort.


    With Amina, Yorgar and our stuff loaded in the cart, I drag it at a reasonable pace. I really wanted to go all out, but this thing isn¡¯t really made for such speeds. I would be afraid that I couldn¡¯t break or turn in time for something important. It is still much faster than other carriage or cart travel I have seen though.


    We pull up to Honecker, where Derby is waiting outside, already with a massive backpack. When we first told Amina we would have another participant, she became somewhat scared, but as I pull the cart from Yorgar¡¯s directions, it seems all three in the back are having a splendid time. I am somewhat jealous, but it can¡¯t be helped. We would be moving way to slow if we had to depend on the physical strength of the others, especially Amina.


    Yorgar finds himself explaining dryads in the back of the cart. That they¡¯re living trees, formed by wood, weight little, have low physical prowess and excellent magic.


    Derby quickly spots the contradiction. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Yos a dryad too? How come he is so strong?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡± I quickly conjure something up. ¡°I am actually not strong, but I am really good at bestowal magic. I am constantly applying it to my whole body!¡± I say. ¡°It gives off the illusion of being really strong!¡± I hope he is buying it. I am fine spilling my secret to Yorgar, and it seems he trusts Derby, but if I trust him simply by that, I could also trust those Derby trust and just spill my secret to the whole world. Doesn¡¯t feel safe.


    ¡°But still¡± Yorgar says. ¡°This is really fast. We may make the trip that took me months in a week or too?¡± Huh, guess I am something really fast. Should I start a taxi service?

 87: Break

    The decision to take it relatively slow proved to be a boon. I can just barely keep moving all through the night. This will probably cut the weeks off to week. Think of that. This world is huge, and there is a long distance between cities, there are no horses or cars, but I can get from one place to another relatively quickly, even if I have to transport others.


    However, my passengers are less enthused.


    ¡°I hurt all over my bum, can we take a break?¡± Yorgar says.


    ¡°Me too, and I am feeling anxious from not being able to move¡± Derby concurs.


    Amina doesn¡¯t say anything, but it is clear she is relieved when we come to a stop and she gets to talk around a little.


    Yorgar exclaims praise though. ¡°I was kind of skeptical, when you first revealed our relation. However, if you¡¯re this good, I am proud to call you my brother¡± He says with a big fat smile. There¡¯s a feeling of pride and strength that eminates from my guts as I hear the words.


    ¡°You¡¯re more of a monster than a human¡± Derby says, while doing some stretches. Ouch, that hurt a little.


    ¡°How about you Amina? What¡¯s your take?¡±


    ¡°Sir is strong, brutal and inconsiderate.¡± Huh? When have I ever been inconsiderate? I want to protest the answer, but Yorgar starts a new topic.


    ¡°By the way, we should have a cover story?¡±


    ¡°Cover story?¡± I ask


    ¡°Yeah, my clan does not know that I am not human. They think I am an 18-year old man. I am thinking we make our relationship a little official and we can introduce you as, say¡­ My 20-year old brother?¡± I nod, sounds fine. One thing irks me though. We don¡¯t look alike. In addition, while Yorgar looks much younger than me, I have the feeling he is far more mature.


    It makes sense I guess. He has interacted with this world for 300 years, I only for some 16 years¡­ more like 40 if you count my life before the angel kidnapping. Shit, I was relatively okay acting like I kid, but I am already a middle-aged man, aren¡¯t I? Point is, I don¡¯t think I can count the centuries in isolation encased in metal as life experience.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Derby, we can switch our roles. You can be my mentor, that reunited and joined up, tired of the paper-pushing life¡±


    ¡°Well, it is only half a lie¡­¡± Derby mutters.


    ¡°And Amina, you can be Yos¡¯ wife!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± An immediate sound is heard. Ouch, I am taking a lot of damage during this break.


    ¡°I will be an unfortunate girl with no parents, whom sir saved. That is pretty close to the truth anyways.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Yorgar also seems to have found the adamant refusal a little awkward.


    ¡°By the way, is your clan going to accept us just like that?¡±


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about that. Before this break was decided, we lost a lot of our guys in a gruesome fight, trying to set a record.¡±


    ¡°Record?¡± I ask


    ¡°Yeah, the hero has pushed for us to get deeper into the dungeons. Some kind of task from god or something. We have only made it to the 26<sup>th</sup> floor so far, but he keeps pushing us to break it.¡±


    ¡°The hero?¡± I had heard that term before, but is it related to god? ¡°What is the hero?¡±


    ¡°Where have you been?¡± He asks inquisitively. Right, I haven¡¯t told him about that. ¡°Ah, not important. Apparently 500 years ago, God started sending these heroes. They are special in that only one exists at a time, and they have like, a super-gift.¡±


    ¡°Super-gift?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, like the one we have now. He calls his gift ¡°Soul Smasher¡±. His physical attacks can, in addition to being regular attacks, damage the souls with his strikes, which there are no defense from.¡± Sounds impressive. Wait. Could that kill me? That may be a way to kill me, since gifts should be related to souls in some way, but to find it just after getting the courage to go out into life once more is a little¡­ Ironic? I never know if that term is used correctly.


    ¡°He¡¯s also from a different world. Apparently God gifts them a new body and the ability to speak any language, as they descend here¡± What? From another world? My world, perhaps? I can¡¯t wait to meet him now.


    ¡°Anyway, apparently God also gives them a mission, though completing it is optional, apparently. The mission is to reach the bottom of a dungeon, something no one has ever seen, and many even thought didn¡¯t exist. He will apparently receive a reward if he completes the task, though he doesn¡¯t say what it is¡±


    Interesting. What would even motivate one to risk life and limb like that, when they sound as though they are both powerful and revered and could probably life as they please. And he won¡¯t say, is it something immoral?


    Wait, doesn¡¯t this actually also qualify me as a hero? Maybe the difference is that I refused to get another chance, and he accepted? I wonder.


    ¡°Yos, Yos, come back to us.¡± I hear Yorgar¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You were completely absorbed in your own thought for a little there. I said, I think we can continue going now.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± They board the cart and we aim to continue the trip.

 88: Destination

    A week later, Yorgar asks me to slow down, so that I don¡¯t show my overwhelming physical prowess off too much. I have been pretty liberal in doing so, so I wonder what the problem may be? I didn¡¯t really encounter any problems in Honecker, after all.


    ¡°This is a different city¡± Yorgar explains. ¡°If you show off, the news will spread and annoying, powerful nobles will pester us for months or even years. Better to limit how much trouble you invite, and we don¡¯t even know if the hero is at the base yet.¡±


    I simply nod. I slow down, and Derby and Yorgar get off the cart and start walking besides it. ¡°So the trip is finally over¡­ It was unnerving me a little.¡± I complain.


    ¡°How so?¡± Yorgar asks as the city starts emerging from the fog. It is definitely mores the size of Roxas, rather than a smaller one. It may even be larger.


    ¡°I was just troubled that I can¡¯t use my read as a perfect radar, since there are monsters about.¡±


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t there always been monsters about?¡± Derby asks.


    ¡°No, at least not long, long ago. They would only be on the surface if the abandoned dungeons didn¡¯t regularly get their first few floors cleared, though¡±


    ¡°I think I know¡± Yorgar says ¡°I heard that when the first hero appeared, he gathered up all the able-bodied men and expanded the human territory through his massive army. He became the first leader of man, too! But it is said that he left the hunter¡¯s guild with little no nothing left, and requests went undone and the local economy in many places collapsed.¡± Huh. So the requests for clearing dungeons also went undone.


    ¡°But how come they never reapplied the procedure? Seems to be trouble for everyone to have monsters between the cities¡± I ask.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know¡± Boo, give me an answer!


    We are currently at the gates, and Yorgar, Derby and I show off our hunter tags. Yorgar is 1<sup>st</sup> rank, Derby is 2<sup>nd</sup>.


    ¡°Eh? How come you are only 3<sup>rd</sup> rank, Yos?¡± Yorgar asks me.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Well, I did only start up hunting again 2 years ago¡± Since it requires a year of service, I couldn¡¯t possibly be the second rank yet.¡±


    ¡°Then, what did you do all this other time?¡± Ehh, guess he would have to know sooner or later.


    ¡°I was encased in metal.¡±


    ¡°You mean, like behind bars? In a prison?¡± Derby asks. Oh right, he is here too, better be a little ambiguous.


    ¡°Yeah, I was locked in an abandoned, maximum security underground prison. It took me centuries to break out, since it was really solid.¡± That sounds plausible enough?


    ¡°How did you eat? Didn¡¯t you starve?¡± Eh? Shit, think Yos, think.


    ¡°While it is not ideal for us, dryads don¡¯t need to eat.¡± Yorgar saves me, with something I think is a bold-faced lie. Hannah did eat every day, after all. Though she did make it sound like the process was a lot different than that of a human¡¯s.


    ¡°What did you end up in prison for?¡± Amina asks. I haven¡¯t shared that with anyone since my release. I guess I can give an abridged version.


    ¡°I¡­ I wanted to change the world. And a girl offered me the opportunity to do so, but powerful men were about to kill her¡­ I found out that I didn¡¯t only need her to do what I wanted¡­ I had started to fall in love with her¡­ I bet everything on saving her, and failed. And though I was completely overpowered, they did not kill me, but rather imprisoned me.¡± I feel sad and touched by the recount of Atna¡­ I still remember her expressions of desire towards me¡­ And that one night¡­ Why can¡¯t you be more like her, Amina? Shit, that¡¯s not fair.


    The story turned the mood sullen as we followed Yorgar to the clan house.


    ¡°Here we are!¡± He says, in a forced cheery tone, probably trying to restore our mood.


    As I examine the building, it is nothing like the clan house I remember, but rather seems to be a small mansion. It looks expensive, large and well-built, even compared to the general superior architecture of this era. Yorgar guides us inside, and we find ourselves in a very large main hall, but still retaining the important elements, since I can see empty mugs lying about. There are three large, long tables, stuck together to form a horseshoe. The middle seat of the center table is obviously special, it is both higher, larger, fancier than any of the other seats around. I guess that is the hero¡¯s seat.


    ¡°I¡¯M HOME!¡± Yorgar shouts out loud. A little while passes, before two men come down. One is bearded, pretty short and has scars, the other is average height, but thin and pretty?


    ¡°Welcome home, Yorgar! You made much earlier than expected!¡± The thin man greets him.


    ¡°Thank you, Nimor, good to see you, and you too, Arin¡± He says as he nods his head towards the short man who only emits a grunt and nods his head in response.


    ¡°I brought good people to bolster our ranks! Met them by complete accident too!¡± Yorgar talks excitedly.


    ¡°Let me introduce you!¡± And thus follows a sham introduction, where the names are correct but our backgrounds are the false ones we decided earlier.

 89: Mortal Relations

    ¡°Heh? To think that Yorgar had a brother. Are you as talented in magic as he is?¡±


    ¡°Ehmm, my specialty is bestowal magic, but I know the basics¡± acquiring all branches of magic should take at least 10 years of training, and my bestowal is very powerful, since I refined it through the centuries of breaking free, so it isn¡¯t a complete lie.


    ¡°Great, so you¡¯re a vanguard? That¡¯ll help. We lost a lot of those in the accident¡± I am only conversing with the thin guy, Nimor. The other guy, Arin, hasn¡¯t really said anything yet. Is he mute?


    ¡°But you really don¡¯t look alike at all.¡±


    ¡°Urh, he really more takes after our mother, I resemble our father a lot more¡± This is technically true, given how species are shared. I feel a guilty towards my mother to supplant her memory with Hannah like that, but it fits the story better.


    ¡°Oh yeah, you knew father, didn¡¯t you?¡± Yogar asks. Figures, he was born after his death.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll tell you about him sometime. He was a great man, bar a little mean sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Have you heard anything from the others? I thought Ahorn stayed here?¡± Yorgar asks Nimor.


    ¡°Well, he went to do more of that¡­ you know¡­ last night. He should be back soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Ahorn?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Not filled in properly? Ahorn is the current hero, you will meet him soon enough. Just don¡¯t insult him when you meet, he can get a little¡­ Mean when he is irritated¡±


    Sounds a little troublesome.


    ¡°He might also have a problem with you bringing a non-combatant here¡­¡± Nimor says, gesturing towards Amina.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a private house in the city that she can stay in. In fact, why don¡¯t we head there now, Yos, Amina?¡± to which we agree.


    On the way, I pick up all Amina¡¯s clothes from the cart, and carry them along with me.


    Leaving the clan house, Yorgar guides us through the streets. He uses this time to quiz me about Jorgen and I tell what I know. His hero story, his desire to give to the next generation, his cruelty and remorseless way in bringing me up.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should be happy or sad that I never got to meet him¡± Yorgar adds at the end up of the talk.


    ¡°I think you should be sad. He had his faults, but eventually you would figure out it all came from a good place¡±


    Amina is suspiciously quiet during the walk.


    We arrive at a small house, in which the room we enter contain only stairs that go straight to the second floor. The entrance to the first floor must be somewhere else.


    As we are about to open a door, Yos turns around.


    ¡°Ah, none of the other guys know this, so be sure to keep it a secret. This residence is actually the home of my wife¡± Wife?


    He opens and in a cozy living room sits an old lady. It is clear she is in her twilight years.


    ¡°Yorg, is that you, dear?¡± She says as the door opens.


    ¡°Right, it¡¯s me. Have you been fine, dear?¡± Yorgar says in a soft tone, as he bends down and gives her a deep, French kiss. I don¡¯t know why, but I find it really gross.


    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to some people¡± He says in the soft tone, that stands to contrast with his usually energetic behavior.


    ¡°First, my brother. He was raised in part by my biological parents¡± I reach out and shake her hand. It is limp and weak and wrinkly.


    ¡°And this girl will be living with you for the time being. Her name is Amina¡±


    ¡°Pleased to meet the two of you¡± We exchange greetings. It was a little bit of a shock to see Yorgar¡¯s wife, but as I think about it, the situation much resembles that of Jorgen and Hannah, and I grow a little warm about my heart to see a relationship, where love can still be present after a long time.


    After a quick introduction, and promising to pop by tomorrow, we leave Amina and her clothes.


    ¡°Do you have any kids?¡± I ask Yorgar on the way back.


    ¡°Many, but only three or so are still alive and the youngest should be more than 30 years old¡± Yorgar replies in a tone, as though the fact he spouted didn¡¯t affect him. I was personally afraid of having kids, so I ask.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it sting, when they pass before you do?¡± He looks at me confusedly.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I stay around them for their entire lives. Once they have reached a certain age, and become able to take care of themselves, I often just set them free, you know? And learning of their passing may be tough, but often a quick glance at what they built and what legacy they left in their short time here brings peace to my heart.¡±


    I pause a little. It seems to me an unreasonably light attitude to take.


    ¡°Most of our siblings are the same way, you know?¡± Huh?


    ¡°Siblings? We have more?¡± How has this not yet come up.


    ¡°Right, from our mother, five sapling sprouted, and all made it to animation. One¡¯s dead, however, but you should still have and addition 2 sisters and a brother out there, though God knows where they are. I met them in the beginning, but since I started roaming the world, I only encountered one brother once, who told me of the death of another, so it¡¯s not like we keep tabs on each other.¡±


    What loose family relations. Is that a trait of dryads? Guess they kind of always are left without their parents, since I remember Hannah saying they have to be in tree form to reproduce.


    As we enter the main hall, a colossal man stands there. Easily at the height of eight feet. Long flowing, golden hair, but not human. His face has a distinct green tint, and he has weird protrusions above his eyes.


    ¡°Ah, Ahorn! I was looking for you earlier¡± Yorgar greets the hero.

 90: Astonishment

    <div>


    As he turns to face me directly, I feel a little intimidated.


    ¡°So, you and that old man should be of use to us, according to Yorgar¡± He says. It is slightly unreal. His lips do not move in sync with what he is saying! It¡¯s like watching a bad dub of something transpire in front of me.


    Yorgar gives me a nudge in the side. ¡°Ah, greetings, my name is Yos¡± I say and stick my hand out. He coldly ignores it.


    ¡°I only give respect to those, who have earned it¡± He says. Wow, what a rude dude. ¡°Well, we can always see what you have got. There is still some six weeks until the appointed time to reconvene, and it wouldn¡¯t do, to do nothing in these circumstances. Let¡¯s head to the dungeon!¡±


    He says, marching past us through the door we just passed through. ¡°Eh, shouldn¡¯t we get a request first, if we are going to the dungeon?¡± I ask.


    He immediately turns around and gives me a mean look. ¡°Now look here, when I say stuff, people do as I say. I could stop and explain to you, for example, that I am worth hundreds of thousands of asti and the pity change offered by the guild means nothing to me, or that our storage users are currently not here and I don¡¯t want to bother, but I don¡¯t want to each time, so keep your stupid ideas to yourself¡± Is he trying to be an asshole?


    As we fall in line behind him, Yorgar whispers to me ¡°By God, Yos, what are you thinking? Trying to approach the hero as if he is just another man? Did you forget what I told you about him? He is God¡¯s representative on earth, show some damn respect.¡± Jesus, overreact much? Then again, I don¡¯t even think this would be weird behavior even if I met with the president of America.


    We six people march together towards the dungeon, through the city. Now that I think about it, the only village I have seen had the dungeon outside of it, while all the cities have the dungeons inside. Maybe it¡¯s because they don¡¯t hunt enough in a village to make sure no monsters overrun from it?


    Anyway, we are directed towards the dungeon, still with the hero Ahorn in the lead. It is unreal. He simply wields a large stick, and his strike doesn¡¯t seem very powerful, but all the monsters we come across crumble with a single hit. Are souls fragile? I thought I would practically be the strongest man who ever lived by now, but if such terrible powers exist, I may very well still not be on the top of the totem pole.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Once we are down on the sixth floor, Ahorn spins around. ¡°Time for the new guys to show us what they can do.¡± I don¡¯t think I am ever going to get used to those unsynchronized lip flaps.


    I draw my sword from a scabbard on the hip, and withdraw my shield from my back, while Derby readies a spear from his back.


    There is a loud scoff from behind me. ¡°What pathetic equipment, I have never seen such a poorly constructed sword and shield before¡± This guy, I seriously want to smack him. It is pretty poor, only valued at about 10 asti for the sword and a single for the shield. I have heard that a really good sword can cost upwards of a thousand, but this has served my needs well enough.


    We take position with me in the lead, Derby behind me. It is kind of reminiscent of my old days hunting with the clan. Though I don¡¯t know how good Derby is, actually. Last time we were in a dungeon, he merely observed me all the way through.


    ¡°You want to show off first, or should I?¡± I ask him. ¡°Give that it is you, give me a chance before running rampant¡± He knows my level of ability and that he likely wouldn¡¯t get a turn, if I just went all-out from the start.


    We quickly find our first monsters with read. I can only as rodent lizards the size of caws. Scaly, with limbs stretched out far besides their body, but with a long head and giant fangs and ears.


    They are a group of six, and I let the first few of them charge us, meeting them with the shield, barely moving, to stop their advance while not getting in the way of derby, Just as I learnt with Asger and later Bern.


    After Derby took out two of them. Ahorn mutters ¡°not bad¡±. It lights a fire in me to show my stuff and shut him up a little. I rush forward, closing in on each monster in succession, delivering a fatal blow to all four in a matter of seconds, before turning around.  The looks of shock on their faces are great.


    ¡°Thi-this is what you meant by specializing in bestowal?¡± Nimor is flabbergasted. ¡°I never realized it could be so strong. And at such a young age! How much mana did you use?¡± Oh right, they think this is bestowal. Well, I better set it as a baseline.


    ¡°With only this much, I can keep it up for half a day¡± I say triumphantly. I feel good receiving these praises.


    Ahorn is still silent with open mouth. ¡°Eh, Ahorn? Sir?¡± Nimor tries to reach him.


    He closes his mouth and says. ¡°Pretty good, but remember who will always be the superior firepower around here!¡± This dude just isn¡¯t very amicable, is he?

 91: Effect of Alcohol

    After clearing out the sixth, seventh and eighth floor of the dungeon, we head back. During the clearing, I got to see the abilities of the other members. Nimor is an expert at using a similar design to that weird throwing stick, Larn used. But they are much smaller, and seem much more deadly, as he fires them off with great strength in rapid succession. I wonder if it is due to technology or personal ability that he comes off as so much more devastating.


    Arin is a strong man with a large shield. He doesn¡¯t move much, but gives the impression of a solid iron wall. Yorgar¡¯s magic is amazing. He can conjure up dozens of small projectiles, that will fly by themselves and imbed into monsters before exploding, causing massive damage. I will have to have him teach me that at some point. Ahorn also participates, and despite his attitude, it is kind of amazing to see him wielding a long stick and instantly destroying monsters with those strikes. Seeing these abilities, I wonder just what horrors caused a much larger party than this to retreat, so I ask about what monsters routed them on the much lower floors.


    ¡°Nasty things¡± Nimor¡¯s expression turns grim. ¡°They say the greatest danger in diving deeper in a dungeon comes not from the fact that the monsters get stronger, but that you don¡¯t know what you are dealing with.¡± I can attest to that. I still don¡¯t know what got me on 20th floor of the meadow dungeon.


    ¡°They were covered in spikes, and quite bulky, so we switched to a heavily offensive strategy, perceiving them to be very defensive. However, as we did, they suddenly opened their gross mouths in unison and let a barrage of weird, green-yellow spit fly. I landed on the frontlines. We thought nothing of it and slaughtered them.¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°But then¡­ We continued. Suddenly, people starting falling over and screaming. Smoke started rising from them and when we removed their armor to check, parts of their body was gone. We tried rinsing them with our drinking water, but nothing helped. It just ate away of them. That¡¯s when we saw another group of the same monster and immediately retreated, fearing more of the goo being spilt on us.¡±


    ¡°How do you plan on combatting that?¡± Avoiding being hit by liquid projectiles doesn¡¯t seem feasible for a group.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Shields on sticks. There was very little impact from the goo, so we can estimate it is relatively easy to parry. We have been making large shields on sticks to catch it. It didn¡¯t seem to affect metal or leather at all. We also had someone working on full-body armor, that would leave nothing exposed, but that seems both more expensive, difficult and disrupting. Since it is all one piece, it is almost impossible to move in, and there is no good way of covering the face without causing trouble, as you can imagine.¡±


    Sounds risky, leaving their personal safety up to the frontlines ability to catch projectiles with shields on sticks, but I can¡¯t say I can come up with a better idea. Wait.


    ¡°Yorgar, couldn¡¯t we like¡­ create shields in mid-air?¡±


    ¡°Ah, we can, but we won¡¯t have nearly enough magic users to do that. Our front line last time was one dozen men wide, I seriously doubt I could cover all six from those balls, depending on how many monsters we encounter at once.¡± Damn, no good? Creation magic is also the most time-consuming to create, but I think I can weave an almost done creation, then finish it up so it takes shape as needed, but could I move it around effectively? Questions for later.


    I am a little anxious as we arrive back. Derby, Yorgar and I empty our cart for what little it contains and are shown to our rooms. I am wondering if that particular tradition has been carried through hunters for generations.


    And to my delight, it has, as we are all invited to share in drink. The atmosphere quickly grows merry and cheerful. I get compliments for just how much I can chug, though I find it a little concerning. When I first had a drink, I immediately got dead-drunk but over the year I apprenticed under Bosir, I found it more and more difficult to get drunk. I am probably developing immunity¡­ How exactly does my gift work?


    Once the mood has gotten a lot better and even Ahorn seems more approachable, I try something I have been wondering about.


    ¡°Ahorn, can you understand what I am saying?¡± The trick? I am speaking in plain English!


    He just looks a little confounded. ¡°Of course I can understand you, why?¡± Neat. He understands it. He is also much nicer when drunk.


    ¡°Hey, hey, Yos what was that?¡± Nimor sidles up to me and asks.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a language... That is old¡­¡± Whoops, think of something.


    ¡°My old master taught it to me in order to speak in code! I just wondered if Ahorn¡¯s weird translation ability would work with it.¡±


    Nimor nods a little. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s right. Codes would be completely useless in the face of the hero! Cheers for the God¡¯s blessing!¡±


    ¡°Cheers!¡± Everyone yells and turns the bottom of their glasses up.

 92: Introspection

    The mood has gone from festive to somber, and I already feel myself being relatively sober. This drinking is likely a very temporary joy I have in this life. I wonder why. At first I thought my gift simply healed me to full and the toughening up was something anyone could theoretically do, albeit with a longer healing process. But it has grown increasingly bizarre, this power.


    First I found that I had no need for sleep, then food and drink, and lately¡­ air. I remember hearing about the heat death of the universe. I don¡¯t know if this world operates on those same premises, but what if it does? Will I end up floating through space for all eternity? I take a sip. Better enjoy my life, while I can then, huh?


    It leads the thoughts back to what I based my previous life on, and what I tried to make into something in this world. Sports, running. To be honest, it seems kind of silly now. In addition to having become someone that probably no one could match in physical prowess, didn¡¯t I find something different? Didn¡¯t I enjoy hanging out in the clan? Earning money, growing stronger, spending time with people I liked, even though they disappeared as if in the blink of an eye? Atna¡­ Atna¡­ I wonder how it could have been with Atna.


    My thoughts flow from there to Amina. I honestly think I tried replacing what loss I felt with her, but she has proven¡­ fickle. I don¡¯t understand her aversion to it. Isn¡¯t it just something that would make us both feel happy? Well, until she dies anyways. Yorgar also gave me food for thought. He seems to have had many successful relationships, children, etc. It might not be a bad idea to create a family.


    I think of the possible escape from existence I found, Ahorn. And his story. I discussed it with him a little tonight. He was a much more approachable guy once he had some drink in him, and I don¡¯t think he is that big of a dick normally, he probably just has a lot to prove, a role to fill. According to the tale, God basically offered him a second chance at life, and once he accepted, he got bestowed with a gift. He then learned a little about the world before sent down here, but he couldn¡¯t possibly pronounce the language with his biology, so he had that weird dubbing/translation thing done to him.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I stare at his bizarre visage, lying passed out over this table. We are the only two left in this room.


    While I could not get him to spill the reward, he did spill the specific goal. Apparently, there is something special on the 120th floor of a dungeon, something only for those with a gift. It makes me think this is a foolish endeavor, since it seems they assimilated quite the competent team before, and only made it to the 26th floor. I myself thought I was unbeatable and got taken out on the 20th at the meadow dungeon, without even knowing how.


    Somehow, suddenly, this little reflection of mine gives me a renewed spirit. There is more to overcome, more to do, more to experience. I leave the room, go to the courtyard and swing my sword.


    Over the course of the next couple of weeks, I start our new routine. We go as a group into the dungeon every other day, go home and drink for fun. On the days where we aren¡¯t going to the dungeon, I am training with Yorgar, and spending time with Yorgar, his wife and Amina, who seems to unfortunately grow more and more distant.


    Yorgar is teaching me plenty of magic things. I don¡¯t know if I just wasn¡¯t instructed in them, or if they are new inventions, but there are interesting applications. By weaving mana into a creation in a specific order, you can give instructions to your creation. His many flying projectiles are imbued with a force magic, that propels it, then one that crushes it, making it splinter and doing its damage before disappearing. It is quite tricky seamlessly changing the pattern of a string woven like this, and I still have not succeeded.


    In addition, I am quite in awe of Yorgar¡¯s ability. He is weaving two different patterns, with this changing caveat, up to 12 times at once. I can at most do two different patterns four times at once. Maybe five, if I don¡¯t mind a small risk of failing. It is incredibly taxing on my concentration, and I doubt I would be able to effectively move, if I used it during a fight.


    When I drink with the group, I quite often end up sitting alone with Ahorn, after all others have turned in for the night and make meaningless small talk with him, and I am starting to feel we are growing to be quite fast friends. He is no longer stupidly brazen and arrogant with me, though he wasn¡¯t with those he knew from the beginning, and still is towards Derby, so I guess that whole ¡°earning his respect¡± thing was quite literally meant, where I thought it was some weird form of posturing.


    And six weeks later, a whole posse of veteran, hopeful and strong hunters have showed up.

 93: Three Dozen

    I am sitting in the main hall, chatting with Derby. He wants me to get better weapons, but I don¡¯t really have the cash for it. That leads him to say I should ask Ahorn about it, but I don¡¯t really want to. That¡¯s when the door opens and people start flooding into the room one after another.


    A man leads the onslaught, he is quite tall, bearded and looks overall tough. Not just as in personality, it looked like one would have difficulty chewing him, like his skin was leather or something. He looks to be around Derby¡¯s age.


    He approaches us, probably as we are the only one here right now. It is an off-day and I was planning to go with Yorgar to visit Amina and his wife, but he has not risen yet. I don¡¯t know where the others are, but Ahorn is often missing for the entire day off.


    ¡°Houh, fresh faces? Please allow me to introduce myself, I am Parsion.¡± He introduces himself with an amicable smile, which we answer in kind and introduce ourselves.


    ¡°I am Yos, and this is Derby. We got recruited by Yorgar.¡±


    ¡°Splendid! Can you tell me where one can find Ahorn?¡±


    ¡°He will probably be back by tomorrow¡± The smile fades from his lips, and a few murmurs start up in the now crowded main hall.


    ¡°Again?! I told him to stop being so capricious! Listen, I told him so many times to make sure we know where he is, and he just up and vanishes constantly!¡± He proceeds to fill our ears full of how irresponsible Ahorn is. It is really weird, his position. I can¡¯t properly evaluate whether he is immensely influential or just another guy.


    We get introduced to a few of the guys who came in, but I feel kind of overloaded. There must be three dozen of them and I find trouble committing anyone to memory. Names and faces overlap and mix in my mind. Luckily Yorgar comes down. After a brief exchange, I try to leave with him, but ¡°Ah, no, I should probably help with getting the new guys settled, you go ahead¡± or so he says.


    And so I find myself visiting Amina and Yorgar¡¯s wife, whom I have learnt is called Vasha. As I knock on and then open the door, the rusty old voice greets me.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Welcome, Yos. Are you alone today?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Yorgar couldn¡¯t come since some business popped up. Where is Amina?¡±


    ¡°The girl is currently out shopping for me. It has been a great help to have her around the house, now that my old bones are failing.¡± So she is alone¡­ It makes me want to ask¡­


    ¡°Vasha, if you don¡¯t mind, could you give me some advice regarding Amina?¡± I want to grow closer to her. We lived together for 2 years, and though she hasn¡¯t shown much of a personality, I just feel close to her. That and the few times she has gotten physically close to me has made me feel so comfortable. So many times have I tried to shorten that distance but fail.


    Vasha¡¯s face scrunches up, even more than the wrinkles already made it appear to be. ¡°I will watch my words, since I don¡¯t wish to betray her trust, but aren¡¯t you ignoring her wishes by relentlessly pursuing her like that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so?¡± After all, the few physical contacts that we have had were initiated by her.


    ¡°Listen, Yos, if it was the deicision of her parents, that would be one thing, but¡± The door behind me opens and Amina enters. Damn, what bad timing.


    ¡°Welcome home¡± Vasha is the first to greet her, with me shortly after. I rush to help her with the bag she is carrying, looks a little heavy. There is a slice of meat rolled in some plants, a small sack of salt, a few fruits and vegetables in there.


    ¡°Hey Amina, we are probably going to start challenging the dungeon for real soon, so I was wondering¡­ Before I get busy, would you like to take a walk around town with me tonight?¡± I try to invite her to do something together.


    ¡°Sorry sir, but I can¡¯t bring myself to leave poor Vasha all alone for the night¡± She rejects it.


    It is something that has happened quite often. I don¡¯t know why she is like this. It frustrates me. Certain thoughts always pop up in my head at this point. Didn¡¯t I kind of save her from an unwanted life? Didn¡¯t I support her for two years? Wasn¡¯t I there to comfort her and give her warmth whenever she needed it? Don¡¯t I deserve something in return? I turn to Vasha.


    ¡°I am sure Vasha will be all right if it is just for one night¡± I say and make a pleading face at the old lady.


    ¡°Ooh, these old bones can easily fall into trouble, and I would much prefer having the young lady around to help me in case something happens¡± She chose to cover for her¡­ Shit. Fuck, why does it feel so unfair.


    I feel a rage welling up inside of me, but I don¡¯t want to take it out on these two. I don¡¯t think Vasha did nothing wrong and I don¡¯t want to hurt my chances with Amina, so I storm out of the room. Shit.


    I end up cooling off by wandering around town all the way until the next morning, upon which I return to the clan manor.

 94: Squad Training

    That next day, we are forming up for a large-scale dungeon practice. We are still not going to push into the so-called dangerous floors, but we are assembling as to get a feel for chain of command and operating not only with our units, but also across units. It seems they have taken personal relations somewhat into account, as we are eventually divided into five groups of six. Each group then has a head, which reports directly to the Ahorn, who has a few units of his own, who stay behind. I am placed in a group together with Derby, under Yorgar.


    It seems that all that are melee, three pairs of spear and sword, and each head has some way of ranged attacking, judging by how Nimor and Yorgar are both heads. We head to the dungeon¡¯s tenth floor to train.


    It is incredibly weird to not follow your own judgment, and I constantly break rank, even though I am not supposed to, because I see an opening to kill a monster. I am repeatedly scolded for my transgression, but then I feel like I overcompensate and barely do anything, when not instructed to. It feels stinted and boring, when you merely focus on keeping the defense up, and making room for the spear user behind you to attack.


    Fighting can actually be pretty fun, when you get to engage with the monsters in a dynamic way. Parrying, jumping in, exposing yourself for a slash, using your judgment on when to move can all be pretty engaging activities, almost like a game to play. I wonder if I only feel that now, since I am being told not to, that I have lost my motivation for creating sports and I can enjoy myself in the present or if it has something to do with no danger really being posed to me.


    That last part is a bit of a lie. There is a danger being posed to me. First the reveal of my immortality, but I don¡¯t really think about that. What I think about far more is the spear user behind me failing and it exposing the group to danger. I get that these people here are all supposed to be somewhat high level and thus there are no real danger here on the tenth floor. But what when we descend? Would I risk losing the brother I miraculously reunited with? Or Derby, the nice old man? I think maybe, it is more troublesome to be partnered with those you know because such emotions can cause anxiety.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    The practice itself goes so-so. After I have resigned myself to boring defense-duty, it becomes easier to follow the order, when they are given out. Short calls for turning and facing, joining shields with adjacent groups, moving into different formations, switching to our new shields on sticks, which look kind of flimsy and so on. It feels very tedious.


    Once the day is over, Yorgar picks up talk with me on the way back. ¡°Hey, I had a talk with Vasha late yesterday, after you left¡­¡± I grimace in anticipation. It didn¡¯t go well yesterday.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you are a little¡­ Aggressive, when it comes to Amina?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I am just frustrated. I have been banging my head on this wall for two years¡­ And sometimes I feel progress, but it just never stays and it feels like it vanishes into nothing.¡± I defend my actions.


    ¡°You mean to say you understand she isn¡¯t interested and you keep pushing for it?¡±


    I guess I do. I nod to confirm.


    ¡°Love can poison the mind, you better be careful. What is it about her that has ensnared you so much?¡±


    Huh? What do I like about Amina? I think over our relation. I started out thinking she was a pain, but then I just naturally ended up with her. And¡­ Grew conscious of her body, wanting to embrace it when I felt lonely¡­ Is that what she is to me? A glorified body pillow to soothe me?


    ¡°I- I don¡¯t know¡± I answer honestly. For some reason, I am really scared to part with Amina. But I don¡¯t think I really have a reason to be so scared. What is she to me? She is really just a timid girl, who seems to live in the way that¡¯s the easiest in the moment. She only bet on me because she was subject to abuse. What am I to her? Merely a convenient way to get by in this world?


    The thought jump over to how women get by in this world. Be it before or now, the only women I have encountered in society, that didn¡¯t seem to get by on getting married were few and far between. I have only seen women with powerful gifts be hunters. I have seen a few receptionists for the guild here and there, but that is it. Every craft, every daily activity that could provide for people, seem to be overly saturated by men. The merchants are only men, the blacksmiths are only men, the cobblers and leatherworkers and so on are only men. And of course the hunters¡­ Maybe she just wants to get by without being married but why?


    ¡°Seems you have a lot on your mind¡­¡± Yorgar snaps me out of my train of thought after a little while.


    ¡°Actually, I have an idea. I think it will be good for you! Keep your schedule open for tonight!¡± He picks up his usual energetic demeanor, and leaves me to talk with Nimor and Arin, who are further up. Arin turns, looks at me and smiles.


    Just what are they planning?

 95: Service

    Days with dungeon crawling was usually accompanied by nights of drinking. I was looking forward to enjoying all the new faces that had taken up temporary residence in the manor, but it seems someone has different plans. I find Arin and Nimor on each side of me. ¡°Come, come¡± Nimor is talking with an arm around my neck. Arin also has an arm around my back but he keeps as quiet as ever.


    ¡°But aren¡¯t we going to drink with the new arrivals?¡±


    ¡°Ah, save that for another day. Today, we are doing something special!¡± Nimor encourages me.


    Arin grunts and nods eagerly. I surrender fairly quickly. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re planning, but I am guess it is set up by Yorgar, so it probably isn¡¯t a bad thing anyway. The guide me through the town, constantly keeping their arms around me as if to prevent me from escaping. It is kind of a weird gesture, as if they anticipate I will try to run. I don¡¯t think they could hold me if seriously tried to escape them though. If I didn¡¯t think that, I would be far more worried.


    We come up on what is our destination, a long building with no windows facing the street its entrance faces, but as we approach, a weird smell permeates the air. It is a very sweet smell. When the door is opened and we go in, it is like penetrating a barrier of both warmth and the sweet smell.


    There is someone to greet us. It is a weirdly dressed women. She has a weird corset like top, the only goes from her midriff to middle of her breasts, barely covering the nipple, showing a little of the areola even. Similarly, the lower set of the outfit also leaves little to the imagination, being a very short skirt, that barely even covers the buttocks.


    Nimor asks for three people from the lady. I look around and see a few girls in similar outfits, disappearing behind curtains, where laughter can be heard. What is this place? We are ourselves led behind a curtain and seated at a table there. I was about to sit down next to Nimor, but he directs me space out, such that we each have empty seats between us.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°What will the gentleman have?¡± The scantily clad girl asks.


    Nimor finds three 12-asti coins and presents them with the line ¡°Some of your finer wares¡±, to which the girl flashes a big smile and says ¡°Of course, sir¡±.


    That was a lot of money. Far more than one can expect to pay for mere drink or food. Don¡¯t tell me this is some kind of drug den?


    As the girl leaves, I ask Nimor ¡°What is this place?¡±


    He replies with a smirk ¡°Paradise of the wifeless¡±. Arin backs his statement up with exaggerated nodding. I think I may have gotten roped into something seedy.


    Soon three additional women show up, each holding a glass and a bottle of drink. They line up and giggle enticingly.


    ¡°Do you have one you like?¡± Nimor asks me. I look over the women. They are all attractive, in each their own way. There is a busty, tall blonde, a busty, average-height brunette, and a slender average-height girl with blue hair. Bluette?


    I find myself overcome by a sense of shame and I look down on the floor as if to remedy the situation a little.


    Nimor just laughs and I hear ¡°You, go comfort him. It is his first time, so go easy on him.¡± Which is just met with an ¡°of course, sir.¡±


    Soon a hand find myself on my thigh and a sweet, soft voice by my ear sounds. ¡°Just relax and get comfortable, let me pour you a drink.¡±


    And slowly, the shame fades, compliments take down my shyness and encouragement from Nimor emboldens me until¡­


    ¡°Ahahaha¡± I am laughing at Nimor¡¯s story. ¡°And then, Arin walks up and gives his bum such a huge smack he flew at least 3 feet into the air!¡± The mood is merry.


    ¡°Have another drink, sir.¡± Such welcome words comes from the blue-haired girl under my arm, my hand resting over her breast.


    ¡°As expected, Arin is really strong¡± The tall blonde, sitting height taller than Arin himself, compliments him. He flares his nostrils as he gives her waist a squeeze and smiles wider than I have ever seen before.


    ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t even seen the beast that is Yos! Guy could probably clear the dungeon by himself all the way to the 20<sup>th</sup> floor!¡±


    ¡°My, how impressive! I love a strong man!¡± The blue-haired girl besides me exclaims and lays her small, fine hand on my chest and caresses it. I give her breast a little squeeze in return. This is the best!


    ¡°Oh, but gentlemen, it appears we are all out of drink¡± The girl besides Nimor says with an exaggeratedly sorrowful voice.


    ¡°No worries, no worries, we are in the hero¡¯s part, money is not an object¡± Nimor says, as he puts down three more 12-asti coins on the table. The night is still young!

 96: Expedition

    The place eventually closes. I found myself incredibly satisfied throughout, but a hole starts to form in my heart as soon as we are in the streets.


    ¡°I wanna go again tomorrow¡± I mutter.


    ¡°Ah, be careful man. This sort of thing is only to tide you over. One shouldn¡¯t rely on it too much, you can¡¯t really afford going too often, and you lose out on the finer aspects of women¡± Nimor warns me.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡°finer aspects¡±


    ¡°That, right here. It is all surface level stuff. Empty words and empty gestures. Only when those words and gestures come from someone speaking their heart out, will you feel the true impact.¡± It somehow saddens me further. I also start to feel embarrassed. We did just pay a rather large amount of money for women to pretend they are interested in us.


    ¡°And you will never reach the end goal of a relationship between man and woman with these girls here. No relying on each other, having a dinner made for you or starting a family.¡±


    ¡°You speak as if you know a lot about it, but aren¡¯t you in the same boat as me?¡± I ask


    ¡°No, no my boy. You see, I am married. It¡¯s just that I left my wife in my hometown with the kids, while I work for the hero. I send her half of my salary every few months.¡± Eugh, I grew a little frustrated. So he has a wife and kids¡­ But, doesn¡¯t that make him kind of a scumbag to fawn over a woman like that?


    ¡°Stop looking at me like that. A man needs to be complimented by a beautiful woman, even if he is far from home¡± He defends himself from my judging gaze.


    ¡°By the way, what salary? I haven¡¯t received anything yet?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Really? You better talk to Ahorn about that the next chance you get¡±.


    A few weeks pass. We grow better at following orders, working together and relying on each other. In addition, I get my wages fixed and often end up going to the weird bar, often alone. I feel shameful afterwards, but the experience is so pleasant and alluring I can¡¯t stop.  The blue-haired girl becomes my favorite, and I even invite her to hang out outside the bar, in a moment of poor judgment. She refuses with a ¡°this is a professional relationship¡± which kind of bums me out. I have barely visited Amina and Vasha during this time. Eventually, a special day comes.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Listen up!¡± Ahorn rouses us. ¡°Today is the day we push our boundaries and dive deep into the dungeon. It will be hard, and there will be casualties, but today, we are making history!¡± His unsynchronized lip movements rob his little speech of its gravitas, but most don¡¯t seem to mind and cheer as we form up.


    Supplies are of little issue. There are two storage users who carry our supplies. One has a heavy limitation of the space of the stuff he can store, and he feels a portion of their weight, but in return, he can freely make the things appear and disappear, as if by a magic trick.


    The other seems to have a gift with a much higher capacity, but in return, his gift apparently makes him exhausted really quickly. He doesn¡¯t seem to feel the weight of his load at all. Gifts are weird. One would think they could roughly be split up into categories that function similarly, but there always seem to be at least some small difference between any two gifts.


    The expedition initially moves fast. The shortest route to each new floor is already mapped, and the few monsters that stand in our way are weak. I hear Yorgar explain that the previous expedition had a guy with a gift, that allowed him to get a rough idea of the layout of the floor, but he bailed after witnessing the gruesome deaths, even if he himself was in the back.


    Seems there will be a lot of trouble once we get to unknown ground.


    The danger starts at the 20<sup>th</sup> floor. It is as if, all of a sudden, the monsters are vastly more powerful. We receive a short briefing on each floor on what to watch out for. On the 20<sup>th</sup> floor, small, round beasts, about a foot in diameter roll around with relatively high speed. Their trick is they pop upon impact, exploding into a hail of small spikes.


    They are dealt with by focusing on defending in a convex formation, such that neighbors in the shield wall don¡¯t take unnecessary damage.


    On the 21<sup>st</sup> floor, massive bat-like creatures drop down from the ceiling, trying to pierce any below with a massive singular spike, growing out of one wing.


    On the 22<sup>nd</sup> floor, formless blobs rush past our defenses and try to grapple our feet, but are repelled by fire.


    And so on. Until we have cleared out a small section of the 25<sup>th</sup> floor. The next floor is for the bile-spewing monstrosities, but we are camping here. I have never slept over in a dungeon without being dead before, I wonder if it is safe?

 97: Whip

    The camping is not without incident. Mainly, the requirement of guards is a lot. We are holed up against a cul-de-sac that is present fairly close to the entrance of the 26<sup>th</sup> level, but the monsters of this floor is as nasty as the surrounding ones.


    They look like short, stubby amphibian men, but issue with them is their arms. They are very long and stretch even further, delivering devastating whip-like blows from pretty far away. All others I have seen, trying to brace against their strike have been knocked off balance or had their shield knocked out of the way.


    They have been dealt this thus far by our ranged-attack squad leaders, whether they specialize in magic like Yorgar or darts like Nimor. Others have used other, devastating throwing weapons, too. But unlike my previous dungeon experience, the front lines carry none. The reason is, that the shield wall and focusing on defense is of much greater importance, when a single gap can instantly cost someone their life.


    I volunteer for night watch duty, stating I can easily go a few days without sleep, so I can be on all three teams, but there is much hassle about arranging the rest of the members¡­ They really should have figured this out before we came here.


    The trouble is that few are willing to take the latest watch.  Apparently slain monsters reappear in the dungeons early in the morning. That¡¯s a little funny. It makes me think of how my power also triggers early in the morning, but perhaps it is just a coincidence.


    The first group serving to watch includes Yorgar and Derby. It is nice to chat a little, but I am constantly reminded to stay vigilant. A few hours pass without incident.


    The next group include Arin. He doesn¡¯t talk, but I end up talking to him while he replies with short noises and facial expressions. It is kind of surreal, like talking to an animatronic toy or something. Another few hours pass without seeing a monster.


    The last group has Nimor in it. He complains about getting the most annoying part, where monsters are most likely to attack, but it is quickly forgotten. Suddenly, in our talk, I feel my power activating. It gives me an ominous premonition, so I focus and cast read.


    I have been casting read throughout the night with no responses other than from my back, but now, signals are being bounced back from all over the place. Some close, others far away. Guess it is synched with my gift. Has God in this world determined exactly when a day starts?


    ¡°Why so tense all of a sudden?¡± Nimor asks me.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°I picked up signals using read. One is relatively close.¡± In response, he dons a grim face and readies his throwing stick.


    Suddenly it appears, and a moment later, a loud slam sounds from my left side and a guy further down the line has been knocked down.


    ¡°Take this!¡± Nimor shouts, as he starts launching his darts. The monster is at least some 50 feet away from us. We had set up the dense close to an intersection, but the monster appeared from directly across, so it could unfortunately still utilize its range.


    Two more whip-like strikes on shields later, five darts have imbedded themselves into the monster and it finally collapses.


    A guy lowers his shield with a ¡°I seriously hate fight-¡°


    ¡°PUT THAT BACK UP¡± I yell, as I have identified another two, but too late. The guy who was too quickly to relax has his face crushed moments after. I feel a little panic, but apparently the other guys here are more veteran. They ignore the freshly made corpse, and form up to cover his gap.


    But there is two of them and they will die too slowly, since we only have one ranged attacker. If they decide to attack twice on someone, that someone is likely dead. So I gather bestowal in all my limbs and rush forward.


    ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°The hell?¡± I hear from behind me as I dash through with an honestly incredible level of speed. I have not gone full out with bestowal since my resurrection, and I am quickly feeling it is a mistake.


    I can scarcely react to the whip-like strike, but for a few moments, my movement is even more extreme than that. I fly directly into one of the monsters, sword first, and drag it along with me for at least another 100 feet before I manage to stop myself. I turn around, and the other monster does the same, but by its flanked nature, it quickly becomes annoyed by the dart hitting its back and it turns around once again, which I seize to dash in, this time without bestowal and finish it off.


    As I return, Nimor runs up to me and meets me in the middle ¡°Yos, for God¡¯s sake, what the hell was that and what were you thinking?¡± I feel bad for breaking ranks, but I feel the need to defend myself.


    ¡°I had a bad feeling and took action¡­ And it worked out, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It did, but¡­ If you do that in a larger formation, there will be hell to pay. Also, you didn¡¯t answer as to what the hell that was.¡±


    I already have super-impressive strength, but that feat was clearly inhuman. I make up some vacant bullshit.


    ¡°It was my special bestowal technique, granting me enormous strength for a split-second. It takes up a whole lot of mana though¡±


    ¡°I see¡± Nimor has a hard time retorting. He doesn¡¯t have a gift and is human, thus can¡¯t use magic.


    As we return to the rest of the group, they are already looting the corpse, whose head they have covered with a cloth to spare themselves from the gruesome sight.


    ¡°Oy you, that was sick. Also, your equipment is looking a little shitty, so why don¡¯t you borrow this guy¡¯s? I don¡¯t think he needs it anymore¡± one of them says and laughs. I find it very inappropriate, but he makes a utilitarian point. I seize the sword, whose blue glow and sharp edge reveals its azurite origins, alongside a shield, although dented by the happenings of this morning and yesterday, is still in much better shape than my own old one. Soon, the camp awakens, having received its first casualty while it slept.

 98: Bile

    The loss is barely mourned as the camp is reformed. Bedrolls are magically absorbed by a young man, while people withdraw torches from makeshift holders, that gave us light through the night and the troupe is quickly formed up once again.


    Then, the special shields are distributed. Concave, large, light shields on sticks, giving off a feeling of either the stick snapping or the shield being bounced away, should any major force hit it. I feel very nervous having to defend the lives of other using these.


    ¡°All right, move out!¡± Ahorn orders us from behind, after all the shields have been distributed. The stairs are just a little walk around the corner.


    The dreaded 26 floor displays itself in front of us and it is like nothing I have ever seen in a dungeon. Usually, there is at least some compartmentalization of a floor, but here, there is nothing of the sort. A wide open space spreads out in front of me. There is no fog, even though I feel it should be large enough to warrant it. Instead, it appears to climb to a hilltop in the middle of the room. If we deal with the monsters and arrive there, it will be over shortly.


    The monsters. Many of them are directly visible from here. I fear them, as their bile spit sounded quite nasty. They look like carapaced frogs the size of cows, with massive mouths and a foot-long spikes emerge from their backs¡­ This could be grim.


    ¡°Everyone, ready shield, bend the formation just as we practiced, and start advancing till your squad leaders attack from range.¡± We follow the instruction and form the convex shape, then slowly start approaching the nearest monster in unison.


    It, however, does nothing. I remember being told it didn¡¯t attack till they themselves did last time. I wonder if there is a reason for that.


    Darts, javelins and magic start flying out from behind us and we stop. The way they started firing at the same time makes me think they purposefully waited till they reached the range of the one with the shortest, so that they could start firing simultaneously. The frog, however, seems barely bothered by the range attacks. This monster is one tough son of a bitch, as they correctly assessed last time.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Halt!¡± Ahorn cries out. ¡°New plan! Approach until spear users can hit it!¡± The fire stops, and we march once again. How I can feel the desire of just charging it down well up inside of me.


    We get closer and closer. We are almost there, but then, the monster opens its large mouth and shoots. The problem is, it doesn¡¯t shoot at us, but the ball of yellow-green bile instead is launched high up in the air. I can see the many drops falling from it. Shit.


    Panic immediately breaks out, people scream. I can hear Ahorn shout ¡°Get back in line!¡± But there is so much chaos, I decided on a different route. I dash forwards. The monster¡¯s mouth is so large, that I can¡¯t reasonably distinguish between its belly and throat, and I stab at the monster with my newly acquired sword. I aim at a gap between the carapace shells, but the leather skin is tough and stops my strike anyways. ¡°YOS!¡± is cried out from behind. The monster doesn¡¯t shoot any more bile though, maybe it takes time to build up?


    I pull back my sword, throw away the shield and hold it with both hands. I channel bestowal in my arms and give a powerful thrust. This time it pierces the monster¡¯s belly/throat, and I violently slice to enlarge the wound, upon which the monster keels over, dead.


    I turn around and see a mess. Several people have cast aside various pieces of armor, mostly helms probably fearing the bile that may be stuck upon it. Only a few stand still, among which are Ahorn, Nimor and Yorgar. Even Derby and Arin seem to have broken ranks and stripped a little.


    As I return I hear advice ¡°Try rinsing it out before it activates, hurry!¡± And several people have started to do so, using precious canteen water to clean their heads. A few minutes later however, four people start screaming, smoke rising from them, and they jerk unnaturally around until they stop.


    A few moments in silence pass before Ahorn speaks up. ¡°Right, I think we can call this a failure for now. With such uncertain ways of defeating the monsters, and no practical means of defense, we will save more lives by retreating now and preparing a new way, rather than gambling away the rest of us!¡±


    So he says and people start to turn around, only to face a rather cruel twist from fate. The monsters have moved to guard stairs, that lead back up to the next floor.


    ¡°Oh fuck¡± I hear Yargor behind me mutter. Right. I see how this has to happen I think. There are still only two of them.


    ¡°Leave this one to me, Ahorn!¡± I shout and step forward, away from the line. It¡¯s time to put this absurd strength to work.


    Or so I think, but Ahorn himself steps up. ¡°You take the one on the right, I¡¯ll take the one on the left¡± He says.


    We approach them quickly.

 99: Melt

    My speed is much greater than Ahorn¡¯s and I arrive at my monster first. Using a bestowal-enchanced, charging stab, followed by ripping it apart using my massive strength. I have used heavy bestowal a lot today, I wonder how much longer I can use it for?


    But such a thought is cut short by an unpleasant sensation. As if I have been splashed with a bucket of warm milk. The other monster, the one I turned to Ahorn reach and quickly kill as easily as he did all others, was facing me. It had covered me in its bile.


    I still have a minute or two before the effect kick in, but there is no way I could remove all this gunk from me. Guess I¡¯ll die. Ahorn looks over here with eyes filled with guilt. He is probably going to blame himself.


    I spot another monster, awkwardly making small jumps to reach the small groups.


    ¡°Run, I¡¯ll hold them off!¡± I shout, as parts of the main group does so¡­ Yorgar looks very confused. After all, he knows I am immortal and that I don¡¯t want to show it¡­ Guess I will have to think of something.


    I charge the awkwardly hopping monster and finish it off in much the same manner as the previous two, except the tearing open of the wound is harder, as my mana has run out.


    Soon, intense pain starts crawling all over my skin, not giving me room to think about the situation. I examine it, as it slowly burns away any inch of skin I have.


    ¡°ARRRGH!!!!¡±


    The pain is unbearable. I can¡¯t hold in my screams. It is as if my entire body is submerged in burning oil and fried. I lose consciousness as the bubbles on my skin turn from red to pink.


    I am up again. Shit. This is problematic. I don¡¯t think of this as having to leave the group, but rather as having to reveal the true nature of my gift. I wonder if it is going to change relations around here. Will it bring problems for Yorgar, who has claimed me to be my brother? I don¡¯t think he wants people to know he¡¯s a dryad, as they have been hunted in the past.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Another problem faces me. My armor is covered in the bile. It only seems to affect our bodies, but as I came back, I am still wearing the armor, and movement gets the bile on me. I quickly strip, grip my sword, and go punish some of these freaks. I have already resigned to doing another lap.


    Soon, before I have even killed the second bastard of this life, the intense frying feeling starts once again. Fuck, it smarts, but it is also nowhere near as bad as it was before. At the same time, I look and, while I am not sure, I think it happens much slower? Am I building up a resistance to this too? How does that even work?


    But, as the pain grows worse, and the bile works itself deeper, it gives me an idea.


    Twenty or so cycles later, the bile no longer seems to affect me at all. Or at least, very slowly. But as long as it takes less than 24 hours, it will practically be inert. It felt like it could easily have taken 12 hours the last time. But, when I tell them what I am, I can also tell them about this. I bet Ahorn will be ecstatic that he can finally pass this floor on his quest!


    But soon, another thought hits me. He needs to get to the 120<sup>th</sup> floor, right? And he has already lost twice on this floor? And monsters get harder the further you go?


    I turn around from the stairs back to the 25<sup>th</sup> floor, that I was about to ascend. You know, if I really wanted to help, shouldn¡¯t I go and turn deeper here? To proceed further into dungeon, and if not eventually make it to the 120<sup>th</sup> floor, at least take note of where I get stuck so counter-measures can be made.


    Convinced of my new path, I turn around and climb to the hilltop in the middle of this floor. It is almost completely dark in here. I have no idea where, but there is at least a little light, and by straining my eyes, I can barely make out the next descending pair of stairs.


    I run over there, killing the frogs in the way expending as little mana as possible, as I no longer fear their counter-attacks, and resolve myself to climb further down the stairs.


    The visibility is very low. It is after all, very dark, but as I take a few steps, I see a silhouette move fast before me, and the-


    Fuck, I think it straight up decapitated me. This is going to be troublesome.


    So I think while I pick myself up, naked, armed only with a sword and magic, ready to take down this next challenge.

 100: Colossus

    I don¡¯t really know how long a time has passed or how deep I have gone. But I have grown stronger as I have delved ever deeper.


    The lack of light has forced me to use read so much, it has become a second nature. I have even managed to stretch the mana required to weave the spell real thin, and can practically use it constantly. In addition, I slowly noticed that not only a mere signal from monsters are returned. A far, far weaker signal is returned for any object. It helps, but only to a certain degree, like if you were exploring a cave and all you had to help was a lighter.


    One reason for my losing grasp of time and space is that a few monsters seem to move my corpse. Most time, I will die somewhere and revive in the same place, but on certain floors, I will wake up somewhere completely different. Sometimes even a different floor, whether it be the previous or a new one. Monster don¡¯t eat, so I wonder what they do with it?


    I am constantly fighting monsters, and they increasingly get deadlier; Faster and stronger, larger and more sinister. I have been impaled by launched spikes, I have been trapped in thin wires, I have been struck down, crushed, burnt, sliced in two, decapitated and so on.


    I have begun to develop a weird fondness of it. It reminds me of the burn one would feel after running practice in the old world. I wonder if I am a masochist? Or is it merely the human mind adapting to the situation? I did dive into here well knowing I would die many times, but it somehow just doesn¡¯t seem a relevant factor anymore.


    Once I had gone a fair bit further down, strange things started to occur. More than one monster started appearing at a floor, but the others were more¡­ variations on the main monster of the floor. They seemed to have some special, unique characteristics to them, some even cast magic! I like it when I encounter those, as I think it increases my mana vessel, though not by too much. I tested it¡­. Recently? And I appear to have more than double the mana pool I had grown accustomed to, and that one was even significantly larger than the baseline for gift users.


    I have hit somewhat of a brick wall. I have died so many times on this next floor that it is not even funny, and I always find myself on top of the stairs, leading down to that floor when I revive. I have thought many times about starting the climb back up, but I keep having this feeling that it is just about the end, due to the special nature of that floor.


    There is only one single monster, in a circular, well-lit room. Or I say monster, but I am not really sure. I descend the stairs once again today to take a look at my foe of many times. I must have fought him more than two dozen times already.


    Ahead of my, perhaps 30 feet tall stands a colossus. A man, made of silver-like metal, wielding a sword in one hand and a spear in the other. The spear has an insane range, maybe 90 feet, which he makes piercing stabs within. And if I evade past through those, the sword comes in, with wide arc slashes that are even harder to dodge.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    I simply can¡¯t block. Every time I have tried, I have been sent flying across the room, take damage and start all over again.


    I have made it to him a few times, but he is hard as all hell. The few attempts I have had at attacking have been mostly completely ineffective. Yesterday, though, I manage to get in and actually dent one of the legs, right around the ankle. I fear it being restored, along with the rest of the monsters, but as I look from the safety of the stairs, I can clearly see it. It was not a wound inflicted by a sword, but one with my bare body. The sword broke a long time ago.


    Even if I die a thousand times, I will still win. I am unbeatable. A smirk forms on my face.


    But that isn¡¯t really true, is it? I may have ended up being the one alive from the royal struggle that got me sealed, but I lost everything, even the chance to avenge my comrades. I lost bad.


    But this is different. One giant against me, and I get to try as many times as I like. As long as I have the guts to continue, I will win this!


    I run at him, preparing my new version of bestowal. My making a slightly malformed pattern in my legs, I can ready it for explosive bursts without sacrificing mana.


    A stab from the spear, I straighten out the pattern and immediately dodge, running closer again.


    Another stab. I jump up, using the spear¡¯s shaft as a foothold for a split second, before crossing in again.


    Next comes the sword. I do not keep my eye on it, but wait until it is within range of my permanent read¡¯s ability to sense everything in a small radius around, and immediately jump and contort my body as it does. The sword passes right under me, delivering an incredible sound, as if a truck passed really close to me, but it doesn¡¯t connect. My landing is less than perfect, but soon enough I am running again.


    Another sword strike, this time from above. I try to twist and avoid it, but I saw it too late. My left arm is gone, no matter. I have never made it to him without losing something.


    While the blood pours out and the pain is intense, I prepare for the final spurt. The bestowals in my legs are activate for a sprint, and at the same time, I build bestowal in my right arm. This time, it is the thickest one I have ever made, my entire mana pool will only be able to sustain it for a few seconds once it is finished, but I will need that power.


    A stomp from his leg approaches. I kick from the ground with such force, that I am pretty sure I break a bone, and once his foot lands next to me, I give my all for this one strike.


    The bestowal in my legs, my right arm winded up with a huge bestowal, colliding with solid metal. The pain is intense. It feels as if my entire arm splinters from the inside out.


    But the result is obvious. I struck the wound from yesterday, and the giant collapses. He makes an incredible sound as he collides with the ground, so much so that my ears hurt.


    He isn¡¯t moving. Was that it? Did the fall do him in? I had thought it would at least take a couple of more attempts, but if this is fine, it is fine.


    Suddenly, a shaking can be felt. Soon I see stones sink into the ground at varying heights. Stairs are formed¡­ I should go in right?


    I drag myself, with a slightly busted legs, one completely busted arm, and the other only half present. My head grows light as I approach the stairs, and not soon after I reach the first few steps, my sight starts to fail me. Have I lost too much blood? I surrender myself to the unconscious, hopefully letting my body tumble down the stairs.

 101: Dungeons End

    When I come to, there is light. But unlike the room with the colossus, this light is not weirdly omnipresent with no source, but rather a warm glow from an object in front of me.


    An orange orb, around 20 inches in diameter is held up by bright, glowing, transparent tendrils. The curious sight is accompanied by a low humming emanating from the orb.


    I get up. I see that my arm is now back. I wonder if I died or just lost consciousness until the next day?


    I look around the room. There is nothing aside from the orb. No stairs leading further down, nor those I descended from. To my back is only a wall.


    Well, there¡¯s only one thing to interact with, so I step forth and let the humming ring clearer in my ears as I approach the orb. I reach out my hand and touch it.


    As I do, ripples for on its surface and a weird sound is made. Like someone played a single string on an otherworldly violin. Then, the center of the ripples starts to shine and quickly brightens till the point where I am blinded by the light.


    ¡°Congratulations! You did that mu- huh?¡± I look at the emerged being as my vision returns. I recognize this shape. It¡¯s the angel that kidnapped me. Here in all of its childlike, nude, genderless glory. My first instinct is to scold it and demand answers, but as I try to, the words won¡¯t leave my mouth. No, I can¡¯t even move my mouth, I can¡¯t do anything!


    ¡°Ah, you know me? I see, you¡¯re the one with potential. I had totally written you off when I check on you and found you submerged in metal. Who would continue to struggle for so long?¡±


    I am confused. Potential? It checked up on me? And who wouldn¡¯t struggle? There was nothing else to do, right?


    ¡°Wrong! The fate of most immortal beings is to surrender, to no longer care about anything, to seal yourself in some state. I just thought you were helped along, but that was not the case, huh?¡±


    Fate of immortal beings is to surrender? Like Hannah?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who this Hannah is, but probably. Dryads of this world often turn into trees and only rarely do they return for a few years after a couple of millennia, after which all of them, without exception has turned back into trees again.¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    It seems that the being is reading my thoughts. I will try thinking questions. Why are you here? Who are you? Why did you do this to me?


    ¡°Ahahaha, right. I need to motivate you. Let¡¯s see¡­ Every time you get to the bottom of the dungeon, I will answer one question and give you a gift, how about that, now fire away?¡±


    This thing is seriously pissing me off. Was it this annoying before? Nevermind, what should I ask her? What seems most important to know? Right, I saw that Ahorn could maybe kill me, so I have to know if I will continue to live forever, alone when the world ends in one way or another, lest I will have Ahorn kill me, let¡¯s go with that!


    ¡°Hmm, good one, shows a willingness to go on for now. But that was a lot, I feel like I will answer more than one¡­ Ah, to hell with it! You won¡¯t die, but the world won¡¯t end.¡±


    What? What do you mean?


    ¡°UH-UH¡± She mimics an error sound ¡°now for a gift¡­ I prepared one for Ahorn, but it won¡¯t suit you¡­ Got any wishes?¡±


    Let me punch you!


    ¡°Ahaha, I will take it as leaving it up to myself. Hmmmm. Right, how about this?¡± She snaps her fingers, and I can feel myself wearing something, but I can¡¯t examine it, as I can¡¯t move at all, not even my eyes.


    ¡°Well then, if you¡¯re curious, be sure to find me again, ahaha!¡±


    The light fades. There is no longer any orb or tendrils. I suddenly blink my eyes and I can move again. But there is strangely still light. I turn around, and before I know, I am outside. Right outside the dungeon¡¯s entrance.


    I examine what rests upon my shoulders. It is a cape¡­ Is it a magic cape? I try swooshing a bit with it, but nothing happens. Guess I will wear it and find out more about it later¡­


    Dungeons¡­ Should I go chase down more dungeons? Well, I will leave it for later. For now, let¡¯s reunite with the other guys.


    ¡°Ah!! A pervert!¡± A young woman screams and points at me. Oh right, I am wearing the cape, but nothing at all underneath, and while it covers the front of my shoulders, it neatly parts way to show my more private parts. I run away, escaping the crowd of people coming running. Shit, I need new clothes! I need to get to the manor as fast as possible.


    I can¡¯t run through the streets like this, so I gather my strength, apply a bit of bestowal and try to jump up on a rooftop. The jump is slightly too low however, but luckily, the mantle reveals its power to me, as I slowly glide down. Huh. I try to jump up and down, testing its power a little.


    I eventually figure out I can somewhat control my rate of descent and direction, by grabbing the edges of the mantle and moving them about. This is so fucking neat!


    After I land from my last practice bout, I briefly use the heaviest bestowal, that I think I can sustain in my legs and jump up very high. Maybe 100 feet in the air? I am holding the edges of the cape, aiming myself for the manor¡¯s courtyard. As I start to move in a direction, I pick up more and more speed. What will people think if they look up and see me here? Naked man, flying through the sky!

 102: Honey, Im Home

    The ability of the cape is way too fun. Pity it ends, as I land in the courtyard of the manor. They are going to be so surprised, seeing me alive! Unless maybe Yorgar said something. I walk up to the entrance. My permanent read reveals the people inside the mansion, but there are surprisingly few.


    I try to open the door but it is locked. Luckily, it seems someone is coming down the hallway. As he passes, I knock on the door. He stops up, freezes for a little bit, then comes over to open it up.


    Slightly embarrassed over my current state, I flip the cape around, so that my privates are covered, before he opens up the door.


    I don¡¯t recognize the man who opens the door. In addition to that, he is dressed rather weirdly, with a finish black and white suit, with gloves on his hand.


    ¡°What are you doing here? This is private property!¡± He says in an accusatory tone.


    ¡°Eh, ah, if you could just call Ahorn here, he¡¯ll voich for me¡± I stumble through my words, as I was a little surprised from the tone of his voice.


    ¡°Ahorn? The Hero? He sold this mansion more than a year ago?¡± What?  A year?I thought I had only spent a few months at most in the dungeon. I am seriously bad at keeping time, when I am removed from the world. But Ahorn gave up, huh?


    ¡°Do you know where one can find him?¡± I ask.


    The man merely grunts dismissively. ¡°I know not and I do not care, remove yourself from the premises immediately¡± Shit, so uptight.


    I quickly vacate the grounds. I jump up and start to glide again, towards a new target, the house where Vasha and Amina lived. They could also have vacated, but I really need clothes and they are my only lead.


    I can see one person is in the home, as I climb the stairs that lead directly to the second floor. Upon knocking, they come over and open up the door. It is Amina.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Ah, hi! I was wondering if you could help me a little.¡±


    She seems a little taken aback at first, but just replies with ¡°Certainly, sir, come in.¡± I was initially happy to see a friendly face, but the tone she has, over time it has started to sound less like respect, and more like her taking her distance from me. It bothers me.


    ¡°And where have you been sir? Your brother was very worried when you didn¡¯t show up after a few weeks.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I went to the bottom of the dungeon and met¡­ an angel? God? Not really sure.¡±


    Her eyes widen and her next line livens up from her usual calm demeanor. ¡°Really sir? Can you describe it?¡±


    ¡°Like a child, not a girl or a boy, slightly shining, completely nude?¡±


    ¡°That matches Ahorn¡¯s description! You really met with God!!¡± She is ecstatic. I remember now that she used to serve in a temple, is that why? Still, God huh? After it sounded like the thing ran its own show, I had my suspicions, but to think a god can look so¡­ puny. And be so annoying.


    ¡°What did they say? What did you do? Ah, to hear of such in my lifetime.¡±


    ¡°Ah, erhm, sure¡­¡± I give a recap of the events to Amina. I tell her of the talk, the one gift and one question per dungeon and the cape I received. I leave out the details about her kidnapping me though. I feel like it really doesn¡¯t add anything, and I already feel more like a resident of this world, rather than of the previous one.


    She appears very enthusiastic and happy while I tell her. Afterwards, I address a more immediate problem.


    ¡°Erhm, it¡¯s great that you are happy. Now I would like to ask for a favor, though¡± I say.


    ¡°Of course, sir. I assume it is with regard to clothes?¡± She adapts her calm tone once again. I am sitting here wearing the cloak, like one wears that cover at a hairdresser¡¯s.


    ¡°Yeah, that would be great.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no clothes here that would fit you, but Yorgar will come back when it is time for dinner. He will likely be happy to lend you money.¡± I smile a little, though I don¡¯t know why.


    ¡°Is he out with Vasha?¡± I can¡¯t help but notice her absence.


    ¡°Ah, no, sir¡­ The things is¡­ She passed away more than a year ago.¡± More than a year?


    ¡°How long have I been gone?¡±


    ¡°Almost two years, sir.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am really happy that you and Yorgar stayed around. Was it for my sake?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Ah, no, sir¡­ I believe Yorgar will tell you when he returns.¡± Amina averts her eyes. She is looking a little guilty. Why?


    Soon she starts preparing a meal and the sky starts to darken. She is boiling meat over a lit fireplace. Can you even call it boiling? The water doesn¡¯t bubble or steam after all, it merely becomes hot. I wonder if it can turn into ice? I have heard that cold places exist, but I have never seen one.


    Soon, the sound of the door opening. ¡°Honey! I''m home!¡± sounds the familiar voice of my younger brother.


    Honey? Vasha is dead so¡­. Ah. I somehow feel betrayed.

 103: Sulking

    An awkward silence spreads through the room.


    ¡°Ah, Yos, you¡¯re back, huh. Long time no see¡± Yorgar is trying to break it, but he looks really awkward. Shit.


    I rise from the chair I am sitting in. I think I am scowling.


    ¡°Sir, please relax¡­ Do you not still need clothes?¡± I do, but¡­ I feel like it is going to be hard talking to them.


    ¡°Yos, there was no ill intent, if that makes you feel better.¡± I was looking forward to eating here tonight. But this¡­ The expressions they show me. I see them as a mix of guilt and pity. I don¡¯t want to be here.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come by tomorrow night. I¡¯ll appreciate if you have some clothes for me then.¡± I say, as I storm past Yorgar. I accidentally said it through gritted teeth. I must sound pissed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Yos. What will you do? Dressed like that?¡± I will show you what I can do dressed like this.


    I storm out, down the stairs. Yorgar is following me. Amina remains still. I gather bestowal in my legs, bend my knees, and set off with all my might.


    ¡°Whaa?¡± Yorgar lets his surprise slip, but his exclamation soon fades to nothing, as I travel upwards at a ridiculous speed.


    The pain in my legs informs me that I used too heavy a bestowal. There¡¯s probably a couple of bones broken. I glide away.


    While I glide, I notice something annoying. I thought this was a really awesome piece of clothing, but what does it really do? I think this, because as I glide, I am fairly certain I could cover this distance faster if I ran. Probably with less exhaustion and risk of damage too.


    It¡¯s just a novelty item. It somehow pisses me off even more.


    I notice I am willfully averting my thoughts from thinking over it. Shit. My thoughts keep bouncing back. I wonder, why am I so pissed? Had I not decided I didn¡¯t really like Amina? Why does it feel like such a betrayal?If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    I can¡¯t sort my own feelings out. As I land, a good way outside of the city, I feel the pain as I land on my legs and tumble over. Yep, definitely broke something. It¡¯ll fix itself in the morning.


    But why did Amina accept Yorgar? They should have been living together for a far shorter time than I did with Amina. He should have given her far less¡­ He should have had fewer attempt to make advances¡­ Am I unlikeable?


    I can feel myself spiraling downwards. Negative opinions of myself start to form. I never really could figure people out.


    I never had luck with girls. In this world, there was Atna, who got to spend one whole day with me as a couple. Before I lost her forever. I hope someone saved her before she was executed. Kamas was strong, and he was there.


    In the world before, girls often developed crushes on me, but as interacted with them, they quickly fled, broke it off. I never understood why. I think there may be something wrong with me.


    Thoughts go back to before I was sealed. Did anything I did back then matter, now that I think about it? Everyone is gone¡­  Everything they could have become is gone¡­ Even if Atna became king, would it have made a lick of difference in this age? Had we survived, how long would I have spent with her, before time inevitably stole her away anyway?


    And the few new relations I have, I feel betrayed by¡­ Is this why immortal people choose to do nothing? Because of this pain that comes along with living?


    I remember Hannah didn¡¯t interact with anybody but Jorgen. Maybe it was because she knew relations would only hurt her before her effective suicide?


    I briefly consider digging into the dirt and staying there forever, but then, the weirdest thought jumps into my head.


    That bar, with the girls fawning over patrons. That felt nice. I want to go there again.


    Slowly other thoughts fill my head. Thoughts of delicious food, of the fun I had fighting monster. Of the curiosity I have regarding the God¡­


    Did I¡­. Did I just get motivated to keep on living because I want to pay pretty young ladies to sing my praises?


    I mean, I feel like scum for thinking so, but I also feel a lot better about the whole situation.


    Right! Screw Yorgar and Amina. I am going to get money after I get the clothes, and I am going to get pampered.


    As the familiar feeling of my slight hunger and tiredness being dispelled washes over me, I get ready. The sensation was a bit weird, as it was actually the first time since I started diving into the dungeon that I didn¡¯t die¡­


    Nevermind, I should just hang out at Yorgar¡¯s house to get my affairs in order as quickly as possible.


    I don¡¯t mind it. I don¡¯t¡­ The girls at that club are way prettier than Amina anyway, yeah.


    So I think, as I walk back to the wall, before jumping and gliding over it. If only the shitty fog wasn¡¯t everywhere, this cape would be great for reconnaissance.

 104: Feelings

    As I knock on the door, Yorgar is here to open it. He seems a little confused, but flashes me a smile anyway.


    ¡°Calmed down?¡± He asks me. I just nod.


    ¡°Alright, you just stay here. I will go purchase your clothes when the stores open.¡± While the marketplace can be active from early in the morning, most storefronts only open up after lunch.


    There is an awkward silence in the room. ¡°oh right!¡± Yorgar exclaims. He disappears quickly and then reappears with something. It¡¯s my hunter tag.


    ¡°You left this in the manor. I told the others I wanted it as a memento¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Thanks¡± I say and take it.


    ¡°I said I wanted it as a memento¡­ Since they all thought you were dead¡­ And I didn¡¯t know if you wanted them to know¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thanks¡±


    I hadn¡¯t been wearing it while working with the group, as we didn¡¯t do requests for the guild, but worked under Ahorn personally.


    ¡­


    ¡°How was God? Like, as a person?¡± He suddenly asked. It seems he is desperate to make some conversation. Amina is just doing some house chores in the background.


    ¡°Annoying¡­ Brazen¡­ Something like that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­ How so?¡±


    ¡°Laughing a lot at me, making sound effects, acting somewhat capricious¡±


    ¡°Ah I see¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Well, I better go get you those clothes¡± Yorgar flees. The conversation was probably too much for him. It should still be too early, but off he goes.


    I have been waiting for this. To be alone with Amina. I want to ask her something.


    ¡°Amina?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir?¡± She stops her cleaning and turns her head in my direction. I steel myself. I might not like her answer.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Why Yorgar and not me?¡±


    She looks a little taken aback. But she soon collects herself.


    ¡°Sir¡¯s treatment¡­ It was as if sir could not care less who I was, only seeking to fulfill sir¡¯s own needs¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t care about you?¡± I think that¡¯s bull. ¡°Didn¡¯t I provide for you for two years? Didn¡¯t I comfort you when you needed to be comforted?¡±


    ¡°Sir, that is simple. Sir was looking at me like the priest that¡­ like the priest did. It made me consider all your considerations as a mean to an end, as if you were trying to buy my affection to get access to my body¡±


    I start to think about it, but nothing comes to mind. Wait, I think I do remember looking a lot at her face and¡­ Her breasts and hips when the clothing allowed for it. Shit. I feel like scum.


    ¡°And what did Yorgar do differently?¡± I have accepted Amina is gone. But if I ever meet another woman, I want better odds at securing her.


    ¡°He spoke with me. About my feelings. My problems. How the past made me feel and expressed his sympathy. I felt like he really cared about me. He too, after Vasha died, shared his own conflicts and feelings. Made me feel a deep connection to him. In contrast, sir only rarely spoke of things that had a direct connection to him.¡±


    So, I didn¡¯t make a connection on such a level huh?


    Amina continues her cleaning after our short chat. I feel like I am left only to sort out my own feelings.


    Eventually, Yorgar comes back with a new set of clothes. Simple pants and a shirt. I take them and thank him. As I undress, I remove the cape. I have never really seen it before like this, but it looks like a rather simple cape. I had half expected there to be some fancy pattern or symbol somewhere, but it just looks like a pale, blue cape.


    After getting dressed, I ask Yorgar. ¡°Where can I find Ahorn?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know specifically, he just told us he would head to the capital, but are you sure you want to meet him? I thought you wanted to hide your gift¡± Well.


    ¡°I feel like I owe it to him, to tell him what happened¡± I said. He is a fellow man thrust into this world by the capricious child-god.


    ¡°If you need a place to stay, you should know you are welcome to stay here for a while¡± Or so he says. But I feel it would be far too awkward, especially if their relationship is a physical one. I reject it respectfully and set out. Yorgar offers me ten asti on the way, to tide me over. Which I accept, all the while regretting it isn¡¯t twelve, so that I could go directly to that bar.


    I wanted to earn a bit of cash first, so I go to the hunter¡¯s guild, but something is wrong. There is crowding around it, and a lot of people seem anxious.


    I get the attention of a man in the mob surrounding the guild and ask him what¡¯s wrong.


    ¡°It¡¯s the dungeon.¡± He explains. ¡°The monsters of the early levels didn¡¯t come back yesterday! Or rather, most of them didn¡¯t!¡± Huh? The dungeon stopped working?


    This is probably my fault, isn¡¯t it?


    Some guy comes out from the guild and makes an announcement. ¡°Gentlemen, please calm down. We are investigating whether this is an isolated incident or something has happened elsewhere, in addition to sending couriers to the university in order to investigate if anything like this has happened before. Lastly, much better-paying jobs than usual will be posted, for lower floor monsters to be hunted and delivered to the guild! We will work together to make it through this!¡±


    Huh, better pay? I think I am about to profit from a problem I caused, but it was more the God and not me, right? I should be morally in the clear, right?

 105: Riot

    In the following week I have an insane income. With my hunter tag and a cheap sword, I hunt day and night. I hire supporters to drag the loot for me. The lack of respawning monster mean that people have to go deeper and deeper into the dungeon to supply the native populace with food. The local count issued a rationing system and many people meet in the morning and evening at the central plaza to receive the food distributed by the hunter¡¯s guild.


    As we have to deeper, many bail, especially around the 14<sup>th</sup> floor when rapports of deaths started increasing drastically. In return, the guild raised request prices ever higher for its hunters.


    The public situation was chaos. There had been talks about the lord having committed wrongdoings and being punished. People took to the streets and protested against ¡°immoral¡± establishments, such as the bar, I lingered for, in fear of it having drawn the ire of God.


    The local alchemist¡¯s guild was torched and all of the potions broken and a few of them were even publicly hanged, or otherwise executed by anxious mobs, though I never witnessed it myself, I heard rumors.


    The reason for this is that God has few rules in this world, the primary one being ¡°Be fruitful and multiply¡±. The bar is accused of keeping virile men single and the alchemists condemned for their many blasphemous potions, some removing pregnancy, others preventing it.


    The chaos eventually came to an end. One week passed and the monsters started reappearing. Many interpreted this as the faith and retaliation of its bastardization by the public caused God to take pity on them. They even have a figurehead, a mid-thirties woman called Ankia, who ranted about the people¡¯s duty to bring forth children. It seems that she herself is a mother of eight. After the public outcry, it appears she has taken up some kind of cult leadership role and many look up to her as the savior of the situation.


    I am and was in twain about revealing my perspective. My personal theory is that God used the powers of the dungeon to create this weird cape, or maybe just for her to manifest here, and it took some time for it to regain its powers. I was seriously concerned I might get lynched if I revealed I may have been the cause, so I have decided just to keep quiet.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Not wanting to stay here any longer, on account of the guilt for the current situation and actually profiting of it, the chance of running into Yorgar and Amina, making me feel bad once again and finally the bar I was so looking forward to having been forcibly closed down, I ready myself to travel to the capital.


    Over the course of this one week, I made around 1500 asti. 200 of these, though, were paid as wages to various supporters, who helped carry my loot. Another 1000 went towards buying a high quality sword, presumably forged from that flavite thing I have heard a little about, as even though it appears mostly in a dull, metallic color, traces of yellow lines can be seen in it. I just hope I weren¡¯t cheated.


    I spend no money on armor, as it has a track record of being completely useless. I am incredibly sturdy, and I just end up losing it all the time. So, it ends up seeming like a fruitless expenditure. Even if people give me a weird eye, as I go to hunt monsters solo and with no armor. That¡¯s part of the reason the supporters were so handsomely paid.


    The capital seems to be far, far away. This will probably be the longest journey I have set out on. I remember the directions I received from the clerk at the guild.


    I have to follow a certain road for two weeks to a small town called White Flats, from which I will have to travel along one of its main roads for another two weeks to a slightly larger town called Rachimov. Lastly, a full month¡¯s journey alongside a road directly to the capital can be found from there. I wonder how little time I can cut this journey down to.


    I also wonder if I should take a look around each city. Go on a little bit of tourist trip? That could be fun, though few resources in this world are dedicated to culture, and scarcely are they publicly available, so one might not have much to see.


    Or at least, so I thought, but as I made my way to White Flats in just over a day, an impressive sight reveals the city¡¯s namesake. Either side of the road, as far as the eye can see, the only thing visible before the ever-present fog occludes all is white, rugged stone. I also seem to feel a significant temperature drop as I enter this curious area.


    I have lived in permanently the same temperature ever since I got here. The same day or night, every day, even in the dungeons, only occasionally slightly raised by the presence of fire. Therefore, it feel incredibly refreshing, experiencing such a phenomenon as ¡°cold¡± for the first time in forever.


    A city, with walls as white as the stone plains that surround it, gradually comes into my view.

 106: Entertainment

    It¡¯s really refreshing, walking around White Flats, the city. I thought all materials came from the dungeon, but the stone of the buildings here is white. A white stone wall with a white stone guardhouse surrounding white stone houses. The houses are also different in that there¡¯s chimneys. Some with smoke coming out of them.


    At the same time, the temperature being different is something new. It¡¯s not freezing by any stretch of the word, but... around 40¡ãF? I am actually starting to feel a little cold. As I look around I see people wearing cloaks and sweaters and jackets. All other places I have been before, people were mostly wearing a single layer of thin clothing and that obviously isn¡¯t cutting it here. I wonder how the climate functions, since I have never felt wind that didn¡¯t come from running, never seen any cloud and thus no rain or snow.


    I think I am going to stay here for a little while. So I think, as I find the local guild. It is not only a place to earn money, but also one where you can easily get information about the town.


    It is around midday at the time of my arrival, which is good, since most hunters use the guild in the morning and another, smaller rush over the afternoon to evening. As I step in, I feel heat seep into me from the feature I have seen at no other guild, a large fireplace takes up a significant portion of one of the walls.


    There a few people, whom I think are employees, having lunch around a table, and one behind the counter. The scene of three people eating lunch around the table remind of the first time I walked in to the guild in Brahms.


    I inquire the man behind the counter about all manner of stuff. Where is the dungeon, where is an inn, where can I get some warm clothes, where one can find entertainment? I also think about asking the requests, but I don¡¯t think I plan on doing any today. I should seriously learn to read already, but the few time I have tried, which I have done partially with Amina, partially through just observing, I get fed up about it.


    The written language is not one, where each letter corresponds to a sound, but rather a series of symbols, each responding to a different meaning. In addition, in case there is no symbol for the thing you are trying to write, it seems they just invent one, the add smaller symbols above it, that sound out the word. I can speak the language fine, so if only it had been so easy as to sound out consonants and vowels, I would have gotten by easily.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    No matter, I run the errands I have set forth by acquiring some suitable clothes, I go for the sweater option, and getting a room with the local in. I was about to pay for lodging only and no food, since I don¡¯t need it, but the cold air makes me want to eat something hot, so I end up paying anyway.


    I quickly contemplate diving deep into the dungeon, in order to see God again, but decide against it. I don¡¯t know if the previous one was easy or hard, and it took me almost two years. If this one ends up being even harder, I could be stuck down there for God knows how long, and I would like to inform Ahorn about it, before he dies of old age¡­ Wait, how long is Ahorn supposed to live, anyway? He clearly isn¡¯t human, so he could have a weirdly long or weirdly short lifespan.


    I wonder if any of the heroes came from the same world I did. Might be fun if that ends up happening, getting a rundown on what happened to the world over the span of 800 or how many years it is I have been alive here anyway.


    I make it to my final destination planned for today, the entertainment. I tried to subtly hint that it should be with women to the man behind the counter, which he seemed to catch, judging by his own knowing gestures, but something feels a little off.


    The building I am approaching has two girls standing outside in¡­ very little clothes. They must be very cold, standing here in the cold.


    As I approach I am addressed in a suggestive tone.


    ¡°The fine gentleman over here, come in an enjoy the warmth of young women!¡±


    I merely nod and move my feet inside. Something is wrong again. This appears to be more or less a living room, with plenty of furniture and people on it.


    An older lady stands by the entrance, gaudily dressed up, who directs me to the over side of the room, where various couches and sofa chair are, a lot of women sitting on them in weird ways. One is laying alongside a couch and doing weird stretches with her legs, another is upside down on a sofa chair, with her legs over the backrest, playfully smiling as my eyes course over her.


    The old lady approaches me ¡°The young man seeing anything he likes, all here are available to service you¡± She says, gesturing over the eight women or so, using furniture in ways not intended. I guess they let you choose your server, let¡¯s see.


    I end up choosing a short, busty brunette, who was standing behind an empty sofa chair, pressing her breast down on the backrest. She smiles.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be 100 asti as down payment¡± The old lady asks of me. Expensive! The place in Berliso was only 12 asti! But I have been looking forward to this for too long, so I reluctantly pay her.


    Upon the old lady receiving payment, she nods to the brunette, who cheerfully grabs me by the hand and leads me up the stairs. She doesn¡¯t bring any alcohol, as she leads me through a hallway with a dozen doors or so. I think it strange that I can¡¯t hear anybody else, but I guess it is early in the day.


    I am led into one of the rooms, and it keeps getting stranger. There is no table of comfortable sitting place, only a bed in here.

 107: Therapy

    I realize that this isn¡¯t the kind of place I thought it was, and get it immediately verified as slender hands wrap around me from behind, and start to creep up under the sweater I am wearing as breasts are pressed against my back.


    I blank for a moment, but then come back and pull her arms away.


    ¡°Sorry, this isn¡¯t the kind of place I thought it was.¡±


    ¡°Really? What kind of place did you think it was?¡± The girl asks in a weirdly seductive tone, while rubbing against my back, a movement she took up as soon as I grabbed her hands.


    ¡°My friends brought me to a place, where girls served alcohol and¡­ made me feel great¡± I try to explain it, but it is really hard to pull one¡¯s thoughts together.


    ¡°Oh, a water bar¡±


    ¡°Huh? They didn¡¯t serve water¡±


    ¡°They call it so, because it doesn¡¯t really matter what they serve, it is not what you are there for¡± Keeping a very seductive tone along her explanation makes it sound¡­ Awful. And the name is confusing.


    ¡°Anyway, I didn¡¯t mean to come to this place, so please excuse me¡± I release her hands and turn to leave.


    ¡°Oh, wait, honey!¡± She says as she grabs me immediately after, this time face to face.


    ¡°Is it because you are married? Don¡¯t feel guilty, everybody needs a little love sometimes¡± She is pressing her body against mine and looking up at me.


    ¡°Ah, no, I am, eh¡­ Just not¡­ prepared¡± The pressure feels heavy.


    ¡°Is it your first time? Everybody needs to try it at least once, you know¡±


    ¡°it is not¡­¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°So you are married?¡±


    ¡°No she¡¯s¡­ dead.¡±


    ¡°oh¡± The seductive mood she tried to construct is gone.


    I walk towards the door but is stopped once again by her holding her hand out and grabbing my sleeve.


    ¡°Want someone to talk to? I¡¯m yours for an hour anyway.¡± The seductive gleam in the voice is gone and I find myself being pulled to sit in the bed.


    I don¡¯t know why, but I find myself unloading a lot on her. A lot I don¡¯t think I had dealt properly with anyway. I fudged the details a little as to not give away too much of my background, but I tell her of Atna, the girl that was mine for only a day, I change it so that she died in the dungeon, but I stress my dissatisfaction of not being able to save her. And somehow it translates to Amina. The girl I spent years trying to get close to, left for a little while, only to find my brother together with her when I am gone. As I talk about it, I find they are somehow connected. That my feelings for Atna somehow transferred to Amina.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot, huh?¡± One of her hands has found its way to the top of my head, ruffling my shoulder-long red hair, the other on my inner thigh.


    I don¡¯t know why, but it feels really good hearing that.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done good so far¡±


    And again, it feels nice. I feel my head being pulled and I let it slide until it reaches the bare skin of her thighs, uncovered as she is wearing a very short-cut dress. A soft hand starts caressing the side of my head.


    ¡°You deserve better¡± I know she is probably just saying things on account of me being a paying customer, but I feel my left cheek, the one closest to the floor, moisten as she continues stroking my head.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, everything is going to be fine¡± She says. What follows is a long silence, but I feel completely at comfort. I almost don¡¯t ever want it to end, but I realize it has to. Just a little more.


    A little more and I will get up.


    A little more.


    ¡°I am afraid our time is up¡± she says. Ah. Did an hour really pass? I feel like it was only five minutes in hindsight, but I get up immediately. I don¡¯t want to trouble her. As I move towards the door, she open her mouth.


    ¡°Come back sometime¡± It sounds almost lonely. Is this a tactic to get return customers? Why does the prospect sound like such a damn good prospect?


    I ignore the old lady that seems to make some kind of naughty joke, as I return to the inn and the room I rented and plop down on the bed there.


    I feel a little pathetic and refreshed. A weird mix of emotions. There should still be some time until the dinner I paid for. I should do something in that time, but I end up just lying here a little while, trying to transport my mind to relive the sensation of the warm thighs, the delicate hand running over my cheeks or through my hair.


    I think I am lonely.

 108: Preaching

    The next day I think about a goal I want to set for myself. To get a wife. Luckily(?) women¡¯s rights are almost nonexistent in this world and as long as I am a good provider, I should be able to convince parents to give me their daughter. The problem with that is, she will die, and if I will love her, it will hurt.


    My second option should be locating a dryad. However, they seem to be rare and marry out of love¡­ And I basically resigned my ability to obtain a girl through that. I think of Atna. She was probably like the girls who squealed from the sidelines, as I ran, and quickly grew tired of me if they came to spend time with me as their boyfriend. She was just more in the spirit of this world, where I haven¡¯t even heard the term of girlfriend or boyfriend, and it seems to go straight to marriage-for-life.


    My third option¡­. Is to ask God. To complete another dungeon and ask for a lifelong companion. I think this is the best option, but at the same time, it puts the action on the backburner, as I feel I should be ready to lose all current relations when I set off to conquer another dungeon.


    Having cleared my thoughts like so, I decide to work here for a week before continuing.


    I quickly discover that the dungeon is cold too. Luckily, it is so easy for me on the upper floors, that I have no fear for my sweater being ruined.


    I only manage to earn some 200 asti for the week, with 70 asti going towards living conditions with the food. The proceeds are honestly pitiable compared to the one week with scarcity in Berliso. I really should just not stay at an Inn, since I have the option, but with the cold, the bed and food are just too comfortable.


    Today is my last day here, I have my doubts as to what to do. I have already informed the inn that I would be leaving. I have asked about the road to Rachimov, but I was warned when I did. Apparently, though it is only slightly colder there, the road between the two places get incredibly cold. I am planning to make the trip in a single day anyway, so I am wondering if it is worth it to buy a thick jacket for the trip. They run from 30-50 asti so it isn¡¯t completely cheap.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    I also ponder whether I should visit the girl at the brothel again¡­ But paying 100 asti to have a nice chat seems too ridiculous. Using the knowledge from our talk yesterday, I asked about a water bar, but there isn¡¯t one in White Flats.


    As I have started pacing a bit back and forth, thinking over my options, I hear a sound. A man seems to preaching.


    ¡°¡­ and thus it was that God saw we remedied the unpious ways of the blasphemous, and once again bestowed upon the seeds necessary for life.¡± Is this what I think it is? A man clothed in a white robe, holding a peculiar staff, that ends by splitting in three, each with a weird tulip-like bulb in the end. He has gathered quite the crowd around him.


    ¡°Now, the course is clear for the rest of the world. Rise up, pious believers, rise up and cast out the sinning ways of wicked! Rise up and repel the temptations that lead the innocent astray! RISE UP AND CLEANSE THE SIN OF THE CITY!¡± The crowd around him cheer.


    I recognize that bulbous cross symbol. It was that of the cult-like movement that rose up in Berliso after the dungeon collapsed. The crowd, it is slightly weird. It seems to be mostly women. I thought limiting the reproductive rights was more of a male thing, but the message here seems to resonate more with women. Maybe because there are just more women here now, or that it closes down ¡°places of temptation¡±, that could lure their husbands.


    Shit. I feel it is still my fault. They are marching towards the brothel, where I was thinking of going. People died last time, so I make up my mind and use my incredible speed to get there very fast. I even alarm some people, even though I am usually careful not to show too much of my inhuman side to the public. But this is serious and I only have a few minutes.


    I spot the building with two barely-clothed ladies outside. I rush in.


    ¡°You gotta run!¡± I yell. The same old lady from before and the girls look at me in confusion.


    ¡°A mob, is coming here, they plan to burn down the place, and maybe even kill some of you!¡± I don¡¯t rightly know, since I didn¡¯t hear specifics, but I have the experience gained from hearing the rumors from Berliso.


    ¡°Young man, what nonsense are you talking about?¡± The old lady talks to me in a stern tone. Shit, there is no time for this.


    I draw my sword and point it straight at the neck of the old woman.


    ¡°You guys, evacuate, now!¡±


    I hear her make a sinking sound, followed by a slow nod.

 109: Difficulties

    ¡°Please, let us at least fetch the children¡± The old lady says. Children? I am guided by her to another room on the groundfloor. In there, some eight children are present. Shit.


    ¡°All right, everyone listen up, we¡¯re moving out!¡± The old lady proclaims to them. This might be a problem.


    I guide the brothel employees and the children a bit away. Many of them appear to be suffering under the cold weather, as none of them are really dressed for it. I don¡¯t know the streets very well, but I can easily tell where there are people or not, or at least where there is fewer of them.


    After a little while I think they are in the clear.


    ¡°You are safe now, but watch out. That new cult hates indecent things¡± I think for a little while.


    ¡°Is there an alchemist¡¯s guild in town? They could be under fire too.¡±


    ¡°Ah, they are pretty close by to the brothel¡± The old lady who seems like the leader answers.


    Shit. It¡¯s probably going to be too late by now.


    ¡°Nothing I can do then. You guys take care now¡± I say, as I start to march away.


    ¡°Wait!¡± The old lady holds me up. ¡°What are we supposed to do now?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why is that my problem? I just didn¡¯t want to see you get lynched.¡±


    ¡°You got us out at swordpoint. We didn¡¯t bring any valuables. Most of us have nowhere to go either! We will die if you just leave us now!¡± That¡¯s strange¡­ Following this world¡¯s logic, women shouldn¡¯t be expected to take care of themselves at all.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t the young girls just marry someone?¡± Eyes are averted. Either to the sky or the ground.


    ¡°We¡­ We can¡¯t¡± The girl who comforted me speak up.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Noone would take woman who sleeps with a man she wasn¡¯t married to.¡±


    ¡°Why would they know? I mean, just don¡¯t tell them, right?¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°But¡­ For many of us¡­ There¡¯s proof. We would have to make the trip to another¡­¡±


    ¡°What proof?¡± Did they get marked or something?


    ¡°The children¡± Oh.


    ¡°But why could you not just lie and say they were from a previous marriage?¡±


    ¡°We have no bangles, no one would believe us.¡± I remember seeing a lot of women wearing bangles. Even the old lady here has one.


    ¡°What are those?¡±


    ¡°Bangles of Matrimony. The temple provides one upon marriage, to show your eternal devotion.¡±


    Shit. What is this? Do I have to do with this? Can¡¯t I just run? If I have to move all of these girls and their children to another city, it would take a long time, not to mention I would probably have to provide for them all. And if I were to travel my original route, I would have to pass what was described to me as ¡°The Icy Road¡± going through uninhabitably cold temperatures with poorly clothed women and their children.


    ¡°Can I just give you my money? Would that be enough?¡±


    ¡°How much do you have?¡± The old woman quite shamelessly asks.


    ¡°A little more than 300 asti, I think.¡±


    ¡°Nowhere near enough¡±


    Why do I have to deal with this? It¡¯s that damn mob¡¯s fault.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t doing anything, we are going back!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you about the bloodthirsty mob moving towards the brothel?¡± I asked


    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen it, and the path you are leading us to will surely end in our deaths, we have no choice.¡±


    Fuck. Well, I tried, right?


    As I turn to leave, somebody grabs my sleeve. I turn around and see the young woman who comforted me yesterday.


    ¡°Please, if the situation really is as you say, you must help us!¡± Not only is she making an earnest plea with her words, but her eyes too, are compelling me. In addition, a little boy, no more than 4 years old, is hiding behind her, having grabbed her short dress and peeks at me with innocent eyes.


    Maybe I can just use my inhuman ability to defuse the situation? I was planning on leaving anyway. Quickly melting to the soft pressure, I find myself resolute on helping.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take care of it¡± I say, to which I receive a whisper of ¡°thanks¡±.


    As we head back the way we came, this time with the old lady leading the pack, as I am not really sure as how to return, I try to think of a strategy. Could I just say they are under my protection? Could I try something like saying I am a messenger of God and their ways are wrong, backing that up.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± The young girl asks me.


    ¡°Rikiya! Don¡¯t fraternize with him, we don¡¯t know if we can trust him¡± The old lady admonishes her. Granted, I did threaten her with a sword, but it was to help them.


    Rikiya merely responds by sticking her tongue out at her, then turns back to me, expecting an answer.


    ¡°If you had overwhelming power, how would you resolve the situation?¡± I ask her. Maybe she has some ideas.


    She visibly thinks a little, with one arm supporting the other by the elbow, the other on her chin. I don¡¯t know if she does it on purpose, or if it is a habit of the trade, but the pose heavily emphasizes her breasts.


    ¡°I think I would just show off my power, then saying ¡®go away¡¯ in a threatening way. Why? You some kind of super human?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess you could call me that.¡± As we approach the brothel it is clear something is wrong, judging by the large plume of smoke that starts flying through the air.


    And as we get there, the building is lit on fire. Great, what now?

 110: Brute

    ¡°No! No way!¡± The old lady became emotional. She runs out towards the crowd.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing! Leave my home alone!¡±


    I follow her as she reveals herself. I am still unsure of what action to take.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s the matron! Get her!¡± Some random chump in the crows yells as he points towards her.


    It seems most people are just standing on the sidelines, but two men and two women move towards the matron. One of the men runs toward the old lady, as if to tackle her.


    ¡°OOF¡± I intercept him with a kick to the gut. His body bends and he makes a sound as if all the air was kicked out of him. I hope I don¡¯t do any lasting damage.


    ¡°Fucker!¡± ¡°What the hell¡± The other people who were advancing are yelling at me.


    ¡°Try to hurt innocent people and you¡­ get hurt.¡± I try to say something menacingly, but I think it only ended up sounding stupid.


    ¡°Innocent?¡± The white robed man, who held the speech earlier stands in front of the crowd. He turns his face an attention to me.


    ¡°Have you not heard how we were punished for our sins? How no food was to be found in Berliso, and only after we took righteous action, was God appeased and our food returned!?¡± His speech is very tonal and effective.


    ¡°That was just a coincidence¡± I say. It really was. ¡°Why else would it only happen to Berliso? Isn¡¯t there alchemists and indecent establishments all over the place?¡±


    ¡°You dare say God acted on a mere whim! That God had not planned all? That God had not seen all and acted accordingly!? How dare you! We know now you are wicked, as if protecting these sinners were not proof enough!¡± Huh? I find myself overwhelmed. I have never been good at debates. The crowd starts jeering at me. Also, the God here didn¡¯t really seem to be the omnipotent type. I mean, God was surprised that I was the one at the end of the labyrinth, right? And the power from the dungeon waned, so God must¡¯ve needed to tap into that, right?You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Fuck you, I am stronger than all of you anyways¡± I can¡¯t make my point with words, so I do so with might.


    ¡°You mean to say one man can stop the just crusade of the faithful? The faith makes strong! The faith unites us! All are powerless against God¡¯s faithful! Get them!¡± He points exaggeratedly as he commands our seizing. A lot more people approach us this time.


    I sigh. I don¡¯t want to hurt these idiots, that are clearly just being misled. I rapidly punch 5 of them in the gut, of which all fall over. Some even puke.


    ¡°This idiot doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s talking about!¡± I scream.


    ¡°What God thinks has nothing to do with who¡¯s stronger, you will leave these people alone, or so help me God, I will punch every one of you!¡±


    ¡°This is clearly a great evil! Whoever so has arms available, do not hesitate to use them¡± A few of the men was carrying arms, but no women, resulting in six guys approaching, four with spears, two with swords.


    Another sigh escapes me. This is the second time someone has called me a great evil. I hope it doesn¡¯t become a trend.


    ¡°Really? I mean, didn¡¯t you see how fast I moved? You can¡¯t hope to do anything!¡± I try to talk them down. They seem a little scared, but the preacher riles them up again.


    ¡°He is merely trying to trick you with words! That proves he is scared you can hurt him! Go now, just warriors and show your faith through sword.¡± Okay, fuck this. I am seriously pissed off by now.


    I create a spike and throw it right at the preacher¡¯s head with some strength, but not all. ¡®Take that, fucker!¡¯ I think as it pierces his grinning face right through the skull.


    ¡°Aieee! He killed the priest!¡± Multiple screams are heard like that one.


    This only seems to rile the armed men up further, as they charge in on me. I think they are all ordinary people. They move incredibly slow compared to some of the monsters I encountered at the lower levels. I dodge most of them, and give them a swift punch to their stomachs and disarm them, but my casual demeanor as one of the spearmen manages to make a jab connect at my sides. It doesn¡¯t even penetrate me though. My guess is that those monsters toughened me up much more, by killing me in various ways each day for two years.


    He has a look of ecstasy, that fades quickly, as he realizes he has only managed to hurt my sweater and shirt. Shit, the sweater was pretty expensive. I yank his spear, punch his gut¡­ Then I kick him over the shin for good measure.


    ¡°Everyone, go the fuck home. Didn¡¯t you do enough today, burning down this place already.¡± I turn to look at the brothel. Oh shit. The fire appears to have spread to an adjacent building, even when they were separated by a narrow alleyway.


    ¡°Shit, look at what you have done! Somebody get water!¡±


    A few people from the crowd run, but most stand still. I hope they have some water nearby.

 111: Icy Road

    After some time, one of the men return not with water per se, but a whole team drawing a weird cart. It is not open, but essentially a large, flat barrel on wheels. It has a long lever off each end and a large spigot at the middle. They come to a stop, one of the men jumps up to the spigot, 4 others, two for each lever, start pulling and pushing it. A magnificent water beam starts pouring forth.


    It reminds one of a primitive fire-truck.


    The mob has calmed down and is watching the fire. I better get out of here, I already caused enough trouble. I can easily fade out, since everyone¡¯s attention is on the fire. I think the fire will be contained, but the brothel probably won¡¯t be saved.


    I quickly move towards the exit that should lead to Rachimov along the Icy Road. I am not sure whether to feel bad. I protected innocent people today, but I did kill a man because he was besting me with words and manipulating a crowd.


    I do think I did the right thing, and the nagging feeling in me is nowhere near killing the innocent guards in that mansion so long ago. This guy was actively trying to cause harm to others. I did the right thing¡­


    As I move along the road, the sides go from the rugged white stone fields to grass, though the color stays mostly the same. The grass is covered in frost. I wonder how it is possible, I always thought it was some water in the air, that froze, but since there is no evaporation in this world, I don¡¯t think water can be in the air. It¡¯s strange, but a beautiful sight. Too bad it is ruined by me freezing my butt off.


    It isn¡¯t called the icy road for nothing. I am not one hour out from the city and the cold is biting me, even more so when I run and I can feel the air pressing against me. It robs me off my body heat fast.


    I try to compensate with the ¡°heat¡± basic emission spell, but it takes quite a lot of mana to feel comfortable.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    After only three hours, I think I am about to run out, though it really is hard to tell. Luckily I spot something appearing from the fog. A house? I wonder if they will let me stay.


    As I come closer, I can tell it is more of an inn than a house. A few carts are parked outside. I open the door.


    ¡°Welcome, welcome¡± A large, rotund man greets me as I enter. His face is cleanly shaven, and almost gives off a shine.


    ¡°Are you alone?¡± He asks, while giving me a confusing look.


    ¡°Ah, yes I am¡±


    ¡°A lone traveler along the Icy Road? With no coat or jacket? Hah, how curious. I guess you will want a room and a bite to eat?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes¡± But I am more curious. ¡°But, excuse me, this is the first time I see an inn outside a city, any special reason for that?¡±


    ¡°Haha, yes of course. A lot of the harder trade routes around have posts like ours, so that trade can easier flow between the large cities, that are otherwise hard to reach. Though that does mean I only have larger bunk rooms to rent out, it will be more expensive for you, haha¡±


    Well, as long as I get warm. As he serves me up some food, he asks for a whole 40 asti for the whole thing, a standard charge apparently, and I inquire a little more about his business.


    ¡°I get most things I need to run this place heavily subsidized, to counteract the fact it takes a lot to transport it out here. Of every 3 asti I spend on supplies, I basically get 2 of them covered by sending invoices to the lord of White Flats¡± Sounds like quite the lucrative deal he has going on.


    ¡°The downside is that it gets mighty lonely sometimes. We have times, where we see caravans every day, but right now, we have been seeing one a week at most for some time. It¡¯s not good for the family to have so little contact with others, but in return, I can make a good profit with little work, haha¡±


    ¡°How many of these stations are there alongside Icy road?¡±


    ¡°Erhm, I can never remember if it is six or seven, all I know is that there are only two of us, who operate under the lord of White Flats. The other guy will be another two days down the road¡±


    We chat on like that for some time, while I enjoy his soup. It is thick, hot and very satisfying. In addition, I am drinking some kind of hot alcohol I have never tried it before, but it feels perfect for this kind of weather.


    I go to bed feeling quite warm and content.

 112: Rachimov

    I had originally planned to make the trip along the icy road in a single day, but I was woefully unprepared and ended up spending a day in most of the inns along the way. It cost me most of my money, but the cold was seriously troublesome. I could have just chosen to continue travelling along the road, risking death, but ultimately I chose the comfortable option.


    The caravans I meet along the way only serve to underscore my ill prepared-ness. Each has a trail of at least five carts and no less than ten people. Each is clothed so thickly, that I am sure there is at least a few inches of padding in their jackets. I wonder what they are transporting? It is probably spices or metal, since I see them in every town, and they are always expensive.


    The cold had grown increasingly worse until the third station, whereafter it became easier and easier to travel through. The last day I have such confidence I can make it through, that I ignore the seventh and final station in order to get to Rachimov one day faster.


    The scenery around the road changed after the first station. The right-hand side, started becoming rocky, and soon mountainsides were clearly visible. I can¡¯t see the peaks because of the ever-present fog, so it gives off an ominous feel that anything could be up there


    When I make it to Rachimov, I fall a little disappointed. I had hoped it would have a unique style like White Flats, but it is pretty much the same general architecture and look as Berliso, Honecker and Roxas.


    Why does almost everyone construct the same houses in the same way? Is there some sort of architect school? I remember hearing about the university in the capital. Maybe that is responsible?


    I check my money to see what I have to get by on. 74 asti is what I find. Damn, if only I had gotten to second rank as hunter, money wouldn¡¯t be an issue like this. I don¡¯t know how much money I will need in the capital, to get to Ahorn. He seems to be somewhat of an important figure in religion here, and I might have trouble meeting with him.


    Well, if everything fails, I can just brute force myself in. I already have confirmation I above the reach of regular people. Where was this strength when I tried to save Atna? Shit.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I check in with the guild, get to know where the dungeon is, and get to work clearing requests. I don¡¯t plan on staying at an inn here, since the temperature is more tolerable.


    I also ask if there is a water bar here, and there is, but I don¡¯t know if I will go to it. I think I will really like it, but it is fairly expensive and I am already low on funds.


    And so, two weeks pass with me working on simple requests. I end up at some 350 asti and I only went to the water bar once.


    As I have reached my goals and am ready to part with this city, I ask the guild receptionist for the path to the capital.


    Rather than directions, I receive a counter-offer. To escort a merchant. What follows is a long and dry conversation.


    It seems the dungeon is actually a pretty poor food supply, but thanks to the position of the city, it is considered sort of a trade hub. According to some people I talked to, every caravan travelling with the capital from anywhere east in the human territory, do so by way of Rachimov. The long road from the capital to here crosses sort of a desert. Not one of sand and heat, but one of piss-poor dungeons so that no cities are between the two places. The road was even built exclusively to Rachimov, so that such trade could be facilitated.


    It seems the trade is lopsided. People often come here with empty carts from the capital, and with filled ones towards it. The main exports seem to be herbs and spices not available in the western part of the territory.


    It also sounds like it is the sole hotbed of banditry in the whole world. I think there is, relatively speaking, very little crime in this world. Why would there be, if anyone could go into a dungeon and get food and raw materials? Risking stealing from others seems to be as risky as taking from the dungeons. In addition, in this world, practically every man is a warrior, on account of most of the populace having to enter said dungeons and hunt for their living.


    The exception to this are merchants. They are often born of merchants, and some of them seem to live their entire lives without ever entering a dungeon. And they carry many more valuables than your average person would. As a result, the single most lucrative trade route is the only place where the profession of banditry seems viable.


    At the end of it, I don¡¯t know¡­ It will slow me down a great deal, but something else irks me.


    I have great power in this world, but how many people have I really helped with it? The prostitutes that I myself was partially responsible of putting in danger? Amina, that¡¯s one¡­ Who else? Ahorn? Though my intention at first was to help him, I ended up stealing his quest entirely.


    And so, with my aim being something as nebulous as ¡°doing some good¡± I accept the request to escort a merchant.

 113: Caravan

    The caravan formed up. Sixteen people were on cart-pulling duty, and twelve hunters were present. The journey, however, proves to be insanely boring. Marching at an incredibly slow pace, looking at surroundings with little to nothing in them, only bare fields of grass as much of this world seems to be covered in. The food served is some of the preserved stuff. I indulge in it in order to not raise suspicion, but the only thing served is incredibly chewy and salty meat. Some people soak it in their water ration, but I at least want my water to be nice and refreshing. I end up stealthily putting it away in my own backpack, instead of digesting it.


    Idle chatter seems fine for dispersing the boredom at first, but not three days have passed before you start hearing the same topics again and again, mostly what the latest rumors were at the time of departure. Being with merchants, it is mostly related to the price of goods.


    Apparently, the magical academy has recently shown promise in developing new talismans to preserve food. If this is true, depending on the difficulty of manufacture, salt prices will heavily drop. Transporting salt from the few places rich in it to the rest of the world seems to have been thought as the one constant in a merchant¡¯s life, so many seem scared of it.


    Then, there are mention of a new berry, previously having been thought useless due to its horrid taste, was developed by an alchemist for a potion where one can go days without sleep, but if one relies on it too much, they will die.


    Another of how the capital has once again expanded their quotas for food import, as an incredible number of people have moved there and they are increasingly having trouble feeding everyone. I wonder what all these people do in the capital, if they can¡¯t hunt in the dungeon for food, but upon asking, the answers are pretty nebulous. Many young people apparently seek fortune and fame in the capital, hoping to work under the leader of humanity, or the hero, getting recognized and getting access to all the riches they dreamt of.


    Apparently, most of them end up as beggars or day-laborers. Sounds crushing.


    Such stories continue, many of them on a loop every few days. On account of my boredom, I offered to pull a carriage, but I was told to do my job, and they will do their own.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    I found myself hoping for some bandit attack soon, but all that cross our paths are some small monsters that bother us, probably from all the abandoned dungeons around here.


    The most interesting thing is when another caravan crosses our path, and we share rumors and information, injecting a few fresh ones into the cycle of boredom and hearing people¡¯s take on it.


    Each day passes with me feeling more and more frustrated at the lack of things to do. I vehemently regret ever taking this job. The only caveat is that the temperature is getting better and better, ending up around the comfortable level I am used to.


    And such dissatisfaction grows ever stronger, until, one day the capital appears in our sights.


    Part of me is disappointed, I invested all this time and boredom, ending up with nothing to really show for it. I didn¡¯t get to help people, and my salary is a measly 5 asti, on account of part of the cost being considered the food and water for making the long trip to the capital.


    I gaze upon the new city, as we approach it.


    It has a unique feature I haven¡¯t seen from any city so far. There are tall walls, as with any other large city, but in addition, there are a myriad of shoddy houses outside those walls. I see a lot of very thin, unkempt people among them, many sitting still and only the children running around. Everyone is poorly clothed.


    The houses often look crooked, with thin walls, as if the slightest gust of wind could knock them down, not there is any weather in this world. Many have a single piece of cloth acting as a door and I see no windows.


    As our caravan approaches the gates, dozens of them start swarming around us. The other hunters move to turn them back with kicks, shoves and threats, acting as if this is some kind of normal procedure, but some beg, telling sad stories for their misfortune. Others, especially kids, seem to aim for the carts, trying to steal something. Most of the hunters and merchants don¡¯t hide that they are absolutely disgusted by this lot.


    I personally take pity, but do not act. I have the notion that most people in such unfortunate conditions are not there by choice, but rather circumstance, but on the other hand, they are clearly bothering strangers and some even trying to steal from them. I grab a kid trying to sneak at a cart and put him down further away, but as I do, he immediately bolts for the cart again.


    I guess I can¡¯t fault the guards too much for being so rough with them, since I feel like I did nothing. I cannot, however find it in myself to take part in the rough treatment.


    Eventually we reach guards at the gate, where the poor do not dare approach. Maybe they have experienced something horrible in the past for them to act so scared of coming closer to here.


    The guards swiftly inspect goods and identifications, before letting us pass through to the capital. Finally.

 114: Plaza

    I join a small group of four hunters, who are also going towards a hunter¡¯s guild. It seems that there are multiple of them, just like there was in Roxburg.


    The city is insanely busy in comparison with anything I have witnessed before. Almost like visiting New York or San Francisco, tons of people are everywhere, and I am more stalking than following, and I almost lose them a couple of time due to all the foot traffic.


    The streets are also quite different. Usually there¡¯s just a single plaza with the market and stores close by, but here, ever since I have entered the city, it has been one continuous streak of various commercial-looking buildings with storefronts. Only a few are fairly easy to recognize, as symbols of arms, clothes, shoes etc. are shown. I wonder what services are offered at the rest of them?


    In addition, there is also a sidewalk. The main area of the road seems to be designated only for carts, as they are pulled through, though people often step out on it, in order to cross each other¡¯s path.


    The buildings are also quite a lot taller. Maybe up to ten floors are built in many places. I don¡¯t know how you build like this with only stone and timber available.


    As we arrive at the guild branch, they are delivering letters. Seems they kind of took two-jobs-in-one. How efficient of them.


    When they are done with their business, I get my turn at the counter.


    ¡°Excuse me, I arrived here. Do you know how one meets with the hero?¡± I want to tell Ahorn about the bottom of the dungeon as soon as possible.


    The old man behind the desk creases his eyebrows.


    ¡°No, excuse me, you want to casually meet with the hero?¡± I knew it, this is not going to be that simple. Like someone walked into a DMV and asked how to meet the vice-president. I would think such a person is an idiot, too.


    ¡°Ah, I know him from a little while back and I have important information for him. I want to tell it to him.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, even if you speak truthfully that might be difficult. Maybe if you made a major public contribution?¡± He wonders.


    ¡°Can you give me an example?¡±


    ¡°Sure. A few weeks ago, some guy who created an orphanage, has shown result of turning useless children into a productive workforce over the last decade, and received an official congratulation from the hero in form of an official visit¡± He really is the vice-president.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Any methods that won¡¯t take a decade to realize?¡±


    ¡°I mean, they always meet with the more important and wealthy people. The guild masters, the large merchant groups, the higher officials and so on. But mostly the common people he meets with are those who have made large contributions to society¡± This sucks. I quickly think of breaching into whatever is equivalent to the white house, but I also fear making myself public enemy number one. Before I reach a decision, my thoughts are interrupted.


    ¡°Oh, and the champions of course.¡±


    ¡°Champions?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? In the large amphitheater, they hold competitions every few months. The winners of larger tournaments are usually symbolically hired by the leader or hero at the award ceremony!¡± What a nice chance, I can just waltz in there and get myself a championship, at least I should easily be able to do so, since my power is quite abnormal.


    ¡°Where is this amphitheater?¡±


    ¡°It was your first time in the capital, right? The four cardinal roads spread out through the city like a cross, and the amphitheater is impossible to miss from the central plaza.¡±


    ¡°And one can just go in and fight?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t rightly now, I don¡¯t work there. You better try asking somewhere over at the amphitheater itself¡±


    ¡°Right, thank you very much¡±


    And so, I step out onto the same large street and follow it away from the entrance. As I get closer to the center, more and more people are using it for traffic. It is already evening and I find myself wondering what happens when it is rush hour, or if such a concept exists. People are everywhere.


    As I reach the center, the road fuses with what only can be described as a large, central square. Booths as far as the eye can see are already empty or in the middle of packing up for the day. Carts being pulled in every direction in large numbers, and a few, massive buildings seem to surround it.


    One of them has a large, metal fence, alongside several guards, both standing outside the gates and patrolling the perimeter. The perimeter is clearly marked and people avoid coming too close it seems. Behind the fence is what I can only describe as a massive palace. A multi-storied luxurious looking building, completely white in color, with large glass windows. It makes a horseshoe around a phenomenal park, with fountains, trees, bushes and flowers in a myriad of colors. I have never seen flowers in this world before, so I am quite surprised at their presence.


    Another is clearly the temple, judging by the green stone. It seems to be only a single floor, but the ceiling is tall, and large spires adorn it, each capped with shining blue metal. Is that azurite? To use something that is usually a practical, expensive metal in such an aesthetic way seems wrong. A lot of people are moving in and out from there, I wonder if they perform some sort of service? I haven¡¯t seen them busy outside festivals and birth ceremonies, so it should be rather a strange sight.


    And finally, what I think I came for, is in yet another corner. It appears almost as a giant, solid stone circle, dozens of floors tall. It seems to be painted, depicting a giant mural of fighting, people kissing, a large monster looming over a small man and tons of other weird things, either depicting a gory scene or an emotional one.


    I walk towards it.

 115: Coifs

    There seems to be entrances every few dozen feet around the massive installation, but all of them are closed with a portcullis. There¡¯s a wooden door besides some of them, but they are all locked. After wandering around for a little while, an old guy yells at me from the street.


    ¡°Go home, son, there¡¯s no show on tonight!¡±


    ¡°I was actually hoping to join!¡± I reply in a yell to overcome the fair distance between us.


    ¡°Go all the way around then, to the other side¡±


    And so I do. I walk around to the back, where a curious sight greets my eyes. It appears almost as a compound. A wooden palisade fencing in a series of building, like a shitty version of the walls that closed off the noble sections in Roxburg or Brahms.


    I follow that palisade and come to some sort of opening. It is not guarded, and as I step through, quite a weird sight stretches before my eyes.


    Dudes only in loincloth everywhere. And the only other article of clothing I see is a piece of chainmail, covering the neck and top of the head. Pecs and slightly visible abs are everywhere. This world doesn¡¯t really function on muscle mass, but if it did, I have a feeling all of these guys would be ripped.


    I sort of aimlessly wander around, until a guy grabs me by the shoulder.


    ¡°Hey there, friend. What are you looking for?¡± He wears the chainmail covering and loincloth combo. He is a fairly slender man, and even though I am on the taller side, he has got about a head on me. His face is bare and lean, with a slim nose and sharp eyes, but his smile conveys a genuine amicability. He looks to be somewhere between 25 and 30 years old.


    ¡°Ah, I was thinking of joining. Wanting to fight in the amphitheater.¡± He laughs.


    ¡°Been a long time since I heard anyone call it that. We mostly just call it ¡°The Circle¡± here.¡±


    Huh. I wonder if that clerk informed me otherwise because he knew I was from out of town.


    ¡°So anyway, how does one join?¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    His smile fades a little.


    ¡°One does not join lightly here, boy¡± People addressing me as though I am younger than them is actually starting to get a little on my nerves, but I ignore it.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°You will be signing a contract with your life on the line, it is not something to take lightly!¡± It kind of is¡­ To me at least.


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯ll make it through alright¡±


    His neutral face turns into a bit of a scowl.


    ¡°That¡¯s the sort of attitude that ends up getting you killed. To be a good combatant, one must be ready to bet their life, not go around thinking it won¡¯t be in danger¡± But it won¡¯t.


    ¡°Nevermind that, how does one sign up to become that champion thing?¡±


    His facial expression drops another level and now he looks outright pissed.


    ¡°Are you really this fucking stupid. Get out and come back once you have the resolve¡± Wow, he really got pissed off by nothing, didn¡¯t he? I mean, what is his deal? Can¡¯t he just let me sign up?


    ¡°Thank you for your assistance, I¡¯ll go ask someone else¡± I say and turn away, but my shoulder is grabbed from behind.


    ¡°Boy, get out of here before this escalates to violence!¡± One can practically feel the anger wafting off the words. We have started gathering a bit of attention, but I have something to do here.


    ¡°If you do use violence, I will punch you in the stomach¡± I try to use threat to make him back off, but he doesn¡¯t. He even seems to want to pull me out.


    Fuck it.


    I punch him in the gut. But something is strange. While it was about the same strength I used on the mob and he recoils a little, his hand remains on my shoulder and starts to apply pressure, as he quickly regains his composure. Eh? Suddenly he punches back.


    I manage to grab his arm heading for me stomach, but as a result, the other comes loose and give me a punch across the face. Shit, that actually hurt. Am I bleeding in my mouth?


    I lose my composure a little and punch him for real, with all my strength. This time he is physically lifted off the ground and flies a few feet off the ground, but he lands on his feet.


    The air in his lungs escaped him, but after a breath he stands there as if nothing happened. ¡°Houh, so that confidence wasn¡¯t baseless!¡± This guy is a bit of a monster, eh?


    ¡°You better back off before I get really serious¡±. His face blanks a little. Then he starts laughing.


    ¡°You sure now how to get a guy excited¡± His face is now back in a big, wide smile, but it clearly isn¡¯t for the same reason as the initial one.


    He drops low, throwing his arms out to the side, and I take a haphazard stance. Both of us are ready to fight, but just before I feel he is going to charge me a voice breaks in.


    ¡°Right, that¡¯s enough! Spetus, what the hell are you thinking, treating outsiders like that¡± A short, fat man dressed completely unlike any other here, in shirt and vest with pants and shoes. He has clearly run here and is already panting a little.


    ¡°But we were just getting to the good part¡± The man opposing me is complaining. Spetus is a weird name.


    ¡°Just ignore him.¡± The fat man turns the attention to me. ¡°And why have you come to our barracks?¡±


    Looks like I found some management.

 116: Stadium

    ¡°I came to sign up¡± The short, fat man smiles.at my comment.


    ¡°For one to trade blows with Spetus, you¡¯re more than welcome!¡± I have to turn and spit, the blood in my mouth having piled up a little and feeling disgusting.


    ¡°Hey, hey!¡± The Spetus guy approaches us again. ¡°He can¡¯t just threaten me with a good time and then walk away!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you fool!¡± The short man retorts at him. ¡°I have said it before! You will save any real fights for the circle!¡±


    Spetus scowls a little, but turns around with a ¡°Whatever¡± and walks off.


    ¡°Sorry, let¡¯s start this over properly. I am Porar, head manager of the fighters, and you are?¡±


    ¡°Yos. I came here to sign up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah I heard you the first time, follow me¡± He walks away and I follow him. He walks into a wooden building, that looks a little different from the rest. It is smaller and of unique design compared to all the others.


    He leads me up some stairs and into a room, where a desk is present, with a comfortable-looking sofa chairs on each side of it. He walks around the desk and jumps into the chair.


    ¡°Right, take a seat, we will do a short interview¡±. I move to sit in the chair.


    ¡°Do you have any fighting experience?¡± He starts.


    ¡°ehm, I am a hunter.¡±


    ¡°What rank?¡±


    ¡°Third¡±


    ¡°Huh? I was thinking it was either going to be second or first rank, how does one like you get stuck at third rank¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not so much ¡°get stuck¡± as it is I didn¡¯t bother turning in requests for a few years.¡±


    ¡°And what made you take this break?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Training¡± That¡¯s truth-adjacent. I did power up a little.


    ¡°Next, I take it you have a gift? Fighters are separated by whether they have a gift or not.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do¡±


    ¡°What kind?¡±


    ¡°Self-healing¡±


    ¡°Hoo¡± he smiles a little.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Any specifics?¡±


    ¡°It only works once a day, but heals any and all wounds¡±


    ¡°Right, you know, you really shouldn¡¯t answer questions like that¡± He says, as he nods. Huh, then why did you ask?


    ¡°Gifts are trump cards, and if people know how they work, it will be easier to beat you¡± A small smile forms on his lips. I mean, I guess that is true, but I am not really concerned.


    ¡°Right, and the last question. Why do you want to fight in the circle?¡±


    ¡°To meet the hero¡± His smile turns into a slight frown.


    ¡°So, you are one of them, who only sees this place as a stepping stone, eh?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I know the hero, but I am a nobody and I didn¡¯t know how to get in contact with him.¡±


    ¡°And you casually decide to fight in the circle?¡± He sighs. ¡°You know him, right? If you just needed him to see your face, there¡¯s a ton of easier ways to go about it.¡±


    But, he thinks I am dead¡­ I really feel the need for a private meeting. I don¡¯t say that out loud, of course.


    ¡°Maybe he knows you, but doesn¡¯t like you, eh?¡± He smiles wrily.


    ¡°Well, nevermind. But you can¡¯t just drop into a fight here. We will need to make sure you understand the circle way of doing things before you can fight, so at the earliest, you will probably fight in grand championship 4 months from now.¡± Shit, that¡¯s a lot of time.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t one sooner?¡±


    ¡°There is, but do not think I will simply allow you to fight here and waltz out again immediately. If you seek to use our facility to meet your own needs, it is only logical that I seek to do the same, right?¡±


    Well, I guess that is fair. It is at least much better than a decade.


    ¡°Right, so, have you seen a fight in the circle before?¡± I just shake my head.


    ¡°Come with me, we¡¯ll talk on the way¡±. He says and jumps out of his chair again. What was the point of coming here then? I follow.


    He moves towards the circle itself, once we¡¯re outside.


    ¡°You see, a lot of people think circle fights are a desperate struggle to wind up on top, but that is not all that this is. This is entertainment, people come to see blood, struggle and skill¡± He guides us through an opening with the portcullis retracted. We go down stairs.


    ¡°If every fighter here fought as best they could, a match would be over in seconds. Therefore, we have couple of rules¡± We are walking into another room, one where weapons and more of the chainmail coverings hang.


    ¡°They are not only there to prolong the matches, but also to make them more dramatic, to make each fight feel special¡± through another door, up some stairs again.


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry. The outcome of each fight is still down to personal ability. We make sure both fighters reach a place with similar, shallow wounds, and then the fight starts out for real¡±


    We pass through one last opening, as I see the circle from the arena itself. The ground is covered with sand, but what gets me, is that I turn around and see thousands of seat, all on different levels, all the way around.


    ¡°Therefore, you need practice. Practice to engage in some convincing fake swordplay, practice to deliver your lines, practice to appear wounded and tired, even if you aren¡¯t¡±


    Only one word goes through my head. Stadium. Emotions and memories from my past flow into me.


    ¡°Can you give me minute to do something?¡± I ask Porar.


    ¡°Sure, knock yourself out¡±


    I kneel down into my running form, and take a few laps around. The sand is a bad foothold. Way inferior to the polyurethane that makes up most running tracks, but as I let my mind flow, imagine the seats filled and the competitors, it feels incredibly nostalgic nonetheless. The only issue is that I can¡¯t run full speed. There is not only a spectator now, but my highest speed probably would allow me to turn fast enough or stop me from tripping on the poor footing, that the sand provides.


    ¡°You got a hell of a pair of legs there¡± Porar comments. ¡°What was that anyway?¡±


    I realize that bringing sports to this world, had probably always been an unrealistic dream.


    ¡°Nothing, just wanted to feel how it was to move around here¡± I say.

 117: Audience

    After that Porar shows me various facilities. The barracks are a number of bunk beds, a training hall with dolls and a few outlined circles used for sparring. Lastly, he directs me to the dining hall.


    While guiding me through how meals are taken, he speaks about the training ¡°We¡¯ll get you started proper tomorrow. The first step is always to give and receive shallow hits with confidence¡± The food in the bowl is just a mass of boiled, chopped up meat in a bland, thin soup. Not exactly haute cuisine, but if tastes decently enough.


    The large man from earlier today suddenly sits down opposite of us. Porar sighs. ¡°What now, Spetus?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am simply interested in the boy, wanting to chat a little. How does one so young get so strong? Everyone that has ever stepped up to match me has been far older¡± A wide grin is plastered on his face as he speaks. The sentence is followed by a sigh from Porar.


    ¡°What about you? It is the same for me. It¡¯s the first time I meet someone who took a hit from me without keeling over.¡± I retort. It¡¯s not exactly true, but if I only consider since I broke free from the seal and had this massive power, it is.


    He laughs. ¡°You ain¡¯t ever fought a proper warrior then! Don¡¯t get me wrong, that thing smarts, but most of those who have tempered their bodies will need at least a couple of those!¡±


    ¡°So what kind of gift have you got? A strength-one? An activated one? Or one that promotes growth?¡± He is guessing fiercely. I don¡¯t think he is expecting an answer, but might as well.


    ¡°A sel-¡° As I was about to name it, an elbow strikes my side from Porar.


    ¡°What did I tell you just a little while ago. Don¡¯t go blabbing about it like this.¡±


    ¡°Hey Po-man, can I train this one? I promise to be thorough!¡± Spetus suggests, but is denied.


    ¡°No way. You will only end up fighting each other, I can tell from that wild nature of yours.¡±


    Spetus simply laughs. ¡°What¡¯s so bad about that? Y¡¯know, a friendly spar, test each other as men?¡±


    ¡°The last guy you had your eye on ran away in the middle of the night.¡±


    Huh, just how menacing is Spetus?


    After dinner, I really have nothing else to do. I wonder if I should hang around that fancy palace, see if Ahorn comes out randomly and try to get his attention. But then I think if it is like the White House, a random person hanging around, waiting for someone important to show themselves is very suspicious.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Instead I end up wandering around the compound. Various people are training in various ways. People swordplaying with each other. Others hacking at stuffed dolls, some running with weights attached to their waist. I spot Spetus, passionately lifting a metal pole with two bags around the end, while another person is beating his stomach with a third bag. It almost gives off a sense of a track and field club.


    The next day is my first proper day here. It is started by being asked to strip, and don the chain covering and loin-cloth ensemble the rest of the people here wear. Apparently it is to spill more blood by exposing a lot of skin, and to prolong fights by protecting the most vulnerable area; the neck.


    I am quickly introduced to the various forms of training over the next couple of days. First is strike at a doll, only removing the outermost layer of cloth covering it, in preparation for performing shallow wounds.


    It is followed by training simply standing still, taking a shallow wound with a sword. Then proceeding to maneuver into that position, so that it looks more dynamic and natural. Then practicing reactions, showing off pain and a will to work through it, that simply isn¡¯t there.


    I have already spent a month here, before my first scheduled fight. We have been practicing the opening together for a week. A few cuts here and there, swords brandishing against each other, both of us with multiple wound across chest and legs, before we are allowed to fight for real.


    ¡°Remember¡± Porar speaks to us before my first show battle. ¡°Don¡¯t kill each other, if you can help it.  That goes for both the one winning and the one losing. Surrender if you are too much out of your league¡± I feel that comment is for my opponent. I have far proved my superiority to this other greenhorn in our training sessions together.


    We are separated from each other right after. Porar leads me through a long hallway, that twists and turns beneath the massive stone structure, before I stand by a closed portcullis.


    ¡°Next! Two new fighters, ready to test their mettle! Welcome Yos and Pikar!¡± A man sounds out from the arena. The portcullis opens and we both step out onto the sand.


    There isn¡¯t much noise from the audience, considering how many they are, but there a few cheers.


    Pikar, my opponent stands opposite me. We both approach calmly and steadily till we reach the agreed upon distance to each other. Both mostly naked. Both holding only a sword.


    Then our dance begins. We wave our swords around, and on cue, I step in and take a thin slice across the chest.


    Next, I swing in a certain way for signal, then to scratch his arm. Back and forth, six wounds are drawn upon each body, before we both withdraw to keep a distance from each other. From here on out it should be improvisation.


    The cheers geared up a little during our dance number, but now I go serious. Full throttle sprint, alongside¡­ What else? A gut punch. Pikar flies back and lands on his back, before turning over and puking. Huh, he is nowhere near as durable as Spetus.


    And then, the jeers starts. Boos and heckling can be heard all across the stadium and a few cups of drink and pieces of meat start flying in over the arena. What the hell?


    Porar appears quickly from my corner. ¡°What the hell where you thinking, get back here now.¡±


    What did I do wrong?

 118: Heel

    I am dragged by Porar to the waiting room. He is fuming.


    ¡°What the hell? Do you want to piss people off? Explain youself!¡± I am confounded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, did I do something wrong?¡± Porar grabs the bridge of his nose and closes his eyes before opening them again, maintaining straight eye contact.


    ¡°That battle, imagine yourself being a spectator. What did you see?¡± Let me think. Oh. I think I get it.


    ¡°It was way too obvious, huh?¡± My immediate defeat of him, couple with the fact I did so with room to spare, as I used a fist and not a sword pretty much informed everyone that ¡°This whole thing is fake¡±.


    ¡°Shit¡±. Porar mumbles. ¡°This pretty much sinks your career right here and now.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why?¡± That¡¯s not good.


    ¡°People are going to think you rigged your match or something, and that sticks with you, no matter how much time passes. In other words, if you become a large name, you will not draw any crowds, unless¡­.¡±


    ¡°Unless what?¡±


    ¡°Well. It is an interesting technique to draw people in¡­ But it will make your life hell¡­ Are you ready to make that sacrifice?¡±


    ¡°Stop talking around the issue, what is it?¡±


    ¡°We deliberately make you act like a villain, a coward and a dirty player.¡±


    ¡°Huh? How will that work?¡±


    ¡°Simple. We make you act as despicable as we can in the practiced part of the fight. Kicking or throwing sand, throwing your weapon, running away, planting traps, that sort of thing. People will come to loathe you, that they will show up, not to see you, but see you get beaten.¡±


    ¡°And it will make my life hell?¡±


    ¡°Of course. People will think you are the same lying, cheating scumbag whether you are inside or outside of the circle. You will probably never be able to live a normal life again, at least not in the capital.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Well, once I have informed Ahorn of my findings, I am probably out here anyway.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I accept.¡±


    And so, another match is scheduled for me. The choreography this time is very different, but it is diligently practiced anyway. I basically practice the fight choreography a third of the day, and regular training the other two thirds. Four days pass, before a now familiar face comes to bother me.


    ¡°Hey, boy!¡± It¡¯s Spetus.


    ¡°Hey, Spetus, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I thought about, and I really want to know what your gift is. What do you say, I will show you mine, then you show me yours!¡± It¡¯s tempting. I have also been curious about Spetus¡¯ gift since the beginning. I should be so superhuman, that I had a hard time understanding how he could shake me off like I wasn¡¯t much. In addition to that, he actually hurt me with a mere punch. I was sure I had toughened up considerably after two years in the labyrinth of Berliso, while being killed every single day.


    ¡°Fine, but you go first.¡±


    ¡°YES! Alright, stand up!¡± I do so, but I wonder why.


    ¡°I am not very good at explaining. But I think the best way is showing it. You¡¯re really strong, yeah? Well here, grab my hands!¡± He holds his two arms forward.


    ¡°Now, try to push me¡± And so I do, using all of my strength I try to push him. But it is insane. He moves, but it is slow and feels like I am incredibly heavy.


    ¡°And now, the other way!¡± He says. And then, he pushes me. I feel a much greater force bearing down upon me than what I had expected from him.


    ¡°Weight?¡± I ask. Maybe that¡¯s it. Becoming incredibly heavy as he needs to.


    ¡°Hmmm, no not really. It¡¯s more like¡­ Movability. Stuff is easier for me to move, and I have a harder time being moved. Like, I think without my gift, punches would hit me harder and mine lighter, just by how much force is upon the things we hit.¡± I don¡¯t really understand his world salad, but I get the gist of it. Any force he exerts is multiplied. Any force on him is divided. That¡¯s one hell of a cheat code. Though that is rich, coming from me.


    ¡°And you, boy! What is your gift?¡±


    I take a little bit of a breath while wondering how much I should divulge. I decide to tell everything but the immortality, since he was so forthcoming to me.


    ¡°But why are you so strong then?¡± He seems puzzled.


    ¡°I just told you both my exhaustion and my tiredness gets cured. I can train all day, every day¡± I try to get him to accept it as just that. ¡°And I have been doing so since I was a kid!¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm.¡± He seems to think. ¡°All right, but how will you show me? Can I cut an arm off?¡±


    ¡°What the hell, man? That¡¯s a little bit extreme, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°But I think you should show me.¡± Yikes, this guy is pretty insane, huh?


    ¡°There¡¯s no one who is going to agree to have their arm cut off, just because it comes back¡± I try to back out. But after he piles more and more pressure on me, I eventually promise to do it ¡°later¡±. God, I hope ¡°later¡± never comes.


    The time until my next fight in the circle passes mostly eventless. I am ready to be one hell of a bad guy, but at the same time, I feel a little vexed. At least I won¡¯t be a criminal, right?


    The portcullis open, and my first day as a villain begins, as I step out into the arena.

 119: Cheers and Jeers

    The crowd is even more silent than last time. We approach each other with only one or two ¡®boos¡¯ emitted from the crowd.


    My opponent only has four matches under his belt. I think I should be able to take him out easily, but first, the show is on.


    I extend my hand. Sometimes warriors who respect each other will shake hands before the game starts. It is not something that is ever done by the nobodies down here today, so my opponent plays confused, then extends his hand to mine.


    I grab and pull it, tossing him over my shoulder as practiced. Combining the slow through with the soft sand and it virtually does no damage. Many jeers erupt from the audience.


    I then stab at him with my sword, and he dodges in return, rolling around on the floor. I am of course missing on purpose. Then, I trip. Of course on purpose again and a few laughs erupt.


    ¡°SHUT YOUR TRAPS IDIOTS!¡± I scream at the top of my lungs. There is brief silence, before the whole crowd erupts in boos. Just as planned.


    Then, we get up, but I only a little bit after him, allowing him a couple of free attacks and I take a few wounds on the upper body. The crowd responds by erupting in cheers.


    Now, the real fight begins. I have learnt from my previous mistakes, so I dash in at a very human speed, and intercept his incoming strike with one of my own. I think I could have blasted it off his hand, but I keep it at a lower level, though it seems he hurt his wrist.


    Pretending to have my arm occupied, I am then free to deliver a non-lethal knee to the stomach without it being too suspicious. He collapses and the crowd erupts in another round of booing and jeering. I turn around and act like I am the best, as I have been instructed to. Showboating is looked down upon, so I indulge in posing with my foot on my opponent, running a little around with spread arms and cheering for myself, all the while the heavy jeers continue, and various food and drink is tossed at me.


    I am actually pretty close to bursting out in laughter. It seems Porar has long since mastered managing the choreography to manipulate the crowd¡¯s emotion. Then we exit the sandy arena, Porar is waiting for me in the waiting room.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°So, you haven¡¯t changed your mind, receiving that kind of treatment?¡± I think over it a little in response¡­


    ¡°I think I actually enjoyed it¡± I say while putting on a grand smile. It was kind of fun, after all.


    ¡°You¡¯re one weird guy.¡± Porar says while shaking his head, but he himself also gains a smile. It was a huge success involving the crowd after all.


    Life as a combatant in the circle quickly becomes routine with me having about one fight a week. I engage in various unprofessional and cheap behaviors throughout, and the crowd size for when I fight increases each time I fight. I think my favorite thing to do is insulting the crowd when they start cheering for my opponent, which they mostly do when he has the advantage in the acting part of the fight.


    Another is using magic. While not disallowed, it is viewed as highly cowardly and offensive to the art of combat.


    Finally, the championship begins three and a half months later. The only problem is that there are only seven fighters who want to participate in the gifted division. As a result, someone gets a bye. Porar is debating whether to give it to me or someone else. On one hand, I am drawing a larger crowd than all of the others, except for Spetus. But on the other, giving me a bye will likely build up more resentment towards me. It is pretty great, since I am always worried I will mess up and reveal that a lot of it is a farce.


    I get to watch a fight for the first time today, the first week of the tournament¡¯s gifted division.


    First off is Spetus versus the guy, I faced in my very first fight. I haven¡¯t actually even seen his gift in action, as I floored him immediately. They first engage in their scripted combat.


    The two combatants dash towards each other, Then proceeds a flurry of sword swing from both sides that don¡¯t connect. Spetus is doing all kinds of flips and rolls that must be insanely hard to time with the sword strikes to only receive shallow wounds, but I guess he is a veteran as opposed to me and his opponent. They end by colliding their swords and jumping away to a safe distance. This must be where the real fight starts.


    But something is strange. While I should have known that the real fight starts, the movements of Spetus is much the same. The only exception being he is no longer receiving shallow wounds. Dodges, rolls, cuts, he is slowly overwhelming his opponent. If I didn¡¯t have the knowledge, I don¡¯t think I would be able to tell. Hell, I even second-guessed myself a few times whether the real fight has started or not.


    Spetus is one hell of a professional. After a few minutes of the one-sided cuts, his opponent throws away the sword and kneels. A declaration of defeat. The crowd goes wilds and cheers and chanting of Spetus¡¯ name erupt across the stadium with such power, I can feel it through the air.


    I was fine up till now, but it makes me kind of jealous, to see this difference in treatment.

 120: Cheating

    A week after the splendid start, the second round of the tournament begins.


    My opponent is the very first veteran I have had to face, since joining the circle¡¯s fighters. And our fight choreography reflects that.


    Like my very first fight as a scripted villain, I extend my hand to offer the show of respect, but my opponent simply lifts his sword and gently bashes it away. I then proceed to fake injury rolling around in the sound, grabbing my hand and screaming.


    This causes my opponent to run over to check on me, but at his apparent low guard, I kick him softly in the stomach. He jumps backwards, and rolls on the ground, at which I dash after his with my sword. The jeers are already at a high level. I swing it down with both hands, although lightly, and the veteran makes a gesture of holding up his own sword to block it, and kick me over the legs.


    Cheers erupt at his supposed successful defense. I create 6 small balls, my currents maximum, and send them careening after him with the technique taught by Yorgar. He dodges each of them easily, as their paths are predetermined, and rushes me down. This is where he is supposed deliver me a shallow cut across the breast, but it slices through far more flesh than we practiced. What? Did I fuck up? And how did he deliver more than a scratch? Even if it was a mistake, my skin should still be tough as leather and no more than scratch should have formed.


    I grit my teeth at the pain, while cheers erupt from the audience. Shit, I quickly move to the next part. I am supposed to fling sand in his eyes, but my opponent disregards it, and instead of back off, holding his eyes, as we practiced, executes a stab. I try to move, but the surprise makes me not able to in time. The sword makes another easy piercing wound in my flank. Cheer erupt.


    Shit, this guy is cheating, using the choreography to his advantage, while being cheered on by it. That is fucking ridiculous.


    He sees that I have grown serious and smirks. The hole in my side is bleeding softly. He must be thinking I am fighting on borrowed time, though I know through my many bleedings, by the hands of monster or Jorgen, that the wound will stop shortlyYou could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    I decide to all out. With bestowal channeled in my legs, I dash at him, but he himself gains great speed. He knows bestowal too? He dodges quickly to the side and come unleashes another stab from my left side. Due to my improved read, I can evade him without looking, and I do so while turning to do a counter-attack, but this time I am in for yet another surprise.


    My sword doesn¡¯t pierce him, though the force of it is still felt. He is knocked back, and staggers a little, holding his side. I dash after him, but he still retains high mobility, dashing back to avoid my blow and trying to counter with one of his own.


    For some time, we trade blows, though most of mine land, and few of his does, his causes wounds to appear and mine only causes him to feel the force behind them.


    But he grows tired. He cannot match my near bottomless stamina, where I can run for 24 hours straight.


    And all of a sudden, his movements slow to a crawl. Did he run out of mana? I should still have a little in the tank. I debate taking revenge on his betrayal by taking his life, but I quickly dismiss the thought. I may have killed a few in the past, but I should hold taking lives to a higher standard, only to do so when it is necessary.


    I semi-casually use my bestowal and deliver a heavy knee to his stomach, upon which he collapses.


    I actually feel pretty good. Though he may have played dirty, this is the first time in a long while I fought with another human, I couldn¡¯t take out in a split second. But that feeling is quickly robbed by the jeers from the entire audience. The hate and refreshments flying towards, which I found pretty entertaining some time ago, is now pretty soul crushing. I think I can¡¯t wait till this whole thing is over now.


    At the portcullis, Porar is waiting for me.


    ¡°Good job keeping your cool. I should have known Vegar would be tempted to play dirty¡­ It¡¯s my fault.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Vegar considered himself the sole rival of Spetus here in the arena. For eight years, these two have bouted in the finals, but Vegar had yet to take a single win, though he came close a few times¡­ Or at least, it appeared so. The interest Spetus showed in you, and your strength probably made him envious and scared of losing his position¡±


    ¡°Huh, Spetus has won many times? Do the winners not get hired by the hero or leader?¡± I am a bit puzzled.


    ¡°They get the offer, but Spetus always declines, saying his place is here, where he can fight to his heart¡¯s content.¡± Different strokes for different folks, I guess. But I am curious.


    ¡°If you feel like you owe me an apology, why don¡¯t you tell me Vegar¡¯s gift?¡± That impenetrable skin and sharp blade, what¡¯s the connection?


    ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s too much. I wouldn¡¯t tell anyone who asked for yours either.¡± Damn. I hate leaving an unknown like that.

 121: Finals

    The day after my victory, I am of course perfectly healed. Spetus is even pretty happy to see it.


    ¡°Splendid, for such deep cuts to disappear in a day!¡± He examines my chest and flank, which, although I have grown used to having them bare, is mighty embarrassing when he does it so close.


    Porar peels him off me and starts talking. We are gathered here today, because Spetus and I are the finalists for next week¡¯s fight, and we need to plan the initial maneuvers ¡°Alright, today, we are going to lay the outline for your choreography, and practice the initial movements. I was think we have Yos start with-¡°


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do it¡± Spetus interrupts.


    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t want to do it? Isn¡¯t this how we always do it?¡± Porar is none too pleased.


    ¡°Yos and I are both great fighters. I want us to clash with no holds barred, right from the get go. I promise you the result will be better than any scripted event¡± Spetus says so confidently, but I am not sure. He may look all fancy and full of technique when he fights, well the one time I have seen it, but I must admit I far too often just rely on my superior strength.


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Porar leans in a little, purposefully making one eye look bigger and squinting the other, as if he is trying to stare Spetus down.


    ¡°I am. It will be much better if Yos and I merely use this week to prepare ourselves, rather than practicing some contrived maneuvers¡±.


    Porar falls silent, before turning to me ¡°What do you think, Yos?¡±


    To be honest, I am just tired of being the villain. I felt so bad after that last fight¡¯s jeers, that I no longer wish to perform the role. ¡°I¡¯m with Spetus on this. It will be better if we just go at it each¡± Spetus nods eagerly to my statement.


    ¡°Very well then¡± Porar caves. ¡°But you two better give me the fight of the goddamn century!¡±


    ¡°Of course, it wouldn¡¯t happen any other way¡± Spetus gleefully agrees and runs off, probably to do some training.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Hey Porar¡­ What happened to Vegar?¡± He seems a little baffled at my question.


    ¡°He clearly violated the agreement, so he has received due punishment. We have a prison here for insubordinate fighter, in which he has to spend the next 6 months. It was either that, or never hiring him again and cutting his tongue off.¡±


    Sounds drastic, but I feel some kind of¡­ smugness? Superiority? Emanating from deep below within me when I hear it. Serves him right, trying to cheat me.


    ¡°Thank¡± I say, and turn to my own training.


    While lifting weights and swinging my sword, I try to see if I can come up with a way to gain an advantage for fighting Spetus. It seems tricky¡­ His gift seems sort of all-applicable, exerting extra force while receiving less could very well be one of the strongest gifts out there. Well, if it was a fight to the death, I would obviously win due to being incapable of it, but for this fight, I feel he very well could take me out, judging by how he come out on top from our first brief encounter.


    I think I have heard that there are some ways of fighting, where you use your opponent¡¯s strength against himself. Asian martial arts. Judo? Kungfu? Aikido? Too bad I never learned any of it.


    In the end, I see no other way, other than to butt heads against him with all my strength. I think I will have to swing my sword with intent to kill though, I don¡¯t know how comfortable I am with that.


    And so six days pass relatively quickly, until the day finally arrives. Spetus and I walk out from the recently opened portcullises. I look towards a certain area of the audience. There has been this balcony, that has been empty in all the fights I have been in know, but today the two usually-empty thrones are occupied. One of them is clearly Ahorn, with his easily recognizable otherworldly look, while the other look like a middle-aged man with white hair and a mild beard.


    Doesn¡¯t seem like Ahorn recognizes me. Well, I am certainly less memorable than he is, coupled with the fact I am wearing that chain-mail covering right now, that completely obscure my hair color, and that he is pretty far away from my face. I laugh a little inside imagining our re-introduction.


    But first, this fight. I kneel down, pretty far away from Spetus. He sees it and does the same. And we both dash with all our might towards each other.


    I am using bestowal right from the get go, and my speed is much greater than that of Spetus, but when we our swords collide, I am the one who feels like a train just rammed into me! Shit!


    As I try to stop sliding backwards from the force, I notice our blades are not equal either. His is eating into mine! Does his gift extend to his weapons, like that of Atna¡¯s?


    I withdraw voluntarily, but it is too late. Part of my sword is broken off, and we have to continue this fight, while I have a disadvantage.


    I am trying to think about a new approach while keeping my distance, but Spetus won¡¯t let me. He charges me down once again; this time I can¡¯t meet him with a charge of my own. Seeing no other option, I grit my teeth and amp my bestowal up to maximum force.

 122: Only One Left Standing

    I feel almost transcendent with the current amount of energy in my body. I do a light side hop, followed by a dash towards the flank of Spetus and pour my all into one strike with left arm.


    Spetus moves to shield himself with the right and we collide. Intense pain travels through my arm. I don¡¯t know how many bones I have broken, but it is probably quite a few. I cancel the bestowal after the impact, but even those few seconds ate a huge amount of mana at this level of enhancement. I can¡¯t use it again.


    At the sacrifice of most of my mana and my left arm, it seems I have taken out Spetus¡¯ right arm. At the moment of impact, he flew backwards and dropped his sword. He quickly regained his stance, but now his right arm is hanging limply down his side.


    The audience makes noise but I find myself tuning it out, focusing on his next. He is smiling creepily, he really is slightly insane. He will surely go for the sword, he dropped so I dash towards it to prevent him from reaching it.


    But he is closer to the sword than I am. He will make it first, unless I do something. I try channeling bestowal in my legs once more, to reach it first.


    But alas, as soon as I gain new speed, my mana runs out. The fact that I was ill prepared for the sudden drop in physical ability means I trip and fall into the sand. Though I rise up again quickly, I see Spetus having reclaimed his sword in front me.


    Shit, if only it had lasted a little longer. By the time I am back in my stance, Spetus is dashing towards me, but I have an idea.


    I dash too, but not to reach him sooner, but rather to align our right sides against each other. And I manage to do so. We both spin our upper bodies to attack with the sword, but because of his less useful hand and the different distances our swords have to travel to reach each other, mine should reach first.


    But he doesn¡¯t attack, but rather moves to defend himself from my strike. The swords collide, but his is at an odd, incomplete angle to receive it, probably due to not being used to his left arm, and I can let my sword, though its tip is broken, slide along his to cut him in the chest.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    This causes him to flinch, allowing me to draw yet another slice across his stomach. He pushes through it and has raised his own sword to counter-attack.


    I desperately maneuver my own to receive, but yet again, it eats into mine. This time, very close to the base.


    In one split second decision, I decide to let go of the sword, and defend myself with my arm, while delivering a high kick to the side of his head. He goes flying a little. And he isn¡¯t getting back up. Did I win?


    My hand feels off, so I turn to look at it. Ah. I ended up grabbing the lower edge with my four non-thumb finger and all are sliced off. Once I realize this, intense pain sets into me.


    I have a weird premonition, but once again I look over Spetus and he isn¡¯t moving.


    Awareness of my surroundings return. And all I can hear are an absolute shower of jeers. What, why? I didn¡¯t engage in any dirty trick here, we fought with all our might from the get go.


    Suddenly, Porar is beside me. How did he get right beside me without noticing? Oh, right, I am out of mana, so the spatial perception of read no longer applies.


    ¡°Good Job, hold up a hand and claim victory¡± Porar says. But which one. One is so busted that any movement is intensely painful and the other is missing four digits


    I end up holding up the least-painful hand, the one with only a thumb. In fact, I give a thumbs-up, just because it is the only way I can think to hold it.


    ¡°Do you need those?¡± Porar is pointing towards my bloody fingers in the sand. I shake my head.


    ¡°Why would I need them?¡±


    ¡°Well, we could attach them through alchemical paste and a talisman, so I was just thinking about that.¡± But that is a waste of resources, it will return again tomorrow anyways. I just shake my head.


    ¡°Now comes the big cheeses¡± Porar mutters and from a portcullis, Ahorn and the old man emerge.


    As they approach, the jeers die down. Right, fuck you, stop ruining my moments of glory.


    And of them, Ahorn raises his voice to a rather loud level.


    ¡°Champion! Your deeds have been confirmed to be that of the highest order. We now extend an invitation to work alongside us, the hero and the leader, to further humanity, do you accept.¡± Doesn¡¯t he recognize me at all?


    ¡°I do¡± I match his level of voice, and soon after jeers try to start up again, but they are dashed by Ahorn holding up an arm with a flat hand.


    ¡°Then, let us work together from here on out!¡± He says and extends his hand, which I grab without thinking¡­ Or like, try to, but his hand is quickly covered in a smear of blood. We¡¯re both idiots.

 123: L猫se-majest茅

    After an awkward separation of hands and Ahorn wiping his hand from my blood, he looks a little worried.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to get that checked?¡± His large face and mouth, reminiscent of that of a reptile or amphibian, coupled with his speech, which doesn¡¯t match his lips warms my heart slightly, as I remember the details. I didn¡¯t know him for long, but I still think of him as a friend.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Ahorn, you don¡¯t recognize me?¡± I say, as I remove the chainmail covering, revealing my bright red hair.


    ¡°Sorry, I have a hard time telling humans apart. Where did we meet?¡± Huh. Now I am really glad I didn¡¯t break in and randomly search for him, as I briefly thought of doing.


    ¡°Can we chat somewhere more private? My story contains somewhat sensitive information.¡± He nods, and we leave Porar behind, to move to another location. I have never been this place in the circle before, but we appear to be in some sort of luxury green room. Various bottles, presumably containing alcohol, fruit, which is rather expensive, and some dried meat on sticks is around.


    However, we were not left alone. The old man is still with us.


    ¡°Ergh, when I said private, I was hoping for only the two of us¡± Ahorn quickly follow my look to the old man.


    ¡°You can¡¯t very well toss out the leader of humanity, if he wants to listen, now can you?¡± Ahorn has a big smile. As suspected, the old man is the leader of humanity. I don¡¯t know his name, I have seen no statues or commemorations of him and he simply looks like an old man. I wonder how he came to be in power?


    ¡°I¡¯d really prefer not to¡­ Well, is he tight-lipped?¡± I ask Ahorn, who seems baffled.


    ¡°Worry not, I shan¡¯t let a word heard from here be retold outside these walls¡± the old man says solemnly, to which Ahorn just nods. Well.


    ¡°First off. I am Yos, the vanguard you took on in Berliso.¡±


    Ahorn appears to be thinking, but then suddenly changes expression ¡°Brother of Yorgar? How did you ever survive?¡± he seems to remember.


    ¡°Eh, that¡¯s one of the sensitive issues¡­ It involves God, you see, and I thought it should be something shared with your ears only¡± I plead a final time to be completely alone, but.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°The leader of humanity is also the head of the temples. He will surely want to hear it¡± Ahorn forms an incredible smile with his large mouth. So much so that it is borderline creepy¡­. Fuck it.


    ¡°First off, I am like you¡­ More than 800 years ago, I was taken from a different world and plunged down here with my gift.¡± Ahorn¡¯s smile immediately fades and looks confusedly at me.


    ¡°That gift, is that once a day, I restore from all conditions¡­ Including death¡± Nobody says anything, so I just continue.


    ¡°So I decided to scout ahead in the dungeon, to prepare you for reaching all the way down. It took me almost two years, but I got to the bottom, and God appeared.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait¡± The leader interjected. ¡°God APPEARED?¡±


    I nod.


    ¡°God didn¡¯t just talk to you, God physically manifested in front of you?¡± He has an expression like he is hearing something he can¡¯t believe.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I am saying. Anyhow, God-¡°


    ¡°What did God look like!?¡± This again¡­


    ¡°Like a human child, nude and devoid of gender, slightly shining¡± He is shocked.


    ¡°Just like Ahorn described¡­¡±


    ¡°Anyway, God-¡°


    ¡°So you are a hero too? How does this work, we are not supposed to have two heroes at once? And 800 years ago? That was before the first hero? So are you a hero or not?¡±


    This fucking guy, stop interrupting me!


    ¡°I heard nothing of being a hero. Actually, God just straight up kidnapped me and plunged me down here without further explanation. Anyway, at the bottom of the-¡°


    ¡°Were you human before? Did God change you into one?¡±


    ¡°Can you shut up and let me tell my story for one minute!? I am trying to recount the events!¡± Jeez, this geezer is way. Upon my slight snapping, he is taken aback, before displaying a serious scowl.


    ¡°To offend me, do you have any idea who I am?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you are one hell of an annoying person!¡± I yell at ham.


    ¡°Yos, calm down right now and apologize, it¡¯s the leader of all of humanity you are speaking to!¡±


    Ahorn defends him.


    ¡°Does being the leader of humanity mean he is incapable of letting me finish my damn story?¡±


    Ah, right¡­ I shouldn¡¯t pick fights with those in high positions, wouldn¡¯t want to be trapped for another 800 years.


    ¡°Sorry, but that was really annoying. Can I please tell my story to the end, and I will be happy to answer your questions afterwards.¡± He gives me one hell of a mean look, but eventually nods.


    And so I tell about the gift given and the question answered, and how god seems to function in the bottom of each dungeon, and it will use the power of that dungeon to either manifest or make the gift, I am not sure. I also promise to show off the cape, when I have retrieved it.


    ¡°Yos¡­ I had given up hope after getting stuck twice on such an early floor, but your tale fills me with new ambition¡± I think he is trying to sound grandiose, but the lip-flaps being out of sync with the speech really robs it of any sort of majestic air. ¡°Will you arrange a new expedition together with me? We will hire another team and proceed forward, with you in the lead! I need to get to the bottom of a dungeon!¡±


    And so, I have been hired to put together a crew to escort the hero to God.

 124: Swept Along

    ¡°No¡± is my first reaction. ¡°I died every single day for almost two years. There¡¯s no way anyone else can make it through¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be that way, I can finally see the path! And you will not be alone this time! We will go together as a team all the way to the end. You should know how powerful I am! It will be easier!¡± Ahorn pushes back.


    ¡°Why are you so dead set on going to the end of the dungeon, anyway? What did God promise you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­. I can¡¯t say¡­ BUT WE HAVE TO. I will throw every resource at this that I can!¡± Ahorn is looking straight at me, unyielding in his look¡­ I know this is important to him, but I can¡¯t see us making it through.


    ¡°There is¡­ another factor, that may serve to sway you.¡± A voice sounds from the man in the room that has been left out since I asked him to shut up. The leader of humanity.


    ¡°What is it, Prink?¡± Finally, a name for that guy.


    ¡°I heard a new study has gained traction at the university. Basically, they believe that rather than random chance, as we have assumed so far, some underlying principle dictates how ferocious the monsters of a particular dungeon are.¡± He takes a swig from a drink he poured himself.


    ¡°If you find out what they estimated the dungeon Yos has experience with is, you may find a dungeon that is much easier to conquer.¡±


    ¡°So? What do you say Yos?¡± Well¡­ If it is much easier, couldn¡¯t I at this point clear the dungeon by myself?


    ¡°Fine, but no one weak is allowed to come¡± I don¡¯t want anyone dying on me. That shit feels horrible.


    ¡°Granted. How weak are we talking?¡± The gears turn in my head a little. They should at least be strong enough to stand up to me, right?


    ¡°Vegar, you must have seen that guy since you attend the finals of the gifted section, right? No weaker than him¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Right, I can only think of some six guys, but I¡¯ll be on it immediately!¡± Ahorn shouts halfway through the sentence, as he leaves the room at the same time¡­ Just what is it God promised him?


    I still feel uneasy about the whole thing, but my feelings don¡¯t get time to fester.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s start talking¡± Prink sounds.


    He ends up quizzing me on every minute detail about God¡¯s appearance, from how God appeared, to how they talked, to if there was anything special preceding it, and I capitulate, telling everything from the giant steel colossus, to the orange seed and light tendrils, which he listens to with great joy.


    Once we are finally done, hours must¡¯ve passed and he offers to escort me to the palace. I accept, but it ends up not really being him escorting me, but rather a half dozen guards, who were waiting outside the luxurious room escorting us both.


    It is very close, since it lays up the very same plaza the circle does. Indeed, the luxurious white mansion with a colorful garden and fountains is his home. On the way, I wanted to ask Prink a little about how everything works, but I can¡¯t really get past the small wall of guards that has been formed between us.


    Eventually, I am automatically separated and led to a room. It has apparently been reserved for if the winner of the gifted championship accepted employment. I am then asked to stay put until morning, because I am not trusted yet¡­


    I don¡¯t need rest and it is still only in the afternoon, but with a busted arm and missing fingers, I want morning to come fast, so I try to sleep. The bed here is exquisitely soft and I soon fall into slumber.


    I wake, and check my arms. Both are in mint condition once again. I didn¡¯t look around the room much when I went to sleep, but it is rather fancy. Large dresser, large bed, a table with four chairs surrounding it, all with intricate carvings in them.


    Breakfast is apparently arranged on the table, so I might as well dig in. Breakfast has been the meal the least to my tastes in this world, since it usually mostly consists of meat, like all other meals, which I find a bit heavy for the first meal of the day. But this appears to be some kind of stew, made mostly from fruit and vegetables. It has a mild sour taste, but is very easy to eat.


    In the middle of breakfast, Ahorn barges in. ¡°There you are!¡± He yells. ¡°Come¡± he walks up, grabs my arm and pulls me along. ¡°I got all of them and we have located a dungeon, that should be much easier than the one in Berliso nearby. We are leaving immediately!¡± What the hell, just what did he do all day yesterday?


    ¡°Wait, Ahorn, I can walk by myself!¡± I try to protest but he leads me on by his hand on my arm anyways. I could probably easily break free, but his gift is quite scary, so I wonder if he will accidentally strike me or something.


    Once he has lead me to a certain door, he opens it and six people are gathered around a table, all looking very tired. I recognize two people among them, Spetus and Vegar.

 125: Introductions

    ¡±All right, let¡¯s introduce you, you know Spetus and Veg-¡±


    ¡°Ahorn, aren¡¯t we moving a little too fast?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, I am introducing you.¡± Ahorn pushes past it. Jeez, I had at least hoped I could have had a bit of a vacation, maybe visit one of them water bars.


    ¡°The other four are also all gift users, and among the best in our service. I wanted more, but Prink stopped me. Anyway, this is Ostir, Connir, Medeor and Visel.


    I look over the four men. Three are relatively inconspicuous, but the one called Ostir has a weird mask on his face. It looks almost like an ancient gas mask.


    Connir looks like a shifty type, black hair down over his eyes, equipped with leather armor, a spear down one side and a set of throwing knives in a belt over his chest.


    Medeor is equipped in full plate, with a heavy shield and a weapon I haven¡¯t seen much of in this world before, an spiked mace hanging down his side. His hair is blonde and his eyes blue. I can¡¯t help but think he looks a bit like a stereotypical champion or hero.


    Ostir and Visel are both very lightly equipped with only leather armor. Ostir has a rapier, much like that one weird guy who could manipulate one¡¯s perception of him, while Visel isn¡¯t holding any weapons at all, except for throwing knives. It makes me wonder if their gifts are playing into their equipment choices.


    ¡°And everyone, this is Yos, that immortal guy I was talking about.¡±


    ¡°AHORN! Did you seriously just share that all without consideration?¡±


    Ahorn looks at me a little baffled. ¡°We are going to be working together. If we do not know the strength and weaknesses of each other and our gifts. Calm down, and then we will hear the rest of the people out¡±


    Medeor starts. ¡°My gift is self-healing. I take to the front lines for the most part, absorbing blows I can recover from much faster than other people. My gift also recovers my stamina, but my gift only works while I am still¡± Huh, a fellow self-healer.


    Visel goes second. ¡°I can make metal things give a nasty stunning shock, however, if I am in contact with it, it will work on myself, so I can only really use it for ranged attacks, or if my opponents are using metal¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Then Vegar. ¡°My gift is simply to regenerate mana at a far faster rate than any other gift users. It will only take a few hours for my tank to be full. I use that plethora of mana with several different types of bestowal, to make my own skin and armor tougher, to make my blade sharper and to boost my physical prowess.¡± Huh, turns out his abilities weren¡¯t that of his gift, that would not have mattered in the few minutes our battle lasted, but rather the training he could receive from it. I know I could train far more than the average guy, but I still only mastered bestowal to heighten physical prowess after three years.


    Then Ahorn, Spetus and I share our gifts too. I guess it is fine, since there seems to be unity around it, but one doesn¡¯t share.


    ¡°What about you?¡± I ask Ostir.


    ¡°Ah, Ostir doesn¡¯t like to talk, I¡¯ll explain it.¡± Medeor takes over. ¡°Ostir¡¯s gift is that of poison. He can make any attack he makes corrode enemies from withing. The reason for the mask and so on, is that he has to be very careful, as if he for example is mad at someone, and spit from his mouth falls on them, it can count as an attack for the purpose of his gift.¡± Huh. This is the first time, bar possibly myself in the far future, I have seen someone suffer from a gift.


    ¡°He fights mostly by throwing knives, or stabbing with a long sword, before retreating to safety.¡±


    And lastly Connir explains himself "I can skip a moment of time for myself. All actions I have started will be propelled about half a second into the future, allowing me to make virtually unblockable attack".


    ¡°But there¡¯s still a number of issues¡± I complain, feeling that I am being thrusted into this rather haphazardly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have my sword yet, it should still be with Porar¡± We used the same kind of cheap sword for our battles, so that money didn¡¯t translate into an advantage.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it with me¡± Spetus says¡­


    ¡°And I don¡¯t have any clothes¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that in no time¡± Ahorn interjects.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t know if I can trust Vegar after what happened.¡± I am struggling to find more excuses, so please let this one slide.


    ¡°We were opponents then, and I must admit I was blinded by greed for winning. But now we are allies, and not only that, my premature release depends on cooperation¡± I don¡¯t know how to retort.


    ¡°And are all you really ready to risk your lives?¡± Nods and affirmations spring out¡­ Just what in the?


    ¡°They¡¯ve all been promised quite the reward if we make it through this. You too, Yos, when we make it back, I promise to shower you in thousands of asti.¡± Not that I couldn¡¯t find out things to spend them on, but I have an inkling this is going to go horribly wrong.


    ¡°What about you, Spetus, you refused employ under the hero before, what made you change your mind?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Ahorn promised a rematch with you, of course¡± He has a big fat grin on his face. The thought of a rematch with Spetus both terrifies and excites me. I feel like I won on a fluke, so I both might win or lose, but truth to be told, it¡¯s the most fun thing I remember doing in a long time.


    I sigh.


    ¡°All right then¡­ But if I say we leave, we leave, okay?¡± Everyone except Ahorn agrees. Just why is he so driven in regards to this?

 126: Easy Dungeon

    To my relief, more than a day passes before we are ready. Apparently getting the best equipment in the capital takes a little more time than Ahorn would like. I am actually wearing some armor procured for me, though I don¡¯t plan on getting attached to it, on behalf of my track record. It is the good old chainmail and leather armor combo, that most tend towards due to it providing good defense without expending too much mobility.


    When we are ready to go, I planned to show off a little by transporting everyone in the cart and travelling with my incredible stamina, but no cart is prepared for us. Only a set of backpacks and bedrolls.


    ¡°What? It¡¯s really just us? No supporters or anything?¡± Connir asks.


    ¡°Yes, our goal is not to make money, so we don¡¯t need them to carry anything. And it was Yos¡¯ demand that no one weaker than that guy joins us¡± Ahorn answers while pointing at Vegar.


    Vegar and Spetus have also been provided excellent swords and armor. The frontline will consist of me, Vegar, Spetus and Medeor, while the rest is will take up the duty of those, who usually wield spears.


    We take the trip at a fast pace, compared to most other travelers, constantly jogging. The reason is Ahorn¡¯s insistence, though many appear unhappy. I would rather just carry everyone in a cart, but I forgot to mention it, and now it seems weird to ask to go back and get one, so we travel like this.


    The dungeon should be less that two regular days¡¯ journey away, so Ahorn hopes we can make it and camp outside tonight. We have to run a while past sunset, but eventually, we make it. Everyone is looking tired as hell though, and quickly want to go to bed after eating from the provisions.


    I don¡¯t sleep, so I end up going a decent amount away from the main group and train until I get the refreshing feeling of all fatigue being cleared, at which point I quickly return to the group.


    We form up shortly thereafter and start our expedition into the dungeon. With the overpowered team, we blaze through the floors at remarkable speed. I have seen so many different monsters today, but none of them pose any real resistance. Heck, the front line basically doesn¡¯t get to do anything, as all were killed by the guys in the back with throwing weapons. Visel, especially, proves to quickly eliminate. Eventually, when we are on the 18<sup>th</sup> floor, we make camp for the night. Our progress is slower than in Berliso since the floors were not mapped out beforehand and we had to explore for them, and the fact that I insist on checking out the monsters of each floor, before we descend down. I remember dying to things I couldn¡¯t even detect before, so I wanted to be sure.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    The food is supplied by the dungeon. If we see anything that looks edible, we bring it along, and then roast whatever monsters are available on the floor we are camping at, making it easy to travel without too many supplies. Wood, meat and other edibles are readily available, at least enough to sustain the eight of us. Most of the monsters we have come by so far have been small, which I guess is the reason for the dungeon being abandoned.


    The entire expedition progresses without any major problems though. Heck, there¡¯s nothing really threatening at all, even when we reach the 60¡¯s, a point in Berliso¡¯s dungeon, where I was for sure dying every day. Guess there really is something to that whole difficulty thing, Ahorn may just be getting his wishes fulfilled pretty easily. There also aren¡¯t any of the variant monster present, at least not yet.


    When we enter the 101<sup>st</sup> floor, I go down to scout. It should be pretty late in the day, the 8<sup>th</sup> day since we set out from the capital, but Ahorn wants us to press a little further.


    I spot the monster and it is the very first sizeable monster I have seen in this dungeon. It is like a long, black centipede, but with sickles coming out from its sides. I try to approach to investigate, but as I do, it runs towards me with great speed.


    I try to pierce it¡¯s chitinous exterior, but my sword does not pierce at all, and it is running straight for my legs. I jump to avoid it, but so does the centipede, while it turns to slice the sickle through the air. I don¡¯t find it painful immediately, but when I come down from my jump and land on the stumps that remain, the fierce sting sets the reality into me, fuck!


    I panic a little and channel bestowal full throttle, to pierce the armor of the centipede, and so it does this time, but at the cost of most of my mana supply. I must still have some since my read vision is active and I feel there are many close by. I have to get back to the other immediately, a few times where I had trouble finding monsters they had come down because they got bored, I must warn them.


    So I crawl on my knees and hands, not being able to stand. But I feel them approaching at much greater speed than I can crawl to the previous floor. As it catches up to me, I turn around to stab it, but it fails due to my lack of strength and the last thing I see is a sickle approaching for my neck.

 127: Burden of Lives

    When I wake up, people are around me. More specifically, most are sleeping, except Ahorn and Vegar who seem to be on guard duty.


    ¡°I thought we agreed that you guys wouldn¡¯t come, if I died.¡± I rise up and give my opinion. My clothes are surprisingly intact, bar my boots. Well, I only received two clean cuts at the ankles and neck before dying and my corpse was usually only subjected to additional treatment by the variant monsters.


    ¡°You really are back, huh? What a creepy power¡­¡± Vegar says, while Ahorn just smiles. I think this is the first time someone I know confirmed my corpse and coming back to life.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it¡± Ahorn says. ¡°These guys gave you trouble due to their carapace, right? But here in the group we have plenty of guys such defenses are useless against. We are stronger together, after all. That¡¯s why, from today on, we will be advancing as a team!¡± I don¡¯t know... True, Ahorn could probably take these guys out easy, since their speed wasn¡¯t insane or anything, he simply had to hit them with that long stick of his before their very close-range attack came into range.


    ¡°It may have worked out this time, Ahorn, but think of the deaths I described in the previous dungeon. If we encounter any of those variant types, we will all surely die¡± His previous smile turns into a frown.


    ¡°You underestimate us too much. Did you not fight on equal ground with Spetus? And though you may have died a lot, you did make it through the dungeon, so one can assume that, bar the last special enemy you described, you would have made it through with perfect luck. And we are many times stronger with this many strong people.¡± His smile doesn¡¯t leave his face. Shit, he may be right. I can hardly believe just how quickly we have progressed through this dungeon compared to my two year trek.


    ¡°Fine, but can you like¡­ Say something so I won¡¯t feel guilty if you die?¡± The thing that annoys me the most is the option of them dying, since I feel that they wouldn¡¯t be here without me¡­


    ¡°Why would you feel guilty?¡± Ahorn has a very confused look on his face.


    I freeze up, but feel a sad expression creeping up on my face.


    ¡°What nonsense! Each and every one of us is here today of our own volition. Everyone here very well know their lives could be forfeit and has willingly accepted that risk! We each carry the weight of our own life, your shoulders are unburdened¡±.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    I think he is being serious and not merely trying to comfort me, but I have never been a good judge of stuff like that. I sigh and nod again. As I walk around a little, the boot stumps slip off my feet. Guess they were not made to stay on feet without the neck of the boot.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wake everyone up and have breakfast¡± Ahorn cheerfully gathers everyone by shaking their resting bodies, to which they quickly jump up.


    ¡°To be fair, I wouldn¡¯t be here without you. But it was my own fault I landed in jail¡­ Sorry about that whole¡­ thing by the way.¡± Vegar gives me a few words I don¡¯t know if I should find relieving or stressful.


    The party gathers up and cooks some of the bug-like monsters of the level. Gross, pale, fatty meat is extracted from underneath the carapace, which is roasted over fire, though it barely gains any color¡­ I am surprised everyone is carrying it out without complaint¡­ I don¡¯t think I have been happier to not need to eat before.


    When the party forms up once again, we assume a full formation, and proceed to the lower floors. Many of these monster could probably kill me, but our group with extremely offensive and defensive powers tears through floor after floor with ease and much greater speed than earlier, since they no longer need to wait for me to scout.


    Vegar and Spetus especially excel in their defensive powers, as they receive tackles and strikes that would have sent me flying. It really bothers me that force doesn¡¯t seem tightly related to mass in this world, though.


    We luckily encounter none of the variant species. Guess this really is an easy dungeon. Only a single day passes before we arrive at the stairwell to what should be the 120<sup>th</sup> floor.


    I feel a lump in my throat.


    ¡°Let me handle this one¡± I say out loud.


    ¡°What, didn¡¯t I just convince you we are much stronger together? We can surely beat it in one go!¡± Ahorn seems confident, but¡­


    ¡°This one is different, probably. And the last guy I fought didn¡¯t heal day after day. It is a matter of risking lives or sacrificing a mere few days before you can advance¡­ surely you can understand that.¡±


    I voice my opinion. I even see Vegar nodding along with me, but Ahorn won¡¯t take it.


    ¡°Now listen here, I have postponed what I want for so long, and now it is within reach! Don¡¯t you dare delay it any further, based on unknowable whims!¡± He is slightly pissed. I sigh again, remembering the line about not carrying the weight of their lives. Since I feel like he would follow me regardless of what I say, I reason it would be better to work together on good terms.


    ¡°Fine¡­ Let us proceed¡± We climb down the stairs and much like in the other dungeon, a single, large room with a humanoid figure greets us. Are all of these last monsters single humanoids? But there is at least one large difference.


    The stature of the figure is less than six feet, and the room much smaller to match. It is once again lit up in an inexplicable manner though.


    Our opponent looks bizarre. A large snout and two pearly, black, tiny eyes from its face, otherwise entirely covered in spikes, bar its chest, which is home to sickly yellow skin folds, pierced by many large, metal rings, as if an oversized chainmail was built into its skin.


    A large, piercing howl is emitted from the creature, immediately followed by a right hand swing, which causes a few dozen large spikes to fly towards us.

 128: Quills

    We react to the first spray of quills. Luckily we are close together and people immediately hide behind Medeor and his giant shield. Even then, though many bounce off, still more embed themselves in the solid metal shield with a devastating noise, and it is evident Medeor had trouble standing his ground. Adding to that, the attack seemed almost casual coming from our aggressor, the quilled, pierced man standing in the center of the room.


    Despite the ominous beginning, at least one of us is not worried at all. Immediately after the attack has been defended against, Visel chuckles audibly.


    ¡°Seems a rather terrifying foe. At least, it would be, had it not such a poor choice in design¡± He obviously meant the large metal rings, piercing the quill-man¡¯s bare torso skin, clinging slightly as he makes small shuffles. Visel¡¯s power should be to make any metallic object hurt all it comes into contact with. He raises his hand holding a dagger with a smirk upon his face.


    The thrown dagger has little force behind it, but the power shows immediately after it makes contact with the quill-man¡¯s torso rings, as it starts tossing and turning, accompanied by loud jingling sounds. Sparks are seen flying from one ring to the next. Is Visel¡¯s gift electric in nature? I push away the intervening thought and move to kick the quill-man while he is down, but Visio interrupts.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move. My power will also hurt all who are near, at least if they are wearing anything metal. Besides, nothing has stood up to it yet¡± He is obviously confident in his victory, but I wish I could go cut its head off or something, since I have no idea how much damage this attack is doing.


    Minutes pass, while the quill-man tosses about in agony. I look over my companions. Both Medeor and Ahorn has a somewhat unpleasant look on their faces. I can understand that sentiment. This monster isn¡¯t like other monsters. They do not flinch from pain or stop in their pursuit to hurt humans, behaving almost entirely mechanical, but this one is squealing and obviously lamenting its fate.


    Though he has a somewhat sadistic grin on his face, I also notice the increasing amount of sweat piling up on Visel¡¯s face. Bead after beard appears from the hair and runs down the temples and forehead. I think a little about how these ¡°active¡± gifts conflate with stamina in opposition to those like my ¡°passive¡± one. I then discard it, as I can never experience it and I never really understood what I couldn¡¯t experience.


    Though we have let our guard down, thinking Visio would take care of this, I ready myself at once. Visio¡¯s attack has stopped, and so have the squealing. Visio¡¯s breath is ragged and he mutters ¡°Sorry, seems I¡± is all I manage to hear before being deafened by a terrifying roar. The quill-man has regained his footing and is looking pissed.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    With impressive force, he spins around and quills from his back fly at us. I immediately understand that this attack is nothing like the last, and as a result of that, try my hardest to dodge rather than taking cover with Medeor. I immediately move to close the distance as I hear somebody scream ¡°Ostir!¡± behind my back.


    I spot Ahorn has also moved. He is not the hero for nothing, he must also have sensed defense would be useless. I immediately think only to open a path for the one-shotting man to get a hit in and yell at the top of my lungs to drag the attention of the quill-man.


    It works. A flurry of spikes is flying towards me. I try to dodge to the left, but my charge has shortened the distance too much, and the terrifying power of the spikes tear flesh off my right arm and leg. The pain makes me collapse and I suddenly fear the worst for our little group, but soon another man overtakes me and leads a charge with a yell, seemingly having the same idea I had. It is Spetus, charging forward with sword and shield.


    Another flurry of spikes is sent towards him by a flailing arm, but when they make contact with the shield, they fall to the ground, quite unlike the situation earlier. Really, I am not one to talk, but that gift of his is so strong. He approaches and finally makes contact with a hefty swing. The beast moves its body to receive it with its torso piercing, as if they were chainmail. The attack bounces off and a spiked arm moves to counter. There must be way more power behind those spikes when they are still attached, since the move sends Spetus flying, but this should be the end. The amphibian-like man with a staff has reached his range safely, and with one short thrust, the beast collapses as if any of its strength or vigor was just a lie.


    Silence falls, before I register a ¡°Shit!¡± coming from behind us.


    It is Connir, whom uttered it, and his attention is on his comrades. I can¡¯t see much, other than only he and Vegar are left standing over there. Vegar is holding his hand over his mouth, and looks slightly grossed out.


    ¡°What¡¯s the damage?¡± Ahorn asks, to which Connir immediately replies.


    ¡°Think Medeor will make it through, but Visel and Ostir are done for.¡±


    I immediately feel my heart sink. I did not know them well, but more people died. And worse, without me being here, they wouldn¡¯t have. It seems to have caught Ahorn¡¯s attention and he reproaches me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pity yourself. Pity the dead and move on. It was their choice to make, not yours.¡± I am reminded of our little conversation earlier and try to push the feelings away, but it isn¡¯t that easy.


    ¡°Anyway, it should be down here, right?¡± Ahorn asks as he gesture towards the set of stairs that appeared.


    ¡°Down where?¡± The question comes from Spetus, who has gotten up after his beating, but clearly not unscathed. He is holding a bleeding arm and his eye look really gross.


    ¡°Hn?¡± Ahorn and I are confused. ¡°You can¡¯t see it?¡± I ask.

 129: Caprice

    ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re halfway through the floor¡±.


    Spetus chuckles a little despite his injuries and loss of life. We tested it out a little and the stairway that appeared after the defeat of the quill-man is not only perceptible only to Ahorn and I, but also intangible. Spetus right now is, to my eyes, standing in midair above the staircase.


    ¡°Enough of this. I am going to see her¡±.


    Wait¡­ Her? Guess it could go either way with how that annoying god looks, but everybody refers to it as God, so I assumed it was male, if it had a gender at all. Guess I could ask, but I actually don¡¯t want to go. Though my wounds closed up quickly I am in intense pain after the fight. I was even thinking of killing myself so I can wake up without enduring it, but I felt like I would lose something if I did so.  Adding to that, that God is annoying as all hell¡­ But there is the matter of the promised present¡­


    Leaning up against Ahorn, whose clammy arm is supporting me, reminding me once again that this guy is not human at all, we proceed until the bottom floor. I expected the same sight as last time, but it was not so. In an inexplicably lit room, the god is already waiting for us.


    I just barely wonder if I get to be animate this time, before noticing I can¡¯t move at all. But Ahorn can. He falls to his knees and proclaims: ¡°My Goddess. I have come to you, as promised!¡±


    ¡°As promised? AS PROMISED?¡± The god looks furious, though it kind of looks cute, as the body and visage is that of a child. I soon quench the thought, remembering this is a powerful being.


    ¡°This is not the dungeon I ordered you to take. This is much later than I hoped and you even had to enlist the help of another one of mine! But before that, YOU GAVE UP!¡±


    Ahorn is quivering. It is obvious he is already aware of her power.


    ¡°Please, I tried my best! But we couldn¡¯t do it without-¡° ¡°SILENCE!¡± Ahorn shuts up immediately.


    ¡°As punishment for you, the deal is off¡± The god proclaims.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°NO! ANYTHING BUT THAT! YOU HAVE TO SAVE MY PEO-¡°


    Unnatural flames of violet and green hues envelop Ahorn for a few seconds, and when they subside, he is nowhere to be seen.


    Did.. Did this crazy ass god just kill him?


    ¡°I can hear you, you know?¡± Shit, they hear my thoughts. At this point I am just trying to think up random flattery, lest I end up the same as Ahorn, but all that comes to mind is how annoyingly they spoke last time, how terrified I am of them right now and how weird it was to see something cute-looking destroy a man.


    A laugh escapes the god¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re kind of interesting you know. Now, as for you, it was way sooner than I had thought, so I don¡¯t have anything prepared¡­ Is there anything you would like me to give you?¡± It¡¯s scary. It¡¯s scary they just killed a man and then approach me like that.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re not in danger. It¡¯s just that I hate people who give up more than anything.¡± The god looks both sad and angry when they say so. ¡°You¡¯d think someone with a gift, that can kill most things in one shot, would bring about some progress, but this asshole failed to do so for years, preferring to send scores of other people to their doom, while he stayed mostly safe, even though they would probably have done much better, had he himself just pressed on¡­ Anyway, your gift?¡±


    Even if they ask me in this situation, I feel wrong about it. I just want to get away from them.


    ¡°Come ooooon, don¡¯t be like thaaaaaat¡­ How abooooouut¡­ a cute pet?¡± They suggest, while trailing the words annoyingly.


    No thank you. If anything, give me something useful¡­ Like armor that doesn¡¯t get destroyed and a sword I can¡¯t lose.


    ¡°Beh, no can do. It is against my policy to give powerful equipment!¡± The God sticks their tongue out.


    But, the cape was so useless.


    ¡°It was meant to be fun, not useful, you silly man¡±


    It was kind of fun¡­ But I¡¯d really like something useful.


    ¡°Then¡­ How about a book that documents all kinds of magic? That way it improves your own skills, instead of relying on the quality of equipment!¡± The god claps their hands together as she suggests so.


    That book¡­ Is it in English?


    ¡°Huh¡­ Well, I could do so, but what¡­ You can¡¯t read?¡±


    A small wave of embarrassment washes over me.


    ¡°New idea. The book will teach you to read! And then the next time we meet, I¡¯ll add some magic stuff to it! That¡¯s totally what we¡¯re gonna do! Alrighty, then!¡± She snaps her fingers and a sizeable book is in my left hand.


    ¡°Bye bye!¡± She snaps her fingers once again and I am suddenly outside. Spetus, Vegar and Connir are here too. And Medeor is lying on the floor, wailing a little in his pain.


    ¡°What happened? Where¡¯s Ahorn?¡± Connir asks flustered.


    ¡°God¡­ God killed him¡­ I think¡­¡± I say nervously looking at the book in my hand¡­


    I open it.


    I expected it to be English, but there only characters from this world in here¡­


    How is a book supposed to teach me to read, if I can¡¯t read?

 130: Nebulous

    ¡°God¡­ God killed him? WHAT DO YOU MEAN GOD KILLED HIM?¡± Connir is freaking out.


    ¡°Nono, this is not supposed to happen. This¡­ This changes everything.¡± Holding his forehead with both of his hand, he appears to be deeply despaired. I myself am pretty bummed out. Three people died as a direct cause of my actions, including one of the few acquaintances I currently have, but Connir looks like his entire world is falling apart. Was he and Ahorn close? As I look over the rest, Spetus and Vegar appear as confused by the attitude as I am,


    ¡°We¡­ We have to get back as soon as possible, let us leave immediately!¡± He starts brimming up.


    Spetus interrupts him. ¡°Look at us, we¡¯re in no state to travel, we¡¯ll be resting for now.¡± He¡¯s right. Medeor is on the floor and both Spetus and I are severely injured, though I will be better off in the morning.


    ¡°No¡­ no time. I will go ahead, you guys make it as soon as you can!¡± Connir starts running leaving the rest of us dumbfounded.


    A mild period of silence washes over us as we watch Connir disappear into the everpresent fog, before Vegar breaks it. ¡°I guess I will go hunt something to eat, since you guys are busted up, I¡¯ll make do alone¡±


    It¡¯s strange how this man, who initially appeared as such a villain to me, can be so cooperative. People work differently in different situations I guess. Spetus gets started on making a fire in the meantime. I notice he isn¡¯t really using his left arm. Upon further inspection, it is clearly bent out of a regular shape.


    ¡°How bad is it?¡± I ask him. He smiles in a weird, sad way.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I will ever really use my left arm again. Seen these kinds of injuries tons of times, and they tend to mean your career in the circle is over¡± He glances down his left side. I had thought some kind of magic would be able to fix it, but I guess this world is behind my previous one, as far as medical technology goes. Spetus¡¯ bitter smile turns into a frown.


    ¡°Guess that rematch won¡¯t mean much now. I really envy you right now. Come tomorrow, you will be good as new, and I will have to change my entire way of life.¡± His glance is directed towards the fire and not me as he speaks. I feel my heart sink. I feel silly for ever having envied Spetus¡¯ power for the raw power and defense.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    I can¡¯t think of a good words of encouragement, and the mood turns sour. Even after Vegar returns, barely a word is spoken during the cooking and eating of small monsters, all the way until people start to go to sleep. Medeor has calmed down. I move a little away, limping on account of my injuries.


    Tears start building up in me. Shit! I never should have involved anyone in this business. Why did I not just try to go somewhere and start a life? Why did I have to ruin so many lives today? Three people dead, a man¡¯s career ruined, and all I got for it was this stupid book I can¡¯t even read! Fuck the God! Fuck this world! Fuck everything!


    Tears now flow freely, and I throw the book to the ground with considerable force.


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    The unexpected noise halts my tantrum. With still wet cheeks, I crouch down and pick up the book.


    I inspect. Seems it is just a book.


    ¡°Did¡­ Did you just talk?¡± My voice surprised me by how flustered it sounded.


    ¡°I did¡± The voice is that of a woman, though it sounds horribly monotone. Guess this explains how I am supposed to learn to read.


    ¡°Why did you not speak earlier?¡± After all, most of a day has passed since it come into my possession.


    ¡°No question was posed to me.¡± The book is awfully emotionless.


    ¡°Are you like¡­ A person?¡±


    ¡°I am a book¡±


    ¡°No, I mean¡­. Do you have a personality and stuff? Do you have a name? Do you think?¡±


    ¡°I have no name. Personality and thinking are nebulous terms with no real meaning attached to them¡±


    I get a weird idea, maybe due to my current state of mind.


    ¡°Do¡­ Do you know what happened?¡±


    ¡°The question is unclear. Please be more specific¡±.


    ¡°I¡­ I lead a man to believe he could accomplish something he really wanted to. But all I did was lead him and two of his comrades to their death, and cause another to lose his livelihood¡­ Am I¡­ Am I a bad person?¡±


    ¡°Bad is a nebulous term with no real meaning. Assuming you mean an individual with ill intent for others, prioritizing his own gain over that of others, or someone with no redeeming qualities, you will be better at knowing the answer yourself than I would, since I have no capability of assessing whether these attributes are true¡±. The monotone voice gave a whole speech. It caused me to think over why I did it. How I tried to do it differently. How I was pulled along by Ahorn. Though I still regret everything, I feel a little better somehow.


    ¡°Thanks¡± I say to the closed book, but no answer comes from it. It is an item from that damned goddess, but I somehow have a good feeling about it.


    I open it up and point to the first line of characters on the sheet. ¡°How do I read this?¡±


    ¡°These are the logographs representing family members. Starting from the left is father, mother, son, daughter¡­¡±


    And so I spent the night with a talking book.

 131: Importance of a Hero

    As the morning comes, I suddenly notice my pain waning and upon a quick glance, my arm and leg is restored to their previous condition. While I feel like I learnt a lot during the night, I have an inkling it will take a very long time to learn to read. If only the language was like English, I could have sounded out the words, since I already know how to speak, but the characters here each represent a whole word. The only logic to it, is that the same class of words, have a common base. For example, each character for the family has a vertical stroke, with three increasingly long horizontal strokes from the top to the middle, so that it resembles a simple drawing of a tree. Then, for father, mother, son etc. the difference is only small marks around or on the letter.


    I also became a little sad upon realizing I couldn¡¯t really converse with the book. At least not with ease. It only ever replies to questions I have, not giving any response if I try to talk to it in any other way. Guess it did scream out when I threw, so it must be able to. It also answers most questions in a manner, that almost makes it seem like it is dodging the issue. For example, I asked it ¡°What makes a good person?¡± To which it replied ¡°Good is a nebulous term. Most common usage is for something beneficial to and liked by its surroundings¡±.


    Finally, I have taken to calling it Dixy, after the word dictionary, since it appears as its primary function.


    As I walk back to camp, I debate with myself whether to share the book, but ultimately I decide not to. I am starting to think it is better to keep my secrets in this world. It seems when people learn about me, I always end up in some form of trouble.


    Back at the camp, Medeor has gotten up. He doesn¡¯t look fully well, but significantly better than yesterday. I wonder if Spetus would also be envious of his healing capabilities, but it is obvious it is easier to envy mine.


    ¡°Morning¡± I extend my greeting to him. Spetus and Vegar are still sleeping.


    He turns to me looking slightly confused. ¡°What¡­ What happened? Where is everyone?¡±


    The depressing feeling appears in my gut again, but I deliver the news as well as I can. ¡°Ostir and Visel died to that monster. Connir ran towards the capital after learning that Ahorn got killed by God¡±.


    As my last words leave my lips, what little color remained in Medeor¡¯s face drained and he became pale white.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°God¡­ God killed Ahorn? Why? What is this? Why?¡±


    He is reacting more like Connir than the rest of us, looking all perplexed.


    ¡°Apparently, he wasn¡¯t acting the way God wanted him to¡­ And God was mad¡±.


    ¡°How are you so calm? Do you not know what this means?¡± He is very shaken.


    ¡°I mean¡­ Ahorn is dead?¡±


    ¡°You idiot! The hero is supposed to be the emissary from God! Every word and command from the hero is taken as having God¡¯s blessing! If the hero¡¯s acts don¡¯t necessarily align with God¡¯s¡­. Everything¡­ Everything this country is built on could be false!¡±


    I suddenly understand the seriousness. As if the pope was struck down by lightning, their followers and those who has acted in the faith that he represents God¡¯s will have their world shaken to their core.


    ¡°I¡­ We have to get back¡­ Inform Prink!¡± Medeor rises and shakily moves into a run, where he falls down. Fortunately, I kept up with him and catch him.


    ¡°Give it up. We are taking our sweet time getting back, what with the injuries of you and Spetus.¡± Medeor looks along the road, like he is gazing into the distance, before reluctantly giving a nod.


    When Vegar and Spetus get up, we spend a few hours hunting for supplies before packing up and heading out. The trip out here went fast and while Ahorn drived us to move restlessly, the lack of his presence makes the trip back feel infinitely worse. Lonely. Depressed.


    People don¡¯t talk and we only move slowly along the road to get back to the city. It takes more than two days, but at some times, I think it was even more painful than guarding the caravan, since I am travelling with people who have been hurt as a result of my actions. The nights I spent learning with Dixy somewhat remedy that though. It feels like Dixy doesn¡¯t judge me, nor does she hold any expectations. Though she makes for a lousy conversation partner, it is infinitely more relieving than the travel in painful silence.


    Eventually we make it back, spying the massive city slowly emerging from the fog. People dressed in similar uniforms come running out of the city to greet us. Apparently there are here to escort us, though it feels a bit weird that they only appear now.


    It becomes even weirder when we enter the city. Mean looks appear from the streets, directed towards us, as we are guided through the streets. When we end up at the plaza, I feel like most movement stops to look at us. A massive swarm of people all standing around the white house-like building. They start Jeering.


    ¡°You monsters!¡±


    ¡°How could you do this!?¡±


    ¡°What have you done?¡±


    Most of it is drowned out by the sudden rise in volume, but what I pick up confuses me. The people escorting us is holding the crowd back.


    Suddenly, silence falls over them, and I turn to see Prink emerge from the palace with an entourage. They procced slowly, until they are some 20 feet away from us.


    Prink starts to speak in a loud and slow voice.


    ¡°Yos of the Circle, you are hereby under arrest for the murder of hero Ahorn!¡±


    What? The crowd immediately starts getting riled up again and a few of the guards surrounding us now point their spears and swords towards us. What is happening?

 132: Escape

    ¡°And as fellow conspirators¡­¡± Prink continues, but my mind goes blank. The loud jeers from the cloud, the guards surrounding us, partially directing their weapons on us, the confused looks on the faces of my travel companions. I take everything in. One of the guards approaches me with an outstretched arm, grabbing my arm and dragging me.


    My memory flashes me the situation I spent so long in. Trapped in a lump of metal for god knows how long. They¡¯re sending me back. Every inch of my body screams to run.


    I immediately pull my arm towards myself. I can¡¯t run through the crowds surrounding us, so I only see one way. I run towards the palace.


    Some of Prink¡¯s entourage moves in front of him to detect him, but I have no plans to attack them, only running is on my mind and I leap over them. I quickly debating jumping or climbing the fence surrounding the palace, but I get an idea. There is a certain item that could help me escape. I rush into the palace.


    I try to remember where to go. I don¡¯t remember the palace¡¯s layout well. I recognize a face of a servant who came to me with food.


    ¡°Lead me to my room!¡± I scream at him. He turns pale and points in a direction. I hear people running after me, and while I would have loved to bring him with me, I just start running in the direction he pointed, up some stairs.


    Suddenly, the corridor seems slightly familiar and I am fairly confident I pick the correct room. When Spetus was brought here, he did not bring only my sword, but also this piece of cloth. I hastily tie it around my neck.


    As people have appeared in the opening to the room, I kick open the ornamented pieces of wood that serve as shutters for the hole in the wall that serve as a window and jump out, gliding.


    There¡¯s not that much height to gain, so I land on the street close to the plaza after a little while. I turn and see an absolute horde of people coming after me.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    With force plenty enough to break my legs, I kick off again. I go flying maybe 150 feet in the air.


    As I gaze down I see various face is shock. I feel good. I feel safe now. While the cape speed is slower than my running speed, I am no longer surrounded. I can get out.


    I manage to land on the wall surrounding the capital and while it hurts like hell to do it with my broken bones, I kick off with full force again and glide away.


    I have a sudden ill feeling welling up in me. Shouldn¡¯t I have tried to plead innocent? To give my side of the story? I suddenly feel regret. But the fear of being trapped again wells up in me. Guess that experience did more damage than I thought.


    After some time and having gotten far away enough to leave the capital in the fog, I feel another instance of regret. How well can I run away with broken legs? What if they chase after me? As I panic, landing again I kick off with another show of force. The pain is so intense I feel tears welling up in my eyes. How long can I continue this for?


    Four jumps later, I give in. It¡¯s like my mind is consumed by the pain. Like I don¡¯t even care if they lock me up now, only if the pain subsides. It hurts so much the sporadic idea from a few days earlier cross my mind again.


    With strangely sure hands, I grab my own head and twist with full force.


    It is morning. The pain is gone. I haven¡¯t been seized. Relief wells up in my heart but I am unsure what to do now. If they think I killed the hero, what am I to do? Where in the world could the suspected murderer of a pope-like figure find amnesty? In the places of other religions?


    Luckily, this world is sparsely populated compared to my old one. There are miles and miles of unsettled land, due to the specific dungeon needed to sustain a city, or even a village. Picking myself up, I just wander in a wander in a general direction. I don¡¯t run.


    I go through my bag while walking to pick Dixy up. I open her. What question should I ask? How to restore my name? How to avoid civilization? Many such ideas roam through my head.


    In the end, whether it being me not thinking Dixy will provide an adequate answer, or just trying to escape from these thoughts, I turn to where we last left of. ¡°These were the characters for metals, right?¡± I ask it.


    ¡°Yes, starting from the left, Iron, rubrite, azurite, flavite¡±


    And so, even in the current situation, all that matters to me right now is learning to read while speaking with Dixy.

 133: Interlude: A Statesmans Burden (Prinks POV)

    I look over the papers I had assembled. All twelve laws implemented on Ahorn¡¯s suggestion. Looking through them, they certainly do appear less brilliant after the ecstasy of carrying out God¡¯s will has disappeared into nothing¡­


    Reduction of penalty for working extra hard in the labor camps. Does this not put those who are motivated to do bad deeds out in the public sooner?


    A year¡¯s worth of monthly payments to any low-income family that has their first child. Does this not incentivize people to have children they are not ready for?


    I grasp my head. Why did this have to happen? Why did we have to learn this? Everything was so much simpler before.


    And the populace. Every so often some sort of revolt pops up, but if they learned we no longer¡­ no, never held the mandate of God, how would they react? Would it be chaos everywhere? Would everyone squabble over what was best and strangle each other when they don¡¯t agree?


    A knock on the door interrupts my thoughts.


    ¡°Enter¡±


    A large man, geared with armor with insignia representing God¡¯s favor appears from the door.


    ¡°Lord Prink, we have lost him completely. A week¡¯s search and nothing has turned up.¡±


    Uncomfortable feelings rise over me.


    ¡°What of the trackers?¡±


    ¡°None of their abilities are sufficient. They are either required to mark their target, or for them to travel along the ground. We have nothing.¡±


    I muster myself to appear calm, though I am getting rightly pissed off.


    ¡°Have someone sketch him¡­ Distribute it everywhere¡­ Make him public enemy number one.¡±


    It accumulates in a slight overreaction, but what is said is done. The soldier nods and disappears once again.


    ¡°What do we do from now on?¡± A voice appears from behind me. If I hadn¡¯t already grown used to it, it would have startled me.


    ¡°We figure out a new way to approach things. We are entering a new era. One where we will have to rely on wit and experience rather than our faith.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    I feel the man behind me wanting to say something, but his tongue is still. Connir has always been this way, afraid of angering me. I guess it is my fault, for that one time I overreacted a bit to an insolent question¡­


    ¡°Speak your mind¡± I order him.


    ¡°Is it¡­ Is it really alright? Isn¡¯t it unjust to persecute the innocent?¡± This fool¡­


    ¡°It matters little what is just at this point¡­ What matters is that Humanity and its territory must prevail for eternity. Turns out we knew less of God¡¯s intent than we thought, and we must strive back to the roots, the collection of oracles through the ages¡­¡±


    An ugly premonition washes over me. That Yos was allegedly also sent here by God. I hope it is alright for us to scapegoat him.


    ¡°What of the rebellion in the east? Do they not know anything?¡±


    A rise of insurrections in the eastern parts of our territory has taken place over the last couple of months. ¡°The White Order¡± they call themselves, saying they are the true voices of God, carrying out God¡¯s will¡­ It is not good for us in the know. But if we are blind to God¡¯s intent, so are they. They merely think they know, or deceptively use it to control the people.


    Ignorant oafs! Do they know how hard it is to run a country? How much planning and logistics and information gathering goes into it all? Do they think a bunch of uneducated twats can do a better job just because they are delusional!


    I quell the anger rising within me and finally answer in a calm manner.


    ¡°They do not. They are either insane or deceptive, either of which will lead to our downfall.¡±


    I dismiss them and look back at the laws. In fact, it is not only Ahorn, but all heroes and the laws based on their suggestions that should be under scrutiny. But we will have to roll back what we find disagreeable slowly and carefully. The people can¡¯t notice.


    ¡°Why blame Yos anyhow?¡± Connir asks without impudence anyhow¡­ This idiot.


    ¡°He was surprisingly hated among the common people. Apparently he fought incredibly unfair in the circle, so he was probably a crook by nature. In addition, he and Spetus were arguably the only ones strong enough to take down a hero, but Spetus is a real crowd pleaser, and many would find it distasteful if we executed him.¡±


    Though the entourage was arrested as accomplices, two were quickly let go. Medeor is valuable, Spetus is popular. That third guy, however, the people will have to sate their bloodlust with his execution. Though I doubt it will be adequate when I already named another as the main culprit.


    ¡°There¡¯s also the matter of him being suspected of being a sealed evil spirit, that broke free. His date range matches that of the temple built to hold it, so I am inclined to believe it. That act of being a na?ve idiot got us good¡­¡±


    I still feel gravely disappointed that most of the Leader¡¯s Guard couldn¡¯t manage to catch a single man, but he was certainly extraordinary. Who would have thought he would fly away?


    No good, back to focusing on how to deal with the fallout. I will also have to consider which officials gets to know about the true way we will decide our politics from now on, along with finding a way of controlling the next hero, when they appear.


    I only wish I was younger. In my remaining ten years or so, I am not sure I will be able to lay a proper foundation that will secure our future.


    Oh God, please give us a sign. Why have you forsaken us?

 134: Wanderer

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

 135: Healing

    Magic turns out to get complicated super quick. At first it was relatively simply. Patterns with 5-7 curves or corners before repeating that I was somewhat used to. In Dixy, more efficient versions of previously known spells were even recorded, making me capable of heating or cooling things at an incredible level. To the point where I could freeze water or cook food.


    As one might find, it also came with the problem of cooking or freezing my hand. To stop that, one has to weave a counter-acting spell inside the hand, making it much more complicated and mana-intensive to get these more efficient patterns to not hurt me. Suddenly it was double the amount of curves, they had to repeat at different intervals, I couldn¡¯t practice for as long and it was all a big heap of trouble. But eventually I did it.


    It was amazing eating cooked meat and drinking cold water again, but I didn¡¯t rest. I proceeded to the next chapter in the book. Healing spells apparently.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I look at the long drawing that breaks halfway across the page and continues on the next line.


    ¡°The pattern that allows for the basic of healing magic.¡± Dixy replied.


    I was flabbergasted. I started counting. 15 corners and 22 curves in the pattern. To make this from memory was going to be a real pain in the ass. Having a bad premonition, I flipped the book over to the later chapters and spied patterns more than three times longer. Nope. Not happening.


    ¡°Anything the matter, Yos?¡± Dixy asks with a tint of concern in her voice.


    ¡°This¡­ This seems to difficult. I don¡¯t think I can do it.¡± Memorization has never been my strong suit. I repeatedly received D¡¯s in history class. And this was way harder than remembering than the year of declaration of independence.


    ¡°Aww, don¡¯t be like that. I am sure if you just stick to it, you will get the hang of it in no time!¡± The kind words don¡¯t fall on fertile ground. I know my own limitations.


    From then on, magic became a smaller part of my daily routine. I didn¡¯t mind all that much. Though Dixy doesn¡¯t like talking about much else than magic and words, their applications and meanings, she was still an infinitely better conversation partner than earlier. It even occurred to me that I should conquer another dungeon to upgrade her, but then, I actually succeeded, despite only trying for an hour or so a day.


    A small wound I had cut in myself for testing purposes closed up before my eyes. In small pulses of rapid healing, it took only a minute or so for the cut to close up with the help of healing magic.


    ¡°I¡­ I did it?¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°Congratulations! See, I knew you could do it!¡± Dixy complemented me upon my success. She doesn¡¯t appear to be able to see things, but I guess she is taking my word for it.


    I felt great and weird at the same time¡­ Strange, I was sure this was beyond me. And I succeeded in only¡­ Actually I have no idea how much time has passed. Maybe it was longer than I thought.


    ¡°Dixy, do you know how long it has been since we started learning magic?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no I don¡¯t have a great sense of time¡± the book replied. ¡°But it has at least been much longer than how long you spent learning to read.¡± Well, guess I will find out sooner or later.


    With renewed spirit I cast myself over learning magic again, this time with many more hours a day dedicated to it. I also learnt some of the limitations.


    When I became adept at the healing spell, I tried cutting off a finger, expecting it to grow back, but that is not what happened. Rather, the wound merely closed itself. I was terrified that day, wondering if I had crippled myself permanently, but thankfully, the finger was suddenly back the next day thanks to my gift. It then occurred to me, why I was bothering with learning healing magic at all, but I guess it will still be useful if I need to function properly without taking the rest of the day off.


    Or heal someone else.


    I shuddered a little. Other people. Past relations popped up in my head and I shake my head to rid myself of their presence. I have Dixy to keep me company. That is plenty.


    Healing magic also had faults described that my gift takes care of. It can¡¯t make anything, so it will no cure hunger or thirst. A person fully healed can still die from blood lost to the wound, so the first priority should be to close wounds. Actually, healing magic will use resources from the body, so it should be accompanied by lots of food and ample rest.


    These caveats make me think of medicine from the old world. To me, it has always been almost like magic. Magic pills that make you well, but you can¡¯t mix with alcohol, or magic liquids injected into you that stop you from getting sick in the first place. I wonder if that means there is some logic to how this works that I just don¡¯t understand. It also made me think of how there is no ¡°cure illness¡± spell, though there seems to be one to cure poison. Do illnesses just not exist in this world?


    Nevertheless, I had almost mastered the chapter on healing magic, only lacking the high-tier spells, capable of regrowing limbs or temporarily restoring youth, which I skipped to focus on the next chapter, as these had hundreds of corners and curves in their patterns. I was looking to the next chapter on hardening spells, since they started off with only twenty or so. Reminded me of Vegar. He must have known some of these. I was incredibly impressed with how strong he came off, and this was one of the spells he used, or perhaps a variation on it, like the variation of heating and cooling I learned from Hannah.


    It was these spells I had come into the habit of practicing when I met a road as many times before, preparing myself to travel perpendicular to it, to avoid civilization. But something catches my eye.


    A small figure is lying not far from the road. It sobs a little, stops, tries to pull itself up with a groan, before falling down again. It was curious, but I was just about to ignore it, before it started sobbing again.


    It tingled. Like I couldn¡¯t ignore it. I went over to it, and while I was doing so it stopped. It became apparent to me what that figure was. The horse-mane like making a flat Mohawk over an otherwise bald head, and two, long cylinders for ears, it was a young, female Silvestri.


    She was quiet now. Did she pass out? I open Dixy.


    ¡°Dixy¡­ Should we help?¡± I ask her.

 136: Nourishment

    ¡°Help who? With what? And why?¡± Dixy asks. Right, she can¡¯t see. I feel a little embarrassed to have forgotten that.


    ¡°There is a kid Silvestri here. I think she needs food and water¡­ And¡­ Because it is the right thing to do?¡±


    She at least doesn¡¯t seem to have any external injuries.


    ¡°If you think it is the right thing to do, then why are you asking me about it¡± It stings a little. But I speak regardless.


    ¡°Well, once I help, I sort of feel like I would be responsible¡­ Have to get her home or something¡­ Get back to the towns¡­¡±


    ¡°And why is that a problem?¡± Goddamnit Dixy, read between the lines!


    I take in a deep sigh. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ People have tried to confine me many times before¡­ And it was super painful¡­ I don¡¯t want to risk it again.¡±


    ¡°Then why worry about it? Why not just go on your way?¡±


    Well, it just seems harsh, but Dixy probably doesn¡¯t have what one could call empathy in any true sense of the word. Why do I want to help her? I don¡¯t think I can properly put it into words¡­ Basic human compassion?


    I think of all the people I have brought misfortune over the years. Atna, Caper and Toben¡­ None of them would likely have died without my existence.


    Ahorn, Visel and Ostir too, could have lived full lives. I am like a monster that sucks the life out of those I meet.


    But I don¡¯t want to be a monster. I want to be a good guy.


    ¡°I want to be a good guy¡± I state to Dixy.


    ¡°And helping her will make you a good guy?¡± she asks.


    ¡°It certainly is what a good guy would do¡± I reply and with the matter being settled, I put Dixy away in my incredibly worn backpack and pick up the girl. It¡¯s harsh to say, but her appearance is not really appealing to human standards, what with that Mohawk-adjacent hairstyle. It brings one to the thoughts of hoodlums and troublemakers.


    She is clad in a single, short, raggy robe, that looks like it barely holds together. Carrying her, I easily feel bone and not much muscle on her body. I don¡¯t think you can have this kind of body while living healthily¡­


    I don¡¯t mind it and carry her back the way I came from. I passed a dungeon half a day ago or so, where I picked up some water and food, so I could supply her there. I was walking slovenly on the way here, so I reach the place in under an hour with a speedy run, I try to limit the shaking off for the girl.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    I am really angsty that I am going the right way, since the fog enveloping everything makes it super hard to navigate, but I eventually find it, and while carrying the girl to the water source, I swiftly eliminate any threats using only kicks. The monsters close to the surface are a complete joke by now.


    She is still out cold. I try to lightly pour some water in her mouth by way of cupped hands. I can hear her swallow it.


    I then fetch one of the small, almost rat-like monsters of this level of the dungeon. I use my sword to cut it up and roast the meat with my new high-power heat magic. I also try to feed her it, but she weakly coughs and starts to wheeze lightly.


    Panicking that I am causing the girl to choke, I lift her up and strike her back lightly while shaking her whole body. The piece quickly falls out, but the girl has not regained consciousness.


    I think of what to do. Can I wait for her to wake up? Or will she die if I simply wait now? She is looking emaciated.


    I finally decide put the meat in my own mouth. I chew it thoroughly, until it is a fine pasty. It takes some time, since it is rather tough and sinewy.  I then take it out again.


    I feel disgusted and pity the girl, but I think this is her best chance of survival.


    I tear off a very small piece of the meat-and-saliva mush and put it in her mouth. She swallows. I sigh and get to feeding her the rest of it.


    Time passes with me topping up her water and food every hour or so, until six feedings later, she is making some noise and slowly rising.


    She rubs her eyes and looks really unfocused until she catches a glimpse of me. Her unassuming face immediately turns into one of fear.


    ¡°Aaaaah, I didn¡¯t! I didn¡¯t¡­..¡± A scream followed by a slowly disappearing voice, as she prostrates herself before starting to sob a little.


    I myself am a little shocked at her reaction, but I find myself after a little while.


    ¡°Hey, hey¡± I start with the gentlest voice I can muster. ¡°I am not going to hurt you, I am friendly. Just relax¡±


    She looks up at me, eyes watery and visibly quivering. I am about to give her my name, when another idea comes to mind. I am already a wanted criminal, albeit for a crime I didn¡¯t commit, but it would be smart to take a new one, I think. I could go with Brian, but that doesn¡¯t line well up with the culture here. It already sounds incredibly exotic to my ears. So I hastily decide on a compromise.


    ¡°I am Yian. I am only here to help you.¡± I try to reassure her. She doesn¡¯t budge though.


    Kids like magic tricks, right? Is that also true in a world where magic is a thing? I take some raw meat pieces I prepared earlier and say ¡°Watch this!¡±


    I close my hand and weave the powerful heat spell with the correct counterbalance. The meat quickly starts to sizzle and brown on my palm. Her eyes trained on the sight is obviously trembling with desire to eat it.


    After a few minutes I deem it cooked well enough. I extend my hand. ¡°Careful, it¡¯s hot¡± She looks confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s for you to eat¡± I say. She nods and slowly, carefully, shakingly extends her hand. When it is but a few inches away, she snatches some of the pile hastily, knocking a good deal of them on the floor. It is a waste, I even get a little angry, but the way she clutches it and is scarfing it down somehow soothes me. Like looking at a cute pet.


    But I can¡¯t shake the feeling that this is going to be troublesome.

 137: Camp

    ¡°So¡­ What¡¯s your name?¡±


    When I ask, the girl recoils and looks at me suspiciously. A while passes while she is glaring at me. Eventually she puts her hands forth.


    ¡°You want more?¡± It¡¯s the only thing I can think of the gesture meaning. She nods. I heave a sigh and go catch another rat-like thing to cut up. It only takes a minute or so, even with cutting it up out of her sight, but when I return to the water source, she is gone. Shit, did monsters come for her? I cast my read spell, and I quickly identify her, but there are no other signals near her or chasing her and I quickly catch up to her.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I shout a little, while placing a hand on her shoulder. She jerks down with a shriek, throws herself to the floor and prostrates herself once again. What¡¯s this? Did she run away from me? I guess she was taught to be distrustful of strangers.


    ¡°Why are you so afraid of me?¡± I ask her. She only answers by cowering a little harder when I speak. Jeez.


    I place my hand on her and lift her up. She looks straight down into the floor, so I crouch to forcibly enter her line of sight, but she merely turns her head too.


    ¡°I just want to help. You were starving to death and I saved you. How can I make you trust me?¡± I ask her. She doesn¡¯t really respond. But then it appears if she had an idea.


    ¡°You¡­ You can save my parents.¡± She said in a quiet voice.


    ¡°Are they in danger?¡± She looks a little confused.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It was all of a sudden turning scary. And they made a fuss and told me to run¡­ And the humans came for me, but mommy and daddy stopped them¡­ And I ran¡± She starts crying. Humans came for them? Is there some sort of race war going on?


    Nevermind, I have to cheer her up for now.


    ¡°There, there¡± I say as I pat her head. She recoils a little under it once again. I can¡¯t help but sigh.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what is going, but I am willing to go take a look and help if I can, is that alright?¡±


    She looks at me. Visibly confused. She nods.


    I quickly retrieve my backpack and I carry the girl back to about where I first met her. She looks around a little and points me in one direction alongside the road, which I promptly move towards. It seems she is quite afraid of the high speed, as she is clinging to me tightly as I travel, but it has already been like eight hours since I picked her up. I don¡¯t know how long ago her parents were in trouble, but it is probably better to hurry.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    After a few hours of high-speed travel and being lead a bit off the main road, I start to catch glimpse of what seems to be a camp. Tents put up, bedrolls strewn around, a few campfires and such. And soon, I notice a horrible stench. I get an ugly premonition.


    I put down the girl and tell her in a harsh tone ¡°Don¡¯t move! Okay?¡± She seems terrified of my voice, but nods.


    I try to move towards the strength. A massive hole appears to be a bit away. As I approach the stench gets stronger.


    The moment I catch sight of it, I feel like retching. Human remains in a great pile in the whole. Scores, if not hundreds of bodies, most decapitated. I quickly avert my eyes, but upon a second glance, they are all Silvestri. The manes like those of lion and horses, the cylindrical ears and the large statures make that apparent.


    Is there anyone left? I use read and detect the girl, but also four spots in a different location. Survivors?


    I approach them to find four human people, sitting and chatting peacefully around a fire. I shout out.


    ¡°Hey! What happened here?¡±


    One of them turns to face me and shouts.


    ¡°Oh, do you live near here? Sorry about the smell, it will clear once we got it buried.¡± A callous attitude. It seems almost trivial to him. An admission of guilt.


    I am angry. Angry and somehow sad. I approach with stomping feet, as if I tried to show my anger.


    ¡°Hey, hey, what¡¯s the ma-¡° I grab the nearest guy who is talking to me by the throat and lift him up from his sitting position, raised above ground. He jerks and exerts force on my hand but I am far stronger.


    ¡°WHAT!? HAPPENED!? HERE!?¡± I ask as menacingly as I could muster.


    One of the men get up and unsheathe a sword, which he tries attack me with, but I am far faster. I use the man in my one hand as a club and bash both their skulls together. I think they died.


    The other men look terrified now. One of them tries to run, but before he completely rises, I have grasped the necks of both and pushed them into the dirt.


    ¡°WHAT!? HAPPENED!? HERE!?¡± I ask much in the same way as before.


    ¡°I¡­ We¡­. We couldn¡¯t feed them¡­ The war¡­ Few supplies¡± One of them manages to explain a little while gasping and wheezing from the pressure applied to his throat.


    ¡°But why kill? Why not just let them get their own food?¡± I don¡¯t understand.


    ¡°If¡­ Fed¡­ They¡­. Rebel.¡± Rebel? Against what?


    I was about to ask them, but it seems they both passed out. I feel so incredibly pissed I ended up applying the last bit of lethal pressure by mistake. Shit. What do I do now?


    First things first, I should get back to the girl. I cast read to make certain of her position, but she is no longer where I left her. In fact, she is almost where I just came from.


    Shit! I think, as I dash back towards her but it is too late. Soon, all I see is a girl kneeling before a horrid sight and all I hear is her loud wails. I slowly walk over to her and pick her up and hug her gently. Sorry, I couldn¡¯t stop you from seeing that.

 138: Kassa

    She cries into my chest for what feel like hours before passing out once again. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening here, but it is clearly awful. I lift the girl to carry her while I look around. There is not much here, but she must have lived and grown up here and now everything she had is gone.


    I understand that feeling. Like when I woke from the metal-induced slumber. I had lost everything that could mean something to me. The world had been so cruel as to let me think I could find love in Atna, kinship in my cute little sister, friendship in Kamas and Bosir and the rest, before it so cruelly snatched everything away from me. It even seems impossible for me to know what happened to the rest, since it was so long ago. I am forever left with a hole in my heart.


    This little girl probably feels the same about now. She can¡¯t be more than ten years old, and lost her birthplace, her parents and all of her friends.


    In retrospect, I was really thankful that I was not alone when I emerged, that Amina was there.


    In return, I shall be there for this girl. At least until she can fend for herself or I find somebody more suited to the job.


    As I start leaving the desolate campgrounds, I start to think. It sounded like the Sylvestri relied on humans for food, but why? The average Sylvester should be a superior hunter to the average human.


    In addition, the man spoke of rebellion. The Sylvestri must be subjugated by humans in some fashion.


    Where should I raise her? I could live in a dungeon for a couple of years, but wouldn¡¯t that be terribly lonely for her? And I can¡¯t make clothes. And I think salt will be a necessity, since it seemed to be an expensive trade good, but I don¡¯t know where to find it or how to process it¡­


    I will have to live in a city. But if there are definitive differences in how Sylvestri and humans are treated, I will have to conceal her Identity. I glance over her. It looks hard. The ears are a long and seem impossible to hide. The hair as well, I can¡¯t think of a good way to make that horse-like mane look like a regular bunch of hair. I sigh. I will have to wait for her to wake up.


    As I leave the camp, I scavenge a few pieces of cloths. I could try to tie them around her head somehow, but for now, I will go back towards the dungeon.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    After a few hours of walking, the girl panics a little. I try to show her a calm, smiling face as she thrashes about. When her eyes meet mine, she stops thrashing about, then presses her face against my chest.


    ¡°Can you talk?¡± I ask her. All I get in response an acknowledging mm-hmmm.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± Answering with her face still in my chest she replies ¡°Kassa¡±. It sounds a little muffled, but I think I got it.


    ¡°Listen, Kassa¡­ Can you tell me a little bit about how you lived?¡± I think I might be able to glean more information from her about the relation between humans and Sylvestri.


    ¡°We¡­ Lived in the camp¡­ Always¡­ Moving to where the humans¡­ Told us¡± She replies somberly.


    What were they? Slaves?


    ¡°What did your mother and father do?¡± She clenches me a little as I mention them. Did she see them in that pit? I feel like she is going to start crying, but she answers me, although with a weaker voice than earlier.


    ¡°When I was smaller¡­ They mostly built¡­ roads and buildings¡­. But ever since the war¡­ We moved more, and the adults were often taken out¡­ Many didn¡¯t return¡± She sniffles a little between some of the words. I feel really sorry for her.


    It certainly sounds like they were slaves. Is it all Sylvestri or just these guys?


    ¡°Do you know of any other Sylvestri camps?¡± I ask her. She merely shakes her head. I sigh. This is going to be difficult.


    ¡°Listen¡­ Kassa¡­ This might be a weird question, but do your ears bend?¡±


    She looks at me a little confused, before showing her ears fold inward towards her face.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± I ask. She merely shakes her head again.


    I put her down and fetch one of the pieces of cloth I found. It is grayish and somewhat rough.


    ¡°Can I try tying this around your head?¡±


    She pauses a little before nodding. I take the piece of cloth and tie it around her head, keeping her ears down. I try to pull a little of hair in front of her face as I do so, leaving what looks like very thin bangs. I am kind of proud of how much it looks like a human, until I see her neck, that quite obviously still sports the mane.


    What could cover it up? A turtleneck? But I have never seen such clothing in this world. I sigh a little.


    Then I remember a certain piece of garment I wore for a time, the priestly robes Amina smuggled a set of out to me. Right, if it was those, it could cover her up. But would a child wear a robe?


    Running out of ideas, I wonder if she can just live with the loneliness and I could go in to the city every once in a while. I built a cabin before, although it was shoddily made and can do it again. We could live out near this abandoned dungeon.


    ¡°Kassa, listen. It might be hard for you right now, but I will take care of you the best I can. I am pretty strong you know? I can protect you and give you food. But you will have to do as I say, okay?¡±


    The girl looks scared, but eventually nods along. I wonder if she understands she can¡¯t make it alone, or is she simply afraid and agreeing with me out of fear? I loosen the band around her head once again.

 139: Gods Win

    The next couple of days I spend getting the bare necessities sorted out. Wood from random tree-like growth in the dungeon is shoddily assembled into a hut-like structure. I sure am glad weather doesn¡¯t really exist in this world, since this hut would probably not shelter for neither wind, nor rain. I had gathered up a stockpile of meat, this time from some small ¡°scaled guinea-pigs¡± a bit further into the dungeon. I think their meat is a little more palatable and I have cooked it.


    I found my old canteen that I received along the other gear from Ahorn for the expedition. I filled it with water and at last the little girl had enough for her to make it through a day or two.


    These preparations were made as I was planning on leaving Kassa to go procure some clothes and salt in a city or village. There¡¯s only one problem left.


    If I was forced to stay behind in a shitty cottage, not doing anything but eating a drinking for up to two days, I would probably run around to do something.


    I don¡¯t want that.


    And so, after some deliberation with myself, I think it is time to introduce the two girls.


    ¡°Come here, Kassa.¡± I say. She is currently sitting down with some long grass stalks which she is weaving together. She looks over and approaches me with her head down, like she is guilty of something.


    I open my backpack and pull out the large book. Her eyes immediately light up and train on it. I open it.


    ¡°This here is Dixy, say hello, Dixy.¡±


    ¡°Hello there!¡± The book greets the girl. The girl lifts her hand and smiles a little. Oh! She likes it! I should have done this sooner!


    ¡°Dixy is here to keep you company, while I run an errand. It might be a little boring, but bear with it.¡±


    She nods, but someone unexpectedly protests.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Dixy does not agree.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± I am confused. She has never disagreed with me on anything.


    ¡°My purpose is to teach you magic, not entertain guests!¡± I wonder if it would ever have disagreed if I didn¡¯t have her given an upgrade by God?


    ¡°Come on, Dixy, for me, please?¡± It feels weird begging a book, but I don¡¯t know what else to do.


    ¡°On one condition¡± Dixy says. ¡°You have to promise to spend an entire day with me! And soon, okay?¡± Wait, was she feeling lonely since I didn¡¯t interact with her for a few days? It makes me smile a little.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Okay¡± I give my agreement and the two girls are left to get to know each other, while I set out.


    I had been a bit nervous about finding my way back here, but I came up with a solution yesterday. I remove my shoes and activate high-level heat magic by the soles of my feet and run a little. Looking back, it isn¡¯t enough and I increase the output, fearing I won¡¯t be able to sustain for long.


    But it is a success. This time, when I look back after a small run, clearly there are patches of darkened grass. I move my feet once again. Where I stood still for a little while had become pitch-black, so I get to moving immediately.


    Coming back to the road, I run the opposite way of the camp. If I follow this road, I should happen upon a settlement sooner or later.


    Re-equipped with my shoes, I up my speed to a blitzing level and within an hour, passing a few confounded travelers, a city emerges from the fog. I slow down as soon as I see it in order to not attract too much attention, but the entrance is guarded by a single man. I pray that I can enter with my hunter-tag.


    The city itself does not seem too large, about the size of the settlement my birth-village had become, Honecker if I remember correctly. I breathe deeply and prepare myself to get past.


    ¡°Halt, who goes there?¡±


    ¡°Just a wandering hunter, hoping to find a bit of work¡± I introduce myself. He suddenly looks awfully eager.


    ¡°Then, your tag please¡± This was awkward. My tag has Yos written on it, can¡¯t very well introduce myself as Yian if he sees it.


    I try to flash it to him quickly, but he grabs hold of it and reads it. ¡°Yos? The name of the evil king?¡± The guard asks perplexed and my mindset follows suit. Evil king? What is this? But I quickly find a chance.


    ¡°Haha, yeah, it is a bit embarrassing. I basically came from the middle of nowhere, and I didn¡¯t know it was bad until I went to a city. I usually introduce myself as Yian.¡±


    The guard thankfully doesn¡¯t take it suspiciously and just laughs. ¡°What a pickle to be in. Anyway, you can go right through. In these times, we will gladly take all the help from competent hunters we can get¡± He has a big smile on his face. I want to ask what he means with ¡°these times¡± but I don¡¯t want to appear any more suspicious, so I just ask the direction to the guild and thank him.


    ¡°Welcome to the city of God¡¯s Win!¡± He cries at me as I walk into the streets. Strange name.


    When I make it to the guild, the requests astound me. I had gotten the impression that most requests at the hunter¡¯s guild would be for tricky to acquire stuff, but most of it looks like bulk goods in the local dungeon. In addition, it seems to be extremely well paid, upwards of ten times the asti I would normally expect for such a job. Reminds of the time the dungeon in Berliso shut down.


    I make a remark out of it to the receptionist. ¡°You¡¯re not from here, is where you are from better off? Ever since the war there has been a real lack of men in the city, and we really need everyone to pitch in and hunt. Heck, some women have even been forced to take up the job¡± The man grumbles to me. There¡¯s that war again. I try to learn more by making an off-hand comment.


    ¡°Right. And what did we even fight for? The loss of life doesn¡¯t seem worth it to me¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? It may have been costly, but I am feeling darned happier knowing we are independent know. The tyrant called leader will no longer twist the entirety of mankind for his own needs!¡±


    ¡°You may be right. I just wish it could have been done more peacefully¡± I say vaguely. I wonder what happened. The leader seemed like someone everybody looked up to, last I was in society.

 140: Children

    I spent the following 2 or 3 hours completing requests rapidly. It would have taken a lot less time, if I could carry more at once, but I ended having to go back and forth four times in order to carry all of the required carcasses. The reception and a few other people made weird eyes at me. I think I am going a little too hard, but I can¡¯t be bothered to pretend I am normal right now. Time wasted here is more time I have to leave Kassa and Dixy alone.


    After earning more than a thousand asti in a single day, I ask for directions to the stores I intend to visit, the general goods store and a tailor.


    The sky has started to darken a little, but hopefully there is still time before it closes. My trip to the general goods store proceeds with no trouble. I get salt, a pot, a knife, a new backpack and some small fruits, that Kassa might like. They are red and covered in some kind of powder, but they taste very sweet. It all costs a lot more than I would think it should, especially the fruits, but maybe the war has been hard on supplies too. It costs around three times more than usual, but it is not really an issue, since the pay was upwards of ten times higher.


    My trip to the tailor goes less well. It seems they don¡¯t have ready-made clothes like the Tarrun stores I remember. What happened to the Tarruns anyway? The creepy small-statured people had, like the Sylvestri, disappeared from everywhere when I escaped from my prison, even though they seemed to make out a small percentage of the population wherever I went¡­ Don¡¯t tell me something similar happened to all non-humans?


    I shake the thought off, and after some negotiation, I put in an order for a dress and a robe for the kid, though he doesn¡¯t look too happy about not having exact measurements. He then manages to convince me that I should get a new outfit for myself. I guess it is rather torn, but I didn¡¯t intend to buy one when I entered, so I feel a bit cheated. It will be ready in a week, so I can¡¯t wait around. I will just have to go back now.


    I basically have no money left after buying the necessities, but it was only a day¡¯s work for me, so it doesn¡¯t really bother me. When I turn to leave, the same guard is still standing there.


    ¡°Already leaving?¡± he asks me. He looks a little sad.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Ah, I will probably be back sometime soon.¡±


    ¡°Then, why aren¡¯t you staying in the city? If you don¡¯t have the money for an inn, you could even come to my place¡± He must really want me to stay.


    ¡°Ehhh, ahhh, I already set up camp a bit away from here. Thing is¡­ I don¡¯t really like staying in cities¡±


    He looks at me a little worriedly. ¡°Well, to each his own. Make sure to come back soon, Yian.¡±


    ¡°Sure, will do, ehhh, did I get your name?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Gorar! I am on guard duty here every other day, so if you need something, there¡¯s a good chance for you to find me at this gate.¡±


    ¡°I will make sure to remember. Then, see you, Gorar!¡±


    ¡°See you!¡±


    On the way back to the burnt footprints I left, one of my shoes break. The sole came clean off. I pick it up, not wanting to leave random trash about, but I guess I will have to get some new ones.


    As I return, I see Kassa outside the hut, Dixy nowhere in sight. I had thought she might run away, but I thought for sure she would spend time with Dixy, if she stayed behind. Instead, she is just lay down on the grass, curled up in a ball.


    ¡°Hey, I am back. What happened to Dixy?¡± I ask her. She merely points at the hut.


    ¡°Was Dixy no fun?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°Mean.¡± Is the reply I get. I feel a bit taken aback. I have not thought of Dixy as rude at any point.


    ¡°How was she mean?¡±


    ¡°Told me I was dumb. And that I a waste of time.¡± Wow. Harsh words.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a word for her. In the meantime, why don¡¯t you try this?¡± I say, as I fish up the sweet fruits. She curiously grabs it from my hand, knocking some on the floor again. I sigh a little inwardly.


    ¡°Hey! Be more careful!¡± I yell a little at her and she flinches.


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just that, there is no reason for you to be so careless. Now the fruit that fell will be¡­ less tasty¡­ For no reason.¡± I wondered if it was as big a deal here that something was dropped on the floor, since people don¡¯t seem to get sick, except if they eat rotten food or not enough food.


    Leaving a slightly scared looking Kassa, I enter the shoddy hut and find Dixy lying open on the floor.


    ¡°Hey, Dixy, what¡¯s this I hear about you being mean?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°She started it!¡± The protest sounds. ¡°I was going to entertain her by teaching her how to read, but after less than an hour, she said I was boring and asked me to tell her a story. And then I told her about our travels, but she said those were boring too! And then she kept calling me boring, so I just explained she was too stupid to appreciate the finer things! And that I wouldn¡¯t waste any more time on her! Then she stepped on me! SHE STEPPED ON ME!¡±


    I had somehow though of Dixy as an adult, but at this moment, it really feels like I have two children on my hands.

 141: Boredom

    ¡°You didn¡¯t keep your end of the bargain, so I shouldn¡¯t keep mine¡± I am reneging on my promise with Dixy.


    ¡°But it wasn¡¯t my fault! She¡¯s the one who didn¡¯t want to do it!¡± Dixy complains. My read-sight catches Kassa behind me sticking her tongue out. I inadvertently let out a sigh.


    I try to turn to the other side.


    ¡°Kassa, I know it might be difficult, but it really helps to know how to read, you know?¡± I should now. It is quite troublesome to constantly rely on others for that function.


    She doesn¡¯t respond well, merely making a grimace and looking down.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you bored just playing with the grass?¡± I ask her, but all I get in response is a downcast head shaking from side to side. Another sigh escapes me.


    Over the next week, the rift doesn¡¯t mend, and I end up spending time with either Dixy or Kassa separately.


    With Dixy I am continuing my practice with hardening magic.


    Kassa, surely enough, started to complain about having nothing to do after a few days, so I tried a few things.


    First, I tried to train her in using the sword and shield, but my adult equipment is way too heavy for her, and she can¡¯t use it at all. Guess I will see about getting something the next time I am in town.


    Then, I tried bringing her into the dungeon. It seems that she is quite content merely carrying small critters I hunt, but I am a nerve wrack. Even with the read spell my read-sight, I find myself focusing on her being safe constantly, fearing any monsters come to strike her down. It is incredibly tiring, but at least, it seems to tide over her.


    A week later, I have once again been to the city and hunted to fill my pocket, only for it to be emptied the same day. The cause is a suite of equipment bought for Kassa. A light short sword and a small wooden shield, along with placing an order for an approximately correct sized chainmail. At last, there is also the order for my new shoes, as I have been barefoot for a week now. Another week is of course needed to acquire it. I also pick up the clothes I had ordered by my previous visit and have a nice, long chat with Gorar.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Gorar seems to be a nice, simple man. He has a two wives and three kids, hunts on every other day, guards on the others. It is apparently not a well-paid position, but he volunteers as to keep people a little safer. He seems real proud of that fact, and I think he is right to be.


    When I return that day, it has already gone dark outside. As I approach the hut, I hear something that tugs at my heart. Kassa is very clearly crying.


    I think myself a fool. I had just proceeded with things as I always have, but she is just a child, who lost everything. How could I even think she could function normally? I walk through the opening I couldn¡¯t manage to fashion a door from, and calmly sit down next to her, stroking the top of her head. It feels a bit weird, since most of it is bald, but I just aim to comfort her.


    Her crying slows to a sniffling, and eventually, she climbs up and puts her head into my chest. A while later it appears she has fallen asleep. It is honestly troublesome, since I usually spend my sleepless nights practicing magic or hunting in the dungeon, but listening to her now calm breath, feeling the heat of her small, fragile body, I can¡¯t help but think this isn¡¯t all bad.


    I spend the night merely stroking her head. It is pretty boring, but even when I try to fall asleep, I fail to. Guess I am too acclimatized to being awake constantly.


    When she eventually wakes many hours after, she stretches her body. Then, she seems to suddenly have realized she spent the night in my embrace. She jumps up and creates a distance.


    ¡°So-sorry¡± she utters while prostrating once again. Haven¡¯t we been over this before.


    ¡°Hey, hey, it¡¯s okay.¡± I tell her. ¡°You know, I actually have some presents for you.¡±


    I fetch my backpack stuffed with goods from yesterday¡¯s trip. She excitedly looks as I produce the short sword, the shield, the dress, but looks quizzically at me when I produce the robe.


    ¡°Ah, that is for if we ever need to go to town. You will wear it and pretend to be human.¡± She frowns a little.


    ¡°Why do I need to pretend to be human?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think most people don¡¯t think well of Silvestri.¡± Wait, why am I explaining this? Shouldn¡¯t she have a better understanding of the situation than me, being of this era and all?


    ¡°No, not that. Aren¡¯t you really strong? Couldn¡¯t you just make them be nice?¡± The Sylvestri I knew from way back were focused on might making right too. I wonder if the culture survived for almost a millennium, or it just is something natural for them?


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple¡± I try explaining, but I feel like I don¡¯t fully understand it myself, and up not saying much. I end up bailing out with a bad excuse. ¡°You will understand when you¡¯re older¡±. She looks a little depressed again now. Better fix that.


    ¡°Now, grab that sword and shield, and I will show you how to use them properly¡± I tell her. Her attention and a little smile is immediately restored.

 142: Spiritual Activity

    A month has passed since the training of Kassa began. My daily routine consisted of training Kassa and hunting during the day, then spending time with Dixy and practicing my magic during the night. We have formed a habit of me lying with Kassa as she falls asleep, but I creep away the moment the she does.


    In addition, roughly once per week, I go to God¡¯s Win to earn money. I count the days so that I always align my trip with Gorar, so we can have a nice chat. He really is a pleasant man in every sense of the word. The wages in the guild are falling, perhaps as a direct consequence of my work, but I think it is good. Money is piling up nonetheless, since I have less and less to spend it on.


    Today I am planning to go to the city, but Kassa interrupts me. ¡°I wanna go with!¡± she says.


    I feel a wry smile forming on my lips. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t. It could cause trouble¡± I tell her.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you get the robe so that I could go to the city?¡± She is looking slightly fed up.


    ¡°I got the robe in case we HAD to go into the city. I¡¯d prefer if we didn¡¯t.¡± I haven¡¯t seen people interact with Silvestri, but if they are willing to calmly slaughter them, as the mass grave and those nearby insinuated, I wouldn¡¯t bet on it being anything close to cordial.


    ¡°Argh! You¡¯re mean! I hate you!¡± She flips out, but I know she doesn¡¯t mean it. I crouch down and hug her.


    ¡°Listen, it is only because I want to protect you. It will be very dangerous for you.¡± I say softly near her ear. I see her with my read-sight, turning her annoyed face into a sad one. ¡°I know¡± she says.


    ¡°Now, be a good girl and stay here. Do you want anything from the city?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°Then, the green sour things again!¡± She brightens and gets a little excited. It has become a bit of a ritual for me to bring back some kind of sweet, but we appear to have a favorite, as this is the second week in arrow that the sour one has been requested. I think it is a little strange, aren¡¯t kids supposed to enjoy sweet things the most? But I don¡¯t mind.


    I make my way to the city, greeting Gorar and getting news from him at the gate. After a bit of courtesy talk, he brings up a piece of information.


    ¡°Oh yeah, somebody is here to talk with you!¡±


    ¡°With me?¡± Who could it be?


    ¡°Yeah, seems he is working for the duke. He¡¯s probably going to hire you, seeing how many rumors of your prowess are going around¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Do you know where he is? I¡¯d better go decline in a hurry.¡± Gorar¡¯s usually friendly-looking face distorts a little.


    ¡°You- you are going to decline? The duke?¡±


    ¡°Hn, well yeah? I, uh, want to keep my freedom.¡± I can¡¯t very well tell him I don¡¯t want to let anyone know I am sheltering a Sylvester. In addition, I think I have built up resentment towards nobility. The man that had Toben and Caper killed and captured Atna, the man who had me imprisoned for so long, and recently the man who tried to have me arrested. All nobility.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Right¡­ You were a wanderer after all¡± Gorar looks a bit dejected. ¡°Then, do me a favor before you leave. There-¡±


    ¡°Wait, why would I leave?¡± I interrupt him and get a confused look in response.


    ¡°Hn? You plan to defy the duke AND stay in his territory? Are you nuts?¡± Is it really that big a deal simply not wanting to work for someone. I think he may be right, better to play it safe than to risk getting burned.


    ¡°Ah, nevermind, then what favor would you like?¡±


    ¡°Ah, there has been a rumour about evil spirits halfway between here and the mining town Satir. The rumour have progressed to a point, where the guild promised to look into it, so why don¡¯t you settle our minds a little.¡±


    ¡°Evil spirits, eh?¡± Slightly nostalgic, as I remember being called one.


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t put too much stock into it. I have heard a bunch of these rumors and never seen anything that could be called a spirit, so just go and give it a quick look around.¡±


    I slowly nod.


    ¡°And the duke¡¯s man?¡±


    ¡°Ah, at the inn close to the guild. If you ask for him, you should find him there.¡±


    ¡°Right, then, bye Gorar!¡±


    ¡°See you Yian!¡±


    I make my way through the streets towards the guild, and quickly find the inn in question. I enter and announce that I am the man the duke was looking for, before being directed to a room by the middle-aged woman who was in the middle of cleaning.


    As I am introduced to the man, I quickly give my refusal. His face contorts a little.


    ¡°You, do you know what it means to reject the duke.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not, but I really can¡¯t. Well then, see you!¡± I turn to leave.


    ¡°Wait, it will be hard for you to live here, you know! And your life will be much better under the duke! You are making a huge mistake!¡± There is anger in his voice, but I simply yell ¡°Understood¡± as I leave. Guess I really will have to leave.


    It is very close to the guild, so I immediately leave one building and enter the other. I start scanning the requests posted for the one about the spirit. While I see a few that look like easy money, I can¡¯t find the one about the spirit and start to inquire the receptionist about it.


    ¡°Ah, that one was already taken earlier today by a group of gentlemen. You will just have put your faith in them.¡± I don¡¯t like that. I promised Gorar to take a look after all.


    ¡°I promised a good friend that I¡¯d take a look. I won¡¯t try to claim the reward or anything, so can you let me have a quick look?¡±


    He scratches his cheek a little before agreeing and finding the slip of yellow paper. I can feel the blood running from my face. It reads:


    ¡°Investigate mysterious activity.


    Series of suspicious events happening halfway between God¡¯s Win and Satir.


    Four men murdered, but not looted.


    Mysterious black footprints in grass.


    Spirit reported passing by at incredible speed. It generates wind as it passes.¡±


    I immediately leave. Kassa could be in danger!

 143: Noncompliance

    I am running back at high speed. I have not done so for long, but I am even weaving bestowal magic around my legs for higher speeds. I dash past the gate to the city at high speed, Gorar shouting something at me that I don¡¯t catch.


    I know nothing, I realize. I could have asked how long ago they left, how they looked or any number of things to help me, but I ran and I keep doing so. It is the only choice left.


    I start to ponder if I saw anyone looking like hunters this morning, but my memory fails me. I had seen many people travelling along the road each time I went to God¡¯s Win. I haven¡¯t been paying any special attention. I curse at my past self.


    Even today, I took my time, running almost slovenly towards the city, chatting idly away with Gorar, meeting some local government stooge, slowly peering over all the requests before asking. How much time have I wasted? I shake my head trying to stop thinking about it. I must hurry.


    I happen upon the clearly burnt footsteps. Noone in sight. I follow them and I cast my read. Far off, five signals are found, close to each other. Soon I am close enough for it to be within range of sight. Four men close by the hut, one of them holding Kassa up by the arm. She is cowering in fear.


    ¡°Let her go¡± I scream, before panting a little.


    ¡°Yian!¡± She cries out as she senses my presence.


    ¡°Yian?¡± One of the guys turn to face me. ¡°It really is him.¡± They seem to know me, but I don¡¯t know them. Did I become known in the city? Doesn¡¯t matter, the guy holding her arm still haven¡¯t released her.


    ¡°Let¡­ Her¡­ Go¡­¡± I try to sound menacingly. It seems to have worked, since her arm was let go. Kassa runs towards me the chance she gets, and I quickly meet her, and proceed to shelter her behind me.


    ¡°You¡­ You are sheltering this one, huh?¡± One of them ask. I simply nod. The guys proceed to look a little at each other.Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Got any relation to those burnt marks leading here?¡± he asks. I nod once again. ¡°Those were made by me to find my way here and back.¡±


    ¡°All right, all right. Know anything about the four dead guys found a little ways away from here?¡± Another one of them asks. I freeze a little, I did kill those people in a fit of rage. I think they deserved it, but what they did, or helped do, probably wasn¡¯t considered punishable. Sounded like they had orders.


    ¡°No¡­¡± I say after a pause for thought. I don¡¯t think they believe me.


    ¡°You¡­ Can you explain yourself, living out here with a barbarian?¡± I am asked once again. It is obvious who he refers to.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to explain anything. You leave us alone now!¡± I say. One of them is slightly taken aback.


    ¡°Okay, okay, no need to get violent. We will just leave now. Go take a look at the other site.¡± The man who has spoken the most makes gestures to calm down and get his troop out of there. I watch them closely as they slowly leave the place at the behest of the man in front.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I shout. They turn to look at me. ¡°Are you going to tell anyone about her?¡±


    ¡°I mean, our job was to investigate the sites and report. We will report what we learned and found. Then we will get paid, that¡¯s how this works.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± I try once again to sound menacingly. ¡°Unless you swear to keep your mouth shut about her¡­ I will¡­ I will¡­ I won¡¯t leave let you leave alive!¡± I was planning to leave anyway, but I don¡¯t need ill rumors or someone chasing us.


    ¡°You¡­¡± The man who has been acting as their leader looks pissed. ¡°We were just going to inform the guild about you and let others decide what to do. But you dare threaten us? Do you not know who we are?¡± I really don¡¯t, but I caught a glimpse of one of their hunter tags. It was clearly first rank.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! Swear to keep your mouth shut!¡± He looks like he¡¯s boiling over.


    ¡°Get him!¡± He suddenly shouts.


    They arm themselves immediately, and I rush them down at the same time. Daggers are thrown my way, but they are easily parried, a shield is put up to defend against me, but it has no hope of standing up to my force.


    Seconds later they are all knocked down. Powerful punches I learned to utilize from my time at the circle has incapacitated all of them. It was easy¡­


    I wonder what to do with them. I don¡¯t really want to kill them, they look like they were just doing their job. But at the same time, if I off them here and throw them into the dungeon, won¡¯t people simply think ¡°the spirit¡± did it.


    If I force them to make them swear now, they probably aren¡¯t going to uphold it, but just say whatever they can to get out of this situation.


    ¡°Kassa!¡± I shout. ¡°Go inside the hut, and don¡¯t come out till I get you.¡± I steel my heart and make our future a little more safe.

 144: Directions

    We had packed up. What we could carry went into the backpack or were hung from its sides. Kassa is in my arms. I have to decide where to go.


    First off, we¡¯re definitely following the road. The reason being it would take many days or more before I usually stumbled into one, and because Kassa is with me, I don¡¯t think I can completely abandon civilization.


    There are then two choices, following the road through God¡¯s Win and continuing at another exit from the city, or past the camp with the mass grave. I look at Kassa. She actually looks quite excited. But I don¡¯t want to bring her past that camp again if I can help. And I feel like I should say goodbye to Gorar.


    It will also serve as a small test as to whether Kassa, in her robe outfit, can be dragged through the city. I wonder how suspicious it would seem to have a child so covered, since most I see run around with only a long shirt, like I wore when I was kid in this world.


    It¡¯s the same day and the sky is starting to darken. The gates of the city close when it gets dark, but I think we can make, even while holding a comfortable pace for Kassa in my arms.


    And so, I run until I make it to God¡¯s Win. It is darker than I thought, and in fact, Gorar is currently in the middle of closing the gate. Pity I don¡¯t get to gauge people¡¯s reactions to Kassa, but maybe it is safer to just run around the city¡¯s perimeter.


    ¡°Oy, Gorar!¡± I cry out.


    ¡°Yian!¡± He greets me. He then makes a weird face as he notices the small body in my arms. Kassa seems to have fallen asleep.


    ¡°What¡¯s this then?¡± He asks me.


    ¡°Ah, I have been taking care of this girl¡­ She¡­¡± I check to make doubly sure she is sleeping, and it seems she is. ¡°Her parents died under unfortunate circumstances and I have been caring for her since.¡±


    Gorar makes a weird face. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better for her if you left her to a church somewhere?¡± Of course, I can¡¯t tell him why I can¡¯t do that, but a memory of another person springs to mind.


    ¡°I knew someone who grew up in such a place¡­ They seemed to think it was horrid, so I am taking care of her this way.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ She won¡¯t have any friends, if she lives away from everyone¡­ No one makes it through life alone¡± Gorar has a pitying look in his eyes.


    ¡°Well, let me let you in¡± he says, as he starts opening the gate again, but I stop him.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°I actually just came to say goodbye. I am leaving, remember?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but are you going to travel during the night?¡± His words make me remember that it isn¡¯t exactly normal.


    ¡°No sweat, I have things under control¡± I try to assure him. ¡°By the way, can you tell me a bit about what is in the vicinity? Where does the roads from this city lead to?¡±


    Gorar scratches his chin a little. ¡°Well, we are the edge of the dukedom. If you head back the way you came, you will make it to Satir, a mining town, and past that there is a serious of smallish trading hubs that eventually lead to the old human capital.¡± Well, there is one way I am certainly not going.


    ¡°Then the southern road leads to Hove¡¯s End, the seat of the duke in our small dukedom. I don¡¯t think you want to get closer to him.¡± He¡¯s right.


    ¡°The northern road leads to The Human Republic. There¡¯s not much traffic now, but I heard they are negotiating some proper trade routes and it will probably start up again soon.¡±


    ¡°The Human Republic?¡± I ask. He blinks a little.


    ¡°How familiar are you with the outcome of the war?¡± He asks me. I don¡¯t really care about being suspicious anymore, since I am leaving.


    ¡°Basically nothing at all.¡±


    ¡°Well, after the war, the human territory split off into three large countries and a dozen or so smaller ones. The large ones are the remnants of the old government. Though they still call themselves the human territory, they are now more commonly known as the old country, or the hero¡¯s country. They try to rule things as they always have.


    Far to the east you have The White Order. They didn¡¯t quite get what they wanted when they started the war, but they are the largest country as of now. They are a bunch of lunatics and the rumors I have heard don¡¯t paint the new-born country as doing well at all. It is almost as though a bunch of extremist priests have little idea of how to actually run a country.¡± It feels a bit evident he doesn¡¯t like them much.


    ¡°Then, to the north you have the Human Republic. While they are the smallest of the three, they seem to be attracting a lot of immigration right now, what with the ¡°everyone can become someone¡±-mantra they have going. They think humans should rule themselves, not be subject to loose interpretations of God or the heroes.¡±


    ¡°Then, what lies in the last direction?¡± I ask. I have firmly noticed when I ran around the city before, that there were four roads leading out of the city and Gorar had only accounted for three of them.


    ¡°The western road was supposed to be a new road leading to the frontier, but it was cancelled as it became apparent we were no longer able to feed the Silvestri. Now it just fizzles out to a dirt path.¡± There¡¯s a word I haven¡¯t heard before.


    ¡°Frontier? What is that?¡±


    Gorar looks at me a little confused. ¡°The frontier of the human territory obviously. Beyong that are the wild lands of subhumans. I wouldn¡¯t recommend going there. They usually have only little coin, and mostly convicts are sent there to claim more land for humankind¡­ or their country now, I guess¡± He scratches himself a little.


    It was a shocking piece of information and I feel a little excited. ¡°Then, Silvestri are living out there?¡± I ask, perhaps a little bit too enthusiastically, since Gorar gives me another weird look. ¡°Ah, yeah, that and worse.¡± It stings me a little that even the man I have seen as nothing but kind-hearted and dutiful dislikes the Silvestri.


    ¡°Then, thank you for everything, Gorar. Just one last question.¡±


    ¡°Shoot, friend.¡±


    ¡°Which way is west?¡±

 145: Frontier

    A little while after the sun went down, Kassa suddenly started flailing about as she woke.


    ¡°Ah! Ah! It hurts¡± She protested. ¡°Let me down!¡±


    I immediately did so. She proceeded to run various places of her own body, namely the contact points where I had carried her. Seems carrying someone like this for a long time isn¡¯t exactly comfortable for them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s walk a little¡± I tell her, but get refused.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry¡± She says. Right. Digging through the backpack, I fish forth some meat I had cooked and salted beforehand. I don¡¯t know how long it will last, but Kassa will have to bear with it, until we find a new place to stay.


    As she starts to eat, she seems a little confused. ¡°You¡¯re not eating?¡± She asks me. Up until now I had joined Kassa in her meals, but now the food is limited.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to¡± I say. She looks surprised.


    ¡°Mommy said everyone needs to eat¡± She protested. She held a piece of meat out towards me. Cute.


    ¡°That is also true for the vast majority of people. In fact, I think I am the only person who doesn¡¯t need to eat¡± I explain as I push the meat back.


    ¡°But¡­ Mommy said it is what makes us move. What makes you move, if you don¡¯t need to it?¡± Good question. I don¡¯t actually know any more than it is the product of my gift.


    ¡°My gift makes me move.¡± She has retracted her hand is slowly gnawing on the meat.


    ¡°Then, why do you eat?¡± She comes up with another question.


    ¡°I like eating. It tastes good, and feels nice to eat.¡± She beams up a little.


    ¡°Right? Food is good.¡± It makes me chuckle a little.


    After her breakfast she still does not want to move. ¡°Can you¡­ Go away.¡± She asks me. I shatter a little. ¡°Why? I thought we had come to like each other?¡±


    ¡°No, not like that. Just¡­ For a bit.¡± I feel reluctant to let her out of sight.


    ¡°Why?¡± She reddens a little. ¡°J-JUST DO IT¡± she shouts at me.


    Taken aback a little, I finally decide to do so. Or at least let her think I do it, but keep watch over her. I soon regret my actions.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    She headed off the road a little in the opposite direction a little before hoisting up her robe and¡­ doing business. After realizing the matter, I slowly retreat, feeling embarrassed. I completely forgot people do that. I have peed, but I haven¡¯t gone number 2 since¡­ I can¡¯t rightly remember. What a strange sensation.


    When she returns, a thought strikes me. What did she do to keep sanitary? I brush it aside in my mind. It¡¯s not like I can do much about it here. What¡¯s more interesting is how exactly she avoided creating this awkward situation while we lived by the abandoned dungeon. I was with for the most of the day.


    After walking a little, I get permission to carry her once again, and the speed of our travel increases significantly. A little while later, the stone road stops and a dirt path begins.


    By the next day, two pauses for eating and drinking later, we arrive at our destination. I can¡¯t help but think it looks pathetic. Compared to all the cities I have seen, this place has only a meager fence surrounding it. It is so low, one can easily see the 50ish houses- no, hovels that make this place up. Everything is built in wood, and a quick glance reveals many faults in construction. Many of the hovels look crooked or lack a front door.


    People are about. It¡¯s pretty early in the morning, a time where I was used to seeing mostly women roaming the streets, but here they are severely outnumbered by the men. I wonder if that is due to the nature of this place, the people being sent here being convicts.


    I feel a little nervous entering the village. Kassa is wearing her robe, and Gorar didn¡¯t seem to figure it out, but it was late and dark. The possibility of her being discovered worries me a little. But I actually think if the whole village came against, there¡¯s a good chance I will prove to be stronger, so I steel my heart and walk in, Kassa holding my hand.


    There¡¯s no guard, but as I walk in, several people start sending me glances. I proceed up to one of them, but he merely walks away, clearly indicating he does not wish to talk to me.


    A few attempts later, I finally find somebody who does.


    ¡°Excuse me¡± I ask him. ¡°Where can one find food and water here?¡±


    ¡°In the dungeon¡± he sternly grunts. Right. Even though I have a sizeable amount of cash, there does not seem to be much in the way of commerce taking place here.


    ¡°Where is the dungeon?¡± I ask, looking around. Certainly not in the village.


    ¡°Thataway. Twenty minutes¡¯ walk.¡± He says. ¡°There¡¯s about an hour till we usually form up. Wait until then.¡±


    He looks a bit mean and Kassa has taken to hiding behind me. Well, I don¡¯t need to wait for the rest.


    ¡°Ah, thanks, but I will just go alone¡± I say, starting to leave. But as I turn, a hand finds itself on my shoulder.


    ¡°Hang on, you one of them gift holders?¡± I turn to see a sudden smile on him. How did he know?


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± I answer curtly, feeling a little awkward about his sudden change in attitude.


    ¡°Well, why didn¡¯t you say so? Everyone here will be pleased that you have come to our little village. Don¡¯t worry, we understand, won¡¯t ask questions and the like. Now, please wait for the rest of us. We can haul more than we can hunt, and it would be best for all of us, if you simply waited.¡±


    He suddenly became talkative and amicable. A thought of mine drifts back to my own childhood, where Jorgen was regarded as an esteemed personage because of his gift. I hadn¡¯t felt much of this attitude in cities, but seems it still holds true out in the villages.


    ¡°Very well then¡± I say. I don¡¯t think it hurts to help them a little with hunting. Kassa, though, jerked a little as I gave my approval.

 146: Popularity

    Time was spent waiting idly in the center of the square. Another man joined us, looking as mean as the first.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± He asks, looking at me with suspicious eyes.


    ¡°A giftholder¡± The first man replied while looking somewhat smug.


    ¡°Ya sure? Ain¡¯t getting taken for a ride here?¡±


    ¡°Nah, nah, he was about to stroll into the dungeon as if it was a picnic, with a kid in tow too!¡± So that¡¯s how he guessed it! Upon hearing the news, the newcomer suddenly brightens, not a hint of the suspicion present earlier.


    ¡°Please to meet ya! I¡¯m Guran!¡± he introduced himself with a wide smile.


    This pattern repeated itself twenty times or so. Someone coming, looking at me with disdain, being told I held a gift, proceeding to treat me very friendly. It¡¯s honestly scary how much people¡¯s attitude change.


    After the hour has passed, we twenty or so men and single girl are leaving for the dungeon.


    ¡°Ya really bringing a kid? She ain¡¯t old enough, is she?¡± Is asked. To be honest, I myself don¡¯t like it, but I think it is better to keep her close, than leaving her with some random person, who might discover her species.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I am strong enough to look after her¡± I say. Kassa backs me up ¡°Yian is the strongest! He doesn¡¯t even need to eat, too!¡± What the hell, kid? I squeeze her hand a little and look at her reproachfully. She cowers a little under the gaze. Seems she understood she did something wrong.


    ¡°Ya don¡¯t need to eat? What kind of strange gift is that?¡± Few of the guys look disappointed. They must think my gift is not as strong as they had hoped. I was trying to think of good cover story, but all of the lying is getting to me. Like I feel tired of always having to invent something new. I get an idea.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know. That¡¯s just how it works.¡± Yes, I can just say I don¡¯t know!


    ¡°Huh, do you not shit then?¡±


    ¡°Uhmm, well, no.¡±


    ¡°Does that make you strong in any way?¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Can you still eat?¡±


    ¡°Yes I can.¡±


    ¡°Do you become stronger the longer you go without eating?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡±


    Questions keep bombarding me. Did it backfire? It surely is annoying. I am bombarded by meaningless questions all the way to the dungeon.


    Once there, no real hunt ensues. I instead run around, find monsters with read and eliminate them one after the other, while the rest of the group merely follows and bags the prey. The only breaks are small pauses for dismantling, and whenever we come across some edible plants that are gathered. A few hours later, it seems the people are fully stocked up, carrying all they can in sacks and backpacks.


    ¡°Woohoo! What a haul!¡± The atmosphere is lively on the way back.


    ¡°All hail Yian!¡± One of them shouts and a surprising number follows suit. ¡°Hail Yian!¡± is shouted by many.


    It feels embarrassing, but kind of pleasant too. As we walk back, cheerful stories are swapped around, people have smiles on their faces and many are thanking me. However, seems there is also a bit of a misunderstanding. I hear plenty ¡°Things will be good from now on!¡± and ¡°No more scraping by!¡± as walk back. Seems they have assumed I will stay here, but my motivation was to find a place for Kassa and I to live peacefully, and I don¡¯t think that¡¯s happening among humans. I feel like I don¡¯t really have the heart to tell them though.


    As we return to the village, the mean-looking man who I met first speaks up. ¡°Right boys, the arrival of Yian calls for a celebration! Everyone with wives and daughters, go fetch them and tell them to prepare a feast! We will dine like nobles tonight!¡±


    A cheer springs forth as little less than half of the men spread out and run to various houses, only to come back with women of a variety of ages, who look delighted to see the massive haul. One of them comes over with a little girl, probably around ten like Kassa.


    ¡°Yian, wanted to introduce you to my daughter, this here is Siya!¡± I feel strange being introduced to a ten-year old.


    ¡°Hi there, Siya!¡± I say. She turns a little away from me, but her father pushes her back in front. She visibly forces herself to do an introduction. ¡°I am¡­ Siya. P-pleased to meet you¡± She says.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± He follows up? I am a bit confused. ¡°Cute girl¡± I reply. He laughs and follows up, while putting his hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°Ready to marry in a couple of years, I tell you!¡± The little girl seemed shy. This doesn¡¯t feel right.


    ¡°Oy, Guran, you shouldn¡¯t jump ahead of the rest of us! Yian, meet my daughter!¡±


    ¡°No, meet mine!¡± Five or so people are suddenly approaching with daughters in tow, most looking shy or hesitating. What is this? Are they trying to secure future favor from me? I feel overwhelmed and only see one way to stop it.


    ¡°Ehm, I think everyone misunderstood, I am not planning to stay¡± It hurt a little to see the lights vanish from their seasoned faces, but I could finally breathe again. The mean-looking appears as if out of nowhere with a laughter.


    ¡°Haha, worry not, such a bounty is still worthy of a feast! Come, let us chat until the food is ready. He takes me away. I couldn¡¯t see it with my eyes, but my read-sight catches him winking to the crowd, upon which their faces ease up. Just what is going to happen?

 147: Convincing

    Kassa and I are guided by the old man through the village. He points to one shoddy contruction job after the next.


    ¡°There lives Guran with his family. Y¡¯know, they had a son that would be 17 today, but he got a little cocky and perished in the dungeon. Ah, over there is the house of old lady Akna. She came here with her husband a year ago, but he died in the dungeon to save some youngsters, and ever since, she has only been surviving on whatever scraps we can spare her. She has been bedridden for months now.¡±


    One sad story after the other the other runs out of him, as I am led up a small hill in one end of the village. At the top is a house that look slightly more complete, although a bit smaller than the rest.


    ¡°This here is where I live. It ain¡¯t much, but it¡¯s the best this village has to offer.¡±


    I feel a little like I am being manipulated.


    ¡°Why are you telling me all of this?¡± I ask him. He merely smiles bitterly, while posing another question.


    ¡°You, do you know how most people end up here?¡±


    ¡°You are criminals, are you not?¡± I remember the explanation from Gorar.


    ¡°Right, but do you know how most people become criminaIs?¡± don¡¯t really know.


    He shakes his a little slowly.


    ¡°For anyone greedy, there is the dungeon. Anyone brave and capable enough can get rich off the bounty of God. Then, why would someone turn to crime to enrich themselves?¡± He stares out the opening in the house, towards the center where people are preparing the feast.


    ¡°They are weak? Or afraid?¡± I guess, and he simply nods slowly.


    ¡°Now tell me, if you were to make a village, what people would you send?¡± It annoys me a little, that he keeps asking questions, but I think about it. Before I really start thinking, he speaks again.


    ¡°I would send people who could hunt with effort to spare, so that the early days of the village could be a little safer. I would make sure there was at least one well versed in construction, so that the buildings wouldn¡¯t end up as a mess. I would send a good amount of women, so that the population could grow solidly.¡± All of the points make sense.


    ¡°But instead of those people, what we mostly have here are those weak and cowardly enough to steal. We are all from the city. The jobs we used to have had nothing to do with hunting, we are accustomed to buying our food with Asti. Noone knows how to properly build a house.¡±


    Right, but I don¡¯t if they only stole as their crimes, and even stealing should warrant punishment.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°You might think thieves deserve such a fate, but what of those who are innocent? Guilty only by relation? You have already seen the kids, but most of the women too, are merely faithful ones who chose to stay with their husbands after they were sentenced to the frontier.¡±


    I suddenly feel a little uncomfortable.


    ¡°You know the people I told you about on the way here? None of them were ever criminals, and only ended up here as a result of family. This whole village too, it has been some 50 years since it was founded, but no proper growth has ensued, the only real population growth comes from whenever a new shipment of weak cowards come every five years or so, most of whom are reluctant to risk their lives hunting, and pretty bad at it.¡±


    He turns to face me, looking into my eyes.


    ¡°When they thought you had come to stay, they thought all of the pain and misery was about to end. They were about to have a life, where they didn¡¯t need to fear for their own lives and that of their children. A life where they could eat enough. A life worth living¡± His eyes gleam. I feel guilty all of a sudden.


    ¡°Enough about that, how about you, what brings you out here?¡± He suddenly changes to a dapper and cheerful tone, giving me atmospheric backlash.


    ¡°I.. eh¡­ Uhhh.¡± I can¡¯t find my words due to the sudden confusion.


    ¡°Ah, let me guess, you are on the run from some noble or other. Our good duke perhaps?¡±


    Eh? I mean, that is only one of the reasons, but how did he know?


    ¡°Your face tells me I was right. It¡¯s a story you hear all the time. Some talented youngster scouted by a noble. The youngster doesn¡¯t want to work for him, then has to run as the noble has the power, can threaten friends and family.¡± His eyes wander to Kassa, she cowers a little behind me.


    ¡°You said you were leaving, but where are you going to? This is the end of the world, metaphorically speaking.¡± He asks me.


    I feel like the momentum that has been completely stolen from me is gently placed in a lap. I can¡¯t help but answer.


    ¡°Just¡­ Out there. Beyond the frontier. Try to find some other place without nobles or prejudice to live amongst.¡± I feel a little silly answering his question truthfully, but I was happy I got to speak again. Did I get tricked?


    ¡°Ah, but you know, it¡¯s mostly empty wasteland out there¡± He remarks. ¡°I have lived in this village for 28 years now, and we have not had a single encounter with another species. You have surely travelled to get there? Then you know how truly empty our world is, but out beyond the frontier, it is even worse. With no roads to guide you, you could wander for decades without finding anything.¡± He is right. I have tried wandering for a very long time without finding any civilization, when I ignored the roads. I look to Kassa. Could she handle it?


    ¡°And people would make a whole bunch of concessions if one as great as you settled down here. Noone would fault you for taking three wives, or even five! We have little interference from the duke, since we don¡¯t produce enough to tax, so you could even treat this as your own little kingdom. Noone to lord over you till the day you die!¡±


    It feels appealing to be at the top for once, but one thing is still a roadblock. I press Kassa¡¯s hand a little.


    ¡°What if I were to say, think Sylvestri are equals?¡± I catch darting his eyes to the robed girl beside me and widen them a little, losing his smile in the process, but only for a split second. He then reapplied the kind smile and eyes in a heartbeat. Shit, I am really bad at being subtle.


    ¡°Sure, some might think it bizarre, but they can¡¯t very well argue with their lifeline, now, can they?¡± He says.


    I don¡¯t know.


    ¡°But there is no hurry, is there? Why don¡¯t you just try to stay here for a week, and see how that goes?¡±


    He is right. I feel a pressure on me letting up as I agree. ¡°Guess I will try¡± His smile widens slightly more.

 148: Celebration in the Village

    We are heading back towards the celebration, when I remember I haven¡¯t even known the name of the man who walks slightly in front me.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t quite catch your name?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Patir, though most just call me old man.¡± He laughs a little. I study him a little. He has a messy full beard, no hair on his head and dozens of scratches and scars showing all over the skin.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look that old¡± I add. He smiles. ¡°Flattering words coming from a youngster like yourself.¡± There it is again, youngster. I feel like people think I am too young. I think a little about how old I could pass as. Then I think I have never really seen my own face in this world. It¡¯s not like there are many mirrors around. I end up ignoring it and just try to shoot for an age.


    ¡°I am not that young either. I should be around three decades old¡± It was bizzare for adults in this world to keep an exact age.


    Patir¡¯s eyes widen a little. ¡°Really? You look to no older than two, at most.¡± He says, then laughs about it. ¡°It got something to do with your gift? Sure is a weird set of abilities to look young, be strong and not need food¡± He scratches his beard a little.


    As we return I notice something with my read-sight once again. Patir throws the crowd, who seemed to be a little impatient, a few handsign, upon which they seem to either feel relief or maybe a bit of joy. Maybe it was just his way of telling that everything went according to plan.


    I don¡¯t think he was necessarily wrong, but this secrecy makes me feel like I am being played and that makes me want to act cross for no other reason than knowing I am being played. I won¡¯t though. At least not until they give me a reason.


    People have dragged out furniture and populated the center of the village with it. It is all a mish-mash and most of it looks a little rickety. There is no tablecloth or anything to disguise the mismatched appearances. In the center of it all a great bonfire has been made, upon which a large cauldron is situated, alongside several spears skewered with meat. It smells good.


    Patir seats me and Kassa down at one end of the horseshoe and soon, people start coming by, confirming that I will stay. I simply tell ¡°at least for now¡±, but they it doesn¡¯t really seem to curb their enthusiasm.


    After being accosted by the previous fathers, trying to mix in talk about their daughters in casual conversation, like they are trying a softer approach once they learned the harder one didn¡¯t work, the food is finally being served.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Do you want anything, or?¡± One of the guys ask me, as he is running around with a large piece of meat, that he is cutting from to distribute.


    ¡°Yes please. I might not need food, but I love eating it nonetheless.¡± I say and smile. I bite into it. It tastes good. Much better than anything I have made, during my wanderings or camps.


    Kassa is also tearing into it. She soon removes the hood since it gets in the way. Seriously, this kid is so troublesome! I panic a little, but I decide to use this opportunity to gauge reactions, now that her undeniably Silvestri hair and ears are in full display. I notice quite a few looks, but I can¡¯t quite discern them. Are they confused, nervous, afraid? I don¡¯t know. I do notice Patir miming with my read-sight once again, upon which many of the people adapt the same friendly attitude as before.


    The mood felt like it cooled a little, but people didn¡¯t suddenly attack her or bring attention to it. Or so I thought, until a few kids notice.


    ¡°Look, look! She got weird hair!¡±


    And another little one joins in. ¡°And weird ears too!¡±. Kassa notices the attention and drags the hood over her once again, looking embarrassed.


    I pan back to the kids and it seems their parents are reprimanding them. It really seems my presence, the promise of what I can bring to this village, is great enough for the adults to accept it, but kids will not understand those rules.


    ¡°Ahaha, kids will be kids, but you see? Noone is going to oppose you here.¡± Patir says, as he pats my shoulder.


    ¡°Ah, this is a wonderful day. So wonderful, in fact, I may have something special for it. Wait here a bit.¡± He says as he leaves us. I check up on Kassa. I tell her it¡¯s okay and gently peel back the hood from her. She looks at me a little confused, but starts smiling shyly. I can¡¯t help but pet her head a little, though it feels weird since my hand touches a lot of bare skin.


    ¡°Ah, hey, Yian! Knew you¡¯d come around!¡± One of the men I went out with earlier says, as he approaches me.


    ¡°Brought you this! Good soup made by my daughter, she really is a talent at housework, that one¡±. Geez, this again. Kassa eyes it up hungrily and his sucking up pivots.


    ¡°Of course I also brought a portion for the young miss!¡± he says and gives her a bowl. I had a suspicion it was initially intended for himself. Kassa just fiercely grabs it and start eating voraciously.


    ¡°Ahaha, is it good, little one?¡± He says.


    ¡°MM¡± Kassa gives an utterance of approval with her mouth full, before swallowing and saying ¡°Much better than anything Yian ever made.¡± This little¡­. I know I thought it myself, but it isn¡¯t good when you do it.


    ¡°Haha, we knew you¡¯d come around. At least since the old man fetched you!¡±


    ¡°Is he that good at convincing people?¡± I ask as I try the soup. It really is good.


    ¡°Yeah, that old man is one hell of a force to be reckoned with. He might be weak in a fight, but whenever he speaks to people alone like that, they end up coming back agreeing with him!¡±


    I really feel played now, that it is being put as the latest victim in a long list by Patir.


    ¡°Go away, you!¡± I hear Patir¡¯s voice coming from behind us. The man merely smiles and retreats. ¡°Honestly, some people don¡¯t know when they have said too much¡­ Now, feast your eyes on this.¡± A small barrel, maybe a foot tall and six inches wide is being presented.


    ¡°This here is some damn good liquor I saved for a day worth celebrating. Here, let me pour you a glass!¡± He eagerly pushes it on to me.

 149: Hardening

    There¡¯s unfortunately not enough alcohol to get me, with my massive tolerance, drunk. It is a pity. Kassa clamored to try a glass, but I stopped and told her she could do it once older.


    The party ended up lasting the whole day. We started a bit past noon, and people kept having fun until time came to eat once again, and there was still plenty of food, so the women and girls got up from their seats and started preparing round two.


    When it was done, we ate and drank merrily once again, even though the only drink was water. An hour or two later, Kassa is all tuckered out. It made me think.


    ¡°Uhh, Patir, where am I supposed to stay?¡± I ask. Surely there¡¯s not a house up and ready for me.


    ¡°Esh fine, pick whereva empty¡± He has drunk from his keg throughout the day and appear quite blasted, though it ran out of liquor before the second serving even started.


    ¡°Empty? What places are empty?¡±


    ¡°Ohhh, vat one!¡± He says and exaggeratedly points at a house. ¡°And vat! And vat!¡± He points to two more. Why are there empty houses? As if reading my mind, he explains.


    ¡°Told you, ve people here, no good at hunting. Many deafs through ve years.¡± It dampens my mood a little, but I pick up the already asleep Kassa and carry her towards the most intact-looking house. As I walk away I hear Patir shout ¡°Oy, Vanna! Make shure our hero has shome skins!¡±


    Once inside, it looks abandoned. The only piece of furniture there a shoddily constructed bed. One with no mattress or blanket. I heard Patir call, so I wait patiently.


    Soon, a middle aged lady appears with skins and something resembling a bundle of hay strung together. A pillow? She spreads out the skin on the bed and puts down the pillow, while leaving another skin by the side. I say my thanks and she merely smiles and leaves.


    I put down Kassa and cover her with the pelt. Now that we have settled down a little, there is a certain someone I should spend time with, but I don¡¯t want to reveal more of my oddities, so I disappear out of the village as stealthily as I can, along with a book.


    As I find myself a bit away I open her up. ¡°Now, where did we leave off, Dixy?¡± I ask her, but no reply comes. ¡°Dixy?¡± I suddenly feel anxious. ¡°Is something wrong? Are you ill somehow?¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Hmph¡± The book makes a sound and I feel relieved. Although she sounded dismissive.


    ¡°Dixy? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Three days! Three days you have not said a word to me! And not even an apology?¡± When did she get this high maintenance? I briefly regret making my wish for her to have more of a personality, before shaking it away. Dixy has kept me company as the only thing for a long while. And someday, she will probably be the only thing once again. The thought depresses me a little.


    ¡°I am very sorry, Dixy. I will make it up to you! Starting with spending the whole night together!¡±


    ¡°Re-really?¡± Why does she react like that? It is what we always do.


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡± I assure her. ¡°And hopefully the following night, and the one after that too!¡±


    ¡°I.. I guess you¡¯re forgiven! Now, last time we had reached the local spell, that grants resistance to compression¡± She guides me to where we reached. The chapter on hardening spells varies greatly. Turns out, hardening isn¡¯t one thing, but rather a group of forces one can magically increase resistance to. Shearing, compression and tension. They are then further split up, so that there are unique spells that apply any two, or even all three together, apply them locally, for the whole body or even transferring the qualities of the spell to objects or other people, but they are somehow different. I feel it will still take a while before mastering even the basics, but I have confirmed there is some effectiveness by stabbing at my own body. I have also made sure I still remember the advanced heating, freezing and healing patterns. Wouldn¡¯t do to forget the old ones when learning new things.


    All the while, I idly chat with Dixy, tell her a little about the circumstances. She doesn¡¯t really respond much other than with generic ¡°I see¡± and ¡°interesting¡± sentences, but I feel like I should fill her in nonetheless.


    The night passes quickly and once dawn has come, I return to the village. I was about to check on Kassa, but she is already up and to my surprise, seem to playing with a girl and a boy around her own age, though there is a larger group of kids they are not part of.


    I wonder if they are excluding her, or she just didn¡¯t end up playing with them. I watch them a little, till men start gathering in the square. I feel pretty confident leaving Kassa in the village after their reaction yesterday.


    Once again, the hunt goes smoothly, in fact, even more smoothly since I don¡¯t have to care for Kassa. People are loaded with the magically reappearing goods to the same point as yesterday, but even faster. When we return, however, a weird complain comes from one of the wives.


    ¡°It¡¯s all good that you have hunted so much once again, but we feasted the whole day yesterday and there is still foodstuff left over. We simply can¡¯t use this much.¡± I feel slightly bad, but Patir is laughing, clapping my back and cheerfully declares.


    ¡°That just means we can take days off!¡± The men in tow start celebrating it a little and talking about the things they couldn¡¯t do before. I feel Patir is a little suspicious, but he is also somewhat nice to be around. Really commands the atmosphere and mood.


    I look for Kassa, but can¡¯t see her anywhere among the playing kids. I try to cast read, and get a signal from inside the house. Better go check on her.

 150: Power

    I detach from the crowd and approach my newly received house. When I enter, I see Kassa lying down on the bed, curled up.


    I approach the bed, sit down on it and start stroking her head. She got a bit of a shock as I did so, but soon seems to appreciate it. She turns around, revealing red eyes that betray she has cried, and stares at me.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna talk about it¡­¡± Is the reply I receive. Her voice is waivering, as though she is ready to cry at any moment. I feel a sense of being uncomfortable. I don¡¯t know what to do here, so I just end up sitting there and petting her head.


    She slowly inches closer, till she nestles her head in my lap.


    ¡°Just remember, you will always have the strongest guy in the world on your side.¡± I tell her. She looks up and smiles a little. I don¡¯t know if that statement is exactly true, but I did win in the circle, making me a top contender, and I have only grown stronger since then.


    An hour or so passes with me stroking her. She seems to have fallen asleep. Now, let us fix this. As I was about to leave to talk to Patir, the man that brought me his daughter¡¯s soup stands right outside the door, carrying a large pot.


    ¡°Ah, was just about to share this here for lunch! Can¡¯t have our new-fangled savior going hungry after all!¡± He says. He turns his head and urges a small figure behind him forward. ¡°And I brought the cook! Say hi, Yasia¡±.


    The little girl has freckles and long, light purple hair tied behind her back. The sort of glaring thing I would find odd long ago, but I have already found myself completely comfortable with.


    I could eat, but I don¡¯t want to wake Kassa. ¡°Kassa is sleeping, so maybe we should go to your house?¡± I suggest, and he seems a little uncomfortable, but agrees nonetheless and we start walking back.


    ¡°Let me carry that for you¡± I say, reaching out for the pot, but he replies.


    ¡°Nono, let me carry it, you have already done plenty for us today! Just enjoy yourself!¡± I inwardly shrug. It¡¯s not like carrying that constitutes ¡°doing anything¡± in my mind.


    As we reach his house, who I presume to be his wife is giving him a somewhat weird look, which he tries to stealthily reply to, but doesn¡¯t pan out. We all sit down around the table, and the father arranges for his little girl to sit next to me.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    If it was one of those nice ladies from the water bars, I might have been smitten, but I can¡¯t help but feel awkward that such a young girl is being pushed on to me. I frankly don¡¯t know how to respond.


    The girl, her father and I start eating. The wife has sat down by the table too, but isn¡¯t partaking.


    ¡°Something the matter?¡± I ask her. She simply shakes her head. ¡°The boys and I have already eaten.¡± She says while sending a weird look to her husband. Is she mad that they didn¡¯t eat together?


    ¡°Anyway, isn¡¯t my daughter a great cook? Any sort of stew or soup, and you will see she is quite excellent!¡±


    I notice the girl in question flinch and move her face away from the table, while her mother comes up with a weird smile. Don¡¯t really know what to make of their expressions.


    ¡°It is quite good. The best I can remember having in recent memory.¡± I say.


    ¡°Right! She may be young, but she can also clean, prepare skins and isn¡¯t she just a beauty?¡±


    ¡°Ri-right.¡±


    The bizarre form for torture continues for an hour or so, before I finally get to excuse myself. All the while through I was made to agree with the compliments the father had for his daughter, while the daughter herself in question seemed exceedingly embarrassed. I don¡¯t know what to make of this kind of attention.


    I proceed to Patir¡¯s house, tracing the path from the night before. When I find it, Patir is lying down outside on a patch of grass, chewing on a large piece of roasted meat, he holds in one hand. Seems he just doesn¡¯t have a wife.


    He quickly spots me and claps the ground beside me. I lay down too.


    ¡°So, what brings you here?¡± He asks.


    ¡°Well, when I entered my home today, I found Kassa lying down in the bed, obvious that she had cried. She has only played with the kids today.¡± I am not looking at him, but my read-sight catches his smile fading away.


    ¡°Y¡¯know kids.¡± He starts. ¡°They can be little tyrants. I am sure you saw someone get excluded and teased when you were small too. And if you paid attention, you would find that it was often the ones who were a bit¡­ Different.¡± He says. ¡°Heck, I myself was in that spot as a kid. But as I grew up I understood that they were just being kids and didn¡¯t mean anything by it.¡±


    ¡°Right, I understand that¡± I say. He looks a little relieved. ¡°I just wanted to make sure people knew that if Kassa can¡¯t have a good life here, I am moving on looking for a place where she can.¡± His drop in expression is almost comical. Is he letting his guard down since we aren¡¯t face to face.


    ¡°I am going to take a walk¡± I say. ¡°Just know that if I come home again to find Kassa crying on the bed¡­ I might just move on from here.¡± I walk away. I feel a little like a gangster extorting him. It makes me feel a little bad, but his reactions tell me he will run around to fix it for me and that feels good.


    I stop by my home to pick of Dixy. I am going to spent the next few hours with her, then check up on Kassa. As I walk out of the village, I catch sight of Patir moving from one house, that is not his, to another. He is already working on it. I could get used to this.

 151: Abuse

    After that day, it seemed there was no longer trouble for Kassa from the other kids. There was a downside, though. It seemed like she would rather spend time with the other kids than me, so I saw much less to her. When I arrived back from the dungeon, she was always playing with the other kids, and if I called her she would simply wave and continue playing. She also often didn¡¯t return until after dark, having already eaten at somebody else¡¯s place. I know I have only known her for a few months, but it still makes me feel somewhat lonely.


    My newfound time, as we only go to the dungeon every other day now, is funneled into Dixy, much to her enjoyment. She also soothed the lonely feeling that assailed me, when Kassa clearly wasn¡¯t that interested in spending time with me.


    On the other hand, plenty of people were interested in spending time with me. Many people offer me goods and services on a daily basis. It is actually kind of nice. I remember learning a little about monarchs and European struggles for the throne. I had thought it was stupid. It sounded stressful to be king, and I was pretty content with my life. But in this world, where there often is too little, having people clean my house, offer me delicious food, make clothes for me etc. is a huge boon to my standard of living. I feel like I finally understand that struggle of power a little.


    The people giving me these things are also getting a little on my nerves though. Especially Yasia¡¯s father. Barely a day goes by without him speaking praise about his daughter to me, coming to visit me with her in tow and offering her delicious food. I still accept it though. It is good food, after all.


    Yasia herself doesn¡¯t appear to be entirely on-board with the whole process either. She often just ends up looking down or away, when we are in the same room. She speaks in low mutters and I feel like I have barely gotten to know her, except through her father¡¯s praises.


    I feel like he has ticked every box of what people here consider female virtues. Cooking, cleaning, good with children, beautiful (the boys pine after her, allegedly), soft spoken, obedient, sewing etc. etc. I believed him at first, but I feel like he is piling up too much for it to be useful.


    A few months of these routines in, I catch sight of a horrible scene. Kassa was being carried around by two boys that seemed a little older than her, until one of them tripped. It appears Kassa got hurt in the fall, and her action thereafter was to stand up and kick the boy who tripped immediately. The other kids just watched the scene going on. I glanced around to the other adults and they seemed to purposefully ignore it.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    What happened? How is this allowed? The realization dawned on me slowly. I was probably at fault for this. Having taken up a high status in the village, and made sure Kassa received a princess-like one too. I was mad. Mad at myself and mad at Kassa.


    ¡°Kassa!¡± I shouted as I approached. All of the kids flinched under my shout. I must sound mad.


    ¡°What the hell is this!?¡± I crouch down to the boy and help him up.


    ¡°But.. I¡­¡± Kassa stammers.


    ¡°Not here, come with me!¡± I say as I grab her wrist. I can feel all the eyes upon me.


    ¡°No! No! I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± She protests.


    ¡°It makes no sense to lie when I just saw it!¡±


    Her protest became increasingly meager as I dragged her to our house.


    ¡°Now explain to me! Why the hell did you kick that boy!?¡±


    Kassa looks down. ¡°It¡¯s his fault. He didn¡¯t carry me properly. I got hurt! Shouldn¡¯t you be mad at him!?¡± She started crying as she built up volume in her excuses. ¡°Why me? Didn¡¯t you say you would always be on my side?!¡±


    It tugged at my heart a little and pulled me out of my rage. But I steeled myself. She can¡¯t keep treating people like this. I have a tough time of thinking of what to say.


    ¡°Kassa, why did that boy carry you around?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°I told him to¡­¡±


    ¡°And why did he do as you said?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the leader!¡± She seems almost proud.


    ¡°Do you remember when we first came here? And you had cried? What happened then?¡± I ask. She averted her face once again.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t want to play with me. Said I was ugly and weird. And that I would make them ugly and weird.¡±


    ¡°Did that hurt?¡± I ask her.


    I could see the realization dawn on her and she quickly became even more meager.


    ¡°It did¡­¡±


    ¡°Now, was it okay to hurt you?¡± She looks a little confused before shaking her head.


    ¡°Then was it okay for you to hurt him?¡± She stills stays quiet, but shakes her head once again.


    ¡°Good that you know that. Listen, people shouldn¡¯t be mean to each other, even if you are the leader¡± I caress her head a little.


    ¡°Then, you won¡¯t hit me?¡± Did she have some experience being schooled earlier?


    ¡°Oh no, but I can¡¯t exactly let you go without punishment.¡± Confusion washes over her.


    ¡°The rest of the week, you are spending all the time between noon and dinner with me and Dixy, and we will teach you how to read!¡± Color drains from her face as if I had just made a severe threat.


    ¡°We will start immediately, now, come!¡± I say, grabbing the bag with Dixy in it, and carrying Kassa out of the village.


    Under much protest, many hours of reading practice commenced over the next week. Though Kassa clearly thought it unpleasant, I actually enjoyed spending the time with her again. With this, she hopefully won¡¯t get too cocky with the authority I lent her.

 152: Growth

    The week of punishment ended with me taking Kassa to personally apologize. The boy in question was very confused, but accepted it nonetheless. I thought this would finally usher in a peaceful era. While that was not exactly wrong, it was not right either.


    Kassa continued to get into trouble every once in a while. And while I felt I often had to remonstrate her, she seemed to be very adamant and was more often than not the one causing trouble. My mind drift briefly back to the culture of Silvestri I experienced. Kassa might have grown up in a culture much like it, or maybe it is even biological. She continues to dominate the children around her, albeit less aggressively.


    I started joining in on teaching the children to wield weapons, Kassa included. It is something I remember everyone above seven would be doing, though I hadn¡¯t joined in, neither in my childhood as Jorgen took me away, nor before now in this village.


    Among the children, Kassa is clearly the strongest and the fastest learner. Again I don¡¯t know whether to attribute that to her species or her own personal talent, but I brush it aside as not mattering while I teach.


    A few months in, Patir brings good news. Apparently our increased hunt volume has made a surplus of skins which he wants to trade for cash. I don¡¯t want to join, but a small caravan is prepared. It takes them two weeks to make the trip, but they bring back spices, salt and proper tools. It seems most of the construction work around here was done with just axes and swords. No wonder everything looks so terrible.


    Then a period of renewal of the village begins. As many of the men are unneeded for hunting for all of us, Patir organizes those he deemed most talented into a construction that slowly rebuilt the village over the following year.


    It was a bit embarrassing, but Patir made sure my house is much grander and fancier than anybody else¡¯s. He says it has to be this way, to keep up appearances and remind people that I am in charge, lest they forget. I can¡¯t help but think that sounded bad, but I am reminded of how Jorgen¡¯s house stood out among the rest of the village and accept it.


    I think that now, many hundred years after he has perished, I may finally be living the life Jorgen thought waited for me.


    A year later, the village is almost unrecognizable from when I first visited. The houses look livable, although their doors and windows are still simple rectangular holes, they stand straight and look sturdy. We were just heading from the hunt, when Patir calls to me.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°What do you think is next for the village?¡± He asks me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± I answer honestly. I have never been good at planning for the future, mostly living by what makes most sense in the moment.


    ¡°Specialists!¡± he says with a wide grin.


    ¡°Specialists?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We have money, food and proper shelter. The next thing we need is people who can bring luxuries to us! A brewer to make drink and a blacksmith to make hinges, maintain our gear and tools are the basics. If we can, a priest to gather people in their faith, a glassmaker to make glassware, a potter to make pottery and a tailor to make clothes would also be good, though those usually come much later.¡± He seems to ponder a little over the last bit.


    ¡°And why are you telling me?¡± I am a bit confused, but it seems my question shocks the old Patir.


    ¡°You daft boy! Do you not understand what it means to be the leader?¡± I am being scolded all of a sudden.


    ¡°Of course, you must sign off on any ideas regarding the future of our little village, or it will seem like I am going behind your back! Maintain your position a little, will you?¡± It feels tough, but he is right. If I want people to continue giving preferential treatment to Kassa and I, I will have to maintain a position that reminds them I am in charge. Though, I doubt they will forget since they see me procure their food every day.


    I glance over the troop. It is evident they are better fed, healthier and happier now than when I first came. A few have even started to develop a protrusion around their waist.


    I give Patir my approval, even if it is only ceremonial, I feel like that old codger knows way more about this than I do. When we arrive back, I greet Kassa, though it seems she has no interest in spending the day with me today either. I feel like the only time we spend together now is when one of my, by now, many punishments are being administered.


    I don¡¯t have time to feel lonely, as I am immediately pushed by Yasia¡¯s father to join them for dinner. Most of the other parents have given up their pursuit, presumably after discovering my disinterest, but this guy has never let up all this time.


    As we enter his house, we are greeted.


    ¡°Ah, pleased to meet you, mister Yian! Please, have a seat¡± The little girl, ever so slightly taller now, says before going over to pull a chair out for me. Over this time, she has gradually become less shy, though she always seems to take a very formal tone with me.


    ¡°Thank you, Yasia.¡± I say as I sit down.


    ¡°Haha, look at you two, already like a wife greeting her husband after a hard day¡¯s work!¡± Her father adds.


    To be honest, I felt like I should have stopped this bizarre relationship ages ago, but I was seduced by the good food. Now it feels like it has been going on for far too long for me to put a stop to it. I can still ride this wave by now, but time is ever pushing forward and I literally have no idea how I am going to get out of it when Yasia comes of what this world considers to be a marriageable age. I mull it over a little while watching the blushing little girl.


    I end up digging into the food and ignoring it. That¡¯s a problem for future Yos! I mean Yian!

 153: Peaceful Days

    At night my training with Dixy continues as always. While I have been training magic with Dixy, I seem to have been able to weave the highest level hardening spell. It is insane. I literally could not hurt myself when I tried.


    The magic consumption isn¡¯t even that bad, compared to my overcharged bestowal. If I only use the harden spell, I basically have a whole hour of invulnerability, well, at least to attacks at the level of my own. I feel a tinge of regret towards the past. If I was this strong back then, how much suffering could I have avoided for myself and others? I shake the thoughts out of my head. I can¡¯t turn back time¡­ Unless¡­


    I flip through the magic book, checking all the chapter names. There are a bunch of interesting ones, including ¡°Levitation and Flight¡±, ¡°Conversion¡±, ¡°Movement¡± and a bunch of one¡¯s that seem to include more sophisticated forms of spells I already know. Eventually, I think I find it at the very back, but I am quickly disappointed.


    ¡°Time¡± The chapter read. I skimmed through each function. There was magic for locally slowing down or speeding up time, skipping ahead in time and even seeing into the past. The very last spell was described as time stop, but the pattern to make it is ludicrously long. Several pages filled with nothing but a continuation of a single pattern. I don¡¯t think I will ever learn that.


    I feel a bit depressed. For a moment there, I held the belief there was a magic that could allow me to travel back in time, but it appears that such a function doesn¡¯t exist. I sight audibly.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Dixy asks. I am a bit surprised since she rarely starts the topic.


    ¡°Nothing, just¡­ Wishing I could change the past.¡± Dixy stays quiet for a while.


    ¡°If you did change the past, wouldn¡¯t it be easy for me not to exist? For our travels together to not have occurred?¡± She sounds like she is on the brink of crying. ¡°Do I really mean that little to you?¡±


    I am being guilt-tripped by a book. I feel horrible for not considering altering the fates of the ones in present. How many people wouldn¡¯t even have been born?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Dixy, I just didn¡¯t think about it. I would never do that to you.¡± I assure the book.


    Slowly, Patir¡¯s recruitment plan came into fruition. First, 2 weeks after first announced, the brewer was hired. I have a sneaky suspicion Patir irrationally valued a brewer over the rest, I mean¡­ He made it one of the essentials, but now we have one and the men rejoiced. It seems it will take some time before we get to taste his brews, as he has to investigate the dungeon for potential candidates to make drink out of. He does so with my escort, of course.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Around six weeks later, coinciding with the first successful alcoholic drinks from the local dungeon, two brothers were recruited, one very young, the other with a family. They did not call themselves blacksmiths or carpenter, but they apparently specialized in working with wood and metal, and people slowly came to enjoy the benefits of more varied tools, doors etc. The only issue was the import of metal, which was quite expensive and slowed down the influx of other luxuries like spices.


    And then, the troublesome one came. Prior to this, everyone had quickly come to accept Kassa, when they came to understand my might and our relation, and while their special positions gave them a higher status than average in the village, they were quite content being beneath Patir and I in status. But a full two months after the practical brothers arrived, the priest came. A short man, probably in his fifties, sporting a greying beard and head of hair, dressed all in white stepped down from the trade cart that had sold off our goods in the city.


    I greeted him in a friendly manner and he was much amicable in return, but upon discovering Kassa, he was furious.


    ¡°A subhuman living among humans is an affront to God!¡± He said. ¡°God loves only the humans, we have inherited this world from the rest of the failed species!¡± He preached.


    I got angry. I marched right up to him and lifted him off the ground by grabbing his robe with one arm. He screamed.


    ¡°That girl is under my protection¡± I explained. ¡°Any qualm with her is a qualm with me! Are you ready to pick that fight?¡±


    He looked incredibly scared and quickly shook his head. I thought it was a matter dealt with.


    Our finances were now relatively stable, with about as much coming in as we spent. The import of metal and spices and upkeep of those who didn¡¯t hunt relatively balanced out the income from our hunting. I wanted to increase our hunting, back to every day, but Patir advised against it. It would be hard to go back, once they¡¯re used to this easy-going lifestyle, he explained. It will only cause resentment, he said.


    And so, years went by without much changing. Kassa got into trouble and I punished her with Dixy to the point where she could read. I learned magic with Dixy, struggling with the relatively harder levitation and flight spells I started on. People often got drunk and filled their belly with meat, many growing increasingly fat. The houses slowly but surely were upgraded time and time again by the industrious brothers. I also found time to just relax, mostly with Patir who I gradually come to think of as a good friend of mine.


    By far the most troubling change was the growth of Yasia. Her father never let up on the aggressive attitude, but I was already used to it. But her changes, both physical and mental, were harder to ignore. Her body grew the way the bodies of teenagers does, slowly gaining sex appeal, and her attitude slowly became more forward. She did things like plopping her head down into my lap after a meal, started giving massages, hugging me when I came by, establishing physical contact at most oppurtunities. Her father and even other villagers had started the talk of when marriage was going to be, since she became what this world considered to be an adult. Yasia had even ensured some that it would be soon, even if I had never given my approval. It was honestly frightening what the shy little girl had turned into.


    But with such a minor issue, where the worst consequences were hurting the feelings of young girl, it feels like these peaceful days will continue forever.

 154: Newcomers

    Patir and I were lying in the grass on an off day, sharing some of the brew by the recruited brewmaster. I can¡¯t really get drunk, but the sweet fruits he made it out of makes for a nice taste, compared to drinking water.


    ¡°Say, Yian?¡±


    ¡°M-hmm¡± I lazily grunt.


    ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for some time now, right?¡±


    ¡°What of it?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s just that you still look like a teenager. Got any secrets regarding that?¡± I had anticipated this question sooner or later and prepared myself to answer it promptly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Patir. I am pretty tired of looking this way myself. Wanted to ask how one can age to look older? Got any secrets?¡± I ask.


    He chuckles. ¡°Right, not something we are lords over. Keep thinking one of these days, boom, you will look like a middle-aged man!¡± We laugh a little. I think about how my time here may be limited.


    ¡°Yian! Patir! A whole parade is coming here!¡± One of the villagers, Guran, shouts. Strange. Literally no-one has ever come here that we didn¡¯t send for before.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s about time. Guran! Tell Borar and Meran to fetch the coin I set aside.¡± Patir gets up and I follow. It seems he knows what¡¯s up.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± I ask him.


    ¡°Right, going to be your first time. You know how we all arrived here in shipments as convicts for light crimes?¡± he asks. I nod, it¡¯s a story I have heard quite a few times.


    ¡°Well, this is another delivery of fresh people.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s the gold for?¡± I ask as we walk towards the village entrance.


    ¡°Well, I know I told you we don¡¯t pay tax, but that was only because we couldn¡¯t. When the official sees the current state of the village, he will no doubt inform the duke and an inspector will be sent to determine our tax.¡± How does Patir know things like these? Did he once work for the duke?


    ¡°But if we act first, two other things are much more likely to happen. Can you guess?¡± I think a little about it.


    ¡°They accept the money as the tax without looking further into it?¡± I ask. He laughs.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°No, boy. If people think there are riches to be had, they will make sure those riches end in their own pockets. No, the key to this is the official. Best case scenario, he will think it is a bribe to keep shut and give us a wink without us incriminating ourselves. Second best case, he sees the coin and pockets it himself, making sure to tell no one, so that the coin ends in his own pocket with no one being none the wiser.¡±


    ¡°Why is that the order? To me, the second scenario sounds the best.¡± That way we are in no way accessories or cause for trouble.


    ¡°Because it will give me peace of mind. In the second case, we won¡¯t know whether the official is a dutiful or corrupt one, and that can cause¡­ Anxiety¡­¡±


    We see the parade slowly approaching. Twenty men or so are marching here. In front and in the back appears to be soldiers, with people tied together with robe in the middle. All the way in the back are carts being drawn. In addition to supplies these seem to contain women and children.


    At the front is a sight I can¡¯t remember when I have last seen. Somebody riding a monster. I remember hearing about the monster tamer gift being a very rare thing and only nobles having access to it. It might not be your standard official.


    I look at Patir and he doesn¡¯t look too good. ¡°If it isn¡¯t Patir? How has life been treating the old man out here?¡± the man talks in a very familiar way with Patir. They definitely know each other. Also, it has been a long way since I heard that noble way of speaking.


    ¡°A-ah, young lord, I didn¡¯t expect you to be here.¡± Patir seems to be sweating a lot. Is he afraid? ¡°It was quite tough at first, but recently we have had it well.¡±


    ¡°This one sees that.¡± He says as he pans over the houses. Patir shakes his head eagerly at some villagers in the back, and they walk up with a small chest, maybe two feet wide, one foot tall and one foot deep.


    ¡°Here you go.¡± Patir says as he hands over the chest. The young noble arranges for some of the guards to open it for him and he slowly nods.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± He asks and Patir seems afraid once again.


    ¡°A-ah, we simply thought we should start gathering tax as soon as we could, so that we may pay the duke the proper respects.¡± He says. I honestly don¡¯t know what happened to Patir and his usual confidence, but this is a strange sight. The noble man merely nods.


    ¡°If things are going so well, this one assumes you will easily be able to accommodate us for the night.¡± The noble, young man says.


    ¡°Why- of course, young lord!¡± I see many of the soldiers look relieved as they are invited into the village. Patir signals that he has got this, as well as another signal to the rest, to hide Kassa. We only used this one, when new people first came. He doesn¡¯t look too good, though. I hope he can handle it. Then, only two soldiers remain, cutting loose the rope tying the men together, while women and children flock to their presumed husbands. There are around twelve men in total, seemingly only four having families, or least ones that joined them out here.


    ¡°Right, pleasure to meet you. They call me Yian and I am somewhat the leader here.¡± I say, as I greet them. ¡°I think I will show you around and where you will be temporarily staying, till we get something more permanent set up.¡± One or two of the shoddy houses remain. There were three free ones when I got here. The brewer took up one, the priest got a chapel with lodging built, but I can¡¯t remember if the brother took one or simply built a new one.

 155: Future Plans

    I had finished showing the newcomers a bit around and explaining to them how things work around here, giving myself as the main guy and Patir as the second. I try to spy a little on him and the noble and his entourage, but I don¡¯t get much out of it and I won¡¯t risk messing with nobility again.


    I am a bit concerned, since Patir didn¡¯t get to silently hand over the gold as he had hoped, but rather declared it to be tax, like I thought was the original plan. Perhaps since he knows the character, he didn¡¯t think a bribe would do anything? I shake the thought off me and head to a special place.


    Patir had previously suggested a delegation from the lord might arrive in some form or another and that we should provide a place for Kassa to hide in that case. We did and I am heading there now to keep her company. It is nothing but a small shelter with a bit of preserved meat and water to keep her company.


    I spot Kassa lying down, looking bored. She hasn¡¯t been training as much recently and has adopted bit of a cocky attitude. Part of the reason might be her impressive growth. While she hasn¡¯t grown shapely like the young Yasia, she has grown tall. By now, she reaches my eyes when standing next to me and I fear she will eclipse me within a year. A sigh a little remembering the shy little girl instead of this almost grown-up rebel.


    ¡°Hey, Kassa!¡± I say, walking over to her.


    ¡°Oh, hey Yian!¡± she greets me relaxed with a simple raise of hand. ¡°Take a seat¡± she says as she claps the ground next to her and I do.


    ¡°Really sorry about this. But you know how shitty the world can be.¡± I start off the conversation with an apology for having to hide her.


    ¡°Haha, no worries, I know you mean me well¡­ But, regarding that¡­ I have been thinking.¡±


    ¡°There is a first for everything¡± I childishly interject which earns me a swift jab. Kassa is not booksmart, and a bit embarrassed by it.


    ¡°No, really¡­ It¡¯s a little serious.¡± The tone changes.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°I am thinking of leaving.¡± My heart drops a little.


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not really the fault of you guys¡­ I mean, it is, but not in a way you can be faulted for.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening¡±. She sighs a bit.


    ¡°There¡¯s just no good guys, you know? Everyone is so weak and meager.¡± I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true. The boys who Kassa often hangs out with are pretty rowdy and strong for their age. She just eclipses them.


    ¡°And is that a must?¡±


    She pauses a little.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m feeling lonely as of late¡­ I have desires¡­ Ideas¡­¡± She grows red-faced as she speaks about it.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s perfectly natural and nothing to be ashamed of.¡± I assure her. I want to help her.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± She clears her throat a little before continuing. ¡°I want to start a family. But the guys here¡­ They are just pathetic when it comes to strength. It¡¯s a huge turn-off. I want someone who at very least is stronger than me, preferably someone I can¡¯t hold a candle to, and there¡¯s just no one here that fits that bill.¡±


    ¡°Well, there is one¡± I say and laugh. It earns me another punch. She is right though. The current Kassa is clearly the second strongest around here and she is still growing stronger. I notice a slight discrepancy I should have noticed earlier. Kassa had a ¡°mommy¡± and a ¡°daddy¡± while the Silvestri I knew way back when didn¡¯t have family structures like that, but she still insists on the aspect of being strong like them. I wonder if that is the difference between culture and nature.


    ¡°So what do you think?¡± She asks me.


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t like it. I think you are still too young. Give it another 3-4 years before setting out.¡± This world already considers Kassa an adult, as they do with all children of 13 or older, but I can¡¯t help but see them as children.


    ¡°That¡¯s too long!¡± She protests and laughs a little. Silence sets over us for a while before she asks me something again.


    ¡°Are you ever going to tell me what you are?¡±


    ¡°I am human, easy!¡± She punches me for a third time.


    ¡°You know what I mean. You don¡¯t eat, you don¡¯t sleep and you are stronger than anything I, or anyone else in this village, have ever seen. Will you ever tell me?¡± I get an idea.


    ¡°In three years I will tell you. If you¡¯re still around that is¡±.


    ¡°You meanie!¡± Fourth punch, tied for personal best in a single conversation!


    The chatter continues for a couple of hours until she falls asleep. I go and fetch Dixy, then depart to my own hiding spot to study magic. I also make the mistake of sharing Kassa¡¯s woes with Dixy. ¡°Leave her, we are better off without her!¡± Is the answer the book gives. Dixy really has a strange obsession with monopolizing me, but it is not like she can do anything about it when I spend time with others, so I ignore it as a fun character quirk, rather than the grotesque attitude it would be, were she human.


    But really, Kassa wanting to leave makes me a bit sad. If she leaves, I will probably too, though I can¡¯t tell her that. I think of leaving the villagers I have come to know and love back to their former misery. And for me, no more free cleaning and great cooking. No more sweet drinks. No more relaxing days with Patir. Heck, when I imagine losing them, I even feel melancholic about the days of being forced to eat with Yasia and her father. I brush it off and focus on the patterns in Dixy. Unfortunately, it seems I am the only thing that lasts forever.


    In the morning, a terrible shout is heard. I am still close enough to the village in case anything happened, so I heard it clearly.


    ¡°EVERYONE ASSEMBLE!¡± Is cried. But it is not I, nor Patir that does so. It must be one of the strangers. I decide to go in order to not rouse suspicion.

 156: Subhuman

    After safely stowing away Dixy, I arrived at the village center, a strange scene was taking place. One of the middle-aged women of the village was kneeling at the feet of the young noble. Only two of the six guards he brought into the village are with him.


    ¡°No, no, you don¡¯t understand! You should go about it quietly! Please stop before he finds out!¡± The women at his feet beg him. Many people look by from the side, most of them looking angry.


    The noble scoffs and takes his distance. ¡°If a subhuman really is kept here, this one sees no reason to fear a single peasant to get things in order.¡± A word trips me up.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about a subhuman?¡± I ask in a loud, clear voice. Many villagers, mostly those who know see me. Some back away as if my presence is to be feared.


    ¡°Ah, the young man must be the rumored Yian, I presume?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Now, what¡¯s this about a subhuman?¡±


    ¡°GUARDS! Seize him!¡± The two armored men march towards me.


    ¡°Touch me, and you are the ones that get hurt.¡± I try to say menacingly, but they proceed regardless of the threat.


    Once a hand was placed on my arm, I immediately clamped down on it. ¡°EAURHGAH¡± A scream was heard as I crushed the metal armor and the arm beneath with the help of bestowal. The other guard backed away in horror, while the first fell to his knees, screaming, grasping the bottom of the arm that was crushed.


    ¡°Now, what¡¯s this about a subhuman?¡± I ask again. People back further away from me. Only the noble appears to be still. What¡¯s this? Does he believe no harm will come to him after seeing that?


    ¡°Splendid!¡± He exclaims. ¡°The young man is really as monstrous as was described.¡± I am taken aback by the sudden praise.


    ¡°A man like the young man shouldn¡¯t linger around out here in the middle of nowhere, where monsters might strike at any moment! No, this one hereby offers the young man a position as my personal guard!¡±


    I am baffled. What is going on? I approach him slowly while once again asking.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°What did you say about a subhuman?¡± He finally recedes a single step as I approach.


    ¡°The rude man dares question the duke¡¯s family?¡± He says, wavering a little. "You ca-can''t hurt me! One hair on my head and this entire village will be torched!"


    ¡°This one doesn¡¯t give a shit about the duke¡¯s family!¡± I mockingly imitate his way of speaking as I approach and lift him by his collar. It is as if he suddenly realized I can actually hurt him. He panicks.


    ¡°Ah, oh ah, we- we received a ti-tip about a subhu-human living here.¡± I feel rage building up inside of me.


    ¡°DID YOU DO ANYTHING TO KASSA!?!¡± I shake him harshly as I shout at him.


    ¡°I-I sent my men! Or-ordered them to cap-capture it!¡± I throw the man to the floor and run immediately. Towards Kassa¡¯s hiding place. Once there, a terrible sight greets me.


    Not only is there a pool of blood, but three figure lay in it. One of them is clearly Kassa. On top of her, pressing her down with a foot is a soldier and another one starts to approach me.


    I blank out in rage. I quickly start running, sending one soldier flying with a fist and placing a foot in the stomach of the one atop Kassa with such force that the tree behind that he collides with clearly cracks.


    But only one thing is one my mind. I lift Kassa, face up from the pool of blood. Her body is covered in cuts and puncture wounds, some through her torso. I put my ear to her mouth. No breath.


    I panic. It consumes me. Thoughts swirl around my head of what I was doing and how I could have done better, but something holds me together. I quickly regain myself and pour out the strongest healing magic I ever managed to learn. I continue weaving the pattern over Kassa¡¯s body, as amplified as I can for 10 minutes. The pattern stops, not by my volition, but because my mana ran dry.


    I am afraid. I shake. Memories of being pinned down by Atna¡¯s door surface. Memories of being trapped and alone. Memories of Ahorn being engulfed by flame.


    I slowly lower my ear to her mouth once more. Her body is now free of wounds, but I fear as much as I hope. I realize I can¡¯t hear anything over the sound of my own heartbeat resounding in my ear and I panic before noticing my ear warm a little. I pull back and hold my hand over her mouth and surely enough. It warms slightly with regular intervals.


    I hug the unconscious girl and I cry. It was different this time. She didn¡¯t die. She didn¡¯t die. I am so happy!


    I don¡¯t know how long I spent in this cathartic state, but once it comes to an end, I remember my anger once again.


    I lift Kassa with both of my arms. Her body is light despite its size. Her clothes are ruined and there¡¯s still blood everywhere. But she¡¯s alive.


    I gaze over the dress the lovely old Vanna made. She has been doing much for Kassa. Saying she would like to help the one who brought life and laughter to the village. It stokes my anger more.


    Hate stains my heart. Someone betrayed us. Someone in this village would see Kassa dead. A fire inside of me burns for retribution.


    As I re-enter the village, the people seem to be still be gathered, sans the noble and his two remaining guards. Patir runs up to me. ¡°YIAN! Are you okay?¡± I don¡¯t give him a response.


    ¡°WHO?!¡± I shout. The crowd backs away a little. ¡°WHO RATTED KASSA OUT!?¡±

 157: Execution

    My glance silently pores over the crowd. Everyone is silent. Patir, who stands by my side speaks to me in a quiet voice. ¡°I was with the young master when it was delivered¡­ It was Yosana.¡± He looks regretful as he said and my eyes dart over to the woman. The crowd around her immediately pulls back, and when she tries to follow it, she is denied. I hand Kassa¡¯s unconscious body over to Patir and start moving. She is scrambling as I slowly approach.


    I don¡¯t know Yosana well, but I know her nonetheless. I know she has five kids, three sons and two daughters. I know her husband, Bisen, a quiet man who seems to enjoy the small things in life. I have seen some of her sons run around with Kassa, both as playing children, sparring in training and hanging out with a distant air to them as teenagers.


    As I slowly draw ever closer, and that she realizes the crowd isn¡¯t letting her through, she makes a run for it, but as she breaks into a run, I do too and catch her with a tight grip around her neck from behind.


    ¡°Why?¡± I ask her. ¡°WHY DID YOU DO IT!?¡± I shout in my frustration. I can feel her shaking.


    ¡°She¡­ She¡¯s not a child of God¡± she sobs as she starts speaking. ¡°The bounty of the dungeons was from God to the humans. She has no right to partake in it!¡± She gets louder and starts almost screaming. ¡°SHE IS CORRUPTING OUR COMMUNITY!¡±. Those words are not her words, but I recognize them. I jerk her around to the crowd and point a man out.


    ¡°Are those your words, or his?¡± The man I have singled out is the preacher and the crowd backs away from him in much the same manner. The reply comes not from the woman, but from the priest.


    ¡°THOSE ARE THE WORDS OF GOD, YOU INFIDEL!¡± I never once attended his sermon¡¯s but I heard talk of them and his talk about community and God¡¯s bounty, so my suspicion of him was high from the start, but it appears he was not the one who pulled the trigger.


    I dash forward and even while holding a grown woman in one arm, I easily seize the other. I slowly pan them around for all of the surrounding crowd to see.


    ¡°SEE THESE PEOPLE? THESE ARE TRAITORS!¡± I catch her family, or at least some of it, her husband and two of her sons standing together as I do so. They turn away their eyes when they meet mine.


    ¡°AND THIS! THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO TRAITORS!¡± I say as I squeeze their necks till their flailing bodies become still. Most of the crowd evades their eyes from the scene, but most return their eyes to the scene.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°These people sought the life of one of ours and paid with their own!¡± I cast them to the ground. And I start walking away.


    What did I just do? As my rage subsided the consequences of my actions. I return to Patir and Kassa. As I open my arms to receive Kassa, but instead of handing her over, he speaks.


    ¡°You should leave the village.¡± He says. I flick my gaze to his eyes, but they don¡¯t show their or hatred. It confuses me.


    ¡°Why?¡± It feels wrong. What I just did was in part motivated by not wanting traitors in our midst. If I was going to just abandon the place afterwards, it feels needlessly cruel.


    ¡°You hurt the nephew of the duke.¡± He solemnly says as he hands back Kassa. ¡°They¡¯re not going to just ignore that.¡±


    Something sits in me. The memories of being locked up. I don¡¯t want that again. On the other hand, I am monstrously more powerful than before. I doubt the guards were small fries, but I squashed them with ease. I think to myself, can I not just take down the whole dukedom?


    But then another thought strikes me. I heard my previous name, Yos, being discussed as an evil entity. I showed my hunter tag in God¡¯s Win. If they somehow link the two, will the dukedom receive help? Will I have to fight off the majority of humanity? I shudder a little as I realize my decision.


    Why? Why do I have to leave? Everything was so peaceful and nice and full of love and respect and good food and drink. But the alternative puts me in that hell again. Rolling the die between being sealed away once again, or going back to a wandering lifestyle for certain, I pick the latter every time. At least for now.


    I nod at Patir. ¡°Right. Then, go gather your stuff, I¡¯ll keep watch over her till you are back.¡±


    I simply nod. I quickly run off. First to get Dixy from my hiding spot, next to my house to gather clothes, pans, firelighting kits, tools, etc. and stuff them into a backpack. I proved to have gathered slightly too much over the years here, and have to empty it out and decide on what I want. It¡¯s difficult with all the emotions and thoughts filling my head. And those are aided by the small memories attached to the items.


    A cutlery set from the industrious brothers, a pan prepared for me by Guran, a decorated mug given to me by Patir. I push the thoughts out of my head and try to focus, but they keep creeping back in. My eyes moisten, but I manage to leave several of the less useful items, even if I had fond memories attached to them.


    As I go back, Patir looks a bit surprised. Maybe he can tell I cried. I receive Kassa from him and prepared to say my goodbyes, but he caught me off guard first.


    ¡°What if I join you?¡± He asks me. Huh?


    ¡°I mean, I am probably an accessory or something. Doubt the duke will let me off easy. The rest can just claim that they were held hostage by you and me, but I don¡¯t have that luxury.¡± I feel my lips curling into a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯d love that, Patir.¡± He smiles back. ¡°Great, then it¡¯s my turn to go packing he says as he leaves me with Kassa, and half-jogs towards his house. Really, I had the feeling I might just change my mind and go fight the dukedom if I had many more emotions manipulate me, but know that my best friend is coming with me, I feel better about it.


    ¡°You¡­ You are leaving?¡± My thoughts are interrupted by another voice. One of a young girl. I turn my head to see Yasia, as tears well up in her eyes.

 158: To the northeast!

    ¡°You can¡¯t leave!¡± Yasia protests what she just learned. I don¡¯t know how to answer but she continues anyway.


    ¡°If you leave, I¡­ What would I- I do?¡± She says as the tears start to escape and pour down her cheeks.


    ¡°We- we were supposed to get married! I was so happy! Why are you leaving!?¡±


    ¡°I made an enemy out of some powerful people, Yasia. I have to leave. If I don¡¯t, the entire village would be in danger.¡± To be honest, being released from this obligation is probably the one thing that can be some relief.


    Yasia almost tackles me into a hug, which is really awkward since I am still holding Kassa.


    ¡°I- I won¡¯t let you leave!¡± She says as she holds her tiny arms around.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± I say. The fact that I was only recently convinced myself helps sow doubt as to whether I really should leave, but I remain firm. ¡°There¡¯s just no other way.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ Then¡­ Take me with you!¡± She yells. I am troubled. Kassa is fit and pretty strong, Patir is nothing special, but has trekked with me to the dungeon and keeps up there without issue, but Yasia is a girl who has spent most of her time indoors. I don¡¯t think she will be able to join me on the long marches.


    ¡°Sorry, Yasia, but a wandering life like that is just not a place for a girl like you.¡± I say to hear. I can¡¯t see her face, but I feel my shirt slowly getting wetter.


    ¡°If.. If you leave me here¡­ I¡¯ll kill myself.¡± It took me by surprise. I feel lost now. I certainly don¡¯t wish for any harm to come to her, but it feels like she is holding herself hostage.


    ¡°What¡­ Why?¡± I ask her. She backs away from me. She took my sword.


    ¡°If you go, I have nothing¡­¡± She stares at the sword. ¡°I¡­ All I can remember being my future is marrying you. I bragged about it¡­ Dreamt about it¡­ Planned for it¡­¡±


    Now that I think about it, my going along with the flow has let to this. I am responsible for this girl to feel that way. I curse my past self for not making himself clear and taking a distance. Fuck. How could I be so stupid.


    Yasia raises the sword with trouble, starts moving it towards her neck. ¡°Wait!¡± I say, and the sword falls down aided by gravity much faster than she could ever raise it. It even seems like she is even exhausted from lifting it.


    ¡°I¡­ You can come¡­¡± I feel horrible about what I am about to say. ¡°I¡¯ll marry you¡­ in five years¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    I try to keep my own sense of morality by lifting the age of marriage up to the standard that is somehow still in my head, but now it feels like I will be raising a teenage girl to be my wife and an air of disgust rolls over me.


    I thought Yasia would take issue with the extension, but she first looks surprised, then smiling and tackles me once again.


    ¡°I¡­ uhhhhhh, thankyouthankyouthankyou.¡± Her reaction makes me feel even worse. I should go die¡­ Ah, I guess I can¡¯t¡­


    At this moment of time, Patir returns. He has gone beyond my expection and is pulling a cart.


    ¡°Uhh, am I interrupting something?¡± He asks. I slowly shake my head.


    ¡°Great idea bringing the cart, my friend.¡± With this, if I just move all of them in the cart, moving should go a lot smoother.


    ¡°Right¡­ So what¡¯s with her?¡± Patir says and points to Yasia. I once again can¡¯t see her, but I feel her raising her head towards me. Guess it¡¯s on me to answer.


    ¡°She¡¯s coming with us¡­¡± Patir¡¯s eyes widen a little in surprise, but then gets a smirk on his lips. ¡°Guess you couldn¡¯t leave such a cute girl alone, huh?¡± He says and laughs a little. It does some damage though.


    We load the cart up with girls, one unconscious, the other filled with snot and tears, and leave the village through the main entrance by the road. A little bit away, we will have to pick a direction. Won¡¯t do to run straight into the duke¡¯s territory.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I ask Patir.


    ¡°I think northeast?¡± Northeast should be towards the Republic I remember hearing about.


    ¡°Any reason?¡±


    ¡°Well, for the Silvestri girl.¡± He says as his eyes quickly dart to the unconscious Kassa in the cart.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I don¡¯t know what he is on about.


    ¡°Oh right, I got the guys going to trade in the city to gather rumors and stuff. Never hurts to be informed of recent events, you see. Seems that during the war, third class citizens in the north were given the choice between fighting and gaining their freedom or working as always while remaining third class. Seems that included Silvestri.¡±


    ¡°You mean, there¡¯s a place Kassa doesn¡¯t have to hide?¡± I ask.


    ¡°If the rumors are to be believed.¡± He simply answers. I hope they are.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner?¡± I ask. Patir should know I wanted a place for Kassa to stay, but he didn¡¯t tell me.


    ¡°Ah, forgive me, but I felt that if I told you, there was a good chance you would leave. And I wasn¡¯t prepared to go back to poverty again¡­ Not after these last couple of years.¡± I look at Patir. I am a bit mad, but I feel he is genuinely remorseful, as he lowers his neck in apology. I sigh. All of this could maybe have been avoided.


    ¡°By the way¡­ Was a grim spectacle you put on show for us¡­ You okay letting the young ma- the nephew of the duke run? I mean, he was the one who sought to hurt Kassa in the first place.¡± I look along the road we just stepped off of. True, if I ran, I could probably chase him down and kill him. But I shake my head.


    ¡°I regarded him as a danger from the start¡­ We deliberately sought to hide Kassa from him¡­ What made me so mad¡­ So angry, was that people I had come to trust, people I put in work for and relied on me, people I saw everyday¡­ That those people betrayed us¡­¡± I think back to Yosana and the priest. Fucking traitors. But at the same time, remembering the scene of their death makes me melancholic.


    ¡°Think I am all out of a thirst for blood, for now.¡± I say. I then direct my gaze back to Patir.


    ¡°What about you? What happened to the plan? And how did you know that guy?¡± I ask Patir. He chuckles a little in response.


    ¡°Right, allow me to tell you the story of the great fool Patir!¡± He started the new topic.

 159: Scoundrel

    ¡°I was born to a village chief in the human territory about half a century ago¡­ Guess it would be the old country now. I was the third son, so I wasn¡¯t really set to inherit much, but pops thought I was talented and spent time to allow me to read and write nonetheless.¡± He chews a little on nothing as he appears to think back.


    ¡°I was no good with a sword or spear, so instead of being a pain for everyone in the village, I decided to travel to the city to meet my fortune a few years after I came of age. Pretty quickly I found a position under a salt merchant, peddling salt to all the villages in the area. I only had to pretend to be well versed in business transactions for him to consider me an excellent find.¡± Patir sports a big grin as if proud of his deception.


    ¡°I was earning a decent dime, but as I was planning to settle down, find a wife, maybe start a trading company of my own, I caught wind of some interesting news. The master of coin of local duke here had been executed for treason and I had a thought. Isn¡¯t this a big chance? And so I liquidated all my assets and abandoned all my friends to show up at the duke¡¯s door with some self-made notes describing me as an experienced tax collector, trading savant and overall money-handling genius. I was sweating bullets as I tried to pass of as ten years older and more experienced than I was, but in the end, I got the hire.¡± He laughed out loud.


    I am personally a bit confused as to why nobility existed. I thought they had been eliminated as the kingdoms were united into the human territory, but I guess I was wrong.


    ¡°Then I slowly build up a decent track record. A bit of posturing and haggling and I was quickly regarded as a trusted member of the racket around here. Even got a wife introduced to me by the duke and everything.¡±


    ¡°Hold on¡±, I stop his storytelling. ¡°You are married? Do you have kids?¡± Patir has always seemed like an old and alone guy.


    ¡°Hmm, yeah, but honestly, I never cared that much for them. I often neglected them in favor of spending the night drinking with friends and colleagues, so it¡¯s no wonder they didn¡¯t follow when I was sent out here.¡± He sports a smile that somehow seems a little regretful.


    ¡°Anyway, a certain problem came to light. You see, my father and the merchant I worked for, they¡­ So to say, skimmed a little of every transaction for themselves, even if it was bound for elsewhere and I sort of picked up that habit. I honestly didn¡¯t think of it as wrong, just thought of it as a natural extra wage for those in charge. I was ordered to secure an apprentice under me for my eventual replacement, remember they thought I was much older than I really was, and so I did. Little goody two-shoes he was. Ratted me out the moment he saw me handling the money the way I did.¡± Again a regretful air wafts off him as he appears to have memories stocked up.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°I was ordered to pay back every ibris, and when I couldn¡¯t, even as I tried to fudge the numbers, since the 20 years¡¯ worth of coin had long since gone to expensive drinks and delicious food, I was sent out here.¡±


    He looks back to the village even though it has already been enveloped by the fog. ¡°Only luck was, I was spared of any more of the war, that at the time had recently started. I honestly didn¡¯t like that the duke rebelled. It was a whole heap of trouble and lives lost in order for him to hang on to a little more coin.¡± He sighs deeply. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s the life of how a cheater and scoundrel ended up on the frontier with no money nor family.¡± He then turns his eyes back to me.


    ¡°How about you, Yian? What did you do to end up in your position?¡± I should have expected the question to be flung back on me. These past years we have merely spent enjoyable time together without digging into each other¡¯s past. I got to tell him something. I turn my head back to the cart. Kassa is still down and Yasia is sitting with her knees folded and her arms around them. I still see and hear her sniffling a bit. I wonder what goes through her head? Anyway, they also deserve to know about me I think.


    ¡°When we camp, I¡¯ll tell everyone then.¡± I say.


    ¡°Right, I¡¯ll be looking forward to it!¡± Says Patir with a big grin. ¡°Always been curious how a powerhouse like you wandered to the frontier by yourself, but I guess it has something to do with her?¡± he says as he looks at Kassa.


    ¡°Both yes and no.¡± I answer.


    ¡°Hah, interesting!¡± He responds, laughing a little. We walk a while yet.


    ¡°Phew.¡± He has slowly begun to draw heavier breaths and now lets it show. We have been walking for a few hours after all. ¡°Mind if I sit in the cart too?¡± He inquires me.


    ¡°Go ahead. Ah, do you mind if I speed up a little then?¡± I ask. He laughs.


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you just a bundle of stamina too!¡± I stop and he slowly gets up into the cart.


    I start to think. What exactly do I tell them? I get cold feet. If they knew I was the supposedly evil Yos, will they abandon me? Do I introduce Yasia and Patir to Dixy? Do I explain where she came from? Do I reveal my immortality?


    Many thoughts cloud my mind. I slowly try to piece out what I want to reveal and what I don¡¯t. I think I trust these people, but revealing the nature of some of these things have only come back to bite me.

 160: Lies and Truth

    I was just pulling the cart and thinking. The only things that distracted me was that once or twice an hour, Patir corrected my course, as I was apparently slowly drifting from a straight line. I swear to God, the native people of this world has a superhuman sense of direction. Perhaps it comes with never having been able to navigate by landmarks due to the ever present fog.


    ¡°Yian!¡± Patir yelled. I thought I was about to be corrected again, but ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about to camp?¡± I suddenly noticed it had become pretty dark. I was so absorbed in my thoughts about what to tell them and how. I had reached some conclusions at least.


    First off, I don¡¯t want them to know that I know God, or that I am Yos. Given how people treated the hero as the pope because he was God¡¯s messenger, I don¡¯t want them to tell the church because it is for the greater good or whatever. This also means I won¡¯t tell them I came from another world, since such a fact is also usually tied to the heroes, but I feel better about it since I hardly think it is relevant anymore. Obviously, I don¡¯t want to be an actual legend of an evil entity to them.


    Secondly, I don¡¯t want them to know I am immortal. Again, there¡¯s a chance it will connect me to being Yos, but I also remember the way certain members of Ahorn¡¯s group reacted when I came back to life. They were disgusted. I don¡¯t think these guys will react the same way, but I won¡¯t risk it.


    And thirdly and perhaps contradictory, I want them to know I don¡¯t age. It will be obvious sooner or later, so if I don¡¯t tell them now, it will be obvious I kept things hidden. I also have slight hope that Yasia will lose interest, if she knows I am really an old man. The trick is how to fulfill both my second and third wishes, but I think I found a way.


    The last thing I want to do is introduce them to Dixy, but I will wait until I have talk with her, so that we can get our stories straight.


    ¡°Right, let¡¯s settle down for the night!¡± I say as I slow the cart to a stop. Patir and I break off some branches of nearby trees for wood and light a fire. Yasia has already sat down by it and I go to fetch Kassa. As I lift her up, she gives a stir.


    ¡°ughhhh¡­¡± Sounds weakly from her.


    ¡°Kassa? Did you wake up?¡±


    ¡°my head¡­ hurts¡­ So thirsty¡­ and hungry¡­ it hurts¡­¡± Her voice sounds weak and pathetic. I immediately fetch her some water and salted meat which she chows down like it is her first meal in ages. After a solid ten minutes of high-speed feasting, she stretches her body.


    ¡°Damn, that hit the spot! Shit, what happened? Where are we?¡± She freaks out as soon as she regains her senses.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°I saved you¡± I say quietly. She suddenly pats over her own body.


    ¡°Huh? How long has it been? Where did all my wounds go?¡±


    ¡°I saved you just before it was too late. I used my magic.¡± I explain to her calmly.


    ¡°Magic like that exists? Shiiit, that¡¯s crazy.¡± She muttered the last part seemingly to herself, but I caught it.


    With Kassa up and about, I wanted to start preparing to make food by fetching my cauldron and what few ingredients I had brought. We really only have enough supplies for a day or two, I think. But as I brought it over to the fire, Yasia jumped up and wanted to snatch it from me.


    ¡°This is the wife¡¯s job!¡± She stated, as I gave her the waterskin, vegetables, meat and water. As we sat around the fire I drew my breath and started talking.


    ¡°I am going to tell you all about myself now.¡± Attention was centered on me quickly. I talked about the village where I grew up, my distanced brothers and my cute little sister, how my father died and Jorgen took me in, how Hannah taught me magic and I went to the city. I talked about Jorgen¡¯s death and Hannah¡¯s virtual one, how I was doing a great job as a fledgling hunter in a great clan with many friends. I talked about Bosir, Atna, Asger, Kamas, Caper, Toben, Mynie, Bern, Larn and even what little I remember of old Sirgut. I feel tears welling up in my eyes as I remember they are all gone.


    I talked about how Asger died in front of me, though I downgraded the dragon to regular monster.


    ¡°Hmmm, must be tough¡­¡± Was the reply I received. I quickly glanced over their sympathetic faces. It made me feel a bit bad for twisting the details, but I continued nonetheless, there was more to come.


    We had started eating at this point.


    I then told the first fabricated part, about how I discovered my gift and the fake nature of it.


    ¡°Time doesn¡¯t affect me if I don¡¯t want it to.¡± Was the thing I had concocted. ¡°I don¡¯t grow old, I don¡¯t need to sleep, I don¡¯t need to eat or drink. All those grow with time that I can choose to not affect me.¡± I was actually pretty proud of it. Everyone had baffled looks on their faces.


    ¡°Ha, that explains how you can look so young at that age!¡± Patir laughs. Wait, he only thinks I am like 35, right? Boy is he in for a surprise.


    I then told them about Atna and how we fell in love. As I did so, Yasia seemed to become very irritated, but I continued. I told about her wanting to take her grandfather¡¯s seat of power, her desire to become king and was interrupted once again by Patir.


    ¡°King? What is this? A fairy tale?¡± No kings have existed since the hero, after all.


    ¡°Calm down, it will all be explained.¡± He sits down, looking a little disgruntled.


    I tell about how we roused support from the Silvestri, again with some intervention by Patir, but I basically ignored it and continued, and then about how Atna was kidnapped by a noble, how Mynie betrayed us, Caper and Toben died and we chased her to the city.


    I explained how we split because of injuries and how my last comrade told me to give up, but I stormed a noble¡¯s estate single-handedly before being captured. I then again downgraded my imprisonment by being incased in metal, to being moved to a faraway prison.


    ¡°That explains how you ended up in the frontier.¡± Patir says to himself. I sigh a little and explain the context.


    ¡°They guards stopped coming all of a sudden and I was left alone in that prison. I started to weaken the stone walls little by little with by bare hands, before I finally got out¡­ It took me more than 800 years.¡±


    As soon as the last sentence is spoken, all look at me with their mouths hanging open.

 161: Dungeons and their toys

    I was about to continue my story, but.


    ¡°¡±¡±800 years?!?¡±¡±¡± The people around me were flabbergasted. Silence fell onto them. I was about to give a brief history of recent times that leaves out any involvement with the hero.


    ¡°Anyway, I registered at the hunter¡¯s guild and sta-¡°


    ¡°Wait!¡± It¡¯s Patir, who cuts me off. ¡°I can¡¯t just let his slide. I don¡¯t believe it. Do you have any proof?¡± I¡¯m surprised. I had thought that they may not believe me, but not about a part that was true.


    ¡°I, uhh..¡± I start to think how I could prove it, but Yasia cuts in.


    ¡°Were¡­. Were you ever married?¡± She asks me. I simply shake my head and she breathes a sigh of relief¡­ I feel a bit hurt that she is essentially happy that Atna died, but I shake it off, knowing she doesn¡¯t mean ill by it.


    ¡°Is that where Dixy comes from? Far in the past?¡± Kassa asks. Shit, I gave off the air of wanting to tell everything, so she must have thought I was getting to Dixy.


    ¡°Dixy?¡± Patir is curious. I was about to pull up some excuse, but he clearly phrased the question to Kassa instead of me and she answered.


    ¡°This annoying, talking book, Yian has.¡± Is the answer. Shit.


    ¡°Really?¡± Patir is not looking pleased. ¡°That is even more unbelievable. But if it is true, you can show us, right?¡± He turns his head to me. I sigh and surrender, I feel like I have been cornered.


    ¡°Right.¡± I say as I go fetch Dixy. As I pull her up from the bag, I whisper to her ¡°Don¡¯t mention God or me being immortal, please?¡±


    No response. I sigh and prepare myself for the worst as I bring her to the others around the fire.


    ¡°This is Dixy, my magic and reading teacher, say hello Dixy.¡±


    I give the introduction, but nothing happens. I am a bit confused. Yasia and Patir look incredulously at me.


    ¡°She¡¯s also a real bitch.¡± Kassa adds


    ¡°You are the bitch!¡± Dixy retorts.


    ¡°It really talked¡­ You are not using some kind of trick?¡± Patir asks as he looks at the book.


    ¡°Wah? Whose voice is this? Did the worms stealing away your free time multiply?¡± Dixy¡¯s behavior has been growing increasingly awful in regards to other people, as I stayed in the village, but that was just talking to me and Kassa. I was sure she would be on better behavior when actually talking to them.


    I shut the book. ¡°Sorry, she¡¯s a bit crass.¡± I say. I had the habit of opening Dixy before I talk to her, so I somehow thought for a second that it would keep her quiet, but she protests anyway.


    ¡°You should all leave him alone! It was much better when it was only the two of us!¡± I try another tactic.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Dixy! One rude word more out of you, and I am leaving you in the bag tonight!¡±


    No answer rises from her. I sigh a little.


    ¡°A bit crass is an understatement.¡± Patir answers with a chuckle.


    ¡°Right?¡± Kassa seems to enjoy the approval, as I often defend Dixy.


    ¡°Why is it a woman¡¯s voice? Why is she so set on monopolizing you?¡± Yasia asks with suspicious eyes.


    I brush it off, it feels like we have a Dixy number two in the making and I don¡¯t want to feed it.


    ¡°Dixy is not that old.¡± I answer. ¡°She comes from the bottom of a dungeon.¡±


    ¡°A dungeon?¡± Patir asks. ¡°You can find manufactured items like a book in the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± I say. ¡°But only at the bottom and..¡± I was just about to specify being pulled to this world by God, but I kept it in me.


    ¡°How deep is a dungeon?¡± Patir asks me.


    ¡°Honestly it¡¯s hard to keep track off, but from what I have seen, I think it varies but is at least a hundred floors.¡±


    Patir whistles ¡°A hundred floors, huh? And here I have heard gruesome stories of going down twenty floors and being lucky to live to tell the tale.¡±


    ¡°You said it varies¡­ Does that mean you have beaten more than one?¡± Kassa inquires and I nod.


    ¡°What did you get from the others?¡± she continues. It shocks me a little. I only have two things from dungeons, since Dixy got upgraded one of the times. I walk over and pull out the cape from my bag. In the end, I haven¡¯t used this thing in forever.


    ¡°This here cape I got from¡­ the only other dungeon I have reached the end of.¡± I was about to say my first dungeon capture, but changed it.


    ¡°What¡¯s special about it?¡± Patir inquires. Right, I will show them. I don the cape and kick off the ground, before circling them as I slowly glide down.


    ¡°AMAZING!¡± Patir bursts out, Kassa too looks excited, but Yasia¡­ It is difficult to tell from up here, but she looks a bit crestfallen.


    I suddenly get an idea. I have struggled with levitation magic for a while, but isn¡¯t this cape a perfect complement to it? I try applying the difficult patterns, and I manage to stay completely level. I can actually sort of fly now! I feel happy, but I cut it short and descend down.


    ¡°Can I try?¡± Kassa asks. Huh, I guess she can. I hand the cape over to her and she puts it on. Then, she makes some weird movement and poses.


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± I ask her, as she clearly seems to exert herself.


    ¡°Trying to go up, like you did!¡± She is shouting a little.


    ¡°I just jumped, though.¡± Baffled faces turn my way once again. ¡°That was a jump?!?¡± Kassa seems lost.


    ¡°Ah, but I can probably throw you.¡± Patir is shocked.


    ¡°That sounds dangerous, you better not!¡±


    ¡°No, no take-backsies! Throw me!¡± Kassa exclaims, the cape should keep her safe, so I think ¡®why not¡¯ and bend down. I lift her on top of one palm, lifting her by the legs with my other arm, before putting strength in and throwing her.


    She really went flying! I can¡¯t jump that high without trashing my legs! She appears to be merely descending slowly at first, but then she figures out how to glide and squeals of delight sound as she plays her way down.


    Kassa is cheering in delight and exclaiming ¡°Yes! That was fun as hell! Hey, Yian, throw me again!¡± but Patir intervenes.


    ¡°Do you think I¡­ no, nevermind, I am too old for this.¡± Or so he said, but he looked mighty interested. After a bit of convincing, Patir is launched to the sky.


    ¡°Arghhh! Help! HOW?! Why!?!?¡± He struggles. He can¡¯t seem to glide and he is even getting turned around, spending as much time with his head down as his feet. The cape works nonetheless and he safely descents slowly.


    ¡°Argh, shit, I thought that was the end of me¡± He protested as he couldn¡¯t wait to get the cape off of him. The three of us had a great time. But someone is left out. I turn to offer Yasia a ride, but as I turn, she is gone from her previous position. I quickly look around and see her sitting in the cart. She is looking mighty depressed.


    I guess she really did get disillusioned with me and is regretting being brought along¡­ And I can¡¯t bring her back, since my sense of direction is shit, I¡¯d never find the cart again. We could all go back, but I don¡¯t know how troublesome it will be. I sigh a little inwardly, let Kassa and Patir study the cape as I proceed back to the cart. Guess I will try to cheer her up a little.

 162: Food

    ¡°Hey there¡± I say to Yasia, as I sit down next her. The only thing really happening is Kassa climbing a tree to try and use the cape again, Patir trying to convince her not to.


    ¡°You seemed a little down today, what¡¯s the matter?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°Di-did you notice?¡±


    ¡°Notice what?¡± I ask. That she was down?


    ¡°The cooking.¡± She shrinks a little as she says so. ¡°It was not as good as usual, was it?¡±


    ¡°I mean, it wasn¡¯t as good as the food you usually make, but you are much more limited out here, right?¡± The dish she served today was pretty bland and standard. I think I could have done a similar job.


    ¡°I¡­ cheated¡­ sorry¡­ forgive me¡­¡± She starts muttering disjointed words as she starts crying. What? Why? What¡¯s happening?


    ¡°Hey, hey, there¡¯s no reason to cry.¡± I try to comfort her by rubbing her back slowly. Its warmth seeps through to my hand.


    ¡°you¡­ don¡¯t think I am a bad person? Even if¡­ you are so amazing¡­ I can¡¯t even cook right.¡± I am confused.


    ¡°What do you mean? I have tasted your cooking plenty of times. You just need the right environment and tools and it will be as delicious as ever.¡± She turns her head towards me with teary eyes, red shades spreading around them.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t tasted my cooking¡­ Not until today.¡± She says.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°The other meals¡­ Were made by mother. Father said it was okay because I would eventually become as good as mother¡­ but now I feel like I have cheated you since I can¡¯t give you her food any longer... and you were going to find out and abandon me.¡± She starts breaking into sniffles once again.


    I am astounded both by how trivial a thing she has been worried about for most of the past day, along with shocked anyone would try to cheat me in that way. Her father always did seem to play it fast and loose. I won¡¯t say anything about it, but now I am guessing the other ¡®homemaker¡¯ skills were falsified too. I sigh, but only inwardly.


    ¡°What are you worrying about?¡± I ask as I stroke your hair. ¡°True, I am a little disappointed that you lied and I won¡¯t get to eat as good food as before, but I won¡¯t abandon you.¡± She pauses her sniffles and looks at me again.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Really? You¡¯ll still marry me?¡± Ah, I want to decline that part, but as time passes, her face starts quivering and it grabs me by the heart. I remember her taking herself hostage in the village.


    ¡°Ah, in five years, remember, in five years.¡± I back down. Fuck I am a coward. Her smile widens, even as her cheeks are still wet.


    ¡°Really? Really, really?¡± She says looking awful expectant.


    ¡°ah, yeah.¡± I can feel my own voice shrinking as I give the confirmation.


    A while later, Patir comes with a strange suggestion. ¡°I guess Yian will keep watch for the night, if you don¡¯t need sleep?¡± He suggests.


    ¡°Keep watch?¡± I am a bit confused. And Patir seems to be too.


    ¡°Y¡¯know, for monsters. We¡¯re still pretty close to the frontier, so they should be out there, swarming. I check my read without finding a single signal.


    ¡°Really? Because I can¡¯t sense any now, nor did I ever see any wild monsters when I were at the village.¡± I think back. I remember there being wild monsters until I made it to Berlizo, but I have seen none since then.


    ¡°Huh¡­ Wait, I thought you were the one chasing them away?¡± Patir is also confused. Maybe I have some weird monster-repelling function now? I wonder.


    Eventually the matter is laid to rest and people go to sleep. I want to practice magic as I do most nights, so I fetch Dixy and sit down with her a little ways away, just so that I don¡¯t disturb their sleep with our talk.


    ¡°Why did you not want me to mention God?¡± Dixy complains the moment I open her. A rare instance, where she starts conversation.


    ¡°It would just be too much trouble.¡± I answer curtly, attempting to get back to my studies, but Dixy presses on.


    ¡°God is great and powerful, you know, shouldn¡¯t you be proud to make her acquaintance?¡± What¡¯s this. Her? And it seems Dixy has lofty ideas of God. Did God themself implant that into Dixy, when they made her.


    ¡°God is a her?¡± I try asking.


    ¡°Not really. Gods physical bodies and the genders that come with them, but I still think it¡¯s ¡®her¡¯¡± Dixy replies. Curious, a subject other than words and magic that Dixy is knowledgeable about.


    ¡°How do you know?¡± I am hopeful to get an answer, but.


    ¡°I just know. The same way I do with magic.¡± Is the reply I get.


    ¡°Guess it isn¡¯t strange for the God who made you, to make you think highly of¡­ her, I guess. She did come off a bit self-centered.¡±


    ¡°God isn¡¯t self-centered, God is great!¡± Dixy shouts as some strange preacher.


    ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s get to the magic.¡± I give in to calm her down and spend the night trying out my patterns and chatting a little with Dixy.


    After breakfast the following day, we realize just how low supplies are. My initial estimate of a couple of days seems to have been too generous. We¡¯ve got one more day at this rate. I sigh and ask everyone to sit down in the cart and to hold on to it to both it and the luggage firmly.


    ¡°Wh-what are you going to do?¡± Patir asks, sounding a little scared.


    ¡°Run!¡± I reply confidently, as I start building up speed. Soon, we practically fly, as each small bump in the off-road terrain sends the cart flying for a few moments due to it¡¯s speed.


    ¡°ARGHHH!!! STOP! STOP!¡± Patir cries. I can¡¯t hear Yasia, but Kassa is the opposite with ¡°THIS IS SO GREAT! MORE! FASTER!¡±


    ¡°JUST FOCUS ON KEEPING ME ON THE RIGHT TRACK, PATIR!¡± I shout as I let the high-speed ride continue. I laugh a little inside at the hysteria as we travel.

 163: Shame

    ¡°What the hell were you thinking?!¡± Patir shouts. After an hour or so, my rough handling of the cart had not only ruined it, as the axle broke and it crashed. I tried to keep it under control but Yasia banged her head pretty hard against the cart as it crashed. It bled pretty gruesomely. I am so fucking ashamed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Yian got us a long way¡­ And he fixed the damage too.¡± Yasia tries to defend me, but it really was terrible. Even if I could use my healing magic to fix up the gash, it must have been horrible. I thought it was all fun and games for a moment and something horrible nearly happened.


    ¡°No, he is right, it was incredibly stupid.¡± I deserve to feel ashamed right now. Kassa is silent.


    ¡°How the hell are you acting like a kid right now if you are older than 800 years? I knew you weren¡¯t the sharpest knife around, but to think one could actually be this stupid!¡± It stings. It hurts much more since it is very true.


    ¡°Heck, even the way you are reacting to my scolding is childish!? Does your gift prevent you from maturing too?¡±


    Kassa is chuckling. It is probably funny to see the man who scolded and punished her so much over the years get the same treatment.


    ¡°I have no excuse. I am ashamed to my core.¡± I say, in hopes of it letting up, but Patir continues.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just be ashamed! Reflect on it and change your behavior in the future. If you have done any of that for your life, there is no way you wouldn¡¯t be a sagely figure by now!¡± We are currently trekking, as we have done for an hour or so. I am carrying Yasia, since the healing magic took it out of her.


    ¡°Hey! Is that a road?¡± Kassa says, pointing in the distance. It is difficult to make out, since it is a flat surface far away, but as we get closer, it is indeed a road.


    ¡°Right. We should follow it eastward, that¡¯s less likely to lead to some dead-end village.¡± Patir says.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to the city?¡± I am confused. ¡°I thought we wanted to end up in a village and continue our lives as before.¡±


    ¡°Of course we¡¯re going to the city? With you around, do you have any idea of how rich we can become? If you¡¯re rich in a village, you may be getting access to a few luxuries, but be rich in the city, and you get access to all of them!¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°I also want to go to the city. I have never been in one before, after all.¡± Kassa adds.


    ¡°I am fine with wherever, as long as I get to be with Yian.¡± Yasia also drops in. Seems we are going to the city, but first Patir stops.


    ¡°Kassa, I have something for you.¡± He puts down his large backpack and fishes up a hooded robe. ¡°Here, take this and cover yourself.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why?¡± I ask. Patir looks disappointedly at me. ¡°So that people don¡¯t know that she¡¯s a Silvester, of course.¡±


    ¡°But, didn¡¯t you say free Silvesters would be normal in the republic.¡± Patir heaves a deep sigh.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t, but it seems you understood it as such. I said I heard a RUMOR that Silvestri were SET FREE. That doesn¡¯t mean they would have the same status as any other human. They could not be allowed into the cities, or heck, even limited to a designated Silvestri area. And again, it was a rumor. Only a COMPLETE IDIOT would think of rumor as fact.¡± I took heavy damage from the emphasized words that were clearly directed at me, and by the looks of it, Kassa did too.


    The rest of the day, we march along the road, but night falls before any settlement is in sight.


    ¡°Well, we are definitely in the outskirts, since we didn¡¯t see a single traveler¡± Patir adds. If I think about, I have also always encountered other travelers when travelling between cities. The only time I didn¡¯t was when the traffic was between a small village like the frontier village, and the city.


    After we have eaten Yasia¡¯s cooking, which she insisted on doing, Patir isn¡¯t happy. ¡°There¡¯s not even enough for a full breakfast tomorrow.¡± He laments over the scraps left of our food supply.


    I had become so accustomed to eating the past years, it completely slipped my mind not to, and I feel guilty from eating away at the supplies, as I participated in dinner both yesterday and today.


    ¡°Cheer up, Yian!¡± Patir says as he pats my shoulder. ¡°If we spot any dungeons or travelers, who won¡¯t share, you are our meal ticket!¡± He laughs a little. I imagine having to steal away from others and feel a little uncomfortable that Patir laughs about the fact.


    ¡°And if we don¡¯t?¡± Patir¡¯s smile shrinks to a straight line. ¡°Then I hope the city is not too far away.¡±


    ¡°I have an idea.¡± I say ¡°We¡¯re on a straight road now, so I won¡¯t get lost. I could run ahead and get supplies and return.¡± Patir scratches his bearded cheek a little.


    ¡°How fast would you make it if, say, we were a week away?¡± Patir asks. The way of putting distance in time makes it an awkward sentence, but I reply as of my experience.


    ¡°At the latest, 2 days.¡± Patir¡¯s regains his smile. ¡°All right, then head ahead and if you spot a dungeon or a city or even travelers, come back with food and preferably also water as soon as you can.¡± I nod. It feels good to be of use after I put them through so much trouble.


    ¡°Then, Patir, Kassa, Yasia, see ya!¡± I shout as I start running.

 164: City in the Republic

    There¡¯s little light at night, but I am actually enjoying myself, even if my heart is weighed by worry. It¡¯s been a while since I ran with all my might, since it causes too much of a stir. And now I do so with even a bit of bestowal on top. The force is hurting my legs, but not much, it feels like wind is rushing past my hair even though this world doesn¡¯t have weather. I feel alive.


    I get an idea. What if enhance my legs with hardening? The pain ceases as I do so, so I amp up the bestowal. It¡¯s still fine so a little more. A little more.


    I feel like my face is starting to squish against the air pressure, but the power, the speed I am feeling, it is all too exhilarating. I wonder how long I can run like this before my mana slips up?


    To my surprise, it is not that intensive, as I run out just an hour or so before my morning refresh comes around and I am filled with energy once again. I tone it down a notch, so that I can hopefully last the entire day.


    I don¡¯t need to, though, as a few hours later, a city becomes visible, clawing itself into my sight from the mist. I try to slow down, but it doesn¡¯t go to well. My momentum in too great and I try to slow down too fast, so the force carries me over my own feet and I roll several times, before slowly coming to a stop pretty close to the city.


    I get up and look around to see if anyone caught sight of it, as it must have looked suspicious as all hell, but no one is near except for guard¡­ And he¡¯s sleeping. I heave a breath of relief.


    I approach him slowly, at normal human speeds until I reach him. He seems to be sleeping soundly and the gate into the city is wide open. I toy with the idea of walking right in, but I think it may cause problems if I am not admitted by the guard.


    ¡°Exuse me?¡± I say. When he doesn¡¯t react, I repeat it a bit louder while poking him. He is sleep on a stool of some sort.


    ¡°Hnn?¡± He slowly comes to life. ¡°What is it?¡± He asks me.


    ¡°Can I pass?¡± I remember being checked for some sort of identity multiple times in the past, but the only thing I have now is a hunter tag with the name of an evil legend on it.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Yeah, whatever, pass¡± He half-mumbles. Lucky! I try to not ask him anything in order to not antagonize the sleepy man and waltz in through the gate. The markets are usually somewhere in the middle of a city, since everyone needs food, and true enough, after following the road a little, a market square opens up to me. In my backpack I have the Asti from back in God¡¯s Win. I didn¡¯t have much opportunity to use them at the frontier, since there was no real economy there, but now they will come in handy.


    As I try to haggle with the first merchant I find selling a large amount of food, and start picking out what I want, I get scoffed at.


    ¡°Do you even have any money?¡± I wonder why he is so dismissive of me? I fish up a large handful of Asti.


    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t take Asti, such a bother.¡± Is the response I hear.


    ¡°Why?¡± I ask, almost in despair.


    ¡°Because they are becoming harder and harder to use of course. Tell you what, if you throw in an extra 60, I will consider it.¡± I have only asked for food I think is worth 200 Asti, or what I could judge to fit in my backpack, so it is a considerable mark-up.


    ¡°Then what do people use instead of Asti?¡± He narrows his eyes in response to the question.


    ¡°You¡­ You are not from the republic?¡± He asks me in an accusatory tone.


    ¡°Eh, no, I just came in from the west.¡± I say. He smiles a little. ¡°Then allow me to wish you welcome to the republic, where everyone is equal!¡± He says with a big smile on his face. My heart brightens a little. I didn¡¯t see any Silvestri, but he just said everyone is equal! I try to affirm it.


    ¡°Even Silvestri?¡± I ask with high expectancy.


    ¡°Of course not the Silvestri, that goes without saying.¡± My heart sinks once again. ¡°That¡¯d be like asking if women are equal too.¡±


    ¡°You have a weird definition of everyone.¡± I fault him for saying such stuff.


    ¡°It¡¯s not meant to be taking literally. Everyone can¡¯t be equal, just think of giftholders! Those lucky bastards get ahead in life from day one. No, it is meant to be understood as wherever you come from, you will be judged by your ability, not by your birth!¡± He says.


    ¡°But not if you are a Silvester or a woman?¡± He scoffs at me.


    ¡°Of course, if you have the capability. It is just that women and subhumans are naturally less capable than us, and thus less equal.¡± He sounds like a real ass. Heck, in this world were everything comes from the dungeons, it seems to me the Silvestri have an edge, what with their superior physical ability to the average human.


    ¡°What about dryads? Or Tarruns?¡±


    ¡°The fuck are those?¡± I sigh a little and give up, finishing the transaction. And with a backpack full of food, I set off back towards my friends. Leaving the city, I pass the still sleeping gate-guard. I wonder if he gets in trouble if anyone finds him here sleeping. I don¡¯t wake him, as I don¡¯t think I need permission to leave and set off.


    I quickly notice something wrong, however. The road appears to have with small gaps, received heavy damage as the stones are often broken and the dirt kicked up, making small craters¡­ I did that, didn¡¯t I?

 165: Resupply

    During my trip back, I don¡¯t use the hardening spell. That stuff is sealed off for true emergencies for now, given how much random damage it has caused. It¡¯s constantly put in my mind, by the small craters on my way back. They suddenly stop, then resume becoming way worse, surely from when I went all out testing this new technique. I shudder to think what would happen if I used it in the middle of the city.


    It seems to take a lot longer making it back, even if my comrades should have shortened the distance by walking. If getting to the city took around twelve hours, and though I should be close, I am still not back after eighteen, so I am still happy to have discovered it, if I should need to get somewhere fast. Ah, as I am once again reminded of the damage, I fear Patir¡¯s scolding. Am I really this childish?


    Once I spot the three people, I can see Yasia being heavily supported by Kassa. Both Yasia and Patir look horrible, while Kassa looks relatively fine. Why people can¡¯t simply enjoy the advantages of the Silvestri is beyond me.


    ¡°Thank god you¡¯re back.¡± Patir exclaims as he sits down in the middle of the road. I start unpacking, locating water and meat for the assuredly hungry people.


    ¡°What the hell happened to you?¡± Patir asks me.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re completely covered in dirt!¡± Oh, right, now that I check, I am indeed. Stuff like that is hard to spot with my read-sight and I just didn¡¯t really notice. Was it from my crash? Is that why the merchant thought I was poor?


    ¡°But why only your clothes?¡± is asked of me. Shit. My made-up power has no explanation for this, while my actual gift does seem to have some sort of auto-cleaning function.


    ¡°Right, I fell and got dirty¡­ Cleaned it off with some water I bought.¡± Patir frowns.


    ¡°I have noticed you¡¯re a bit of a clean freak, but to waste precious resources in this situation¡­¡± He complains. I must appear to be obsessed with cleanliness due to my power.


    ¡°Cleanliness is attractive in a man¡­¡± Yasia once again tries to defend me, but Patir has had enough as he clears his mouth of salted meat.


    ¡°You¡¯d defend Yian in any situation¡­ And that makes what you think irrelevant.¡± Her heart visibly sinks at the criticism.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°I am just glad Yian can carry Yasia now!¡± Seems Yasia has had trouble keeping up with the more seasoned people here.


    ¡°Me too!¡± Yasia regains her vigor for that single comment, before flushing a little and lowering her head once again.


    ¡°Anyway, how far is the city?¡±


    ¡°Should be around¡­ 10 days? If my conversion is correct.¡± Patir frowns as he chews the cheap provisions. ¡°You may have to go for another supply run, then. I can¡¯t believe we left so ill-prepared¡­¡± He seems to be thinking of something.


    ¡°By the way, is that your doing?¡± He points to one of the craters. I feel my head sink.


    ¡°Right, I was testing out a new method of running, and though it was faster, it appears to also be quite destructive.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s always important to test things out.¡± He muses it over. Apparently he is not angry.


    The next ten days are frightfully boring. It reminds me of when I travelled with the caravan to the capital, really, travelling at normal human pace is agonizing when you can go so much faster alone.


    It also takes a heavy toll on the people. Though she tried to conceal it, it quickly became obvious Yasia¡¯s feet had blisters, and soon Patir too. I ended up carrying both of them in a weird arrangement, where I hold Yasia in my arms, while Patir hangs off me, clinging to my back. It actually made us speed up a little, though.


    Kassa had a much easier time than my human companions. Though she often appeared exhausted by days end, she was fully capable of keeping a good pace throughout the entire day and still have a little energy to horse around, often playing with cape as we camp. She really likes that thing.


    I remembered not to eat, and we didn¡¯t cook in order to conserve supplies, much to Yasia¡¯s dismay, as her only function was stripped from her and she honestly appeared troubled about being a burden on our travelling group. But thanks to these supply-saving efforts, and the fact that Yasia and Patir were spared the physical exhaustion that made them eat more, I didn¡¯t need to go for another trip. And finally, the city appeared, gradually becoming less and less concealed by the fog as we approach.


    Kassa dons the robe and we approach the gate. The gatekeeper is the same person as before, still sleeping on the job. I was about to wake him but Patir stopped me.


    ¡°If you¡¯re dealing with people sleeping on the job, you can always just lie and say they gave their consent.¡± He whispers to me. ¡°People often don¡¯t remember an episode if they awake, only to fall asleep again soon after.¡± How devious.


    And so we trot into the city without alerting the guard. It makes me feel a little guilty.


    ¡°Now, you explained they don¡¯t like asti, eh? Guess they have their own currency¡­ Our first order of business should be finding a place to exchange them, then.¡± Patir muses.


    ¡°Right, do we just ask somebody, or?¡± I ask.


    ¡°No, first is getting an idea of how much the local currency is worth. Otherwise, we will easily be ripped off. We go the market, that should give us a rough idea if we compare prices to what it should be in asti.¡± He explains. And thus, we set off towards the market..

 166: Currency Exchange

    After perusing, we somewhat ending up on agreeing on how much the local currency was worth. The local currency was called peko, and was a weird one. There was not lesser or greater denomination of it, and it was only worth about one fifteenth of an asti. It seems the new leadership quickly focused on phasing out asti, and gave small prizes for people who exchanged them for the new currency in the form of food, but no longer.


    As we had grasped the relative worth of the peko, Patir stopped a random bypasser and asked where the merchants usually lodged, before receiving a few directions.


    ¡°Merchants?¡±


    ¡°Aye, we¡¯re still close to lands that use asti, so they will value them higher than the local populace, especially if it¡¯s on route. Even gives me an idea for a business, exchanging coins for the ones they need for a small fee, and if I thought of it, somebody else probably did too. Hopefully a lot thought of it¡­¡±


    ¡°Why is that better?¡±


    ¡°Because then they would be competing with themselves, and the customers would choose the ones with the lowest prices, so we could get a better deal.¡± It makes sense, but I don¡¯t think I would have thought of it.


    I look back on the two girls walking behind us, both quiet. Yasia seems to be embarrassed to be in public this dirty. We did spend some two weeks travelling without a change of clothes for her after all, and Kassa in her robes is uncharacteristically quiet. Maybe she is trying to lay low.


    ¡°What do you guys think?¡± I ask the girls, my head still turned over.


    Yasia seems confused as to why I would ask and Kassa merely shrugs, not uttering a word.


    ¡°Hey, what are you asking?¡± Patir interrupts my bewilderment to their reactions.


    ¡°Womenfolk aren¡¯t suited for handling money.¡±


    I sometimes forget how sexist this world is. In fact, I think it has gotten worse compared to before I was sealed away, which I find strange. I always thought social issues like these would naturally become more progressive over time. I get an idea. I know women can be capable, but I haven¡¯t seen any in this world without gifts do well for themselves independently. But I could say I have.


    ¡°Strange. A long time ago, it was relatively normal for women to handle money.¡± I smirk a little inside of myself for the clever ruse that might make my friend more tolerant, but¡­


    ¡°There¡¯s probably a good reason they changed. If it was beneficial to leave such matters to women, they probably would have continued to be so.¡± I can¡¯t think of a good way to respond. I feel shut down.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Eventually, we make it close to the gate facing south, where we were directed by the passerby. After a bit of investigating, Patir asking questions of various people who hang out around here, he is eventually directed to a weirdly small and tall building.


    Upon closer inspection, it is merely sectioned off from a larger building, but many of the doors are very new, and when we enter, it seems the walls have same small age. They are less faded, less dirty. Maybe a bigger building was split up?


    Inside there is little room, around 3 feet by 6 feet, and it is cut off by a wooden wall with only a small hole in the middle.


    ¡°Greetings. What might be your business here?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve come to exchange some asti for peko.¡± Patir calmly says. This shop was the most used one from those Patir investigated, and thus we thought it was the cheapest.


    ¡°Is there a membership card?¡±


    ¡°Membership?¡± I ask confusedly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no. In that case, we will exchange 1 asti for 10 peko¡± The rate leaves a little to be desired. I¡¯ve never exchanged money before, so I wouldn¡¯t know what one could expect.


    ¡°What does a membership card cost, and what are the rates of it?¡± Patir asks, but regretfully receives the answer ¡°Memberships are only by referral.¡± It¡¯s strange having a conversation with someone behind a wall like this.


    Patir grunts and says ¡°very well then.¡± and starts pulling out a familiar chest from his backpack, the one that was supposed to be a bribe. I start searching for mine too, but Patir stops me.


    ¡°Can you exchange this much?¡± He asks, as he puts it down on the counter.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell how much it is¡­¡± Sounds the voice from beyond the wood. ¡°If you would please count them and present it to me.¡± Patir sighs and start counting, I jump in too. Yasia and Kassa are standing still at the end of the small room.


    After a few minutes, we have counted the total to 233 asti, which we announce.


    ¡°Please put them on the counter in front of the hole.¡± He asks. Patir seems a bit reluctant, but I assure him with a hand on his shoulder. ¡®If they try to cheat us, I will bust down this wall in an instant.¡¯ I whisper to him.


    He puts the money down with a ¡°No funny business, you hear?¡± before a stick with a small board at the end appears from the hole and rakes the money in.


    ¡°I will now confirm the amount, please wait.¡± I don¡¯t understand.


    ¡®Then why should we count them?¡¯ I whisper to Patir. He doesn¡¯t play by my whispering game and says.


    ¡°So that we can be sure we aren¡¯t cheated, I guess.¡±


    After a few minutes, the voice sounds again. ¡°Confirmed, I will now pay out 2330 pekos.¡± And the rake from before appears and shoves money out. Curious, I gander through the little hole. I only catch a glimpse of a hand, but it is very small, like that of a child. But the voice we hear is clearly adult. A race I encountered long ago sneaks into my head.


    ¡°A Tarrun?¡± The hand abnormally freezes for a second, before continuing.


    ¡°The hell is a Tarrun?¡± Patir asks me.


    ¡°Ah, like human but smaller. They make good craftsmen, but aren¡¯t as strong as humans.¡± The has finished pushing coins over.


    ¡°Out! Now! And don¡¯t come back!¡± Seems the holder has taken offense at my guess at his identity, but we got our money, so we quietly leave.


    ¡°Well, on the menu for now is getting a place to sleep. In the morning, we will go the local hunter¡¯s guild.¡± Patir thinks aloud as we leave. He sends a look over to the girls behind us. ¡°Maybe a simple dress too.¡± I notice Yasia eagerly nodding.

 167: The Loffreq

    We found ourselves situated at an inn. Two rooms were rented, one for the ladies, one for the guys.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t we exchange all our money?¡± I ask Patir. The dress for Yasia, the rooms for the inn, complete with food had almost already depleted our entire stash of pekos.


    ¡°Well, seems like that place had hard guidelines surrounding its prices.¡± Patir answers. ¡°Meaning we can gain something if we find a better deal, while the most we lose is taking another trip there, which is hardly a great price to pay.¡± It¡¯s the first time I see him undress, as he prepares for bed. I feel like there is a portion of the story he told of himself missing, judging by his body.


    It is absolutely covered in scars from top to bottom. Judging by his story, he should have been something like an office worker for the most of his life, and I don¡¯t think his body tells quite the same story.


    ¡°Whatcha staring at?¡± He asks somewhat menacingly. I just shrug and lean back in my own bed. The inn had options for 8, 4 and 2 bed rooms, and we went with 2 beds for both of our groups. It was a bit more expensive, but I think a group like ours can appreciate the privacy.


    I try to fall asleep for the first time in a long period. I don¡¯t know any place I could go in a city like this to study with Dixy, and I don¡¯t want to risk getting in trouble by jumping the wall, so I decided to stay in. Since I couldn¡¯t sleep, maybe I am unable to now, I end up thinking about my disappointing observations. We haven¡¯t seen a single Silvester since we came to this city, and while I may have spotted a Tarrun, it seemed he was almost anxious about people figuring it out. It¡¯s definitely not the situation I had hoped to find ourselves in.


    The next day, we started off by convincing Yasia to stay at the inn. We were planning to go and (re)register at the guild, then maybe knock out a few requests. Yasia¡¯s physique was clearly not suited for it. She couldn¡¯t even help transporting stuff. She was dejected to be left alone like that but eventually agreed.


    The next thing was learning where the guild was, but the answer from the owner of the inn was shocking.


    ¡°The guild doesn¡¯t exist no more.¡± He said solemnly, as he was in the middle of cleaning the dining area that made out the first floor.


    ¡°Huh? What? Why?¡± Patir is confused. Maybe he had expected to hear something about this. Maybe he is terrified at the prospect of losing my easy riches.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°From what I heard, they had a system in place for transferring information to the capital. Kept doing that during the war, you see, and then it was deemed a traitorous organization and shut down.¡± He stops sweeping a little and rests on his broom.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t make a lot of the difference to the average person, since they set up a replace. The local office for requisition, they call it. Doesn¡¯t exactly roll of the tongue, so most people just take to calling it the loffreq.¡±


    It grated on me, that name.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find it just down the north road from the main square.¡± He said, and reluctantly started sweeping again after he received a thanks from Patir. I sighed. I was planning to throw away the hunter tag engraved with Yos and thus starting over, but I was not looking forward to learning yet another system for categorizing hunters.


    As Patir, Kassa and I made it down there, however, we got a pleasant surprise. As the queue we lined up in gradually got resolved and we reached the front desk, Patir asked to sign up three new hunters.


    ¡°It is not hunters, but requisition officers.¡± Whatever, same thing. ¡°Then, we will sign you up for the interview and examination.¡± He stated.


    ¡°No fee?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No. When the office was erected to take the place of the guild, many of the guild¡¯s policies was reworked to better fit the ideas of the republic. Among them, was eliminating the barrier to entry, so poorer people could participate, as well as reworking the ranking system.¡± Oh boy, here we go again.


    ¡°Instead of being focused needlessly on seniority, our ranking system prioritizes the ability of the officer. And instead of the silly system, where the same job paid differently according to your rank, your rank will now be merely a suggestion as to what requests you should limit yourself to.¡± He looks up at the large wall of requests. ¡°Though they are only suggestions, I would prefer if you heeded to them. We have enough of a shortage of men as it is, after the war. It will take a decade or two to normalize itself, and we don¡¯t need people needlessly throwing away their lives.¡±


    ¡°So there¡¯s no point in getting a high rank then?¡± I ask the clerk. He looks up from the book he was scrounging through, presumably to find us a time slot.


    ¡°Ah, no, that isn¡¯t true. Being high rank means a suite of perks. First off, the upper two ranks pay no membership fees. In addition, the higher the rank, the likelier it is we will choose your group for specially issued requests, that pay extra well.¡± He turns his nose into the book again.


    ¡°The government has declared a first rank office badge to be equivalent to a free permission to travel anywhere in the country, goods notwithstanding of course, they often get lucrative job offers, and plenty of businesses offer discounts to the higher ranked, as a symbol of respect. Ah here we are. I can find three slots over the course of the next 5 hours, if you can wait that long.¡±


    Patir looks a bit skeptical, but eventually agrees and we start to idle in the guild hall, around a suitable table. I mean, office hall?

 168: Runner

    It was painful, waiting. Maybe Kassa was a bit too conscious of keeping herself hidden, as she didn¡¯t say a word, while Patir and I merely throw a word back and forth every once in a while. People are coming and going constantly, but it seems many people are waiting at any given time. Waiting in queue, waiting to be called or waiting for their companions to get something sorted it seems.


    Then, a person comes over to us. ¡°We can take one now.¡± She says politely.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead first. If they come for one more before I am back, send Kassa.¡± Patir says as he joins the lady. I wonder why he wanted Kassa to go first?


    Almost an hour was spent waiting in silence. It was actually nerve-wracking, since I didn¡¯t know what was going on. Could Patir be in trouble? What should I do if he was? Start a fight right here? I try to take my mind off of it by talking to Kassa, but she is very silent, replying only with few words that do not allow the conversation to progress.


    But after that hour, Patir comes back. He looks exhausted and sighs upon sitting down. ¡°That was excruciating.¡± He complains.


    ¡°Did you pass?¡± He looks a little confused.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can pass. I got my hunter¡¯s¡­ requisition officer¡¯s license, though it has me placed at rank 5¡± He lifts a matte metal plate up, that hangs in a chain around his neck. It says ¡°Patir Merchant¡± and has the big circle denoting 5.


    ¡°Merchant?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Ah, seems they have instituted a weird rule of everyone taking a second name, even if they¡¯re not noble. I didn¡¯t know what to pick, so they suggested taking an earlier profession, my father¡¯s name, my father¡¯s profession and so on, so I just ended up going with this.¡± He lets the plate fall down.


    ¡°Anyway, you should be relatively in the clear. They will ask about your gift. Tell them you have one, but neglect to tell them of any specifics. Tell them it has an obvious weakness if people know its nature or something. After that, you should probably just let loose and get the highest assessment. Oh, and just agree to any promises they want you to make them.¡±


    Ah, he went ahead to scout for me. I get the feeling that he doesn¡¯t trust me to make the decisions on my own. It smarts a little, but I guess I can¡¯t really blame him, given how many opportunities I have given for him to be disappointed in me as of late.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Another two painfully boring hours pass, before the same lady comes back. They are not wasted this time, as Patir told me all about the tests and questions he had experienced beyond the doors. ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± She asks. I was about to direct Kassa up as per Patir¡¯s instruction, but he gives me a nudge and sends me off. I am a bit confused, but follow his instruction.


    I follow the lady through a door in the corner of the room, which leads to a hallway and into one of the rooms connected there. The room is very small and the only furniture is a table with two chairs and the room is practically full. The table is filled with a lot of yellow papers, many of them being forms.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started with the interview. Name?¡±


    ¡°Yian.¡±


    ¡°Surname?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t have one.¡±


    ¡°Right, you should take this opportunity to take one. It was mandated four years ago that all citizens of the republic should take a surname, and we only register people who give one. It can be anything, but most choose an earlier profession, the profession-¡°


    ¡°I¡¯ll choose hunter.¡± I said, cutting her off.


    She sighs. ¡°It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t, but I recommend you don¡¯t. Almost a fifth of the population has chosen hunter and it is frankly a pain, as it makes the chance of your full name being unique much smaller.¡±


    I had spent the time to think of a name outside of the room, but didn¡¯t consider it would be rejected. Even if it is a soft rejection. I start to think a little if there are any other good ones.


    ¡°What is the name of your father?¡± She asks. I thought about it, but I wasn¡¯t close to my father. If anything, I¡¯d feel more comfortable taking Jorgen¡¯s name. But then I had a feeling I would be leaving out my other mentor figures. It¡¯s not like they are around to be insulted, but I feel a little bummed if I don¡¯t consider Kamas and Bosir for the same position. In the end, I choose a different name.


    ¡°Runner, then.¡± I say. She lifts an eyebrow.


    ¡°Did you or your father once work as a courier?¡± She asks. I can¡¯t be bothered to hang up on this anymore, so I simply agree.


    Then the questions started pouring in.


    ¡°How long since you started delving into dungeons?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the deepest floor you have slain a monster on?¡±


    ¡°Have you lead a hunting party before? If yes, how large a party have you led?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a gift? If yes, what manner of gift is it?¡±


    ¡°Are you capable of using any magic? If so, what kind?¡±


    The questions continued for what felt like an eternity, but I had prepared answers for most of them together with Patir. It was really nice, since I think I would have had some inconsistencies along the way, had I just answered off the top of my head. Patir really is much smarter than me, even though I should have lived way longer. Patir helped me screw together a set of answers that appear to be impressive, but not impossible.


    Maybe that is why the interviewing lady looks a little suspicious of me.


    ¡°Right then, this was it for the information. Now, please pledge to serve only the republic, its interests and your fellow citizenry.¡± She says. It suddenly sounded a little militarily, but I just remembered Patir¡¯s words and swore as she requested.


    ¡°That¡¯s it for now. Let us move to the physical assessment.¡± Right, finally the boring interview was over. I followed her out to the hallway, down it for a bit and into a small courtyard, where some ten people appeared to be practicing.

 169: Grounded

    ¡°Kurat!¡± She calls over one of the guys, who was sparring. ¡°We got another one, please give him an assessment.¡±


    The man walks over. He is pretty tall and has a way too deep blue color in his hair and beard to seem natural. Most of the naturally occurring colors, even if bizarre by the standard of my old world, has a very light shade to them. I wonder if he dies it? Does hair dye even exist?


    ¡°Greetings, I am Kurat¡± He says, extending one of his hands, which I meet in return.


    ¡°I am Yian.¡±


    ¡°Kurat here is our go-to assessor for anyone with gifts.¡± The lady who guided me explains.


    ¡°Does that mean we will spar?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Ahhh, there will be that too, but we start by assessing whether you can carry yourself correctly and how hard you can hit.¡±


    To be honest, I feel like going all out. Something about spending all that time in low gear, not braving much. I have since been acquiring all this new magic and I experienced its power with my newly invented running technique. I want to go all out.


    ¡°Not to sound arrogant, but¡­¡± I feel myself starting to retreat, because of how outrageous what I was about to say sounded in my head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it, spill your heart, lad!¡± Kurat encourages me with a big smile and I go for it.


    I am long past being challenged by a single person I think. ¡°Can I¡­ Fight everyone here at once?¡±


    Upon hearing my words, Kurat¡¯s smile fades into a thin line bent downwards, the lady who guided me gave a gasp and others around who caught wind of it turned their heads.


    Kurat¡¯s smile returns once again. ¡°Ha, young¡¯uns, am I right?¡± As he exaggerates a laughing pose and turns to the other men, who laugh with him. I don¡¯t bother correcting him. According to Patir, they could ask for my age, due to how young I look. If they do, I am supposed to say that I am 16, so that I can harness the most time without it being suspicious that I don¡¯t look older as time passes.


    Kurat turns back towards me and narrows his eyes once again. ¡°You¡¯ll get the highest assessment possible as long as you beat me in a spar. Is that not good enough for you, kid?¡±


    I was disappointed. Of course they wouldn¡¯t agree to such an outrageous idea. I accidentally sigh.


    ¡°Now listen here, you little shit!¡± Kurat was ticked off by it and approached me aggressively. Damnit, I didn¡¯t intend to anger them.


    ¡°Sorry! I will be honored if you had a spar with me!¡± I try to correct my behavior. He seems to cool off a little.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Whatever, fetch some training gear from over there and let¡¯s get started.¡± He practically talks through his teeth. He is really pissed.


    ¡°What about the preliminary assessments?¡± The lady asked, but Kurat simply shaked his head.


    ¡°Boy may be stupid, but no one is going to pull off such a stunt without at least some talent. What¡¯s his gift?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say. It apparently has an obvious weakness, if you know how it works.¡±


    ¡°Much like mine, huh?¡±


    I come back to the chatting pair with a wooden sword and shield. They spoke quite loudly so I heard their conversation even the 30 feet or so I was away.


    ¡°Right, get ready. We will start in 3, 2, 1.¡±


    As the countdown finished, I thought he would rush at me, due to how pissed he seem, but he doesn¡¯t. He instead steps firmly, one by one, each foot sneaking his position closer to mine, displacing the sand that makes out the ground of the yard. Guess I will test him out.


    I use a light bestowal and aim for his shield with full physical force. But it was like hitting a brick wall. While the arm buckled a little under the strike, it didn¡¯t push him back one bit, even though this would have send most men flying. I smirk a little. I may have found another like Spetus.


    I don¡¯t long to think, as he quickly swings his own sword after receiving my strike. I could easily dodge it, but I move my shield to block it to feel his strength. It barely registers, though. Just the strength of an adult man. It leaves me somewhat disappointed.


    I think of ending it quickly and bestow my legs and my sword-arm moderately. I dash within his striking distance, past his shield and turn to deliver a heavy slash to his back, buck while body shakes a little under the contact, but again he stands firm, his feet not giving in. I am a little intrigued.


    He turns to face me after I delivered the slash. ¡°Impressive speed and power. If it were real swords, I would already be dead by now.¡± He seems a little dispirited. ¡°Guess you win¡­ Or, are you up for a little challenge?¡± A smirk appears on his face.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Might be interesting.


    ¡°If you can knock me off my feet, I will make sure you are first rank by today.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t get first rank normally?¡± I ask.


    ¡°We normally demand five year¡¯s experience of leading parties for first ranks, since they are often looked up to as leaders and will have to take on such roles at special requests.¡± He looks over at the lady who guided me and she shakes her head. Indeed, in my imagined backstory for this interview, Patir had me be 16, who delved into the dungeon alone at 12 and started leading parties one year later. That would only give me three years of experience.¡±


    ¡°But we can always fudge some paperwork. Now come, strike my shield with all your might!¡± He seems excited. He did feel insanely sure on his feet. Heavy too, like I was trying to knock over a house by swinging this wooden sword at it. I look at the sword and discard it, as I had a feeling it would break.


    High-level bestowal is over my legs, gaining speed, and I prepare to unleash the same on my right arm. At the same time, hardening is cast on both my legs and the arm I am going to swing. I close the distance in a fraction of a second, using the momentum to carry my super-charged fist towards his shield.


    As my flesh makes contact with the shield, it splinters, it meets the arm underneath and pushes it all the way to his chest, where it rests against.


    I feel enormous resistance, but he rises nonetheless. I feel like I am uppercutting a building and succeeding. But something is wrong.


    As he is going flying, so is the ground beneath my feet. In fact, the sand almost clings to this feet, sending not only him, but a massive half-sphere of sand with a hole from where I was standing flying.


    It felt like a few minutes, but I guess it lasted less than second. Kurat had spectacular been knocked on his ass and a large chunk of the courtyard had followed.


    ¡°Argghhhh!¡± I hear a scream after he landed. ¡°My arm! My frigging arm!¡±

 170: Smelting

    The ten or so people here are speechless and the ground looks ruined.


    ¡°Wait here, I-I will fetch some healing ointment.¡± The lady says as she disappears quickly back through the entrance. She looked terrified.


    ¡°Fuck, it hurts!¡± Kurat laments, as he squirms on the floor. The worst part is, he was so slow and weak it didn¡¯t feel exhilarating at all. Only his defense was good. I walk up to him.


    ¡°Ah, stay away!¡± He looks at me and utters something like that. What am I, some kind of movie monster?


    ¡°Relax, I am just going to try and fix it up.¡± I say as I take a look at his arm. It is kind of grotesque. The forearm has snapped in half, bone is visible, while it is bleeding profusely. I wonder if my magic works well. What if it sets the bone wrong or something?


    I shake my head and get to it, remembering Spetus¡¯ sentence when he was made unfit for combat. Even if my magic doesn¡¯t work, I don¡¯t think other means will either, so I think it is worth a shot.


    I weave my magic and course it over the arm. It unnaturally rises to its normal position, and while I can¡¯t see what is going on exactly, what through the blood and the most important part taking place inside the arm, but I go until I think I only have a bit of magic left for emergencies and stop.


    ¡°What the actual hell?¡± Kurat¡¯s mouth is gaping open, while inspecting his arm. Then, he suddenly takes to his stomach. ¡°Argh, why does it feel like I have been starved for a week?¡±


    It appears to have worked without issue. I turn around and see the small crowd absolutely flabbergasted.


    The lady reappears then and there with a container cut of green stone, before being confused.


    ¡°How? When? Did I see things?¡±


    ¡°No you didn¡¯t. It was this youngster here.¡± Kurat sounds weak as he climbs to his feet. ¡°What a gift. Insane speed, immaculate strength and even healing. Is there anything it can¡¯t do?¡±


    While the healing had been misattributed to my gift and I was just about to correct it, I let it slide, seeing as I don¡¯t really know how to explain where it came from.


    ¡°Turn back time.¡± I joke, as I am reminded of my study of Dixy.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Hell, might as well have.¡± He almost whispers as he studies his arm.


    ¡°Shit I am hungry¡­ And tired¡­ Side effect I assume?¡± I simply nod to the description of symptoms from being a target of the healing magic.


    ¡°Well, consider me giving the boy the highest assessment and then some. Shit, look at this place. Thinking of getting it in order is giving me a headache. Well, it will be for later. I need to get something to eat and a nap.¡±


    He walks towards the entrance and disappears. ¡°Right then, let¡¯s see what we can do for you.¡± She says, as she signals to come along and we walk back through the corridor. This time we end in a strange room with no roof and stone floor. There is a small crucible, next to a weird apparatus on top of a shallow basin. All of it is capped off with another man, sitting down and seemingly sleeping.


    She walks over to him and taps her hand on the side of his face a little until he wakes up.


    ¡°Hng, huh, who¡¯s there?¡±


    ¡°We need another card.¡± She says.


    The man rubs his eyes and rises. ¡°Right, right, what kind?¡± He says as he opens a drawer in a nearby cabinet. It is filled to the brim with tiny ingot.


    ¡°The flavite blend.¡± She says curtly.


    ¡°For real?¡± he looks over at me and laughs. ¡°A young bigshot? The youngest, maybe?¡± He asks curiously to which the lady nods. Seems like my fraudulent age is going to mark a new record.


    ¡°Right, right¡­ name?¡±


    ¡°Yian Runner.¡± She answers.


    He opens yet another drawer, filled with tons and tons of small metal pieces each with a character on it. Since the written language of this world is logographic, names are constructed in quite a weird way. First off, there is a circle surrounding the symbols used, denoting that it is a name. Secondly, you only pronounce up, but not including the second vowel of the associated word. This meant that when it comes to names, there are a ton of ways of spelling the same name.


    Though, people often spell their name with the most impressive words they can find. The symbols for words like dragon, power among men, and beauty, fertile for women. Like it actually means something.


    It seems this guy doesn¡¯t care how he spells other¡¯s names though, as mine are picked from smell and dirt. I think some would probably take it as an insult.


    A fire under the crucible is lit up and the yellow ingot placed therein. He then removes a weird slate from the apparatus, empties it and slides my characters in place, before returning it. He then lowers himself, so that his eye is level with the basin itself and twist some knobs until it hovers slightly over it. A rod is inserted, presumably to make a hole for the chain.


    Then, after twenty minutes or so, the small crucible is carefully lowered and the liquid, yellow metal is flowing out. It fills the basin to a point, until he stops it and turns the knob to lower the plate a tiny bit more, before placing clasps on four sides of the basin.


    Then, he removes the basin with a pair of tongs and places it is water. I remember the weird physics of this world, as it doesn¡¯t bubble or anything.


    Another handful of minutes pass before he lifts it up, removes the top and a small part of the bottom, through which he pokes a finger and my card is produced before my eyes. I look over the setup, that looks to be extremely specialized. I definitely don¡¯t think this existed back when I joined my first guild. I am definitely intrigued by it.

 171: Free

    I was following the lady for what seemed to be the last time, fondling my new, yellow card¡­ Or I guess it is more appropriate to call it a plaque. It only has my name on it. I wonder how long it will be before this world develops some more restrictive identification. If they do, I feel like it would be a heap of trouble.


    ¡°Uhm, mister Yian, are you free this evening?¡± She asks me. It gives me a little whiplash, as it sounds like she is going to invite me to a date.


    ¡°uhhhh¡­¡± I brick a little on the response.


    ¡°You see, I have a daughter that is about to come of age and would love to introduce her.¡± What is this? Am I now cursed to be accosted by people who have unwed daughters for eternity? I quickly wrack my brain to come up with an excuse.


    ¡°Ah, I already have promised one girl I¡¯d marry her, and I think that is plenty.¡± Yasia is useful for the first time since we left¡­ Though I immediately felt guilty for thinking so.


    ¡°Surely a talented young man like you will find the time and money to easily sustain more wives¡­¡± She almost complains at me.


    ¡°I am sorry, but I will decline.¡± I say. I hear a ¡®hmph¡¯ emitted by her, but she stops talking about it.


    As I am guided back to where Kassa and Patir sit, I flash my yellow card to them. Kassa seems distracted and Patir looks like he expected it all along and just nods. Seriously, a little praise would be nice though.


    ¡°Then, allow me to escort the last mem¡­ ah?¡± As she started talking, Kassa rose and maybe the lady saw something that surprised her. Did she catch Kassa¡¯s identity?


    ¡°This person is incredibly important to me.¡± I try to eliminate any problems before they arise, and put on a slightly threatening voice.


    ¡°Ah, yes, I understand. Please, follow me.¡± She directs at Kassa and Kassa complies. The two people leave for the door leading to the back.


    ¡°So, runner?¡± Patir asks. ¡°I feel like there¡¯s a story behind that, care to tell me?¡±


    ¡°I just really like running.¡± I said, not wanting to figure out another lie. Patir simply nods but looks a little skeptical.


    ¡°What name do you think Kassa is going to choose?¡± Patir then asks. It shocked me a little, that question, and I realized how much I would like for her to choose my name. The lady would recommend the father¡¯s name or profession, and I thought it gave me a warm feeling, as I imagined her recognizing me as her father. I tried to dampen the thought, realizing she has a real father she lived much longer with.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Kassa almost never talks about her past, but what little I have gathered from her indicates that it was harsh. She is normally bright and cheerful, but a few times I have come across her sniffling or crying out for her parents in her sleep. I hope she will be at peace with it someday.


    ¡°Should we start looking for requests?¡± I ask Patir. That fight, though one-sided, did allow me to let loose a little and I felt like moving my body.


    ¡°Better not. We left Yasia at the inn, and I don¡¯t know how long I am comfortable leaving a young girl like her alone.¡±


    And only a few moments after I had been happy for her existence, she is causing trouble again. I feel like I am starting to have less pity for her, as I did when she first took herself hostage, and begin to curse a little how cowardly an act it was.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± But I feel like I can¡¯t be too mad. It was my own fault, letting her believe we were going to marry for so long. If only past me had put his foot down, but that guy always seems to make terrible decisions.


    Patir and I spend time chatting, but we also hear some rumour flying about. People are apparently coming back early from the dungeon. There are strangely few monsters, it seems.


    Patir whispers to me ¡°Is this somehow your doing?¡± I am confused. He catches that.


    ¡°Look, first no monsters attack the village when you are there. Then, we encounter no monsters on our travels and now monsters are waning as soon as we arrive in the city. Can¡¯t be a coincidence.¡±


    His logic makes sense, but I know it isn¡¯t true. I have delved into many a dungeon without affecting the rate of monsters appearing. At the dungeon I cleared with Ahorn, monsters were reappearing just fine. Heck, now that I think about it, prior to that, monsters were appearing for me too. What could have changed after that?


    A plausibly culprit suddenly appears in my head. Is Dixy responsible? I don¡¯t know how that would work, but I will try to take Dixy outside the city tonight. Then I will come back into the city without her a while before the morning reset comes, and see if the dungeon is still affected. It leaves me having to leave Dixy on her own, but it will hopefully only be for a short while.


    Eventually, Kassa returns. She is smiling and looking cheerful again, guess they treated her right. She proudly flashes the blue tag hanging around her neck. It has the two lines indicating 2<sup>nd</sup> rank. My eyes move to the name on the plaque.


    It reads: ¡°Kasa Free¡±. At first, I thought her name was misspelled, but thinking about it, I can¡¯t actually think of a symbol that would match her name. Guess there are some issues with this weird way of writing.


    I am a bit disappointed that it wasn¡¯t inspired by me, but after asking her, she explains her reasoning, suddenly switching back to a solemn mood.


    ¡°I thought to make it my father¡¯s name, but I felt like that would leave everyone else out. My mother and the rest would be forgotten. So I instead wanted just Sylvester, but I thought it was a bad idea, given this whole thing.¡± She gestures to her outfit, that hides her nature.


    ¡°So instead, I went with what we should have been all along. If we were free, that fate would never had fallen on them.¡± I put my hand on top of the hood and pet her a little, thought it feels weird with the cloth in the way.


    I feel a little guilty for wanting my own name taken, after she explained such a lofty reason, but at the same time, I feel a bit of pride. We head back towards the inn and Yasia.

 172: Team Meeting

    I had figured we would find a scared and lonely Yasia in the room we left her in, but as push aside the door and sound the bell it strikes in the opening motion, we are met by a ¡°Welcome¡± from Yasia, clad in the plain tan dress we bought her yesterday.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re back!¡± She says, as she realizes who it is.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I ask confused.


    ¡°Ah, well, I thought I wasn¡¯t of much use so I asked if I could work here to lessen the rent, and Big Mother agreed.¡±


    ¡°Big Mother?¡± I ask confused.


    ¡°That would be my wife.¡± The inn owner chimes in, while smiling in a way that makes him look embarrassed. What a strange nickname.


    ¡°So how did it go?¡± He seems to try and change the subject.


    ¡°It went fine. I got to let loose a little.¡± I say confidently. I think Patir shuddered under the implication of me letting loose¡­ Well, it did have a pretty nasty result for Kurat.


    ¡°The place where they trained was a complete mess.¡± Kassa adds. ¡°It was like some terrible force of nature ravished through it.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that was not my fault, it was that guy¡¯s fault for like, gluing himself to the earth or whatever it was that he did.¡±


    ¡°Haha, sounds like you¡¯re real bigshots.¡± The inn owner laughed.


    ¡°Right.¡± I said and flashed the yellow plaque. He immediately stopped laughing.


    ¡°S-sir! Forgive me if I was being rude!¡± He suddenly takes up a strict and meek attitude. The hell? Are 1<sup>st</sup> rankers feared or something?


    ¡°Ehm, no it¡¯s fine. Anyway, we should start earning some cash tomorrow, but what do we do from here?¡± I turn to Patir.


    ¡°Not here, in the rooms. Yasia, you come too.¡± Yasia directs a gaze to the inn owner.


    ¡°Of course, the young missus can go. We wouldn¡¯t dare cause trouble.¡± What the hell. Up to this point he seemed like a friendly and somewhat playful fellow. Also, he called her missus¡­ What has she been going around telling people?


    ¡°Hey¡­ What gives about this attitude change?¡± I ask him. He visibly flinches.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°I-is there anything to be dissatisfied with, sir?¡± I was called sir instead of boy or young man¡­ I sigh and give up.


    We retreat to the room of Patir and I, where we sit down on the floor in a circle. Patir speaks.


    ¡°Right, first off, did you run into any trouble, Kassa?¡± She shakes her head.


    ¡°Seems they pretty quickly figured out something was off, and then that I was a Silvestri. They acted like the village folk did at first, but many of them seemed to be determined to make a good impression.¡± Patir nods along.


    ¡°I had counted on Yian becoming a big shot, but this system is making it advance much faster than I had thought.¡± He turns to me and looks me in the eye. ¡°This is going to be like in the village, but many times worse, since there are many times the amount of people. Be sure to reject any gifts or attempt to influence you properly, if you aren¡¯t ready to reciprocate them.¡± I feel a bit annoyed that Patir is giving me orders again, but I can¡¯t really blame him, given how Yasia came to be in our care, so I simply agree.


    ¡°We should first of all save up some coin, and once we have enough, move to the capital.¡±


    ¡°Why are we going to the capital? Isn¡¯t it fine staying here?¡± I ask Patir.


    ¡°Nonsense. The capital will have more money flowing in and out, and more luxuries to indulge in.¡± He sports a big grin. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t care, but won¡¯t trouble follow in equal measure?


    ¡°Whether in the capital or here, there is only one thing we are missing to make it really big.¡± Patir declares. ¡°I want to find a storage user. If we had such an individual, I wouldn¡¯t put it past Yian to empty an entire dungeon, every day.¡±


    ¡°You only say that because you have no idea how large a dungeon is, or how brutal the monsters get.¡± I interrupt his little day dream, but he brushes it off.


    ¡°I will take care of any financing or negotiations regarding new members, it is something I have worked with for many years after all. Then, tomorrow, it may be only Yian and Kassa going, but if you manage to get a good surplus, we will accelerate our earnings from the next day onwards by hiring suppliers.¡±


    I feel like that lives both Yasia and Patir with very little work, at least for the coming period.


    ¡°So, does anyone have anything to add?¡± Patir asks out in the room. I feel like whatever I propose will be shot down by his arguments and way of talking, so I still my mouth. Yasia, surprisingly, raises her hand, which Patir nods in response to.


    ¡°Could¡­ Could we swap rooms?¡± We are confused.


    ¡°Anything wrong with your room?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Ah, no, I mean¡­ I wanted to swap with Patir.¡± She wanted to stay with me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t plan on sleeping, you know¡­ You will be left alone in the room over the night. And I don¡¯t know if it would be proper for Kassa to share a room with Patir¡± She seems a little downcast.


    ¡°No problem for me!¡± Kassa energetically answers. Stay quiet, you!


    ¡°Bu-but still¡­ Isn¡¯t it only right for husband and wife to share a room?¡± She looks at both me and Patir. Patir looks at me. When Yasia isn¡¯t looking I shake my head, but he gives a grin.


    ¡°Of course it is only right for the couple to stay together. Forgive me for ignoring such an obvious fact.¡± Yasia brightens. What the hell, Patir?


    ¡°Right, if there is nothing else, meeting dismissed!¡± Patir exclaims. He leans over and whispers to me ¡°Don¡¯t be too loud tonight.¡± He doesn¡¯t know how I am feeling about the whole situation, probably.


    I feel like the people here are conspiring against me.

 173: Feelings of Guilt

    Soon was time for dinner. The food was served by an incredibly large lady. She was not tall, but wide and an incredibly odd sight. In this world, where food has to come through blood and sweat in the dungeon, it is incredibly rare to see someone chubby, let alone this fat.


    ¡°Here you are¡± She said as she carried four plates on one arm with ease, which she gently put down one after another.


    ¡°Thanks, Big Mother!¡± Yasia confirms the identity I had already guessed.


    ¡°Hmph, my husband told me you would help out anyway because of that dull thing¡± She said as she pointed towards my tag or me, hard to tell which.


    ¡°Ah, no, I would be honored to help out anyway, if that is okay.¡± She replied.


    ¡°And I trust it is no skin off your back?¡± She turned in my direction.


    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t really think it¡¯s any of my business.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± She says curtly before turning around and leaving our table. I can¡¯t help but feel some hostility from her. What did I do?


    The food is extremely delicious, perhaps the best I have tasted since I ate at the capital in the mansion of the leader. It was rich in meat, as this world¡¯s food often was, but the broth it was submerged in was so thick and creamy, it left a wonderful sensation. I was immersed in slurping it down, when I suddenly noticed Yasia staring.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± I asked. She looked down.


    ¡°Is it really that good?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing! The best I have tasted in a long time!¡± Patir smacked his forehead at my comment, as if I had just done something incredibly stupid.


    I look back to Yasia. She almost looks like she is crying. Shit, what now? I look to Patir for help, but he simply shakes his head.


    ¡°Umm, Yasia?¡± I try to say carefully.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡± She says as she runs a finger over her eyes and quickly takes a spoonful herself.


    ¡°It really is good¡­¡± She says solemnly, while looking like she was about to burst into tears. But they don¡¯t come and she starts eating it as if she is forcing it down her own throat.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Luckily I see Kassa is just as clueless as I am, so I feel a bit relieved. After dinner, we go to our rooms. I plan to leave with Dixy immediately, but Yasia is there.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She asks me as I pick up the backpack.


    ¡°Ah, I am going outside the city to train magic with Dixy.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ Can¡¯t you stay a little first?¡± As I look at her pretty face colored in sadness, I can¡¯t decide whether to feel sorry or annoyed. I am not in a hurry and decide to stay for a while.


    ¡°Thank you¡± she says while running in to hug me. I pet her head a little. Eugh, I can¡¯t help but feel like a creep.


    We end up on one of the beds, my head being on her lap as she invited, and I indulged her. We spoke for hours in this position about much of nothing. I was constantly tempted to pry into her strange behavior earlier, but left it alone in fear of triggering a cry.


    It was actually kind of nice, albeit a bit melancholic as most of the topics revolved around things that happened in the village. If I think about it, it makes sense for the girl to be this troublesome. She has left her home and everybody she knew in order to stay with me, and I have maybe been neglecting her a little bit, or at least tried to. I swear in my heart to try a little harder, but that is quickly pushed beyond its limit.


    ¡°Should¡­ Should we push the beds together?¡± Is that an innuendo? I turn my head to look at hers and it is very flushed. I sigh inwardly.


    ¡°Leave that till after marriage.¡± She looks a little sad as I reject her, and it makes me feel guilty. What the hell is with this damned if I do, damned if I don¡¯t situation, where I have to feel guilty no matter what?


    I decide to run away.


    ¡°I should get going. Dixy might be pissed that I didn¡¯t spend any time her yesterday.¡±


    ¡°ah¡­ okay.¡± Yasia replies in a quiet voice. ¡°I should also look to Big Mother to see if she has any work for me.¡±


    She leaves first, almost running out of the room, while I locate my backpack again, make sure Dixy is inside and set off.


    I go back to the gate we entered from yesterday, in the hopes of the sleeping guard still being there, but it seems another, more awake variant, but he quickly backs off after seeing my tag from the Loffreq.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why does sir leave town at this time of day?¡± The sky had already darkened considerably, as it had become evening.


    ¡°I do mind you asking.¡± I replied. He immediately straightened himself.


    ¡°Very well, sir. Forgive my curiosity, sir.¡± Seems like I won¡¯t run into any lack of respect, wearing this thing, huh?


    As I run a little away and hide behind a hill, I fish Dixy up from the backpack before something occurred to me. I was about to conduct a little experiment, but could I simply not ask her, if she has a monster repelling effect.


    I opened her up.


    ¡°Evening, Dixy!¡±


    ¡°Why did you leave me alone last night?¡± She cried out.


    ¡°Ah, I was in a bit of trouble, where other people might find out about you.¡±


    ¡°Is that an issue?¡± She sounds pissed.


    ¡°Would just be inviting trouble.¡±


    ¡°Are you not strong enough to simply beat anyone, who would give you trouble, up?¡± A sigh escapes me. With how antagonistic and cold Dixy is, I should have expected such a response.


    ¡°Just¡­ Leave it be. By the way, Dixy?¡±


    ¡°yeah?¡±


    ¡°Are you the reason monsters don¡¯t really appear near me?¡±


    ¡°Wha? Ah, errr¡­ That is¡­. I¡­.¡± She acts surprisingly flustered.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I forgot about that¡­¡± She ends up saying.


    ¡°Dixy¡­. Are you hiding something from me?¡±

 174: Bureaucracy

    Though I tried to pry, Dixy evaded the line of questioning. Eventually, I gave up and let it be.


    ¡°Just as long as you can fix it.¡± I said.


    ¡°I can, but¡­ I either have to be some distance away from the dungeon, or not be available for a few hours.¡± Such strange conditions¡­


    I remember the dungeon shutting down because God appeared and gave me a gift¡­ Does Dixy perhaps run on the same power supply?


    ¡°Does it have anything to do with how monsters don¡¯t appear after God gives me a gift?¡± I asked, but all I was met with was flustered, evasive noises. It really bothers me.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you just tell me?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t help it. God made me in this way.¡± Dixy deflects. I feel a bit pissed off. I had somehow thought Dixy was only on my side, but it appears there is loyalty she holds higher.


    Due to my excessive magic use earlier today, I can¡¯t practice much and instead only look at the patterns and imagine weaving them. I don¡¯t know if it will do any good, I don¡¯t think I would have gotten very far if I only imagined doing things, but I guess it is better than nothing.


    I feel the refreshing feeling of being restocked and start to wander back to the city. It seems the sleepy guard had gotten the shift some time since I left yesterday and I enter the city without disturbing him.


    As I enter the inn, however, I am in for a rude greeting.


    ¡°What were you doing last night?¡± It was Big Mother, who questioned me in an accusatory tone.


    ¡°I like sleeping outside the city.¡± I default to the lie I used in God¡¯s Win, but she looks skeptical. The large lady approached me and unexpectedly take a whiff of me.


    ¡°Smells like you cleaned yourself before coming here¡­ How suspicious.¡±


    ¡°I am a clean freak. You can ask anyone of my companions.¡± I retort, remembering Patir¡¯s accusation. I try to go up and wake Kassa so that we might head to the guild.


    ¡°That girl idolizes you, you know?¡± I hear from behind my back. ¡°If you hurt her, I won¡¯t forgive you.¡± It suddenly dawns on me what she suspected me of doing over the night, and I feel like a small weight is lifted from my shoulders, as I certainly isn¡¯t guilty.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Kassa is already awake, while Patir is sleeping. She is doing some of the training routines I showed her, morning stretches I learned from my time as an athlete.


    I catch her attention and wave her out. She quickly gets dressed in the robe, grabs her sword and shield and follows me.


    ¡°Can¡¯t wait to get back to hunting again.¡± I say as we leave the inn. I feel like I have been lacking a routine these past two weeks or so, makes me feel lazy and unsettled.


    Kassa merely lets out a noise of agreement, as we enter the Loffreq. I still hate that name.


    We start browsing the notice board with requests. There is no concern for strength among the monsters usually hunted by normal people, so our only concern is how hard it is to carry versus how much it weighs. If we got a storage user, like Patir wanted, I think I could clean out the whole board today.


    I try to remember what little I know of storage users. Most end up with merchant companies, since the people who have a chance to make a living that doesn¡¯t require hunting, usually do so. That leaves only the ones with weird defects for the hunters.


    I remember Asger. It is strange. I was usually pretty melancholic about remembering his death, how he perished before my eyes, but now¡­ It doesn¡¯t evoke those same feelings. It does, however, make me remember how everyone I know, Kassa, Yasia, Patir¡­ They¡¯re all going to die someday. I shake my head to clear it from the depressing thoughts as Kassa and I pick the requests. I was about to leave, but Kassa stops me.


    ¡°We need to get these stamped.¡± She says. I am confused.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they tell you at the introduction?¡±


    After a bit of back and forth, I learn that Kassa received a crash course in how to use the Loffreq¡¯s services. Guess they forgot to provide me with the same after the incident.


    Apparently requests have to be stamped at the desk, whereafter we will present them to guards at the dungeon. Strange, I can¡¯t help but feel this level of bureaucracy is unneeded.


    We line up in a queue and twenty minutes later, we are at the desk. ¡°We would like to get these stamped.¡± Kassa requests. The receptionist is an older man.


    ¡°Right, I don¡¯t recognize you, please present your plaques.¡± And we do. His eyes widen a little, as he looks at me. ¡°So you are the rumored one, that beat up Kurat. Guess there will be no issue.¡± He says and swiftly stamps the five or so papers we brought


    We immediately get directions to the dungeon and start to hunt. There are guards posted outside the dungeon.


    ¡°Officers or private?¡± They ask us. Guess they are referring to out newfound title of requisition officers.


    ¡°Officers.¡± I say and flash my plaque. The guards are a bit taken aback.


    ¡°And you?¡± They direct themselves to Kassa, who also shows her badge and they nod.


    ¡°Please present your papers.¡±


    I fish up the requests we took. The guard looks over them. ¡°It seems to be a bit much for only two people¡­ But I guess you are 1<sup>st</sup> rank. Very well, proceed.¡± He says and we are let through.


    For a couple of hours, I finally feel a bit in my element, as I crush most monsters, while letting Kassa fight a few on her own.

 175: Tax

    As we were leaving the dungeon, the guards stopped us once again. This time we had to declare all we looted from the dungeon. They compared our hauls to the requests we had picked.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± One of them looks suspicious. ¡°This wasn¡¯t in a request, was it?¡± it was just some cuts from random monster I thought looked delicious. Almost like a miniature deer, but with horns growing all over its back, rather than on its head.


    ¡°Ah no, hunted that for me.¡± The guard sighs and pulls forth a dagger and starts carving a piece off.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the deal?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Oh, thought you knew. 20% of everything caught for personal use is taxed.¡± He said while finishing his job. A flat 20% tax? I try to calm down, but I find it obscene.


    I had never understood people who hated taxes before. Didn¡¯t they get that they paid for infrastructure and public services? But standing here, with something I did the work for, and they expect 20% for nothing¡­ It was kind of an awful feeling that bubbled up in me. Then again, I never earned enough to be taxed much of anything in my old life.


    When they are done, we turn it in to the Loffreq and they are surprised in the usual manner, that we completed many requests in no time with few people.


    As we were walking back to the inn with our newly earned pekos.


    ¡°Was it really that great?¡± Kassa asked from underneath the hood. Her only experience with the dungeon was with the me and the villagers that were used to me, so of course she didn¡¯t see it as anything out of the ordinary.


    ¡°For most people, going into the dungeons are not the leisure trips we take. Most average people will work in groups and only on the first few floors, otherwise they risk their life.¡± Kassa slowly nods along to my explanation.


    When we returned, we had enough money to pay a couple of days ahead. Yasia was nowhere to be found, probably working in the back of the inn, so I spent some time with a slightly disgruntled Patir.


    ¡°If you had paid ahead only a single day, we could have gotten a bit of drink.¡± He complained. Suddenly I feel like he¡¯s the kid.


    ¡°You can have your booze once we have a bigger surplus.¡± I lectured him. It felt great finally telling Patir off.


    After dinner, I had asked Dixy to not say anything, so that I could leisurely sit and study magic in my room. It felt a bit lonesome practicing the patterns without the usual banter, but I don¡¯t want people asking questions.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I was levitating off the bed in a sitting position with the book in front of me. Levitation was a fairly fickle magic. According to the book, it temporarily cuts off the tether that binds all to the earth, which I remotely understood as gravity. Problem is, the movement gained each minor bump or nudge doesn¡¯t stop, or at least stops incredibly slowly, forcing me to constantly use small spells to maintain a reasonable position.


    Getting to a perfect stop is frankly impossible, but I feel more and comfortable accelerating a little in one direction, then counteracting that movement with the opposite direct, freely moving in three dimension. I wonder how useful it will be though. If I receive an attack, I will also have to compensate for that change in momentum. It feels like a little bit of waste, but flight magic may not be that useful in combat.


    Suddenly Yasia enters. She sees me and looks surprised for a moment, before moving to her bed and plopping down quite hard.


    ¡°Rough day?¡± I ask her.


    Mmm-hmmm I hear a grunt from her face embedded in bed sheets.


    ¡°But if I want to do better, I have to do it.¡± She rises up and confidently says. Looking at her fills me half with pity, half with envy. When was the last time I trained to exhaustion and had a great rest?


    When was the last time I worked so hard to achieve something? It didn¡¯t sit well with me. I feel like ever since I lost my original goal of recreating sports in this world, I have become more and more lazy. I almost feel like conquering a dungeon for the hell of it, but it would probably take a long time and I can¡¯t bear to stay away from the guys for that long.


    The thought crosses my head, that I will have all the time in the world for dungeons, once they are all dead. It¡¯s¡­ unpleasant, knowing that this time we spend together is going to come to an end someday.


    I sigh and glide over to the Yasia and pet her head from my sitting, levitating position.


    ¡°Good work today.¡± If the time we have is short, I don¡¯t think I should waste it being angry with people. Her head rises and she almost looks like she is going to cry, then she jumps up and tackles me into a hug.


    The force sends me backwards, and I barely manage to compensate before stopping in front of the wall.


    I don¡¯t know what brought on the heavy reaction, but I just kept petting her head, as she was hugging me. She started sniffling a little. After a little while, she separated and went to bed. After I confirmed she was fast asleep, I went out to spend the night with Dixy once again.


    Big Mother tried to catch my attention once again, but I just ignored her, heading outside the city in the middle of the night.


    The next day, Patir went with Kassa and I to the Loffreq. He didn¡¯t plan on diving into the dungeon with us, but rather wanted to be the one to hire our supporters. I felt annoyed that he thought us unable to pick some decent ones ourselves, but I pushed the feeling away in accordance with my new mantra.


    Supporters were pretty much all hanging out in one end of the reception hall. They seemed to be either old, injured or young. None of them looked like healthy, able-bodied adults. After Patir had picked out two young men, Kassa and I selected around double the requests of yesterday, much to their surprise and we went hunting yet again.

 176: Supporters

    ¡°Wow!¡± One of the supporters is flabbergasted.


    ¡°So this is a 1<sup>st</sup> rank.¡± It seems I may have given them a wrong idea. I am pretty sure I am the most powerful thing in the world¡­ Well, maybe excluding the Goddess and whatever hero she summoned/kidnapped. Ahorn¡¯s power to crush souls also sounded absolutely terrifying.


    ¡°There¡¯s no other 1<sup>st</sup> rankers around?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, there is one, but they have a proper clan and all supporters are permanent members.¡± I wonder if that is the route we are headed down.


    In four hours or so, we had finished hunting for the large amount of requests and were heading back and I wasn¡¯t even carrying that much. One of the young men following us seems to be exhausted and struggling at this point.


    ¡°Shall I carry it for you?¡± I asked. As I did he became pale.


    ¡°No! no! I can do this!¡± I wondered why he was so adamantly against it.


    ¡°It¡¯s no skin off my back. We are done fighting, so I can help carry more.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no issue, sir!¡± He was still against it. I may have made a curious face, as the other supporter filled me in.


    ¡°With all due respect sir, if we don¡¯t do our job here, what are the chances you will hire us again?¡± The first looked at the other with eyes that could kill. I see.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hire you again tomorrow, so just hand me the bag already.¡± I told him. He looked confused before handing it over. Good grief, people sure think weirdly.


    Carrying the bag, we got our goods checked and headed to the guild. I didn¡¯t hunt any extra this time, because I didn¡¯t want to deal with the tax. The monsters we came across but wasn¡¯t present in our requests were just left in the dungeon. Somebody will probably pick it up, but the meat won¡¯t be good since we didn¡¯t drain it.


    We paid the supporters what we had promised them in the morning. Merely a few dozen peko each. They couldn¡¯t even live at the inn one day for that, but I¡¯ll suspend the charity I feel like giving till we have a larger surplus.


    After that, the day continued much as yesterday, except Patir went out to find some good drink for us to share later. After dinner, I once again retreated to my room to keep up with magic practice.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    As Yasia came back from her dish-washing job or whatever it is she is doing, she cast a quick glance between the two beds.


    ¡°Good work today.¡± I greeted her. She approached me and plopped her head down my lap. I was a little annoyed that it broke my levitation, since the downwards force made me collide with the bed, but I ignored the desire to reprimand her and gently started stroking her head.


    ¡°Yian¡­ Won¡¯t you¡­¡± Yasia started before her voice died out.


    ¡°Won¡¯t I what?¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t you¡­ Stay here tonight¡­¡± I think a little about, but before I get too long along, there is another protest.


    ¡°It¡¯s more important he spends time with me!¡± Dixy replied in a pretty loud voice.


    ¡°Hey, I thought we agreed you keep quiet in the city!¡±


    ¡°But she is going to take you away!¡± What is this book¡¯s problem?


    I look down on Yasia. I remember her crying last night. I remember Dixy will probably be with me forever, while Yasia won¡¯t.


    ¡°One more word out of you and I am throwing you away.¡± I said to Dixy, mostly in jest.


    ¡°All right¡± I turned to Yasia. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here tonight.¡±. She looked up at me with a big smile and wet eyes. Then, she lunged right for my face, but I was faster, holding her back.


    ¡°Five years, remember?¡± She immediately looked a little sullen.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Five years¡­¡± She crept up in my lap, resting most of her upper body there for now.


    ¡°Hey¡­ Do you mind if I use you for magic practice?¡± I asked her. I have had a little success levitating other objects than myself, but I had wondered how difficult it would be, if that thing was living. I have tried to carry people before, and I remember how much harder it is when compared to objects of similar weight.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ You¡¯re not going to anything dangerous, right?¡± She asked me.


    ¡°Of course I am not. I wouldn¡¯t risk hurting you.¡± The fiasco with the cart still weighed heavily on my mind.


    She agreed and I had her sit in my lap, while I used the levitation magic. She was a little amazed, and as I started slowly making circles around the room, a few giggles could be heard.


    ¡°You are amazing!¡± I heard many times during the practice.


    It was pretty hard, though. I had gotten used to counteracting some of my movement as I did it, sort of like learning to lean in swings, when I started biking. But having another person make their own small constant movements made it a whole lot trickier, and I softly bumped into the walls and beds multiple times.


    Eventually, I let Yasia down and sat beside her, practicing on my own while waiting for her to fall asleep.


    ¡°I love you.¡± She said quietly. I was about to reply ¡®I love you too¡¯, but the idea somehow left a bad taste in my mouth. When I had convinced myself I ought to say it anyway, an awkward amount of time had passed. What would she think if I said it now? I¡¯ll just pretend I didn¡¯t hear it.


    The next morning, as I felt my own alarm clock in the form of the refreshing feeling, I slowly left the bed. Yasia woke.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± She said slovenly.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± I replied and a great big smile spread across her face. This girl may be surprisingly easy to please, huh?


    Kassa and I left for the Loffreq, but as we were picking out requests, the receptionist lady that got us on the first day appeared from behind us.


    ¡°Excuse me, can I have a word?¡±

 177: Prejudice

    ¡°Erhmm, we have gotten some complaints from the other officers.¡± The lady receptionist starts, looking a little scared of doing this. ¡°If you keep taking so many requests for the local dungeon, many people will be troubled how to earn their money.¡±


    I sigh a little. We merely took the requests for the main dungeon because it was the one dungeon that had many requests for it. There are other requests for abandoned dungeons, but they seem to only really request a single thing per dungeon, and most of the day would be spent in travel and we would earn less. To be honest, I¡¯d rather not.


    ¡°Do I have to? Is there any rules regarding it?¡± I asked the lady. She shrunk a little at my question.


    ¡°Well, no¡­ Bu-but you are disrupting a lot of people¡¯s livelihood! Do you not feel sorry for them?¡±


    I look to Kassa for help, but she merely shrugs. Well, guess I will comply for now and take it up with Patir later. But I feel like they¡¯ve got to do something in return. I get an idea.


    ¡°Okay, but on one condition.¡± As I say that, the lady shrinks to the point where I feel like the reaction is appropriate to scary guy hustling her down.


    ¡°You have to let us lend a cart for free.¡± She beams up the moment I say so. ¡°Is that all?¡±


    As she seemed eager to accept, I decided to also throw something extra in, though the only thing I could think of¡­


    ¡°Those two youngster over there.¡± I pointed to the supporters who accompanied us yesterday. ¡°I had promised to hire them today, but I won¡¯t need them now. Pay them a day¡¯s wages for me.¡±


    She appeared a bit more distraught. ¡°A whole day¡¯s wages? Can we not pay them a smaller sum, since they did no work?¡±


    ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡± The lady cheerfully went back behind the counter.


    We ended up picking three requests for abandoned dungeons around the city. When we were shown the map revealing their location, I had Kassa memorize it. I don¡¯t know if it is because I didn¡¯t grow up, the first time at least, in this world, but I just can¡¯t deal with directions, like the natives can. I feel like they don¡¯t veer off course at all, even if there are no landmarks present to navigate by.


    The lady seems concerned with how far apart the dungeons are, and if we really can complete all of these requests today, but I simply tell her not to worry about it. ¡°We have our secrets¡± followed by a little wink.


    We get shown the cart. Two massive doors open to show the main street, which we easily pull out on and head towards the first objective of the day.


    We get stopped by an awake guard at the gate.


    ¡°Halt!¡± He shouts and I stop the cart.Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°You there, show me your face!¡± He points to Kassa. She looks to me, but the Loffreq has acknowledge, so shouldn¡¯t it be fine? I nod at her to say that it is okay.


    She pulls back her hood and reveals the nonhuman hair and ears. The guard immediately looks a bit more suspicious of us, and I even hear a nearby person gasp.


    ¡°Your papers?¡± My tag was hidden beneath my clothes, since some people seemed to treat with eerie attitudes, but as I reach to pull it out, the guard stops me.


    ¡°Not you, that one.¡± He points at Kassa. Kassa finds both the request papers and her blue plaque to show the guard.


    ¡°Second rank? For a subhuman?¡± He sneers a little. ¡°You sure you didn¡¯t steal this somewhere?¡± The unrestrictive nature of our identification is abused here.


    ¡°Hey. I vouch for her, we¡¯ve been together for more than four years.¡± I try to intervene.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about you!¡± The guard almost hisses at me. I try to pull the power move by revealing my 1<sup>st</sup> rank plaque.


    ¡°She¡¯s with me.¡± I say in a bit harsher tone, while forcefully drawing his attention to the plaque by almost showing it in his face.


    He pales a little. ¡°All right sir. Move along, sir.¡±


    As soon as we are bit away from the gate I complain.


    ¡°What an asshole he was, huh?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he acted any worse than the average person would.¡± Kassa replies. ¡°It¡¯s more you, that¡¯s the weird one.¡±


    If I think about it, that is true. Heck, back when I was a kid, my mother even repeatedly told me Sylvestri were not to be trusted. If I hadn¡¯t been raised by anti-racist parents in the US, I probably would have adapted the same viewpoints¡­


    ¡°Still doesn¡¯t make it right or fair.¡± I grumble on Kassa¡¯s behalf, who seems to mind less than me, strangely enough.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it, let¡¯s just get to work.¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­ Do you mind if I try something with the cart?¡± I had the idea of levitating the cart as I pull it. If I keep it off the ground, I can go very fast without smashing it, right? Though I have never tried levitating such a huge object before.


    ¡°Ehhh, how confident are you? If it¡¯s anything the last time you pulled the cart¡­ Or the thing you tried with running that ruined the road on the way here, I think you better not.¡±


    I am reminded of my previous failures and decided to play it safe today.


    Even though the requests pay a lot better, we won¡¯t earn as much as yesterday. In addition, it took several more hours, as we had to get from dungeon to dungeon at a fast, but not dangerous pace and after turning in the requests and getting back to the inn, it was almost dinner time and we didn¡¯t have the extra leisure time to spend idling with Patir.


    The only two bonuses about today was that Patir had bought some rather tasty drink. It was very sweet and a little spicy and made our meal a lot more enjoyable. The second was that there were no guards at the abandoned dungeon, and if I thought anything looked delicious, I was free to pick it up without having to hand over a cut to the guards.


    As I drank with Patir, I went over the issue we experienced earlier today, but he was fine with the arrangement. "If you want to live somewhere, you better make sure that other people can live there too." He said. "If we moved in here and took over all of the business, we would be sure to see people plotting to get rid of us in no time." I guess he is right, but it bums me a little that he sees it as "our" work, when he hasn''t really done much.


    After dinner, I passed the day much like the day before with Yasia. This day almost repeated for two weeks with only minor variations. It was not bad. I got to spend time with Kassa on the hunts, try some weird foods we found in the dungeon, drink with Patir around dinner, and comforting Yasia until she fell asleep. The only one I neglected was really Dixy, but she had as much time as I, so I didn¡¯t feel bad about leaving her on the backburner for a little.


    However, after those two weeks, a forceful break into our routine was inserted.


    As Kassa and I stood in front of the board with available requests, she voiced out the issue perfectly.


    ¡°There¡¯s not really much left.¡± She said.

 178: Suspicion

    The city isn¡¯t that big, maybe a little smaller than God¡¯s Win. It¡¯s no wonder we could clear out all the requests by working every day these past two weeks.


    ¡°Do we just go back?¡± Kassa asked me.


    ¡°Nah, let us at least do a little.¡± I replied.


    I would feel bad if we did nothing today. I grabbed two requests that had as low a floor as possible, since those were more rarely taken and lined up for the receptionist. All of the requests for abandoned dungeons were gone.


    As it became our turn in the queue, I tried to make some small talk.


    ¡°Seems awfully barren on the board today¡­ You¡¯re not hiding a few good requests for us in the back, are you?¡± It was spoken in jest, but I received a rather curious response.


    ¡°Depends¡­ We have just received a two-month job. Are you interested?¡±


    I know I can¡¯t make decisions without flipping it over with the rest of the team, but I was about to dismiss it out of hand. The two-month part made it sound like it would be escorting someone or something, and I just couldn¡¯t be bothered, remembering how painful the last escort job I took was.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk with my group about it.¡± I said. The receptionist looked curious.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the one calling the shots?¡±


    ¡°I think of it as we make decisions together.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s usually the highest ranked one, that calls the shots, so I was just wondering.¡± I probably could force my opinion through. After all, Patir and Yasia is more or less freeloading on my income. Not that I¡¯d need any leverage with Yasia anyway, given how she has voiced her opinion on issues before.


    ¡°Guess we are just different that way.¡± I dismissed the issue.


    After an hour, the jobs were already complete as we were somewhat familiar with the dungeon and could rush past many levels by now.


    When we arrived back at the inn, Patir wasn¡¯t there. He was probably out buying something or other, most likely more booze. We have all used some money outside the inn fees. Kassa had gotten a new sword, shield and armor. It was much needed as her equipment had not really been upgraded since I acquired some from God¡¯s Win. I suggested she bought a dress too, for casual wear, but she declined. Seems she didn¡¯t like dresses that much.


    Yasia, on the other hand, did. While she initially declined getting something specifically for her, I coerced her a little into it. At the end, I had to choose which design of dress at the tailor¡¯s I most liked, and a couple of practical boots, since her earlier ones weren¡¯t really suited for travel.


    I got myself a simple pants and shirt set. I was also thinking about getting some new armor, since the thing I was wearing was pretty damn torn by now, but I decided against it. I think armor is pretty pointless for me, since I learned hardening magic and it is a fair bit more expensive than regular clothes.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Patir was probably the biggest spender, even when he didn¡¯t make any large purchases, nary a day passed without him procuring a snack or a drink he fancied. Unlike Yasia, he gladly spends the money he didn¡¯t work for. I have actually become a little annoyed by his conduct ever since we left the village, but I have suppressed the desire to take it up with him. Patir is pretty old and has much less time than any of my other companions, so even though he gets on my nerves the most, sometimes, I let it slide.


    Kassa spent the time training in the courtyard. I had suggested we just take a break and talk a little, but Kassa seemed eager to continually improve herself.


    I followed her to the inn¡¯s courtyard, where she had been spending most of her free time. She even got permission from Big Mother to set up some additional equipment.


    ¡°Being strong isn¡¯t that important, right? I mean, you have me, the strongest guy in the world on your side.¡± I tried to convince her. But she merely stopped for a second, before returning to her routines, doing reps with a large barrel filled with water. I think it easily weighed 300 pounds.


    ¡°It¡¯s just important to be strong, right? I mean¡­ That¡¯s just the way it is, right?¡± I wonder if it is her Silvestri instinct or something, but she seemed adamant in doing her practices, so I went to mine.


    Around dinner, Patir was already there. I hadn¡¯t noticed when he came back, but over dinner, I shared the issues we had and the offer with him.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± He chewed a little on a soft piece of meat, before swallowing and continuing. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you tomorrow and we can take a look at the details. And besides, if it¡¯s an escort job, we will probably do well to take it, since you are running out of work here anyway.¡± He said and continued eating. ¡°If it is somewhere and back, we will just ask if we can do one way, if the client can find an escort back at their destination.¡± I sighed a little inwardly.


    ¡°But¡­ If we have to go slow, I am going to go insane.¡± Heck, even the ten days it took us travelling along the road to this village were painful.


    ¡°Oh, excuse us for being pitiful mortals.¡± Patir replied and looked pretty offended. I felt bad.


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just¡­ When you can make the trip in a day, taking two weeks is really painful.¡± Dinner ended on somewhat of a sour mine.


    That night, I left Yasia alone for the first time in a while. I felt like I had gotten as good as I could at this point with levitation magic and sought to put it into practice for flying, something I couldn¡¯t do inside that small room. I brought Dixy, and once past the city¡¯s gates, I started talking to her.


    ¡°You can talk now, Dixy. Been a while, huh?¡± I started carefully.


    ¡°No fault of mine!¡± She sounded angry. ¡°And what¡¯s with that greeting!? You better give me an apology right this instant.¡± Well, I had slighted her.


    ¡°Right Dixy, I am very sorry¡­ It¡¯s just¡­ I am with these people now and they will be gone some day, but we will always be together¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmph, always, you say? Don¡¯t you know that there are plenty of beings in this world that could live forever, but they don¡¯t?¡± Huh? Dixy is talking about something other than magic, words and my relations¡­


    ¡°What do you mean? Why wouldn¡¯t they?¡± I had some suspicions about Dixy knowing more and be more capable that she gave credit for.


    ¡°All beings tire of living someday. Going through the same routines day in and day out for eternity. And at some point, they get so exhausted they just stop¡­ living. They stay still and think and do less and less till there¡¯s nothing left. And once they enter that state, none has ever left it again.¡± It sounded like the way Hannah left.


    ¡°What kind of beings are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°For mortals, there¡¯s dragons, aedals, pinctores, dryads, sards, camilliars, pe-¡°


    ¡°Stop, stop, I don¡¯t even know of these. It doesn¡¯t mean anything to me.¡± I stopped her rant. However, one being and her phrasing of mortals reminded me of another being.


    ¡°What of your god?¡± I asked her. Silence continued for a while. Was she debating something with herself? Eventually she replied.


    ¡°There used to be many gods, and due to the variety of actions they can take when compared to mortals, they lasted quite a long time, but now¡­ There is only one god left.¡± She sounded almost¡­ sad.


    ¡°Hey Dixy?¡± A number of strange behaviors as of late had left me with a weird question.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Why are you pretending to be less human than you are?¡± Another period of silence fell.

 179: Neglect

    The silence continued for a good while. My thoughts drifted from thinking about Dixy to the many races she mentioned. How big is this world? How many are there? If those are only the ones that are immortal, and I have ever only encounter five of them, six if you include whatever Ahorn was, how many can I see if I journey across the land?


    ¡°I tried to find a way to explain, but God has restricted me.¡± Dixy says.


    ¡°Bullshit.¡± Is my response. I heavily suspect God has only restricted her when she remembers that it¡¯s a fact, more like a verbal promise rather than an absolute one, as I first got the impression of. Is Dixy here to spy on me? Does she feed information to that god or something? Dixy appeared to genuinely sympathize with God and know of their situation. Maybe something like an angel was embedded in the book and is keeping tabs on me. But is God my enemy? Do I throw Dixy away?


    Silly as it may be, that is not an option. She is going to be my only lifelong companion and the magic she teaches is incredibly useful. It already saved Kassa¡¯s life and I am much stronger than I was before, due to the hardening.


    ¡°If you¡­ conquer a few more dungeons, I will have permission to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± I don¡¯t know how long that will be, though.


    In the end, I push the talk aside and start what I came out to do. I activate the levitation patterns and jump up.


    My speed from the initial jump isn¡¯t reduced at all and when I reach a suitable height, as the ground starts disappearing in the fog, I counteract the initial force and crawl to an almost still position. Seriously, what is this fog? It¡¯s so problematic to deal with.


    I position my horizontally and start producing force at the bottom of my feet in order to accelerate. It goes slowly at first, but quickly gets very fast. The air brushes harshly against my face. Isn¡¯t this way faster than running? I try to turn, but it is very difficult. The forces I make don¡¯t turn with my body. They keep their cardinal direction, unless I constantly adjust it, making turns and more complicated maneuvers much more complicated than I had initially hoped.


    A few hours are then spend flying around. I start testing the limits of what I can do. I do somersaults, rolls and make waves like a flying dolphin. When I am finally run out of magic, I crash to the ground. My clothes don¡¯t get too messed up, since I was flying fairly low at the time. And then I realize my mistake; that I don¡¯t even know where I am. All I can see around me is simply grassy hills and a few trees.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    I try my best at a read magic. I can get some information even behind the fog with it. But all it returns is a few scattered signals, probably from roaming monsters, instead of the massive hub I was hoping for. I feel myself panic a little.


    What idiot would I be if I seriously got lost and separated from my group as if I was a child, whose hand needed to be held? I try to orientate myself, but I have no idea which direction the city could be in. I lean in to my lifeline.


    ¡°Uhh, Dixy?¡± We had both just been mad at each other, but hopefully she will look past that.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Her tone was rather cold.


    ¡°Can you by chance¡­ Help me find back to the city?¡±


    No response came for a few seconds.


    ¡°Rather than going back, isn¡¯t this the perfect opportunity for leaving the useless ones?¡±


    ¡°No it is not. Do you have a way back?¡±


    ¡°Nono, think about. You can get so much more done if you don¡¯t waste so much of the day with them! You can master more magic, become stronger and conquer more dungeons!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough of that! Do you have a way back or not? If you don¡¯t, or you¡¯re not helping, I am not speaking to you until I find my way back.¡±


    ¡°Then, if I do show you the way back, will you spend more time with me again?¡± Dixy asks. ¡°Promise to spend every night with me and I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so set on talking? Isn¡¯t it fine that I am merely practicing magic?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea how boring it is to be a book? I sit in your bag all day doing nothing but waiting for you to do something with me, and this last half month has been hell, what with me barely having any chance to speak at all!¡±


    It surprised. I thought Dixy would be fine with it for some reason. But I guess it is her own fault for pretending to be less¡­ sentient. Her little speech makes me think of the time I spent encased in metal. It makes me feel like a horrible person.


    But it is realistic. I can¡¯t spend every night with her, depending on my circumstances.


    ¡°How about I promise to at least check in with you every day?¡± I ask.


    ¡°At least an hour a day!¡±


    ¡°Half an hour?¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Dixy sighs, which I didn¡¯t know she could. ¡°Turn left. No, that¡¯s a little too far. Keep going a little more right. That¡¯s it.¡± Seems Dixy too possesses the uncanny sense of direction. I am thankful, though, as just twenty minutes of running later, the city comes into view. I wonder if I am the only person in the world able to get lost?


    ¡°Hey Dixy¡­ Thanks. It means a lot to me to be able to stay with these people.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, you better keep your end of the deal.¡±


    It was still a while away from morning, so I spent the remainder of time till morning making good on my promise.

 180: Briefing

    As the morning approached, Dixy spoke of a particular subject.


    ¡°You would either have to move a bit away or I will have to shut myself down.¡± She said. I was a bit confused, until I remembered that she was interfering with the dungeon.


    ¡°I¡¯ll move a bit away, just tell me when it is good.¡± A curious thought popped into my head. ¡°What¡¯s it like, shutting down?¡±


    ¡°Ueh? Eh¡­ Nothing? There¡¯s just¡­ nothing.¡± I am a bit skeptical.


    ¡°Then how do you start up again, so to speak?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Ah, I¡­ It¡­ I don¡¯t actually really know.¡± I feel like it is more a case of not wanting to answer, rather than not knowing.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to tell me, you can just say you won¡¯t tell me¡­ If you mess this badly up when lying, even I will be able to tell¡­ And it just serves for me to trust you less.¡± I make my thoughts clear.


    ¡°Right¡­ Sorry, only thing I can say is that cutting off the divine power will not allow me to really exist for a period of time.¡±


    ¡°Divine power? That¡¯s what makes monster disappear?¡± I had assumed the dungeon stopped working because God used its power to make me the gifts¡­ But maybe it is just appearing, that make it so.


    ¡°Right. I exist due to divine power, though it is a fraction of a fraction of what God has available. If I have to allow the dungeon to function normally, I will have to shut off in time for the divine power present to disspate.¡±


    ¡°Is it alright to tell me something like this?¡±


    ¡°Should be fine¡­ I¡¯ll just judge what I can and can¡¯t tell you from moment to moment.¡± Seems I might get a bit more information out of the Dixy as time goes on. Strange, how I feel we are closer now, since what started this whole thing was a fight.


    When morning came, I packed Dixy away and headed towards the inn. Big Mother was sweeping the place, as I entered. She looked at me fiercely.


    ¡°Was she okay being neglected for two weeks?¡± She asked.


    ¡°She was pretty mad, but we recon¡­. Wait, what?¡± How did Big Mother know about Dixy?


    ¡°So you really had another girl, even with the cute Yasia waiting to marry you¡­ You are scum, you know that? I want you out of my inn!¡± She is really pissed.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t what you think¡­ Yasia knows about it too¡­¡± I try to defend myself but she is waving the broom around almost as if trying to threaten me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t care! Get your stuff and get out!¡± The shouting was loud and soon her husband, the inn owner appeared.


    ¡°Honey! What are you doing? That¡¯s a 1<sup>st</sup> ranker, you know!?¡± He tried to calm her down.


    ¡°As if I care! That little girl is completely devoted to him and he runs around with other women at night! He is scum and should be treated as such!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s completely her misunderstanding.¡± I tried to tell him, but they were already arguing. I went past them to get Kassa and Patir and go check out the special request at the guild.


    ¡°Be sure to remove your stuff! You¡¯re not staying here another night!¡± Big Mother screams at me from the back. Sheez, I could have done without that. I get Kassa and Patir and tell Yasia we might come back soon, as we head towards the Loffreq.


    ¡°Why are your clothes so dirty?¡± Patir asks me. Right, I crashed into the ground yesterday.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about, just getting the handle on some new magic.¡±


    ¡°That makes me worry about it.¡± Patir says while smiling nerviously.


    In the Loffreq I see that the request board is still pretty sparse. I also catch quite a few mean look from the other officers. We line up and when we reach the receptionist, whose an older man this time around, we inform him of our business. We get escorted to a room in the back, where after a few minutes, the lady who has been helping me the most around here shows up again. I wonder if it is rude I don¡¯t know her name yet.


    ¡°Right, ask away about the request and I will tell you what I can, without you confirming you will do it.¡± She starts.


    ¡°Where are we headed? Who are we escorting?¡± Patir starts, but the lady shakes her head.


    ¡°You will only know that if you accept.¡±


    ¡°Then, can you at least tell me if we will be closer to the capital, and if it is a one-way trip or both ways?¡±


    ¡°It is a one-way trip, and everywhere in the republic is closer to the capital than this town.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the pay?¡±


    ¡°30,000 pekos¡± A huge amount is given, but I guess it is only fair due to the massive commitment. Patir nods a little.


    ¡°When will we be leaving?¡±


    ¡°I can only say that if you accept today, it will be within a week.¡±


    ¡°Will we be all of the escorts or will there be more?¡±


    ¡°Two of the best people in the guild will be joining.¡± Patir seems to think on it for a good while. A minute or two in silence is elapsed before he proclaims.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do it!¡± Hey! Aren¡¯t you supposed to ask the rest of us at least? Well, I don¡¯t really have a problem with it, so I will let it slide.


    The lady gains a smile and starts explaining.


    ¡°You will be escorting a person, who wishes to keep his identity hidden. You are not to investigate or ask him about anything during the course of the trip. You will also be escorting a massive amount of coin.¡± She explains.


    ¡°When would you be ready to leave?¡± she asks.


    ¡°We could do it today.¡± I say, not wanting Patir to hog all of the conversation. It startled the lady a little that I suddenly spoke and Patir looks at me a little annoyed.


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t do today, as our client asked for a certain period of warning. But tomorrow night, after the sun has gone down, you are to meet up here at the loffreq, all right?¡±


    ¡°All right!¡± Patir says with no pause. Guess he wanted the last word.

 181: Decision-making

    It was then decided we would do much of nothing other than getting our affairs in order, except after deciding this, Patir sends Kassa ahead of us back to the inn and suggests we grab a drink. It¡¯s still very early, I don¡¯t know if any place would serve drink at such a time, but Patir guides me down a few smaller, curvy roads and we end up at what looks to be a very small bar. The counter takes up the entirety of the room and it only around 10 feet long, with 3 in front of it. There is a bell placed on the counter, which Patir rings.


    A few minutes of intermittent ringing later, through a door behind the counter comes an older, slightly fat, slobby-looking man, dressed in clearly stained clothes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get 2 of the spicy brew you told me about last time.¡± Patir tells him. He scratches his cheek.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing this time of day?¡±


    ¡°No matter, just get us the drink.¡± Patir says and throw around 200 pekos on the counter. The slobby man sighs and walks out back, before swiftly returning with two mugs. The drink inside is completely opaque brown, almost looking like cocoa milk.


    ¡°Cheers!¡± Patir says and we drink. I cough a little as it gets down my throat. It tastes like somebody mixed a lot of pepper into whisky.


    ¡°Ah! Delicious!¡± Patir says. I take a few, smaller sips and I can see how it would grow on you.


    ¡°Yian, I wanted to talk to you about how we do things.¡± Patir started.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, you¡¯re clearly in charge here. If we ever find ourselves in a moral conundrum, we will take your opinion as fact.¡± He takes another swig of the drink, complete with an ¡®ahhh¡¯ as we finished drinking.


    ¡°But you must also realize that you aren¡¯t exactly¡­ Smart. You are rash, na?ve, impulsive, even if you have the heart in the right place, it will work to our disadvantage. Take for example your outburst today. That made us look completely available, but had they a need for us, and if we pretended to have other business to take care of, maybe we could have negotiated a higher fee.¡±


    I think it makes sense, but something bothers me.


    ¡°You say that, but you have been making all of the decisions lately without any of our input. I don¡¯t especially want to be in charge or anything, but when you make decisions for me, it bothers me a lot. Had I thought myself a leader, I could have taken the job yesterday and only informed you, but I came to you because I think all of our opinions matter.¡± I state my grief.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°If you really think I was in charge, it makes more sense to give me counsel, not make my decisions for me.¡± Patir sloshes the remaining bit of drink around in the mug before downing the rest at the end of my argument.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. We will do that from now on.¡± Huh? That was unexpectedly easy. If this was all it took, I should have brought it up earlier.


    ¡°Thanks, man.¡± I say.


    ¡°No problem. And thank you too.¡± Patir responds.


    When we get back, Big Mother greets us. I remember her trying to chase me off and brace for an undeserved scolding, but I am surprised.


    ¡°Show me the magic book.¡± She says.


    ¡°Huh? What, who told-¡°


    ¡°The girl did, who else? Now show me the magic book or I am not letting you back in!¡± This woman, sticking her nose into other¡¯s business. And why did Yasia tell her?


    ¡°I am not showing you anything. I¡¯ll see you, Kassa and Yasia at the Loffreq the day after tomorrow, then?¡± I ask Patir.


    He merely nods. ¡°Should I give her a scolding?¡± He asks, obviously referring to Yasia.


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll take care of it myself when we have the time.¡± I don¡¯t like the idea of somebody scolding somebody else on my behalf.


    We separate and I end up leaving the city and just practicing magic with Dixy. My base experience with levitating around the room means I fairly quickly get proficient at flying around. However, the forces take up a huge amount of magic. While the thing about ¡°cutting the earth¡¯s tether¡± seems to cost me next to no mana, since I could use it all through the night without issue, creating the force propelling me to high speeds does. I wonder how efficient it is if I only get to high speeds and then travel.


    My playtime eventually comes to an end. I had Dixy guide me back to the city just before it started to darken and I made it to the Loffreq in good time, as I still had to wait half an hour so for the others to appear.


    Yasia looks very guilty, like a child who got caught breaking a vase. Guess she already understands her fault somewhat. When we are gathered, we enter the Loffreq and immediately the lady that has been our go-to so far appears and escorts us.


    ¡°You remember Kurat?¡± She asks us as we happen upon two guys waiting. I extend my hand to greet him, but he flinches as I do and I withdraw.


    ¡°Haha, to think I should see the invincible Kurat cower like this! You must really be something, kid!¡± The other guys laughs it up.


    ¡°And that is Benen¡± The lady explains. He is a fairly small guy, maybe around half a foot shorter than me. He has a face and head full of hair though.


    ¡°Pleased to meetcha!¡± He says and extends his hand, which I shake.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be taking you to the rendezvous point.¡± The lady explain.


    ¡°Right, just follow us for a while. Our client should be all ready to go.¡±


    Benen quickly leads the way and we follow.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ I am sorry about the arm.¡± I say to Kurat.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­. No, I am sorry for being a coward.¡± He replies.


    Benen laughs it up again. ¡°Kurat here is sometimes called ¡®Kurat the invincible¡¯ because of his gift. Man never got hurt from anything, but it seems you taught him the meaning of fear.¡± He laughs while making me sound like a villain. I clearly remember that he invited it upon himself, though.


    The sky grows darker as we approach the eastern gate, opposite the one we enter from more than two weeks ago.

 182: Metal Carriage

    On the way we introduce our team to Kuray and Benen. Benen then proceeds to tease Kurat, who¡¯s acting very meek. It makes me feel a little bad seeing him take all that abuse.


    ¡°Do you think you can let a little up on him?¡± I ask Benen quietly. He merely laughs again.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get it. This guy has been one cocky asshole for the entirety of my life and I never had a good chance to get back at all his jabs, but look at him now! I don¡¯t know how long it lasts but I have a lifetime of grievances I need payback for!¡± And then laughs again. Seems there is history I am not privy to.


    We arrive at the eastern gate of the city. There is a metal carriage there, loaded with durable-looking boxes on the top and back. A tall, short-haired, scary-looking man is standing next to it. Most people use carts and carriages are relatively rare. Adding to that this one is of metal, so I am quite surprised.


    ¡°Ah, this guy here only goes by Shadow. He¡¯s working independently for our client.¡± Benen explains. I extend my hand and introduce myself, but Shadow barely even acknowledges it.


    ¡°So where¡¯s the client?¡± I ask. Shadow taps the metal carriage, giving a pretty loud sound off.


    ¡°I am already here. We are ready and loaded. You may proceed.¡± The voice sounds vaguely familiar. I try to place it, but I fail. I ask another question.


    ¡°Erhmm¡­ Where are we going?¡±


    Shadow looks at Benen.


    ¡°Ah, we¡¯re going to Merridge, a city on the central southern cusp of the Republic!¡± Benen explains. It doesn¡¯t mean anything to me, since I have no idea of the larger geography and the only maps I have seen are ones depicting a relatively local area.


    ¡°Right, so as you can expect, this thing is incredible heavy to lug around, so we will take shifts of two men pulling it at a time.¡± Benen walks up, but I stop him with a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Leave it to me.¡± I walk to the front and place myself inside the pulling bar. I wonder if the cart would be too heavy to effectively break, since the metal that connects this bar and the carriage looks pretty thin, but I don¡¯t mind it and start pulling.


    It is pretty heavy, but I have oodles of strength and start picking it up to a decent pace. To my surprise, there are no guards as we leave, but I don¡¯t mind it and just keep pulling.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Benen laughs. ¡°I heard you were strong, but how long can you keep this up?¡± Benen asks.


    ¡°The whole day if I have to.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He seems surprised.


    And so we start the journey with the well-guarded cart. Seems we will pass two cities on the way, before ending up at our destination. Benen and Patir start hitting it off, talking about drinks and the best snacks for them.


    We don¡¯t go very far before Shadow speaks up for the first time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s camp here.¡± We have only moved for a couple of hours, so I felt it was a little early, but a quick glance around me reveal people look pretty tired.


    ¡°If we only go this far, what was the point of leaving this late?¡± I ask Shadow, but he looks to Benen again.


    ¡°Ah, as you know, the luggage is incredibly valuable, so it was to keep it out of sight from as many unsavory individuals that could get ideas.¡± He explains. Still, feels awkward moving only a bit away from the city, before camping.


    A fire is started and food is cooked. I had hoped to see our employer, but Shadow brings the food into the carriage. But that alone also give me an idea, and it clicks inside my head. We have recently met a figure who also remained very hidden, and when I remembered, the voices match. It¡¯s the Tarrun. I wonder if I should say anything, but decide not to, as the last time I saw through his identity, he got pretty mad.


    For the dinner, Patir brings forth a clay bottle.


    ¡°Guess what I¡¯ve got!¡± He says as he dangles it. Benen lights up and we coalesce to take a drink. Shadow looks at it disapprovingly, I guess he thinks it isn¡¯t very professional.


    After a late night dinner, Benen wants to organize the night watch. I planned to share with someone from my group, so that I can keep my promise to Dixy, but an unexpected condition is set.


    ¡°Boss wants at least one of I, Benen or Kurat on night watch at all times¡± Shadow breaks in as we are going to organize. Guess he doesn¡¯t trust the unknown contractors. I already spent plenty of time with Dixy today, so I guess it will be okay to ignore her for tonight, but what of tomorrow?


    Eventually it is decided that first watch is Kassa with Kurat, followed by Patir and Benen and lastly Shadow and I. It sucks a little that I get the one with no conversation ability, but Kurat doesn¡¯t seem to like me and Patir and Benen were hitting it off, so it ended like this.


    I spend a boring and long night, first pretending to be asleep, next with the unapproachable Shadow.


    I whispered to Dixy to keep quiet and wanted to simply memorize some patterns, but when I open the book, Shadow interferes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be distracted. Keep watch.¡± I try to defend it.


    ¡°I know read magic. I can tell if anything approaches regardless.¡±


    ¡°I know that magic and it doesn¡¯t work on people with gifts. Keep Watch!¡± And so I was forced to stare into nothing until morning came.


    We start moving again slightly before noon, so that people could sleep and the day proceeds calmly ahead. Yasia gets pretty tired and lags behind, but Kassa picks her up.


    ¡°Why do you even bring such a burden?¡± Shadow asks. I didn¡¯t have my eyes on her, but I could practically feel Yasia flinch from the word ¡°burden¡±.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t slowing down, so what does it matter to you?¡± I ask. He sends me one mean look. This is going to be a long trip.

 183: Boredom

    My suspicions regarding the trip being boring proved right. It has become routine to just pull the cart for most of the day, pretend to sleep for some four hours, using an excuse of checking the surrounding to spend a little time with Dixy and being on night watch with the insufferably quiet Shadow. In addition, Yasia constantly seems to want to talk to me, but backs out. I wonder if it is about why she told Big Mother about Dixy?


    This has persisted for a week and we are not even half-way to our first stop on the way. I can¡¯t go on like this. I have already contemplated revealing my secrets just to alleviate the boredom, but disclosing it to virtual strangers seem like a bad move.


    It torments me for most of the eighth day until I cave. The metal carriage seems durable and I do want more practice with my flying magic¡­ What¡¯s the worst I can happen.


    It is in the middle of the eighth day since we left and I suggest it.


    ¡°You know, I actually know some pretty unique magic that could make this journey a lot faster.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Benen looks interested.


    ¡°Yian, no!¡± Patir screams out.


    ¡°Oh come one, this is so boring! And this is much safer than last time¡­ Probably!¡± I honestly don¡¯t know, but I imagine leaving the ground would make harder to crash.


    ¡°I am not risking the safety of my client!¡± Shadow chimes in, which is rarity.


    ¡°Yeah, tell him!¡± Patir adds.


    ¡°Nono, watch this.¡± I channel the levitation magic into the carriage and exert a bit of force to lift it off the ground. It wobbles a little, and I quickly adjust it so it stays relatively level and cancel out the lifting force so that it floats in mid-air. It is surprisingly difficult to keep it upright, since it is so disconnected from my own body and it takes a great deal more thrust to move, perhaps because it is so heavy. This might be a bad idea after all.


    ¡°Woah, what the hell?¡± ¡°How??¡± ¡°What?¡± Benen, Patir and Kurat are all flabbergasted. Right, Patir hasn¡¯t even seen my levitation magic. Yasia is surprisingly the only one that seems calm, as Kassa and Shadow are clearly surprised despite their lack of utterances.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Sounds from inside the carriage. Shadow looks at me. Does he want me to explain it? I am not really sure, so I just wait.Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Okna! Explain!¡± Okna?


    Shadow turns back to the carriage at those words and speaks. ¡°The carriage it¡¯s¡­ in the air¡­ but still¡­ Like, it doesn¡¯t fall¡­ I don¡¯t know how to explain it.¡± Okna sounds like a woman¡¯s name¡­ is that why he goes by Shadow?


    ¡°What?¡± Even though the Tarrun is confounded, he appears to have no intention of leaving the carriage.


    ¡°Put it down!¡± Patir shouts at me. Jeez. I create several small forces on top of it to push it down to the ground gently, then cancel all of the magics.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the hell that was, but don¡¯t do it again!¡± Shadow shouts at me. I feel a little hopeless. I had just wanted to make this journey easier on us.


    ¡°Right¡­ Then, let¡¯s move along.¡± I give up on my attempt and resign myself to dragging the carriage again.


    ¡°Hey, hey you can¡¯t seriously think we can just ignore this?¡± Benen said. I turned around and no one other than me and the carriage has moved.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡±


    ¡°Just¡­ magic?¡± I replied.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t never seen any magic like that before! Just where did you learn it?!¡±


    ¡°Erhm¡­ From a book?¡±


    ¡°Eh?! A book?! Do you have it?! That must be worth millions of Pekos!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not for sale!¡± Dixy is the one companion I will have throughout however long I live.


    ¡°Can I at least see it?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    We slowly get moving again, while Benen continues to pester me with questions about the book. I am such a fucking idiot, trying this.


    Once we set up for the evening, Patir concurs. ¡°What were you thinking? Don¡¯t you realize what may happen now?¡± His concerns seem to be something other than being bothered by Benen though.


    ¡°This is going to be told as a story. People love telling stories about the unusual. This is gonna spread like wildfire¡­ And then people are going to want that book.¡± Patir explains his concerns. ¡°You should have lied and told them it was part of your gift!¡±


    ¡°Just that? Do you not think I can handle a couple of thieves?¡± I reply.


    ¡°You never know what kind of gifts lurk out there. There was a guy in service to the duke, could make himself completely imperceptible for a few seconds. And it¡¯s not just thieves. People in power by try to exert pressure on you to get the book.¡± I think I caked it again. I have learnt it is unwise to attract the attention of powerful people in this world.


    ¡°Shit. What do we do?¡± Patir shrugs. ¡°Not much for now, but once the story is being shared, I will start spreading the rumor that it was already stolen. But think before you act, man!¡±


    I feel compelled to tell him that I knew it was probably a bad idea, but I couldn¡¯t stand the boredom of this trip¡­ But then I thought that made me sound like a kid and refrained.


    The night continues like the others before it, except Shadow glares at me extra hard today, during our shift. The others awake, breakfast is made, but as Shadow delivers the breakfast, we hear a ¡°What!?¡± exclaimed from the carriage.


    It was Shadow''s voice and soon he comes out of the carriage and approaches me. "Boss wants you to do the thing you tried yesterday. But be careful!" Huh?


    "The Tarrun said that?" But as soon as I had uttered those words, and was on and a fist threatened to hit me.


    "Just where did you learn that?"

 184: Method of Transportation

    Shadow is threatening me, but I stay pretty calm. After all, what can he really do to hurt me? And so I explain.


    ¡°Ah, we met him by chance in the city. And by met, I mean I sort of saw his hand and linked the small hand and adult voice to him being a Tarrun. And I recognized that adult voice.¡±


    Shadow doesn¡¯t stop glaring as he is grasping my collar.


    ¡°How do you know of Tarruns?¡± Eh? I remember not seeing any Tarruns since I broke free, and other people haven¡¯t even heard of them. I have to make something up.


    ¡°My father told me about them.¡± Shadow suspiciously eyes me at the words.


    ¡°So your father told of you Tarruns but told you nothing of their situation?¡± Why would he think I wouldn¡¯t know of their situation? Did I do something that someone who knew wouldn¡¯t do?


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know what you¡¯re talking about. All I know is that my father told me Tarruns were the best craftmen and that they had child bodies with adult faces and voices.¡± I throw in the few characteristics I know of Tarruns onto the lie.


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll go check with him.¡± Shadow retreats to the metal carriage once again.


    ¡°Is our employer really not human?¡± Benen asks me. Talkative guy, that one.


    ¡°Yeah, but does it matter? We work for coin, not humans.¡± Patir intervenes, trying to get him off my back. He didn¡¯t say anything to Shadow, maybe he is only talking because Benen and him have become fast friends.


    ¡°Well, yeah, but¡­ The only non-humans I know of that ain¡¯t monsters are Sylvestri and Dragons and you don¡¯t exactly hear anything good ab- Ouch! What gives?¡± Kurat gave Benen an Elbow.


    ¡°Benen doesn¡¯t know?¡± I ask Kurat.


    ¡°No, sir, he doesn¡¯t¡­ I am sorry, please spare us.¡± I remember the threat I made at the guild. That coupled with my performance might have really scared them. I feel bad for these people cowering for me.


    I look at Kassa who is still clad in her robes, as she has been for the entire trip. We exchange a few looks and I nod. She removes the hood of the robe.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°What? Silvester?¡± Benen shouts. Right mess this has been. Benen looks taken aback, but doesn¡¯t apologize or anything. It kind of irks me.


    Soon, Shadow comes out again.


    ¡°Right, he thinks he remembers you. Since you were working knowing that, we are assuming you hold no ill intent. You may proceed with your magic.¡± He says bitterly, as though he doesn¡¯t think it is a good idea.


    ¡°Well, but if we¡¯re doing it, everyone needs to be on the carriage for us to go faster, yeah?¡± He turns to the people around. He seems to be a bit shocked when he spots Kassa.


    ¡°Cl¡­. Climb on top of the carriage and sit with the luggage.¡±


    ¡°But we already know he is a Tarrun? Is there any further need to disguise his identity?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll go ask again.¡± Shadow must feel like a gopher.


    After he enters the carriage, we all patiently wait. A few minutes later, he comes out with a short figure next to him. He stands around 3 feet tall, but can¡¯t be mistaken for a child. The man is mostly bald, and what little hair he has on the side of his head and his sizeable beard are both grey. His face is full of wrinkles and he is bent a little over forwards, with his hands behind his back.


    ¡°Right. I wasn¡¯t planning on this, but everything considered, I guess I will introduce myself. I am Gransk, trader and, well, Tarrun.¡±


    He pauses while people react. Most seem to be very surprised. ¡°So small¡­¡± I even hear Kassa whisper.


    ¡°In light of figuring out my identity, coupled with the fact you have a Sylvestri companion amongst you, we have decided to trust you, but please¡­ Don¡¯t spread any news of me to the surroudings. In fact, I am moving earlier than anticipated because I feared that youngster would spread it around.¡± He pointed at me.


    ¡°The rest of you may join me inside the carriage.¡± Grans then said as he turned around. Everyone lowered their heads and appreciated the offer, except Kassa. As they enter I get a few looks I don¡¯t know exactly how to interpret from Benen and Patir, but Shadow¡¯s is clearly one of suspicion and Kurat¡¯s one of fear.


    ¡°Is this going to be like using the cape?¡± She asks me covertly.


    ¡°Thereabouts:¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯d like to feel the wind in my face.¡± She says and mounts the top of the carriage among heavy-looking luggage.


    I sigh a little. This will definitely be faster, but I am thinking of severely limiting how fast I will go out of concerns for safety. I grasp the carriage and sever its tether as well as my own, before even thrusting from four different points beneath it and one beneath myself, counteracting it and coming to an almost complete stop a few feet off the ground.


    I take a deep breath and emit force from the carriage¡¯s rear, propelling both it and myself who is grasping it forward. The speed builds slowly. I start to feel the wind in my face.


    ¡°YES! AWESOME!¡± Kassa exclaims. I turn to see her horse-like mane blowing in the wind.


    ¡°FASTER!¡± It¡¯s tempting since she is so full of energy and I adore her, but I keep I start to slow down. Still, we must be going some 30 mph, a vast improvement to our earlier traveling rate, slightly faster than average walking speed.


    I was nervous at first, but after a while I feel like I have it under control.


    I feel a smirk forming on my lips. With this, travel won¡¯t have to be boring ever again.