《The Tower》 Prologue In the depths of an abandoned mineshaft, the sounds of metal clashing against metal and flesh resounded throughout the area. A rough and dirty looking man fell on the ground, the gash on his neck creating a pool of blood surrounding his body. He was one of the many slave traders whose bodies were sprawled on the ground. Due to the union of the three great nations, the possession and market of slaves, especially elven and beastfolk, has now become a hot commodity amongst the underworld. With rumors appearing regarding a potential hideout of slave traders, the local lord quickly rounded up his forces and assaulted the compound. If he were to ignore these rumors and the council discovered he made no effort in investigating, his nobility may be at risk like others who supported or didn¡¯t care about the slave trade. Geoffrey Wilmont, a man who has made his views on slavery clear from the beginning, scrunched his face in disgust due to the mixture of smells assaulting his nose. He covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief, while navigating with his personal guards through the passageways. They arrived in a wide room with dead or subdued traders sprawled about, and their leader sporting bruises all over his disheveled body. They were clearly the result of being thoroughly beaten by the surrounding soldiers. ¡°Lord Wilmont, we believe we may have found the prisoners. All of the other possible holding locations were clear.¡± One of his men reported and motioned towards the set of large steel doors at the back of the room. The noble approached the door with his guards, who promptly opened the door only to be assaulted by a repulsive stench. Ignoring the smell the guards entered the room followed by their lord, and were greeted by rows of cages. They were filled with men and women, elders and children, elves and beastfolk, who all would have eventually bore the mark of a slave on their bodies. Nowadays it didn¡¯t matter how big or small they engraved it on people, the effect of total obedience would be the same. Thankfully they arrived in time before they shipped the group away. Geoffrey looked around and noticed the piss and feces made in some of the children¡¯s cages, or the unnervingly still bodies found in others. He grimaced and berated himself for believing in the false hope that there would be no casualties. They were all clearly showing signs of malnourishment, some of them barely having anything but skin on their ragged bodies. A tactic the traders would use to weaken the wills of their captives, which would lessen the chance of any potential blowback from the mind domination process. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Free them at once, and we can escort them and our prisoners back to the city.¡± Wilmont commanded and his soldiers promptly obeyed. He wanted to quickly leave the area, as seeing children near his daughter¡¯s age put through such abuse hurt his soul deep. However, one of them caught his attention due to their vibrant purple eyes. A small boy with brown skin suffering from the effects of malnourishment and occasional beatings. He was on the floor hugging himself, with his eyes peeking out of his messy black hair watching his fellow prisoners being released from their cages. The baron was internally shocked, as this boy exhibited traits of the former Amazon tribe. The dark skin and unnatural eye color signified his heritage. The noble could only imagine the amount of money they would have received from this boy. The child kept staring at him even while he was released from his cage, even while he was directed to follow the former prisoners, and an odd sensation started to envelop Geoffrey. He couldn¡¯t abandon this child, his gut told him it was an unwise decision. Although there were other minors and it may be perceived selfish of the man to ignore them for a human considered a commodity, Wilmont just couldn¡¯t shake off this feeling that if he let that boy go he would regret it the rest of his life. So he approached the child and asked ¡°Hey it¡¯s dangerous to stay down here, so how about you stick with me ok?¡± as he offered his hand. The boy stared at the hand for a moment before gingerly reaching his hand out. Geoffrey noticed the bruises on his skin and remarked to himself how the traders only cared about protecting his face. This practice was unseen when observing the other male prisoners. As everyone exited out of the mineshaft to reveal the long abandoned quarry, Wilmont counted 29 survivors with 17 females and 12 males. There were three beastfolk and four elves amongst them, which was one of the bigger questions in his mind since they were nowhere near the Dungeon and far from the Beast Lands or Elven Republic. Then there was the Amazon child. Wilmont glanced down at the purple eyed child who was still grasping his hand. He couldn¡¯t understand why his gut was pushing him towards this boy, but Wilmont knew he always regretted not listening to it. So he would trust it once more, and bring him back home with him. However right now he had to escort these people back to the city, and figure out how far from home they were. He especially needed to write to the king about this situation, before some of the more radical members of the elven and beastfolk hear about this. So the group navigated out of the quarry and back to the city Wilmont governed, Rockhollow. He could only imagine his family¡¯s and the city¡¯s reaction to an Amazon child living in his household. His wife and daughter may not mind, but there could be others with the same opinion as the slave traders about the boy. Just to be safe, Geoffrey planned to conduct another investigation in the city within the year. For his sanity, Geoffrey hoped he wouldn¡¯t catch anyone off guard. Chapter 1 The wooden ceiling and walls served as a distraction from the truth of the matter that he could die today. Or the next day. Or the day after that. However he was prepared for any of these possibilities, as he owed his life to this family. If they hadn¡¯t rescued him, then he could¡¯ve died or worse been ens- ¡°Ezra I know you¡¯re awake. Hurry up and join me for breakfast.¡± A feminine voice spoke through the door of the tavern and walked away. As the sound of her footsteps grew quieter, Ezra rose halfway from the slightly stiff tavern bed. He stalled long enough and Claire wouldn¡¯t appreciate him ignoring her call. Ezra walked to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Standing at around 6¡¯2, a young man with brown skin and an attractive face stared back. His short black hair was darker than most, and his purple eyes were an object of immense beauty and danger. It all came together to give him an exotic, wild look. Which is why Ezra opened a vial nearby and drunk a small drop of its contents. Ezra¡¯s purple eyes gradually changed to a dull green and after observing himself in the mirror for a few moments, he proceeded to get ready to meet Claire downstairs. She was beautiful young woman around 5¡¯6 in height, with short brown hair fashioned in a sleek bob. Her green eyes watched as Ezra arrived in time to eat breakfast with her. Neither of them felt attraction towards one another, due to their sibling-like bond that has developed from growing up together. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to use a weapon in there? You know how dangerous it is in the beginning without a weapon.¡± Before Claire and Ezra left for the Dungeon City, this discussion was brought up on multiple occasions by his family. Although they cared for and adopted him under their name, Ezra had no blood relations with the Wilmont family. When the family learned of Claire and Ezra¡¯s intended career path, they strongly opposed her decision. Claire claimed her other alternatives were ¡°unsuitable for my personality¡± and after much debate the Baron finally agreed to send his children off. Of course he made sure to equip his children with a set of leather armor, an iron short sword and buckler (except Ezra), and some money to last two weeks if they were frugal. ¡°Claire trust me when I say this,¡± as I grasped her hand making sure to maintain eye contact ¡°you know I wouldn¡¯t do this if I had no confidence.¡± She looked in Ezra¡¯s eyes for any signs of insecurity, but was met with an absolute confidence. Claire let out a deep sigh and squeezed his hand one last time, before going back to eating their breakfast like nothing ever happened. The pair left the establishment and journeyed towards the center of the city where the entrance was located. Like a persistent scab the Continental Dungeon has continued to threaten the continent with its incessant monster spawning and mutating. As Ezra and Claire arrived at the 1st district of the city, diverse groups of adventurers migrating towards an abnormally tall cylinder tower. So tall it pierced the high hanging clouds and even then there was no end in sight. It was made out of an unknown sleek white metal, and as far as the eye could see runes radiating with power were inscribed all over its surface. The tower was perched upon a platform surrounded by rows upon rows of stone stairways. They both stared in amazement, as the stories speaking of its beauty could never amount to seeing the real deal. Groups of adventurers ignored them, not even bothering to hide their snickering and jeering at their reaction. The tower descended from the sky after a century of chaos, preventing monsters from emerging from the Continental Dungeon. Now the tower simply existed and the world took advantage of this, revolutionizing society due to the powers and treasures inside. After shaking out of their reverie, the pair followed the rest of the adventurers towards the heavenly tower. Ezra glanced at his sister noticing her hands were clenched, while she gazed heatedly at the grand tower. Of course he was also nervous, but he already prepared himself this morning. Besides he had a little sister to worry about, and he would make sure she wouldn¡¯t die here. As they arrived closer to the base of the tower, a large dimensional portal gaped at its center standing at around five meters. It pulsated incessantly with a black hue while groups would walk right through the portal teleporting inside. After finally arriving in front of the portal Claire spoke, ¡°There¡¯s no turning back from here Ezra, are you ready?¡± ¡°Ready as I¡¯ll ever be.¡± He replied and they both stepped in unison into the portal. Ezra¡¯s five senses were gone for a few seconds, until he reappeared with Claire in a room made of marble. It was bare except for a black obelisk at the center of the room. Unidentifiable symbols glowed with a golden light, as they continuously shifted across its surface. Its origins were still unknown to this day, however everyone knew that this obelisk granted access to your status. Claire observed it up and down, before finally approaching it and laying her hand on its surface. Her focus shifted elsewhere as Ezra followed suit, and a blue screen appeared in his view.
General Information Attributes Class
Name Value Name Rank Progress
Name Ezra Wilmont Strength 11 None
Race Human (Amazon) Physique 11
Age 19 Agility 10
Sex Male Perception 11
Guild Spirit 11
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Ezra had no idea what ¡°Spirit¡± was or how to obtain a class, nor how he compared with the average human. It seemed as if the powers behind this blue screen were boundless, as Ezra and Claire were busy inspecting it for any hidden secrets. Loud booms caused the siblings attention to return to the room, as a set of descending stairs magically appeared allowing them access to the dungeon. Claire and Ezra stared at the stairs for a moment before she spoke, ¡°My highest stat is Agility with a 12, while I also have an 11 in Strength. The rest are all 10. What is your status looking like? We could either get a feel for the dungeon or head back now. What do you think?¡± ¡°I have an 11 in everything besides Agility.¡± Claire widened her eyes in shock as she eyed her brother suspiciously. ¡°That totally sounds fair. Anyways we can do a test run of the dungeon or we could head back now. It¡¯s up to you Ezra.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure escaping shouldn¡¯t be that hard, so why don¡¯t we see how it works.¡± They journeyed down the stone stairs, its descent shaped into a spiral. Torches flickering endlessly were their only source of light, and after a few minutes they finally reached the first floor. They were greeted by a wide stone cavern, as three dark tunnels presented their only options for proceeding forward. Stalactites were sprawled over their heads while they observed and created a plan. ¡°It feels and looks like an actual cave. To think one dungeon can generate areas like this infinitely¡­¡± thought Ezra as he felt the rocks on the wall. He glanced behind and saw Claire was waiting near the tunnel to the left. Ezra made sure to grab one of the torches on the wall, before they journeyed inside the passages. It was wide enough to fit them both side to side, and they soon approached a spacious clearing. The floor smoothly transitioned from bare stone, to vibrant grass filled with various flowers. They didn¡¯t have time to admire the area though, as a group of five goblins bared their teeth at them. The monsters were the size of young children with shades of green skin ranging from olive to sickly. Splotches of bumps scattered on their faces, their yellow eyes honing in on Claire¡¯s figure. They barely had any clothes, except for the loincloths that covered their genitals. One of them yelled in their native tongue, making wild gestures at the two humans. Lust was evident in their expressions as they all picked up their shoddy weapons and charged. Ezra and Claire both escaped towards the tunnel in an attempt to make it an even fight, and as Ezra glanced back he quickly pushed his sister down and ducked. A spear whipped by their heads as they finally got deep enough in the tunnel, forcing the goblins to approach in pairs of two. Claire equipped her sword and buckler, while Ezra put his hands up as they both got in their fighting stances. A goblin thrust his stone spear at Ezra, its screeching cackles reverberating throughout the tight passage. Ezra easily took advantage of the goblin¡¯s sloppy movements and disarmed his opponent with a grab and jerk. It stumbled but adjusted itself to swipe at Ezra with its lengthy claws, however a powerful side kick slammed into its face causing the goblin to fall on its ass. Ezra spared a glance and saw Claire already in another fight with a second goblin, this one equipped with a small rusty dagger. A shriek snapped his attention back and the same goblin he kicked jumped towards his face. Ezra thrust the spear out and the goblin impaled itself with its own momentum. He smirked with confidence, however another goblin snuck up and stabbed his leg with a dagger. Ezra did his best not to scream as he fell onto his knees. The new goblin smiled devilishly as it raised its arm preparing to stab Ezra to death. Claire rushed with her buckler, smashing the side of the small shield on its face. It collapsed on the side of the tunnel unable to move. ¡°Are you alright Ezra?!¡± Claire roared as she stood in front of her brother, threatening the last goblin with her sword. It shrieked in fear as it ran back to the grassy clearing. After making sure the goblin fled, Claire rushed to help her brother. ¡°That little fucker got me bad¡­it hurts so much.¡± Ezra could barely reply as his face was locked in a tight grimace. Claire slowly helped raise Ezra as he stood on his good leg. She realized how foolish they were enter the dungeon alone and unprepared. ¡°Do you think you can walk?¡± She looked at the deep gash on his leg, the leather armor offering minimal protection against the knife. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault he¡¯s like this¡­¡± Ezra¡¯s reply shook her out of her self-deprecation. ¡°I think I can walk¡­ if we take it slow¡­but we need to get out of here.¡± With Ezra leaning his weight on Claire, they slowly headed back towards the entrance. The sounds of grunting overshadowed the noise of their steps, as Ezra tried not to scream from the excruciating pain. This was nothing like the beatings from the guards, it was a real fight with deadly consequences. They wanted to live just as much as Ezra and Claire, so they fought with their lives on the line. The practices with the guards were just bouts, and they were never truly serious in the first place. His overconfidence and inexperience almost cost him his life, but thankfully they would reach the surface soon where he could get some real medical attention. When they finally got back to the previous room, instead of a spiral of stairs heading up they were greeted with a room connected with more tunnels. ¡°What the fuck¡­¡± Ezra muttered as despair slowly entered the siblings¡¯ eyes. They looked at each other then back at the three new tunnels. Claire felt more and more of Ezra¡¯s weight pressed onto her body, as his eyes slowly became duller by the second. ¡°No¡­no no no this can¡¯t be happening!¡± Their exit was gone and Ezra was bleeding out. As Claire looked back at the trail of blood that came from his wound, the gravity of the situation truly sunk in. She never stopped the blood flow from Ezra¡¯s leg, and it never occurred to her that they¡¯d be injured during a quick trip. ¡°Ezra stay with me don¡¯t fall asleep!¡± She lied him on the ground while she tried to figure out a solution before her brother died. She quickly stripped the upper half of her armor and ripped the sleeves of her undershirt into a makeshift bandage. After undressing Ezra¡¯s lower half, she applied pressure to the wound but the blood easily soaked the material. Ezra was starting to faint from blood loss, the blood soaking her former shirt sleeves. While Claire was wallowing in her misery, multiple pairs of footsteps could be heard from a tunnel. She searched for its source before yelling ¡°HELP! SOMEONE COME HELP QUICKLY!¡± Tears were welling up in her eyes, as the figures of the fellow adventurers appeared. Ezra would be safe, and Claire promised she wouldn¡¯t let her foolishness risk her brother¡¯s life again. Chapter 2 The sound of ancient tribal hymns awoke Ezra, who realized he had no clue where he was nor slowly bleeding to death. The exceptionally green grass beneath him tickled his body, and as he rose his apparel came to view. A set of soft white wool clothes and bare feet made him question if this was reality. Then he looked up and saw the broad purple sky, coming to the conclusion that he had to be in the afterlife or dreaming. Rising from his spot what entered his view astonished Ezra. A savannah seemed to stretch endlessly in all directions, while the stone bridge in front of him served as an entrance to a seemingly empty tribal village. Although multiple plumes of smoke rose from village, he neither saw nor heard any people. Ezra followed the dirt pathway into the village, withholding his curiosity to shout in case it was home to monsters. Instead of wood or stone buildings, the local residents seemed to live in giant tipis. Totems of varying creatures stood tall at junctures of the village, each carefully crafted to resemble creatures that were mostly unrecognizable to Ezra. The whole place gave off an ancient aura, as if it were untouched by magic or the larger part of society. It should¡¯ve been a deserted tribe, yet racks were filled with various drying animal leathers while an unknown meat was roasting over a giant fire pit. At the peak of his confusion that was when Ezra finally saw ¡°it¡±. A thick grey substance floated near one of the tipis. Unsure if the substance was harmful or not, Ezra avoided it but saw another. Then another one that was white. There were tens of the odd substances around the area, Ezra was just unable to perceive them until now. He felt a tug at his consciousness in the direction of the biggest tipi, images that seemed to shift and warp inscribed on its walls. Two totems grander than the others were placed on the side of its entrance. Ezra clueless of what to do followed the tug inside, and was greeted by a fire pit burning with purple flames. ¡°What kind of magic is this¡­?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but shout, as the flames grew bigger with each step forward he took. Before he knew it the flames grew so tall they touched the top of the tipi, but neither the wooden nor the animal skin burned from its touch. Ezra took a step back from shock, however the flames seemingly came alive and whipped towards him easily consuming his body. His eyes shot open and as his erratic breathing settled down, multiple dinging sounds playing out in his head.
Skill acquired!
Hand to Hand Proficiency (Rank III)
Skill acquired!
Pain Tolerance (Rank I)
Skill acquired!
Spiritual Dream (Rank I)
Spirit +1
Skill acquired!
Spiritual Awareness (Rank I)
Spirit +1!
Requirements for Classes have been met! Please choose one from your status window.
The blue screens seemed to be intuitive but before he could inspect these notifications closer, Ezra felt a weight shifting on his leg. He saw Claire sleeping on him, maintaining a firm grip on his body. More importantly the furnished surroundings was clearly different from the bare tavern rooms they purchased. Not wanting to wake his sister up Ezra slowly shifted off the bed. There were bandages on his leg, as he noticed the previous excruciating pain was replaced with light soreness. While he was inspecting his leg, Claire¡¯s voice broke the silence. ¡°You finally woke up?¡± She slowly stretched her body as she rose from her chair. She gave a halfhearted smile that was unable to hide her worry. ¡°Where are we?¡± Ezra took a closer look at the oak wood floor, the smooth stone walls, and the glass window in front of the bed showcasing the busy streets. ¡°The guild base of the Glory Brigade. If it weren¡¯t for them you would¡¯ve died¡­¡± Claire¡¯s expression darkened but as he was about to comfort her the door opened. A group of five people entered the room, three men and two women, all of them well equipped. Their group gave a sense of diversity with only two humans with the rest being an elf and two beastfolk. The human with short black hair and milky white skin spoke out, her amber eyes radiating a sense of comfort as she spoke. ¡°Thank Moanke we arrived in time. It would have pained me to see another young adventurer lose their life.¡± She offered a quick prayer to her goddess as her white robe fit around her body nicely, revealing her abundant curves. A silver cross hung from her neck, which only served to amplify her holy persona. Realizing that these adventurers saved their lives, Ezra prostrated himself on the ground. ¡°Thank you so much for saving our lives!¡± Although he was being as sincere as possible, he was met with a raucous laughter. As he looked up, one of the beastfolk was pointing at him and laughing to the point tears were coming out of his eyes. Although they¡¯re called a beastfolk, they¡¯re really just humans with animal like qualities. His shaggy grey hair complimented an attractive face warped in arrogance. Ezra could tell he was a wolfkin by the pointy ears on top of his head. He also wore leather armor, but unlike the siblings his was of much higher quality. It was black featuring an attached hood with holes for his ears, with an extra layer of chainmail underneath. ¡°Do you realize how much of an idiot you are? Whew you¡¯re killing me kid.¡± His voiced oozed with arrogance and despite gritting his teeth, Ezra couldn¡¯t yell at his benefactor even as he continued his lecture. ¡°First you go inside the dungeon with only two people. Second you pick a fight while making no preparations for any awry situations. Third yo-¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough Hiro.¡± A taller elf gripped Hiro¡¯s shoulders. Orange, shoulder-length hair almost fully covered his sharp, gloomy face. His sharp green eyes conveyed his seriousness, as Hiro shrugged his shoulders and left with the other two adventurers. Although he could only look at the other two for a moment due to his prostration and Hiro¡¯s jeers, Ezra assumed they were some type of front liner and ranged support by their equipment. ¡°Don¡¯t take offense to his crude remarks, he¡¯s just as concerned as the rest of us about your well-being.¡± The elf offered his hand to me, which Ezra grasped as he got up. Although Ezra was tall for a human, the elf clearly towered above him. He wore a green robe, an insignia of a giant tree adorning the back of it. A gnarled staff that looked as if it was ripped off a tree by the stray leaves was in the man¡¯s grasp.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°My name is Feyrith, and my fellow companion is Elizabeth. You¡¯re aspiring adventurers correct?¡± He clapped his hands in delight, Claire more shocked that his staff didn¡¯t move from its spot. ¡°That¡¯s perfect! Your sister already knows this but we¡¯re part of the Glory Brigade. Our guild leader has been recruiting newbies lately, and seeing as you¡¯re both inexperienced we wanted to invite you. Of course you¡¯d still have to go through the interview process.¡± Ezra looked at Claire only for his grin to wipe off his face. She was still frowning and having sensed the mood, Elizabeth and Feyrith both promised to come back in a few minutes. ¡°Claire why are you acting like this? This can be the opportunity we need to progress our career.¡± ¡°Acting? Ezra you nearly died yesterday! How can you just brush that off like nothing happened?!¡± Only now did he really get a good look at his sister. Unkempt hair unlike its usual pristine appearance, her bloodshot eyes showed her lack of rest last night. ¡°Isn¡¯t this what we signed up for? You were the one who convinced me to be an adventurer, yet now you want me to quit and go back home?! Besides I¡¯m the older sibling so I should be the one worrying over you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point Ezra! Do you know how I felt watching the life slowly drain out your body? Arrgggggh you¡¯re so infuriating, I¡¯m going out for a bit!¡± She stomped towards the door and slammed it shut leaving Ezra alone. He understood where Claire was coming from, since he would be reacting the same way if their situations were reversed. He hoped she would come around once he gave her some much needed space. For now though he brought up his status.
General Information Attributes Class
Name Value Name Rank Progress
Name Ezra Wilmont Strength 11 Available!
Race Human (Amazon) Physique 11
Age 19 Agility 10
Sex Male Perception 11
Guild Spirit 13
Ezra knew trying to tap the screen wouldn¡¯t work, so he thought about choosing a class. Before his eyes a different set of blue screens appeared in his view.
Class - Fighter Level I
Description: Fighters are beginners to combat, thus are able to learn the basics of multiple styles of combat. However given proper time and training, any fighter can become a formidable powerhouse.
Class - Adept Level I
Description: Adepts have just discovered their magical abilities and are now spell casters in training. Whether it be calling forth fire and ice, or summoning creatures from other planes their potentials are limitless.
Class - Initiate Level I
Description: Initiates serve the god they worship, and harness the power of their deity in the form of divine magic. As they progress they can use more of their deity¡¯s power, without suffering backlash from wielding such divine power.
Class - Mystic Level I
Description: Mystics are people through accident, training, or heritage that have discovered a connection to the spiritual plane. They can see and speak with the dead, and manipulate souls once they become skilled enough.
It wasn¡¯t hard to put two and two together, that weird dream resulted in Ezra¡¯s new abilities and this class. Although he wanted to embark on the path of a martial artist, to say he wasn¡¯t tempted by the Mystic class would be a lie. However if he chose the Mystic class, there could be a chance he was throwing away the results of all his training¡­but that same unarmed training resulted in a near death experience. Ezra still wanted to fight with his body, despite seeing its dangers firsthand. Part of the reason why he got injured was due to his overconfidence, however how differently would the battle progressed if he used a weapon? After pondering for a few minutes, Ezra decided to choose the Mystic class. He believed there was no reason he couldn¡¯t keep using martial arts, and it was more of an instinctual feeling that he should choose that class. The same feeling that led to him fighting with his fists.
Mystic Class has been chosen!
Spirit +2! Perception +1!
Please choose a starting skill.
  1. Aura Reading
The ability to perceive and read auras from living things. Increased ranks result in being able to perceive information from auras, and other capabilities. 		Rank I
  1. Soul Bolt
Project a concussive bolt of soul energy damaging your enemy. Increased ranks result in increased damage, and less strain on your soul. Warning: Excessive usage of soul related skills can result in injury or death. 		Rank I
Ezra easily chose Soul Bolt, as he lacked offensive skills and needed survivability. Although he was concerned by its warning, he doubted he would use it much except in dire situations. While there weren¡¯t any other distractions, he also decided to look at his other skill descriptions.
Hand to Hand Proficiency Level I
One¡¯s ability in fighting with their fists and feet. Increased ranks result in better application, combination strikes, counters, and other techniques. Rank III
Pain Tolerance Level I
The ability to tolerate and withstand pain. Increased ranks increases tolerance. Rank I
Spiritual Dream Level I
The ability to visit the spiritual world in your dreams. Increased ranks result in increased interaction and sensitivity with the other world. Rank I
Spiritual Awareness Level I
Possessing knowledge and awareness of spirits in the mortal world. Increased ranks result in increased interaction and sensitivity with spirits, ghost, and other spectral oddities. Rank I
Knowing that the dream was another plane of existence shocked Ezra, as he lived a seemingly normal life with the Wilmont family. Ezra never discovered any secret artifacts nor world-breaking secrets when he was younger. The only explanation for this Mystic class and his newfound spiritual powers would be the Amazon tribe. If what his skills implied were true, he would be waiting for the next time he goes to bed. Chapter 3 Ezra walked into the bathroom, the difference in quality was obvious compared to the old tavern. The convenience of a tub where you could relax and bathe was a much welcome change. As he looked into the mirror the first thing he noticed were his eyes. Of course he forgot to take his daily medication since he was unconscious, however his eyes were still a dull green. Ezra pinched himself and rubbed his eyes, yet they still stayed the same color. ¡®It must be the result of my class or skills...¡¯ He didn¡¯t dwell on the topic for much longer though, as he took care of his daily necessities and came back to his sister waiting on the bed for him. She stared at Ezra for a moment before grabbing his face and bringing it closer. ¡°How are your eyes still green? I even brought your vials knowing your eyes would change colors soon¡­¡± ¡°I chose a class and it was either that or one of the skills I learned that turned my eyes green.¡± Claire let out a deep sigh before sitting down on the bed again. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to yell at you like that earlier, the stress was getting to me Ezra. I meant what I said regarding you almost dying, but I¡¯m not going to start any more problems.¡± ¡°Anyways to be more prepared we should share our stats and skills.¡± This was another revelation to Ezra, but he berated himself for assuming you couldn¡¯t show statuses to others. Claire¡¯s expression showed how shocked she was at his class and skills. After a few moments of dangling mouth syndrome, she regained control of her body and spoke. ¡°I think it¡¯d be easier to understand if you just looked at my status.¡±
General Information Attributes Class
Name Value Name Rank Progress
Name Claire Wilmont Strength 12 Fighter I 0%
Race Human Physique 11
Age 18 Agility 12
Sex Female Perception 10
Guild Resolve 10
Skill List
Active Skills
Name Rank Level
Power Strike I I
Passive Skills
Name Rank Level
Sword Proficiency III I
Shield Proficiency II I
¡°Uhh I¡¯m very confused about why we have a completely different stat.¡± All the other stats were self-explanatory, but Spirit eluded him and his status provided no clues¡­
Spirit - Represents your willpower and the strength of your soul which affects your strength and resistance of all soul based abilities.
Or so he thought. The system was much more intuitive that he gave it credit for. ¡°Now you know how I felt seeing your class and your skills. At least I won¡¯t have to worry about you nearly dying again.¡± She continued to pout and grumble, yet despite this Ezra knew she was happy for him. However just like with her skill list, Ezra assumed she couldn¡¯t view the descriptions of his skills, specifically the warning attached to Soul Bolt. He wondered if her opinion would have changed if she saw, but he didn¡¯t plan on telling her about it anyways. Plans never seemed to go their ways, since they both planned on becoming Fighters and branching to their respective paths. From what they learned beforehand a fourth class option wasn¡¯t unheard of but definitely unusual. Claire¡¯s voice stopped him from being lost too deep in his own thoughts. ¡°The one thing we¡¯re lacking is a team, and the Glory Brigade seems like our best chance at getting one besides asking random strangers. Since we¡¯re both interested in what they have to offer, I¡¯ll wait outside for you to change before we see about this interview process.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Ezra changed into some normal clothes, and Claire reentered while they waited for Feyrith and Elizabeth. The pair soon arrive, telling the siblings to follow them into a spacious hallway. Cold stone walls surrounded their sides while oddly warm wooden floors were underneath them. Theyleft from the room at the end of the hallway, forcing them to pass by plenty of rooms. He counted at least hundreds of the similar looking doors, which made Ezra wonder just how many members the Glory Brigade had. Elizabeth spoke while the siblings were in their respective thoughts. ¡°This is the male living quarters for guild members, and there¡¯s a similar housing situation that you¡¯ll see soon for females across from us.¡± They walked down a flight of stairs and through a passageway, which connected each building without forcing people to go outside. Ezra could see through the glass panels that each passageway was built on the third floor.The buildings were a carefully built mixture of stone and wood, with a larger building centered in between which they were heading towards. Feyrith started conversation in an attempt to keep the walk to the guild leader somewhat interesting. ¡°So you kids are nobles huh? It¡¯s rare your kind even considers entering the Continental Dungeon. I¡¯ll be honest my first opinion was you were another group of spoiled brats, who were about to get a reality check. I don¡¯t mean to sound too harsh, but the impression of most adventurers are that nobles are lazy slobs sitting from their high horses.¡± His opinion hit hard enough causing them to grimace and Elizabeth elbowed him in disapproval. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to say you¡¯re both ignorant brats, but you should¡¯ve handled your situation differently. Lives are worth a lot in this business, and if you want to take this seriously you better start treasuring them.¡± ¡°To think I follow a man who takes pride in bullying children¡­¡± Elizabeth mocked Feyrith while making an aggrieved face. He responded with a scowl, as Claire spoke up confused by her demeanor. ¡°You¡¯re some type of priest right? Not to be rude but you aren¡¯t acting very ¡°priestly¡±. I thought they would be above witty banter with their friends.¡± ¡°To think you would conform me to your preconceived notions of what it means to be a priest¡­¡± Again Elizabeth made another mock face of anguish, which left Ezra shocked, Feyrith rolling his eyes, and Claire disappointed. She would have felt bad if Elizabeth hadn¡¯t done the same thing a few seconds ago. ¡°Sorry I just love teasing people, but one thing you should consider is these classes don¡¯t define how people act. Just because someone chooses a holy class doesn¡¯t mean they can¡¯t be an asshole or tell a funny crude joke. As long as I heal people in the name of Moanke, she could care less about what I really do.¡± Claire and Ezra both nodded their heads in understanding, it seemed as if every moment they spent with Elizabeth and Feyrith they became more knowledgeable about adventurer culture. After walking up another set of stairs and traversing some hallways they arrived in front of a stone door, numerous lines interconnected and weaving on its surface. The lines suddenly glowed green as the door magically opened, revealing the office of an elder beastfolk. His back was slightly hunched, however this didn¡¯t take away from the majesty his broad back emitted. He turned around revealing a bearded face marred by a giant claw mark left by some monster. His head was surrounded by his black lion¡¯s mane, as intense yellow feline eyes analyzed every detail of the siblings. The siblings¡¯ froze up like statues as their fear took hold of them. Their instincts were yelli- no demanding them ¡®Do not anger this monster!¡¯ and it took every ounce of their will not to displease him in any manner. He slowly spoke, every syllable reverberating in their heads. ¡°dfinsofdusofdjskjfi¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ezra and Claire both struggled to reply at the same time, and suddenly the pressure disappeared as quickly as it came. Claire glanced back at Feyrith and Elizabeth, who both wore stoic gazes seemingly unaffected by the past pressure. ¡°You passed the test. If you¡¯d like to join the Glory Brigade,¡± the guild leader spread his right arm out theatrically as his deep voice seemed to rumble ¡°I welcome you, Claire Wilmont and Ezra Wilmont, with open arms.¡± He never let go of the bejeweled metal cane held in his left hand, all of his weight pressing on the surprisingly sturdy tool. Just as they were processing what exactly happened, the seasoned adventurers started chuckling amongst themselves. Ezra assumed they were laughing at the near constipated expressions strewn on their faces. Despite the embarrassment, he went back to observing the guild leader. Even with his hunched back he easily towered over the 6¡¯4 Feyrith, and Ezra estimated this lion beastfolk¡¯s height to be at least 6¡¯7. He wore a long sleeveless black robe that highlighted his muscular frame with a matching set of boots and pants. His upper body was shirtless showcasing the many scars that weren¡¯t covered by his hairy frame. ¡°Uh thank you sir¡­¡± Claire stumbled with her words due to the prior embarrassment before the guild leader¡¯s voice boomed in laughter. ¡°Please call me Jericho. Do any of you have any questions for me before you give me your answer?¡± Jericho offered his hand to both siblings, who quickly reciprocated the handshake. Ezra felt the firm grip and calluses that covered his hand, attesting to his past days spent adventuring. Jericho is one of the few guild leaders who have retired from adventuring, as most of them have yet to age or be injured enough to warrant retiring. ¡°How did we pass the test? What was that odd language you were speaking?¡± Neither Ezra nor Claire understood the jumble of syllables, and Ezra took Claire¡¯s silence as initiative to ask first. Jericho scratched the back of his head, an expression of resignation on his face while he spoke ¡°I wish I could tell you both but that¡¯s classified information. I guess I should¡¯ve told you not to ask that one question.¡± Not wanting to ruin their chance of invitation they opted for a few moments of awkward silence. Jericho gave a toothy grin in response, as if it was a natural thing. Claire took rein of the conversation and picked up her brother''s slack, which he gladly obliged as he believed she was much better at acquiring information. ¡°How many adventurers like us have you recruited?¡± ¡°Do you both know of the Adventurer Academy?¡± They both nodded, signaling Jericho to continue. ¡°Then you should know it specializes in training future adventurers, and a few weeks ago in May another class has graduated. That means the top guilds scramble to grab the best students, and we were lucky enough to get twenty recruits.¡± ¡°Besides it¡¯s not like newbies aren¡¯t permitted to joining the guild, so we have plenty of them.¡± ¡°Mr. Jericho, Ezra and I¡­¡± Claire glanced at her brother one last time for confirmation. ¡°¡­would love to join the Glory Brigade. The only thing is that we only have two people in our party, and we don¡¯t have a lot to offe-¡± ¡°What she¡¯s trying to say is that I¡¯m partially dead weight.¡± Claire choked on her words and Jericho raised his eyebrow, yet Ezra stood there in silence clenching his fists. He didn¡¯t want to drag down his sister¡¯s worth to other adventurers because he used no weapons. That made him more susceptible to the dangers in the dungeon, however that was part of the reason why he chose the Mystic class besides finding an explanation for the weird dreams. ¡°What my brother meant to say is we¡¯re dead weight.¡± Defiantly she continued where she was cut off, signaling Ezra to not interrupt again. Jericho stroked his beard in thought as he asked ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°We¡¯re ignorant country nobles with no idea how any of this works. The only fighting experience we have are practice fights with our city guards. Ezra can get overconfident during fights, while I tend to break down when things don''t go my way¡­¡± The guild leader walked around his desk towards Claire, the limp of his right leg obvious to even an untrained eye. ¡°I can¡¯t help you with your personal flaws or getting new members, since those are problems you need to solve yourself. However there will be a get together later tonight for the students of the Academy and other aspiring adventurers to form their own parties. You¡¯re welcome to join if you want, but recruiting people will be up to your ability.¡±
Guild Leader Jericho has invited you to join the Glory Brigade!
Y/N?
A blue screen appeared in his view, and without any hesitation Ezra accepted the invitation.
You have joined the Glory Brigade guild! Guild Tab has been unlocked!
¡°Now that you both have joined and finished with your questions, Feyrith and Elizabeth will take you to your new living quarters. Good luck Ezra and Claire.¡± Jericho waved the siblings goodbye as they left the room. The lines on the stone door reverted to its formerly dull appearance, and Ezra asked the question on his mind the most. ¡°What are the chances anyone would join us at that gathering?¡± Feyrith and Elizabeth both stopped prompting the siblings to reciprocate. They whispered to each other for a few moments, occasional glances being shot their way before Feyrith stepped up. ¡°If we¡¯re being realistic here, you¡¯d be lucky to get any of the Academy students. Although getting ordinary people shouldn¡¯t be that hard, especially with your sisters¡¯ looks.¡± ¡°Are you telling me to whore off my sister?!¡± A scowl lined Claire¡¯s face while Ezra nearly lunged at the man in anger before calming himself down. Despite his lanky appearance, Ezra knew if an actual fight broke out between them Feyrith would easily win. ¡°Feyrith don¡¯t say something that¡¯s so easy to misunderstand. What my companion meant was since Claire is an attractive young lady, men are more willing try join you as a ¡°white knight¡± while some will even try to take advantage of you.¡± ¡°Trust me I know from experience.¡± Elizabeth¡¯s expression grew increasingly solemn, as everyone remained silent on the walk back. Chapter 4 The silence was suffocating for everyone present, until Elizabeth took Claire towards the female dorms leaving Feyrith and Ezra. He took the time to apologize, clearing any misunderstanding his words may have caused. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to imply anything sexual about your sister Ezra, but one of the most dangerous things down there are people.¡± Ezra apologized in return realizing he shouldn¡¯t have snapped at Feyrith like that, as he was only looking out for the safety of the siblings. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have lashed out at you like that¡­You¡¯ve been nothing but helpful to my sister and I, so please accept my sincerest apologies!¡± With as much discipline and rigor he could muster Ezra gave a sharp bow, much to Feyrith¡¯s embarrassment as there were more adventurers wandering the halls. Feyrith explained how adventurers usually start their runs in the morning, and typically finished in the afternoon or later at night. Although the majority he saw were humans, there were a fair amount of beastfolk and elves. Sights like these were uncommon in Rockhollow, a predominantly human city deep in the Human Kingdom. The only diversity Ezra saw on a day to day basis was the different ethnicities between humans, or the occasional elf and beastfolk passing through the city. ¡°Just take what I said into consideration. There have been cases of adventurers disappearing in situations they could¡¯ve easily dealt with, and their deaths are rarely investigated too deeply unless they have a decent background¡­¡± Feyrith left him in front of his new room with this grim forewarning as he went to find the rest of the party. The first thing Ezra noticed about the fifth floor was a significant decrease in the amount of rooms lining the hallway. He was at the end of the hallway again, and peered through the hallway window to see the streets bustling with the same energy from hours ago. All guilds were located in the 2nd and 3rd districts which was as close as you could get before entering the dungeon, although he couldn¡¯t tell from a glance which district he was at. He entered his new living establishment, and was disappointed by its quality compared to the previous room. The room was considerably smaller, and there was no window to view the streets. The only objects that stood out was a plain bed with some drawers, an armor stand, and a shard of glowstone that would provide illumination at night by gathering energy from the sun. Thankfully someone moved his leather armor into his room and someone managed to repair where his leg was stabbed. ¡®At least the bed isn¡¯t stiff like the tavern...¡¯ He placed his eye drop vials in one of the drawers, and used the remaining time to relax in the provided bathtub. Although there was no magic crystal to provide temperature controlled water, he was already used to filling tubs with buckets from other taverns on their way to the Dungeon City. Ezra traced his left leg, no trace of the previous injury present. He never properly thanked Elizabeth for saving him, and as he thought more about his leg he realized Jericho was giving the siblings an opportunity. Having good teammates was just as important as the quality of their gear or personal ability. By inviting them to the meeting, Ezra and Claire could find people who can make up for their clear class deficiencies. One extra fighter, one extra initiate, or one extra adept would have made such a huge difference with their earlier fight. He even viewed the guild tab, but it only showed who was the guild leader and vice leader, and the amount of members they had. It wasn¡¯t a very interesting screen despite the fact it required you to unlock it to see anything of potential interest. Ezra lost himself in his thoughts and the bubbles, as the time for the meeting slowly neared¡­ Claire navigated the dorms as she headed towards Ezra¡¯s room to make sure he was ready. She couldn¡¯t stop thinking about her previous encounter a few minutes ago. After she finished examining and relaxing in her new room, she exited her room to become face to face with a beautiful elf lady. She looked around her and Ezra¡¯s age, although looks can be deceiving especially with elves. Gold hair as smooth and luscious as silk was fixed into a ponytail that came to her shoulder, while her emerald eyes seemed focused completely and only on her. She wore plain clothes but somehow made them look fitted for royalty and was 5¡¯10 which was short for an elf. She kept staring until she finally waved introducing herself to Claire. ¡°Hello Claire, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± Although she was shocked at first, Claire re-oriented herself as she shook the elf¡¯s hand. ¡°Do I know you¡­?¡± ¡°No but it¡¯s always nice to start with a good first impression. I¡¯ll see you around.¡± She waved goodbye while entering her room before Claire could even ask for her name. It was a brief encounter that left quite the impression but Claire decided to stop thinking too deeply about it as it has already set the siblings behind. She walked all the way to the men¡¯s dormitory to pick up Ezra, who quickly responded to her quick knocking. They were told by Feyrith and Elizabeth to talk to one of the receptionists on the first floor of the main building, where they would be guided to a room full of aspiring adventurers. The adventurers they passed came in all different shapes, sizes, races, and features. Some looked crafty and sneaky keeping to themselves, others made sure to show off their bulging muscles, there were even a few showcasing their bonded animals and monsters to their party members.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The whole walk didn¡¯t even last twenty minutes, and they reached a reception area crowded with men at the receptionist desk. It was shaped like an oval and built in the middle of the room, allowing people from any direction to report to the receptionists. ¡°When can I take you out sometime?¡± ¡°I killed a Bearshark all by myself!¡± ¡°I know a couple ways we could have fun¡­¡± The reception desk was filled with attractive women, who all coyishly deflected the adventurer¡¯s advances. As soon as someone approached the desk in a serious demeanor, their personality turned a 180 and promptly acted in a professional manner. The crowd made sure not to get in the way of people conducting business, like they did with the siblings who were given the directions to the gathering area. They both looked at each other before opening the door together, all eyes converging on their bodies scrutinizing every detail about them before returning to the stage. The atmosphere seemed more like a mixer than a serious gathering, the room designed like a large classroom without the desks. There were around fifty people crowding a raised platform situated near the front of the room, where twenty young men and women stood surveying the crowd. They all wore the same standard uniform of the Academy, navy blue trousers, skirts, and blazers with a white shirt underneath. Since the Council funded the Adventurer Academy they wore their insignia on the back of their blazers, a griffin unfurling his wings showcasing its majesty inscribed in gold. As Ezra and Claire both got near the crowd, one of the youths called out to them in the corner of the room. A young white man with a set of ginger hair and freckles adorning his face, his blue eyes slightly drooped creating a dopey expression on his face. He was average in the looks and height department, unable to generate much attention forcing him to be proactive in his poaching. ¡°You guys are new right? Might as well give up now, most of the graduates have finalized their selections and are just waiting around in case someone interesting shows up.¡± ¡°That was awfully fast considering we were only a few minutes left¡­¡± He seemed to be talking more to Claire rather than Ezra, having assumed she was the de facto leader of the duo. ¡°So what does that mean for the rest of us?¡± She gestured to the rest of the room, people scattered around the corners forming their own parties with the unchosen and ignored. A sigh escaped the boy¡¯s lips before he threw his hands up exaggeratedly. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to make do with the people here and hope we don¡¯t trip on a rock into a kobold¡¯s sword.¡± He brought his hands to both of the siblings, gesturing for a handshake. ¡°The name¡¯s Cameron James. A pleasure to meet both of you.¡± ¡°My name is Claire Wilmont.¡± ¡°While I am Ezra Wilmont.¡± ¡°That name sounds familiar¡­it¡¯s not like it matters anyways. I was thinking we could form our own party, we¡¯d just need to find a few more members.¡± Cameron wondered if they were siblings due to their shared last name and eye color. After looking at their skin complexions he concluded they must be step-siblings. ¡°I¡¯d have to talk to my brother fir-¡± As she was replying to Cameron, the youth became slack jawed in an instant. The room was too silent with the amount of people in it, and the only source of sound was a pair of high heeled boots clacking on the floor. The siblings turned around to see the crowd parted into two sections, while a beautiful blonde elf walked with purpose in their direction followed by two others. To her right was a black man with incredibly dark skin and brown eyes. If you were to compare Ezra and the man it would be like viewing chocolate and ebony. His black braids were tied together hanging loosely around the back of his shoulders, with a tall lean body around the same height as Ezra. His incredibly white teeth contrasted his dark skin whenever a smile covered his face. On her left a rabbit beastfolk shorter than Claire at around 5¡¯0 with a demure appearance. Blue doe eyes partially covered by her grey bangs that seemed to wander around and naturally pouty lips adorned her face, while her rabbit ears seemed to flip and flop down with every one of her steps. Her skin was paler compared to the elf¡¯s milky white skin, which gave her the appearance of a fragile doll. They all wore the same navy blue uniform and stood in front of the siblings and Cameron. As realization dawned upon Claire she quickly sputtered out. ¡°You¡¯re the elf from earlier!¡± She figured all the people on her floor were all rookies and would most likely be attending the gathering, but to think she was one of the twenty graduates from the Academy AND she happened to be interested in her shocked her. ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind coming with my friends and I, we¡¯d only take a few moments of your time.¡± The elf lead the siblings out of the room, and Cameron tried to follow only to be stopped by the tall black man. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, pal.¡± There was a heavy emphasis on ¡°pal¡±, showing the man¡¯s clear disdain for Cameron. He gave an awkward smile in response as he shuffled back to his corner, having already expected his response. As he looked back at the group, the rest of the graduates on stage scrunched up their faces like they ate something extremely sour. Clearly they all seemed to have wanted a piece of Claire and Ezra, but were too slow to react. Now they were unable to even negotiate with the siblings, as they were escorted out of the gathering. As the group of five journeyed back to the female dormitory, Claire whispered about her prior meeting with the elf before speaking up. ¡°You still have told us your names, seeing as you already know mine it¡¯d only be fair.¡± ¡°Ah right¡­well I¡¯m Ilyana, the cutesy beastfolk is Sonja, while the sneaky human goes by Saber.¡± Everyone greeted one another as they finally entered Ilyana¡¯s room, having the same bare design as both of their rooms. Ilyana sat on her bed followed by Sonja, while Saber opted to stand near the bed post with arms crossed in contemplation. ¡°If you couldn¡¯t already tell we would like you to join our party. You originally had my interest earlier when I analyzed you earlier, yet to think your brother had a rare class¡­¡± ¡°Well that explains why you want us, but how can you see our classes?¡± Now that his secret was out the bag, any plans of denial were thrown out the window for Ezra. The doe eyed rabbit girl spoke up for the first time, her voice played out like music to his ears. ¡°It¡¯s the upgraded version of the skill [Observe]. It¡¯s a useful skill every adventurer ends up learning and using daily.¡± ¡°Could we get a moment to think about this?¡± Ilyana smiled knowing she hooked the siblings, and only needed to just reel them in. ¡°If you¡¯re worried about party comp, I¡¯m a ranged fighter, Sonja¡¯s an initiate, and Saber is a close combat fighter.¡± Ezra and Claire asked for a moment outside, as they discussed the pros and cons of their situation. Frankly there weren¡¯t any obvious cons in their opinion, so they went back inside intent on finalizing the finer details of their party. Chapter 5 Saying a quick prayer after listening to their story, Sonja¡¯s ears stood at full attention. ¡°Thank Moronke you didn¡¯t die Ezra.¡± ¡°More like he was extremely lucky even by your standards Sonja. They just happened to come across a decent group of adventurers, with a priest capable of healing them on the first floor.¡± Ezra and Claire learned over the remainder of the day that Sonja and Saber¡¯s personalities were polar opposites. Sonja was a cheerful, optimistic young lady. Saber was a snarky, pessimistic young man. The story of how the three of them met and became friends would be left for another day, as the party of five walked up the grand staircase towards the Continental Dungeon. Ilyana, Saber, and Sonja walked with a swagger unapparent amongst the siblings. Graduates are required to have completed one dungeon run, usually an easy task for them as they go through a stringent set of survival skill and combat related courses. The further one delves in the dungeon, the larger the size and difficulty of the floors requiring a variety of skillsets such as camping techniques, foraging and gathering, etc. Right now however the group would be tackling the first floor again, where they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about any of that. Ezra and Claire wore the same equipment as last time, while Ilyana and Saber were both equipped in leather armor. They wielded a short bow and pair of daggers respectively, while Sonja wore a white cloth robe and a quarterstaff designed for her short frame. All of their equipment was intricately designed, which Ezra attributed to the Academy properly equipping their students. Ilyana recommended Claire get more suitable armor in the future, while suggesting Ezra switch to gauntlets or claws to protect his hands. Ezra was honestly considering it, but snapped out of his thoughts as they were getting closer to the entrance. Although he was hesitating, due to the memory of his previous brush with death, resolve soon overcame him as he stepped forth following his party. Besides he also didn¡¯t want to hold up the rest of the adventurers behind him, who seemed to be threatening Ezra with their eyes to stop wasting their time. After a brief moment of feeling and seeing nothing, a plains full of dainty flowers came into view. The disparity between the terrain full of life and the barren walls of rock jarred him a bit, while the rest of the group were waiting in the provided spawn room for him. Ilyana lightly chided him, trying to fix any bad habits out of the siblings since they wanted to take this seriously. They still had much to learn, but were better than most of the prospects from the gathering. ¡°Even though we¡¯re in a party together, try not to wait and then enter. It can be seen as a waste of time to other adventurers, while in the lower floors the Dungeon may randomize your starting location.¡±
Party Information
General Information Class Information
(Leader) Ilyana Heiwynn Level I Fighter
Saber Rhodes Level I Fighter
Sonja Preswarin Level I Initiate
Claire Wilmont Level I Fighter
Ezra Wilmont Level I Mystic
A convenient screen allowing a user to see the status of their party at a glance. This was another tab that Ezra and Claire had to unlock to see, its only purpose was for forming and maintain parties when traversing through dimensional portals. Ilyana pulled out a bronze compass, having already informed Ezra and Claire not to worry about being lost after hearing their story. The magic compass would automatically track the spawn room, and would fix its needle automatically in the appropriate direction every room. She then pulled out a six sided die, and they all picked a number to see who would choose which direction to go in. Saber won and motioned to the northern entrance, and the group quickly got in formation. Saber led serving as their scout, followed by Claire and Ezra as the vanguards, while Ilyana and Sonja were in the back as support. Ilyana would have originally swapped her and Ezra¡¯s positions, realizing his abilities were nothing compared to an Adept. The tunnel wasn¡¯t wide enough to fit more than one person side to side, and the grassy floor slowly transformed into stone brick giving it a mossy appearance. The next room they entered was a large ruin, the former location of a temple, with an artificial sun hanging above them through the cracks in the roof. Rows of broken down stone chairs covered with vines were surrounded by a broken down carpet littered with bite marks in the aisle. Up on the platform was a lone shoddy lectern, placed in front of a devastated mural. Ezra and Claire stared at every possibly identifiable object in the room, in hopes of gaining the [Observe] skill like the rest of their party. They were interrupted by the sounds of something forcing its way through a tight hole. Coming out of various holes placed in sections of the room was the source of the moss and vines, a group of lichens who left a trail of moss and vines wherever they were able to drag their bodies. A green squishy blob the height of a child, its only attack was sticking its body on someone slow movement but besides that it was harmless. There were ten of them followed by a group of large rats of similar number, working together to preserve their little ecosystem. Saber quickly moved behind one of the pillars, drawing his twin daggers as he circled around to catch one of the monsters from behind. An arrow whipped by Ezra¡¯s head accurately stabbing itself in one of the large rats, as the siblings charged forward to meet the advancing monsters. Wordlessly agreeing on their targets, Claire focused on the lichens while Ezra held back the rats. The large vermin were at the height of his ankle, their beady black eyes switching between which human would make the finer meal. Exceptionally sharp yellow teeth warned Ezra what would happen if he were careless. He met their charge kicking rats away left and right yet they still swarmed him. A few managed to bite at his ankles and legs, although his armor took the brunt of the damage leaving small lacerations on his body. At this point Ezra tried grabbing and throwing one of the vermin away, yet was nearly bitten in the process forcing him to go back to kicking.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Saber appeared out of nowhere, slamming his daggers into the unsuspecting bodies of the rats. Their squeals resounded through the room, leaving Ezra with only four of the monsters as half of them ran to surround Saber¡¯s body. Although they did little damage to his body, they quickly drained his stamina. He couldn¡¯t afford to falter as he had to hold the line with Saber and Claire, and as these thoughts jumbled through his mind a warm feeling coursed through his body. His body was glowing with a soft golden light, and with it came a surge of energy. For a moment Ezra looked back and watched, as Sonja spoke in hush whispers as she evoked the power of her goddess. He turned his attention back to the fight, kicking another rat with enough force to launch it head first at one of the broken down pillars. As he watched the rat slide down with a sickening crunch, a shout brought his attention back to the battle. ¡°Stop losing focus every five seconds before a rat slips by you!¡± It came just in time as another rat was closing in for another bite. Ezra kicked it away with a thud, yet it got back up and charged at him all the same. They primarily used hit and run tactics in an attempt to catch him off balance, occasionally avoiding his feet to land bite marks on his other leg as they retreated. One of the rat sidestepped deftly avoiding the kick, preparing to navigate towards his other leg until a foot slammed down on its neck. It couldn¡¯t manage any squeals, as it lay there helplessly staring up at the giant creature while it used the same trick on the rest of his brothers and sisters. The other vermin didn¡¯t seem to learn from their brethren¡¯s mistake, as Ezra pummeled and smashed the necks of the remaining rats. As he reveled in the glory of winning his battle, he realized they were only some larger rats nothing to feel accomplished about. The dinging of notifications came to his attention, and after making sure everyone was finished with their battles he willed the blue screens to his attention.
You killed a Large Rat.
You killed a Large Rat.
You killed a Large Rat.
You killed a Large Rat.
General Information Attributes Class
Name Value Name Rank Progress
Name Ezra Wilmont Strength 11 Mystic I 4%
Race Human (Amazon) Physique 11
Age 19 Agility 10
Sex Male Perception 12
Guild Glory Brigade Spirit 15
A little disappointed that all that he spent so much effort on a rat for it to only award 1%, but it was better than nothing. He turned his attention to the rest of his party, curious of what he should be doing after a battle. Claire was wiping small blobs of lichen goo off her blade, the same low glow wrapped around her figure. The origin of the restoration, Sonja, used her staff as a crutch while she wiped beads of sweat from her brow. Even her rabbit Calling Moronke to replenish their stamina with [Minor Restore] would tax her body, a seemingly minor effect that can accumulate into a more drastic response the more she casts it. Ilyana looked for any usable arrows amongst the bodies of the dead rats. She cleaned off the usable ones before placing them back into her quiver. Saber on the other hand was shifting corpses around as if he were looking for something. He was meticulous in his work, not caring for hygiene and after watching him for a while Saber replied to Ezra¡¯s unspoken question. ¡°I¡¯m searching for loot, why don¡¯t you help me out by shifting over some of those rat bodies.¡± Although he internally cringed having to touch a dirty rodent with his bare hands, Ezra chided himself remembering the prior agreement they made before joining them. It stunk like a mix of whatever nasty shit rats typically do, its furry body still warm to the touch as he shifted it slightly looking for ¡°loot¡±. After finding nothing of value and feeling like he wasted his time, Ezra joined the others in a group huddle planning their next course of action. ¡°That was a nice first fight guys, Saber and Ezra good work on taking care of those rats.¡± Saber gave a nonchalant shrug in response, while Ezra¡¯s chest puffed up a bit in pride at the unexpected compliment. ¡°Claire you did an excellent job holding back the lichens until Saber arrived to help.¡± She visibly straightened her back, a radiant smile blossoming on her face. ¡°Excellent recovery as usual Sonja but don¡¯t stress yourself too much.¡± Overall it was a resounding success, no causalities or debilitating injuries, however a search of the ruins revealed no loot either. There were passages to other rooms on the northern, eastern, and western sections of the former church¡¯s walls. Since Saber won the previous dice roll, he chose the northern entrance once again. While they were walking through the stone tunnel, Ilyana brought him to the side to speak with him. ¡°You saw yourself how difficult it would be to fight those rats with your hands right? If you had gauntlets you could¡¯ve smashed them to a pulp, while claws would¡¯ve sliced them right up¡­you get the point though.¡± Ezra did get what she was trying to say, and this battle was another example of his inefficacy with unarmed combat. Maybe some claws wouldn¡¯t be so bad? It was a weapon he could integrate his previous training with, and people with claws looked considerably more intimidating than those without them. He brought his attention back to the front, as Saber motioned for them both to stay quiet for the upcoming room. Ezra put getting a set of weapons in the back of his mind, as the reason became readily apparent, as they walked into the room of a kobold nest. Bipedal monsters with angular shaped heads and blue scaled bodies providing more defense than most monsters on the first floor. Being the size of children with scrawny bodies lures newbie adventurers into a false sense of security kobolds gladly take advantage of. They were taking residence in a room styled much like the last one, except there wasn¡¯t any moss or vines covering the area instead the cracks of the aged stone were laid bare for everyone to see. They were fifteen of the creatures who all waited with weapons like short swords and clubs equipped, as if expecting prey to arrive soon. Horns jutted from their foreheads in varying shapes and sizes, while serpentine tongues flicked about occasionally as if they were tasting the air itself. Their only clothing was a convenient loincloth, except the kobold who stood near an altar in the front of the room. He was bigger than the other kobolds, around the height of Sonja with darker blue skin and a leather vest. His eyes radiated intelligence, and as soon as Saber spotted this creature, he moved the party to the nearest pillar as soon as possible. Saber hissed in a whisper, frustration evident on his face. ¡°That¡¯s a Kobold Shaman! They already know we¡¯re here so we¡¯ll have to fight it.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just escape? We might be able to run away before h-¡± Seeing the exit right behind them, Sonja suggested leaving immediately. ¡°No chance, we need to act while we have the power of surprise.¡± Sensing a pause in the middle of their argument, Claire asked both her and Ezra¡¯s question. ¡°What¡¯s a Kobold Shaman?¡± Just as Sonja was about to answer her question, Saber made a hand gesture signaling silence as the kobolds without any forewarning starting searching the room. It was only a matter of time until they found them, and a hardened expression emerged on all of their faces. This was a true fight to the death, and neither party had plans of dying. Chapter 6 Currently Ezra, Claire, Sonja, and Ilyana were hiding behind a thick aged pillar, situated a meter to the left of the middle aisle. Saber moved towards one of the former stone pews a few meters away, condensing his body as much as possible to hide behind the small frame. Kobolds were rapidly nearing his location, within minutes they¡¯d discover him and attack together like a mindless mob. Their yellow serpentine eyes searched every nook and cranny they could find, which wasn¡¯t much seeing as the nave was smaller than average. The tapping of their feet against the stone floor, reverberated through the room as everyone held their breath in hopes they would go away. The odds were clearly against them, and Ezra started to nudge his sister while motioning with his eyes towards the entrance. ¡°Claire we need to get out of here now, there are too many monsters for us.¡± Her face warped in a mixture of anger and disgust, as she hissed out a response while trying to stay quiet. ¡°Are you trying to abandon our friends? What is wrong with you?!¡± ¡°We need to leave now!¡± Ezra tried to grab Claire¡¯s arm and drag her back, but she stayed unmoving glaring at her brother. He wasn¡¯t afraid to admit he was a coward, but the only person Ezra is willing to risk his life for is his sister. They only just met these new people, yet Claire was acting like she¡¯s known them for an eternity. Feelings of spite bubbled in the pit of his stomach, but he shut those feelings down instantly. He knew he didn¡¯t have to follow his sister into this deathtrap, but the obligation and familial ties Ezra felt towards the Wilmont family triumphed over everything else. As Ezra was dealing with his conflicting thoughts, Ilyana shot the siblings a fierce glare as their conversation didn¡¯t go unnoticed before returning to observing the kobold¡¯s movements. They were getting dangerously close to Saber¡¯s position with each second, and Ilyana soon made up her mind as she got an arrow ready from her quiver. The kobold shaman had its scaly four fingered hand pressed against its temple, its eyes closed in deep concentration while it occasionally spoke a strange language. She took one last look at her companions, hardened faces greeted her back waiting for her signal. Ilyana took in a long breath as she peeked behind the pillar again, drawing her bowstring and aiming at the shaman. Time seemed to slow as she loosed the arrow, it speedily flew towards its intended target. With seemingly supernatural precognition, the shaman opened its eyes before shifting its body to the side. It roared with ferocity while pointing at the party, as kobolds quickly converged on their location. Ilyana muttered under her breath about her luck, while Ezra and Claire moved forward to meet the monsters¡¯ charge. The horde of kobolds was imposing to say the least, especially for any newly formed party unlucky enough to stumble into this encounter. Ilyana gave a quick prayer to Yggdrasil, while she used her limited supply of arrows to take down some of the charging kobolds. There was little she could do with the small space and limited time frame, only able to take down one kobold and injure another with her mediocre skills. She took a quick glance at Sonja, before returning her attention to the battle. She stood behind the pillar occasionally peeking out while her ears stood at attention, waiting for any sign that someone would require her restoration. Although she felt bad for not being present during the battle, it was a better alternative than being a clear target and having a detachment go after her. The first round of kobolds formed around the siblings in a half circle, eight in total although more tried to squeeze in. While Claire was better off due to her equipment, Ezra internally panicked looking at the monster¡¯s weapons. Despite focusing on bare handed combat, Ezra still learned the basics of using actual weapons. Weighing his options he decided to attempt to disarm one of them and use their weapons against them. Their child sized bodies were deceiving, as each kobold nearly had the strength of a grown man. They all swung their weapons wildly in an attempt to batter them with a flurry of strikes. Attacking in groups of four, their varied weapons and strength proved difficult for Claire, let alone Ezra, to block or deflect. Surrounded on nearly all sides by monsters, Claire blocked blades with her shield while absorbing the impact of their clubs with her armor. She couldn¡¯t afford to focus on one specific kobold, as a lapse in attention could lead to her death. On the other hand, Ezra attempted to move his body in odd angles trying his best to avoid any incoming blows. Of course he failed the majority of the time seeing as he never stretched his body like this before, bruises and cuts rapidly appearing on his frame although none were life threatening or required immediate attention.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. One of the beasts swung with a bit too much enthusiasm, their club arcing too wide near his hip and Ezra leaned back before grabbing the club. He couldn¡¯t afford to get in a tugging match, opting to twist and turn the weapon from his grasp while delivering a swift kick on its arm. For a moment, Ezra and the kobold locked eyes with one another. He could see the same feelings of anger, and desperation that he currently felt in its yellow eyes. It was struggling to survive just as much as he was, and if it wasn¡¯t for the sound of a blade Ezra may have lost his life from this distraction. The fact that these monsters seemed to feel real human emotions, didn¡¯t change the fact that they were trying to kill him and his sister. If anything it only served to strengthen Ezra¡¯s resolve, as he desperately yanked and twisted at the wooden club even harder. Eventually he stole the weapon from the kobold, but not without receiving a deep gash on his arm that continuously poured out blood. A soft golden glow emanated from his body, his spent energy rapidly being restored. Although it didn¡¯t actually heal him, Sonja¡¯s restoration definitely increased his staying power. Both siblings took advantage of their extended reach to deal with the kobolds, while Ilyana shot arrows into the impromptu mob pit. Ezra and Claire managed to kill two each while Ilyana injured a few kobolds as they slowly settled into a rhythm, however the shaman suddenly released a soul shaking screech. The effects were instantaneous, as Claire, Ilyana, and Sonja lost their sense of balance. While Ezra seemed somewhat resistant and maintained his newfound rhythm, Claire was repeatedly stumbling and struggled to handle one kobold let alone four of them. Another screech from the shaman, one implying pain, destroyed the foggy veil over their minds as everyone¡¯s sense of balance was restored. Soft glows found their place on their bodies, however Sonja was clearly nearing her limit. A massive amount of sweat covered her face and body as it drenched her robes, her eyes seemed dazed as she struggled to even stand. Ilyana could do nothing to help her friend, as she needed to lend support to Claire who was struggling with her crowd. Besides she was running out of arrows with only five left, and she needed to make sure every shot count. Before she could nock another arrow, Saber came back from his failed ambush with a bloody gash on the side of his head. He only managed to give the shaman a flesh wound, before he was forced to retreat back to his party. Oddly enough the shaman didn¡¯t bother to chase him down, an eerie toothy smirk etched on its face. That smile greatly bothered Saber, however he was in no position to wipe it off its face. ¡°Be careful everyone, it¡¯s clearly planning something.¡± The situation was worsening by the second as Saber barked out a warning. Seconds afterwards, another soul shaking screech sounded out causing everyone except Ezra to stumble and a thud followed by a scream came from behind them. A brief glance behind him showed Sonja limp on the ground, while Ilyana made sure she was still alive. Their battle was draining them all and the kobolds never seemed to run out of energy or courage, despite watching their brethren being repeatedly battered in front of their eyes. Without Sonja¡¯s restoration it was only a matter of time until they lost and died. Damn the warning and consequences, he let this go on for far too long. Ezra needed to take out that shaman, as he prayed [Soul Bolt] would be enough to finish the job. ¡°Guys give me an opening I¡¯m going to try something!¡± Magically Saber appeared nearby, taking care of Ezra¡¯s position as he moved back. As Saber and Claire handled the front, Ilyana shot her last few arrows at any stragglers trying to sneak by before guarding Sonja with a small dagger. Now that everybody else was taking care of their duties, Ezra focused on activating his skill. Something the siblings learned after obtaining their classes was when they learn skills the knowledge of how to use it becomes instinctual. Although he never used the skill before due to the warning, there was no confusion about what he had to do. He closed his eyes and searched inside himself for¡­something. It felt like he was groping around deep in his body with intangible hands. Finally he found whatever it was, a similar texture to jelly and it seemed to bend to his very touch. Ezra knew what to do willing a portion of his soul to attack the shaman. His eyes shot out, his original purple irises on full display as they radiated power. A dark, spectral purple substance flew towards the shaman, distracting nearly everyone man and beast alike in the area. They all bore witness as the shaman casually dodged the projectile, yet it performed a loop changing directions to follow it. Not expecting it to give chase to him, the shaman was caught off guard and fell to the ground as if he was hit by a hammer. Coughing blood it struggled to stand again, however Ezra cast another [Soul Bolt] knocking it out for good. Like he was on a high of sorts, Ezra felt powerful, maybe even god-like, however as his eyes turned back to his original shade the rush disappeared as he came back to reality. A sudden wrongness invaded his body, as he fell to one knee. His vision was distorted and other senses felt muddled, as he had the sudden urge to vomit. Ezra resisted it, as his hearing came back to normal the death throes of kobolds came back and with it their cacophony of screeches as the fighting resumed. When he was finally able to stand, kobold corpses laid about everywhere as the party surrounded the shaman while Claire stabbed it in the head. Sonja was still behind him, her face a twisted mixture of discomfort and peace. As Ezra was wondering whether he should help her onto his back or not, the rest of the party came back. Tired expressions covered all of their faces, and before Ezra could speak Saber silently shook his head. ¡°Just grab the shaman¡¯s corpse, although the rest of this would be worth some credits if we had a porter.¡± His voiced seemed colder than usual, and Ezra chalked it up to Ilyana informing him about his earlier plans. Claire watched as her brother set off to complete the task, as the dinging of notifications sounded out in her peripheral. She chose to ignore those as she needed to get Sonja on her back. Ilyana made sure to grab a bag from underneath Sonja¡¯s robe, grabbing a jar filled with a red paste she applied to everyone¡¯s cuts and bruises. It was shiny and cool to the touch, and oddly enough her wounds felt better immediately after Ilyana applied it to her body. Ezra dragged the body back as he followed the already moving party, a slight challenge as he avoided the bumps and uneven terrain. Ilyana led them back to the entrance with the compass, navigating through the dimly lit corridors to safety. Not every room would result in a fight, and hopefully they wouldn¡¯t have any other encounters. Although he felt bad for dragging the fight on longer than necessary due to his abilities, he had more pressing matters to deal with as notifications waited to be addressed. Chapter 7
New Skill has been unlocked! You have gained [Flexibility]!
[Pain Tolerance] has ranked up! Rank I ¡ú Rank II
Physique has increased by 1!
You killed a Kobold.
You killed a Kobold.
New Skill has been unlocked! You have gained [Blunt Proficiency]!
[Soul Bolt] has ranked up! Rank I ¡ú Rank II
New Skill has been unlocked! You have gained [Spiritual Tolerance]!
Achievement Unlocked! Slay an Elite ranked monster without ranking up! Reward ¨C 1x Level I Skill Token
Achievement Tab unlocked!
System Shop Tab unlocked!
Ezra stopped for a moment to check his ruined armor, but gave up after his instincts told him it was a waste of effort. He somehow knew he had the token on him, just not physically in his hands. He continued dragging the shaman corpse, proving to be a struggle as he was already tired from the previous fight. After entering another empty room where the group would rest as Ilyana used the compass, Ezra checked out his updated status.
General Information Attributes Class
Name Value Name Rank Progress
Name Ezra Wilmont Strength 11 Mystic I 18%
Race Human (Amazon) Physique 12
Age 19 Agility 10
Sex Male Perception 12
Guild Glory Brigade Spirit 15
Did kobolds offer more experience than goblins, or was this the result of killing an ¡°Elite¡± level monster? Gaining more questions than answers, he transitioned towards his new skills.
Flexibility - The ability of your body to bend without straining or breaking. Increased ranks result in better flexibility. Level I
Rank I
Blunt Proficiency - One¡¯s ability fighting with blunt weapons. Increased ranks result in better application, combination strikes, counters, and other techniques. Level I
Rank I
Spiritual Tolerance - The ability of your soul to tolerate and withstand spiritual pain. Increased ranks increase tolerance. Level I
Rank I
Connecting the dots of how he gained [Spiritual Tolerance], Ezra shuddered as he reimagined the nauseating feelings caused from [Soul Bolt]. It¡¯s not like he could ignore the skill, as it clearly saved their lives. Being out of commission like that however, was intolerable and may cost him his life, so Ezra resolved himself to use the skill more often as long as there was minimal risk. The next screen he looked at was the list of his achievements.
Achievements Rewards
1. Slay an Elite ranked monster without ranking up! Reward - 1x Level I Skill Token
Pretty self-explanatory doing what its name implied, and Ezra planned on finding out about any easy achievements with useful rewards. Since his notifications seemed to be in chronological order, the token was probably related to the system shop. Ezra pulled that screen up and after glancing at it for a second, he dismissed the system shop from his view. It was obnoxiously big, offering tons of skills which were the reason why it took up the majority of his view.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Every skill was separated in categories relating to classes, as Ezra saw General, Fighter, Adept, Initiate, and Mystic skills available. Although he only looked at the General skills, they all seemed to cost either SP or a skill token. There were tons of pages available, and before he could delve deeper Ezra was interrupted by everyone else getting ready to move again. The party went through another corridor revealing another room, a mix of limestone and andesite covering the walls and floors. Although it reminded Ezra of a cavern, it was far too smooth and polished to be natural. On the opposite side of them was a set of stone stairs naturally built into the wall, leading to safety, baths, and some good food. Tired smiles appeared on everyone¡¯s faces, after a fierce struggle they all managed to survive to see another day. They made their way to the stairway, as Saber helped Ezra carry the corpse up so the body wouldn¡¯t be damaged more than necessary. As he looked up the stairs, Ezra was met with darkness that seemed to absorb any source of light. Ilyana, and Claire walked up unfazed and appeared to be consumed by it, although Ezra knew in reality it was harmless and just another teleportation mechanic. Step by step they made their way towards the darkness, Saber maintained his professional silence although there was a slight glare in his eyes whenever he stared at Ezra. All sense of direction felt lost inside the darkness, yet oddly enough Ezra knew he was still moving forward. After an innumerable amount of time they both felt a shift in their surroundings, as a source of light illuminated the rest of the stairs up. A smile plastered on Ezra¡¯s face, as he felt the fresh air brushing past the holes in his armor and onto his bare skin. An urge to yell and express his feelings in a myriad of different ways overcame him, however someone beat him to the punch roaring with a mix of hatred and agony. ¡°IT¡¯S ALL YOUR FAULT YOU BASTARD!¡± Two groups of adventurers faced off at the plaza below, other adventurers passing by and vendors stationed throughout the area ignored them as if it were a common occurrence. A human lady was being held back by members of her party, as she lunged at an old man and the rest of his party. She was an attractive woman, with dark brown skin and black hair straightened into a ponytail. She seemed to nearly froth at the mouth in anger, as her amber eyes glared intensely at the man. Equipped in a skimpy set of iron armor that only covered her chest, feet, and pelvic area, she smashed her iron gauntlets together in a demonstration of what would come should her friends let go. The elder showed an expression of sorrow and disappointment at her outburst. Long grey hair flowed from beneath his red pointy wizard hat to his shoulders. Wrinkly white skin littered with freckles, and a beard that matched the length of his hair. With a matching set of fiery red and orange robes he was the stereotypical image of a wizard, as he flaunted his elemental mastery of fire with his outfit. The brawler¡¯s party tried to calm her down, the majority of the dialogue unheard as they were too far to hear. One of the people holding her back, a white swordsman judging by his gear, whispered something in her ear and she deflated with a look of reluctance. With one final glare, the feisty woman left followed by her party in the other direction. The wizard walked away while laughing with his group of adventurers. Sonja shook her head while staring at the old man, a neutral expression on her face. ¡°I feel bad for the lady down there, it seems like that old man plotted against her and her cohorts.¡± Although he didn¡¯t know the full story, Ezra burned the image of the old conman and intense lady into his mind. They resumed walking down the steps, people passing by took glances at the corpse Saber and Ezra carried down the stairs. As they finally arrived at the bottom, Ezra realized he was too star-struck by the tower to have noticed the mini-market in the plaza. There were no world shaking artifacts, or magical potions that could possibly save your life, just normal people at their various stalls offering cheap food or trying to catch someone¡¯s attention with their shoddy craftsmanship. People advertising their services here were too poor to afford a license in the commercial district. The city didn¡¯t restrict anyone from making business near the dungeon tower however. Although the dungeon tower was a beautiful work of art by itself, Ezra couldn¡¯t help but stop to appreciate the diversity and work ethic of the people here. It only lasted a moment though, as a bright eyed boy in plain clothes ran up to them. ¡°¡¯Cuse me sirs and misses, my brother can help take that body ye lugging to wherever ye plan on selling it for only a few copper credits.¡± He motioned towards a decrepit corner where a teenager stood ignored by the masses. He seemed around 15, his body showing signs of muscle development from hours of manual labor. After glancing at the siblings and thinking for a moment, Saber paid the boy ten copper credits bringing a giant smile to the boy¡¯s face. Nodding obediently, the child ran back to fetch his older sibling while Ezra relaxed knowing he wouldn¡¯t have to drag the body anymore. Claire approached her brother with an expression of melancholy, similar sights of other children hustling for their struggling families in order to bring back a tiny bit more money around them. Some of them weren¡¯t as well-fed, clothed, or bathed as the boy that approached them. The majority of these children suffered from one or more of these problems. It shocked Claire how Ilyana and Saber didn¡¯t even bat an eyelash treating it like a casual display. "How hard is it to live in this city, that children are forced to do odd jobs for a few copper credits¡­Some of them clearly don¡¯t even have the strength to walk!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you Claire. It probably costs a lot just to keep this city running, so families have to rely on everybody to help pay their taxes.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do to truly help them can we?¡± ¡°Not unless you want their whole family to become dependent on us, then we¡¯ll both end up just like those kids barely surviving. The only difference is we¡¯d have to risk our lives everyday just to make ends meet. We only brought ten silver credits, not even enough to sustain us at that inn for a few weeks let alone a whole family.¡± Back in Rockhollow, everyone was friendly and respectful to one another, even willing to help their fellow neighbor in times of need. The existence of the dungeon served as a platform to allow people¡¯s greed to overshadow any sense of morality. Everything was just so different compared to back home. Maybe if they had more money, or were more successful, helping them wouldn¡¯t be outside their capabilities. Ezra and Claire went silent lost in their own thoughts, as the siblings returned with a wooden cart. They both had Asian features, with light brown hair and eyes, making one believe they¡¯d be twins if there wasn¡¯t such a large age gap. They both got to work quickly moving the body into the cart. The older sibling never spoke a word, only responding with grunts that were hard to define between satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Seeing as getting him to talk would be difficult, Claire made conversation with the younger brother. The elder brother was named Wang Zhihao, and the younger was called Wang Cai. The child¡¯s giggles reduced the invisible tension in the group, as everyone seemed a little bit happier. Even Ilyana went up to chat with the boy, who was just happy to have become friends with some brave adventurers. Positioning himself in front of the cart, Wang Zhihao dragged the cart by its handles. Wang Cai followed the cart from behind, making sure the corpse didn¡¯t shift and fall onto the ground. It was important someone watched from behind, as moving between districts required walking up and down large steep ramps. The design was annoying for people simply going about their day, but was a necessary choke point in case another dungeon outbreak were to occur. ¡°We know of a decent butcher, if ye didn¡¯t already have plans¡­and a leatherworker for ye armor too.¡± Ilyana motioned for them to lead the way, as Ezra moved Sonja off Claire¡¯s tired back and onto his. She had been carrying the beastfolk and her staff for around half an hour, her new strength surprising Ezra as he was used to being the strongman. Sonja¡¯s body was soft like melting butter and seemed to wrap around his body, and for a moment Ezra relished in the sensation before coming to his senses. Ezra didn¡¯t want his sister or Ilyana to think he was some pervert, so he shook his head around in an attempt to purge himself of his impure thoughts. It didn¡¯t help that Sonja¡¯s grey ears flopped onto his shoulders, the tips shaking with his every step in his peripheral. They looked so soft and fluffy¡­a light slap on his cheeks and Ezra refocused on the path ahead. It took around ten minutes to cross the first ramp, his speed decreasing with each ramp they were forced to cross. He was only slightly stronger than the average human, and despite Sonja¡¯s small frame the up climb battle was proving difficult. Thankfully they finally made it back to the 4th district, the largest one of them all. From forges billowing heat and bashing molten metal, shops packed with adventurers trying to grab a potent salve or potion, the Dungeon City¡¯s commercial district was its largest attraction, besides the Continental Dungeon. Due to its location, the quality and quantity of goods surpassed any other city. In fact, people would frequent shops looking for overlooked magic artifacts. Passing by various alchemy shops advertising their wares, Ezra chided himself for his previous unpreparedness the first time they entered. Exotic smells found their way into everyone¡¯s nostrils, restaurants enticing crowds into their shops with the smell of their food alone. Some of them higher end restaurants used ingredients found directly from the dungeon, making their food ridiculously expensive and delicious. After distracting themselves within the sights of various establishments, they finally arrived at the butchery. Ilyana and Saber went inside to negotiate followed by the siblings and the corpse, while Ezra and Claire waited outside nearby. Having placed Sonja against a random bench nearby, Ezra stretched his body before sitting down on the edge of the bench. Claire stood at his side, as they both settled into a comfortable silence watching people pass by. ¡°How long do you think she¡¯ll be asleep for?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know she seems to be in a deep sleep.¡± As Claire finally joined Ezra on the bench, he wrestled with indecision before speaking. ¡°Are you mad at me for how I reacted down there?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say mad, but more so disappointed in how you acted¡­I get that you¡¯re worried about my well-being but Ilyana, Sonja, and Saber are all living, breathing people.¡± ¡°You of all people, with what you¡¯ve experience, planned to leave someone to die? Father taught you better than that Ezra.¡± With a disappointed sigh, Claire got up and head into the butchery leaving Ezra to reflect on her words. Sure he could have stood tall like Claire, and risked life and limb for them while forging a hot-blooded friendship like the bedtime stories. Maybe she was also right about Baron Wilmont teaching them both to be better than this. However before they left for the city, he spoke to Ezra with a serious expression on his face. ¡°The reason why I have to speak to you alone is because Claire won¡¯t understand what I¡¯m about to say. I¡¯ve raised her to become someone with a noble and pure heart, in hopes she would take over as Baroness.¡± ¡°You however aren¡¯t as na?ve as your sister Ezra, you¡¯ve directly experienced how terrible people can really be. Prioritize you and Claire¡¯s safety above all else. Nothing is more important than both of you coming back safely.¡± Ezra never forgot what the Baron said because he was right. Ezra took what Claire said to heart because she was also right. He was faced with a dilemma he wouldn¡¯t be able to answer anytime soon, but everyone exited the butchery serving as a distraction for Ezra¡¯s internal strife. Delivering swift hugs to everyone, Wang Cai said his goodbyes as Zhihao allowed a small smile to appear on his face. They both waved a heartfelt goodbye, as they journeyed back to the plaza to look for more customers. ¡°Since Sonja is still recovering, and we¡¯d all like to earn our share we¡¯ll split up for now. Claire you can take Sonja and her stuff back to her room, while Saber, Ezra, and I will head to the alchemist and split up the day¡¯s profit after getting our money.¡± Claire readily agreed and picked up Sonja and her staff, before heading in the direction of the guild base. Carrying a large jar filled with a lime green fluid and a round fleshy object, Saber handed it to Ezra and proceeded to wipe his hands off on his armor. Oddly enough, although Saber¡¯s leather armor took around the same damage as Ezra and Claire, it seemed less torn and abused as if it was slowly repairing. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°The brain of the kobold shaman. Although there might be a restaurant that would be willing to cook and serve brains, we¡¯d be better off just selling it at an alchemist.¡± Ezra started dry heaving immediately. Ilyana and Saber acted confused at his reaction, as he struggled to comprehend why they acted like he was the weird one. All adventurers couldn¡¯t be this crazy right? Chapter 8 ¡°Do you know the reason why we sent Claire away?¡± Ilyana asked as she slowly walked towards their intended destination. Ezra understood she was trying to set a mood, but with the majority of people in the area being intimidating looking adventurers, he was more worried about getting in their way rather than an earful from her. ¡°She was the obvious choice for bringing Sonja back¡­and you want to talk about what I said earlier in the dungeon.¡± ¡°So you thought it was okay to abandon us, and escape with your sister?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Without hesitation Ezra replied. Saber¡¯s glare intensified as he stared at Ezra. Repeatedly he belittled the importance of himself and his friends, they were people too and he was justifying that their deaths were inconsequential in his eyes? Saber tried to maintain his cool on a regular basis, however he was reaching a breaking point. Before he did anything he¡¯d regret, Saber decided to talk his problems out with the young man. ¡°We¡¯re a team Ezra, which means we¡¯re supposed to work together. When you agreed to join our party, you signed up to stick with us through thick and thin. How am I supposed to trust my back to you, when you¡¯re willing to abandon me in the middle of danger like I¡¯m some stranger?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you were thinking, but Claire and I are two normal people. We¡¯ve never fought monsters to death, we¡¯ve never seen injuries worse than small cuts and bruises, so stop imposing your expectations on us!¡± Saber visibly flinched not expecting the outburst, as Ezra continued his tirade now that he had momentum on his side. ¡°Just because we keep killing monsters and going about our day in the dungeon, doesn¡¯t mean that we aren¡¯t affected by it! You saw how I reacted to this-¡± He shook around the kobold brain emphasizing his point. ¡°This disgusts me like any normal person! The corpses of those kobolds sprawled around, watching their blood continue to pool up disgusts me! The only reason I¡¯m doing this is because I have to watch over my sister¡¯s safety!¡± ¡°If you were so concerned about your sister¡¯s safety, then why would you hide such a powerful ability at your disposal? You made that battle more difficult for your sister, and almost cost us all our lives!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not wha-¡­you don¡¯t understand.¡± At this point their focus was entirely on each other, ignoring all of their surroundings. Suddenly Saber and Ezra were both wacked on the head, their assailant revealing themselves to be Ilyana sporting a fierce glare at both of them. She grabbed both men by their ears and dragged them past the crowd of people that formed around them into an alleyway nearby. ¡°Saber what the fuck? I get why you¡¯re mad, but think with your head instead of your heart. If you had someone you cared deeply about, wouldn¡¯t you prioritize their safety above all else?¡± She turned to Ezra, any form of a smirk wiping away from his face instantly. ¡°Ezra you need to stop blaming the fact you¡¯re here because you need to protect your sister. She¡¯s a grown woman making her own decision to risk her life here, like every other person who died knowing this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you never had thoughts of becoming rich overnight, or becoming a living legend due to your strength! You act like the type of person who wants all of the rewards, without any of the hard work required to obtain it.¡± Seeing as this was turning into a lecture, Ezra tried to exit but was blocked by Saber. ¡°You know Ilyana¡¯s right man¡­I¡¯m sorry for the way I¡¯ve previously acted, but Ezra but you¡¯re making it hard for us to like you. We were thinking of kicking you off the team and convincing your sister to party with us, but that¡¯s not going to work is it.¡± All of a sudden Saber¡¯s personality flipped, as he put his arm around Ezra¡¯s shoulder much to his discomfort. ¡°How about the three of us go out tonight and destress. Hey I know this place, great environment and even greater people. We can drink and discuss civilly problems we have with each other, since clearly there are a couple of misunderstandings. How about it are you in Ezra?¡± Saber offered his free hand towards the young man for a handshake, his green eyes contemplating his decision before he warily grasped his hand in acceptance.
A large fur covered hand slammed against a large table, the sturdy wooden framework not reacting in the slightest from the powerful slam. ¡°I thought you said you could handle this, Omen of the Old Order, Maximillian. Elves and Beastfolk are still being abducted throughout the continent and only a handful of slave catchers have been executed.¡± A giant bipedal silver wolf¡¯s deep voice fluently spoke the common tongue as it discussed current events on a large chair designed like a throne. A scar from some beast marred his face, his snarl frightening some of the humans and elves in the surrounding stands. The figureheads of each former nation sat at a large table in similar styled chairs, surrounded by bright minded individuals from all of their races. They¡¯ve all come together to form the Council, a new government structure that threw away the old styles of monarchy and dynasties. An alliance created by the continent¡¯s three largest nations, the humans, elves, and beastfolk, serving to protect the populace and advance progress in the Continental Dungeon. While the three figureheads would debate on important issues, the representatives in the stands would be overseen by a leader knowledgeable in the subject to create laws that were efficient and logically sound in the council¡¯s eyes. The former warrior king and champion of the beastfolk, Nothur Krarqun the Titan. Many stories claimed his bestial form made him as tall as a two story building, yet his lack of witnesses left those questions widely up to debate. It didn¡¯t change the fact his aura alone would scare off even the bravest of souls, assuming they weren¡¯t already pissing themselves as a hulking, muscular, silver wolf stalked towards you. ¡°Nothur¡¯s point stands, however I¡¯m more interested in the reports of this new civilized race.¡± A beautiful elf with a regal aura sat on the opposite side of the Nothur. With luscious black hair and radiant grey eyes, combined with the sharp lines of her body gave her a picturesque figure.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Syndra Vengalla, former queen of the elves, renowned for her ability to hear the will of the world tree, Yggdrasil. Back when Pangea was a more destabilized land, Yggdrasil offered them protection and stability, and ever since the elves have worshipped the world tree as their true deity. Her slender fingers pointed at a large island the continent of Pangea, on the world map displayed on the table. It was far to the south of any other establishments of civilization, surrounded by the ocean further secluding the area. The water was full of dangerous creatures preventing the majority of travel into the mostly unexplored territory. ¡°These people known as...¡°Dwarves¡± have shown considerable ability with metallurgy and crafting. Their techniques are way ahead of our own, and with their help our weapons and armor could advance by leaps and bounds.¡± Syndra¡¯s melodious voice garnered the attention of men and women alike in the room, although it was overshadowed by Nothur¡¯s gruff reply. ¡°How do you expect us to convince them to join us? The Old Order is proving difficult enough as is, and the revelation of that quest 10 years ago has already thinned out our resources.¡± The former hushed whispers and discussions on the sidelines quickly quietened down. Any mention of that quest outside of the room was deemed illegal by the council. Besides the people inside the room, only the heads of important factions in the world know of its existence and sworn to secrecy with a soul contract.
Quest Window
Over the course of centuries, the underworld has been secretly conducting dark rituals to summon their leaders into the mortal plane. Within five years, a demon of considerable strength will enter this world bringing death and destruction if he¡¯s not stopped. Journey to this new continent and defeat the demons before they send this world to eternal damnation.
Grade ¨C Epic Time Limit ¨C 5 Years Remaining Reward - ??? Failure ¨C Destruction of Pangea
A new voice spoke out, confident and steady, as he drew the attention of everyone in the room with each syllable he uttered. ¡°Every second this imposed deadline has steadily ticked down, we only have five years left people. Every resource not dedicated towards this cause, could result in another life unnecessarily being lost.¡± ¡°Thankfully our combined efforts have started bearing fruit recently. With the creation of the Academy, we¡¯ve received reports of three youths receiving never before seen classes. Their abilities have redefined the strength of a Level I, and their future potential seems limitless.¡± Applause rung out in the room, these young adults would become the future symbols of the Council. Their class, Chosen, have brought many implications about the class system that are still widely debated. Of course expressions of greed surface amongst some, but they knew how far they were allowed to influence these youths. All attention went on Maximillian Sigurdsson, former king of humanity, as he called for silence to continue his speech. A handsome middle aged man with salt and pepper hair and brown eyes, he naturally oozed charisma with every syllable he spoke. ¡°We¡¯ve wasted enough time trying to tackle the Old Order by ourselves. I realize my prior mistake in not involving the adventurers earlier, and would like to change my vote to create a new quest.¡± The rewards the council would offer wouldn¡¯t be cheap, whether it be a large sum of credits, tokens, or even a guild obelisk. Although the majority of the rewards were meant for the adventurers, the businessmen in the stands whispered amongst themselves plotting a way to get a cut of the profits. ¡°My former vote stays the same.¡± ¡°My vote is the same as before.¡± ¡°As we¡¯ve come to a unanimous ruling, a new quest shall be created calling for the destruction of the Old Order.¡± Murmurs of approval rung amongst the crowd, yet Maximillian called for silence as he spoke once again. ¡°I¡¯d also like to gain the approval of the rest of the Council, to fund another dimensional expedition.¡± The murmurs died out, replaced with open discussion as everyone speculated with their neighbors. ¡°Another expedition? It hasn¡¯t even been a year since the last one.¡± One human spoke out amongst his peers. ¡°You know how much everyone involved profited from the previous expedition? I don¡¯t blame the human leader for trying to start another one.¡± An elf voiced out his opinion. ¡°This would be a good opportunity for the Adventurer Guild to increase their strength, while the Council could reap benefits at the same time.¡± A beastfolk speculated. Nothur released a throaty laugh as he rubbed his chin, his eyes shimmering with glee at the thought of his brethren bring glory to the Beast Lands. ¡°Good¡­Good, you¡¯re always managing to surprise me Maximillian. Normally I would have approved of this action, however the Old Order is too much of a threat to ignore.¡± The crowd looked towards Maximillian, looking forward to the oncoming debate and seeing if he could sway Nothur¡¯s judgement. Every decision made by the Council required a unanimous decision by its three leaders. A former adventurer, Nothur would offer his battle experience for less diplomatic matters. Adventurers to this day still hold deep respect (and fear) of Nothur, and it applied to the Council as well. Besides the knowledge gained from the world tree, Syndra has decades of magical knowledge at her disposal. Leading a society of like-minded scholars, she has committed herself to learning the secrets of the Continental Dungeon. As a normal human, Max didn¡¯t have much to provide in regards to magic or warfare. However he was equipped with a shrewd mind and a knack for business, making Max an indispensable member of the Council. The three of them brought together their wealth of experience to make the most logical decisions that would benefit society as a whole. ¡°I agree with you, but the results of the last dimensional expedition could help immensely with acquiring the support of the dwarves. Not a single natural mythril deposit has been spotted as far as we¡¯ve explored, and they¡¯ve shown an interest in the metal from our initial interaction.¡± ¡°How do you expect to recruit them, when we have terrorists roaming across our lands without repercussion? Based on the way they¡¯ve acted, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they tried to enslave this new race.¡± ¡°Yet we could use this new material to our advantage. If this dimensional expedition goes well we could outfit our forces, try to create a meeting with the dwarves using this raw material, and trap the Old Order at the same time while showcasing our might.¡± ¡°You¡¯re hoping for too much, this is assuming that everything works out perfectly. There are too many variables to rely on in your plan¡­¡± Having arrived at an impasse both leaders turned towards Syndra for her opinion. Her eyes were closed as she rested a hand on her face, as if she were processing some information. After a moment she opened her eyes again, and gave her opinion. ¡°Yggdrasil has recommended focusing on the Old Order. They¡¯re not a threat to take lightly, and if left unchecked will bring unnecessary problems to us.¡± Nothur nodded in agreement and Maximillian gave up on pushing the topic further. Whenever Syndra would get advice from Yggdrasil, it was damn near impossible to convince her otherwise. Of course Max understood why they both thought his plan was a bad idea, but currently he was in a bad position to attempt pushing his viewpoint. Every single time these slave-catchers were captured, all of them just happened to be human. The majority of their prisoners were either beastfolk or elves, and it wasn¡¯t a good look for the human race. Looking back at the history of humanity, years of enslaving beastfolk and elves has led to whispers amongst their communities that the Old Order was secretly led by Maximillian. Of course no one in the room believed those rumors, but the public ate up any bit of gossip especially those hinting at a conspiracy. As the representative of the human race, it was Maximillian¡¯s goal to restore their tarnished image. Nowadays most humans didn¡¯t share the same sentiments of the other races like their ancestors, thinking them as a lesser species and unworthy of their own independent action. It took a lot of work getting this far, and he had to especially thank the existence of the Continental Dungeon. It was easier for people to band together, when they all had a common enemy to rally against. The creation of the Council was a large step towards the complete unity of the continent, and although progress has been steady mishaps were guaranteed to happen. Max couldn¡¯t afford any costly mistakes, and the Old Order has shown themselves to be quite resourceful. Nothur and Syndra were right after all, they were too dangerous to leave alone. His eyes hardened as he commanded for silence from the crowd. ¡°Then we shall all work together, for the complete and utter annihilation of the Omen of the Old Order.¡± Chapter 9 Ezra, Saber, and Ilyana arrived in front of a large establishment. After selling the kobold brain to an alchemist, Saber deftly led them through a set of alleyways towards the aforementioned tavern. A set of wooden swinging doors allowed a glimpse of the debauchery taking place inside. Gruff men and hardened women of all breeds drunk cheap booze and ate cheap food, while gambling away with their cohorts to earn enough for an extra drink. The waitresses wore black maid uniforms that covered too little while emphasizing too much, serving flirtatious looks or bending down too far near a wide eyed adventurer for an easy tip. Ezra was shell-shocked and looked back at the title of the building, The Aromatic Gentlewomen. It seemed more like a whorehouse than an actual inn, and when has the food ever been trustworthy from such an establishment? ¡°What¡¯s the big deal, go in Ezra?¡± With a slight jeer, Saber pushed Ezra forward into the building as he found himself making eye contact with a large hulking beast of a man. Muscles flexing in areas Ezra didn¡¯t know possible, and a heavily scarred tanned face, Ezra would have turned away immediately if he didn¡¯t have to maintain his dignity in front of Ilyana and Saber. With a sadistic smile, he sauntered over as he looked Ezra up and down like a piece of meat. His body towered over him, and Ezra knew within seconds this man could (and probably would) crush him with his bicep alone for pure enjoyment. ¡°Ye can look at the women all ye want, but any unwanted contact or ye start a scene and I¡¯ll throw ye back whence ye came from.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry Vince, he¡¯s with us. He won¡¯t try any funny business he¡¯s a decent guy, unlike some of the people that normally come in.¡± Saber and Ilyana followed him inside, their presence turning the man¡¯s scathing glare into one filled with amusement. ¡°Fresh talents from the Adventurer Academy, yer graduation class is most impressive this year. Try not to die too lamely and show how the academy is a waste of tax credits.¡± Although the message seemed angry, Vince and the duo seemed as if they were sharing banter. As Vince moved out of the way, Ezra was shocked by how large the interior was despite the mishmash of tables in the middle forming a miniature labyrinth. The richer customers seemed to reside in posh private rooms with some of the waitresses, or in one of the booths stationed on the edges of the room. Lanterns adorned the patterned wallpaper giving the room a low glow, and the checkered stone tiles were surprisingly clear of any dirt or grime. From the outside it looked like a regular dirty tavern, and Ezra wrongfully assumed the interior would be just as messy. Appearances truly were deceiving. Trying to get past the collection of tables, all varied in shape and size, proved difficult without nearly angering one of the patrons. Ezra was astounded how Saber, Ilyana, and the waitresses deftly avoided bumping and colliding into the tables. In comparison, Ezra moved with as much grace as a feral goblin. If it weren¡¯t for the presence of the hardened adventurers, the tavern would have had a warm, inviting atmosphere and possibly turned into a modest restaurant. Instead some of the stress and tension from the dungeon was visible on their faces, as they drunk and gambled their problems away. If they were lucky enough to attract one of the waitresses¡¯ attention, then another method of stress relief was a possibility. There were guards stationed near the private rooms, the bar, and in each corner of the room. They were all just as bulky and intimidating as Vince, and the reason for their presence quickly became apparent. Any of the drunk adventurers trying to get too touchy with one of the waitresses was promptly thrown out of the establishment. The trio sat down at a wooden round table, as a red headed waitress came by with beautifully designed menus before attending to the other patrons. After she left, a flowery perfume lingered near the table as it filled Ezra¡¯s nostrils. Aromatic indeed. Opening up the menu, Ezra was shocked by the variety of meats ranging from bears, wolves, and other animals. Water, juices, and mead were listed but the majority of the people in the room seemed to prefer the alcoholic drink. It was all moderately cheap too. The alchemist bought the kobold brain for 5 silver credits, split five ways and they each earned a silver. The most expensive thing on the menu was around 700 copper credits, leaving them with a measly 300 copper credits. Too bad he already had to pay out of pocket to repair his leather armor. There was considerable damage on it making repairs cost 15 silver, but Saber and Ilyana managed to haggle it down to 10 silver credits. Since Claire would have to get the same repairs on her armor, their total funds shot down to around 77 silver credits due to other purchases. ¡°Don¡¯t let its appearance deceive you, the food and booze is mediocre at best. Still it¡¯s one of the better spots in the city, as they try to appear classier than others. Despite the fact the waitresses double as prostitutes.¡± Another eye opening experience that made Ezra feel more sheltered than his peers. Ilyana, Saber, and even Sonja were around their age yet they¡¯ve experience so much more compared to himself. Everything seemed crude compared to what Ezra was used to, refreshing appetizers of fruit and drink followed by sumptuous venison and pork with freshly squeezed wine. If a lifestyle empty of the amenities he¡¯s grown used to was what awaited him, Ezra dreaded the forthcoming months. Although he wasn¡¯t one of those rich snot-nosed nobles, budgeting was still a somewhat foreign concept he¡¯d have to get used to. Seeing as he was severely out of his league, Ezra followed Ilyana and Saber¡¯s example, ordering a slab of beef served with crude mead. It all came together at 400 copper credits, and after thinking about future expenses Ilyana started some small talk. ¡°So would you care to explain your newfound abilities and class Ezra? As far as I¡¯m aware this is a never before seen class. The Adventurer Guild will probably question you about its origins once they find out about it.¡± At first Ezra was reluctant to share his secrets, but ultimately changed his mind as Saber¡¯s previous words came to mind. ¡°Well the Mystic class offered me a choice of two skills when I originally obtained it. [Aura Reading] and [Soul Bolt], of which I picke-¡± ¡°Wait a minute. You were only offered two skills, and one of them happens to be [Aura Reading]? That¡¯s a skill gained from Level 2 Fighter classes, a shame you didn¡¯t pick it¡­although your choice saved our lives.¡± As Saber finished interrupting him, Ezra took the opportunity to ask his own questions to the young man. ¡°Was I supposed to get more than two choices of starter skills? You both obviously know more about this dungeon and status stuff than me. What¡¯s the difference between levels and ranks?¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Normally when you obtain a new class, you¡¯re offered a choice of three basic skills in its parameters. The fact you only got two choices means you obtained a basic skill already.¡± ¡°Levels are a static baseline of overall skill, and are the best way to judge someone¡¯s strength. For example, a Level 1 Fighter is obviously weaker than a Level 2 Warrior. Ranks on the other hand, are an indicator of the experience, both system experience and general experience, you¡¯ve accumulated during a Level. When you¡¯ve gained enough experience, you¡¯ll be able to level up to another class.¡± ¡°A Fighter could still kill a Warrior though right? How about someone with the same class, but there¡¯s a gap in their ranks?¡± ¡°Between levels it¡¯s very hard for a lower level to kill a higher level, although not impossible, as the Warrior would have more stats, skills, and battle experience compared to the Fighter. A difference between ranks isn¡¯t as bad, as the only deciding factor would be their skills and ingenuity.¡± As Saber finished his explanation, Ezra was left with more questions than answers. How did [Soul Bolt] compare to other skills at his level? It seemed awfully effective against the shaman. Ilyana, Saber, and Sonja were more experienced than him, yet they struggled to even harm the elite monster. Ezra knocked it out with a couple blasts of [Soul Bolt] with the only downside being extreme nausea. ¡°What¡¯s an Elite ranked monster and how strong are they?¡± ¡°Well first off the official Adventurer Guild created a ranking system to categorize monster strength. There are normal ranked monsters whose strength is based on the floor you¡¯re currently on. Although there¡¯s nothing noteworthy about them, they¡¯re still monsters that have the ability to harm and kill you if you¡¯re not careful. Then there¡¯s elite ranked monsters, typically creatures who¡¯ve gone through some form of mutation and have become much stronger. They¡¯re enough of a threat that it¡¯d take a combined effort of a whole party to defeat them alone. That¡¯s not including the fact that they can, and usually will, spawn with similar creature types. Think of them as a mini boss of sorts. The last type are boss monsters, who spawn on every tenth floor and their purpose is to prevent us from going deeper in the Continental Dungeon. They¡¯re extremely powerful creatures capable of wrecking parties of adventurers by themselves. When we get to the 10th floor, we¡¯ll have to team up with other parties to even have a chance of defeating the boss. After they¡¯re defeated powerful rewards are given based on contribution and the boss type, and we¡¯ll be allowed to delve further into the dungeon.¡± This was valuable information about the inner workings of the dungeon. As Ezra was about to continue explaining his class, a man¡¯s furious curses brought their table¡¯s attention. ¡°Fuck off you useless bastard before I snap one of those twigs you call an arm.¡± A group of three men laughed and mocked an older man who stood near their table. He had shaggy brown hair, a misshapen stubble adorning his face, and wore a set of glasses clearly too small for him. He was extremely thin and wore clothes that could nearly be considered rags. After going through another failure, the dirty man walked towards their table. ¡°Excuse me folks, my name is Rodney, and if you fine adventurers need someone to pick up your loot I¡¯m your guy! For only 50 copper credits I will take care of all of your porter needs.¡± With a monotone voice and bored expression, it seemed as if Rodney already expected a bad outcome. He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes in response, as adventurers would usually throw their trash at him for disrupting their meals. Otherwise they would trample upon the little dignity Rodney had left. After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes and was shocked that the three youths in front of him viewed him with no obvious scorn or disgust. As their de facto leader, Ilyana took the lead with the conversation. ¡°Why are you so desperate to become a porter? 50 copper is way below the usual price¡­¡± ¡°I need quick credits for my family and look at me¡­¡± He gestured towards his weak frame as if it was a sufficient answer. ¡°Could you give us a moment, I¡¯d like to discuss with my companions before we make a decision.¡± The older man backed off, as Ilyana, Saber, and Ezra discussed the pros and cons of Rodney becoming their porter. It was a quick and easy decision, and after inviting the man back they accepted his offer. 50 copper credits was cheap pay for carrying around their loot and dead bodies, and the party saw no reason not to take advantage of his price. After settling on a meeting time two days later as Sonja had to rest her body tomorrow, their waitress returned with their food. After looking at the food and glancing back at the patrons confirmed Ezra¡¯s thoughts that people came more for the women than the food. Everyone dug into their meals and although the food wasn¡¯t that good in Ezra¡¯s opinion, it gave him a sense of satisfaction that he survived another day to eat another meal. ¡°Oh that¡¯s right, you and your sister both need to register at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild tomorrow. They provide people like us with protection against certain legal matters that are out of our hands. Plus you can receive jobs from around the continent, in case you don¡¯t want to enter the dungeon.¡± How come Jericho didn¡¯t inform them about this as they joined the guild? Ilyana grabbed his attention before he could continue his line of thought. ¡°Hey guys, we successfully completed our first dungeon run. No causalities or life threatening injuries amongst us or our friends back at the guild. I know there¡¯s been some disagreements between us¡­¡± Saber and Ezra both coughed as they failed to make eye contact with Ilyana. ¡°But let¡¯s put that behind us. We¡¯re teammates, and we need to act more like that from now on. Here¡¯s to a better beginning alright you two?¡± Raising her mug into the air, it became apparent what she was signaling Ezra and Saber to do. They both followed her example, and clanged cups together before taking chugs of their drinks. Thinking it was like wine, Ezra swallowed a large amount before coughed profusely as Ilyana and Saber furiously patted his back in an attempt to relieve him. Everyone in the room seemed to laugh at his accident, chanting the name ¡°Greenhorn¡± as Saber consoled him. ¡°Slow down there Ezra, you can¡¯t be claiming you¡¯re an adventurer if you can¡¯t hold in a lil¡¯ alcohol.¡± Even Saber and Ilyana shared in the rest of the restaurant¡¯s humor, as Ezra tried to hide his embarrassment in the depths of his mug. After a few moments of laughing at his expense, Ilyana coughed signaling Saber to stop while asking Ezra to continue talking about this class. ¡°Basically I have this connection to some spiritual plane, and can see spirits although I haven¡¯t seen one yet. My ability [Soul Bolt] seems like a nice skill, but it uses my own soul as fuel and the same could be true about any future skills. I don¡¯t understand why I have these abilities, but if I can protect my sister¡­and you guys with it too, I¡¯ll try my best.¡± ¡°After a sip of mead you finally start to care for your teammates. Who would¡¯ve thought the Greenhorn could express himself like this¡­¡± A snide remark from Saber that normally would have riled Ezra into starting another argument only served to emphasize his next words. ¡°Please stop it¡¯s a terrible nickname¡­You know you asked me what was keeping me in the city earlier. Before I first got my class, I gained a skill called [Spiritual Dream] that activated involuntarily. It allowed me to view this beautiful savannah filled with beautiful music and these giant tipis.¡± Finishing his mug, Ezra motioned for another drink despite his burning throat. As he was distracted watching the waitress, Saber chose the pause in his monologue to interrupt his thoughts. ¡°Where exactly are you going with this? The skill sounds interesting but currently seems pretty useless.¡± ¡°I felt a strange connection within that dream, but abruptly woke up before anything could happen. I probably wouldn¡¯t have gotten this skill without the help of the dungeon, and there¡¯s an instinctual feeling that I have to return there. I don¡¯t know how since the skill hasn¡¯t worked ever since I obtained it, but I¡¯ll figure it out eventually.¡± ¡°That is my other reason for staying in the Continental Dungeon, and after mulling over the rest of your words I realized I¡¯ve treated you all terribly. From now on I, Ezra Wilmont, promise to treat Ilyana, Saber, and Sonja with the same respect as my sister, on the honor of the House of Wilmont.¡± After standing up and finishing the customary noble pledge of honor, Ezra tried to finish his meal but Ilyana and Saber¡¯s shocked expressions stopped him. ¡°Do you both have a question for me now?¡± It was impossible for him to not smirk at both of their shocked reactions. ¡°So you and Claire are both nobles? If you both happen to die and we are the only survivors, your family won¡¯t try to avenge you will they?¡± Worry was etched on both of their faces, as Ilyana and Saber struggled to hide their expressions. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to send a letter back home during the weekend. Your lives shall face no risk at the loss of our own. I, Ezra Wilmont, promise this on the honor of the House of Wilmont.¡± Ezra didn¡¯t realize how relieving it was for the both of them to hear those words. An audible sigh escaped their lips as their previously tense bodies relaxed as the trio returned to small talk and enjoying their meal. What they didn¡¯t notice was the set of malicious gazes in the back of the room. After whispering to each other for a moment, their forces warped from their evil grins before quickly leaving the establishment. Chapter 10 With an excessive amount of exaggeration, Ezra flopped onto the bed having already changed into his night clothes. His whole body felt slightly numb although he blamed it on the alcohol. To distract himself from the odd feelings of his body, Ezra recalled his conversation with Claire. After separating from Ilyana and Saber at the guild, Ezra journeyed to Claire¡¯s room and explained what happened during dinner and their plans for tomorrow. Claire was pleased that her brother made up with their new companions, although she was slightly sad she missed out on such a great bonding experience. What really shocked her though was the fact Ezra planned on switching weapons to claws. She suggested Ezra should use an actual weapon to make up for his lack of experience, but he promptly explained that even when he¡¯d use claws it¡¯d still require hand to hand proficiency to properly wield them. Throughout their training for the dungeon, both siblings drew inspiration from some of the famous adventurers. Like Doran otherwise known as the Blazing Fist. While he was a young man, he wandered the continent looking for a worthy foe to test his abilities. He took advantage of his talent and quickly progressed in his bare-fisted martial arts. Unable to find a worthy foe to test his abilities, Doran found his way to the Continental Dungeon. There he reached new heights mixing martial strength with the power of the elements. Although his tale occurred centuries ago, Doran¡¯s achievements inspired countless generations of youths to follow in his footsteps. On the other hand, Claire took inspiration from Zaleria also known as the Divine Blade. Despite the fact that elves are more gifted in magic rather than strength of arms, Zaleria took up a sword and shield to fight in the dungeon. Having been blessed by the world tree, Yggdrasil, she led humanity past the 8th layer and created the current number one guild, Zenith Warriors. In order to follow in their footsteps, both siblings took up their heroes¡¯ choice of weapons. While Claire found comfort with a sword and shield, Ezra was quickly learning how impractical hand to hand combat truly was when you fought monsters armed with metal weapons and hardened bodies. Raising his arms in the air, Ezra observed the bruises lining his fists and forearms. Repeated use of his arms in his fights, had taken its toll on his body as his armor failed to cushion the force. Luckily there was a priest who took care of the injury, but it would take a day for the bruises to disappear. From what he learned before he came, there were skills able to strengthen and harden his skin but the only method he knew currently required using his skill token. Ezra never planned on using the skill token for it, as it seemed like a waste and he still hadn¡¯t perused the whole system shop for any rare skills. While he was about to take the opportunity to scroll through the system shop, without any warning Ezra felt his body get number and number until he lost all feeling in his body. Was he poisoned during his meal? Did someone realize he was an Amazon and wanted his eyes? Ezra tried to call for help but found himself unable to muster a simple groan. In effort to figure out what was going on, Ezra activated [Spiritual Awareness] and became aware of spirits surrounding his body that seemed to emanate their malicious intentions. Although he couldn¡¯t see any emotion on their smoke like bodies, Ezra instinctually knew they were here to hurt him. Suddenly he lost consciousness but soon opened his eyes to realize he was surrounded by an endless void. As he was caught up gawking at his surroundings, Ezra only realized after a few moments that he wasn¡¯t breathing and flailed about in the void before realizing it was a fruitless endeavor. That wasn¡¯t the only surprising fact, as he looked at his body he realized he was semi-transparent except for the dim purple glow surrounding his body. In fact, he couldn¡¯t feel anything. There was no occasional gust of wind, nor could he tell if the temperature was warm or cold. Ezra was surrounded by nothing and it greatly disturbed him. Unable to tell how much, if any, time was passing, Ezra spent seconds, minutes, hours, possibly years floating in the void with no end in sight. Trapped with his own thoughts, doubts and insecurities that seemed inconsequential bore their full weight on his mind. Soon enough, Ezra started to actually hear his insecurities voiced out. ¡°Coming to the Continental Dungeon was a bad idea, you¡¯ll get yourself and your sister killed.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you let your sister talk your father into not providing equipment and sufficient funds? It¡¯s all your sister¡¯s fault you almost died.¡± ¡°How many more times do you plan on risking your sister¡¯s life?¡± Ezra futilely attempted to block out the reprimands with hands over his ears, yet they kept coming in waves drowning out his own thoughts. ¡°All of your words are a lie! Stop getting in my head!¡± At this point his body was almost completely see-through, although Ezra would have never noticed as his eyes were closed the whole time. It felt like he¡¯d been in the void for days dealing with the same annoying voices repeating their same lines. There was no variety in what they¡¯d say, almost as if it was fake and they were reading from a script¡­ That¡¯s when Ezra realized the problem with his situation. Everything the voices spoke into his mind was irrelevant and full of shit. Why was he afraid of some disembodied voices? Who were they to use his own thoughts against himself? As soon as he thought this, the former human-like voices surrounding him turned into a mishmash of animalistic gibberish. Although Ezra could still feel the malicious intentions in their growls and snarls, it wasn¡¯t as effective as before and his mind felt slightly clearer. Accessing his current situation with fresh eyes, the smoky spirits from earlier managed to surround his body. The difference was these spirits were a dark red as if to symbolize their hostile intentions, and whenever he focused on one of their forms Ezra would see the face of a monster. Goblins, kobolds, they all looked at his body with undisguised killing intent. Annoyed by their presence and manipulation, Ezra mentally told one of the goblin specters to fuck off with a [Soul Bolt]. The affected goblin specter slowly broke down into pieces that remained in the void, while one of the voices disappeared bringing Ezra a feeling of rejuvenation. A smile crept on his face, as his next move became obvious. One by one, Ezra would focus onto a specter and unleash his skill refreshing his mind. Oddly enough there was no blowback from when he usually used [Soul Bolt], as he continuously assaulted the specters haunting him. Soon Ezra was left alone in the void¡­or so he thought. Another specter materialized absorbing the goblin and kobold remnants. With each fragment it absorbed the specter visibly grew another inch, finally stopping once it resembled a cloud. Ezra already had an idea of what this specter was, and as he focused on its gaseous form a familiar toothy grin appeared. The kobold shaman cackled at the puny existence in front of it, preparing to destroy Ezra¡¯s soul for turning him into a mere specter. Was he intimidated by the giant red cloud with a menacing pair of teeth? Rightfully so, as no normal person would experience something like this. Was he furious that specters were able to screw with his mind? Definitely and he didn¡¯t plan on letting this one get a chance either. Immediately Ezra casted a [Soul Bolt] at the monster, yet the specter remained unfazed by his secret weapon. Attempting to bombard the specter with as many [Soul Bolt] as he could muster also proved ineffective, as the cloud shrugged off the blows while stalking towards its eventual victim before summoning its own [Soul Bolt]. The color was the same dark red as its spirit, but the size and quality was leagues ahead of Ezra¡¯s. A muffled explosion rang out, as Ezra was blasted across the seemingly endless void. The purple glow surrounding his body all but disappeared, and without it Ezra felt extremely vulnerable. The shaman¡¯s grating laugh resounded throughout the void, as it slowly flew towards Ezra preparing to toy with him. [Soul Bolt] wouldn¡¯t be enough. Using the time bought by the shaman¡¯s hubris, Ezra tried to think of a plan. When he usually used [Soul Bolt], Ezra would take a small portion of his soul and will it forward like an arrow. What if he used a bigger portion? What if instead of just releasing it immediately, he rotated it around at a high speed? His soul seemed responsive to his thoughts, and there wasn¡¯t enough time to think of a better idea. Beginning the process of [Soul Bolt], Ezra didn¡¯t just stop with the small portion he usually managed. Ezra grabbed as much of his soul as possible without overtaxing it, and commanded it to rotate as fast as possible. The shaman finally made it within a few meters, opting to circle around Ezra like a predator making contact with their prey. Before it got the chance to do anything, Ezra unleashed his charged [Soul Bolt]. One second the kobold shaman was mocking him, the next a gaping hole appeared in the middle of its form. From what Ezra saw, he unleashed a high velocity arrow that pierced through the specter. An unseen pressure lifted from his shoulders, as he instinctually knew he was safe. Left inside the void, Ezra floated around looking for something but was left sorely disappointed. The purple glow around his body never reappeared causing some concern, as it provided a sense of security despite the fact specters were messing with his mind. The best analogy Ezra could come up with was a barrier or shield, since the weaker specters were only able to confuse his thoughts and the shaman specter was the only one able to bypass his defence.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Although he didn¡¯t know what would¡¯ve happened if he never attacked those specters, Ezra didn¡¯t plan staying around any longer in this place. It was barren and unpleasing to the eyes, and Ezra attempted to will himself back to reality like how the rest of his soul-based skills function. Waking up to the dinging of notifications and mental exhaustion, Ezra stretched his limbs before going back to bed. Although he wanted to review them now, he couldn¡¯t muster the strength to keep his eyelids open any longer.
¡°Fwaa¡­.fwaah.¡± Sweat continuously poured from her body, as her arms shakily held onto the dull practice sword within her grasp. Repeating her favorite mantra ¡®mind over matter¡¯, Claire willed herself to perform another [Power Strike]. A weak and dull grey aura the size of a wrist covered both of Claire¡¯s shoulders. As she swung the blade, the aura travelled through her shoulder, forearms, hands, and the blade itself as it finally made contact with the practice dummy. Bang! Claire shielded her face from any splinters before flopping onto the flat training grounds. The sturdy wooden dummy consisted of carved wood shaped like the upper body of a human, with a stand attached under it for support. Aiming for the torso with her swing, the dummy became a husk of its former self. Claire obliterated the upper half of its body leaving only a jagged lower half. For hours, Claire practiced her sword technique and [Power Strike] on various wooden dummies. Since the training grounds was a public area, there were plenty of people nearby who trained their abilities on varying degrees of test dummies. At first Claire was embarrassed since sweat drenched her entire body and outfit, but soon she became too tired to care of a few leers. Although the gains were minimal, Claire knew consistency would help improve her overall ability.
Your Physique has increased by 1.
Your Strength has increased by 1.
Your Resolve has increased by 1.
Power Strike
Tapping into your inner strength, you unleash a blow that¡¯s 110% stronger than normal. Increased ranks reduces strain on body and increases possible applications of the skill.
Level I Rank I ¡ú Rank II
Using the skill consumed a decent chunk of her stamina, only able to perform the skill three times before needing to rest. Disappointed at her results, Claire vowed to increase her endurance. That was the so called ¡°build¡± she was going for, a warrior with lots of lasting power. Practicing until she ranked up Power Strike, Claire would rest until she was confident she could perform another [Power Strike]. Repeated recovery from utter exhaustion allowed Claire to learn [Stamina Recuperation].
Stamina Recuperation
Passively increases the rate you restore your stamina by 1.01 times. Increased ranks increases the speed in which it recovers.
Level I Rank I
Although the effects weren¡¯t obvious now, it¡¯d only get stronger the higher its rank was. The only way to do that was to get tired and recover, since that was how Claire got the skill in the first place. After resting on the floor for a while, Claire struggled to raise her body while glaring at the few lechers on the sidelines. After safely exiting the grounds and returning the practice weapon, Claire watched other adventurers practicing their skills and magic on more advanced dummies. ¡°[Fireball]!¡± An older man in mage attire recited a spell as a mass of condense fire appeared at his palm, before launching it at a metal practice dummy. A small explosion occurred, that everyone ignored since he was isolated from everyone else, destroying the metal mannequin. A young man equipped with a spear dueled with an animated wooden golem. Having never seen a live golem before, Claire entered a stupor observing its features. It was stockier than a normal human, and had no facial features to define itself. Equipped with a sword and shield like herself, it slid into the spearman¡¯s personal space before sweeping him off his feet. After patiently waiting for the man to get up again, the golem backed up again and they resumed sparing. As Claire thought about renting out a golem to practice, a sound similar to someone clearing their throat came from behind. As she turned around, Claire was met with a young woman in parts of iron armor supplemented by leather padding underneath. With fair white skin, shoulder length pink hair, and bright amber eyes, the girl was a cute beauty similar to Sonja. ¡°Hi there, I¡¯m Annabel but you can call me Anna!¡± Her country accent was the first thing that Claire noticed, as she outstretched her hand for a handshake that Claire reciprocated. ¡°I¡¯m Claire Wilmont, a pleasure to meet you.¡± Although she believed Anna to be a ditsy girl at first glance, the rough calluses lining her hand spoke of her experience. After briefly shaking hands and exchanging greetings, Anna explained the reason she walked up to Claire. ¡°Ohmygosh Claire Wilmont! I lived near Rockhollow in a small village called Lerwick, your family has done so much for the surrounding towns. Anyways I saw you practicing your sword skills over there, and you seem like you know what you¡¯re doing. My party and I are still exploring the 1st layer, so I¡¯d like to formally invite you to the party.¡± Although she was deeply flattered that another group was interested in her abilities, Claire¡¯s loyalties were already with Ilyana, Saber, and Sonja. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m already in a group that¡¯s treating me well, so I¡¯ll have to decline your offer. It was nice meeting you though Anna.¡± ¡°Aww shucks, better luck next time! I¡¯ll see you later though Claire!¡± With a hearty laugh the girl walked off towards another section of the training grounds. Left to her own devices, Claire left to grab a quick meal before showering and heading off to bed.
After eating breakfast with Ilyana, Saber, and a recuperated Sonja in the guild hall, Claire and Ezra explained their plans for the day before saying their goodbyes. First they¡¯d both head to the Adventurer Guild to formally register themselves, then they¡¯d look for a weapons shop to purchase claws for Ezra and finally grab their repaired armor from the leather worker. While they were walking to the guild, Ezra would occasionally stop and observe his surroundings a bit before catching up to Claire. She assumed Ezra was trying to learn the [Observe] skill that Sonja mentioned a few days ago, and mimicked Ezra¡¯s movements. Apparently observing people in great detail was the easiest way to obtain the skill, but the only thing Claire learned was how to act like a fool in public. People would send glares or confused stares their way that Claire would shirk away from, while Ezra would ignore them as if he was looking past them. Obtaining skills wasn¡¯t easy, requiring lots of repetition or knowledge of what you¡¯re trying to accomplish. Having given up, Claire sighed as they finally made their way to the Adventurer Guild. A large three story building that once inside enveloped the siblings in its own world. Despite being called the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, there seemed to be a lack of adventurers. It could have been due to the fact they arrived early in the morning, but there were only a few people that looked like adventurers surrounding a tall blue obelisk. A mix of humans, elves, and beastfolk walked with purpose around the room carrying notes and papers. They all wore the same work uniform, a white dress shirt and black pants fashioned with a red blazer featuring a fancily written A on the chest. Sparing a moment to watch the group of workers, Claire and Ezra both walked towards the large receptionist desk. There were 10 people on the other side, either observing the pair or doing menial work until someone approached them. ¡°Hello how can I help you both?¡± A young man with brown hair greeted them with a pleasant smile. ¡°Hi, we¡¯d both like to register as official adventurers.¡± ¡°Ah just give me a second.¡± Reaching down under the receptionist desk, the man brought out a small knife and the smallest obelisk the siblings have ever seen. It was around a foot high, and also blue like the obelisk nearby. Cryptic lines were etched onto its surface, as they occasional pulsed with power. ¡°Could you both make a small cut with this knife and drop some blood onto the obelisk. That¡¯s how you¡¯ll be registered into the Guild¡¯s database.¡± After nicking themselves and letting their blood drop on the obelisk, its surface glowed for a second before returning back to normal. ¡°Since you¡¯re both new adventurers, there are a set of rules that you¡¯ll have to abide by. If you happen to break any of them, you can¡¯t say ¡°Well I didn¡¯t know I couldn¡¯t do that¡±, so make sure to memorize what I¡¯m about to explain to you.¡± After thanking the man for his time and explanation, they left to find a weapon shop. It didn¡¯t take them long, as they arrived at a brick building with an insignia of crossed blades. The sound of chimes rang out as they entered, various swords, axes, polearms, and more lined rows upon rows of the room. All of the weapons were ordered by type and cost, which led to mundane materials like copper and iron appearing at the beginning of each section. A muscular middle aged man rested on his elbows sloppily as if he were bored watching his customers. He wore plain clothes covered by a large leather apron, and his tanned body exuded youthful energy. ¡°Oi are you gonna buy something or keep gawking?!¡± One of the adventurers inside looking at a particularly long blade froze in embarrassment before grabbing it and heading to the counter. The siblings headed to the claws area, and immediately started near with the more lavish weapons. Three menacing blades affixed on a metal gauntlet all made out of runesteel, one of the best metals for enchanting. Runes were inscribed all along its surface, and Ezra nearly salivated at the thought of wielding it. One look at the price tag however sobered him quickly, as they both moved down towards the normal weapons. Ignoring the shoddy designs of copper, Ezra was debating between two sets of iron claw weapons. The first was a pair of iron knuckles with thick rings allowing six inch blades to be attached on each ring. The second was a pair of simple iron gauntlets with three blades of a similar length attached. The gauntlets were priced at 20 silver, 10 more than the iron knuckles. After weighing his options Ezra asked Claire for her opinion. ¡°Well the gauntlets seem more like a defensive weapon as they¡¯ll cover your hands. The knuckles seem less practical in comparison as they¡¯ll expose your hands.¡± Although part of her reasoning was due to practicality, after admiring Anna¡¯s armor yesterday, Claire felt like an idiot for convincing her father not to equip them in the best gear he could afford. ¡°Ah you¡¯re right sis, I guess I¡¯ll try to haggle the gauntlets down.¡± They grabbed the weapon and waited in line for a few minutes before finally arriving at the counter. Before Ezra or Claire could even get a word in, the bored shopkeeper spoke with a serious tone. ¡°20 silver flat take it or leave it.¡± The shopkeeper and Ezra stared at each other for a moment, before Ezra relented and became 20 silver lighter. Once they finally left the shop, Claire couldn¡¯t contain herself any longer and burst out laughing. ¡°Pfffft¡­I thought you said you¡¯d haggle it down, yet you accepted the man¡¯s price immediately¡­¡± ¡°You saw the guy he was huge and was giving me the death glare! There was no way I could bargain with him. Besides you didn¡¯t even try to help me! We need to start low with kind grannies selling fruits or something¡­¡± Despite his grumbling, Ezra¡¯s smile betrayed the joy he felt as he admired his new weapons. Claire only hoped he¡¯d be able to keep his smile with her next words. ¡°You know you¡¯ll have to accompany me to the training grounds today right? You can¡¯t go in the dungeon without knowing how to use your weapon.¡± With a groan from Ezra signifying the start of the walk, both siblings left to pick up their armor and train for tomorrow. Chapter 11 ¡°So this is the inside of the dungeon¡­a lil lackluster if you ask me.¡± Supporting a large handwoven basket strapped on his back, Rodney was a sorry sight compared to everyone else. The rags he wore were the only clothing he had available, as he was focused solely on providing for his daughter. The man had a slight hunch in his gait, the initial stat boost from becoming a Fighter unable to help stave off the effects of his time in poverty just yet. It was hard for Claire to hide the pity in her gaze every time she looked at Rodney, something he didn¡¯t fail to notice as he shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. His new lifestyle naturally led to Rodney developing new learned behavior. Living in the slums forced him to cast away his dignity and learn subservience, all for the sake of providing for his child. Of course there was a fine line he wasn¡¯t willing to cross, and if it wasn¡¯t for this young adventurer party Rodney would¡¯ve eventually caved by committing crimes. That was also why Claire admired the man so much, willing to go to such great lengths such as starving himself, to make sure his daughter received a meal every day. The love between a parent and their child was truly a work of art, as it made Claire¡¯s heart ache as she thought of her parents. Although the Labyrinth City provided plenty of new experiences, she couldn¡¯t help feeling a little homesick. Claire¡¯s musings were interrupted by Ilyana¡¯s sign for silence, as they didn¡¯t want to alert any monsters or beasts of their presence. Their goal today was to complete the ¡°first¡± floor, otherwise known as the tutorial, and reach the second floor. Walking at the front of the party, Claire started to notice how artificial the first floor truly was. Everything was designed in a way to give fresh adventurers an idea of what to expect in the Continental Dungeon. It also served as a deterrence, since if you couldn¡¯t even get past the first floor why bother at all? Guiding newbies through tight corridors while placing them in fights weak monsters and common beasts. If they still pressed forward fool heartedly they¡¯d either learn to adapt and grow stronger or die, and there was no choice for either option. After clearing 10 of these instances the way forward will be presented. Only then would they be able to explore the randomly generated worlds, exploring large ruins, finding powerful treasures, or slaying epic beasts. Currently though Claire and Ezra were more concerned with getting past the first floor without incident. Like before Claire led her party through the tunnel, with Saber and Ezra right behind her as backup. Ilyana was in the middle of the group with her bow at the ready followed by Sonja and Rodney. The stone brick walls and pathway surrounding them gradually turned into earthen colored dirt, which Claire only became aware of due to the torches attached to the walls that illuminated their surroundings and the feeling of the ground on her boot. Soon enough a clearing was in view a few minutes ahead of them, and although apprehensive at first because of her previous experience in the dungeon, Claire focused on putting one foot in front of the other with buckler and sword at the ready. The sound of snickering was prevalent ahead, as Claire instantly recognized what beasts lay ahead. Arriving at the dirt filled clearing with patches of grass strewn about, the party was greeted by a group of 15 weasels. Brown fur with streaks of tan covered their two foot bodies, they seemed like playful furry creatures as they frolicked about the area. As soon as Claire entered, every weasel stood up on their hind legs and stared with their soulless black eyes. Eyes trained on the party, Rodney and Sonja stayed at the back letting Claire, Saber, and Ezra attract the attention of the weasels. The reason for their name, Sneasel, became evident as they all started snickering together showing off their sharp teeth, forming a disgusting melody that clearly unnerved Rodney by his stammering. Sonja led the confused man back near the entrance, while Claire, Saber, and Ezra started making noise to disrupt their symphony. Taking their response as a threat to their existence, the sneasels hissed in unison one last time before blitzing them. Their impressive agility was hard to track with the sibling¡¯s untrained eyesight, zigzagging in a multitude of directions to confuse them before using all of their momentum to leap in the air and rocket towards their bare necks. Claire gripped her buckler before swinging it in a wide arch, slamming the sneasel away onto the sideline. She had no time to acknowledge her achievement as her move left her wide open, while another sneasel flew through the air prepared to take a chunk off her neck. Suddenly a purple blur crashed with the impending brown blur, causing it to crumple in midair before falling onto the ground one meter short of its intended target. Claire quickly glanced Ezra¡¯s way, his eyes glowing green before dimming back to their dull sheen. Although he stumbled for a moment, Ezra managed to maintain his fighting stance before refocusing on the battle. Something Claire emulated. The sneasels split up in groups of five per person, and after realizing their initial assault failed, they dug up holes and disappeared into the ground. Individually they were nothing more than a nuisance, but as a group their hit and run tactics would prove deadly to a distracted opponent. After her first encounter and with Ezra¡¯s assistance, three sneasels remained from Claire¡¯s original five. The remaining three burrowed in the ground, leaving Claire continuously watching over her shoulder for any signs of their presence. After a few moments she realized her actions were unnecessary, as it turned out the three sneasels ditched Claire in an attempt to sneak attack Ezra. Although she started running off to help him, Ezra was deftly handling the eight sneasels. Refraining from using [Soul Bolt], Ezra extended his fist at an incoming sneasel, letting their momentum plaster itself onto the blades of his gauntlet. Before any others could attempt to attack him while he was distracted, Claire ran forward screaming bloody hell and other profanities to the surprise of both ally and monster alike. Some of them furry creatures stood on their hind legs to hiss, before building their momentum again to launch themselves like projectiles. Accustomed to their attack strategy, Claire hunkered down as she tried her best to track and predict their movements. Not even 10 minutes passed and the battle was already over, notifications informing Claire of her contribution to the battle.
You killed a Sneasel.
You killed a Sneasel.
You killed a Sneasel.
You killed a Sneasel.
The rodents were mere child play compared to the goblins and kobolds they fought before. There were no real injuries on Claire, Ezra, and Saber besides some minor scratches on their hands. Walking over to her brother, Claire clasped his shoulder before giving him a small smile. ¡°I have a feeling we¡¯ll beat our previous record this time around.¡± ¡°Yeah with the way things have been going so far, maybe Baron Brewnard¡¯s son will finally leave you alone.¡± The rest of the party started covertly paying attention to their conversation at the mention of nobility. Claire seemed to be slightly trembling not from fear, but of righteous fury that seethed through her very core. ¡°Ughh don¡¯t remind me about him, if I ever so much as see that playboy again I might just punch him.¡± Noticing the fiery stare in her gaze, Ezra knew she was completely serious about her statement. The noble would be lucky if he only faced Claire¡¯s wrath, as Ezra had more malicious actions in mind. In an effort to comfort his sister, Ezra attempted replicate his sister¡¯s gesture before realizing his gauntlets had blades attached. ¡°My bad Claire, this¡¯ll take some getting used to¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry I appreciate the effort, just don¡¯t forget to take them off at the dinner table.¡± After a light chuckle at Claire¡¯s terrible joke, their mood lightened and joined everyone checking the bodies for loot. Being a rabbit beastfolk, Sonja was gifted with an enhanced sense of hearing, sight, and smell. This allowed her easily identify which corpses could have dropped loot. The only problem was as an [Initiate], her body and senses would weaken as she used her powers making her an unreliable scout in the long term. After finding nothing of value on, under, or around their bodies, everyone believed they could head to the next instance but realized Rodney wasn¡¯t following them. To Claire and Ezra¡¯s surprise, Rodney was beginning to store the body of a sneasel in his basket. ¡°What are you doing?¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Jolting as if he committed a crime, Rodney paused wide-eyed as he stammered out an explanation. ¡°D-d-don¡¯t worry, I only planned on collecting one! I promise I wasn¡¯t s-sneaking behind your backs or anything¡­I won¡¯t interfere with the rest of your loot either!¡± With a sharp bow, Rodney maintained his 90 degree posture waiting for the approval of his employers. He couldn¡¯t afford to be kicked out by this party, not when he was so close to earning that money. ¡°Wh-¡± Before Claire could attempt to ask why, Ezra quickly covered her mouth and shook his head. It didn¡¯t take long for Claire to realize the man planned on saving the squirrel for food later. What was the magistrate and church doing while people were struggling to survive and provide for their families here? Did she even have the right to be mad at them, while she was born with a silver spoon and only recently worried about other¡¯s circumstances when she arrived in the city? Left with a bitter sense of disappointment, Claire led their silent march towards the next instance of the dungeon. To distract herself from her wandering thoughts, she noted the only difference between the previous room and the next one, was two dead trees spread throughout the area with birds perched on their branches. Iron-beaked ravens were the result of mana mutation, strengthening their beaks and digestive system to the point where they can crush and pierce metal with ease, allowing them to survive off of common metals. They resembled normal ravens, except for the sharp metal beak attached on each one. All 20 of them cawed before flapping their wings and diving towards the group. As the melee trio moved into position, Ilyana joined them from the rear so they wouldn¡¯t waste too much time. It didn¡¯t take long for the party to swiftly deal with the avian. At the end of the day they were just a dumb flock of birds with slightly enhanced beaks, so it took little effort for everyone to deal with them. Rodney followed Ilyana¡¯s instructions and pried the beaks off of each bird. Although they were only small pieces of metal, blacksmith apprentices would pay to train with the crude pieces of metal. After taking another quick break, the group continued through a variety of instances. Throughout each instance, Ilyana encouraged the siblings to face each challenge by themselves and without the help of [Soul Bolt]. Battling all manners of monsters and beasts alike, from the easy flock of Iron-beaked ravens, to the challenging pair of bears that pushed Claire and Ezra to their very limits.
You killed a Bear.
As Claire and Ezra both respectively finished their battles huffing and puffing, the dim glow from Sonja¡¯s [Minor Restore] enveloped their bodies. Dirt covered their faces as they siblings did everything in their power to avoid the powerful charges and blows from the bears. Claire would roll around in the grass avoiding casual blows that would easily disable or kill her. It would be impossible for Claire to block the full charge of a bear anytime soon. Every time she would narrowly avoid one of the bear¡¯s paws, Claire would leave a shallow cut across its large body. Eventually she sliced a vein by chance, the massive amount of blood covering her eyes serving as a near fatal distraction. If it wasn¡¯t for Saber warning her in which direction to dodge, Claire would¡¯ve turned into a plaster of meat. Another factor for the sibling¡¯s survivability was Sonja¡¯s [Minor Restore], able to rejuvenate their stamina mid-battle. Without it, they¡¯d both been long dead by now. Wiping the blood from her face as she reviewed her gains, a single rank in [Sword Proficiency] and more than half of her experience requirement. Everything the siblings fought so far provided 1-2%, until they defeated the bear giving them a whopping 5%. Although it didn¡¯t sound like a lot, the only challenging creatures they¡¯ve fought so far were the bears and the kobold shaman.
General Information Attributes Class
Name Value Name Rank Progress
Name Claire Wilmont Strength 13 (+1) Fighter I 63%
Race Human Physique 12 (+1)
Age 18 Agility 12
Sex Female Perception 10
Guild Glory Brigade Resolve 11 (+1)
Sword Proficiency
One¡¯s general ability fighting with swords. Increased ranks result in better application, combination strikes, counters, and other techniques.
Level I Rank III ¡ú Rank IV
Although it was only conjecture that she would try to confirm later, but Claire believed fighting opponents stronger than oneself increased skill levels faster than usual. ¡°Good work you two. We¡¯re nearly done with these practice fights, then we¡¯ll finally be able to explore the true Continental Dungeon.¡± Saber exclaimed before handing a carving knife to Rodney as they moved towards Claire¡¯s bear to skin it. Ezra¡¯s fight ruined the bear¡¯s coat, leaving jagged lines all over in a similar attempt to let it bleed out. As it was the job of the porter to take care of the loot, Rodney was expected to obtain the bear pelt. Obviously he had no experience with any survival related skills, so Saber called the siblings over to watch as he guided him through the process. Rodney¡¯s results were less than stellar, so the group abandoned the ruined bear pelt. While Rodney was profusely apologizing for his lack of skill, Claire and Ezra naturally recovered their energy before heading to the last room since there was no point in wasting Sonja¡¯s power. The weight of the situation felt palpable to Claire, as it seemed each step she took was heavier than the last. This was her chance to finally prove herself and Ezra as more than baggage, and there was no room for any more costly mistakes. Rushing blindly into the dungeon, nearly cost her brother¡¯s mistake. Taking a quick glance behind her, Ezra appeared calm and collected as they strolled through the passageway. Although it wasn¡¯t really Claire¡¯s fault, if she wasn¡¯t so stubborn to ignore her father¡¯s financial aid, Ezra wouldn¡¯t have been injured in the first place. Daddy was willing to offer them both a full set of metal armor, weapons, and potions yet she ignored his offers in a moment of teenage obstinacy due to a prior argument. Looking back at the situation, daddy¡¯s ¡°overprotectiveness¡± turned out to be adequate preparations for their current lifestyle. It was too late for regrets however, as the light at the end of the tunnel signified their final encounter. The rooms had already long gone back to a typical cave design with stalactites and uneven terrain. The final obstacle blocking them from their goal slowly got up as if it just woke from an afternoon nap. The giant lizard had smooth olive green scales covering its quadrupedal body, while its yellow serpentine eyes warily watched the intruders enter its domain. As it started to stand up to attention, a purple blur slammed into its body forcing it into the ground. Turning back to her brother, his glowing green eyes started to dim down once again before he held the wall of the cave for support. Compared to before, Ezra¡¯s resistance towards his skill was better but still compromising in an actual battle. He only managed to get away with using it against the sneasels, because they all aimed for the same spot allowing Ezra to easily position his hands beforehand. As Ezra used Saber¡¯s body as a crutch while they walked towards the rest of their group, the duo started their friendly jabs at each other once again. ¡°Well that¡¯s one way of finishing a fight. You both could have fought alone one last time, but it seems like someone was too impatient to head forward.¡± ¡°No need to risk our lives fighting the lizard, when I could end the battle within seconds and we could head to the next floor.¡± ¡°Congrats Ezra and Claire, you¡¯ve finally got past the tutorial!¡± Sonja ran up to the pair and gave them both congratulatory hugs. Her nose and rabbit ears seemed to occasionally twitch while she hugged each Claire, and it became obvious to her why Ezra became enamored with the young lady. As everyone else was discussing what to do with the lizard corpse, Claire realized that there was no stairway to head to the next floor. ¡°Why aren¡¯t there stairs like where we entered from?¡± Claire, Ezra, and Rodney looked around the room with confused faces. ¡°Just wait a moment, it¡¯ll arrive around there.¡± Motioning towards the center of the room, Ilyana crossed her arms as she waited impatiently for something to happen. Claire, Ezra, and Rodney both waited with baited breath before a small crack appeared in the middle of the room. Within seconds the crack grew larger until it was just inches above the ground. At the height of their curiosity, the crack expanded showcasing a dark expanse that continuously drew in glowing white dots within a foot around it that disappeared in the darkness. It wasn¡¯t the fact that they were using a portal, since they used one all the time now, but how the portal violently warped their surroundings to appear that shocked them. With trepidation Rodney¡¯s voiced out concern of the portal¡¯s safety. Although his health was his number one priority, any one of these kids could probably beat him up if he didn¡¯t properly follow their directions. Sensing his distress, Sonja approached the man and attempted to comfort him as described from her previous training at the church. ¡°Is that safe to go through¡­it won¡¯t malfunction or anything right?¡± ¡°I assure you Rodney, we wouldn¡¯t intentionally risk your life. Nothing bad will happen to you while I¡¯m here.¡± Tilting her head demurely, Sonja reached up and attempted to rub his head. Since she wasn¡¯t tall enough, all she did was pat Rodney¡¯s face although that seemed to trigger something by his change in facial expression. ¡°Ah¡­thank you Ms. Sonja, I¡¯ve seemed to embarrass myself in front of you all.¡± Oddly enough Sonja reminded Rodney of his daughter, which helped the man calm his nerves as he wouldn¡¯t act like a scared lamb in front of her. ¡°So who¡¯s ready to see the next floor?¡± After their little moment was finished, Saber turned to the group. After everybody signified they were prepared, Saber walked into the portal to make sure the entrance was safe, and after a few minutes his hand appeared through the portal waving everyone to come inside. Due to her inexperience with portals and the dungeon itself, Claire entered the portal second only to be left flabbergasted by the change in scenery. There was a palpable difference in the quality of the air around them. Where the tutorial floor felt neither hot nor cold, this floor felt like an evening in the middle of summer. Large trees circled the grassy clearing they arrived in, their green leaves scattered across the area due to the surrounding breeze. The most notable difference to Claire however, was the yellow dot descending through the canopy of leaves. An actual sun. ¡°So no more cramped tunnels?¡± ¡°For now sure, but we may end up exploring some ruins one day. Until then you should enjoy the fresh air while you can.¡± ¡°So what now?¡± Although Claire was asking Saber, Ilyana¡¯s steady voice appeared from behind while her eyes surveyed their surroundings like a hawk. ¡°Currently we need to get out of this forest before the day ends, who knows what lurks in its depths. Goblins, wolves, maybe even giant spiders¡­¡± ¡°Did you say giant spiders..?¡± After receiving Ilyana¡¯s nod of affirmation, Claire led the way forward with hurried steps. She had no plans of dealing with spiders, big or small, and not even Ezra would be able to stop her now. Chapter 12 While the clearing around them was filled with light from the sun, the canopy of trees considerably darkened the forest surrounding them. As soon as Ezra, Claire, and Rodney finally got their bearings Ilyana addressed the situation. ¡°From now on we have to take things seriously. One thing you guys should know, is that in every adventurer party people are assigned roles based on their abilities. Now that we¡¯re in the actual dungeon, I¡¯ll be officially assigning your roles.¡± ¡°Like on the first floor Claire, you¡¯re the tank of the party. Your main priority is attracting the monsters¡¯ attention, also known as generating aggro, so they don¡¯t bother attacking the rest of the party.¡± She then turned to Ezra before speaking. ¡°Ezra I get that you wanted to be a fighter, however the nature of your class will always put you at a disadvantage in raw physical stats. No matter how much training you do, you won¡¯t be able to close that gap.¡± ¡°How do you know that? I¡¯m close to ranking up so I might get a boost in strength.¡± ¡°The stats gained from your choosing your class are known as primary stats, since they¡¯re the only ones that¡¯ll increase from rank ups.¡± ¡°Damnit!¡± Of course Ezra already predicted that result, but he just didn¡¯t want to believe in that eventuality. ¡°Anyways the skill you chose is overpowered, and we need every advantage we can get out here. So you¡¯ll be our damage dealer, since I doubt anything can withstand [Soul Bolt] in the first layer.¡± An expression of reluctance appeared on Ezra¡¯s face only to vanish without a trace, something Claire intended to probe him about later. As Ilyana finally turned to Rodney, the man squirmed under her gaze like a prey being eyed by a predator. ¡°Rodney, just know I say this with no disrespect intended. With no experience fighting and being malnourished, you¡¯re more of a detriment than benefit to our team. I think it goes without saying but stay behind us and keep out of trouble or you¡¯ll endanger the rest of us.¡± ¡°As for us, Saber will be scouting ahead of us for any danger and will notify us through his skill [Conveyed Whisper]. Besides serving as our scout he¡¯s also our secondary damage dealer, and will be assisting Claire deal with the monsters she¡¯s attracting.¡± ¡°My role is basically the same as Saber¡¯s, however I use a ranged weapon. Also because of this cramped environment, I may have to refrain from using my bow unless we find a more spacious environment.¡± ¡°Finally Sonja is our main support using [Minor Restore] on whoever needs it the most, which will mainly be Claire or Saber. Any questions so far?¡± ¡°Yeah I¡¯ve been wondering this for a while, but what are your skills and stats?¡± said Ezra. ¡°We¡¯ll be wasting daylight if we keep standing around here talking, but after we¡¯re finished with today¡¯s run we¡¯ll talk about our abilities. For now though let¡¯s get started.¡± Ilyana took out the bronze compass and waited a moment until it pointed north. After organizing themselves into formation and readying their equipment the party started their exploration. Saber went ahead and gave them the all clear with his skill, which felt as if he was right behind them while he spoke, and as their vanguard Claire took her first steps inside the forest. ¡°That portal just collapsed on itself how do we get back to the surface?¡± Walking next to Sonja at the back of their formation, Rodney made sure to keep an eye behind himself out of paranoia. ¡°We have to explore the floor until we either find the dungeon portal, the ones we use to enter the dungeon and go to the next floor, or a waypoint portal which allows us to return back home.¡± After listening to Ilyana¡¯s explanation, Rodney released a relieved sigh as they continued moving through the forest. The slight rustle of leaves, chirping of insects, and other natural noises repeatedly caused Claire to hurriedly turn with a wild look in her eyes as she wielded her sword. After a while of this tomfoolery, Ilyana, Sonja, and Ezra finally couldn¡¯t help themselves from laughing despite walking in a potentially dangerous forest. ¡°What¡¯s so funny? Were you guys pranking me earlier about the spiders?!¡± Claire¡¯s face reddened as she stomped her foot on the ground, insistent on not taking another step forward. As their only vanguard, Ilyana motioned for Claire to calm down yet she ignored her pleas. ¡°We don¡¯t really know if there are spiders in this forest. It was just a comment that escalated into a joke by Ezra. Please don¡¯t be too mad at us¡­¡± It took Sonja flopping her rabbit ears cutely as she explained the situation for Claire to temporarily put aside her grievances. Distancing herself from her annoying teammates, Claire observed the surrounding forest. The trees surrounding them were eye-catching with their abnormal height and features. The branches from spread out trees managed to crisscross and connect in odd angles blanketing sections of the forest in darkness. Thankfully they weren¡¯t heading into those sections, as Claire was kept a watchful eye on their surroundings. The grip on her sword tightened not from suspended horror, but from Ezra and Sonja audibly gossiping about her behind her back. ¡°Is she really afraid of spiders?¡± ¡°Well it all started when she was around 10...¡± After passing through some more trees, the group came upon a large clearing split by a raging river. There were a few deer taking sips of the fresh water from the other side, who after determining their party wasn¡¯t a threat resumed their activities. As they walked down the hill Rodney¡¯s stomach rumbled which led to Ilyana declaring the party would take a break here. ¡°This would be a good place to fill our water skins and take a break.¡± A few moments after she said this, Saber appeared giving an all clear and everyone grabbed their own water skins and rations. The only one without a water skin and some food was Rodney, who ended up borrowing from Saber. ¡°Luckily we went shopping for all of those supplies yesterday, or we would¡¯ve embarrassed ourselves even more¡­¡± Claire offhandedly thought. The river seemed deep enough to nearly drown someone short like Sonja, and was full of gravel and small fish swimming away downstream. Despite the fact they¡¯ve been travelling in the forest for an hour, the sun floated idly in the sky as if it had no intention of coming down. As the deer finally left the clearing, suspicion of the forest found its way in Claire¡¯s heart. They were in one of the only rivers going through the forest, yet there were no signs of any other animals as far as Claire could see up or downstream. The whole time the clearing has been oddly quiet as the ambient noises magically disappeared, creating a sense of dread that crept upon Claire¡¯s skin as she viewed the area with a renewed sense of wariness. As if confirming Claire¡¯s suspicions, Sonja¡¯s ears started twitching while she viewed her surroundings with caution. The small talk between everyone quickly died down as Ilyana repeated the same motion with bow at the ready. ¡°Guys, I think I hear something. There¡¯s lots of movement beyond the tree line we just came from¡­¡± spoke Sonja as everyone got into formation. ¡°Fall back towards the river!¡± While everyone followed Ilyana¡¯s instructions, a series of grunts and pants signified the arrival of the enemy. A horde of goblins emerged from the tree line looking down upon them like snacks. From a mere glance, Claire could tell these goblins were of a different breed than their predecessors on the first floor. Their skin was a dark shade of green while white tribal tattoos were drawn haphazardly all over their bodies. Where the previous goblins had child-like bodies and features, these new ones were slightly bigger, leaner, and meaner as evidenced by their growls. Claire almost gagged at the disgusting sight of the creatures¡¯ spines visibly pressed against their hunched backs, forcing the monsters to skulk about on all four legs. While the goblins hung out near the trees, their party was nearing the edge of the river until a smaller group of goblins arrived. Although they looked similar to their hunchbacked brethren, these five goblins stood upright and had red tribal paint on their faces. They even wielded stone tools as they walked around their subordinates with a commanding aura. ¡°Guok sluk bong shiii!¡± After yelling some orders out in their tongue, the hunchbacked goblins ran in an odd shuffle towards them. Forming a circle around Sonja and Rodney, the party was clearly at a disadvantage in terms of terrain and numbers. 35 to 6 were terrible odds in the first place, let alone the fact only 4 of the 6 could fight in close combat. With the situation visibly worsening at a rapid pace, Ilyana quickly barked out orders. ¡°We¡¯ll try to lose them across the river, just focus on running while Claire, Ezra, and I cover your backs!¡± Before he could even get into the river, Rodney tripped over an overgrown root and landed face first on the ground. All of the group¡¯s loot spilled across the ground, and as he struggled to get up a large gash oozed blood that mixed with his dirt stained visage. As Saber ran back to grab his arm and yank the older man up, Rodney happened to take a glance at the horde of green behind them. Their mouths opened revealing their yellowed and cracked teeth, while unnaturally long tongues were dragged through the air behind them as if they were a dog. Their treats were right in front of them, all they had to do was run over and take one bite¡­ ¡°D-d-DoOooOOon¡¯T eAt me, I¡¯M NOT READY TO DIE!!¡± Finding motivation at the threat of impending death, Rodney let loose a roar as he jumped to this feet and sprinted towards the river. Running through water was already difficult enough, let alone walking through an active river. By the time Saber and Rodney were halfway through the river, five of the goblins neared Claire who stayed on the platform to give everyone else ample time to cross the river. One crumpled mid-stride like a marionette cut from its strings after a purple blur slammed into it, while an arrow found its way in the forehead of another leaving three for Claire to deal with. Stepping forward and activating [Power Strike], Claire let loose an overhead slash that bisected an overeager goblin.
You have killed a Feral Goblin.
Taking advantage of her posture, one of the goblins approaching from her side leapt at her nape but was harshly met with a buckler to the face. Although Claire wanted to go in for the kill, her goal was to escape after all. Once the last goblin crumpled in mid-stride, Claire dashed for the river and used her momentum to perform a long jump to cross around 1/4th of the river.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Coming up to Claire¡¯s upper abdomen, the active water struggled to sweep her off her feet. A glance behind showed some of the goblins attempting to enter the river and give chase. Instead they were all met with the harsh reality of their deformed stature working against them. Their heads bobbed in the water as they attempted to run through the water, only to be swept by the currents downstream. As she finally stepped on the dry land where her safety was guaranteed, the surge of adrenaline powering her body disappeared leaving Claire sprawled on the ground while she caught her breath. As the goblins loitered on the other side waiting for their leaders¡¯ instructions, Ezra and Ilyana gave each other a look before walking forward. The situation was any ranged combatant¡¯s ideal scenario with the goblins standing around like easy experience, so Ezra and Ilyana both launched their ranged attacks at them. Showing obvious skill with her bow and arrows, Ilyana managed to kill three of the five leaders while Ezra finished off the final two. With their leaders promptly eliminated, the feral goblins ran back into the woods, although this didn¡¯t stop Ezra from launching [Soul Bolt] on some of the slower ones. After arriving at the safety of the tree lines, a few of them snarled at the humans before retreating into the green of the forest. After they all finally disappeared, Ezra nearly collapsed onto the ground causing Sonja and Claire to frantically worry. Not even [Minor Restore] seemed to have an effect on his odd condition, but since there was no time to wait for Ezra to recuperate in such a vulnerable location, Ilyana whipped out the compass and the group followed its magic needle. Although Ezra¡¯s status raised questions among everyone, with two injured party members their overall strength was reduced too much to afford any distractions. Besides Claire had her own problems to deal with, her expression worsening by the minute as she viewed her ruined buckler. ¡°It¡¯s about time I got an actual shield anyways, and Ezra can¡¯t complain either since he received an upgrade recently¡­¡± Taking a glance at her brother, Ezra seemed worse off compared to everyone else. His body was so stiff that he had to rely on Rodney¡¯s help to move around. Despite the odd condition of his body, Ezra acted completely fine and brushed off everyone¡¯s concern. In her opinion though, [Soul Bolt] seemed too good of a skill to be without any drawbacks and maybe that¡¯s what Ezra was currently experiencing. Either way when they were alone, Claire planned on having a word with him. The natural ambiance of the forest eventually returned, and Claire watched her surroundings for any incoming threats. After around 10 minutes of strained observation of everything in their surroundings, she released a repressed sigh before a notification interrupted her thought process.
New Skill Learned!
Observe
Obtain the basic description of a person or object you¡¯re viewing. Increased ranks allows more information to be displayed.
Level I Rank I
Smiling at her newfound success, Claire immediately put her new skill to use on her teammates¡­
A human.
A human.
A human.
A rabbit beastfolk.
An elf.
Although she was originally disappointed by the lack of information, there didn¡¯t seem to be any associated cost which meant Claire could spam the skill on everything she saw. Following that train of thought, Claire used the skill on the surrounding trees and plant life, only to receive repeated messages of ¡°A tree.¡± or ¡°A plant.¡± Eventually she gained a skill rank in [Observe] which slightly increased the information provided. Instead of the bare minimum it provided earlier, [Observe] now showed ¡°Your brother, Ezra.¡± or ¡°Your party leader, Ilyana.¡± Since it seemed like the group finally escaped danger, Claire asked Sonja about [Observe]. ¡°I just learned [Observe], but I¡¯m practically getting no information when I use it. Basically I was wondering when will I would be able to see others¡¯ classes?¡± ¡°There are some requirements to see someone¡¯s class, but you need to learn [Analyze] before you worry about getting the skill to see classes. Although observation skills are typically the easiest to rank or level up, it¡¯ll still take you a month or so to learn [Identify].¡± Rodney perked up during Sonja¡¯s explanation and while he was helping Ezra walk, Rodney would attempt to observe his surroundings too. ¡°That¡¯s not fair how come you got [Observe] before me?!¡± Ezra managed to complain despite his odd condition. ¡°You of all people shouldn¡¯t be complaining about fairness, like Ilyana said your skill is overpowered!¡± retorted Claire. A cough from Ilyana interrupted the sibling¡¯s argument before it could progress any further. ¡°If you¡¯re going to talk, make sure you aren¡¯t interrupting a friend when they¡¯re explaining something important.¡± Ilyana chastised the two before she returned to keeping an eye on her surroundings and the compass. ¡°Of course it would take a whole month¡­What were those goblins earlier? I don¡¯t know how but they managed to be more disgusting than the ones on the first floor.¡± Sighing with regret, Claire thoughts lingered back to the goblins they faced earlier. If this was an actual world, who knew how many of those things they¡¯d end up fighting¡­ ¡°The system says they''re a more animalistic version of normal goblins.¡± Ilyana spoke up this time. ¡°You guys have been to the 2nd floor before right? Do you know where we are exactly?¡± ¡°The Continental Dungeon doesn¡¯t work like that. If you don¡¯t return to a dungeon floor after a month or you decide to go to a different floor, whatever progress you made on that floor will vanish and you¡¯ll arrive in a different world if you try to return to that floor.¡± After receiving another lesson about the inner workings of the dungeon, the small talk amongst the party continued. 30 uneventful minutes of traveling through the forest passed until there was finally a change in scenery. The amount of trees gradually decreased, transitioning the group from the dangerous forest to a large plains. The setting sun dyed the sky orange, while clouds lazily drifted at a snail¡¯s pace through the sky. In the distance, a small settlement stood out amongst the natural landscape. ¡°Is that where the portal to the next floor is located?¡± Ezra asked. ¡°Possibly, we¡¯ll just have to find out by heading down there.¡± Saber shrugged while giving a casual reply. Gathering everyone¡¯s attention, Ilyana informed them of their game plan. ¡°Before we even think about entering, we have to confirm it¡¯s not a hostile town full of goblins or some other monster. Since Saber¡¯s [Stealth] won¡¯t work in such an open environment, we¡¯ll approach the area at a distance. By then we¡¯ll be able to tell if we can go back home or rest there for the night.¡± Taking a glance at the forest while they were walking away, Claire was shocked by the grand sight. This wasn¡¯t a view you could easily see in the normal world, as large trees seemed to endlessly line her horizon. Could the land in the Elven Republic rival the scenery found in this land? The only downside of this floor she could currently think of, were the hostile monsters that lurked about, especially the goblins. Thinking about them brought a visible shiver to Claire¡¯s body. Although nowadays goblins were reduced to mere bedtime stories, the potential damage those sex fiends are capable of is no laughing matter. Capable of rapid reproduction and mutating, especially if given a capable host, goblins can muster a force no less than an army given ample time to grow. Thankfully the beautiful scenery and adorable creatures near them cleared the vile monsters from Claire¡¯s conscious. Big brown bison grazed the grassy terrain, while furry creatures such as bunnies and ferrets used the animals as cover. Unaffected by the dungeon¡¯s mana, the harmless animals frolicked about with no purpose. In the distance a village was visible, spiked wooden posts surrounded the area serving as a deterrent to any hostile wildlife. Tents were scattered about near the entrance, people intermingling with each other or entering the village. As they all approached the area, a system message appeared in their view.
You have discovered the abandoned settlement, Pirn! +5% Static Experience!
¡°We get experience just for exploring?¡± ¡°Yeah but exploring a floor just for experience is difficult, since we don¡¯t have a reliable method of transportation right now.¡± Ilyana replied. ¡°Woah that¡¯s crazy I just ranked up! Looks like I¡¯ll always be one step ahead of you after all Claire.¡± She was only 30% away from ranking up, and Claire felt slight jealously at Ezra''s fast progress. It took all of her willpower not to smack Ezra¡¯s cocky grin off his face while he was distracted from notifications. It would be bad enough being known as the crazy one from her friends, let alone random adventurers nearby. Besides Claire wanted to at least know what Ezra gained from ranking up before hitting him. Eyes continuously fell on their group, especially due to Ezra¡¯s words of ranking up. Overall everyone¡¯s equipment around them wasn¡¯t up to par, ranging from plain clothes and leather armor to wielding the most basic of copper and iron weapons. While the majority of people minded their own business after taking a glance, a few seemed to eye their party, or rather their belongings, intensely before realizing how morbid their thoughts were truly turning. Claire made sure to [Observe] all of them and was met with the most useless piece of information yet.
A human, ???
A human, ???
Before she could think about the message further, an outlier amongst the rest of the plain individuals started walking in their direction. A lone man, rather attractive with fair blonde hair and blue eyes, walked with a confidence unseen amongst the majority of the people here. He was one of the better equipped people here, a full set of leather armor with an iron axe and an actual wooden shield unlike Claire¡¯s dinged buckler.
A human, ???
Once again [Observe] gave Claire little to no useful information, but at this point it became apparent the skill relied on the knowledge of the user to display info. ¡°Pardon the intrusion guys, but we adventurers should stick together. May I ask who the leader of your party is?¡± Ilyana came forward with hand outstretched for a handshake. ¡°That would be me, Ilyana. A pleasure to meet you.¡± ¡°Tristan Morris. You guys seem like you know what you¡¯re doing, and I already have a group of five people but if we comb-¡± ¡°Sorry Tristan, but we¡¯ll have to decline your proposal. Too many people in our group would slow us down, and we aren¡¯t planning on heading any deeper for now. It was a pleasure meeting you though.¡± Ilyana led the party further into town, leaving Tristan with his mouth open at the shock of being denied without a chance to finish his pitch. There were no guards, vendors, nor children running about filling the area with their laughter. Like the earlier notification said, the place was definitely abandoned for whatever reason and now only adventurers loitered the area. The only thing of note throughout the whole town was the glowing white portal at the center of the town. Rocks were laid ceremoniously around the portal, forming a multi-layered circle. Ilyana had already informed the party that these waypoint portals, would anchor their location on the floor until the dungeon kicked you out after a month of inactivity. They could return to the floor whenever they wanted as long as they visited the waypoint occasionally. ¡°We¡¯re going to take a break at this village for now. Get any supplies you may need tomorrow¡­¡± She eyed Rodney for a moment before continuing. ¡°Then we¡¯ll head back to the forest and train on our teamwork, and get your ranks to a suitable level. We¡¯ll do this for about a week or until our cohesive ability improves then we¡¯ll go to the next floor.¡± Ilyana was directly speaking to Ezra, Rodney, and Claire at this point. ¡°B-back in the forest with that horde?! That¡¯s a death trap who knows how many of those things are in there!¡± Rodney protested. ¡°This is exactly why we¡¯re training. An adventurer lifestyle means dealing with life threatening situations on a daily basis. You¡¯re our porter which means you¡¯re going to be in those situations with us, and you can¡¯t be tripping over rocks willy-nilly or else you¡¯ll die!¡± Saber berated the man. If he didn¡¯t learn how to fight and properly handle himself in those situations, he could easily lose his own life. Rodney clenched his fist his anger at his own uselessness. At the ripe age of 42, he was being taught a lesson by a kid not even half his age. He was completely right though, today he made a total fool of himself in front of these children. He nearly pissed himself when confronted with danger, and even lost a day¡¯s worth of loot yet they still didn¡¯t kick him out. Once again Sonja appeared during his self-loathing and stood on her tippy toes to pat his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, everyone makes mistakes.¡± Rodney replied with a half-smile with zero effort. ¡°Save the melodrama and retrospection for when we eat please.¡± In an effort to lighten the somber mood, Ilyana tried to make a self-aware joke. ¡°Are we going back to the same place we went last time?¡± asked Ezra. ¡°Of course we get a discount because we know the owner.¡± Saber replied. They all stepped through the white portal and received the same notification.
You have successfully left the 2nd floor of the Continental Dungeon.
So concluded the party¡¯s first adventure on the 2nd floor. Rewrite in Progress Sorry for keeping ya''ll in the dark and the few that were expecting an actual chapter. I''m going to rewrite this series from the beginning for a couple of reasons. 1. Quality of earlier chapters isn''t that good.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. 2. Lack of character development for the rest of the cast. 3. Ezra and Claire are too ignorant. 4. I know I can incorperate better world building throughout the beginning Thank you to the people who helped correct my mistakes, and pointed out the inconsistencies in my story. Once I have 5 finished chapters, I''ll start posting weekly again.