《Rise Of The New King.》


 Prologue: Birth of a demon.

    Screams could be heard throughout the small house. The wails of a woman having a hard child-birth.


    "FUCK! Make the fucking pain stop already!" A young woman with bright, long read hair screamed. She was a very small woman, never having the curves other women had. Her name was Jhona. She was a fire mage. Although not a very good one.


    "It will be alright dear. You will pull through." Another person told the woman. This one was a young man, a few years older than the woman. He had black hair, a rather average build, and was rather unremarkable. His name was Sebastian.


    "Like fucking hell I will be alright! This demon spawn is trying to fucking kill me! Not even out the womb and already trying to off me!" Jhona screamed. Her husband only rolled his eyes.


    The pair where not really in love. They didn''t even really like each other. They where minor nobles. Jhona was given the titledue to her father being a powerful mage. They needed him to help win a war. Sebation was from a long lineage of nobles. None were really noteworthy. Their marriage was purely political. Yet they played their parts, even when they didn''t need to.


    The hours soon passed. The blood did not stop. No one really thought anything of it. Jhona was small and petite, as well as this being her first child. A lot of blood was expected. Even the doctor who was there to make sure everything was fine dismissed it. She bled out without anyone even noticing. The maid simplyleft for a few hours to look after the new baby, and when she got back her mistress was already dead. A mix of blood loss, and lacking the Constitution to deal with the struggles of a difficult birth.


    Sebastion was devastated. He never loved her, but he always felt dutybound to try. He had spent the last eight years with her, the last two actually married. Even if you don''t like someone, after that much time you come to respect them.


    "My lord?" The maid asked. She still held the child in her arms. She didn''t know what to do with it. "The child. What do you wish to do with it?" She questioned. Sebastion made her wait.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    After almost an hour, the baby awoke and began crying. The young noble gritted his teeth. He already hated the sound. "You heard my wife. That thing is a demon spawn. I shall name it after what it is. Call it Diablo. Now it has a name, kill it. Give it to the hounds."


    The maid, a young girl of only sixteen, was shocked into silence. "M-milor-"


    "FUCKING KILL THE DEMON! DID YOU NOT HEAR ME?"Sebastion yelled at the maid. With tears in her eyes, the young girl quicklynodded and ran away. After half an hour, the hunting hounds were chewing on something small,pink and fleshy. Ripping it to shreds in a matter of seconds. It was not even identifiable after the first few times it was ripped apart.


    The screamscould be heard all through the small house. No one spoke. The only other sound was the crying of a young maid.


    Meanwhile, the beast-master trudged through the waist-deep snow with a small bundle in his arms. The cries of a baby coming from it. "I do''t lik'' do''en dat ta de pups, but a'' human be a'' more val''ble dan a'' runt o'' da litter. Wee Diablo eh? Ya gotta grow up strong, ya hear?" The elderly beast-master told the bundle. An old hound panting at his side.


    From there, Diablo was passed from hand to hand, human to beastman, beastman to knight, knight to thief, then, finally, thiefto an orphan mother. At such a young age, Diablo had already traveled from one side of The Kingdom of the Plains to the other. From a noble house, barely more than a peasant hut, to the capital of the kingdom.


    Diablo


    Level 1


    Strength: 2


    Dexterity: 2


    Constitution: 1


    Intelligence: 5


    Wisdom: 5


    Charisma: 1


    Titles


    [Fire Duelist]


    Skills


    [Flame of the beginning (Max)]


    <hr>


    Hey. I always wanted to write this story, but never got around to it. So I decided to get around to it. Quick rundown on how Skills and titles work next chapter. I am starting up a discord server for this. I get unmotivated easy, so I am hoping at least a few people join to help push me towards writing this. Who knows, if this actually goes somewhere (Highly unlikely) I may just end up doing this full time. Ah, wishful thinking.


    Discord:https://discord.gg/w2qRWSd


    Huh, kinda nervous about posting this. I''ve only ever done half-assed fanfics before....

 Chapter 1.1: Growing as an orphan.

    Diablo looked out the window of the orphanarium. He saw many different people pass him by. Some were adventurers, others workers. Every once in a while a child would run past, often with some sort of toy. Even a few street rats, or beggar children as they would rather be called, were running around with an old mutt, playing with it. Diablo wished he could be out there playing with them. Or at least sitting outside and watching them instead of being cooped up inside.


    Suddenly, Diablo felt a sharp pain to the back of his head. The owner and caretaker of the orphanarium was standing over him with an old wooden cane in her hand. "Diablo! Pay attention now. You won''t get anywhere in life if you don''t have an education." The old lady said with a hoarse voice. She was large, incredibly fat. Gray hair ran down her back in mattered tangles. Her face was covered in warts and pox scars. All in all, she looked like some kind of witch that ate children.


    Diablo resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the woman, but he did not have nearly enough courage to do so. This was the fifth time he had learned this subject. He was the oldest in the class at ten years old. Most the other kids had jobs of some kind. The boys working at delivering messages for the various merchants of the city, and the girls working at sewing or shopkeeping. Ten was the age most children started their first jobs while working at the orphanarium.


    The reason Diablo was not working with the other children was simple. He didn''t have the stats required for working. His Constitution, at a lowly one, was not enough to run around all day without tiring quickly. With a Charisma of one, he couldn''t even speak a word without getting nervous and stuttering, let alone work in a shop. With a Dexterity of two, he could sew, but it was nowhere near enough to be worth the trouble of him distracting the girls, even if he didn''t mean it.


    Thus, with his unusually high Intelligence and Wisdom, the carer was trying to give him a better education. She hoped he could pick up writing somewhere and become a scribe, but no one had yet to bother to teach him to read and write. With the carer being unable to, things were not looking good for the boy.


    "Now. As I was saying. Stats, Titles, and Skills. All are very important to our daily lives. They determine who and what we are. We can go against them, but we will never be as good at those who go with them. Although there are cases where a warrior has learned magic or a scribe showed great strength and fought off bandits." The matron of the orphanarium prattled on. Diablo listened with half interest.


    "Stats are the most simple. They determine how strong you are. Strength is how much you can lift, carry, or damage someone for in close combat. It is the most simple of the stats and is the easiest to get more of. You need only to run around and be children." Diablo couldn''t help but scoff slightly. In his head, anyway. He wouldn''t bring her attention down on him that quickly again. The young man had many problems in gaining more Strength, as he didn''t have enough to lift anything heavy enough to help gain more Strength. Or, at least, that is how his childish mind saw it.


    The matron continued on, oblivious to the child''s woes. "Dexterity sounds simple, but is not. It counts for many things. It is how accurately you do something. From threading a needle to sewing to chopping down a tree. Without Dexterity your life requires a lot more effort and things take a lot longer. The higher your Dexterity, the less likely you are to trip while running, the better you dance, and all other manner of things."


    "Constitution is how long you can last." A few of the older children, around eight and nine, snickered at that, but the carer, used to it, carried on. "It determines how long you can run, how long you can work at physical labor, and how many hits you can take before you go down. The specifics on the last example are not known to us, as there are too many variables between even the weakest of people and monsters."


    "Intelligence and Wisdom are tricky stats. One is useless without the other." ''And I am just useless'' Diablo said to himself in his mind. Yet again, the matron continued onwards. "Intelligence determines how quickly you can learn things and helps understand complex puzzles. Wisdom is the natural sixth sense that people sometimes feel. A sense of when something is out of place if you will. It determines how willful a person is and to tell what the best decision is."


    "Charisma is an odd skill. People can be very charismatic without many points in this skill, as such, many consider it a dump skill. Something that is useless. But any good shopkeeper will tell you that has helped them find the words needed to strike a great trade deal on a regular basis. It is used for persuading people to your side as well. If you ever felt a word on the tip of your tongue, then that is your Charisma being slightly too low to give you that work that would tip the balance of the argument."


    [Ding]


    Diablo''s heart almost died at the sudden sound. It frightened the daylights out of him. He had heard about it from the other boys, but never experienced it himself. Due to a constant practice at something, he got a free stat point. Most the boys got two or three in both Strength and Dexterity over their time in the orphanarium, and the girls a few in both Charisma and Dexterity. Yet, now it was Diablo''s turn to get a start point.


    A small box appeared right in front his face. It was see-through and did not impair his vision in the slightest.


    [Congratulations. ]


    [Due to constant study and education, you have shown your dedication to the noble pursuit of Intelligence.]


    [+1 Intelligence]


    [This is an effort stat. It can only be gained from years of effort or a natural understanding of how things work.]


    ''It was utterly useless.'' Diablo thought to himself. He wanted to cry. If he got a few stat points in Strength or Constitution, he could join the other boys. But to his young mind, it felt like the entire universe was determined to make him useless. ''Well, I guess I should keep paying attention. Even if I only get another useless stat point out of it.''


    "That is the basic description of stats. Next is Titles. A few of you will have one, but most will not. One in fifty children start off with a Title. That Title comes with a free Skill, but more on that in a bit." The elderly lady stopped speaking for a second and took a drink of a murky brown substance. He was told once by an adult that is was rather poorly made whiskey. The matron winced slightly after drinking, then continued on.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Titles can be earned by anyone, and give a plus one to all stats associated with it. They cannot be leveled. But they do give another advantage. Anything associated with that Title turns out slightly better then if you did not have it. For example, the Blacksmith Title gives plus one to Strength and Constitution. It also means that anything the smith makes will turn out slightly better then if a smith of the same skill made it. Unfortunately, unlike with stats, no one can tell what Titles and*4 Skills others have, so one cannot prove or deny that another has a certain Titles or Skill."


    "Skills can be earned in a number of ways. By reading a Skill book, by having someone with a skill over level sixty teach you, or by repeating the same thing over and over until you have the basic understanding of it. You can teach yourself a Skill with the last method, but it takes a lot longer to get started then the first two. The end result is the same, however. Many Adventures utilize the last method without even realizing it." The matron''s passive face got a small scowl at the mention of Adventurers. It was not a highly praised job, no better than mercenaries really. Yet, like Mercenaries and Knights, it was often romanticised by poems and sagas.


    "Skills learned at birth through the Title people are born with are a little different. They are all unique. Not just in what they do, but in name too. Although over the years, the same Skills have been seen with the same names, never while both people are alive. As such, it is believed that they are passed on upon death Where Titles make the things associated with them slightly stronger or better, the Skill at birth makes them level slightly faster, improving other Skills usefulness a lot faster. These birth Skills are all Passive, and are always at Maximum Level."


    Diablo felt like dying. Everything he was born with could not help him. He could become an Adventurers or Mercenary, but first, he would have to use the self-teaching method. But that required at least some idea of how the Skills even worked. The boy sighed to himself, accidentally letting it slip out of his lips as he put his head down on the desk. Soon he felt the pain of a cane to the back of his head once more.


    <hr>


    Two weeks later


    <hr>


    Diablo, at the fine age of ten, had decided he would do it. He would become an Adventurer. Although the matron didn''t like them very much, it was the best idea his young mind could come up with. Without any more ideas for his Wisdom Stat to help pick from, it was the only option.


    First, he would sneak over to the Mage Guild and watch the Mage initiates from outside as they practiced the basics of magic, then he would sneak back into the orphanarium and copy them at night when no one was looking. If fate gave him a bad hand, he would take it and throw it back into fate''s face! Or so he thought. It never crossed the child''s mind that the Mages would be more than willing to take him in and teach him. Afterall, he had yet to tell anyone about his Title or Skill. Telling an adult was the same as murder for a child.


    That night, Diablo set out. He slept in a common room with around eighty other children of various ages. Most where asleep. Those that were not had a never-spoken vow that they would not tattle if the other did not. Some older boys went out drinking, others went out to steal things. Still yet, others just enjoyed the nighttime.


    The boy stalked his way across the city. It never crossed his mind that this may be a bad idea. Slaves were perfectly legal in the Kingdom Of The Plains. No one would bat an eye at a missing orphan either. Yet away he strode as if the path were made out of gold and he had a dragon at his back to protect him. Although he did have the common sense to avoid the city guard. Only so they did not take him home.


    After roughly ten minutes, Diablo arrived at the guild. There where many people still up. Unlike most of the city, that went to bed a few hours after dark, the Mage guild stayed up late with the use of magic candles to brighten each room. Working his way from window to window, the boy soon found what he was looking for. A group of four students, all with heavy tomes, speaking aloud to each other about the basics of magic theory.


    Diablo grabbed hold of a window and lifted it open ever so slightly. [1] "-But I''m saying that Water magic is better. It is easier to control in the long run. It also allows for healing, the only element other than Light and Dark to do so."


    [1]"Dark magic cannot hea-"


    [2]"Yes it can. It heals undead. Thus, although uncommon to heal us, it can still be categorized as a healing magic."


    [3]"Whatever. That is not the argument we have going here. Save it for another time. I am saying Fire magic is better. It has a higher damage potential and does not require water to be carried around at the lower skill levels. It is also more versatile. It can be used for both common things, such as a campfire, to burning an entire field of enemies in a matter of seconds."


    [1]"Water magic is versatile too. You can save yourself from dehydration!"


    [2]"Yes. But we were discussing magic of our level. Not Low-Mid tier and higher. You wouldn''t have a weapon if you drunk all of your water."


    [3]"Plus Fire magic is more simple to understand. You gather magic into your hand, then vibrate it at intense speeds so it catches alight. Then you feed it mana to grow it, or at a lower rate to keep it the same size. To use Water magic you must first infuse your mana into the water so you can control it."


    [1] "Yes, but it costs lower man-"


    [3]"No, it costs more. If you were to infuse water with mana then use it in battle right away, it would cost more. It''s just that most Water Mages at our level carry some on them at all times, so they are always at full Mana. It only gives the illusion of costing less."


    Just as the first Mage to speak started getting red in the face, the fourth person, the only girl in the group, finally spoke.


    [4]"Earth magic beats both. You cannot hit if you do not know where I am. [Rock Wall] on all four sides of you three and you are all out of the fight. I can just drop rocks on your head all day if needed. Perhaps a [Root Of Binding] just to make sure you cannot try and climb out too."


    All three of the boys looked ashamed. They were outdone by the girl when they had been arguing to impress her. Diablo couldn''t tell what they looked like, but he did see some strands of brown hair from the female Earth Mage''s hair flowing out of her hood. All four of them had their Mage hoods up, hiding their faces. The boys so the girl could not see their flustered faces, and the girl to tease the boys.


    [Ding]


    [Due to the attention you have been giving to the magical arts, you have proven you have the makings of a powerful mage.]


    [+1Intelligence]


    [+1 Wisdom]


    [Error in the creation of [magic theroy]. Incorporated into [Flame of the beginning]]


    Diablo


    Level 1


    Strength: 2


    Dexterity: 2


    Constitution: 1


    Intelligence: 7 [+2]


    Wisdom: 6 [+1]


    Charisma: 1


    Titles


    [Fire Duelist]


    Skills


    [Flame of the beginning (Max)]

 Chapter 1.2: The first blind step

    It had been eight months since Diablo decided he would become a Mage. So far, he had made little progress. The first Skill had come quickly. It was as easy as breathing. The Skill was [Candle''s Flame], and as the name suggested, the flame was about the size and heat of a candle flame. It was useless in combat but was good for menial things. Such as lighting campfires, candles, stoves, and other such things. He even heard one boy say that if you Level it enough, it makes a good torture device. But Diablo, contrary to his name, was not interested in that.


    Currently, his Skill [Candle''s Flame] was at Level Two. Mostly because he kept it active for as long as he could while staring at it in amazement. He wanted to tell everyone about it when he first got it but had been too afraid of what the Matron would say when she found out he wanted to be an Adventurer. He had also gotten another point in Intelligence for the Skill. Although he did find it strange that it started out at Level Zero.


    "Come one. Come on." Diablo mumbled to himself. He was sitting outside the Mages Guild. A few months ago, he had managed to listen in to a combat magic class on one of his free days. It was a first-year class, and they were being taught their First Level Combat Spell. [Firebolt]. But he was not having much luck emulating it. The small blot of flame simply would not sustain its self. He would make the flame, then it would go out before he could even throw it.


    The young boy had decided he needed something more real in order to figure it out. Perhaps an actual fight with a monster. As soon as that thought entered his head, it was like a candle had suddenly been lit. He determined that what was lacking was not the mana or control, but the level. In actuality, level determines nothing but gaining more stat points, as well as more Health/Mana. But being a child, Diablo knew no better.


    Late that night, with absolutely no planning, the young child snuck out of the orphanarium. At this point, the other kids that stayed awake were used to Diablo sneaking out at night, so they did not bat an eye. He snuck across the city, as he had done many times. He was getting rather good at it. Through experience, he had learned to stay away from certain areas. After one time of almost being kidnaped by a Rodian, a man from the neighboring kingdom of Rodia, he did not want to experience it again.


    [Ding]


    [Congratulations! Due to your immeasurable time spent sneaking around in back alleys and in the dark, you have developed the Skill [Sneaking]]


    [Sneaking Level 0 created.]


    [+1 Dexterity]


    Diablo ignored the popup after it scared the daylights out of him. It was his fourth, and he was no longer impressed by them. Although the new Skill interested him, it was not what he was looking for. He wanted firepower. Even if he didn''t get much of a chance to use it.


    Soon he was at the walls of the city. Being the capital city of The Kingdom Of The Plains, it was rather heavily guarded. But there where always ways out for those willing. Diablo himself had never left the city, but he had heard stories from the other boys. There are waste dumps at the wall for people to throw their waste in, it was then washed out with a large amount of water multiple times a day.


    Due to the constant large stream of water, the rock had worn away in some places. A particularly poorly made waste dump had a loose bar that could be pried out with a little force. The boy was afraid he wouldn''t be strong enough but had been told it was easy, as others had done it plenty of times before.


    With a deep breath of fresh, cold air, the child set out towards on the waste dumps. The first he came across was still full. Obviously, the cleaner had gotten lazy. The second had no metal bars lose. The third still had some trash in it. Food scraps, broken crockery, a few bits of metal and an old, broken spear. The metal head had been broken off, leaving a large, sharp, but fragile wooden point where it broke. It would be completely useless after the first strike, and completely useless against any decent armor. But the boy took it anyway. Having a weapon helped calm the boy when he thought of the fact he was about to fight a monster.


    [Old Broken Spear]


    [Durability 1/1]


    Diablo couldn''t help but frown a little. He wished he could see the stats the weapon had. But only [Weapon Masters] and [Heros] could see that. Even more so, he wishes he could see what his own Skills and Title did. But again, only people with special Titles and [Heros] could see those. It was even said that the mystical [Heros] could see their HP and MP. Even assign their own stat points, instead of the cosmic forces doing so.


    Diablo shook his head. He knew he shouldn''t be thinking about [Heros] at a time like this. He could be caught at any moment. Grabbing hold of the middle bar, as it was the only one that wobbled, the boy gave it a strong pull. With a small grating noise of metal on stone, the bar came loose. It was rather easy, even for a boy with only two Strength.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    After a rather tight fit, Diablo was outside the walls of the city. Before leaving, he put the bar back into place with another grating sound, then ran off into the nearby thicket of trees. It was roughly two hundred meters from the wall, but since no one was expecting an attack anytime soon, he was not spotted.


    Once into the woods, or rather a small patch of forest used by the king for hunting animals, he set out looking for some sort of monster to hunt. The Kingdom Of The Plains had many monsters. Monsters spawned around [Areas Of Chaos]. [Areas Of Chaos] where created when some sort of tragic event happened. Be it a large battle, natural disaster, or dark ritual. Monsters spawned naturally too, but at a significantly lower rate. The capital of The Kingdom Of The Plains had seen many great sieges, so monsters spawned quite regularly around it. In some ways, it was even like an extra defense.


    After roughly an hour of wandering, and getting very lost, the first signs of monsters began to show. [Goblins] where a very common monster that spawned. Although very weak, they made up for it in numbers. A small tribe of [Goblins] could suddenly become an army in only a week. Lucky, their [Elite Goblins] and [King Goblin], the only ones of their race who was a real threat, had some of the lowest spawn rates in the world.


    The sign of the monster was around was literally that. A sign with a crude skull painted on it. It was facing Diablo from his right, so he assumed that their camp was in that direction. Headed off in that direction, Diablo was ready for a fight. He could already feel the Mana growing in his hand, ready to be made into flames.


    He had never reacted like this before. His body knew a fight was about to happen, and it seemed like his Mana was getting a life of its own. He had never had so much control, yet so little control of it before. It''s like it moved on its own, but it moved where he wanted it to go too. Many years later, he find out that this was an effect of his Title.


    Soon the first [Goblin] was in sight. It was short, grey, and had only a strip of old cloth covering its modest parts. Diablo was repulsed by this thing. It was downright ugly. He was no looker himself, but this thing made him almost vomit just from looking at it.


    Shaking his head, the boy began to try and use the skill. The Mana in his hand began to take shape into a rough, thick oval. Being a [Cantrip], whatever that was, it did not require a chant. Lighting the Mana on fire, and actually achieved the desired result this time, he threw it at the monster. The bolt flew true. It stuck the monster in the back, square between the shoulders.


    [Ding]


    [Congratulations! By practicing your magic every day and even risking your own life in the pursuit of knowledge, you have learned the spell [FireBolt]]


    [FireBolt level 0 created]


    [+1 Intelligence]


    Diablo almost cried out with happiness. The only problem was that the [Goblin] was still alive. Not only that, it was angry. With the club in its hand, it charged at the young Mage. Diablo only panicked. He tried to throw another [FireBolt], but in his panicked state, the spell failed and backlashed at him.


    He had heard of this a few times but had yet to have it happen to him. If a Mage where to try and do a spell, then have it interrupted, it would lash at the mind, stunning the Mage that tried to cast the spell. Lucky, [Cantrips] only gave a light pain in the head, and no other adverse effects.


    With the [Goblin] still closing in fast, Diablo did the only thing he could think off. With the [Old Broken Spear] in his left hand, he thrust it out at the monster. The thrust was weak. It wouldn''t have been able to kill a kitten. Yet Diablo felt a splash of something warm on his face.


    Slowly, Diablo opened his eyes. Somewhere along the way he had closed them. Looking at the end of the spear, now broken off again, there was a dead [Goblin]. In its rush to kill him, it had impaled its neck on the end of the spear. It was laying dead at his feet.


    Diablo screamed. He cried. He ran away in fear. He had killed something. In his eyes, he had done something horrid. Even though he was ready to kill it before, that was different. He was doing it with magic. It wouldn''t have been so darn bloody. It wouldn''t have a shard of wood sticking out of its neck with blood squirting everywhere. It would have been clean.


    Diablo decided then and there, that he would never go back out to hunt monsters. He was done with that life. He would become a Page and live a quiet life away from adventures and monsters.


    Yet, after little over six months, he got an urge. A calling. He wanted to go back out once more. To fight monsters once more. There had been something exhilarating about it. Something that felt right. That night had changed him. He didn''t even know it.


    [Ding]


    [Due to your recent forging in the crucible known as battle you have come out made of stronger stuff. You have developed the Passive Skill [Spear Mastery]]


    [Spear Mastery Level 0 created]


    [+1 Strength]


    [+1 Dexterity]


    [Ding]


    [You have leveled up! The gods shall assign you five stat points]


    [+2 Intelligence]


    [+3 Wisdom]


    Diablo


    Level 2 [+1]


    Strength: 3 [+1]


    Dexterity: 4 [+2]


    Constitution: 1


    Intelligence: 11 [+4]


    Wisdom: 9 [+3]


    Charisma: 1


    Titles


    [Fire Duelist]


    Skills


    [Flame of the beginning (Max)] [Candle''s Flame (Lv.2)] [Sneaking (Lv.0)] [FireBolt (Lv.0)] [Spear Mastery (Lv.0)]

 Chapter 1.3: Everyone has to start somewhere

    Diablo was standing outside the Adventurers Guild. He didn''t want to be here. He wanted to be in his nice, warm, uncomfortable bed sleeping until it was time for breakfast. But instead, it was not even the crack of dawn. A light dusting of frost was on everything that did not move. Although it did not snow around The Kingdom Of The Plains'' capital, it did get rather cold during winter. That''s what it was right now. The middle of winter.


    It had been almost five months since his little escapade into the forest. He was now eleven. A few days ago, the Adventurers Guild had stopped by the orphanarium and requested that the child with the most Intelligence was to start working with the Guild. With a sudden influx of Adventurers. Word on the street was that The Empire Of Great Karn had a new Empress. A child of only eight.


    Due to this, her ''advisers'' where ruling in her name. They had seen fit to expand the borders of The Empire. Everyone, especially Adventurers, where being drafted. Thus, everyone without ties to The Empire fled. Adventurers where accepted without much hassle. They are always hunting monsters, making The Kingdom Of The Plains safer, and then investing the money back into the economy via drinks, food, and accommodation as they traveled. They were not the problem.


    The problem was many refugees fleeing both The Empire and the Kingdoms surrounding it. But none of that was Diablo''s concern. He was to work at the Guild. Serving drinks, pinning up requests, and washing dishes. The only reason they needed someone with high Intelligence was to remember everyone''s orders, and the ranking system of the guild in a few days.


    Sighing to himself, Diablo pushed open the doors and went inside. It wasn''t like he hated the job. It was just tiring. Even with the Level Up, his Constitution was still only one. Thus he tired rather quickly. Both the workers and Adventurers told him it will grow after a few months of work, but one point would not make much of a difference anyway.


    "Diablo!" One of the younger works called out to him. He was right on time, as always. Yet it always seemed he was last to arrive. He did not understand that. "Come here and help me unstack the chairs."


    Diablo did as he was told. He didn''t speak while doing so. The young woman that he was helping, her name was Millie, always made him flustered. She had the beauty of a spring flower, and she knew it. She often wore something known as a ''push up bra''. It made her boobs look bigger, and the young man whose hormones had just started acting up took notice.


    The young girl also had long brown hair and a pair of bright green eyes. Those that didn''t get lost in her assets tended to find themselves lost in those eyes. "Do you remember the ranks of the guild?" She asked Diablo as he moved to help her.


    "Yes Ma''am." He answered without hesitation. "The ranks are based on precise metals and stones. They are ranked in order of rareness, or in the case of the gems, least popular to most." Diablo''s voice was rather high pitched and cracked often. Though he managed to speak clearly when not looking directly at someone.


    "They are as followed; Clay, Stone, Copper, Bronze, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Adamantium and Rhodium." Millie had questioned him on this every single day, and other then the first day, he had gotten it right every time.


    He then decided he wasn''t going to play this game, and after putting the next chair under a table, he kept talking. "Clay and Stone are different because those that are newly joined are untested and break easily. Thus why they are given clay. Once they prove themselves they may be hardened, but are not anything special yet. Thus why they are Stone. There is also Diamond, but that is reserved only for the Guild Master."


    "Very good. You are a good find. If you were a few years older we would make you sign a contract to force you to stay." Millie joked at the boy. Soon they were finished putting the chairs under tables. Contrary to most people''s belief that all the Adventurers sit at one big table and just grab food and drink like some kind of barbarian, the set up was a lot more like at your average inn. Small and large tables scattered around to fit as many people as plausible while still giving people some privacy.


    Although on occasion the larger tables were broken out. It was mostly after a Platinum or higher quest was complete. But they were rather rare. Other then that, public celebrations were another time the feast tables were taken out.


    "Next up is the quests. You take Stone and Clay, I''ll do the rest." Millie told Diablo. The boy only answered with a nod of his head. Stone and Clay quests were the large majority. Higher ranked Adventurers would often take five or six at a time and do them all within two or three days. It was a quick and easy way to make money. Clay quests barely gave coppers, but the Stone ones occasionally gave a good reward.


    Due to this, most Adventurers were rather poor, often with miss-matching equipment. But it was never a good thing to judge an Adventurer by their gear, as they often had some if the highest Levels and Skills outside of the army, guards and Knight Orders.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Of course, Mercanries were counted among the strong, but due to their violent nature, they were considered barely any better than bandits by most. They often lived in worse conditions then bandits too. This didn''t really help their reputation much.


    After pinning up roughly two hundred requests on the request board, sorted form easiest on the left, to hardest on the right, the first of the Adventurers began to trickle in. They were the ones up at the crack of dawn. Most were Clay and needed to take at least two quests a day just to keep on living. A few were Stone, they were not in any better condition. Although they were more looking for long escort quests and the such. Easy quests that required minimal effort.


    Escort quests could not be accepted by Clay Adventurers and were deemed too boring for most Adventurers above Copper. Thus most Stone rank Adventurers took them. Copper ranks did too, but at a less high rate. They had better pickings too, so they didn''t bother coming in as early as Stone ranks.


    "Oi. Boy. Git me a ale." A gruff voice called out to Diablo. The child''s spine shivered at the voice. It belonged to an older man, roughly forty years of age. His name was Griff. He was a Silver rank, a living legend among fellow Adventurers. He was a spear user who was said to have a technique that could slay a [Giant] in one strike. But he had lost his right arm during a fight with a [Dragon]. It was during the advancement quest to Gold rank. Since then, he only took Emerald and below quests, as he had to re-learn everything all over again with a new weapon.


    Diablo quickly went to do as the man told him. Griff had once whacked him over the head with the flat of his shortsword. Since then, the boy practically ran whenever the older man ordered something of him. Diablo could practically feel the old man''s smile as he ran off to do as he was told.


    "Ale for Griff." Diablo told the man behind the bar counter. Hall was a short man, or technically a half-man, half-dwarf. He had a long, black beard and a bald head. His face was squished together as if he was always sucking on a lemon.


    The Half-ling grunted and filled up a mug with a thick dark liquid that was most definitely not normal ale. Diablo had been told it was some kind of Dwarven brew. He had also been told it was expensive and that most people couldn''t afford to drink it. Yet it was the only thing Griff seemed to drink. Drink it he did too. It was like water for the man.


    Once the young boy had returned with the ale, Griff was already seated near the unlit fire. "Well boy, bout time. ''Urry up and light the fire! I''ll fucking freeze ''ere if ya take any bloody longer!" The older man ordered Diablo. It was not his job to light the fire, it was Millie''s. But she seemed busy talking to an awkward looking teen who was either trying to join the Guild or ask her out. Besides, he wasn''t about to ignore Griff and simply did as he was told.


    The fire was already cleaned out. That was the last job of each day. Diablo grabbed a handful of wood shavings and placed them at the back of the fireplace. "Too far back. Won''t git enough air." Griff told the boy, watching his every move.


    Diablo could feel the blush begin to creep onto his cheeks. He moved the shavings to the front of the fire. "Wrong. If some bloody idiot opens da door for a little too long da wind''s blow it out." This time the blush in his cheeks showed in full force.


    Finally moving the shavings to the middle of the fireplace, Diablo grabbed the flint. He began to strike it against its iron other-half. "Make da shavings int''a cradle. Move da flint ''n steel closer t'' da middle." Griff continued to scold him as he was drinking. From the noise the was coming from the cup, the drink was likely already half empty.


    The boy simply did as he was told. He had resigned himself to being scolded by Griff every single step of the way. After roughly ten minutes of trying to light the fire, Diablo had gotten rather frustrated at it and resorted to using his magic. Gathering the magic at the top of his pointer finger of his right hand, he easily set the dry wood shavings on fire using [Candle''s Flame (Lv.2)]


    As soon as he had done so, he felt a hand grab his wrist with the strength of a bear. "The fuck ya think ye do''en kid?" Griff didn''t look angry at the boy, merely disappointed.


    Diablo almost cried out due to the pain, but some of his baser instincts told him that if he did that, Griff would most likely break his wrist. He had enough influence to claim that the boy had tried to steal his coin-purse and be believed. So he manned up and bore with the pain.


    "L-lighting the f-fire?" Diablo answered, fear causing his voice to waver and crack badly at the end.


    "Well now. I won''t be see''en dat again. Mage-y types not be very welcome round these parts. Snotty bunch o'' twats they be. Ya be work''en ''ere, ya do it like da rest o'' us. Got it?" As Griff spoke, he held his hand over the flegling flame and pressed down, snuffing it out.


    "Do it again. Proper like dis time." With those words engraved into his young mind, the boy Diablo began to relight the fire. After another five minutes, he finally got it alight.


    "Dere ya go. Das how ya do it." Griff said with a smug smile on his face. "Now. How about another drink, eh lad?" He already had his mug out, handle pointed towards Diablo. The boy had no choice but to go and fill it back up.


    That''s how the next few weeks passed. Diablo worked at cleaning, serving, basic maintenance, breaking up fights, pinning up requests twice a day and any other odd job someone wanted him to do. At the end of every day, he was given his pay. 25 copper for him, and 75 for the orphanarium.


    Technically he was in debt to the orphanarium for feeding, keeping a roof over his head and clothing him, but there was no way he could pay that back anytime soon. So they would clear the remaining debt when he turned 16, letting him earn his full pay at the job they had found him, or at another he found himself.


    Diablo


    Level 2


    Strength: 3


    Dexterity: 4


    Constitution: 1


    Intelligence: 11


    Wisdom: 9


    Charisma: 1


    Titles


    [Fire Duelist]


    Skills


    [Flame of the beginning (Max)] [Candle''s Flame (Lv.2)] [Sneaking (Lv.0)] [FireBolt (Lv.0)] [Spear Mastery (Lv.0)]

 Chapter 1.4: The path is set

    Diablo had worked for exactly four weeks. He had seven hundred copper, or seven slivers if he was old enough to change it to a higher coin. He was not though. You had to be sixteen in order to open a bank account and you needed a bank account to get money changed. Normally the Orphanarium would do so for him if needed. But since he was a late bloomer in the job world, they had yet to remember to tell him that. So under his bed wrapped in an old blanket was seven hundred thumbnail sized copper coins.


    It was around this time that Diablo was beginning to feel restless once more. Something called to him. He wanted to go out into the wild and explore. Something tugged at his heart and soul to go back out into the forest and fight another [Goblin]. The boy wasn''t sure what frightened him more. The idea of fighting another [Goblin], or the fact he wanted to do it in the first place.


    Over the weeks Diablo had been becoming more comfortable around Griff. The old man had proven himself a friend to the child when two copper ranked Adventures had decided to trip him up while carrying six ales. Before Hall, the bartender, could even open his mouth to yell at them, Griff had already taken action.


    He had lifted his spear and activated a [Skill] called [Dragon''s Fury]. It caused the spear to be covered in flames of a certain element, green for wind in Griff''s case, and deal a high amount of magic damage on top of a piercing attack. Piercing attacks ignored armor. It was known as a [Finnisher Move] as it cost a high amount of magic power, [MP], as well as having a five-second stun effect on use.


    Not only that, he had also used a [Skill] called [Double Shot]. It was a basic [Skill] that most spear users learned before their fifth level. It caused a second spear, identical in strength and power of the first, to appear next to it, allowing for two hits. Normally two [Skills] could not be used at the same time, but Griff had explained to Diablo that there was a very short window in every [Skill] that allowed to another to be used. If missed, it would cause the backlash of both [Skills] to hit the user, so it was not done often, even by experienced fighters. Yet Griff had done it just to prove a point. That Diablo was off-limits.


    Since that day, Griff has seemed less scary to the youth. He was still a hardass to the boy, but more so in the way an uncle would teach a boy the things the father did not know. Filling the gaps in his knowledge and pushing him to succeed.


    So, with the feeling of trust in the older man, Diablo walked up to him with his usual morning ale and started talking to him. It went horribly.


    "S-so. Umm. A-about t-tho-those s-s-s-s-s-skills y-y-you-"


    "Spit it out, boy. I don''t ''ave all day ta sit ''ere an'' listen ta ya stutter out ya words. Just cuz ya charisma is shit don''t mean ya should be afraid o'' talk''en. It just means ya''r gonna fail at buying anything fer da rest o'' ya life."


    "R-right." Diablo looked down at the ground as he spoke, and Griff let him. They both full well knew the older man could have forced the younger one to look him in the eyes and talk, but it would have taken all day to get his point across then.


    "I-i was hoping, i-if it wa-was alright. I-i was hoping you c-could, m-maybe, let me b-buy one of your o-old s-s-spears?" The boy finally managed to stutter out.


    Griff gave the boy a skeptical look. "Why ya be wan''t''an one o'' those? Sides, an''t much use ta ya if ya can''t bloody use it."


    Diablo meanwhile took the bait like a starving animal. With his face slowly getting red, he yelled slightly louder then he meant to. "I-i want to get stronger!"


    As soon as he realized what he did, the boy looked away even more. His body was as still as a statue.His fight or flight had activated and he wanted nothing more than to run away. But he forced himself to stand still. He forced himself to take what comes his way. Some near-by Adventures were staring, but they soon looked away.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Griff just looked at him. Starring through his eyes and into the boy''s soul. After a few moments, the older man slowly opened his mouth and began to speak. "Alright. Four silver for da spear, two for a basic [Skill], then one more ta keep me from telling. Stay out the frount o'' the guild an I will bring the spear. Ya got any spear related [Skills] I should know about?"


    The young boy nodded at the older man. "[Spear Mastery (Lv.0)]"


    Griff nodded, snorting slightly. "Good. Dat means we don''t ha''ve ta waste time hitt''en a practice dummy ta get ya masteries. Now. I''ll give ya a rundown on how everything works after the guild closed. Now git. Ya got work ta do."


    That day, Diablo worked with an unusual pep in his step. Although a few people noticed, no one said anything. Most assumed the boy had found the joys of a cute girl or something along those lines. Adventurers were not known for thinking much outside of fighting, fucking and drinking.


    <hr>


    After an exhausting day of work, Diablo waited outside the closed Adventurers Guild. He had quickly run home and grabbed the makeshift bag of coins. He had gotten a few looks from people on the streets, and more than one street rat trying to trip him up. But the boy had run these streets plenty of times, so he managed to avoid them all.


    In the end, there was no reason to rush. Griff had decided to take his time. So Diablo ended up waiting for almost an entire hour for the man to show up. Somehow he seemed drunker than when he left the guild. In his hands was the promised spear. It looked used. It had a few dozen scratches on the wooden shaft and a small nick in the metal. Other then that, it seemed to be in a rather good condition all things considered.


    "Catch kiddo." Griff said to the boy as he lightly tossed the spear in the boy''s general direction. Diablo managed to catch it easily. Although he did almost drop the money.


    [Old Spear]


    [Durability 50/50]


    Before Diablo could even register it, his arms suddenly felt lighter. Griff had used the distraction of the spear to walk up and pluck the money right out of the boy''s hands.


    "Lesson number one. Don''t take your eyes off the enemy. Now. Let''s go around back so the guards don''t think we are breaking in and trying to steal stuff." Griff was already walking away before he even finished talking, leaving Diablo to follow.


    Around the back of the guild was a rather large training area. It had an archery range, a wrestling ring, a sparing circle and a few practice dummies scattered around.


    "Right. I''ma be teach''en ya this only once. Ya be a smart lad, so I shouldn''t hav'' ta repeat meself." Griff pointed to the practice dummy and told Diablo his instructions.


    "Git ready ta stab that dummy. Then project ya [MP] around the spearhead. As ya thrust, give it a point, pushing all the [MP] to that point. It should cause the [MP] already at the point to be forced back, leaving less and less room at the point, making it smaller and sharper. This be a thrusting only [Skill], so don''t be trying ta swing with it or you''ll end up do''en nuthing."


    Diablo only nodded and did as he was told. He focused he [MP] on the spearhead and saw it glow slightly red. He then thrust the spear forwards, forcing the [MP] into a tip. To the boy''s amazement, it worked. Not only that, but the [MP] flared out like a pair of wings folded back into a dive, causing a bright light to emit from the spear. As the spear stuck the dummy, it broke through it with ease, all the way until Diablo''s front hand hit the dummy, causing him to stop.


    [Ding]


    [Congratulations! By listening to your instructor, you have learned the skill [Power Thrust]. Due to leaning this through an instructor, the skill starts at level 1. No more stat points will be earned through leveling this skill unless a milestone is hit]


    [Power Thrust level 1 created]


    [+1 Dexterity]


    [Ding]


    [Congratulations! By learning skills unique to this mastery, you have leveled the mastery. [Spear Mastery (Lv.1)] You are now truly on the path of the spear. No more stat points will be earned through leveling this mastery unless a milestone is hit.]


    [+1 Dexterity]


    Griff was laughing at the boy as he struggled to pull out the spear. "Careful now lad, don''t wanna wear down the [Durability] on ya weapon so soon. HA!" The older man broke out into more laughter as the boy struggled.


    Although this was a rough start, it was the beginning ofa long, interesting life.


    Diablo


    Level 2


    Strength: 3


    Dexterity: 6 [+2]


    Constitution: 1


    Intelligence: 11


    Wisdom: 9


    Charisma: 1


    Titles


    [Fire Duelst]


    Skills


    [Flame of the beginning (Max)] [Candle''s Flame (Lv.2)] [Sneaking (Lv.0)] [FireBolt (Lv.0)] [Spear Mastery (Lv.1)] [Power Thrust (Lv.1)]

 Chapter 1.5: Cry of victory

    It was the day after Diablo had gotten his ''new'' [Old Spear]. He had accidentally pulled the spear too hard out of the dummy and caused it to lose a single point of [Durability]. Griff had started laughing so hard a pair of guards showed up and questioned them. The guards seemed to know Griff though and quickly left the pair alone with a warning to hurry home.


    Right now though, the boy was out in the forest once more. He had a plan. Most people became Adventures because they were either poor, loved the lifestyle, or simply were born with a combat [Skill] and didn''t want to join the army. Diablo was of the second kind. He enjoyed the thrill of the fight, even if he did not want to admit it. But he could not join the guild until he was sixteen. Fighting monsters while not being apart of the guild was ok. But possibly killing a monster that had a price on its head was not, as the guild did not get their fees then.


    It was like someone selling wares outside the city. Some people would buy it, but not many. But if that person tried to sell in the city without the Trade Guild''s say so, it cut into profits and that person had to make up for the loss. But if the person sold on the black market, they could make enough money to ignore the guild and sell openly, until getting big enough to start at the head of the guild when finally joining. That was Diablo''s plan, but with [Monsters], [Skills] and [Levels].


    Griff had told him as they left behind the guild that he would sell any [Items] that the [Monsters] dropped, as well as teach Diablo skills, for a certain price. 50% of the [Items] price Griff claimed. As for the [Skills], he was willing to sell them at a ''special discount.'' The boy was sure he was being ripped off, but he couldn''t turn to anyone else.


    The next skill was meant to be [Double Shot]. But he needed both 500 copper and level 3 in [Spear Mastery]. As far as the boy could tell, there were actually many types of [Skills]. [Passive], always on. [Active] had to be used at a cost of mana. Then there was [Masteries]. [Masteries] where needed to access the [Passive] and [Active] skills of combat [Classes]. The higher level the [Mastery], the more combat-related [Skills] could be learned. Apparently, [Masteries] could even upgrade existing skills into something more powerful. But Griff had refused to tell him about that, saying it was only for those who had hit [Level Forty] in their [Mastery].


    Strangely though, Diablo could access fire magic without the use of a [Fire Mastery]. It confused him slightly but wasn''t bothered too much by it. He could use magic, and that gave him a good ranged attack against [Monsters]. But that is not what bothered him at the moment. In order to learn his new skill, he would have to work at the guild for another three weeks to earn the copper. Not to mention he had to fight in order to level his [Spear Mastery].


    But that is why he was in the forest, looking for [Monsters]. He was unsure how many he could fight at once, but was strangely eager to find out. Diablo had never been a violent person, often avoiding fights and not retaliating when someone picked on him. But the thrill of a fight where everything was on the line awoke something sleeping deep inside of him. Something that scared him.


    After roughly an hour of wandering the forest, the boy came across three [Goblins]. They seemed younger than the last one. They were slightly shorter in size, lighter in skin tone and had almost no muscle mass. In fact, these three seemed to be almost starving. Since there were no clan signs around, like the skull last time, these three were most likely either random spawns that had yet to join a clan or were outcasts deemed useless by their clan.


    Diablo readied [FireBolt (Lv.0)] in his left hand, holding the spear in his right. Crouched from a bush where they couldn''t see him, he quickly threw it at the closest of the three. It not only missed, it set the bush on fire. Luckily, it did not miss entirely. Although the target didn''t get hit, the one standing next to him did.


    When the [FireBolt (Lv.0)] hit the [Monster], it somehow felt stronger than before. Although Diablo didn''t know this, as he couldn''t see the popup as he was neither a [Hero] or had the appropriate [Title], but had done [Sneak Attack Damage] for three times the normal damage. The [Goblin] died instantly.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    With only a moment of hesitation, the other two charged the burning bush, as the spell clearly came from there. Even if there was not yelling coming from it. Diablo meanwhile was yelling and trying to put out his arm that had caught on fire from the bush. It went out quickly, as it was rather small. But that had given the [Goblins] all the time they needed.


    The faster of the pair had already reached Diablo and swung a [Broken Falchion] at him. This time, the boy only panicked a lot, instead of completely. He grabbed the spear with both hands and activated the [Skill] [Power Thrust (Lv.1)]. It took the [Goblin]


    right next to the heart. Not killing him, but causing him to stop and have a major artery cut open, effectively putting him out of the fight.


    Next was the last [Goblin]. Things did not go quite so smoothly this time. By the time he had turned towards it, a shortsword was being swung towards his head. The boy tried to move out of the way, but was not quite quick enough and received a glancing blow to the head, causing him to stumble and fall over a tree root.


    Diablo could tell he was bleeding. The left side of his head felt warm and there was blood getting in his left eye. The [Goblin]


    saw this too and tried to pierce the boy''s left side with his sword. Luckily Diablo was not as dumb as he looked at this moment, and rolled out of the way, taking a small cut to his left arm.


    Unfortunately, he had rolled next to the still dying other [Goblin], and it was not happy to see him. It grabbed him and tried to claw his face, but the boy managed to headbutt it, causing another wound to bleed on his forehead. As it turned out, the bumps on a [Goblin] head were actually small spikes. Though this did manage to stun the creature enough for Diablo to crawl away.


    As he tried crawling, he felt something grab his ankle and start to pull him towards it. In his panic, he ended up dropping the spear. Even stretching out his arm and trying to reach for it failed, as the [Goblin] threw him at a tree. This almost knocked the boy out. But luckily the immense strength of the [Monster] compared to the child had meant that it made some room between the two. Enough for Diablo to throw a few dozen [FireBolt (Lv.0)].


    Although it had died after the third [FireBolt (Lv.0)], Diablo didn''t let up until he was out of mana. Since he had a high Intelligence for his age, this meant he had plenty of [MP] to spare. Not only that, he also had a decent Wisdom, meaning it regenerated at a good pace. Nothing compared to a proper [Mage], but for his age and skill, it was impressive.


    Though eventually, the [MP] did run out. When it did, so did Diablo''s mental fortitude. He ended up simply breaking down into tears. Covered in his own blood, in the middle of a forest, the child cried. He cried for the mother he killed. He cried for the father that ordered his death. He cried for the kind-hearted lady that did everything in her power to turn him into a man. He cried for the people of the guild, Griff, Millie, and Hall.


    Most of all, he cried for strength. Because all-through he was in pain, something stirred inside of him. Something that told him he would do it again and again until he was strong though that these monsters were not a threat. Then he would go find one that is.


    [Ding]


    [Congratulations! By using this skill in combat, it has leveled up to [FireBolt (Lv.1)] You are now truly on the path of fire magic. No more stat points will be earned through leveling this skill unless a milestone is hit.]


    [+1 Intelligence]


    [Ding]


    [Congratulations! By using this skill to give you an advantage in combat, it has leveled up to [Sneaking (Lv.1)] You are now truly on the path of shady activities. No more stat points will be earned through leveling this skill unless a milestone is hit.]


    [+1 Dexterity]


    [Ding]


    [Congratulations! By using this skill in combat, it has leveled up to [FireBolt (Lv.2)] You are now truly on the path of fire magic. No more stat points will be earned through leveling this skill unless a milestone is hit.]


    [Ding]


    [You have leveled up! The gods shall assign you five stat points]


    [+1 Constitution]


    [+3 Intelligence]


    [+1 Wisdom]


    Diablo


    Level 3


    Strength: 3


    Dexterity: 7 [+1]


    Constitution: 2 [+1]


    Intelligence: 15 [+4]


    Wisdom: 10 [+1]


    Charisma: 1


    Titles


    [Fire Duelist]


    Skills


    [Flame of the beginning (Max)] [Candle''s Flame (Lv.2)] [Sneaking (Lv.1)] [FireBolt (Lv.2)] [Spear Mastery (Lv.1)] [Power Thrust (Lv.1)]

 Interlude 1

    Religions:


    The Great Sun Dragon - The most popular religion on the continent. It is a branch religion of ''The Two Great Dragons''. The followers believe the sun is actually a dragon egg that will eventually hatch and gather all of its followers into it''s back to take them to heaven and leave the heathens in darkness. This religion is full of zealots and is known to be violent to its parent religion and other off-shoots. Their symbol is a sun with a dragon wrapped around it.


    Two Great Dragons - The parent religion of ''The Great Sun Dragon'' and ''The Great Moon Dragon''. The followers believe that both the sun and moon are twin dragon eggs and that when they hatch they will bring prosperity and wealth to all followers. It used to the largest religion on the continent until the zealots of ''The Great Sun Dragon'' burnt down the head temple and burnt most the priests alive. It is still practiced in small villages and some city-states. Though the number is constantly dropping. Their symbol is a bright dragon and a dark dragon intertwined.


    The Great Moon Dragon - The secluded and secret off-shoot of ''The Two Great Dragons''. The followers believe that the moons is actually a dragon egg and when it hatches, the dragon will fly down and give its followers knowledge of all things. It is not openly followed, though many scholars follow this faith. Their symbol is the moon with a dragon wrapped around it.


    Talon - A religion only followed in the most northern reaches of the continent. It tells the story of a great hero who tapped into the ley lines beneath the earth to access forbidden magic.With this magic, he held off an invasion of a monster horde that was said to be destined to wipe out all of humanity. But in doing so, the forbidden magic destroyed his body but infused with his soul. This is said to be the creation of both light and dark magic. Now Talon protects the people of the north from all external threats. Their symbol is a sword surrounded by streams of both light and dark magic.


    The silver hawk: A religion only followed in the Sunset Islands, a large archipelago to the southeast of the continent. The followers believe that there was once a giant silver hawk that fought off a wivern that was attacking the islands. After defeating it, the creature died. But from its bloody body, thousands of more sliver hawks were born. Creating a race that opposes wyverns in the domination of the skies above the islands.Thus keeping the people safe. The hawks are also fond of humans, while the wyverns only see humans as food. Their symbol is a silver hawk.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    The One God: A religion that is rather new. Its followers only include a single city-state to the south of The Empire Of Great Karn. The followers believe in peace before a conflict. Their monks often take vows of never committing violence or condoning it. It is said the will never raise their hand, even in self-defense. But their healing power and use of light magic are said to be second to none. They have no icon or symbol.


    The many faces: The religion of assassins. They kill people then take their faces. None more is known outside their order.


    Major kingdoms:


    The Empire Of Great Karn is the regional superpower and is currently uncontested. Although with the new ruler being little more than a baby, internal strife and opportunist nobles are on the rise. It is currently expanding rapidly in an attempt to bring everyone together under a common cause. It does not seem to be working and seems to be making things worse for both them and the surrounding nations.


    The Kingdom of the Plains is a medium power. It has a large mountain range to it''s north and then a collection of city-states. Beyond them is The Empire. To their south lay a dozen small kingdoms, barely more than city-states themselves, that have strong marital ties and a strong defense pact. To the west are more mountains with many dwarven mountain clans living among them. These Clans are rather friendly but prefer to stick to their old ways. To the east is the principality of Coral. It is a coastal principality that has no real military power but holds much economic power. It is actually ruled by three merchant princes.


    Kingdom of the Wastes is a medium power and the northernmost kingdom. They do not have much in the way of wood or food but hold some of the richest minerals and meals on the continent. They rely heavily on trade to secure food. As such, everyone is either a shrew merchant or a vicious warrior. Often both. They are also known as the best Vampire and Werewolf hunters in the world, as both races do not feel the cold and enjoy the darkness of the far north.


    The Sunset Islands are a minor nation of seafaring men and elves to the southeast of the continent. Although originally only elves lived there, since they opened up to humans they are quickly becoming a minority in their own nation. This has yet to lead to any conflicts, as the humans seem eager to adopt the elf traditions. But with piracy on the rise in the area, things may turn south.

 Chapter 2.1: Becoming a man

    Diablo was now fourteen. In only a days time it would be the Spring Festival. The day of the year where every child who didn''t know their birthday was officially a year older. Over the few years of working, listening to late night lectures and hunting [Monsters], the young man had managed to rack up quite a lot of booty.


    He had gained [Five Levels], placing him at [Level 8]. Apparently, once you hit [Level Five] [Goblins] stopped being worth the trouble. But there was not much else that dared travel so close to the walls of the city. Other than [Slimes], but they were resistant to just about everything and were rather docile, so they were not worth the effort either.


    He had also earned a staggering four gold, thirty-nine silver and a handful of coppers. It''s wasn''t even as much as a crafts apprentice in the city would have gotten two years. But when compared to peasants and craftsmen of small towns, it was a staggering amount. It was certainly more then anyone who didn''t have a craft would make.


    As for [Skills], they had also improved a lot. [FireBolt (Lv.2)] was now [FireBolt (Lv.6)], [Candle''s Flame (Lv.2)] had improved to [Candle''s Flame (Lv.3)], [Sneaking (Lv.1)] to [Sneaking (Lv.3)], [Power Thrust (Lv.1)] had shown very useful and had gotten all the way up to [Power Thrust (Lv.5)]. As for [Spear Mastery (Lv.1)], it had only leveled to [Spear Mastery (Lv.4)]. It seemed that [Spear Mastery] [Leveled] rather slowly. Griff had assured him it was because he was no longer being pushed to his limits, or anywhere close to them. The harder the fight, the faster it would [Level].


    The young boy had done more than just improve his already existing [Skills]. He had also learned three more. The first was from Griff. It was the [Skill] [Double Shot]. It had gotten all the way to [Level 3]. It would have gotten further, but Diablo''s small size made it hard to control. It was easier now that he was larger and taller though. It had given him an extra +1 Dexterity too.


    The other two [Skills] where a bit different. Both were [Fire Magic]. One was combat orientated, while the other seemed to be for survival. The first was [Fireball], a [Second Level] spell. It was much like [Firebolt], but had a cast time and exploded on impact. It also killed a [Goblin] in one hit at [Level Zero], whereas [Firebolt] took three. It had given +1 Intelligence for self-teaching and another +1 Intelligence for following through with it.


    The other spell was a [Level One]. It was called [Dragon''s Heart]. It gave +1 to Wisdom, then another for following through. It caused Diablo''s insides to warm up to the point where it felt like his blood was boiling. It was actually slightly painful. But the young mage to be had put up with it until it got to [Level One], then decided to lock it away forever, as it had actually gotten a lot hotter as it leveled.


    That was not the only stuff that had happened over the years. A [Kobold] raid hit near-by towns and the King had put out a bounty of two hundred gold on the leader, a [Kobold King]. After that, it had only taken two hours for someone to bring in the head. It showed the young man that people would only help others for money, not out of the good of their heart. It had been a good lesson.


    While working at the Adventurers Guild, Diablo had also gotten a free Charisma point for ''Working a social job and being good at it'' or so the [God''s Voice] had told him. With his Charisma stat now a lot higher then it was before, the young boy found he had stopped stuttering for the most part. Though Griff had scoffed and said it was all in his head from the beginning.


    But the biggest change had been with Diablo himself. He was always an average sized child. But he never had any fat or muscle to speak of. The other children had at least some, but he had lacked any at all. With his outings and running around all day delivering drinks and food, he had somehow managed to build up some muscle. The extra food he occasionally brought helped too.


    The boy was now almost a man, a day away from being one in fact. He was now taller than most, standing at 5''11. He wasn''t the tallest by any means, but his stature certainly helped with his spear use. He had a head full of short, fire red, not orange, fire red hair. His leg muscles were well developed, even if his upper body was lacking slightly. All in all, he was well on his way to becoming a man.


    Yet, for how close he was to becoming a man, he had almost no clue what he was to be doing. He was kicked out of the guild for the next two days. They had told him to go buy some nice clothes and get ready for the festival tomorrow. Yet, being the responsible young man he was, Diablo was already prepared. He had a nice new tunic of a very dark blue as well as a pair of matching long pants and a black jacket that was only slightly too large. Altogether it had cost eighteen slivers, a complete rip-off. Yet even knowing so, the young man had just accepted the price and moved on.


    The only thing he was missing was a date. Most the boys had one, but Diablo was not great with girls yet. Although he was a lot more confident since his Charisma boot, he was still a hormonal teenager. Thus, he was out looking for someone who would go with him, even if he had convinced himself he was not.


    There were a lot of older women around. Roughly the ages of sixteen to thirty. These were out of the question. Most girls were engaged by sixteen and those that were not would most likely be looking. Diablo personally enjoyed his freedom. So he was looking, unconsciously, for someone younger than himself.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Knowing that he wouldn''t find anyone in the marketplace, he began to head towards the center of the city. Or as close as he could get without getting too close to the castle. The guards knew him as an orphan, so they were always watching him. The city was built up more on one side of the castle, towards the front. This annoyed the guards, as if anyone were to siege the city, it would mean there was one side slightly more vulnerable than the others. They would have to put more men on that side, and could more easily fall for a feint, allowing a small group to get past and into the castle.


    Once Diablo had gotten towards the center, a small garden opened up. It was installed by some King long ago to please his wife. It was now enjoyed by young girls of all classes. Although the poor girls were never allowed into the center, only along the edges. Today there seemed to be no guards, meaning no nobles or rich merchant''s daughters were in.


    Taking this chance to get some relaxation, Diablo quickly went into the center, past roughly six rows of different flowers offering some privacy, then a hedge that separated the actual center from the rest. In the direct center was a fountain that spewed crystal clear water out of the top. On one of the benches sat a young lady. Her skin was lightly bronzed and she wore a dress that put the Queens to shame. Her back was currently turned from the younger man.


    Diablo felt his mouth become slightly dry. He was never great at talking to girls, yet felt strangely drawn to this lady. She was clearly of noble birth, so if he was caught talking, or even looking at her, he would most likely be imprisoned for some charge her father made up. Yet, much like when the urge to fight came calling, he took that step forward.


    Perhaps he was just weak to his natural instincts. Fight monsters to get strong. Talk to ladies to get kisses. But it always felt like something more than that. Like he was meant to go down one road, but was thrown off it and pushed onto another. Now he was taking a long way back. Although both were very different, they ended at the same place.


    As he strode forwards, the girl turned her head rather quickly. She stood up the moment she saw Diablo. A look of surprise on her face. "What are you doing here?" She asked, her voice as clear and high pitched. Her face was one of perfection. As if someone had spent hours every single day with a chisel clearing any imperfection. Her eyes were a deep hazel brown, matching her waist long hair.


    "Umm, I-i was just o-out for a walk." Diablo started to explain but felt himself stumbling over his words, his face starting to go a shade of red both from embarrassment and just from how lovely the girl before him looked. In return, she giggled at him. This served to only make things worse for the young man.


    "Getting ready for tomorrow then?" The girl asked. Diablo noticed she had a slight Empire Of Great Karn accent. Also that she suddenly seems much more relaxed to see that he was but a boy stumbling over his words.


    "Y-yes. I mean, I am already ready. I-i have the day off to prepare, but I''m already prepared so..." Diablo stopped speaking as he noticed two things. He had begun to paddle on. Something he had started to do a lot instead of just getting too nervous to talk. The other was that the girl had started giggling uncontrollably at his horrid attempt at conversation. Before, it had been a polite gesture to show she didn''t mind. Now she was laughing at him.


    After a mear moment, she managed to get herself under control. "I am sorry, I do not mean to laugh. But I am used to boys making up their nervousness with fake bravado. It is nice to see someone honest." After speaking this time she gave him an honest, pure smile. That is when Diablo shut down.


    "I must be going. I snuck out of sight from my retinue when I saw this lovely garden. But if they found me here with you, things would......" The young lady seemed to struggle to find the right word. "Not be good. For you at least."


    Diablo only nodded dumbfoundedly at the lady as she gave him a curtsy and said one last goodbye to him. "Perhaps I will see you at the festival, yes?" The young man only nodded at the young lady. Not even remembering to ask for her name as she left, he muttered a goodbye barely loud enough for her to hear.


    The rest of the day had gone about in a haze. All Diablo could remember was that smile. Her thin lips stretching into even thinner lines. The small dimples of her cheeks. The pure white teeth that shone like pearls. She had managed to capture his heart in that moment more than any girl before had managed in his lifetime.


    <hr>


    The next day came around both quickly and slowly. The day passed in a haze of daydreaming, but the night was spent tossing with anticipation. Once the sun finally rose, Diablo and the other children got up, dressed in their finest and spent the rest of the day wasting time and doing chores.


    Slowly but surely, the midday rolled around. Midday of the Spring Festival. One by one, boys that were coming of age were called up in front of the Duke of the city. The King would only see those of nobility. Each boy was given a firm handshake and an invite to the royal feast as a show on becoming a man. In truth, it was a way of keeping public order, but to these boys and their families, it was the greatest honor of their young lives. They could even bring one person. Thus the need for a date.


    But Diablo had no date, so he would go again after more waiting. That was all he seemed to be doing the past two days. Waiting to see the girl he had seen before. The girl whose name he did not know. The girl who had stolen his heart in a moment. So that is what he did. He let himself be fussed over. He even accepted it when Griff of all people had hidden a knife on him. For emergencies, he had said.


    Then that fated time arrived. The sun went down and people began retiring for either drinks or dinner. But a large group of boys and girls began a slow walk up towards the castle. Step by step he was getting closer and closer. Then it happened. The doors opened and the great hall was shown to the entire world.


    There. Right up next to the King. In pure formal attire of seemingly endless wealth of gems unheard of. In silk imported from the farthest lands. There sat the girl he had fallen for. Her Majesty, the Empress Diana of The Empire Of Great Karn.


    Diablo


    Level 8


    Strength: 6 [+3]


    Dexterity: 13 [+6]


    Constitution: 4 [+2]


    Intelligence: 26 [+11]


    Wisdom: 17 [+7]


    Charisma: 3 [+2]


    Titles


    [Fire Duelist]


    Skills


    [Flame of the beginning (Max)] [Candle''s Flame (Lv.3)] [Sneaking (Lv.3)] [FireBolt (Lv.6)] [Spear Mastery (Lv.4)] [Power Thrust (Lv.5)] [Double Shot (Lv.2)] [Firebal (Lv.2)] [Dragon''s Heart (Lv.1)]

 Chapter 2.2: Officially an adult

    Diablo was, internally, panicking. He had talked to the Empress of the most powerful nation on the continent. Not only that, if anyone found out they would most-likely cut out his tongue. That''s only the most minor punishment too. He''d heard stories while working at the Adventurers Guild about people trying to use the young Empress to gain power. Apparently, they would often have their privates cut off, then sent wandering out into the wastelands without food or water. While also being nude. That''s what they did to the nobles, let alone a mere commoner like him.


    Needless to say, Diablo felt himself go very, very pale. So much so that a nearby girl tugged at his arm and asked if he was ok. The young man merely waved her off and went to go find his seat. The King was going to address the feast, then retire to a proper feast with other nobles. He was merely here as a morale boost to the people.


    Once everyone was seated, the King stood from his seat and addressed the gathered former children. "Ladies and Gentlemen. You are now formally an adult of The Kingdom of Plains. As such, you will be expected to follow her laws and protect her in times of need. Now, enjoy the feast!" The King shouted the last part. Most likely to make up for the fact his speech was rather monotone and wasn''t well given. Yet people cheered anyway. More for the food than anything else.


    The King himself was an unremarkable man. Fat, loose clothes to try and hide the fact. A rather poor excuse for a beard to hide his eight chins. There was even a fresh wine stain on his shirt. It was rather clear he had been drinking rather early in the day. He was sweating like a pig even though it was only spring. Apparently, he was once a strong young man, but Diablo couldn''t see it. What the young man did see was the bald patch that the King was trying to comb over. But his blond hair didn''t hide it well.


    On the King''s right was a young man, the Crown Prince. A chubby man of roughly twenty-two who seemed to be quickly taking after his father in both looks and size. On the left was another young man. This one was only thirteen. He was very different from his father and brother. The Second Crown Prince was lean, with muscle beginning to grow. His hair was also a dark brown. To the Second Crown Prince''s side was the Empress, in all her glory.


    Once the feast began, servants came out from doors with trays of food. Each being placed slightly below the one before it. During all the hustle and bustle, no one noticed at the King and Crown Prince both left. Yet both the Second Crown Prince and the Empress stayed behind.


    The food consisted of many different things. Soups of different kinds, fresh meats, steamed vegetables, and fruits. The first thing that went was the meats. Most people here had never had anything better than dog or horse meat, so this was a real treat. Diablo had venison on many occasions via buying food through the guild, but outside of the guild, there were no real chances to have proper meat.


    After the meal was consumed, rather quickly at that, people were not really sure as to what they were meant to do. Luckily for them, the Second Prince spoke up. "My people!" He started with a deep voice that sounded like homey. "The feast was only the first part of the celebration! Now, I know many of you will be unsure of yourselves, but do not worry! For tonight, we are all friends here! Now, let us dance!"


    At the end of his speech, the Second Prince held out his hand to the Empress. But she merely shook her head and said in a barely audible voice, "Sorry dearest Jake, but I owe the first dance to another."


    Rather than seeming embarrassed at being rebuked, the Prince seemed rather relieved. Instead, he walked over to the nearest girl and offered her his hand. The Empress meanwhile looked Diablo straight into the eyes and began walking towards him. The young man in question just stood planted in place like a rock.


    Once the Empress reached Diablo, she held her hand out to him. "May I have the first dance?" She asked, her accent turning her words ever so slightly musical.


    Diablo meanwhile just nodded like the idiot he was and took her hand, letting himself be lead back to the front of the room. He felt the stares of every single boy on him all at once. "I-i''m not a g-good d-dancer." He managed to croak out.


    "Oh, do not worry about that. I am sure my feet will be very sore by the end of the night. Just try not to tread on me, yes?" Just as the Empress finished talking, music began to play. Diablo was unsure of where it came from, but that was not what bothered him at this moment.


    Diablo had not noticed how much taller he was than the Empress. She was tiny in size. Barely reaching 5''2. Compared to his 5''11, she looked like a child. Being two years younger, she actually was. Even though she was shorter and younger, the Empress took the lead. Placing Diablo''s hand on her waist and holding his other hand lightly. She lead the pair into a simple dance, moving around in a circle.


    "I believe I did not introduce myself last time we met. My name is Diana Karn. I am the Empress of Great Karn. Although I suspect you figured that out for yourself." Diana ended her introduction with a light laugh as if she was making a joke instead of a statement.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "Umm, yes. I-i am Diablo. Just Diablo. I-i''m an orphan, so I don''t really have a last name. W-we are meant to use Plains, b-but I planned to make up my own name w-when I reached adulthood. S-so that means I should have thought of one b-by now, b-but I d-didn''t." Diablo stuttered onwards. He was making a fool out of himself, he knew that, and yet the Empress continued to smile at him.


    "You are interesting Diablo. You are also different. I can feel it. Your footwork is too good. You have more muscle than most the boys here. Yet you clearly don''t work a physical job, as you speak clearly and properly when you are not stuttering." Diablo, in his panic, began to look down at his feet to see if he was actually dancing properly. All that ended up happening was Diana scolding him.


    "Do not look down. You are no longer a child. Have some confidence in yourself. Now. Do tell me why your stats are higher than everyone else here, other than the Second Prince and the guards."Diana stared into Diablo''s eyes, her gaze piercing into his very soul. But the young man merely shook his head.


    "I-i can''t. I-i''ll get in trouble if anyone finds out." Diablo answered. Diana meanwhile merely scoffed lightly, yet in a very feminine way.


    "Do tell.I am an Empress. If I cannot keep a few secrets than there would be no Empire." Although this was an attempt by Diana to help Diablo trust her, it only seemed to make him even more nervous. Yet he did manage to tell her.


    "A-alright. I-if you promise n-not to tell." Diana rolled her eyes at this but nodded in agreement.


    With his voice just above a whisper, Diablo confessed everything to her. "I-i sneak out at nights and listen to the extra lectures at the Mage School. I also fight monsters with both spear and magic. I-i enjoy the thrill of the fight I guess. I don''t know, something just draws me out there to fight and get stronger."


    The young man felt strangely relieved to admit what he was doing at night. Like a sudden weight was lifted off his shoulders. Diana meanwhile just stared at him for a second, then blinked out of her state of shock.


    "Well. I certainly was not expecting that. Both magic and a spear? Not many chose more than once path until they get at least twenty [Levels] into it. I take it you are looking to join the army then? Getting a headstart and all?" After she finished speaking, Diana''s left eyebrow rose slightly, in a questioning way.


    Diablo meanwhile just shook his head some more. "N-no. Nothing like t-that. I-i never even thought about j-joining the a-army. I want to be an A-adventurer."


    This fact took Diana a little too much by surprise. Adventurers were on the lowest rung of society. Even the strongest were looked down on by those with proper professions. Not many with proper talent went down that path. It had taken her by surprise so much she almost stopped dancing, causing Diablo to have to take the lead.


    "But Adventurers are a bunch of savages. Barely better than bandits in most cases. They gain from other people''s desperate attempts at stopping loss. Why would you want to be one of them?" The distress in Diana''s voice was barely hidden.


    "N-no they are not. At least here they aren''t. I''ve been working with them since I was ten. Almost five years now. T-they are no more violent than any normal person. They are just better at breaking things since they are stronger. B-besides, they also work as guards, often cheaper than normal guards as they can take multiple jobs at once and complete them on the way. It''s faster, cheaper and more efficient than being an official guard. A-after all, the more guards there are, the more the people need to be taxed. For a village that is attacked by a monster once every ten years, is it not cheaper to pay ten slivers all at once, then a single sliver every month for those ten years?"


    Diablo didn''t stop. He didn''t even notice that he had stopped stuttering. His movements were becoming more precise as he softly spoke. Steps wider, spinning slightly faster. "Besides, because Adventures travel so much, they are often the only thing keeping smaller towns alive. Whereas a merchant may come along once a week, they will only rent a room for themselves. The servants often sleep in the stables and watch the items. They then move on without buying anything. Adventures often work in groups, meaning they would either rent a larger room that is more expensive or multiple rooms. They often also pay a small fee to the local blacksmith to use their equipment for general maintenance, buy stuff like rope, torches, and oil at the local general store, as well as exterminate any monsters they find around the village, often for free. Not only that, but they are also a lot more common. Getting a group every day or two. Speaking in terms purely economical, the more Adventures you have, the more likely you are to succeed. To a limit depending on the size of the village anyway."


    Diana merely stared while Diablo went on about the advantages of having Adventurers around. She couldn''t find a flaw in his logic. Even with the part where they normally do not fight normal people, often going out of their way to avoid a fight. She knew because most reports of property damage she got were of two adventurers fighting, not an adventurer and a civilian.


    Thus the night went on. Diablo had finally come out of his shell, and Empress Diana was blown away by how confident and intelligent he was. To her, it was like he was a completely different person than the boy she met in the garden. Although her original plan was to talk to the young man for only a short while, then move on to a different boy then rinse and repeat, instead she ended up dancing the night away listing to Diablo passionately talk about his dream.


    Diablo


    Level 8


    Strength: 6


    Dexterity: 13


    Constitution: 4


    Intelligence: 26


    Wisdom: 17


    Charisma: 3


    Titles


    [Fire Duelist]


    Skills


    [Flame of the beginning (Max)] [Candle''s Flame (Lv.3)] [Sneaking (Lv.3)] [FireBolt (Lv.6)] [Spear Mastery (Lv.4)] [Power Thrust (Lv.5)] [Double Shot (Lv.2)] [Firebal (Lv.2)] [Dragon''s Heart (Lv.1)]

 Chapter 2.3: The start of the adventure of a lifetime

    Diablo awoke the next day. His throat was rather sore. It had been the most he had ever spoken, period. Thinking back, the young man couldn''t help but think he was an idiot. He was sure he had bored the Empress to death. Not to mention all the death stares he got that night. Although he couldn''t place why the Second Prince seemed so glad to have the Empress off his hands.


    With a shake of his head, Diablo decided that was a thought for another time. He had to get to work. He also had to decide if he was going to keep working for the Adventurers Guild or become a member of it. Both had their advantages. Working for the guild meant a steady pay working a job that was very long, but not too hard. Meanwhile being apart of the guild meant he could decide his own work, but the pay would be smaller and irregular. He would also get to travel more.


    While thinking on the subject, the young man walked to the Adventurers Guild. The day was cold, but it would warm up quickly once the sun was up. On the way, the few people that were up and heading to work gave the boy odd looks. They were used to seeing him every morning, but rumors of what happened at the castle were already being spread around town, each time slightly more extravagant than the last.


    By days end, it would have been turned into that the pair had danced like two soul-mates in an eternal dance of love. By the end of the week, it would be that they had sex right there. Then by the end of the month, no one would care and the story would drop somewhere close to what actually happened.


    By the time Diablo had gotten to the guild, his mind had completely shifted from his work life to the night with Diana. Things had just seemed so natural at the time. But now that it was all over, the young man couldn''t keep the blush off his face as he thought about it. He only hoped that everyone would think it was from the cold. But he knew they wouldn''t. Adventurers were too perceptive at the worse of time.


    Stepping inside the guild, Diablo was confronted with an odd sight. Instead of Millie getting to work early and ready to order the younger man around, she was absent. That was the first bell that went off in his head. The second was that both Griff, his long-time mentor and uncle figure was talking to the Guild Master, Koran.


    Koran Was an older lady, a powerful combat mage who specialized in weapon enchantment. This allowed her to fight with the best of men even though she was physically weaker. Her hair was a pale blond with white streaks going through it from age. She stood an average 5''6 and seemed not very special at all. Until she pulled out her enchanted rune armor and rune sword.


    "Ah, young Diablo. Just the child, no, young man, we needed to see." The elderly lady said once Diablo had entered the building.


    "Ey, we been talk''en bout ya an'' ya future." Griff told the younger man. For the first time, Diablo could remember Griff''s face seemed rather strained like he hadn''t slept well.


    "What do you mean?" Diablo asked. He felt his heart race at their words. Why would they be talking about him? He was unsure why they were talking about him. Diablo had always made sure to stay out of trouble, even when it went finding him.


    "Tis about that lass. The Empress. Seems like ye have been getting acquainted." Griff paused for a moment, his lips going thin and tight as he thought about his words. "The guild is strong. We can protect our own. But... Not many will be will''en ta fight fo a whelp."


    "What Griff means is that the Empress has many people vying for her attention. Although she isn''t much more than a figurehead and someone to do the paperwork, that may change in the near future. She is getting older and smarter at an alarming rate. If certain influential nobles that are looking to vie for her attention find out that an orphan from the Kingdom of the Plains holds her attention, then they will kill you."


    Diablo went wide-eyed at this new. He felt his mouth go dry. It had never even crossed his mind that people may be trying to kill him just for being friends with Empress Diana. Yet the Guild-Master continued on.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "Now, we are a very influential guild. Even if people look down on us, we hold much gold, land and strong swords. So normally when something happens, so long as it was not on purpose, we protect our own. But we do not force others to fight for someone they don''t want to. As Griff elegantly put it, although you are popular, it is not enough for people to fight for you. Now, if you prove your strength and that you are an asset to the guild, that is a different story. Unfortunately, we cannot make special exceptions. So you will have to go through the same hoops as everyone else to go up ranks."


    Suddenly Griff stood up, a stack of papers in his hands. "Now, lad, we know you be wanten ta become an Adventurer. So dat makes things easier. Perhaps ya were planning on wait''en a bit long''a, but we an''t got the time. I already filled out ya application. Sign ''ere" Griff held out a contract to the boy. "Then the Guild-Master here will approve it. Once that be done, you gotta complete ten quests to apply for stone rank. After dat, we need a come up with a plan to boost ya to copper. Tis the lowest rank people will bother ta fight for."


    Diablo, slightly in shock, only nodded his head and signed the paper. Afterwards, Griff shoved the ten quest papers into his hand, after removing the pencil from it. While the young man stared at the papers, Griff handed the contract to the Guild-Master, who stamped it without looking, then handed Griff a peice of fired clay with a hole in the middle-top of it.


    Griff then quickly put it around Diablo''s neck. "Listen well, boy. Ya be smart, so don''t do nuthen stupid. Ya got talent. A lot o'' it. That''s why we be do''en this for ya. I''m also call''en in a big favor with granny over there. So don''t go fuck''en this up or tis both our heads."


    Griff then took the spear off his back and handed it to Diablo. "I know this be sudden an all. But two peices o'' advice. Leave now and learn another mastery. Learn the dagger. Only ten or so levels ya hear? If ya too good with it, people will think ya an assassin or thief. If ya not good enough with it then what''s th'' point o'' ''aven a backup weapon? Swords too long ta learn and ya don''t ''ave the strength for it. So no be''en a knight."


    Diablo only nodded some more. He could see tears starting to well up in the older man''s eyes. He had been a hard-assed old man the almost five years they knew each other, but Griff had always watched his back, even when he didn''t know he was. Bribes to the guards to ignore the child running in and from the woods each week. Thinning the larger groups of [Goblins] early on in the training. Even going so far as charging one fourth the price he should have to teach [Skills].


    "Now git'' ya brat. Run along be''fo da oth''as rive." Griff''s voice started to get choked up, his accent becoming even more prominent than before. "Ten quests. All ya got''a do. We plan fo what ta do af''a dat." With a solom last nod, Griff stood tall and walked away from the boy.


    "Run along boy. The first quest is a weeks distance to the south. In a village called Rosewood. A group of undead are haunting an old castle. They seem to have no master, so they are but mindless shambling corpses. A child could kill them if they got over their fear of undead." Koran told Diablo. "Your adventure starts here, young one."


    "Yes, ma''am. Griff.... Thank you..." Diablo told the older man, before heading out the door and towards the south gate. He walked with a straight back, ignoring the tears that fell down his cheeks. Just like Griff had always told him too.


    <hr>


    Meanwhile, with Griff and Koran, the talk continued.


    "He is something different. I will give you that. I felt drawn to him the moment my eyes were set on him." Koran mused to Griff, who was struggling to hold back tears.


    "Ey. ''E does dat ''e does. Fate got big ''ol plans fo dat one yes they do. Glad I could play my part in it all. But a boy like him. Sh''n''t be forced down this path. No child shoo''d. Why Koran. Why they gotta be after a boy like him. He an''t done nuth''en no boy his age wouldn''d done. It''s fuck''en bullshit. If I ''ad me other arm i''d protect him meself." Griff looked at his missing arm. The tears finally breaking out from behind his eyes.


    "Griff, I know yo-"


    "DON''T!" Griff shouted, cutting off Koran. "I know! I know. If I ''ad me other arm a thousand tings would be different. No point in wish''en. Ta wish fo something is ta take from another. Nuth''en be free. An''t in my nature ta make others suffer. But dat boy. He got a future he does. I wanna be there to see it. But i''m gett''en weaker each day. The wound is magic. When it festers, no cure can stop it but feed''en it magic. Dat''s why I taught da boy so much for so little. Now it be all in his hands."


    [Soldiers spear]


    [Durability 60/60]


    Diablo


    Level 8


    Strength: 6


    Dexterity: 13


    Constitution: 4


    Intelligence: 26


    Wisdom: 17


    Charisma: 3


    Titles


    [Fire Duelist]


    Skills


    [Flame of the beginning (Max)] [Candle''s Flame (Lv.3)] [Sneaking (Lv.3)] [FireBolt (Lv.6)] [Spear Mastery (Lv.4)] [Power Thrust (Lv.5)] [Double Shot (Lv.2)] [Firebal (Lv.2)] [Dragon''s Heart (Lv.1)]

 Chapter 2.4: The hard fight.

    Diablo was frightened. Very much so. What the Guildmaster and Griff had told him was both confusing and terrifying. He wasn''t fully sure why people would come after him. All he did was talk to Empress Diana. He wasn''t sure how he could be some sort of threat to people with so much money and power that they would travel across entire kingdoms on a whim. Yet apparently he as.


    Once he was back inside the Orphanarium, the Caretaker gave him a rather odd look. "Diablo? What are you doing back here? You don''t have to move out right away. It can wait until you are finished working." She told him in her motherly tone.


    Although it broke his heart, Diablo was unsure how to explain to her that he was leaving, so he decided to tell a white lie. "The Adventurers Guild have a room prepared for me. They told me to grab my stuff and put it in there before I start."


    With that lie, the young man quickly made it into the sleeping room before the Caretaker could ask any more questions. Many other boys and girls were fast asleep, while others were quietly shuffling around quietly getting ready to head out. The ones awake gave Diablo some rather strange looks. They were all used to him being out already and working.


    Ignoring them, he grabbed a small lockbox from under his bed and pulled out a thin necklace with a heavy key on it. The lockbox was one of the first things Diablo had brought while working. He knew he would end up having a large amount of gold saved up, and though the other orphans and he had a silent pledge to not steal from or tattle on each other, a single gold was too much to pass up, let alone the four gold and thirty-nine silver that Diablo had inside it. He carried the extra copper on him to pay for lunch and other small amenities.


    After quickly opening, checking to see if the gold was still in it, and closing it, the young man quickly stashed the lockbox into a small bag of clothes that he had already prepared for when he had to leave. Diablo was rather glad that he always pre-prepared for things.


    Putting the key back around his neck, he then put the shoulder strap duffle bag on, letting it sit at his side. Working his way back outside, he quickly called goodbye to the Caretaker before shutting the door. He had left his new spear just outside the door, as he did not want to frighten anyone. The Caretaker likely knew he snuck out every so often, but most likely didn''t know he was fighting monsters.


    With a light jog, Diablo began heading towards the south gate. Pulling a piece of paper from his pocket, the young man read his first quest.


    [A [Giant Boar] keeps attacking our crops. It has already injured two three four five of our people. We worry for the children, as no one around is strong enough to slay it. Please come quickly.]


    It was signed by the Mayor. It was for a single silver. Rather high for a Clay quest. But with it being so far away, the sliver would barely cover the distance. It was also out of the way from any other nearby-by quests, so no one had taken it with others. But it was the first quest in the ten he was given by the Guildmaster and Griff, so he just went with it.


    Once outside the gate, Diablo knew he needed a few things. He needed some kind of armor, but that would have to wait. It could take a few days to get armor, he from what he was told, the young man did not have that time. The next was a horse, but he didn''t know how to ride or care for such an animal, so he would be walking. Food was next on the list. Small vendors from the nearby farms often set up just outside the walls so they did not need to pay the fee for trading in the city.


    He ended up buying a dozen apples at two copper a piece, a small bag of dried beef at six copper, a large bag of trail mix for twelve copper. He also brought a large brimmed dark blue hat to hide his fire red hair for thirty copper. The vendor had promised that it would hold up in any but the most extreme weather, and since he really didn''t want to be noticed, it was brought. He would have just bought a cloak, but people wearing a full-body cloak were the first people stopped, as it was too easy to hide weapons or contraband. Only idiots would hide in something like that.


    He had also brought a proper pair of boots. A really good, solid pair for eighty copper. In total, before even starting the long trek, he had spent a total of one silver and fifty-three coppers. That left four gold, thirty-eight silver and thirty-five copper. Still a lot of money, but if he kept spending at this rate he would have nothing left in a year.


    With provisions brought, Diablo set out properly. His heart felt heavy because he lied to the woman who had raised him for birth, but it was better than breaking her heart. Gripping tightly on his new spear, the young man started out at a run. Not a full sprint, but faster than he should.


    After about twenty minutes he stopped and bent over panting. He was dead tired. Reaching into his bag for a waterskin, he realized that was the one thing he forgot. He didn''t bring any water. He could have walked back, but that would have taken forty minutes walking. That would have meant he wasted an entire hour when he could be on the clock.


    "I''m an idiot." Diablo mumbled to himself as he stood back up to full hight. He tried to remember what Griff had told him. Over the years of working with the Adventurers Guild, Griff had imparted plenty of knowledge unto the young man.


    ''Pace ya''self when ya travl''en long distances. But if ya hav'' to get somewhere fast by running, ya do so in short bursts. Ten minutes o'' jogg''en, ten o'' walk''en.''


    "Ten of walking, ten of joggin.," Diablo repeated to himself. He then began walking at a rather slow pace, so he could catch his breath. "Since I ran for twenty, I need to walk twenty. After that, start the tens."


    With a dry throat and some good advice, the young man had set out once more, even if he felt like his legs would collapse under him. He did think of knocking on one of the few houses he passed or just calling out to one of the many men passing the other way. But he wanted to keep moving, and wouldn''t really know how to start the conversation anyway.


    After another half-hour of travel, the woodlands around the capital began to thin out and was instead taken over by the namesake of The Kingdom of the Plains. Farms spread out before the young man as far as the eye could see. The land was relatively flat, with some rolling hills in the distance.


    Wherever there were no farms, golden grasses grew. Once upon a time, the golden grasses would have dominated this flatlands, perfect for grazing animals. But now it had transformed into crop farms.


    With the beautiful sight before him, Diablo felt his spirits lift for the first time that day. That perhaps things won''t be that bad. With a spring in his slightly exhausted step, the young man kept pushing forwards.


    Once he reached the first farm, he was pleasantly surprised to find an older gentleman sitting in a rocking chair wave greetings to him. Diablo did wave back, rather awkwardly, but the old man just laughed at him and let him keep going on his way. This seemed to be a rather common thing. Strangers would greet him with nods or little waves was he passed. Kids would point at his weapon and say something about adventures. Kids around his own age seemed to be off in fields working at the winter crops, but he barely noticed their absence.


    To Diablo, it was like he had stepped into an entirely different world. Back in the city people generally kept to themselves. There was a heavy air around, literally and metaphorical, as the tanneries and charcoal makers often mixed smells with bakers and snack sellers. But out here there was only the fresh smell of grass, home cooking and the occasional bit of manure.


    With a smile growing on his face, the young man passed farm after farm, person after person, and couldn''t help but feel more alive than he had in years. ''Perhaps things won''t be so bad after all.'' He thought to himself.


    After another hour and a half, the farms began to fall away and the golden grasses began to rise up. He also came to his first crossroad. There were two paths before him. One leading to the right, one to the left. He couldn''t read either of them. They were words longer than he was used too, and when he tried to pronounce them they felt wrong on his tongue.


    "K-Kalmoonra? Ma-Matraria?" Diablo was defiantly confused by the names. He understood the name of the village he was meant to go to perfectly fine, he had quietly learned his letters while working for the guild. But these names just left him confused.


    After roughly ten minutes of staring, someone spoke to the young man. "Bit lost are ya?"


    Diablo turned rather quickly and managed to trip over his own feet in the prosses, almost stabbing himself with his spear. "Careful. Keep the pointy end away from ya."


    After getting back up from the dirt, Diablo saw an older man, roughly in his fifties, sitting on a large cart filled to capacity with small sacks, pulled by two horses. "I asked if ya were lost, lad. Ya daft or something?"


    "N-no. I-i am lost. Do you know where Rosewood is from here?" Diablo asked, with barely any hope that this man would be able to tell him where to go.


    The older man just cocked his head to the side a little and rubbed his chin. "Been a while since I headed out that way. Been near twenty years it has. Ya head though Kalmoonra, down through the village of Greenfield, follow the highway until ya hit the village of Redstone. Once there, take a left on the old road and follow it until ya get to Rosewood."


    Diablo just looked at the man with utter confusion on his face. It wasn''t that the instructions were hard, but merely that this was a week-long trip and he knew he was going to forget something and get lost. The older man just looked back, already knowing.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    With a sigh, the older man pointed to his carriage and said "Get in. I can take ya to Redstone, but I am heading in a different direction from there."


    With a smile on his face, Diablo ran around to the back of the cart, noticed that there was no place to sit and called back out to the old man. "Where do I sit?"


    "On top!" The old man called back as the cart began to move forwards, without Diablo on it. With a quick two steps and a jump, he managed to get himself half on the cart before it began to pick up some speed. Eventually, he made it up to the top without spilling any of the sacks, although there was a close call or two along the way.


    That is how the pair traveled, with the old man, later introduced as Arthur, driving the car and Diablo sitting atop it. The pair kept going like that, at the end of each day they would come across a small village with an inn, often either an hour or two before dark, or an hour or two after. On the third day, they finally arrived at the city of Kalmoonra.


    It was uneventful and they passed through easily. Although Diablo had wanted to stop in and get some armor, Arthur wasn''t going to wait for him, so he kept going without any, not wanting to lose his easy ride.


    The next day passed easily, but disaster struck on the fifth day of the journey, roughly four hours before dark, almost to the village of Redstone.


    "I smell smoke," Arthur told Diablo while smelling the wind. Diablo nodded back, saying he did too. "Shouldn''t be burning this far out. Not unless something big happened. A bonfire, or perhaps a house fire. Boy, run ahead and make sure things are ok."


    Diablo nodded again, even though Arthur could not see him and jumped down from the cart. He had gotten rather good at getting up and down the cart after the eighth time doing so. He began running, remembering to swap between running and walking. After roughly an hour, about half an hour ahead of the cart, he saw the town ablaze.


    With reckless abandon, he decided to run into the town and lend a hand. Once closer, he saw this was no house fire out of control, it was a raid by a band of [Kobolds]. There were two kinds of [Kobolds]. [Dog-Faced Kobolds], who were not very aggressive and tended to forage for food rather than fight. Tribes of them were sometimes even kept around, as their sent kept other monsters at bay.


    The other kind were [Lizard Kobolds]. They were much more aggressive and preferred to raid their cousins, [Dog-Faced Kobolds] for food than get it themselves. They were also smarter, stronger, and larger than their cousins. These were the [Kobolds] that were attacking the village.


    With the first [Kobold] coming in range, Diablo tightened his grip on his spear and readied the [Skill] [Power Thrust]. With one good strike, the [Soldier''s Spear] pierced the neck of the [Monster], but it did not die. It continued to swing it''s shortsword around wildly. Quickly the strength in its arms began to wane as it lost blood. With an opportunity to strike, he let go of the spear and cast [FireBolt] right in the face of the [Monster], finishing it off. With it now dead, he could safely remove the spear without damaging the [Durability].


    With that fight over, other [Kobolds] began to notice him. Three more began to run for the young man. But he merely stood tall and held out his hand. With a very short incantation, [Fireball] shot from his hand. He continued to cast this spell over and over. Each time it hit, the [Kobolds] would stumble back slightly, giving him time to cast it on the others. After three castings on each, they had all died. But it was a close call. The last one was only half a spears distance from his striking range. If even two had gotten in striking range, he would have only had one hit to kill them both with [Double Shot]


    Taking off at a jog, Diablo headed towards the nearest screaming. It was coming from around a corner a short distance away. Once he had turned the corner, he saw five [Kobolds], a very muscular man, and a group of children hiding behind the man. Since he couldn''t cast while running, and if they charged him he would not be able to kill them all, he ran in with the spear in hand.


    "Attack now!" Diablo called as he activated [Double Shot], then, in a moment of stupidity, decided he needed to lower their numbers quickly, so waited for a moment for him to feel something, then, at a light tug in his hand of the [Skill] activating, used [Power Thrust].


    Luckily for all the humans involved, it turned out that was the right time to use two [Skills] at once. The spear seemed to split into a second one, all the while suddenly growing bright red wings. With the power of the two [Skills] being used at the same time, the [Monsters] heads were blown off.


    The large man took this opportunity to it''s fullest advantage and swung a wicked looking two-handed ax downwards, splitting the skull of a [Kobold] like a piece of firewood. With their numbers cut down over half, the remaining [Kobolds] hesitated for a second, but only a second. They swung their shortswords at the pair with the ferocity only [Monsters] and madmen could have.


    Diablo was not prepared for the speed of the [Kobold] and it ended up getting inside his reach. At this moment, he knew he should have listened to Griff more and brought a knife. He couldn''t strike at the [Monster] and it was too fast to push away. Not to mention the sharp blade it swung around wildly. Soon the scratches began to pile up, and he could feel himself getting weaker.


    Eventually, luck would come back his way. The [Kobold] swung with too much strength, putting itself off balance. This allowed the young man to take a few steps to the side and shove his spear into the armpit of the [Kobold], impaling it on his spear as it poked out the other side. With a hard kick, it slid off, taking one [Durablitly] with it for its trouble.


    Looking around for more enemies, he noticed that the large man had already killed his foe. The man then approached Diablo, resting his ax on his shoulder. "Thank you for your help stranger. These kids would have been done for had you not arrived."


    Diablo meanwhile just shook his head. "No. We are not done yet." He pointed over to the road he had come from. "An older man named Arthur is coming down that road. Send the children that way. I can''t save everyone here by myself. I will need your, and any other men''s help."


    "I can''t just abandon this ki-" The larger man started, his voice starting to get heated But Diablo interrupted him.


    "You are not abandoning them. You are saving their parents." With a stare that did not match his [Charaisma], he convinced the other man to join him.


    "Alright. The square is this way. If there are survivors, they would try to get there. My name is Rowan. It''s a pleasure to fight with you." The larger man, now known as Rowan, said as he began to lead the way to the town square.


    "Diablo. Now let''s hurry, or there will be a lot more orphans tomorrow." With that, the fight truly began.


    Once the pair arrived at the town square, only a few blocks from where they started, they saw how horrid things were looking for the town of Redstone. Small fights had broken out all across the square. Pockets of two or three men and women fighting five to eight [Koblods], with a very large [Elite Kobold] standing in the middle, seemingly laughing at the carnage around him.


    "You take the front, I''ll support with magic." Diablo ordered as he held his hand out towards the nearest group, a man and a woman fighting seven [Kobolds], and losing quickly. With a quick few [FireBolts], he had agroed five of them, then swapped to [Fireball] to keep them away from the advancing Rowan. Rowan was strong enough that he could kill them in one hit, but doing so left him open to others, so it was up to Diablo to full in those gaps.


    Soon, the five were dead, and Diablo was almost out of magic. "I''m out of magic!" He yelled as he approached, stabbing one of the remaining [Kobolds] while the others were also dealt with. Turning to the woman, he started giving out orders. "The children are safe, they are out on the road to Kalmoonra. There should be an old man with them. Protect them." He then turned towards the man. "You are with us. We are going to thin these numbers. The men will join us while the women will go and protect the children."


    With his orders told, he set out towards the nearest group that looked likely to fall, repeating the prosses over and over, this time with the spear instead of magic. Slowly but surely, the tide began to turn.


    After four more groups had been saved, the [Elite Kobold] noticed the pesky humans ruining his plans and charged. "Rowan, with me. The rest of you keep helping!" Diablo called out as he saw the [Monster] charging at him with a greatsword. He knew if he got hit by that thing, there was no coming back. The only one who would be able to take it was Rowan.


    The [Elite Kobold] was half again the size of a normal [Kobold], who was the size of a large child, so he stood only slightly shorter than Diablo himself. But he was clearly much stronger. It has some makeshift armor on, protecting it''s head, heart, and knees. It would be hard to kill, but doable.


    Rowan took the initial swing on his ax, turning it to the side is a show of skill that clearly showed this wasn''t his first time fighting with the ax. With the [Monster] slightly off balance, Diablo drove his spear at its neck, activating the [Skill] [Power Thrust]. Although it stuck, it didn''t strike deep, showing how strong this beast was. Luckily, Rowan was quick on the uptake, and used his own [Skill], [Trip] The [Monster] got its food caught in Rowan''s ax as he pulled it back, causing the already off-balance [Monster] to trip and fall.


    With both of them now stabbing and chopping at the [Elite Kobold], it quickly died. Although it took longer than it should have, as the beast was rather strong. When the pair finally looked up, the fight was already won, with stray [Kobolds] running for the hills. People were cheering, some that had given up where crying. Some were even laughing with sheer relief.


    Diablo meanwhile looked over to Rowan and then said in a loud voice "We are not done yet! Your homes are burning, there could be people trapped inside! Your loved ones are still at risk! We need to get to work now!"


    With Diablo leading the work, houses were put out, people saved, and families reunited. The work went well into the night, but they didn''t let up. At roughly midnight, everyone alive had been saved and the fires all put out. Diablo finally collapsed into a bed, both exhausted physically and mentally.


    [Ding!]


    [Congratulations! Due to constant hard work and fighting, you have shown your power to the noble pursuit of strength.]


    [+1 Strength]


    [Ding!]


    [Congratulations! By fighting the hard fight, you have improved the passive skill Spear Mastery to level 5 6 7!]


    [Ding!]


    [Congratulations! By fighting the hard fight, you have improved the skill FireBolt to level 7 8!]


    [Ding!]


    [Congratulations! By fighting the hard fight, you have improved the skill Power Thrust to level 6 7 8 9!]


    [Ding!]


    [Congratulations! By fighting the hard fight, you have improved the skill Double Shot to level 3!]


    [Ding!]


    [Congratulations! By fighting the hard fight, you have improved the skill Fireball to level 3 4!]


    [Ding!]


    [You have leveled up! The gods shall assign you five stat points]


    [Ding!]


    [You have leveled up! The gods shall assign you five stat points]


    [Soldiers spear]


    [Durability 59/60]


    Diablo


    Level 10


    Strength: 7 [+1]


    Dexterity: 15 [+2]


    Constitution: 5 [+1]


    Intelligence: 30 [+4]


    Wisdom: 20 [+3]


    Charisma: 3


    Titles


    [Fire Duelist]


    Skills


    [Flame of the beginning (Max)] [Candle''s Flame (Lv.3)] [Sneaking (Lv.3)] [FireBolt (Lv.8)] [Spear Mastery (Lv.7)] [Power Thrust (Lv.9)] [Double Shot (Lv.3)] [Fireball (Lv.4)] [Dragon''s Heart (Lv.1)]

 Chapter 2.5: First quest

    As Diablo awoke the next day he felt strangely groggy. He was used to getting up early and having the occasional late night, but it was never anything like this. He felt like his head was on fire. With a shake of his head, he got up, grabbed his bag, and headed towards the door. In the room with him were three others, people whose houses were not livable right now.


    Once he had quietly snuck down some stairs and out the door, the young man began headed towards Rosewood. It was two days away, without a village to stop in. The mayor of the village had begged him to stay an extra day, but Diablo had refused. But he knew that if he stayed the faces of the children, the people that lost loved ones, and those that looked at him with respect would convince him to stay for a lot longer then just a day.


    "I''m sorry." He said to the village, the lost people, the grieving loved ones and those that simply couldn''t go on. "I''ll come back one day. A day when I am stronger enough to save everyone." He promised as he kept walking, leaving the village behind for fields and farm animals. But soon they fell away too, leaving only long stretches of plains and a few hills in the distance, that only had more plains on the other side.


    With heavy feet, Diablo set out on his adventure once more, towards Rosewood and his new life.


    After roughly forty minutes, he heard a yelling. It was loud, shattering the tranquility that was growing as the sun slowly peeked over the distant hills. "DIABLO! GET BACK HERE YOU BARSTAD!"


    Almost tripping over his own feet, he turned around to see who was calling him. It was Rowan, the very large Blacksmith who had fought alongside him against the strangely easy [Elite Kobold].


    Once the Blacksmith had gotten closer, Diablo began talking to him. "Rowan? What are you doing?"


    Rowan just looked at the shorter man as if he was stupid. "What am I doing? What the hell do you think you are doing!?" He demanded.


    "... Going?" Was Diablo''s reply, rather confused as to what had gotten into the Blacksmith.


    "You can''t go! We still need you. Our village may not be that small, but we don''t have any leaders in it. Not anymore. We only have the mayor, but he is a bureaucrat, not a leader. We need you to help repair and rebuild. We need your help." Rowan told Diablo, becoming more and more animated as he spoke.


    The pleading look in the Blacksmith''s eyes almost convinced Diablo to stay. Almost. It was, in fact, the last thing that Rowan said that convinced him he had to go. Pulling out the ten quests he was given, he began reading them off one by one.


    "A [Giant Boar] is terrorizing the town of Rosewood. A group of [Slimes] have moved into a village three days away from there. The next village over is afraid a [Werewolf] may be lurking around, and I have to figure out of it is indeed a [Werewolf] or just a large wolf. I''ve got to collect a rare plant sometime on my travels to give to an old lady so she can save her granddaughter. There is more too. I''m not a leader, I just acted in the moment. I''m just some Adventurer who happened to pass by while on the job. Not some great leader who can save you all. I wouldn''t even know where to start."


    Diablo shook his head and pulled out his lockbox. With a heavy hand, he pulled out all four of his gold and thirty silver. Most of his earnings, and handed them over to Rowan. "Take these and use them to rebuild your village. Consider them recompense that I couldn''t do more."


    With that, he turned around and started back on his way. Rowan meanwhile just stood there, staring at his back. Although the Blacksmith would deny it until the end of his days, he had tears flowing down his cheeks. The money that he had been given was roughly ten years of profit, after taxes, for the rural Blacksmith. Ore cost more out of the city, and his prices were lower than city blacksmiths.


    With a yell, he called out to the Adventurer. "We will pay you back, ya hear! Next time you come this way, I''ll- no, the entire village will throw you the biggest feast you have ever seen! We will put those stuck-up nobles to shame, ya hear!"


    Rowan couldn''t help himself. He felt like he had just let the biggest opportunity of his life slip through his hands like sand. But he knew he could never convince the young man to stay. He was someone that helped all people, not just those right in front of him. Convincing him to stay would have forced him to go against his own nature, and that would only lead to problems in the long run.


    Diablo meanwhile felt like he was abandoning the people he had helped. He knew there were people that needed him in that village, yet he was turning his back on them to continue chasing his dream, even if he was forced into it a little earlier then he would have liked.


    <hr>


    The two days it took to reach Rosewood by foot felt like months to the young adventurer. Every step he wondered if he should have stayed behind. Wondered if he could have done more. Wondered if he could have managed to save everyone if he was just a little bit stronger, faster, better.


    With a shake of his head, he put those memories behind him. They were on their own now, he had a job to do. His first real one. He couldn''t afford to mess it up.


    It was late, but he went to the mayor''s house. The only two-story building other than the inn/tavern. With a heavy knock, he waited for someone to open the door. Soon it was answered by a gruff old man who clearly hadn''t slept well in the last few days.


    "Who ''re you?" The man asked, looking Diablo up and down like he was some sort of cattle being sold on the Sunday market.


    "My name is Diablo. I am the Adventurer who answered your request for help about the [Giant Boar]." He answered. Although his voice sounded confident, the truth was he was shaking in his boots. He was suddenly afraid he was going to be denied and told he wasn''t good enough for the quest. He still didn''t even have armor yet.


    "Eh. Suppose ya ''venter''en lot always looked weird to me. Come in come in. Ya lett''en the draft in." With those words, the elder turned around and went back inside.


    The inside of the house was very simple. A fire roared in the fireplace, and an older plump woman was off in a side room cooking dinner. Stairs lead up to an open balcony style second floor with a large double bed on it. There was very little privacy in this house, but when it was just a man and his wife, they didn''t really need any.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The old man sat at his dinner table and gestured for Diablo to take a seat across from him. "Take it ya heard ''bout our little ''problem''?" Diablo only nodded at the man. "Good. At least ya got ya head screwed on. The beastie has been eating our winter crops like a pig fucks while in heat. Since it''s winter crop harvest''en season, I''d say it''s either a female with babies or a male getting ready to fight for mating rights." Since we ''ave yet to find a nest, I''d say it''s a male. Comes ''ery sunset, so ya arrived at the right time. An hour or two and it''ll show up. If ya kill it, I''ll ''ave me wife ''ere cook up a few slices for ya dinner. Sounds fair? Ya still get ya silver, so don''t worry."


    Diablo nodded along. The man spoke rather fast and a lot all at once. So he had to concentrate on what he was saying to make sure he didn''t miss anything. "That sounds fair." He said as he stood up. "Do you know what fields it attacks?"


    "Yes. It always attacks the northern fields. Seems to like the beans we grow there." The mayor told him without getting up from his seat. "Good luck to ya kid."


    With a small, extremely awkward bow to his elder, he left the house and headed towards the northern fields. It took roughly an hour to reach the outskirts of the fields. Although once there, evidence of the attacks was very obvious. Roughly three fields had been completely torn appart, with another eight in various levels of dismay.


    Walking over to a nearby lean-to, used by those working the outer fields to get out of the sun for a while on the hotter days, the young adventurer began to wait. There were no trees around, only plains and fields, so the [Monster] should she be easy to spot coming.


    It only took twenty minutes of waiting for the first signs of the [Giant Boar] to show. The longer grasses of the plains began to part, and as they got shorter the [Giant Boar] began to get revealed. It was roughly eight feet in size. Had two large tusks coming from its mouth that curved towards it. Along its spine is a dark brown hair, giving it some added protection, as the hair was said to become harder and longer as it grew older. This one''s hair was barely out from its spine, and wasn''t very thick, meaning it was rather young, even if it had reached full size.


    The [Monster] was essentially just a giant wild boar with some extra hard hair on its spine, in appearance anyway. The thing that separated [Monsters] from beasts was the fact that [Monsters] could be spawned from [Areas Of Chaos] as well as being born the normal way. They could also use a unique form of magic, often called [Primal Magic]. Some kinds [Monsters] were more likely to be able to use it than others, but they all had the potential.


    Diablo stood up, spear in his right hand, and began to get closer to the [Monster]. The [Monster] in question was currently sniffing around the ravaged fields, looking for any signs of food growing again. Once he was in range, the young adventurer stopped and held out his left hand, ready to cast magic.


    With a short incantation, he cast [Fireball] right at the head of the [Monster]. It seemed to feel the danger coming, and looked up right as it got hit in the face with the spell. This caused it to take a few steps back in shock, but it quickly recovered and charged at the young Adventurer. With another few [Fireball]''s too slow it down, Diablo readied his spear to thrust it directly into the heart of the [Giant Boar]. His fire spells were not that effective as the hair on the beast was slightly flame resistant.


    Just as the [Monster] was in range, he activated [Power Thrust], aiming for the heart. He missed by the barest of inches. So instead of the [Monster] quickly losing strength and hitting him with a soft blow, it freaked out at the pain and hit him even harder then it would have before.


    After being sent flying into the lean-to he was sitting under before, shattering it completely, Diablo noticed something. The [Giant Boar] had broken three of his ribs. He also noticed that the same [Giant Boar] was now thrashing around wildly trying to get the spear out of its chest. Even though he had missed the heart, it seemed like he had hit a major artery. Meaning that the [Monster] would still die, just a lot slower, and after it had smalled the spear into the ground a dozen times, deducing it''s [Durablitly] by a fair amount.


    After five minutes of thrashing around, the [Monster] had finally lost enough blood for it to lose its strength. It finally fell to its knees, still alive but unmoving. Slowly Diablo approached it. Grabbing his spear, he twisted it, causing the wound to bleed even faster. The [Giant Boar] gave a jerk at this, but couldn''t fight back. Ripping his spear out, the beast seemed to finally give out, dying quietly after a loud fight for its life.


    [Ding]


    [Congratulations! Due to constant hard work and fighting, you have shown your conviction in the noble pursuit of Constitution.]


    [+1 Constitution]


    Diablo thought about the prompt in his head with a large tablespoon of cynicism. To him, it seemed like the Gods enjoyed his idiotic plan. Although it was effective, as it would have been a long fight if he had not aimed for the heart head-on, it would have always ended up with him getting hit.


    "Guess I''m a comedy show to them" He muttered under his breath as be began to limp back towards the mayor''s house. Normally he was not one to badmouth the Gods. The local religion, The Great Sun Dragon, would have his hide if they found out. Not even the Adventurers Guild would be able to stop them, as they were crazy fanatics that controlled more than one country from the shadows.


    After just over two hours, long after it turned dark, he finally reached the house. With a knock on the door, he waited for it to open once more. He heard some yelling coming from inside, getting closer to the door rather quickly.


    "About time! I thought you were bloody dead! Now get in ''ere!" The mayor opened the door, seeing Diablo holding his ribs and leaning on his spear. "Martha! Boil some water! The kid''s hurt!" He yelled back to his wife as he took the place of the spear in supporting the youth.


    "Sorry. I missed my mark. But it bled to death." Diablo apologized, not that he really needed to.


    "Don''t be say''en that boy. Ya did well. Better than any of us could ''ave done. Now sit down and let us have a look at those ribs." The mayor said as he forced the youth into a chair by the fireplace. Martha soon came in and began to fuss all over him, forcing him to take off his shirt so she could look at his ribs.


    The old lady with gray hair tsk''ed at him many times. "Three broken ribs and the rest are bruised badly. Just what did you do to manage this!" She demanded of him with a motherly tone.


    "It was resistant to my magic, and I''m not strong enough to pierce its hide very deep, so I just my spear as a boar spear and tried to pierce its heart. I missed. It got angry. Threw me into a lean-to." Diablo told the lady as if it wasn''t that big of a deal. The elderly pair just stared at him as if he was crazy. It was a real possibility lately though.


    "Excuse you?" Martha asked the youth, a look of shock on her face. "You are not getting out of that chair for the next few days, you hear me? The fact you would do something so stupid just because it was easier is utterly ridiculous. Do you have a death wish? Because there are easier ways to do it than by attacking [Monsters]."


    Diablo then had to sit through an hour-long lecture on how stupid he was and how lucky he was that none of his ribs had poked into his lungs and caused him to slowly drown in his own blood. After that, she had put a bowl of reheated soup into his lap and told him that he was lucky to be getting anything, then she matched up to her bed and told her husband she was going to sleep.


    "That be my wife. She is a strong one, but she always found a moment to care for others. Get some rest lad, we can talk in the morning." With that, the mayor put a few more logs on the fire and went to bed himself, leaving Diablo to eat and sleep in peace. Even if he got very little of sleep due to the pain in his ribs and back. He was glad that Martha couldn''t see his back, as he could tell it was actually all one big bruise.


    [Soldiers spear]


    [Durability 20/60]


    Diablo


    Level 10


    Strength: 7


    Dexterity: 15


    Constitution: 6 [+1]


    Intelligence: 30


    Wisdom: 20


    Charisma: 3


    Titles


    [Fire Duelist]


    Skills


    [Flame of the beginning (Max)] [Candle''s Flame (Lv.3)] [Sneaking (Lv.3)] [FireBolt (Lv.8)] [Spear Mastery (Lv.7)] [Power Thrust (Lv.9)] [Double Shot (Lv.3)] [Fireball (Lv.4)] [Dragon''s Heart (Lv.1)]