The Adventurers Guild
Author: Phoenix Grey
Date: 2019-03-27 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Fantasy
Description: Why did Uden ever want to come to the mainland? Life in The Realm is hard when you have rent to pay. Azure explores various ways of making money but quickly finds that bounty quests are where the real loot is at. The only problem is that most of the bounty quests are classified as Very Hard, which has proven to come with the risk of death. Follow Azure as he gets robbed, finally learns magic, makes new friends and enemies, and meets a character that turns The Realm upside down.

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

About the Author

End of Book Character Sheets

End of Book Shit

Recommendation

The Realm Between

Book 3: The Adventurers Guild

PHOENIX GREY

Text copyright 2019 by Phoenix Grey

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the author.

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PROLOGUE

EARTH - October 7th, 2057

"There's been an anomaly."

These were words that Michael Coleman never liked to hear. It could only mean one of two things. Either the AI of The Realm had gotten so advanced that it was creating its own monsters and scenarios that were not within its programming parameters, or Shinichi Sometani was fucking with the game again. Mr. Coleman wasn't sure which one would be more of a nightmare to have to deal with.

"I'll be right there." There was hesitation in his voice as he spoke over his wrist comp. This was not something he wanted to have to handle right now. Two of his patients had already died today after taking on a foe that had clearly been marked as impossible to beat at their current level and skillset. Oh well. He supposed that Darwinism even worked inside The Realm.

Mr. Coleman took long strides to his office inside of Grand Willow Hospital. It was one of the four largest hospitals that Radical Interactive owned internationally. They had other locations in Japan, Australia, and England. Many aspiring doctors would come for their residency after being trained with Radical Interactive's software. The hospitals owned by Radical Interactive were hailed as some of the most technologically advanced in all the world. They were also where many of the patients who were in The Realm beta were sent. The rest were scattered among the other fifty-two smaller medical facilities that Radical Interactive owned and operated. Facilities that were solely dedicated to The Realm patients.

Thankfully, Mr. Coleman only had to oversee the four major hospitals, boomeranging between them every month to check on the status of his patients. What time he didn't spend on the medical floor, he used to hole away in his office at whatever hospital he was in to check on updates to The Realm that might affect his patients.

Anomalies were code red—something that demanded his immediate attention because they could affect the entire game or the outcome of a patient's recovery. Thus far, there had only been a handful not related to Shinichi Sometani, and they hadn't been anything too vital. A deformed bugbear. A troll that had gone berserk. An invincible dragon that scorched a small village to ash. Luckily, there had only been one live adventurer in the village, and he had known well enough to run. Mr. Coleman considered these more glitches than anomalies—things that could quickly be fixed once he got a programmer on them.

Shinichi Sometani, on the other hand, could not be fixed. He currently owned half the shares of Radical Interactive and thought that entitled him to do whatever he pleased with The Realm. And sometimes, he did just that. There was rarely a time when he wasn't busy testing the limits of the programming. Periods of silence on his activity were a blessing, that of which Mr. Coleman had just enjoyed two solid weeks. Scowling at the calendar on his computer, he figured that it was about time for Shinichi to rear his head and create chaos again.

Mr. Coleman booted all applicable programs. He connected to the reporting agent with video software and did a screen share, holding his breath in the hopes that whatever the problem was, it wouldn't be too much of a clusterfuck to fix.

"Is it him?" he asked before the image of The Realm had even fully loaded.

Shinichi Sometani could rarely be reasoned with. Threats only worked to a certain degree. He was too smart for his own good—for the good of The Realm. Shinichi was, perhaps, The Realm's greatest threat...which was ironic because he was also its creator. That alone gave him more power than anyone could have fathomed. He was a genius and as stubborn as men came. All that the programmers at Radical Interactive could do was try to mend the backdoors that he'd found to make exponential changes. Their hands were proverbially tied.

"I don't know," the reporting agent replied hesitantly, "I don't think so."

That came with some relief. Hopefully, 'I don't think so' meant 'probably not.'

The screen illuminated with the image of a character walking alone in the woods. Naked. Stumbling. A newborn to The Realm with no bearings.

"This isn't supposed to exist in the game," the reporting agent pointed out, though it sounded more like a question.

Michael Coleman sighed, his stress abating. "It's fine." He waved the image away, feeling slightly uncomfortable for watching. "It's an exception."

"This is an incredibly high-risk character." The agent pursed his lips and shook his head, clearly not concurring.

"It got approved by upper management," Mr. Coleman quickly shut him down. He didn't have time to explain. This character was the equivalent of a Make-A-Wish kid asking for his 'experience' to be to stick his finger in a light socket. It might kill him instantly; it might not, but whatever the case... "It's an experiment," Mr. Coleman told him. "Inform the others not to flag this in the future."

"All right. Would you like for me to assign it to someone on the visual team or would you prefer if I handled this one personally?"

Mr. Coleman smirked. "Whoever gets this one will probably be very excited. Go ahead and assign it to someone on the team, but wait until I send over further instructions."

"Okay," the agent replied dryly. Mr. Coleman couldn't tell if it was because he had wanted to be assigned the character or because he still thought it was a horrible idea that the character had gotten approved.

"I'll have a special NDA written up for that person to read and sign. Should this experiment fail, we definitely would not want it getting out to the press."

"Understood." The agent nodded.

Mr. Coleman ended the video call. He grabbed a stress ball from his desk and squeezed it as he leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. Perhaps it would have been smarter to have assigned this character to the agent. Visual team members were on the lower rung of Radical Interactive's staff. It was a job that didn't require a degree, only attention to detail. Most of the employees on the visual team were fresh out of high school. He didn't doubt that some of them had big mouths. Assigning this character to the wrong person could spell disaster for the company. It could also mean bad press and lawsuits. After thinking on it for a few moments longer, he called the reporting agent back and reassigned the character to him. This man, he could trust. He hoped.

CHAPTER ONE

THE REALM – Day 48

"Can I take both of these?" Azure asked, looking at two out of four of the quests he'd been offered. They paired together perfectly, so he thought it would make sense.

Adventurers Guild Quest: Thin Out the Giant Wasps

Giant Wasps have been attacking travelers on Red Road. Kill five of them, then report back to The Adventurers Guild.

Designation: E

Type: Monster

Difficulty: Easy

Deadline: 5 days

Success: Kill 5 Giant Wasps

Failure: Cancel quest

Reward: 1 silver, 5 copper, 2 Quest Points, a Starter Bow and 15 Bronze Arrows

Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?

Adventurers Guild Quest: I Need Giant Wasp Wings

Jasmyne Swailes, our resident alchemist, needs ten Giant Wasp Wings to complete some of her potions. Please collect them and turn them into The Adventurers Guild.

Designation: E

Type: Gathering

Difficulty: Easy

Deadline: 5 days

Success: Collect 10 Giant Wasp Wings

Failure: Cancel quest

Reward: 6 silver, 1 Quest Point, 5 Empty Vials, and 1 Potion of Minor Healing

Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?

The man standing at the E counter hummed at him, scanning over the four quests. He moved the two that Azure was referring to next to each other. His expression suggested that it might be against the rules to give out more than one quest at a time. After all, there was a long line of people waiting to receive quests from The Adventurers Guild and only so many to dole out.

"These two together pay less than the bounty," Azure pointed out. They also took less time to complete and offered more loot collectively. He hoped it would balance out.

The clerk sighed. "We don't usually do this."

Azure propped his elbow up on the counter and leaned in to whisper. "Listen, Melchior."

"It's Mel." The clerk sliced him with his gaze.

Sorry, Mel," Azure quickly corrected himself. He had learned the man's name when Mel had sent him a party request earlier to check his credentials. "My rent is due in three days. You would really be helping me out if you let me do this." Azure thought about making the argument that splitting the quests would cause unnecessary work for someone else, but he knew that didn't matter to The Adventurers Guild.

"You know I've heard this argument at least a dozen times before," Mel told him dryly, looking at Azure over round spectacles as if he were trying to swindle the clerk. After a moment of just staring at each other, Mel slid both quests toward him. "I'm only doing this because you're a noobie. Consider it a favor, and don't ask this of me again."

Azure was just about to thank him when the clerk looked past him and shouted, "Next."

He didn't even have time to ask what the Quest Points were.

Glancing over at Ferne, the receptionist at the registration window who probably should have taken the time to explain this to him, Azure sighed. There were currently eight people in line to register, and he knew she'd be pissed off if he cut in to ask a question. If there was one thing he'd learned early on, it was not to piss her off.

Realizing that someone in the room had to know the answer, Azure wandered over to the Open Quests board. Surprisingly, the Bowers Boys quest was gone. That offered him some relief. Bandits had been a concern while traveling the road to and from Squall's End. If someone had taken the quest, that meant the Bower Boys would have their hands full with something other than robbing people.

"Hey, man." Azure tapped a guy on the shoulder that was looking over the Open Quests, his nail clinking against the man's armor. The guy turned to him with an annoyed grunt. "I'm new to this and was wondering what Quest Points are. Ferne never explained them to me when I registered."

The man huffed. "Piss off, noob. You don't have enough for it to matter yet anyway." He turned back to the board, shutting Azure out.

Asshole, he thought but didn't dare say it. The guy Analyzed as red to him, and the fancy polished suit of armor he wore probably meant that he was some rich knight.

Azure quickly decided that it wasn't a good day. He had the tiniest glint of a headache from the beer he'd drunk last night, the E line at The Adventurers Guild had been long, Melchior seemed only the tiniest bit more pleasant to deal with than Ferne, and Azure had encountered nothing but rudeness since he left the inn this morning. Perhaps working at The Adventurers Guild was a miserable job, and that's why everyone seemed so damned unhappy. Whatever the case, all of the negativity was starting to wear on him.

I think I'll just leave for now. The sooner I get done with these quests, the better. I can always ask about Quest Points when I turn in the Giant Wasp Wings later.

Azure had one more issue to resolve before venturing out on his quests. He was running out of inventory slots. In fact, only one remained. If Azure picked up anything other than the Giant Wasp Wings, he'd have to drop something else. Also, he would need to make room for the other loot he'd be receiving once he completed the quests. The Minor Healing Potion would stack with the other twenty-five he already had in his inventory. The Bronze Arrows could go in his quiver, and he could carry the Starter Bow until he was able to sell it. That meant he'd only need one additional slot for the Empty Vials, which he would definitely want to keep.

While Azure still hadn't had a chance to fully explore Squall's End...mainly because he had made drinking and relaxing a priority, today was not the day. Wanting to start his quests as quickly as possible, Azure made a beeline for the nearest merchant he spotted outside of The Adventurers Guild. If mechanics in The Realm worked like every other game he'd played, he should be able to sell his wares to any merchant as long as they had enough coin available to pay him.

Parked a few yards away from the entrance to The Adventurers Guild was a young woman selling flowers. She wore a simple pink dress and had a long thick braid cascading down her back. The pink bow keeping her hair held up was almost the size of her head. A sweet smile lit up her face as Azure approached.

"Flowers for a lady friend?" she asked, pulling a pink bloom from the basket draped over her arm.

"I'm actually here to sell stuff."

"Oh." She seemed disappointed, her smile faltering for half a second. "Well, what do you have?"

Azure thought to bring up his inventory and scanned through the list of items. It was probably a good idea to make more space than he needed, just in case. Now that he had an actual visual of his inventory, there was a lot that he didn't need. Part of him still wanted to buy a bigger bag, but he wasn't confident that he could complete both quests and grab another before the end of the week, so it was probably best to be frugal with his money.

"I would like to sell three Fireweed, seven Wild Onions, five Blue Mushrooms, one Jade Catfish, and this List of Courses from Hawking's." He could always pick up another list next time he went to Hawking's. All that he really needed to remember was that it was going to cost him three gold, eight silver, and seven copper to take his first class. That seemed like an almost impossible amount of money when he thought of how much he was earning from these quests.

"Hm." The merchant crossed her arms and tapped a slender finger against the corner of her lips in thought. "I can give you one silver and five copper for the alchemy components and one silver and two copper for the fish. The List of Courses has no value. Anyone can go to the magic school and pick one up," she told him.

One silver and two copper for the fish?! That was only a little less than Azure was getting paid for his Monster quest. Maybe there was some value in fishing after all.

The woman took the items from Azure and then handed him two silver and seven copper. Once the exchange was done, she offered him that sweet smile again, "Are you sure you wouldn't like to buy a flower for a special lady?"

"No, thank you," he replied politely before taking his leave.

The day was nearly halfway gone by the time Azure left Squall's End. Feeling adventurous and wanting to save time, he decided not to follow the main road. As soon as Azure was about a half mile outside of town, he pulled up his World Map and made a beeline for the yellow marker that indicated his quest destination.

As Azure wandered through the fields and forest, he foraged for alchemy components, though he never ventured out of his way to do so. At the end of the day, completing his quest was his main objective. Collecting alchemy components to sell later was just a bonus.

You have harvested: Fireweed | Uses: Alchemy component
You have harvested: Wild Onion | Uses: Alchemy component, Restores +5 HP if eaten
You have harvested: Blue Mushroom | Uses: Alchemy component, Restores +10 MP if eaten

It took Azure a little over four hours to reach his destination. In that time, he harvested seven Fireweed, eight Wild Onions, and five Blue Mushrooms. Azure decided that once he had a bit of a financial nest egg, he wanted to take a full day to forage and see what kind of money he could earn from that alone.

It was amusing to him how he was racking up a list of money-making experiments. Perhaps earning a living in The Realm wasn't as difficult as Azure had initially thought. From what he had discovered in Squall's End so far, there were a variety of opportunities if you just knew where to look.

As Azure got closer to the yellow marker on his map, he could hear the sound of buzzing in the distance. Breaking through the trees, he saw a dip in the field about fifty feet away"more than likely where the actual road was"and Giant Wasps flying around on the other side.

Azure paused to take stock of the situation. Spread out over a good forty acres of native field were nine wasps. Yellowjackets, they would have been called in his world thanks to the yellow and black striped pattern on their abdomens. They Analyzed as blue and didn't appear to be aggressive, merely bobbing in place for several moments before moving a few feet away to do the same. The only thing that made them intimidating was their size. About as large as a rottweiler, Azure surmised that they'd have one hell of a painful sting. It was probably best to single them out and take them down one at a time with his bow. He also decided that if it didn't cause too much of a drain on his Stamina, he would kill all of them instead of just the five that his quest required. Azure could definitely use the experience, and he could sell the leftover wings that he collected for more money.

Having fabricated his plan, Azure Stealthed himself and got into position at one corner of the field. There was nothing to take cover behind, so he remained crouched until he was ready to attack. Familiar adrenaline pumped through him from knowing that he was about to engage in combat.

Azure nocked an arrow and took aim, downing the first Giant Wasp in one shot.

Defeated Level 5 Giant Wasp. 30XP rewarded.

Well, that was easy, Azure thought as he watched the wasp fall into the tall grass. His eyes darted to the next closest Giant Wasp. It seemed none the wiser that one of its buddies had just met their demise. If it could even see Azure, he couldn't tell. Bug eyes and all. No pupils dancing around to give a sense of directional sight.

Hoping he hadn't just gotten lucky, Azure nocked another arrow and let it sail at the next closest Giant Wasp.

Critical hit! Defeated Level 5 Giant Wasp. 30XP rewarded.

"Huh," Azure mused when the second Giant Wasp went down just as easily as the first.

This wasn't going to be difficult at all. It shouldn't even be that time-consuming, which was good because late afternoon was approaching and Azure didn't want to get caught walking back to Squall's End in the dark.

Pleased with how smoothly things were going, Azure proceeded on to Giant Wasp number three. This time, he missed the shot. Finally taking notice of him―probably because he was quite obviously trying to kill it―the Giant Wasp turned in Azure's direction and charged.

Damn was it fast, moving with the speed of...well, a wasp. You'd think that the sheer size of the insect would have slowed it, but no dice. Azure barely had time to decide what to do before it reached him. As quickly as he could, he pulled an arrow from his quiver, but he fumbled and dropped it. It would have made no difference anyway; the Giant Wasp was too quick. He might not have even been able to get a shot in before it descended on him.

The ridiculously large abdomen swung down, and all Azure could think to do was block with his arms, though it missed them entirely and plunged the stinger in just below his chest.

Level 5 Giant Wasp delivers 25 damage.

"Ow!" Azure took a step back, feeling heat and pain blooming where he'd been hit.

When he was five, Azure had gotten stung on the ass by a red paper wasp at a public pool, and damn had it ever hurt. He could still remember the intense burning to this day. This sting was different though, less intense. However, the spreading sensation was definitely new to him. The pain expanded like an explosion before drawing back to the site of the sting.

While the Giant Wasp's flight toward him had been fast, its attack was blessedly slow. Azure was able to dodge the second drop of the stinger, rolling out of the way. The Giant Wasp stayed poised, looking down at where he used to be standing for about a two-second delay before it turned to him and buzzed over for its next attack. That afforded Azure enough time to unsheathe his Crude Goblin Sword. One swipe made quick work of the oversized insect, and it fell to the ground with a waning buzz.

Defeated Level 5 Giant Wasp. 30XP rewarded.

Azure felt more annoyed than injured, rubbing the center of his chest to soothe out the lingering burn. By the time he had picked up the arrow he had dropped, it was mostly gone. Sore to the touch, but not giving him much grief otherwise.

Even seeing Azure in combat with one of their kin hadn't roused the other Giant Wasps to attack him. Azure wondered if it was because he was a higher level than them. Whatever the case, these monsters weren't anywhere near as aggressive as they'd been made out to be. Weren't they supposed to have been attacking travelers along Red Road? He shrugged it off, not going to complain about an easy job.

It took Azure a little less than an hour and only one mishap to slay the other six Giant Wasps. This time when he missed his shot, he knew to immediately abandon his bow for his sword, avoiding getting stung again. By the time he was done, Azure had racked up an additional 180XP.

Unsure of whether or not any other parts of the Giant Wasps were salvageable, he only took the wings, though Azure did spend a few moments concentrating on one Giant Wasp to see if he could bring up a screen of information. Ever since discovering his World Map, he had been trying to focus on various things to see if there were hidden details to be found. So far, he'd come up empty-handed, but it never hurt to try.

Pulling the wings off of the Giant Wasps took a bit more effort than Azure had anticipated. It wasn't anything like ripping the wings off of a butterfly. These wings didn't want to give without a good amount of pressure, though they made a familiar sound when he finally was able to part them from their body.

Every time he plucked a wing, he was rewarded with the following notification:

You have received the following item:

Giant Wasp Wing

Quantity: 1/1

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Uses: Alchemy Component

By the time Azure finished looting the bodies, the sun was beginning to set. He took the same path back toward Squall's End, not diverting from it to find the main road until it had gotten almost too dark to see...which, unfortunately wasn't very long. It was a moonless, starless night, and having his vision obscured made him slow to a snail's pace as he struggled to see well enough to stay on the road.

This is miserable. That Small Flame spell would really come in handy right now. I definitely should have found somewhere to camp instead of trying to walk through the night.

Even the smallest sound had Azure on guard, though for once he feared monsters more than humans. And with good reason. Too soon did he hear the dreaded fluttering of wings. Unable to see his assailants, Azure was nearly defenseless against the oncoming attack.

Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.

Oh, not this again. Azure groaned internally.

He drew his sword and swung aimlessly. Thankfully, there was not a barrage of bats like there had been in The Dark One's dungeon. Only one or two would attack him at a time, but it seemed almost endless, and with his lack of night vision, killing them was nearly impossible.

Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.

Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.

Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.

Azure growled, wanting to shout in frustration but too afraid to agro other monsters. Was he so inept that he couldn't even kill one little level 1 Bat in the dark? Apparently so, because no matter how many times he swung his sword, he didn't see a notification that he had defeated one. Perhaps the night made them invincible, he thought, though that didn't make much sense. No. This all came down to the fact that he couldn't see shit.

Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.

Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.

Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.

The bats slowed Azure down even further. When he discovered that he couldn't hit them with his sword, he put it away and tried to press on, swatting at the small creatures whenever he could. They became an annoyance, swooping in front of his face and making his frustration mount with every passing second.

Though their bites only stung like a pinprick, within less than fifteen minutes, Azure realized that the bats were a real problem. Both his Health and Stamina had been depleted by over a quarter. If he kept going on like this, he'd be dead within an hour if he didn't use his Potions of Minor Healing. Even if he did, he'd still be screwed because he didn't have any Potions of Minor Stamina. Once his Stamina was fully drained, he'd be a sitting buffet for the bats.

"Shit," Azure muttered under his breath as he popped open a Potion of Minor Healing. He definitely should have found a place to camp for the night. This mistake could very well cost him his life.

Azure pulled up his map, and his heart sank. He was still nearly three hours away from Squall's End. Running would deplete his Stamina further, but if he was able to outrun the bats, then it would be worth a try.

Taking a deep breath, Azure picked up his pace, quickly moving from a jog to a sprint.

Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.

There was a small triumph when the attacks slowed to about one per minute. However, that triumph was countered by the fact that Azure's Stamina began depleting by about five points per minute. At this rate, he would still run out of Stamina within an hour.

It annoyed him that none of the alchemy components he had foraged for so far had any type of Stamina healing benefit.

There's only one way to survive this. I have to figure out how to hit them in the dark. If I have to stand in one place and defend until morning, then so be it.

This was definitely one of those times when a level 1 monster could kill a much higher level foe, Azure thought back to Uden's lesson. He just never imagined that he would be the higher level foe that was about to lose to a seemingly weak enemy.

Slowing down and then stopping, Azure drew his dagger this time. Perhaps if the bats got close enough that he could see them, he could stab them before they were able to land a hit.

Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.

Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.

Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your stamina.

No such luck.

Azure's last resort was his bow, shooting blindly up into the night sky. But with only four arrows left, what was the point?

Panicked and out of options, he ran for Squall's End again. It was too far away to reach, but Azure ran anyway. His legs were beginning to ache, his body heavy from the loss of Stamina, but still he ran, praying that maybe he'd encounter someone on the road. Only slowing to uncork and drink a Potion of Minor Healing, Azure ran until he tripped over a rock. The fall alone did 5 damage, and he cursed the bullshit game mechanics. That couldn't stop him, though. Every step brought him closer to Squall's End. It also drained his Stamina to near staggering levels.

By some miracle, Azure was able to outrun the bats. At least, he thought that's what had happened until he began hearing whispers. They overlapped each other, fast speech that Azure didn't understand. It sounded human, but at the same time didn't. Voices hissed through the darkness, filling his ears and getting closer and closer. With them came a spike of fear. Azure knew it was only a matter of time before he got attacked again, but this time, it wouldn't be the bats. This time, it would be a foe that he hadn't yet encountered, and he had no idea how to defend himself.

Maybe if I keep running, I can avoid whatever else wants to kill me, Azure thought both dryly and naively. His assumption proved wrong when he ran straight into a wall of darkness, bouncing off of it and falling hard on his ass. Azure's muscles screamed in relief from the sudden pause of activity, but he knew better than to listen to them. With only 30 Stamina points left, stopping was not an option.

It took everything in Azure to pull himself to his feet. Knowing that whatever he had run into was right in front of him, Azure did his best to skirt around it. Hands gripped his shoulders, pulling him forward. Something...passed through him. A strange feeling, like he was merging with another being and coming out the other side as less than what he had been before. Darkness fazed in and out of his vision, darker than the twilight around him. And then he was left stunned on the other end.

Level 7 Shadowling delivers 35 damage.

Azure didn't need to be able to see the monster to know that they were evenly matched. That one hit had depleted his Health down to 62 points. Hands shaking, he quickly dug into his bag and pulled out three Potions of Minor Healing. By the time he'd finished drinking the contents, the Shadowling attacked again.

Level 7 Shadowling delivers 35 damage.

Azure shuddered as it passed through him. It was one of the most horrible feelings ever. Violating. Draining. Like a tracer of him was being pulled behind it for a few seconds.

He drew his sword and swung in a wide arch, just wanting to keep the creature at bay. But it simply came in from behind him, taking advantage of his poor eyesight.

Level 7 Shadowling delivers 35 damage.

It was clear that the Shadowling could see perfectly in the darkness. With a name like Shadowling, that only made sense. This was its domain, and Azure was screwed.

I'm about done for, Azure realized morosely as he uncorked and drank three more Potions of Minor Healing. I only have 30 Stamina left. If I run, I'll be rendered immobile within six minutes. If I stay and continue to try to fight, I'll lose Stamina at a slower pace, but I'll likely eventually run out of Potions of Minor Healing and die. I'm not sure which will happen first, the depletion of my Stamina or my Health, but if I had to guess, it would be the first of the two. Then all I'll be able to do is sit helplessly while it kills me.

It was a bit ironic to Azure that he was about to die while completing an Easy quest, but that was the reality of it. Feeling hopeless, he raised his sword and kept on the defense, trying desperately to listen for the monster as it approached. His only indication was that the whispers would get louder. That's when he would swing his sword in an arch. The rare times he would make contact, it would feel like his blade had been slowed; it didn't stop completely like it would have if the monster were fleshy. Though he couldn't see it, Azure knew that the Shadowling's visage reflected its name. It was made out of pure shadow, its body a thick fog of darkness. Still, no matter how many times he swung, he couldn't seem to kill it. A hit would merely drive the Shadowling back only for it to attack again moments later.

Azure stood there helplessly, feeling the creature pass through him over and over again and drinking Potions of Minor Healing to keep himself alive.

Level 7 Shadowling delivers 35 damage.

Every swing of his sword drained his Stamina even further. It was getting to the point that just holding it felt like a laborious task. The blade wobbled in Azure's hand, and his wrist began to cramp.

Level 7 Shadowling delivers 35 damage.

As his strength waned, it felt like it took more and more energy to slice through the shadow. Finally, when Azure was down to only 17 Stamina, a final desperate swing toward the creature brought on a notification.

Defeated Level 7 Shadowling. 49XP rewarded.

Azure sat in the middle of the road, his eyes welling up with tears. He fell back heavily, looking up at the sky as black as the Shadowling had been. Hot wetness cascaded down the sides of his face. The night had taken an emotional toll on him. He wasn't crying because he had won...but because he was pretty sure he was still going to die.

Azure didn't understand why traveling alone in the dark on the mainland was so dangerous. He had done it back on Crescent Island after he had plummeted down the waterfall and was trying to make his way back to Cragbell. Back then, there had been no creatures of the night just waiting for the sun to fall so that they could attack. And there should have been. Crescent Island was where Azure had first encountered bats.

As if drawn to his negative thoughts, the fluttering of wings returned. Azure didn't move. Maybe if he played dead, the bats wouldn't come after him.

Level 1 Bat delivers 1 damage and drains 1 point from your Stamina.

Of course, that didn't work. Azure felt like a carcass getting preyed on by crows. In a matter of minutes, he'd be rendered completely immobile. In an hour or less, he'd be dead.

With nothing worthwhile left to do, Azure expended the rest of his Stamina in the best way he knew how. He called out for help.

CHAPTER TWO

THE REALM – Day 49

You have died.

It had been a while since Azure had seen that notification. Again, it came in a dream, and he wasn't sure if it was real or not.

Azure opened his eyes from the harsh rays of the sun beating against his eyelids. He felt like he'd been hit by a freight train. It was as if his body was plastered to whatever he was lying on. Curling his fingers, Azure touched something firm beneath him. His fingernails dug in, expecting the surface to give way like dirt. Instead, he was rewarded with a splinter.

“Ow!” He drew his finger up to his lips to suck away the pain.

Where was he? Azure blinked up at a thatched roof. This was not the inn, he realized in a panic, his eyes flying to the side to try to discern his whereabouts. Layered stone walls surrounded him. The space was small, and the furniture was sparse. It appeared to be a house consisting of a singular room.

Pulling himself into a sitting position took all of Azure's strength. No doubt, his Stamina was still drained, leaving him feeling woozy and physically depleted. Shouldn't his Stamina have recovered while he slept?

Azure did a stat check to assess his condition.

Name: Azure

Race: Human

Level: 7, 65% of the way to next level

Health: 25 / 210

Mana: 200 / 200

Stamina: 53 / 210

Vitality: 14

Intelligence: 13

Strength: 14

Agility: 13

Dexterity: 12

Charisma: 10

Luck: 12

Skills: Archery Lvl 3; 80% of the way to next level

Stealth Lvl 3; 60% of the way to next level

Analyze Lvl 7; 46% of the way to next level

Cooking Lvl 5; 52% of the way to next level

Alchemy Lvl 3; 83% of the way to next level

Foraging Lvl 6; 88% of the way to next level

One-Handed Weapons Lvl 6; 10% of the way to next level

Tracking Lvl 1; 80% of the way to next level

Two-Handed Weapons Lvl 5; 0% of the way to next level

Fishing Lvl 1; 10% of the way to next level

Drinking Lvl 1; 10% of the way to next level

Languages: Common Tongue, Sprite, Goblin-Tongue

Adventurer Rank: E

“Shit,” he whispered beneath his breath. What had happened?

Reaching for his bag, Azure quickly pulled out three Potions of Minor Healing, hoping that drinking them would ease his discomfort. They did, for the most part, restoring some of his strength, though he still felt weak.

Azure rubbed his temples, lying back down and going over the previous night's events. The last thing he remembered was watching his Stamina deplete as the bats attacked him relentlessly. There had been no doubt in his mind that he was done for. Somehow, though, he wasn't dead. Not in the best condition, but not dead. Someone must have found him at the last minute, rescued him, and brought him here. Wherever here was. It was the only logical explanation.

Azure wondered if he should wait for his rescuer to return, but after about fifteen minutes, he began to grow restless. He didn't have time to waste here. Returning to The Adventurers Guild and turning in his quests was of the utmost priority. There were only four days left until his rent was due.

Azure pulled himself out of bed, then rummaged through his bag for a silver. It wasn't much, but it was the least he could do. He tossed the coin on the bed and then proceeded to the door. The rays of the sun seemed even brighter and hotter when Azure was fully exposed to them. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust...and for him to realize that he had no idea where he was.

Bringing up his World Map, Azure sighed in relief. He was in Roselake. The walk back to Squall's End should only be a little over an hour. Azure would take no risks this time, deciding to head straight to the village then follow the road all the way back. Traveling through the fields and forest would be stupid in his condition. While his Health had been restored to a safe number, an unlucky tussle with a monster could deplete his Stamina and get him killed. He would not make the same mistake twice.

In fact, it was time to stop being such a cheapskate and drop some coin on Potions of Minor Stamina. It was now clear to Azure that he wouldn't survive in The Realm without them. Stamina seemed more important than Health, at this point. But he knew he only felt that way because he hadn't had a way to recover Stamina without Lonnell by his side. By parting ways, Azure had essentially lost his healer. Now he needed to be able to both tank and heal on his own.

Praying that Potions of Minor Stamina weren't incredibly expensive (as everything in The Realm seemed to be), Azure made his way to the village of Roselake. Unlike Cragbell, there was only one merchant, set up with his cart outside of the tavern. Azure made haste toward him, never having imagined that he'd crave the horrible taste of the Stamina potions. But damn was he ever looking forward to not feeling like shit anymore.

“Stamina potions!” he demanded, slamming both palms on top of the man's cart as if he could barely stand. Although the walk from the house had only taken about fifteen minutes, Azure felt utterly exhausted.

The merchant gave him a queer look and took a step back. By the way that his hand fell to his side, it seemed that he might be reaching for a weapon.

“I want to buy Potions of Minor Stamina,” Azure said a bit more calmly, trying not to act like such a savage. “I'm not drunk. My Stamina is just...not very good right now.” He stood, no longer leaning on the cart for support.

The merchant seemed to relax. “Oh...Well,” he began, sounding a bit nervous. “I can help you with that.”

“It would be much appreciated. How much are they?” Azure's eyes danced around the top of the cart until he found the small yellow vials amidst all the rest of the merchant's wares.

“That will be seven gold and five silver,” the merchant replied in a voice that sounded automated.

“What?!” Azure's eyes bulged.

“Seven gold and five silver,” the merchant repeated, unaffected by Azure's shock.

“That's more expensive than a class at Hawking's! You've got to be kidding me.” He stepped away from the cart, clawing his fingers through his hair from stress.

“Hey you!” A deep voice called from behind him.

Azure turned to see the knight he had encountered at The Adventurers Guild—the one who had been a dick when he'd asked a question about Quest Points. Azure looked around to see if there was anyone else the knight could be talking to, praying he meant the merchant. His steely gray eyes were glued to Azure though.

This day is shaping up to be shitty, Azure groaned internally as the knight approached him, holding his hands up in surrender. “Listen, man, I don't know what I did to piss you off, but whatever it was, I'm sorry.”

“What are you doing here?” The knight glanced from Azure to the merchant.

“I'm buying a Stamina potion. Well, trying to.” His words fell out dryly. It wasn't any of this douchebag's business what he was doing.

The knight's voice calmed a bit. “You should be resting.”

That caught him off-guard. How would this guy know that he needed to be resting? Could he see how low Azure's Stamina was with his Analyze skill?

"I'm fine. I just want to get back to Squall's End, turn in my quests, and forget that these past two days ever happened.”

“How much money do you have on you now?” the knight asked.

Jutting his head back, Azure wondered if he was about to receive some charity. Maybe the knight felt sorry for him for being in such a pathetic predicament. It would be nice to have a positive turn of events.

“I have eight silver,” he replied honestly.

The knight held out his hand, palm up.

Azure gave him a strange look. “You...want my coin?”

“Am I not making that perfectly clear?” Annoyance flashed across the knight's chiseled visage. He was six feet of pure intimidation, wide with muscle, and had a face that oozed a mix of serious and sinister.

“Why do you want my coin?”

“It's my reward,” a sly smile crossed the knight's face, “for saving your life last night.”

“That was you?” Now Azure was shocked for an entirely different reason. This was not a guy that he wanted to be in debt to.

“Mhm. Now pay up.”

“I left a silver on the bed.” Azure nodded back toward the direction of the house.

The knight's thin lips dipped into a scowl. “Is that all you feel your life is worth? If so, I can just take the rest in blood.” He began to reach for the longsword strapped to his back. “The armor you're wearing would fetch a nice price.”

Oh fuck, I'm being robbed, Azure realized. His eyes danced over to the merchant, hoping he'd take the cue and run for help. The merchant was watching with interest. By his expression, it was clear that he neither felt threatened nor any desire to come to Azure's aid. More than likely, the two men knew each other. It made sense if the knight actually did live in the house that Azure had just come from.

“I know you deserve more, but I need that money for rent,” he tried to reason.

“Better to be homeless than dead.” The knight drew his sword about an inch out of its scabbard, showing that there was intent behind his threat.

With no other choice, Azure dug into his bag for his remaining coin. He handed it over to the knight with a sigh.

“You are a brokeass motherfucker, aren't you?” the knight chuckled to himself before tossing a silver at the merchant. “Here, Ronaldo, have a few beers on me for having to deal with this twat.”

“Thank you, sir!” The merchant responded, a smile of appreciation taking over his face.

Then the knight simply walked away in the direction of his house, pausing only once to look back at Azure. “And kid, if you stole anything, I'll hunt you down and kill you.”

CHAPTER THREE

THE REALM – Day 49

I hate this place, Azure thought as he made the trek back to Squall's End. Lonnell was right; Uden was stupid to want to come here. Things were so much better back on Crescent Island. So much simpler.

He stewed for the entire journey, his mood fouler than it had ever been since first coming to The Realm. Though he was extremely exhausted, he went straight to the flower merchant to sell his wares before heading to The Adventurers Guild.

“Excuse me for saying this, but you look horrible,” she told him, her pretty face taking on an air of concern. “Are you all right?”

“Rough day,” he confessed as he pulled his Fireweed, Wild Onions, and Blue Mushrooms from his bag. Not feeling much in the mood for conversation, he traded them to her for two silver and then continued on to The Adventurers Guild before she even had a chance to try to sell him any of her flowers.

Being midday, the lines inside The Adventurers Guild were blessedly shorter than usual. There were only two people in front of him in the E line. Thirty minutes later, he was standing before Mel, pulling his quest papers out of his bag and sliding the ten Giant Wasp Wings he had collected across the counter.

Congratulations! Quest: Thin Out the Giant Wasps has been completed.

Thanks to your heroic efforts, people traveling Red Road are now safe from the pesky Giant Wasps. You have earned 1 silver, 5 copper, 2 Quest Points, and 140XP. You have also received the following items:

Starter Bow

Attack: 8

Range: 1

Durability: 8/8

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 1.4 kg

Bronze Arrow

Quantity: 15/15

Durability: 1/1

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

The money is less than what I just made from selling foraged items, he thought somewhat bitterly.

Congratulations! Quest: I Need Giant Wasp Wings has been completed.

You have collected the necessary items. They will be delivered to the client. You have earned 6 silver, 1 Quest Point, and 140XP. You have also received the following items:

Potion of Minor Healing

Quantity: 1/1

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Uses: Heals 30 HP

Empty Vial

Quantity: 10/10

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Uses: Alchemy Component

I'm still five copper poorer than when I woke up this morning, another bitter thought came. I pretty much did all of that work for nothing.

The best part of the reward was the experience from the quests because it had been enough to level him up, though he would have to wait until he was somewhere more private to assign his characteristic points and level up the skill of his choosing.

Congratulations! You are now Level 8! Your base stats have been boosted. You have earned 3 points to assign to your characteristics. Please note that adding points to some characteristics(Vitality, Intelligence, and Strength) will further boost your base stats. You may also advance any 1 skill of your choosing by 1 level.

"What are Quest Points?" Azure asked before Mel had a chance to lay out new quests before him.

"Ferne didn't explain them to you?" The clerk cast a disdainful glance at his coworker for forcing him to waste time on a job that she should have done. Ferne was busy registering a new member to The Adventurers Guild and paid no mind to him though.

"Nope."

Mel pushed his spectacles further up onto his long thin nose with a sigh. “Quest Points are a point system for bonuses given by The Adventurers Guild. Once you gain one-hundred, you can choose between a special reward or advancing your Adventurer Rank one position higher than what it should be. This will open up more profitable but also more dangerous quests. Even though you would have access to them, I would not recommend taking them. You can only choose the upgrade once. If you amass another one-hundred Quest Points after that, you're forced to take the reward.”

"What kind of rewards are we talking about?" Azure wanted to be excited about the prospect, but he was still a lot of quests away from earning one-hundred points.

"It's usually high-level weapons or equipment. Now, which quest would you like to take?" The clerk irritably slid three quest sheets in front of Azure.

"I thought I get to choose from four?"

"You took two last time. This is my way of balancing things out." Mel smirked as if he had just slighted Azure somehow.

Azure was too tired to care.

"I wish I could take them all," he mumbled, rubbing his chin. Two of the quests were categorized as miscellaneous and were Very Easy. They also didn't pay well. One would keep him close to Squall's End though, and the duration was only three days. He could probably complete it in one, and it promised the potential of extra loot. The third was a bounty. It paid one gold, but the duration was two weeks, and it would definitely end up being a dungeon crawler. "I think I'll take...this one," Azure said hesitantly, pulling his chosen quest toward him.

Adventurers Guild Quest: A Treasure Sniffing Dog

A blind man named Valerio Smyth has recently purchased a dog that can supposedly sniff out treasure. He's asking for someone to escort him along the coastline on his first outing with the dog to protect him from any monsters that might emerge from the sea.

Designation: E

Type: Misc.

Difficulty: Very Easy

Deadline: 3 days

Success: Spend the day treasure hunting with Valerio and his dog.

Failure: Cancel quest

Reward: 4 silver, 5 copper, 1 Quest Point, and 50% of the loot found.

Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?

Completing this quest would give him just enough money to be able to afford his portion of the rent, but he'd be broke again afterward. Living in The Realm sucked.

Azure took his quest sheet and walked back to the flower merchant. He didn't even care to look at the Open Quests board, focused on getting back to his room at the inn so that he could rest up. With his Stamina still depleted and the day more than halfway over, there was no point in trying to start the quest now. He would hit it early in the morning, hoping that this Valerio fellow would be in for a long day of treasure hunting and that they might actually find something valuable. Besides, he was in no shape to take on any monsters right now.

"I have this Starter Bow to sell." Azure offered it to her. Since his Goblin Bow was better and the durability on it was still good, he had no use for the Starter Bow.

"You know there are other merchants." She giggled.

"But you're the prettiest one." He winked at her, feeling his bad mood slowly abate. This was his last necessary task for the day. Afterward, he was free to relax.

"Oh." She drew a petite hand up to her mouth, blushing before taking the bow from him to examine it. "I can give you nine copper for this."

"Sold!" he said a bit too dramatically, causing her to jump.

They made the exchange, and as seemed customary, she asked if he wanted to buy flowers.

"Unfortunately, rent is due in a few days, and I can't even afford to pay that right now," Azure confessed, embarrassed for being such a brokeass. "I'll give you a copper if you tell me your name, though." Why was he trying to bribe her? They'd done business a few times already. He should know her name by now. In fact, it should have been the first thing she told him. This wasn't like back in his world, though. Merchants didn't wear name tags here. You had to ask for a person's name, or they had to offer it freely.

"I'm Malina," she divulged, holding up her palm when he began to offer her a copper coin, "and no compensation is required for that information. I know how hard it is to come to a new town and get a fresh start."

"How did you know I was new around here?" Azure raised an eyebrow.

"I see everyone that comes and goes from the port." She smiled sweetly.

"You're very observant." He smiled back, pleased that she had taken notice of him. Not that that meant he was a special snowflake of any type. But he secretly hoped that maybe he was to her. "Well, Malina, my name is Azure. It's a pleasure to meet you." He thought to clasp her wrist but wasn't sure if that was appropriate in this scenario, so instead, he bobbed his head politely.

Another Adventurer came stomping over from The Adventurers Guild, ready to sell his wares. Malina gave Azure an apologetic look but was then quickly swept into a bartering match with her new customer. Realizing that it was time for him to leave, Azure walked back toward the inn, stopping in the middle of the street to contemplate how to spend the rest of his day.

There was still a lot of daylight left, and while he was incredibly tired, he was also still incredibly broke. With an inward groan, Azure decided to leave town again and scour the fields close to Squall's End for alchemy components that he could sell. Every little bit of coin would help. Magic school seemed like a dream at this point, but as long as he could pay rent, he would be okay.

To Azure's dismay, he wasn't the only person with the idea of foraging for easy money. All of the fields within close proximity to Squall's End seemed to be picked clean of sellable resources. Three hours of searching only netted him seven components which hardly seemed worth the effort. He did manage to level his Foraging skill, though.

Congratulations! The skill: Foraging has reached Level 7. Plants collected through foraging have a variety of uses. You can sell them, consume them, or use them to create potions through alchemy.

Azure sold his foraged alchemy components to a merchant close to the inn and then retired for the evening, desperately needing to recover his Stamina. Equally important was his need to assign his characteristic points and level a skill. Bringing up his character sheet, Azure looked for where improvement was needed, though he already knew where he would be placing his characteristic points.

Name: Azure

Race: Human

Level: 8, 4% of the way to next level

Health: 115 / 220

Mana: 210 / 210

Stamina: 48 / 220

Vitality: 14

Intelligence: 13

Strength: 14

Agility: 13

Dexterity: 12

Charisma: 10

Luck: 12

Skills: Archery Lvl 3; 80% of the way to next level

Stealth Lvl 3; 60% of the way to next level

Analyze Lvl 7; 53% of the way to next level

Cooking Lvl 5; 52% of the way to next level

Alchemy Lvl 3; 83% of the way to next level

Foraging Lvl 7; 0% of the way to next level

One-Handed Weapons Lvl 6; 10% of the way to next level

Tracking Lvl 1; 80% of the way to next level

Two-Handed Weapons Lvl 5; 0% of the way to next level

Fishing Lvl 1; 10% of the way to next level

Drinking Lvl 1; 10% of the way to next level

Languages: Common Tongue, Sprite, Goblin-Tongue

Adventurer Rank: E

Not being able to afford Potions of Minor Stamina and seeming to constantly run into situations where his Stamina was being depleted to nothing, Azure decided to put all three of his characteristic points into Strength. It might have been a dumb move, but he was just fed up.

Choosing which skill to level was a bit tougher. He was tempted to level up his Two-Handed Weapons skill, but he hadn't really enjoyed using the halberd, and he doubted that he'd feel more positively about any of the other two-handed weapons available in The Realm, though some of them looked super cool. Azure still remembered the big-ass longsword strapped to the Asshole Knight's back. It had been intimidating as hell. But he liked having his other hand free to dual wield or carry a shield.

With that thought in mind, the choice was obvious. Azure spent his skill leveling ability on his One-Handed Weapons skill.

Congratulations! The skill: One-Handed Weapons has reached Level 7. This skill enables you to use all manner of one-handed weapons to defeat enemies. What you do with your other hand is up to you.

Satisfied with his choices, Azure bedded down for the night. Though there was still plenty to worry about, his last thoughts were of Malina and her sweet smile.

CHAPTER FOUR

THE REALM – Day 50

Going to bed early had paid off. With his Stamina fully recovered, Azure was ready to face the day and whatever it might throw at him. His only concern was...where in the hell was Lonnell? The guy had been missing for days? Had he been kidnapped? Killed? Perhaps The Adventurers Guild would know, not that asking Mel would be a pleasant task. Still, Azure was really beginning to worry, and he would suffer the clerk's disdainful personality to find out what had happened to his friend.

With any luck, Lonnell had just dropped off his first quest and immediately took another one. He had seemed especially desperate to save up money. Whatever the case, he was missing out on what he'd paid for for the room. Which brought up another thought. If Lonnell wasn't staying in the room, did that mean he was going to skip out on next week's rent? If that ended up being the case, then Azure was screwed. He definitely wouldn't be able to afford an entire week's rent on his own. What would he do if that happened?

Trying not to think about it, Azure made his way to the place marked on his map where Valerio should be waiting for him. It was a small residence in the right-hand corner of Squall's End. Azure knocked on the door twice, and a voice inside called for him to wait. Only a few short minutes later, a man appeared to greet him.

Azure's smile faltered for a moment as he laid eyes on the squat human. He wasn't the same type of short as Bronna and her kin, but bowed with age, his back forming a severe arch that had him relying on a cane to keep standing. Valerio had to be pushing eighty. A long white beard hung from his neck, growing thinner at the end. Bushy white eyebrows sat over eyes so blind that they were nearly as white as milk. Several wisps of eyebrow hair fell into them. It irritated Azure and made him want to brush them away, but apparently, the old man couldn't feel them.

A fluffy gray dog pushed past Valerio's legs to get outside, its tail wagging.

“Max, you get back here!” Valerio called to the dog in a raspy voice even though Max was only about two feet away from him sniffing Azure's shoes.

The dog lifted its head, its too long fur bouncing over big brown eyes. Its tongue lolled out before it pushed past Valerio once more to go back inside the house.

“Good morning, sir,” Azure began. “I hope I didn't wake you. My name is Azure, and I'm from The Adventurers Guild, here to help you with your quest.” Ugh. He sounded like a solicitor. Was this what his life in The Realm had come to?

“Oh, goodie!” Valerio jumped in excitement the best his old bones would allow. “Let me get my coat, and I'll be right out.” He hobbled away from the door, leaving Azure standing in the street for a few moments before he returned.

The three made their way to the coast at a snail's pace thanks to Valerio's limited mobility. Conversation was light, mostly because Azure didn't feel like talking. He listened to Valerio go on and on about Max. Apparently, the old man had purchased him from a traveling merchant making all sorts of claims that Max was some wonder-beast, trained for both leading the blind and to sniff out treasure. In truth, the dog didn't look like anything special, and Azure voiced his skepticism. Thankfully, Valerio agreed with him. So far, he said that the mutt seemed nothing but addle-brained, barely even following his commands. That's why he had submitted the quest in the first place.

Azure sighed inwardly at the thought of the dog being a dud. If Max couldn't sniff out treasure, that meant Azure would waste an entire day for just the originally agreed upon compensation, a Quest Point (which was useless to him right now), and 50% of nothing. That would be bad. Perhaps if they spent an hour with no luck, Azure could convince Valerio to wrap the quest up early so that he could turn it in and take on another one.

They finally made it to the beach, and Max immediately took off toward the water, diving into the oncoming waves like he was the happiest dog in the world. Valerio tried to call him back to no avail. Azure let a smirk make it to his face as he watched the dog play in the water, but it quickly went away when Valerio scoffed and asked him to fetch Max.

The next ten minutes were spent with Azure chasing the dog, which by no means wanted to be caught. Thankfully, Max finally gave pause to sniff at something in the sand. When Azure saw the dog start to dig, he held his breath with hope. Maybe Max hadn't been such a waste of money after all.

“What's going on?” Valerio asked, his head moving from left to right searching for them.

“Looks like he found something,” Azure informed him with enthusiasm that quickly dissipated when the dog pulled a large clam from the hole.

“What is it?” The old man jumped excitedly.

Max dropped the clam and went back to playing in the water. Azure bent to pick it up, dusting it off before bringing it back to Valerio and handing it over. “It's just a clam.”

“Nice find, Max!” Valerio said to the dog, though he wasn't even looking in the right direction.

Is it? In truth, Azure knew nothing of the value of the item. “What are they used for?” he asked instead.

The old man jutted his head back as if Azure was stupid. “You cook with them, of course.”

Probably not much in the way of monetary value, he thought unhappily. Even worse, now that the dog had found something that made Valerio happy, Azure was likely stuck on the beach for at least another hour. Secretly, he hoped it was all that Max would find.

Thankfully, Valerio didn't expect Azure to rope Max in again, not that he'd been successful at it the first time around. As they slowly made their way along the coastline, Azure noticed that the dog seemed to have a pattern down. He'd play in the water for a while, then sniff at the shore, dig up some shell or sand dollar or starfish, and then head back into the waves for more fun. Every time he found something, Valerio squealed with glee. Azure inwardly sighed from the realization that he was stuck wasting his day for little pay. At least, he'd have enough to cover his portion of the rent after this.

A crab emerged from the waves, making a beeline for Max where he was digging. The dog turned to face it, his head popping up from the hole. He gave the crab a nervous look and started barking. This was entertainment for Azure.

“What's going on?” Valerio asked, a look of concern on his face.

“It's a crab. Apparently, it wants to duel Max,” Azure informed him with a smirk.

“Kill it quickly!” the old man said in a panic.

“Why?” Azure arched an eyebrow.

“That's what I'm paying you for, to protect my dog!” For the first time, anger seeped into Valerio's voice.

Apparently, the crab was a bigger threat than Azure knew. Not wanting to get chastised again, he drew his Crude Goblin Sword and dispatched of the creature with one downward stroke to its hard carapace. It crunched beneath the weight of his blade, which immediately made Azure hungry.

Defeated Level 1 Small Crab. 7XP rewarded.

“Did you kill it?” Valerio looked around aimlessly.

“It's dead.” Azure picked the crab up by one of its claws.

“Hand it over.” The old man gestured for the crab's lifeless body.

Azure did as he was told, and was surprised when Valerio stuck the entire thing in his bag. Shrugging it off, they went on with their business. Max continued to dig, and Azure protected him from the random crabs that would wonder ashore to attack the dog.

Max Analyzed as blue to Azure, as did the crabs. He could only assume that the dog was getting attacked because they were the same level. Valerio Analyzed as orange, which was probably why the crabs paid him no mind.

They were about two hours into treasure hunting when the dog finally found something interesting. At first, Azure thought that Max had come up empty-handed. He had done it a few times already, started digging a hole only to produce nothing. But this time, he dropped a small red gem at Azure's feet.

A thread of greed raced through him, and he briefly thought of lying to the old man about the find. Valerio was blind anyway, so what did it really matter if Azure swindled him.

Azure held the gem up to the light of the sun.

You have received the following item:

Small Uncut Ruby

Quantity: 1/1

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Uses: Jewelry Crafting

“What is it?” Valerio asked excitedly.

This seems pretty valuable. I could keep it for myself, and he'd be none the wiser. He bought himself a goldmine when he acquired Max, and he doesn't need the money like I do. Besides, no one is looking. It would be easy enough for me to pocket the ruby and say that the dog dug a dud again.

But Azure knew that was wrong, and he'd feel really fucking low if he robbed an old man. With a sigh, he passed the gem over. “It's a Small Uncut Ruby.”

His stomach sunk as the gem left his hand. There was no way the two of them could split it, so all Azure could hope was that Max would find another one or that Valerio would split the monetary value of the ruby with him. This was supposed to be a 50/50 deal, after all. He should at least be happy about that. The ruby alone had probably made it worth him taking on this quest.

The day progressed, and no other items of interest were found until shortly after noon. Max dug a hole and then abandoned it to go play in the ocean. Again, Azure had thought it was a dud until he looked inside of the hole and found a green bottle with a piece of rolled up parchment inside.

“What is it?” Valerio asked again. He said it so much that Azure was getting sick of it. It seemed like an automatic response every time the old man heard the dog's paws scratching in the sand.

“I don't know,” Azure confessed as he pulled the parchment out of the bottle and unrolled it. As soon as his eyes scanned across the paper, a notification popped up.

Quest: A Fate Worse Than Death

Cultists have taken up residence in Grayreach. Children are disappearing in the middle of the night with no explanation. The people are afraid. Come to Grayreach and investigate the disappearances.

Difficulty: Easy

Success: Meet up with Udele Stanley

Failure: Die

Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?

Azure brushed the notification away to read the rest of the note.

To whoever finds this letter,

My name is Udele Stanley, and I fear that there are foul deeds afoot in Grayreach. There are strange sounds coming from the cemetery at night and several children and law officials have gone missing. One of the children was my younger sister, Devondra. I have seen shady people lurking about; I'm almost certain that they're Cultists. Everyone is too scared to investigate, but I'm not. The only problem is that I'm not a fighter.

Our village is too poor to pay someone to come look into this threat, so I'm hoping that this message will make it into the hands of a charitable hero. Please come to Grayreach and help me solve this mystery. Many lives depend on it.

Sincerely,

Udele Stanley

"It's a quest," Azure told Valerio, surprised that he had found one like this.

"A quest? Oh bah." For the first time, the old man didn't sound happy. "You can have it." He waved the bottle away. "These old bones haven't quested in years, and they're not about to start back up now."

"Thanks," Azure replied, though it sounded more like a question than gratitude.

He brought up his World Map to see where Grayreach was, but apparently, a marker wouldn't display unless he accepted the quest. This particular quest promised no compensation. Unfortunately, Azure wasn't in a spot where he could afford to be a 'charitable hero.' For now, Grayreach would have to wait. Perhaps this would be a good way to test what would happen if a quest expired. From how the letter made it sound, if he didn't come to their aid, the people of Grayreach would eventually be completely wiped out by these Cultists.

You should put the quest back in the bottle and throw it back into the ocean, the angel on Azure's shoulder chimed in. That would be the right thing to do. Maybe another Adventurer with more money and free time will pick it up later. The people of Grayreach will be saved, and everyone will have a happy ending. But Azure had done his moral deed for the day by not lying to Valerio about the Small Uncut Ruby. And he really was curious to see what would happen to an urgent-sounding regular quest if he held onto it for a while. The bottle had been buried, so that probably meant that a lot of time had passed already.

Feeling a bit like an asshole, Azure pocketed the quest. Maybe if he somehow fell into riches and the quest hadn't expired, he'd make the trek to Grayreach.

As if the universe was punishing him for keeping the quest when he knew he couldn't immediately fulfill it, about an hour later, after Azure had stuck one of the crabs, he heard a snap followed by the notification:

Your Crude Goblin Sword has broken and is no longer useable.

Sure enough, the blade had snapped off right at the hilt, rendering the weapon useless. As soon as Azure noticed that, the sword crumbled into dust.

"Oh, what the hell?" he cursed.

"What happened?" Valerio asked, ambling up to him.

"My damn sword broke." Azure scowled.

"Ah. That's too bad. It's important to get your weapons repaired before their durability runs out; otherwise, you lose them entirely." He sounded sympathetic. "I do hope you have something else on you that you can use to fend off the crabs."

Usually, some over the counter medicated shampoo and a good shave will do it, Azure thought comedically, though a smirk never reached his face as his mind went back to the misfortune of his situation.

“I still have a dagger,” he informed Valerio, though he wasn't happy about having to use it. It would take more effort to bend and stab the crabs.

Just to be sure he wasn't being an idiot and about to lose yet another weapon, Azure brought up the item details for his dagger to check its durability.

Starter Dagger

Attack: +1-4

Type: One-Handed Weapon

Durability: 15/20

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0.4 kg

Good. It would be a while before he would need to repair it. Hopefully, by that time, he'd have something better to replace the Starter Dagger with.

As predicted, stabbing the crabs with the dagger was a real pain in the ass. The blade wasn't as heavy, so Azure had to put more weight into his attacks. Also, the attack power of the weapon was less, so he ended up having to stab each crab twice instead of just once. Azure made a mental note to buy a new sword once he got back into town, even if it ended up being a cheapie.

The last item of interest wasn't found until the sun was beginning to set. After digging another hole, Max trotted over and dropped a ring at Azure's feet. It had a gold band and a milky-blue gem in the shape of a crescent.

You have received the following items:

Lunar Ring

Defense: +20

Intelligence: +2

Durability: 12/15

Item Class: Rare

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Wow! Very nice.

Another tendril of greed snaked through Azure as he thought about keeping the ring. Given its great stats, surely this was a high-value item. He'd already done one good deed and one bad deed today. Would pocketing the ring give him more bad luck?

As now seemed customary, the old man asked, “What is it?”

The phrase had played on repeat so many times that Azure now cringed whenever Valerio said it. It reminded him of standing too close to an NPC in one of the games he used to play where they would repeat the same line over and over again every few seconds. Most of the time, he would just move away if he got too annoyed, but that wasn't exactly an option now.

"It's a ring," he confessed with an inward sigh. Damn that angel on his shoulder for winning this one.

"A ring?" The old man's head jutted back as if he was surprised by the news. "Let me see."

Azure handed the ring over, and Valerio held it up to his face as if he were looking at it. Then he grunted and placed it in his bag.

They moved on.

The torrent of crabs attacking Max seemed almost endless, acting as more of an annoyance than anything else. Each time Azure killed one, Valerio placed the body in his bag.

"We should head back," Azure said when it started getting late.

"Is the sun down yet?" Valerio tilted his head to look up at the sky.

"Just about." Azure gazed up with him, making a visor with his hand to block out the harmful rays.

"Let me know when it's down, and we'll head back." The old man continued down the shoreline.

Azure paused for a moment before jogging after him, not that he had far to go. “You wouldn't happen to know what kind of monsters come out at night?” The memory of nearly being killed by the Bats and Shadowling was still fresh.

"Naga. But there's no need to worry about that. We'll be gone before they surface."

Not if we don't start heading back like...ten minutes ago, Azure thought as he cast a glance in the direction of Squall's End.

Valerio held his hand up to curb Azure's concern. “Worry not, young Adventurer. I have Teleportation Prisms.”

Was that supposed to mean something to him? Azure knew what teleportation was. It was common in most of the games he'd played before. He could only assume that whatever Valerio was talking about would get them back to Squall's End quickly.

Deciding to trust the old man, they continued on until it was almost too dark to see. When Azure began to lose track of Max, he told Valerio that it was definitely time for them to go.

The old man stepped up close to him, pulling two small prisms from his bag. They appeared to be made of glass, clear with faintly-glowing fibers running through them every which way. One was purple, and the other was green. Valerio handed the green one to Azure, and a notification popped up.

You have received the following item:

Teleportation Prism

Quantity: 1/1

Item Class: Rare

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Uses: Teleports user from one location to another. You must have two Teleportation Prisms of the same type for this to work.

Azure marveled at the item. With an Item Class of Rare, there was no doubt that the Teleportation Prism was worth a lot. He had half a mind to tell Valerio he would just walk the rest of the way if the old man would let him keep the prism. Though, judging by the description of the item, it might have less value if he only had the one.

"Are you ready to go?" Valerio asked him.

Azure hesitated, not wanting to sound stupid. “How do we use these?”

"You simply crush it in your palm, and it will teleport you back to my place."

"What about Max?" He looked over at the dog still sniffing around the beach.

"Max is soulbound, so he will automatically teleport with me."

At least that meant Azure wasn't going to have to chase the hyper beast down.

"All right. I think I'm ready."

He waited for Valerio to go first. There was a cracking sound as the old man crushed the Teleportation Prism in his palm. Purple sparks rose from his hand, and then Valerio began to distort. It was as if the prism was sucking him into it. His body contorted and swirled and then disappeared. Only a sparkling of purple dust was left behind. Oddly, Max had just straight up vanished. No theatrics.

Azure inhaled deeply. While Valerio hadn't cried out in pain, it looked like teleporting wouldn't be comfortable. He couldn't imagine how he would feel when his body began to swirl in on itself. Maybe he should have asked the old man about that―if it hurt―but he honestly had had no idea what to expect.

"Okay, Azure, you've got this," he gave himself a quick pep talk.

For some reason, the thought of using the prism filled him with irrational fear. If anything, Azure should be thrilled to have his hands on this type of magic. It seemed powerful and super cool.

He took a deep breath, but every time he closed his palm and began to apply pressure to the prism, he stopped himself. It wasn't until Azure heard a disturbance in the water that he felt the urge to get on with it. His eyes darted in the direction that the sound had come from. Something was making its way ashore. A humanoid torso that slithered up onto the sand. Analyzing the figure showed that it was a higher level than Azure. He crushed the Teleportation Prism in his palm with no further hesitation.

CHAPTER FIVE

THE REALM – Day 50

For as much as he had feared the agony of his body twisting into an unnatural position, teleporting felt like nothing at all. Azure simply blinked out of existence for a second and then opened his eyes to find himself inside of Valerio's house. He patted himself down to make sure he hadn't lost any body parts along the way, exhaling a breath he hadn't even known he had been holding.

Valerio laughed a few feet away. Though he couldn't see Azure, he must have sensed his relief. “First time teleporting, I presume. You must not have been at adventuring for very long.”

"You're only my third quest from The Adventurers Guild," Azure confessed.

"I figured out you weren't very experienced when you didn't know to attack the crabs."

Azure's eyes wandered past Valerio, and for the first time, he took in his surroundings. The old man must be wealthy, because this was as close to a modern domicile that Azure had seen since meeting Enno Berkeley, the renowned angler from his prerequisite quest with The Adventurers Guild. Ornate furniture circled the room—plush chairs and polished tables with various trinkets atop them. Shelves lined the walls, filled with treasures. Azure's mouth dropped open in awe looking at it all.

"Ah, and now that is the sound of someone who is impressed," Valerio said with a smile. "Unfortunately, I cannot allow you to linger. It's rare that I let anyone come in here. You can surely understand."

He definitely could. This place was like a treasure vault. If Azure were a villain, robbing Valerio would be at the top of his list of priorities. Still, he was sad that he wouldn't be able to take a gander at the museum of artifacts, expensive weapons, and priceless gems. No wonder the old man had wanted a treasure sniffing dog. Collecting things appeared to be his life's work.

"Well, I guess I'll be off then." Azure glanced back as he walked toward the door, trying to take it all in while he could. "Is it safe to assume that you'll turn in my half of the loot to The Adventurers Guild so that I can pick it up tomorrow?"

"It is." Valerio nodded.

"Excellent. I'll look forward to collecting." His eyes fell to Max who was wagging his tail, still looking like there wasn't a brain in his head. "You got a good deal on that dog. How much did he cost?"

"You don't even want to know," the cheer dropped from Valerio's voice. "It will probably take a few months for me to earn the coin back that I spent on him."

"Damn. That's one expensive dog." And he wasn't even purebred. "What would you have done if he hadn't been able to sniff out treasure?"

"I still would have kept him. I'm getting old and needed a companion anyway."

Azure would have hunted the guy down who had sold the dog to him and gotten his money back. From the way Valerio was making it sound, Max had cost him the equivalent of several thousand dollars.

"Well, have a good night." Azure waved over his shoulder as he left, not remembering that Valerio couldn't see him until the door was already shut.

He sighed, taking in a breath of the town's pungent air. Sometimes, he was used to the smell of piss and squalor. Other times, it got to him. Being near the ocean all day seemed to have revitalized his sense of smell. The scent of Squall's End was particularly unpleasant tonight.

Exhausted from his day spent on the beach, Azure made his way back to the inn, hoping that Lonnell would be there. No luck. The room was empty as usual.

Azure settled on the bed and closed his eyes, looking forward to getting to The Adventurers Guild early in the morning to see what loot he had acquired from his treasure hunting quest with Valerio. Fantasizing about all of the riches kept Azure from getting a night of restful sleep.

He made it to The Adventurers Guild the next morning before it had even opened, managing to be the second person in line. Sauntering up to the E counter when it was his turn, Azure slapped down the quest, looking at Mel with a grin.

"You sure seem chipper today," the clerk told him, clearly not reflecting his good mood.

"I'm hoping that this one will pay off."

"Hm. Let's see what you got here." Mel slid the paper over and gave it a look. Then he stamped the word 'Complete' on it and went to the back to retrieve Azure's reward.

Congratulations! Quest: A Treasure Sniffing Dog has been completed.

It turns out that Valerio didn't get swindled after all. Max is, in fact, a legit treasure sniffing dog. Valerio will reap the rewards of his purchase for years to come and wants to show you his gratitude. You have earned 4 silver, 5 copper, 1 Quest Point, and 120XP.

Mel picked a box up and set it on the counter before pushing it over toward Azure.

Azure looked inside, and his eyes bulged. “That is a lot of stuff. I don't think I have enough inventory slots.” He would have felt panic if not for seeing the ring at the bottom of the box. The ruby wasn't there, but that no longer mattered. Valerio had treated him fairly.

“You have hands, don't you?” Mel gave him an annoyed look.

"I'm going to have to sort through this." Azure pulled the box closer, organizing the items as quickly as possible in hopes that he wouldn't draw too much of the clerk's ire. There were already four people lined up behind him. The longer he took to go through the box, the longer they'd all have to wait, and the more pissed off that everyone would be.

You have received the following items:

Crab

Quantity: 20/20

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Uses: Cooking. Cannot be eaten raw.

Cowrie

Quantity: 2/2

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Uses: Loot. Sell for coin.

Pearl

Quantity: 1/1

Item Class: Uncommon

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Uses: Jewelry Crafting

Sand Dollar

Quantity: 3/3

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Uses: Loot. Sell for coin.

Scallop

Quantity: 1/1

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Uses: Cooking, Restores +2 HP if eaten

Whelk

Quantity: 5/5

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Uses: Loot. Sell for coin.

Starfish

Quantity: 2/2

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Uses: Loot. Sell for coin.

Oyster

Quantity: 1/1

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Uses: Cooking, Restores +5 HP if eaten, Increases Charisma by +2 for ten minutes

Lunar Ring

Defense: +20

Intelligence: +2

Durability: 12/15

Item Class: Rare

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Azure wanted to be in awe of all of the stuff, but he didn't have time. As quickly as he could, he slipped the ring onto his finger. Then he placed the Crabs, Whelks, and Sand Dollars into his bag, conceding to carry everything else. By the time he was done, Mel was already pushing quest sheets toward him.

“I think I'm going to hold off for now,” he told the clerk, hoping that he'd earn enough from the items to take a small break and explore other income making opportunities outside of The Adventurers Guild such as fishing and foraging.

Mel gave him a strange look. “Are you sure? You know you're going to have to get back in line if you come back.”

“I'm sure.” Azure took his loot and left the E line, heading for the door.

If there was one thing he now knew, it was that he desperately needed a bag with more inventory slots. The bag Azure had on him currently only had twelve slots, three of which had been available before the quest, and he had received nine items. Thoughts of the Bag of Holding flashed through his mind again, but he wasn't about to drop that much money on a bag when he still wanted to go to magic school.

Azure glanced at Malina's cart as he stepped out of The Adventurers Guild. She smiled at him in greeting, and he did the same back, feeling a bit guilty that he wasn't going to be doing business with her today. It would be easier for him to offload the items somewhere that he could also make a purchase.

He looked around for a merchant that had a variety of bags on display. Azure poured his items out on top of the cart, everything but the ring, and the merchant began sorting through them. The sum earned from his haul was three gold, two silver, and six copper.

For the first time in a while, Azure felt wealthy. All of his stress over barely having enough money to pay his share of the rent faded at that moment. Even if Lonnell didn't come back, he'd be able to afford to get by for another week.

Thank you, Valerio Smyth!

"How much is this worth?" Azure asked as he pulled the Lunar Ring from his finger. He didn't really have any intentions of selling it and was mostly just curious.

The man picked the ring up and held it to the light, turning it before placing it back on top of his cart. “Five gold.”

Hot damn! If he sold the Lunar Ring, he'd even be able to afford his first class at magic school. Azure felt his stomach ball with tension at the thought of parting with such a valuable item. It gave him some really good stat boosts. If he weren't in constant danger from his adventuring, there would be no question about selling the ring. But somehow, he felt like he needed it.

Pushing back his greed, Azure looked to the merchant's wares. “What kind of bags do you have for sale?”

As with everything in The Realm, nothing was cheap. The next bag up from what Azure was carrying cost eight gold. Upgrading wasn't going to happen unless Azure sold the Lunar Ring. And while he was tempted, the bag wasn't a necessity, just a want.

Instead, he tried to clear out as much from his inventory as he could"things that weren't immediately necessary to him. Azure tossed the List of Courses from Hawking's. He sold The Tale of Enzio Huxley for one copper (the same amount he had paid for it) and the eight Giant Wasp Wings that he had forgotten to sell to Malina the day before for six copper a piece, which brought in an extra four silver and eight copper. That cleared up half of his inventory slots and made him feel better about not leaving with the bag.

Azure left the merchant and went to seek out the blacksmith. He had his own shop against the left wall of Squall's End. The sound of a hammer clinking as it pounded hot metal could be heard from outside, and there was a sign hanging from a post that had an anvil on it.

Azure entered to the smell of fire and steel. Several blades hung on the walls, no doubt ready to be sold. A few were ornate with expertly crafted pommels, but most were plain. He hoped that meant they'd be in his price range, but you never knew with these kinds of things. Shields of various forms and metal leaned against another wall, and there were pieces of armor strewn across a table to the far right of the building.

"Hi there," Azure said, drawing the blacksmith's attention.

The man stood and wiped his brow. His bald head was heavily beaded with sweat. It rolled down his cheeks into his orange mutton chops. Ice blue eyes looked up at Azure, firm at first with concentration but then softening when the man realized he had a customer. At his full height, the blacksmith was close to seven feet tall. He was thick with muscle, his soot-covered biceps bulging from working the forge all day. The sleeveless vest he wore showed off the definition gained from his profession. It also showed the scars from cuts and burns he'd received along the way.

"Can I help you?" the man asked as he pulled off his thick brown leather gloves, then wiped his hands on the equally thick brown leather apron that protected his clothing.

"I need to buy a sword," Azure told him, his eyes flitting across the blades on one of the walls.

"What kind of sword are you looking for? I'm Garion, by the way." The blacksmith held out his arm, and Azure promptly clasped wrists with him in a firm shake.

"Azure," Azure replied. "And I'm looking for something inexpensive but sturdy."

A smirk crossed Garion's face as if Azure had just told some joke. “One-handed or two-handed?”

"One-handed."

"All right. Let me see what I might have for you." The blacksmith approached one of the walls, examining the swords on it as he went. He hummed to himself as he looked each one over, searching for the perfect blade for Azure. Glancing back at him a final time, as if to assess if he could handle the chosen sword, Garion took one down from the wall and walked back over to Azure to hand it to him. "Try this."

Azure could tell that the sword was cheaper than most of the others just by looking at it. The entire thing was made of solid bronze. He brought up its stats to examine it more closely.

Bronze Sword

Attack: +1-5

Type: One-Handed Weapon

Durability: 15/15

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 1.8 kg

The stats weren't much better than his dagger. Azure was not impressed.

"How much is it?" He tried not to frown as he continued to look the sword over.

"Two silver, six copper," Garion replied.

Cheap. A cheap sword for a cheap price. I have money now. Splurging on a better sword probably wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Do you have anything a step up from this?" he asked, handing the sword back.

The blacksmith smiled as he placed the sword back on the wall and took down another one.

Iron Sword

Attack: +1-7

Type: One-Handed Weapon

Durability: 20/20

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 1.8 kg

Azure still wasn't very impressed. How was it possible that goblins made better swords than humans? His last sword had been a Crude Goblin Sword. By definition, that meant it should have been crap. But its attack stats were better than any one-handed weapon he'd seen crafted by humans thus far.

"How much is this one?" He did his best to suppress a sigh of discontent.

"Nine silver."

"Upgrade me one more time." Azure gestured for something better.

This clearly pleased the blacksmith. He placed the Iron Sword back on the wall and took down one with a polished silver blade. Unlike the others that had been made entirely out of metal, the pommel of this sword was wrapped in black leather. It was also more ornately designed, with stylized twists in the cross-guards. Azure took it in hand and immediately noticed that it was lighter than the two swords he had been given before.

Steel Sword

Attack: +2-12

Type: One-Handed Weapon

Durability: 25/25

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 1.0 kg

Much better. Now this was what he was looking for. It looked sleek as fuck and felt amazing in his hand. Azure gave it a few cursory swings before asking the question that he was dreading the answer to. “How much is it?”

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Garion nodded, the smile still plastered on his face. While Azure initially thought that it was a sales tactic for him to say that"to try to convince Azure that this was the sword for him"it quickly became apparent that the blacksmith was more admiring his own work.

"How much is it?" he repeated in a serious tone.

Garion's smile faltered, perhaps realizing that he was probably going to lose the sale once he spoke the answer. This was not the inexpensive sword that Azure had said he had come for. “Three gold, two silver, five copper.”
Azure hissed at the price before handing the sword back. While he could afford it, it just wasn't worth it.

"You don't happen to know of any goblin settlements around here?" he joked. It seemed that the best gear came from looting, not buying.

The blacksmith's expression was deadpan as he placed the sword back on the wall. “So, what will it be, champ?”

Azure sighed. The stats on the Iron Sword were better than the Bronze Sword, but not enough to make it worth the price difference. Maybe he'd get lucky and find a better sword along his path of adventuring.

"I'll take the Bronze Sword," he said with the absence of enthusiasm that he felt from making the purchase.

They exchanged coin and sword, and Azure thanked the blacksmith and went on his way. Now the only question was how to spend the rest of his day.

Azure knew that the fields near Squall's End were picked clean. If he wanted to do some real foraging, he'd have to go out into the wilderness. His other option was to walk to Roselake and try his luck at fishing.

Unable to decide, Azure flipped a copper. Heads or tails, in this case, was one side with the face of a man that looked like it had been drawn by a sloppy five-year-old and a cross on the other side with the words 'May the King Prosper.' Judging by the lopsided crown on the man's head, he was the king. It seemed like a dumb saying. Being a king alone made that person prosperous.

Azure decided that heads would be foraging and tails would be fishing. Landing on tails had him searching for the fishmonger to price boxes of bait. One box was good for ten casts, which equated to about an hour's worth of fishing. He currently had one in his inventory and estimated that he would be spending at least four hours fishing, so he needed three more.

It turned out that a Box of Basic Bait cost one silver. That meant one copper per cast. Though it seemed a bit expensive, Azure shelled out the money, hoping that there would be a good payoff. This was one disadvantage that fishing had over foraging. You needed bait to do it, and that cost coin. But fish sold for more than most foraging components did. At least, it seemed that way.

Once Azure had finished shopping, he headed toward Roselake, trying to remember what he had read in Enno's book. Worst case scenario, he could make his way around the lake and visit the angler. Actually, now that he thought about it, the worst case scenario would be running into the Asshole Knight. Hopefully, the guy wouldn't try to rob him again.

Azure kept his head down as he walked the path to Roselake. Soon, he saw the lake in the distance, though the splendor of all the roses surrounding it no longer held the same wonder as it had the first time he had seen them. Pausing once he reached the lake, Azure picked a spot across from where Enno's place was. It was a good trek, and he was able to forage a few alchemy components as he went, harvesting three Fireweed, three Wild Onions, and one Blue Mushroom. If he ran out of room in his bag, he would ditch them in lieu of whatever he managed to fish up from Roselake.

You have harvested: Fireweed | Uses: Alchemy component
You have harvested: Wild Onion | Uses: Alchemy component, Restores +5 HP if eaten
You have harvested: Blue Mushroom | Uses: Alchemy component, Restores +10 MP if eaten

Once he arrived at his destination, Azure pulled his Starter Pole from his bag, baited his hook, and cast his line into the water.

The first tug came after three casts. Excitement raced through Azure as he felt a strong pull. Whatever was on the other end of his line, it was big.

He fought to reel the fish in for what felt like ten minutes but was probably only half that time. What emerged from the water was not a fish though, but a crayfish the size of a German Shepherd. As soon as it was fully exposed, it let go of his line and made a beeline for Azure, snapping at him with its claws.

Dropping his fishing pole, Azure drew his sword. The crayfish had great reach, and its thick exoskeleton made it hard to land a hit that did any damage. He finally ended up sweeping to the side and slicing down on the thinner piece of the beast's cheliped, taking care of one of the claws. Now having a sound battle tactic, it wasn't long before Azure was able to separate the crayfish's weapons from its body and deliver the killing blow.

Defeated Level 7 Large Crayfish. 42XP rewarded.

"Good grief," Azure groaned, sitting on the shore to catch his breath. He couldn't help but think that the low attack stats of his sword had made that fight take way longer than necessary.

Unsure of what parts of the crayfish constituted as loot, Azure picked up the entire thing and stuffed it in his bag. It still amazed him how the mouth stretched to accommodate any sized item. The bags had their own type of magic that didn't exist in his world.

After taking a quick breather, Azure stood and picked up his Starter Pole, baiting it and casting his line into the water again. It took six more casts before he felt another pull. This time, he reeled in trash.

You have caught:

Ruined Leather Boot

Uses: Junk

Damn. No stats at all.

Azure wondered if he should just leave the boot on the shore since it was clearly labeled as junk and probably couldn't be sold.

Two casts later, he pulled in a broken cup and began to wonder if there were even any fish in Roselake. Fishing was way more difficult than he had imagined now that he wasn't at the starter pond.

You have caught:

Broken Cup

Uses: Junk

Five more casts and Azure was surprised to find a treasure chest about the size of a lunchbox on the end of his line. The wood was worn with algae clinging to it, the hinges rusted. Now his adrenaline was pumping again. Surely, this couldn't be junk. He opened up the chest to find what appeared to be a scale the size of his hand. It was thick and gray and glittered in the sunlight.

You have caught:

Dragon Scale

Quantity: 1/1

Item Class: Extremely Rare

Quality: Average

Weight: 0.1 kg

Uses: Weapons and Armor Crafting component.

Azure's eyes widened as he saw the Item Class. Extremely Rare. That had to mean the scale was worth a lot. Perhaps this was going to pay off after all.

Now in a much better mood, Azure slipped the scale into his bag, tossed the now empty treasure chest aside, and continued fishing. It didn't bother him as badly when he reeled in another Broken Cup on his very next cast, because two casts later, he caught something else strange.

You have caught:

Box of Basic Bait

Quantity: 10/10

Durability: 1/1

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Uses: Must be used with a pole. Used to catch fish.

Azure shrugged it off and put the Box of Basic Bait in his bag. This lake seemed to be chock-full of all kinds of strange things...excluding fish.

Judging by how much it depleted his Stamina to cast"ten points every time he threw his line into the water"fishing all day just wasn't going to be possible. With only sixty Stamina points left, Azure felt it was better to be safe than sorry. He put away his Starter Pole and headed toward Squall's End, staying on the main road. The walk was blessedly uneventful.

When Azure reached town, he immediately went to Garion, feeling that the blacksmith would be the most interested in purchasing the Dragon Scale. Now it was time to see whether his efforts had paid off or if fishing was just as unprofitable as it had been boring.

Azure pulled the Dragon Scale out of his bag and handed it over. The blacksmith's eyes immediately lit up.

"Oh, a rare find," he said, seemingly impressed.

"An extremely rare find," Azure corrected him with a smile. "How much can you give me for it?"

Garion flipped the scale over in his hand, as if the item's stats hadn't been enough to tell him the value of it. "If you had twenty more of these, I could make a fine sword."

"Well, I only have the one, so how much?" Azure gestured for him to get on with it.

"I'll give you one gold for it." The blacksmith never tore his eyes away from the scale.

Yes! Fishing had definitely paid off. And it was especially nice to know that there were more ways to make decent money in The Realm besides just taking on quests from The Adventurers Guild.

"I have a few other things to sell, too." Azure wrangled the Large Crayfish corpse out of his bag.

The blacksmith furrowed his brow. "Good Gods, man, what in the hell is wrong with you?"

"I didn't know which part of this was salvageable." Azure shrugged. The soggy body of the Large Crayfish left a wet spot in the dirt.

"Just the tail," Garion informed him, clearly not pleased that Azure had brought him an entire body.

"Well, if you tell me how to get it off, I want to sell this too. I'll dispose of the rest on my way out."

The next few minutes were spent with Garion teaching Azure how to de-tail the Large Crayfish. It was a messy job. As soon as they parted the tail from the body, a sludge of gray oozed from the cephalothorax. The smell was absolutely horrible, and Azure had to resist the urge to cover his nose.

"Sorry about that." He gave Garion an apologetic look.

The blacksmith sighed. "This is why people do this as soon as they kill them. It's a damn big mess." He walked over to a table and picked up a cloth to wipe his hands on.

"Lesson learned," Azure said, though he still felt bad because he had no idea how to clean the entrails up. They were more liquid than solid, and they were already congealing on the floor. There was a broom resting against the wall near the door, but Azure was worried that if he used it, he'd just make a bigger mess. All that he could do was carry them away with his bare hands, then drag the body off. He was not looking forward to that.

"I'll give you five copper for the Large Crayfish Tail. I'd typically give you seven, but consider the other two payment for the lesson and my time spent cleaning this up." He gestured to the pile of mushy innards on the floor.

Azure sighed in relief for not having to figure out what to do with the gooey innards. "You know what, you can have the tail for free. I feel really bad about this."

The blacksmith seemed pleased, some of his annoyance abated. "Well, now you know."

"I have one more bit of business." Azure pulled his Starter Pole from his bag. "Can you repair this?" He'd learned his lesson from the decay of his Crude Goblin Sword that it was important to fix an item before its durability ran out. Currently, he only had four durability left on the fishing pole, and he definitely didn't want to lose it.

Garion took the pole, looking it over. "It will be two silver."

"Perfect."

Azure dragged the remains of the Large Crayfish to a nearby pig sty while Garion worked on repairing his Starter Pole. By the time he returned, the blacksmith was done. He handed the pole back with now full durability.

"Thanks for the help. Sorry again for the mess." Azure's eyes fell to the wet sludge on the floor of the smithy.

Satisfied with how the day had gone, Azure decided to head to the tavern for a late lunch, then return to his room at the inn to recover his Stamina. He dragged himself up the stairs, his belly full and his limbs feeling like they weighed a hundred pounds each. For as horrible as the week had started out, it had come to a strong finish. And it only got better when he opened the door and found Lonnell lying on the bed.

CHAPTER SIX

THE REALM – Day 51

Azure could hardly wait for his friend to wake up, but he knew how much questing could take a toll on a person. Hell, he'd only spent the day fishing and his Stamina was so depleted that he was about to pass out.

Surrendering to a nap on the floor wasn't ideal, nor was it comfortable after having enjoyed the luxury of a bed for the past few days, but Azure was in such a good mood that it barely bothered him. Hopefully, when he awoke, Lonnell wouldn't be gone again. They still needed to figure out what they wanted to do regarding the rent"whether they were going to book the room for another week or splurge and pay for an entire month. The latter seemed like a better idea, but Azure wasn't sure how much money Lonnell had managed to earn throughout the week.

"Where in the hell have you been?" was the first thing Azure asked when he awoke to find Lonnell sitting on the bed looking depressed. His head was drooped, and despite having just slept, there were bags under his eyes.

He didn't even smile when he finally looked over at Azure. "All of Pantheana, it feels like."

Azure's happy expression faded. "What happened?"

Lonnell shook his head. "That damned ingredient quest took forever. I just got back and turned it in today."

He hissed, not even able to fathom how much that sucked. "Did you at least get some good loot out of it?"

"No." Lonnell rolled his eyes. "I'd be a much happier man if I had."

"Want to go down to the tavern and talk about it? Beer is on me. I've had a crazy week as well."

Lonnell smirked. "Well, if you're buying."

The two men went to the tavern, and Azure ordered them both a pint. They spent the next hour going over their adventures. Lonnell's story was quite miserable. Apparently, all of the ingredients he'd needed were a day's journey away from each other. It sounded like he'd spent his week foraging, bartering, and killing monsters. Nothing out of the ordinary for an adventurer.

When Azure told Lonnell what had happened to him, his friend immediately chastised him for traveling the roads at night without a torch. Apparently, fire was what kept the monsters at bay. Without it, your heat signature was like a dinner bell.

"That would have been nice to know," Azure said dryly, followed by, "That didn't happen on Crescent Island."

"Crescent Island is different," Lonnell told him, but he didn't explain further. For a moment, Azure thought to ask why it was different, but then he realized that he didn't really care. There were more pressing things to discuss. He segued into what they really needed to be talking about. "So...rent."

"Ah yes. That is due, is it not?" Lonnell tossed his head up, clearly irritated by the financial responsibility.

"I made enough this week to go in on a month. What do you think?"

He exhauled with a huff. "A waste of money. I barely even got to stay at the inn."

"I was here almost all week," Azure confessed. "I think it's just the luck of the draw. You probably got a shit quest."

"A shit quest," Lonnell parrotted, taking a long gulp of beer.

"I think that booking a month would be a good idea. Whether you like it or not, Squall's End is going to be our home for a while. At least while I attend magic school and you save up to marry Bronna."

"And how's that coming along for you?" He asked bitterly. "Any closer to attending the school of the rich and privileged?"

Damn. The week really had done a number on Lonnell. Azure had never seen his friend in such a foul mood. It seemed as though ever since they had landed at Squall's End, Lonnell had turned into a grump.

"It's called saving, Lonnell. I know you've never had to do it before because things always came easy on your parents' farm. This is real life, though." Azure gestured around. "If you want something, you have to work for it. And if you really want something, then you have to work a lot. It's not fun. It's not meant to be fun. But that's what separates the wheat from the chaff."

Lonnell seemed to deflate a bit. "You're right. I just...need a way to make money faster. It feels like I'll never get there at this point."

"Hey," Azure said to draw his friend's attention. "It's only been a week. You should try fishing. I'm pretty sure you can make a gold a day doing that. It's a Stamina drain and boring as hell, but more than worth it."

"I think you just got lucky." Lonnell wrapped his hands around his horn. "A Dragon Scale is an incredibly rare thing to pull from a lake. Besides, fishing poles cost a lot. It would be yet another thing I'd have to save up for, then who knows how much fishing I would have to do to make up the cost. I think I'll just stick to questing."

"Suit yourself." Azure shrugged. "I think I might spend the day tomorrow foraging and see how much coin I can make from that."

"Not much, I imagine," Lonnell replied dryly.

"Well, you never know until you try." Lonnell's bad mood was quickly weighing on Azure. For as excited as he had been for his friend's return, he really didn't feel like hanging around a Debby Downer. Aside from almost dying and being robbed by the Asshole Knight, Azure had had a pretty good week.

"I've got an idea," Lonnell piped up suddenly, turning to Azure.

"What?"

"We should start questing together. Take only bounties. Supposedly they pay the most. We'd get good experience so that we could level faster, and we'd get better gear without having to buy it," he explained as if Azure didn't know most of that already.

"They're also higher risk," Azure reminded him. "And like any other quest, I'm pretty sure that the pay is a crapshoot. Plus, we'd be splitting everything."

"The two of us together could take higher Rank E quests, I'm sure of it. It would probably make it worth it."

Bounty quests would naturally have a longer duration than some of the other quests available. Azure wasn't convinced it would balance out in profitability.

Sensing his apprehension, Lonnell said, "We could always just give it a try. Do one quest together. If it seems like a waste of time, then we don't have to do it again. Besides, we're going to pay up a month at the inn, so it's not like we won't have time."

Azure blew out a breath. He had always been taught to work smarter, not harder. Fishing seemed like the best thing for him to be doing right now. But, he hadn't taken a bounty quest on yet, so what did he know. One bounty quest might shower him in enough riches to be able to afford a month's worth of rent AND magic school. There was only one way to find out.

"Fine," he said apprehensively. "But if we both have a hangover tomorrow, we'll pick up our quest tomorrow but not start it until the following day. I still want to see how much money foraging will bring in anyway."

"Deal."

They shook on it, finished their beers, then went back to the inn to pay their rent. Azure ended up sleeping on the floor again, but he was fine with that. More than likely, it was something he would have to get used to again while they were taking on their first bounty quest together.

CHAPTER SEVEN

THE REALM – Day 52

Azure leveled up his Analyze skill from standing in line at The Adventurers Guild the next morning. Even though Lonnell had dragged him there before the sun had even peeked over the horizon, it wasn't long before all of the lines were full.

Congratulations! The skill: Analyze has reached Level 8. This skill allows you to see how dangerous a foe is in relation to your own level. Use this skill frequently to avoid getting yourself killed.

"Busy day," he muttered, looking over at Ferne, who already seemed exhausted.

"We are going to be adventuring together, and I only want to see bounty quests," Lonnell told Mel as soon as they had made it to the front of the E line.

That was a bit bold, Azure thought, though he didn't bother saying it. Apparently, Lonnell didn't understand how moody the clerks here could be.

Mel's jaw tensed as he shuffled through his quest papers and slid one across to them.

Adventurers Guild Quest: A Very Powerful Magic Item

Lord Blakemore has located a staff of immense magical power within the area. He needs you to enter the dungeon it lies in and bring the item back to him. Due to the difficulty of this task, he has appointed Sir Nash Thornton to accompany you. To begin this quest, you will first meet up with Sir Thornton at the designated location.

Designation: E

Type: Bounty

Difficulty: Very Hard

Deadline: 14 days

Success: Return the staff to The Adventurers Guild

Failure: Cancel quest or die

Reward: 5 gold, 3 Quest Points, 1 Potion of Minor Stamina, 1 Medium Bag, 1 Steel Square Shield, 1 Pair of Yellow Gloves

Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?

"We'll take it," Lonnell said before Azure even had a chance to finish reading it. Snatching the paper from the counter, Lonnell walked away with a smile on his face.

"Whoa!" Azure jogged a few steps to catch up. "We're not even going to discuss this? Five gold isn't a lot split between us. I mean, I want the Medium Bag, but""

Lonnell stopped so abruptly that Azure nearly ran into him. "You have no idea how much all of these items are worth, do you?" He slapped the quest paper with the back of his hand.

Azure paused for a minute, feeling stupid. Honestly, he hadn't even considered the items. His focus had been entirely on the coin. Now that he was thinking about it, Lonnell was right. The Potion of Minor Stamina was worth seven gold, five silver. The Medium Bag was worth eight gold. That didn't really matter if he didn't plan on selling them. Azure desperately needed the bag. Surely, Lonnell would understand that he wanted to keep it. He also wanted the Potion of Minor Stamina. Even after jacking up his Stamina, Azure still felt like he ran out way too quickly.

As for the other two items, Lonnell could have them. Azure wasn't sure how much they were worth, but he assumed that they'd fetch a good sum.

With a sigh, he supposed it was a worthwhile venture. While the quest wouldn't add much to his rent fund, it would get Azure things that he desperately needed.

"If you think it's a good deal, then I suppose it is," Azure said with a shrug. Then another thought crossed his mind. "If you're so hard up for money, why don't you just sell those Potions of Minor Stamina that you have left."

"What Potions of Minor Stamina?" Lonnell cocked his head back. "I used them all on that ingredient gathering quest." By the sinking of his expression, it was clear that he didn't think of that quest fondly.

"That's too bad."

"Why?"

"Because they're worth seven gold and five silver."

Lonnell looked at him like he was daft. "Who told you that?"

"I tried to buy some from a merchant in Roselake." Azure nodded in the direction of Roselake.

"That guy was probably just trying to scam you," Lonnell informed him. "They're only worth about half of that, and you'll get less if you try to sell them."

Azure had suspected as much. That merchant in Roselake had just been trying to take advantage of his desperate situation. It seemed like the small village was full of assholes.

He tried to wave his bitter thoughts away. "Then how did you afford to buy so many of them before we went on the quest to kill the Lesser Demon?"

"I'm on good terms with all the merchants on Crescent Island. Besides, I didn't have anything else to spend my money on then. I didn't anticipate that I'd ever be coming to the mainland. And the only reason why I didn't sell the ones that I had left was because I knew I would need them for my quests. I really need to learn how to make them." He scratched his chin.

"We both do." Azure's eyes widened for effect. "That's a goldmine in and of itself."

"Speaking of which, did you still want to go foraging today, or did you want to get this quest started? Considering that we're going to have to enter a dungeon, I doubt this quest will take us less than a week to complete." He moved aside so that they weren't blocking the door to The Adventurers Guild so much.

Azure inhaled deeply, thinking. While he was well-rested, he still had a headache from drinking the night before. "Do you think we'd actually enter the dungeon today?"

"Who knows?" Lonnell shrugged. "Time is wasting, though. I say we go for it."

They finally left The Adventurers Guild and headed toward the gate leading out of Squall's End. By the time they reached it, Azure had decided that he wasn't really in the mood to start a dungeon today after all. It was better to go in with a clear head"not a hangover.

"Let's forage today." He paused at the gate.

"Fine. But there's no point in doing it together. Limited resources and all." Lonnell made a circular gesture with his hand.

"I'll stay to the right of the main road, you stay to the left?" Azure suggested.

"Yeah. Sure."

Knowing better than to forage close to town and the main road, Azure walked a good mile before branching off into the forest. Sadly, he found spending his time foraging even less interesting than fishing. His haul at the end of the day wasn't very impressive either. A full day of foraging only netted him fifty-six alchemy components. Definitely not as profitable as fishing had been since they only sold for one copper a piece.

Lonnell faired much better, collecting one hundred and eight items and earning one gold and eight copper from his efforts. Needless to say, that put him in a better mood.

"Perhaps there are easier ways to make money than by Adventuring," he admitted as they bedded down for the night, this time surrendering the mattress to Azure.

"Yeah. Easy peasy." Azure placed his arms behind his head like a makeshift pillow. Unfortunately, he wasn't quite sharing in Lonnell's enthusiasm after having earned only about half of what his friend had. The day did seem like a bit of a waste. But again, the luck of the draw.

CHAPTER EIGHT

THE REALM – Day 53

They awoke excessively early the next morning, as Lonnell was wont to do, and headed to the location marked on his map to meet with Sir Thornton. The quest took them to the tavern in Roselake. Part of Azure wanted to detour to the merchant to tell him what an asshole he was, but Lonnell wouldn't allow it. He still gave the man a nasty glare as they passed by. Now that he was fully healed, he must appear a bit more intimidating, because the merchant averted his gaze.

When they walked through the wooden door, Azure's anxiety spiked as he saw The Asshole Knight sitting at a bench facing the bar, one of the few patrons occupying the place this early in the morning. A handful of others were already deep in their cups. Apparently, there was no law in The Realm about selling alcohol before sunrise.

When Lonnell began heading in the knight's direction, Azure started to panic. He stopped dead in his tracks, digging his heels into the floor. "Nope."

Lonnell turned to him. "What?"

"Nuh-uh." Azure shook his head.

Hearing their quiet argument, The Asshole Knight turned. A wicked smirk crossed his face as his eyes landed on Azure. "Ah, Bat Fodder," he said in greeting. "What brings you to these parts?"

"Bat...Fodder?" Lonnell raised an eyebrow at Azure.

Azure glared at The Asshole Knight. "Please tell me you are not Sir Nash Thornton."

"Depends on who's asking." The knight picked up his horn of ale.

Azure's heart sank to the pit of his stomach. Frantically, his eyes danced around the room, searching for anyone else that could be considered a knight. Maybe knights in The Realm were like cops and wore civilian clothes when they weren't on duty.

But Azure wasn't that stupid. The foreboding feeling that wracked through him rang loud and clear that this was who they had come to meet. No one else even looked remotely like a knight.

"Are you Sir Nash Thornton?" Lonnell asked with more authority than Azure had managed to muster.

"What do you twerps want?" The Asshole Knight volleyed back before taking a drink.

Lonnell braved walking up to him, but Azure stayed back. "We were sent from The Adventurers Guild to help you with a quest. We're reporting for duty."

"Spoken like a soldier," Sir Thornton chuckled, "but you're no soldier." He looked them both over and then grumbled to himself, "Squall's End must be scraping the bottom of the barrel."

Azure gritted his teeth. His blood pressure rose with every passing second. Though he knew they shouldn't have, the insults were getting to him. He would not suffer this man's company, not after being robbed by him. "I want to cancel the quest."

"I'm not surprised." Sir Thornton turned back to face the bar, shutting them both out. "If you can't even survive a few bats, then you don't have the metal to take on a dungeon. Go back to wherever you came from and suck on your mom's tit until you grow a pair."

Lonnell's mouth dropped open. "This is the guy?" He pointed at Sir Thornton, finally piecing together how the two men knew each other.

"Mhm." Azure nodded. "I'm sorry, Lonnell, but I don't work with assholes. No honorable knight saves a guy only to threaten and rob him the very next day." This was said loudly enough for the entire tavern to hear. It also had the undesirable effect of agroing the knight. In an instant, Sir Thornton was on his feet. Before Azure even knew what was happening, his back was being slammed against the table. The Asshole Knight had caught him by the front of his armor and flung him down.

Their faces were now mere inches apart, so close that Azure could feel Sir Thornton's hot breath wafting across his face. With it, the smell of ale assaulted his nostrils. He cringed away, but it was unavoidable. "If you don't put value on your own life, that's your problem. If anyone is dishonorable, it's a man who won't pay what he owes."

Lonnell was behind him holding his palms out in surrender. "Calm down, you two. I'm sure this was all a big misunderstanding."

Sir Thornton's eyes shifted to where his horn lay on its side, tumbled over from when he had thrown Azure down. Amber liquid trickled out, but it wasn't much. "You made me spill my beer. You will buy me another one."

This, of course, was non-negotiable. And Lonnell was scrambling in his bag for the money before Sir Thornton had even let Azure go.

For a moment, Azure just laid there and breathed, still in shock. Damn did he want to put this guy in his place, but it was no use. The Asshole Knight still Analyzed as red to him.

Lonnell tossed two coppers on the table before helping Azure to his feet, and Sir Thornton reclaimed his seat a few feet away from them, shutting them out again.

"He's strong," Lonnell said quietly, turning away from the knight but in seemingly no rush to leave the tavern. "This could be good for us."

"Did you not see what just happened?" Azure gestured to Sir Thornton.

"He's a red," Lonnell whispered. "That means we probably won't have to do much work."

Azure's jaw unhinged. Was Lonnell being serious right now? “You think he even wants our help?”

"I don't," Sir Thornton chimed in. "When you return to The Adventurers Guild to cancel, tell them to send me better men." He waved them away arrogantly.

Now it was Lonnell's anger that flared. He turned back to Sir Thornton, pulling the quest sheet from his bag and slamming it down on the table in front of him. “This quest is designated as E. If we go back and cancel it, they'll just send more like us.”

"E?" The Asshole Knight's head jutted back and he jerked the paper out from under Lonnell's weight. Once he had finished reading through it, he groaned, pressing the fingers of one hand to his temple in frustration. "You've got to be fucking kidding me. I thought this quest was supposed to be important!" His voice rose as he slapped the paper with the back of the same hand he had used to soothe himself. The sound of knuckles connecting with wood made Azure cringe. This guy needed to take some anger management classes.

"Now I don't know what beef you have with my friend," Lonnell glanced back at Azure, "but we came here to do a job. I'm not canceling, and I'm the one who took the quest. So you get either one of us or both of us, but considering that you thought they would send you stronger men, I'm assuming you'll need both."

Azure had forgotten that it was technically Lonnell's quest. That meant he could walk away if he wanted to and not have to worry about earning a strike.

For the first time, Sir Thornton looked somewhat defeated. Or maybe that expression was annoyance. Azure couldn't tell. He was undoubtedly irritated though.

His eyes flitted from Lonnell to Azure. “If you get in trouble on this quest, I'm not saving you again. You need to learn to stop being a moron or you're going to die. Maybe that would be for the best. The last thing The Adventurers Guild needs is more incompetent adventurers.” He gave Azure a final look of distaste before handing the quest sheet back to Lonnell. “Sit down, and I'll fill you in on the details.”

Azure felt rigid. Red flashed in front of his eyes, blinking like a warning light. The only thing keeping him from losing his shit again was that his mouth was shut. If he opened it, he'd probably end up back on the table and then kicked out of the tavern. Damn, did he ever hate this guy.

"Sit," Lonnell told him firmly. "You can sit at the end of the bench if you want, but for the love of the Gods," he said this last part under his breath.

Feeling like anything other than obeying might cause him to explode, Azure did as he was told, sitting at the far end of the bench and keeping his eyes down. Sir Thornton snorted at his childish behavior but blessedly said nothing. Perhaps he could sense that Azure was at the end of his rope.

He caught the conversation between Lonnell and The Asshole Knight in bits and pieces. It didn't help that Sir Thornton was practically whispering so that no one around them could hear. Apparently, the quest was extremely confidential.

Azure had thought that the staff they were going after would be a powerful weapon, but instead, it was the opposite. Sir Thornton called it Gaia's Staff, and it held the priceless power of revival. This piqued both Azure and Lonnell's interest, and Azure was certain that they both immediately thought about using the staff on Uden.

Unfortunately, and not surprisingly, the staff would not be their reward. Lord Blakemore wanted to use it to revive the elven race. It was admittedly a noble cause and made Lonnell all the more interested in taking the quest on. I mean, how cool would it be to see a race that had been wiped out for over two-hundred years brought back from extinction? It hadn't worked out so well in the Jurassic Park movies, but this was something entirely different.

Lord Blakemore's spymaster had come across the location of the dungeon where Gaia's Staff was being kept. Various adventures, magic users, and fanatics were now flocking to the site to try to claim the staff for themselves. Securing it was of the utmost importance. At least, Sir Thornton had thought that until he discovered that Lord Blakemore had submitted the quest to The Adventurers Guild under the Designation: E.

"This is going to be a difficult quest," Sir Thornton told them both seriously, his haughtiness dissipating now that they had all settled on working together. "I had hoped they would have sent better-equipped men for the job. We should go back to my place before we head out. I'll see if I might have some better armor and weapons for you."

Charity? This seemed out of character for The Asshole Knight, Azure thought. He was reluctant to take it. From what he knew of Sir Thornton thus far, nothing came without a price.

They sat in near silence while Sir Thornton finished the beer that Lonnell had bought him. Apparently, his alcohol tolerance was high, because he didn't seem phased by it at all. Then they left and made the fifteen-minute trek back to Sir Thornton's cabin. He had them wait outside while he went in to see what leftover armor he could scrounge up. After a few minutes, he came back out, tossing random pieces at their feet before returning back inside to retrieve more.

When he was done, he stood before them with his hands on his hips. “Well, check it out.” He nodded down at what he had laid before them.

Reluctantly, Azure knelt to rummage through the items.

Bronze Helmet

Defense: +5

Type: Heavy Armor

Durability: 16/20

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 1.8 kg

Bronze Cuirass

Defense: +15

Type: Heavy Armor

Durability: 18/20

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 9.5 kg

Bronze Greaves

Defense: +8

Type: Heavy Armor

Durability: 9/20

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 9 kg

Wooden Buckler

Defense: +5

Durability: 8/25

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 2 kg

While Azure really didn't want to trade in his Armor of Light, he had to admit that the bronze armor had better stats. He left on his Vambraces of Light but donned everything else that Sir Thornton had provided. His body immediately felt weighed down by all of the metal. Moving about in the armor would be a laborious task, but he'd eventually get used to it.

Lonnell was given a matching set, though Azure was sure that the durability of the items differed slightly. This was used armor, after all.

"Thank you," Azure told Sir Thornton grudgingly as he picked up the Wooden Buckler.

"Don't thank me. I want it all back when this quest is complete," he replied roughly. "Now come on, ladies. The day is a-wasting."

CHAPTER NINE

THE REALM – Day 53

The quest took them further away from Squall's End than Azure had ever been before. They walked for a full day, made camp, then walked some more. Conversation was sparse, mainly because Sir Thornton snapped at them every time they tried to speak. Azure decided that he hated the man. There were several times he regretted going along with the quest, but it was too late to turn back now. Lonnell would have a bitch fit if he disbanded.

It wasn't until they had located the mouth of the dungeon, a cave peeking up unnaturally from the middle of a field, that Sir Thornton was finally willing to party with them. They'd traveled as a separate group for so long that Azure was surprised to even receive the notice.

Sir Nash Thornton is requesting to join your party. Will you accept?

No, Azure thought bitterly.

"Oops. Sorry. I wasn't paying attention," he said, trying to sound sincere.

The Asshole Knight gave him an irritated look and then sent the request again. As soon as Azure accepted and the notification went away, he pulled up Sir Thornton's stats to see just how much stronger the knight actually was.

Name: Nash Thornton

Race: Human

Level: 14

Health: 350

Mana: 290

Stamina: 350

Yup, he could definitely kick Azure's ass.

"Are you ladies ready for this?" The Asshole Knight asked as they stood in front of the dungeon, staring inside.

It appeared to have just sprung up from the ground like a burrow that a giant rabbit might have made. Soft soil circled the mouth, and there were grass and flowers on top. This extended into the dungeon itself as well. How the sun had reached inside, Azure didn't know, but that was half of the magic of it, he supposed.

"As ready as we're going to be," Azure told him, feeling nervous all of a sudden, perhaps because he hadn't had a great experience with dungeons in the past. The last time he had gone inside one, one of his friends had died.

"That's not a derogatory comment, you know." Lonnell glared at Sir Thornton. Apparently, he had picked up a distaste for the man along the way. Anytime The Asshole Knight had referred to them, it had been as 'ladies'.

"What?" Sir Thornton grunted at him. It was clear he wasn't listening.

"I know a few women that could kick your ass," Lonnell told the knight, surprising Azure with his usage of words. It was so rare that Lonnell cursed.

"You're too sensitive." Sir Thornton rolled his eyes as he walked past them into the dungeon.

Lonnell and Azure shared a glance before trailing behind. Meat shield, Azure thought as he looked at Sir Thornton's backside. The knight was broad and very tanky. He had a military cut that made Azure hate his own hairstyle, not that they matched anymore after all the time that had passed since he'd first come to The Realm.

Trying to concentrate on other things besides his loathing for The Asshole Knight, Azure took in their surroundings. The walls of the cave were made of packed earth, moist and dark brown. Thin roots jutted out from the sides as if the plants and tubers above had been sucked in and were now buried. A carpet of flowers lay at their feet, creating a comfortable surface to walk on. Round, smooth stones about the size of Azure's face were placed strategically in the walls every four feet or so. Judging by their translucence, Azure had at first thought they were windows. But upon closer observation, they appeared to be lights, each casting a soft hue around them. They did well enough to illuminate the area that the men didn't need to rely on torches or Lonnell's Small Flame spell.

It wasn't long before the tunnel opened up into a small room with four figures standing before a wooden door. There were two men and two women, all clad in white robes. Azure glanced at Sir Thornton, who didn't appear to be alarmed by the presence of the random people.

"Turn back, friends. This place is not for you," one of the women spoke in a singsong voice.

The four stood like sentinels guarding the door, unmoving, their hands clasped in front of them. There was a serene look on each one's face.

"This place is not for any of us," Sir Thornton mumbled as he glanced around. Then his gaze settled on the woman. "Step aside. I don't want to have to hurt you, but I will."

Were they really going to fight these people? Azure cast a panicked look in Lonnell's direction. The white-robed individuals seemed to be completely unarmed. Hopefully, it would be as easy as pushing past them, but Azure doubted it.

"We are The Children of Dyasitet, and we will not allow you to take Gaia's staff. You are unworthy. All mortals are unworthy," one of the men spoke up. Again, the way the words flowed from his lips sounded almost like a song. Azure found himself wondering what being a child of Dyasitet actually meant.

"Have it your way." Sir Thornton slid a foot back and reached for his longsword.

"Wait!" Lonnell interjected as he watched The Children of Dyasitet all take a defensive stance. They raised their hands as if about to go ninja on the Adventurers' asses. "Is there no way to appease The Children of Dyasitet to allow us to pass?" he asked, trying to keep the peace.

"You're wasting your breath," Sir Thornton told him. "These are nothing more than religious fanatics."

"So they're human?" Azure asked hesitantly. Surely, there had to be some gimmick here. As soon as they entered into combat, the robed-figures would morph into monstrous beasts. That's the only thing that would make sense to him.

The Asshole Knight's entire body drooped for a second as he stared at Azure as if to say, 'Are you fucking serious?'

"They're most definitely human," Lonnell assured him, "which is why I'm certain we can come to a peaceful resolution."

"The only resolution will be you leaving," the other woman said, her face set in determination. Her voice was far less singsong than the others, probably because she felt threatened. Peace did not appear to be on the horizon.

"It's your life." Sir Thornton shrugged before drawing his sword. "Throw it away if you want."

"We're not doing this," Azure declared, almost in a panic, but it was too late. The Asshole Knight was moving forward to attack, and The Children of Dyasitet were weaving their hands in strange motions.

They weren't on the defense, Azure finally realized. They were each about to cast a spell. The thought that they all knew magic somehow hadn't occurred to him.

One of the men shot forth a dark liquid from his fingertips. It landed on the ground with a 'blech' sound and spread out, effectively creating a six-foot barrier between the Adventurers and The Children of Dyasitet. The way the light danced off of the black surface in rainbow shades quickly told Azure that it was grease.

Sir Thornton immediately stopped in his tracks and barked at Azure, “Pull out your bow.”

Azure was still hesitating, caught in a moral dilemma. He'd killed goblins before and more animals than he could count, but he'd never killed a human. The thought sickened him. After all, these people weren't being unreasonable. They weren't seeking the staff for themselves. All they wanted was to protect it from falling into evil hands. There was nothing to indicate that they were bad people, worthy of being murdered.

"The man we're working for wants to use the wand to resurrect the elven race," Azure told them quickly.

The three that hadn't yet cast a spell were busy buffing each other.

"Even if that is your true intentions, we cannot allow you to upset the balance. Elves went extinct and were not meant to be brought back," the man who had cast the Grease spell replied.

Azure spun toward Lonnell, his expression clearly showing his inner conflict. “I don't think I can harm these people.”

"I know it's not ideal, but this is the job," Lonnell whispered back through gritted teeth.

Azure couldn't tell if he was mad or not. He had also tried to reason with The Children of Dyasitet, but they weren't budging. And neither was Sir Thornton.

"Oh, fuck's sake. You're both useless." Sir Thornton rolled his eyes as he began to charge forward. Though he had been heading full speed into the grease, as soon as he stepped foot in it, he instantly slowed. It had to be a status effect, Azure surmised.

Azure watched as one of the women raised her hands and wove them in a circle. As she did, the air around her hands began to frost. In the center, something was building. A few seconds later the spell was complete. It looked like someone had broken an icicle off of a roof. The frozen shard was a good two feet long with a sharp point. With an outward thrusting motion, the icicle flew through the air toward Sir Thornton. He raised his sword in front of him and the projectile struck his blade, shattering into a thousand pieces.

"Come on, you lazy twats," he yelled back to them. "Do your share or I'll kill you too once I'm done with these assholes?"

Sheer fear of Sir Thornton got both Azure and Lonnell moving.

Just as Azure unshouldered his bow, Lonnell called out to The Asshole Knight, “Get back here, I have a plan.”

"We're not talking to them anymore," Sir Thornton growled at him.

"No, we're not," Lonnell replied with a steely gaze, reaching out a hand to disturb Azure from nocking an arrow.

All was confusion for a few moments. The Children of Dyasitet stopped attacking Sir Thornton as he retreated back to where Azure and Lonnell were standing, backstepping so as not to fall prey to a surprise frontal attack. Azure hoped that Lonnell had thought up a new diplomatic solution that would work.

As soon as The Asshole Knight was beside them, Lonnell turned to him. “You're going to want to get farther back.”

"What are you going to do?" Sir Thornton gave him a skeptical look.

Lonnell glanced over at Azure next. “I'll need you to cover me with your buckler.”

Azure still had no idea what was going on, but he went to step in front of Lonnell. When he did, Lonnell touched him on the shoulder. “No, to the side of me. Try to hold the buckler in front.”

Sir Thornton and Azure shared a glance and shrugged. The Asshole Knight moved back as instructed, and Azure raised his buckler.

Lonnell knelt and closed his fist. The second he did, Azure knew what the plan was. Thankfully, The Children of Dyasitet didn't until he opened his palm and they saw the small flame there.

Almost instinctively, the caster with the ice spell began weaving her hands again, but it was too late. All that Lonnell needed to do was put his palm to the grease, and the whole six feet of puddle turned into a raging fire.

Azure and Lonnell both stepped away from the heat.

"Well, that's great," Sir Thornton said sarcastically as he watched The Children of Dyasitet all run for the door behind them, trying to escape the suffocating smoke that was pouring in on their side of the cave, "you let them escape."

"I got them out of the way of the door," Lonnell told him. "They won't be able to see when the fire burns off, but we will. And they all Analyzed as blue to me. So with any luck, whatever is on the other side of the door will take care of them so that we don't have to."

It was a move that might possibly have saved him and Azure from having to murder a bunch of innocent pests with good intentions. Azure sure hoped that if The Children of Dyasitet hadn't met their demise on the other side of the door, they'd at least be willing to leave peacefully. While he had figured that a bounty would likely involve killing humans, he hadn't quite mentally prepared himself for it. In his world, killing, even when it was the right thing to do, typically came with grave psychological consequences. At Radical Interactive, he had worked with an ex-army guy who had some pretty severe PTSD. Every time they had gone drinking together and he'd had a bit too much, the guy had seemed transported back to whatever horrors he had lived. Maybe it was selfish of him, but Azure didn't want to end up like that, even if it meant that elves stayed extinct forever.

"Hey, let's talk," Sir Thornton said, dragging Azure's attention away from the fire. "Both of you."

They retreated further toward the mouth of the dungeon, though not far enough to lose sight of the fire, which was making their armor uncomfortably hot. Being covered in bronze had Azure feeling like he was slowly being roasted alive.

"How long do you think before the fire will go out?" he asked as they walked.

"Probably about fifteen minutes," Lonnell told him.

When they finally stopped, Sir Thornton turned to them. “You've never killed anyone before, have you?”

"No," Azure replied, and Lonnell shook his head as well.

The Asshole Knight cursed at the sky. “Damn E Designation. What were you thinking, Blakemore?” He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, obviously trying to still the anger welling inside of him again. Sir Thornton's eyes fell to them, and he very calmly tried to explain, “It's no different from killing a bugbear or any other creature. Humans bleed and die the same as the rest.

"The first time you do it, it's going to suck. You're going to get sick. You might even throw up. And that's fine. Trust me when I say it gets easier over time."

"But those people clearly don't deserve to be slain." Azure tossed his head in the direction of the door. "They're just trying to protect whatever is inside from falling into the wrong hands."

"People die for pointless causes every day. If it's not us, someone else will come kill them. Someone much worse. They knew the consequences of their actions when they entered the dungeon. You knew what you had signed up for as well." His jaw tightened as he bore down on Azure with an intense gaze.

Lonnell gently touched Azure's shoulder. “He's not wrong. You should have known things would eventually come to this.”

Azure pulled away from him. “Killing someone who is clearly evil is different from killing someone who is just trying to do what they think is right.”

"Who are you to judge what's right and what's wrong?" Sir Thornton gave him an incredulous look. "Every villain thinks they're right. By standing in our way, these people are denying a race that didn't deserve to go extinct a chance to live again. We are not the enemy they think we are. How can our cause be any less just than theirs?"

Azure sucked in a breath. Smoke filled his lungs, and he coughed a few times. His gaze drifted back over to the blazing inferno they had created to push back The Children of Dyasitet. “This is not how I thought my first bounty quest would go,” he muttered.

"We are committed to this, Azure," Lonnell told him. "I'm sure this won't be the last time we do something that you consider questionable. If you don't have the stomach for it, then you shouldn't be an Adventurer."

"Well said." Sir Thornton nodded in agreement.

Azure couldn't believe what he was hearing. If anything, he had thought that at least Lonnell would have taken his side. Righteous Lonnell, the guy who had always seemed so morally courageous to Azure. Had coming to the mainland really changed him so much? Was desperation and greed getting the best of him? Surely, he understood what this would do to both of them.

"You need to decide now," Sir Thornton began, stealing his attention once more, "whether you are going to continue on with us or go back. This last situation was all right because our enemies were not hostile, but that might not be the same for the next floor and the one after that. Hesitating could very easily get you killed against an enemy that has no regard for human life. Even worse, it could get one of us killed.

"I'm not dumb enough to rely on you, but he might be," Sir Thornton glanced at Lonnell. "When the time comes, will you be able to make that split decision to take someone else's life instead of allowing them to kill your friend? If you don't know the answer to that, then you need to leave."

Azure hesitated. “I need some time to think.”

He looked at the fire, which was barely showing signs of dying, then he looked toward the mouth of the cave where cool air was streaming in to soothe the heat. Out there was freedom. Out there, he didn't have to worry about killing people―didn't have to worry about what that would do to him. Did he?

It's just a game, he told himself. But that phrase had stopped having meaning a long time ago. It wasn't just a game. He hadn't woken up in his warm bed in his small apartment. Every morning, it was the same"hard floor or uncomfortable mattress. If anything, this was his afterlife. And it felt as real as anything he had ever experienced before.

No, this wasn't a game. If they killed The Children of Dyasitet, they wouldn't come back. In his old world, it used to be commonplace for religious people to die for a pointless cause. This was no different. He just hated the idea of being the one who delivered that death.

A peaceful resolution was no longer a possibility. If there hadn't been a door on the other side of the tunnel, Lonnell would have suffocated them to death with the smoke. They would undoubtedly attack next time, and he couldn't blame them.

"Fuck," he whispered, still undecided.

It would be easy enough to cancel the quest and resolve to just taking monster, gathering, and miscellaneous quests from now on. Just because Azure didn't have the stomach for killing people didn't mean that he couldn't still be an Adventurer. And if he didn't want to be an Adventurer at all, he could always resolve to spend his time fishing and foraging. The past week had proven that he could make enough money to pay his bills that way.

Azure glanced over at Lonnell, who was looking at him expectantly. As if to nudge him into a decision, Lonnell said, “I don't want to do this without you. I have a feeling we'll need your bowmanship to get through this.”

"We will," Sir Thornton agreed grudgingly. "Most, if not all, of what we encounter in here will be magic casters. That's why Lord Blakemore wanted to send me with a party. I'm not an archer, and I don't know any magic."

"I wish I could offer you more loot, but we both need money," Lonnell continued to try to convince him. "But if you go through with this, I'll let you pick from the loot we receive first. Anything you want, I won't argue."

Azure wasn't even sure why he had thought it would be that way before. Maybe it was because he had wanted the Stamina potion and bag so badly. He hadn't even considered that splitting the loot would require negotiation.

"This isn't about the loot," he told Lonnell. "Have you ever seen what killing someone does to a person?"

Sir Thornton laughed. “I'm not sure where you're from, but you're living in the wrong place if you're worried about having to kill someone. Few people in Squall's End haven't matched blades with another human, and someone is always on the losing end. Honestly, you're better off getting a taste for blood now. That way, you'll be better able to defend yourself when someone tries to rob you or stab you in the back.”

"You robbed me," Azure reminded him dryly.

"And you were too weak to stop me," Sir Thornton countered with a wicked smirk.

He didn't want to argue. They could go back and forth all day about how strength could be gained. But this wasn't the time. Besides, both men were beginning to look annoyed by Azure's continued hesitation. He needed to make a decision. Now.

Azure closed his eyes and searched his heart for what he thought was right. From what he'd seen of The Realm so far, Sir Thornton probably wasn't lying to him. There would eventually come a time when he would have to take a human life. The thought sickened him, but it seemed like an inevitable reality. And honestly, when was the next time he'd get a chance to get a Medium Bag for free? It wasn't really worth a human life, but still, if he was going to have to kill eventually anyway...

"So, what's it going to be?" Sir Thornton asked.

Azure sighed. “Let's get on with it.” He nodded toward the fire.

"Excellent," The Asshole Knight said, though he didn't smile.

The blaze was still burning bright, though the flames had died down somewhat. They still wouldn't be able to cross, but Azure imagined that it would only take about five more minutes for the fire to succumb to its inevitable demise.

"Should we wait for them to try to come back out?" Lonnell asked. "They're low-level, so I doubt they'll venture further onto the next floor. We'll have the advantage if we wait for them."

"And they'll have the advantage if they wait for us," Sir Thornton pointed out. "Whoever opens the door will be at a disadvantage. They know that a swift death awaits them if they come out. They won't be able to cast their magic before I'm able to strike down whoever opens the door."

"I'm not so sure about that," Azure argued. "If they opened the door quickly enough, that woman could probably make that ice blade thing again."

"It's called Ice Strike," Sir Thornton informed him, "and I highly doubt they would be able to coordinate effectively enough to pull a move like that. Ice Strike is a volatile spell. The ice builds as the caster pours Mana into it. They have to release that Mana before it gets out of control or the spell will pretty much explode and cause backlash. As soon as they open the door, she would have to strike. The odds of her being able to concentrate enough to actually hit something are also pretty low because she'd be focusing so much on controlling her Mana.

"If they're smart, they'd stay back from the door and wait for us to come to them. More than likely, they'd cast Grease on the floor in front of the door so that as soon as we entered, we'd be slowed. That would give them even more of an advantage. I know they don't seem particularly hostile, but believe me when I say they will do their best to kill us now that we've shown our intent."

Azure couldn't disagree, nor could he blame The Children of Dyasitet for their newfound hostility. “So what do we do then?”

"I say we wait by the door and give it an hour. Hopefully, one of them is dumb enough to peek out and check on the fire. I could strike down that person, and then we could flood in and take them unaware."

"Then we wait," Lonnell said.

It wasn't much longer before the fire was out, and they proceeded toward the door, choking on the lingering smoke. Thankfully, most of it was being sucked toward the mouth of the dungeon. When they got to the door, Sir Thornton stood next to it with his sword in front of him. Azure imagined that he would make a stabbing motion at whoever opened it.

Not sure what he was supposed to do, Azure leaned against the wall next to Lonnell, the three men now in a row, ready to charge the door as soon as it opened. The wall of the dungeon crumbled slightly as Azure pressed his back against it, clumps of cool dirt falling onto his armor. It was a blessed sensation after the heat they'd all endured. Now, all they had to do was wait.

CHAPTER TEN

THE REALM – Day 54

An hour passed without any sign of movement from the other side of the door, not that Azure was sure they'd be able to hear anything anyway. Without asking questions or even so much as speaking, they waited until Sir Thornton was ready to proceed.

"I suppose we'll have to do this the hard way," he said with a sigh. "Azure, draw your bow. Once we get inside, start shooting. And for the love of the Gods, man, don't hesitate." Sir Thornton sounded like he fully expected Azure to fuck this up. It reminded Azure of how Uden had treated him in the beginning. Except Sir Thornton was much less pleasant to be around, in general.

Azure readied his bow, drawing an arrow from his quiver in preparation to nock it.

"On the count of three," Sir Thornton said to them in a whisper. His lips formed the numbers, but no sound came out.

When he got to one, he opened the door and thrust his body inside. Lonnell and Azure followed behind, surprised when they didn't encounter anyone. All that awaited them was a small platform leading to a set of stairs going down.

Sir Thornton paused, his sword held in front of him. “Shit,” he cursed under his breath. “They're probably at the bottom waiting for us. And now we've made a racket to let them know we're here.” He was clearly disappointed in himself and feeling outsmarted. “Let's go.” The Asshole Knight shook his head but began descending the stairs nonetheless.

Azure held his breath as he followed Sir Thornton down. The scene at the bottom of the stairs was completely unexpected. Four white-robed bodies littered the floor, each in their own puddle of blood. Three were a fair ways down the hallway, while the fourth was much closer to them.

"It looks like this one was running away." Sir Thornton nudged the body with his foot. Then he knelt to examine her wounds.

Azure noticed that, much like the demon dungeon, the scenery had changed. It appeared that they were in a man-made structure now. The walls were gray stone, the ceiling a good ten-feet high. Large diagonally set square tiles comprised the floor. They were smooth and nonporous, which made the dark crimson blood puddles all the more recognizable.

"What manner of beast did this?" Lonnell asked as he stared at the body that Sir Thornton was examining. It looked like the woman had been stabbed in the back. The cuts were clean and deep.

"I doubt these were from a beast," Sir Thornton said what Azure had already guessed. "These are dagger wounds. I'm sure we'll find out who made them soon enough." He began taking off the woman's robe.

"What are you doing?" Azure asked.

The Asshole Knight stopped for a moment to look up at him. “I'm looting the body. If you think knights get paid well, you're wrong. You guys can have the other three.”

Lonnell immediately began walking further down the hall to get to the other bodies. After a few steps, he paused to turn back to Azure. “Come on. Their stuff is no good to them now that they're dead.”

Azure supposed that he was right, but that didn't make him feel any less uncomfortable about it. Seeing as how Lonnell had done more work up to this point, Azure settled for just looting one of the bodies. He knelt beside the guy who had told them that they were unworthy of the staff. First, he rummaged through his pockets and was rewarded with two copper in one and a book in the other. Not a great haul, Azure thought as he looked the book over.

You have received the following item:

Book: Scriptures of Dyasitet

Quantity: 1

Durability: 1/1

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0.4 kg

Uses: A history of the God Dysitet.

"Is this worth anything?" Azure asked Lonnell. He really didn't have any interest in reading about the Gods.

"Not much," Lonnell confessed. "While it's not a very common book around here, they still don't sell for much."

"Do you want it? I'll trade you something." He tried his best to appeal to his friend's love of reading.

Lonnell smirked. “I've already read it. Sell it at the market for a copper. Every little bit helps.” His head fell again as he continued to loot the corpse in front of him.

Azure frowned as he stuck the book in his bag. It felt like it would just take up space. Still, he couldn't force himself to leave it behind.

Undressing the body brought up two new item notifications.

You have received the following items:

Life Monk's Robe

Defense: +0

Type: Light Armor

Durability: 10/10

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0.9 kg

Traits: +5% resistance to Death Magic

Enlivened Sandals

Defense: +0

Type: Light Armor

Durability: 10/10

Item Class: Extremely Rare

Quality: Average

Weight: 1.0 kg

Traits: +3% resistance to Death Magic

Requirement: Level 31 in Life Magic

The first thing Azure noticed was that neither item offered a defense bonus, which was strange. After that, he took note that the Enlivened Sandals had a requirement, something he'd never seen before. Requiring level 31 in life magic would have made the man he was now looting an Apprentice Life Mage at worst. That meant he probably had good healing spells. So whatever was in this portion of the dungeon must be able to do a good amount of damage if having such a high level in life magic hadn't kept this guy alive. The last thing he noticed was that the Enlivened Sandals were classed as Extremely Rare, which probably meant they were valuable. Since Azure couldn't wear them because he had no proficiency in life magic, he placed them, along with the Life Monk's Robe in his bag.

"Find anything good?" Lonnell asked. The smile on his face told Azure that he had. It was kind of creepy to see his friend so happy to be stripping a dead body.

"I'm not sure. Just a robe, some sandals, two coppers, and the book." He kept his answer vague. While Azure trusted Lonnell not to rob him of the potentially valuable items he had just found, he didn't trust The Asshole Knight. For all Azure knew, as soon as they left the dungeon, Sir Thornton might shake them both down for their loot. He didn't want to give The Asshole Knight any good reason to, which is also why he didn't ask Lonnell the same question in return.

Azure and Sir Thornton stood by Lonnell's side while he finished stowing the last of his looted items away in his Bag of Holding, then they proceeded cautiously down the corridor. Torches set in sconces along the walls lit their way. It felt to Azure as if they were walking through an underground passageway inside of a castle, but he couldn't be sure considering that he'd never been in one before. As they continued down the hall, they began to hear voices chanting and the sound of a woman crying out for help. The three Adventurers gave pause to listen.

"Cultists." Sir Thornton's lips curled in a snarl as the word rolled off of his tongue in a disdainful whisper. He looked down at Azure, his gaze searing. "They will not be like the last batch we encountered. Since we will be interrupting their ritual, these Cultists will likely attack as soon as we approach. They're magic casters, so it will be important for you to shoot first and ask questions later." His head pivoted to Lonnell next. "Don't try to reason with them," he warned. "That will likely just get you spell-blasted in the face."

Both men nodded in agreement. These Cultists were not like The Children of Dyasitet. The wail of the woman made it clear that they were up to evil deeds. Azure felt far less apprehensive about engaging them in battle. To prove that point, he immediately pulled his bow from his back and drew an arrow from his quiver, preparing to nock it whenever the necessary moment arose.

There was a bend in the hall that separated them from the Cultists. The chanting grew louder as they approached. Though the woman continued to plead for her life, there was no interruption to their incantation.

Sir Thornton cast a quick look around the corner. As soon as he turned back, he faced Lonnell and Azure. “There's a room at the end of the hall. I see three Cultists crowded around an altar, but there could be more out of my line of sight. The woman appears unharmed but frightened. We should make haste before that changes.”

"Agreed." Lonnell sounded eager to rescue the woman.

"Let's do this." Azure nocked an arrow to his bowstring but didn't draw.

"I'm going to charge in, moving on the right side of the wall. Lonnell, you follow me. Azure, move to the left and start shooting. Stay a few paces behind, and try not to hit us." He gave Azure a warning look.

I'm not going to hit you,” he seethed. The last thing Azure needed was added tension before a battle.

"We good?" Sir Thornton's gaze volleyed between the two friends.

"I'm ready," Lonnell whispered, and Azure nodded in agreement.

Sir Thornton rolled around the corner, immediately followed by Lonnell. Azure drew his bow as he sidestepped to the left. The scene that The Asshole Knight had described came into sight. While Azure couldn't see the whole room, it wasn't set back very far―maybe twenty paces from the end of the hall to a large wooden door that stood on the other side. In the center was a crude altar made of sticks. It rattled as the woman tied atop it struggled to free herself.

From where he was standing, Azure could only see two of the three Cultists that Sir Thornton had spoken about, and both of them spotted their oncoming attackers as soon as the Adventurers had rounded the corner. Trying to steel his nerves at the thought of killing another human being, Azure let the first arrow sail, hitting the Cultist behind the altar in the right shoulder. The impact made him hiss with pain and stumble backward, but it didn't take him down. For as much as he hated to admit it to himself, Azure had purposely missed a vital organ. Maybe he wasn't as ready for this as he had thought.

Quickly Analyzing the two targets showed that they were equally matched. While the third target didn't make an appearance, Azure saw a strange red cloud form near the entrance to the tunnel, obviously some sort of spell. Red rain fell down in heavy droplets, hitting the ground and puddling there. Lonnell gave pause, but Sir Thornton pressed on, his armor turning crimson as he was drenched by the sudden downpour of, what appeared to be, blood.

Azure nocked another arrow. The sound of steel clashing could be heard as Sir Thornton engaged one of the Cultists in melee. Lonnell stepped to the left to take on the hidden foe, and his Health instantly began to drop. Azure noticed the same of Sir Thornton, though his was less noticeable. It must be the effect of the puddle.

The Cultist that Azure had hit with the arrow ripped it from his shoulder in a show of...some major balls, Azure thought. He cursed and glared at Azure before circling around the table. Azure slowly crept toward the room, realizing that he was way further away from the action than he should have been. Stay a few steps behind probably didn't mean ten.

The enemy ran into his field of view, stopping just at the edge of the hallway in the puddle of blood. He made a motion with his hands as if conducting an orchestra and telling the musicians to play louder, saying a single word in a language that Azure didn't understand. Blood rose from the floor and stuck to his body, soaking into his skin. In an instant, the wound in his shoulder was fully healed, and he was ready to fight again.

"Oh shit," Azure whispered as he let another arrow sail.

The Cultist easily dodged. At the same time, he pulled two blades from a belt around his waist. Azure barely had time to draw another arrow from his quiver before the Cultist was charging at him. He stopped a short distance away, also dodging Azure's next shot before he pulled his wrist back. Azure had seen Uden do this same move many times before. The guy was getting ready to throw the dagger.

He was halfway to nocking another arrow, his fingers now trembling as he feared missing again. If there was anything this fight was proving to him, it was that people were a lot harder to kill than monsters. This guy had already dodged two out of three of Azure's arrows. Would he be able to do the same when the Cultist threw the knife?

Azure would never know the answer. Everything happened so fast. First, he saw the longsword, then blood and brain matter sprayed at him as Sir Thornton cleaved the guy's head nearly in half. The dagger fell from his fingers, hitting the ground with a clanking sound. His mouth agape, the Cultist stared wide-eyed at Azure, one of his eyes twitching it its socket.

As if to further prove his strength, Sir Thornton flung the body against the wall. It hit with a sickening thud before falling to the floor. Azure immediately bent over to empty the contents of his stomach. It was the most horrific thing he had ever seen―something he'd have nightmares about for years to come.

Sir Thornton smirked, and then a laugh slowly came bellowing from his throat. “You truly are pathetic.” He shook his head and bent near the body to start looting it. As Azure recomposed himself, The Asshole Knight looked at him again. “None for you. You didn't do shit. I'm proud of your boy, though. Racked up his first kill.”

Azure ignored him the best he could and proceeded toward his friend. He found Lonnell simply staring at the man who lay on the floor at his feet. There was no blood, so Azure could only assume that the Cultist had been bludgeoned to death, as was the nature of Lonnell's staff.

"They were bad people," Lonnell said as if trying to convince himself.

Azure wasn't sure how to get through to him, so he didn't even try. Instead, he rushed to the woman who was now laying still as she surveyed the carnage around them. Her large blue eyes settled on Azure's face as he approached, but there was no sign of relief.

"Don't worry, we're going to get you out of here," he told her as he pulled out his Starter Dagger and began cutting away her restraints. She relaxed, allowing Azure to do his job.

"Those Cultists were horrible," the woman told him. "They were trying to sacrifice me to open the door." She glanced in the direction of the wooden door.

Following her gaze, Azure muttered, “I'm guessing there's some type of spell on it.” This was not going to be fun, mainly because it would likely lead to more arguing between the three Adventurers. The thought of having to deal with Sir Thornton for much longer was completely miserable. “What about that door?” Azure asked, noticing a second door he hadn't seen before. It was off to the right and smaller than the main door that appeared to lead to the next level.

"I'm not sure. The Cultists brought me here, so it's not like I really had time to explore." She sneered.

"Well, you're safe now," Azure assured her with a smile. "What's your name?"

The woman sat up, giving him a shy look as she brushed a long strand of raven hair behind her ear. Something inside of Azure stirred as he gazed upon her―something he'd never felt before and couldn't quite place. A roiling in the pit of his stomach that was usurped by the enchantment of her pure beauty.

"My name is Velte," she said sweetly. "And you are my heroes." Her eyes danced around to the other men.

"What do we have here?" Sir Thornton walked up behind Azure, startling him.

Azure was embarrassed. A dungeon was the last place he should be caught off-guard. Yet there was something about this woman that drew all of his attention.

"Thank you for saving me. You all fought very bravely." Velte avoided Sir Thornton's gaze as if intimidated by him. Azure couldn't blame her. He seemed a bit beastly now covered in quickly drying blood. Hopefully, she'd been spared the sight of The Asshole Knight cleaving that one Cultist's head practically in half.

"Anything for a lady." Sir Thornton pushed Azure out of the way, dropping to one knee and taking Velte's hand in his to place a gentle kiss on top of her knuckles.

She giggled in response.

I see how it is. Azure didn't bother to try stopping his eyes from rolling. This guy was too much.

"We should get her to safety," Lonnell suggested, still standing next to the body he'd slain.

Sir Thornton stood and turned to him. “No time. We need to finish this dungeon.”

"She can't come with us. Look how she's dressed. She'll be an easy target." Lonnell gestured to the thin white nightgown Velte was wearing. It was caked in dirt, making it look like the Cultists had dragged her here.

"No. She can't come with us," The Asshole Knight agreed.

"I can wait here," Velte offered quickly. "As soon as you finish the dungeon, a portal should open for me to get out."

"Is that how it usually works?" Azure turned to Lonnell for an answer, not daring to direct the question at Sir Thornton lest The Asshole Knight make him look like an idiot.

"It should," Lonnell replied, "but it's still dangerous for her to stay here unprotected. Who knows who or what could enter as we venture onward."

"I'll be fine if you lend me a dagger," Velte insisted, jumping off of the table and walking over to where Lonnell was standing. She knelt beside the body of the dead Cultist and picked up one of the daggers he had dropped. "I have a weapon now. I didn't have one before."

"Do you even know how to use that, sweetheart?" Sir Thornton placed a hand on his hip, clearly patronizing her.

A wicked smile crossed her lips. “Would you like to try me?”

"I would, but not in that way." His eyes raked her up and down lecherously.

Azure bit his tongue, knowing that it was best not to say anything unless the situation escalated. He wouldn't put it past The Asshole Knight to be a rapist on top of being a douchebag. Few people oozed villain like this guy. And to think...they were working together. It still made Azure's skin crawl.

His blood pressure rose even further as Sir Thornton began to approach Velte. Instinctively, Azure's hand tightened around the dagger he had used to cut her bonds. If he needed to stab The Asshole Knight in the back to save her, so be it.

"Listen, doll," Sir Thornton stopped a few feet shy of Velte. "If someone comes in here, just run. We're going to go inspect that room over there." He nodded toward the unexplored room. "If it's safe, you should probably hide in there until this is all over."

"I'll be just fine," she insisted, saying each word as if it was its own sentence.

"Whatever you say, love." He turned away from her finally, and Azure exhaled a breath he hadn't even known he'd been holding.

Sir Thornton went back to looting his first kill, and Lonnell finally knelt to start disrobing the Cultist he had slain. With nothing else to do, Azure walked over to Velte to talk with her while his comrades finished their business. Since she Analyzed as blue, he was naturally worried. If anyone higher level came into this part of the dungeon, she'd be easy pickings. Part of him wanted to abandon the quest to escort her back, but he knew that he'd lose everything that had made him press on this far. For as much as he wanted to play the part of the hero, it just wasn't worth it.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" he asked.

I'll be fine.” Velte stared down at the two men who were rummaging through the corpses' belongings.

"Do you have any healing potions on you...just in case?"

"Don't worry about me." Velte waved his concern away, seemingly annoyed by his fretting.

As soon as Lonnell and Sir Thornton were done, they reformed the party to explore the smaller of the two doors.

"What do you think is inside?" Azure asked.

"Who knows? But we need to be ready for anything." Sir Thornton drew his sword. "Same formation as last time," he told them. "On the count of three."

Azure nocked an arrow and held his breath, preparing to be thrust into new dangers.

Sir Thornton threw open the door with the same reckless abandon as the previous one. If there had been enemies on the other side, they would have instantly been alerted. For a knight who seemed to think he was the smartest guy in The Realm, Azure thought that Sir Thornton would use more caution. Nope.

The Asshole Knight took a step into the room, then came to an abrupt halt. Lonnell almost ran into him. Taking up the rear, Azure hadn't bothered to move. He was still holding onto the several paces behind rule since he was the archer.

"It's safe," Sir Thornton announced as he stepped aside.

The smell was the first thing that struck Azure. Rotting flesh―a scent of death so strong that he shied away, lowering his bow to cover his nose with his arm.

"Oh, Gods!" Lonnell pushed past him to walk back into the other room and retch. "Don't look!" He waved Velte away. She obeyed, retreating to the other side of the room to shelter herself from the horrible sight, though the smell clearly didn't escape her.

"What the hell is that?" Azure asked, peeking into the room as he tried to hold his breath.

The room was no bigger than the bedroom of a cheap apartment. There was no furniture. No windows or doors. But there was one thing that the room had aplenty. Corpses. They were piled. Stacked. About a dozen men lay slain in various states of decay. Warriors, archers, mages, and priests. Dwarves and humans.

"Keep your guard up. They may come back to life." Sir Thornton held up his sword, waiting.

He and Azure stared at the bodies for a good five minutes, both adjusting to the smell. Eventually, Lonnell joined in as well, though he stood just outside of the door with Azure. Nothing stirred in the heap of death.

"I still don't know what this is," Azure shook his head.

"Maybe the Cultists' past victims?" Lonnell suggested.

"Probably," Velte told them from the other side of the room. "They had planned to make me a blood sacrifice to open the door since I'm a special kind of mage."

"This doesn't make sense," Sir Thornton said as he poked at one of the corpses. "Not all of them have dagger marks."

"Some of the Cultists were magic casters," Lonnell reminded him. "With continued failures, they could have tried sacrificing in a variety of ways."

"Could be." The Asshole Knight shrugged. "Oh well, let's start looting the corpses. Obviously, no one else has gotten to it yet. If they come back to life, we'll just kill them again." He smirked.

You are one sick fuck, Azure thought, though greed quickly got the better of him and forced him into the room. The three men spent the next hour going through the bodies, four apiece. It was an amazingly good haul. Between the four bodies he looted, Azure was able to collect five gold and eight copper. He also found the following items:

Bronze Axe

Attack: +1-5

Type: One-Handed Weapon

Durability: 7/15

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 1.0 kg

Spiked Vambraces

Defense: +4

Strength: +2

Type: Light Armor

Durability: 14/30

Item Class: Rare

Quality: Good

Weight: 1.0 kg

Cultist Necklace

Magic Defense: +12

Durability: 2/10

Item Class: Extremely Rare

Quality: Epic

Weight: 0 kg

Traits: +10% to all Magic Damage

Requirements: Level 70 in Death Magic

Wooden Staff

Attack: +1-7

Type: Two-Handed Weapon

Durability: 14/15

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 1.0 kg

Black Boots

Defense: +9

Type: Light Armor

Durability: 12/20

Item Class: Common

Quality: Good

Weight: 1.0 kg

Requirements: Level 10

Potion of Minor Stamina

Quantity: 1/1

Item Class: Common

Quality: Poor

Weight: 0 kg

Uses: Restores 25 Stamina.

Potion of Minor Stamina

Quantity: 2/2

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Uses: Restores 30 Stamina.

Steel Arrows with Quiver

Quantity: 4/15

Durability: 2/2

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0.8 kg

Azure quickly swapped out his Vambraces of Light for the Spiked Vambraces, since they gave him a strength boost. He placed the Steel Arrows in his own quiver, happy to have arrows that no longer exploded on contact, though he wished he would have gotten more of them. Worried that he might not get it back, he stored the Cultist Necklace in his inventory, then handed everything else to Lonnell to put in his Bag of Holding since all of his inventory slots were now full.

"Are you sure you want me to keep your Stamina potions?" Lonnell asked.

"On second thought..." Azure let him hang onto his Starter Pole and three Boxes of Basic Bait instead, since those were things he wouldn't need in this dungeon. At least, he was pretty sure he wouldn't need them.

Sir Thornton walked over to the door and shut it, causing both Lonnell and Azure to look at him. “We have something important to discuss.”

Azure sighed inwardly, wondering if this was going to be another demeaning lecture.

"The door is clearly magicked," the knight started. "Otherwise, those Cultists wouldn't have made so many sacrifices. From the sound of it, some type of blood sacrifice is the only way to get through." He paused to let them marinate on that for a moment.

Lonnell's eyes widened as he realized what Sir Thornton was getting at. “You're not suggesting that―”

"That is exactly what I'm suggesting," The Asshole Knight quickly shut him off. "You heard what she said. She's a special kind of mage. There's a reason why we found her here."

"No." Azure shook his head, feeling anger well up inside of him from the mere suggestion that they sacrifice Velte. What had been the point of saving her then? "Just no."

"I'm with Azure on this one." Lonnell crossed his arms over his chest.

"There may only be one way to get through that door," Sir Thornton told them.

"If that's the only way, then no." Azure put his foot down. "I will not be a part of this."

The Asshole Knight snorted. “Did you guys really think that obtaining a staff that brings people back from the dead would be as easy as walking into this dungeon and killing a bunch of monsters? Life demands death. That's how it has always been. That's how it always will be,” he said matter-of-factly.

"I don't give a fuck," Azure's anger finally boiled to a head. He stood in front of the door, hoping that his raging adrenaline would be enough to save Velte. "If you plan to kill her, then you'll have to go through me first."

"Whoa!" Lonnell stepped between the two, throwing his arms out. "It doesn't have to come to this. Let's try to find a solution first."

"And if there is none?" Sir Thornton was strangely calm for the intensity of the situation.

Lonnell stuttered, “Then we'll figure something out. But this isn't the answer.”

"I'm not moving from this door until you agree to find another way." Azure placed his hand on the hilt of his Bronze Sword. No doubt, Sir Thornton would kill him within minutes if it came down to a duel, but Azure wasn't about to let him walk out and murder the girl they'd just saved.

"Velte said she's a special type of mage," Lonnell ignored Azure to try to talk sense into Sir Thornton. "Let's find out what type of magic she knows. She may be able to help us get the door open."

"Oh, she'll help us, one way or another." The Asshole Knight pushed past Lonnell. He stopped in front of Azure, gazing down at him. Intimidation oozed from the knight. "You have balls, kid. But you're no match for me." With a motion so quick that Azure didn't even have time to draw his sword, Sir Thornton reached up, grabbed Azure by the back of the neck, and threw him into the pile of corpses.

A shudder rolled through Azure as the stench invaded his nostrils, amplified by ten at such close proximity. It was so jarring that it stunned him for a moment. By the time he was able to find his feet, Sir Thornton had already opened the door and was walking out of the room.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

THE REALM – Day 54

"I'm a Puzzle Mage," Velte explained. "That's why they came for me."

"A Puzzle Mage?" Sir Thornton quirked his head back. "That's rubbish. I've never heard of such a thing."

"It's true. I wield a special kind of magic that can open doors like this one." She gestured to the large wooden door behind them.

"Then why didn't you just open it for them?" Lonnell asked, sounding equally skeptical.

"Because they were bad men. And bad men shouldn't have the power of Gaia's Staff."

"Then you know what's at the end of this dungeon." Sir Thornton seemed even less trusting of the woman.

"It's all the Cultists could talk about when they were dragging me here," she said with distaste. "Listen, I'm clearly no fighter, but I know what an object like that means. It must be protected at all costs." Velte crossed her arms over her chest.

"But you know how to open the door?" Sir Thornton pressed.

"Yes. I can open it," she replied with a wry smile.

"Then you'll open it for us." He gestured to the door.

"That depends." Velte leaned against the makeshift altar. It shifted beneath her weight. "Who or what do you plan to resurrect with the staff?"

"We plan to use it to resurrect the elves," Lonnell informed her.

"Is that true?" She turned her attention to Azure.

"It is." He nodded.

"Swear to it," Velte said in a firm voice. "All of you. I will place a curse on you so that if you are lying, you will die instantly."

"Let's try this again," Azure said, now feeling a tremor of fear from the threat. "He and I," he pointed to Lonnell, "were sent by The Adventurers Guild to help this guy," he then gestured to Sir Thornton, "obtain the staff for a Lord Blakemore who plans to use it to resurrect the elves." It was best to clarify, just in case the quest ended up being phony.

"How about I just kill you now and see if that will open the door?" Sir Thornton straightened himself, reaching back for his blade.

Lonnell interjected to soothe the tension. “Calm down. If you're not lying, then there's no need to fear what she plans to do.”

"I am not letting no two-bit bullshit mage place a curse on me just to prove that I'm not lying," Sir Thornton insisted.

"Then you must be lying." Velte stood her ground. "These other two brave heroes don't mind me cursing them. Do you?" She looked to Azure and Lonnell.

Azure shrugged, not really comfortable with the idea of being cursed, but also feeling like he shouldn't have anything to be worried about. “I think I'm okay with it.”

"If that is what is required of us to get through the door." Lonnell turned his attention to Sir Thornton. "You do want to get through the door, don't you? Killing her might mess up any chance of that. I'm sure your lord would not be happy about that."

"Have either of you even considered that this might be a trap?" Sir Thornton shifted his weight.

Azure walked up to the door and tugged on the handle. It didn't give. He gave the door a good look over but couldn't find anything significant about it. Having done that, he returned to his comrades. “Door's locked. Doesn't seem like a trap to me. There are a dozen dead bodies in that room, and the door isn't any less locked. I doubt adding another to the pile is going to do anything.”

"I don't like the idea of being cursed any more than you do," Lonnell told Sir Thornton, "but if it's the only way to get through the door..."

The Asshole Knight glanced at Velte, then at the door. He seemed deep in thought for a moment. Then he spoke, “I want more time to investigate.”

With that, he walked past them to go examine the door.

Azure and Lonnell waited while Sir Thornton mumbled to himself, drew circles on the door with his fingertips, and uttered words in various languages. Nothing made the door budge. All the while, Velte watched him with a smirk on her face. Was she enjoying seeing him struggle to open the door? It might have been funny to Azure if they weren't all stuck in the same shitty situation. The longer the door remained locked, the longer he'd have to stay partied with The Asshole Knight, which sucked big hairy goat balls.

"Do you have any proof that you can open the door?" Lonnell asked. "He might be more apt to submit to your curse if he knows you're being genuine."

"I can prove it, if you'd like," she quickly piped up.

"You better come open this bloody door, or I'm going to put an opening in you," Sir Thornton threatened.

"Manners," Velte huffed at him as she sauntered up to the door.

"Get on with it." He nodded toward the handle.

"Not until you get back." She met his gaze with the same determination. Sir Thornton took a step away, out of Velte's personal space. "To the other side of the room," she instructed. "I don't want you to be able to sneak up behind me. Believe it or not, I'm not a stupid woman."

"Says the bitch who went and got herself captured," Sir Thornton huffed.

"You're not helping," Lonnell chastised him.

At this rate, they'd be lucky if Velte allowed them to pass through the door even if they did submit to the curse. Sir Thornton definitely did not have a way with the ladies.

"Stand across the room, at the entrance to the hall. While I don't trust you one bit, I know he won't try to shoot me." She glanced at Azure. "And your brutish ass can only do close-range damage."

"Are you so sure of that?" He grinned at her.

"For fuck's sake, would you just stop!" Azure barked at him in exasperation. "Do you want her to open the damn door or not? I'm pretty sure that if Lord Blakemore heard about the hissy fit you've been throwing, he wouldn't be too happy with you."

"If you say a fucking thing to Blakemore, I'll cut your balls off," Sir Thornton threatened.

"Stop. Both of you," Lonnell said to them and then sighed, staring up to the ceiling as if praying to the heavens to give him strength. "Let's just do what she says. Worst-case scenario, she can't open the door, and we have to figure out another way to get inside."

In silent agreement, the three Adventurers walked to the entrance of the hallway and stood there waiting. Velte placed both of her palms on the door and then pressed her body against it. With her eyes closed, she began to whisper. As she did, the door glowed an eerie shade of blue. The mumbled incantation took but a second. When she stopped speaking, the glow faded away. There was a sleepy look to Velte's face as she opened her eyes, as if coming out of a dream. She stepped away from the door, grabbed the handle and gave it a gentle tug. The door opened without resistance.

Pleased, Sir Thornton left his spot near the hall and took long strides toward Velte. Before he had a chance to reach the door, she shut it, giving him a wicked smirk as if to say she had the upper hand.

"Submit to my curse or never enter," she told him.

"Open the door, or I'll slit your fucking throat," he countered with a voice that was pure evil.

Velte pressed her eyes together in mock amusement. “You must have missed the part where I was up on that altar about to be butchered by a bunch of Cultists because I refused to open the door for them.” She gestured to the rickety altar.

"It's a damn shame to see such a pretty woman die for nothing." Sir Thornton reached up to touch her cheek, but she slapped his hand away.

"Just curse us," Azure said, trying to defuse the tension from rising any further.

"Yes. I've seen enough. We trust you," Lonnell added. "If we're lying, we'll die."

"He probably doesn't want to do it because he's lying," Velte said suspiciously of Sir Thornton. "I wouldn't be surprised. Men like him often have ill intent."

Azure wouldn't put it past The Asshole Knight to have submitted the quest to The Adventurers Guild himself. But if that were the case, then why had he been so upset about it being Designation E. Perhaps he had just been unhappy to see Azure responding to the quest and was trying to cover it up. Whatever the case, something didn't seem right.

"Night is falling," Lonnell pointed out. "If you can't make up your mind, then we should camp here for the night and decide what to do in the morning."

"Is it safe to camp here?" Azure asked, remembering how the last dungeon had taken a toll on both Lonnell and Uden. If they were going to lose sleep and expose themselves to the possibility of Insanity, then it wasn't worth it.

"It should be fine. The worse threat is someone else entering the dungeon looking for the staff."

"It's a very real threat," Sir Thornton added. "While I agree that we should camp soon, it shouldn't be until we get into this door." He tried the door handle, but it wouldn't budge.

"All it takes is you submitting to my curse," Velte told him sweetly.

"I don't like curses," The Asshole Knight mumbled.

"No one likes curses," Lonnell said. "But it's just to gain her trust. If you're not lying, then you shouldn't have anything to worry about. If you are lying, then you better fess up right now. I'd like to know what I'm really risking my neck for." Lonnell crossed his arms over his chest, obviously tired of the situation. Azure mirrored his sentiment but said nothing. He'd had enough arguing for one day.

Sir Thornton stared at Velte for a moment as if trying to read something in her expression. Then his shoulders slumped, and he finally submitted. “Fine. Whatever it takes to get us through this bloody door. Curse us.” He threw his arms up in exasperation.

"As you wish," she replied with a triumphant smile. "Now line up, my little duckies."

Azure fell in line next to Lonnell and Sir Thornton in front of the door. There was a strange stirring in the pit of his stomach―the kind that told him something bad was about to happen. Maybe it was just because he'd never been cursed before. Velte had promised that the curse wouldn't take effect unless they were lying. He still couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the quest than Sir Thornton was letting on.

"Wait," he said as Velte raised her arms to cast the curse. She paused, and he glanced at Sir Thornton. "If he's lying, but we don't know that he is, does that mean we'll die, too?"

"All for one and one for all." She smirked at him. The suspense seemed to be amusing to her, but it absolutely terrified Azure.

"If you are lying, I will hunt you down in the afterlife and double kill you," Azure threatened, even though he had no idea what the afterlife held.

"If we die from this, it won't be because I'm lying," Sir Thornton assured them. "And besides, this was technically your idea. I'd rather just kill the bitch."

"Are you guys done?" Velte asked impatiently.

Lonnell blew out a breath. Though he'd remained silent, it was clear that he was nervous. He kept shifting his weight and shaking his hands as if he expected to be struck by something painful.

"Just...get it over with." Sir Thornton motioned for her to continue.

"As you wish." Velte raised both hands so that they were face-level with the men. She twirled her wrists and began whispering an incantation. Black smoke formed in a cylindrical cloud with each rotation. The blue of her eyes disappeared as milky whiteness seeped in.

As Velte spoke, many things began to change. Her voice grew deeper, the smoke casting a soft shade of blue onto her skin. The smoke poured from her hands, circling the three Adventurers. Azure jutted his head back as it flew into his face, but the unstoppable enemy continued its assault. It filled his nostrils with the scent of ash and something putrid―a mix of muddy water and bile that made his stomach cramp.

Casting a glance to the side, Azure saw the smoke sucking into Lonnell's nose like a vacuum. It was the last thing he was able to do before a fit of coughing overtook him, the likes of which racked his entire body with twinges of pain, striking at every cell. While it felt like an eternity, the smoke only strangled him for a minute at most. Before it had finished dissipating, a notification appeared.

You have been inflicted with Curse of the Death Eater. You will die in 72 hours if the curse is not removed.

That made no sense. Wasn't the curse only supposed to affect them if one of them was lying? That meant...

"You bitch!" Sir Thornton coughed through the last of the smoke in his lungs. He was already reaching for his sword, but his actions were unsteady due to his lungs still clearing.

"Aw," Velte pouted. "Don't tell me that you seriously thought those weak Cultists were the boss for this level. See you later, boys." She took a few steps back, waving at them while they struggled to regain composure, then disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

"What *cough* just *cough* happened?" Azure choked out, clawing at his throat. It felt like there was a hair clinging to the back of it. How long before the effects of the smoke completely wore off?

"Bitch isn't human," Sir Thornton informed him as he gave up on reaching for his sword and leaned against the door instead.

"Death Eater," Lonnell panted, hunching over with his hands on his knees to catch his breath. "That explains the corpses with no marks."

Azure still had no clue what was going on. “What's a Death Eater?”

"An unholy abomination that traps and eats the souls of the dead." Sir Thornton stood, clearing the last bit of smoke from his lungs. "And you noobs fell right into her trap. I was right, we should have just killed her."

"What do we do now...about the curse?" Azure noticed a small purple skull and crossbones icon set against a black backdrop next to his Health bar.

"We have to find and kill her."

"Where did she go?" He looked around. Velte had just disappeared. There was no indication of where she could be.

"There's no telling. She teleported, but she couldn't have gone far." Sir Thorton walked toward the door with the corpses. Each step seemed like it took immense effort. He drew his sword with one hand while clutching at his throat with the other.

Taking his cue, Azure grabbed his bow and pulled an arrow from his quiver. He nocked it as he headed toward the hall. The time for games was over. If they didn't kill Velte, they'd be dead within 72 hours.

Before Azure had even made it to the bend in the hall, Lonnell was calling to them. “Guys.”

He spun on his heels and noticed that Lonnell had pulled the larger door open. It was no longer locked.

"Is she in there?" Azure called back.

"I don't know." Lonnell kept his hand on the door handle, holding it open just an inch. It seemed as though he was afraid to pull it any wider in case there were foes or monsters on the other side. Clearly, he expected Sir Thornton and Azure to come rushing over, but Azure wouldn't be satisfied until he checked the hallway.

He continued on, drawing back his bowstring before quickly turning the corner. His elbow was arched back, ready to fire the second he laid eyes on Velte, but the hallway was empty.

"She's not in the death room," Sir Thornton announced as he walked toward the hall.

"She's not here either," Azure told them before rounding the corner again, loosening his draw on the bow.

"God damn it! Fucking shit!" In a fit of rage, Sir Thornton turned and cleaved the makeshift altar in half. It splintered, sending broken sticks flying everywhere.

Lonnell pressed back against the door, making sure not to close it. Azure was less affected, just wanting to find the Death Eater and correct his mistake.

"Let's go." He brushed past Sir Thornton, a man on a mission.

The knight grabbed him by the arm. “This is your fault! If you'd just let me kill her, none of this would have happened.”

Azure jerked out of his grasp. “Stop being a whiny bitch and let's go. Having a ragefit isn't going to solve this problem.”

"You're the problem!" Sir Thornton practically spit in his face.

At the end of his rope, Azure dropped his bow and pulled back his fist. His hand connected with the inside of Sir Thornton's palm. Lonnell rushed forward to stop the two from fighting, finally abandoning the door. Sir Thornton sent him sailing with a backhanded fist. The last thing that Azure saw was that same fist racing toward his face, growing closer with each passing millisecond.

CHAPTER TWELVE

THE REALM – Day 55

Azure groaned back to life. It felt like he'd been hit by a bus. He touched his eye and found it swollen. Memories of what had happened came rushing back. The Asshole Knight had KOed him in one hit. A sliver of Azure's Health had also been shaved off from the punch.

Azure sat up and looked around. They were in an unfamiliar area, presumably on the other side of the door, considering that there was a door set in the wall next to where he was leaning and a staircase that led down into the unknown. The walls were a bronze color, the architecture becoming more developed as they proceeded further into the dungeon. A seemingly solid slab of gray marble comprised the floor.

Lonnell was sitting on the edge of the stairs, staring down with a bored expression. Turning his head to the right showed Sir Thornton leaning against the wall asleep a few feet away. If Azure wanted to resort to dirty tactics, now would be a good time to kill the knight in his sleep. It was a tempting thought.

"Should we kill him?" the words flowed through his lips unabashedly.

Lonnell seemed startled for a moment, reanimating as he realized that his friend was awake. “I have half a mind to say yes. This quest has been nothing but miserable.”

"Part of that has been my fault," Azure admitted, sulking a little.

"You have every reason to dislike him. But..." he hesitated, "you shouldn't have tried to fight him. That was clearly a battle you weren't going to win."

"That's not what I meant." Azure shook his head, feeling ashamed from all of the poor decisions he'd made over the course of the quest so far. "I'm talking about Velte. I got an odd feeling when I first laid eyes on her. I should have listened to my gut."

"None of us knew she was going to end up being a Death Eater. It was a good disguise." Lonnell tried to offer him comfort.

"He seemed to know." Azure nodded to Sir Thornton.

Lonnell screwed his face. “I think he just likes killing things. Monsters, people, doesn't matter. I think he hates everything. There's so much anger inside of him.”

"Not my problem." Azure forced himself to his feet. "Whatever his issues are, I don't care. Have you scouted up ahead?"

"No." Lonnell sighed. "After he knocked you out, we dragged you in here and decided to camp for the night. At least the Death Eater stayed true to her word of opening the door. That's a rarity." His eyes flashed for effect.

"I'm guessing all of those bodies in that room were her victims." Azure frowned.

"Most likely."

"I wonder why she didn't just kill the Cultists"why she was playing the victim."

"I imagine it's much the same way that a cat toys with a mouse before finally killing it. She would have turned the tables if she really felt threatened."

"I still don't understand." Azure furrowed his brow. "She Analyzed as blue to me."

"Same here. It was likely part of her concealment spell."

"Maybe she has a Pendant of Transformation," he guessed.

"Maybe." Lonnell shrugged.

"We have to find her and kill her," Azure said with determination.

"Sir Thornton says he has no doubt that we'll run into her again. This dungeon is a prime feeding ground for her. More than likely, she'll bide her time until the timer on the curse runs down. He said we have to get to the staff before then. That will flush her out. She would rather kill us outright than have us destroy the dungeon."

"That makes sense." He nodded. "Have you slept yet?"

"For a short while. Honestly, I was afraid he'd leave us both behind, so when I did take my sleeping shift, I didn't sleep very well." Lonnell's gaze fell to Sir Thornton with distaste.

"I'd rather be conquering this dungeon just the two of us," Azure confessed.

"You know we couldn't do it alone," Lonnell said regrettably. "Honestly, this has been much more difficult than I thought it would be. Not so much physically...but psychologically." A sullen expression took over his face.

Azure held up his palm. “You don't need to explain or apologize. I completely understand.”

"I wasn't going to apologize," he shook his head, "though perhaps I should."

"Don't even worry about it." Azure stretched and yawned. "Get some sleep. I'll keep watch from here. I'm fully rested."

The two men switched places. Lonnell settled against the wall, and Azure stared down at the bottom of the stairs. All that he could see was more floor and hallway. He sat sentinel for a few hours. Concentrating on the purple crossbones icon brought up a notification.

You have been inflicted with Curse of the Death Eater. You will die in 66 hours and 40 minutes if the curse is not removed.

It was like a countdown clock to his impending doom. Guilt racked him that he had gotten them into this situation. Thinking about it though, Lonnell probably would have done the same. At the end of the day, they were still both very naïve about how dungeons worked. Azure had assumed that only monsters inhabited them. Well, technically, Velte was a monster, though she looked awfully human.

Sighing, he realized there was nothing he could do but press onward. For as much as he wanted to, he couldn't change the past. The only way to get rid of the curse, according to Sir Thornton, was to flush Velte out by completing the dungeon. That was easier said than done when they needed to stop to sleep. If the dungeon was ten levels deep, it wasn't likely they'd finish in time. Perhaps that's why the Death Eater had set up her base so close to the entrance of the dungeon.

Azure had plenty of time to ponder it, to go over every mistake he'd made. He regretted agreeing to do this quest with Lonnell. It had been labeled as Very Hard, which Azure was now associating with a high probability of death. The words looked harmless on paper, but they held so much weight.

When Sir Thornton finally awoke, he said nothing to Azure. There was near palpable tension in the air between the two men. Azure refused to apologize for starting the fight, and he knew better than to expect The Asshole Knight to feel remorseful for antagonizing him. From this point on, they'd be enemies.

Sir Thornton shook Lonnell to wake him. Almost the second that Lonnell opened his eyes, The Asshole Knight said, “Let's go,” and headed for the stairs.

Neither of the men argued. Azure stood as Sir Thornton walked past him. No other words were spoken as they descended the stairs.

They proceeded down the hall for a good thirty minutes before the end of it finally came into view. Much like it had the two previous times, the hallway opened up into a small room. At the back of it was an iron door protected by three knights heavily armored in, what appeared to be, black steel. With their visors down, their eyes were not visible. They didn't move as the Adventurers approached, and for a few moments, Azure thought they might just be statues until one of them spoke.

"Who goes there?" the middle knight said in an authoritative tone.

"We're here to claim Gaia's Staff," Sir Thornton told them. "Who are you?"

"We are the Knights of Gaia. Beyond this door lies Gaia herself. If you wish to seek an audience with her, you must defeat us first," he replied matter-of-factly.

Sir Thornton's eyes drifted from knight to knight, and then a smile curled his lips. “Now this is a battle I can get into.”

All three knights Analyzed as green to Azure, a slightly higher level. That would make this battle challenging for him and Lonnell.

No instructions were given this time as Sir Thornton stepped back a few paces and drew his sword. It was as if Lonnell and Azure no longer existed. There was an excitement to his expression that disturbed Azure. Apparently, he felt that fighting these knights might be enjoyable. Azure did not share his sentiment.

Noticing that they were clad in heavy armor from head to toe, Azure doubted that his Bronze Arrows would do any damage against them. If he wanted to be ranged, he would have to use the Steel Arrows he had just picked up from the previous floor. The only problem was that he only had four, which wouldn't get him very far.

"Do you wish to melee?" the center knight asked.

"I didn't just draw my sword for funsies." Sir Thornton spit at the knight's feet.

All three knights took a step forward at once. Azure felt his adrenaline rise, his heartbeat drumming inside his chest. The knights' longswords gave them better reach, but it might also make them slower, he hoped as he drew his Bronze Sword. Bronze against steel. The attack on their weapons would be better. This wasn't looking good.

"Azure, to me," Lonnell called to him, perhaps thinking the same. They would need to work together to get through this.

"I would advise you both to move," Sir Thornton said to them. "There's not much space here. Barely enough for me to swing my sword." It was a silent warning. One that came just before The Asshole Knight took the first swing at the knight in front of him. Azure had to duck to avoid being hit. Both he and Lonnell scrambled for the hall as the clanging of swords filled their ears.

When Azure looked back, he realized that all three knights were fighting Sir Thornton at once.

"There's not enough space for us to get in there," Lonnell noted, his words coming out quick with panic.

"But we can't just stand here." Azure resheathed his blade and drew his bow. Sir Thornton had risked hitting him, so he didn't feel so bad about returning the favor. It helped that the Knights of Gaia were working to surround him in the small space.

Azure nocked and loosed an arrow into the side of one of the black-clad knights. At such a close range, it pierced through the armor, tunneling deeply into the knight's body, only half of the shaft still sticking out. For a moment, Azure was amazed. Were the Steel Arrows that much better than the bronze? But then he noticed that no blood was coming from the wound.

"I think the suits are hollow," Lonnell said to him, mirroring Azure's thoughts.

"What chance will he have against them, then?" Azure asked as he nocked another arrow and prepared to draw.

That question was answered when Sir Thornton struck a blow to the neck of one of the knights, effectively knocking his helmet clean off his head. Their suspicions were confirmed. The suits of armor were empty. Thankfully, that didn't stop the knight from collapsing the rest of the way as if its head had really just been severed.

With his body fully turned, Sir Thornton's back was exposed to the knight behind him. A quick thrust of the knight's blade to Sir Thornton's side had him arching and hissing in pain between clenched teeth.

Azure would have hoped that the Knights of Gaia would finish him off if not for the fact that he and Lonnell would be stuck facing them afterward. He drew his bowstring back and aimed for the knight's head this time. When the arrow hit, he was rewarded with both a kill and a skill leveling notification.

Critical hit! Defeated Level 9 Knight of Gaia. 54XP rewarded.

Congratulations! The skill: Archery has reached Level 4. This skill allows you to use a bow and arrow to defeat enemies. Aim strong and true.

The suit of armor behind Sir Thornton crumbled to the floor from the arrow through its helm. Azure breathed a sigh of relief as The Asshole Knight turned to face the last of the Knights of Gaia. While he was injured and his Health had dropped a good twenty percent from that one hit, he still clearly had enough strength and determination to finish the job.

"He's got this," Azure said, lowering his bow.

"Should we try to help him?" Lonnell asked, still focusing on the battle.

"Nope."

"We can't just stand here," he protested.

"I did my part already. If you want to help him, be my guest." Azure gestured.

A misplaced foot made Sir Thornton trip over one of the downed knights and land on his backside. As quick as lightning, Azure drew an arrow from his quiver and loosed it into the black-clad knight's chest. It was a Bronze Arrow this time, so it just ricocheted off of the armor, leaving a dent behind. Whether it caused a distraction, Azure couldn't tell, but Sir Thornton barely missed being stabbed in the throat by the knight's blade when he rolled to the side.

"I'm going in," Lonnell announced, rushing in to join the fray, though he was driven back as soon as Sir Thornton was on his feet again.

The melee only took a few moments longer before Sir Thornton finally delivered the killing blow, plunging his blade deep into the black-clad knight's hollow gut after faking a move that the knight had tried to dodge, leaving him open for Sir Thornton's true intent. Relief filled the room from the final sound of armor pieces clanging as they broke apart and fell to the floor. Sir Thornton pulled his blade from the disembodied armor and quickly reached into his bag for a healing potion, his fingers trembling.

"That was rather intense," Lonnell pointed out.

"A good battle," Sir Thornton said between gulps.

Azure watched as his Health bar quickly refilled.

There was a clicking noise at the back of the room, presumably the door unlocking from them having defeated the knights.

Sir Thornton wiped his mouth with the back of his arm, then knelt next to one of the knights and scowled.

"What's wrong?" Lonnell asked.

"Can't take it." The Asshole Knight shook his head while he stood.

"Why not?" Lonnell arched an eyebrow.

"Nothing on them."

"You...can't take the armor?" Azure questioned. It seemed like it would be incredibly valuable.

"No. The knights are the armor. They're bound to this dungeon. All they are is armor. There's nothing else of value. Let's move on." Sir Thornton stepped over the armor pieces in his path to open the door.

Part of Azure was disappointed that he wasn't getting any praise for his part in the battle. After all, he'd taken out one of the knights on his own and had quite possibly saved Sir Thornton from death. The guy was an ungrateful asshole though, so he shouldn't be surprised.

Entering through the door, Azure had expected to see another hallway. Instead, the door led to a massive chamber. A giant six-sided star made of different colored slabs of stone was set in the middle of the floor: brown, white, red, blue, black, and green. In the center of that was a red flower with a yellow center of pollen, also made of colored slabs. The entire thing was circled by ornate tiles.

On the walls, larger versions of the same round stones used to illuminate the entrance into the dungeon were set to provide lighting. Three statues flanked both sides of the room, each about ten feet tall, though Azure couldn't make out what they were supposed to be. Most of them looked like humanoid monsters to him.

At the back of the room, a figure stood. Not quite transparent, her body and clothing were all one shade. White. A bright light that seemed almost like a flame. Her long hair was solid, falling over her shoulders yet flaring out at the same time as if air was fighting to lift her. And maybe it was, because her feet didn't touch the floor. She simply hovered with a serene look on her face...which was clearly not human. Her features were too round and smooth. In the center of her forehead was a large blue diamond. It started at the crown of her hair and extended all the way down between her eyes. The dress she wore was ethereal in nature. Though it reached her ankles, the ends flowed upward like her hair, as if there was a breeze blowing it.

Behind the being stood a grand door. One half was wood, the other half steel. There were no doorknobs or handles to open it. Down the center were twenty colored stones, ten on each side.

"This is a big space," Lonnell noted, gazing at the statues.

More than likely, they were all thinking the same thing. The only reason why this much room was required was because they were about to be fighting some rather large monsters. It made both Azure and Lonnell nervous.

"I see you defeated my knights," the being said, her deep feminine voice echoing several times, though the echoes were short-lived. "Come forward. Be not afraid."

At her invitation, the Adventurers approached. When they stopped in front of the being, Azure noticed that he felt calmer than he had since they first entered the dungeon. The light pouring off of her was soothing. It made him think of times of comfort, like when his mother used to sing to him as a child. He found himself wanting to smile but refrained.

"I am Gaia," the being spoke.

"I know," Sir Thornton said. "We've come for your staff."

"Are you worthy of such power?" She gazed down at the three of them. Though her eyes were solid white, Azure couldn't help but feel that she was assessing each of them individually.

"Who knows?" Sir Thornton's tone suddenly softened. "Probably not. But the man we're taking the staff to is. He will do the right thing with it."

"Yet he is not here." Gaia's head turned, searching for a party member that had escaped her.

"He is...a great lord, my lady. He sent me in his stead."

For the first time, Sir Thornton seemed humble. Was the being's presence having that much of an effect on him? Apparently so, because he knelt before her, a gesture of respect Azure never thought he'd see from The Asshole Knight.

"How am I to truly judge the merit of a man who is not here?" she asked. When no one answered, she continued. "Three tasks you must accomplish to claim my staff. The first is a puzzle."

Azure groaned internally. He hated puzzles. Back in his own world, he typically let other party members handle them if he could. Otherwise, there was always Google. Unfortunately, Google didn't exist in The Realm.

"The second," Gaia continued, "is the loss of life."

They all sucked in a breath at this one.

A smile crept across the being's face. “Did you really think that you could take life without giving? The staff has the power to bring someone back from the dead. To charge it, a life is required. This is a one time sacrifice, and the staff only holds one charge.

"But fear not, for I do not require your entire life essence. Half of my spirit flows within the staff as well. That means I will only require half. Whatever your original lifespan was will be reduced by half."

"So if one of us was meant to die in the next day or two, what would that mean?" Lonnell asked, subtly referring to the fact that they were all still cursed.

"You would die immediately," Gaia replied.

They all cringed.

"Well, I suppose it's a good way to find out if we would have survived the curse after all," Azure laughed nervously.

"Ah, yes. I had sensed the presence of evil amidst you," Gaia mentioned, causing them all to look around for Velte. "For getting this far, a gift I will bestow upon you. I have the power to remove your curse." Without even asking for their permission, not that any of them would have protested, Gaia held out her arms. That's when Azure noticed that they were fingerless, tapering off into coned stumps where hands should have been. Light poured forth from them, encircling the Adventurers.

Much like the cursed smoke had done, Azure felt something fill his lungs, except this time it was cold air. For a moment, he couldn't breathe. He wanted to cough, but his body was stilted, his eyes wide in panic as his mouth hung open. Within a second, the sensation was gone and oxygen filled his lungs. His body felt lighter, and the cursed icon next to his stats had disappeared. A sigh of relief passed his lips. That was one less thing they all had to worry about.

"There's a Death Eater in this dungeon," Sir Thornton warned as soon as he was able to speak again.

"I am aware," Gaia told him, "but she cannot come in here as long as I exist on this plane."

"What's the third task?" Lonnell asked.

She smiled. “You must defeat me.”

"As in...we must kill you?" Azure questioned. That would most definitely negate Velte not being able to enter the room.

Soft laughter escaped Gaia's throat. “I cannot be killed. I am...eternal. But I can be defeated in battle. Depleted of my Mana, Stamina, and Health.”

Gaia Analyzed as yellow to Azure, which meant she was at least two levels higher than him. She should still be no match for Sir Thornton though.

"Puzzle, life, defeat," The Asshole Knight muttered to himself. Then he looked over at his two companions. "Let's get on with it then." He turned his attention back to Gaia. "What's this puzzle we have to solve?"

"It's the door." She gestured behind her. "That's the only clue I can give. For now, I will leave you to your own devices. Once you have solved the puzzle, I will reappear to hear your decision on who will make the sacrifice." Without giving them a chance to ask any more questions, Gaia disappeared. The way her body sucked into itself reminded Azure of what it looked like to watch Valerio teleport with the Teleportation Prism, except her body didn't swirl and leave a smattering of glittery dust behind, it merely blinked out of existence.

"I wonder if that means Velte can enter now." Lonnell cast a wary glance toward the door at the far end of the room.

"We best be on guard, just in case," Sir Thornton told them as he stepped up to the door.

Before long, they were all standing in front of the door, trying to figure out the puzzle. Upon closer inspection, the stones appeared to be tiles. There were two empty slots at the top indicating that they could be moved and rearranged. The stones were colored brown, white, red, blue, black, and green; the same as the segments of the star on the floor.

"This has to relate to the floor mural," Lonnell made the same assumption that Azure had.

"I'm shit at puzzles," he admitted. "I think I might leave this to you guys."

Sir Thornton cut him with a glare. “If that's the case, then I suppose you won't mind being the one to sacrifice half of your life.”

Azure immediately changed his mind.

"That is something else we need to consider beyond solving this," Lonnell said. "Which one of us is going to do it? I don't know about you guys, but I don't want to die early. I have too much left to live for."

Like farming and popping out babies with Bronna, Azure thought sarcastically, but he dare not say it. In truth, he didn't want his friend to make the sacrifice either. Ideally, Sir Thornton would step up to the plate on this one. It was a quest for his lord anyway.

"We're just underlings, Thornton. Your lord is the one who wanted the staff," he pointed out.

Ignoring him, The Asshole Knight said, “How about this, whoever solves the puzzle doesn't have to make the deal.”

"That sounds fair," Lonnell agreed before Azure had a chance to interject.

That didn't sound fair to him at all, especially since he sucked at puzzles! Already, the odds were stacked against him.

"I'm not really feeling this濫 Azure began, but Sir Thornton quickly cut him off.

"It's already been decided. If you want to live your entire pathetic life, you better get to work trying to figure out this damn puzzle." The Asshole Knight gave the door a final look of distaste before turning his gaze to the rest of the room.

Lonnell reached over to play with the tiles. He was able to slide the top two up and over, which meant that they were, in fact, supposed to be rearranged. Azure held his breath as he watched his friend continue to move the tiles around, fearing that he'd already figured the puzzle out. Honestly, Azure had not a clue how the stones were supposed to be set.

After several minutes of rearranging the tiles into various configurations, Lonnell looked back at Azure and Sir Thornton and shrugged. “We should probably look around the room for clues.”

They spent the next few hours wandering around the room playing detective. When one thought they'd figured the puzzle out, they'd head back to the door to move the tiles. Each time someone stepped up to the door, the other two held their breath. This was a game of intelligence, but more than that, a game of life and death.

Azure started by examining the star on the floor. Clearly, the door had to have something to do with it. It was the biggest focal point in the room. But there were only six points, and there were twenty stones. The numbers didn't add up. Next, Azure studied the flower in the center of the mural to see if he could find any clues there. Maybe the number of petals? His frustration mounted as he continued to come up empty-handed.

Perhaps the puzzle didn't have anything to do with what was in the mural, but what was outside of it. He followed where the colored sections of the star pointed, but there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. A statue here. A blank patch of wall there. One of the lights. It just didn't make sense.

The three men toiled in the room for the rest of the day. Night fell, and they still hadn't figured out the door puzzle despite multiple attempts on each of their parts.

"We've got to be missing something," Lonnell said as they bedded down for the night.

"Maybe the two types of materials have something to do with it," Azure suggested. "One side of the door is wood. One side is steel."

"I've factored that in already, but I don't see how it would make a difference." Lonnell shook his head.

"The stones clearly resemble the colors of the Gods," Sir Thornton said, seemingly unafraid to offer them a hint. Or perhaps he thought they had already figured that out. Azure hadn't, not that it would help him much since he still wasn't very familiar with the lore of The Realm.

"Well, I've got nothing." Azure threw his hands up in exasperation. "Fuck this door."

Lonnell chuckled at his friend's frustration. “I mirror your sentiment.”

"I think we all do." Sir Thornton glared at the door.

"I didn't think puzzles in dungeons would be this hard." Lonnell followed Sir Thornton's gaze. "I feel like we're making this far more difficult than it actually is."

"I think she made it far more difficult than it needs to be." The Asshole Knight's eyes widened for effect.

"Maybe something will come to us while we sleep." Azure rested his head on the floor, using his arms as a makeshift pillow.

"Oh no you don't," Sir Thornton growled at him. "You got to sleep first last night."

"Because you knocked me the fuck out," Azure countered, shooting back up into a sitting position.

"Whose fault was that?" The Asshole Knight eyed him.

"Guys, stop it," Lonnell sighed. "I'll take the first watch. You can both get some sleep."

"No," Sir Thornton said firmly. "This little prick isn't getting off that easy."

"Fine!" Azure relented. "I don't really care which one of us takes the first shift. I wasn't that tired anyway." He stood, just wanting to put some space between him and Sir Thornton. "But don't be surprised if I slit your throat in your sleep," he mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?" The Asshole Knight called to him, more than likely already knowing.

"Nothing," Azure said, turning his back to Sir Thornton to pretend he didn't exist.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

THE REALM – Day 56

Azure toiled over the puzzle until it was his time to sleep, then he dreamed about it. Tiles and colors flashed through his mind. The stones were the same color as the star, were the same color as the lights on the walls. He had tried to find some combination with the lights already, though. There were ten in the room, one on each side of the statues, mirrored against the color on the opposite wall. Only five of the six colors were present on the door, missing the brown one. But there had also been lights in the hall when they had first entered the dungeon. Those lights hadn't mirrored each other, nor had they been perfectly aligned but oddly staggered. How many had there been?

"Twenty!" Azure said in a rush, his body rising like a vampire from a coffin. The sleep hadn't even cleared from his eyes.

Lonnell chuckled at him. “Were you dreaming about the puzzle?” he asked.

"I think I may have figured it out," he announced quietly enough so that he didn't wake Sir Thornton. Unfortunately, he didn't remember the order that the lights had been in. His recollection wasn't that good.

"Oh?" Lonnell didn't sound very convinced.

"I need to go back to the beginning of the dungeon," Azure told him with dread pooling in the pit of his stomach. Velte was still out there, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to face her alone.

"Why do you need to do that?" Lonnell furrowed his brow.

Should I tell him? This shouldn't feel like a competition, but it did. If they both returned to the beginning of the dungeon and he ended up being right, but Lonnell was the one to physically solve the puzzle because he could retain the order of the stones better, who would the win go to? Azure needed it to be him.

"You said the puzzle should be simple, right? That we were probably overlooking something small."

Lonnell hesitated, “Yeah.”

He decided to trust his friend, praying that he wouldn't regret disclosing his theory. “There were twenty lights in the first hall. They were the same colors as the stones on the door.”

Lonnell's face lit up, and his gaze immediately shifted to the door. “You may be right.”

"The only problem is, I don't remember what order they were in."

"I think I might."

To Azure's alarm, Lonnell began walking toward the door. Azure practically stumbled trying to pull himself to his feet and jog toward the door to reach it before Lonnell. When he rounded his friend and thrust his back against the door, Lonnell gave him a queer look.

"I figured it out first; I should be the one to solve it," he said firmly.

Lonnell held his hands up, palms out. “Okay. But...you just said you don't remember how the tiles go.”

"I will fight for you to not be the one to make the sacrifice, but you have to trust me on this." Completing the puzzle himself was the only way to secure his safety.

"I trust you, Azure. I'm pretty sure we're both on the same page with wanting Sir Thornton to be the one to lose half of his life."

Azure wished he felt the same on the trust front―had thought he felt the same until he had seen Lonnell head for the door. Now he wasn't so sure.

"Tell me where they go, and I'll move them." He turned back around, ready to solve the puzzle.

They went through the tiles one at a time with Lonnell searching his memory and Azure doing the rearranging. When they finished the puzzle, they waited for something to happen. Nothing did. Staring at the door in confusion and frustration, something clicked with Azure. “I think these two are wrong.”

A bit more rearranging and they were rewarded with the loud sound of gears turning inside of the door. They had done it! The puzzle had finally been solved.

"Well done," a deep feminine voice came from behind them, practically scaring them to death.

They pivoted to face Gaia, who was shining brightly enough to illuminate the entire room. The light of her presence was even enough to wake Sir Thornton where he lay several yards away.

"What?" he groaned as he came to.

"Now you must make the choice. Which of you will lose to gain going forward?" She didn't miss a beat, not even bothering to wait for Sir Thornton to join the party.

Azure wasn't going to wait for him either. “The two of us solved the puzzle together.” He cast a glance at Lonnell with a soft smile before turning a less kind gaze toward Sir Thornton where he was pulling himself up from the floor. “He should be the one to lose.”

"You make this choice without his consent," Gaia chastised him. "This is a decision that must be agreed upon by all."

Azure groaned internally. There was no way that The Asshole Knight was going to agree to be the one to sacrifice.

They waited as patiently as they could for him to join the conversation. Azure felt on edge over the argument they were about to have. Things had been so much better when Sir Thornton was asleep. Just being in his conscious presence made Azure's blood pressure rise.

"You got the door open," he grumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"We solved the puzzle together," Azure reiterated.

"How did you figure it out?"

"It was the lights from the hall on the first floor of the dungeon. Azure figured that much out, and I remembered their placement," Lonnell told him.

"But who actually put the puzzle together?" He eyed them, seeking the only answer that would satisfy him.

Azure looked to Lonnell. “We both moved the tiles around,” he lied. “We worked on it together. As a team.”

"Are they lying?" Sir Thornton thought past their trickery to ask Gaia.

She blinked a few times, hesitating. “I was not here to watch.”

Azure bit back a smirk. While he wasn't entirely sure, he couldn't help but think that the entity was mendacious for them.

"But considering that they were the only ones awake when I arrived," Gaia continued, "I can only surmise that they had more weight in solving the puzzle than you. Now make your decision."

Both Azure and Lonnell looked at Sir Thornton expectantly.

"Half of my life, huh." The Asshole Knight rubbed the back of his neck. "Is there any other trade that you'll take? Could we bring someone else here?"

The thought enraged Azure. If they did that, they'd be no better than the Cultists.

"I'm afraid it doesn't work that way," Gaia replied, not sounding the least bit apologetic.

"Then it has to be one of us." He mulled it over for a while longer, as if Lonnell and Azure would allow him to make any other choice. "I suppose it has to be me then," Sir Thornton finally surrendered, stepping closer. "Fair is fair. This is my quest, after all, and I was none closer to solving the puzzle while I slept. Heh, maybe Lord Blakemore will find some way to resurrect me after I die," he mused. "I've been a good knight. Loyal to his service."

"Is that your final answer?" Gaia asked, giving him ample time to change his mind.

Azure's insides roiled, completely expecting The Asshole Knight to back down. Was obtaining the staff really worth so much to him? Even if Azure were a knight, he didn't think he'd be able to make that kind of sacrifice.

"It is." Sir Thornton nodded.

"Then it shall be done. Everything you were and everything you could have been will be halved." Gaia approached The Asshole Knight and placed the tip of her nubbed hand on his forehead. It seemed as if she was drawing something out of him. As she did, the blue diamond in her forehead grew brighter with Sir Thornton's life force. His body wavered slightly under her touch.

Within seconds, the process was over, leaving The Asshole Knight physically smaller. The bulk of his muscles had shrunk. His armor now looked oversized on his body.

"What in the hell?" He gazed down at his hands, clearly feeling the effects of what had just happened.

Azure Analyzed him and gasped. It seemed that The Asshole Knight had dropped several levels. Just to make sure he wasn't seeing things, Azure brought up Sir Thornton's stats.

Name: Nash Thornton

Race: Human

Level: 7

Health: 175

Mana: 145

Stamina: 175

"Oh holy shit," he mouthed.

Now Azure was really glad he hadn't had to be the one to sacrifice. At only level eight, losing half of his stats would be devastating. It also probably would have spelled his death before they were able to complete the dungeon. He and Lonnell had really dodged a bullet with this one.

"You didn't say anything about losing my levels," Sir Thornton growled between clenched teeth.

"Though you have lost much, you may still don items with a higher level requirement until you unequip them," Gaia said as if that was supposed to make it all better. "Now, are you ready to move on to the third task? If you are not, I can wait."

The Asshole Knight's face was red, and a vein in his forehead pulsed from stress. For once, Azure could sympathize with his anger. He would be ticked off too if he had been tricked in such a way. It didn't seem fair at all.

Touching Sir Thornton gently on the shoulder to get his attention Azure said, “I'll take point on this one.”

"No, you won't," The Asshole Knight threw back, shrugging Azure's hand off. "She's a magic caster. I'll need you ranged. Get as far away as you can where you can still hit her. The Gods only know what type of spells she can cast."

With the reduction in Sir Thornton's physical size, so was his ability to intimidate Azure. Still, there was no point in arguing. If The Asshole Knight and Lonnell wanted to tank, Azure was perfectly content dealing damage from afar.

"Whatever you say, Chief." He mock saluted Sir Thornton and walked toward the opposite side of the room.

"Are you ready?" The Asshole Knight barked at Lonnell.

Lonnell gripped his staff in both hands, taking an offensive stance. Instead of vocalizing his acknowledgment, he nodded, a look of determination in his eyes. Azure imagined that he was probably thinking the same thing. The time for being lazy and riding on Sir Thornton's coattails was over. They were all in this battle equally now.

"Then let us begin." The ends of Gaia's arms began to elongate. Each side grew thinner, taking on the shape of a double-edged blade, three feet long.

Sir Thornton drew his sword in preparation to attack. Azure turned, pulling an arrow from his quiver and nocking it. Before any of the men had a chance to strike, Gaia held her arms out to her sides as if opening herself up to be attacked. Her cheeks puffed out as she sucked in a breath, then she expelled it, turning her head from one side of the room to the other. Cool air sliced across the open space, bowling all three men over.

Level 10 Gaia delivers 10 damage. You have been knocked down.

Azure's arrow went skittering across the floor, landing several feet away. Sir Thornton barely had time to block as the ghostly white figure descended on him with both blades. This was definitely not going to be an easy battle.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

THE REALM – Day 56

The melee began in a flurry of swift moves. For initially seeming delicate, Gaia was not unskilled with her sword arms. She slashed at Sir Thornton with all of the vigor of a warrior. It was taking both he and Lonnell to keep her at bay, though neither seemed to be able to get a hit in thanks to her tight defense.

Azure tried his best to aim with his bow, but the three fighters were too closely bunched up. Loosing an arrow would be a risk. He wanted to shout that they needed to get her back facing him. Now that he thought about it though, considering her vague transparency, would an arrow just go through her?

It seemed like it took a good five minutes before Lonnell was finally able to land a hit on Gaia while Sir Thornton was busy blocking one of her downward swings. She grunted in pain, favoring her shoulder where his staff had struck when he'd dashed behind her. The hit must have done a lot of damage because she began backing away.

Then she raised her right sword arm at them, pointing as if to ward them away. A ghostly extension began to grow, forming a hand large enough to encompass most of the room. All three men looked up at it to try to figure out what in the heck was going on. As soon as they did, it came slamming down on them, crushing them all to the ground.

Level 10 Gaia delivers 20 damage. You have been knocked down.

Azure imagined this must be what a fly felt like when someone slapped it on a table. Everything inside of him compressed to the point of pain. His bones even seemed to creak. Thankfully, almost as soon as the pressure had come, it was gone.

Though they were all dazed for a moment, it didn't take them long to be back on their feet. Seemingly renewed by the spell, Gaia went on the offensive again, swinging her blades like a skilled swordswoman.

It seemed that Sir Thornton and Lonnell were finally coming up with a plan. The Asshole Knight took the brunt of the frontal assault, mostly dodging and blocking, while Lonnell would come in from behind and strike where he could. This created an opportunity for Azure as well. While the two men attacked from opposite sides, he was able to enter the fray at a third angle and finally loose an arrow, free from the fear of hitting his comrades, scoring his first hit.

The arrow struck Gaia just below her ribs on her right side, and she instantly hunched over in pain. Once more, she checked her surroundings and began to back up. Both Sir Thornton and Lonnell lunged in to attack, but before they were able to reach her, a glimmering white protective shield formed around Gaia, deflecting their weapons. Feeling he might have better luck with a projectile, Azure loosed another arrow at her, but it simply bounced off.

She lowered herself to the floor, clearly fatigued. For a moment, they thought they had won. A somewhat easy victory despite the two spells that had knocked them on their asses. But then they heard the sound of stones scraping together.

Turning to find the source of the noise, it was just as they had feared. One of the statues had moved. The first thing that Azure noticed, aside from the fact that it had clearly come to life, was that light seemed to pulse beneath the surface of its stone skin running where veins would be. This statue was that of an old man with round features that were puffed like clouds. Every angle of his body ended in a swirl, reminding Azure of the wind. He had wise eyes set below overly large bushy eyebrows. An equally thick handlebar mustache settled into a whirling beard. The expression he wore was strictly business.

Pausing, the Adventurers watched the statue for a moment. Its movements were incredibly slow, as if its feet were stuck in molasses. Every step was laborious as it began to approach Sir Thornton and Lonnell, apparently not seeing Azure as a threat.

"Shoot it!" The Asshole Knight shouted to Azure, and he didn't hesitate.

He'd played enough games to know that this was the interlude while Gaia regained her strength―a distraction as she healed inside her impenetrable force field. Having a feeling that his Bronze Arrows weren't going to cut it against this stone beast, Azure pulled a Steel Arrow from his quiver and nocked it to his bow. The statue was moving slow enough that he was able to make a clean shot. To Azure's disappointment, though he had somewhat expected it, the kinetic energy wasn't enough, and his Steel Arrow simply bounced off the statue's head before splintering into nothing from running out of durability.

Knowing that his bow would be useless in this fight, Azure placed it over his shoulder and drew his Bronze Sword instead, rushing in to help his comrades just as the statue had reached them.

Sir Thornton was in the middle of swinging his sword at the statue. Blocking with its forearm, the blade dug in a few inches deep. Azure expected the statue to show some sign of pain, but it didn't. Light built up around the wound, then Sir Thornton screamed as it shot down his sword, traveling through the blade and pommel. He flew back, clearly dazed by the unseen attack.

"What just happened?" Lonnell asked.

Sir Thornton simply laid there as the statue continued to approach, ignoring the rest of its attackers for the easy victim.

Oh shit. We have to do something, or he's toast.

While Azure really didn't feel like defending the man who had made his life a living hell these past few days, he knew it was the right thing to do. Summoning all of his bravery, Azure placed himself between Sir Thornton and the statue, his sword held vertically in front of him. The statue was still moving relatively slow, each step taking several seconds.

Lonnell came up from behind and hit the statue with his staff at the same moment that Azure swung forward. This time, the statue caught his blade in its hand. Azure saw the light form only half a second before he felt its effects. Everything went orange as he was flung back on top of Sir Thornton, creating a pile of human flesh.

Level 10 Statue of Steq delivers 20 damage. You have been stunned. You will be unable to move for the next 10 seconds.

The Asshole Knight roughly pushed Azure off of him. “Electricity. Metal weapons won't work on it,” he said quickly, grabbing Azure beneath his arms and dragging him away while he left Lonnell to fight the monster with his staff.

Azure could still feel the electricity flowing through his body, making his muscles seize and contract over and over again. He had dropped his sword the second the shock had gone through him. It lay at the statue's feet, a monument to his failure. Azure felt trapped inside his own body, the next several seconds feeling like hours. All he could do was wait for time to pass.

The statue gave chase for one more step before Lonnell hit it in the back of its head with his staff. Sensing a greater threat, it began to turn. As it lifted one foot, Lonnell dashed in and swept his staff down and across, slamming it into the statue's supporting leg. Losing its footing, the statue began to teeter. Never did its expression change, remaining ever confident in its disposition. A second hit to the same leg sent the statue careening to the ground. Its stone body broke into large pieces from the sheer weight of the fall, putting an end to the Statue of Steq.

There was no time to celebrate the defeat. Gaia had recovered, and she was on the offensive again. They noticed her seconds too late when she was in the middle of casting her slicing wind spell. In an instant, they were on their backs again.

Level 10 Gaia delivers 10 damage. You have been knocked down.

As soon as they had recovered, the Adventurers began to assume the formation that had worked the first time around, creating a triangle around Gaia. Being a cohesive unit made the fight go so much smoother.

This time, Azure was in position to do the most damage. He tried for a headshot with his bow but ended up striking Gaia in the neck instead. She stumbled for a moment but quickly recovered and cast her ghostly hand spell. Seeing it coming, Azure was able to get out of range before the fingers swooped down to smash him to the floor. Sir Thornton and Lonnell weren't so lucky.

Lonnell landed the second hit that sent Gaia retreating behind her protective force field, and another statue began to move. This one looked like a horror of elongated flesh, giving Azure a flashback of The Dark One. It had large bulging eyes, thin lips, the nose of a bat, and a mouth that was far too wide. Jagged teeth showed through a wicked smile. A patchwork of armor covered its body from head to toe, stitched into the statue's skin. Feathers sprung from its head in place of hair, making it look like it had a slicked back hairstyle. Azure thought the statue was creepy.

Much like the Statue of Steq, this statue was incredibly slow. Its thin limbs gave no aid to speed. Instead of going straight for Lonnell and Sir Thornton, it diverted to walk between the three Adventurers. At first, they had no idea what it was doing.

Deciding to try his luck, even though he was reasonably certain he'd achieve the same result, Azure loosed an arrow at the statue. Just as it had before, the arrow simply ricocheted and splintered into nothing.

Well, that was a waste of two Steel Arrows, he thought, feeling a bit stupid.

To add insult to injury, Sir Thornton called to him, “Didn't you learn the first time that that's not going to work?”

Azure shrugged. “I just had to give it a try.” Why was the guy bitching? They were Azure's arrows to waste.

The statue stopped, facing in no particular direction. It stayed in place, not seeming to have any intentions of moving.

"This one looks like it might be easier," Sir Thornton mused, raising his sword and taking a few cautious steps forward.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Lonnell replied, following his lead though staying several paces behind.

Even as they approached, the statue showed no sign of attacking. Azure switched from his bow back to his Bronze Sword. There was a feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was about to go wrong. The statue couldn't possibly just be willing to stand there while they wailed on it.

"Maybe we should wait a bit, guys." Azure's feet pressed him forward, but his brain screamed at him to stay put. If he waited while his comrades attacked, he'd look like a coward. Still...

Sir Thornton raised his sword, ready to lay into the statue. Against his better judgment, Azure got moving, though he was still the furthest away.

Much like the Statue of Steq had done to Azure, this new statue reached out and grabbed Sir Thornton's blade. Its head swiveled to look at him, then it cocked to the side as if to say 'gotcha.' There was a hissing sound, and green gas poured out from the stitches in the statue's body, filling a nine-foot radius.

You have been poisoned. You will lose 1 Health per second for the next 30 seconds.

"Son of a bitch!" Sir Thornton yelled, pulling his blade from the statue's hand and immediately swinging again.

To all of their surprise, the statue easily dodged, seeming to blink from view and appearing again just out of range of the attack. All the while, it held onto that malicious grin.

Already infected by the poison, Azure charged in as well. If they could box the statue in, they might have some luck hitting it. Sir Thornton took pause to drink a healing potion while Lonnell and Azure went on the offensive, the statue blinking in and out of view to avoid being hit. It seemed they would have an advantage when The Asshole Knight rejoined the fray, but the statue simply retreated from their offensive circle, reappearing a short distance away.

Thirty seconds passed, and again the hissing sound came, followed by the green gas that reinfected all of them. There was no way to get close enough to the statue to try to hit it without being poisoned.

You have been poisoned. You will lose 1 Health per second for the next 30 seconds.

"Gods, dammit all!" Sir Thornton cried out, his voice echoing through the room. It was evident that the poison did the most damage to him thanks to his newly decreased stats.

This time, they all gave pause to heal up.

"Let's back off and regroup for now," Lonnell suggested, seeing how swinging at the statue with their weapons was clearly not going to work.

But the statue wasn't about to let them escape. As soon as they had walked a safe distance away from it, Lonnell let out a shriek, his eyes wide as he looked at something behind Azure.

"What?" Azure asked, glancing back and feeling his heart leap into his throat. He turned, tripping over his own feet, and fell between Lonnell and Sir Thornton from the sight of the statue standing right behind him.

Thank God it didn't seem to be able to physically attack them, or he surely would have been a dead man. Instead, it just grinned at them and resprayed its poison.

You have been poisoned. You will lose 1 Health per second for the next 30 seconds.

Again, they all drank a healing potion to offset the effects of the poison.

"If this goes on for much longer, we're all going to run out of healing potions," Sir Thornton commented.

"We can't get away from it." Azure felt the slightest bit of despair creeping in. Worst case scenario, they could always run for the door. The statue shouldn't be able to follow them out of the room.

"We can't hit it either." The Asshole Knight's eyes danced around the room as if searching for something to stop the statue with.

"I have an idea," Lonnell said.

"What is it?" Azure asked, grasping for anything.

"If I tell you, it might not work."

"Because he might hear." Sir Thornton nodded toward the statue. "I don't think it can comprehend what we're saying. Stone ears and all."

"The next time it casts Poison, you guys run as far away as you can," Lonnell instructed them. Both men nodded, having no idea what his plan was but trusting it anyway. "Oh, and you might want to heal up again first as well."

All three men drank a healing potion in preparation for whatever Lonnell was about to do. Then they waited with the creepy statue until it began leaking the green gas again.

You have been poisoned. You will lose 1 Health per second for the next 30 seconds.

"Run!" Lonnell told them, as if they needed a reminder. He took off at a sprint as well, stopping at the edge of the poison cloud before turning around.

Azure didn't get to see what had happened because a giant explosion flung him forward onto his stomach. His sword flew from his hand, skipping across the tile and landing a few feet away. Intense heat seared his backside, and he noticed an immediate loss of 20% of his remaining Health. Pebbles rained down from the sky, pelting his helmet and causing a clanging sound.

Azure groaned, wondering what in the hell had just happened. Sir Thornton was a few yards away looking dazed. By the time Azure turned to see where Lonnell had ended up, he noticed Gaia approaching a moment too late. Apparently, whatever Lonnell had done had killed the statue.

Level 10 Gaia delivers 10 damage. You have been knocked down.

"I'm getting fucking sick of this," Sir Thornton roared, tearing himself off of the floor like a sprinter about to hear the sound of a starting pistol. He disappeared from Azure's view before he even had a chance to stand again.

Within minutes, they were all up on their feet surrounding Gaia in the similar dance they'd done before. After Sir Thornton struck her once, she cast the hand spell. Azure didn't manage to get out of its range this time, but Lonnell was somehow able to slip through the fingers and not get knocked down.

Level 10 Gaia delivers 20 damage. You have been knocked down.

It was then that a light bulb went off in Azure's head. They could avoid the spell if they were able to anticipate where the fingers would land.

Azure and The Asshole Knight downed another healing potion to keep their Health up. Figuring that the blue gem in Gaia's head held some sort of significance, Azure tried to aim for it with his bow. Hitting it made the gem pulse with light, but it didn't crack. Gaia grabbed her forehead and fell to the ground, her protective barrier coming back up. Another statue moved, and they all held their breath wondering what fresh hell they'd have to deal with this time.

The next monstrosity of a statue appeared to be made of boulders covered with moss. Bulky and large, the statue had the physique of a male bodybuilder. It looked strong as hell, the pinched features of its face making it seem even more intimidating, as if it were glaring at them. It took heavy steps forward.

Not knowing what to expect, and learning better from their last encounter, the three Adventurers stood side by side, waiting for the statue to make the first move. More than likely, it would have some trick up its sleeve that they'd have to skirt past.

They were not mistaken.

The statue stopped about five feet shy of them and lifted one of its hands. Instinctively, all three Adventurers readied their weapons, taking a defensive stance. Bringing its closed fist to its mouth, Azure realized what the spell was the moment the statue opened its hand. A pile of dirt lay atop it. One good breath sent the dirt speeding at the Adventurers. Azure closed his eyes a second too late.

You are now blind. This effect will last for 10 seconds.

Luckily, the spell didn't come with a decrease in Health. Azure felt relieved until he heard a strange guttural shout, then the sound of something hard impacting against metal followed by a grunt of pain.

Sir Thornton's Health fell by nearly 50%. Seeing that, Azure scrambled back, knowing there was nothing behind him but floor. The seconds it took for the Dirty Move spell to wear off felt like an eternity. It had been a while since Azure was this helpless. Not since he had succumbed to the sirens when he was on the Shropshire headed for Squall's End. Hopefully, one of his comrades had gone unaffected by the spell and could at least attempt to protect the others or draw the statue's attention. Azure had no idea what that attack had been, but he was glad it only affected one instead of all of them.

When his sight finally returned, Azure saw Lonnell standing in front of Sir Thornton. His staff was raised, held horizontally in both hands, his back bowed against the weight of the statue's two clenched fists bearing down on him. The sound of strain was passing through Lonnell's lips, and he was holding the defensive stance as best he could against a foe who clearly overpowered him.

Sir Thornton fumbled through his bag for a healing potion. Surely, he had to feel weak after losing that much Health so quickly. If Lonnell hadn't been there to defend him against another hit, he probably would have met his demise.

Azure took to his feet, grabbing his sword and dashing around the statue's side. He swung hard, the blade cutting into the statue's hip despite his expectations of it ricocheting and barely leaving a chip behind. This statue seemed softer than the ones before, his sword sinking in about two inches. The statue raised its head and roared before pivoting to face its new attacker.

Holy shit, Azure thought as the behemoth eclipsed him. This motherfucker is huge.

It raised both arms, clenching its hands together into a fist. The action was incredibly slow, so Azure was able to dodge easily enough when its arms descended. Caught unaware from being blinded, Azure could imagine how the attack had done so much damage to Sir Thornton.

While Lonnell made sure that The Asshole Knight was all right, Azure tried his best to keep the statue engaged, studying its attack pattern. With the first miss, it raised its balled hand to its mouth to cast Dirty Move again. Azure wasn't falling for it this time, though. He moved back several steps, shielding his eyes with his arms. Dirt pelted him whenever the statue let loose its mighty breath. Somehow, despite having a solid defense...

You are now blind. This effect will last for 10 seconds.

What in the hell? "You can't dodge it," he called to his comrades, falling back at a blind jog. As long as he could get out of the statue's range, he should be fine. Sir Thornton must be recovered by now, so Azure would count on him and Lonnell to step in and defend.

"If we stay on opposite sides of it, it shouldn't be able to get us all at once," Lonnell said. His logic seemed good to Azure.

Despite putting distance between himself and the statue, it wasn't long before Azure heard grunting and metal clanging right next to him. When his vision returned a few seconds later, Sir Thornton was straining in front of him in much the same position that Lonnell had been when he was protecting The Asshole Knight. The statue had crossed the distance to get to Azure despite its other attackers.

Lonnell was whacking it with his staff from behind. Clumps of the statue fell at his feet. It was clear that they were doing some kind of damage to it. “I think we can whittle it down,” he called, mirroring Azure's thoughts.

"It's a marathon, not a sprint," Azure added.

The statue laid off of Sir Thornton's sword, drawing its hand back up to its face. Sir Thornton slashed it across the stomach and Azure tried to dash out of the area of effect for the spell, but it was no use. A spray of dirt hit him once more.

You are now blind. This effect will last for 10 seconds.

Shouldn't it have turned to attack Lonnell? Azure thought. Perhaps this statue was more intelligent than the ones before it, learning the Adventurers' patterns and adjusting accordingly. Then again, the demon-looking statue had also managed to change its tactics when they had tried running away.

Azure didn't have time to think about it for long. The attack felt like it should have snapped his neck. There was sudden extreme pressure on his head before his face slammed into the ground.

Level 10 Statue of Finborh delivers 50 damage. You have been knocked down.

"Sorry, Azure," Lonnell called to him.

"Ugh," He groaned, peeling himself from the tile. Azure shuffled pathetically away from the sound of fighting, then shakily dug through his bag for three healing potions. It felt like a lot, but he didn't want to let his Health get down too low. Speaking of which, he was quickly running out of Potions of Minor Healing. Hopefully, this battle wouldn't take too much longer. As it was, he only had eleven left. If things kept following the same trajectory, he'd be out before they defeated all of the statues.

Azure's sight returned just in time to see Lonnell's defenses break. His friend took a hit, careening to the side. The statue raised its arms to strike Azure again, but he was able to roll out of the way before its fists slammed down.

"We need to kill this thing," Azure said with urgency, taking up his weapon to attack. When he noticed that they'd all been whittling away at different areas of the statue, another thought occurred to him. "We need to be going for the arms. Remove them, and we remove its ability to attack. Then we can all strike at the same place on the body."

"Good idea," Sir Thornton said before slamming his longsword down on the statue's right arm, cutting in a good several inches. A few more hits ought to severe it. "Hopefully, this fucker isn't ambidextrous. That spell is going to kill us all."

"I'm pretty sure he can cast it with both hands," Lonnell told them just as the statue began to raise his arm to cast the spell again.

"Run!" Azure called out, trying to find some way to avoid the spell.

Somehow, it worked. While the statue had managed to hit Sir Thornton mid-swing, both Lonnell and Azure avoided it...not that Lonnell was actually on the business end of the spell.

"I think it has a range," Azure said as he rushed in to defend Sir Thornton. The Asshole Knight had the statue's right arm about halfway cleaved off. "Lonnell, try to finish off its arm while I block," Azure ordered, using his buckler to shield himself this time while he stabbed up toward the statue's belly.

Their joint effort paid off. With two more solid hits, the right arm fell to the floor. The statue looked pissed, immediately raising its remaining hand to cast the spell again.

Unfortunately, they were all in range.

You are now blind. This effect will last for 10 seconds.

Lonnell paid the price as they all desperately tried to shuffle away until they had regained their sight again.

"This guy is an asshole," Sir Thornton complained, taking up his sword to attack the remaining arm.

"It's probably only going to get worse from here," Azure guessed, hoping he was wrong.

Instead of helping Sir Thornton cleave off the remaining arm, he worked on the statue's opposite side, hoping that they could eventually cut the statue in half. Meanwhile, Lonnell struck it from the front, digging his staff deep into the hole that Azure had made in the statue's belly.

Azure was the only one able to make it out of the way when the statue cast Dirty Move again. Instead of focusing on defense, he rounded the statue to finish the job severing its remaining arm. Relief filled him at the thought that it was no longer a threat.

"We should be good now, guys," he told his companions while they waited to regain their sight.

Thankfully, it was as they had predicted. While the statue stomped at them with fierce frustration, it could no longer cast the spell or do any damage with its arms removed. The three men made a circle around it, working on hacking the statue in half.

A few minutes later, their efforts were rewarded.

Defeated Level 10 Statue of Finborh. 90XP rewarded.

"Fucking finally!" Sir Thornton said, but there was no time to celebrate because Gaia had recovered.

Level 10 Gaia delivers 10 damage. You have been knocked down.

There seemed to be no avoiding that particular spell. The second one was dodged by both Sir Thornton and Azure, though. Maybe next time, all three of them would be able to avoid it.

Their pattern of attack worked once more, sending Gaia into retreat when she was struck in the forehead by one of Azure's arrows.

The next statue that moved had the body of a man, built up with muscles. Atop its head were horns that curled back like a ram's, and its legs ended in hooves. The only indication of which of the Gods it could be were the cracks in its skin where orange-red lava appeared to run.

"This one should cast fire spells," Lonnell informed them.

"I hate fire," Sir Thornton complained.

"I wonder how we're going to kill it," Azure said.

"Keep your guard up. Most fire spells are projectile in nature. Prepare to block." Lonnell raised his staff as if the slender piece of wood could work as a shield against a torrent of fire.

They kept on guard as the statue began to approach. Sure enough, as soon as it was within range, it cast a spell. Flames belched forth from its maw, covering the ground. Azure lifted his buckler just in time to avoid getting blasted in the face. The heat still scorched his armor.

You have been burned for 10 damage. You will take 2 additional damage every 2 seconds for the next 4 seconds.

The status effect from being burned was interesting. Every two seconds, Azure felt a sharp twinge of pain to his entire body akin to when one of his friends had accidentally dropped a lit joint in his shoe when he was a teenager. They were all so high that they'd just stared at it for a good several seconds before Azure registered the pain and went into full flail mode to get it out. Feeling the same sensation throughout his entire body, albeit for only a flash of a second, was miserable. Out of all the status effects that he'd experienced so far, this was definitely his least favorite.

In the aftermath of the spell was a floor littered with fire. There was no getting to the statue due to the lack of a path. Azure felt trapped. To the left and right of him, flames licked up to waist-level. It seemed that the only direction he could move was back, away from the statue.

Lonnell and Sir Thornton had found themselves in a similar predicament. Sir Thornton tried to press on, only to be burned again. It was a dumb move, causing him to retreat and drink a healing potion. He cursed under his breath as he glared at the statue as if his eyes could do damage to it.

Feeling like ranged attacks were their only option, Azure nocked an arrow.

"Don't waste it, fool. We still have two more of these monsters to fight after this one," Sir Thornton yelled at him.

"How do you suggest we get to it, then?" Azure asked him dryly. The statue appeared to have no intentions of moving. Clearly, it wanted them to traverse the fiery plane it had created to come to it.

"Do either of you guys have water spells?"

"Nope."

Sir Thornton turned to look at Lonnell, who shook his head. “Shit,” he seethed under his breath. “We came ill-prepared for this.”

Azure frowned at how quickly what resources they did have seemed to be dwindling. He only had twelve arrows left. Sir Thornton was right, he shouldn't waste them, but they were at a stalemate.

They stood in place for a few more moments before deciding to back off and regroup. As soon as they did, the statue moved forward. Clearly, the fire didn't affect it at all. It stopped a safe distance away, seeming content in the flames. Then it cast the spell again, and the Adventurers had to raise their weapons to block them from being scorched.

You have been burned for 10 damage. You will take 2 additional damage every 2 seconds for the next 4 seconds.

"It's not going to let us out of range," Lonnell surmised before popping open a healing potion and downing its contents.

While the spell didn't do much damage, it was annoying as hell, and it worked to keep them trapped.

"Unless you have a better idea," Azure spoke to Sir Thornton without looking at him as he drew an arrow again. This time, he heard no complaint.

The statue was an easy target considering that it had stopped moving again. Azure doubted that it would try to dodge his arrow, more than likely because it would just ricochet like the others before it had, dealing no damage to the statue. At first, he thought to shoot the statue in the head. Maybe the eye. No creature enjoyed being shot in the eye. Then again, the statue's eyes were made of stone, so how much damage could really be done?

Azure scanned the statue for weaknesses. Perhaps the cracks in its skin where the lava flowed. By the laws of nature, the lava would melt his arrows, but it was still worth a try. Finding a chink in the statue's body where its neck met its collarbone, Azure let the arrow sail. It hit its mark with a thwack, sticking deep. The statue twitched with pain, its expression pinching. Within seconds, the arrow shaft disintegrated.

"I think that actually did damage." Azure couldn't hide his surprise.

"It appears so," Lonnell agreed.

"How many arrows do you have left?" Sir Thornton asked.

"Eleven, only two of which are steel. They might work better, but I still don't think that's enough to take it down."

"Probably not." Lonnell hummed, thinking.

"Shoot it again," The Asshole Knight barked, as if he had authority over the situation.

Azure wanted to roll his eyes. Just moments ago, Sir Thornton had basically called him a moron for wanting to shoot the statue.

The thought of using a Steel Arrow sickened him a bit considering that he only had two left. If this didn't work, he'd have wasted a two-shot arrow on one hit.

"What are you waiting for?" Sir Thornton prodded him on.

Trying not to think on it much more, Azure pulled a Steel Arrow from his quiver and nocked it. This time, he looked for a spot on the statue that might break through to a vital organ―if these statues even did have vital organs.

There was a chasm in the center of the statue's chest where lava flowed most freely. A weak spot. An opening where the heart should be. Azure took aim and loosed.

Critical hit!

The statue folded in slightly, clearly in pain. As soon as it recovered, it immediately cast the fire spell again, despite the fact that the heroes hadn't moved.

You have been burned for 10 damage. You will take 2 additional damage every 2 seconds for the next 4 seconds.

"That sure pissed him off," Sir Thornton guffawed merrily.

"Yes it did," Azure mumbled, eying the statue warily, concerned that it might suddenly go on the offensive.

"At least we know how to kill it now," Lonnell said with a half-smile, playing into The Asshole Knight's amusement.

"Let's just hope I don't run out of arrows first." Though it killed him to do it, Azure drew the last of his Steel Arrows. The first had been lost due to the statue's lava melting the shaft, but it had penetrated a good bit deeper than the Bronze Arrow had. While he would waste his two best arrows, hopefully, it would save him from using too many of his Bronze Arrows. He still needed those for Gaia...if she could ever be defeated. This was starting to get tedious.

Standing like an easy target, the statue didn't bother to block as Azure shot it in the chest again. While he didn't land a critical hit this time, the result was the same. The statue cringed from pain and then immediately spit fire at them.

You have been burned for 10 damage. You will take 2 additional damage every 2 seconds for the next 4 seconds.

Seriously though, how many arrows is this going to take? Am I even doing enough damage to eventually kill it? Azure tried not to let his concerns show as he drew and nocked another arrow.

"Go for a triple bullseye," Lonnell said excitedly.

Aiming at a non-moving target was easy. Azure hit his mark, landing all three arrows right next to each other. This time, the statue doubled over, belching out molten lava onto the floor. It looked like a man bleeding from his mouth.

The fire around the Adventurers died away as the statue fell over and crumbled into a heap of lifeless stone.

Defeated Level 10 Statue of Steoper. 90XP rewarded.

"Way to go!" Lonnell praised him while instinctively turning to pay attention to Gaia, who had recovered. This far along in the battle, they all already knew what to expect.

Azure ducked to avoid the slicing wind, but he still ended up on his backside.

Level 10 Gaia delivers 10 damage. You have been knocked down.

Thank the Gods the ground wasn't on fire anymore, or they would all have been crispy critters. Though maybe the wind would have put the fire out. Who knew?

Sir Thornton drank another healing potion, then they all danced around the entity the same as they had before. After The Asshole Knight struck her across the back with his blade, she cast the hand spell again. Azure was the only one who managed to avoid it. Being ranged made it easier for him to keep a safe distance away.

Before his two comrades had even managed to get back on their feet, Azure had shot Gaia again. The more they fought her, the easier of a foe she became, it seemed.

Both Azure and Lonnell downed another healing potion before the next statue had a chance to move forward and show them its magic. Better to be safe than sorry. All three men liked to keep their Health above the 50% mark, even if it was just by a smidgeon.

The statue that presented itself next was the least humanoid of the lot. It appeared to be made of rock shards, the tops of which jutted out like stalagmites. Conversely, its elbows and backside ended in multiple small icicle-like points. The only human feature was its face, which seemed that of a wise old man with a mustache also made from icicles. In its hand was a trident, its fingers rigid and angular as they wrapped around the weapon.

As soon as it turned to face the Adventurers, it pointed its trident in their general direction, and a white substance swirled in front of the fork. Three separate bolts shot out, hitting each of the three men in the chest.

There was a cracking sound as ice shattered against bronze. A cool chill took over Azure's body, but it was gone almost as soon as it had come on. Broken fragments of ice lay at his feet as if someone had just tumped over a snowcone machine.

Level 10 Statue of Mhanuu delivers 10 damage.

Sir Thornton let out a battle cry and charged at the statue. Azure glanced over and noticed that Lonnell was frozen in place, his eyes wide as he stared forward. His entire person was covered in a light blue sheen.

"Hey," Azure called to him, but he didn't respond.

Knowing that whatever had happened was bad but not having any clue about how to fix it, Azure drew his sword and rushed in to join the melee. This particular statue seemed sprier than the ones before it. It blocked Sir Thornton's first attack with its trident. Metal clanged against stone as the two fought. Seemingly skilled in battle, the statue held its own against the two Adventurers.

With a sudden show of force, the statue pushed them both away. Azure's back hit something solid, but Sir Thornton fell to the ground. The statue pointed its trident at them again and cast its spell.

Level 10 Statue of Mhanuu delivers 10 damage. You have been frozen. You will be unable to move for the next 10 seconds.

Azure wasn't sure which was more miserable, the unbearable cold infecting every cell of his body or the stiffness in his limbs. He was frozen in a strange position where his arms were thrust out to try to regain his balance. His eyes were so dry that he couldn't even blink.

Whatever he had hit moved out of the way, and he fell hard onto his backside. If his throat could have produced an oomph sound, it would have. But nothing seemed to work except his eyes, which were now stuck looking up at the ceiling, and his ears. Having no idea what was going on was frightening, and the inability to move made it even worse. At least when he had been blinded, he could still run away, even if he didn't know where he was going.

The sound of metal and stone and wood weapons meleeing against each other played in the background. Azure twitched as the stiffness began to melt away. His arms loosened and dropped to his sides, though they still ached from the cold.

When he was finally able to raise his head, he saw Lonnell and Sir Thornton fighting the statue. It was doing well to block their attacks, though he did see a few chips in the previously smooth surface of its body.

Suddenly, just as it had done before, the statue pushed them back with a show of great force. Both Lonnell and Sir Thornton stumbled, and the statue raised its trident to cast its spell. Azure turned to run out of range, but he was still struck in the back.

Level 10 Statue of Mhanuu delivers 10 damage.

This time, it was Sir Thornton who clattered to the ground, his body fixed in an awkward position.

"He needs to heal," Lonnell mentioned as they charged the statue. The Asshole Knight's Health was just below 40%.

"We all need to heal," Azure added. "But more importantly, we need to defeat this thing."

They swung at it with all their might. Even circling it didn't seem to work. Between the two of them, they were only able to get two hits in before Sir Thornton defrosted. Trying to avoid being pushed back, Lonnell and Azure stayed on opposite sides of the statue. It swung its trident in a wide arch. Both men blocked, but the blow was too strong, and they both ended up on the floor.

Level 10 Statue of Mhanuu delivers 10 damage.

Before they had time to recover, the statue was pointing and casting its spell again. This time, Azure received two bolts of ice to his chest.

Level 10 Statue of Mhanuu delivers 20 damage. You have been frozen. You will be unable to move for the next 10 seconds.

As he fell back, he noticed that it looked like Lonnell hadn't been struck at all. At least, there was that.

On the downside, the time it took for Sir Thornton and Lonnell to drink a few healing potions was all the time the statue needed to hit Azure and The Asshole Knight with its ice spell again. This time, Sir Thornton ended up being the one frozen.

Level 10 Statue of Mhanuu delivers 10 damage.

"We need to switch places," Azure told Lonnell.

"Why?"

It probably seemed like a selfish request. Whoever was in front of the statue was getting struck by the spell. But Azure had noticed that Lonnell's staff wasn't doing as much damage to the statue as his and Sir Thornton's swords were.

"Just trust me on this," he said, popping open three more healing potions as he tried his best to skirt around the statue and switch places with Lonnell without being hit by the trident. It didn't work out so well. Using the wide arch technique again, the statue managed to scrape across Azure's cuirass, nearly making him stumble and fall.

Level 10 Statue of Mhanuu delivers 5 damage.

Only 5 damage? A glancing blow, Azure thought to himself.

Sir Thornton joined the fray again, switching tactics to focus on cleaving the statue's arm. There was no way it was going to let him get that close, though. He was stabbed in the stomach for trying. The Asshole Knight cried out in pain and stumbled backward. Lonnell immediately stepped in to take his place while Sir Thornton drank a healing potion to recover from the wound.

"I'm seeing no end to this," Lonnell said just before the statue pushed him back, cast its spell, and froze him.

Azure saw his opening when the statue began to cast. He put all of his strength into driving his blade through the statue's back, but it simply slipped off of the stone. "Fuck."

"We have to cut its arms off," Sir Thornton yelled to him.

"How's that working out for you so far?" he bit back.

Azure landed three more hits before the statue began to cast again, each making the notch in its side deeper, though the statue showed no signs of pain. Their tactic of going for the body clearly wasn't working.

This time, when the statue began to cast, Azure aimed for its head. His upward swing glided off of the smooth surface, though one of the stalagmites severed, falling to the ground and splintering into stone shards.

Congratulations! The skill: One-Handed Weapons has reached Level 8. This skill enables you to use all manner of one-handed weapons to defeat enemies. What you do with your other hand is up to you.

Congratulations! You have unlocked Critical Boost I. The odds of a one-handed weapon scoring a critical hit have increased by 10%.

The statue appeared to duck forward, but Azure couldn't really tell if it was because it was in pain or swinging around to attack him.

He went flying as the statue smashed him in the side with its trident.

Level 10 Statue of Mhanuu delivers 20 damage.

"I think you did something to it," Lonnell called to him as Azure quickly scrambled to his feet.

Unfortunately, where he had landed put all three of the Adventurers in the line of sight for the statue's spell.

Level 10 Statue of Mhanuu delivers 10 damage. You have been frozen. You will be unable to move for the next 10 seconds.

Azure was annoyed he hadn't had time to tell them he thought that breaking the statue's stalagmites was what had injured it. Relying on his companions' intellect to figure it out proved to be fruitless. They simply whacked at the statue with their weapons until Azure defrosted, Sir Thornton still trying to get to its arm while Lonnell did almost no damage swinging his staff into its stony side.

"The head," Azure yelled before the statue could cast again. "Go for the""

Level 10 Statue of Mhanuu delivers 20 damage. You have been frozen. You will be unable to move for the next 10 seconds.

Damn it!

As soon as he thawed, Azure tried to skirt back around the statue again. "Get to the front," he barked at Lonnell.

Thankfully, his friend listened, and it paid off. When the statue went to cast, Azure took the opportunity, putting all of his strength into a high swing that cleaved off the majority of the statue's stalagmites. Infuriated and in pain, it turned to attack, landing the blow. Azure went flying once more, but at least his companions had seen what he had done this time.

Level 10 Statue of Mhanuu delivers 20 damage.

"Don't drink potions, just kill it," he called out to his companions as he noticed them both giving pause to refill their Health. "It's almost dead," Azure added, but so were they"not to mention they were all suffering from loss of Stamina. This battle had taken a lot out of them.

Sir Thornton ignored him, downing another healing potion. They were so disorganized that it was frustrating. If anyone needed to be listening, it was him. Lonnell's only use in this fight was as a decoy.

The statue cast again, freezing The Asshole Knight this time, though it didn't really matter so much anymore. As long as there was a sword wielder on the opposite side of the statue, this fight was as good as done.

Level 10 Statue of Mhanuu delivers 10 damage.

"Stay on this side," Azure told Lonnell as he rounded the statue again. Its eyes followed him. Thankfully, when it began to turn to attack, Lonnell came in from the front to distract it.

Azure felt weak. With only 25% of his Health remaining, he desperately needed a healing potion. But finishing this battle was far more important.

Sir Thornton rejoined the fray, this time working as a frontal diversion. The statue pushed both he and Lonnell back, and when it raised its trident to cast its spell again, Azure delivered the finishing blow. Shards of stone flew across the room. The statue doubled over, dropping its trident to grab the top of its head where the stalagmites had been severed. It crumpled to its knees, and Sir Thornton cleaved it in half with a triumphant shout that echoed throughout the chamber.

Defeated Level 10 Statue of Mhanuu. 90XP rewarded.

Congratulations! You are now Level 9! Your base stats have been boosted. You have earned 3 points to assign to your characteristics. Please note that adding points to some characteristics(Vitality, Intelligence, and Strength) will further boost your base stats. You may also advance any 1 skill of your choosing by 1 level.

"Five down, one left to go," Sir Thornton said haughtily.

Azure didn't make time for bravado or focusing on his new level. He hit the deck, hoping to avoid Gaia's slicing wind spell, and it miraculously worked. Meanwhile, his two comrades ended up on their backs.

It took a bit longer to defeat Gaia this time around thanks to them all needing to heal up. Azure gulped down two Potions of Minor Healing. He thought about drinking one of his Potions of Minor Stamina but then decided against it. Surely, he could press on until they defeated this last statue.

Sheer lack of energy and focus made him unable to dodge the hand spell. It slammed him to the ground, and a part of him didn't want to get up, though he forced himself anyway.

Level 10 Gaia delivers 20 damage. You have been knocked down.

But Gaia was slowing down as well, which made her an easy target for his arrow. It appeared that shooting the stone in the center of her forehead did nothing. If destroying this statue didn't finish her off, Azure decided that he'd aim somewhere else next time.

"Shit balls," Azure grumbled as he popped another healing potion while they waited for the last statue to approach them.

Though the statue didn't move, the floor began to change. The men's eyes fell as the ground beneath them turned into a series of 3x3 foot colored tiles. The only places on the floor that weren't colored were the tiles that they already stood on.

"What's going on?" Sir Thornton mumbled.

The statue still didn't move. It merely stood there the same as it had all this time. Clearly a woman, the statue was completely naked, her long hair flowing up in a swirl as if carried by the wind. Her arms were outstretched, her breasts full. In the center of her stomach was the shadow of a baby curled in the fetal position. There was nothing menacing about the statue at all. She was simply serene, a soft smile playing on her face as she stood with her head bowed, seeming to be looking at the baby.

The Asshole Knight turned to Gaia. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"Another puzzle?" Lonnell's eyes roved over the tiles on the floor. They were the same colors as the stones on the walls and door.

Stooped over recovering, Gaia said nothing.

"Maybe you should shoot her," Sir Thornton suggested.

The idea of shooting the statue seemed wrong somehow, but what else did they have to go off of. "I don't see any weaknesses," Azure commented, wanting to conserve his last remaining eight arrows.

"Aim for the baby," Sir Thornton said unabashedly.

"I think we should wait to see if the statue does anything first," he hesitated.

"Let me try this first." Lonnell dug into his bag and pulled out a small item"what appeared to be an herb. He tossed it on a tile some six feet away. Nothing happened. "I thought they might be traps," he confessed.

"I'm still not convinced." Azure stared down at the brown tile directly in front of him.

"There's only one way for us to find out," Sir Thornton said what they were all thinking. "One of us is going to have to move. It should be you, Azure, since you have the highest Health out of all of us."

"I think it should be whoever has the most healing potions left," he countered. "I have five."

"I only have three, and though it pains me to say it, I'm the weakest here, so it definitely won't be me."

"I'll go," Lonnell spoke up, seemingly unwilling to disclose how many healing potions he had left. Azure could only guess that it was enough to get him through the rest of the dungeon. Lonnell was pretty good about keeping on top of his supplies.

"Hold up real quick," Azure said. "I leveled a little while ago. Let me assign my characteristic points and level my skill before we proceed. We never know what might happen when you step on one of those tiles."

Both of Azure's companions nodded, and he thought to bring up his character sheet, wanting to make quick decisions in case something unexpected happened.

Name: Azure

Race: Human

Level: 9, 5% of the way to next level

Health: 91 / 230

Mana: 220 / 220 (240)

Stamina: 125 / 260 (280)

Vitality: 14

Intelligence: 13 (2)

Strength: 17 (2)

Agility: 13

Dexterity: 12

Charisma: 10

Luck: 12

Skills: Archery Lvl 4; 33% of the way to next level

Stealth Lvl 3; 60% of the way to next level

Analyze Lvl 8; 18% of the way to next level

Cooking Lvl 5; 52% of the way to next level

Alchemy Lvl 3; 83% of the way to next level

Foraging Lvl 7; 90% of the way to next level

One-Handed Weapons Lvl 8; 4% of the way to next level

Tracking Lvl 1; 80% of the way to next level

Two-Handed Weapons Lvl 5; 0% of the way to next level

Fishing Lvl 1; 60% of the way to next level

Drinking Lvl 1; 20% of the way to next level

Languages: Common Tongue, Sprite, Goblin-Tongue

Adventurer Rank: E

Considering how low he was running on healing potions, Azure put all three characteristic points into beefing up his Vitality, effectively raising his Health by 30 points. It may feel like a waste later, but for now, he needed the Health boost.

The harder decision was choosing between leveling his Archery or One-Handed Weapons skill. While he felt that leveling Archery would be more beneficial in this particular dungeon, it would take much longer to naturally level his One-Handed Weapons skill from 8 to 9 than it would his Archery skill from 4 to 5. Though it partially pained him to do it, at the end of the day, it just made more sense from a time-saving standpoint to spend the level on his One-Handed Weapons skill.

Congratulations! The skill: One-Handed Weapons has reached Level 9. This skill enables you to use all manner of one-handed weapons to defeat enemies. What you do with your other hand is up to you.

"Done," Azure said as he closed his character sheet, praying that he wasn't going to regret not leveling his Archery skill instead. Turning his focus back to the battle, he asked, "Where are we even supposed to go?"

Lonnell cast his gaze across the expanse of tiles to the statue. "That is the statue of Dyasitet, Goddess of Life. I could be wrong, but I think we're meant to reach her."

"Any input would be nice," Sir Thornton called back to Gaia.

Azure wasn't sure if she was blatantly ignoring them or if she just couldn't hear inside of her protective barrier. Whatever the case, she didn't even acknowledge that Sir Thornton was speaking to her, seeming frozen in her hunched over weak state breathing heavily while she regained her strength.

A white tile was directly in front of Lonnell. He held his breath and lifted a foot to place it on top of the tile. If not for the serious situation, Azure might have laughed at his pinched expression. He was squinting, pre-cringing for whatever fate may befall him if it was a trap.

His foot went down. Nothing happened. A sigh of relief passed through his lips. "Maybe it's not a puzzle after all."

"That doesn't make much sense," Azure said, still feeling apprehensive.

Lonnell walked around on the tile a few paces, though he didn't cross over to the next. "Nothing happened."

"Maybe it's just meant to trick us." Sir Thornton shrugged. With confidence in his step, he moved forward, crossing over to the red tile in front of him. As soon as both feet were down on the tile, a torrent of fire shot up from it. He screamed in pain, falling back, his Health bar dropping.

"Definitely a trap," Azure reiterated the now obvious.

"There has to be some order to which we're supposed to proceed." Lonnell looked around at the floor in thought.

"Another puzzle," Azure agreed with distaste.

"Maybe it's the stones on the walls in here this time." Lonnell's eyes danced over the walls.

"Maybe we can only step on the white ones because those are her color," he guessed.

"Again, there's only one way to find out." Lonnell seemed hopeful but also uncertain. "Should I go again?" The next white tile was directly to his left, which took him a step further from the statue.

"You're in a better position to try than we are," Azure urged him on.

Taking a deep breath, Lonnell stepped to the left this time. A bolt of light shot down from the ceiling, blinding them. The deafening crack was almost as bad. Lonnell's Health dipped, and when they were finally able to blink away the white light stuck in their vision, they saw that he was frozen in place.

"Well, that didn't work." Azure turned his attention to the walls again. Thankfully, the tiles seemed to only affect whoever stepped on them. They also transformed back into stone after they had been activated, rendering them unable to hurt the heroes a second time.

"Gods, damn it!" Lonnell cursed when he was able to move again. "That hurt!"

"The fire wasn't particularly pleasant either," Sir Thornton grumbled.

"You're up next." Lonnell gestured to Azure. "I know we said I should do it because I have more healing potions, but I'll give you one to avoid that pain again." He shook out his limbs.

"Hm. Where to step next." Azure focused on the three tiles directly in front of him. Even at the risk of injury, moving closer to the statue seemed like a smarter move. There were twenty tiles between him and the statue if he just went in a straight line. Twenty chances of injury. How many Potions of Minor Healing would that cost him?

No. He pushed the thought away. Acting carelessly wasn't a smart idea. They really needed to figure out this puzzle.

He was definitely going to choose one of the colors on the wall. From where they had entered the chamber, the colors were in the following order: white, black, green, red, and blue. Yet the brown lights were missing. There were, however, brown tiles on the floor, which made Azure doubt his assumption. Still, Lonnell had first stepped on a white tile, and nothing had happened to him. That meant there was a pretty good chance that stepping on a black tile next would yield the same result. They all now knew that stepping on another white tile wasn't the answer. Unfortunately, the black tile that he wanted to step on was behind, not in front of him.

"I think the next tile is a black tile," he told his comrades, looking at the placement of the tiles around them.

The black tile closest to Lonnell also took him further away from the statue, but the next tile directly in front of Sir Thornton was black. Having all observed this, Sir Thornton did not appear pleased.

"How sure are you?" he asked, his voice all seriousness.

"About fifty percent," Azure confessed. Since they were all working on the puzzle together, it didn't hurt to disclose his thoughts. "I believe the tiles follow the pattern on the walls in here. Lonnell stepped on a white tile first and nothing happened, which lends credit to my theory. Following that logic, the next tile would be black."

"But there are brown tiles on the floor and none on the walls. Where do those come in?" Lonnell gave voice to what both he and Sir Thornton were thinking.

"I haven't figured that out yet. Whatever the case, Sir Thornton is the only one with a black tile in front of him, so he's the only one who can test my theory while also getting closer to the statue. I think the best thing we can do is move forward and not back."

"That's easy for you to say," The Asshole Knight mumbled. "You haven't been blasted yet."

"Well, we're not going to get anywhere just standing here," Lonnell said in frustration, trying to spur him on.

Sir Thornton sighed, closed his eyes, and stepped forward. The black tile beneath his feet faded into stone. A relieved chuckle passed his lips. "It looks like there might be something to your idea after all."

"That means the next tile would be green," Azure said, and they all looked down to see who had a green tile in front of them. Lonnell had a green tile in the upper righthand corner, which would bring him back closer to the statue. The green tile nearest to Azure was behind him.

"Looks like I'm up," Lonnell said before stepping up and to the right.

There was a sound of angels singing in the distance. All three men looked up to see a yellow halo forming around the Statue of Dyasitet's head. Light shot forth from it at the Adventurers. Azure's stomach clenched, but he felt only the slightest sting of pain, an ache in his core much like a muscle spasm.

Level 10 Statue of Dyasitet delivers 4 damage.

Only 4 damage? That was an odd number, and not so bad.

"Hey. I just healed a little," Sir Thornton said. "Thanks for whatever that was."

"I took damage, but not much," Azure informed them.

"It looks like I healed for a point, too," Lonnell added. "Look at our Health bars. They're all equal. I think she took our remaining Health and redistributed it evenly."

"Nice observation," Azure complimented him. That was, in fact, how it seemed. "Whatever the case, if you were supposed to have stepped on that tile, I doubt anything would have happened."

"No, but if that is the case, I see an easy workaround to this puzzle." Lonnell smiled. "If she redistributes our Health every time we step on a green tile, then all we need to do is step on the green tiles to get to her."

"I doubt that's how this puzzle is supposed to work," Sir Thornton muttered.

"It's worth trying."

"But not all of us have a green tile in front of us," he pointed out.

"No. But I don't think we all need to make it to the statue. You and I are closest." Lonnell looked at Sir Thornton. "I don't mind trying to jump from green tile to green tile until we get to her. There's a green tile right in front of her anyway." He nodded toward the Statue of Dyasitet.

"I'm fine with this plan." As long as I don't have to risk taking any damage, Azure thought.

Sir Thornton grunted in agreement, though he seemed less sure that the plan would work.

The next green tile was a section away from Lonnell. He jumped for it, landing with ease. Song filled the chamber. The halo formed. Light shot forth, and Azure felt the familiar clenching in his stomach, but he lost no Health. Lonnell had been right.

Sir Thornton and Azure waited patiently for Lonnell to complete/cheat the puzzle, hoping that no harm would befall him when he actually reached the statue. There was a good distance between him and the other Adventurers, so if he was wrong, it could have dire consequences.

"One more," he said as he eyed the last green tile in front of the Statue of Dyasitet.

"Keep your guard up," Sir Thornton told him, as if the warning was needed.

I hope we can get to him if something goes wrong. The thought was there, but Azure didn't want to give voice to it and make Lonnell hesitate. Sweat dotted Lonnell's brow, and Azure doubted it was from the heat.

"Well, here it goes," he said before taking a final leap of faith, landing right in front of the statue.

It dwarfed him, standing regal and tall. Just as it had done before, the choir sang their one long note and the golden halo began to form. This time, light shot out at all sides, filling the room with a blinding radiance. Against his better judgment, Azure shielded his eyes. This could be a moment of life or death for Lonnell, but the statue was too bright to bear.

The light faded almost as quickly as it had come. When Azure turned back toward the statue, he noticed that none of the colored tiles remained"that the floor had returned to normal. All of the statues they had defeated before were repaired and back in place. Lonnell was standing with his palm pressed against the Statue of Dyasitet's stomach. At what point he had placed it there, Azure didn't know.

"Did we beat it?" Sir Thornton asked only moments before they were all cast to the ground by an unexpected blow from behind. How they had forgotten about Gaia was a mystery at this point.

Level 10 Gaia delivers 10 damage. You have been knocked down.

"This better be it," Sir Thornton growled, forgetting their previous victory.

Azure couldn't blame him. Enough was enough.

Desperate to defeat the entity that had been nothing but a pain in the ass since its first attack, none of the Adventurers avoided her hand spell.

Level 10 Gaia delivers 20 damage. You have been knocked down.

As soon as they were back on their feet though, they were surrounding her again, working their formation to finally vanquish Gaia.

Azure aimed for her chest but ended up hitting her in the breast when she moved to dodge a swing from Sir Thornton's sword. Embarrassment flushed through him. He muttered an apology as Gaia crumpled to the ground. This time, no protective barrier went up. Ruthlessly, Sir Thornton took advantage of the situation, swinging his sword downward for a dismembering blow. The second his blade struck Gaia's neck, she disappeared in an explosion of white light.

Defeated Level 10 Gaia. 100XP rewarded.

"Well done," a disembodied voice said. "You have earned the right to my staff. Use it wisely, for it can only be used once."

With that, there was a faint sound of metal creaking as the puzzle door began to open ever so slowly to reveal the treasure inside.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

THE REALM – Day 56

The three Adventurers stood in awe. Azure would have waited for the door to finish opening, but Sir Thornton didn't have such patience. Like a man who had seen this dozens or even hundreds of times before, he came forward, entering the room and leaving Lonnell and Azure no choice but to trail behind him.

For the rare gift that it held, the chamber beyond the puzzle door was nothing spectacular besides its massive size. The floors were made of stone. Adorning the walls were sconces with torches. Atop a stone pedestal in the middle of the room was its highlight, a long, intricately carved white wooden box.

"Let's get this done and get out of here," Sir Thornton muttered, clearly sick of the dungeon.

Azure was admittedly looking forward to seeing blue skies again as well. It seemed like every time he stepped into a dungeon, it felt like a lifetime before he reemerged to the surface. There was something draining about it on a psychological level―something that went beyond what a spell could to do to him.

They were mere feet away from the box when a puff of black smoke behind the pedestal brought with it a new threat. At least, Azure thought it was a new threat until he recognized the creature's face. It was Velte, and she looked nothing like before.

The Death Eater's simple white dress had been replaced with a black garment that crawled across her body like vines, barely covering her most intimate parts. It was so tight that it looked almost fused to her skin, which had taken on a deep blue hue. Boots of black leather went all the way up to her knees, the only spec of human clothing that she adorned. Black ram's horns curled out from her disheveled hair. The entirety of her eyes matched the color of her horns, making her seem demonic. Large hairless wings sprung from her back, the undersides a soft shade of pink with thick veins running through them. As they curved in toward her body, Azure could see that the backs were black.

This is not going to be good, he thought as he quickly popped open a healing potion and drank its contents.

"Begone, harpy!" Sir Thornton shouted as he pulled his sword from its scabbard.

Azure gave him a queer look. Did he really think that was going to work?

"Did you miss me, boys?" She blew them a kiss. "Thanks for getting the staff for me."

When she reached for the box, Sir Thornton began to charge. Lonnell ran for her as well, and Azure unshouldered his bow.

Velte pouted but didn't seem the least bit intimidated by the incoming heroes. And why should she be? When Azure Analyzed her, she now showed as orange―hard to kill.

With a wicked smirk, she threw her arms out in front of her, making her hands into claws as she raised them toward the ceiling. When she did, three skeletal warriors, all armed with a short sword and buckler, popped up from the ground, effectively blocking Sir Thornton and Lonnell's path.

Immediately, the two of them engaged in a melee with the skeletons. All three warriors Analyzed as purple―an even match―which was some relief. Azure nocked an arrow and prepared to draw. Velte immediately refocused her attention.

"Don't worry. I didn't forget about you, hero." She winked at him as she pulled her hands in close to her chest. A ball of dark energy formed between them in a matter of seconds. As soon as it was about the size of a softball, she hurled it at Azure.

He turned to the side to dodge, the ball of magic barely missing. When he pivoted back around, he drew and loosed. Velte's wings made her hard to miss. She jumped to the side, but Azure's arrow sliced through one of her wings. A shrill whimper escaped her lips, and she scowled at him.

"You're not being nice at all. What happened to that sweet boy from earlier?"

"You're kind of trying to fuck him over right now," Azure told her as he pulled another arrow from his quiver.

She attacked again. This time he wasn't quick enough and ended up taking a hit to his left shoulder.

Level 12 Death Eater delivers 40 damage.

It felt like a thousand tiny bubbles were dissolving his flesh. What was worse was the large drop in his Health and the feeling of weakness that came with it. Whatever the spell was, it did a lot of damage. Avoiding it was best since he only had four healing potions left.

Part of Azure was glad that he had Velte's attention, but his friends didn't seem to be faring much better against the skeletons. One was missing its right arm from an attack that Azure hadn't seen. Apparently ambidextrous, it had switched its short sword to its left hand, abandoning its buckler to the floor. The other two skeletons were still fighting strong as well.

Momentarily stunned by the pain in his shoulder, Azure didn't have time to recover before Velte began casting another spell. This one, however, was not directed at him. She wove her hands together in a quick succession of gestures, and three white circles appeared below where Lonnell and Sir Thornton were fighting the skeletons. They pulsated on the ground for several seconds before a purple gas erupted upward from them. Sir Thornton and Lonnell coughed, and Azure watched as their Health bars both dropped by ten percent.

Trying not to panic over their dire situation, Azure took a deep breath while he nocked another arrow. His shoulder screamed in agony. Popping a healing potion while she had been distracted casting that spell probably would have been smart, but it was too late now. Fighting through the pain, he took aim. Velte began to cast again.

Pretending like he was aiming for a headshot, Azure tilted his bow down just a notch before letting the arrow sail. She thrust out at the same time, dodging at the last minute but unable to avoid the incoming projectile as it sliced through her side. Azure crouched and weaved away from the ball of magic, thanking the Gods that it had missed him.

Velte cried out, and he took advantage of her momentary distraction to hurriedly down a healing potion. With only three potions left, the situation was looking desperate. A quick glance to the side showed that Lonnell and Sir Thornton had managed to dispatch of the maimed skeleton. The other two were still wholly intact and fighting strong, though.

We may not survive this, Azure realized, then quickly brushed the thought away. There was no time for being depressed or scared. Velte had already pulled the arrow from her side and was casting her next spell.

I need to get closer. With only five arrows left, it wouldn't be long before he'd have to switch to his Bronze Sword. If Azure waited until the last minute, he'd be at a disadvantage. But getting closer meant it would be more difficult to dodge Velte's ranged attacks.

I have the buckler. I should stop wasting arrows and work on getting closer now. She's a ranged attacker, so I'll more than likely have better luck with my sword.

Concentrate. Don't get distracted. Prioritize dodging.

Azure waited for Velte to fire her next attack at him, focusing on avoiding it. He drew an arrow and countered one last time before switching weapons, though he missed when she turned to the side. Velte saw him struggle to rearrange his equipment and took advantage of the situation. By the time Azure had his buckler on one arm and sword in the other hand, a ball of dark energy was airborne in his direction. Luckily, survival instincts kicked in and he was able to raise his buckler just before being hit in the head. The magic seemed to have weight to it, pushing him back. Azure also heard the sound of sizzling where the spell had hit.

Now on the defense, he kept his buckler raised as he came forward, watching for her next attack. Velte smiled at him as if he were an idiot, weaving her fingers into the spell that cast white circles onto the ground. Before Azure could get out of range, purple gas flew up into his face, filling his nostrils. It smelled like corpses and fresh-tilled earth, crawling down his nasal cavity into his mouth. The gas seemed to solidify there, making him feel heavy as if it was trying to pull him into the ground with the dead.

You have succumbed to fog of death. You will lose 10% of your max health over the next 5 seconds.

Azure choked but kept moving forward. Success depended on him reaching her. His comrades were fighting their own battle. He couldn't let anything distract him. As long as he kept Velte occupied, they might still have a chance of winning.

Velte blasted his buckler one more time before Azure was able to reach her. He had been wrong to expect that she'd be completely defenseless once in close range. She pulled a dagger from some magical pocket between her breasts, seeming to will it into existence. True to her words, she knew how to use it, jumping back and blocking when he took his first swing at her.

"I can't keep this up much longer," Azure heard Sir Thornton say from somewhere to his right. The Asshole Knight's Health was dangerously low.

"Just hang on. I'll give you a healing potion," Lonnell told him.

Azure wanted to glance back and see what was going on, but he knew better. Velte was looking past him, clearly distracted by the discussion.

"Eyes over here!" he teased as he swung his sword at an arch, faking her out.

Velte's attention wasn't deterred. At first, Azure thought that was to his advantage. While he had held his sword up high, he'd swung down low, but the Death Eater had her own secret move planned. She spun around, hitting Azure with her wings and knocking him back, but not before his blade had managed to slice a good few inches into her leg.

Velte cried out, falling down to one knee. She brought her hands up to her chest, preparing to cast. Azure raised his buckler to dodge, but the spell shot past him.

"Gah!" came the harrowing scream. And just like that, Sir Thornton's name dropped from Azure's vision.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

THE REALM – Day 56

A momentary distraction. That was all it took. Thinking they knew what was going on, but not really knowing at all. Giving voice to words that left them vulnerable.

It was pretty obvious what had happened, but they had no time to react or mourn. Lonnell was now battling the last of the skeletal warriors one on one. He had struck the killing blow to the second one just as Velte had hit Sir Thornton with her dark magic spell. A death and a death, evening the score.

Azure's heart clenched in his chest, but only for a moment. He made the mistake of turning to look as soon as Sir Thornton's stats had disappeared from his peripheral vision, and Velte used the distraction to break past his defenses, hitting him at close range with another dark magic ball and pushing him back. He tripped over his own feet and landed hard on his ass.

Critical hit! Level 12 Death Eater delivers 50 damage.

It was a stupid error, but how could he have not looked. Death of a comrade was still such a surreal thing. Azure thought that Uden's demise would have prepared him for it, but it hadn't.

His attention was wrenched back to his current foe, and the fear of death welled up within him. Velte pounced on Azure, blade drawn. With only 31 Health points left, it wouldn't be long before he joined Sir Thornton. Considering how much damage the Death Eater did, one good stab of her dagger should put an end to him.

He drew his leg up and kicked Velte in the stomach just as she was about to plunge her dagger into the center of his chest where her dark magic ball had eaten away his armor. The kick deflected her, causing the Death Eater to stumble back. Azure desperately shoved his hand into his bag to reach for healing potions, pulling out two, ripping out the corks with his teeth and pouring the contents into his mouth. His hands were trembling, and he didn't have time to get it all down before Velte was on him again. She stood over him with a wicked grin, charging up another dark ball of energy between her hands before thrusting it at him. Azure rolled to the side to dodge, dropping what was left in the vials, the contents running down his cheeks and into his hair, healing him for only about one potion's worth. A waste, he thought, mourning the loss of the potions more than Sir Thornton.

When he felt a sharp pain in his back, hope drained out with his blood.

Level 12 Death Eater delivers 40 damage.

Azure only had 8% of his Health left. He was so weak that even adrenaline wasn't giving him the strength to throw the winged creature off of him. She had the advantage, straddling his ass. The heavy armor he donned was weighing him down. How she'd had the brawn to stab through it, he'd never know.

A pained hiss left Azure's lips as Velte drew the dagger out of his back. He choked, his eyes scanning across the floor to where Sir Thornton's body lay next to a heap of bones. This was it. He was done.

As if sensing his surrender, Velte grabbed Azure by the hair, pulling his head back. He saw the glint of her blade in his peripheral vision. The crimson of his blood freshly clinging to it was eerily beautiful.

This is going to hurt, he thought, a tear slipping from the corner of one eye from the raw emotion of having given up.

There was a sick slicing sound and a scream of pain. Azure's face hit the floor, and heaviness fell on him. Slender arms were outstretched in front of him, the dagger in one hand. He couldn't move.

A jolt to his body and there was sudden weightlessness. Velte groaned next to him, turning to get up. Lonnell's voice roared in anger, and then metal ground against stone. The Death Eater's eyes went wide, and black blood gurgled forth from her mouth. Then she stilled.

Azure stared at her, and she stared back until she began to disintegrate much like Uden had when he had died.

Defeated Level 12 Death Eater. 108XP rewarded.

"Are you all right?" Lonnell's voice was a distant echo. He fell to his knees next to Azure, turning him over.

"Is it over?" Azure asked, his hand already moving to his bag for his last remaining Portion of Minor Healing.

"Yes. We won." Lonnell offered him a soft smile. "It was," he inhaled deeply, "incredibly close, but we won."

Azure poured the cool red liquid into his mouth, only feeling marginally better from its healing properties. He let the empty vial slip from his hand, rolling across the floor, and his head fell in the direction where Sir Thornton laid. “It was too close. This was a bad idea.”

Lonnell hummed in thought. “We didn't die. It worked out in the end.”

"We didn't die." Azure pointed between them. "He, most certainly, is no longer alive." He gestured to Sir Thornton.

Lonnell's voice took on a serious tone. “It's a noble death to die for your lord.”

"Well, it would not have been noble for me." Azure sat up finally. "I have no lord. Nor do I want one. Nor would I want to die for one's quest. We are not taking any more Very Hard quests. At least, I'm not. The last one killed Uden, and you just saw how this one played out."

"You may rethink that when we trade in our loot." Lonnell smirked at him.

"I won't. You weren't the one who almost died. But speaking of loot." Azure pulled himself off the floor and walked over to the box. Lonnell joined him.

For several seconds, they simply stood there looking at the box in awe of what lay inside.

"You should open it. This was your quest." Azure stepped aside to allow his friend to do the honors.

Lonnell unclasped the silver locking mechanism and slowly lifted the lid of the box. The staff lay upon a bed of red crushed velvet. It was long and smooth, appearing to be made of some type of polished white wood that was softly tapered. A round notch at the wider end housed the blue diamond that had once adorned Gaia's forehead. The gem was not solid, though. Whirls of white spun through it, as if it were filled with life essence trying to find a new home but trapped inside of the stone.

"It is exquisite," Lonnell said what they were both thinking before hesitantly reaching down to lift the staff from the box. Just before his hands touched it, he recoiled and closed the lid.

"I bet this thing is worth a fortune." Azure's greed swelled. He didn't have to examine the staff's stats to know that it was a one-of-a-kind item.

"We're not selling it," Lonnell sharply cut through his thoughts.

"I hadn't assumed we were," Azure replied. Their quest wouldn't be complete until they turned the staff in. He inhaled deeply, happy that the whole ordeal was almost over. "Well, I guess we should load this thing up and get out of here. The sooner we return to Squall's End and claim our reward, the sooner we can take a much-needed rest. Well, I can, at least. I don't care what you do, but I want a day off." He walked over to Velte and knelt to loot her body. "I wonder if anything on her is valuable besides her weapon."

You have received the following item:

Black Dagger

Attack: +1-10

Type: One-Handed Weapon

Durability: 17/20

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0.4 kg

Very nice, Azure thought. The stats of this dagger were way better than his Starter Dagger. It was a no brainer to switch the two weapons out.

"I'm not going to turn the staff in," Lonnell said abruptly.

"What do you mean?" Azure gave him a queer look.

"Sir Thornton is dead." Lonnell's eyes moved over to the deceased knight. "No one has to know we actually got the staff."

Azure quirked an eyebrow. “They'll know when we leave the dungeon and it disappears.”

Lonnell chewed on that thought for a moment. “If no one is outside when we leave, then no one has to know. We can report in that he died and we weren't able to recover the staff due to being underpowered.”

Azure didn't like where this was going. “And then forfeit our reward. After I almost died!”

"I'm not giving up the staff, Azure," Lonnell insisted as he shoved the box into his Bag of Holding.

"Then what was the point of all of this?" Azure stood and threw his hands up in exasperation.

"I'm going to take the staff back to Crescent Island and use it to revive Uden. I know that seems selfish. The staff only has one charge. And Uden has done a lot of bad things, but―”

Azure held his palm up to silence his friend. “You don't need to say anything more. I am on board with this plan.”

Lonnell's shoulders dropped from released tension, and he sighed. “Good, because it wasn't optional.”

Azure laughed and shook his head. “Look at you getting all bossy.”

Lonnell didn't get the joke. “This is important to me.”

Azure walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “It is important to both of us, brother. If it works, then the quest was well worth the sacrifice.”

I might have just traded one asshole for another, Azure thought with a smirk as he stared down at Sir Thornton's lifeless body. Then a thought occurred to him. "So, which one of us gets his armor? That is some sweet ass armor."

"If we're going to play out this lie fully, we should turn his armor in to The Adventurers Guild as a show of faith. Maybe they'll even still give us part of the reward for trying," Lonnell said, sounding hopeful.

Azure sulked. “Doubtful.”

"Regardless, it would look awfully suspicious if we canceled the quest yet one of us was walking around wearing his armor. People might even think that we killed him."

It was fairly sound logic. Still, Azure couldn't help but be a bit disappointed. “Are we going to turn in the armor we've been wearing, too?”

"No. I think it's okay for us to keep this. Sir Thornton has no use for it now."

He doesn't have any use for his armor or sword either, Azure wanted to say, but he understood Lonnell's reasoning.

"Well, I suppose we should finish looting everything and get out of here." He stared down at the skeletal warriors. Technically, his looting was done. Having no part in dispatching of the skeletons, he didn't feel deserving of that loot. Instead, he went to strip Sir Thornton, laying the items at his side so that Lonnell could carry them since his inventory was full.

"You know, technically the Death Eater kill goes to me," Lonnell said as he knelt to loot the first skeletal warrior.

"Oi. Fair is fair, bro. You guys would have been dead long ago if I hadn't kept her distracted. And I did gain XP from the kill." Azure was not about to give up the Black Dagger.

"You would have been dead if I hadn't saved you at the last minute," Lonnell reminded him.

"Are you being serious right now?" Azure gave Lonnell a dry look. When he saw his friend smirking, he relaxed. Lonnell was just giving him a hard time. Why did he always sound so serious, though?

Azure waited for Lonnell to finish looting the skeletons. When Lonnell placed the last buckler in his Bag of Holding, there was a strange sound of stones shifting as a door appeared in the wall at the back of the room―their way out of the dungeon and back to the surface.

"So, what do we do if there are people out there when we leave?" Azure asked as they walked toward the door.

"Hopefully there won't be."

"But what if there are?" He glanced at Lonnell for an answer.

"Let's just hope there's not." There was a darkness to his tone that suggested it would not be good for anyone who stood in his way.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

THE REALM – Day 56

The Gods were kind enough to leave the exit of the dungeon without onlookers. Azure half-suspected that they might have had to kill someone if they couldn't have lied their way out of things.

The Adventurers Guild was none too pleased when they turned in Sir Thornton's armor and canceled the quest. Despite Lonnell trying to reason with them about the difficulty of the quest, he earned his first strike. Azure, on the other hand, did not earn a strike since it was not his quest, of which he was relieved. Lonnell put on a good face about being upset until they were outside of The Adventurers Guild standing in front of a merchant to sell their loot. It pained Azure a bit that they hadn't received a reward. He had deeply desired the Medium Bag. Having Lonnell cart around the majority of his loot was annoying. Without his friend by his side to work as a pack mule, Azure wasn't sure what he would do the next time he entered a dungeon and ran out of space in his inventory. The thought of having to leave anything behind when money was so hard to come by in The Realm was highly unpleasant.

Jealousy snaked through Azure when Lonnell's share of the loot netted him forty-two gold, seven silver, and six copper. It was an insane amount. Way more than Azure had ever expected either of them to be able to make, even combined.

Once Lonnell had collected his coin, he placed Azure's loot on the cart for the merchant to tally up. Azure did the same, holding his breath as the merchant began to examine each item. The Scriptures of Dyasitet was the first item that the merchant looked at, offering him one copper.

Just my luck. I bet most of my stuff is worthless, Azure thought dryly, and for the most part, he was right. Two of his items made up the difference, though. The Enlivened Sandals sold for eight gold. But the most expensive loot he had, by far, was the Cultist Necklace, which went for a whopping thirty-six gold.

Azure held back tears of joy as he looked at the stack of coins on the merchant's cart, all of which were for him. An unbelievable sum of forty-six gold, five silver, and six copper.

"We're no longer poor," he told Lonnell, feeling an excitement welling within him that he hadn't experienced in a very long time.

"Still upset that we didn't get the reward?" Lonnell jabbed him in the side with his elbow.

Azure simply shook his head, the words caught in his throat.

What was better than earning the money though was spending it. The very first purchase Azure made was the Small Bag of Holding he'd had his eye on for the longest time. Even though it came with a hefty price tag of twenty-five gold coins, he now wouldn't have to worry so much about his inventory slots.

You have received the following item:

Small Bag of Holding

Inventory Slots: 100

Weight Capacity: 113.4 kg

Item Class: Uncommon

Quality: Average

Weight: 6.8 kg

His old bag was soulbound, so he couldn't sell it, but that didn't matter.

Next, he filled his quiver with steel arrows. Each one added +16 attack and could be used twice. Fifty of them cost seven gold.

His final purchase was a mix of alchemy components and vials to create Potions of Minor Healing, since it was waaay cheaper to make them than to buy them. Everything in total to create twenty potions cost one gold.

While Azure was tempted to upgrade his weapons and armor, he decided to wait. He still had magic school to pay for, and he doubted that he'd be fighting many monsters while he attended. Plus, he needed to save eight gold back to pay rent at the inn, since he no longer wished to share a room with Lonnell.

With their business concluded, the two men headed to the tavern for celebratory drinks. Knowing he was going to take the next day off, Azure downed three Pints of Beer in quick succession before tapping out. Lonnell kept up and drank an extra beer, and they helped each other back up to their room, swaying and slurring as they talked about how relieved they both were to not have to worry about money for a while.

Your relationship with Lonnell has reached Level 5. Your relationship has been updated from Friend to Loyal. Thanks to Gaia's Staff, you and Lonnell share a great secret. In reward for agreeing to his plan to not turn the staff in to The Adventurers Guild, you will never have to worry about Lonnell selling you out under any circumstance. Congratulations!

Despite likely having a horrible hangover, Lonnell left early the next morning to buy passage back to Crescent Island. To Azure's surprise, he didn't bother visiting Bronna first, not wanting to tell her what was going on until he was certain that he could bring Uden back from the dead. The guy had crumbled into dust, after all. And Lonnell honestly wasn't sure how a staff of Life would work on a creature with a naturally dark affinity. Whatever the case, they both hoped that Lonnell would be successful.

Azure was given the option to tag along but decided he'd rather stay in Squall's End and spend his time attending magic school. Besides, if Uden was able to be resurrected, Azure wanted something cool to show him when they returned. He was honestly a bit surprised that resurrecting Uden hadn't been offered as a quest, but then again, he wasn't sure if he would have accepted anyway. The thought of being stuck on a ship again wasn't very appealing. Sure, there were still places on Crescent Island that he hadn't explored yet, but life was admittedly a lot more fun in Squall's End. There was so much more to do and so many more ways to make money. He was sure that Uden wouldn't fault him for not wanting to be there for his grand reappearance, even if it might have been cool to see Lonnell bring him back from the dead. That had to be some snazzy magic. If anything, that would be his only regret for not going.

When Azure finally got up at around noon, he headed downstairs to the tavern for some hair of the dog that bit him, hoping that it worked the same in The Realm as it did in his world.

You have received the following item:

Pint of Beer

Quantity: 1/1

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 1.0 kg

Uses: Makes your worries feel less harrowing.

Effects: Increases strength by 3% for one hour

Decreases attack of all weapons and magic by 20% for one hour

Decreases Agility, Dexterity, Charisma, and Luck by 3 points for one hour

His buzz came back as soon as he finished drinking the beer, though it certainly didn't improve his hangover, sliding into the same feeling that he'd had before he drank it, if not a little worse. Resigned to his suffering, Azure spent the next hour Analyzing people who came and went while he sipped water. After that, he returned to his room to lazy the day away, excited about the thought of returning to Hawking's School of Land Magic.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

THE REALM – Day 59

The following morning, Azure woke up bright and early to make his way to Hawking's School of Land Magic. There was pep in his step, and he whistled while he walked. Things finally seemed to be looking up, but Azure knew that he'd have to be careful with his money. It would not last forever, and eventually, he would have to quest again to afford his living expenses and classes. As it was, Azure currently had twelve gold that he could devote to magic classes. That would only buy him one semester of land magic, if he decided to take all of the classes available, which he was pretty sure he wouldn't want to do. Variety was the spice of life, and while he would get a discount on the land spells if he took a full semester, he'd get more spells if he spread his money out to other types of magic.

The path to Hawking's School of Land Magic hadn't lost any of its wonder. Azure enjoyed the menagerie of birds and animals as he walked with renewed energy. It felt like the smile plastered on his face wouldn't go away. This is what he had worked so hard for. Even the grumpy receptionist with the horn-rimmed glasses couldn't sour his mood as she looked at him like an inconvenience.

"I have the money to enroll in my first class," he announced proudly. Perhaps a bit too proudly. Loud enough that a girl walking out of the building gave him a strange look. "I would like to speak to Elise."

"Do you have an appointment?" Miss Ogden asked in a nasally monotone.

He had forgotten about this. "How does one even make an appointment?" It wasn't like cell phones existed in this world.

She ignored his question. "I'll go inform Elise that you are here." The receptionist stood and disappeared down a walkway to her right.

What was the point of even making an appointment if he could just get in to see Elise right away anyway?

The question was answered when Miss Ogden returned some thirty minutes later. Azure had no idea what always took her so long. "She's with someone right now. I'll call you when she's available."

"All right," he replied hesitantly as he turned and remembered that there was nowhere for him to sit. "Should I wait outside?" Azure thumbed back.

The woman pushed her glasses up on her nose, clearly annoyed by his presence. They stared at each other until Azure felt uncomfortable.

"I'll just wait outside," he told her before taking his leave, since she clearly had no intention of answering him.

This place needs to hire better people, he thought as he walked about a yard away from the building to sit on the grass. Minutes turned into hours turned into intense boredom. Azure's excitement waned, and frustration set in. When the sun started to make its descent toward the horizon, Azure began to worry. He did not want to be caught outside in the dark again. Last time, it had nearly cost him his life.

Resigning to the fact that he'd be better off making an appointment, he stood and walked back into the building to approach the receptionist. Her eyes widened slightly when she caught sight of him, as if she'd forgotten about him completely. The second they made eye contact, she shifted her gaze down to her desk and shuffled some papers around.

"Excuse me." Azure rested his hand on top of her desk. "I'm afraid I'll have to return to Squall's End soon. If you don't think that Elise will be available to see me within the next hour, I'd like to make an appointment and return at a later time." It pained him that he'd wasted an entire day doing nothing, but it couldn't be helped. Not remembering that he'd need an appointment was his own fault. Perhaps he had just gotten lucky the first time he'd come when Elise was able to see him after only thirty minutes of waiting.

Regaining her professional composure, Miss Ogden said, "Return tomorrow two hours after the sun rises above the horizon, and Miss Smith will be available to see you."

"Thank you." He nodded, trying not to sound annoyed but quickly deciding that he did not like this woman at all.

Thankfully, he made it back to Squall's End before nightfall. Tired and upset, Azure went to the tavern to have a frustration beer and Analyze people. It was an unusually busy night, and that only worked to irritate him further. Not feeling like being around a bunch of drunk people, he retired to his room and tried to get to sleep early. Perhaps tomorrow would be a better day.

Azure arrived at Hawking's School of Land Magic bright and early and still had to wait an additional hour before gaining an audience with Elise. When he walked into her office, her eyes lit up, seeming genuinely happy to see him.

"Hey there! That was fast. You must have gotten a good score on a quest," she said brightly.

"You guessed correctly." Azure took a seat in the gnarled tree chair across from her.

"Well, I'm glad you came back." The dwarf clasped her hands together on top of her desk. "As you can imagine, many who discover how expensive magic school is never come back."

Or they just buy spells on the black market, Azure thought, though he didn't dare say it.

"Well, here I am." He outstretched his arms as if it was a surprise.

She chuckled before unclasping her hands to scan over a paper on top of her desk. "So, we went over everything last time, and I'm assuming you have enough money for your first semester..." Elise eyed him.

"I do, but""

"Excellent," she cut him off, relief ringing clear in her voice. "First things first, then. You will have to learn Elvish. The cost of the book is three gold, but you'll be happy to know that we have plenty in stock."

Azure was less happy to know that it would cost him three of the twelve gold he had planned to spend on magic school. Damn, that book was expensive. But he supposed it made sense since so many spells were written in Elvish.

"All right," he replied hesitantly, feeling his asshole pucker. Hopefully, there wouldn't be any additional unforeseen expenses.

"Great. With that business concluded, we should discuss how you plan to pay for your classes. Since I remember you have an interest in majoring in land magic, is it safe to assume that you'll be paying for the entire semester up front?"

Purchasing an entire semester of land magic classes was off the table if he wanted to save enough coin to be able to afford his own room at the inn for a month. The cost of the Elvish language book would make sure of that. Though he could always just suck it up and continue to room with Lonnell.

"Can we go over the spells available for novice land magic first?" Azure inquired. If he ultimately wanted to save money, it would make sense to take the entire first semester. But Azure needed to be sure he actually liked the spells first. There was no point in investing a ton of money in spells he would never use.

Elise's smile faltered, sensing that Azure was going to back out of paying for the entire semester up front. More than likely, she had seen this dozens of times before though, so it didn't make Azure feel too badly about it.

"Of course." The dwarf took the paper she'd been looking at earlier and slid it over to Azure. A list of three spells was displayed. Concentrating on the sheet brought up their information.

Spell Scroll: Grease

Quantity: 1/1

Weight: 0 kg

Mana Cost: 10

Range: 40 feet

Cooldown: Three Minutes

Magic Class: Land

Uses: Creates an oily surface 6 feet in radius.

Spell Scroll: Dirty Move

Quantity: 1/1

Weight: 0 kg

Mana Cost: 20

Range: 6 feet

Cooldown: Three Minutes

Magic Class: Land

Uses: Blows dirt into your enemies eyes causing blindness for 10 seconds.

Spell Scroll: Woodflesh

Quantity: 1/1

Weight: 0 kg

Mana Cost: 20

Range: Self

Cooldown: Six Minutes

Magic Class: Land

Uses: Your skin stiffens into the consistency of wood. Adds +20 armor to the caster.

"These all have a relatively long cooldown period," Azure noted, trying to hide his disappointment that none of the spells caused damage.

He'd already seen the Grease and Dirty Move spells in action, and both were useful in their own way. Blinding an enemy with Dirty Move would definitely give Azure an advantage. Grease would help put distance between him and his enemies. It also slowed those who walked through it. Coupled with fire, it could be incredibly dangerous.

Woodflesh was the only one he hadn't witnessed yet. Or perhaps he had but just didn't know it. A boost to armor was never a bad thing, but it wasn't as exciting as the other two spells.

The greedy part of him"and the part that was super stoked to finally learn magic"wanted all of the spells. It honestly wasn't as bad of a mix as he had thought. But the cheapskate in him wanted more spells for less coin.

"Can I see the spells from the other classes of magic?" he asked, wanting to shop around.

"You have to choose at least one of these spells." She tapped her finger on the paper.

"I know. I just...want to look at the others first before I decide if I want to take an entire semester of land magic."

Elise sat back in her chair, seeming slightly annoyed. "You will have to talk to the other professors to see what their current offerings are. But before you go, you should know that they will only give you three spells to choose from for each magic class, even if there are more than that. New spells will be cycled in after you learn one of the three spells offered."

Azure furrowed his brow. "Why is that? What if I don't like any of the spells?"

"It's how we do things here to keep the balance of magic and to make sure that you're serious about your studies in whatever aspect of magic you plan to major in."

"What if you major in everything?"

"Then you would be a Grand Master Mage, and of those, there are only two in the entire world." The look she gave Azure suggested that would be impossible for him, and she was probably right. He couldn't imagine the amount of time and money it would take to learn every spell in The Realm.

"Well, I'm also interested in learning some life magic and battle magic and alchemy. I think, in my line of work, those classes of magic would be super beneficial to me."

"That's understandable. But know this, if you buy one land magic class but later decide that you want the rest, you will not get the discount. This is a one-time offer for enrollment."

Azure chewed on her words, now wishing he hadn't spent so much money at the market. Then again, he hadn't anticipated wanting all of the land magic spells. Nor had he expected that the Elvish language book was going to cost him three gold. If not for that, he could have afforded the entire semester of land magic plus a few other spells. Just yesterday, he felt like one of the wealthiest men in all of The Realm. Now, he felt like a broke ass again.

"Crap," he cursed under his breath.

"Is something wrong?" Elise hummed.

Azure shook his head and sighed. "I thought I had enough money for this, but if I buy the Elvish book and the full semester of land magic, I'm going to cut into my rent budget for next month."

Elise leaned forward, her expression going serious. "Do you want the spells, Azure? Do you want to save money?"

"Yes." He nodded.

"Then think of it this way. You already have a job as an Adventurer. There's almost an entire month before your rent is due again. You will save," she glanced down at the paper looking for the sum she'd scrawled in the corner, "one gold and seven silver if you take a full semester. Now you and I both know that's nothing to sneeze at. No other school in The Realm is going to offer you these kinds of prices on land magic classes. These prices are exclusive to us because this is our specialty.

"Once you enroll, you can take the classes at your leisure. That means if you need to take one, then go off and adventure to make money to pay your rent, that's totally fine. You will be able to take the classes at any time for as long as this school exists." She tapped the top of her desk before leaning back again. "Besides, just think of how quickly you'll level up your land magic skill if you only have one block of spells to learn and cast. You'll reach apprentice level in no time."

Ugh. Why did she make so much sense?

Azure closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to think. Part of him still wanted to go look at the other spells, but he was worried about losing out on saving money. He did, after all, want all of the spells she had presented him with. They were all so useful.

"Fine," he said after several minutes of silence, though he didn't sound happy about it. "Your logic makes perfect sense. I can't argue with it."

"Excellent." A smile lit up her face at the victory. "That will be fourteen gold, five silver, and nine copper. You won't regret this."

It sounded like she was trying to convince him, and she was failing at it. A piece of him already regretted his decision. He just hoped it would pay off in the long run.

Hesitantly, Azure handed over the coin, bemoaning the fact that he'd probably have to return to The Adventurers Guild soon to make up the difference in the money he'd just spent. Back at the market, he had thought he had shopped conservatively. Maybe he hadn't really needed the Small Bag of Holding. A smaller capacity bag would have been acceptable. But he wasn't about to sell it back now. It wasn't just a bag. It was a symbol of all he'd been through, of his failures and triumphs. That alone made it more important to him than anything else he currently owned.

After paying his tuition, Azure had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Attending magic school was supposed to make him happy. If so, then why did he feel so shitty right now?

Elise took a small slip of paper from atop her desk and handed it to him. "Take this to the library and give it to Cheryl, our librarian. She will issue you a copy of Speaking Elvish for Idiots. It's a voucher, so make sure you don't lose it. Once you learn Elvish, you'll be eligible to take your first class. Since you purchased the entire semester, you can take your classes in whatever order you prefer. Would you like to begin tomorrow or start at a different time?" She shuffled through the papers on her desk, moving one that appeared to be a roster to the front. Pulling her quill and inkwell close, Elise stared at Azure, waiting for his answer.

"I'd like to start today, if at all possible." There were still plenty of hours of daylight left, and if learning Elvish was like any other language, it should only take a matter of minutes for him to completely absorb and understand it.

A sympathetic frown curled the corners of the dwarf's lips. "I'm sorry, but I'm all booked up today. The earliest available appointment I have is for the same time tomorrow."

Azure sighed inwardly, and bitter thoughts filled his mind that the magic school seemed to be big on wasting his time. Didn't they understand that he had better things to do than travel back and forth?

Tension pinched his shoulders. Azure took a deep breath and exhaled. Did he really have better things to do? In truth, it would be a while before he'd have to worry about rent, and it wasn't like Lonnell actually wanted him to leave. If Azure wanted to, all he'd have to do was focus on school for the remainder of the month. Besides, if Lonnell was actually able to revive Uden, they could start splitting the rent three ways, which would make things so much cheaper. But did he really want to go that route? The answer didn't matter right now. All that mattered was that it was an option, and he shouldn't be stressing out over problems that he was only creating for himself.

Azure forced the tightness in his muscles to relax as he thanked Elise for the voucher and had her point him in the direction of the library. A short walk down the hall brought him to an open doorway, the last door on the right. As soon as Azure turned the corner, he stopped dead in his tracks, his mouth falling agape as he took in the splendor of the space.

Azure had seen plenty of grand libraries in his own world, and this wasn't as large as many of them. What was awe-inspiring was the magic infused within the place. The ceiling was a canopy of branches, the boughs of the trees bending inward. Lush green and golden leaves blanketed the sky with strategically placed gaps between them to allow light to shine in and illuminate the expansive room. Birds of various species fluttered from branch to branch, but they couldn't be heard. As the dying leaves fell toward the ground, they kissed an invisible forcefield some two feet from the last hanging bough and disappeared into nothing. There was obviously some kind of magic in place to keep the sound and debris out. It made sense. Otherwise, it would be too noisy to actually be considered a library, and Azure didn't even want to imagine what it would have taken to clean the place.

Like all of the furniture in Hawking's, the furniture in the library sprung from the ground in the form of trees, magicked and warped to resemble bookshelves, tables, and chairs. Thousands of books lined the shelves. Azure wondered if they were filled with knowledge about potions and spells. The thought excited him.

In the center of the room was a kiosk manned by a tall, slender woman"if she could be called that. Her face was a mix of animal and human. Light brown hair covered her cheeks, accented by white spots. Larger than life eyes were set widely apart on her face. They were blacker than pitch but didn't appear unfriendly. Ears that looked like they belonged on a deer flopped against the sides of her head, framing her face along with long messy brown hair. With no chest to speak of besides a slope that went down to a lean stomach, the yellow blouse she wore hung from her. Azure couldn't see the rest of her hidden behind the kiosk.

There was a stack of books on the kiosk to her right. She must be cataloging them, Azure thought as he watched her take one from the pile, open it to examine the contents, jot down a note on a piece of paper, and then move the book to another stack to her left.

"Cheryl?" Azure asked gently as he approached.

Her ears flicked as her large black eyes rose to meet him. "Yes?" she responded in a voice that sounded more like a bleat than words.

"My name is Azure," he promptly introduced himself before holding out the voucher. "Elise told me to give this to you."

She took the voucher from him, her eyes scanning across it. "Wait. Please." It sounded like she was struggling to speak, her mouth ill-formed for it.

Cheryl left her post, and Azure noticed that the bottom half of her was that of a deer, tail and all. Bipedal, her feet were not feet at all but cloven hooves. Questions filled Azure's mind, and he wondered if it would be impolite to ask about her species. He'd never seen anything like her before.

She returned a few moments later with a large tome in hand. It was much bigger than any of the language books Azure had seen before. When she gave the book over to him, Azure noticed it felt different as well. Soft leather covered the hardback beneath. Mostly white, green leaves swirled intricately around the cover, seemingly woven into it. The book was bordered in gold. As for the font, it was less enchanting considering that Azure had seen it before on The Tales of Arun Pervaris, the book that Lonnell had been reading on the Shropshire about one of the last wood elves. He couldn't help but wonder if everything about elves was fancy. There seemed to be a refined quality to both books that he hadn't seen in others.

"Teach. Wood. High. Ancient," Cheryl bleated at him with a smile.

While Azure wasn't one hundred percent sure, he thought he had the gist of what she was trying to tell him. As Cheryl pointed to one of the many tables, sending him on his way, he could have sworn he saw something akin to a blush on her cheeks, though there was no way to really tell since he couldn't see her skin through her coarse facial hair.

"Thank you." He nodded in appreciation before carrying the heavy book away to find a seat and get to reading it.

Azure flipped the cover of Speaking Elvish for Idiots open and began reading the English portion. It spoke of how there were variations of the Elvish language, and that the book contained all of them. There was a brief history, of which Azure had no interest. Elves were extinct now, and aside from their magic and books, he didn't see much of the impact they had left behind.

As with the previous books, the words began to change to the font on the cover. Pressing on, Azure knew he would absorb the understanding of it. And he did. What he hadn't expected though, was the sheer amount of information that entered his brain at one time. It felt like his mind was being vacuumed into the book and spit back out. There was so much to learn. Three variations of the language, not to mention the silent language of spells. Hundreds of thousands of words. So much that Azure was worried he might be losing some of the other languages he knew as he took it all in.

By the time the process ended, Azure felt mind flayed. He stared down at the open book in front of him, panting heavily and clutching the side of the table with both hands. Nausea rolled in his stomach. Like taking in too much food and drink, Azure worried he wouldn't be able to contain it all. Part of him wanted to vomit, but he knew that nothing would come out. The words could not be unlearned.

Lingering whispers danced in his ears as his purchase disintegrated in front of him. No wonder the book had cost so much. He had just learned thousands of years worth of language. It definitely had not been a rip-off. At least that made him feel somewhat better.

Congratulations! You can now understand and speak the language: Elvish. The item: Book: Speaking Elvish for Idiots has been destroyed.

Azure blew out a breath and pulled himself to his feet. Holy shit, that had been intense. Now he was kind of glad he hadn't been able to take his first spell class today. It felt like there was no more room in his brain to learn anything new until he'd had a nap.

With that thought, he smiled at Cheryl as he left the library and headed back to Squall's End.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

THE REALM – Day 60

After a good long nap, Azure woke feeling refreshed. Unfortunately, it was too late in the day to do anything else, so he found himself in the tavern again. This time, he stuck to drinking just water as he Analyzed the people who came and went. He wanted the ability to level so that he could see more about his friends and foes the way that Ferne and Elise had when they had asked him for his credentials. That would likely take countless hours scoping out new people, but Squall's End made that relatively easy thanks to being a port town.

Azure sat in the tavern until he grew bored, then he went back up to his room and laid there staring up at the ceiling. Perhaps napping hadn't been the best idea. He had wanted to be well-rested for his first official day of magic school tomorrow, but sleep wouldn't come easily. The night was mostly spent thinking about where Lonnell was, wondering if he'd actually be able to revive Uden, coming up with jabs to say when they returned, deciding what land magic spell he wanted to learn first, then wishing he would have spent the afternoon more productively by foraging so he could have made up at least some of the cost of tuition. Aside from his extreme mental exhaustion, there had been no good reason for him to waste the rest of the day. He was disappointed in himself.

By the time his eyelids began to grow heavy, sunlight was already creeping in through the window. Azure groaned, rolling onto his stomach and cradling his head in his arms. If he tried to sleep now, he might not wake up in time to attend his first class. Groggy and grumpy, Azure forced himself out of bed and back downstairs to eat breakfast before he had to take off toward Hawking's again.

By some miracle, he did not have to play the waiting game. Elise was ready to meet with him as soon as he arrived. Perhaps paying for classes had made a difference in how they treated him. Even Miss Ogden smiled when he walked up, which was a nice change.

"Have you decided what spell you want to learn first?" Elise asked him cheerily.

It had been a difficult choice. Each spell had its own merits. But ultimately, Azure wanted the Dirty Move spell first, and not for the reasons that most would think. He had something more mischevious in mind to use it for than combat.

"Excellent," she said before opening a drawer in her desk and pulling out a scroll. When she handed it over to Azure, he hesitated, waiting for further instructions. "Well, open it." Elise gestured to the scroll.

You have received the following item:

Spell Scroll: Dirty Move

Quantity: 1/1

Weight: 0 kg

Mana Cost: 20

Range: 6 feet

Cooldown: Three Minutes

Magic Class: Land

Uses: Blows dirt into your enemies eyes causing blindness for 10 seconds.

Feeling his entire body tingling with excitement from finally getting his hands on magic, Azure unrolled the scroll. There were no words, but on the front, drawn in brown ink, was the picture of a hand, palm out, with dust blowing off of it in whirls. Azure thought he should feel something—that the spell would automatically absorb into him as the language books had, but nothing happened as he stared down at the lifeless parchment.

“How do I learn it?” His eyes darted back up to Elise.

“Stand.” She walked around her desk to be next to him, then continued, “Let's take a walk.” Elise motioned for Azure to follow, leading him outside. When they were about three yards away from the entrance to the school, she stopped and turned to him. “Kneel here and place the scroll on the ground. Place your hand on top of it. This will create a chain from the land to the scroll to you. You will need to absorb the energy of both to learn the spell.”

Azure followed her instructions, feeling that something wonderful was about to happen. Once he was properly in place, his eyes danced back up to the dwarf for further instructions.

“Now place your other hand on the ground to complete the connection. Close your eyes and feel the power of the land beneath you. Words will come to your mind. You'll know exactly what to say. And then the power of the scroll will flow into you.”

Nervously, Azure did what he was told. At first, all he felt was the coolness of the dirt beneath his hand. Then all of a sudden, he felt a rumbling, though he couldn't tell if it was just within himself or if the entire ground was moving.

“Don't open your eyes,” Elise said firmly as if she could sense what Azure was about to do. “Remain calm as the magic flows through you.”

The rumbling started in the hand that had been touching the scroll, but it soon spread throughout Azure's entire body. He felt as if he was somehow breaking apart, like clumps of soft earth. His veins were no longer veins but vines. There was intense heat. He was baking under the sun. Moisture was sapped from his body as he began to dry into a husk. The feeling frightened him, yet at the same time, he knew it was completely natural. This was the changing of the seasons. The harsh climate of a different location. It was simply what the land did in times of drought.

Instinctively, his fingers dug into the ground. “I came from the land, and to the land, I will return,” he muttered. Uden had spoken those same words to him when they'd first met. Except, he had said they came from the land, referring to the dark sprites they had vanquished in the very first quest he'd ever done where he had to kill something. “With the blessing of Finborh, I bring the land unto me, knowing that I will give back to it on my final day.”

Something changed within him, then. It felt as if a tiny worm had burrowed into his palm from the hand that was touching the scroll. It crawled up to his bicep, making him want to wriggle, but then spread out and disappeared. Suddenly, he knew exactly how to cast the spell. The magic of it was within him. A prompt appeared before his eyes.

Congratulations! New skill learned: Land Magic Level 1. The land gives and the land takes. This has been known for as long as creatures have walked the face of the planet.

Congratulations! You have learned the land spell: Dirty Move. Foes will think twice about getting too close to you after you throw dirt in their eyes.

Knowing that the memorization process was complete, Azure opened his eyes. The scroll lay before him, sans picture. As soon as he lifted his hand, it disintegrated into dust, seeming to sink in and blend with the land.

Again, energy zinged through him, but it was different from before. Before, he had been excited just to know he was about to learn magic. Now, Azure was officially a magic user. Well, he would be once he cast the spell.

“I can't wait to try it,” he said a bit over-zealously as he stood. “Can I cast it over there?” Azure pointed toward the path leading away from the school. There were no people or buildings in that area, so it seemed safe.

“You can...” Elise replied hesitantly, “but you won't gain any experience from it. Like everything in The Realm, experience is only gained through practical application. And the best application is real-world experience.” She smiled before gesturing toward the school. “Let's go back to my office.”

Azure followed Elise inside. She sat down at her desk and pulled open a drawer, extracting a small stack of papers. Taking a few minutes to scan over each, she selected one before sliding it in front of him. “Here. I think this will be perfect.”

He dragged the paper closer to get a better look at it. When he did, a notification popped up.

Magic School Quest: Clear a Path

The professors from Hawking's School of Land Magic plan to launch an expedition into the Crypt of the Mystic King shortly. Before they can begin, there are several puddles of poison in the area that need to be removed. That's where you come in.

Difficulty: Very Easy

Success: Clear five poison puddles

Failure: Cancel quest

Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?

“How can I help with this?” Azure asked, not understanding what it had to do with his Dirty Move spell.

“The spell you just learned has more applications than you think. Aside from being good for offensive maneuvers, you can use it to clear some wet surfaces, poison being one of them.” Elise gestured to the quest sheet.

“Oh,” he replied, now feeling that the Dirty Move spell was even more useful.

“Accepting the quest will mark the location of the crypt on your map. You don't need to enter. Just simply clean up around it,” Elise told him.

“There's no deadline,” Azure pointed out.

“No, there's not,” she acknowledged, “but I would prefer you get to it sooner rather than later. If you don't complete the quest before the expedition begins, it will cancel on its own, and I'll have to issue you another.”

“Will you be attending the expedition?” he asked curiously, ready to use the information to segue into his next question.

Elise propped her elbows up on her desk and rested her chin on top of them as if she was suddenly tired. “That's yet to be decided. Though I'm sure you're wondering why I would need you to do this if we're already planning to send a group of experienced mages.”

Azure nodded.

“The truth is, we don't need you to do this. It's simply a useful way for you to practice and apply your new skill. Every time you learn a spell, you'll be given a quest to complete before you can learn the next spell. Some of them will be trivial, like this one. But some may hold greater significance. It really just depends on what the school's needs are at the time,” she informed him.

“I'm going to assume that someone here can cast poison or some other spell that would compliment my Dirty Move spell. It seems like it would make more sense to have the two casters work together to level their skill,” he thought out loud.

Elise sat up, her arms folding on top of the desk. “As I told you before, experience in a skill is only gained when that skill has practical need for use. Two casters casting spells at each other in a non-combative way would not help you level the skill.

“It is important to us here at Hawking's that we send you out into society with real-world application of your new skills.”

For a moment, Azure thought about arguing that he'd rather have a combat quest but then decided against it. The easier the quest was, the faster he could complete it and move on to learning his next spell.

“Once I complete the quest, I assume I'm supposed to come and report back.”

“That is correct. You will report in to Miss Ogden who will then schedule your appointment for your next lesson.”

“Sounds good. I suppose that's it for today, then. I'll get on this right away.” Azure stood to take his leave.

“Good luck out there, Azure.” Elise rounded her desk to walk him to the door to her office. “There shouldn't be many, if any, monsters around there, but I would not go unarmed,” she warned.

“I never do.” He reached to touch the hilt of his sword.

CHAPTER TWENTY

THE REALM – Day 61

Once outside, Azure pulled up his World Map. Not surprisingly, the marker for the new quest was in a black area—unexplored by him. It looked to be a good ways away. Azure couldn't tell if there were roads that he could travel to safely take him there, but by the way that Elise had made it sound, he assumed that the crypt was probably hidden in the forest somewhere, as most dungeons were.

He made a few calculations and decided that it would take him an entire day's walk to reach it, which meant he'd have to camp in the forest overnight. That thought wasn't very appealing after having almost died on the main road due to being attacking by bats and shadowlings. There was a pretty good probability that he'd encounter the same...or worse, which meant it was best to go prepared. Fire would be a priority, and right now Azure had nothing to make it with, which meant he'd have to head back to Squall's End to purchase supplies for the journey.

The thought of parting with more cash to complete the quest didn't sit well with Azure, but what else could he do? Waiting for Lonnell to return was always an option. There was definitely safety in numbers. But he really didn't want to waste any more time than he already had.

Now he really regretted putting all of his money into a full semester of land magic. The Small Flame spell that Lonnell had really would have come in handy in so many different scenarios. Azure made a mental note that that was the next thing he wanted to learn once he'd finished his land magic classes.

"Not going to waste today like I did yesterday," he mumbled to himself as he left the school, trying to figure out if he wanted to detour to Roselake to fish or attempt to forage the scarce herbs between Hawking's and Squall's End. Knowing that he'd likely make more money from fishing, Azure decided to walk straight when he got to the fork in the road.

Settling down in the same spot he had fished before, Azure pulled out his Starter Pole and baited his hook. It took three casts before he got his first hit. The pull on his line was incredibly strong, and as Azure fought to reel the beast in, he knew he'd be hauling a monster ashore.

The large crayfish's antenna came out of the water before its body followed. By the time the creature was half-exposed, Azure had already dropped his pole. Summoning the magic within him, he cast Dirty Move, clenching his fist to gather dirt from the ether, then opening it and blowing the pile toward the monster. Dirt sprayed into the beast's face. Without eyelids, the large crayfish couldn't cover from the attack. It hissed and stopped its charge, backstepping instead. That gave Azure time to draw his sword.

The defeat wasn't quite as smooth as he had anticipated. Desperately, the large crayfish pinched every which way with its claws, trying to land a hit. But Azure had done this dance before. He knew the best tactic was to remove the chelipeds from the crayfish's body, and so he did before finally delivering the killing blow.

Defeated Level 7 Large Crayfish. 42XP rewarded.

"Wow." Azure stared down at his open palm in wonder. It was completely clean, not a speck of dirt left behind. He had finally cast his first spell!

Pride swelled in Azure's chest. It felt like he had just drunk ten energy drinks back to back. Azure couldn't help but jump in the air and whoop. You'd think he had just won some grand award, he was so damn happy.

It took several moments for him to calm down. Countless questions ran through his mind about how magic in The Realm actually worked. He understood how to cast the spell and that the ability had come from a mix of somewhere deep within him and the ground beneath his feet, but he still didn't quite get the mechanics. To be honest, he had blasted the large crayfish with far more dirt than necessary. It would take a bit of practice to learn how to control exactly how much dirt he needed, but he was happy to know that the amount could be increased or decreased depending on his will, and that it didn't affect the amount of Mana he used.

"Useful," he mused before kneeling to detail the crayfish.

It was dirty business and hardly seemed worth it for only seven copper, but every little bit counted at this point. Hopefully, torches and whatever else he needed for fire wouldn't cost that much.

Once he finished de-tailing the crayfish, Azure picked up his Starter Pole and cast his line into the water again. Three more casts and he pulled in another large crayfish. Following the same strategy, he dispatched of it quickly.

Defeated Level 7 Large Crayfish. 42XP rewarded.

As before, Azure turned his attention to detailing his kill before picking up his pole to cast again. Two casts later, it felt like his line had snagged. At first, he thought he had caught another crayfish, but there was no struggle besides him pulling against the weight on the other end of the line. For a few minutes, he considered cutting the line. Did fishing work the same in The Realm as it did in his world? He hadn't read anything in Enno's book about snagging.

Giving his pole a few more cranks, he realized that he was making progress. Perhaps it was another treasure chest, Azure thought excitedly. When he finally hauled the catch ashore though, he was disappointed to see that he'd reeled in a blue algae-covered rock.

You have received the following item:

Lake Geode

Quantity: 1/1

Item Class: Uncommon

Quality: Average

Weight: 0.5 kg

Uses: Geodes contain minerals and ores. Take it to a blacksmith to find out what's inside.

Maybe the rock wasn't so worthless after all. Pleased with this discovery, Azure placed the geode in his bag and continued fishing.

In three more casts, he finally caught a fish.

You have received the following item:

Perch

Level: 1

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Length: 14 cm

Weight: 0.78 kg

Uses: Cooking, Restores +1 HP if eaten

Congratulations! The skill: Fishing has reached Level 2. Live the excitement of reeling in fish, treasures, monsters, and the occasional piece of trash. A man who knows how to fish will never go hungry. It will now cost you 1 less Stamina point to cast.

Nice perk, Azure thought. Fishing was definitely a Stamina drain. Every little bit of saved Stamina would help him be able to fish longer.

Three seemed to be the lucky number of the day. Again, Azure hooked something excessively heavy. Reeling it in was such a chore that he had to take a breather midway through. Fully expecting to haul in another geode, Azure was surprised when he saw the glint of steel below the water's surface.

His mouth fell agape as he walked to the lake's edge and picked up the sword.

You have received the following item:

Bergen's Glaive

Attack: +18-35

Defense: +2

Type: Two-Handed Weapon

Durability: 21/40

Item Class: Extremely Rare

Quality: Legendary

Weight: 2.0 kg

Traits: -1 Agility, Improves chance of Critical Hit by 2%

What in the hell was up with this lake today? It had a bounty of good shit. Azure pulled up his character sheet to see if his luck had increased exponentially or there was something else that was causing him to haul in such crazy awesome items.

Name: Azure

Race: Human

Level: 9, 38% of the way to next level

Health: 260 / 260

Mana: 200 / 220 (240)

Stamina: 143 / 260 (280)

Vitality: 17

Intelligence: 13 (2)

Strength: 17 (2)

Agility: 13

Dexterity: 12

Charisma: 10

Luck: 12

Skills: Archery Lvl 4; 43% of the way to next level

Stealth Lvl 3; 60% of the way to next level

Analyze Lvl 8; 96% of the way to next level

Cooking Lvl 5; 52% of the way to next level

Alchemy Lvl 3; 83% of the way to next level

Foraging Lvl 7; 90% of the way to next level

One-Handed Weapons Lvl 9; 8% of the way to next level

Tracking Lvl 1; 80% of the way to next level

Two-Handed Weapons Lvl 5; 0% of the way to next level

Fishing Lvl 2; 5% of the way to next level

Drinking Lvl 1; 70% of the way to next level

Land Magic Lvl 1; 20% of the way to next level

Languages: Common Tongue, Sprite, Goblin-Tongue, Elvish

Adventurer Rank: E

Nope. His luck hadn't increased beyond the points he'd invested in it. Azure just didn't understand why he had gotten lucky enough to pull such an incredible sword from the lake. Both Legendary quality and Extremely Rare, he was certain it would sell for a fortune. But did Azure really want to offload the Bergen's Glaive? While he wasn't a big fan of two-handed weapons, its stats trumped everything he'd acquired so far. Plus, it was absolutely gorgeous, the blade made of a silvery blue metal that Azure hadn't seen before. The varnished silver crossguard glistened in the sunlight, with the quillions bending and curling inward into an ornate spiral pattern like that of a snell's shell. A tapered tang ended at a perfectly round pommel. For having lived in the lake for however long, the sword was in pristine condition. Considering the limits of the weapons that he currently had equipped, Azure knew he wouldn't be able to force himself to part with the sword. This was going to be his new 'I mean business' dungeon blade.

Gleefully, Azure strapped the Bergen's Glaive to his back, praying that he fished up another crayfish next so that he'd get the chance to try it out. He felt like Sir Nash Thornton in his knightly get-up, though his armor still left much to be desired. Now though, he looked like a true Adventurer.

With a smile that wouldn't falter, Azure picked up his Starter Pole a final time. This would be his last catch of the day before he returned to Squall's End and went directly to the smithy, wanting to make it before Garion closed for the evening.

As if knowing he was about to quit, it took seven casts before Azure's line began to vibrate. At four, he had thought about quitting. Dipping below one-hundred Stamina points not only made Azure feel weak, but it made him uncomfortable because it put him at risk.

You have received the following item:

Soggy Paper

Uses: Junk

Well, that was it. No monster. No fish. No awesome treasure. Maybe his luck had run out after all.

Not feeling confident that someone wouldn't try to rob him for his sword, Azure stowed the Bergen's Glaive away in his Bag of Holding while he hurried back to Squall's End. Garion was locking up as Azure approached, which made him quicken his pace.

"Got time for one more customer?" he called from a good few yards away.

The blacksmith visibly tensed at the sound of his voice. "Sorry, champ. Once the door is locked, there's no going back in for the night."

"But I've got something cool to show you, and I need a geode cracked." The first part was supposed to be a bribe, but what Azure thought was cool, Garion might find mundane. Following it up with the promise of more work probably wasn't the best idea either.

"Cool can wait until tomorrow. I've been at the forge all day. The only kind of cool I'm interested in is the fresh air." The blacksmith turned and inhaled deeply.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then." He waved at Garion before walking away, not bothering to hide his disappointment.

Not surprisingly, all of the shops were closing for the night. One merchant was kind enough to take pause, gracious to have a customer, even if it was at the last minute. When Azure asked the man for torches, he was given a queer look in return.

"Ye can't buy ready-made torches, boy," the merchant informed him. "Ey can sell ya the stuff ta make em', though. Ey sell scraps a linen cloth fer one silver, and bolts a linen fer four silver. One bolt a linen cloth will make ya about ten torches.

"Ey sell flint fer one silver, five copper. Ye can find tinder lying around just about anywhere, or ye can buy it from me fer tha same price. Ey also sell small bottles a oil fer five copper."

Azure took a few minutes to think, trying to speed through the process so as not to make the merchant wait any longer than necessary.

“I'll take a bolt of linen cloth, a flint, and a small bottle of oil,” he decided finally, bemoaning having to part with six silver for the supplies. While he was at it, Azure went ahead and sold his spoils from fishing—everything except for the sword and geode, which earned him back one silver and nine copper.

After taking his leave, Azure headed to the tavern for people watching. He only had to Analyze three before he received the notification:

Congratulations! The skill: Analyze has reached Level 9. This skill allows you to see how dangerous a foe is in relation to your own level. Use this skill frequently to avoid getting yourself killed.

Despite not making it to Garion in time, it had been a good day. Azure had managed to level two skills, cast his first spell, and fished a Legendary sword from the lake. Things didn't get much better than that.

Perhaps he could level one more skill, Azure thought as he returned to his room and pulled out his mortar and pestle, then laid out all of the ingredients he needed to create Potions of Minor Healing. He had been right. After crafting five potions, he was rewarded with another notification.

Congratulations! The skill: Alchemy has reached Level 4. There are many uses for potions. Hone this skill to heal yourself in battle and thwart your enemies!

Azure hummed to himself as he spent the next several hours smashing herbs and filling vials until his hands hurt from the effort. Then he laid down in bed, excited to see what he'd find inside the geode the following day.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

THE REALM – Day 62

"Now, let's see about this geode," Garion said to him, sounding refreshed.

Azure took the geode out of his Bag of Holding and handed it over. The blacksmith felt the weight of it but didn't show any indication that the rock was anything special.

"Are you looking to sell it or do you want me to break it?" he asked.

"I really don't know anything about geodes," Azure confessed. "Is what's inside more valuable than the geode itself?"

"That's the ten thousand gold question."

Ten thousand gold translated into one million dollars in currency in Azure's world. Apparently, the saying transferred over.

"What's my luck on what you'll find inside?" He nodded down at the geode.

"What's your luck?" Garion smirked at him.

The run around was quickly becoming tedious.

"I suppose I should start by asking how much its worth as is."

"There are a small handful of different types of geodes in The Realm. This is one of the better ones," he explained. "I'll give you one gold for it as is. If you want me to break it open to see if you get something better from it, it will cost you two silver and five copper.

Azure sucked in a breath. If the geode was worth that much as a whole, there could potentially be something much more valuable inside. Still, cracking the thing open wasn't exactly cheap.

"What are my odds of getting something more valuable than the geode as a whole?"

"What's your luck?" Garion asked him once more.

"Twelve."

The blacksmith scratched his chin. "That's not very good," he mumbled before shaking the thought away. "Best case scenario, in this particular geode, you'll find a piece of elf bone, which is worth two gold and one silver. Worst case scenario, it ends up being completely empty."

"Completely empty!" Azure's mouth fell agape. "What are the odds of that?"

"One in six," he replied matter-of-factly.

"One in six!" Azure was beginning to feel like a parrot.

Those were some shitty odds.

"It's a bit like gambling, these geodes are." Garion tossed the rock into the air a few inches and caught it. "So what will it be, champ? Do you want me to break it or sell it as is?"

Another hard decision. On the one hand, if he broke the geode and something expensive happened to be inside, he'd be that much closer to affording next month's rent. But on the other hand, if there was nothing inside, he would hate himself for having pissed one gold into the wind on chance.

Azure scrubbed his hand across his forehead, having a difficult time making up his mind. "What would you do?"

Garion laughed. "Me? I'm a gambling man. I'd break it open. You have a fifty percent chance of making one gold or better even after my fee."

Why hadn't the blacksmith just told him that from the beginning?

"Fuck, I hate this," Azure mumbled under his breath. "Break it open. I'm probably going to regret it, but whatever." He irritably dug into his Bag of Holding for the coin to pay Garion.

"As you wish." A smile spread the blacksmith's lips as he carried the geode away to a table.

Azure held his breath as he watched Garion pick up a hammer and start tapping at the geode. Seconds later, he heard it crack. Pieces of the geode crumbled away out of his view.

"Well?" he asked impatiently.

"Would you like a drum roll?" the blacksmith teased.

Azure's expression told the man that he did not find the waiting game very fun.

Garion picked up the pieces of the broken geode and walked them back over to Azure. "Hold out your hand," he said, still clearly amused at his customer's suspense and dread. When Azure did as he was told, the blacksmith dropped the pieces into his outstretched hand. "You broke even, kid."

You have received the following item:

Air Stone

Quantity: 1/1

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0.1 kg

Uses: Jewelry Crafting

He looked down at the pale blue pieces of crystal. Somehow, the geode had grown incredibly light just from being broken.

"By broke even, do you mean that I made nothing after your fee?" Azure asked, fearing the answer.

"No." Garion shook his head as he dug into the bag at his hip and extracted several coins before offering them to Azure.

Tension bled from Azure's body as he counted out the one gold, two silver, and five copper coins. Somehow, he hadn't gotten screwed over in geode roulette.

"Well, that's a relief," he said as he handed the broken geode over to the blacksmith, pleased with the outcome. "Now I have something else to show you, but this isn't for sale." Azure pulled the Bergen's Glaive from his Bag of Holding.

As soon as the sword was halfway out of his bag, Garion gasped. "My Gods, I never thought I'd see this again. Where did you get it?"

Foreboding filled Azure at the thought of losing the sword. He definitely had not expected the blacksmith to have such a strong reaction to it. It seemed as though the man knew the owner, which meant that Azure was likely about to be presented with a quest to return it. Silently, he cursed himself for having been naive enough to want to show the sword to the one man in town who had probably seen every blade that had come and gone from Squall's End.

"You know this sword?" Azure choked over his own words. Of course, Garion knew. That was a given.

The blacksmith took the sword from him, looking it up and down as he tutted. "Damnable Bergen Townend. He was a great Adventurer here in Squall's End some twenty years ago and also one of the most arrogant bastards you could ever meet." He ran his hand across the blade. "Hasn't lost its edge after all this time. I'm surprised, knowing how hard he was on his swords. But maybe it's because this was his last before he died."

Again, Azure felt a flood of relief. Maybe he'd be able to keep the sword after all.

"How did he die?" he asked.

"Bergen had only three things he loved. Killing, women, and fishing. The problem was that the guy had so many enemies that he never took his armor off whether he be fishing or fucking. Word has it that he took a rowboat out into the middle of Roselake. No one ever found the body. I'd imagine they wouldn't with it being weighed down by all of that armor. There'd be no chance that it would wash ashore unless it had decayed enough to slip through the armor, and by then, who would know the difference between him and a thousand other skeletons." A soft huff of amusement passed through his lips. "Whatever the case, it's your sword now." Much to Azure's reassurance, Garion handed the sword back over to him. "Where'd you find it?"

For some reason, he was embarrassed by his answer, having certainly not earned the sword in any heroic fashion. "I fished it up from Roselake."

The blacksmith's eyes widened. "Well, I'll be. You don't say. Maybe your luck is greater than a twelve after all."

"Maybe." Azure shrugged.

"It's got to be. That's a mighty fine sword. It was custom made here at this very forge when I was an apprentice. I remember Bergen bringing in the materials and barking at my master. He even skimped on the price. Not able to pay the full amount, he claimed he would come back after a quest or two. In good faith, my master accepted. That bastard started traveling to other towns just to get his armor and weapons serviced. I was never happier to hear that he had disappeared, assumed dead, and I'm glad to see that steel in better hands." Garion nodded down at the sword.

Better hands. That must mean he likes me, Azure thought with a sense of pride. It was important to him to be in good standing with the merchants around Squall's End. Even more so to be respected by them.

"I'll do my best to make good use of it," he said with a smile.

"Well, if you can't, I'll gladly buy it back from you for a fair price," the blacksmith offered.

Unable to stop the sliver of greed from slipping through, Azure asked, "What would you consider a fair price?"

Garion chuckled. "Well, considering that my master never got fully paid for forging it in the first place, I'd be willing to go up to three gold and five silver."

That hardly seemed worth it for a Legendary item. Azure thought about saying as much but refrained. The sword wasn't for sale anyway, no matter if the price was ten times that.

"Thanks for your time, Garion. Sorry I tried to keep you yesterday. I was just so excited to find out about the geode," Azure told him instead.

"Eh, don't worry about it." He waved Azure's apology away. "Just know from now on that if the door is locked, business is over for the day. I'm sure you feel the same way after you turn in a quest at The Adventurers Guild. No one likes to work late."

That was true, both now and in his old life.

With his business concluded, Azure decided to take his leave. It was going to be a long journey to the Crypt of the Mystic King, and daylight was wasting.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

THE REALM – Day 62

The walk was long, boring, and blessedly uneventful. Azure kept to the main road, reading the signs to various villages and small towns when the road forked this and that way as he went. Knowing he would likely eventually see most of these places was exhilarating. In truth, Azure loved exploring, but there was no time for it now. He needed to finish this quest and get back to Hawking's so he could continue his lessons. The next spell he definitely wanted to learn was Grease.

Azure had just left the main road when it began getting dark. He refused to be taken unaware by nighttime creatures again, stopping early to make camp. Starting a fire was easy now that he had oil and a flint. Briefly, he wondered why he had even bothered buying the bolt of linen cloth. If he wasn't going to walk at night, then there was no point in making a torch. Money wasted, he thought, then reconsidered when he realized that he would likely use the materials later.

As the sun set, Azure settled down and ate one of the sardines he had leftover from his Adventurers Guild Prerequisite Quest. It was a meager meal, and he had half a mind to eat another before he stopped himself.

Damn, I've gotten spoiled staying at the inn.

Three square meals a day, if he'd been available for them. Mind you, they were mostly all the same. Eggs and bacon or flavorless porridge for breakfast. Usually some type of stew for lunch and dinner served with a piece of bread to sop up the juices. The cooks at Squall's End didn't seem to differentiate between the two meals, but their portion sizes were generous enough. Although the inn wouldn't be winning any Michelin Stars, Azure rarely left the place wanting more.

Even after eating the sardine, his stomach gurgled greedily. “Simmer down.” He patted his wanton belly. “You can survive a day or two on less than usual.”

As darkness fell, the forest came alive with sounds. Azure crept closer to the fire and drew the Bergen's Glaive, laying it beside him. After being attacked by bats both in the lesser demon's dungeon and on the open road, he had grown familiar with their screeches and the flapping of their wings. Near the fire though, nothing seemed brave enough to approach.

Perhaps it was because he was so close to the crypt, but Azure was almost positive he heard ghostly wails as well. There was something off about this area. Something he didn't like. Something that kept him awake all night long despite the fact that he never suffered an attack.

Breaking down camp the next morning was a slog, as was trekking the remainder of the way to the crypt, though he was able to do some foraging along the way.

You have harvested: Fireweed | Uses: Alchemy component
You have harvested: Wild Onion | Uses: Alchemy component, Restores +5 HP if eaten
You have harvested: Blue Mushroom | Uses: Alchemy component, Restores +10 MP if eaten

It blew Azure's mind that Wild Onions gave him more of an HP boost than fish. Then again, herbs were used for Alchemy and fish was used for...nourishment. Nope, still didn't make sense to him.

Now that he could cast spells, the Blue Mushrooms he gathered would be of more use since they gave +10 MP. It was a pretty decent amount of recovery.

Congratulations! The skill: Foraging has reached Level 8. Plants collected through foraging have a variety of uses. You can sell them, consume them, or use them to create potions through alchemy.

All in all, Azure was able to gather five Fireweed, nine Wild Onions, and ten Blue Mushrooms. It was clear by how plentiful resources were in this area that it was scarcely traveled. With that thought, Azure had half a mind to spend the rest of the day foraging once he cleared the poison puddles.

It took a few hours to reach the area marked on his map. As Azure began to approach, he noticed a change in the forest. The foliage began to grow sparser, and there was a strangely pungent scent in the air, like decaying cut wet grass. Even before Azure broke into the clearing where the crypt was located, he came across his first puddle of poison.

True to the nature of video game mechanics, it was slime green and spread across a good several feet, blocking the game trail he'd been traveling down. As if to prove that it wasn't safe to cross, there was the corpse of a hare that had managed to hop two-thirds of the way through it before keeling over. Its expression was locked in a mix of pain and disgust. Partly, Azure felt sorry for the creature. The other part of him thought it should have known better. This was Darwinism at work.

“Well, better get to it,” he told himself, rolling up his imaginary sleeves to start the job.

Azure clenched his fist and closed his eyes, fascinated by the feeling of Mana flowing through him. Unlike with fighting the large crayfish, he had time to concentrate on channeling his energy. When Azure opened his hand, he did his best to send a steady spray of dirt out, covering the poison as accurately as possible. The flow wasn't as forced this time, and the duration of the spell seemed to last longer. He liked the precision of it.

After completely covering the puddle, Azure tested the effectiveness of his spell by carefully placing his foot over where the green ooze had been. The ground seemed sturdy, though it was evident by the shape of it that this was not a natural occurrence. Should an enemy pass by, they'd likely know that magic was afoot. That would be a good thing to keep in mind if he ever did have to cast the spell in enemy territory.

With the current threat abated, Azure cautiously traversed the covered puddle and continued on his way. Once past it, the forest seemed to open up into a new landscape. This place was clearly ancient. A stone temple of sorts stood, though that word is used lightly. Corroded by time, a good portion of it was crumbling. The entrance was barely accessible thanks to the structure having caved, and it was pitch black inside. Vines climbed up the side of it, and the stone steps leading to it had been cracked by grass and other greenery forcing its way through.

Elise had been right. For whatever reason, there were a bunch of poison puddles surrounding the area. Judging by how non-strategically they were placed, Azure could only assume that the poison was bubbling up from the crypt itself.

There were eight puddles in total, not including the one he had just covered. While the quest had only been for Azure to get rid of five, most likely meaning the ones directly blocking the path and those around it, he decided to take care of them all. Doing so consumed about two hours and drained his Mana down to 60 points. Unlike from losing a lot of Stamina or Health though, Azure didn't feel weak or depleted at all.

Congratulations! The skill: Land Magic has reached Level 2. This skill allows you to harness the power of rocks, dirt, and the native flora and trees to aid you in battle. Continuing to level up this skill will unlock the ability to learn more spells of the same magic type.

Curious about what would happen if he drained all of his Mana, Azure cast Dirty Move in a random direction, knowing that he wouldn't gain any experience points from it without a valid target. He did this until his Mana fell to zero. Even with his Mana entirely depleted, he didn't feel any different. For the sake of experimentation, Azure waited for his cooldown period to pass and then tried again. This time, he didn't feel the Mana welling up inside of him to bring the spell to fruition. He was just empty. Normal. There was nothing to draw from.

Azure hummed in interest, reaching into his Bag of Holding for two Blue Mushrooms. While he was no longer in need of Mana, since his task was complete, it made him uncomfortable to be completely drained. The mushrooms tasted like a mix of button mushrooms and blueberries, savory and bitter with a sweet finish. They weren't horrible, but he couldn't imagine ever wanting to make a snack out of them.

Since there was still a good amount of daylight left, Azure took a different path through the forest back toward Hawking's to forage some more, managing to collect eleven more Fireweed and Wild Onions respectively, and one more Blue Mushroom.

You have harvested: Fireweed | Uses: Alchemy component
You have harvested: Wild Onion | Uses: Alchemy component, Restores +5 HP if eaten
You have harvested: Blue Mushroom | Uses: Alchemy component, Restores +10 MP if eaten

Now that he actually had a use for the fungus, The Realm didn't seem to want to provide it. That was annoying considering that it was what he was hoping to find the most of. Oh well. Beggars can't be choosers.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

THE REALM – Day 64

“Your puddle problem is no more!” Azure announced when he arrived for his appointment with Elise two days later. As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt like a Depends infomercial.

“Excellent.” She took the quest sheet and stamped the word 'Complete' on it.

Congratulations! Magic School Quest: Clear a Path has been completed.

Those poison puddles were no match for your Dirty Move spell. The expeditioners no longer have to fear traversing the area around the Crypt of the Mystic King. You have earned 135XP.

At least he had earned some XP from the quest, Azure thought happily. It had been a good morning so far. Breakfast at the inn had been exceptionally tasty. The weather was good. And he was about to learn his next spell.

“I want to learn Grease next,” he told Elise before she had a chance to offer him his choices.

She smiled at him, pulling out the scroll and handing it over.

You have received the following item:

Spell Scroll: Grease

Quantity: 1/1

Weight: 0 kg

Mana Cost: 10

Range: 40 feet

Cool Down: Three Minutes

Magic Class: Land

Uses: Creates an oily surface 6 feet in radius.

"Let's get to it," he urged her along, standing in preparation to go outside.

"You seem to be in a hurry today," she mused.

"In a hurry to learn more magic." Azure beamed at his teacher.

They went outside to the same place where Azure had learned Dirty Move. The process was identical to before. Elise had Azure kneel to set the scroll on the ground and press his palm against it. The essence of the land flowed through him, and he said the words needed to cement the spell into his soul. When he was finished, a notification appeared.

Congratulations! You have learned the land spell: Grease. This spell does more than just create a barrier between you and your enemies. It can also be used on door hinges, to help start a fire, and to make machinery run more smoothly.

Several minutes later, they were back inside Elise's office, and Azure was watching her sort through her stack of quests while he thought about the notification. He hadn't considered using the spell for anything other than what he'd already seen in combat. It was interesting to know that it could serve other purposes.

“Ah, here we go.” Elise took a paper from the stack and slid it over to him.

Magic School Quest: A Well-Oiled Machine

Hawking's has a contract with the gnomes of Oxbell. Known as famous tinkerers, the school is supplying grease to them in exchange for meeting their mechanical needs as they arise. Travel to Oxbell and fill five barrels.

Difficulty: Very Easy

Success: Fill five barrels

Failure: Cancel quest

Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?

'Yes,' Azure thought, sending the notification away. When he checked his World Map for the location, he gasped. “This place has to be over a thousand miles away.” The marker was at the very bottom of his map.

“It is a distance,” Elise agreed. “You can either go on foot or buy Teleportation Prisms from the school store and use those to fast travel.”

“How much do Teleportation Prisms cost?” he asked, knowing they likely wouldn't be cheap.

“Seven gold each, and you'll need two to get there and back.”

“Fourteen gold!” Azure thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head.

“That's actually cheap,” the dwarf informed him. “It would typically take four Teleportation Prisms for round-trip travel, but since this is a magic school quest, we provide two prisms free of charge.”

How generous, Azure wanted to say out of sarcasm, but he bit his tongue, instead deciding to delve into the math of the situation. It would take him about a month and a half to travel one way. He'd earned far more than fourteen gold in way less time than that. After crunching the numbers, it made more sense for him to quest or fish for the Teleportation Prisms.

"All right," he said with a sigh. "It looks like I'm not going to be completing this quest anytime soon."

"That's fine." Elise was totally unsympathetic to his plight. "We send students that way all the time, so it's not like there's any urgency. You can make the trip at your leisure."

As Azure left Hawking's, he couldn't help but wonder if he would have been assigned an easier quest if he'd chosen to learn Woodflesh first instead of Grease. Whatever the case, it would be a while before he'd learn the answer to that.

Once more diverting to Roselake, Azure attempted to spend the rest of the day fishing. He'd had excellent luck with it so far, so it seemed more time efficient than taking on a quest from The Adventurers Guild. But after only two hours and two catches, he ran out of bait. His first catch was a piece of trash, and the other was a fish. No monsters to test his new spell on or rare items to earn him good coin.

You have received the following item:

Smallmouth Bass

Level: 2

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Length: 38.1 cm

Weight: 0.72 kg

Uses: Cooking, Restores +2 HP if eaten

Disappointed, Azure took his catch and returned to Squall's End. It was probably for the best. His Starter Pole's durability was getting low, so even if he hadn't run out of bait, he might not have been able to fish all afternoon before he would have needed to bring it in for repair.

Finding the fishmonger, Azure traded in the Smallmouth Bass for six copper, which hardly seemed fair since it was a Level 2 fish. He fell into a deficit when he spent six silver for six Boxes of Basic Bait. Then Azure ended up parting with two more silver to have Garion repair his Starter Pole. Wasn't he supposed to be making money, not spending it? Just this one shopping trip for fishing supplies had rendered him almost one gold poorer. Hopefully, he could make it back soon.

After the stress of the day's events, Azure desperately needed a drink. While he hated the idea of spending even more money, he couldn't resist dropping two copper at the tavern for a beer.

You have received the following item:

Pint of Beer

Quantity: 1/1

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 1.0 kg

Uses: Makes your worries feel less harrowing.

Effects: Increases strength by 3% for one hour

Decreases attack of all weapons and magic by 20% for one hour

Decreases Agility, Dexterity, Charisma, and Luck by 3 point for one hour

But one beer proved not to be enough, turned into two beers, turned into three. The last thing he remembered was stumbling up to his room.

Azure awoke the next morning with a splitting headache and a blinking light in the corner of his peripheral vision. Focusing on it brought up a notification.

Congratulations! The skill: Drinking has reached Level 2. There is no real benefit to this skill, but it definitely helps to make a hard day easier to bear. The higher your level in this skill, the more likely you're an alcoholic.

Level 100 alcoholic, here I come, Azure thought with a smirk. Then he winced. Even moving his face made his head hurt. Luckily, he didn't need to feel well to fish.

The trek back to Roselake was miserable. About a quarter of the way there, Azure paused, considering returning to the inn to take the day off. All of this going and going and going was getting old. But when he really thought about it, it wasn't much different from his life before. Every day was a slog to progress a little further—to get a little better. And every day wasted put him further behind.

Settling down at his regular fishing spot, Azure pulled his newly repaired Starter Pole from his Bag of Holding. If his math had been correct, he had bought enough bait to last two full days of fishing. Hopefully, he'd have enough coin to buy the Teleportation Prisms when he was through. He really didn't want to have to spend more than a week trying to earn money for them.

As luck would have it—bad luck, that is—Azure's Stamina ran out long before his bait did. The lake didn't seem to want to provide today. After three hours of fishing, he was only able to catch three items.

You have received the following items:

Ruined Leather Boot

Uses: Junk

Smallmouth Bass

Level: 2

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Length: 38 cm

Weight: 0.72 kg

Uses: Cooking, Restores +2 HP if eaten

Catfish

Level: 1

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Length: 28 cm

Weight: 0.70 kg

Uses: Cooking, Restores +1 HP if eaten

With only 28 Stamina left, Azure decided to call it quits for the day. Frustrated, he returned to Squall's End, cutting through the forest to do a bit of foraging. His luck with that wasn't impressive either, only earning him an extra two Fireweed, one Wild Onion, and two Blue Mushrooms.

Upon returning to Squall's End, Azure immediately went to the fishmonger to sell his catch. Keeping the Blue Mushrooms aside for their Mana restoring properties, he sold the rest of his alchemy components, earning him a total of six silver and five copper, most of which came from what he had foraged while completing his magic school quest. Subtracting what he had spent on the day's bait, he had only made a little over three silver for his fishing efforts.

This isn't going so well, Azure thought as he dragged himself up the stairs of the inn after eating. Typically, he hung out in the tavern for at least an hour, but with the drain on his Stamina, his lingering headache, and the bad luck he'd had fishing, Azure just didn't have it in him to people watch. He was in a miserable mood, just wanting to sleep and hope for a better tomorrow.

The following day, Azure's luck was seeming to fair about the same. His first two catches weren't impressive at all.

You have received the following item:

Broken Cup

Uses: Junk

Perch

Level: 1

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Length: 14 cm

Weight: 0.78 kg

Uses: Cooking, Restores +1 HP if eaten

Every time he cast his line into the water, his mood sank along with his bait. All he could think about was how little he was earning for his time"about how he was just wasting it.

But when his line pulled the third time, he was beyond ecstatic that he had hooked what appeared to be a small ring made of green stone. As he wiped the grime from it, a notification appeared.

You have received the following item:

Jade Ring

Durability: 9/15

Item Class: Uncommon

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Traits: Increases chance of Critical Hit by 10%

A smile spread across Azure's lips as dollar signs flashed in front of his eyes. This was what he had come for. Hopefully, the price of the ring would make his time spent well worth it.

Feeling renewed and greedy, Azure cast his line into the water four more times, but when his Stamina got down to 28 points, he decided to stop. Happy that he had managed to snag the ring, but still a bit disappointed that he hadn't landed a fourth item, Azure headed back toward Squall's End, alternating his path slightly to forage some more.

Today, his luck with foraging was a bit better. He managed to pick up eight Fireweed, six Wild Onions, and six Blue Mushrooms.

As he walked back toward Squall's End, Azure wondered if he should keep the ring. A 10% increased chance of striking a Critical Hit in combat was nothing to sneeze at.

By the time he reached the fishmonger, he still hadn't decided. The question had replayed in his mind, what did he need more, the ring or the money. Presently, the money was of utmost importance, but Azure had no idea when the next time would be that he'd come across such a ring.

"How much would you give me for this ring?" he asked the fishmonger as he handed it over.

The man gave it a quick look, not seeming particularly interested in the item. "Two gold," he replied after a moment.

It was a lot of money, but still not as much as Azure had hoped. Even if he sold the ring, he'd still only be able to afford one Teleportation Prism. He blew out a breath between pressed lips like a horse would, stressing over the idea of selling the ring.

Finally, he held his hand out to take the ring back, silently cursing himself for being unable to part with it. When the fishmonger returned it to him, Azure slid the ring onto his finger with a frown. The fishmonger paid him one silver and nine copper for everything else. After keeping both the ring and the Blue Mushrooms he had foraged, Azure was at a deficit for the day income-wise.

At this rate, it will take me longer to earn the money for the Teleportation Prisms than it would for me to walk the distance to Oxbell, Azure thought as he stood in the middle of the street trying to figure out if he wanted to take the rest of the day off or head to The Adventurers Guild to see if he could find a profitable quest. In truth, despite pulling some pretty epic items from Roselake, spending his days fishing had been boring. Plus, he felt like he was wasting a lot of time with his Stamina running out so quickly, and he wasn't earning any character experience for his efforts. Laziness and wanting to take the easy way out had been what had kept him from going to The Adventurers Guild in the first place. But Azure knew he'd earn money faster from a bounty or miscellaneous quest.

With a heavy sigh, Azure redirected himself toward The Adventurers Guild, feeling his loss of Stamina as he trudged along and then waited in the insufferably long line. For being the middle of the day, The Adventurers Guild was packed. There were eight people in front of him. After waiting in the E line for over two hours, Azure finally reached Mel.

The clerk looked him up and down and snorted. "Haven't seen you in a bit. Didn't think you'd be coming back after losing a comrade. That tends to scare a lot of people off."

He may have been my comrade, but he wasn't my friend. Losing Sir Thornton hadn't affected Azure even one-tenth as much as losing Uden had. He highly doubted that anyone would miss The Asshole Knight except for maybe that Lord Blakemore guy he had served.

"People die," he said nonchalantly. "Now what do you have for me? I need something that pays well."

Mel smirked as he pulled the first four quest papers from his stack and presented them to Azure. Not wanting to dawdle, Azure looked first at the bounty quest. While the rewards were great, the difficulty of Very Hard made him pause. Very Hard now equaled death in his mind. Without any additional party members, that meant the only life to lose would be his. Briefly, Azure considered waiting for Lonnell to return. No doubt, his friend's greed would spur him to want to join in on the quest, and if he had managed to resurrect Uden, the three of them together would yield a greater chance of success. But Azure wasn't sure how long it would take for Lonnell to return.

Sucking in a breath, he pushed the bounty quest aside and looked at the next most profitable quest in the lineup.

Adventurers Guild Quest: Alchemy of Life

Jasmyne Swailes, our resident alchemist, needs ten Giant Wasp Wings and ten Fireweed to complete some of her potions. Please collect them and turn them in to The Adventurers Guild.

Designation: E

Type: Gathering

Difficulty: Easy

Deadline: 5 days

Success: Bring ten Fireweed and ten Giant Wasp Wings to The Adventurers Guild

Failure: Cancel quest

Reward: 7 silver, 1 Quest Point, 5 Empty Vials, and 1 Minor Potion of Life

Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?

"I'll take this one," Azure said. Giant Wasp Wings were worth six copper each. It would serve him best to wipe out every single one he came across to earn more coin.

"Great," Mel replied with no real enthusiasm, then immediately looked past him and called, "Next!"

Azure trudged a few feet away with the quest sheet in hand. Pulling up his World Map, he saw that the location marked for the Giant Wasps was the same as from his previous monster quest. They must have re-spawned. That was unoriginal, he thought. Or perhaps there was a nest around there. Whatever the case, he was happy for the work.

Before leaving, Azure walked over to the Open Quests board to see what was available, not that he had any chance of finding a quest that he could actually accomplish as a solo Adventurer. To his surprise, the Bower Boys quest was back on the board. Whoever had taken it on before must have died. That thought was a little sad, but what concerned him more was the fact that he had to worry about bandits on the road again. As if he didn't already have enough to stress over.

With nothing else to do, Azure went to the tavern to eat and get to bed early. If he was able to start out for Red Road first thing in the morning, he should be able to complete the quest and return to Squall's End on the same day. The sooner he could get this over with, the better.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

THE REALM – Day 67

Azure foraged as he walled toward Red Road, hoping the whole way that there would be tons of Giant Wasps to slay. It wasn't long before he received a notification.

Congratulations! The skill: Foraging has reached Level 9. Plants collected through foraging have a variety of uses. You can sell them, consume them, or use them to create potions through alchemy.

As shitty luck would have it, there was only one Giant Wasp bobbing in the air when Azure arrived at his destination. Someone else must have gotten there before him to complete a similar quest, though he didn't see any bodies lying around.

It's going to be a longer day than I had expected, Azure thought with a sigh, approaching the rottweiler sized wasp. Briefly, he thought about casting Grease but figured it would have no effect on a flighted foe. Instead, he used Dirty Move as his first attack, causing the Giant Wasp to fall back about a foot before blindly moving to attack him, stabbing its stinger at him wildly.

As soon as he was done casting his spell, Azure reached for his Bergen's Glaive. The blade felt heavy in his hands, and it took him several swings to get used to it, but he did like the reach advantage that it gave him. One good hit cleaved the Giant Wasp's head clear in half.

Critical hit! Defeated Level 5 Giant Wasp. 30XP rewarded.

After ripping the wings from the Giant Wasp's body, Azure wondered what to do next. The marker on his map clearly indicated that he was in the right location, yet there were no more Giant Wasps to be seen. Currently, he felt like his options were to either wait for more to emerge from the forest or to enter the forest himself in hopes of finding the nest.

Not wanting to waste time and seeing it as an opportunity for more foraging, Azure decided to venture into the forest. Searching aimlessly for an hour only led him to find one more Giant Wasp. What was the deal? He was starting to wonder if there was a demon that was decreasing the re-spawn rate for monsters in the area.

With no better luck in the forest, he reemerged to where the field was. Though he had no idea how they'd managed to slip past him, there were now three Giant Wasps lazily meandering about. He made short work of them, too impatient to stick around for more to show up. It seemed like today was going to be another bust.

By the time Azure returned to Squall's End, night had fallen. He'd just managed to skimp by without having to light a torch. Unfortunately, The Adventurers Guild was closed, so he'd have to turn in his quest items the following day. While he'd only acquired exactly ten Giant Wasp Wings, Azure had managed to forage thirty Fireweed, twenty-two Wild Onions, and six Blue Mushrooms. Without turning in the Blue Mushrooms, that would earn him an additional four silver and two copper on top of his quest reward. A little over one gold for a day's work. It wasn't impressive, by any means, but it was better than nothing.

As was his new routine, Azure returned to the tavern to eat and people watch before going up to his room. It was a slow night with few new faces, which frustrated Azure even further as he'd been using his time in the tavern to level up his Analyze skill. Nothing seemed to be going right lately.

The following day, he showed up at The Adventurers Guild bright and early, trying to beat the line. Even with waking at the crack of dawn, he still had to wait forty minutes before it was his turn.

Congratulations! Adventurers Guild Quest: Alchemy of Life has been completed.

You have collected the necessary items. They will be delivered to the client. You have earned 7 silver, 1 Quest Point, and 180XP. You have also received the following items:

Minor Potion of Life

Quantity: 1/1

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Traits: Increases max HP by +20 for 5 minutes

Empty Vial

Quantity: 5/5

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Uses: Alchemy Component

Azure had to resist the urge to check out the Minor Potion of Light when Mel handed it over, opting instead to immediately get down to business. "What else do you have for me?" Enthusiasm didn't reach his voice. A job was a job at this point.

"You sure seem to be taking your adventuring duties seriously." The clerk smirked at him before sliding over four quest sheets.

Azure didn't bother to respond. As it was, he didn't even feel like he had time for a conversation. Two of the four quests had to do with trolls, a foe that Azure had yet to face. One was a monster quest, the other was an odd miscellaneous quest. While the monster quest was infinitely more appealing thanks to the adventure involved, the miscellaneous quest offered a plethora of interesting rewards.

Adventurers Guild Quest: A Dwarven Woman Scorned

Trolls have taken over the road to Tradebreach. They have no settlements in the immediate area, and it has been suspected that they traveled by way of an old abandoned mine. Unfortunately, the only person with a map of Astral Mine is a dwarf named Thavis Firstfall. Her ex-husband currently resides in Tradebreach, and she has no interest in handing the map over to help aid the town. Perhaps an outsider will be able to convince her otherwise.

Designation: E

Type: Miscellaneous

Difficulty: Very Easy

Deadline: 4 days

Success: Get the map for Astral Mine from Thavis Firstfall

Failure: Cancel quest

Reward: 2 silver, 5 copper, 1 Quest Point, 3 Small Skill Tokens, and 2 Random Treasures

Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?

"I'm interested in this one." Azure tapped the paper with his finger, wondering if he had enough Charisma to even complete the quest. It was one characteristic he'd largely ignored up until now. "Do I need a certain level of Charisma to complete it?"

Mel stared straight at Azure in annoyance. "Does it have a requirement?"

"No."

"Well then." The clerk gestured for Azure to take the quest and shoo.

"I still have some questions," Azure caught his attention again before he had a chance to call for the next person in line.

Mel huffed. "What?"

"What are Skill Tokens and what do you mean by Random Treasures?"

"Small Skill Tokens can be used to add one-hundred points to any skill. Random treasures are just what they sound like. Locals and residents of neighboring villages that we service will occasionally donate a treasure for any future quests that might arise. We put them in boxes and distribute them out randomly as payment for high priority quests in place of coin," he rattled off the information.

"So this is a high priority quest?" Azure arched an eyebrow.

The clerk pointed to the deadline. "That's why there's only a four-day deadline. It's anticipated that the trolls are planning to raid Tradebreach."

This quest was sounding more profitable by the minute. "So these treasures, how much are they usually worth?"

"I can't answer that." Mel shook his head. "Now if you're finished, I have a lot more Adventurers to attend to." His eyes shot past Azure to the evergrowing line.

A fantasy of punching the clerk in the face flashed through Azure's mind. He knew that The Adventurers Guild was busy. But still, answering his questions didn't take that damn long.

His mood soured, he grabbed the quest and headed for the door, rounding the corner as soon as he was outside to go visit Malina's cart. It had been a while since he had done business with her. Seeing Malina's pretty face smiling at him as he approached instantly eased the tension in Azure's shoulders from dealing with the grumpy clerk.

"How are you today, Azure?" she asked cheerily.

"I'm still alive. What more can a guy ask for?" He held out his arms as if that alone should have impressed her.

Malina giggled, glancing down at her flowers. Before she had a chance to hit him with a sales pitch, Azure began pulling his alchemy components out of his Bag of Holding. The smile in Malina's eyes faltered, but it never left her lips.

Azure traded in the rest of his Fireweed and Wild Onions. He also parted with three Blue Mushrooms to round his remaining inventory to twenty. In exchange, Malina handed him four silver and five copper.

"Oh, and I have one more thing." He suddenly remembered the Minor Potion of Life and the fact that he hadn't even had time to examine it when Mel had given it to him.

Touching it brought up the item's information.

Minor Potion of Life

Quantity: 1/1

Item Class: Common

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Traits: Increases max HP by +20 for 5 minutes

Interesting. Azure supposed that would help in a pinch. Almost like emergency insurance.

“How much for this?” He handed the potion over.

“Three copper.”

“Only three?” Azure frowned.

“Sorry.” Her expression drooped in sympathy. “Perhaps buying a flower would cheer you up.” Malina began to pull a carnation from her cart.

Maybe I shouldn't have stopped here after all, Azure thought. He really couldn't afford to spend his money frivolously. “Actually, I'm trying to save up for Teleportation Prisms right now.”

“Those are expensive.” She acknowledged, once again masking disappointment.

I should have bought a flower from her when I did have a lot of money. But I was too busy buying other things that I needed.

Guilt threaded through him as he stood there basking in her company. “You know what, I will buy a flower today. How much are they?"

"I can make you a bouquet for four silver." Her eyes flashed from the prospect of a sale.

$40! Good lord. "Do you have anything...less expensive?" She definitely thinks I'm a cheapskate.

Malina sifted through her basket, pulling out what looked to be a yellow carnation. "I can sell you this for one silver and five copper."

Azure was pretty sure that carnations cost less in his own world. Still, he had already commited. "I'll take one of those."

Even as he said it, his mind screamed for him to stop. But he couldn't stand to keep letting her down. For whatever reason, it was important for Malina to think of him as more than a nuisance who came to take her money in exchange for things she probably didn't really want or need.

A smile brightened Malina's face as she looked into her basket. “What color would you like?”

His eyes scanned over her, trying to figure out what her favorite was. He had never been good at guessing. Every time he had seen her, though, she'd been wearing pink. “I'll take a pink one.”

Malina pulled the flower from her basket as Azure dug in his Bag of Holding for the coin to pay for it, still thinking himself an idiot all the while. When he handed over the payment, he did not take the carnation in return. “For you,” he said, suddenly feeling shy. “For having to deal with me.”

And then he turned and walked away.

Oh man, I suck at this. The awkward exchange played over in his mind as he continued toward the entrance to Squall's End. His feet carried him away absentmindedly while his brain played catch up. In truth, Azure didn't even know where he was going. All that mattered was removing himself from the uncomfortable situation he had created.

Once he was standing outside of Squall's End, Azure opened his World Map. Not surprisingly, the location of Thavis Firstfall was in the black. It was also a full day's walk away. Azure groaned internally, not looking forward to spending another night on the road.

He inhaled deeply and took off at a hurried clip, hoping to make good time. For the most part, he did, munching on a sardine while he walked instead of stopping for lunch. It wasn't until the sun began to set that he turned off of the main road when it forked. The sign to the right said Tradebreach, and the sign to the left said Brittlebreach. Brittlebreach was where he was headed.

A few miles down, the road opened into a small village that looked much the same as the others Azure had seen in The Realm so far. Shops and businesses were built along the sides of the road with the homes further back. The most lively of the establishments was the tavern. Every village and town seemed to have one.

Azure diverted from the path to make his way to Thavis' place. Thankfully, it was only about a five-minute walk away.

The domicile was smaller than most others he had seen. It had a cozy feel to it with white stone walls and tall, square windows. Both the roof and front door appeared to be made of redwood. Various herbs and flowers grew in raised garden beds on either side of the door.

Azure lifted his hand to knock, then hesitated. Though he'd gone over what he would say a million times, there was still a twinge of doubt in his mind that he'd have enough Charisma to get the job done. But he didn't have time to think for long because the door suddenly opened.

Both Azure and the dwarven woman on the other side gasped in shock, and she immediately reached for a blade at her hip, causing Azure to step back and hold his hands up to show he meant no harm.

“What da yew want?” the woman barked before Azure could even get a word out. Her light brown eyes glared at him beneath bushy ginger eyebrows. Unlike every other female dwarf he'd seen, Thavis' hair was cropped short, making her facial features seem almost disproportionately wide. Stout with large breasts that couldn't be concealed beneath the oversized tunic she wore, the dwarven woman was dressed gender-neutrally in peasant garb. Green breaches climbed up her legs, covered in thick black boots. Very little about her was feminine.

“My name is Azure Galvan. I've been sent here to speak to you in regards to a quest submitted to The Adventurers Guild.”

She relaxed her grip on the hilt of her blade, pushing past him. “Yer wastin' yer time.”

Had someone already approached her about the map? Azure wondered, trailing behind Thavis as she walked hurriedly toward the forest. “Then you know what this is about.”

“I know.” She threw her hand back at him as if he were an annoyance to be shooed away.

“Then you know that lives are at stake.”

Thavis ignored him, muttering to herself, “Didn't think they'd be so desperate as ta submit a quest ta tha Adventurers Guild.”

Azure noted that most dwarves had a similar accent—a mix of Scottish and something deeper. He'd heard it in countless games and found it horribly stereotypical yet soothingly familiar at the same time.

“But they are desperate,” he informed her. “That's why they paid me to come out here. This has nothing to do with...” Should he even bring it up? “your ex-husband.”

Thavis visibly stiffened at the mention for half a second, then continued on, following a game trail.

“The Adventurers Guild needs that map so they can trace where the trolls are coming from,” he continued. “It'll be vital in making sure that no more trolls can invade this land.”

“It's karma, as I see it.” She knelt next to a small loop attached to a stick. It was then that Azure realized that Thavis was checking rabbit snares. With a snort of disappointment, she stood again to move on to the next.

“Maybe so. But where do you think the trolls will go after they finish raiding Tradebreach? From what I can tell, Brittlebreach is the next closest town.”

Thavis turned on her heels suddenly, almost making him run into her. “Ya clearly know nothin' about tha area. Where did they send ya from? Honeybreak? Cliffhaven?”

“Squall's End,” Azure promptly responded.

“Bah. Squall's End.” She spit at his feet. “City a shit and piss. I bet they paid ya shit, too.”

He wasn't about to disclose how little he was making for the quest. No doubt, she'd likely see it as an insult. Still, her comment did make him curious if he could be earning more money working for an Adventurers Guild in another city.

“Did you used to be an Adventurer?” Azure asked, allowing himself to be distracted for a moment.

“Aye. Who hasn't been? It's tha only way ta make good money without a solid skill or trade. But what of it? I'm not an Adventurer anymore. No point in it when ya have everything ya could need. And I don't much care about yer plight either.”

Thavis quickened her pace as she saw a hare struggling in her next snare. Azure watched as she knelt beside the creature and drew her blade. It squealed in panic as she slit its throat. The way Thavis didn't even hesitate or flinch told Azure that she'd likely done this hundreds of times before.

“You know, your ex-husband isn't the only one in Tradebreach. There are innocent women and children there who will likely lose their lives if you don't give up that map,” he tried to reason with her.

She stood, tying the dead hare to her belt. Its limp body was so long that its feet practically touched the floor. “Tradebreach has their own fair share of warriors ta protect it. Odogden is one of em'.” Her tone hardened as she spoke the name.

“Trolls are flooding through that tunnel, more than the villagers of Tradebreach will be able to handle, no matter how many warriors they have. They're going to send a small army from Noseon to help take care of the problem. But Noseon isn't willing to risk their knights until they know where the trolls are coming from and can prevent any more of them from surfacing in this area.” This was all a lie, of course. Azure had no idea if Noseon was going to get involved. All he knew was that he needed that map, and the best way to get it was to make the threat seem bigger than it actually was. If Thavis truly believed that the trolls would spill over into Brittlebreach, then surely she'd be willing to help. “You've built a home here.” Azure glanced back in the direction of the house, though they were still heading further away, presumably to check more snares. “If you don't protect it now, despite whatever quarrel you have with your ex-husband, it could be destroyed. I'm assuming you're not an Adventurer anymore because you've earned enough money to settle down. Do you really want to have to start over again? I know that you're probably secretly hoping that the trolls will destroy Tradebreach and whatever your husband has going on over there, but if they make it here, you'll both lose. Is it really worth it?”

Thavis stopped and let out a loud sigh. For the first time, Azure felt like he might be getting through to her. While he hated to lie, he would do whatever it took to complete this quest. Did that make him a bad person? No. In this instance, other lives were at stake. The dwarven woman was just being selfish and stubborn.

She turned to him again. “And what do I get for this? I don't want tha title of hero; I earned that long ago.”

He didn't know what to say. The Adventurers Guild hadn't sent Azure anything to offer Thavis in exchange for the map. “Well...what do you want?”

“What's The Adventurers Guild giving yew ta complete this quest?”

Shit! Should he lie again? It wasn't like the sum was a lot.

“Two silver and five copper,” he responded finally.

“And what else?” She gestured for him to continue, clearly annoyed that he was obviously holding back.

Now it was Azure who was sighing. “One Quest Point, three Small Skill Tokens, and two Random Treasures.”

Thavis scratched her chin. “Hm. Wonder what tha random treasures will be. Doubt its anything good. Tha Small Skill Tokens though.”

Double shit! Azure was about to lose part of his loot.

“Listen,” he interrupted her thoughts. “I'm trying to save up for Teleportation Prisms right now, so I can't afford to part with much. The entire reason I took this quest was so I could hopefully earn enough money to buy them.”

“Don't care.” She cut him off. “Shoulda thought a that before ya came ta see me.”

“Is there anything else you might want instead?” Azure pleaded.

She shook her head, then paused. “There is one thing I've been wanting.”

“What's that?” He perked up, hopeful.

Thavis gazed out into the forest. “The closest smithy is in Tradebreach. I haven't been there since ma ex and I, well...ya know.” She gestured with her hand to avoid saying it. “In any case, I have some armor that has a dent in it, and I haven't been able ta have it repaired. Take it ta tha smithy in Squall's End, pay ta have it fixed, and bring it back ta me. Then...I suppose I could part with tha map.” The dwarven woman rolled her eyes as if the idea of giving him the map pained her.

Azure would be delighted with that compromise if not for the fact that it presented another problem. “I want to agree,” he hesitated, “but this is a high priority quest. I was only given four days to return the map to The Adventurers Guild. I'm guessing the reason why you want me to have your armor repaired is because it's too far away to walk to Squall's End. There's no way I could get your armor repaired, bring it back here, and then still be able to turn in the map to The Adventurers Guild on time to fulfill the quest.”

“Not ma problem.” Thavis crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly.

Azure's shoulders slumped, and he couldn't help but wonder if he'd had better Charisma would he have been given an easier side quest.

The dwarven woman continued walking toward her next snare, and Azure followed behind, thinking as they went. So my only two options are giving her part of my loot or having her armor repaired. If I submit to splitting my loot, I'll make the deadline. Conversely, I could just tell her that I'm going to give her part of my loot and then just not come back. That way, I'd complete the quest and keep what I earned. That would be a dick move, though.

She's really not giving me much of a choice in the matter. Though having her armor repaired would clearly be cheapest for me, I would never make it back to Squall's End on time. Shit.

There was another hare caught in the fourth snare that Thavis checked. She made short work of it, then turned to Azure as she tied the body to her belt. “So, what's it goin' ta be?”

He puffed out his cheeks and blew out a breath. “I really can't afford to split my loot with you, but I can afford to get your armor fixed. The only problem is the deadline. If you would trust me with your armor AND the map so that I can turn it in to The Adventurers Guild on time, I promise to return your repaired armor to you within the next few days.”

The dwarven woman eyed him warily. “That sounds like a lose-lose situation ta me. I lose tha map and ma armor.”

“I'll give you something as collateral to make it fair.” Azure pulled the Jade Ring from his finger and held it up to her. “This is worth two gold.”

Thavis snatched it from him, her eyes going wide. “Jade,” she said with greed, then looked from the ring back to Azure before she closed her fist around it, “You have yourself a deal, Adventurer.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

THE REALM – Day 68

Azure immediately started back for Squall's End with the map, stopping only an hour later to make camp a few minutes off of the main road. He had half a mind to light a torch and keep walking, but between the threat of the nearby trolls and the Bower Boys still on the loose, it seemed like too much of a risk. Besides, he'd need both hands to wield his Bergen's Glaive should he be attacked, not that he couldn't just switch back to his Bronze Sword. He wanted to get used to wielding the two-handed monstrosity since it was a superior weapon.

Waking up just as the sun had begun to rise, Azure was able to return to Squall's End before The Adventurers Guild closed for the night, but a quick peek inside told him that there was no way he'd make it to the front of the line before they kicked him out and locked the doors. That would have to wait until tomorrow. Instead, he took Thavis' armor to Garion and traded in two silver to have it repaired. Once that was done, he headed to the tavern to eat and people watch.

The next morning, he was in line at The Adventurers Guild bright and early to turn in the map. He had half a mind to take on another quest but decided against it, figuring he would take a day off from all of the traveling to fish. Perhaps that would be his method of earning the money he needed for the Teleportation Prisms. Fish, then quest, then fish again. Rinse and repeat until Lonnell returned and they could start taking on bounties.

When Mel handed over the box with his rewards, Azure quickly rummaged through it, practically dismissing the quest competition notification that popped up.

Congratulations! Adventurers Guild Quest: A Dwarven Woman Scorned has been completed.

Thavis Firstfall was a hard woman to crack. In the end, though, she'd rather use you to have her armor repaired than deal with having to see her ex-husband in Tradebreach, assuming that the trolls wouldn't have taken him out if they would have been let be. Whatever the case, she gave you the map that was needed to save the village. You have earned 2 silver, 5 copper, 1 Quest Point, and 135XP. You have also received the following items:

Large Uncut Topaz

Quantity: 1/1

Item Class: Rare

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Uses: Jewelry Crafting

Lava Geode

Quantity: 1/1

Item Class: Rare

Quality: Average

Weight: 0.5 kg

Uses: Geodes contain minerals and ores. Take it to a blacksmith to find out what's inside.

Small Skill Token

Quantity: 3/3

Item Class: Uncommon

Quality: Average

Weight: 0 kg

Uses: Spend a Small Skill Token to gain 100 points in any one skill.

Congratulations! You are now Level 10! Your base stats have been boosted. You have earned 3 points to assign to your characteristics. Please note that adding points to some characteristics(Vitality, Intelligence, and Strength) will further boost your base stats. You may also advance any 1 skill of your choosing by 1 level.

Azure wasn't sure which he was happier about, having leveled up or the items he'd received. None of them were common. While Azure was pleased to see a geode in the box, he was a bit annoyed that he'd have to waste more time taking it to Garion to have it cracked open. He also wasn't very fond of the geode roulette game.

"How do I use these Skill Tokens?" Azure asked before Mel had a chance to shoo him away.

"Simply think of the skill you would like to spend them on, and the token will evaporate, adding its value to that skill," the clerk replied non-snarkily for once. As odd as it was, Mel didn't seem to be his usual grumpy self this morning. Maybe he got laid last night, Azure thought but didn't care enough to ask why the clerk wasn't in asshole mode.

He collected his goodies and walked away, not stopping until he was standing outside of The Adventurers Guild. One glance in Malina's direction spurred him to keep moving toward the smithy. She smiled at him, but he was in no mood to do business with her or embarrass himself today. Azure was a man on a mission.

He shoved the Small Skill Tokens into his Bag of Holding, deciding to spend them later when he had time to analyze his stats. For now, he just wanted to get to the smithy, crack open the geode, sell his stuff to see how much he'd actually earned from the quest, and head back toward Brittlebreach to return Thavis' armor to her.

When he arrived at the smithy, Garion was busy pounding away at a blade. The blacksmith waited until he was finished before approaching Azure, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm. "What do you got for me today?"

"A Large Uncut Topaz and a Lava Geode." Azure pulled the items from his Bag of Holding and handed them over.

"Nice." Garion bobbed his head, looking impressed. He assessed the topaz first, lifting it up to the light. The stone didn't look very expensive to Azure"like someone was pissing bloody and solidified it into a rock. He didn't expect to get much for it. "Eight silver for the Topaz," the blacksmith told him. It wasn't as much as Azure would have liked, but he wasn't going to complain. "Do you want me to break the geode or are you going to sell it whole?"

"You know I like math." Azure gestured for him to run the numbers.

Garion took a deep breath before rambling off what he knew about the large black rock. "Like this, I'd give you one gold, five silver for it. Or you can try to crack it for something better. Best case scenario, there will be Astral Shards inside. Those are worth five gold. Worst case scenario, it's empty. You have a one in three chance of getting something more than the value of the geode as is."

Azure's odds were better than with the Lake Geode, and he'd managed to luck out there and break even. Breaking even wasn't as bad as never knowing what he could have passed up on. With only the slightest hint of hesitation, Azure said, "Break it open."

"You got it, boss." Garion tossed the geode lightly into the air before taking it back to his table.

Azure crossed his fingers as he watched the blacksmith bang on the geode with his hammer until it cracked. "What's the verdict?"

The blacksmith guffawed. "Are you sure your luck isn't maxed out, cause you're one lucky son of a bitch!" He turned with the open geode in his hands. Every color of the rainbow showed off of the shards inside, though there was a dark tint to them. Azure had no idea what he was looking at.

"What is it?" he asked.

Garion didn't respond. He simply handed the cracked geode back over to Azure.

You have received the following item:

Astral Shards

Quantity: 1/1

Item Class: Extremely Rare

Quality: Average

Weight: 0.1 kg

Uses: Jewelry Crafting

Jackpot! The smile that spread Azure's lips was so wide that his face hurt. Taking the miscellaneous quest had paid off.

"Five gold it is." Garion pulled the coin from his bag and made the trade.

Azure was so elated that he practically skipped out of the smithy. Maybe he wouldn't go fishing when he returned from delivering Thavis' armor after all. These miscellaneous quests seemed to pay way better than the gathering and monster quests, though still not as good as a bounty. Even so, his time was probably better spent on them while he waited for Lonnell to return.

After wasting so much time in Squall's End, Azure didn't arrive back in Brittlebreach until the late afternoon. Though extremely exhausted, he still couldn't hide his happiness as he handed Thavis back her armor. She gave him a queer look before inspecting it as if he were trying to trick her.

"Ya sure are in a good mood," she mentioned.

"The day turned out better than expected," he confessed, trying not to give too much away.

A smirk crept across her lips. "The reward was better than expected, ey?"

His expression hardened slightly, anticipating that she'd now want more. "Our deal is done. Thank you for your cooperation." He tipped his helmet to her and prepared to leave.

"Sometimes I think about taking back up the hammer." Thavis sighed. "There's not much ta do here these days besides catch and skin hares."

"If you're bored, then you should."

Bitterly, she laughed. "I worked so hard ta be able ta afford ta buy this place. A home fer ma husband and I. Mind ya, he worked at it, too. Looks like we both might just throw it away. There's no life fer tha lonely. Being out here..." She shook her head, her voice trailing off. "Ah, well. I'm sure ya have better things ta do than listen ta ma belly-aching. Safe travels back ta tha town a shit and piss." Thavis waved him away and went back inside.

Again, Azure found himself wondering if there were better opportunities elsewhere. Maybe Noseon would be more profitable. It was a kingdom, after all. More people meant more quests"more opportunities to line his bag with coin.

He sighed as he walked away from the small house, thinking about his current worries. First and foremost, he needed to find somewhere to camp for the night. There wasn't even an hour of daylight left. Azure found himself wishing that Brittlebreach had an inn, not that he'd be able to force himself to part with the money for a night's stay. No. For him, it was being stuck camping in some field with little rest in fear of being taken unaware in the middle of the night. In truth, he hated making these overnight travels alone. That was another reason why doing bounty quests was better. In a party, he had others to watch his back when nighttime came around.

Azure was barely outside of Brittlebreach when he found somewhere to settle for the night. After setting up camp, he ate one of his last two remaining sardines and contemplated how he wanted to spend his Small Skill Tokens. First, he needed to assign his characteristic points though.

Name: Azure

Race: Human

Level: 10, 4% of the way to next level

Health: 270 / 270

Mana: 230 / 230 (250)

Stamina: 270 / 270 (290)

Vitality: 17

Intelligence: 13 (2)

Strength: 17 (2)

Agility: 13

Dexterity: 12

Charisma: 10

Luck: 12

Skills: Archery Lvl 4; 43% of the way to next level

Stealth Lvl 3; 60% of the way to next level

Analyze Lvl 9; 64% of the way to next level

Cooking Lvl 5; 52% of the way to next level

Alchemy Lvl 4; 38% of the way to next level

Foraging Lvl 9; 26% of the way to next level

One-Handed Weapons Lvl 9; 8% of the way to next level

Tracking Lvl 1; 80% of the way to next level

Two-Handed Weapons Lvl 5; 10% of the way to next level

Fishing Lvl 2; 50% of the way to next level

Drinking Lvl 2; 0% of the way to next level

Land Magic Lvl 2; 30% of the way to next level

Languages: Common Tongue, Sprite, Goblin-Tongue, Elvish

Adventurer Rank: E

Azure felt pretty solid about his Health and Stamina. If he was going to be learning more spells though, which he definitely planned on doing, he would need more Mana. With that thought, he placed one point into Intelligence. After his quest with Thavis had brought Charisma into focus, Azure figured it was probably a good idea to assign a point there as well. The last point was harder to place. Considering how slow he currently felt with the Bergen's Glaive, it might be a good idea to throw it into Agility. Dexterity would help him land more hits, though. Azure pondered for a moment over which would be more beneficial. In the end, assigning a point to Agility seemed better because it would also help him to dodge incoming attacks.

With that out of the way, he turned his attention to his skills. There was no question that Azure was going to immediately level his Two-Handed Weapons Skill. The real quandary was how he should spend his Small Skill Tokens. Part of him was tempted to throw them all into his Two-Handed Weapons skill, but he also realized that he could level a few of his other skills if he divided them up.

Several of his skills seemed to be lagging behind. He hadn't had to use Stealth in a long time. Unless he was in a situation with multiple foes or he was hunting, it wasn't an often used skill. That could always change in the future though.

Alchemy was something he hadn't delved too deeply into yet, and to be honest, he was hoping that learning magic would mean he wouldn't have to.

Tracking seemed to mostly be useful during hunting, though Azure was certain an odd quest here or there would require it.

Fishing was taking forever to level for some reason. He'd spent so much time doing it and was still only at level 2. That didn't make much sense to Azure. While it was boring, it could also be incredibly profitable, and he couldn't help but wonder what benefits leveling the skill might bring.

Drinking was definitely a skill he didn't care to spend his tokens on leveling. It would gradually increase on its own with no real benefit besides hopefully less of a chance of giving him a hangover.

The last skill that was lagging behind was Land Magic, but that was only because he had newly acquired it. More than likely, it would be leveling quickly once he got more of an opportunity to use it, especially considering that it was the only kind of magic he knew and would be able to learn for a while.

Saying what the hell, Azure decided to spend one token on his Fishing skill. Since it was already at 50%, one-hundred points should level it, if his math was correct.

Remembering what Mel had told him about how to spend the tokens, Azure placed one in the palm of his hand. He stared at the shiny golden surface and thought about increasing his Fishing skill. Flecks of gold began rising from the token, pulling off of it and evaporating into nothing. Azure felt no different when the token was completely gone. The only way he knew it had worked was because of the notification that popped up.

Congratulations! The skill: Fishing has reached Level 3. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. As long as he has enough bait, that is. Casting distance increased by 1.

Oh sweet! Another perk! Azure hadn't expected that, but it was certainly a nice bonus.

Now to see if he could level anything else up.

Though he wasn't sure how much it would help him in the future, Azure decided to spend a token on Stealth next.

Damn, not quite enough to tip it over. A quick check showed that the skill was now at 93%. It wouldn't take many more uses to reach the next level.

While he was tempted to spend his last Small Skill Token on Stealth as well, Azure kept to his original plan and used it on Tracking, which admittedly felt like a bit of a waste.

Congratulations! The skill: Tracking has reached Level 2. Through fields and forests, sand and snow, with this skill, nothing will be able to hide from you.

No bonus. Oh well. It was still a relatively new skill, after all.

For a few moments, Azure second-guessed his decision to spend his Small Skill Tokens so frivolously, but then he put it out of his mind. What was done was done, and there was no going back.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

THE REALM – Day 71

Azure ate the last of his sardines for breakfast. By the time lunch came around, his belly was gurgling. He had half a mind to break off from the main road to hunt but then decided against it. It wasn't like he was going to starve to death if he missed one meal. If anything, wanting to get back to the tavern for a nice hot bowl of stew should spur him to walk faster.

He wouldn't make it back in time to pick up another quest from The Adventurers Guild, so he decided that he'd take the afternoon off. Azure leisurely foraged for alchemy components as he came across them, but not surprisingly, the sides of the main road had mostly been picked clean. By the time he returned to Squall's End in the afternoon, he was only able to gather one Fireweed, four Wild Onions, and ten Blue Mushrooms.

Azure went directly to the nearest merchant and traded his alchemy supplies for a silver and five copper, then he headed to the tavern for a much-needed meal. While he waited for his food to arrive, he Analyzed people as they came and went. The tavern was particularly busy with new faces tonight. Usually, he'd be happy to add the experience to his Analyze skill, but today they were just delaying the service, and that made him grumpy.

When his stew finally did arrive, Azure dug in, eating like a man starved. He had gotten used to the bland taste a while ago. The hunk of bread he was given helped to make up for it.

Azure was halfway through devouring his meal when he heard an eerily familiar voice behind him. "Wow. You've really filled out since I last saw you."

For a moment, his heart stopped. He knew that smooth baritone. The only thing missing was the snark.

Azure spun in his seat and was on his feet in less than the beat of a butterfly's wings. It was strange to be so happy to see someone who had once purposely tried to kill him. A range of emotions flooded through Azure, and the moment suddenly became awkward as he debated whether he should hug Uden or punch him. But then something even better happened. He remembered why he had chosen to learn Dirty Move first.

Bringing his closed fist up to his face, Azure summoned the Mana within him. Nothing felt more satisfying than blasting the half-imp in the face with the spell, even if it made several of the tavern patrons rise and take up their swords in confusion.

"That's for almost getting me killed, you asshat!" he told Uden as he stumbled away, cursing and rubbing his eyes. Then Azure rushed forward and embraced him.

All the while, Lonnell stood back with a smirk on his face. A quick glance at the startled bar patrons told them this was personal and that they had no reason to fear an all-out brawl.

"No magic in the tavern!" the barmaid yelled as a warning.

Azure gave her an apologetic look while he helped Uden take a seat next to him. It was totally worth getting in trouble for.

"I probably deserved that," Uden coughed as he waited for his blindness to subside.

"You definitely deserved it, but I'm glad you're back." Now getting a good look at the half-imp, Azure noticed that he was even paler. Frailer. If he was passing as human at all, it was as a sickly one. Several of the bar patrons were still staring and muttering under their breath, probably beginning to notice that there was an unusual non-human among them. Casting Analyze on Uden revealed that he was now an easy kill. Of course, he hadn't been able to level up while he was dead.

"You look like shit," Azure mentioned, ordering the half-imp a celebratory beer when the barmaid came back around.

"I'm not at my best, but at least I'm alive, I suppose." Uden sounded depressed for someone who had cheated death.

He looked across the table to where Lonnell had taken a seat. "I'm glad it worked."

"I was worried it wouldn't," Lonnell confessed. "I mean, you saw how he disintegrated after he died." He gestured to his brother. "The reanimation process was rather—"

"Painful," the half-imp cut him off. "It was rather unpleasant, for both of us." His eyes bore into Lonnell as if to say not to divulge more details than necessary.

Always secretive, Azure thought, then immediately worried that there might be something more sinister behind it. After all this time, he still didn't entirely trust Uden. And why should he? The half-imp was cunning and perfectly capable of manipulation and lying.

"Your parents are okay?" Azure asked, wondering if even more lives had to be sacrificed to get Uden back, not that he believed Lonnell was capable of that. Gaia had sort of tricked Sir Thornton. Maybe there had been an extra step to reviving the half-imp that neither of them was aware of.

"Our parents are fine." A soft smile took over Lonnell's face that made Azure relax a bit. "As you can imagine, they were more than a little elated to have their son back. Though, this naturally must be kept a secret."

"For that reason, they didn't argue when Lonnell told them he was taking me to the mainland," Uden added, the first hint of happiness reaching his face. Coming to the mainland had always been a dream of his.

"Did anyone else see him when you guys left?" Concern was in Azure's voice. Surely, there would be questions asked if anyone who knew that Uden had died saw him again.

"No." Lonnell shook his head. "But I would have been prepared to buy their silence if they had."

Azure had forgotten that Lonnell still had enough money to do that. He was considerably wealthy thanks to the last bounty quest they'd been on.

"Good," Azure said before turning his attention back to the half-imp with a smirk. "So did you get to see the sirens?"

A soft laugh passed through Uden's thin lips. "He wouldn't let me."

"I've already lost you once. There's no point in taking chances," Lonnell's tone was firm.

The half-imp sighed. "In all honesty, I wasn't much interested in risking it either. I've lost much, which has admittedly shaken my confidence a bit. Everything I had disappeared when I died. Even the contents of my bag. I awoke as naked as a newborn calf, a few levels shaved off, and the progress of my skills reset to zero."

Azure's mouth fell agape. No wonder Uden looked to be in such poor condition. It took Azure a moment to wrap his head around that kind of loss.

"So what level are you now?" he asked finally.

"I don't want to talk about it." The half-imp sulked.

'Five,' Lonnell mouthed from across the table.

Azure visibly cringed. Jesus Christ, that sucks. It was similar to what had happened to Sir Thornton. Perhaps that was the last hidden sacrifice to making Gaia's Staff work.

"Don't worry about it, man. You'll catch back up in no time." Azure patted him on the shoulder.

"I hope so." Uden blew out a breath, not sounding confident.

"We'll help you," Lonnell assured him.

"Yeah." Azure smiled. "The Adventurers Guild is full of little piddly quests that will level you up in no time. Don't think of this as losing levels, think of it as gaining a new life. You always wanted to move to the mainland, and now here you are. Everything you do from this point on will be for you. You can live for yourself now—don't have to worry about what your parents want. And hey, you can even go to magic school now." He kept talking the mainland up, trying to make it sound better and better.

Finally, a smile reached the half-imp's face. "That is true. Thank you." They were all silent for a few moments before Uden spoke again. "I see you've learned a spell. Got any more?"

"Only two so far." Azure delved into a long conversation about Hawking's School of Land Magic, the prices of classes, the way learning spells worked, and his current plight. Which reminded him, "We should probably take on another bounty quest soon. Magic school is expensive, and I'm almost out of coin. He's going to need a lot of coin to attend, too." Azure nodded his head in the half-imp's direction.

"We picked up his prerequisite quest today after we landed in Squall's End. He'll take the night off and start on it tomorrow." Lonnell gazed at Uden with brotherly affection. Azure couldn't help but wonder if Lonnell would be overprotective for a while.

"What kind of quest is it?" he asked, hoping they could buy the half-imp's way out of it like Lonnell had with his gathering prerequisite quest.

Uden audibly groaned, his body shifting back in annoyance. That alone told Azure that whatever he had been assigned was going to take some time.

Lonnell wrinkled his nose. "For someone with super high luck and a low level, I'm surprised they assigned him what they did."

"Well." Azure gestured for them to continue.

"There's a castle under siege that I have to go help defend," Uden told him. "The quest duration is two weeks."

"Two weeks!" His eyes bulged. That's fucking ridiculous!

"I don't like it." Lonnell shook his head. "It seemed to me that they're looking for front-liners. Expendables."

"Arrow fodder," the half-imp added. "And to think, I just got resurrected only to be thrown directly into the most difficult situation possible."

"That's bullshit." Azure sighed, visibly angry about his friend's predicament. "You know what... You don't need The Adventurers Guild," he said finally.

"What?" Uden gave him a queer look.

"You don't. You can just quest with Lonnell and me. We're probably going to be taking bounty quests for a while. We'll split our loot. And even if we occasionally don't take on a quest that will benefit all of us, there are other ways to make coin. I've done rather well fishing, though it takes forever to level the skill."

"Fishing?" The half-imp chuckled. "You? Really?" The look of disbelief on his face was comical. "And some people say I'm lazy."

Azure's expression drooped as he stared at his friend. “Listen, you dick, I'm just trying to help.”

Uden waved his discontent away. “I know, I know. I just can't help...” He chuckled some more.

Lonnell didn't seem to want to get in on the joke. “You know he can't skip this quest. If he does, he'll be banned from every Adventurers Guild in The Realm.”

"Well we can't go with him, and I doubt they'll let him appeal," Azure pointed out. "It's too dangerous to go alone."

"He won't be alone. He'll have other people around him. Probably soldiers from Noseon and other Adventurers." Lonnell did his best to make the quest sound safer than it probably was.

"Alas, I fear that discrimination follows me wherever I go." The half-imp sighed dramatically. "This is just an easy way to sweep me under the rug."

"Don't start with that." Lonnell tossed his head to the side in annoyance.

"I'm inclined to believe him in this case," Azure remarked. "When they checked his credentials, I'm pretty sure they saw that he's half-imp. Besides, he doesn't exactly look human right now, no offense." As was clear by all of the staring going on around them. Azure was just happy that no one had tried to attack Uden yet.

"None taken." The half-imp held up a hand. "This is not the start I had wanted on the mainland." He sulked.

"Well, at least you're not dead anymore," Lonnell told him. "Azure and I sacrificed a lot to bring you back."

"It was likely pointless considering where The Adventurers Guild wants to send me," Uden said morosely.

"Just take the night and think about it." Azure pushed the beer toward the half-imp when it finally arrived.

Lonnell immediately grabbed the horn by the handle and pulled it away from Uden. “None for him tonight.”

The half-imp pierced his brother with his gaze. “Oh, you suck.”

"One beer isn't going to kill him," Azure insisted, to which he was met with a glare by Lonnell. "Too soon?" He smirked.

Uden chuckled, but his brother didn't find it so funny.

Stubbornly, the half-imp pulled the horn back from Lonnell. “I've been through death and back. Literally. If one beer kills me, then I was never meant to come back anyway.”

"Fine," Lonnell relented with a sigh.

Azure lowered his voice for his next question. “So what happened to the staff?”

"It disintegrated after I used it," Lonnell replied. "That's probably for the best. I would not have wanted anyone to find its remains. I mean, I doubt it could have been recharged, but still."

"Don't want the evidence of your betrayal lying around," Uden added with a smirk.

"You're the last person who should be talking about betrayal." Azure glowered at him.

"That's all in the past." The half-imp nonchalantly waved away his accusation.

"It better be," he grumbled.

They drank conservatively that night, all sticking to one pint of beer a piece as they shared stories about what they'd been up to since Lonnell had left. Uden spoke about death being a long dreamless sleep, about the lack of excitement at sea, and about how Squall's End was everything he'd hoped it would be. When they had each finished their beer, they went back up to their room at the inn. Since they were celebrating Uden's return, he got the privilege of sleeping in the bed. It reminded Azure of how much he wanted his own room. Having spent the past night with barely a wink of sleep thanks to being out in the open, he desperately longed for a good rest. It was difficult to have when every time he turned there was a hard, flat surface beneath him, causing his muscles to cramp and ache. Somehow, though, he was able to sleep long enough to miss Uden sneaking out in the middle of the night.

Lonnell jostled Azure awake with panic in his expression. “Where did he go?”

"I don't know." Azure blinked away what little sleep was clinging to his eyelids, turning his gaze up toward the bed, not that he could see on top of it. "Maybe he went to take a piss."

"No." Lonnell shook his head, then stood. "It's been too long. He's gone. Just gone."

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

THE REALM – Day 72

Uden was, in fact, gone. Though Azure thought there were better things to spend their time on, he joined Lonnell to search Squall's End. The half-imp was nowhere to be found, which meant he had left town.

"I don't understand where he could have gone," Lonnell said, his expression set in thought.

"Isn't it obvious?" They stood outside of The Adventurers Guild, which was where Azure planned to go as soon as their conversation was over. "He went to complete his prerequisite quest. He was probably worried that we would try to stop him or fuck things up by going with him."

Lonnell exhaled deeply. "I hope that's the case."

"Or do you think..." Azure's words trailed off. While it hadn't occurred to him before, perhaps Uden had decided to abandon them and venture off on his own. If he stayed, the half-imp would have to live with the regret of having betrayed both of them. Besides, he was so many levels behind them, Uden might be worried that he would just be a burden.

"I don't know." Lonnell tore his hand through his hair in frustration. "I don't know what to think. My brother has always been unpredictable."

That was the truth. If there was one thing Azure had learned about Uden, it was to expect the unexpected from him.

"So what do we do now?" he asked.

"I don't know." Lonnell threw his arms up in exasperation.

"Well, if he did go do his prerequisite quest, he won't be back for a while. We could quest and see if he returns after two weeks."

"If he did go, I doubt he'll return." Lonnell's voice was hard with repressed emotions.

Azure stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to grab his attention. "Hey. That's his choice. I'm sorry what you went through to bring him back. But it is his life. You did your part. If he wants to throw it away, that's on him now. I'm sure he understands he won't get a third chance."

Lonnell sighed, his bad mood not curbed. "I hate that he's so reckless. It will get him killed...again."

"Like I said, that's on him. We have other things to focus on." Like earning more money. His gaze fell back on The Adventurers Guild. Wherever Uden had gone, Azure doubted he'd be back anytime soon.

"I suppose you're right," Lonnell agreed finally. "I'm still doing well as far as coin is concerned, but I'll need more to buy land and wed Bronna."

"And magic school isn't going to pay for itself." Azure was glad that he was pulling his friend back on track.

"Bounty quest?" Lonnell looked at him. "I hate to keep pulling these high difficulty quests, but they pay the best."

"Yeah." Nervousness snaked through Azure's gut as he thought about the potential for death that faced them when taking on bounty quests. Having Uden back was supposed to give him a boost in confidence for their survivability, but with the half-imp's level hacked down, he may end up being more of a liability than anything else. It was funny to understand now how Lonnell and Uden had probably felt about him at the beginning—an interesting reversal of roles. Whatever the case, it wasn't even worth factoring Uden into the equation when he wasn't around.

"Let's go inside and see what they have." Azure gestured for them to enter the building. "I'll accept this one since you did the last."

"Sounds fair." Lonnell nodded, and they headed inside.

The wait was insufferably long. Thanks to arriving later in the morning, there were ten other Adventurers ahead of them. It took over two-and-a-half hours to make it to the front of the E line, which ate into their day considerably.

As soon as Mel laid out the four available quests for them, Azure focused on the bounty quest.

Adventurers Guild Quest: The Heightened Haunted Mansion

Everyone knows the old Digby Mansion is haunted. Mistakenly built atop a cemetery, ghosts have been spotted wandering the halls for decades. Servants have reported that the newest owner of the mansion, Radclyffe Smithe, has gone missing after an expedition into the forbidden basement. Go to Digby Mansion and unravel the mystery of what happened to its owner.

Designation: E

Type: Bounty

Difficulty: Hard

Deadline: 9 days

Success: Discover what happened to Radclyffe

Failure: Cancel quest or die

Reward: 3 gold, 4 silver, 1 Quest Point, 1 Small Skill Token, 1 Ring of Fortune, 1 Strike Ring

Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?

"That's a bit ambiguous," Azure mentioned as he scanned over the quest description.

"The basement is assumed to be a dungeon," Mel informed him. "That's why this is classified as a bounty. From what I understand, there are no monsters in the mansion itself, but no one knows what lurks in the basement because entering it had been expressly forbidden by the previous owner."

Azure turned to Lonnell. "What do you think?"

Lonnell shrugged. "I guess we take it."

"Then we take it." Azure smiled at Mel before picking up the quest sheet.

Just as they were leaving, Azure heard Ferne's voice calling, "Hey, you!"

Assuming she was speaking to another Adventurer, he continued walking toward the door. It wasn't until Mel yelled his name that he stopped and turned around.

The Registration Clerk scowled at him as she wiggled her finger in a 'Come here,' motion. Azure had no idea what she wanted or why she looked so unhappy. Did he do something wrong?

Everyone's attention was drawn to him as Azure returned to the E line window. Mel stepped aside so that Ferne could speak directly to him. She leaned in to whisper, "You didn't show Enno's book to anyone, did you?"

Guilt immediately assaulted Azure, but he stilled his expression for the lie that was about to leave his lips. "No. Why?"

Enno was the famous angler who Azure had met on his prerequisite quest for The Adventurers Guild. His job had been to read the man's unpublished manuscript, fish one of the locations in it, and return to The Adventurers Guild with his honest opinion about the book. Along the way, he had met another fisherman with interest in the book. To secure a safe spot to sleep for the night, Azure had allowed the man to read the book in exchange for sharing his fire. It seemed like that decision was about to come back and bite him in the ass.

"A man known as Goddart the Godfish just released a comparable book. The similarities are rather...suspicious." She eyed him.

"Never heard of him." Azure shook his head, feeling sweat pooling beneath his armor. What would happen to him if Goddart sold him out? Would his ability to quest for The Adventurers Guild be revoked? All he could do was hope that both of them took the secret to their graves.

"If you did show it to him, it would be a pretty big infraction," she warned. "Many of the quests here at The Adventurers Guild are confidential. We don't need Adventurers that can't be trusted." She glared at him, clearly not buying his lie.

Azure held his hands out, palms up. "I don't know how this happened. Maybe Enno let this guy see the unpublished book, and he came up with his own."

"That would never happen," Ferne insisted. "The two are known rivals."

Huh. Whoda thunk that Azure would have the unfortunate luck of running into Enno's rival and be dumb enough to show the guy his book? He bet that Goddart was laughing all the way to the bank.

"Like I said, never heard of him. Now, if you don't mind, I have a quest to attend to." He turned from her, playing the offended card. All she could do was glower at his backside in suspicion as he walked away.

Lonnell leaned in to whisper, "What was that all about?"

"Not sure, but we have more important things to think about." While lying to Lonnell wasn't necessary, the less he knew, the better. Their last friendship level notification promised that Lonnell would never sell him out, but Azure felt that this was something better kept to himself.

"I suppose you're right." Lonnell quickly refocused his attention. "The duration of this quest is barely over a week. Seems kind of short for a potential dungeon. Whatever the case, let's just get it done and move on to the next. Where's the mansion at?"

Azure pulled up his map and sighed. "Looks to be about eight hours away, give or take. This one follows along the coast. Away from Noseon."

"If it follows the coast, we'll have to watch out for Naga," Lonnell's voice was etched with concern.

"Maybe not." Azure hummed. "It's on this strange finger inlet. Pull up your map, and you'll see what I'm talking about."

They paused for a few minutes so that Lonnell could do as he was told. "Ah. I see what you're talking about. Yeah. Too far inland for Naga."

"I think that's a relief," Azure hesitated. More monsters meant more loot and experience, but he'd never fought a Naga before.

"Anyway, we won't reach it by tonight, even if we leave now. Plus, I kind of want to wait around and see if Uden is going to return." Lonnell cast his gaze back toward the inn.

"It would be good to bring him along," Azure agreed. "How long were you thinking about waiting? We don't exactly have all the time in the world. It will take us a day to get there and a day to get back. If there is a dungeon involved, who knows how deep it goes."

"Just tonight. If we leave out today, we'll be caught sleeping in the unknown anyway. At least, if we leave in the morning, we can stay tomorrow night in the mansion."

Azure snorted, wondering which was worse, sleeping out in the open or in a haunted mansion. If he had to guess, he'd say the latter of the two. Still, Mel had said there were no monsters inside the actual mansion.

"Fine," Azure agreed as they walked away from The Adventurers Guild. "I wonder how we're supposed to defeat ghosts anyway."

"No clue," Lonnell admitted, which didn't give him any comfort.

"I hate winging it." Azure sighed. They stopped in front of the tavern and inn. "You going to come eat?"

"Later. I want to check the room for Uden first." Lonnell looked up at the building.

"Hey." Azure caught his attention before he could ascend the steps and disappear inside.

Lonnell turned back to him. "Yeah?"

"So...since this next quest involves a dungeon, how would you feel about taking on another party member?"

"What do you mean?" Lonnell furrowed his brow.

Azure took a few steps forward so he wouldn't have to speak so loudly. "I mean that every time we've entered a dungeon so far, someone has died. Two for two. I don't like those odds. The first time it was Uden. Last time it was Sir Thornton. What makes you think it will be any different this time?"

"What makes you think that adding someone to our party will keep someone from dying?" Lonnell gave him a queer look.

"Safety in numbers. The more people, the better our overall chance of success and survival."

"The less money we'll make," Lonnell quickly pointed out.

"I'd rather walk away with my life than a few gold coins. That should be apparent from the last dungeon we were in." He thought back to when Gaia had said that one of them would have to make a sacrifice of life. It had not been worth it to Azure. Not for the staff or all the coin in The Realm.

The two men stood in silence for several moments, mulling the idea over. No matter how he spun it though, Azure didn't feel comfortable entering another dungeon without backup.

"Listen. You go to our room and wait for Uden. I'll see if I can find someone at the tavern who is interested in joining our party. It's the only tavern in town, so it's the only place where Adventurers can go besides the pleasure house to relax after a long day of questing. I'm sure I can find someone reliable who can take care of themselves and will also be a boon to our team."

Lonnell shook his head. "I'm not willing to split my loot with some stranger whose skills we're unaware of."

"Then I'll split my half," Azure said finally, feeling sick from his decision even as the words left his mouth.

That shut Lonnell up. Though he still didn't seem to approve of the idea of bringing someone new into their party, he didn't argue further. "Just remember," he pointed at Azure as he began to walk backwards toward the stairs, "if you end up picking someone weak and inexperienced and they die, that's on your conscience."

Azure couldn't possibly pick someone weaker than Uden, and Lonnell was perfectly fine with bringing him along, he thought bitterly as he turned to head to the tavern. As Azure waited for his meal to be served, his eyes scanned the room. The patrons were a mix of Adventurers, most dressed like warriors or rogue-types. Every once in a while, someone in a robe would walk in"presumably a mage of some sort"but they were almost always partied up with other people. That's what Azure's party really needed, a dedicated spellcaster.

Now that he thought about it, Azure really didn't have a class. He was a bit of an archer, a bit of a battle mage. Lonnell was...well, a fighter of sorts with his staff. Uden was definitely a rogue-type with his swift, stealthy attacks. But Uden wasn't here now, and there was no telling if he would ever return. Some gratitude for bringing him back from the dead.

There were no spellcasters in the tavern right now as far as Azure could tell. Now that he was thinking about it, he wasn't even sure how to approach someone to ask if they'd join his party. The level ranges of the people around him were so vast, and most were already partied up.

It took a good hour and a half before someone entered the tavern alone who seemed close to his own level. Even then, Azure struggled with the idea of approaching them. The person in question was a dwarven woman barely four feet tall. She was decked out in mismatched armor with an axe hanging from her belt and a shield on her back. Her hair was pulled away from her face in a long red braid that extended beneath the shield. Taking up an empty spot at a bench at the far corner of the room, she promptly ordered a mead. Azure thought he had seen her around before, though she'd never really stuck out.

She's obviously seen battle or she wouldn't be carrying a weapon. I could either give recruiting her a try or wait for Gods know how long until someone else comes in. If I had more time, I'd definitely rather do that. But I have to recruit someone before tomorrow.

Azure cast a glance toward the door as another group of Adventurers entered. It was already dark outside. Still, he waited a bit longer, praying for a mage or even a lone warrior who might be willing to join up for the quest, even if it was just a one-time thing.

But soon the dwarven woman was done with her meal and her mead. Azure watched her pay the barmaid, and he knew he had to make his move before his only viable prospect disappeared.

He reached the bench she'd been dining at just as she was about to stand. "Hi there," the awkward greeting left his lips.

The dwarf jutted her head back, clearly confused and wary. "Hi there."

"My name is Azure Galvan, and I'm an Adventurer." He held out his hand to her in greeting.

What the fuck am I doing? This is an introduction, not an AA meeting.

She looked down at his hand but made no move to shake it. "Okay..."

Realizing he was probably coming off as a creeper, Azure dropped his arm and got straight to the point. "Judging by your weapon and armor, I'm assuming you're a fellow Adventurer. Correct me if I'm wrong." He waited for her response.

"Yeah," she replied with a bit of hesitation.

"I know I'm coming off as weird, but I honestly wasn't sure how else to approach you." Azure rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "My friend and I just accepted a bounty quest. It's categorized as Hard and will probably involve a dungeon. I'm looking for someone to join our party. It can be a one-time or ongoing thing, depending on how well we all jive together. I'm willing to split half of my loot with you if you choose to accept."

A smirk crept across the dwarf's face, and there was a seed of laughter behind her lips.

"What's so funny?" Azure asked, not getting the joke.

"You said jive."

Quickly, he realized that it was probably a foreign word to her. "Oh, sorry. It means to""

"I know what it means," she cut him off. "I just haven't heard it since coming here. It seems...misplaced." The dwarven woman looked distant for a moment.

"Apologies." Azure shifted his weight. "Anyway, would you care to join us?"

"Hm." She thought for a moment. "How many people are in your party, and what's in it for me?"

"Currently it's me and one other," he began to rattle off the details. "A fourth member may be joining us, counting you, of course. But I can't be certain. He's gone AWOL, I suspect to complete his prerequisite quest for The Adventurers Guild. We arrived here before he did," Azure tried to explain. "Meaning, his brother and I came here and became Adventurers before he later followed." Noticing that she was giving him a queer look, he stopped talking.

"Did you just say...AWOL?"

He cringed inwardly, wondering why he was messing up so much. Clearly, she didn't understand his strange terminology.

"Sorry. It means—”

"I know what it means," she cut him off once more, her brow furrowing in frustration.

“Oh, good.” He smiled. “Anyway, the current loot is 3 gold, 4 silver, 1 Small Skill Token, 1 Ring of Fortune, and 1 Strike Ring. And as you're probably aware, I'm sure we'll pick up more loot along the way. As a general rule of thumb, whatever you land the killing blow on you get to loot, but we occasionally make an exception if someone did more damage to a monster than the person who killed it.” These were all his own rules, rules they'd all followed up to this point. It seemed fair enough, and he doubted that Lonnell or Uden would argue. “As for the main loot, I'm currently entitled to half of it.” Here is where the math got tricky. “I will make sure that you get a fair, equal percentage to the number of people in our party.” Even though it will come from my portion. The thought of losing so much of his earnings pained Azure. Now he was banking on dungeon loot. Even if he only brought in half of what he earned from the last dungeon, it would still be enough to purchase his Teleportation Prisms. That was all he cared about.

Azure was a bit annoyed to see that the dwarven woman had zoned out. It was as if everything he had just said had gone right in one ear and out the other. Maybe he didn't want her in his party after all. If she couldn't even pay attention to the answer to a question that she had asked, then what good would she be?

“I'm going to ask you a strange question,” the woman said suddenly, her eyes boring into his as if she were searching for something.

“Sure. Shoot.”

“Have you ever heard of a place called Earth?”

His mouth fell agape for a moment. No one since Azure had come to The Realm had acknowledged Earth's existence. It was strange to even hear the word spoken aloud.

“Yes,” Azure responded after a moment.

A sigh of relief left the woman's lips, and her entire body seemed to relax. “Good. Then I'm not crazy,” she muttered to herself.

“Excuse me.” Azure leaned to get her attention, now incredibly interested.

She looked straight at him. “I said, 'Then I'm not crazy.'”

“What made you say that you're crazy though?”

“Because ever since I...woke up here, no one seems to have heard of the place.”

More shock took over. Did she just say that she had woken up here?

“How do you know about Earth?” The question was tearing at his reason. Long ago he had accepted this new life as his reality—that perhaps he had just been delusional in thinking that he had ever lived another life, though he remembered it clearly.

The dwarven woman took a step forward, lowering her voice so that the other tavern patrons couldn't hear her. “Because that's where I'm from.”

The adventure continues in book four. Coming soon...

To further support this author, please post a review after you finish reading this book.

Phoenix Grey is the super secret nerd pen name of a USA Today bestselling author. She currently lives in a secluded podunk town outside of San Antonio, Texas where she can hermit away while working on books and playing video games. When she's not busy plotting her world domination, she can be found hosting game nights at the local comic book store or checking out the latest recommended anime.

She loves hearing from and interacting with fans, so feel free to stalk her in the following ways:

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Azure's end of book stats:

Name: Azure

Race: Human

Level: 10, 4% of the way to next level

Health: 270 / 270

Mana: 240 / 240 (260)

Stamina: 270 / 270 (290)

Vitality: 17

Intelligence: 14 (2)

Strength: 17 (2)

Agility: 14

Dexterity: 12

Charisma: 11

Luck: 12

Skills: Archery Lvl 4; 43% of the way to next level

Stealth Lvl 3; 93% of the way to next level

Analyze Lvl 9; 87% of the way to next level

Cooking Lvl 5; 52% of the way to next level

Alchemy Lvl 4; 38% of the way to next level

Foraging Lvl 9; 42% of the way to next level

One-Handed Weapons Lvl 9; 8% of the way to next level

Tracking Lvl 2; 40% of the way to next level

Two-Handed Weapons Lvl 6; 0% of the way to next level

Fishing Lvl 3; 0% of the way to next level

Drinking Lvl 2; 5% of the way to next level

Land Magic Lvl 2; 30% of the way to next level

Languages: Common Tongue, Sprite, Goblin-Tongue, Elvish

Adventurer Rank: E

Lonnell's end of book stats:

Name: Lonnell Namud

Race: Human

Level: 9

Health: 240

Mana: 190

Stamina: 240

End of Book Shit

Hey guys and gals,

Phoenix here again! It's been another hectic past few months. Since the last book was published, I've moved and started a new podcast. But first, let's talk about some of the stuff that happened in Book 3.

This book wrote itself in many ways. Sir Nash Thornton didn't even exist in the outline, yet he ended up playing a large role. Uden's revival also wasn't planned. I came up with the idea when designing the dungeon quest. While the entire series has a rough outline, I panster all of the quests, which means that I don't actually plan them out until I'm writing the book. That leaves a lot of room for expansion of the series and plot twists that I don't even see coming.

The end of this book introduces the first character clearly in a similar situation as Azure. As you can probably imagine, this is going to change how Azure sees and thinks about The Realm. I can't really say much else without spoiling the next book in the series, which I hope you guys are all looking forward to.

My biggest side-project during the past few months has been starting a podcast to help promote other LitRPG authors and spread the word about their books. It's called LitRPG Happy Hour. Basically, what I do is read the Amazon sample of a LitRPG book(with the author's permission) and play a drinking game along with it. You can check it out at the link below. Also, if you're interested in having me read the sample of one of your other favorite LitRPG books, feel free to send me a message on the page.

https://www.facebook.com/LitRPGHappyHour

I'm hoping that the next book in The Realm Between series will be longer. For some reason, I always cut tons out during editing. Having said that, there will once again be a free Cut Scenes book available for those signed up to my mailing list. If you haven't joined yet, you can subscribe here:

http://www.subscribepage.com/TheRealmBetween

Anyway, I hope you guys have enjoyed reading The Realm Between: The Adventurers Guild.

Much love,

Phoenix Grey

Recommendation

Endless Online: Oblivion's Blade

By M. H. Johnson

Val had returned from his latest tour of duty scarred in body and soul. Barely able to walk and drugged to the gills for pain, he thought his killing days were finally behind him.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

Endless Online, a hyper futuristic game where players could truly live another life.

Val loved the idea of starting over in virtual reality. But when someone he cares about turns up missing after chasing that same dream, Val quickly learns that Endless is no simple game.

And if Val can't figure out the dark secrets behind this realm of wizards, warriors, and intergalactic conquest, then it's game over. For everyone.

Get it on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CSVWFNP

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You should also check out these other Facebook Pages and Groups

LitRPG Happy Hour (Owned by Me)

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