Pressing red bodies engulfed Suna as he tried his hardest to push the forming crowd, who were there to spectate Slea and Reki cracking open runes for free. It was James' idea, and word spread quickly through the Thiefmaster tongue. At first, there were just five Tieflings with curious eyes, and their legs carried them here. Soon, a hundred formed, pressed around the small hollow of the cave wall as the two sat and began offering their services.

  Being in such a position was bad, undoubtedly so; hence, Suna decided to leave—no reason to have all of them pinned there.

  “Human! Crack mine!” A Tiefling waved his palm-sized crystal up, but he would need to wait as hundreds of arms holding crystals of all sizes tried to push over each other.

  Suna heard Slea's cries for the creature to calm down, dampened by the crowd's enthusiasm. But Reki merely laughed and told them to come.

  The office worker even began to add the cost of two attribute or skill Runes for each crack.

  Suna exhaled the harsh air in this enclosed market; more and more Tieflings sauntered in by the seconds. Suna walked off, shaking his head at the forming crowd. What madness.

  “You, human, dear human!” A group of five approached him. One of them shoved a crystal toward him. “Please, crack mine open.”

  “Wait—”

  “No, honorable human, do mine first!”

  “Don’t listen to him! I shall pay you two skills—”

  “I’m an archer!” Suna cut them off. He shouted loudly because a new crowd began forming behind him. “I’m just an archer,” he repeated.

  The Tiefling looked at each other, and then at Suna once more. Before, wordlessly, they moved to join the line.

  Suna had to step back as the line got busier every time he blinked.

  “I don’t like this,” someone said beside him.

  Pito scrunched his brow. He faced Suna and tried to speak before the Tiefling started begging him to crack open a rune. The [Monk] cracked open one, and a sharp gasp went through the crowd. Then a dozen of them surrounded him. Suna couldn’t make out what it was as the bodies began to pile around him.

  Hold on…

  What about his runes?

  His share was still on the table!

  Well, Reki and Slea will double their Runes, and he can just get his share later. Around him, despite the crowd, the marketplace was still bustling with activity. Deals were still being made, and Suna spotted a Tiefling trading weapons for runes. And those are skill runes; it was a small one for a crossbow. He really should do that, too.

  But he was not willing to trade his bow or sword, and preferably, he wanted those big ones, the ones that gave out rare items. He could ask Slea or Reki to crack it open for him later if he managed to procure some.

  This place might not be so bad.

  What about the Cleric staff? It has a good effect; maybe he could trade it for a big rune?

  Suna began to find his way out of the marketplace. Reki and Slea would clearly take time to do all of their charity. Suna glanced back at the crowd, and he could not help but think that they were being fooled. And he felt dirty.

  He sighed, left, making his way to the house where Min was to retrieve his item.

  Some of the Tieflings called him for a deal, but he had to refuse them as he did not have anything to trade; he still wanted to keep his potion after all.

  Suna left through the archway into the sewer, where its infrastructure replaced the natural cave wall. Rushing water engulfed his hearing; the stench was bad. On the bright side, he did not have to hear the overwhelming sound of the crowd.

  He walked along the rushing water, mind drifting as he did. The sound of the rowdy marketplace petered out as he made a turn, still remembering the path he had taken.

  Suna kicked a rock, and it echoed into the water before being carried by the rushing force into its fate.

  If he were a poet, then that rock was him currently. He winced, shaking his head at his own mind.

  The plan to get the Tiefling in their debt and use them to advance through the depths still brought a wrong taste in his mouth.

  But, this was what he wanted in a way, right? Did he not like it because of the manipulation involved? One could argue it's not manipulation but a beneficial act since those piece of equipment by Reki and Slea would stay forever, even after they leave. Reki will surely argue that.

  “Maybe I’m overreacting,” Suna mumbled, just realising he had stopped dead and stared blankly at the water.

  “Overreacting to what? Honorable Archer,” a voice echoed through the humming of the sewer.

  James approached him with his hand clasped back, and the one-horned black cloak rustled as he moved.

  “You did not like the plan,” James said, and it was a statement.

  “I—”

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  “Can you offer me a reason why?” James pressed on. “I believe it's beneficial to all sides.”

  The blue and green eyes regarded him; those eyes demand an explanation.

  Suna opened his mouth, but a voice not his own boomed.

  “Thiefmaster! I did not like this!” Pito huffed. The monk moved with an eye-catching white robe that caught the flicker of the torch.

  “You and him both,” James mumbled. “Well, both of you have my ear.”

  Pito opened his mouth, but Suna spoke first.

  “Because all of them are living beings,” Suna said, and that was really his only reason. A na?ve one, perhaps, but one that kept bothering him.

  “So does the Drow,”

  “That's different!” Pito said, forcing himself into the conversation. “They’re cruel, and probably made by the system for us to kill.”

  “The Drow has been here long before both of you came. Their movement does seem… repetitive, like they were being controlled by something. And these new drows and the seeker… all of them had erratic moves unbeknownst to us, Tiefling. Everything has been strange and sort of refreshing, I suppose.”

  James stepped close to the rushing water, and he stood silent for a couple of seconds before speaking again.

  “Archer, you said it was because we’re living that you did not like this plan… But, do you even know what’s been going on? What is necessary to keep that life?”

  Suna shook his head.

  “The upper world we call it, the city. There’s so much space, but because of the constant patrol of the drows, and their tower wars, we are beaten back again and again, forced to live inside this sewer.”

  “That does not make sense, you were strong, and surely with a hundred Tieflings…”

  “Oh, yes, perhaps we can survive for a week, that is, until the Drow matriarch starts to ally with each other and send their army on us. If the balance of the city is disrupted, then the Drows will band together and beat us back to the sewer.”

  James continued.

  “The upper world is not the only problem. The underworld, or the depth we called it. That place is crawling with undead; those things are erratic as they get. Wandering these sewers like a lost predator… And they’ve become more erratic ever since you came. We’re on a timer, human.”

  Suna blinked. That did make sense, but still. “Why didn’t you mention that earlier?”

  “Why did you think?”

  Suna tried to think. He might have an idea.

  James did so to make it sound like the decision to help against the depth was a choice rather than a requirement… James leveraged it and made it sound like he was offering a deal rather than letting them know he legitimately also needed to face the depth.

  “Well, and the factions were splintered, as the attack on you proved. This equipment was granted to them, and the promise of Altar will unite us,” James said. “It will still be an uphill battle, as we still cannot level up beyond three. Do you know how blessed you are, humans? To be able to grow further with the system blessing?”

  “No,” Suna admitted.

  “Same here,” Pito repeated.

  James turned to them, blinking and staring with a flabbergasted expression. His lips curled, and the Thiefmaster smiled. “Well, this did irk me. A couple of children being so honest, and so… uncaring”

  In a flash of movement, the Thiefmaster's hand shot out. Both grasped Suna and Pito’s hands in less than a second.

  Then he twisted.

  Pain blasted in his wrist. Suna cried out, and he gasped, falling to his knees. Pito screamed, the [Monk] crumpled beside him.

  “So weak, we really do need to train you.”

  Suna growled. He brought out his sword with his right hand, and sliced at the Thiefmaster, who, instead of dodging—moved forward, slamming Suna’s hand—making him drop his sword instead.

  Pito lashed out, fist streaking, and the Thiefmaster caught it and slammed the [Monk]’s whole body back with a twist of his own body. The [Monk] crashed down, and a heap of bodies crashed down in a resounding blast.

  Did it try to kill him?

  Pito groaned, still alive. The Thiefmaster let go of his hand and turned to Suna.

  The moment those two colored eyes connected to him, Suna skidded back—arrow and bow ready in an instant. Suna released it, but the Thiefmaster was so close—He struck Suna across his chest, he gasped, and his arrow was clutched in the Tiefling's hand, broken apart.

  He clenched his stomach and let drool slither out of his mouth to the floor.

  “You’re not ready for the depth, far from it. Neither for the Drow tower, nor these Seeker Drow.”

  “Seeker Drow?” Suna coughed.

  “Yes, a Drow that has been hunting us out. She got a class evolution just like the Second Thiefmaster, and was somehow able to find the weakest of us while evading the strongest.”

  Suna’s eyes widened, a class evolution. A seeker…

  “The scout!”

  “Scout…” Pito muttered. “Oh!”

  So the scout has become a Drow? Wait… how does this count as an advantage? That damned white creature…

  Was it lying?

  No, probably not. Suna tried to remember how he said it was precious to have classes, and it's embedded in the soul… so somehow the Drow body could be used.

  The sun altar… If he offered the Seeker Drow to the sun altar, what would happen? Does he need to remove her rune first? Or just offered her whole body?

  “How strong was she?”

  “She kept getting stronger like you, human. Last time she was spotted, she was level thirty-five”

  Thirty-five… How did it even grow that much?

  “The Seeker Drow is suspected to be part of the highest tower faction. Along with the Beastmaster Drow. Both an opponent that grew stronger, and I hoped that by allying with you humans, we could somehow tip the scales in our favor.”

  James kneeled, eyes examining them. “But, after seeing this pathetic display, I started to have doubts… Now stand, and share your vision for getting stronger. Tell me what you are going to work on to get stronger.”

  “A vision? What did you mean by that?” Suna asked.

  “I did not hold your class child; you’re the one who knows it better than anyone. So tell me, what does your instinct tell you? What kind of strength does your body yearn for? After the battle you went through, surely you had some idea”

  What kind of strength he wanted…

  Suna replayed his battle, and remembered the frustration every time he was engaged in close combat. And every time he tells himself the limit of his [Archer] class.

  “I want to be able to draw and shoot before a swordsman can swing,” Suna said.

  James peered close to him and once again. The Thiefmaster smiled.

  “That’s it, it starts from vision–a path you imagine, then you walk on it. We will start training then. Pito. What’s yours?”

  Pito's body snapped up. “I want to stop relying on my staff and use my fist.”

  “Good!” James barked. The Tiefling clasped his hand behind his back and took a couple of steps, nodding at both of them. “Now, both of you will try to kill me every day. I will make you strong; in exchange, help us.”

  Suna stood. He popped open a health potion and drank it. His arm healed, and he clenched his bow tight. “Can we start now?”