Things were never as simple as I’d hoped.

  We were making our way back toward the Core and the huts when I heard a sound—coming from somewhere to the west.

  I knew that was where the adventurers had come from, so for a moment I thought it might be more of them. But something felt… off.

  There were sounds of battle, yes, but underneath them came the heavy, uneven footfalls of someone stumbling through the foliage.

  I raised a hand, and my monsters halted instantly—growling and hissing low as we waited for whatever was coming.

  What stumbled out of the trees shocked me.

  A man. Human, maybe just a bit shorter than I’d been when I was alive.

  But he was covered in blood, armor torn and dented, gaping wounds visible beneath the metal.

  I was honestly surprised he was still moving.

  The helmet on his head was crushed in, trapping him inside it, and I doubted he even saw us before collapsing.

  I hesitated, then stepped closer. His breathing was shallow—he didn’t have long.

  Kneeling beside him, I watched his helmet tilt slightly toward me.

  I could hear the hitch in his breath. He was afraid.

  I tried to soften my expression—if that even meant anything anymore—and kept my voice calm.

  “Shh, easy, warrior,” I said quietly. “Your wounds are grave. You’ll suffer before dying. I can grant you mercy, if you wish.”

  I wasn’t sure if he understood, but he didn’t resist as I raised my blade, pressing it lightly against his chest.

  “Is… Isolde,” he rasped in his native tongue. It was a name, I was certain—and the system confirmed it.

  [New Quest Received!]

  [Quest: Save the “Adventurer”]

  [Type: Side Quest]

  [Objective:] The Herald has spoken to a fallen adventurer who mentioned the name of one of their companions. The Herald has the chance to rescue them, should he choose, from a terrible monster.

  [Goal:]

  Kill 0/1 Monsters

  Rescue 0/1 Adventurers

  [Time Limit:] 10 Minutes

  [Rewards:] +100 Soul Essence | ????

  [Failure:] The Herald misses out on a key opportunity.

  Well, at least this time the failure didn’t mean death.

  A roar—far closer than I’d have liked—pulled me out of my thoughts.

  The fight was near.

  I looked down at the fallen adventurer one last time. He seemed almost… at peace now.

  I drove my blade through his chest, straight into his heart.

  I felt a faint tremor through the hilt, and I wasn’t sure if it was him or my own hand shaking as his heart stopped.

  He gasped once—then went still.

  A system chime echoed in my head, signaling quest completion, but I ignored it.

  I had someone to rescue.

  “Come on,” I said, rising to my feet. “Let’s go see what’s happening.”

  My monsters followed as I moved toward the direction the adventurer had stumbled from.

  What we found was nothing short of astounding.

  There hadn’t been a clearing here before.

  Now, trees lay splintered and uprooted, the ground gouged as though some giant had clawed its way through the earth.

  And at the center of that devastation, a battle raged.

  A massive beast—something primal and monstrous—was locked in combat with an adventurer clad head to toe in silver armor.

  Each swing of the creature’s claws tore furrows through the dirt, scattering debris like shrapnel.

  Yet despite the weight of all that armor, the adventurer moved with impossible grace—dodging, weaving, striking—a swan in the middle of a storm.

  Why had that other adventurer gotten—

  “Whoa!”

  My question answered itself as the beast’s tail whipped around, launching a hail of spikes—each one nearly three inches thick and sharp enough to punch clean through the tree beside me.

  The adventurer glanced our way, clearly having heard my shout, and froze for just an instant.

  “Look out!” I yelled—too late.

  The creature’s strike slammed into her chest, sending her flying through the air.

  Her armor absorbed most of the impact, but she still struggled to rise from where she landed, the ground cracked beneath her.

  “Hey! Ugly!” I shouted, trying to draw the beast’s attention.

  Whoever this adventurer was, they’d managed to stand toe-to-toe with that thing long enough for us to get here—and I had a feeling they were the only reason we even had a chance of winning.

  The monster turned toward me, letting out a roar that shook the ground and made my teeth rattle.

  “Shit,” I muttered.

  It charged. My poor minions froze in terror—only the white-furred Kobold moved, loosing an arrow that bounced off the beast’s hide like it had hit solid metal.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Just as I thought my new life was about to end, the creature stopped.

  It clawed furiously at the ground in front of me, rancid breath washing over my face—but something was holding it back.

  That something was the adventurer, gripping its tail like a lifeline.

  “Are you stupid?!”

  I blinked.

  The voice was distinctly feminine, though sharp as steel. What shocked me more was her strength—the beast was actually being dragged backward, muscles straining against her pull.

  It looked as stunned as I was.

  “What kind of low-level monster just stands there taunting something three times its level?!”

  I frowned but couldn’t think of a response.

  With a fierce yell, she heaved the creature back and swung her blade in a shining arc.

  The battle ended moments later—as if a completely different person now stood before me.

  She removed her helm, revealing a woman maybe five years my senior, slightly tanned, her eyes gleaming like molten gold—too bright, too alive, too inhuman.

  Her frown hit me like guilt, the kind you feel when you’ve disappointed someone you respect. The reaction itself startled me.

  Her hair was short—practical for wearing a helm—and the color of a midnight sky.

  “Who are you? How do you command such a variety of monsters?” Her questions came rapid-fire, leaving me blinking, unsure how to answer.

  I felt no hostility from her, which was strange.

  Even my minions didn’t seem to register her presence. They simply went about their work, carving up the carcass like she wasn’t even there.

  That struck me as wrong. Every adventurer we’d encountered so far had sent them into a frenzy. Yet this woman… it was like she was—

  “Wait,” I said slowly, the thought taking shape as I spoke. “You’re a monster, aren’t you?”

  There was no other explanation. She spoke the language of monsters, showed no fear, and my own minions neither attacked nor fled.

  Her eyes widened in shock—then, in a blur, she was suddenly in front of me, blade pressed to my throat.

  “Who. Are. You?” she demanded through gritted teeth, and for a heartbeat I swore I saw something draconic flicker in her golden eyes.

  “I… I… I’m Eric. Eric Hill. Twenty-three-year-old student at Algonquin College—Professional Writing program,” I stammered, skin clammy and heart pounding in my chest.

  She didn’t lower the blade. Her expression shifted through a storm of emotions before finally settling on one: comprehension.

  “You’re him,” she whispered, stepping back. “You’re the one the others are all in a tizzy about. The Herald.”

  She said it with such certainty that I didn’t even try to deny it. I just nodded automatically.

  I still wasn’t sure what being the Herald meant, but after all the quests and titles, I’d at least gathered that much.

  “Wait—how do the adventurers already know about me?” I asked, frowning. I remembered those first ones mentioning a Herald, which I’d assumed meant me, but I still had no idea how they’d found out.

  She scoffed, like I’d just asked the dumbest question imaginable.

  “Every creature with a system received the notification of your arrival—at the same moment it announced the Hero had been summoned to some far-off kingdom,” she said, tone matter-of-fact.

  I froze, a pit forming in my stomach.

  Everything with a system.

  How many things had systems? Adventurers, obviously. Monsters too, apparently.

  And me.

  If only I could inspect her—

  [Analth, Lady of the Blue Flames — Level ?]

  [Average Stats: ?]

  [Average Skill Level:?]

  [Number of Skills: ?]

  The system did let me look at her… but what I saw made me audibly gulp.

  “Fuck…” I breathed, staring at her with newfound respect.

  She raised an eyebrow, confused for a moment—then a vicious snarl tore from her lips.

  “You did not just inspect me without my permission?!” she hissed.

  I nearly fell on my ass.

  “I’m sorry!” I yelped. The power radiating off her was immense, and once again I caught those faint, draconic traces flickering around her features.

  Then, as quickly as the fury had come, it was gone. She exhaled hard, shoulders relaxing.

  “No… you are not at fault,” she muttered, almost to herself. “You’re new to the ways of this world.”

  Her gaze drifted over the ruined battlefield, and the snarl faded into something else—grief.

  I followed her eyes, and understanding hit me.

  Near a fallen tree lay the body of a smaller man in tattered robes, a staff clutched tight in his death grip.

  Farther off, two elven women were pinned to the earth by the creature’s thorned spikes—one still clutching a sword and dagger, the other a crossbow.

  She kept scanning the field, and for a brief moment, hope lit her golden eyes. Then she looked back at me.

  “Did you see a human man? About this tall—helmet, breastplate?” she asked, motioning with one hand.

  The look I gave her told her everything she needed to know.

  She sighed heavily. “Damn it… I knew coming here with a bunch of novices was a mistake.”

  “Novices? They seemed… well equipped for novices,” I said quietly.

  She gave a short, humorless laugh. “Of course. They came from the Duke’s castle—a third son and his personal guard. Money meant nothing to them.”

  She waved off my confusion. “I warned them these woods could be dangerous, but they refused to listen—said the scouting party only found wolves and slimes.”

  For a moment, silence reigned—broken only by the sound of my minions grumbling as they struggled to cut through the beast’s hide.

  “What will you do now?” I finally asked, glancing at her. “Head back to your village? Tell people I’m here?”

  The air grew tense again. My minions felt it too—they readied themselves for a fight, even as they trembled at the thought of facing her.

  Even I was afraid. A bead of sweat slid down my spine, but I tried not to let it show.

  Analth only laughed.

  “No. If I try to go back now, the Duke will have me executed,” she said, voice bitter but resigned. “Even if he was a third son, he was still my charge to protect. The Duke will need to make an example of me to save face. A hundred years of living in disguise… ruined because I couldn’t say no for once.”

  She shook her head slowly, her expression unreadable.

  I frowned at that. It reminded me of what I’d read about medieval times—where money meant everything, including power.

  “Then what will you do?” I asked, keeping my tone calm.

  Inside, though, my thoughts raced.

  If I could convince her to stay—to join me—she could teach me about this world. I’d have an ally, a mentor… maybe even a friend. And who would dare mess with me if she was by my side?

  “Wander these woods for a time, perhaps,” she said softly. “Then find new lands to explore.”

  Panic welled up in me before I could stop it, and the words burst out of my mouth before I had time to think.

  “What if you joined me?” I blurted.

  She looked at me like I’d just said the dumbest thing imaginable, her mouth starting to form what I assumed would be a scathing remark—then she stopped.

  Her gaze swept over me, thoughtful, as if weighing something I couldn’t see. Finally, she nodded.

  “Fine. You might prove entertaining—and it’s been a long time since this world witnessed a Herald who lasted more than a few months.”

  The grin that followed was unsettling, like a predator eyeing its next meal.

  “If you prove worthy, I may even assist in your battles,” she added with a low laugh. “And trust me, Herald—there will be many battles to come. The mortals of this world won’t allow a Herald to live long, especially not one tied to Cataclysm.”

  I frowned but took her hand when she offered it.

  The system chimed immediately—

  [Quest Complete!]

  [Quest: Save the “Adventurer”]

  [Type: Side Quest]

  [Objective:] The Herald has spoken to a fallen adventurer who mentioned the name of one of their companions. The Herald has the chance to rescue them, should he choose, from a terrible monster.

  [Goal:]

  Kill 0/1 Monsters (Completed by Third Party)

  Rescue 1/1 Adventurers

  [Rewards:] +50 Soul Essence (Half Complete) | Legendary Tier Monster, Analth, Lady of the Blue Flames, has become a temporary ally.

  A Legendary-tier monster.

  I read those words again and again, but no matter how many times I looked, they didn’t change.

  Even as an ally, I couldn’t see much about her beyond her name. Whatever she truly was, the system didn’t want me to know.

  “Well… welcome aboard then!” I said, forcing a smile as I shook her hand. “My home’s not far from here, so follow me.”

  I turned and started toward the Core, flanked by my minions—and by this new, enigmatic monster walking in silence beside me.

  I had no idea how much she would change my life—or how quickly.

  [Current Day: 2]

  [Soul Essence: 542]

  [Kingdom Core: Level 1]

  [Domain Size: 1 Sector]

  [Active Quest: Hunting — 3 Days Remaining]