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[1100.2] – Y05.100.2 – The Realms Beyond II

  PART TWO

  ‘Man, it feels like my first year in Red Oak,’ Adam thought as he finished writing the paper, who probably wouldn’t pass the general lore of the world, but he had done his best with what the trio had taught him sihey had arrived. However, the numbers se, which dealt mostly with questions about taxes, fees, and expenses, was remi of his questions from when he was a boy.

  “You know, there really are people out there buying fifty seven es, and then repg them with apples, at a price of three pence more for each apple, but using a budget of a tenner, and then calg the leftover amount.”

  Jaygak panted for air as she dropped the stone, gasping before staring at the half elf, who slowly pced down his own stone. “What?”

  “This is why I’m Churot’s favourite cousin.”

  “You’re not even Churot’s tenth favourite.”

  “Who es before me?”

  “Gurot and all the others.”

  “Of course, since our Churot is so smart.”

  “I hadn’t expected you fresh sheaths to be so good,” the adventurer said, wearing a simple breastpte, as well as lighter , a bde at his side. He was slightly tan, from w outdoors, and across his cheek was a long scar, from a dagger that had almost killed him, but he had caught between his now chipped teeth.

  “I’ll test to see if you’re any good with your ons, or if they’re just for show.” He eyed up Jaygak, who robably just some noble ss who had a wealthy family, while the rest were her retainers. “I’ll start with you first, big man in the .”

  “Sure,” Adam said.

  Battle OrderD20 + 1 = 7 (6)

  Health: 112 -> 90

  Fighting Spirit: 3 -> 2Health: 90 -> 95

  Attack: Battleaxe (Advantage)D20 + 8 = 12 (4)D20 + 8 = 12 (4)Miss!

  Attack: Battleaxe (Advantage)D20 + 8 = 20 (12)D20 + 8 = 23 (15)Hit!1D6 + 1D3 + 7 = 12 (4)(1)12 damage!

  Onward Soar: 1 -> 0

  Attack: Battleaxe (Advantage)D20 + 8 = 9 (1)D20 + 8 = 16 (8)Miss!

  Attack: Battleaxe (Advantage)D20 + 8 = 20 (12)D20 + 8 = 26 (18)Hit!1D6 + 1D3 + 7 = 14 (5)(2)14 damage!

  Adam winced as his oppo mao press him back, striking against his pit, though thankfully his armour bore most of the brunt. He inhaled sharply, swiping his axe wildly, and pushed himself past his limits, managing to strike two well pced blows.

  “Oh!” Barry’s eyes grew wide, taking a moment to gather himself. “I didn’t realise you…”

  “Yeah?” Adam asked.

  “You’re k already?”

  “Am I?” Adam asked.

  ‘Just what kind of pce do they e from?’ “You’re at least as strong as I am.” Barry didn’t want to admit that Adam was certainly much strohan himself.

  ‘Does that mean we’re B Rank?’ Adam thought, having held back to not embarrass Barry, since he had treated them politely so far.

  “Jurot, was it? e on up.”

  “Okay.”

  Barry began to sweat, feeling the throbbing within his axe, not realising Jurot was equally as strong as Adam. ‘Ah, he’s a Barb? I should have expected.’ “I o call Tim.”

  Tim appeared, the dust haired fellow with pale skin, and eyes that were dark, not quite bck, but a dark grey.

  “These guys are k at least,” Barry whispered. “B Rank, probably.”

  “Seriously? They look like kids.”

  “They’re twenty three.”

  “Babes.”

  “I’m telling ya, they’re not nobodies. I think they’re some nobles from a distant nd, probably spend all their time in war. Test out the girls, I o put some iy arm.”

  “That bad?”

  “That bad.”

  Tim eyed up the pair. “Alright, you, with the staff.” He motioned Kitool closer with his sword.

  It was only after ing face to face with the terror known as Kitool that Tim uood what Barry was talking about. ‘Save me some ice.’

  “It was my honour,” Kitool said, retreating beside Jurot. She frowned, annoyed she had only mao strike only one good blow with her four attacks, but they had all promised to hold baow that they were in the rger city.

  ‘Oops,’ Jaygak through, having struck true, and pushed through her limits temporarily to strike him thrice with heavy blows.

  “Well doim said, flexing his muscles, wing slightly. “You’ve definitely earhe E Rank title, but we’ll see what we do for you to earn the D Rank title quickly.”

  “Thank you so much!” Adam beamed towards the adventurer, whose heart grew weary from having to deal with mysterious fners who pletely shocked the entire nd.

  ‘I’d only have two coppers, but it’s weird it’s happewice…’ Tim went to go put some i his side, where both Kitool and Jaygak had struck, as though his side had offehem somehow.

  Barry quickly sighem tasks to deal with their quests. They o plete seven to bee official adventurers. It started with rats in a basement, which the figure in articurly excited about.

  ‘Cssic!’ Adam had excimed.

  Then wolves, bears, and other such beasts nearby that had been giving them trouble. They should have pleted menial tasks, but Barry uood they were much better utilised actually fighting.

  “What’s this?” Adam asked, surprised at the rge pouch before them.

  “We’re not meant to pay you for these quests, but…” Barry smiled politely. “Since you helped the mert out with a bind, she decided to add some gold and silver, and…” ‘And I don’t want to die if you feel offended.’

  Adam stared down at his ched within the sb of iron, as well as the ranking on the opposite side, a giant E.

  “E Rank…” Adam looked to Jurot. “This feels so cool.”

  “It is like Iron Rank from the Guild.”

  “Yeah, but… it’s like those…” Adam shook his head. “I read a lot about these kinds of stories.”

  ‘These guys, they really killed a cave bear like it was nothing!’ Barry’s sweat dripped down the side of his forehead, not realising just what kind of monsters he was dealing with.

  “So you’re the newers everyone has been shouting about,” she called. She wore full pte, with a greatsword upon her back. Her hair, sun kissed, her eyes like the o, and the scars across her face faint, like fotten memories.

  “Are you the Guild Master?” Adam asked.

  “I’m Zephrihe Guild Master of this city.”

  “I hear you’re A Rank,” Adam said.

  “I am.”

  “Jurot, you want to face her, right?” Adam asked.

  “Yes,” Jurot said, flexing his muscles. “Will you fight?”

  “…” Zephrine gnced aside to Barry, who nodded his head, and the woman led Jurot to the field outside the building, the stone wall keeping prying eyes away from them.

  “Hey,” Adam called. “Ten gold on my brother.”

  “Sure,” Barry replied. ‘Vicious Sword, you o teach these kids the terror that is the world.’

  Jurot inhaled deeply, feeling the pressure from the woman. ‘She is at least a Master.’

  They remained silent and still. Jurot had taken a few blows earlier in the day, but he had regained his strength after a rest. He had still danced once, but he had another ready, so he could still fight at full strength against her.

  The csh of steel rang through the air. Barry watched in amazement as the young man held his own against Vicious Sword, who was A Rank. If she had tinued a decade ago, she would have been an S Rank for certai, somehow, the A Rank adventurer, who tiaking quests now and again, to sy all manner of unimaginable creatures, was being matched by the young man whose body was red as fire.

  She could see it again, the explosion of blood. It repyed within her mind as she saw them fight. Kitool closed her eyes, recalling the way her grandaunt stood above the Ptinum Shield. It was the way of the Ool family, the pinnacle of their ability, just like the Fev family.

  However, she could no longer carry such a torch. She, who had given herself to the Iyr in a particur way. Now, her fists were full of Baktu’s will. When she had fought against the soldiers, she had felt it. Baktu’s sweet affe after beating a creature down, the strength that filled her body, the taste of iron upoo was different.

  Jurot, however, fought in the way of the Rot family. He would always fight in the way of the Rot family. Even if it was more beneficial to fight in the way of the Jin or Kan families, Jurot could not let go of the path that his father had followed. So even now, even as the warrior before Jurot rained down steel upon him, and the Rot family way had no special ability to assist him against his oppo, Jurot fought with the pride of his family upon his chest.

  ‘Should I have followed my family’s way?’ Kitool thought, though she could no lret it.

  “You’re strong,” Vicious Sword finally said, stepping back, her forearms burning, her bde shaking slightly.

  “Thank you,” Jurot replied, feeling the burn in his body, before his body turan, and he cooled off into the air.

  ‘Who is this kid?’

  Victory!XP Gained: +500XP: 22 500 -> 23 000

  “Ten gold,” Adam whispered.

  “…” Barry didn’t want to say that teically Jurot didn’t win, slipping the half elf ten gold pieces.

  “You all must be… B Rank, maybe A.”

  Barry raised his brows in arm, the gold dropping out of his hands, king upon the floor. ‘A?’

  “B is good enough for me,” Jaygak said, smiling.

  “You are slightly weaker than the Guild Master,” Jurot said.

  “B Rank,” Jaygak firmed.

  “I feel bad if you pare yourselves to me…” Zephrine frowned.

  “Don’t feel bad,” Adam reassured. “These three were raised to beonsters.”

  “I don’t want to hear that from your mouth, Adam!”

  Adam cackled lightly, just like his twins, smirking wide at their horny kako.

  “I will upgrade you all to k, but that’s as much as I do,” Zephrine said, still feeling the ache within her arms. “You should head to Pitcastle. This pce, it’s way too small for you.”

  Quest pleteXP Gained: +300XP: 23 000 -> 23 300

  Adam stared down at the new pque, fed of simir iron, but this time with bits of silver, the giant C far more detailed than the E. ‘What a nice pque.’

  “Are you sure you should increase their rank so quickly?” Barry asked ie evening, noting how tired the Guild Master was after all that paperwork.

  “Ohey reach the capital, they’ll uand how big the world truly is. They probably have never met ahat’s S Rank.” Zephrine wondered if she should have stopped at A Rank. ‘The gap between A and S is so wide…’

  The group left the day, after pr a set of saddlebags, and a saddle, heading along the Emperor’s Road. The capital of Pitcastle was along the road, though they heard the journey was going to take at least a month.

  ‘We should farm some more XP.’

  As they travelled, they came aas they dispatched, and many travellers. A scream had alerted Adam, who had mao save the child who had dropped down the cliff with his Feather Fall spell. Once he had seen the cliffs along the road, he had ged into the spell, but believed he wouldn’t .

  ‘Seriously? Saving a kid using a spell that I just switched to? It’s like it was written just for me.’

  It was half way through their journey, overlooking from the mountain to the forest all around them, that Kitool sat beside the half elf.

  “You have not spoken of your children in some time.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “It’s fine.”

  “They are safe in the Iyr.”

  “I don’t know much, but I know at least that much,” Adam replied, smirking towards Kitool.

  Kitool bowed her head, though she knew Adam only preteo be stupid.

  “Hey, Kitool?”

  “Yes?”

  “If anything happens to me, will you watch over them too? If Jurot watches over them, they’ll grow up tough. If Jaygak watches over them, they’ll grow up with a proper sense of humour. Vonda, she’ll make sure they’re wise. You? You’ll make sure they’re bad ass.”

  “Bad ass?”

  “Cool.”

  Kitool slowly bowed her head. “You did not o ask.”

  “I know, but…” Adam smiled.

  “Will you treat my children like how you treat Jurot’s?”

  “If you wao.”

  “I do not know how to show such affe.”

  “I’ve seen you with Katool. You .”

  “Jurot finds it difficult, but so do I.”

  “Firstly, how we even say that it’s difficult for Jurot? Damrot was born, and the first thing he said to me was let’s go win a tour. If that isn’t affe, what is?”

  “I am uo do the same.”

  “You , you do, and they see it. Everyone has their own way of showing it, but they all see it.”

  “I wish to give myself to the Iyr,” Kitool stated, staring down at the bowl. “I will not have much time for them.”

  “Ah.” Adam sighed. “Right.”

  “Will you py with them?”

  “Always. Though, they’re not allowed to grow up. I ’t believe your sister betrayed me by growing up.”

  “I ot promise that.”

  “You certainly are Katool’s sister, bullying me like this…”

  Kitool smiled.

  “I’m going to tell Jirot.”

  “She will say you deserve it.”

  “I’ll tell Jarot.”

  “Jirot will tell him you deserve it.”

  “Okay, if they learn from you, they’ll be too scary.”

  Thus the days passed by.

  “Oh my, oh my,” Adam whistled, eyeing up the guards, his eyes then falling upon the rge keep overlooking the city. “Now this is a city.”

  Pitcastle was smaller than Red Oak, in some ways, but it held the bustle of a city. The guards each wore breastpte over , thick helmets, and carried longswords and shortswords at their sides, while walking with spears in hand.

  After paying the fee, they stepped within, no ent made to their onry or equipment. As they made their way inside, Adam could smell it, the city sts, that of the grime and dirt only a city could hold.

  As they approached the Guild, Adam stopped. He blinked.

  “Jurot, why is there a massive hole in the middle of the city?” Adam asked.

  “It is the dungeon.”

  “The what?”

  “The dungeon.”

  Adam furrowed his brows. ‘A dungeon?’ “I guess…” ‘We haven’t really explored many dungeons.’

  They made their way to the rge Guild, ign the rge gaping hole that had been fenced for safety. As they stepped within the guild, the rge wooden building housing dozens of different parties. Adam he tokens they wore, noting most were k. He made his way to the job board to one side, eyeing it up. There was ohied upon each of the requests.

  “Step aside, kid.”

  Adam stepped to the side, gng up at the figure in his breastpte, before returning back to the group when he couldn’t hahe stench of the adventurer.

  “So what’s this about dungeons and floors?”

  “There are many floors within the dungeon, with every ten or so holding a creature of great power.”

  Adam blinked. “Jurot?”

  “Yes?”

  “Are you tellihat these dungeons have multiple floors, and every ten floors there are boss monsters, and every floor after is a safe floor, and each set of ten floors has a theme to it, and some of them have weaker boss monsters now and again, and there are treasure chests we get to loot that sometimes hold great items, but also the mohemselves drop loot and disappear, and then every so often the dungeos?”

  Jurot blinked, his eyes holding Adam’s. “Yes.”

  Jaygak raised her brows in arm. “How did you know?”

  Adam gnced aside towards Jaygak, then to Kitool, then finally to Jurot. “I mean… that’s just how it works, right? So either you’re all going to betray me and leave me at the bottom and then I get a special unique power that lets me get revenge, and maybe I’ll have a Goddess panion that will help me on my journey, or I’ll stay here and live a sweet slice of life kind of life, but sihat’s impossible, and you betraying me is even more impossible…”

  Adam thought deeply, trying to recall the tropes of these kinds of stories, but he could only recall those two types of stories, and the typical tropes assigo them. “I guess we o clear certain floors to get our ranks up?”

  “Yes,” Jurot said, and instead of thinking too deeply on how Adam knew, he kept the thought in his mind to inform the Great Elders.

  “Alright,” Adam stretched out his neck. “Let’s aim for A Rank and call it a day there.”

  “You kids aiming for A Rank?” the young adventurer, who erhaps in his thirties, asked. He wore a breastpte made of dark scales, and carried at his side a bde was that seemingly made of pure silver. “You shouldn’t uimate the dungeon. It’s a vicious pce, and even if you have full or pte, you o take it slow.”

  “Thank you for your advice,” Adam said, smiling lightly. “We’ll take it seriously, I assure you.”

  “You should pick up a map. The Guild has some, but if you wait in line on the fifteenth, there will be some vendors. Look for Little Charles, he’s a boy with one eye. Make sure you pick up a map from him. It’s best to buy them from the vendors, they usually have maps with more updates, and the Guild doesn’t like handing out their free maps much.”

  “I appreciate that, mister…”

  “John.”

  Adam smiled. “Thank you, John. Mind if we buy you a drink?”

  “I don’t,” John replied, fshing a smile, as Adam ordered a drink for the adventurer, who sipped away at it with joy in his heart.

  “Fifteenth?” Adam whispered.

  “It may be the day the dungeons are renewed.”

  “Ah! Should I make us some potions then?”

  “It may be best,” Jurot agreed.

  Adam spent the day crafting a potion for the group, though sihey only had the day, he crafted a basic potion.

  Soon the bustle of adventurers filled the air, as the various parties began to queue. The S Rank parties got to queue up in the m, a little after dawn, while the A Rank parties were allowed to queue up a couple of hours ter, and so on. It was early afternoon before the k parties could line up, and as John had advised, Adam picked up a brochure for the first ten levels for ten gold pieces.

  The group desded the steps to the first floor, the cold air pressing upohe first floor was rge, extremely so, with a stair case heading down in the tre. There were dozens upon dozens of adventuring parties who had already formed their tents, almost all k, the adventurers formuting strategies to tackle their floors.

  “Should we go down?” Adam asked.

  “Okay,” Jurot replied.

  The first floor was colder, the stone around them rough, though certainly shaped iionally. As they bypassed the various traps upon their map, the Iyrmen noting small details which they called out, they came across the sounds of rattling bones in the distance.

  “Oh, hinal,” Adam said, g his axe in hand. “A minotaur skeleton. A skeletal minotaur?”

  The creature loomed over the group, its shadow swallowing them whole. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first skeletal minotaur Adam had ever faced.

  Battle Order:D20 + 1 = 8 (7)

  Fighting Spirit: 3 -> 2

  Attack: Battleaxe (Advantage)D20 + 8 = 16 (8)D20 + 8 = 28 (20)Critical hit!Mana: 25 -> 24Ability: Divine SmiteDivine Smite improved! 2D6 + 2D3 + 6D6 + 7 = 38 (9)(4)(18)38 damage!

  Attack: Battleaxe (Advantage)D20 + 8 = 10 (2)D20 + 8 = 27 (19)Critical hit!Mana: 24 -> 23Ability: Divine SmiteDivine Smite improved! 2D6 + 2D3 + 6D6 + 7 = 49 (10)(2)(30)49 damage!

  “Ah!” Adam said as the bones crumbled to the floor. “My bad. I crit twice.”

  Jurot nodded, while the bones disappeared into dust, and floated into the wind, the creature leaving behind its rge axe.

  Adam picked it up. “Huh. I mean, it’s an okay axe, but…”

  “It may be required iure,” the Iyrman said, while his eyes fell upon anroup of adventurers who stepped into view, the two groups eyeing one another up, before they tinued on their way.

  “Yeah.” Adam strapped it onto his babsp;

  The group tinued, making their way doweps to the third floor, where they came upon more skeletal creatures, from small groups of warriors, to groups with archers, and more skeletal minotaurs or skeletal beasts.

  Unfortunately for them, Kitool’s staff and fist could make short work of them.

  When they came upon the fifth floor, they found a safe room, one of the many marked upon their brochure.

  XP: 25 000

  “This pce is great for farming XP.” Adam scratched his cheek lightly. ‘I could probably hit Level 9, but if we don’t o yet, might as well save it, in case we ?’

  “Adam, are you able to summon your tower?” Jurot asked.

  “Yeah, wao?”

  “Please.”

  Mana: 7 -> 4Spell: Tower of Adam

  Jurot cooked the meat the skeletons had dropped, not questioning the logic, for it was magic. There was a warning about eating gree, but there was no green within this meat that wasn’t the herbs the half elf had bought.

  The day they tio clear the floors, finding the treasure rooms had already been sged, before they tiheir way further down, until they came across a mini boss room, denoted by the lighter skull i, with only a single sword behind it.

  “How e no one’s beaten it yet?” Adam asked.

  “Some may not have found it, but other times, it regees in a differeion of the floor,” Jurot expined.

  “How do you know so much?”

  “We were briefed.”

  “Oh.”

  “It will gift us much loot.” Jurot began to stretch, readying himself.

  Adam had already taken a short break, regaining most of his martial abilities, and with his servative use of Mana, he still had enough to tackle the first mini boss.

  “Since we get a bonus if we solo it, mind if I take a swing at him first?” Adam asked.

  “Okay,” Jaygak said, donning her shield, just in case Adam somehow does the impossible again and ends up losing.

  “Oh,” Adam said, stepping into the cold room, filled with mist. “A bigger minotaur, and an even bigger axe?”

  The creature was rger than the previous minotaur skeleton by almost aire huma, its greataxe about two Adam’s tall ih. Adam cared little for any of its details, readying himself to fight.

  Wisdom Save D20 + 4 = 11 (7)Status: Frightened

  Health: 112 -> 91

  Strength SaveD20 + 9 = 25 (16)

  Fighting Spirit: 2 -> 1

  Attack: BattleaxeD20 + 8 = 21 (13)Hit!Mana: 18 -> 17Ability: Divine SmiteDivine Smite improved! 1D6 + 1D3 + 3D6 + 7 = 27 (6)(1)(13)27 damage!

  Attack: BattleaxeD20 + 8 = 27 (19)Critical hit!Mana: 17 -> 13Ability: Divine SmiteDivine Smite improved! 2D6 + 2D3 + 10D6 + 7 = 59 (8)(5)(39)59 damage!

  Onward Soar: 1 -> 0

  Attack: BattleaxeD20 + 8 = 28 (20)Critical hit!Mana: 13 -> 9Ability: Divine SmiteDivine Smite improved! 2D6 + 2D3 + 10D6 + 7 = 51 (8)(4)(32)51 damage!

  Attack: BattleaxeD20 + 8 = 23 (15)Critical hit!Mana: 9 -> 8Ability: Divine SmiteDivine Smite improved! 1D6 + 1D3 + 3D6 + 7 = 24 (4)(2)(11)24 damage!

  Adam felt the air grow colder as it roared, but no souered his ears. He gasped as the giant axe dented his shield, and his entire body began to drip with sweat. He hadn’t even noticed it appearing before him, the half elf swallowed by a bess.

  ‘Fear?’

  Adam dropped to a knee as it struck deeply into his shield, the blow rumbling through his bones, causing his body to shudder.

  ‘You think you make me scared?’

  “That really hurt,” Adam said, inhaling sharply, flexing his muscles, before rolled to the side, his axe clearing through boh ease, fshing white hot with holy magic. As his axe carved through the creature, it fell, Adam clearing its entire Health in a single round.

  Victory!XP Gained: +600XP: 26 200 -> 26 800

  The bouro dust, save ohe axe also remaining behind, while a chest emerged from the floor towards the back of the empty room.

  “Who do they think is going to be able to wield ahat bi-,” Adam stopped upon seeing the axe glow, turning smaller and smaller, until it formed a battleaxe, but not just any battleaxe, but ohat was made of metal which curved, the axe bde itself smooth, as though the axe had been fed by elves. “Damn, that’s a nice axe.”

  “Hmm,” Jurot said, feeling the heft of the inal minotaur axe, which had also taken the form of a battleaxe. “It feels good in the hand.”

  “I’ll use this ohen,” Adam said, holding the axe in hand, feeling how easy it was to cut through the air. He didn’t feel the tingle of magic, but he was fairly certain it was magical. ‘I wonder what it does. Ah, damn. I fot my pearl!’

  “It’s a cloak,” Jaygak said, holding up the long deep blue cloak, the hood of which was a deep purple. “It must be magical.”

  “There are potions,” Jurot said, opening up one of the two smaller chests, while Kitool opehe others.

  “Gold.”

  “Alright. Let’s split the four potions. Jaygak, you keep the extra one.”

  “Jurot, you should have the extra potion, since you want to fight the most,” Jaygak said, him the cloak.

  Jurot hough refused the cloak, allowing Jaygak to don it. As swiftly as the minotaur was defeated, so swiftly was the loot parted between them.

  After the boss was dealt with, there was a half floor in which people could rex within, allowing them a moment of respite. Many roups gowards the k party which had blown through so many floors in just a couple of days.

  “Which small boss did you face?” an adventurer asked.

  “Big skeleton minotaur,” Adam replied.

  “Ah! That’s really lucky, they say he’s the easiest.”

  “Oh?” Adam rubbed his . “He did feel easy.”

  “Did you try him solo?”

  “We did. I ma.”

  “You did?” the adventurer eyed up Adam and the others, before noting their axes, and the cloak. “That cloak, did you get it from the small boss?”

  “Yes,” Jaygak replied.

  “How e she’s the one wearing it?”

  “What do you mean?” Adam asked.

  “I thought you slew it?”

  “I did.”

  “You should at least get all the magical items, at least, the treasures it gave to you anyway.”

  “I already have the magical axe, so she have the cloak.”

  “You…” The adventurer gnces betweehers. “Alright. If that’s the way your party ha. Be careful, there’s still undead going to the tenth floor, and they’re much tougher.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Jim, what’s up?” one of his panions called as he returned.

  “Puy. His party cimed his rewards.”

  “Damn,” the panion said, shaking his head as he tossed a nut into his mouth. “Puy.”

  “Should we keep going?” Adam asked. “We could find a safe pce right before the boss.”

  “Okay.”

  “Also…” Adam began, following Jurot out. “I jut realised. Shouldn’t I use my fists?”

  “Against skeletons, it is a good idea.”

  “How e you don’t use your fists?”

  “I still like using my axe.”

  “Let’s use our fists against skeletons, sihat’s manly.”

  “It is…” Jurot was ready tue against it, until he heard Adam’s rationale. ‘Manly?’

  Victory!XP Gained: +50XP: 27 050 -> 27 100

  ‘Damn. I do more than sixteen damage with my fists with each hit. Why was I fighting with an axe?’ Adam’s fists cleared each skeleton with ease, matg the might of Kitool’s staff. Jurot’s fists, while raging, also did the same. Even Jaygak’s fists were able to bash the skeletons with ease, though not quite as harshly as her panions.

  As the group rested for the night, Adam checked his XP.

  XP: 28 000

  ‘Should I keep saving up more, or…’ Adam thought about the day, in which they were expected to face a proper boss. ‘I shouldn’t get too greedy.’

  “Jurot, Kitool, Jaygak…” Adam called, catg their eyes. “Do you want to beasters?”

  “…”

  “…”

  “Yes?” Jaygak replied.

  “Then I’ll Level Up.”

  “Level…” Jaygak blinked.

  “Jurot?”

  “Yes?”

  “ I learn Fifth Gate spells?” Adam asked.

  “Okay.”

  XP: 28 000 -> 9 000

  Level Up!Level: 8 -> 9HP: 112 -> 126Mana: 25 -> 34Gained access to Fifth Gate spells!Gaiwo spells!

  “We’re going to need diamonds worth five hundred gold from now on,” Adam said.

  ‘Adam!’ Jaygak thought, reag up to rub her forehead.

  Kitool uood why a moment ter. She almost thought to doubt Adam’s audacity, but after this year, could she truly bme him? “What is your other spell?”

  “Steel Wind Strike.”

  Jurot raised his brows in arm, suddenly unsure if he was able to face his brother with aainly any longer.

  “Don’t worry, I only cast it seven times,” Adam said with a straight face, but the twinkle in his eyes revealed his true thoughts, though there were tempered by his apprehension. ‘Seriously…’

  Adam gnced aside to his spells. ‘Seriously! At least give me my Fe spells too! Didn’t I pay for them enough already?’

  […]

  Gaiwo spells!

  ‘Ah! You wao spend XP for my Trained Bonus too? This is a scam!’

  XP: 9 000 -> 7 000

  Trained Bonus: 3 -> 4

  Adam remained annoyed even the day, up until they came across the boss room, which held a skull with two bdes pointing out like ears.

  “Are you sure you’re ready?” Jaygak asked, rolling her shoulders as she prepared herself, before drawing her bde.

  “Yeah,” Adam replied, swaying his upper body, stretg out his hips and his thighs, trying to warm up his hamstrings to make sure he didn’t pull a muscle. He could still feel a slight twinge from having faced the minotaur.

  As the doors opened, it revealed the rge room, one which even Kitool would find difficult to clear in a single round. he end of the room was a slim figure, adorned in robes as bck as death. The room here was cold, like the rest of the floors, but the cold here set deep within their bones.

  The bones scattered all across the flan to shift, but as they did, Adam bolted forward, while the being begin to t words of an a nguage, holding out its boney hands.

  “I’ll deal with the mage.”

  Battle OrderD20 + 1 = 18 (17)

  A: Dash

  Dexterity SaveD20 + 1 = 4 (3)Omen: 15, 19 -> 1915 + 1 = 1616!Success!Health: 126 -> 109

  Dexterity SaveD20 + 1 = 15 (14)Success!Health: 116 -> 110

  Dexterity SaveD20 + 1 = 15 (14)Success!Health: 110 -> 104

  Dexterity SaveD20 + 1 = 13 (12)Failure!Health: 104 -> 90

  The fsh of blue engulfed Adam, who raised his shield ahead as he charged forward, but as he stepped upon the ground, it glowed and fmes exploded across him. As the heat of the lightning and fire filled him, feeling like a thousand needles jabbing at his skin, he tinued forward, only to find more fmes exploding across him.

  As the bones rattled behind him, meeting the fists and heel of his panions, it spoke in an a nguage as the smoke filled its sight. It brought up its hands to call freater magic, but it jolted in shock as the shadow emerged from the smoke.

  “That really hurt,” Adam said, gritting his teeth as he swung his axe in front of him. Thankfully, he was a Fe Priest, rather than a true Death Priest, so the fmes, while vicious, did not strike him quite as harshly.

  Fighting Spirit: 3 -> 2Health: 90 -> 95

  Attack: Lightaxe (Advantage)D20 + 11 = 18 (7)D20 + 11 = 18 (7)Miss!

  Attack: Lightaxe (Advantage)D20 + 11 = 20 (9)D20 + 11 = 23 (12)Hit!Mana: 31 -> 30Ability: Divine SmiteDivine Smite improved!2D6 + 3D6 + 9 = 31 (10)(12)31 damage!

  Onward Soar: 1 -> 0

  Attack: Lightaxe (Advantage)D20 + 11 = 16 (5)D20 + 11 = 28 (17)Hit!Mana: 30 -> 29Ability: Divine SmiteDivine Smite improved!2D6 + 3D6 + 9 = 21 (2)(12)21 damage!

  Attack: Lightaxe (Advantage)D20 + 11 = 18 (7)D20 + 11 = 26 (15)Hit!Mana: 29 -> 28Ability: Divine SmiteDivine Smite improved!2D6 + 3D6 + 9 = 32 (7)(16)32 damage!

  Adam’s axe, Lightaxe as Adam had dubbed it, tore through the creature viciously, even with the magic trying to deflect his heavy blows. He didn’t mind that the axe was like Hope, in that his o as much as a typical greatsword, rather than a battleaxe, and held a Greater bonus, for it reminded him of home.

  Adam panted lightly as the bones fell before him, the cloak hiding the bones, before the creature began to reform in front of him.

  Tough Spirit: 1 -> 02D6 + 11 = 22 (11)Health: 95 -> 117

  “The sheer audacity of getting back up in front of me.”

  stitution SaveD20 + 8 = 12 (5)Failure!

  Health: 117 -> 84

  Fighting Spirit: 2 -> 1Health: 84 -> 89

  Attack: Lightaxe (Advantage)D20 + 11 = 15 (4)D20 + 11 = 18 (7)Miss!

  Attack: Lightaxe (Advantage)D20 + 11 = 20 (12)D20 + 11 = 23 (16)Hit!Mana: 28 -> 27Ability: Divine SmiteDivine Smite improved!2D6 + 3D6 + 9 = 22 (3)(10)22 damage!

  The cold bsted Adam, almost threatening to force him way. Due to the fsh of heat moments ago, the cold was like a dagger as it jabbed away at Adam. He grunted in pain, but focused through it, carving through the creature with his axe.

  A shadow formed over them, and a staff battered the undead mage down, before Kitool fi off by smashing through its skull with her boot.

  Victory!XP Gained: +1000XP: 7 500 -> 8 500

  “Thanks,” Adam panted aloud, shaking his body, trying to warm himself up. Kitool paoo, shaking off the frost from her body.

  “It must have been a lich?” Jaygak mused, remembering the st time she was bsted by such a spell.

  “Whatever it is, it’s dead.” Adam smmed his boot through its head again, just in case. “Dead dead.”

  As the treasure chest emerged, the sound of g filled the air. The four turo find a figure in all red, his hair fiery red, his beard ly trimmed, also red, his nails red, and his lips, bbsp;

  “Oh my, my, my. You always trust Iyrmen to…” The being then go Adam. “Is the half elf with you?”

  “Yes.”

  “With… you?” He emphasised.

  “He is my brother.”

  “Ah! You always trust Iyrmen to exceed expectations. Only k, though? Hmm. I shall watch your dest with great anticipation. Perhaps you’ll be able to…” He smiled, g his hands, disappearing into nothingness.

  “Who was that?”

  “A Demigod?” Jurot replied, unsure.

  “Alright, well…” Adam turned back to the treasure chest, unimpressed by meeting a Demigod. “This is bigger than all the other chests.”

  The loot was definitely worth it.

  Hundreds of copper s, thousands of silver, over a thousand gold. A cloak, a staff made of bone, a circlet. Three potions, three spell scrolls, and an assortment s made of various gems.

  Jaygak picked up the rings to examihem each. “Ten gold at least, some more. Fifty? One hundred?”

  “Kitool, you have the cloak and the circlet since you were st to get anything cool,” Adam offered. “I’m not sure you want to use a boaff, but it might be okay?”

  Kitool, without a thought they could be cursed, dohe robes, the circlet, and eveaff. “Do I look imposing?”

  “I’m always scared of you,” Adam admitted, gng aside.

  “The circlet would feel unfortable against my horns,” Jaygak said, frowning.

  “You look sinisterly regal,” Jurot said.

  “Ew,” Adam said, before blinking. “Sorry.”

  “…”

  Ohey were doh their looting, they made their way to the eleventh floor from the boss room, where they found a rge town waiting for them, where goblins walked about freely, most tending to the various stalls or building.

  “…” Adam exged a look with the rest of his panions, but he said nothing, for the forlorn sigh said enough. They dodged the merts, goblin and human alike, making their way to a nearby inn. The inn charged two gold per head, plus a gold for breakfast, and while Adam thought it was a btant rip off, he soothed himself by soaping up and enjoying his hot bath.

  “Potatoes…” Adam whispered, pig at his food, slowly eating the potatoes, eggs, and fried meat. Though the inn was run by goblins, it was still human sized, though Adam had thought the seats could have been a touch wider.

  “We will o report to the Guild.”

  “The Guild is here?”

  “Yes.”

  ‘How does that work?’ Adam thought, finishing his meal, before following Jurot to the Guild.

  “We faced the Lich,” Jurot said.

  “You did?” the A Rank Guildmaster, an older man with a bald head, asked. “How many died?”

  “None.”

  “Tell me what happened,” he asked, writing down what Jurot told him. “You expect me to believe that?”

  “I do not expect it, but it is true.”

  “Even though you’re k?”

  “I have defeated an A Rank in bat previously.”

  “…”

  “…”

  “We’re a little strohan average, due to certain circumstances,” Adam said.

  The Guildmaster eyed the pair up. They were the only ks who had maheir way here so far, and it had been especially rapid. Typically, even the best ks would make their way in three days.

  “Do you boys thing it’s easy to achieve A Rank?”

  “We’re already that strong, we just don’t have the reition,” Adam said, shrugging his shoulders.

  “Do you think you beat me?”

  “Yes,” the pair replied.

  “Jio will be on duty tomorrow. Why don’t you e bad we’ll see if you’re any good?”

  “Sure.” Adam smiled. “We deal with him, we get snition, maybe a promotion to B Rank?”

  “I’m not sure about that, but I’ll make sure to write something down for you.”

  “Alright, thank you.”

  The day, with the sun above them, Jio stood tall and strong in his full pte. His horns were ready to skewer whichever young brat thought they were tough enough, while his full pte was ready to deal with any little stick they were going to use. The minrinned wide, revealing his lightly yellowed teeth, and the greenery he was chewing.

  “Yer tha boy who thinks ‘e beat me, ay?” Jio rested his maul over his shoulder.

  “Aye,” Adam replied.

  “Go a’ead.”

  Adam nodded his head, throwing a quiod to Jurot too, who had allowed him to take the fight. Adam grabbed his battleaxe, ready to fight.

  Jurot allowed his brother to fight, though he was excited to fight the minotaur. However, he had begun to see the cracks within Adam. The annoyahat the half elf held, the sombreness, the darkhat had begun to set within the young man.

  ‘He takes great care of his horns,’ Jaygak thought, before they were hidden behind his helmet.

  Battle OrderD20 + 1 = 18 (17)18!

  Fighting Spirit: 3 -> 2

  Attack: Lightaxe (Advantage)D20 + 11 = 13 (2)D20 + 11 = 26 (15)Hit!Mana: 34 -> 33Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 26 (9)(8)26 damage!

  Attack: Lightaxe (Advantage)D20 + 11 = 18 (7)D20 + 11 = 31 (20)Critical hit!Mana: 32 -> 29Ability: Divine Smite4D6 + 10D6 + 9 = 60 (15)(36)60 damage!

  Onward Soar: 1 -> 0

  Attack: Lightaxe (Advantage)D20 + 11 = 30 (19)D20 + 11 = 31 (20)Critical hit!Mana: 29 -> 26Ability: Divine Smite4D6 + 10D6 + 9 = 53 (17)(27)53 damage!

  Attack: Lightaxe (Advantage)D20 + 11 = 30 (17)D20 + 11 = 31 (19)Critical hit!Mana: 26 -> 25Ability: Divine Smite4D6 + 4D6 + 9 = 39 (17)(13)39 damage!

  ‘He has grown more powerful,’ Jurot thought, trying to uand how Adam had defeated the minotaur with such great ease. The minotaur was at least a Master, perhaps closer to a Grandmaster, a Adam easily dismantled him like he was butchering a goat.

  ‘I probably should have held back,’ Adam thought, hearing the gasps of those around who had withe massacre. ‘Oops.’

  Jaygak let out a soft sigh. ‘What a monster…’

  “Sorry about that,” Adam said, dropping down a knee, pg his hand upon the minotaur’s neck.

  Lay on Hands: 45 -> 40

  The warmth filled the minotaur who gasped back to life, his eyes darting around, before he sat up, the ache rog through him. ‘What just happened?’

  ‘That should be fine, right?’ Adam thought, stepping back, gng aside to Gee, the Guildmaster. “Is that-,”

  A shadow formed over Adam, who quickly raised his shield, as the minotaur’s maul dented his shield, f him to his knees.

  Adam inhaled sharply.

  Fighting Spirit: 2 -> 1

  Attack: FistD20 + 11 = 18 (7)D20 + 11 = (14)Hit!1D6 + 7 = 12 (5)12 damage!

  Adam twisted his body, his fist flying upwards, beating through the pte to strike the minotaur’s jewels, before he stood, allowing the minotaur to fall before him.

  Victory!XP Gained: +500XP: 8 500 -> 9 000

  “There was no need for that,” Gerumbled.

  “Weird. Why am I hearing pints when I showed him mercy? Should I kill him since he tried to attack me from behind?” Adam stared down at the minotaur, reag down for his axe once more.

  “You should stop while you-,”

  “Adam,” Jurot called, interrupting the Guildmaster.

  Adam remained silent.

  “Do you wish to kill him?”

  “If I do?”

  “You ot.”

  “Why not?”

  “Vonda would not like it.”

  Adam slipped his axe bato its sheath. “What should I do with him sihe Guildmaster doesn’t know how to thank me?”

  “There is o trouble them. If we do, they will trouble us when we reach the lower floors.”

  “I guess, sihat’s just how they are,” Adam replied, his voice full of exhaustion. “Alright. I shouldn’t disrespect my elders like this anyhow.” ‘Entitled prick.’

  “We have shown you mercy here today,” Jurot whispered to Gee. “I do not like stopping my brother from killing, but sister would dislike it.”

  “…” Gee could see it in the Iyrman’s eyes, the depths of disappoi, from not allowing the death to unfold. ‘He really believes they’re that strong?’ Gee’s eyes fell to Jio, who was the stro across this floor, and owerful A Rank adventurer. ‘They really are, I guess?’

  “We should really figure out what these items do, eh?” Adam said, rubbing his . “ we buy a pearl?”

  “We may be able to buy one here,” Jurot said. “Jaygak, Kitool, will you find one?”

  “Okay,” Jaygak said, and almost as quickly as she had left, she returned. “It was one hundred and fifty. They probably did that on purpose.”

  Adam could see it was slightly rger than a typical pearl. “It’ll e out from my share.”

  “We will all pay for it,” Jaygak said, and before Adam could respond, she pced a finger on his forehead. “Yoing to Identify them for everyone, and when you get back, you hand the pearl to Larot, since you already have a pearl.”

  Adam smiled. “Alright, alright.”

  Everyone was gd the items were identified.

  Magical Hefty Axe +2Deals 2d6 sshing damage.

  Lightaxe +2Deals 2d6 sshing damage.

  Cloak of BraveryGain +1 to checks against being Frightened.

  Mage’s Cloak+1 to DEF.Gain the ability to cast Chill Touch. You may use your stitution as your Spellcasting Modifier.

  Circlet of the Princess+1 to DEF.+1 to all Attributes.

  “Holy!” Adam interspersed while inf Kitool of what her circlet did.

  Jaygak frowned as Kitool passed it to her instantly, but she couldn’t refuse, since even with this powerful magical item, she was still weaker than them all.

  Staff of SunderGain Advantage on all attacks against Monstrosities.

  “I feel like these magical items are a little too good sidering how many floors we’ve passed through…” Adam said.

  “Yes,” Jurot agreed.

  “You think that Demigod had something to do with it?”

  Jurot shrugged. “Perhaps.”

  The XP farming is going great!

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