The sun still hung high in the sky when I decided I’d had enough of walking. Rather than waste more time on the road, I reached into the space around me, twisted, and in the blink of an eye, I stood before Tolany’s towering gates.
The two guards jolted at my sudden appearance, hands twitching toward their weapons before they caught themselves. The older of the two, a burly man with a graying beard, narrowed his eyes but didn’t move to draw his sword.
“By the gods,” he muttered, exhaling sharply. “You trying to give a man a heart attack?”
I raised my hands in a placating gesture and held up my adventurer badge. “Didn’t really think that through. Just taking a shortcut.”
The younger guard, still wide-eyed, let out a short chuckle. “Hell of a shortcut.”
The older one shook his head, rubbing his temple. “Adventurers and their tricks…” Then, with a good-natured sigh, he waved me through. “No harm done. Just maybe give a heads-up next time, yeah?”
“Fair enough.” I reached into my pocket, fishing out two copper coins and placing them in his palm. “Thanks.”
The younger guard grinned. “Welcome back to Tolany.”
Tolany was alive as ever, merchants shouting over one another, the scent of roasted meat and fresh bread thick in the air. It was tempting to linger, maybe grab a bite, but my first stop was Adventurer’s Folly.
I pushed open the door to the inn, stepping into the familiar warmth of flickering lanterns and cheerful conversation. The scent of ale and spiced stew wrapped around me like an old cloak.
Jack stood behind the bar, drying a mug with a rag that had seen better days. His gaze landed on me, and his lips curled into an amused grin.
“Back already? That was quick,” he said, setting the mug down. “Lemme guess, first mission? Copper rank?”
“Something like that.” I strode forward, unhurried, knowing full well what came next.
Jack gave me a once-over, eyes catching on the silver badge pinned to my jacket. His grin faltered. “Wait a damn second…Silver?”
I tapped the badge. “That’s what they gave me.”
He let out a low whistle. “Well, aren’t you full of surprises.”
I leaned against the bar. “Think you can have a bath drawn up for me?”
Jack turned his head and hollered toward the back, “Oi, get the tub filled for our Silver-ranked mystery man!”
A muffled acknowledgment came from one of the workers. Jack shook his head with a chuckle before grabbing a mug and filling it to the brim. He slid it over to me. “And a pint for the road, eh?”
“Wouldn’t say no.” I took the mug, raised it in mock salute, and took a long swig, the cool bitterness washing away the taste of the road.
Jack leaned on the bar, arms crossed. “So, what’s next for ya?”
I shrugged. “We’ll see. How’s your son? He still running with that party of his?”
Jack’s face lit up with fatherly pride. “Aye, they’re out on a Bronze-ranked dungeon run. East of here, near Renhold Mine.”
Renhold. The name clicked instantly. I recalled it from the map I studied before coming to Tolany. It was a small town not too far off and if the mine was close by, then they weren’t too deep into the wilds.
“Bronze-ranked dungeon, huh?” I mused, taking another drink. “Not bad. Making another step towards Silver?”
Jack chuckled, shaking his head. “More like making my hair go gray. But yeah, he’s doing alright. His party’s solid, smart, and capable. I trust ‘em to watch each other’s backs.”
A gruff voice chimed in from down the bar. “Bah, nothin’s gonna happen to him with Devin around.”
Jack let out a booming laugh. “You got that right.”
The man smirked, nudging his mug forward for a refill. “Those two make a hell of a pair, don’t they?”
Jack snorted, pouring him another drink. “That they do. Wouldn’t be surprised if they made it official one of these days.”
I took another swig, letting their words settle as my thoughts drifted. A pair, huh? I found my thoughts drifting to Bren and the way her relaxed smile softened her beauty, making it all the more striking. There was something that drew me to her, something that lingered in the back of my mind longer than I cared to admit.
I exhaled, shaking the thought away with a small smirk. Not the time for that.
From there, the conversation shifted to small talk. Nothing serious, just the easy back-and-forth of two people passing the time. Jack filled me in on the usual town happenings. Some merchant got caught trying to scam an adventurer, the baker’s apprentice nearly burned down the shop again, and a mercenary got drunk enough to pick a fight with a lamppost. Standard fare for Tolany.
I downed the rest of my ale just as one of the inn’s workers approached. “Your bath’s ready,” he said, motioning toward the stairs.
“Perfect timing.” I set my empty mug on the bar and reached into my pocket, flicking two copper coins onto the counter. “For the clothes.”
The worker nodded, scooping up the coins. “I’ll have ‘em washed and ready by morning.”
With that, I made my way upstairs, rolling my shoulders as I entered my room. I removed my armor and placed it in my inventory. Finally, a chance to relax. But before that…
A well-known alert flashed at the periphery of my sight.
Congratulations, you have leveled up! You are now Level 27.
Not just once, but three times.
I let out a low chuckle, stretching my fingers as I opened my status. Six essence points to distribute.
Vitality up to 28. Dexterity up to 55.
Satisfied, I closed the menu with a thought and headed for the bath. The warm water washed away the grime and tension of the day, leaving only a comforting sense of ease. Once I was clean, I dried off, stretched, and sank into bed. Sleep came easily.
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* * *
Sunlight streamed through the window, warming my face as I stirred awake. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and stretched, feeling the tension from yesterday’s battles melt away. As I swung my legs over the side of the bed, something caught my attention. At the foot of my door lay a neatly folded pile of clothes I recognized as my freshly washed garments.
I picked them up, appreciating the crisp fabric against my fingertips. It felt good to have something clean to wear. I considered my other clothes, remnants from the summoning fiasco. Those would need a good wash too; perhaps I could sell them once cleaned up. No sense letting potential coin slip away.
I set my clothes aside and reached for my coin pouch, counting out what I had left. The weight felt reassuring in my hands, and I laid it out on the table: 36 silver coins and 94 copper coins. Not bad at all. My recent run against those goblins had paid off.
After dressing in the freshly laundered attire, I made my way downstairs, hunger gnawing at me. The inn bustled with life; Jack served drinks and laughed with patrons while Ellie and other waitresses flitted between tables carrying plates laden with food.
“Good morning!” Jack called as I approached the bar.
“Morning,” I replied, taking a seat.
“Breakfast?” He raised an eyebrow, already reaching for a plate.
“Yes, please.” I nodded, glancing around at the warm atmosphere of the inn before settling on a silver coin from my pouch and sliding it across the counter as payment.
Jack grabbed it with a grin. “Gonna be here a while then?”
“Seems like it.”
With breakfast devoured, a hearty mix of eggs and bread, I felt fueled for whatever lay ahead. Once finished, I pushed back from the table and headed outside into Tolany’s vibrant streets.
The sun hung high overhead as I navigated through throngs of merchants hawking their wares and townsfolk going about their business. My destination was clear: find a tailor.
I soon spotted one with dark drapes fluttering in front. Stepping inside, I scanned the racks filled with clothing until something caught my eye: a long dark navy fitted shirt that hugged just right paired with sleek black pants. Nearby stood a black cloak that flowed smoothly when draped over an arm and some midriff boots that looked both sturdy and comfortable.
I gathered everything up, giving it a final once-over. Yeah, this would do nicely.
With my new attire secured, next on the agenda was the Adventurer's Guild to turn in proof of my completed mission.
My steps were steady as I approached the guild’s entrance once more, ready to report on the mission and be done with it.
* * *
The Adventurer's Guild towered in front of me, its emblem clearly discernible from afar. I pulled the goblin ears from my inventory while approaching the entrance, then shoved the heavy door open and stepped inside. The guild buzzed with activity. Adventurers huddled over maps, some boasting about their latest conquests while others quietly studied quest postings.
I approached the counter, where a stout man with a bushy beard sat scribbling notes. His brow furrowed as he glanced up at me.
“Yeah? What do you need?” he grumbled, barely looking away from his work.
“I’ve completed the goblin extermination mission.” I set the bag of goblin ears down on the counter, causing it to thud against the surface.
His eyes widened slightly as he inspected the contents. “All this? Are you turning in for your party?” He shifted his gaze back to me, now more interested. “You’ll need to report to Eris if you want the reward.”
“Where can I find her?” I leaned forward, resting my hands on the counter.
He waved vaguely toward a door at the back of the room. “In her office. Just knock.”
I nodded and made my way toward the door. After a brief knock, a muffled voice called out from within.
“Come in!”
I pushed open the door and stepped inside. A woman sat behind a cluttered desk, her sharp green eyes locking onto mine as she took me in.
"Koa Destus," she said, her tone measured. "Your name's been making the rounds. It’s not every day someone stands out so quickly. We haven’t had the assessment test grant a Silver rank in years."
"Tyus was in a charitable mood, I guess." I replied with a grin.
She arched an eyebrow but didn’t press further. Instead, she gestured to the goblin ears piled on her desk. “Are you turning those in for your party? I'll need a name to credit the completion to.”
"Pretty much," I replied, keeping my voice steady. "I'm on my own."
Eris briefly stopped sorting the goblin ears, gazed up at me with a grin before resuming. She then rummaged around and pulled out a ledger, jotted something down before speaking. "Alright then, 5 copper coins for every ear you present, a minimum of 80 ears to get the full four silver coins to consider it complete."
As she began tallying up my payment, I let my gaze drift around her office. A collection of strange artifacts adorned one shelf while maps of Eldon decorated another wall. One map caught my eye in particular; it marked various regions beyond Tolany, areas teeming with danger and opportunity alike.
She looked up just then, noticing where I focused my attention. “Planning your next move?”
“Thinking about it,” I admitted.
Eris smirked slightly before handing me a pouch filled with coins. It was a weighty reminder that action often brought reward in this world.
“You’ve gone beyond what was necessary for completion. You have a gift,” she said matter-of-factly. “Just don't overdo it.”
I took the pouch and emptied its contents into my own. "I won’t. And I appreciate it," I replied. I almost looked away but caught myself. Eris was probably my best shot at getting some answers. “Speaking of…since I’m new to the guild, I wanted to ask. There are certain thresholds to reach before ranking up, right? How much did this mission move me forward?”
Eris smirked. “Already gunning for the top? Kidding. To reach Gold, you’ll need sixteen low-level missions, eight mid-level, and four high-level, all of the Silver rank.” She flipped through the ledger, then tapped a finger on the page. “Let’s see… this mission won't qualify as it’s a Bronze mid-level. Still, not bad. Most Bronze ranks take a couple of days to handle eliminations like this.”
That added up. The reward appeared fairly typical, and even Adepts or Journeyman should have been capable of handling the camp with some strategic planning and no casualties. The goblins' overwhelming numbers likely contributed to the mission being rated as Bronze.
"Thanks again," I said. Eris waved goodbye as I turned and stepped out of the room into the guild hall.
I spotted Bren at the quest board, standing a little apart from the other adventurers scanning the postings. She didn’t seem to be with anyone, her focus set on the board in front of her.
I figured I wouldn’t get another opportunity to talk to her. Besides, I was here to pick up another mission.
As I stepped closer, she glanced up, and that easy, confident smile of hers surfaced. It was contagious. I found myself returning it without a second thought.
“Koa! How’s the adventurer’s life treating you? Looking for your first mission?”
“Second, actually. Took on a goblin extermination from the Bronze section.”
“Oh? Close by, then? Still, you work fast,” she noted, raising an eyebrow.
“I had an advantage.” I tapped my fingers against my jacket. “Space magic and all.”
Bren rolled her eyes, but her smile didn’t waver. “Of course. Gotta love the show-offs.”
I smirked. “Only when it saves time.” My gaze flicked to the board. “You picking up a mission?”
“Already did.” She gestured to the Bronze-ranked postings, scribbling something down. “Dungeon run in Renhold. Just putting our party name up.”
I leaned in a bit to catch a glimpse of what she was jotting down: Golden Fang. I also spotted the name Solstice right above theirs.
“Definitely some fireballs you can dodge in there,” I deadpanned.
Bren turned to me, that playful glint lighting up her eyes again. “Oh, plenty. Maybe I’ll even come back with something special, just for you.” She finished writing and tapped the board for emphasis. “And of course, I’ll make sure to give you a long-winded explanation about my technique when we get back.”
I huffed a quiet laugh. “Fair. I do owe you one.”
We lingered a little longer, talking about our previous jobs, hers being far more exciting than mine, before she eventually had to leave, heading off to meet her party. I watched her go for a moment, then turned my attention back to the board.
I skimmed through the available missions, passing over the higher-risk Silver escort jobs. As much as I wanted a challenge, I wasn’t looking to be stuck on the road for days. Eventually, a posting caught my eye.
A Tolany noble’s family heirloom had been stolen during transport, and the bandits who took it were demanding a ransom. According to the details, they called themselves The Black Vultures, a group that had been harassing trade routes near the mountains west of Tolany. Several merchants had already reported run-ins with them, but only two confirmed Adept fighters were listed in the description.
That worked for me. A decent step up, seeing as it was mid-level, but nothing I couldn’t handle.
I signed my name on the posting, marking the mission as taken.
With that settled, I stepped out of the guild, ready to track down The Black Vultures and reclaim what they had stolen.
