Sweat is pouring down my back as I run. Despite the amount of liquids my skin is pouring out, I don’t feel like I’m pushing myself that much. I jog around the field for another few laps before I stop. Not even stopping to catch my breath, I get down for some pushups. Then some squats and a few other exercises. It’s been a few weeks now since I started training and I’ve been at it non-stop everyday. My body has started to change in the short amount of time. Mike says it’s because I’m young and the body adapts faster at my age. I’m just happy to see results.

I’m not jacked or anything, but I’m starting to look like an adventurer more than a kid. I’ve grown a bit which helps. I also kept an ear out for news about Reagan but there is nothing new since he left the Gray Tower. There are some rumors that he is still there and they are just covering for him, but I don’t think so. If I want to find him now, I might as well randomly roam the land. It doesn’t matter, I’m sure he’ll pop up somewhere soon.

Plus, I know I’m far from ready to take him on. He could slaughter me with a wave of his hands like I am. No, I need to grow more and faster. The training with Mike has been eye opening, but I’m not sure how much more he can teach me. He said so himself. ‘Just continue to train every day from now on, that’s all I can do for you.”

I was curious why he didn’t want to teach me the sword apart from the basics, or even some skills. Apparently it would help me in the short run, but it would hamper my growth to copy someone else’s style instead of developing my own. Plus we have very different body types. I still think he should have helped me learn a skill or something but it’s fine. I did manage to get the basic [Slash] one. To my immense disappointment, it barely changes anything from a normal strike. The only reason it’s good is that it’s the basis of many more advanced skills, like [Double Slash] and other sword skills.

The sun casts long shadows in the training area as it goes up and I sit up to look at it. I’m done for this morning, and I plan on setting out today. No more sewers. I’m more confident in myself than I have ever been now, my strength and speed far above my previous self. I did get a basic skill with [Lesser Endurance] and I think I’m close to get [Lesser Strength]. I don’t use anything while training just as Mike told me to. Skills actually do drain energy when you have them active and shouldn’t be on all the time, and never when training as it will slow down your progress.

“Hey Blaine.” I hear some knights call out to me and I nod back. I recognize a lot of the knights now and they all know who I am. These ones seem to start their morning training. Heh, I’m already done, slowpokes. I leave and go straight for the adventurers guild to see Hadra only to realize that she isn’t here this early. It’s fine. I go to the quest board and look around for something. I look at all the different posts and take my time until I find what I am looking for. A silverback wolf has been spotted in a nearby village. I take the paper off the board and shove it down a pocket. Perfect. It might be dangerous to do it alone, but it does say on the quest that he specifically isn’t in a pack, which is perfect for me. It’s not that unusual for these types of wolves to be solitary.

I walk to the eastern gates and spot different merchants with their wagons up and about. I ask around to see if anyone is going where I need to go and I’m happy to learn that one of them does. He is more than happy to let me tag along after I show him my bronze badge. Free bodyguard for him, free trip for me. We soon set off as I sit in the back of the last cart, looking out and excited about my first non-sewer quest.

—

We arrive by midday the next day and I hop off while waving the merchant’s caravan off. They were nice and I wish them good travels. My morning training seems to have impressed them, which is good. I turn to properly take in the village. It’s rather small and reminds me of home. The center is a rather large mud place where most of the roads cross. There aren’t more than thirty houses and a small palisade to protect them.

I guess it’s enough against most monsters, and there are few bandits this close to the capital. I ask around for the village elder and am directed to a yellow house. Weird taste but whatever. I knock on the door and an old woman opens it.

“What?” She asks me, clearly irritated. I can’t help but wonder what got into her soup this morning but refrain from actually asking.

“Hello, are you the village elder?” I say instead.

“Who wants to know?” She eyes me up and down. I don’t like grumpy old ladies in general. I guess I get along with Hadra now, but she is the exception.

“My name is Blaine, I’m an adventurer here to kill the silverback wolf that has been spotted around here.” I tell her, trying to keep a smile on my face.

“Bert!” She yells and leaves me hanging while she goes inside the house. I wait a bit as I hear someone yell back. Without coming back to actually tell me, I hear the rude old woman yell that he is coming. Great. Finally, an old man comes to the door. He looks me up and down.

“How can I help you young man?” Ah, he seems to be a bit nicer at least.

“Hello, I’m an adventurer here to slay the silverback wolf that has been spotted around here.” I repeat myself.

“Alone?” He asks as he raises a brow at me. He looks me up and down and pauses. He ends up shrugging while muttering something like ‘not my problem’ under his breath. I patiently wait for directions towards the monster.

“Alright, suit yourself young man. He was spotted in the northern part of the village, just behind the cliffs behind the forest. Not even an hour out I would say.” He tells me while pointing towards the north.

“Thank you very much.” I half-bow and make to leave but he stops me at the last second.

“Oh, I almost forgot, there is another team out hunting it already, maybe you could team up with them eh?” He tells me before shooing me away. I hope I never end up becoming a weird grandpa. I smile and shake my head at the thought. Of course not, I’m going to be a hero like no other!

I set off in the right direction with my head held high. Maybe that other team is high bronze like me and I could even join up with them? That would be amazing.

—

I see a cliff through the trees. The trek through the forest was uneventful, but I should be close by now. No trace of any other adventurer though, maybe they didn’t go this way? I put it out of mind and make my way to the end of the forest. As I clear the last trees, I look up at the cliff and notice it’s just another forest up there too. I don’t know what I expected, wolves usually roam around forests I guess? I’m not sure that’s true but it doesn’t matter, this one is supposed to be around here.

I hear birds and animals in the distance, but first I should probably find a way up this cliff. It’s about five times my height, so a bit intimidating to just climb. If I fall, I could die. And that would be the most stupid way to die ever. Instead I follow along the cliff, hoping to find an easier way up. I walk for about five minutes before I find a somewhat climbable way. The footing is large enough I can even rest between small climbs. Easy peasy.

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I set to task immediately and find it’s easier than I thought. Maybe even that cliff earlier wouldn’t have been so hard. I can feel my muscles easily able to drag me up, the whole thing almost feels effortless compared to my training. Huh. Maybe Mike wasn’t that far off.

I soon drag myself up the last bit and look into the new forest. It’s not really the same. It feels darker somehow and the trees don’t let me see as far, dense as they are. I immediately hear a growl to my right and turn to look. Gods above he is right there! I jump up and quickly draw my weapon and shield as a wolf larger than I am stalks towards me, teeth bared. The fur on his back is white while the rest is a deeper gray. His eyes shine a deep yellow and I gulp.

Maybe this wasn’t my best idea. No. If I want to become a great adventurer, this should be nothing to me. I steel my resolve and slowly circle the wolf without staying too close to the edge. Was it watching the forest below from up here? There does seem to be some intelligence in those eyes as he growls again and bares his teeth at me.

Yeah buddy, I don’t like you either. I take a step forward and slash in a large arc to gauge his reaction. He takes a step back, clearly not threatened by my wide telegraphed blow. It was a probing blow anyway. He suddenly lunges towards me and I activate [Shield Bash] to deflect him away only for my skill to hit air.

I notice the feint too late as he is aiming his claws at my legs. I jump at the last second and roll back into a stance, sweating. That was uncomfortably close. I didn’t think it would fight… smart. Shit. I can almost hear Mike admonishing me for the mistake he kept telling me to fix. ‘Never let the opponent out of your sight.’ I still find it hard to block and use the shield while keeping an eye on the opponent, but clearly his advice is sound.

We slowly circle each other, trying to gauge what the other might do. He loses his patience before me and straight up charges me. I wait for the last second before I dodge to the side and slash at the same time but he redirects his charge into a jump. However unlike last time, he doesn’t let me get my bearings back and pounces on me as soon as he lands jaws wide open.

My feet aren’t quite stable but I manage to bring my shield up in time, blocking his savage bite. The blow pushes me off my feet as he is way stronger than me. I fly a short distance and jump to my feet as fast as I can only to see him snapping his maw at me again. I’m too slow on the dodge and his teeth find purchase in my left shoulder. My sword forces him to let go before he can bite too deep, but I only manage a superficial cut on the monster.

Shit. This is a bad start. I can’t let him have the initiative. I charge and feint a big overhead blow with my sword only to use [Shield Bash] from below with my other hand. The wolf falls for it and my shield hits his head square in the face. I use this opportunity to slash at him with my sword but only manage two more small cuts as he jumps back to get his bearings. Not enough, but a start. I breathe in, surprised by how tired I already feel. When training I can go for a lot longer, how come I’m already spent?

A swipe threatens to make me lose grip of my shield and I refocus on the fight at hand. Another swipe comes in from the left and I move to block it while also swinging with my sword towards his head. He tries to dodge but doesn’t manage to move back enough as his swing carries him forward. A nasty gash clips him on the face, but I felt that it didn’t hit too deep.

The wolf growls menacingly at me and I bare my teeth back at the challenge, a wide grin on my face. I can do this. My heart is pumping and I feel the rest of the world fade into the background as I focus everything on my enemy. I set my sword over my shield, pointing towards my enemy. Finding some strange inspiration, I gently weave it back and forth slowly. It’s harder to gauge the distance correctly of an object pointing directly towards you.

I suddenly lunge out with my sword and stretch my arm to its maximum. The wolf avoids it to my disappointment, but I felt something there. The beginning of a skill perhaps? The wolf lunges back at me with his maw open. I deflect his head with my shield, feeling confident when a swipe catches me off-guard. My right leg flares up in pain and I curse myself for getting overconfident.

My footing is a lot less sure now, and my mobility crippled. He circles around me as I manage to glance at my leg without leaving him out of my sight. Shit, it’s really bleeding, luckily no broken bones or anything really important. It hurts, but it honestly looks worse than it is. The wolf charges at me with his whole body and I get pushed violently to the ground, unable to properly defend or move out of the way.

He doesn’t let me breathe as he gets on top of me and tries to bite me. I scramble with my shield while his face tries to bite mine off. I somehow keep calm and I manage to put my sword deep in his belly. A whine can be heard as the sword slides in deep before he redoubles his efforts to eat me.

I hold my shield with both hands now as I desperately keep him at bay while he bleeds out. But every moment he gets more desperate and violent, and I’m starting to think he might get me. I do manage to keep him from biting me, but his claws sink into my stomach while he continues to try and bite me, and I can feel blood leaving me. Shit.

We both bleed and both his and my efforts slow down as we are both equally tired now. He might be even worse off than I, but still he continues, hellbent on taking me with him. I suddenly feel his whole weight on me as he stops struggling. I can barely breathe and I fear something else will come at the smell of so much blood.

I huff and try to push him off me but I’m all spent despite [Lesser Endurance].

I freeze as I hear something coming towards me through the forest. Branches crack and leaves are crushed as something comes closer and closer. Gods above, not like this, I pray, knowing full well they never listen.

The weight of the large wolf shifts as something drags it off me and I spot some human boots out of the corner of my eyes. The other adventurers! I’m saved, thank the g-. I stop as I see who has rescued me and despite my blood loss I freeze.

The gods truly have a twisted sense of humor, for why else would he be here? Why else would I be rescued by my worst enemy? Stan looks at me with a shit eating grin as I lay there on the ground.

“How’s it going sewer boy? In some trouble?” He looks at me and his team snickers.

“Good, I killed a silverback wolf all by myself.” I tell him, proud of myself.

“Wrong sewer boy. We killed a silverback wolf and saved your life.” He points to the arrow sticking out of its head. That was the killing blow? No. They stole my kill!

“What’s the matter? Aren’t you happy we were around to save your stinky ass?” The other snickers again.

“What do you mean? It was as good as dead before you shot it!” I can’t help but raise my voice. Oh no, my ticket to low silver might just have gone up in flames because of this asshole. If he claims he killed it, which I’m sure he will, I can’t claim it. If I try and they make us swear by a truth spell, it will say that he killed it. Shit!

“Look at you exaggerating as usual. It was trying to bite your head off until we put an arrow in its head.” He smiles at me with that… that stupid face. I hate him so much right now, but I try to calm down. Showing anger only makes him even happier.

“Well, I don’t want to be rude, but we are gonna skedaddle out of here, we got a bounty to collect you see.” He starts to turn and leave.

“See you later sewer boy.” He yells from a distance before I lose sight of him and his stupid team. How? How could I be this unlucky? Plus I just bet they are going to advance to silver thanks to my efforts. Gah! It’s so unfair.

I clean my wounds and stop the bleeding. I’m close to fainting honestly and I can’t just faint here. My stomach wound isn’t too deep, luckily, and with a few bandages I stop leaking all over the ground. I hobble away but don’t dare to go down the cliff. I’ll make some distance first and try and recover somewhat. The sun is still rather high up ahead. I should be able to make it back to the village before the night falls, but if I slowly hobble all the way, it might be tight.

My mood is the worst it’s been in a while and I’m hurting all over. The world feels so unfair. Having gone a distance away from the wolf’s corpse, I sit down against a tree while grumling profanities at Stan. It just can’t get much worse can it?

Then I hear it, a rustling in a bush in the forest behind me. Shit. I just had to jinx it.