Eruka Valley Dungeon.

First-floor intersection (Dark Zone).

The Eruka Valley dungeon is known for its unconventional multiple entrance tunnels, where the guild’s secondary commerce hub and town lies; Selvain.

Merchants, blacksmiths, and even mushroom farmers are gathered in stone hovels where an iron door the size of a smaller church holds inside the gatekeepers to the second floor.

Only 2 documented have been paid enough for this Project to keep the number of our kids alive as they grow and earn their own money, but as a father myself, I have to do what I think can prevent other parents from what I went through.

Notable Elite Monsters -

Wererat

[LV 12 - LV ??]

Known skills: [Wrath of the Rat King] [Multi-Slash] [Venom Bite]

Known traits: (Venomous Blood) (Tactician)

Be sure to bring a Lowest Rank is insufficient and will result in party death without poison resistance skills.

Alpha Bi(+)horned Rabbit

[LV 10 - LV ??]

Known skills: [Charging Horn Attack] [Multi-Stab]

Known traits: (Alpha) (Enhanced Legs) (Enhanced Horn)

Has been seen with more than two horns.

Stoneman Golem

[LV ??]

Known skills: unknown, requires 1 gold and 60 silver coins for appraisal.

Has been known to have dropped a solidified magic stone.

Goldshelled Locust

[LV ??]

Known skills: unknown, requires 1 gold and 25 silver coins for appraisal.

Armor made from shell pieces is highly sought after for enchantability.

-Eruka Valley Dungeon Floor 1, Eruka Village Guild Records

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“You may be determined, my adorable pupil, but if you truly think you can defeat me on day one, I assure you, a grave mistake is embedded within that head of yours.” A smug blue-haired elf stands above Sebas, who is drenched in sweat, a tattered shirt sticking to his body. The gasping human slings a fist at his teacher. A smack sounds as the young boy’s fist is caught, and a slight creaking sounds as the elf tightens his grip upon the boy’s hand.

“Ow-ow-ow ow! okay! I give up!” Sebas yells, much to his teacher’s disappointment.

“Come now, that isn’t the spirit an elven hunter should take, fight for the name of Yzdite!” a few playful smacks and a light ruffle of the hair reaches the poor pupil. Cyran offers him a hand to get up, and albeit hesitant, Sebas allows himself to be pulled upright.

The duo attempts to make their way back to the guild’s fort when a group of metal-clad men and cloth-wearing mages appear to be chasing something in the distance, a massive horned rabbit, half the size of a training mannequin. Its horn dwarfs Sebas’ blade even at the far-away battle. A man with an iron plate hefts an axe at least twice his size.

The strange party who hunt the ruby hue hare encroach as a group, and the two clothed mages begin to chant something, the ends of their staves have a red and blue orb on the ends respectively, while a man with a ginormous door-like shield screams, gaining the attention from the huge hare, and a transparent shield with a skull on it appears over the tanker. Allowing the axeman to strike the beast directly into its spine, curiously the creature doesn’t break eye contact with the armored man.

A flash of red and blue shines as fire and then ice envelopes the creature back to back, it dies instantly to the tactful party, and they cheer before the axeman rips the horn off, and dismantles the beast. The blue magic mage is disgusted along with the tanker, and the axeman taunts both of them, chasing them with bloody hands leaving the red magic mage to collect valuables from the corpse.

“What's the matter with ya, know those guys or something?”

“Not in the least.”

“Why are you acting like an insecure child, go make friends if you want to.”

“I don’t wish to become friends with those adventurers.”

“Is something wrong with you, Sebas?”

“...” the young redhead avoids the subject, proceeding to ignore his master while on the way to the guild fort. His teacher shakes his head and follows suit. The guild’s pompous worker sits at his desk, flirting with a copper plate who seems extremely disinterested, the pair double take when the bloodied and damaged Sebas returns with his master, who on the opposite end appears to be almost flawless if it wasn't for such a grin he always carries. The female adventurer bows to the guild’s trashy worker, and he keeps a look at her backside before turning towards the pair. “What do you want you dirty adventurer brat.”

Sebas stares at the man. “What, cat got your tongue? Tell me what it is, you're going to get blood on the desk.” Sebas leans a bit closer to the desk, leaning forward where his bruised arms sit on the edge of the counter, and he just rests. Audible disdain sounds off from the crude worker, who turns to the elven bronze-plate adventurer, “You in charge of this one?”

“I guess so, I would be the one you are looking for. How can I help?”

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“You need to teach your adopted child or slave better manners, why else would he be acting like this.”

“Yes, you are correct sir, I will teach him right now on,” Cyran proceeds to mimic Sebas’ posture, and continues. “My dirty child needs a washbasin and a tent, how much.”

The guildsman grumbles while leaving about the pair of “reprobates” Sebas looks at his master with a small smile, and Cyran, who sticks his tongue out in a playful manner. Placing 3 silver pieces on the desk, ruffling his pupil's hair once more.

“Don’t die any time soon Sebas.”

“Well that doesn't sound ominous, not in the slightest.”

“I would take you with me but where I plan to go… well… if you had enough or to survive a fireball, you might be fine.”

“So, I would hold you back?”

“No, it would just kill me if someone like you got hurt from my greed.”

“...” Sebas nods and accepts his master’s words.

“Don’t relent on your hunting. Also, a word of advice, use your skill. I am not sure what your past is Sebas, but you are a unique individual, Extremely unique.”

“Elaborate.”

“... I don't think I will Sebas, as this is the one thing I cannot teach you about”

“Tsk.” Sebas looks down at the desk and stays quiet.

“Thanks for the rabbit kiddo, if the spirits are kind, we will meet again.” Cyran stands upright, ruffling the young ex-noble’s hair, before leaving. Right as the clerk comes back to the desk with a key with some sort of nametag attached.

“Where’s your handler?”

“You are imagining things,” Sebas says before handing over the silver coins, taking the key, and entering the fort.

5 Merchant stalls, a wooden building with the word “BATH” written in large letters atop a wooden plank. A total of 15 individuals with guild-issued ID plates. Sebas finds there 6 are individual bathhouses, split by gender, with little regard for species.

A single blacksmith or repairman speaks with the heroic party from earlier that killed the giant rabbit. The metalworker looks at Sebas, sizing up his equipment before looking back towards the members of today’s grand episode.

Sebas stares at the pelt of the beast, it fits both of the small mages easily if wrapped around and they were to be shoulder to shoulder. Shaking his head Sebas drags his attention away from the enviable party of adventurers. He opens the bathhouse door with his key that says “BATH III”.

A small room where a stone tub and what appears to be almost boiling water flows in and out from the ceiling and a hole bored through the side of the tub. Sebas pulls his shirt off, shoving his finger through the many holes, throws it and boots on the corner of the bathhouse, and sits on the corner of the tub, once again the scruffy young adventurer stares back at his reflection. He pulls his lower left eyelid down, squeezes his face, pushes his nose up, and counts all 4 of the scars on his face, one across the nose, one on his left temple, one right on his left cheek, and a slash across his chin. Extremely small black pupils and exceptionally red hair, just like his blood. Now his shoulder and his stomach have new gross scar tissue, he prods and itches his shoulder when that makes it itch, his hand’s scar itself doesn't itch despite an entire horn going through it, the whole potion, and a day full of sleep, made the limb go back to a strange lack of feeling.

Cleaning the blood off of his body, Sebas dunks his head underneath the water, the submerging water filling his pores, and bringing a slight clarity as the nearly scalding water soothes his nerves. Water splashes as he brings himself to the surface, and the hair that was once dirty and puffy sits like yarn strands on his head.

He washes his shirt to the best of his ability and washes what little he can from his broken boots. Before throwing his wet clothes on a strange device, which seems to separate whatever water it can for him. He inspects the strange stone slab and burns his hand, causing him to sling it around before he places his middle finger in his mouth out of reflex.

Fully clothed and bloodless appearance, Sebas makes his way back to the guild counter and returns the key to a new guildmember, the blonde prick nowhere to be seen. He finds himself browsing amid the merchant stalls, while selections are strange, he finds nothing useful, everything is either Rings or Bracelets or costs dozens of silvers he does not have. Sebas speaks up to the monster parts buyer at a small blanket. The contents of his satchel, a pair of pelts along with a single horn, are pulled out. “How much can I get for this?”

When inspected, the merchant rubs his neck and looks. “How's 10 Copper and a Silver sound?”

Sebas rubs the back of his neck, looking down at the horrible skins and the decent horn. “70 and a Silver?”

“Heh, this kid who's wet behind the ears. You amuse me, lad, How 15 and a Silver?”

“Can we skip the haggling and cut down to 30 and a silver?”

The merchant laughs and nods his head. “In a rush yeah? I can do that youngin, I can do that.”

“Thanks, old man, I appreciate it.”

“Old huh… I must have heard wrong, we can agree on 25 copper? Young man?”

Sebas sighs and nods, “Sorry mister, you are not old. Forgive me.”

“Huh? I can't hear you, I've been a bit ripe ever since I fell off the fruit tree, you say something?”

Sebas huffs a laugh and smiles, “No sir, 25 copper it is.”

“Good lad, and if you want to do business again, I'll be here son.”

[Notice. Experience gained, LV 0 -> LV 1]

Sebas makes a curious expression from the mental noise of his status. He focuses on his coin purse after collecting his currency.

[Coin purse - 55C -> 1S 85C]

Sebas looks down at his coin purse, then at the man, raising an eyebrow at the merchant.

“What, do you want me to take it back? I could always charge you for “Taxes”, ungrateful youngin.”

“Yes, senior this young one is truly grateful for your generosity.” Sebas smiles.

[It has been 12 hours. Allocate your free stat points.]

… did the god window just tell me to hurry up?