Chapter 66

Trouble turned toward the group and started toward them, as if ready to fight. One of her back legs didn’t agree with the movement and sagged behind her. She gave off a brief whine and looked accusingly at it, her ears tilted back.

“Seems we got here just in time,” a white-robed female player said, putting a staff away. She pulled down her hood, revealing short-cut brown hair. “I’m glad we were right about not attacking the rabbit.”

“Yeah, that’s really curious,” the green-robed man said. He walked forward, rolling his eyes at the man with the red robe and the fireball. “Stop trying to act cool.”

“Bah,” the red-robed one said and extinguished the ball.

They walked toward Leon’s group.

Leon stood up and approached Trouble. He felt over her leg. Nothing seemed broken, but she was hurt. He glanced up at the approaching group.

“Thanks for the save.”

The woman spoke. “It looked like you needed it. We came across the king and thought we’d fight it so we didn’t need to get bothered by it later. But after a few attacks from us, it sniffed the air and just… set off.”

The red and green-robed men picked at the pile left from the wolf.

“Yeah, I think it smelled us from when it got created.” Leon looked up from Trouble and glanced around for Red. He couldn’t see her.

“You seem to have taken quite a beating from it,” the woman continued. “What levels are your party, anyway?”

Hert put his shield and hammer away. “He’s level nine, same as me. We have a cleric with us as well, who’s… I honestly don’t know.”

“She’s level eight. Speaking of, I can’t see her anywhere.” Leon glanced at the tree where he’d seen her. Maybe, if she’d been burned by players before, she just didn’t want to come out? Still, he needed to make sure she was okay. “Red?”

Leon didn’t want to leave Trouble alone. The rabbit had a bit of a staring match with the white-robed mage, who tilted her head and leaned in to study her.

“I’ve never seen a rabbit this large, and with this type of coat,” she said, bemused. “Why isn’t it running away?”

Leon walked toward the tree where he’d seen Red previously. “Red, you okay? It’s fine to come out, they seem friendly.”

“She’s his pet,” Hert said from behind Leon. “He does crazy things sometimes, and this is a result from one such thing.”

The other two mages returned from looting the wolf and stood with the white-robed one in a half-circle around Trouble. Trouble backed a step, and whined at the pain in her leg.

“How did she get hurt? Did the wolf hurt her?” the woman asked.

Leon returned to Trouble and bent down to calm her. “I think so, yeah.”

Something creaked in the forest, and the fire mage immediately brandished a fire ball.

“Chill,” the green-robed one said. “It’s not like anything in here can deal us any severe damage. We’re in the tutorial forest, not the E ranked one.”

Red came out of the bushes. She had her hat on, pushed low over her face, and she stared at the path as she walked to Trouble. She threw a quick glance at the three mages, then kneeled by the rabbit.

The fire-mage extinguished the fireball, blushing. “No harm meant.”

Red nodded without looking up. “Heal.”

“You think that works?” Hert asked. “Why not a healing potion?”

“Apparently only humanoid creatures can drink them,” Leon said, frowning at Red. Why was she acting like this?

Trouble’s ears turned forward, and she took a careful, small jump. Then she turned and buffed Red’s shoulder. A wide smile appeared under the rim of the hat, and Red hugged her.

“It turned green!” she said, glancing up at Leon. Then she immediately turned her head down again, her face red.

“Green?” one mage asked.

“She probably means the tag,” Leon explained with a smile.

“Odd, never seen a beast with a green tag before,” the green mage mused.

“It’s a pet,” the white mage said. “That’s probably why it’s light yellow for us. It doesn’t trust us.”

“It’s green for me, too,” Hert said, scratching at his neck. “Oh, shoot!” He walked over to the pile and started picking the loot up. “Leon, come over here. I don’t want your weapons to despawn.”

“They can do that?” Leon asked. He didn’t move at first, but since the mages seemed more baffled than aggressive toward Trouble, it might be okay to leave them there with her for a short while. He approached Hert, who started whispering.

“Who are these people?” he asked, glancing toward them. “I don’t think they mean any harm right now, but…”

“I kind of suspected we might meet some people in here.” Leon pocketed his weapons. “Because of the missing camps. I think they might be strong, too. Otherwise, they couldn’t have taken the king down with that much ease.”

Hert pushed his lips to the side. “I don’t know. We dealt a fair bit of damage to it, too.”

“Yeah, but its strength was equal to that of a level 18 monster. At least that’s what Crag, my innkeeper, said.”

Hert let out a low whistle. “Sounds like we should be grateful that things ended as well as they did, then.”

Leon nodded and picked up the rest of the loot, consisting of some bat wings, bat fangs, and some wolf parts. He also picked up the golden piece with the coins, careful to remember the number for later.

“I think they’re here for ingredients, just like the couple we met yesterday,” Leon said.

“What is it with mages and wanting crafting ingredients?” Hert asked, rising. He stretched out his back. “At least this meeting seems to go better than the one we had yesterday.”

“Today no one attacked another player. They even shielded us with that dirt wall.”

Leon and Hert walked back to the group of mages who still stood around Trouble and a very uncomfortable-looking Red. They broke off their discussion about what Trouble was exactly as they came closer.

The green-robed mage gestured toward Leon. “We’re trying to figure this out. How does a level nine player come across something like a pet? We had no idea pets were a thing here.”

“They’re not,” Leon said. He opened his backpack to let Trouble inside. After a moment’s hesitation, she did, and Leon saw a bread disappear.

“How does that big-ass pet fit in an inventory?” the red one said, surprised. “That makes zero sense. And how can we get one?”

“Why would you want one?” Leon asked.

“It’s very cute,” the woman said with a smile. “And since it has a level and is yellow for us, we thought she might be a fighter too.”

The green-robed one chuckled. “Even though it’s very weird for a rabbit to fight if it isn’t for its life.”

“What levels are you?” Leon asked. Maybe that could tell him about Trouble’s strength, since her actual level didn’t seem to reveal much.

“Twenty, twenty-one, and twenty-four.” The woman gestured to the fire mage, the green one, and herself. “Fire mage, earth mage, wind mage.”

“Warrior, cleric, tank,” Hert responded, pointing to his own group.

“Yeah, I figured,” the red one said. He pointed a lazy finger toward Leon. “But you still didn’t answer our question.”

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“I don’t know.” Leon shrugged. “The system said it was a first, and this was the result of her growing up. She got corrupted and somehow bonded to me. I think it said it was unique though, so I’m not sure it would be possible to get a pet like her again.”

The wind mage nodded. “Hey, we’re heading back. Wanna talk? We don’t really meet many non-hostile players anymore who aren’t looking for something, so it’d be nice with a chat.”

Leon raised his eyebrows at Hert, who nodded. “Red, you okay with that?”

Red, not having said a word since commenting on Trouble’s tag changing color, just nodded and got up to her feet. She kept her face hidden all the same and walked to stand behind Leon and Hert.

“She’s a shy one, isn’t she?” the red mage said.

“She has her reasons,” Leon said. “Once burned, twice shy, I suppose.”

They started walking, the mages grouped around Leon.

“So, you said the rabbit got corrupted? How?” the white one asked.

They talked all the way to Pura, and Leon tried to hold some information back about Trouble at first, but realized they’d already seen her. Luckily, it didn’t seem like it brought any harm with it this time, but that didn’t dissuade the feeling of needing to keep her hidden from others in the city. She wasn’t protected by a title as they were, and with someone so unique, she was bound to gather attention, both good and bad.

The group had visited the tree-cave, Kavanask, before and could tell Leon a bit more about it. They had only been there once though, so they didn’t know too much more than what Leon and Hert had already discovered. It was a dungeon no one really knew much about, and most players didn’t even know it existed. Something about their tale about Kavanask seemed a bit off, though. Apparently, they’d also met imps in there, but not ventured further up the tree. But the imps they had met were level ten and above. If Leon, Hert, and Ava had met a horde of imps with those levels, it wouldn’t have ended well. He’d almost died the first time, when all of them were a lower level.

Leon pondered it as they walked over the bridge. What if the monsters in there grew in level with time? Or acted like the monsters in Crag’s dungeon, where they gained levels instead of multiplying every second day if they weren’t taken out? That didn’t make sense, though. If so few players knew about the area, it was very unlikely someone would have been there to take them out just a day or two before Hert and Leon got there. He shook his head and decided it didn’t really matter, even if it made him curious. Almost curious enough to want to go there to explore one more time. Besides, he could use some extra weapons. He might have sneered at the wooden sword he got in the beginning, but there was a comfort in knowing that he had a weapon that didn’t suffer the same durability loss as the rest of his gear.

“So, how’s the next part of the city?” Leon asked.

The earth mage answered. “Well, if you’re used to this part of the city, you’ll find that it’s very big in comparison.”

“I don’t know if that’s what he meant,” the wind mage said. “I mean, Bellwater has a lot of players. Much, much more than here. A lot of players attend the school, but have also opened up shops and such when they felt like the tower got a bit too dangerous for them.”

“How many levels have you completed?” Leon asked. “We’re aiming to climb as well.”

“Oh, we stopped,” the earth mage said, shrugging. “Like everyone else. We didn’t climb it together either; we’re just grouping up to get ingredients. I mean, you save a lot of money if you gather them yourself.”

“I’ve completed the fifth floor,” the fire mage said. “And man, that was tough.”

Hert strode forward to walk just behind them. “So, what did you meet in the tower? I’ve done quite a bit of research, but I haven’t been able to find any information about the tower or tower levels.”

“You won’t be able to, either.” The wind mage spoke over her shoulder. “The floors shift around.”

“What she means is that there are certain themes to the tower floors with different objectives,” the earth mage explained. “So what we faced in one level might not be the same as you’ll face. It’s like a lottery, and you won’t know what it is until you get in there.”

“But what makes them so dangerous?” Leon asked, looking at the fire mage. “Why do people stop? Are the tasks too hard?”

They exited the bridge and walked past the guards.

“The tasks are hard, the monsters are high level, but worst of all,” the fire mage said, turning his head to look Leon in the eyes. “Players.”

“Wait, players go after players in these levels?” Hert asked. “Why?”

“Most of the tasks can be completed with no player-on-player violence. But some players think it’s easier just to take out other people than to grab the items themselves.” The fire mage rubbed over his neck. “You can’t believe the lengths some people go to. The worst one I’ve experienced was a type of capture-the-flag level. That’s the one where I decided to hide and wait it out, and when I saw the death toll, I decided that I’d rather just stay and live where I was.”

“What did you have to do?” Hert asked.

“You can decide not to finish a level?” Leon asked at the same time.

They stopped at the crafting fountain outside the Drowned Goblin.

“Well, you can choose not to complete a level, or fail it without dying. You just need to wait for the timer for the level to run out. There’s no penalty to it, except that you miss out on any loot you might have gained.”

Leon nodded toward the alley leading to the night market square. “I’d love to talk more with you guys about it, and other things. Want to grab a drink with us? I don’t know what I can offer for the information, but I’d do anything to get to know more.”

“Thanks,” the earth mage said, “but we can’t. Not right now, anyway.” He chuckled. “I think you have more questions than we have the time to answer. We’re on a timed quest for the school, so we need to get back. Another time, maybe.”

“If we meet again, I might take you up on that. Thanks anyway. For both the king and the answers.”

“No problem,” the wind mage said, raising a hand in goodbye. “Take care, especially when you’ve reached level ten. There are some nasty folks out there.”

The group walked off, leaving Leon, Hert and Red standing by the fountain.

Leon nodded toward Hert’s building. “So that’s what you’ve been up to after we fight each day? Research?”

“Yep.” Hert gave him a proud smile. “If I’m going somewhere, I want to know as much about it as I can.”

“Thanks,” Leon said. He scratched at his cheek. “I should have done the same. All I’ve been doing is training.”

Hert slapped his shoulder. “That’s what you do best. I do what I do best. You’re gonna be the one taking me through it all, so you just focus on getting stronger, okay?”

“Sure. Thanks.” Leon smiled. “Red, ready to join the conversation? It feels like you’ve been hiding ever since you saw that group in the forest.”

Red took a few steps forward and took off her hat. She clutched it. “Sorry.”

Leon raised an eyebrow at her. “Nothing to be sorry about. I just found it odd. Have you met them before?”

“No.” She glanced toward the mages’ backs. “I haven’t. But I’ve found it’s better to stay in the background where people won’t notice or remember you.” She gestured toward the port-wine stain stretching over her neck and cheek. “This is very memorable for most people.”

“Why don’t you like people remembering you?” Hert asked. “Did you do something horrible to someone?”

Red shook her head. “Nothing like that. But if I’m going to climb the tower, I’m going to meet some people. And from everything I’ve heard, most of them won’t be as nice as the people we met today. So if I do something by accident or someone searches for me, I want to be a face in the crowd rather than someone they can point out immediately.”

Leon wondered what scenarios she’d cooked up in her head. She could possibly hurt someone with her lute, but that would need to be on purpose. And she wasn’t like Finn, who mouthed off with no regard who to. Well, it wasn’t like it mattered that much — if that was how she felt, she probably had a reason for it.

Red took a deep breath and forced a smile. “Anyway, I’m glad we won’t face the king anymore.”

“Did you get something from it? I didn’t see you pick up any loot,” Hert said.

“Just before we walked off,” Red said. “It really paid off for me. Even more for you two, right?”

“Yeah, it gave a decent payout,” Leon said. “So, do you want something? I mentioned the deal I had with the other Cleric, right?”

“Sure you did, but no. Our agreement was that I’d be your weight training in exchange for you helping me fight monsters. I don’t need loot as much as I need experience, after all.”

Hert crossed his arms. “Look at that! A Cleric who won’t be swayed by potential income or gifts. I like you already.”

Red frowned. She faced Leon. “I’m glad the heal worked on Trouble.”

“Me too,” he said. “She’d been in pain for a long time without you.”

“I’m sure sleep would have helped her as much as I did.” Still, she gave a weak smile.

Leon glanced at his backpack. “I think I’ll keep her at the inn for now though, until I figure out how to train her so she won’t harm herself. She can take a lot, but I don’t think she knows her limits.”

“Same as you, then,” Hert said with a chuckle.

Leon threw out his arms. “Well, I have to do something to surpass my current limits, don’t I? Even though Trouble is very intelligent, she doesn’t have our lived experiences. She’s less than three months old.”

“Really?” Red asked. “She’s very big for her age. And strong, I guess.”

Leon sighed. “Anyway, she’ll stay at the inn for now. Crag said she’d be welcome to keep him company, so maybe he’ll have some ideas on how to help her, just like you said.”

“Not sure if it’s going to work during the rain season though,” Red said. “It seems like everyone is seeking company and shelter there at the moment.”

Leon nodded. “That’s true. Well, then I’ll let her stay in my room for now, and I’ll ask Crag about when it would be a good time for him. I can at least give it a shot.”

“Well, I’m heading inside to continue my research. With the fight we went through, I’m not sure I can do much more today. So if you head out to fight again, count me out.”

“That’s totally fine. Thanks for today. Before you go, let me sell the stuff I’m carrying and give you your coin.”

“Coin’s fine, but I also picked some stuff up from that pile. Keep the rest.”

Leon shrugged and gave him the money.

“Nice meeting you,” Hert said to Red before heading inside his building.

Red nodded in response, then turned to Leon. “So, what’s your plan for the rest of the day?”

Leon shrugged. “Not sure. I might head out, just like Hert said. First, I’ll leave Trouble at the inn and buy some health potions and antidotes, though. Want to come with?”

Red shrugged. “Maybe.” Then she gave a curt nod. “Yes. Normally I’d practice with my lute, but I don’t want to do that in there right now.”

“Too many people?” Leon started walking toward the alley.

“Too many disgruntled NPCs.”

As they walked, Leon wondered about what Finn had been up to today. Ava’s case was understandable; Margaret wanted to keep her at the inn, after all. But with Finn… With how both of them had behaved recently, especially yesterday, this free day worried Leon. Finn had something in the works, and he couldn’t even begin to guess what. Not only because Finn was hungry after money, but because there was something not really adding up with him. He’d been here for five years and he’d only reached level twelve. He’d said that he reached over level ten because he thought you should get stronger in a game, which Leon took to mean that he’d reached level ten not too long after entering the world. With his will to fight, it wasn’t unlikely that he’d reached level ten within a year, probably less. And if he’d joined other parties before Leon’s, that meant he kept fighting. So how was he still at his current level? It didn’t make any sense. He could have spent some time inside the city, sure, but through fighting in other groups, he really should have gained even more levels and experience. Hert said something was fishy regarding Ava’s and Finn’s behavior, but Red had also sent out warning bells.

Leon sighed as they reached the plaza and headed to the store. Well, Finn wouldn’t be part of their party for too much longer, and then he’d stop being their problem. At least that was something to look forward to. Just bear with him for another week or two, then cut him loose to do whatever he wished to do. He just hoped Ava had the sense to step away when that time came.