Chapter 4 - Discovery

The first thing I felt when I teleported was a lack of air. While I found myself holding back bile, I could feel the soft earth in my hands and the thin air in my lungs. Instinctively, I tried to open my eyes, and what I saw, I would venture to say, was a desert.

"All of you, get out or be crushed by the next ones. Hey, you, Shorty!"

The lethargy of the environment disconnected me from reality, and I barely heard someone shout in my ear. My eyes quickly turned to my two dogs, now on the ground near me, emanating the same sense of disorientation in the surroundings.

"I believe you want to die. Hm, how interesting; a tamer who already has beasts. This must be a favor from IAHWEH. But they're so small!"

As I stood up and gathered my thoughts, I turned to the being that resembled an incubus; even with its horn, tail, and towering height, it was still the closest thing to a human I had seen since my teleportation.

"I apologize, I'm leaving now."

"Wait. I believe my leader wants to have a word with you."

The whole situation was becoming strange and worrisome. The interest in my class, even though it was unknown to me, seemed to raise some kind of alert for everyone around me. Being in the midst of it all and being the center of attention didn't seem like a good thing, especially since I didn't know their powers, while they seemed to know mine.

"Do I really need to accompany you? I just want to be with the harvest that arrived and settle back into this environment. I'm sure we're not currently in a position to serve any priority."

I tried to force the most genuine smile possible, despite the discomfort clearly displayed on the face of that being. I ignored the situation and spoke.

"I would like to understand where I am and, more importantly, what our objective is. I have no intention of irritating anyone. It's just that, as you can see, I'm small and have no power for anything."

It was strange to appeal to weakness and irrelevance, but being the center of attention was definitely not my goal, at least not at that moment.

"You're very clever, but it makes sense. With your size, you must be good at something. My name is Demitretos, what are yours and your beasts' names?"

"Thank you for the compliment, I think. My name is Jonathan, and my companions are Guts and Témis."

I could tell from his eyes that his focus was on my animals. I felt that something relevant was being left behind, and I needed to know.

"Mr. Demitretos, many have spoken about my class and especially about my beasts, but I am still ignorant about it. Could you explain what it means?"

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Your surprised reaction made me certain that something important was being neglected. However, upon hearing your explanation, I sensed a tinge of irritation and greed in your words.

"Who would have thought that such an ignorant being would hunger for knowledge. Very well! Follow me."

As I walked away from the harvest with my dogs in my arms, I could see the city where I would settle. It wasn't large, and it certainly didn't exude technology, but unlike anything I had known, it had its charm. The residences were not tall and seemed to have personality, even in their simplicity.

"I see that you're interested in the city. We are located on the outskirts of the continent and serve as one of the numerous lines of defense. These houses protect us from the heat of the day and the cold of the night, and believe me, even though they are simple, each one of them is worth at least its weight in gold."

As we talked, it became clear that things were expensive and that survival here was more difficult than I could imagine. But one peculiar thing that Demitretos hinted at was that, despite being on the outskirts, it was by no means the most dangerous place.

"Our region is situated between four dungeons, with the strongest being a level D and the rest at level F. Being in this region provides us with security, but as you can see, it doesn't bring us wealth."

The region I found myself in was one among many that faced a trilemma. They were in a safe place with plenty of work, but the remuneration was meager, which explained the expensive residences.

"While you're here, your class and status will dictate what you become. But remember, even if you want to stay here forever, once you reach level 10, you will be automatically transported to the next city, and believe me, you'll want that to take a while."

Fear and apprehension resonated in Demitretos' voice, a stark contrast to the previous discourse of power hunger and the search for revelation. The great incubus seemed to be solely focused on survival.

"I apologize for my ignorance, Lord Demitretos. The conversation I had with Lord Gildor was very different from this. Is there something I need to know?"

I felt a shiver run through the incubus' tail as I mentioned Gildor's name. His voice went from passively acceptable to intrusive and irritable.

"Boy, weren't you taught not to believe any crap people tell you? You, like all of us, are cannon fodder, and our goal is to postpone the inevitable, which is the downfall of those bastards. If you believe any words from those idiots, I need to show you something. Follow me."

As we entered the city and wandered through the streets, I could see that even here there were beggars, mostly small and seemingly insignificant beings. But when I asked the incubus, he told me that what matters is not their appearance but their class and power. Those were the two things that complemented each other and allowed someone to become someone or something.

"We've arrived!"

As I surveyed the environment that Demitretos had led me to, it appeared to be a large open-air market, and after a few steps, I spotted a massive warehouse. Entering the warehouse alongside the incubus, I was met with a staggering discovery.

"I want you to see this creature and tell me what you think."

What he showed me seemed to be a creature standing at least 4 meters tall and quadrupedal. If I were asked to summarize its appearance in a few words, I would say it was a being that came straight out of some "Alien" movie. It was anything but friendly. Its entire body seemed like a meat-grinding machine, with thick, serrated claws, sharp and cutting teeth, and an armored-looking exterior.

"This creature, which we call the Guardian, is one of the first creatures you encounter in the Level F Dungeon. To kill one of these motherfuckers, you need at least four well-equipped people and a lot of luck to come out without losing anyone. Now, do you understand the irony of that idiot's words?"

As I stood there, stunned, gazing at the beast sprawled on the ground, I calculated in my mind the probability of surviving a direct confrontation. But no matter how many scenarios, environments, or even favorable situations I imagined, an undeniable truth pounded in my mind.

"I would die without even being able to scratch this beast."