Elias arrived at the jungle clearing just past noon and found it bustling with activity. Food stalls lined the clearing, serving tired adventurers as they emerged from the jungle. Some even provided hammocks and armchairs for their customers to rest in. Beyond the food stalls, he noticed a range of services being offered, including makeshift sparring rings, healer tents, showers, massage tables, and even a bar.
For a moment, Elias stared wide-eyed, wondering if he was truly in the right place. The scene was nothing like what he remembered from his last visit, though that might have been because he’d only passed through at dawn or late at night.
During his last dungeon delve, Elias had realized it was easier to find monsters in the jungle at night, likely because there were fewer people to compete with. As a result, he decided to start his delves early in the afternoon instead of in the morning. This way, he could extend them late into the night without getting too tired. Plus, arriving after lunch meant one less meal he’d have to eat on the jungle floor. Now, however, it seemed like he had another option.
Elias eagerly headed into the bustling clearing to explore this new development, his heart pounding with excitement. The tantalizing aromas wafting from the food stalls made his mouth water as he took note of a few particularly appetizing options. He’d already eaten lunch, but he was definitely coming back tomorrow.
The ambiance was everything he’d always imagined when picturing the adventurer lifestyle. People strolled around with weapons openly displayed and smiles on their faces, most of them covered in dirt and bits of jungle foliage. Whenever someone glanced his way, he smiled back, doing his best to appear friendly.
This was the perfect place to find people to form a party with, something Elias had been hoping to do for quite some time. Unfortunately, his frail constitution made this difficult, as no one wanted someone who couldn’t pull their weight on the team. Being an unarmed fighter didn’t help matters either.
He took a deep breath, trying to let go of the frustration of being rejected from parties time and time again. He assured himself that things would change soon, reminding himself that he was already a far better fighter than anyone he’d met in his age range. Once he started looking the part, he was certain finding a party would become much easier. After all, everyone wanted someone strong on their team.
The groups of people in the clearing were varied but could generally be divided into two types, those who made a living out of dungeon delving and those who didn’t. Groups of amateurs were the most common, though they were usually accompanied by at least one hardened-looking adventurer—power-levelers. Non-combat professions, such as crafters and entrepreneurs, had alternate methods of gaining experience, but that was only possible at level 10 and beyond, when they unlocked their Skills. Before then, everyone needed to kill monsters in the dungeon to level up, so these individuals often hired professional adventurers to assist with their leveling.
Among the crowd were quite a few powerful adventurers, their magical weapons and armor making them stand out. Most of them were arriving from the trail that led to the Beginner rank zones and beyond. One adventurer, in particular, had a pair of powerful-looking machetes strapped to his sides. The one on his right blazed like the molten heart of a volcano, while the one on his left exuded a chilling mist that froze the grass in its wake. Elias guessed they had to be Epic weapons at the very least, which meant the man had to be Journeyman rank or higher to wield them.
The more casual dungeon delvers usually headed straight to the surface after leaving the dungeon, while most veteran adventurers stopped at the clearing to eat or rest before returning to the dungeon. Elias was surprised by how few people actually went back, however. He understood that most people didn’t want to make a career out of dungeon delving like he did, but he’d always imagined that far more people aspired to become professional adventurers—and not just for the thrill of it. Energy crystals were invaluable resources, essential for nearly everything, and those who built careers around gathering them often became extremely wealthy. Of course, that was only true for those strong enough to collect large quantities or rare energy types.
“Hi there! Are you new around here? I don’t think I’ve seen you before,” Elias heard a feminine voice say brightly, pulling him out of his thoughts. He turned his head curiously, coming face-to-face with a beautiful girl who was smiling directly at him.
Her long black hair framed a delicate face, highlighting piercing blue eyes and full lips. She wore a black vest over a tight long-sleeved shirt, thick pants, and boots, but even the simplicity of her outfit couldn’t detract from the allure of her athletic figure. Throwing knives were strapped all over her clothes, especially on her vest, while two large combat knives rested in leather sheaths attached to her thighs. He gaped at her for a long moment, mesmerized, before finally regaining his composure with an embarrassed cough.
“Uh, hi. Yeah, this is my first time at this fair. I didn’t even know the clearing became like this,” he said with a small smile, gesturing around him, “during lunch time.”
“Well, well. A newbie, huh? Welcome to the dungeon!” the girl said enthusiastically, letting out a small laugh as she spread her arms wide, as if to welcome him. It took all of Elias’ willpower not to stare, again.
“Thank you,” he replied with an awkward smile, nervously scratching the back of his head. He could feel his face heating up. Her lips twitched, as if she were holding back a smile, and her eyes narrowed slightly. Elias recognized it as the same expression Isabela usually had right before she started teasing him about something.
“Did you already have lunch? I know a really good place,” she said suggestively, giving him a wink.
Elias’ eyes widened in surprise at how forward the girl was being. Had those extra points in Vitality already made such a noticeable difference? That was the only explanation he could think of for why a girl so out of his league would be flirting with him. Regardless, he wasn’t about to throw away this opportunity.
“I already—” he began, but stopped to clear his suddenly dry throat.
“I already ate, but I’d be happy to grab something with you. I’m Elias, by the way,” he added, aiming for as much confidence and charm as he could muster.
“Well, well, Elias. Are you asking me out on a date? You do realize that I’m working right now, right?” Rebecca teased, grinning playfully as she gestured to the burrito stall behind her. Only then did Elias realize she was a greeter for the stall. She hadn’t been inviting him to eat with her, but rather to eat at the stall she worked at. Somehow, his face grew even hotter.
The worst part was that he’d seen plenty of people doing the same to attract potential customers. With so many stalls in the clearing, most had someone like the girl before him, working to lure people in. Elias cursed softly under his breath.
“I’m just messing with you; please don’t be upset,” she said with a lighthearted laugh at his reaction. A moment later, her eyes and smile softened as she added, “Anyways, it’s nice to meet you, Elias. I’m Rebecca.”
Elias noted the distinct lack of remorse in her words, the edges of her smile still hinting at humor even as she tried to keep it under control. Narrowing his eyes, he smiled thinly and nodded twice, as if to pump himself up, before flashing her a grin of his own. If she wanted to play, he’d be more than happy to oblige. He had Isabela as a little sister, and he’d be damned if he let a stranger—even one as cute as Rebecca—out-embarrass him.
“Don’t you think you’re being a little unfair? You lure me into your stall with that smile, but then you won’t even keep me company. How am I supposed to enjoy my food when you’re standing there looking so distracting? I would end up just staring,” Elias said with a flirtatious wink, grinning, confident he’d turned the tables.
Instead of the blush he expected, Rebecca’s grin turned sharp, her blue eyes gleaming with mischief. She tilted her head slightly, eyeing him like a predator sizing up its prey. Suddenly, he wasn’t as confident in coming out on top of this exchange anymore.
“Oh, is that so? You poor thing,” she replied with an exaggerated pout, leaning slightly closer. “But if I sat down with you, wouldn’t that just make it worse? Imagine trying to eat while I’m this close. I’d hate to be responsible for you starving.”
Rebecca smirked, crossing her arms with a gleam of triumph in her eyes. This time, however, Elias managed to keep his composure, no longer caught off guard like before. Just as he started to think he might actually have a chance of winning this game, the gleam in her eyes intensified.
“And I didn’t say anything when you were staring before, did I? Though, my dad over there might have a problem with it,” she said, jerking her thumb toward the large, gruff man manning the food stall, who was glaring directly at him with murder in his eyes. Elias gave an awkward laugh and waved with a strained smile on his face, but the man didn’t so much as blink.
Elias was speechless, unable to come up with a response to her teasing. He had to admit, the girl in front of him had completely outclassed him in this game. By now, his entire face was burning, and even his ears felt hot.
“Don’t feel bad, Elias. You never really stood a chance against me,” Rebecca said with a laugh, grinning good-naturedly. Tentatively, he returned her smile, accepting his defeat gracefully.
Elias decided that he liked Rebecca. Despite how out of sorts she made him feel, it was clear to him that she didn’t mean any harm in teasing him like that. Her smile was playful and easygoing, and he was more than a little attracted to her physically. Unfortunately, he saw no spark of attraction in her own eyes, so he discarded any romantic intentions–at least for now. He was still unattractive due to his low attributes, but he’d wait and see how she looked at him when that changed.
“You know, I doubt that you try to embarrass every new person you meet like that. So… why me? If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to make me feel bad,” Elias said, failing to completely keep the accusation out of his tone. At least Rebecca’s dad had stopped glaring at him from behind the stall; the man looked scary.
“I guess I just couldn’t help myself,” Rebecca said, actually sounding sheepish for the first time. “You get embarrassed way too easily–I think it’s cute. How about I give you a free burrito as an apology? They’re really good. And if it makes you feel better, you can think of my teasing as my way of making friends.”
“Your way of making friends, huh? Fine,” Elias said with a sigh. “But like I said before, I already ate today, so I want to redeem it some other day–and you have to join me too. You wouldn’t let a friend eat by himself now, would you?”
“Oh? We haven’t even parted and you already want to see me again?” Rebecca asked. This time, Elias just stared at the girl evenly, raising a single eyebrow. She clearly noticed he was beginning to get annoyed and clicked her tongue. “Fine, I’ll stop. For now.”
“Anyways, I think I’ll get going. I still want to gain a level by the end of the day. Nice to meet you, Rebecca,” Elias said.
“You know, I work as a power leveler too. If you want to gain some quick exp, just let me know. I’ll even give you a discount,” Rebecca called out as he turned to leave.
“Thanks, but I’ll manage. I might look weak, but that’s just because my attributes are low. I know how to fight well enough,” Elias replied, walking away.
“Suit yourself,” she said, sounding unconvinced. A few seconds later, he heard her cheerful voice again as she greeted a new customer.
Elias bounced on his feet as he reached the clearing’s boundary, excited from meeting Rebecca and exploring the fair. He stopped right at the threshold to the jungle, taking a deep breath to center himself before slipping in and heading deeper inside in search of stronger monsters to kill.
That morning, his parents had once more emphasized the importance of safely testing his limits in the dungeon, of finding the balance between risk and reward. While limit testing wasn’t new to him, they had still drilled the most common techniques into him to ensure he approached it correctly. The method he had chosen was the simplest: dwelling in one area long enough to ensure he could easily handle the monsters there before moving on. This approach allowed him to find the spot where the monsters were as strong as possible yet still within his ability to handle, without exposing himself to unnecessary danger.
Elias maintained his vigilance as he weaved through the trees at a relaxed pace, his eyes sharp and ears alert. His focus paid off when he spotted a small white shape from afar and immediately used Analyze on it.
*******
White Horned Rabbit
Level 4
Common
*******
The creature stood mostly still, its head occasionally shifting while its ears swiveled constantly. Realizing it was too alert to any suspicious noises, Elias abandoned any hope of sneaking up on it. Instead, he approached cautiously, keeping his back to a particularly thick tree and bracing himself for the moment the beast would pounce.
As soon as the rabbit noticed Elias, it exploded towards him without a shred of hesitation or forewarning. One moment, it was peacefully staring ahead, and the next, it was rocketing towards him at high speeds like a murderous teddy bear, trying to ram into him with its horns.
He sidestepped the beast’s flight trajectory, letting it crash into the tree behind him. Somehow, though, it wasn’t even stunned by the impact. Twisting its body in midair, it kicked off the tree and launched itself at him again. This time, it was too close for him to dodge. Instead, he braced himself and tried to cushion the impact by grabbing the rabbit by its stumpy horns.
His hands found purchase on the small creature’s horns, but it wiggled in midair, causing him to fumble to keep hold of it. As a result, it slipped free and slammed into his chest. Elias winced, bracing for the pain, but surprisingly, it never came. It seemed that what the monster had in agility, it lacked in strength.
Now that it was close, Elias seized the opportunity to grab the rabbit by the head once more. He looked down at it with an evil glint in his eyes—there was no escaping now. Without hesitation, he began bashing it against the nearest tree. The creature struggled desperately to break free until the bitter end, but it was all for naught. Soon, he received an experience notification.
You have gained 80 exp.
After collecting the energy crystal from the rabbit, Elias continued searching for monsters in the same area rather than venturing deeper into the jungle. Only after killing four more creatures, all between levels 2 and 5, did he decide to move to a region with slightly stronger foes.
Of the monsters in this area he fought, the rabbit had actually been the most dangerous one. It was a specialized creature, with its attributes largely skewed towards Agility at the cost of Strength. That made it hard to keep up with, even though its blows hadn’t hurt when they connected. The other monsters, however, hadn’t even been able to land a hit.
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Specialized monsters became even more dangerous in higher-rank zones. In those areas, it was possible to encounter those with attributes so heavily skewed that they were effectively considered of a higher rank. For instance, he’d once heard of an Arcane-rank flower with the Intelligence of a Legendary rank but the Vitality of an Uncommon rank. It had unleashed a single magic blast powerful enough to nearly wipe out an entire party but had killed itself in the process, its fragile body unable to withstand the strain of channeling so much mana.
People, on the other hand, needed to keep their attributes within a specific range determined by their rank. Beginner-rank adventurers had attributes between levels 11 and 20, Novice rank between levels 21 and 30, and so on. It was impossible to level an attribute beyond one’s rank. Even so, most people aimed to keep their attributes balanced, within two levels of each other, due to their synergistic relationship.
As Elias moved deeper into the jungle, a flicker of movement at the edge of his vision made his eyes widen. He yanked his arm back, his quick reflexes narrowly saving him from the pinch of a small, stick-like insect. It had gone unnoticed, camouflaging itself as a branch of a small sapling, its pincers glistening with poison as it waited for unsuspecting victims to pass by. Instinctively, he lashed out with his combat boots, sending the insect flying.
You have gained 80 exp.
A couple minutes later, his heartbeat was still racing from fright, nearly causing him to miss the next monster’s attack. A fat, chicken-like bird with long legs charged at him boldly, letting out a squawk as it leaped at him fiercely. Its feathers flared along its neck and head, and it spread its wings to appear larger. Elias punched it in the face, eliciting a dull crack as its neck broke.
You have gained 120 exp.
Elias hadn’t even had time to use Analyze on either of those monsters, but he could thankfully tell their levels by the amount of experience he gained. Those of equivalent rank always granted 20x their level in experience, so that last monster had been level 6. This meant that he had arrived in roughly the same area that he was leveling at last time, where the monsters ranged from levels 2 to 6.
As before, Elias roamed around the area for a while before deciding whether to head deeper. The monsters he encountered weren’t much stronger, though he occasionally ran into a level 6 creature that actually gave him some trouble. However, this usually just meant it had high Vitality, requiring more time and effort to bring it down.
After struggling to kill a particularly thick-skinned monster, Elias stared at his swollen, bleeding knuckles. He grabbed a Common-grade Healing Spray from his backpack and applied it to his wounds, wincing and sucking in a sharp breath as the spray burned on contact. Although it was essentially just a healing potion in aerosol form, it worked exceptionally well on superficial wounds, and his hands were as good as new within minutes.
Unlike his last trip this deep, he didn’t have a makeshift weapon like a rock or a stick. He was truly fighting unarmed, which made handling sturdier monsters far more challenging. Therefore, he decided not to venture deeper into the dungeon just yet. At least not until he gained a point or two in strength, or improved his foundation.
Throughout the rest of the day, Elias stuck to the tried-and-true method of wandering around and killing anything that moved. However, he began avoiding monsters that seemed particularly tough or large. Size didn’t necessarily indicate a higher level or more experience points, so taking them on felt like unnecessary effort.
He also encountered a few groups while he worked, though they were few and far between. Notably, all the groups he passed were either heading deeper into the dungeon or returning to the clearing. He seemed to be the only one leveling in this low-leveled area, with most of the casual delvers having already left the dungeon.
Despite everything, Elias managed to maintain a good pace throughout the day, finding a monster roughly every three minutes. With the average monster being level 4 and awarding 80 experience points, he was earning just under 2,000 exp per hour. By the time dinner rolled around, he had already surpassed his goal of gathering the 11,000 exp needed to raise his Strength by one level.
Congratulations! Your Vitality is now level 5.
Name: Elias Oliveira
Exp: 80
Rank: N/A
Spirit: 10
Skill: None
(21,000 exp to level)
Wisdom: 7
Skill: None
(15,000 exp to level)
Intelligence: 7
Skill: None
(15,000 exp to level)
Charisma: 5
Skill: None
(11,000 exp to level)
Agility: 6
Skill: None
(13,000 exp to level)
Strength: 6
Skill: None
(13,000 exp to level)
Vitality: 6
Skill: None
(13,000 exp to level)
Elias glanced at his Status screen with a grimmer of pride at seeing all of his physical attributes above level 5. In fact, Charisma was now his lowest attribute. For a split second, he briefly considered leveling it next in order to get all his attributes above level 5, and he could think of at least one cute greeter girl he’d like to talk to with a higher level in the attribute. Unfortunately though, Charisma had a lot more to do with how a person perceived themselves, rather than how others perceived them. It still took time and self reflection for that increased perception to express itself outwardly. Plus, improving his physical attributes first would help him gain exp faster.
Although he had already reached his goal for the day of leveling once, Elias decided to continue grinding for a while longer instead of going back. He really wanted to check out what the clearing was like during dinnertime, and it was still a little early. He wasn’t even really hungry yet.
Raising his Strength by a level had even less of an immediate effect than the first time he’d done so. Then, his body had been trained to the limit of what the level 4 Strength he’d been born with allowed, and leveling had felt like slackening a tense string. It hadn’t immediately made him significantly stronger, but there was a noticeable difference. This time, it just felt like slackening a string without tension; he could feel no difference whatsoever. Therefore, he discarded the thought of trying to go deeper into the jungle to find stronger monsters as soon as it crossed his mind.
Three hours and a little under 6,000 exp later, Elias started making his way back to the clearing. Before he even stepped out of the underbrush, he could hear the sound of laughter and of music playing. His heart began beating in excitement as he took the last few steps to leave the jungle, bearing witness to a remarkable sight.
The number of stalls in the clearing had diminished significantly, but they were now arranged in a large circle. Adventurers sat at tables around the stalls, cheering and talking loudly while servers weaved through the crowd with trays of beer and platters of food. At the center of the circle was a makeshift dance floor, where people danced and listened to music, most holding drinks in hand.
It felt as though the fair from earlier had transformed into a sprawling outdoor tavern, the array of stalls blending seamlessly into a cohesive whole. Each offered different kinds of food and services, forming a harmonious relationship with little to no competition among them. As a result, every stall was bustling, and customers could easily find whatever they wanted.
There were far fewer people around than during the day, but the mood was noticeably livelier. The large amounts of beer being passed around likely played a role in that. Regardless, there were far more high-level adventurers present now than earlier. In fact, there were hardly any newbies in sight, with most people sporting clearly powerful gear.
Elias strolled through the congregation of food stalls, stopping at each one to check out the food being served and the people eating there. Most importantly, he let his nose guide him, leading him to the stall with the most delicious-smelling food. It was a close call, but he settled on a burger stall over the others, his stomach making the final decision. It had been a while since he’d had a good cheeseburger.
Walking up to the counter, Elias’ eyes bulged at seeing that a single cheeseburger with fries cost 20,000 energy. It was almost as much as he had earned in two days of dungeon delving. He had already thought the lunch options were pricey, but these were nearly twice as much.
Gritting his teeth, he decided to pay the price regardless. He had a decent amount of money saved up, so he didn’t have to rely solely on the meager earnings from killing monsters in the newbie zone. Besides, his current rate of energy acquisition wasn’t a reliable indicator of his future financial prospects, as he wouldn’t remain a newbie adventurer for long, and higher-ranked adventurers earned exponentially more.
The energy in energy crystals equaled ten times the level of the monster it came from, meaning stronger monsters yielded more energy. Additionally, higher-ranked monsters were more likely to contain higher tiers of energy, depending on their mana types, which were more valuable than unaspected energy. For example, a Beginner-rank rat monster using tier 2 lightning mana would drop an energy crystal containing tier 2 lightning energy. This energy type could then be exchanged at a nearly 2-to-1 conversion rate for unaspected energy, the standard currency.
“Welcome to Last Shift! What can I get you?” asked the food vendor, snapping him out of his thoughts. “I recommend the newbie combo—a double cheeseburger, fries, and a beer for only 30,000 energy. There’s nothing quite like a beer after a long day of grinding, am I right?”
Elias balked at the vendor's claim that the combo was “only” 30,000 energy but ended up buying it anyway. He knew he couldn’t afford to eat here regularly at night, but the lunchtime prices seemed more manageable. The cost of food during the day was roughly equal to what he earned in a day of delving, and he expected his earnings to increase as he ventured deeper into the dungeon, where the monsters were stronger.
“Here you go! Just grab a seat anywhere, and I’ll bring your food out when it’s ready,” said the man at the burger stall, slamming a bottle of beer onto the counter in front of him.
Grabbing his beer, Elias took a sip and moved to find a seat nearby to wait for his food. Most of the tables were already occupied by groups of people chatting, eating, and drinking. A few tables were taken by lone adventurers, but they were mostly older veterans of the lifestyle. However, one table had a young man sitting alone, who looked like he was just beginning his adventuring career as well. Elias decided to approach him.
“Hey there! Are you by yourself? If so, do you mind if I join you?” Elias asked.
“Oh, hey. Yeah,” the man replied, clearly pulled out of deep thought by Elias’ words. He blinked a few times, processing what he had just said, before continuing with a calm smile, “Er, I mean, yes, I’m alone. And sure, grab a seat man. I wouldn’t mind some company.”
“Thanks. I just turned eighteen, and I don’t really know anyone here. I’m Elias, by the way,” he said, returning the man’s smile.
“Heh, same here. I actually just moved here with my dad, so I don’t really know anyone either. Nice to meet you, Elias—I’m Marco,” he said, raising his beer in a toast. Elias grinned, lifting his own bottle in response before taking a swig.
Marco had short-cropped, curly black hair, dark brown skin, and stood slightly above average height. He had an easy smile and a peaceful expression, with eyes that radiated calmness. He wore the standard adventurer uniform: a shirt and vest lined with pockets, military-style pants, and sturdy boots. Even so, Elias could clearly see the bulging, well-defined muscles beneath Marco’s black shirt, hinting at a well-developed foundation. Resting against the table was a sleek, curved sword with an ebony-black handle, secured in its black-and-white sheath.
“So, where were you before moving to our city of Vinegrove? And how was the dungeon there? Did you get to go dungeon delving before you moved?” Elias asked eagerly. He had traveled before, of course, and had even visited other Temples. However, he had never entered a dungeon through a different Temple.
“I was living in Rio de Janeiro, but I didn’t get the chance to go dungeon delving before I moved here,” Marco said wistfully. “Man, I wish I had. The dungeon there was beach-themed. I’m definitely going back someday just for that.”
“That sounds awesome! I really want to travel the world someday just to explore different dungeons,” Elias said with a dreamy smile, then grew pensive and amended his statement. “Well, I know it’s technically the same dungeon and all—you know what I mean. I just don’t think I can wait until I reach Expert rank to start exploring the differently themed zones.”
“I know, right? There are so many incredible places to explore, and some of them sound downright fantastical. I get why staying in one place until reaching the Novice rank makes sense, since traveling can get pretty expensive, but after that? The best part of being an adventurer is going on adventures, damn it!” Marco exclaimed, raising his voice with enthusiasm before taking a swig of his beer. His passionate speech drew a cheer from Elias, who couldn’t help but get caught up in the excitement.
“I actually have a whole list of dungeons I want to visit at home. My dad has a guide on surface Temples and the dungeons beneath them. It even has pictures of the zones all the way up to Journeyman rank. One of the places at the top of my list is actually a beach-themed dungeon. It’s the—”
“Wait! Let me guess—it’s the Shifting Isle Temple, isn’t it?” Marco interrupted, cutting Elias off mid-sentence. Far from upset, Elias stared at him, mouth agape in shock that he had guessed correctly. Apparently, his reaction was all the confirmation Marco needed.
“I knew it! I think my dad might have the same book as yours. It’s called Surface Dungeons, isn’t it?” Marco asked with a cheeky grin, making Elias laugh.
“Yeah, but how did you guess the name of the Temple?” Elias asked. The Shifting Isle Temple was a stunning island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, an island that hadn’t existed until the dungeon first appeared. In fact, the entire island was the Temple, so visitors either stayed in tents on the island or on cruise ships anchored just offshore.
“That one’s at the top of my list too,” Marco replied, sparking a lively discussion about which dungeons seemed the most exciting.
The pair compared their lists of must-visit dungeons until Elias’ food arrived. He barely suppressed a groan of delight as he took his first bite of the cheeseburger, half-convinced the cook had used a Skill to make the cheese melt so perfectly in his mouth. It was still expensive, but he had to begrudgingly admit it was worth the price.
While Elias ate, Marco ordered another round of beers for both of them, earning a grateful nod and grin from Elias. He figured he’d repay the favor for the next round—it would be rude not to. And so, they continued drinking and talking well into the night.
As it turned out, Marco’s father was also a trainer, much like Elias’ parents, though he specialized in swordsmanship. In fact, his father had been a swordsmanship instructor for most of the past few decades, and Marco had taken full advantage of that to become a skilled swordsman in his own right. Elias was thrilled to discover another thing they had in common: a shared love of martial arts. They even promised to spar together sometime.
“By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask—where’s your weapon?” Marco asked.
“I’m a pugilist, so I don’t actually have one,” Elias replied with an awkward laugh. Marco’s eyes widened comically before he burst into laughter.
Elias only sighed, not even blaming the man for his reaction. Even for unarmed fighters like himself, it was incredibly rare to enter the dungeon without using weapons before obtaining Skills. After all, without Skills, pugilists were at a massive disadvantage compared to weapon users—due to not having weapons. Later on, though, that stopped mattering as much, as Skills became the great equalizer, with fighting ability and Skill rarity playing a bigger role.
“My dad says that fighting unarmed in the dungeon now will be great training,” Elias explained. “He always says, “the newbie zone is where you learn how to dungeon delve.” Since I’ll be an unarmed fighter at higher levels, he’s making me fight unarmed now too.”
“Ha! Oh man, that’s exactly the kind of thing my dad would say,” Marco said, wiping a damp tear from his eye after laughing so hard. “Seriously though, that’s the kind of mindset that’ll take you far as an adventurer.”
“That’s the plan, at least. I’ve wanted to be an adventurer for as long as I can remember. I mean, really be an adventurer, climbing the ranks all the way to the top,” Elias said, his eyes shining with determination. “I’m actually surprised how few people feel the same. I thought more people would dream of adventure.”
“Yeah, I don’t get it either. I mean, I understand why some people choose to be craftsmen, since that’s a passion too, but why would anyone become an office worker or something when they could make a living going on adventures? It makes no sense!” Marco exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air to emphasize the absurdity of such a choice. Elias nodded emphatically, agreeing with his new friend. It wasn’t even the first time they’d shared how ridiculous they thought it was that people didn’t aspire to become adventurers like them.
“I know, right? I swear, I just don’t get people sometimes!” Elias said with a laugh. “Anyway, I should probably get going. I’ve got training tomorrow morning. It’s not easy getting a body like this, you know?” He struck a biceps pose, and with his thin arms, it probably looked ridiculous, but it earned another laugh from Marco. “Plus, if I order another round, I might actually go broke.”
Elias had already explained that he was born with low attributes when their conversation first touched on aspiring to become an adventurer. After all, it wouldn’t make sense for him to dream of being an adventurer without having trained, and he wanted Marco to see that he was serious about it. The two of them had gotten along well and had a lot in common. Right now, Marco seemed like the best prospect Elias had for forming a party.
“Yeah, these prices really are kind of ridiculous. Anyway, let’s meet up for lunch sometime. What time do you usually get to the dungeon?” Marco asked.
“Sure, let’s do it! I’ll be at the clearing around noon every other day, so we can just meet up then,” Elias said with a smile. They exchanged contact information and agreed to meet up the day after tomorrow.
“There are some really good food stalls around here. You’ve got to try this one that serves meat skewers. It’s amazing. Have you ever had chicken heart skewers?” Marco asked. Elias laughed, thinking it was a joke, but his laughter turned strained when he realized Marco was serious.
“I haven’t, but I’ll try it out,” Elias replied coolly. He didn’t really want to, but he also didn’t want to seem like a punk.
After saying his goodbyes, Elias left the dungeon, walking mostly in a straight line. When he arrived home, he found his mom waiting for him again, though she seemed satisfied that he’d actually made it back on time. She raised an eyebrow and gave him an amused look.
“Did you have fun?” she asked, clearly noticing his slight state of inebriation.
Elias gave a brief recount of his meeting with Marco to sate her curiosity, and she nodded along with a smile. Just as he was about to head up to his room, her voice stopped him in his tracks, sending a shiver down his spine.
“While I’m glad you made a new friend, you know I’m not going easy on you tomorrow if you’re hungover, right?”