Dharen trod through the sand, blood spitting from his many wounds. He fought his body, setting his will into effect to prevent himself from staggering. There were many spectators looking on, and it was important to put up the proper front.

One hand reached behind himself, grasping onto the leg of his former opponent. The man was a pulverized mess; despite not being Restraint’s supercharged attack, it had still been enough to mangle his body. Yet Dharen knew from previous experience earlier in the day that any number of wounds could be restored upon exiting the Pit arena.

His only companion was the sound of sliding sand as he plodded on. Even those who had been watching remained silent, perhaps disturbed by the barbaric nature of a warhammer’s attacks. It wasn’t often you saw a portion of a man crumple in such a way.

Still, he couldn’t help but be more impressed than he expected to be by his opponent. Though he had won in the end, the numerous wounds that had riddled his body lay testament to the man’s skill. He had been able to mostly ignore them due to his monstrous Vitality, but there had been a moment there… The man had pulled out an impossible thrust, nearly skewering Dharen’s throat. Though he had promised himself that he would avoid displaying his enhanced agility, and to a lesser extent his endurance, he had been forced to pull out all the stops to avoid that thrust.

Between that and the infuriating way that the very environment seemed to conspire with the man to achieve victory, it was unexpectedly easy to understand how the man had made it all the way to the finals of this week’s Newcomer bracket. Unexpectedly, because Dharen had quite a bit of experience with his type. Overly arrogant, good for nothing wastrels that squander the gifts and riches they have been given for simply being born. It had been immediately apparent to Dharen what kind of man he was the moment he appeared on the fifth floor beside him.

He had that kind of disdainful confidence that positively reeked of a privileged life, along with a smattering of finery that only appeared along someone born with a silver spoon. And, as all such men, he had received such privilege even now; he had clear knowledge of the workings of this floor. Dharen had seen the confidence and assurity with which the man walked through the city following Ledan’s speech. It had been clear to him that following him would be in his best interests.

He had skulked behind the man, until finally arriving at a large coliseum-like structure. There, he had taken it upon himself to learn more. It seemed that every week, there was a small tournament held for those who were interested in such things. There were clear delineations between the brackets; this allowed greater ability for various challengers to compete. As new entrants to the floor, Dharen and his erstwhile stalkee had qualified for the Newcomer floors.

It was surprisingly official, as such things go. There was even a Truthseeker at the sign-up location, verifying the claims of the competitors. Fortunately, he had been able to claim he was a Level 7 Triumph Seed and leave it at that; though Truthseekers could typically detect truth, it was certainly a true claim he had provided. Just not all of it.

The following events had been somewhat lackluster. Due to entering the Newcomer bracket, the competition had been fairly slim. Until the fight with his final opponent, there had not been much room for worry. He had breezed through to the end on the merits of his higher level and dangerously threatening strength. Despite knowing that they would be healed upon exit, there were not many who looked forward to being pulverized by a giant warhammer. Dharen himself couldn’t help but understand their concerns.

As Dharen crossed the threshold of the sandy arena, his wounds along with that of the man’s reversed themselves. It was a particularly peculiar sensation. Rather than healing, it felt closer to a reversal of affairs. It was difficult to imagine what could even cause such an effect.

His good deed done, Dharen unceremoniously dropped the man and went on his way. He returned to the Truthseeker he had signed up with at the entrance, collecting his winnings. Pleased, he noted that his Contribution Points had increased all the way to 1,100. He was sure that competing in more advanced brackets would lead to greater rewards, but he was satisfied with his current results.

Now that he had some breathing room in regards to the tax, Dharen decided to explore the city. The sun was beginning to lower in the sky, as the tournament had taken the majority of the day. The city around him held a peculiar sense of safety and ease, especially when compared to the previous floors’ environments. It was almost enough to set him on guard, to trigger the ever-present suspiciousness towards outside dangers. Though it held the appearance of a bustling city, he had not seen any inhabitants beside the odd golem. And that was strange, in and of itself. The main inhabitants of the city appeared to be some sort of construct, a creation that had similarities to humans but also held some quite apparent dissimilarities.

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Inhabitant may have been a poor choice of words. It was hard to say whether they actually required anything resembling sleep, and they certainly did not walk around in droves in the way that their human counterparts did. However, it was clear that they held some sort of prominent role within the city’s structure, as every structure that seemed to be of note was filled with golem employees. They were the shopkeepers, the street vendors, the innkeepers. They were the notable cornerstone of the city, to anyone that looked with observing eyes.

He trekked down the paved streets, beginning to note a large number of people traveling to a large plaza. He follows the crowd, blending in habitually. An even larger group lay ahead, surrounding an equally large noticeboard. As he grew closer, Dharen spotted ordered lines of parchment placed onto the board.

Taking a moment to observe, he began to understand the way things worked: groups stood off to the side and sent one member to the board. That member took note of the various sheets of parchment, before finally selecting one and returning to their companions. The group then travels to an array embedded into the paved stones on the other side of the noticeboard.

An arcane circle was inlaid within. Beside it, a golem sat at a sturdy wooden lectern. The group handed off their selected parchment to the golem. After performing some sort of ritual, the golem waved the party onto the now-glowing arcane circle. The circle began to light up with increasing intensity, flashing in a dizzying brilliance, and the group disappeared.

Having observed what he could, Dharen approached the board. Looking closely, he noted that the parchments represented various quests that were being issued. He quickly read through the various options, ascertaining that the parchments were ordered carefully. From left to right, the quests increased in difficulty. In addition to increasing difficulty, it seemed that there was a listed recommended party count, implying that many of these notices were meant for a group of multiple people.

Deciding to play it safe, he grabbed a parchment that denoted a quest that seemed fairly simple and had relatively low difficulty. It was important not to be too brash, after all.

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Travel to the Wayward Swamp and defeat 10 slimes.

Difficulty: Recruit

Time Limit: 5 minutes

Party Size: 1

Reward: 1 Contribution Voucher

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Following the example of those before him, he advanced on the golem manning the lectern. He was quickly surprised to see a greater degree of sapience than expected in the construct's eyes; it was clear that they were more than mere machinations.

He took the time to ask it a few questions. It explained that the noticeboard contained daily quests and challenges. Quests could be chosen from the noticeboard and then accessed through the teleporters. After completing their objective, the quest-taker would return through the teleporter and claim their reward. The notices refreshed in the morning and provided a way for humans to gain Contribution Vouchers, which could be exchanged for Points. These Points could then be spent on food, lodging, armor, and more.

With a greater understanding of the situation, he provided the golem with the quest notice. The golem then ripped the notice, and a slight wisp of energy was released from the tear. The energy swirled, attempting to escape into the atmosphere, before being absorbed into the golem’s skin. Swirling lines glowed on the creature, directed towards its center mass. It then placed a hand onto the edge of the teleportation construct, causing it to hum and buzz. Lights flared blue as the array began to power.

With no reason to wait, Dharen stepped onto the teleporter. With surprising alacrity, he found himself in the middle of a swamp. Beyond the platform he found himself on, the earth was coated in a layer of sludge-like water. Various plants and detritus coated the surface, lending an air of solidity to the surface. Slim bands of light made their way through the canopy, weakly shining down from above. All around were gnarled roots and twisted trunks, dark and foreboding forestation that seemed to close in ominously.

For a moment, Dharen felt his body tense in anticipation. As he did so, a large blob flew towards him from the nearby water. A reactionary swing of Restraint later, and the blob had become no more.

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Slimes Defeated: 1/10

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“Oh.” Dharen couldn’t help but let out a moue of disappointment and annoyance. For the short juncture following his arrival, he had forgotten that the quest he had accepted was of the lowest difficulty. He began to relax slightly. His eyes narrowed as he searched for his unfortunate prey.