Ryu followed Sylfie’s lead, grabbing water from the townsfolk and dousing the smoldering café. They had formed a conveyor belt of sorts, handing buckets of water to one another until they reached the people closest to the flames.

The fire roared as Ryu and Sylfie worked in tandem to put them out while Aurora stood on Ryu’s shoulder, providing moral support. More good Samaritans joined in, helping to quench most of the flames by the time the fire brigade arrived.

As the last of the flames were extinguished Ryu followed Sylfie as she searched for her grandmother. It didn't take long to find her. The little old lady shook her fist with rage as the poor fire marshal attempted to calm her down.

“Ruffians! Thugs! Two-bit thieves! No-good low-life scum!” she yelled.

“Grandmother!” Sylfie exclaimed, rushing over to her side. “What happened here—the café!”

“It was those gangsters from the western district! They demanded I pay 'my family’s debts' or else they threatened to ruin me. Look what they did! My baby! Your grandfather built this with his own two hands. Imagine what he'd say!” she sobbed.

“Don't worry, Grandmother. There wasn't much damage done. Sure, the exterior could use a little remodeling but the bones are still solid. Besides, you're safe and sound, and that's what matters most. You can always build another café but I can’t replace you,” Sylfie consoled her.

Her grandmother chuckled, wiping the tears from her eyes. “I suppose you're right, dear.” She forgot about her café momentarily, her gaze suddenly fixated on Ryu. “And who might you be? I know all the faces in town and yours is a face I've never seen before!”

“A p-pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” Ryu stammered, conscious of being singled out.

“Please call me Hazel, dear,” she smiled warmly. “You tried to save my café too, if I recall. I can tell you’re a good man. Tell me, what brings you to this part of town? Maybe you were eager to try some of my brews? Unfortunately,” —she waved over to the scorched outer layer of the café— “we’ll be closed for repairs.”

“No, Grandmother. I brought him,” Sylfie corrected her.

Hazel’s relaxed eyes doubled in size. “You brought him? A man?”

“Wait, I didn’t mean it like that—”

“It seems I don’t have to worry about you after all!” She sized Ryu up. “Handsome enough. Hmm, a bit thin—we’ll need to fatten him up. Have you told your parents? They would be delighted!”

“As I said, Grandmother, I didn’t mean it in that way,” Sylfie said, blushing.

“Oh? So it’s casual then?”

“D-don’t speak like that! It’s nothing like that! He’s my Coffee Brewing instructor. In exchange, I’m teaching him how to become a better adventurer,” she explained, hiding her ears.

A sly grin spread across Hazel’s face. “It always starts that way. Then you’ll be exchanging other favors and before you know it you’ll have elflings of your own. How do you think I snagged your grandfather? That man never stood a chance.”

Sylfie covered her face in embarrassment, much to Ryu’s enjoyment. He didn’t imagine she would lose composure like this so easily, but after all, it was her grandmother.

Sylfie shook her head trying to retain some semblance of dignity. “Grandmother, you said the men who did this were from the western district, correct?”

“Yes, a man by the name of Cal Puccino came to the café the other day making threats. I’m sure it was him.”

“Stay here, I’ll go see what I can do about these troublemakers.” Sylfie’s eyes burned with anger. She looked at Ryu for confirmation and the two headed west.

Sylfie walked assuredly down the busy streets as people made way for her. Ryu, however, began to sweat profusely. He rubbed his hands together nervously, realizing that he still didn’t have any offensive skills. He would be walking into a fight with another adversary, presumably with skills of their own, without so much as a single point of damage. Maybe I’ll try punching.

He slapped his forehead, scolding himself for entertaining such a naive strategy. Sylfie stopped in her tracks, raising an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t have any skills to fight yet! I’m going on a suicide mission here!” Ryu exclaimed.

Sylfie snorted, covering her mouth in surprise. “I completely forgot to tell you. I had assumed this would have been common knowledge to you so I didn’t bother explaining how leveling up works. Since you told me you’re not from this world, though, I guess I should at least explain that much.”

“I know how leveling up works. You kill monsters and gain experience, right?”

“Sort of, but if you know the basic principles, then why are saying you have no offensive skills? Have you checked your stats even once since we killed the Hibiscus Stag?”

It dawned on Ryu that he hadn’t. He began to dig through his pockets before Sylfie stopped him. “You don’t need to do that every single time you want to check your stats. All you need to do is invoke [Insight] and cast it on yourself. You should see the relevant data that you’re looking for,” she explained.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

He remembered she had cast the spell on the Night Crawlers to check their statistics in the [Level 60] forest. This information was a lifesaver. No more rummaging through pockets for a crumpled-up piece of paper to check. He cast [Insight], surprised to see the state of his Adventurer Skills.

[Adventurer card for beginners. This card signifies that the carrier in question is a novice in foraging and subjugation of local flora and fauna in the Wildlands]

[Current level: 1]

[Skill Acquired: Wood Reinforcement]

[Skill Acquired: Combustion]

[Level 1 Bonus: Adventurer’s Attire]

“O-only a single level?” he asked Sylfie in disbelief. They had killed a Legendary Boss! How could this be?

Sylfie sighed. “See, I figured you didn’t actually understand how it works. Leveling up is based on meeting a set of predetermined requirements. Once those requirements are met, you’re able to advance to the next level. Keep in mind if you somehow manage to meet a requirement for a higher level, you’ll still need to complete the requirements for the levels that come before it.

For example, in your case [Level 1] requires a person to defeat one monster of any class. Since you defeated a Legendary Boss, which is for [Level 44] adventurers to get to [Level 45], that information will be saved and you won’t need to complete it again in order to level up to it.”

“But I’ll still need to complete the requirements for the prior levels, right? How am I supposed to know what those requirements are if they’re not listed in my skill card?”

Sylfie scratched her head. “That’s another issue. Technically, you aren’t. However, adventurers and brewers have been pooling their knowledge together for ages so we have a good deal of information on how to reach [Level 99].”

“What about [Level 100]?” Ryu inquired. Every game had a different level cap, but it seemed like Sylfie believed there was something more than just [Level 99]. There was a level just out of reach, waiting for the first pioneer to break an ancient barrier that had plagued many an adventurer.

“No one’s ever reached it, and we haven’t a clue on how to do so. Many of Cerulia’s monarchs and leaders are actively searching for a way to reach [Level 100] in both Coffee Brewing and adventuring. Some believe [Level 99] is the farthest we’ll ever reach, but others believe we’ll see someone achieve a higher level someday,” she smiled to herself.

Aurora yawned. “Are you two done, nya? I thought we were going to beat up some bad guys, not talk about numbers.”

“She’s right, we better move,” Sylfie said, taking off once more.

Ryu activated [Swift Foot] and followed her, carefully considering how he could use his newly acquired skills. They reached the western district, a seedy part of town where all manner of suspicious characters lurked. He recognized it as an area akin to the black market archetypes of World of Glory, where less savory items and downright illegal weapons injected into the code of the game were sold. How the developers allowed such an ecosystem to thrive without being caught was beyond Ryu’s understanding, but he was almost certain they were getting a cut of the profits.

Regardless, he didn't mind these environments. There was always an item or two he needed for upgrades that were sold for cheap. In addition, he secretly hoped for a certain type of establishment in the area…bingo! He spotted a building with an inconspicuous logo reading “Succubus Chambers: let your worries wash away.” This fantasy world is the real deal!

“See, you’re not pure like a hero should be, nya,” Aurora chimed.

“I’ll give you a big juicy fish if you don’t say anything to Sylfie,” he whispered.

“Deal!”

“I don’t care,” Sylfie said, overhearing their conversation. She rolled her eyes, dragging Ryu by the collar into Cal Puccino’s lair. The mobsters seemed to know exactly who Sylfie was, making sure to stay clear of her path. Some even cowered in fear. Ryu stood in awe of her presence. Her strength was recognized everywhere she went.

“Sh-she’s back! Everyone, run! The poison Coffee Brewer is back!” a man yelled.

Sylfie flinched at the remark, biting her lip as she made her way to Puccino’s desk. His chair swiveled around dramatically, revealing a large man, smoking a cigar. He wore an immaculate suit with gold rings on every finger, and his hat was tipped back ever so slightly.

“Come to pay your debts, Miss Elf?” he said with a thick accent.

“No, I’m here to collect for the damage done to my Grandmother’s café!”

Cal Puccino looked confused. “Our agreement was fairly simple: you pay us back for the money you owe us or your dainty little shop gets it.”

“Debts? What does he mean by that?” Ryu asked.

Sylfie began to sweat. “N-never mind the details, l-let’s just settle this, shall we?”

Cal Puccino leaned over his desk to see Ryu sitting on the ground, still being held by the collar. “Your girlfriend here challenged me to a Brew Battle and lost multiple times. I‘ve had six of my men hospitalized already after judging. I’m not taking any more challenges from her.”

“Sylfie, is he saying it’s your fault that the café was almost burned down?” Aurora asked.

Sylfie didn’t answer, but her ears were beet red.

“I didn’t even make her pay for the ingredients or nothin’! I was happy to accept a challenge as a friendly form of competition, but she poisoned my men with her concoctions! The money she owes is to pay for their medical expenses. They’ve got families, you know.”

Ryu and Aurora narrowed their eyes at Sylfie who turned her head away, whistling an offkey tune.

Ryu turned to the Don. “We’re really sorry Mr. Puccino. It’s clear that we’ve all made some mistakes here—”

“I need the money now or you three ain’t getting out of here scot-free.”

“Ha! Keeping us captive? We’ll just bust out of here!” Sylfie exclaimed.

Cal Puccino clicked his teeth. “Not likely. I’ll call the police. Not even you are above the law, Miss Elf.”

“You’re not above it either!”

“Actually I am since I fund the police.”

At least he’s honest.

Sylfie became deflated. Her plans of muscling her way out of paying fell through almost immediately.

“Mr. Puccino, if I beat you in a Brew Battle, would you forget about Sylfie’s debt?” Ryu interjected.

Cal Puccino blinked for a moment. Then, he slapped his knee, laughing. “Bahahaha! You’re one crazy kid. I don’t think you understand. You’re challenging me. Don Puccino, a Coffee Connoisseur, to a showdown. If you lose you’ll take on her debt of one million Cacao Nibs.”

Ryu gulped. He didn’t see any other way out. Sylfie was horrible at making coffee. He needed to be the one to do it. He stood up, extending a hand out to the Don. “You’re on.”