“We never... actually stand a chance... do we...?”

A quiet whisper echoed in the air, threatening to snuff out whatever ember of hope still remained within one’s heart.

Yet, before anyone could speak up, could denounce such a shameful display of cowardice... Calamities had already descended upon the Alliance.

Countless soldiers screamed for help, only to find their very throat muffled by gurgling gore. Soon enough, a burning agony melted all into vivid crimson, painting the ground red with bloody remains.

Pop, pop, pop! Fireworks flew here, there... everywhere! Humans, dragons, elves and whatnot... From the youngest mages to ancient practitioners of yore, so many got to show off their brilliant gray matter for one last time, before unceremoniously hitting the ground like headless puppets cut off from their strings.

... Was this it, then?

Were the struggles and hardship all for naught?

No...

Someone’s rallying cry could be heard, before getting passed on like a torch flaring up in the darkest hour.

From heroes to champions... From legends to demigods... Everyone united against an inevitable end, tearing the heavens apart in desperate defiance.

Thus, a powerful stream of pure destruction cleaved through space and time, proving once and for all what might and magic was truly capable of... before being swatted aside like some insect...

Then, from the cosmos far above, They arrived.

Monsters of unimaginable shapes and sizes... crushing the pitiful resistance in Their path without any care...

Like ants struggling to comprehend the weight of what had descended upon them, mortals could only flee in terror from the suffocating presence that was shattering reality itself into bits and pieces and-

“Oh...”

Another faint whisper echoed across the empty field.

The young leader of all allied forces – who had muttered the shameful admittance of defeat – now remained as a sole survivor.

Then, soon enough, even that lonely existence withered away, mourning what could have been.

As the last ray of hope perished, oblivion finally took over, welcoming all in its cold embrace.

It was the end of everything.

Yet...

Against all odds, something still persisted within the void, carrying with it a simple daydream.

“Let me...

rewind the clock...

for one

last

time.

01.

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[ DING ]

[ NEW QUEST DISCOVERED ]

{ Special Quest }

01...!?@#$%

01Success : Moving on to the next and final loop

.

.

.

.

.

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.

.

“This time, for sure... This time, I’ll definitely make it right...!!!”

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.

Joey’s Bizarre Adventures

Prologue: Crazy noisy bizarre beginner town

Isekai.

Ah, isekai…

That word certainly had an appeal to it, wouldn’t you agree?

Nowadays, hardly anyone didn’t know what isekai meant. In fact, I dared say that those of us in the west might have been the world’s biggest isekai enjoyers before the term even got invented, given how classics such as Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz or Peter Pan became so popular.

Being transported to another world, going on fun adventures and, perhaps, saving the day…

To be exalted as the hero of your own story…

Truly, who hadn’t dreamt of such?

*BAM*

A loud smack on the table caused me to jump up in surprise, and the even louder shout from Mr. Entor shattered whatever illusion still remained inside my head.

“QUIT YOUR DAYDREAMING, JOE! GO AND SEE WHAT THOSE 4 NEWCOMERS WANT, NOW!!!”

“Y… Yes, boss! Right away, boss!”

“Good lad. Also, when you go out for supplies tomorrow, could you kindly tell those followers of yours TO SHUT THEIR TRAP AND NOT BE A NUISANCE TO MY PATRONS!? THIS DAMN TAVERN IS ALREADY ON FIRE TOO OFTEN FOR MY LIKING AND I DON’T NEED ANYMORE OIL ADDED INTO THE MIX, GOT IT!!?”

Faced with such words, did I stutter?

… Yes, yes I did.

To be fair, it was doubtful that anyone getting stared down by a boss twice their size would actually fare any better. Of course, it certainly didn’t help that the boss in question also had humongous arms riddled with scars and a really hairless head (the former could easily crush me like a bug while the latter was a sore point that had caused many to lose their gainful employment).

Fortunately, my shaky response was deafened by another loud BAM as the kitchen’s door suddenly swung open, startling us both.

“SCREWETH OFF, POPS! MINE OWN COOKINGS, MINE OWN RULES! NAUGHT SHALT TAKETH THIS FROM ME!”

Having barked her threat and bared her fangs, the fierce munchkin proceeded to slam the entrance to her lair shut in a most feisty fashion – the same kind she would pull whenever her fragile ego was “sullied by peons”, so to speak.

The dragon’s wrath had been stoked, everyone could tell.

And, soon enough, the words we all dreaded could be heard.

“MINIONS, M’RE OILS! THY MISTRESS DESIRES H’R LAIR IN FLAMES!!!”

As waves of heat and fire fanned out from the kitchen in droves, I could only join nearby customers in a hasty retreat to the far side of the tavern. With one final glance back, the image of an old and weathered business owner was burned into my mind as he braved the dragon lair to face the evil within.

I saluted thee, boss. Truly, you had once again proven why you were the bravest, most courageous, most spotless of us all! I had no doubt that you would be able to cut down this hairy threat at its very root-

Swiftly, a heated glare convinced me to stop my staring at the head of our fine establishment. Thus, with an innocent whistle, I resumed my trek through no-manners-land, steadily avoiding all jeers and sneers, as well as the rare pieces of meat and mead the rowdy “patrons” so often loved to throw at me.

Jokes on this bunch, though. After all, nothing could ever be more soul-crushing than working in retail! Try and top that, you bunch of wannabe adventurers!

Indeed, compared to my past gigs to make ends meet, this job was but a walk in the park.

*SIZZLE*SIZZLE*

*SIZZZZLE*

Well, maybe a walk in some house on fire would be more accurate…

Sighing quietly, I proceeded to head towards the distant corner - where four new faces had chosen to sit in. Soon enough, it would be time for me to face off against the very bane of my existence, it seemed.

[ | | ]

“Greetings and salutations, dear customers! May this one take your order?”

A grin, a giggle, a smirk and one thinly veiled frown - promising naught but scathing scorn - answered my query.

On the right side of the group seated two boys. Fierce red right next to calming blue, as obvious as the eyes could see. One was clad in an imposing set of heavy armor with a shoulder plate almost as spiky as his hair. The other concealed whatever gears of his under a long cloak, which seemed to flow wavily alongside the boy’s hairdo whenever a gust of wind happened to pass by.

A warrior who would charge with reckless abandon, backed by another fighter that felt suspiciously like the party leader, given how confident the boy tried to present himself. That was the image forming inside my head. Such stark contrast, both in appearance and demeanor, was not unlike that of fire and water, and it would be a sucker’s guess as to which had decided to rest both legs on the table while leaning back in his chair.

Then to the left, two girls similarly mirrored their counterparts. Both wore leather garbs fitted for adventuring, though one had more straps and pockets for extra goodies while the other was adorned with holy symbols of the Church.

The green girl with lush hair – most likely a half-elf given her short, pointy ears - regarded me with a curious tilt of the head, as if trying to figure out one peculiar puzzle. Her blonde companion, on the other hand, was very blatant in her distaste of the situation, if the glare she had been giving me before I even approached this group was any hint to go by.

Two boys and two girls, all looked to be in their teenage years. Two fighters and two magic users. A typical party of adventurers, indeed.

This lot was a sign of troubles to come, no doubt.

“You know...”

As if on cue, red spoke up with his thick, deep and obviously trying too hard to sound mature voice. The words seemed to cut through whatever hustle bustle in the tavern, causing silence to swiftly descend as treasured customers (or treasure nabbers as I liked to call them) shamelessly turned and stared at us.

No one bothered hiding their amusement at what they believed to be the night’s spectacle. And, to be honest, that was fine by me.

The practiced smile on my face was slowly running out of patience, though.

Fortunately, once my four customers decided that the silence had been stewed for long enough, the hothead of said group finally cut into the meat of things with his smug smirk.

“For a seer, you sure are shite at keeping yourself in one piece~”

Silence, save for the sound of a cleric facepalming herself upon hearing the crude remark from her punchable teammate.

Then, sniggers, before full-blown laughter erupted all around us. It was quite a riot, if I could say so myself.

How lovely.

The feeling of a phantom pain started to creep up my limb. Perhaps, much like these fair folks, nothing would ever stop adding salt to my injury.

Or, in this case, no one would ever get tired of laughing at the stump where a left arm of mine used to rest...

Despite my best effort, I still couldn’t help the slight narrow of my eyes as they settled upon the redheaded adventurer - who didn’t even look like he had finished puberty.

The kid noticed. Then, like any immature youth that carried around swords way too big to be practical, said brat chose to lean back onto his slab of steel and gave me his smuggest smirk possible.

A corner of my mouth twitched in annoyance. Meanwhile, people pointed and hollered, as if this wasn’t the hundredth time someone had made fun of the same joke.

Good for them...

Idly, I noted how the crowd now looked as if it was a flickering sea of blonde and brown. Like a hypnotic motion, the colorful strands of hair atop everyone’s head seemed to glow – courtesy of the tavern’s hearth - as if they were rising waves in the inky backdrop of tonight.

However, before I could reflect deeper on such, something else had already diverted my line of thought.

“So, uh... I heard that this place makes some really mean broth, right?”

“Ye- Yeah! We’re all starving, so could you please-”

In their attempt to salvage the situation, leader boy and half-elf girl bobbed their heads up and down repeatedly, causing flashes of blue and green to dance in my vision.

Their voices could barely be heard over the crowd, though it was appreciated all the same. Heck, even the group’s cleric, who had greeted me with one of the most scornful looks, had the decency to be embarrassed for her teammate’s action.

Speaking of which, said teammate was also being strangled in a chokehold by the very same cleric.

“Lina... can’t breathe... Dunno what did but sorry... spare meee!!!”

I never thought that I would say it, but for this once, such a cliché trope was definitely welcomed!

[ | | ]

By the time dinner got served, whatever rough house from the uneducated mass had pretty much died down.

Having cleared another table before being shooed away by its occupants, I then turned my head towards the corner, where a flickering glow from the tavern’s hearth now illuminated a struggle most epic.

*Clink*

*Clank*

A group of youths - so young, yet so fierce – was stewing on their loss against a charred-coal foe with gritted teeth. After all, a coordinated stab from both boys had already resulted in their forks bending sideways without leaving much dent on the solidified substance. Meanwhile, the fiery efforts from the two girls also yielded no success in softening their bowl of stale soup, to the point that both had begun to look redder and angrier than the very flame they had been throwing out nonstop.

The fact that those from surrounding tables were snickering at how another group of newcomers had fallen prey to the mean broth – which had been perpetuated since so many salty customers refused to be its only victims - only served to darken the party’s mood even further.

*CLUNK*

An aura of frustration flared from the group as soon as their last usable cutlery met the same fate as its brethren. Silence lingered in the air as anger and menace slowly mounted. Soon, a foul and foreboding aura could be felt, not unlike how a raging storm was about to unleash its wrath.

Fortunately, before disaster struck, a most timely bribe in the form of beverages had already arrived.

“Don’t mind the meads, dear guests.”

Having put the tray down as elegantly as possible, I proceeded to take a step back and simply let the dirt-cheap nectars within work its magic. Then, with a pump up to hide how sore my only functioning arm felt, I gave my bewildered guests one winning smile that could put even a salesman to shame.

“This round is on the house. After all, Happy Dragon’s most mouth-watering specialty must always find its way to newcomers everywhere, especially on the most holy night of the week!”

“But... But Friday is yet after the morrow...”

Unsurprisingly, it was green that managed to escape the temptation of booze and point out the obvious first. Said half-elf then nudged her leader out of his own stupor, causing the boy to scratch his wavy blue hair and smile sheepishly at the gentle scolding.

I stroke my beard in contemplation. Such a sight, as well as the way blonde and red – or cleric girl and hotheaded brat - were drooling in sync at the meads on their table, suddenly caused a stray thought to run rampant inside my head.

A ludicrous speculation, no doubt. But, if it actually turns out to be true...

“Well then-” The four once again focused their attention on me, especially as I leaned over and picked up the fifth mug on the tray. Then, with a quiet and conspiratory tone, I winked at the group of youngsters. “-let’s keep this our little secret, yes?”

As one could expect, a round of hearty cheers and merrymaking was quick to follow.

[ | | ]

“Ah~ This hits the spot! After that pathetic excuse for food earlier, I was afraid the mead would be just as pissant. Still, glad to be wrong on this!”

“Xio! Language!”

“Hol up, Violet. Just this once, methinks the jester of our party is not entirely incorrect. In fact, let’s just have him be the poison tester from now on. Our next quest is gathering senseless shrooms, and hothead should pitch in given how much good booze he is wasting with his loudmouth right now.”

“Piss off, Lina, you’re drinking just as much! And I don’t have a loud mouth, dammit!!!”

Hotheaded brat loudly rebuffed cleric in a desperate attempt to defend his honor, though it said something when even the docile half-elf girl could only roll her eyes at the act. With a shake of the head, I sipped another healthy swirl of my drink, smirking at the misfits’ antics all the while.

Unfortunately, my amusement couldn’t last long, given how someone soon motioned for the two of us to step away from prying eyes. Thus, ignoring the heated brawl between hothead and cleric – which quite a few nearby patrons had begun to put their bets on – I followed leader boy into a secluded corner, where barely any glow of the tavern’s hearth could reach.

“Lively bunch, right there. Everyday must be an adventure with them around.”

I gave the boy - who was barely older than half my age - the brightest smile possible. After all, despite the hellish memories, working in retail for so long had taught me a lot, and being endearing to potential customers would always be the tried-and-true tactic.

Of course, it was also a bit trickier nowadays, given how dissatisfied patrons could throw around flaming balls of fire or smash me into paste with their bare knuckles alone...

“Trust me, you don't know the half of it.” Leader boy - or Grue, as I learned earlier during our drunken revelry - replied with a fond grin. The kid actually tried to go for an alias when I prompted for their names, though the tipsy tongues of his friends quickly made that moot. “Also, please accept my apology for the attempt at deception as well. Then again, the promise of a good meal was never delivered to me and mine, so we could consider it even, yes?”

“Ah, but you did ask for a ‘mean broth’, no?”

“I... you... but everyone told us that... ugh...” Blue boy grew a bit red as he tried and failed to refute my words. With an exaggerated sigh, the kid could only scratch his head in embarrassment – and perhaps some mirth. “This tavern certainly has a lot of mean regulars, then. Heh, so much for honor among thieves. Adventurers sure are ruthless, even to us juniors...”

“Just consider it a bit of harmless fun, my young fren.”

I patted leader boy on his shoulder, not forgetting to put some weight into the act.

Pat pat.

No sounds of flesh impacting flesh, though the distinct presence of a thin, yet impossibly solid material certainly hurt my hand.

“Enchanted gear, huh? You kids sure have lots of fancy toys these days. Then again, you seem to be the only one with the good stuff... Was it an advance payment, perhaps? Or maybe a loan for your expedition? Without a reliable tank, one could only dream of making the trip to this forsaken frontier, after all.”

A sudden jerk, as well as the ensuing stiffness, confirmed my suspicion regarding the newcomer party. Panic was present on the boy’s face, though it quickly shifted to anger, before being replaced by indignation just as fast.

Excuses were said. Quick, fast, precise. Prepared in advance for this kind of scenario, no doubt.

Unfortunately for the kid, his current opponent was well versed in telling if the customer was making shit up.

“Easy there, buddy. You don’t need to be so loud. After all, it would be a shame if others know a walking treasure is in their stabbing distance, isn’t it?”

In response to my “friendly advice”, accusations and threats got spatted out from blue, both to hide the shock as well as the feeling of being cornered.

I took a long sip of my mead, waiting for the boy to cool off. The alcoholic mixture full of poison and poignance burnt its way down the throat in a most painful way, for sure. Yet, such a health hazard still managed to make one feel... alive, for a lack of better words.

Many had pestered me about the recipe of our brew – which was one of the only reasons why anyone bothered to visit this place. Of course, that kind of secret would most likely be buried long before I was dumb enough to ignore my boss’s warning and reveal it to the mass.

After all, chances were people would hang me alive if they knew what actually got put in their drinks...

Just as a shiver ran down my spine at the thought, leader boy finally managed to calm himself. Then, as if having made up his mind, the kid turned towards me with a frosty look, and the chill that I just imagined suddenly felt all too real.

[ | | ]

Had you ever read a shounen manga?

Pardon my abruptness. But, I didn’t think I could explain this in just a few concise words, especially if one wasn’t acquainted with such a convoluted concept in the first place.

So, please allow me to elaborate.

“Battle aura”, or “fighting spirit”, or whatever the crap a fighting nut with almost zero fighting experience and entirely too much skill at drawing spiky hair boys duking each other out, was a common concept in shounen mangas everywhere.

A hot blooded protag about to unleash his wrath? The surrounding air would need to glow up like some flickering neon sign of questionable use and worth, no questions asked.

The “strong”, “emotional” female lead wanted to show her opinion regarding the main character’s latest case of stupidity? Better have the very ground tremble from an oozing blood lust before tons of discipline rained down onto the childhood sweetheart’s thick skull, then.

Why yes, most of these shounen mangas caused quite a few western readers to raise some eyebrows, especially those who thought that domestic abuse and double standard weren’t exactly up their alley. It certainly didn’t help that the amount of... special service... catered to fans – which were usually horny young boys – had also given the genre a misunderstood reputation of-

Huh?

Please stop looking at me like that. I only read them for the plots! I swore that I didn’t use to consume that kind of mind-numbing piece of junk food on a daily basis like some hopeless addict, dammit!

Ugh... anyway... In shounen mangas, the aura of a fighter would usually be shown whenever shit got serious, whether because some fighter wanted to gauge the adversary’s power level or simply to show off. Between combatants of roughly equal strength, this practice should be an appetizer of what was to come. However, if one side happened to grossly overpower the opponent?

Hoh boy...

Well, you should be able to see for yourself, soon enough.

[ | | ]

“-y! Can you hear me!? Hey!!!”

The first thing my mind registered after regaining consciousness was the terrified face of leader boy, whose screams had begun to rattle my poor eardrums.

Then, the rich taste of iron could be felt, dripping a long line from my nose before it decided to settle as colorful red blots, staining whatever ground my chin had rested upon.

Numbly, and with some difficulty, I wiped away the foam at my mouth.

My head hurt like hell.

The way blue, green and even red were shaking me nonstop certainly didn’t help, either.

“By the Goddess, the heathen stirs! But... why didn’t my miracle work on him...?”

I glanced towards blonde upon hearing her words and almost regretted it immediately.

On one hand, the girl looked absolutely dazzling right now, what with the bright glow of pure holiness surrounding her body.

On the other hand, my eyes!!! FUCK!!! It felt like I just got flashbanged after one nasty hangover here!!!

With a groan, I made the shooing motion at blonde while squeezing both eyes shut for emphasis. To her credit, said cleric only huffed in mild annoyance before powering herself down.

Good kid. Any proper man or woman of faith would have taken grievous offense by now.

Soon enough, blessed darkness returned, illuminated only by the tavern’s hearth. With a deep breath, I put some weight into the right arm and got myself up... or tried to, unfortunately. As it turned out, even a basic push-up would be quite the challenge while having a groggy head and only one functioning arm...

Red, blessed his bratty heart, managed to catch me before I could give the floor another smooch. Green was quick to join in and offered her own help, though blue remained hesitant – whether due to guilt or his wariness of me, I didn’t know. Seeing blonde bring over a chair for yours truly however, the boy finally relented with a sigh.

Still, as leader boy moved to get one of the spare tables nearby, I could still feel his lingering gaze on me. Thankfully, it didn’t last long. Thoughts of doubts must be warring against whatever guilt brewing inside the kid’s head right now.

To be honest, I couldn’t blame him. After all, a leader without a calm head to judge situations was prone to making silly mistakes, especially when said leader had put himself in charge of keeping an eye on some potential threat that he might have wronged.

In other words.

The seed of doubt I sowed had successfully knocked blue off balance.

Whatever I said next in this charade of mine, he would heed them seriously, for his conscience now demanded so.

[ | | ]

By the time I managed to steady myself on the provided seat, the haziness from before had also faded away. My senses all over the body – aside from a left limb – began to recover in full, which also allowed me to realize how lively the tavern had become, owning to the raucous laughters that had once again engulfed it.

“What’s everyone laughing about?”

“Dude, you just missed it! Another one just showed Joe his place!”

“Seriously? Did that scoundrel fail to see the future and just sprout nonsense again?”

“No idea, but I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“Why do people keep coming here to see that bastard, anyway? He just made some lucky guesses a few times. Even I could do that.”

“Let’s shank him later! I heard he has quite a bounty on his head!”

“His followers might maul us, though. Not to mention the thieves’ guild-”

... Sometimes, I seriously had to ask myself why I even bothered with this lot.

Then, just as I started contemplating my life choices.

*RuMblE*rUmBLe*

A horrible quake shook the land, deafening everyone’s ears.

Even this faraway, there was no mistaking the sound of something so big, so terrible, as it continued to grind its way out of the ground and reach for the heavens.

Thus, like the huge mob that had gathered near a tavern’s window, I could also tell what was going on.

“By the Goddess...”

“It’s happening again...!”

“A new one just spawned.”

“What’s the timer this time?”

“13 days. Just short of 2 weeks!”

“I knew it...”

I had to cover my mouth with a hand given how it was threatening to split into a wide grin. One quick peek at the party of four named characters surrounding me also revealed that their reaction to the news was exactly what I expected.

Thus, as green anxiously trailed behind the excited red and resolute blonde – who was at the forefront of the group – I propped my only elbow on the table for support and began to massage my forehead, not forgetting to let out low, but not too exaggerated, whines.

Some curious onlookers looked my way, though most remained transfixed on the sight of a gigantic monolith on the horizon. Those treasure nabbers were scheming on how to break inside this new dungeon and spirit away the riches within, no doubt.

It was fine, of course.

After all, theirs wasn’t the attention I was fishing for.

By the third wail, blue finally stopped in his tracks to glance back at me. The leader boy looked puzzled, though he quickly resumed his trek as red and green called for him.

Then, my grin could no longer be held back once blonde – the cleric of their party – addressed the crowd with a booming speech.

“HEED ME, ONE AND ALL! HEED MY WARNING LEST DIVINE LIGHT SMITE YOU ALL!!!”

A loud and ethereal voice soon found its way inside everyone’s head. The result was immediate as people turned and stared at the glowing figure of a cleric - whose mere presence now exuded holiness like a flowing waterfall shooting into the air above.

Many a gasp and whisper could be heard. If the dazzling display of miracle cleric girl performed earlier had raised some eyebrows, then the undeniable proof of her devotion to the goddess – as well as the blessing said deity bestowed upon her in turn – could stir the heart of even faithless rogues and scoundrels, to the point that some were now kneeling or crying in awe...

I, however, could only chuckle at a sudden thought.

After all, blonde would be livid if she learned that the miracle she used for “special effect” could work on me, yet not the healing spell she had tried to cast. Of course, the kid’s penchant for booze and violence only served to make this all the funnier.

Just as I thought about how good blonde would perform as a commentator for blood sports, said girl had already snapped me out of my musing with her thunderous words.

“THE FRONTIER IS FORSAKEN, BUT THE SHEEPHERDS HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THE LAMBS! REJOICE! REJOICE!!! SALVATION IS AT HAND, FOR ME AND MINE WERE SENT AS MESSENGERS TO YOU ALL!!!”

With a flourish, the girl gave her spotlight to a calm, yet determined, boy in blue. Some in the audience whispered their guesses and speculations, yet all of which simply turned into gasps of awe the moment leader boy revealed what had been hidden underneath his cloak.

Lo and behold, like turquoise under the sun, the theme of blue got washed away as pure white and golden yellow outshone it all.

“Is that...!?”

“No way...”

“There’s no mistaking that insignia...”

Radiant lines of texts in Latin (because of freaking course) adorned the edges of a silky white cape - which was snuggly hugging leader boy’s right shoulder alongside some parchments. Yet, even if one’s greed might be stirred upon looking at such eye-catching proof of magical enchantment, a brief glance at the center of this work of art should be more than enough to deter such base desires, and perhaps, even evoke a sense of serenity from deep within.

The beautiful garment painted a harmonious picture of an age long past, or perhaps it was simply wishful thinking of a fantasy that never was. Regardless, even I couldn’t help but appreciate the image where countless species – each symbolized by a different embroidery of various shapes - standing side by side, basking under the sun as it rained miraculous rays of gold and yellow down onto the earth below.

Unfortunately, as divine as this felt, the sewing of a rose that encroached from the fringe was certainly a mood killer.

“It’s the symbol of the Most Devout!!!”

“But why... after all this time...?”

“So, all those brats are questing knights, then? They sure don’t look like much...”

“Don’t be daft. Only that kid has the cape. At best, he and the cleric are here as her sole champ-”

“HUSH! HUSH, I SAY!!! THE DEVOUT’S WORDS AWAIT!!!”

Blonde’s fiery temper washed over the heated discussions amongst the crowd, reducing them to little more than quiet murmurs. Blue shot his companion an appreciative nod, before plucking one of the parchments hanging on his shoulder cape. Then, after a clear of the throat, said messenger began to convey a missive most “holy” to the mass.

“I salute thee, brave souls of the fronti'r. Mine own heart aches upon hearing the st'ries of thy sacrifice, and I couldst only off'r mine own apology f'r not being able to deliv'r these w'rds myself. Nev'rtheless, feareth not. The Golden Empire might has't chosen to turneth its eyes hence from the fronti'r's suff'ring, yet, I hast not blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Please forgive the rude interruption.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

However, even if I barely passed my degree in Literature, this horrendous monstrosity masquerading itself under the guise of bootleg archaic Shakespearean nonsense the “highborns” so loved to throw around...

Even after all this time, I still couldn’t take them seriously, dammit!

Anyway...

The long and short of it was that the Church, in accordance with its Golden Sun scriptures, had decided to renew the vow of protection for this frontier after various “heartfelt pleas” from countless nobles of the empire. Thus, we should expect a good chunk of paladins and inquisitors to visit soon, both to offer aid and, more importantly, to take over the task of dealing with emerging dungeons.

Still, aside from brazenly saying that the Church would assume control of the dungeon diving business, this offer still sounded quite compassionate if I could say so myself. After all, to lend a helping hand towards one town in the middle of absolute nowhere that could offer little to no strategic value in this war for survival? Where dangerous dungeons kept popping up like mushrooms and the amount of resources plundered from one of which could easily be outweighed by the risks of monsters flooding out of a failed trial?

How magnanimous!

Of course, the fact that many duchies had fallen despite having much stronger forces and being closer to the capitals, while this god forsaken town still managed to weather waves after waves of the apocalypse, must not be related to this pious development at all!

... Or maybe, the way some supposed “cult” loudly boasting their “leader” as a “godsent prophet” to anyone they could bother might have something to do with it.

...

Bloody hell.

How the fuck did I get myself into this mess in the first place...

.

.

.

Ok, no.

Screw this.

Fuck flashbacks and whatnot.

What was done, was done.

The past would remain in the past.

But I sure as heck could focus on the present.

.

.

.

With a slight shake of the head, I could feel my resolve strengthening.

The road ahead would be long and treacherous, while whatever results or rewards for my hard work might be murky at best.

And yet.

Wasn’t that what I had been doing my entire life?

“... This is nothing.”

As leader boy finished relaying the Most Devout’s missive and prepared himself for the predictable outrage from his audience, I took a deep breath and patiently waited for the most opportune moment to strike.

I would get through this.

No, I will get through this!

Indeed. No matter what might happen next, the finale of tonight’s act would undoubtedly be one people wouldn’t soon forget!

[ | ]

Grue Ohnee, leader of Farseekers, was not having a good day.

With a tired sigh, the young swordsman reflected on how his life had gotten to this point.

“Let’s become adventurers!” His eager brother said. “It would be fun!” Their enthusiastic friends chimed in.

“Let’s not question why the Thorns are even here to conscript us!”

Grue groaned at that memory in particular, especially the moment when Xio and Lina both gave him the stink eye once it was made clear that only he could be a questing knight – and thus the party leader in the process.

The way they sulked and ignored him for days on end, after losing out to “the second shrimpiest shrimp of this group”, was quite an experience...

Still, as the burden of a soft cape pressed itself down on his shoulder, Grue couldn’t help but agree with what his teammates had lamented time and time again.

Why was he, a boy as ordinary as any other, chosen in the first place?

Sure, he might be a self-taught swordsman that could clash with hardened fighters twice his age. Certainly, he might have a habit of joining his friends in their crusade against evil mice and spiders the size of horses. There was also that one time when he almost won against an eccentric-looking swordmaster (though Grue felt quite certain the old coot was simply humoring him) and got told that he had a “destiny to reclaim”, but...

Huh... On second thought, maybe his life up to this point wasn’t so normal after all...

Then again, ma and pa did say that he and Xio were both delivered to their doorstep on the wings of some stork, so maybe this was to be expected.

Grue smiled fondly at the image of an elderly couple, bidding farewell to the group of troublemakers that was this party of his. Yet, before any wave of nostalgia could begin to surface, a storm of shouts and swearing had already snapped the boy out of his thoughts.

“This is absurd! Restricting the right to enter dungeons!? Who do you even think you are? The coppa!?”

“Um, I think they might actually outrank those constables...”

“Wait, seriously? Well... We have shanked some naggy coppa before, so don’t think that your “holier-than-thou” arses will be safe!”

“We have? I thought we only bribe ‘em to look the other-”

“By the Goddess! Shaddup, Bob! you’re making us look bad here!!!”

“Sorry...”

“I’m bored~ Anyone wants to play poker?”

“QUIET, UNRULY FLOCK! QUIET, I SAY!!!”

Suppressing a grimace at the ear-splitting roar that threatened to make him go deaf, Grue once again turned and nodded at Lina for her help. The cleric, however, simply snorted before giving him a look that screamed “If ya wanna show some appreciation, then just man the rut up! At least red looks like a propa warrior, ya pansy!!!”

No, wait, that wasn’t right.

The real Lina would have made a bunch of remarks about how much of a pretty boy he was first, then moved on to how his hair looked almost as long as that of a girl, before ending her rant by saying that whatever “stork” that delivered him probably misplaced someone else’s manhood along the way.

... Sometimes, Grue seriously wondered why they were friends in the first place.

Then again, it wasn’t like he and Xio had much choice while growing up, given how the village kids kept singling them out due to how different they looked. It did lead to both brothers meeting the duo that was Violet and Lina, who were outcasts in their own right, though. Plus...

Casting a quick glance at the smallest member of Farseekers, Grue could feel a smile forming at the corner of his lips.

Violet, nervous as she was, had still decided to join Xio and Lina in calming the crowd down. Yet, instead of strongarming everyone like two certain knuckleheads, the girl instead approached her task with such warmth that was simply so... Violet-like!

A shy smile here, a pacifying hand gesture there, and that radiant look which only the most kind-hearted of maidens could possess...

Not to mention the way her short, pointy ears would flap up and down every time she got flustered in the most adorable-

*SLAP*

Smacking his cheeks with both hands, Grue shook his head slowly, not caring how some mean tavern goers were giving him odd glances.

As his concentration returned in full, the boy gave one last look at the back of a fair maiden in green.

... For whatever reason, Grue felt like he could take on the world right now!

And, as if the boon in confidence couldn’t have arrived at a better time, the obstacle he had feared most decided to rear its ugly head.

“Barring adventurers from entering dungeons, hm~?”

A sickeningly sweet voice could be heard behind his back. Yet, by the time Grue turned around, the source of such had already moved to a different location.

“My, oh, MY! I thought the rumor was hogwash, yet it seems that some little doves truly want to nibble at our bread basket after all.”

“Mistress Ligrett...”

“Gulp...”

“Why is a B-rank fighter here of all places?”

“Shhh! Keep quiet, fool! She’s not alone either...”

As a shadowy figure emerged in front of their party, Grue could only curse his luck, especially once he realized that the newcomer – a young lady clad in nothing but scanty roguish garb – was waving around one familiar parchment with her right hand.

Sure enough, the missive he was holding had been taken away without him even realizing!

“Damn it all...!”

Sounds of teeth grinding, swords unsheathing and divinity channeling echoed around him.

Xio was too hotheaded to back down from an opponent, no matter how badly he was outclassed.

Lina would never forgive any blasphemer, let alone one that just stole their holy missive.

Violet...

Blessed Violet, despite her peaceful nature, wouldn’t hesitate to unleash fire and brimstone upon those who wished them harm...

What should I do!?

Briefly, the leader boy wanted to smack his two thick-skulled comrades on the head for their brashness. This was exactly why he wanted to check in and gain support from the town’s reeve first, then the leader of the local adventurers’ guild second! But nooo.

“Don’t be a killjoy, big bro! It will be more exciting this way!”

“Not sayin’ that I'ma agree with hothead. But... This so-called ‘seer’ the heathens love to blather so much about...”

“It might be wise to get a closer look at this villain firsthand before deciding on our course of act, right?”

“Right on, Violet. Ya gonna be in charge of flames for the bonfires once we round up all ‘em heretics on the stakes!”

“... Sometimes, I wonder how we managed to become friends, Lina...”

Grue couldn’t help but nod his head at the Violet from hours earlier, especially when she proposed that they hid their proof of allegiance until a safe base could be secured.

Unfortunately, whatever plans and compromises he made with the two hotheads had long got thrown out of the window.

Even though their target – a supposed “seer” – managed to see through his effort at subterfuge, Grue had still managed to confirm the rumor that said bearded man was an unfavored who didn’t possess a single drop of mana or aura within his body. The fact that Lina couldn’t heal him simply lent more evidence to this claim, and the way so many locals detested the man with a passion suggested that their mark might have been a swindler of sorts.

And then the dungeon happened...

In the distant backdrop of the night, one gigantic monolith shone brilliantly, as if giving him a big, fat, middle finger with its presence alone.

As more and more adventurers plotted their desire to venture into such a deathtrap, Grue had to beg Lina to prevent her from exposing their group, especially before they could secure the town’s military support.

But nooo.

“We hath been chosen by the Goddess Herself! We shan’t turn a blind eye as greedy sheep continue their march towards evil’s jaws!!!”

Goddess’ tits! Sometimes, that girl was simply impossible to deal with...

Well, at least the “seer” seemed to be sitting out of this chaos, given how he was still nursing his wounds from Grue’s earlier probing.

The young knight could only hope that he wouldn’t be trialled for practically assaulting a cripple later...

Shaking himself out of the stupor, Grue noticed that the rogue was getting a bit impatient with his daydreaming. Thus, with an apologetic look, he quickly stepped forward to speak up and defuse-

*CLANG*

A rusted knife bounced off the field of light harmlessly before sinking into the ground with a thud.

Grue’s pupils widened even as he drew out his own dagger on instinct.

*Whoosh*

In the blink of an eye, harsh iron cut through thin air as if cutting through butter, and it was only thanks to the intuition honed from countless brushes with death that allowed Grue to lift his hand up in time.

*CrAckK*Clang*

The radiant cape on his shoulder seemed to flicker once another projectile pierced its way through the golden field before shattering said barrier completely. Sounds of naked steel meeting rusted iron rang in the air as Grue’s dagger barely managed to deflect the incoming knife in time, shattering said weapon in the process.

Yet, before his own teammates could register their shock and outrage at such transgressions, disaster had already struck.

*Drip*Drip*

There was neither sound nor warning, unlike the first two attacks.

Grue could taste it. The taste of sudden defeat, of iron in his mouth as well as the rust-ridden diseases which were slowly spreading across a gaping wound.

“...”

Sure enough, as he looked to the side, a huge chunk of his right hand could be seen on the tavern’s floor, bleeding uselessly next to a fallen dagger.

Meanwhile, not so far away, one rusty knife laid next to whatever was left of his silky white cape.

“BROTHER! HOW DARE YOU!!!”

“Honorless cur!!! Prepare to meet the maker, scoundrel scum!!!”

“Gr... Grue! Stay still, I... I will help...!”

The leader of Farseekers blinked once, then twice, yet the blurriness in his vision remained. Shouts and screams from his party turned into distant static as a chilling sensation began to take hold, threatening to drag its victim into a dreamless sleep.

Snap out of it…

Wobbling back and forth with whatever bodily function remained, Grue desperately called upon the well of reserve that was his willpower.

Another blink, another knife flew as fast as lightning, eager to lodge itself into the skull of one defenseless prey.

SNAP OUT OF IT…!!!

Time slowed to a crawl as adrenaline took over.

An explosion shattered the very floor Grue stood upon. The fighter’s indomitable will surged forward, meeting the incoming knife head-on with a loud CRACK as the latter broke against swirling layers of aura coated in blue.

Tearing his hidden bag of tricks apart, Grue once again armed himself with another dagger. Then, as a second wind full of rage and determination reached its boiling point, the young questing knight burst into action, raring to fight against one irritated rogue.

*CLANGGG*

The two fighters turned into blurs once aura-infused dagger clashed against knives after knives.

As a flurry of attacks sprung forth from lightning-fast feints before flowing smoothly into careful counters, everything zoned out, even the sounds of death and destruction raging in the background.

*Clash*

The song of steel tore the air apart as the same dance of back-and-forth repeated itself faster than the eye could blink, leaving sparks flying everywhere.

A stalemate, a naive observer might have believed. However, the truth was anything but.

After all, while the young fighter was pushing himself to the limit, his opponent had yet to coat herself with even the tiniest layer of aura.

*Bash*

For the knight, a single instance now felt like seconds that could have easily been one’s final moment. Countless fatal blows continued to rain their wrath upon all possible blind spots without relenting. His throat, head and eyes screamed in agony while layers after layers of aura broke faster than the soul could heal, and one single misstep would easily spell doom for the fighter in blue...

Then, just as sudden as it started, the dance of death ceased as both participants crossed blades for one last time.

*Banggg*

Grue extricated himself from his opponent with heavy breaths. The lingering momentum sent the young knight skidding towards a corner of the room, where quite a few patrons had barricaded themselves behind a makeshift fort full of tables and chairs.

Amusing enough, many of these customers still seemed to find entertainment in the chaos of this night, given how much money and mead were changing hands in bets just now.

Sighing lightly, Grue sheathed the dagger into his belt using shaky fingers. Then, with a friendly smile, the young knight turned towards the startled group behind him, not forgetting to take out one fat pouch full of jiggling coins in the process.

“I hope the show was to your liking, my good fellows. Now, my throat yearns for some refreshments, so might I ask which of these haven’t seen any sips?”

Be it the glittering gold or the disarming smile - or perhaps the simple fact that this boy could crush them with ease - many patrons were quick to deliver their humble offering without a single complaint.

[ | ]

Ligrett Folen Nobelia, up-and-coming shadow scythe of the thieves’ guild, was having an extremely annoying night.

... On second thought, perhaps that would be too incorrect of a statement. After all, her annoyance had started long before today, and it had only festered ever since.

The young mistress could still remember how it all started. The day when news of a glowing dungeon - the very first of its kind - arrived at the Nobelia estate.

It was sensational, heralding hopes of their world’s salvation in the heart of one and all, given the wonderous discovery hidden deep within.

Sadly, such a naive dream quickly fell apart once beasts and barbaric monsters flooded out of failed dungeons, ravaging all in their way.

Yet, to everyone’s horror, it was simply the beginning of a dreadful nightmare.

No one knew what truly happened, but none could forget that fateful day... The day their golden sun, which had banished the night for centuries, got devoured by an eternal darkness...

Many years, all of which felt like eons, had passed since then. Yet, Ligrett still remembered the terror and confusion that gripped at her heart, even when whatever radiance of real sunlights continued to fade away within her mind...

And, of course, the young heiress could never forget what the Royal Family and the Church did, which led both her father and elder sister to an early grave.

Fortunately, just as a sense of sadness began to surface, several shrilly shouts had already snapped the girl out of her musings.

“Huzzah! The doves won against Mistress Ligrett and her minions! Time to pay up, losers!!!”

“Are you rutting kidding me!? It was a tie, dumbarse! Plus, she clearly went easy on that brat!!!”

“The other doves managed to score more kills, you blind donkey! Just look at all those mincemeats lying around!”

“Now that you mention it... They are cooking quite nicely as well...”

“By the Goddess! Bob, what the absolute rut are you doing!!!”

“Hey, it’s not a sin if we take a tiny little nibble out of a wolf, right? I mean, it’s not like the beastmen never feast on members of different tribes anyway, right? Right?”

“Tch...”

Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Ligrett wasted no time in severing the limb of some scoundrel – who was about to flay the hide of her smoky underling - with a throwing knife.

“GAHHHHHHH!!!!!!! MY ARM!!!!!!!”

“Idiot... What did he think would happen?”

“Still, I’m surprised the mistress would actually protect that mutt. Wasn’t her family heavy on the slave trade?”

“Heh, buffoons, all of ye! Can’t ye see how fine that piece of meat looks? ‘Em highborns might be a bunch of pompous peacocks, but lemme tell ye, nobles just love to have a taste of those forbidden fruits! There is no doubt that the young, curious mistress simply couldn’t resist that big, thick wolf’s d-”

*SLASH*

With one swift motion, Ligrett calmly sheathed the rapier in its scabbard before putting both items back into her bag of holding.

An uneasy quietness once again descended upon the tavern as everyone held their breath, to the point that only a careless thud could be heard as something fell onto the floor with a frozen look on its face.

Then, another thud hit the ground, as if some poor bastard finally realized his head had already left its body.

*Creak*Creak*

Amidst the deafening silence, sounds of walking from a pair of stilettos quietly echoed across the wooden floor. Soon enough, one young mistress came to a stop as she kneeled down at the sight of a roasted corpse - which thankfully still resembled the remains of some battered wolfkin.

A little cube - small enough to fit between two fingers - was taken out of the bag of holding.

“Z'roth, Oneth. Z'roth, Oneth. Z'roth, Oneth... Myst'rious beings beyond the dungeons' f'rsaken walls... I beseech thy fav'r...!”

An unorthodox invocation – heretical enough to anger one nearby cleric – was uttered from the fallen noble’s lips.

“Saveth this po'r soul... Sooth his wounds... Grant this m'rtal life to liveth on...”

A mystifying current of black and white began to flicker in and out of existence, causing awed gasps as well as frightened whispers to linger in the air.

Yet, one supposed “seer” could only look at such spectacle with a deep frown on his face.

“And, in returneth, taketh a piece of our w'rld as payment f'r thy de'd...”

As soon as the final word01010101010101010101010101the

0101010101010101got uttered,01010101world itself

010101010101010101010101010101010101010101seemed to

01010101010101010101010101D̴̞̱̎̓͐͝I̷̜̯̥̓̀̃́̓S̷͈̼̪̱̤̔͊͑T̶͓̃̈́̑̈́͠O̴̭̩̘̠̍̐̽͝R̵̟̎T̷̳̫̹̣͔͛̍͝

010101010101010101010101010101010101ẁ̶̡͘á̸̝r̷͈͎̓ṕ̷̰̤

010101010101010101010101010101010101010101change...

...

......

......... ’Tis not yet the end for us, it seems

The young mistress, much like everyone else, let out a heavy sigh of relief the moment that terrible, oppressive, atmosphere finally dissipated.

Once black and white faded away, a much gentler source of light made itself known. Soon enough, the mysterious cube Ligrett held between her fingers glowed a soft blue as it worked its miracle.

“Such blasphemy...!”

The nearby cleric could only spit out such curses upon witnessing a crime that was considered the worst act of treachery to their world. A desire for retribution burned hotly within her heart, yet the stern gaze from her leader prevented the girl from raining rash judgement upon the sinful rogue.

Said rogue, meanwhile, was carefully cradling a wolfkin – whose mortal wounds had begun to heal at a rapid pace.

“I can’t believe this... A Nobelia that actually cares about the savages? What is this world coming to!?”

“Must be an act to farm sympathy. Remember, the Nobelia have little to no troops left to even keep this town under control. They are already clinging onto the thieves’ guild for protection, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if the young mistress endears herself to outlanders. It would mean extra meat to throw into the grinder, after all.”

“How devious...”

“That’s the highborns for ya. Always so high and haughty, yet when the chips are down, even they would start scrambling for scrap-”

“Shhh! She’s looking this way!!!”

“Gulp...”

“...”

Upon relaxing a clenched fist, Ligrett proceeded to regard the blabbers with her frostiest stare. Predictably, said lot was quick to cast their head down in submission, for they knew far too well the difference between high-ranking fighters – who were exalted as real adventurers throughout the land - and vultures who could only nibble at the edge like themselves.

“B... Boss lady?”

A small groan drew Ligrett’ attention, and the young mistress could only give an invisible sigh of relief upon seeing how her canid companion was no longer one badly burnt piece of meat.

Now that his wounds were gone, the young wolfkin looked just like any immature boy in the midst of puberty would - save for one scruffy tail attached to his rear, two shaggy ears atop his head, as well as razor-sharp fangs and claws that could tear through flesh with ease.

He still looks so young... too young to just get killed and resurrected like this... At least, the soldiers and adventurers are used to the bloody cycle of rebirth...

As Ligrett bit her lips at the thought, D’ed M’eet – one of the few surviving wolfkin refugees that managed to reach the safety of this town – blinked his bleary eyes. Then, with a weak whimper, the young wolfkin regarded his “pack leader” in a voice ridden with shame.

“Boss lady... We too weak... Me too weak... Couldn’t bite throat off... Me sorry...”

“It’s alright. This was... unexpected, but everything will be alright.” Ligrett gave the boy a reassuring smile, even as thoughts of uncertainty continued to linger within her head. “C'mon, lad. Don’t tell me that you are going to stay down after a single beating. Or are you really just an overgrown pup that can’t back up your barks after all?”

“Me no pup... Is strong...! Me strong wolfkin!!!”

“That’s more like it. Here, let me give you a hand.”

Ignoring the stares and mumbles, as well as scandalous whispers from the lot that had nothing better to do with their life, Ligrett helped a no-longer-dead M’eet up. Then, with a flick of her fingers, the rogue sent a mysterious cube – which now had one long crack on it - her companion’s way.

The young wolfkin nodded at the unspoken order and scurried off to revive his fallen comrades – some of whom had been reduced to smoldering charcoal or gory slabs of meat. Meanwhile, Ligrett turned to regard the four bothersome menaces who had been a huge pain in the arse this entire night.

Or, at least, that should have been the case, had a cleric not decided to vault herself over and punch the fallen noble square in the face...

[ | ]

“PERISH, FILTHY HERETIC!!! THE ABYSS’ DARKEST DEPTH AWAITS THEE!!!”

Blood, sweat and spits flew all over the place before the zealot could even finish her most righteous charge.

As it turned out, despite being able to catch her opponent off guard, actually wounding said blasphemer was still a task too great for the holy cleric. Yet, despite the bloody pain from two shattered jaws and one broken back – courtesy of a rogue’s retaliation – Lina still couldn’t help but grinned widely as she got up from the splintered mess of a table which just broke her landing.

After all, her punch – empowered with naught but faith - had actually managed to damage the aura of a seasoned fighter!

The grimace on the heretic’s face, as well as a bruise that now adorned her swelling cheek, filled Lina’s heart with grim satisfaction. Spitting out some loose teeth, the cleric leisurely stretched her muscles as they regrew themselves. Blood, bones and battle spirit were mended at a miraculous speed, and it didn’t take long before Lina gave her opponent a toothy grin – which looked as if it had never lost any fang in the first place.

Such a taunt didn’t go unnoticed as the rogue deepened her scowl. Then, with one hand behind her back, she reached for a-

*Whoooosh*

Shock and horror were visible in everyone’s eyes upon seeing how a zealot’s fist once again smacked its target senseless, including the rogue herself!

It was only thanks to countless lifetimes of experience that allowed the fighter in black to coat her face with a reinforced layer of aura in time. Yet, despite managing to avoid getting her head blown off from its neck, the impact still left the rogue staggered – even if only for the briefest of moments.

And such a golden opportunity was all it took for a cleric to press her advance.

The feral Lina – now high on countless buffs she had been quietly blessing herself with – soon became a blur of mindless wrath and destruction. As her assault intensified, horrid sounds of bones breaking against an impregnable defense repeatedly filled the air, creating one macabre symphony that would grate away at one’s ears like the dreadful wails of some banshe.

*Crack*Crack*CRACK*

“LINA, STOP! STAND DOWN-”

“BOSS LADY-”

“10 copper on the scary cleric-”

“Cheapskate! 1 whole silver on-”

Many words could be heard. From annoying orders to desperate pleas, as well as some funny sounds of revelry in the background.

All were simply white noises to Lina’s ears.

*CRACK*CRACK*CRACK*

Right fist shattered against aura.

Bones broke again.

Smell of blood overwhelmed the air.

Left fist fully healed.

Right fist retreated as left fist took over.

Rinse and repeat. Rinse and repeat~

*CRACK*CRACK*CRACKKK*

That sound.

Could it be?

Yes!

A glimpse of victory!!!

*CRACKKK-

*Slash*

Lina blinked.

Everything was upside down.

Spinning, spinning~

But why?

Unless...

Oh!

Her head was flying in the air!

Despite the stunlock, the gulf between a strong fighter and a veteran was still too great, it seemed.

How rutting annoying.

“LINA LAMB, YOU ABSOLUTE BULLHEADED BUFFOON!!!”

As the upper part of Lina headed for the ceiling, screams of rage and anger from one familiar voice stood out amidst a sea of chatters. Sure enough, the moment she smacked face-first into the tavern’s rickety top and went back down, the image of a worrywart came into view as he tore his own hair out in frustration.

Grue – the leader of her party – was definitely not having a good time right now.

The dude looked pissed beyond belief, which was a far cry from the usual calm facade he loved to put on so much.

Lina couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

It wouldn’t take long before her head hit the ground. However, now that she was supposed to be at death’s door, so many thoughts were running inside her mind at breakneck speed.

Heh, breakneck.

Xio would have found that funny.

Grue, however, would reprimand them both for making light of the situation, as well as escalating things to this point...

That pansy will chew my ears off later, huh?

Lina wasn’t stupid.

Contrary to what most people believed, the cleric was very perceptive of her surroundings.

That was why she knew Violet truly wanted to be her friend, despite Lina’s “intense nature”.

That was why she knew Xio and her were moot kindreds, despite both beating each other up every time.

That was why she knew the heretic was merely using Grue as a measuring stick, to get a glimpse of how those above a questing knight would fare in battle.

That was why she knew Grue was preparing for the group’s retreat after his clash.

Sure, sneakily cajoling the crowd with gold, so that he could throw everything out all at once to help the party flee might be cunning, especially when faced against a superior foe.

However, he was supposed to be the leader of their holy quest.

And, letting a heretic who just committed one of the most heinous blasphemies get away with it?

Absolutely unacceptable!

Especially when bothersome beasts are at their weakest when they think they have won!!!

“BOSS LADY! BEHIND YOU!!!”

“What-!”

Some young wolfkin - who didn’t have his eyes glued onto Lina’s falling head like everyone else - shouted a desperate warning to the rogue.

However.

It was simply too little, too late.

*CRACKKKKKK*CRASHHH*

A crunching noise could be heard as the heretic’s jaws got shattered to pieces by one faith-fuelled fist. The impact sent said blasphemer flying straight into the far side of the tavern, leaving behind one huge hole in the wall - where a broken body now laid amidst a bunch of splintered woods.

“What in the-”

“By the Goddess...”

“That girl... she’s no human...”

As everyone turned towards the mysterious fighter who just snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, gasps of awe filled the air.

... Or maybe those were whimpers of terror. Honestly, Lina couldn’t care less. After all, she won!

The rest of her body – which was now headless – certainly agreed with such a sentiment as it waved one bloody fist around in triumph!

Lina’s head - now finally close enough to the ground below – could only chuckle in mirth upon seeing such. Then, with practiced ease, blood, bones and flesh burst forth from underneath her neck, creating an entirely new vessel for the holy cleric in the blink of an eye.

A thud could be heard as Lina gracefully landed onto the wooden floor with a crouch.

“How the rut is she still alive!?”

“This is why you don’t cross the Church...”

“Mommy, I’m scared...”

“Shaddup, Bob! Keep holding onto your wound. Mommy will bring you to the church later, so just be quiet for now.”

“Uhm... Are we gonna ignore the fact she’s buck naked?”

A constant chirp of crickets could be heard as the cleric not-so-gracefully bathed in the awkward atmosphere...

Lina could feel her face getting heated up as the silence dragged on.

Mayyybe she should stop fighting like this in the future.

... Maybe.

Then again, it didn’t take long before Lina’s comrades came over to rescue her from the state of indecent exposure. So, perhaps, all's well that ends well!

.

.

.

“Lina, you buffoon!!! You’ve done it now!!!”

Things did not end well, unfortunately...

Grue, despite getting his right hand reattached thanks to the party’s most miraculous healer, still had the gall to reprimand yours truly.

The nerve of that guy...

“Hey! Are you listening to me!? What do you think the thieves’ guild is going to do now that you’ve just mauled one of their bosses!? We even got warned beforehand that the hidden boss might be hiding within this town as well! Abyss’ dark depth, I wouldn’t be surprised if all of us get shanked the moment we step outside this tavern now!!!”

Blah blah blah should have respected the unspoken truce blah blah blah that rogue wasn’t even trying to kill me blah blah blah stand together or fall alone blah blah blah BLAH.

Naturally, Lina let the lecture go in one ear and out the other.

“Yo, Lina! Your clothes.”

A grin couldn’t help but appear on Lina’s face as Xio led her headless body over. After all, while the cloak Violet used to cover the cleric had done its job, there was no denying that being enveloped in sacred symbols of the Goddess was what truly brought her joy.

... Or, well, one of the two things that brought her joy, anyway.

With a shake of the head, Lina forced herself to stop glancing at Xio before the hothead could notice. Then, clasping her hands in prayer, the cleric called upon her old vessel, causing it to disintegrate into brilliant droplets of golden light.

As a radiant stream found its way back to Lina, so did the leather garb that had been worn over it. Said spectacle easily drew the attention of the crowd as people pointed and stared at such a wonder. Thankfully, the dazzling light worked well enough as a cover for the cleric to quickly discard the cloak before putting her old clothes back on – which was certainly helped by how often she had done this before.

Garments, checked.

Restoring faith in the faithless, checked.

“Alright. Now to carve the heretic’s head in and we can call it a day!”

“You... HAVE YOU EVEN BEEN LISTENING TO WHAT I SAID!!?”

“Nope~”

“UGH!!! Unbelievable...”

“Yeah, yeah. Ya already knew that I’m not letting this bunch of blasphemers get away, Grue. So, if ya gonna be one scaredy cat that can’t even win his own battle, please kindly get out of my way, or else.”

“...”

A staring contest soon commenced between the two.

Sadly, it wasn’t the zealot that blinked first.

“Lina, please listen to Grue just this once...”

“Not cool, Lina. Not cool.”

Soon as Grue turned his head away with a frustrated look on his face, Violet and Xio were quick to jump to their leader’s defense.

Naturally, Lina shoved them both aside and made for the half dead rogue.

*Creak*

A rickety sound echoed throughout the tavern as leather boots left their marks on the wooden floor.

The bloodthirsty huntress stalked forwards.

*Creakkk*

The snarling wolf boy in front of her prey meant nothing.

The desperate wolfkins lying in ambush meant nothing.

The judging stares from all around meant nothing.

HER RIGHTEOUS WRATH WOULD NOT BE DENIED!!!

*Creakkk-

Thus...

It was all the more surprising, when the last person anyone expected decided to step in and stopped Lina in her tracks...

“ahhhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

All of a sudden, the entire tavern could only turn and stare as a one-armed “seer” shrieked his way towards a very, very confused zealot.

[ | | ]

“yes... Yes... YESSSSS...!!!”

I practically screamed my lungs out while discreetly signaling for the wolfkins to get their boss out of dodge asap. Thankfully, blonde was too distracted by the image of a bearded man waving his fingers around like a drunkard after one too many attempts at belly dancing to notice my act.

The embarrassment was there, of course.

However, knowing that any failure right now would lead to more than a simple disarmament certainly motivated me not to mess this shit up.

Thus, donning my best impression of a charlatan, I waddled forward, not minding the stares and whispers thrown my way.

“Indeed... indeed...!”

The cleric girl stared at my approach with her mouth agape, as if she was looking at an utter buffoon for the first time in her life. However, whatever rude thoughts the kid had were quickly thrown into disarray after hearing what I said next.

“This one... No... I see... I see your destiny!!!”

“...”

Silence.

Complete and utter silence permeated the room, to the point that my outrageous declaration seemed to echo across its ramshackle walls.

“Did... Did he just say-”

*Wham*

Before anyone from the crowd could speak up, I had already slammed my only hand on the shocked cleric’s shoulder. Such a dramatic effect, coupled with the grim expression on my face, made the kid gulp uneasily while waiting for my next words.

“You... Young one... You are in mortal danger...!”

The cleric girl blinked once.

Then twice.

Then, an angry frown made itself known on her face.

“’Tis all ya have to say?” I had to hide a grimace as my hand got slapped away with enough force to make it go numb. “My word! The mysterious ‘seer’ so many snipper-snappers love to run their mouths about said that I would be in danger in this heathen-infested cesspit... What a revelation! Truly, I could never have guessed!”

Jeers and snickers of agreement sounded out from the crowd forming near us. Without paying them any mind, I waited for the most opportune moment before delivering a blow that caught the zealot completely off guard.

“The lamb will find her end in the dungeon.”

Whatever mocking remark that was about to be spat in my face immediately died off.

Dead silence descended upon the tavern once more, allowing me to further plant the seed of doubt firmly in place.

“The lamb will perish in despair, and no amount of miracle will be able to bring her back to life.”

“What... How... How DARE YOU...!!?”

Lina Lamb clenched both fists so tightly that her knuckles soon turned white in rage. Yet, before said zealot could raise a single hand to strike down the “heathen” who claimed the miraculous Goddess would fail her – despite having clearly seen how she was favored to the point of being able to cheat death with ease – I had already made my next move.

And, by that, I meant I had already gotten myself down on the floor while muttering nonsense like a loon.

“The lamb... The sacrificial lamb refuses to heed this one’s warning... This one has failed... This one has... AHA!!!”

Blonde, similar to any cheapskate in the tavern who was fortunate enough to watch my 0-star performance for free, got so utterly bewildered by this bizarre turn of events that she could only stare in bafflement as I suddenly shot up, shoved my way past her, then wobbled towards a certain someone standing right behind said cleric.

“You... you you you... yes... IT’S YOU!!!”

Hothead opened and closed his mouth repeatedly like a stranded fish, which was quite understandable given that he was now receiving the same treatment that his comrade just went through.

... Honestly, I could feel a part of myself dying from embarrassment as well.

Alas, needs must. And it was crucial to continue this phony act in the most cryptic way possible – if only to have plausible deniability later on.

Thus, with a hoarse yet hopeful voice, I uttered these words to my mark.

“Xionen... Xionen Poi... That is the name you have told me earlier, correct?”

“Uh, yeah? That’s my name. But why are you askin-”

“Xionen. XIONEN! YES!!! TRULY A NAME WORTHY OF A LEGEND IN THE MAKING!!!”

“What-”

“There is a hidden power sleeping deep within you, my young fren!”

“!!!”

Red looked dumbstruck, as if he couldn’t comprehend what he was hearing.

Soon, however, the kid regarded my baseless baloney with the most appropriate response most teenage boys would do in his case.

“YES! I rutting knew it! In your face, Violet! And you said that all those folklore specials I like to read so much were just a bunch of childish power fantasy nonsense!!! Heh, who’s laughing now!?”

“I... but... you... Are you seriously going to buy this hogwash, Xio...? And you! Villain! What proof can you possibly have to back up your preposterous claims?”

Oh, geez. Maybe the fact that Xionen Poi quite literally means “shounen boy”, perhaps?

Not convinced? Hm... How about the way some underage murderhobos – who completely trashed this tavern without any regard for public decency - also have anime hair with ridiculous colors that make them stand out from the masses?

Still won’t budge?

Alright then.

Lina Lamb.

Lina, Lamb, for crying out loud!

She’s the one that will 100% die first.

After all...

“Four is death”.

“Thirteen is unlucky”.

“Sacrificial lamb”.

These tropes now stand at the forefront of my mind, especially as I rearrange every clue that has been laid out so far.

4 young, overpowered adventurers want to enter a dungeon - which has a timer of 13 days.

We have red, blue and green. Yet, cleric girl is the only team member with blonde hair – aka a normal color that many normal, expendable, people have.

Plus, she also has “Lamb” in her name...

And is also the undisputed strongest fighter of her group...

Which is visiting one of the places where even S-rank fighters can die for real...

Yeah...

Worf effect.

She’s fucked.

.

.

.

Sadly, despite my flawless knowledge of tropes and deductions, revealing such thoughts outright wasn’t possible.

After all.

The only reason why my head still remained on my shoulders, was due to the fact that most people believed I had a hidden backing of sorts.

Courtesy of being known as the “prophet” of some totally real/not fake/please-don’t-lynch-me pretender god, no doubt...

Truly, my slip-up during the very first days in this world never ceased to bite me in the ass...

Anyway.

Shaking the useless thought out of my mind, I turned to look at green - who was getting increasingly impatient the longer I stared into space like a loon prolonged such suspense.

Then, right as she was about to snap at me, I made my move.

“Young hero, listen to this one!”

Ignoring the fuming elf in favor of a very impressionable hothead, I slammed my only hand onto the boy’s shoulder to stress these next words.

“You love your companion, do you not?”

“Huh... huh?”

The boy looked startled – same as the cleric who had frozen up in her track to deliver one express knuckle to some scammer’s face. Both, predictably, blushed bright red at the thought that their “secret” crush on each other might have been compromised.

Of course, I didn’t fail to capitalize on such an opening.

“There is a chance... a single chance to save the one you hold so dearly...!”

To his credit, red immediately snapped to attention upon hearing such. Then, with a grim and determined expression, the boy asked me.

“Please, tell me how.”

I opened my mouth, only to close it right afterwards. A shake of the head here, a reluctant sigh there. These acts should be convincing enough to sell the image of a mysterious “seer”, though such was not my only motive.

With a discreet glance, I gauged the leader boy’s reaction – who stood in patience with both arms crossed behind his three comrades.

Blue had been quietly observing this act from the very start, and I had no doubt that he had already realized how much of a farce it all was.

After all, the supposed “seer” just so happened to have his revelation right before a member of the thieves’ guild was about to get executed? And, if that wasn’t suspicious enough, my actions were blatantly drawing aggro away from said boss, allowing her minions to spirit her away while people couldn’t stop staring at the loud and oh-so-obvious distraction.

Yet, blue decided to turn a blind eye to that.

He also didn’t speak up, even when green asked him to talk some sense into red.

Was it the guilt from attacking me earlier that now held his tongue?

If not, perhaps it was genuine concern regarding his comrade’s safety?

Or...

Maybe...

Just maybe...

“...”

I let the silence stew for a bit longer, before bringing an end to the finale of this act.

“There is a hidden power, sleeping deep within you...”

Red listened to my hoarse, rumbling words with rapt attention, much like everyone else in the tavern right now.

“Such mighty strength would only awaken in your darkest hour. A great tool to get you out of a pinch, no doubt. Or, to avenge someone that you hold dear...”

The kid winced at the mention that his beloved might die, though I already pressed on before he could ask the obvious question.

“DON’T LET IT GET TO THAT POINT!” The shout startled red, as well as the cleric who was about to speak up in protest. “You four will soon enter the dungeon, raring to collapse it. That’s fine. That’s your duty, your destiny. However!”

I stepped away from red, then slowly motioned towards blonde with my right hand.

“Fight. Fight as if your dear companion’s life is already on the line, from the moment you begin the raid. Don’t take your eyes off her until the very end, even if she insists otherwise. Even now, your beloved wants to prove this one wrong. She wants to enter and clear the dungeon on her own, not realizing it will only further seal her fate. DO. NOT. LET. HER! Do you understand? Do you!? One’s destiny is not bound by the strings of fate! It can still be changed!!! Now fly, you fools! FLY!!!”

The entire tavern remained speechless as the full weight of what had been said began to settle in their mind, even as the “seer” retreated deeper and deeper back into his hideout.

Then again, maybe people were simply not used to seeing a grown-ass man flipping his only arm up and down like a penguin, all while causing some empty mugs in his hand to spill droplets all over the way to the kitchen...

I blamed a certain wizard with white beard for doing a better job with his one-liner...

Still... Please let me pass?

.

.

.

Given the explosive noises of shouts and discussions following my departure, yet a distinct lack of any fanatical scream wanting to carve some scammer’s head in, it seemed that I had, indeed, succeeded!

Chuckling a bit, I couldn’t help but raise my fist in the air, even as the kitchen staff – who had no doubt been eavesdropping since as long as ever – began to give me increasingly weird looks.

Who cares! I did it!!!

Give me a high five, big boss!

“Joe, I have already asked you not to be a nuisance to my patrons earlier this evening, have I not?”

Mr. Entor loomed over me with both arms crossed in quite a menacing fashion. It seemed that, perhaps, the tavern owner might not be pleased with the way his precious building once again got trashed by “special guests” who – specifically – came here to see me.

Yet, even against such a hopeless boss fight, I still had one last card up my sleeve...

“Incorrect, sir! If one’s memory is to be believed, your specific words were clearly directed towards some self-proclaimed followers of mine. What’s more, such request also had no mention of a demand being put on the one speaking to you right now!”

“...”

The big, bad boss couldn’t do anything but stare in disbelief as he looked at the piece of paper in my hand.

Some people might call me excessive – or overly paranoia - for writing down specific words and orders from someone who could crush me with ease every now and then.

This time, though?

Who was laughing now!?

Mwahahaha!!!

“Oh for the love of all things unholy...”

After a sigh and one deep pinch of his own forehead, Mr. Entor finally accepted defeat with grace.

“Extra hours. No pay. Not until you fully fix the mess left behind by those newcomers. Got it?”

“...”

I took back what I said. This stingy boss of mine would make for the sourest sour lemon in a loser competition, ever.

What did I do to deserve this, dammit!?

My emotion must have shown, since the big man soon answered such thought with a quirk of his eyebrow.

“Don’t like it? I can just have half of your earnings go towards maintaining a Friday’s special on Wednesday nights from now on, then. Since you broke the rule for those troublemakers, you must be willing to dough out such an expense for every other guest, no?”

“Our fine Happy Dragon establishment will be spotless come morning, boss! You can always count on a hard worker such as this one right here!”

“Um hum. That’s what I thought.”

With that, the big, bad, bald boss turned away and went to bark some new orders to the nosy kitchen staff – who were still sniggering at my newfound misfortune.

As for me, I could only accept such an unfair injustice with grace.

See, this was but a simple setback, one which I could easily bounce back from. I would learn and sharpen my wits! I would prevail over the terrible trials hoisted upon me! This was nothing the world hadn’t thrown my way... Nothing, you heard me? NOTHING-

“Thee can peeleth all these off first, peon.”

The second-in-command of Happy Dragon gingerly dumped several sacks of potatoes right in front of me, and it didn’t take long before the makeshift pile of punishment dwarfed my very own height.

“...”

“What art thee waiting f'r? Chopeth chopeth! Thee still needeth to crisp up aft'r I tryeth out a new recipe lat'r, so maketh sure to bringeth extra wat'r lest this lodging burns down again!”

Having said her piece, the half-dragon munchkin leisurely returned to her station, not forgetting to slam the door shut using her scaly tail with a loud BAM.

“......”

Sighing lightly, I decided to pick up a worn-out knife with my right hand while securing some small potato between two rickety tables.

Yet, even as slices after slices of mind-numbing boringness bore down upon my mind, a chuckle still couldn’t help but escape my lips.

After all.

Despite everything, this job still beat retail by a long mile.

[ | | ]

It took less than a day before something big happened.

Or, in this case, before the gigantic dungeon completely collapsed in on itself, all while a huge aura manifestation resembling some sort of red tiger burst its way into the heavens.

“Look! In the sky!!!”

“It’s not a bird or a plane... Those are the four doves! They actually did it!”

“Unbelievable!!! The boss isn’t even supposed to spawn yet!!!”

“Does this mean that scoundrel was right...?”

As tavern goers turned to stare at yours truly, I could only act my part by giving one wordless nod to no one in particular.

Appearance could mean more than a thousand words, after all.

“Mr. Joe! Is Mr. Joe here!?”

A loud BAM could be heard as someone slammed the tavern’s door open, starling many near it.

Honestly, I had expected this, but wasn’t such a course of action still too soon?

“Mr. Joe, the guild master has summoned you to the adventurers’ keep of Folen Frontier. Please come with us immediately!”

Welp, here we go again.

With a shake of the head, I washed my hand off the dirty mead and meat - which were thrown my way just minutes earlier - before walking towards the heavily armed messengers so many patrons were openly gawking at.

Couldn’t blame these lot, honestly. It was not every day that you could see A-rank fighters running errands, after all.

And thus, I made my steps towards a brave new world, ready to face off against any challenge it might throw my way-

“Ahem!”

-right before going back inside, ignoring my bewildered escorts in favor of a stern-looking boss.

“No skipping work ‘til after your shift is over. Clear?”

“Crystal, boss... Crystal...”

Sometimes, it sucked to be a cheatless mob in this fantasy world, indeed...