Hero

Sanem Kusvera

Knight

Nimble Hog Hero Company

Level: 36

Strength: 176

Constitution: 203

Dexterity: 118

Intelligence: 168

Wisdom: 103

Charisma: 111

Her main attributes weren’t far from Artivan’s. Her strength and constitution were actually lower than Artivan's despite Sanem being a higher level. The big difference was her dexterity, wisdom, and charisma. Sanem was well balanced, but still had the stats of a knight. A strong knight.

Owin opened his index and flipped to his Attributes tab.

Level: 1

Strength: 216

Constitution: 140

Dexterity: 30

Intelligence: 155

Wisdom: 10

Charisma: 10

Higher strength would only help so much. Owin still hoped he was faster, though his racial feat was only going to carry him so far. He desperately needed some dexterity buffs.

The wind whistled above the small courtyard hidden behind the Nimble Hog’s headquarters. It was hidden from the street outside and surrounded by skyscrapers on all sides. Owin adjusted his stance on the rough cement. There wasn’t a single blade of grass in view. No flowers. No trees. The sky was bright above them without a cloud in the sky.

Sanem stood about a dozen feet from Owin. She held an old wooden kite shield with a few dents around the edge. “This is our arena.”

Owin looked around. The scuffed metal walls on all sides reached about ten feet up before it opened back up to cement and bricks of the surrounding buildings. The backside of the Nimble Hogs’ building had some additional shielding, but also additional damage. Some parts of the metal plating were warped from heat and punctured from some sharp weapon.

The sunlight, no matter how dim it was in the small courtyard, shone on her wide brimmed helmet. Luckily, the metal walls were too scratched and beaten for the sun to reflect off them at all.

“Is it really an arena?”

Sanem surveyed the beaten walls and cracked cement ground. “Well . . . It’s stronger than it looks.” She pointed at a series of cracks near Owin’s feet. “Those are from Chorsay.” Her index flashed as she looked over Owin’s attributes again. “And while you’re stronger than me, you’re nowhere near that giant.”

Owin lifted the Thunderstrike Maul, causing the head to faintly glow. He used his other hand to point at Sanem’s spear. It was made of a wooden shaft with twisting designs, and topped with a simple metal tip. “I don’t want to break your weapon.”

Sanem tapped the spear tip on the cement twice. “The chances of a journeyman weapon breaking an artisan one are incredibly slim.” She twisted the spear, flipping it around as she crouched into a stance with her shield raised.

“How do we fight without killing each other?”

“Sparring is a skill. The feel of a killing blow is something one learns from experience, not from a lecture. I’m sure you know the feeling, but how do you turn it off? That’s what you’ll need to learn. I’m durable. I can take a few severe hits before I even become slightly concerned.”

A knight was a durable class. That much had been obvious from Owin’s experience fighting alongside Artivan. His spells and abilities directly supported his ability to take damage. Was Sanem the same way?

She flashed white.

“Ironclad Stance,” Owin said.

Sanem grinned. “I see you picked up some things. Luckily, I’m a lot different than Artivan.”

Owin pushed off with all his strength, sending him straight across the gap. The Thunderstrike Maul glowed like a star above his head as he swung down. He had moved like lightning and just like that, the fight was done.

Sanem didn’t move fast enough to even look up to see the attack.

A solid object crashed into Owin, immediately throwing him to the side. He landed and skid across the cement.

Sanem hadn’t even lifted her chin to watch as she smashed her kite shield into Owin. She stood in the exact same spot and positioned her shield to be ready for the next attack. “Fast, but not fast enough.”

Owin gasped as he stood up. Burns from sliding over the rough surface marred his arms. The damage was minimal, barely touching his health bar, but the pain was real. Sanem repositioned until they faced each other again. She stared at him, just over the top of the shield. Her eyes were barely visible beneath the helmet. A small jolt of blue left her fingers and snaked into the spear’s shaft before fading away.

But was it? He had never seen that with Artivan. It was into the spear, which likely meant it was something offensive. He could move in from her right side, keeping away from the shield and out of the spear’s range of motion. If he dashed fast enough, he could get her off balance, especially while her weight was increased.

“Come on,” Sanem said.

Owin took off, staying lower to the ground this time. He practically dragged the metal hammer over the ground. Sanem took one heavy step and barely missed Owin with a sweep of her shield. He skidded and swung, letting his momentum carry the glowing hammer forward.

Right as the Thunderstrike Maul appeared to hit, Sanem flashed blue. Her shield appeared right where the hammer should have hit. Before Owin could react, in less than a blink, the shaft of Sanem’s spear smacked Owin in the ear. His body flopped to the ground, where he lay motionless.

The attack hurt a lot worse than the shield bash, but it had obviously been a merciful strike. She had only used the shaft, after all, when she could have skewered him. Owin rolled over, looking at the bright sky.

“Are you alive?” Sanem asked.

“I think.”

She reached down, grabbed his arm, and hauled him to his feet. Despite the help, Owin remained somewhat limp as his mind replayed the last exchange. It had been so fast. He didn’t understand what happened.

“I’ll admit, that was maybe mean.”

Owin brushed off some dust from his clothes, then spun the hammer idly, letting it shine as Sanem laughed quietly to herself.

“Mystic Counter is my favorite. It’s not one Artivan had picked, for whatever reason. I always called him a moron for skipping that one. It’s Power 2, but still the one I use the most.”

“What happened?” Owin rubbed his ear.

“The spell gives me a free counter attack. Just one. It uses a lot of mana, but come on. It’s pretty great.”

“Thanks for not killing me.”

Sanem tapped her spear tip on the ground again. “Instincts. I’m sure yours are better than they were when you started. That was a good move. You made me open myself to an attack. If I hadn’t had the counter active, I would have held back, but on others, that would’ve been all you needed.”

“I used to only jump at my enemies. Artivan told me to stop doing that.”

“You can’t maneuver in the air. Well, not unless you get wings someday.”

Owin didn’t understand that last part. He hefted the hammer and let it rest on his shoulder. “I barely have spells, but I can last longer in a fight. You are faster than I was expecting.”

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Sanem walked backward until she was about a dozen feet away again. “You really trusted Artivan, huh?”

“Completely.”

“I have three people like that in my life. You’ve met two of them.” Sanem exhaled loudly. “It’s hard to imagine not seeing Artivan again.”

Owin diverted his eyes, staring at the cracks in the ground. “Chorsay and Artivan?”

“Exactly. Chorsay might be a bit odd, but he’s got one of the best hearts. Wouldn’t hurt a fly, but he would punch a dragon. The old man will fight for any of his people with everything he has.”

“Who is the third?”

“Raif Kusvera. My husband. He’s the only Nimble Hog on a mission right now.”

“Is he nice?”

“Hm.” Sanem smiled. “Interesting question to ask. Raif is nice. He’s more brash than the other men I know, but I like it. He likes people to know when he’s entered a room.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“No. But it’s not a bad thing.” Sanem tapped her spear on the ground. “Are you ready for a third bout? Try to land a hit this time.”

“I’m ready.” Owin adjusted his grip on the Thunderstrike Maul.

She spun her spear and crouched behind her shield, leaving her eyes barely visible once again. She reacted quickly, but what would she do without being able to see Owin? Something like an umbra or assassin’s ability to turn invisible would be great, though as a wizard all Owin had were his three Power 1 spells. At least now with all of his mana back he could put his spells to use.

But one of the spells could obscure vision. At least for a bit.

Owin used Smoke Cloud, immediately filling the middle of the arena with a dense cloud of dark smoke. Stopping Sanem’s vision was only part of the plan. The Thunderstrike Maul had an obvious weakness. The glow of its charge could be seen through just about anything, especially as it neared full charge. But Owin’s strength didn’t rely on the weapon. He was more than strong enough even before he had found it.

He threw the Thunderstrike Maul into the air as if he had jumped again. It immediately started glowing as it moved. At the same time, Owin dashed forward, launching himself along the ground. He broke through the cloud, spotting Sanem with her shield raised and spear ready for a counter. Her eyes darted down to see Owin as he grabbed her leg, keeping his momentum.

Owin hit the cement and skidded as Sanem’s leg flew out from under her, causing her to crash loudly onto the ground. He let her leg go and stalked back over, dispersing the cloud of smoke.

“Alright.” Sanem pushed herself into a sitting position. “Crafty. I see you have knives in your belt. How many weapons do you know how to use?”

“Knives, hammer, and greatswords.”

Sanem tilted her head at the last one. “Isn’t a greatsword a little big for you?”

“I made it work.”

“Where is that now?”

Owin shrugged. He had discarded it at some point back in the Great Forest, but he was sure it had disappeared by now.

“In a real fight, instead of tripping me, what would you have done?”

Owin drew Naxile’s curved knife and gestured to the back of his ankle.

“Well.” Sanem pressed her lips together. She stood and adjusted the shield on her arm. “It would be efficient, though brutal. I’m not faulting you for that. Brutality has its place. Sometimes it's necessary. In a fight against another hero, it’s you or them. You know that better than most.”

Owin nodded. There wasn’t a moment where he wasn’t thinking about Siora or Nikoletta. Owin had already killed more heroes than he suspected most people did. And even Artivan had sliced one of Siora’s men right in half with the Winged Sword. If he didn’t hold back in a fight, neither would Owin.

“I would guess people will underestimate you because of your level. Most won’t read attributes. They don’t care. They’ll see level 1 and think you’re easy prey. Use that to your advantage. When it comes to survival, there is no need to be honorable.”

“Sometimes we need mercy,” Owin said.

“And sometimes we need people to wish they never met us. Old Artivan knew people well. He had a long life outside of being a hero. He had a hard life of failure and pain. And still, he was the most kind and merciful man I’ve ever met.” Sanem kneeled down and met Owin’s eyes. “If Artivan told you to make sure they wish they never met you, he meant it. He wanted you to survive. This isn’t going to end. People will always hate you for who you are. For what you are. You will scare most people even if you’re kind.”

Sanem looked at the sky. She pulled her helmet off and let it clatter on the cement ground. “So, don’t be. Don’t be kind. Be strong. Find your friends. Find your people. I hope the Nimble Hogs can be everything Artivan promised, but we won’t be able to keep you safe. Not always.”

“What do I do?”

“Get stronger. Get smarter. Make people scared. An honorable hero who doesn’t hurt other heroes is a great story, but it’s not reality. There are no laws in the dungeons. There’s only life and death. No amount of honor will help if you have a sword through your heart. I can’t speak for what Artivan truly meant or what he was thinking, but I know him well enough. He saw how others treated you. Not everyone can be an Artivan.”

“You’re kind,” Owin said quietly.

Sanem smiled softly. “I’m not Artivan. I’m impatient. I get angry. I’m selfish. You know, people have flaws. Especially me. I’m good at what I do, but it took me years of growth and years of experience to become proud of who I am. Artivan never shifted. He was a good person from the day he was born. That I can guarantee. Me and Raif . . . we’ve had a lot of growing to do together. All the Nimble Hogs have gone through something. Those aren’t my stories to share, but . . .” Sanem took a deep breath. “Look, life is complicated.”

“I know.”

Sanem fully sat down and let her shield and spear fall to the cement. “I keep thinking of you as a child. You’ve already been through a lot.”

Owin shifted uncomfortably. “I’m not helpless.”

Sanem gently punched him in the arm. “I know that. You just made me fall on my face.”

“You keep telling me to get stronger. But how? I can’t gain experience to level up.”

“Your best option will be back in the dungeon. Make some money. Do some quests. Find some buffs. If you don’t want to dive back in to hunt for loot, you can take a job for Chorsay. Escort someone through a few floors. It pays well and it’s usually not too dangerous. If you’re with other people, the chances of Void Nexus trying to fight drops significantly. They don’t want witnesses.”

“Uh, what if they just kill the witnesses?”

Sanem sighed. “Yeah, okay. Maybe I can go with you for one mission.”

The sun had started its descent beyond the horizon, leaving the sky just a little darker. Owin watched, waiting for some clouds. He had seen so many in the fake skies of the dungeon, but since he had emerged, the sky had been mostly empty.

“It’s getting late.” Sanem stifled a yawn. “What are you planning to do through the night? I can’t imagine not sleeping.”

Owin hadn’t thought about it. What could he do?

“Want to borrow a book?”

Owin stared blankly at Sanem. She shifted uncomfortably.

“You can’t read, can you?”

Owin shook his head.

Sanem put her helmet back on and stood. She unconsciously spun her spear and tapped the tip on the ground. “Miya is usually awake through the night. She could teach you a few things.”

“Who?”

“You saw her earlier. You, uh, you’ll like her.”

Owin grabbed the hammer and moved toward the door. Sanem’s spear appeared in front of him, blocking his way.

“We still have some sunlight. Thought I’d give you a chance to at least tie. No spells. Just skill.”

Owin immediately pivoted and walked back to the cracks he had stood on before. “No tricks?”

“Not like before. Only straight combat.” Sanem lifted her shield until it blocked most of her face. Her stance brought her much lower to the ground with the spear ready to jab at anyone approaching.

The Thunderstrike Maul was one or two movements from full charge. Would it count as a trick to hit Sanem with its full power? He hadn’t figured out what was special about her spear or shield yet, but their abilities could also be some type of trick.

“Ready?” she asked.

Owin gripped the hammer with both hands and planted his feet. “Yes.”

Sanem lurched forward, stabbing with her spear. The weapon shifted in her hand, sliding out until she caught the shaft near the end. It whistled past Owin’s head as he leaned to the side. She was too far away for him to counter, giving her enough time to retract the spear and prepare as Owin dashed.

He swung the Thunderstrike Maul, letting it charge, in an attempt to swipe Sanem’s weapon away. She effortlessly moved it aside. Owin’s swing went wide, spinning him around as the heavy hammer finished charging. It glowed like the sun.

Owin planted his foot and lent his strength to the swing. He had gotten barely close enough to force Sanem to move her shield into the hammer’s path.

The flat metal face of the Thunderstrike Maul collided with the shield boss on Sanem’s kite shield. Power exploded from the hammer in a flash, blinding Owin.

He quickly blinked away the light and steadied himself. Sanem sat on the ground about five feet away. Her shield looked undamaged, but her helmet had been launched from her head. It rolled on the cement nearby like a top, slowly wobbling to a stop.

“A journeyman weapon can do that?” She placed her helmet back on and hopped right to her feet. The spear effortlessly spun in her hand as she readied herself again.

“What rarity is your shield?” Owin asked. The kite shield didn’t have a single sign of damage on its face. Even the striped paint on the wooden surface seemed untouched.

Sanem’s eyebrows raised mockingly. “Adept.”

Owin opened his index and flipped through the tabs. “I don’t know what that is.”

“Oh. Above artisan, below master.”

Owin nodded, pretending he understood. He dashed forward. Sanem stabbed at his feet, forcing Owin to leap. He swung the hammer overhead, planning to bring it down right on top of Sanem’s helmet.

Instead, he found her shield perfectly placed as if she had expected him to jump in that exact arc. Owin pulled his feet up and crashed into the shield. Sanem’s strength shrugged him off and pushed Owin to the side where he should have landed.

His feet hit the concrete and slipped right out from under him. The point of the kite shield slammed down as Owin rolled to the side. A rumble shook the cement on impact, though no cracks had formed like Sanem said.

Chorsay’s strength was far beyond what Owin could understand.

He dropped the hammer and drew both knives, dashing behind Sanem before she could recover from her missed strike. Her spear swung out, forcing Owin to duck just below the shaft.

He stabbed at Sanem’s waist, planning to drive the knife through her armor with his full strength. The tip scratched the metal just as the spear swung back the other way, catching Owin in the back of the head. It flattened him onto the cement where the knives both fell from his hand and bounced on the hard ground.

Sanem immediately grabbed Owin and lifted him up. “You okay?”

Owin nodded. His head throbbed but there wasn’t anything serious. She could have actually stabbed him, but she had chosen to only batter him each time.

“I don’t know how to fight a spear like that.”

Sanem spun it in her hand again, letting it smack against the ground to stop. “It’s more of a staff. At least it is when I use it.”

The sunlight had continued to fade. Owin collected his knives and watched for some clouds that still had yet to appear.

Sanem tossed open the door. Light spilled out from humming bulbs. “I think it’s time for you to meet Miya.”