“The adventurer’s guild?” Will asked.
Isabell had said something about him being an adventurer.
“Yes, it’s an organization comprised of class holders.” Chief Kat explained, “If you join them, then you gain the guild's protection. In return you do jobs for them, and they get a percentage of any job you complete.”
“Is there any kind of catch?” to Will it sounded pretty straightforward.
"Well, while you’re at the lower levels they coddle you pretty heavily, and expect you to do the same for others, once you level enough.” She seemed to think for a moment, “Also after you reach a certain rank in the guild there are mandatory quests you have to go on if called, otherwise you can lose your membership.”
“Are the ranks the same as levels?”
“You really don’t know anything do you?” Kat seemed truly surprised at his lack of knowledge.
She opened a drawer in her desk, rummaged around in her desk, and pulled out a small object. Placing it on the desk, it was a palm sized piece of metal. It was made of copper, shaped like a shield, and had an image embossed on the front. The image was a sword, staff, and bow crossed over each other.
“To answer your question, levels and ranks are not the same, but they are loosely related. There are ten ranks of adventurer, wood rank at the bottom, adamant at the top. Any time you hit a level in the tens, and if you have done enough for the guild, you can take a rank up test.”
“So you’re an adventurer as well?” Will wondered if what she knew was common knowledge, or if it was because she was an adventurer.
“Retired adventurer now. To gain the village chief title, you have to be at least level ten.”
That surprised Will. He had assumed that the position of chief was a job, either given or inherited, not a title. But maybe it was a mix of both.
“So then the reason you’re helping me is because of that?”
“That, and I like to think that I’m a good person.” She said with a chuckle, “But if you don’t mind me asking, how did you get to level two in only a day?”
“Is it that uncommon? Max seemed to freak out about it as well.”
“The amount of monsters it takes to get to level one, let alone level two in one day is nothing to sneeze at. If you came across that many monsters nearby, I may need to send out a notice to the adventurers guild for a sweep and clear job.”
“Well I didn’t kill any monsters to reach level one, and then all it took was defeating Alice here to reach level two.”
Kat became very still once he said that, and Will felt a dangerous tension grow in the air. He wondered what was wrong for a moment then remembered what Kat had just said before. You could kill someone to unlock classes.
“Wait not like that, I unlocked my first level by finishing a dungeon.” He held his hand up to show he wasn’t a threat.
This seemed to release some of the tension. He heard a tap, and looked to see Kat putting down a sword that he was sure hadn’t been there before. He realized that she must have an item box as well. Kat let out a deep breath.
“Okay,” She said, “I need you to tell me all about this dungeon.”
“Right,” Will brought his hands back down, “There’s not much that I can tell you, I kind of fell into it by accident, basically right at the end. It's called Twilight’s Edge, and it’s a monster dungeon.”
“That’s it, you don’t have any other information?”
“No, sorry. Like I said, I basically appeared in the reward room. I don’t even know what kind of monsters are in it."
Kat seemed to take a moment to think.
“You entered the dungeon, so you should have the map ability. Do you know how to use it?”
“I know how to make it bigger, and that if a dot turns red then something is hostile towards me.”
“Okay that helps. A lot of how the system works is by mental command, it can sometimes take a couple weeks for someone to get used to how it works.”
“Really, it’s seemed pretty intuitive so far.” Will wondered if his experience with technology in his world helped him adapt faster.
“That's good, it tells me you have some talent, so we can try something. Now I want you to bring up your large map, and imagine letting me see it, like handing over a piece of paper.”
Will understood what she meant. He imagined sending the map, like it was in a text. The map then appeared between them like it was a hologram.
“Excellent,” Kat seemed genuinely pleased, “This is called ‘map sharing’, adventurers who have the map ability can do this.”
Will saw the map expand, adding new locations he hadn’t even been to.
“Each adventurer can add to and update the map.”
“That’s actually really handy.” Will said, happy that he wouldn’t have to guess so much while traveling anymore.”
“It is, the only problem is that the map can only record what was around when you were there, it doesn’t update on its own. That’s why when adventurers go to a new location, they either pay for an adventurer who has been there recently for a map share, or trade if you’re each going where the other just came from.”
“Do all adventurers get maps then?”
“It depends on whether or not there is a dungeon nearby that matches their level.” There must have been a clear look of confusion on Will's face because she continued, “Dungeons restrict access to themselves. Under normal circumstances the maximum level you can be below a dungeon, and still get in, is five. So the dungeon that you entered must be a level five dungeon or below.”
Will remembered when he had cleared the dungeon, it said it was ten or more levels above him. He told her as much, having her let out a string of profanity. When she finally calmed down, Will asked her another question.
“Do the dungeons level like we do?” Will asked, curious.
“No, they just appear at their current level. From what I’ve heard, its level depends on the ambient magic. But you’d have to ask a scholar about all that.” She shrugged, “What I need from you now is to point out where the dungeon is. I’ve been to all the places that were on your map, and I haven’t seen a dungeon there before. So it must be a new one.”
Will looked over the map, Back tracing where he had been until he found the small shapes that indicated the ruins that held the dungeon’s entrance. He pointed to it.
“Right here, there’s the ruins of some castle or fortress, and an entrance that goes underground.”
A marker appeared on the map where Will had indicated. Then it disappeared from the desk.”
“Looks like I will have to send word to the adventurers guild anyways.”
“Why's that?” Will wondered what made the difference.
“Having the entrance be surrounded by ruins, and with a name like Twilight’s Edge, means it’s probably an undead dungeon. I can’t risk a monster outbreak.”
“Is an outbreak dangerous?”
“Some more than others. Dungeons are constantly producing new monsters. When they have too many, they get kicked out. That’s what we call an outbreak. If it’s monsters like the one you have there, in the middle of a forest, it doesn’t really affect anyone. But when you have monsters like the undead, who actively seek out people, then it’s a problem.”
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“It’s kind of a shame,” she continued, “I was hoping that I could unlock classes for some of my people, but it’s fine. The guild pays a fee to members who report new dungeons. Anyways, all of that can wait till tomorrow, if we take much longer my husband will send Isabell after us. Come on, you’re staying with us for the night, there’s a spare bedroom you can sleep in.”
“Oh, I couldn’t.” Will tried to protest, “I have enough money, I can stay at the inn.”
“I’m not taking no for an answer.” Kat stated firmly as she got up, “You helped us a great deal by bringing this information. And no disrespect to Nancy the innkeeper, but my husband is a much better cook.”
The thought of free food won Will over, and he agreed to go with her. The sun was almost set by the time they left. The stalls were packing up their wares, the shop owners were locking up, and Will could see homes lit from the inside by fires.
When they got to her home, Kat introduced him to her husband Filbert, and Isabell’s daughter Poppy. Poppy, upon learning that Alice wasn’t dangerous, Immediately became obsessed with her soft fluffy coat and had to be dragged off to eat by her mother. This seemed to be a relief for Alice who then spent the rest of dinner hiding behind Will.
The dinner was fantastic, Kat wasn’t exaggerating about her husband's cooking skills. Will enjoyed the relaxed pleasant atmosphere. It had been a while since Will had been to a family dinner like this, he had been so busy with work that he really hadn’t been to any family events in some time. The thought of his family, and how he may never see them again, left him quite melancholy for the rest of the evening.
Alice also enjoyed her dinner. Filbert gave her a bowl with cut up chunks of the fruit that Will had seen in the orchard earlier. He explained to Will that they were mint apples, a specialty of the village. Will tried an offered piece, it has the same texture and juiciness of an apple, but tasted like peppermint candy. It was strange to be sure, but surprisingly tasty. Filbert also explained that it seemed to be a favorite with certain kinds of monsters, as Alice was demonstrating, chowing down like there was no tomorrow.
Dinner wrapped up, and Isabell had to drag a pouting Poppy back home, who was not pleased that she couldn’t bring the “cute bunny” with her. Kat and her family sat around the fire, and invited Will to sit with them.”
“So have you given any thought as to what you’ll do next?” Kat asked.
“I think I’ll take your advice and join the guild.” Will told her.
“Excellent, if you don’t mind leaving tomorrow, I can send a letter with you to the guild about the dungeon.”
“Wait there’s a dungeon? Can I go?” Max nearly shouted. Apparently the idea of a dungeon seemed to jolt her out of her half asleep state.
“No Maxwyn, it’s most likely an undead dungeon.”
That seemed to be all it took to discourage Max from going. The color quickly drained from her face, and she looked ill. The look of disgust on her face seemed to be replaced by a thought as she turned to Will.
“Wait, is that how you leveled up so fast?” She asked him.
“Kind of,” he responded, “I didn’t really go through the dungeon the normal way.”
“Still it’s impressive to go into a dungeon alone at your level.”
Max was giving him a newfound look of respect that he didn’t entirely feel like he deserved.
“Do you have any gear or food other than what you came in with?” Filbert asked him, “You’ll need to be properly supplied before starting as an adventurer. We don’t have as much variety as you’ll find in the city, but you should be able to get basic gear for cheaper here.”
“No, I really don’t have a lot.” Will told him, “I got a couple of rewards from the dungeon, some items from monsters, and a mushroom I found while harvesting. I did also get some meat, but I have no way to cook it.”
“Do you mind if I see them?” Filbert asked, “I used to be an appraiser for the guild. That’s actually how I met Kat here.” He leaned over and kissed his wife, who was the picture of a girl smitten.
“Sure, I’d appreciate the help.” Will told him, he also noticed Max roll her eyes at her parents' antics.
Will laid out all he had found, pulling them out of his item box. The first thing Filbert went for was the meat. He turned it around in the firelight, he inspected it, poked it, even smelled it.
“This meat is excellent quality, I’ll pay you three large copper for it all.”
“Isn’t it only worth two?” Will asked
“Let me give you a couple words of advice my boy,” He said with a smile, “Never haggle down, and the right buyer will always pay more than the system suggested price. Now do we have a deal?”
“Sure,” Will said, “I’m not entirely sure I could eat it anyways.” He looked at Alice who had come to sit beside him, seemingly curious as to what they were doing.
“Ah, I see.” Filbert nodded his understanding.
Will was surprised when Filbert put the meat into his own item box, and then removed three large pieces of copper from it as well. He did have the ability to appraise things, so having an item box shouldn’t have been a surprise. He handed Will the coins, and Will put them in his money pouch.
The next items they went over were the other rabbit drops. Filbert liked the quality of the horn, but not the hide.
“Did you use the horn to skin it?” He asked
“Yeah I did,” Will was surprised he could tell, “I don’t have a knife so it was the best I could do.”
“Well it’s not the best, but the tanner should still buy it for a fair price.”
Next he inspected the mana crystal, he was impressed by Will’s luck to have found one. Next the mushroom he found could be sold to an alchemist, but wasn't that rare. The healing potion was the next big thing though.
“I’m going to tell you something now, and I need you to remember it, okay.” All jovialness had left Filbert, replaced by total seriousness, “Only use potions in an emergency. You may have noticed that you have greatly increased recovery rate since you became a class holder, yes?”
Will responded in the affirmative. When he had woken up that morning, all signs of his fights from the previous day had disappeared.
The natural recovery rate of a class holder only increases as your level does. While it may be tempting to use a potion after a fight to stop the pain, that is a waste. Potions should only be used if you’re in back to back fights without time to recover. Do you understand?”
When Will said he understood, Filbert picked up the item that Will was the most curious about, the human mandrake.
“This, this is, this is a legendary item!” He exclaimed as he held one up.
“What!”
Kat seemed just as surprised as her husband as she leaned over to see it better. Even Max’s vision seemed riveted to the root her father held.
“Was this a dungeon reward?” Filbert asked, the others were waiting on his response as well.
“Yes, it was in the chest at the end.” Will replied, “Do you know what it is?”
“Unfortunately no,” Filbert deflated, “you’d have to be a level fifty alchemist, or at level seventy-five to analyze legendary Items. If you had an identification scroll it’d be possible, but those are almost just as rare as this is. My recommendation is to not tell anyone else about these, and sell them as soon as you get to the guild.” He handed it back to Will, “They should sell for a decent price no matter what they do, so put them in your item to keep them safe.”
Just then they all heard crunching as a strong aroma of mint filled the room. Everyone looked over in horror as they saw Alice happily munching on the root.
“Alice no! That isn't a mint apple!” Will cried out.
He tried to wrestle it out from her mouth, like when a dog had something it shouldn’t. It was too late though, Alice managed to swallow the whole thing. They all stood in silence for a moment.
“Do you know what’s going to happen?” Will asked, hoping one of the former guild members would know.
“No idea.” Filbert said, Kat nodded in agreement, “It’s a legendary item, something spoken about in myths. Anything could happen. She could turn into a dragon, or gain eternal life. There's no way of knowing until it happens.”
Just then Alice fell onto her side, unmoving.
“Or it could be poison.” Filbert said matter-of-factly.
Will quickly pulled up her stat sheet.
[Name: Alice
Level: 5
Age: Mature
Class : Tamed Creature
Race: Horned Rabbit(Female)
HP: 150/150
MP: 0/10
SP: 0/100
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 15
Constitution: 15
Intelligence: 1
Wisdom: 2
Charisma: 5
Free Points: 0
(Active Skills)
Charge- Level 3
Jump- Level 2
(Passive Skills)
Enhanced Hearing- Level 2
(Titles)
None ]
Thankfully her health hadn’t gone down, but her mana and stamina were bottomed out. Will waited a few minutes to see if she would recover, but her stats stayed the same. Will wasn’t sure what was happening to her, he didn’t even see any debuffs. Will relayed this information to the others.
“All we can do is wait.” Filbert said, “Let’s see if anything changes by morning. If not, we can try something else."
They all agreed, and headed off to bed. Will hadn’t recovered enough mana yet to safely put his items away, so he carried them to the room that Kat showed him to. He thanked her and got ready to sleep, placing Alice down on the bed. Will stripped off his clothes and gear then climbed under the sheets. He was happy to sleep in a bed again, but worried about Alice. Eventually he drifted into a dreamless sleep, with Alice held in his arms.
----------------------------------------
Will woke the next morning to the sun in his eyes. He felt something soft and warm in his arms and remembered Alice. He flipped the covers off himself to check on her, but when he did, His rabbit companion was nowhere to be seen. In her place lay a young woman, clinging to his side, completely nude.