Entering the marketplace from a nearby city we got food supplies and anything else we'd need for the trip. Arthur and Eldarion had been traveling through the rugged terrain of the Orc Continent for several days now, their eyes scanning the area for the Capital. They were on a quest to find a trainer who could teach Arthur the way to activate his 'Gift of Strength', a skill that would be crucial in the adventure ahead.

Finally, Eldarion spotted the Capital in the distance. It was a large city of huts and shacks, surrounded by a wooden palisade. As they approached, they could feel the hostility of the citizens, who eyed them suspiciously and muttered amongst themselves.

Undeterred, Arthur and Eldarion made their way to the city square and began asking around for a trainer. They were met with silence until an old man approached them. He was clad in tattered robes and carried a gnarled staff. "I hear you're looking for a trainer for the Gift of Strength," he said gruffly.

Arthur nodded eagerly, and the old man led them to a small hut on the outskirts of the city. The hut was small and cramped, with a dirt floor and a thatched roof. Inside, they met a grizzled old warrior who introduced himself as Gorath. Gorath was a fearsome-looking man, with a thick beard and scars crisscrossing his face. He was skeptical of Arthur's abilities at first, but he agreed to take him on as a student. Gorath explained to Arthur that to activate the Gift you have to force your stamina into your soul, which at first confused Arthur to no end but after further explaining he got it and started his training. The training was grueling, with Gorath pushing Arthur to his limits. They spent hours each day practicing how to transfer stamina into the soul.

Slowly but surely, Arthur began to improve. He learned the proper technique, and he developed the Gift further than he thought he would be able to. Gorath was a harsh teacher, but also a fair one, and he took pride in Arthur's progress. As the weeks went by, Arthur became close with Gorath. He would sit by the fire at night, listening to the stories of his youth and the battles he had fought. They even helped the citizens with their daily chores, earning their trust and respect.

Finally, after months of training, Arthur was ready to leave the Orc Continent and continue his adventure. He thanked Gorath for his guidance and promised to return one day to visit him. Gorath grunted in response, but there was a glint of pride in his eye. As He and Eldarion left the city, Arthur reflected on their journey. He had faced many challenges and met many obstacles, but he had persevered. And now, thanks to Gorath, Arthur was able to use the 'Gift of Strength' even more proficiently than he could use the 'Gift of Speed'. Arthur thought it was probably because of the ranking difference between the two but could also just be the months of training he put into the 'Gift of Strength' whereas he didn't train as much with the 'Gift of Speed'.

Gorath told Arthur that the physical Gifts use stamina as its fuel force instead of mana which explained to Arthur why he felt exhausted after using the Gifts too much. Quickly testing out the maximum output that he could get out of the 'Gift of Strength' he felt his strength at least 10x but he could only hold that much strength for 5 seconds before it fully exhausted his stamina, so he stopped after only 2 seconds as to not completely tire himself out.

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"What did you do the whole time? I rarely saw you around the hut." Arthur asked out of nowhere.

"I was out practicing with my bow."

"That's all?"

"Yeah" replied Eldarion.

Arthur didn't fully believe him but it probably was something embarrassing or personal if he didn't want to tell him. Arthur was planning to head back to the Human Continent to check up on the Royal Castle over there, Arthur wanted to catch up with the First Knight as well as spar with him to see if Arthur was strong enough to beat him now. Eldarion on the other hand was going to go back to the Elf Continent to check up on his family which made sense because it's been four months since they left from there. Arthur thought Scarlett and Michael had probably forgotten about him or thought he was dead in a ditch somewhere, that's what he hoped had happened at least.

After traveling for four days they finally reached the middle point where they would part ways, Eldarion to the Elf Continent and Arthur to the Human Continent.

"Here's where we part ways." Eldarion told Arthur

"It does seem like it, have a safe journey back Eldarion. I hope we can meet again soon."

"You have a safe journey as well Arthur, thanks for the little adventure." Eldarion said with a smile. With that, they parted ways.

*** *** ***

Arthur arrived in the Capital two weeks after parting ways with Eldarion, after paying the entrance fee he went in towards the Royal Castle. 'I think this could be considered a vacation right?' Arthur thought to himself while whistling happily and skipping around. He looked like an overgrown baby but he didn't care, he was just happy to be back in his hometown. It felt to him like nothing could bring his mood down until he entered the Castle and found Scarlett and Michael speaking with the King. Arthur quickly tried sneaking away but the King saw him and called him over.

"What can I do for you, Your Majesty" Arthur said bowing down and trying to act as formal as possible.

"I want you to join Scarlett and Michael as you travel towards the demon realm. The First Knight and Scarlett have both vouched for your abilities, so need to worry about that." The King said as if he just arranged a picnic for them. Arthur didn't speak or get up from his bowing position for a solid ten seconds, trying to digest the information he just received. 'This can't be... They'll just kill me when we're alone and say I died in action.' Arthur thought worryingly to himself. He tried thinking of anything to get him out of going but he couldn't think of anything more important than an order from the king.

"Of course, Your Majesty. May I request something we you head off?"

"Go ahead, Arthur"

"I would like to have a month to prepare"

"That sounds reasonable, very well you'll start traveling in a month" Spoke the King with no further discussions about it tone.

Arthur left soon after that, sweating profusely. He can't go with them he knew it, and going with them meant almost certain death. Arthur thought he could probably take them 1v1 and come out on top after a hard-fought battle but a 2v1 was impossible to win. 'Oh how will I get out of this one' Arthur thought with despair