Ranad,

8:14 am, 17 th Peniel 1091.

"W-w-w-what is this?!" Elecurb screamed, eyes bulging out of their sockets as he stared at the pile of loot that sat on the town square. He was not the only one dumbfounded by the prize. Over half of the village’s population gathered around, pointing and whispering to each other.

Kashi smiled, pleased by their reactions. Once he had woken from his slumber, he had led some of the men to the hideout to claim the treasure in the underground chamber. "It is yours to do with as you see fit."

Elecurb blinked in shock as he stared at the loot. "But this is too much. Why didn’t you take these for yourself?"

‘Inventory Space.’ Kashi put on a show of remorse as he explained, "How could I possibly carry out such a selfish act when people as good and kind of you need them much more than I do."

"Oh, such kindness!" Elecurb cried as he fell to his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks. "To think I ever harbored such unfair hatred towards you. I am ashamed."

Kashi got down on one knee and placed his hand on the elder's shoulder. "Remember what you said to me: Stand proud. This prosperity was borne from your desire to save your village without letting pride or fear get in your way."

Moved by his words, Elecurb stood straight and smiled brightly. "We will forever be in your debt, Kashi-dono."

"Consider us even. You saved my partner last night." Kashi rose to his feet and looked towards the east, his features creased in apprehension and worry.

Elecurb sensed the daeben’s unease and asked, "Where is it you're headed?"

Kashi explained, "My journeys will take me to Lew Creek where I hope to get a sturdy boat."

"Why Lew Creek?"

"It is the closest town,” Kashi said. “I wish to wipe out the remaining pirates around the Atled Delta else they might bring reinforcements to retake your town."

"Sweet Mera,” Elecurb exclaimed in admiration. “You would go that far to aid us?"

‘Of course not. I want the pirates’ loot.’ Once again, Kashi spoke the opposite of his thoughts, "My conscience would not rest easy if I left you to their mercy. I will wipe them out as swiftly as possible."

"There are hundreds of them,” Elecurb exclaimed. “You wish to go alone?"

The daeben struck an impressive figure as he professed with firm determination and courage, "If that is what it takes."

"No! I will not allow that!” Elecurb adamantly refused. “You will be accompanied by twenty of our finest."

Kashi shook his head. "I cannot possibly separate that many from their families after they just reunited."

"Then how about ten men?"

"It is -"

"Five then, and that's as low as I'll agree to go."

Kashi sighed, then lit up with a bright smile. "If you insist so much, it would be callous of me to refute anymore." The real truth was he did not want to lead too many people because of the decrease in EXP points during hunts, the issues of loot and most importantly, secretly obtaining anything of actual value among the pirates' treasure.

"I am glad to hear that. I will summon those who will accompany you,” Elecurb said, then suggested, “In the meantime, I suggest you speak with Cera."

Kashi struggled to remember the name, but nothing came to mind. "My apologies. I am not familiar with that name."

"Ah, yes. Cera is one of the women you rescued yesterday,” Elecurb revealed. “She says she has something important to tell you."

Kashi nodded. "I will be sure to see her."

"Good. Hektor here will lead you to her," Elecurb said, and a teen not much older than Kashi stepped out from the crowd.

Hektor was a heavily tanned young man with red, wild, spiky hair and eyes. He was dressed only in hide shorts, bone wristbands, and a bone necklace. He boasted well-disciplined muscles that glistened with sweat. Hektor glared at Elecurb and protested, "Oi geezer, I'm part of dem five right?"

"Not now Hektor ,” Elecurb refuted. “You are still too young."

Hektor rudely pointed at Kashi. "He ain't older dan me. Yet you let 'im go on dem missions."

Elecurb glanced apologetically at Kashi who shook his head to indicate he was not offended. Elecurb tried to explain to Hektor. "Kashi-dono has proven himself in battle. When you're old enough, you will have the chance to do the same."

Rather than soothe his anger, Elecurb’s explanation only served to enrage Hektor even further. "How’m I s'pposed ta prove myself if ya don't give me a chance."

Elecurb’s patience wore thin, and he berated the young man. "Your time will come. Just be patient!"

"Che!” Hektor spat then turned to look at Kashi. “You, follow me." Hektor led the daeben to a small greenhouse. He entered the building, closely followed by Kashi who doubled over in shock as strong scents nearly knocked him out.

"Wh-what is this?" Kashi asked between coughs.

"I'm very sorry!" a tiny female voice called, accompanied by crashing sounds.

Kashi looked up to see a female wisben face-flat on the floor, her hands in the air to prevent a test tube containing a weird looking liquid from falling. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes," the strange wisben assured as she jumped to her feet. "I'm a bit of a klutz." Green eyes sparkled with curiosity behind a pair of oversized glasses.

Kashi looked at the uncharacteristically short wisben and questioned, "Cera, I presume?"

"Yes, that’s me,” Cera confirmed as she adjusted her glasses. “Sorry about the smell. Hektor should have warned you."

'I don't think he likes me much.’ "It must have skipped his mind due to the festivities."

"I didn' ferget. Seems da brat ain' as tough as 'e thinks," Hektor said with a smirk.

'Who're you calling a brat, brat!' Kashi managed to control his irritation, and instead offered an olive branch of reconciliation. "I do not know what it is I did to offend you, but I apologize earnestly."

"Che! And 'ere I thought ya'd break. Just ya wait. Imma rip off dat fake facade ya fooling alla dem with," Hektor spat and exited the greenhouse, leaving the elves to themselves.

"Sorry about that,” Cera apologized. “Hektor lost his father to the war and his mother to the pirates. He's looking for revenge, but is truly a good kid underneath.”

‘So it was that kind of story.’ Kashi sighed. "Your concern is appreciated, but I am not offended. I cannot begin to imagine what he must be going through."

"Thanks," Cera said as she adjusted her glasses.

Kashi proceeded to the main topic. "I heard from Elecurb-san you wanted to talk with me?"

"Ah, right! Completely forgot,” Cera murmured. “I noticed you couldn't help your partner last night."

"Yes. Unfortunately, I am unversed in the art of Restoration Magic so I could not heal her," Kashi explained.

"Hmph. Magic,” Cera sneered. “Who needs that when you have all that Mera has to offer."

Kashi’s brows furrowed. "I'm afraid I do not follow."

Cera did not seem surprised and questioned, "Do you know of Alchemy?"

A spark shone in Kashi's eyes as he said, "I have some knowledge of it, but sadly am no practitioner myself."

"Ah, is that so. Well, it's much easier to show than explain. Drink this,” Cera said and held out the test tube.

Kashi accepted the concoction from her and downed its contents, smacking his lips at its terrible taste.

You are under the effect of Haste

Duration: 5 Minutes

Agility increased by 120%

Strength increased by 150%

'Holy!' Kashi’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at the prompt. "T-this is really high level! Y-you're a Grandmaster, aren’t you?"

Cera issued a wry smile. "No. Unfortunately, I am yet to be recognized as a Grandmaster. My current project should help give me that status."

Kashi shook his head. "Still, as a Master-level alchemist, you should be quite rich. What are you doing in a place like this? No offense."

Cera chuckled. "None taken. The last ingredient I need can only be found here." She turned around, motioning for him to follow. "Have you head of the Geruk frogs?"

Kashi raised a brow. "Um. If I were to hazard a guess, they're huge frogs?"

Cera laughed heartily as she opened a door on the opposite end of the greenhouse that led to an adjoining room. Kashi entered and would have thrown up had he not already seen something very similar.

The room had shelves with rows of animal and plant body parts stored in jars filled with preservative acids and labels for easy identification. They ranged from fish eyes to troll gut to many other disgusting items. This was one of the disadvantages of the physical loot system. It was disgusting for craftsmen.

"Hmm…” Cera murmured as she observed Kashi’s neutral expression. “That's quite the understated reaction."

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Kashi chuckled. "This is nothing I have not seen before." Seriously, Razznik had dealt with much more disgusting things. If Summoned knew what went into most of the potions they drank, they would all throw up on the spot. "You were saying something about giant frogs?"

"Ah, right, right. I get sidetracked easily,” Cera muttered. “Geruk Frogs are rare and can only be found around the delta. They come in from the Forever Sea this time of year to lay their eggs, but even then, it is difficult to actually meet one in person."

Kashi could see where this was going. "You want me to keep a lookout and get one for you?"

"Oh, gods no. You couldn't possibly carry it all the way here,” Cera refuted. “No, no. Just the tongue is fine. Oh, and if you can get its gall that'll be good too."

New Quest: Cera the Alchemist

An alchemist in Ranad has requested your assistance in obtaining the following items:

Compulsory: Tongue of Geruk Frog

Optional: Gall of a Geruk Frog

Recommended Level: 55

Quest Difficulty: B+

Kashi directed a blank stare Mera’s way. It did not matter how used he was to the body parts; hearing someone order them like they were ordering sweets from the local shop was just disturbing. "S-sure, but I'm afraid I'll need to learn alchemy if I am to be able to get the parts you need."

This was only half-true. As a rule, those body parts could drop as random drops. But with an alchemy skill, he would have a higher chance of obtaining specific body parts after each kill. The same could be said for Leatherworking and other crafts.

"Ah, I see. In that case, come let me teach you the basics,” Cera offered. She directed Kashi to her cauldron where she thought him the importance of balance and the science behind alchemy amongst several other things until he got a notification.

New Skill: Alchemy (Beginner Lv.1)

A field to be walked only by the brave, it takes science from the old and new world to produce items of significant power.

Increases Poison Immunity.

Can now harvest certain items from the environment.

New Skill: Botany (Beginner Lv.1)

Learn to possess a green thumb.

Can now plant and harvest common crops.

A smirk curled up the side of Kashi’s face. He had never been so glad to be classless. Even though the daeben race had an innate ability to learn crafts faster and more efficiently than other races, that ability would have been hindered or improved somewhat if he already had a class.

Since Kashi was searching for a warrior class, it would definitely have hampered his ability to learn crafts. And while he currently did not have the boosts gained from obtaining a Class, a Summoned could not unlearn any skills they had picked up. As a result, the skills would stay with him even after he chose a Class.

Kashi humbly bowed to Cera and offered his gratitude. "You have my deepest gratitude. I will make it my mission to return with the items you seek."

"Thank you. I will let you be the first to test my creation upon your return," Cera offered with a sweet smile.

Beads of sweat trickled down Kashi's forehead. "S-sure, why not."

Bam!

The door slammed open, shocking both Cera and Kashi and they turned to see Hektor standing there with a nasty look in his eyes. "Oi, blackie, dem waiting fer ya."

"Hektor ! You almost knocked over the Ker Bear's innards! Be more careful next time," Cera reprimanded with a stern glare.

The teen shrugged. "Don' know why ya keep dis creepy things."

Unwilling to stand through another banter, Kashi cut in, "Thank you Cera-san. I will be heading out now. I plan to back in nine days at the most."

"Oh, good then. I will see you then," Cera said and turned back to her experiments, the daeben already erased from her mind.

Kashi followed Hektor to the town square where Elecurb stood with five strong looking adults. They were dressed in gear looted from the bandits and held their weapons with practiced ease.

"Your men know battle," Kashi said to Elecurb, surprised by how formidable they actually looked.

"Yes, some of them fought in the Great War," Elecurb said. "It is difficult to forget the techniques one used to survive such dark times. From the right, their names are Iason, Paris, Alex, Narkis, and Jero. They served well in the war and will serve you as well."

"It is an honor to be working alongside brave men such as yourselves," Kashi said with a bow.

"Likewise," they chorused.

The chemistry was not there yet, but Kashi was not concerned. By the time they were done, he was sure he would win them over. "We'll be heading to Lew Creek first. Are there any objections or questions?"

Silence.

"In that case…" Kashi turned to Elecurb and bowed one more time. "I pray that your town is well on its way to restoration upon my return."

"As we will hold prayers to Mera to guide your path."

Puzzled, Kashi said, "It is the second time I have heard that name today. Who is she?"

"Mera is the patron goddess of our village and several others,” Elecurb explained. “She watches over the lives on the earth, the trees, and the animals."

"Ah, I see. Then, I will rely on her guidance,” Kashi said with a smile. “Once again, thank you for all of your assistance."

"No, Kashi-dono. On behalf of all my people…" Elecurb got down to his knees and touched his face to the ground. All the villagers around the square copied his posture as he said, "Thank you very much!"

Leadership +2

New Title: Savior of Ranad.

The people of Ranad consider themselves forever in your debt. They will assist you in times of need and sell items at very cheap prices. It is now possible to do extra quests for the citizens of Ranad.

Fame within Ranad: 350

Overall Fame: +50

Friendship with Ranad Village

1) Kashi 400 Fame Points

2) Lunette 120 Fame Points.

‘Hmm? Lunette?’ Kashi finally understood why he had not gotten any extra experience points for being the first Summoned to discover the town. Someone had already beat him to it.

Kashi put that at the back of his mind for the time being, and said to the kneeling villagers, "No, please, stand. I have not done anything worthy of such praise. But I do promise on my honor that I will liberate this Delta from the grips of evil."

Kashi said goodbye to the villagers, then exited the village, stopping at the outskirts of the town. He called for Kira, and a few minutes later, he saw her bounding down along the road towards him.

"You enjoy the hunt?" Kashi asked when she reached him. He still could not get over how big she had gotten. Just a little higher and she would be taller than he was. Just a short while ago, she was a helpless puppy he could troll. I wonder if this is how parents feel?

She grinned, revealing bloodied teeth and he guessed the answer to be yes. "We're heading to Lew Creek," Kashi said to the five men he would lead for the next nine days. "But, before that, I would like to get to know you more."

The first to speak was Jero, who was a half-elf. His head was shaved at the sides leaving a long, dark brown mohawk at the center. He was quite lean and had chosen daggers as his weapon. "I am Jero, born of an elf and a human. I have lived thirty-three winters, and fought as an infantryman in the last war."

The next to speak was Iason, a tall, muscular Mertian man with dark brown skin, and hazel eyes. His most outstanding feature was a black spiral tattoo on his bald head. Unlike the others, he sported a friendly smile. His weapon was a lance. "Name's Iason, but you can call me Ian. I'm twenty-eight, and fought for a year in the war." His voice was not as deep as Kashi had thought it would be.

Alex and Narkis were twin Masonian men with lightly tanned skin and dark hair. They used swords as their weapons of choice.

"I am called Paris," the last of the group, a handsome Cerulian introduced himself. For a man who had just come out of captivity, he was far too dazzling. Glossy blond hair accentuated by eyes blue as the ocean inhabited a smooth face that bore no signs of hardships. Even his voice itself was light and dreamy. "My age is of no importance, but I will assist you as aesthetically pleasing as possible."

"It is nice to meet you all. Though we may only be together for a short time, you are already irreplaceable parts of my journey,” Kashi said as he looked into the eyes of each man. “As such I shall not allow any harm to come to any of you, and when this is over, your names shall forever be etched into my memory."

The men nodded, but Kashi knew they still had reservations about him. He sighed as he turned around and walked down towards the east where Lew Creek lay. ‘Can't force the issue.’

Along the road, Kashi stopped as he spotted a familiar figure along the path, holding an irregular stone ax.

Hektor glared at Kashi and his party, defiance, and determination in his eyes. "I'm coming wit ya."

"Now, now. Why don't you go back? Elecurb'll have a heart attack," Iason said.

"Oi old man, stay ou' of dis. Tis be'ween dis 'ere brat 'n' I!" Hektor challenged

At his insult, Kashi began to chuckle softly.

"Wat's so funny?" Hektor demanded, hands tightening around his ax's grip.

"You want to join us?" Kashi asked.

"Kashi-dono!" Iason beckoned.

"It is fine," Kashi said. ‘Time to kill three birds with one annoying kid.’ "Kira, Do not interfere," Kashi said, and Kira took a step back as the daeben suddenly dashed forward, fists drawn back for a full blow.

Hektor blocked the blow with his weapon, gritting his teeth at the incredible force behind it.

"Heeh? Not bad," Kashi praised, then applied more pressure onto the ax. Hektor, unable to withstand the force, was forced off his feet and sent flying. Kashi, however, did not relent. He chased after the flying Hektor and punched at the teen.

Despite being mid-air, Hektor swung the ax down towards Kashi who sidestepped out of the way. Hektor did not give up. With a loud roar, he managed to swiftly change the direction of his ax mid-swing to cut towards the daeben.

Kashi saw the attack and rotated downward beneath the strike, then kicked Hektor's chin using the momentum from the spin. Unfortunately, the daeben’s offense did not go through because Hektor had anticipated it and let go of the weapon to block the attack.

Hektor tightened his grip around Kashi’s leg and attempted to lift him off his feet. Kashi, however, was having none of it. The daeben jumped and kicked the rebellious teenager in the face with his free leg.

Hektor released Kashi’s as he recoiled in shock and pain. The daeben, never one to miss an opportunity, kicked at Hektor’s midriff. However, once again, the teenager revealed his near animalistic instinct. He dropped his hands to his stomach and barely blocked the kick. He then launched a swift counterattack and rapidly punched at the daeben.

Kashi winced as each punch passed by his head, missing him by barely a few millimeters. He kept dodging the brute's strikes, then connected his fist with Hektor's in a show of strength after a while.

Hektor fell to his knees and clutched his hand, panting heavily from exhaustion and pain.

Kashi patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "You pass. Welcome to the team."

The five men cheered from behind Kira, impressed by the bout.