An adventurer clad in intricate silvery plate mail walked out of the town’s one pathetic tavern, leaving behind the hearth’s warmth and the din of voices singing along to a Bard’s strumming instrument.

Jerric sighed at the rising mists swirling around the cobbles of the small village of Taamra. In the lull between one song and the next, he could hear Fio inside griping about the lack of “accommodations”. Which meant she couldn’t fleece multiple men from various taverns and inns to buy her free drinks.

Any moment now, the Wizard would sweep out of the doors behind him and complain about the mist. As if the capital, Sormwynn, didn’t have mist in the early autumn like this too.

Remember, the Guild sent you out here for a reason, Jerric reminded himself. He eased his sword in its scabbard and stepped out onto the street, white mist eddying in his footsteps.

Yeah, I remember, he thought bitterly. Fio and Henry kept running their mouths to that Silver Ranker, saying they didn’t need to be babysat on contracts.

It wasn’t as if Jerric had said anything, but as the de facto leader of their party, he was roped in as well.

What Fio and Henry had meant was that they wanted to go on expeditions and contracts solo. They were Steel Ranked for crying out loud! They were only one rank below Silver.

Jerric never did get the name of that Silver adventurer, but she clearly had enough pull to see to it that his group got their wish. Only, they were stationed out in the middle of nowhere at the edges of civilization.

Nothing ever happened out here.

And if it did, the most you could hope for was a Copper or Bronze monster incursion. They were able to do all the contracts they wanted solo sure enough.

Though his group had only just advanced to Steel, the low mana density out here meant the strongest monsters were Bronze–two ranks below Steel–which made them effectively worthless to hunt.

Even if they took every notice on the board at the Adventurers Guild, they’d not only prolong their stay by breaking decorum, but it would hardly take more than a few days to clear the board of contracts.

Something was off about this mist crawling across rooftops and pooling around the base of the squat buildings.

Jerric’s eyes seemed to play tricks on him. Tendril-like feelers seeped across the cobblestones and clawed towards him.

From within the mists, Jerric could sense the power of a Copper essence. The weakest rank, but odd all the same. Not many of the adventurers here had essences.

He squared up to meet the newcomer. Perhaps he could ingratiate himself to the guild branch here and take a few novice adventurers under his wing.

Jerric was a capable Paladin, and despite the poor assignment, he might be able to turn it around into something laudable.

The pale clammy mists parted as a shadow broke through. Jerric found himself staring at nothing. Then his eyes dropped several feet until he found the most peculiar thing he’d seen out here.

A monster emerged from the mist, its shrub-like body sparkling with dew.

The creature paused, blinked yellow lamplight eyes, and looked up at the adventurer while clutching a most unusual item.

Figures the guards in this backwater village would let a monster slip past, Jerric thought with a disdainful shake of his head. The light from the tavern to his right shone on the piece of black glass in the creature’s root-like limbs.

The monster held an [Adventurers Guild Invitation]. The sight chilled Jerric’s blood worse than a Frostwyrm’s Barrow. No monster should ever be in possession of that card, not unless they killed an aspiring adventurer for it.

The Paladin adventurer raised his longsword skyward, readying the killing blow to defend the village and avenge that nameless novice.

Glowing Red magic swirled around his blade from pommel to point, enhancing the weapon with the [Enflame] spell.

This must be a much stronger and far more sinister monster than I would have thought possible! Jerric thought to himself. There’s no way any normal monster would be that cunning and devious to steal an invitation and use it to enter a town undetected.

A scarlet mote shot through the swirling mists, colliding with Jerric’s longsword. Ah, Fio, you always did have a knack for the dramatic entrance.

From the back line, his Wizard cast [Scarlet Weapon], further amplifying the potency of his [Enflame] spell. The effect was so strong that the Red magic spell morphed into [Enflame II].

The small shrub monster tilted its… head, for lack of a better word, watching the adventurer with its yellow glowing eyes, clutching the invitation as if it was the most powerful weapon in all of Almora.

Jerric didn’t spare a thought for the monster’s strange curiosity. In the face of overwhelming and impending defeat, the Paladin hardly noticed the monster’s odd fixation with the card. He would slay the monster, take back the card, and see to the wounded or dead adventurer that it was stolen from.

It must be much stronger than Bronze to have gained enough sentience to enact this plan. The creature might even be Iron, though curiously he couldn’t read its aura beyond feeling a Copper essence.

Strange.

Fighting monsters was the way of this world. Defeating dragons, beasts, goblins, and demons of all kinds granted adventurers power. And slaying this shrub monster would be an easy source of advancement indeed.

Perhaps its nefarious plan would have worked, but it was bad luck for the monster that Jerric and his group were stationed here. An Iron was strong, but they were stronger.

Bringing all of his Strength to bear, the adventurer crashed his burning blade down into the monster.

It hadn’t even tried to fight back. On some instinctual level, it must have known it didn’t stand a chance.

Jerric’s weapon bounced off harmlessly with a strange pearlescent flash of light.

“Kill it!” Henry, their Archer, cried. He fired countless burning arrows into the monster, all to no effect.

“I’m trying!” Jerric snapped.

Up close, the Paladin could see the symbol of the Adventurers Guild plain on the black glass invitation, even if he couldn’t make out the tiny golden letters. The golden anvil with a shiny silver hammer poised above it was known throughout the world of Almora as a symbol of peace and protection.

No monster should have been able to touch it without extreme pain, but this creature was cradling it as if it were the most delicate thing in the world.

Screaming with rage, Jerric took a two-handed grip on his blade and swiped at the small ambulatory shrub. His blade hit some invisible shell of force and only managed to ruffle the damned thing’s leaves.

Sparkling drops of dew flew into the air, and the shrub walked on up the street.

“After it!” Jerric bellowed, pleased to see that several other adventurers were coming out onto the street to investigate the early morning disturbance.

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“I bet it has some amazing loot to make it this far!” called another adventurer, swiping a silvery axe at the monster.

***

Meanwhile, at the center of this latest conflict, the ambulatory shrub sauntered toward its goal, unperturbed by the raucous cries and sudden acts of playful aggression. This scene had played out more than once already, to no ill effect.

Its round puffball-shaped body rustled from the sudden breeze that tickled its glossy green leaves as another greatsword swept inches from its delicate three-and-a-half-foot frame.

Knotted roots shaped like spindly legs propelled it forward. These tall humans are always so friendly! thought the creature.

But he had no time to play. His journey was one of great urgency. Reverently clutched in his tiny rooty hands at the end of wiry arms was a stained-glass card. At four inches by six inches, it was a decent sized item to a human.

To the diminutive bush strolling down the rough cobbled streets of Taamra, it was massive.

The card depicted a shield picked out in gold against the black glass, emblazoned with a golden anvil and a bright silver hammer poised above it. In small shining letters, nearly dancing on the glassy plate, were the words, “Adventurers Guild Invitation.”

The shrub knew the words by heart. He had fallen to sleep more nights than he could remember, tracing the beautiful imagery with his delicate fingers.

Finding this place was hard, and the journey had been arduous. But he was so close! The shrub had a map stuffed away inside its leafy exterior and had read many books the kind Druid had in his possession, but nothing compared to seeing and meeting such curious city-dwellers!

The rough and tumble river of stones the humans called a “street” led the creature straight to the base of a wide building at the center of the town. It towered high into the sky and the shrub leaned back, its bright yellow eyes tucked into the hollow of its body, taking in the sight. They shimmered with unshed tears.

It was beautiful how humans built things that stood taller than the mightiest oak. And yet, they never seemed to marvel at their own ingenuity. From the pictures of some of the Druid’s books, this wasn’t even a tall structure by human standards.

Taamra was a village. The word meant nothing to the creature, but as he strolled along the street, he began to associate the red-tiled roofed structures with the word.

By this point, the humans, in their infinite playfulness, had given up their attempts to engage the creature and instead followed it. The bushy creature didn’t mind. Humans, it was quickly beginning to understand, were a curious lot.

And curiosity should never be stifled.

Steps of cut stone met the bushy creature, but they were steps made for a human, not a bush that didn’t even clear four feet.

Undaunted, the shrub climbed up the steps. He always kept one of its hands on the card at all times. I must not lose it.

Tired but pleased with himself, the shrub finally pulled his short, round body over the last stair. A scantily clad man in furs and shiny buckles set his stance wide and crossed his arms, staring down at the bushy creature.

How kind! thought the shrub. The morning sun was riding high in the autumn sky and with the large human standing where he was, the shade was a welcome relief from the bright early morning sun now that he was out of the protective dewy mists below.

The shrub was used to a much cooler climate up in the mountains.

After a moment’s rest, the shrub ambled straight through the graciously offered path between the human’s legs.

If he thought the shade of the man outside was nice, the cool interior of the Adventurers Guild was divine. Drawing more than a few stares, the shrub made his way through many more pairs of legs as he hurried along to the counter at the far end of the tavern-like room.

Somewhere the sound of running water made the shrub a little homesick, but it pressed on. His goal was closer than ever, and Almora appeared to agree. Floating gold script wrote itself beautifully across the air, originating from the magical core of the world itself.

Quest Updated: Become an Adventurer

You traveled far and wide, venturing alone into a village territory few monsterfolk would ever brave, taking the first steps of your dream to become the strongest S-Grade Adventurer.

Objectives complete:

Survive the journey across the Riven Weald 1/1

Enter Taamra’s Adventurers Guild 1/1

Objectives remaining:

Join the Adventurers Guild 0/1

Rewards:

[Curiosity Essence Gem]

50 [Copper Coins]

Monster Accolades (Rare)

A sheer thrill of joy filled the leafy puffball body of the shrub. There was only one objective remaining!

Once the shrub reached the wide desk of dark polished wood, the creature was unsure how to proceed. With such a short stature, the smartly dressed woman with pointed ears behind the counter couldn’t see the newest applicant to the Adventurers Guild.

Fortunately for the shrub, there was a small stepping stool for just such an occasion, cunningly set to the side where he didn’t notice it at first. Clutching the guild invitation hard to his leafy chest, the shrub hopped up the steps.

The woman seemed to already know it was there, and she was in the process of leaning over the deep counter when the shrub popped up and startled her. She let out a shrill cry and fell over backward just as the shrub put the black glass card on the desk.

Recovering quickly, the woman got to her feet. She straightened her guild uniform, a deep gray suit with edgings of gold and silver. She smoothed the stray auburn flyaways to her head. “Can I… help you?”

The shrub had practiced this moment a hundred times. This was it, the moment the little thing had been waiting for. Unable to rein in his enthusiasm anymore, the shrub squealed with delight, “I would like to be a Hero, ma’am!”

“A-a hero?” she asked.

The shrub nodded.

“May I?” The woman motioned to the card. With the shrub’s permission, she picked it up and examined it. She mumbled to herself, “It’s real…. How in the–” She turned to the side and raised her voice. “Royl, come here a sec!”

Despite his nature, the shrub was not very good at being patient. His mentor, the Druid, had told him trees operate on “tree time” and that as a small tree himself, he should learn to be patient.

The magical shrub, however, thought that the world was too vast to be patient. Too fascinating for waiting. Too beautiful to be rooted to one spot. Perhaps, he had thought to himself, I should operate on “shrub time”.

He tapped his branch-fingers on the tabletop and watched the woman nervously. He could feel hundreds of eyes on his leafy back. She had to let the creature in. It was a rule. Humans were very particular about their rules.

“What’s up Sel?” asked a sandy-haired man in a similar outfit to the woman’s.

“What do you make of this?” She offered the glass card. The shrub’s most precious item.

A few tense moments passed. The man shrugged, passing it back. “Well, it’s legit if that’s–” Only then did he seem to notice the shrub. His blue eyes went wide with shock as he stared into the glowing eyes inside the creature’s bushy exterior. “Sel. There’s a monster bush at the counter.”

“Not a monster!” the shrub cried, taking great offense to the title. “Hero.”

The man slowly turned back to the elf, Sel. They shared a look, then Sel turned back to the shrub. She leaned on the counter with her elbows to get on eye level with the creature. “You said you want to be a hero. Do you mean an… adventurer?” she asked, waving the glass card in her hand.

Immediately, the shrub realized its mistake. “Yes, I want to be a Hero Adventurer!” To him, they were one and the same. But humans, and elves it seemed, set great importance on proper names. He should have remembered!

Sel looked over her shoulder at Royl. They both shrugged, and the man left in a hurry. Sel cleared her throat and stood up, placing the card of glass back on the counter.

She reached down into a cubby out of sight and began to pull out several huge panes of glass edged in bright silver metal. Out came a pointed silver instrument next. A [Stele].

“Okay….” Sel looked around at the growing hushed audience around the shrub. She swallowed hard. This was most unusual. There was no precedent in the guild’s rulebook. She knew every chapter, subsection, and subclause by heart.

If there was no precedent… then it must never have happened. She was nearly giddy with fear and excitement. A monster wanted to be an adventurer!

Though it would not be up to her if the guild accepted his invitation. The guild had a mind of its own.

The shrub looked around and was so proud, so happy, so impossibly joyous that a tiny pale blue berry popped into existence right where its nose might have been.

If it had one.

So many people have come to cheer me on. To accept me as an Adventurer! A family. I have always wanted one of those.

Several official-looking people came from the back. They wore elaborate capes and tall hats that humans were so fond of. I should like to get a hat, thought the shrub. A tall hat, with many adornments.

As the woman nervously set the invitation atop the first pane of glass, a shower of light lit up her stunned face. The blank glassy surface shone with golden light and all the gathered people both behind the counter and in front of it gasped aloud.

The only person who didn’t know what it meant was the would-be monster adventurer.

“It… accepted the invitation,” an older man with a well-trimmed frost-white beard said. “It is… valid.” He looked at Sel and added, “Continue with the registration process. We cannot deny any valid entry. The Guild has made its will known.”

While they were busy, the shrub plucked the berry off its leafy exterior and gingerly placed it into a hollow within its branches, where it kept the map. His [Verdant Inventory] ability created a small place for him to store all of his most precious items far from prying eyes.

Sel did her best to smile at the shrub, despite the sweat prickling her pale brow. She handed the glass card back to the creature. “I suspect you will want to keep hold of this. It has three invites left.” After the shrub took it, she cleared her throat, her [Stele] poised to write. “Name?”

The shrub looked at her curiously.

“What is your name?” she asked again.

For all of his dreams and fantasies, the shrub never considered the question of his own name. He had only started calling himself “he” two days ago! Language was hard.

He was who he was, wasn’t that enough? But he remembered that people were strange and had many names for the same thing.

They even invented whole languages so they could make names all over again! Yes, to live in the human world, he would need a name too.

A good name.

“My name is… Shrubley.”

The best name.