We arrived back in Havar less than an hour after I spotted the Adventure Society building. Landing with a splash, Sally docked the ship and we departed at last.

It felt like ages since I’d left Havar for the Goblin King Coronation quest.

Sally left with the director to hand in the completed quest. She promised to give me a fair share of the reward as payment for dragging her out of the arena.

Then, almost as soon as we’d stepped off the dock, I found myself alone in the big city. Well, apart from Panda.

“What’s the plan kid?” Panda asked, lighting up his bamboo pipe as we walked leisurely away from the port district.

I had a few things I wanted to do. With loot money burning a hole in my inventory I figured it was about time to buy some armour, assuming I could afford any.

I’d also promised to replace some of the books I’d ruined in my makeshift defence against Gertrude’s goblin tribe.

Panda had bugged me about it incessantly on the journey home. He complained that he was bored and a lack of mental nourishment would somehow make him less sagely… or something like that.

I also had a few loot boxes to open and I needed to return to the inn to open them.

“I’m thinking, loot boxes, armourer and then we’ll try and get you some books.” I replied casually as we left the port.

As we wandered onto the main street I found myself smiling at the quirky city with its modern skyscrapers, medieval taverns, and races of all kinds.

It really was something straight out of an isekai manga.

“You know you could have opened one of them inside the mountain.” He muttered as we walked.

“Oh yeah, it’s any safe area isn’t it?” I chuckled. The truth was, we’d been so preoccupied with the quest that I’d completely forgotten I had a loot box to open.

I’d also been a bit busy meditating. I’d earned a Duellist’s Loot Box after I defeated Giles in single combat. I was pretty low on stamina and HP after that though so I was taught how to meditate.

Everything had happened so fast after that; the thought had honestly never crossed my mind.

After about ten minutes of walking down the busy main street, I made a turn down an alleyway that Panda assured me was a shortcut to the Sleeping Giant Inn where I still had a room for three nights.

The alleyway was a tight, cobbled back alley and it was deserted. It ran between some shops and cut through to the next street over which was where the inn was located.

We weren’t exactly rushed for time, but I was keen to open my loot boxes before I went armour shopping. The last thing I wanted to do was waste my money on something only to find out the loot box had given me something better.

At the head of the alley a robed man turned off the street and headed towards us. I didn’t pay much attention; the alley was a cut through to the high street after all.

Still, something about his robe caught my attention. It was familiar.

He had his head down as he walked and honestly, he was pretty unassuming.

“Watch out!” Panda yelled, just as we were about to meet him in the middle.

I jumped back, just as the tip of a blade slashed through the air where my throat had been less than a second earlier.

I summoned my dagger and took a few steps back. Who was this guy and why was he attacking me?

Acting on instinct I dashed forward, aiming my blade at his stomach. With lightning fast reactions, he blocked me and with a second, hidden dagger from under his cloak, he struck.

I managed to avoid it, barely, and kicked out at him. He grunted as I knocked him back and I pressed the advantage.

Moving forward I took a swing at his face. He bent himself backwards at an unnatural angle and avoided it. A proper Matrix dodge if I’d ever seen one.

I took a step forward and thrusted the dagger at his exposed chest, but he brought up one of the two daggers he was holding and parried me.

Whoever this robed fighter was, he was very skilled.

I jumped back to reassess.

I seemed to be no match for him in close quarter melee, but I had another trick up my sleeve.

I started walking backwards quickly as I dismissed my dagger and summoned my bow. Nocking an arrow I activated my new skill: Soul Shot. I began building up power into the bow, my internal energy flowing out of my hand and wrapping the arrow with an acid green glow.

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The man dashed forward, both daggers in his hands and I loosed the arrow.

In the cramped alleyway the backdraft from my own shot knocked me off balance and I stumbled. The man couldn’t dodge an attack like this.

There was only room to move forwards or backwards and the arrow’s speed was insane.

It seemed to pass right through him and I cheered internally. No notification came though.

My arrow crashed out of the alleyway and flew into the front door of a shop a street over, blowing the door off its hinges as civilians gasped and cried out.

Oh crap, now I’m gonna have to convince them I’m not a terrorist.

I looked up and down the alleyway but the robed man was nowhere to be seen. Where had he gone? I couldn’t have killed him, there was no notification.

“Well met.” A crackly voice said from behind me.

I spun on my heels, resummoning my dagger. The man was a few meters away from me. I couldn’t make out any of his features. His blood red robes covered him completely and his hood draped over his face.

“Chrysus sends his regards.” He said, before disappearing in a cloud of smoke leaving nothing but a piece of paper that drifted side to side as it fell to the floor.

“What was that all about? Panda asked curiously.

Chrysus, the god of wealth was the man who’d forced me to take his rather useful blessing. He was also the leader of the cult that had captured me.

His goal was to piece together the Celestial Map by skinning the outworlders to get at their tattoos.

He’d asked me to join him and I’d refused. Though he did succeed in getting me to take his blessing. It was either that or die, and the blessing was the only reason I could loot gold from monsters.

I stepped forward tentatively, still on guard from a possible surprise attack, and picked up the paper.

You have been granted the honour of being allowed to compete in the high priest’s tournament.

The winner will become the next right hand of Chrysus, God of Wealth.

The tournament will take place in six months’ time.

Do you accept?

Y/N

“He wants me to compete in some high priest tournament thingy.” I said aloud so Panda could hear me.

“Attacking you in the street’s not a very polite invitation.” Panda replied.

“Agreed. It worries me a bit though. He seemed to find me without any trouble. I wonder if the blessing allows Chrysus to track me?” I said, thinking aloud more than I was talking to Panda.

“Blessings allow Gods to know where you are and talk to you directly. Though they rarely use them for that.” Panda said, taking the paper from me and skimming the text. “This is a big deal. Being the right hand of a god is no joke, it’s instant access to a metric fuck tonne of power kid.”

“Fuck no. I’m not the religious type.”

“Well either way, you should keep the invitation. It’s enchanted so it could be valuable.”

I had to admit, it did pique my interest, but I had no intention of ever serving a god. Especially not a deranged cult leader who wanted to murder 10,000 outworlders to complete a silly map.

The guy was a lunatic and I wanted no part of it.

I touched the paper and added it to my inventory and then walked back onto the main street we’d originally come from.

“Let’s go the long way around, I’m pretty sure I blew up a shopfront with my arrow on the other street.”

“Good idea.” Panda replied. “It’ll be fixed pretty quickly, magic is useful like that, but it’s better to avoid unnecessary confrontation at your level… and the owner will be pissed.”

“Maybe we should stop by the Adventure Society on the way back to the inn. I probably have reward money to collect anyway.” I mused.

Panda nodded and we began walking in that direction. Despite the commotion on the adjacent street, the high street was pretty quiet.

People moved quickly, manoeuvring around each other as they went about their busy lives. They were seemingly oblivious to the fight that had just happened down the alley, or maybe they were just used to it.

The Adventure Society was just up ahead and we arrived a few minutes later. I walked through the large double doors into the foyer. A group of temp adventurers were looking over the quests on the noticeboard.

I’d need to pick my second mandatory quest soon, but we’d just gotten back so it could wait a day or two.

Instead, I walked over to the desk to the beaming, friendly smile of Lucy. She was the blonde catonid receptionist who had a thing for Panda.

“Hello Mr Akabane, good to see you’ve returned safely from your quest. How did it go?” She asked politely.

I distinctly remembered asking her to call me Kaleb last time we’d spoken, but I had been a bit awkward about it so I couldn’t fault her for remaining professional.

“Oh you know, the usual. Killed a lot of monsters, nearly died a few times, got some levels, saved a silver ranker from a horde of goblins. Just a regular tuesday really.” I replied cheekily.

She chuckled at my response as Panda began climbing onto the desk. She helped him the rest of the way up and began fondling his ears.

“It sounds exciting. You’ll be glad to know that Sally handed in the return forms about ten minutes ago. She stipulated that the reward was to be split evenly between the two of you. You must have made quite the impression for a silver ranker to do that. Though I don’t know what a Tuesday is.”

Panda sat quietly as she stroked him, he looked to be thoroughly enjoying himself.

“She’s a good friend.” I replied thoughtfully, ignoring the invitation to explain earthen days of the week.

“Friend? That’s quite the bold statement Mr Akabane, but far be it for me to question you.” She smiled but looked confused.

Was it really that strange for a silver ranked adventurer and a new recruit to be friends?

“So, what’s the reward?” I asked. “Sally never actually told me.”

“Let me just grab it for you.” She said, ducking under the desk for a moment. I heard the distinct sound of jingling.

She appeared back a moment later with a large pouch in her hand.

“Most quest rewards are paid in gold; this one was no exception. Every now and then the guild offers rare items as rewards, but they’re usually reserved for gold ranked quests or higher.

“Anyway, here’s your reward: 1000 gold coins.” She said, holding the coin pouch out towards me with both hands.

I accepted it gratefully, adding it to my inventory. Interestingly enough, I’d earned more than that from my looting power.

Still, a grand in gold isn’t anything to scoff at. Hopefully it’d help me buy something cool before my next quest.

I thanked her and left the building with Panda, I still had loot boxes to open.

“You know, flirting with the receptionist is a bit cliché kid.” Panda said as we left.

“Then what were you doing purring as she fondled your ears?” I shot back.

“Me and her are both animals with evolved intellect. Call it animal magnetism.”

“Aren’t you old enough to be her great, great grandfather?”

“Shut it kid. At least I’m not a furry.”