“Santae,” whispered Rygic. A vivid scroll materialized in his mind’s eye, unfurling to reveal his current level of four, which was based on a set of numerical values associated with his mana pool and physical attributes. The spell, formally known as Status, was a very useful spell to gauge one’s abilities. It had been six months since their first day at the Academy, and during that time, most of his classmates had also reached level four, progressing steadily in their training. A few, however, managed to make it to level five, including his friend, Dreck. Although Sage Endo warned that the spell didn’t directly correlate to how powerful you were, Rygic couldn’t help but feel his strength, speed, and overall abilities had improved since his first day on Terra. The classroom buzzed with anticipation as students filled the space, their voices mingling in conversation as they made their way to their desks, eagerly claiming their spots in the pocket dimension that housed their unique classroom. As usual, the weather remained perpetually ideal, and the sun cast a warm glow upon the neatly arranged desks and chairs. Voices began to hush as the students settled into their seats and prepared for class to begin. Rygic, willed the image of the scroll away as Instructor Endo entered the classroom followed by Instructors Artrock and Podaton.

“Good morning. Today marks the halfway point in your first year here at the Academy. As such, it is now time for your first mission, or quest, as the Adventurers Guild calls them. Since the majority of you will most likely sign up with the Adventurers Guild, we’ll stick with calling them ‘quests.’ You are tasked to form your own five-member team comprised of other students at the Academy. I highly recommend you prioritize finding a capable tank and healer as they are rare. Your first quest is to go down to the city sewers and clean out the rat infestation.” Students exchanged glances, their expressions ranging from excitement to a mixture of disbelief and disgust. Instructor Endo, seemingly unphased, slightly lifted her hand and paused briefly for the class to quiet down before continuing without care. “Signup boards have been placed in front of the academy to aid you with finding team members. Once you form a team, you are to report to the guards stationed by the gated entrance to the Academy grounds. You have three days to complete your quest. Should you fail, you and your teammates could face repeating the first six months,” announced Instructor Endo. “Any questions?”

“Surely the city has… people… who are assigned to do this," questioned one student who was obviously a noble, his voice was laced with an air of entitlement. Many of the classmates nodded in agreement, some voicing their reluctant concurrence.

“They do, but as you can imagine, few take that job. As such, the rodent population swells and could cause major problems if left unchecked. Seeing how this would be a good opportunity for our students to undertake their first quest in a somewhat risk-free environment, the Academy has volunteered to handle the issue – a problem the Academy has been taking care of for several decades,” replied Instructor Endo in a neutral voice. “Now, if there are no more questions, good luck. Class dismissed!”

Discussions among students filled the room as they began to connect with fellow classmates and gradually come to terms with their new assignment, their first quest. Rygic looked over to his two friends as he stood up from his desk. Dreck held an eager look on his face while Quart looked particularly fearful. “You okay Quart?”

Clearly deep in thought, Quart slightly jumped at Rygic’s question. “Me? Yes! Why wouldn’t I be?” he quickly replied. “Do you think there’s a lot of water down there?”

“Water? Of course, there’s water. It’s a sewer, Quart,” answered Dreck in a manner as if the question asked was an obvious one.

“Yes, but do you think the water will be very deep?” questioned Quart.

“Ah, I see. Don’t worry, my friend. I’ll carry you if we encounter any particularly deep areas,” assured Rygic.

“And you both know that it’s going to be unpleasant down there as it is. I only hope we can deal with the smell,” added Dreck.

Quart nodded, visibly relieved after hearing Rygic’s offer. “Come on, let’s go to the signup boards before all the good tanks and healers are gobbled up!”

“Good tanks and healers, that in itself will be a challenge,” thought Rygic as they headed down the stairs. Tanks, which was an Adventurers Guild nickname for the heavily armored front-line fighters, tended to have Earth and Fire magic affinities. While there were tanks that did not, they were on the rarer side. Of those, pure Arcane users were the rarest. Healers tended to wield Light and Water magic. Quart could fill in for a healer, though he admitted his healing spells tended to be on the weak side as he focused more on damage.

Exiting the Academy, Rygic was surprised to see small groups were already forming. Shouts for healers and tanks began in earnest and the surrounding area seemed to be permeated with nervous energy. Rygic rushed towards the central point of activity. Everyone appeared to be gathering around a towering recruiting board that was meticulously assembled and provided by the Academy. The board displayed a comprehensive list, containing vital information about each student: their current levels, magic affinities, preferred roles, and a small checkbox beside their names. Once a student joined a group, the box by their name would be checked. Eagerly scanning the board, Rygic's eyes darted across the rows and columns, taking in the array of names and details. As soon as he settled on a possibility, their box was just as quickly checked.

“How’s it looking? See anyone good?” asked Quart who struggled to see the board even on his tippy toes.

“Not good, it's only been a few minutes and most of the tanks and healers are taken,” Rygic said in dismay.

“I can heal if needed,” volunteered Quart.

“You might have to. Should I try shouting for a tank like the others?” asked Dreck.

“I think that is best. I’ll keep scanning the list,” replied Rygic.

“You can count on us!” piped Quart.

Dreck and Quart made their way towards a weathered bench nestled beneath a large oak tree. Wanting a higher vantage point, Dreck stood on the bench and elevated himself above the bustling crowd that had congregated in front of the Academy. With his hands cupped around his mouth, he attempted to project his voice over the surge of competing voices, all vying for attention in the search for tanks and healers. Quart on the other hand would approach any students who were walking alone. It seemed all the tanks and healers were being gobbled up by other groups and after fifteen minutes, Quart began to get discouraged. After making eye contact with one another in hopes that one of them was successful. Each shook their head to confirm they had yet to recruit anyone. Dejected, Quart made his way back to the bench where Dreck was still standing.

“Everyone I asked so far has been damage dealers or support,” complained Quart.

“I haven’t had any luck either. Not a single person has looked this way,” added Dreck. He hopped down from the bench to sit with Quart joining him.

Several more minutes passed by and the two were beginning to worry. Suddenly, Quart broke out in a grin. “Hmm, perhaps we should leverage Rygic’s fame a little bit.” Though Rygic would never admit it, the fact he was the newest elf in House Olden had helped with his popularity. “House Olden recruiting! We need a tank and a healer,” shouted Quart.

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Almost immediately, two nearby student mages approached them. “Hello! I heard you two were looking for group members,” the student with blonde hair and grey eyes called out.

“We’re looking for a tank...you wouldn’t happen to be one?” Quart excitedly asked.

“Why yes, I am. The name’s Sulic Dyemere. My friend here is Trella Rix, who happens to be a gifted healer,” he exclaimed as he motioned towards her and smiled.

Quart was instantly smitten the moment he looked at Trella. Standing tall for a human, her flowing black locks draped in waves, perfectly complementing her captivating dark brown eyes. A warm, sweet smile graced her lips as she greeted Quart with a friendly "hello."

Dreck looked at Sulic and Trella before glancing once again at Quart. He found it hard to believe that two seemingly random students, who conveniently fulfilled both the tank and healer roles, would just approach them at a time when they were on the verge of giving up their search for additional party members, even with the last-minute mention of House Olden. With a hint of skepticism in his voice, he inquired, “Forgive me, but surely you heard the calls for tanks and healers from other groups the moment you both walked outside?” Quart’s eyes shot daggers at Dreck, conveying his adamant disapproval of Dreck’s questioning as he was determined to seize the opportunity to spend more time with Trella.

“A fair question,” responded Sulic. “The answer is quite simple. Rather than sign up with the first group looking for a tank and healer, we took our time to observe potential party members. Can’t blame us, can you? After all, everyone seems to need a tank and healer which gives us the advantage of being selective. The moment I heard your group was affiliated with House Olden, I knew this was the group for us.”

“Sounds reasonable to me!” piped Quart, a little too eagerly.

Though Dreck still had doubts, their answers were reasonable. There was no compelling reason for him to distrust their words. Looking at Quart, Dreck knew he’d already decided the moment Trella smiled at him. He loosened his stance and lightly chuckled as he thought about Quart’s obvious infatuation. “Uh, thanks. If you two are willing, let's go meet our third member who is at the signup boards,” suggested Dreck.

“Lead on,” said Sulic confidently.

The four worked their way towards Rygic. The crowd was beginning to thin out as other parties began to form. They spotted him near the signup boards, his head tilted back as he rubbed his eyes, mentally fatigued from searching the boards in hopes of finding anyone who was overlooked.

“Rygic, we found a tank and healer,” Quart happily announced.

Rygic's exhaustion momentarily faded as he turned to the group and caught sight of Quart's giddy grin. "Excellent!" he exclaimed, relieved to have found the missing pieces for their team. An awkward silence enveloped the group, and all eyes turned to one another, awaiting the introduction that was hanging in the air. Rygic shifted uncomfortably, feeling the weight of the moment, and decided to break the tension by looking at Sulic and lightly asking, "And you are?"

“Sulic Dyemere, fire mage tank. My friend here is Trella Rix, light mage healer,” answered Sulic as he reached out and promptly shook Rygic’s hand with a firm grip. He then added, “It’s a pleasure to work with a member of House Olden.”

“Ah,” Rygic thought. “So that is why they joined us.” Though it slightly bothered him, if he could use the name House Olden to help his friends, he could live with it. Rygic noted the two seemed a bit overly happy. Rygic's gaze shifted between Sulic and Trella, sensing an almost exaggerated enthusiasm emanating from both of them. There was something about Sulic that triggered a faint sense of familiarity within Rygic, but he couldn’t quite grasp the reason behind it. When he looked at Trella, he couldn’t help but notice how undeniable her beauty was. She kindly reached out and gently shook Rygic’s hand with a captivating smile before returning to her earlier stance that just so happened to be rather close to Quart. Rygic slightly shook his head at the sight, it was obvious Quart was quite taken with her. “Nice to meet you both. It's still fairly early, you two up to starting the mission now?”

“Sure thing, we are good to go. The academy has drilled the need to always be prepared into us,” Sulic replied with a chuckle. “How about you three?”

“Same,” answered Rygic. “Let’s head for the Academy gates then.” As the group turned, Rygic exchanged a quick glance with Dreck, who also seemed to express a hint of skepticism towards the newcomers. With a subtle shrug, Dreck silently conveyed his reservations, yet his gesture also indicated that he was willing to give them a chance. Rygic acknowledged with a brief nod, his own thoughts mirroring his friend's. It bugged him that he couldn’t place Sulic despite his lingering sense of familiarity with him. Mentally shrugging, he pushed the thoughts away as they made their way to the guards who would have more details on their quest.

As they neared the gates, a familiar voice called out, "Rygic! We meet again!" Startled, Rygic turned towards the source of the voice. Standing in the doorway of a small watchhouse was Sergeant Balram, looking remarkably better than during their previous encounter. His armor gleamed under the warm rays of the mid-morning sun, and his wounds from the battle with the orcs had completely healed.

"Well met, Sergeant Balram!" exclaimed Rygic, his enthusiasm evident as he approached the guard, followed closely by his party members. While Rygic engaged in conversation with the sergeant, his attention solely focused on him, Dreck was observant enough to notice that the two newcomers were walking slightly apart from their group.

“Ready for your first quest?” asked Sergeant Balram.

“Yes!” replied Rygic, the others nodding in eager agreement.

Sergeant Balram handed a rolled-up piece of parchment to Rygic, who accepted it with curiosity. The group gathered around as he slowly unrolled it, revealing a detailed map depicting the intricate streets of the city. Among them, a street called Mases Street was marked by a distinct red circle, highlighting a specific section.

“The red circle is where the five of you will enter the city sewers to begin your quest. Each group member is to return to me by the third day with one hundred dead sewer rats each. I must reiterate, dead rats. Had a student last year unload live ones as a joke...let’s just say we didn’t take kindly to it.” informed Sergeant Balram with a grim grin. Trella’s face paled when she heard they were to collect forty dead rats.

“Can we assume the sections of the sewer correspond with the streets?” inquired Quart.

“Astute guess! Yes indeed. However, those are just the main sections of the sewer. There are multiple sections that branch off,” answered Sergeant Balram.

“What about running into other students doing their quests?” asked Dreck.

“Every group will be assigned a different entrance, spaced far enough apart to ensure that doesn’t happen,” replied Sergeant Balram.

“Thank you for patiently answering our questions, Sergeant. We’ll be on our way,” said Rygic.

“Good luck to you all. If you remember your training, you should have an easy enough time. It has been years since anyone came out of the sewers with serious injuries,” assured Sergeant Balram.

The group thanked the sergeant once more before making their way towards Mases Street. The closer they got, the more they began to feel anxious about the task before them. Though there was some idle chatter, the group mostly stayed quiet. Quart, attempting to alleviate the mounting tension, nervously chuckled and broke the stillness. "Did anyone catch that part about serious injuries?" he quipped, his voice tinged with a mix of anxiety and forced humor.

“Yeah, I wondered about that myself,” said Dreck.

“Surely you don’t think groups in the past were overwhelmed by the sheer number of rats,” asked Trella. She held a slightly frantic look on her face.

“If their numbers were left unchecked long enough, I can only imagine how many there would be,” replied Rygic.

“So, how big do the sewer rats get?” Quart nonchalantly asked, though the concern in his voice was evident to Rygic. It was clearly a feeble attempt to mask his own apprehension.

“I have heard some of them can get as big as forest wolves,” answered Sulic with a slight grin. He seemed to see through Quart's bravado.

“Forest wolves...bah, bring them on, I say,” proclaimed Quart while puffing out his chest. He silently vowed not to show any signs of fear in front of Trella.

The group began to talk about various strategies and rumors of past quests when suddenly Rygic stopped. “We’re here,” he said while pointing to a circular metal cover in the middle of the cobbled road. They formed around the cover. “Help me lift it out of the way,” said Rygic. He then lifted one side of the lip high enough for the others to place their hands under and lift the lid out of the way, revealing a wooden ladder leading down.

“Well, shall we?” Rygic asked the group before heading down without waiting for the answer.