When Levi found out about the unknown racial skill, it was before the last rift opened. He was in deep meditation in Nefaria's capital city, Lyraea, training to be an adventurer when Armorica came into the training hall at the guild.

"Levi, I think I'm pregnant! I keep throwing up, I'm exhausted, and if I focus real hard when I meditate, I can almost see her."

Levi's eyes shot open. "I'm going to be a dad!? How much time do we have? Are you sure it's a girl? What should we name her?" Levi blurted out.

"We have plenty of time. I think it's still very early. I don't know, we can come up with some names later. Finish your training today and come home. I'll make your favorite!" Armorica said happily.

Levi nodded his head, brimming with excitement and a grin that stayed with him almost all day. He had a meeting with an adventurer guild advisor soon to talk about his skills and abilities. Many use the help of the adventurers' guild to figure out what path they want to walk. The advisor was an old man in a blue robe with gold lace on the edges, with... you guessed it, a blue pointy hat also with gold trim. The man instructed Levi to begin meditation and allow him to see his status. When the advisor saw his unknown racial skill, he told Levi to stop.

"My boy, have you been told anything about your unknown racial skill?" the old man inquired.

"No, nobody but you and my wife even know that I have it," Levi said.

"Well, it's said that unknown skills are generally some of the most powerful and impossible to know the prerequisite to unlock. For it to be a racial skill, no less, that is extremely rare and can lead to many powerful outcomes." The old man was buzzing at this point. "The difference in unknown skills and unknown racial skills is that it is tied to your very soul; it's part of you. It will grow in power much faster than other skills, and its evolutions could alter your soul. It could give you unlimited power! You could be a true champion of Nefaria! An absolutely talented adventurer you'll become. You will be able to travel the different dimensions and see the world!" The old man was shouting at this point.

Levi was ecstatic leaving the meeting. On his walk, he saw a woman with a cute little girl walking next to her, holding her hand and taking big wobbly steps while giggling, and he froze. It was at this moment he knew he had a choice to make: discover this skill and become an adventurer that roams the world fighting battles and probably dying an early death... or become a father and raise his new family and live a life of relative peace. Levi made his way to his house to tell Armorica the news and his decision.

He returned home and told his wife what happened during the meeting, then told her about how he felt. "You have a gift, Levi. You could become something extraordinary. We will be here safe and sound if you choose that path," she said.

"I want to know my daughter, I want a family, I want to enjoy a peaceful life. That's what will fulfill me. I don't need to walk a path of death and conquest for that," Levi said.

Armorica was a mess at this point, so happy her husband wanted to be a father and chose her and their unborn daughter over a life of adventure and danger. She leaned in for a hug. That's when the alarms started going off, alerting all adventurer guild members to a crisis. Levi stepped outside and a magic orb was flying through the air.

"A rift has appeared at the capital city of Martok. All adventurers able to fight are hereby enlisted to the vanguard. Report to the muster yard for further instructions!" Then the orb flew off yelling the same message. Levi ran as fast as he could to Armorica.

"We have to leave now! A rift opened in Martok. All adventurers are being sent as the vanguard. If I go, I'll be walking that path. My place is by your side with our family." Levi shouted. He had made his decision; he would give up being an adventurer to raise his family.

He would be branded as a class two deserter. Class one is someone that leaves the guild or the military while not in a crisis or war. Class two was leaving during a crisis or war. One and two deserters were generally caught when they entered a different nation or city during the entrance checks. Class three was something almost nobody is classified as. The nation of origin will place a bounty on and actively send investigators out to track down and apprehend. Levi knew he would be labeled as a class two, which would be problematic moving forward. He would have to find a town or city and bribe an official or gate guard. The thought of making a farm out on the fringe was appealing, but Levi didn't have a green thumb. If you asked Armorica, he was the grim reaper of plants with a thumb as dark as the void.

"If we do this, Levi, we'll be labeled as criminals. We'll have to find somewhere to hide long enough to be forgotten."

"I'll go to the market district and speak with a few caravans, and the tavern owner. They should know something, at least point us in the right direction."

"Just be careful what questions you ask and who you talk to. They will be rewarded for turning us in," Armorica said. Levi gave her a kiss.

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"I'll be back as fast as I can." Levi made his way to the market district. There weren't many guards due to the call to arms of the adventurers' guild. The guards were on alert for demons coming from the rift. Martok was five hundred kilometers from Lyraea, but high rank demons could travel that in an instant, and even some low rank fast-moving scout demons could cover that distance in minutes.

Levi found a caravan leader he had seen around before and asked how his trip was to the fringe towns, if they saw anything of note. After a few stories, he asked the man if Levi could buy him a drink and enjoy a lunch on him. The man happily agreed and they went into the tavern named the Maiden's Rest. This was one of Levi's favorite places with the best atmosphere. He placed an order for food and pints then sat down. After a few pints, he began asking about his favorite fringe towns and locations. The man happily told him anything he wanted to hear. He told Levi of Lockden, San Torro, and Haaz. The caravan leader said his favorite was Lockden. Its location and its mayor, while not directly corrupt, the mayor runs the town as his own little kingdom and leaves a lot of the Nefarian politics and minor laws out of his town. He went on to say he thinks the mayor has the town's best interest at heart and that he was a respectable man.

"Hold on a second. Hey Jimmy John! Didn't you just see Reginald, the mayor of Lockden, yesterday?"

"Yeah, and he owes me seventy-five credits. He better not leave town before paying me!" A short bearded dwarf in the back of the tavern yelled, "He's probably on a diplomatic mission to acquire funds for Lockden." He suggested checking with the tavern owner to see if he knows if the mayor is still here, as chances are he was staying at the inn next door.

"Thanks, I'll do just that," Levi said, placing seventy credits on the table for the pints and meal, plus a tip for the waitress.

After speaking with the tavern owner, he confirmed that the mayor of Lockden was still in town. His name was Reginald, and he had a knack for racking up high gambling debts every time he came to town. Levi went to the back corner where he heard the voice yell from earlier but couldn't place the voice to the man.

"Hey Jimmy John! Where are ya!?" Levi yelled.

"Who wants ter know!?" the dwarf shot back.

"I got a deal for ya," Levi said. Levi explained he needed to meet with the man that owed him money so Levi would pay the man's debt with a little interest, and the dwarf would make the introduction. The dwarf was more than happy to take the deal. Levi sat in the back corner of the tavern waiting on the dwarf to find Reginald. Levi waited for about thirty minutes before the dwarf ran into the tavern.

"This be the feller that paid ye tab, Reggie. Not sure why ya want me to hang around, make sure he don't want no funny business?" The man waved his hand.

"No, Jim, I think I'll be okay. So to whom do I owe my gratitude, and why would you pay a stranger's gambling debt?"

"Levi, and I'll be honest, I'm taking a long shot here. I've heard good things about you and your small fringe town. I need a place to... lay low for a long time," Levi said.

"Listen, bud, we get all types like you running to the wild lands to get away from the law. So which is it? Gamblin', murder, or something worse?" Holding his hands up and shaking his head, Levi said, "Nothing like that."

"Ugh, fuck it," he thought to himself. "My wife is pregnant. I am an adventurer with exceptional potential—or so I'm told. I want safe passage for me and my wife to your town and for you to not turn us in. I'll help protect the town and contribute. I simply want a chance... at a life." Levi laid it all out on the table in brutal honesty.

"Well, that's a new one," Reginald said, rubbing his chin. "Say I do this—can I count on you to join the town's militia and train some of the boys? The wild lands ain't no joke, bud. Bandits, monsters, and all in between roam around trying to take from Lockden."

Levi couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You give me and my family a chance, I'll put my life on the line time and time again for you and that town."

Reginald thought for a moment before he grabbed the pint in front of him and cheersed Levi. "I think I can do that, Levi. Meet me by the south gate tonight. We'll ride with the caravan heading for Lockden," Reginald said.

Levi couldn't hide his grin. "I'll meet you there at sunset," Levi said. He was ecstatic that his harebrained scheme actually paid off and now had a way out of the city and a place to hide out. He had to get home to Armorica and let her know the plan.

"And so that's the plan... what do you think?" Levi said.

"What do I think?! Are you crazy!? You want me to trust some random 'mayor' of some town on the fringe, gather up all our stuff and travel a thousand kilometers with a caravan, in HOPES that the guy doesn't turn us in for that sweet reward money?!"

"When you say it like that, it does sound bad... but I can feel it. This guy is different than most, and I can't find any other options. It's this or we stay." Armorica thought for a moment with a deep breath.

She said, "Okay, let's go." Levi's eyes came back to life. "Okay, let's grab only what we need. We have to meet them at sunset; the caravan leaves shortly after."

They gathered the stuff they thought they would need and made for the south gate of Lyraea.

"Reginald, this is my wife, Armorica. Armorica, Reginald." He grabbed her hand and kissed the top while giving a slight bow.

"Ma'am, it's a pleasure to meet you. Your husband has told me the situation. I'll put my neck out just a little for y'all, if you'll do the same for me and Lockden. I understand you can do a bit of healing?" Reginald asked.

"I can do some healing, light ranged attacks, and buffs. What makes you want to take us on? Why? This can't be because my husband paid some barrak debt."

"I feel for you guys. Lockden will always be a haven for those in need, and if you guys get caught, I'll just deny I knew anything. I get a new militia trainer and healer and only have to get you guys there and set up. Seems like an easy win for me," Reginald said.

"Reginald, the caravan's ready. Time to mount up," a militia-man said.

"Armorica, why don't you climb up into that wagon there, and Levi will ride with the militia and me out here. Gives me a chance to get to know him a bit more, and gets you off them feet."

"Why, thank you, Reginald." Levi helped his wife get into the wagon and set up for a long ride, then climbed onto the horse Reginald had waiting for him. He rode alongside Reginald for most of the trip. They were within one hundred kilometers of Lockden when an explosion rocked the caravan. The front and rear wagons were hit at the same time. Mages using fire spells began firing spells into the militia and the wagons. Levi sprang into action, infusing lightning magic into himself and Armor's Bane. He and his hammer crackled with power. Moving like a bolt of lightning himself, he closed the distance on the first mage in the tree line, smashing down on the man's shoulder, blowing the arm and part of his neck apart. Levi swiftly moved down the line, smashing one bandit after another until the last one, who raised his hands, was swiftly cut down by a dark-skinned man holding a small dagger brimming with green energy.

"Lockden don't take bandit prisoners," Reginald said.

After a brief break to fix the wagons and heal the caravan members. "Okay, you should be okay till we get there. Keep it clean and wrapped up. I'll take another look. Also, take this for the pain," Armorica said to the wagoneer, who was very grateful to have a healer on hand to deal with what would have been life-threatening burns.

"That's the last one. I'm ready when you are," she said to Reginald. He motioned to the caravan leader to move out, and they started their last part of the trek to Lockden.

"That was some fine bandit slaying," Reginald said.

"Thanks. I can't believe these bastards are really out here doing this to people," Levi said.

"It's tough out here, and the large cities never have to deal with it. They're so far removed from life out here, all they care about is collecting taxes from us." Levi nodded in agreement. "Also, friends call me Reggie."

"Okay, Reggie, does Lockden have an inn?"