The Galdurian Arc Warden Academy, Boy’s Dormitory - Primus City
The first thing Drake noticed about his new world upon awakening, was how technologically advanced it was. It wasn’t even electricity based technology, either. It was magic tech. The most important invention being, of course, the shower, with an honorable second place mention to the Magitoilet. There were no sewers on Arcadia, all the waste was just teleported, apparently, to a fiery volcano dungeon whose inhabitants, apparently, liked it. So much so, that said Dungeon hadn’t spewed forth monsters in centuries to attack the civilized world, and in return, adventurers didn’t raid the place. It was as close to peace as the minions of Dagorath had gotten, with the other races.
Vincent had been up at the ass crack of dawn, studying, and Caelum could apparently wash himself off with his magic as he pleased, so Drake had plenty of time to enjoy a steamy spray of perfectly controlled water. It was infinite water, too, so there was no inherent guilt about washing himself in enough clean water to support entire villages, for weeks, on remote or poor parts of the Earth.
This morning, Drake was using his shower thoughts to make a decision: buxom, bouncing, bunny girl, or gorgeous elf Sage? Both blonde, both beautiful, and both healers of significant skill. He knew he had to pick one to pursue, and not lead on, when ideally, he’d get to know them both before deciding. Whoever he showed a preference for was sure to make the other hurt right in the feels though, and despite knowing rejection would hurt regardless, neither young woman deserved to be led on or lied to.
Then, there was also the elephantine skeleton in his closet to consider. He knew how trying to hide one’s isekai status went, and he knew it would get out eventually. All anyone had to do was read his Status to see he was a special boi. How each of them would react to that knowledge, for he intended to share all of it (which was the only way this situation stopped creeping him out because of the age gap) was also something to consider. That conversation would happen soon as well, as he didn’t want either of them falling for his pretty facade and then being disgusted when they learned he was technically twice their age.
Finally, he made his choice. Despite the appeal of Tala’s bouncy bunny booty that his instinct driven eyes had noticed the day before, there was just something about Rose that hit different. She had a Zelda vibe to her but the attraction went beyond mere physicality. “Well Drake Long, looks like it’s Rose for…you…wait a fucking minute…” He muttered, as his cognitive wheels finally turned, and his Earth memories finally made the connection.
It was at that point that Laurelin’s mysterious ‘reference’ with his name clicked into place for Drake. He’d asked her why he hadn’t chosen his own name, and she said that once he understood her reference, he’d probably laugh, and roll with it, knowing him. He was, indeed, physically laughing, as he realized he was now the American Dragon…Monk. Drake Long. Classic.
He heard Laurelin’s laughter in his head, then. “It’s about time, Hero…given how much that show influenced your last life, I was sure you’d remember sooner…and to further encourage you to embrace your new status, Drake Long, if you can spell your name to have the same flow as the theme song, I’ll grant you a Boon.” Drake, of course, knew what she was referencing. Jake Long, the ‘Amdrag’ himself better known to some nerds as the voice of Fire Prince Zuko, had an admittedly catchy flow in his Disney show’s intro theme song. Before the second season had ruined it. He probably hadn’t made the connection since he’d been younger than he was currently when he’d watched the Disney channel for the last time. But that catchy flow still echoed in his thoughts.
“From the D to the R to the A to the K to the…no, that doesn’t flow at all.” He muttered.
He heard the Goddess giggle again, and before she faded away, he asked her a question that had been bugging him since yesterday. “Goddess…am I the only Monk in the world?”
Laurelin answered, her good mood conducive to exposition. “You are the first. There was one other who multiclassed into it later in their life, but they never acquired skills from it, beyond using meditation to focus their mind. Your peers don’t know what you are, because no one has ever properly started or multiclassed to Monk early enough to learn its martial arts. The weapon arts and spellcasting are much more common, not to mention, easier to master.”
“Yea…that makes sense. I’ll work on having my name match the flow of the show. Stay tuned.” She giggled again, wishing him luck, but he was motivated now. She’d dangled the perfect reward in front of him. It was literally too good to ignore, though he couldn’t fathom why Laurelin was offering something that big for something so objectively small, that nobody on this planet would understand as a reference. Maybe she just wanted a laugh, or maybe there was a particular Bard she was grooming to one day literally sing his praises. At this point, that wouldn’t surprise him.
The mornings of his days were, according to Instructor Aslan, to be spent working for the Adventurer’s Guild, to build rapport with their staff, and get their names somewhat known amongst those they could very well one day end up leading on a Dungeon Raid. Everyone else in class had groaned at Aslan’s mandate, though, which led Drake to believe there was a catch. As he arrived in the Primus Adventurer’s Guild, he suddenly understood the catch.
He was still in his uniform, since he lacked any kind of armor, not that Monk armor even existed anyway. Any regular clothing he wore would probably be about as equally protective as ‘Monk armor’, the way he saw it. As he saw his classmates though, he realized he was very much alone in his assumption. Vincent was on his case immediately. “Imbecile!” He hissed. “You can’t wear the Academy’s uniform here! Not only will it get ruined beyond use almost immediately, you just painted a giant blue and gold target on us!”
“Don’ get pissy with him, glasses.” Came an obnoxious, rough voice. They turned to behold three heavily armored and armed veteran adventurers, sporting steel plates stamped with the Adventurer’s Guild’s seal on their armor as a sign of their skill level. “Tha entire place had you newbies pegged as Arc Warden babbies tha moment you waddled in ‘ere.”
Drake stared at the human scum with a bored, blank expression. “And? So what if we’re from the Academy? That means every single one of us has more magical potential in our pinky than your entire genetic lineage.”
The two geniuses beside their truly foul smelling leader made ‘ohoo’ noises, and Drake noted his classmates facepalming. “Big talk frum a kid tha’ showed up in his Academy jammies.”
Drake narrowed his eyes. “This is a uniform, Trash Heap. One representing the colors of the God of Magic. You’d do well to remember that.” The leader looked back at his comrades with a knowing smirk, but if this was a trap, Drake was going to spring it. He was confident he could take any of the losers before him one on one. His level might have been low, but he had the Kung Fu knowledge of a Master in his brain, and a body capable of using it. He was also absurdly durable, which meant his punches hit harder than they should have. “I can change into my bedclothes, if you prefer. I’ll kick your mongrel ass in whatever outfit you want, it makes no difference to a class that uses Light Armor.”
Vincent grabbed his shoulder. “Drake, we’re not allowed to start brawls-”
The sad excuse for an adventurer mocked Vincent’s tone. “Waaaaah! Wuwr nowt awowed to stawt bwawls! Hahahahaha!”
Drake's eyes narrowed, and he found his voice deepening towards what it had been in his old life, as he said, “I’m not going to brawl here, in the Guild of Primus. But if this Human garbage wants a Duel to settle this nonsense, I will happily show him Exactly where he ranks, compared to an Academy First Year.” Drake smirked then, and dropped the bait. “The lowest level First Year in my entire class, I might add. Surely a big stwong steewl cwass Adventuwer can take a level ten, no?” He taunted, mimicking the man’s tone.
By this point, the entire tavern floor of the guild was watching with bemused expressions, and as Drake planned, the crowd made an ‘oooooooh’ as he laid down the gauntlet. The scum didn’t have enough brain cells to wonder why a level ten first year student would do something like this. Anyone with a brain, might have known the Academy did not enroll idiots, and been more cautious, but it seemed the disease of stupidity was as rampant on Arcadia, as it was on Earth. And once again, to his dismay, prevalent among humans. Dimensional Echoes at work, no doubt. “Yer on, whelp.” The man snarled, thrusting forward a hand. “I agree to tha duel. Name tha terms.”
As Drake took his hand, he suddenly knew, without knowing how he knew, that the man was exactly level fifty. High, for a steel rank adventurer, and likely at what Aslan had called the ‘Blood Limit’. Apparently, those without Arc Warden levels of potential had a limit to the amount of levels they could gain, and eventually stopped. According to his research though, a level fifty should’ve been able to advance to the next class of adventurer. Either way, he was practically drooling at the chance for that much experience. A level twenty five construct had boosted him from three to ten. A level fifty seasoned warrior, stupid though he may have been, might just boost him further, especially with his experience gain.
“One on one. No weapons, no potions, no healing. I came here to quest today, and I don’t have time to punch through your potions. Not that you should need them against a level ten.” Drake said, smirking, and gripping the man’s hand tighter.
The steel adventurer was all in, unfortunately for him. “I accept. An’ I don’t want no repercushions from tha Academy when I beat one of their little babbies bloody.”
Drake grinned malevolently, as his grip tightened on the man’s hand even further. The adventurer tried to pull it back, but Drake did not relent as he all but snarled. “Oh I promise…the Academy will hear nothing of this from me.” With that, their hands glowed with magic, as the symbol of a flag bearing a pair of crossed swords hovered over their fists.
“The duel is agreed upon…and in the interest of safety, the Guild will be holding it on the roof.” One of the elven counter attendants said, giving Drake a sympathetic look. Forty levels was an insurmountable wall, as he would soon learn. “Those who wish to watch, should ascend now. This way, gentlemen…”
Drake finally let the man’s hand go, and he sneered at Drake, following the woman. Drake went after them, but stopped as he felt a light hand on his shoulder. He turned, and felt his breath vanish, as Rose’s absurdly pretty eyes locked on his. “You should forfeit, Drake…these Adventurers love situations like this…and if you lose, our class will look weak. Also…I-”
She was cut off by Tala, who sensed a moment happening, and got in front of it, literally pushing Rose out of the way as she took one of Drake’s hands. “I can’t bear to watch you be hurt!” She said with her big golden bunny eyes wide and pleading, “The rules say nothing about a Buff. Fortitude!” She intoned, and Drake blinked, as the divine magic surged into him, significantly raising his health, and strength. For a time.
“Cat’s Grace!” Came Rose’s voice, as she Enhanced his Ability for good measure, boosting dexterity, if he recalled rightly. She gave him a small, shy smile. “Don’t die up there, alright? You’re definitely going to get in trouble for losing, though…the Headmaster doesn’t like bad press.”
“Ladies.” He said calmly, evenly, his mind already calmed and focused, for battle, “Have a little faith that I’ll win. I managed just fine against the Fire Elemental. Compared to that, this trash is nothing.”
“He’s a seasoned level fifty Steel Ranked Adventurer.” Vincent snarled, gripping his staff so hard it would’ve broken had it not been magical. “He’s going to wipe the floor with you. Absolute. Imbecile.”
“Glad to have your support, roomie.” Drake said, smirking at the Enchanter, who looked ready to snap. He leveled his staff at Drake and snarled, “Enhance Strength! Enhance Movement! Chant of fucking Fortitude!” Three more buffs landed on Drake’s person, as he blinked in surprise.
“If you’re going to talk so big…you had better fucking win!” Vincent snarled, making his own way up the stairs the spectators were using, alongside the rest of the class. That left Drake with Tala and Rose, neither of whom was willing to depart first.
He smiled at both of them. “Thank you, both, for the Buffs. But seriously. Believe in the me that’s going to crush that asshole. The prayers of two beautiful healers is all I need, for victory. Watch.” He nodded and smiled at Tala, winked at Rose, and then turned to walk confidently up the stairs. As he went, he stretched his arms, stopping at each square landing to stretch his legs. He could feel the magic empowering him, and as he made it to the top of the building, or rather, a high balcony that had been converted into a fighting field for practicing adventurers, he heard the man’s obnoxious laughter.
“Aww look! Little Academy babby got himself some Tier One Buffs! Bahahaha!” He popped a potion and went to chug it, when suddenly, it was snatched from his hands. Indignantly, he blinked at the Guild Clerk holding his potion.
“The rules were clear, Mr. Kedran. No potions. Magic, like Buffs, is allowed.”
The foul smelling excuse for an adventurer, Kedran, apparently, scoffed. “I don’ need no fucking Buffs to crush this runt. Come on already, fresh meat! I’m starvin’ over here! I’m hungry like a woooolf!” He howled, and his compatriots chuckled. Drake took in the crowd as well, and frowned.
The clerk was equidistant between them, on Drake’s side of the field, were his classmates. Garret gave him an encouraging thumbs up and a confident nod, while Sethis and the rest seemed assured of his imminent loss. Vincent was still fuming, but watching closely. Rosa and Tala were holding hands, united, briefly, in their worry for their hot classmate. Drake didn’t notice, but their resident dark elf, Lyria, was also watching him closely. His performance with the elemental yesterday, namely the way that he moved…intrigued her. It also helped that he was pleasant to look at.
Drake fell into his Dragon Stance, and smirked at Kedran. “A wolf…is no match for a Dragon…”
“Begin!” The clerk shouted, stepping back.
Kedran waltzed forward two steps, and then blinked. Drake was gone. “Wot the fu-” An almighty crack echoed across the balcony, as Drake channeled his buffed speed and his Street Fighter knowledge into a beautiful Shoryuken to the jaw. He was by no means done, though. He could feel his magical power surging through him, and it was showing him details of his opponent that hadn’t been there seconds ago. He spun gracefully as he rapidly landed and adjusted from the uppercut, straight into a high roundhouse kick to Kedran’s midsection. Empowered by magic, Drake’s eyes widened as his durable, hardened foot sent the man hurtling into the white brick wall of the Guild with a resounding boom.
Drake rose from his stance, awkwardly, and looked at the clerk. She was an elven woman with her chestnut brown hair drawn back in a ponytail. “He still has health…should I leave him, or…?”
“The duel will end when one participant runs out of Health Points.” She informed him calmly. Drake nodded, and took his stance again, as Kedran got up, swearing like a sea captain.
“Smarmy…fucking…juiced up, inbred, cousin fuckin’, CUNT! I’LL KILL YO-” He launched a basic Flare at the first year, but Drake was a blur again, gone from where he’d been standing. Another boom filled the air as Kedran smashed into the brick wall a second time, from a speeding gut punch from Drake’s hardened fist. Then, he just started pummeling the man. Eight heavy strikes to his face, followed by Drake going full Rocky Balboa training on cold meat montage on his midsection, and then a graceful sweep of the legs and a falling People’s Elbow to the gut ended Kedran’s remaining health, by his estimation.
The clerk was there, ready to stop him, but Drake was nowhere near blinded with rage. If anything, he was as calm as a still lake. He gestured to the adventurer, and the clerk checked his pulse and status, nodding. “Adventurer Kedran, Steel Rank, is unable to continue! The winner is…umm…” She paused awkwardly, gesturing to Drake, who wiped his brow, and addressed the crowd.
He walked before them, and projected his voice. “My name, is Drake Long. I’m the world’s first Monk!” The crowd murmured, having never heard that word. “For those who don’t know, Monks essentially ‘punch things until they die.’” He said with actual air quotes. “We’re also pretty fast, but not very well armored. I look forward to working with all of you!” Fist to palm, he bowed low, and rose once the slow confusion and disbelief shifted to highly entertained disbelief and raucous insults at Kedran’s incompetence.
“This kid’s a whole new class? The fuck?”
“Wow! I knew that guy sucked, but beaten by a level ten!?”
“Monks are legit, man…”
“He’s going to get demoted a rank for sure.”
“Nah mate, I think the kid is just that good. He’s on an Arc Warden’s level, remember?”
“Nah, you’re right…those kids are just on another level…seeing it in action though…damn.”
Similar murmurings followed the crowd as they descended, and left Drake chuckling. He flexed his fists, testing them. Normally, in his old body, punching someone’s face bones and rib bones would’ve hurt. Now, they barely tingled. “Durability…” He muttered, grinning. “Worth it.”
Then, he felt a familiar press into his back as toned feminine arms wrapped around him from behind. Yet, he did not buckle under Tala’s weight. “You did it! Holy shit! I don’t even…how!?” She shrieked in his ear. Gently, Drake unclipped her arms, and turned to the stunned faces of his class, and the clerk.
“That…was cool.” Garret rumbled in approval, as Sethis, despite his skepticism, nodded in agreement.
“And hot.” Tala giggled. Drake felt his face heat up, suddenly.
“Like a frozen Sun…” Nyara muttered, disbelief plain on her feline features.
“I too would like to know how you accomplished this, Mr. Long.” The clerk stated, amazed how one so young could move so fast. “The disparity in level…this result should’ve been impossible…or at least harder to achieve…” Quietly, she wondered if she was looking at the start of a Chosen One’s rise.
They were exceedingly rare, mortals favored directly by Laurelin and Galdurath, but every few centuries, one would appear. Usually right before a Demon Lord. She suppressed a shudder of fear. Their world had gone centuries now without a new Demon Lord appearing…which meant the next one would be seriously bad news, if the past was prologue.
Drake chuckled, nonchalantly shrugging as he’d already stopped sweating. “Look people, I’m not braggin’...I’m just an American Dragon…Style Monk..” He tried not to burst into laughter, but he did have a wide smirk on his face.
“Amer…ican?” Vincent said, puzzled, irritated, but smiling despite himself. Their new classmate was certainly something.
In the back of his head, Drake heard Laurelin giggling hysterically.
The clerk ahemmed, before the blonde bun could make further advances. “You’ll need to come with me, Mr. Long. The Guild Master is…going to want to hear about this. Having a level fifty veteran so soundly beaten is going to be a big hit to our competence.”
“Or, the start of a meteoric rise from another Academy student.” Drake offered. “Surely the G.A.W.A. is renowned enough for this to not be that surprising, right? We do also have to get started on our Quests, guys.” He made his voice deep, like Aslan’s then, “Time waits for no one…” That, made smirks break out across his still shocked classmates. Every single one of them knew for sure now, their new rapidly leveling classmate was in no way weak.
It was at that point, that Rose spoke up. “I’ll be your party’s healer, Drake…if you’ll have me.” She gave him a small but hopeful smile.
The victorious Hero smiled genuinely back at her. “Gladly, Rose…so now all we need is a tank…” Garret thumped his basic iron breastplate, and gave the pair a nod, “And another damage dealer…” He cast his eyes towards the rest of the class.
At that point, a voice Drake didn’t recognize, because it rarely spoke up, filled the air. “I will aid your party, Drake Long. Your skills are…impressive…if confusing. I wish to see more.” The owner of said voice turned out to be their resident dark elf, Lyria.
Drake inclined his head towards her. “Glad to have a powerful Sorceress along. And with that, I think we’ve achieved a balance of beauty, and brawn, eh Garret?” He elbowed the giant lion man, who chuckled awkwardly, glanced at Lyria, and then looked away quickly. The dark elf smirked at him.
As the rest of the class split up and set off, Drake, Rose, Garret, and Lyria followed the Guild’s clerk up another flight of stairs to what Drake recognized as an elevator. Naturally, like all the other tech he was noticing today, powered by magic. As they made it to the top floor and entered the Guild Master’s office, Drake noted it was considerably less magical. A magnificent, massive red-orange greatsword with a pair of S shaped twin blades comprising its length sat on the wall, covered in visible dust. The master himself was standing before a window, hands behind his back, as he looked out over Primus.
image [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/107dc055-197f-4c79-a8d4-bf5e3018e03b/dj3tlrx-41eb42f9-67c3-49c8-ad97-cf9971c0789f.jpg/v1/fill/w_894,h_894,q_70,strp/guild_master_solus_by_pokefan1337_dj3tlrx-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTAyNCIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzEwN2RjMDU1LTE5N2YtNGM3OS1hOGQ0LWJmNWUzMDE4ZTAzYlwvZGozdGxyeC00MWViNDJmOS02N2MzLTQ5YzgtYWQ5Ny1jZjk5NzFjMDc4OWYuanBnIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEwMjQifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.XtTgE4ph2WjJSrbo1nL771_0e3ZlQAlNPMBsClwKsbU]
“Sir, I’ve brought the Academy student involved in the duel below.”
“Thank you, Kelista. That will be all, for now.” The massive golden armored form rumbled. The clerk gave them all a look, and then hurried off. “I saw your class’s handiwork down there. But even without Buffs, that…Monk, was it? That Monk would’ve torn through Kedran regardless.” The man turned then, and the party blinked, as they saw a scarred human visage, still handsome, despite the damage. Drake blinked, as his eyes and their seemingly new ability to evaluate people registered him as a High Human, like Drake was. Rose was considered a High Elf, and according to Laurelin, the ‘high’ versions of a species were simply those with exponentially strong magical potential in their blood. She’d made Drake a High Human mostly as a joke though, one they had both found amusing. He was glad his patron Goddess had such a good sense of humor.
“Adventurers like Kedran are a stain on what we do.” The Guild Master stated flatly. He’ll be demoted posthaste. I’ve only been looking for an excuse, until now.” The Guild Master crossed his burly arms, then. “You there. Dragon Monk. Step forward.”
Drake did so, and as he did, he once again felt he was in the presence of one who could reduce him to atoms, if they wished to do so. “I am Guild Master Solus, of the Primus Adventurer’s Guild.” He needlessly said, “This effectively makes me the head of the entire Guild all across Arcadia. You seem like a capable fighter, despite your low level. Bring up your Status for me, please.”
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image [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/107dc055-197f-4c79-a8d4-bf5e3018e03b/dj3tty8-eaf3c866-763e-4139-bf44-fe5a52842d2f.jpg/v1/fit/w_828,h_1046,q_70,strp/skills_status_3_by_pokefan1337_dj3tty8-414w-2x.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTk4MSIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzEwN2RjMDU1LTE5N2YtNGM3OS1hOGQ0LWJmNWUzMDE4ZTAzYlwvZGozdHR5OC1lYWYzYzg2Ni03NjNlLTQxMzktYmY0NC1mZTVhNTI4NDJkMmYuanBnIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTE1NjkifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.YGd1VsOHizPDjmSu2qmSSV5rh2Qr71JH4mgcpECerY4]
Drake briefly hesitated, but as the man raised a scarred eyebrow, he did so. Quietly, Solus looked over the information. “From level ten, to level twenty five. Most impressive, but how... Ahh. I see. Lord Galdurath and Goddess Laurelin’s will becomes clear, as their latest ally appears now, in an age of peace that has not known a Demon Lord in generations.” Drake winced as he heard sharp inhales from behind him. Garret, as usual, was taking things in stride, but then, the leonid had known Drake was special since they’d met. It was the girls who were shocked by learning their newest classmate was a Chosen of the Gods. “Drake Long. I am giving you and your party a Quest worthy of your skills. Complete it, and I shall promote you to Mithril Ranked Adventurers on the spot, and give you a bonus in the form of compensation as well. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to protect a herd of migrating Alicorns currently flying over the Elven forest of Silmaril east of here.”
Drake’s eyes widened in shock, and he silently, immediately, reached out to the Goddess. Her answer was amused, but measured.
“Calm down, my Hero. There isn’t an actual Silmaril there. It’s simply a name the Elves of old chose for the land after learning my origin, a story that you don’t have time for right now.”
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Solus was still talking, and Drake blinked as he sensed Rose had now walked up beside him. “…some kind of beast that the Guild hasn’t identified yet. What we do know is that if it’s hunting Alicorns, it’s powerful, and has likely feasted on some before. This mission would be difficult for most Adamantine parties, but with your levels and skills as future Arc Wardens, it should be well within your skill sets. Take a moment, before you accept. Death is a very real possibility.”
Drake huddled up with his allies a few feet from Solus’s desk. “I think our party is ideal.” Garret rumbled. “I say we rise to this challenge.”
“I…really need the money.” Drake muttered. “And I trust in our skills.”
Rose, however, seemed worried. “He said it was a flying monster. Can you handle aerial combat, Drake?”
He nodded. “If our Sorceress can boost me with Fly, it won’t be an issue.”
Lyria scoffed. “I’d need a Pegasus feather to learn a spell that strong. I’m good, not that good. Pegasi are insanely rare. We didn’t all come to the Academy riding in a carriage pulled by four of them. And yes, I did check for feathers once I heard about that.”
Drake grinned at her. “Would an Alicorn feather do? If our lovely Elf Sage can approach one and ask for such a gift, we can help protect their herd. Either way, Garret and I would probably spook them.”
Rose peered at the handsome monk, her cheeks slightly more pink. “More of your strange sometimes-accurate-sometimes-not beastlore?”
Drake shrugged. “From what little I know of Unicorns and Alicorns, they will apparently only tolerate female virgins. Not male ones. So it’s up to you, ladies.”
Rose’s face went scarlet, and Lyria’s darkened to a mix of black and purple. Garret awkwardly looked up and away from both women, wisely not touching that subject in any discernible way. “You assume much Drake Long!” Lyria hissed at him.
Drake blinked. “Oh. My bad. Are you both not…?”
“Of course we are!” Rose whisper-shouted. “It’s still incredibly rude to assume though!”
Behind them, Drake heard Solus failing not to chuckle. “I’m…sorry, ladies. Clearly you’re more sensitive about this than I am. My apologies. The point still stands. One of you can approach the Alicorns, beg a feather, and then we’ll be able to fly against whatever Monster is hunting them. And if that fails…I do have a trump card that can fly me around, but…I don’t know if he’s ready yet. Either way, I’m very much down for this Quest.”
Lyria looked at Rose, then shrugged. “I like this plan. I say we go for it.”
Rose sighed, composing herself. “A-Alright. I don’t want creatures like Alicorns being devoured by some Demonspawn. Let’s save them.”
“Good!” Solus boomed, having heard every word the teens had spoken. They reminded him of his own days at the Academy, back when Galdurath had still taught there. “Now that you’ve accepted, I’ll sweeten your reward, to further motivate you. If all the Alicorns safely make it to the northern continent, I’ll double your monetary reward, throw in some second tier, class appropriate armor, and make you Adamantine rank. Obviously, if you hadn’t figured it out, the Guild and our beloved Goddess Laurelin are very invested in making sure the Alicorns arrive intact. Their role in Arcadia’s ecosystem is vital. Good luck.”
As the party left the Guild’s headquarters, they gathered around Lyria for Teleportation, which was within her skill set. They appeared in an elven city, and Drake got his first proper look at one. He was reminded of Night Elf cities, but this one was much brighter, and didn’t have actual buildings. The homes and businesses had been built into carefully hollowed trees, probably through magic, and the trees didn’t seem negatively affected by that. They’d simply grown around whatever the elves built within them, as nature always did. Instead of resisting that though, the elves of Arcadia had embraced and utilized it to their advantage. Some of the trees seemed as tall as skyscrapers, marking them as ancient.
Seeing his expression, Rose smirked up at him, as he had about a head of height on her. “First time in an Elven city?” Drake nodded. “Some day I’ll have to show you Fangorn, our capital.” Her cheeks flushed slightly, as he shifted his eyes to hers. “If you want to, of course…”
“I do.” He answered smoothly. “Who better than a High Elf Sage to show me around? I think I’d get lost without a guide, it just looks like a forest to me.”
Lyria ahemmed loudly. “If you two are done, we need to get moving, if we’re going to find them before whatever is hunting them.”
Nodding in agreement, Garret and Lyria led the way, while Rose quietly pointed out the buildings to Drake’s eyes. Eventually he saw what gave away a home or business from a regular tree, but he let Rose go on explaining. He didn’t mind hearing her voice.
The journey was long, but primarily boring. They came across a violent pack of wolves, but made ridiculously short work of them as Garret drew their aggro, and the other three punched, burned, and smote them to death. Even Drake hadn’t leveled up from them. To counter the sheer boredom of walking, Drake tried controlling the wind, and getting some airbending under his belt. It’d be incredibly useful for the fight to come. Unfortunately, the wind didn’t answer, but Rose was supportive every time he failed.
When they came upon a small river, Drake had a chance for redemption. Thankfully, the water was more responsive, and he was able to impress his party members with a series of flashy moves straight out of The Last Airbender. They refilled their water canteens, part of the standard Adventurer Kit that came with the usual bedroll, spark stone, and travel rations. As well as, of course, rope.
Figuring his party would be knowledgeable about the composition of their adventuring gear, Drake slyly made a show of examining the rope, and then said, “So uhh, what do you guys think this is made of, exactly?”
The three of them shared a look. Rose shrugged, Lyria was too puzzled to answer him as she just squinted at him, but Garret, bless his big beautiful furry face, said, “Uhh…Hemp? It’s called hempen rope, so…”
“Yes!” Drake whooped, and the others shared another look. No one commented, though. Sometimes Drake asked weird questions, almost like he somehow didn’t know basic things about the world. Like what people made rope out of.
For Drake, the logic was simple. If Hemp existed, then the fun version also existed. Probably. And even if it didn’t, it could. He was still too young for that, but some day, he would once again celebrate the Highest of holidays, for Arcadia also had twelve months, though he hadn’t memorized the names yet. Currently, it was the Earth equivalent of Fall, which meant the school year at the Academy was similar to the one in America, starting in Fall and likely ending for a break in early Summer. The seasons, oddly enough, did have the same names.
He kept trying airbending as they walked, but had a continuous lack of success, until Lyria signaled that she’d found the herd. “Alright ladies,” Garret rumbled after Drake nudged him. “You know what to do.”
Drake gave them a thumbs up. “Good luck!” The girls gave him an unamused look, confirming they still hadn’t forgiven his faux pas.
As Garret and Drake waited in silence, he continued futilely trying to match Jake Long’s flow quietly, to himself. “From the D to the R to the A, K, E…” His eyes widened. That…actually flowed correctly. “I’m the…Dragon Monk…daddy of the N.Y.C. Ya heard…?”
He sat up suddenly, drawing Garret’s attention, and practically shouted it in his head, properly, with the right speed, and he grinned as he felt Laurelin’s amusement. “I knew you’d get there…good timing, too. Choose your Boon, Hero. Or, two Minor Boons instead of a major one.”
“Oh, that’s…that’s gonna need a minute…what qualifies as a Minor Boon, Goddess?”
“Armor, weapons, a reasonable boost to your stats…it’d be easier if you knew what you wanted, and I could tell you if it qualifies as minor, or not.”
“I’ll let you know, Goddess. I appreciate your infinite patience.” She confirmed his words, and Drake sensed her humming his flow in her own mind, to her immense amusement.
A minute later, Drake had his choices. “So…wise and merciful Goddess…would learning another Language not native to Arcadia count as a Minor Boon? The one I have in mind would be from a place you probably know well.”
She chuckled in his skull. “I had a feeling you would eventually ask to wield the Dovah Zul. Hmmm. I’ll allow it as a Minor Boon, with the caveat that you have to learn any Shouts. I will grant you one Shout to begin with, though, for I am a merciful Goddess.”
Drake grinned wider. “Merciful indeed, fair Laurelin. Well, if I’m the American Dragon Monk…only one shout will do!” He heard her chuckle again, as he shouted, in his head, “Dovah…Alok!” Roughly, of course, this translated as ‘dragon rise’ but in Drake Long’s context, it was ‘Dragon Up’. Because of course it was.
“If you find yourself falling short of power in your fast-approaching battle, try your Shout. It will burn a considerable amount of magic, so be aware. Your second Minor Boon?”
“I need better armor than my school uniform.” Drake stated plainly, “and since no such Monk armor currently exists…I was hoping for a robe. Maybe…something white, gold and green trim, with a Yin Yang symbol on the back. Silk, probably, but enchanted with…let’s say tier two magic, with the potential for more. Crafting skills are something I really want to look into…y’know, when I have a minute. As far as effects…turning my movement speed into a flight speed would be ideal to start with. That and the tier two defenses should be enough for a Minor Boon, and it will greatly aid me in keeping your Alicorns safe.”
“Your Boons are granted, Drake Long. Fight well. The beast that is coming is…a true horror.”
As Drake grimaced, suddenly less confident if Goddess Laurelin was calling their opponent a true horror. Then, several things happened at once. Drake was illuminated by a flash of light, and Garret stared, mouth open, fangs visible, as a folded white garment trimmed with gold appeared in his arms. He held it up, letting it fall open before him, and noted a white, silken, breathable top and bottoms as well. Underclothes, for the robe to go over, not at all dissimilar from what monks wore on Earth. “Yessss.” Drake hissed. “Monk armor! I’ll be right back, Garret!”
The black maned leonid just stared, as his ally dashed into the bushes to change. “What…the actual fuck…”
Then, sensing something, the leonid looked towards the girls. The Alicorns were launching into the air in a panic, while Rose and Lyria were readying spells. With a snarl, he leapt from the bushes with a skill designed to help big, heavy bois like him get where they needed to in a timely manner, just as a sparking black claw wreathed in red and black lightning struck at Lyria. Garret's shield pulsed with blue light first, then red, and the beast who owned the claw shifted its burning red eyes to him.
It was a creature from a nightmare, not entirely unlike a leonid, or the Lions they’d come from, but whatever this had once been, Dagorath’s power had warped it into something else entirely. Two massive leathery demonic wings rose into the sky, and Garret noted they were coated in sharp, black armor, as were its forearms and elbows. Its mane was almost white, save for the bloody tint that darkened it, and the leonid knight grimaced, as he saw for himself the ever-lingering stain that Unicorn blood came with. It didn’t seem fresh at least, so their bonus was still intact. Then, he saw its stats, and his eyes widened. Level seventy five. The three of them were just under forty. This was not something they could take. Not unless Drake had another ridiculous card up his sleeve, which, to be fair, he had hinted that he did have. Leveling up had apparently given him several intense new skills, including something that could, apparently, cause near instant death, or at the very least, significant damage that couldn’t be resisted.
image [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/107dc055-197f-4c79-a8d4-bf5e3018e03b/dj3tl9o-61dea173-d757-4578-a285-cc777ec04153.jpg/v1/fill/w_894,h_894,q_70,strp/raiju_by_pokefan1337_dj3tl9o-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTAyNCIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzEwN2RjMDU1LTE5N2YtNGM3OS1hOGQ0LWJmNWUzMDE4ZTAzYlwvZGozdGw5by02MWRlYTE3My1kNzU3LTQ1NzgtYTI4NS1jYzc3N2VjMDQxNTMuanBnIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEwMjQifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.kWfGVNaJg8ieh7WYfaadQttphv4rle9JK7UMq4wUgnc]
Lyria attacked anyway, as a barrage of Fireballs launched from her crescent Moon tipped staff. What truly hurt it though, was the Smite that Rose landed on it, manifested as a slash of divine light. “Anyone remember what the fuck a Raiju is!?” Garret shouted, but the girls both answered with a negative. “Balls.” He rumbled. The name of the game now, was kiting it away from the Alicorns. Even if they fell and became its next meal, the mythical winged and horned creatures would be given a significant head start. “I’ll kite it!” He shouted, “Rose! Hasten them!”
Forcing the sparking claw away, Garret bravely charged the beast and forced it to step backwards as he sliced at its paws and face. It leapt back into the air, snarling as lightning began building around it. He had no doubt Drake was coming, his new friend was probably just waiting for an opening. “Starting Debuffs!” Lyria called out, as she used her innate sorcerer powers to cast three spells at once. Then, once the relatively quick debuffs fell over the Raiju, she summoned a Lightning Elemental. “Divert its attacks! Or we’re dead!” She ordered. The being composed of pure plasma made a nodding motion where its eyes were, and shot into the air above the Raiju, waiting to strike.
Garret, for his part, was going blow for blow with the massive beast, but Rose kept having to heal him, as each one lowered him by half his health points. The creature’s claws and serrated metal covered wings were cutting through his plate like a hot knife through butter. “Where the fuck is Drake!?” She shouted.
“He’ll be here!” Garret roared. “Keep your Magic replenished, and focus! We can do this!” Despite his words, Garret knew they were, at most, keeping the Raiju at bay so far. The damage they were dealing was negligible, and Lyria’s spells seemed to be resisted. They had limited magic potions, too. This stalemate they’d managed to force with their tactics so far could not last. Garret activated his damage mitigating buffs specific to his class as Rose chugged one potion, and his body surged with white energy as Lyria cast Enlarge on him. With a feral grin, the dark maned knight empowered by powerful defensive skills rose to the Raiju’s eye level, and with a pair of roars that shook the forest, the two leonine figures clashed.
For his part, Drake had been about to jump in, it had just taken a minute to attune to his new clothes. Once he did, he launched into the sky, and got some height. Reaching level twenty five had come with some new skills, though he hadn’t had a chance to try them out yet. His Step of the Wind got him into place instantly, and he saw Rose and Lyria notice him first. From under his hood, he had a cocky smirk. Quivering Palm, a technique that might well save them here with the sheer amount of damage it did, needed an opening, which meant he needed to make one. Thankfully, he had something that could, probably, do that too, since it wasn’t technically a magic based attack. They needed damage this thing wouldn’t resist.
That was where his new Ki Blast came in. That one, he had tried on the road, and though he hadn’t told the others, he felt he could make them bigger. Much bigger. At the price of more magic power, of course. Despite not being a magical attack, using Ki still burned his magic energy pretty significantly.
image [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/107dc055-197f-4c79-a8d4-bf5e3018e03b/dj3tlgm-fc3a0f05-184a-4001-a630-c345e499eff4.jpg/v1/fill/w_894,h_894,q_70,strp/dovah_alok_by_pokefan1337_dj3tlgm-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTAyNCIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzEwN2RjMDU1LTE5N2YtNGM3OS1hOGQ0LWJmNWUzMDE4ZTAzYlwvZGozdGxnbS1mYzNhMGYwNS0xODRhLTQwMDEtYTYzMC1jMzQ1ZTQ5OWVmZjQuanBnIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEwMjQifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.3ihvzWmq-DsbV0Lq-1q_VI7Yl5Acu0AoT8NonCtyBP8]
“Dovah Alok!” His Shout cracked through the air, and as promised, seemed to function like the Kaio Ken from Dragonball Z, in that it greatly enhanced his attack power, briefly, for a heavy price on his body. Wasting no time, he lowered his hands by his sides, and created a new move as he summoned his Ki Blast, and forced it to grow. Purely for fun, he started shouting, “Kaaaa…meeeeh…”
He smirked, as he heard Laurelin in his head. “Oh wow, you’re actually trying it mid-combat!?”
“Haaaa…! Meeeeeeh!” The Raiju, sensing the growing source of Ki, turned its foul eyes to Drake, but Garret was there, smashing its muzzle with his giant shield, and forcing its focus on him as he continued brutally bashing its feline face. Lightning arced around the creature in a deadly display and shot towards Garret, but the Lightning Elemental tanked it. It could do that, at most, one more time. Drake didn’t wait, they needed to damage this thing as fast as possible, before Rose ran out of magic. “HAAAAAAAAAA!” Using his magic and his manipulation of his bodily Ki that had come with leveling up, Drake imposed his will on the empowered Ki Blast, making it take the iconic beam shape he desired.
The area turned bright white from the light it gave off, as it shot down towards the Raiju, hammering it right between the wing joints, and slamming it into the ground. A significant portion of its health was removed, but the creature was nowhere near done yet. It still, unfortunately, had over half its health points, while Drake felt his considerable magic pool rapidly depleting. As soon as his Kamehameha Wave struck, Drake shot downward, readying his Quivering Palm, as Garret further pinned the creature by stabbing his sword through its right paw. Rose and Lyria hammered it with spells, and Drake felt a buff empower him, specifically his health again, as he landed on the creature, and disrupted its natural bodily Ki with his glowing red palm.
Drake grinned, as he sensed the Raiju, considerable constitution though it had, fail to resist the technique (It rolled a 5). Drake kept brutally pounding its wing joint with his glowing crimson fists, as his Quivering Palm worked slightly different from the table top version. He needed to strike his target repeatedly to make the internal waves of force damaging its organs take effect. Empowered as he was by his Shout, this was not hard to do, and the party watched, in awe and disbelief, as his punches started making the Raiju’s body rupture. It spat up foul black blood, thoroughly unable to rise as the sheer force of Drake’s punches kept hammering it back to the ground, and continued to rupture its internal organs. “Get back!” He shouted at Garret, and the knight swiftly turned, abandoning his sword, scooped up Lyria, and then leapt back towards Rose.
Without the tank to draw aggro, the suffering beast turned its wrath on Drake. Another surge of lightning struck at him, and though Lyria’s elemental tanked it, the attack still hit him. But Drake refused to so much as falter as he felt the foul energy burning him. “Just die already you sparking asshole!” He shouted at it, his blows coming faster and faster, even as he felt his power waning. Sensing his strikes weakening, the Raiju countered, and countered hard. Drake’s eyes bulged as the brutal backpaw sent him soaring into a sturdy tree trunk, and he hit it hard enough to cough up blood. That was bad, but his own stats said he wasn’t done yet.
“DRAKE!” He heard Rose scream, and he grinned at the Raiju as it slowly stalked towards him, the vibrations from his punches still very much tearing up its insides. He felt a timely surge of healing fill him, and he was no longer at death’s door, as his health points surged to full.
Drake stood up straight, his hood now lowered after getting struck, and wiped some blood from his mouth. He raised the palm that had started the internal organ barrage, still glowing crimson from the effects of his shout. “Nice try, fucker…but you’re already dead.” At about just under half of its total health, he knew his Quivering Palm could end the Raiju now, with how many strikes had strengthened it. He clenched his open palm into a fist, and all at once, his internal Ki strikes ruptured the creature’s heart. Its red eyes bulged, and its natural lightning radiated outward as it died, a final fiery fuck you to anyone in its vicinity, namely Drake. Drake raised a quick earth barrier, but the explosion still knocked him back into the tree again, thanks to how concussive force worked, and his vision went black.
When he came to consciousness again, he was…oddly comfortable? Like he was on the world’s softest pillow. Then, he grimaced, as he felt something wet hit his face. He tried raising an arm to wipe whatever it was away, and then groaned. Massive amounts of pain filled his body, and his eyes shot open. He didn’t even have time to register he’d been in Rose’s lap, his head just mere inches from Paradise, as his body punished him for using the Shout. His ears were ringing, and he coughed up more blood, but then another surge of warmth and healing filled him, and he punched the ground, forcing himself to focus.
Gradually, the pain lessened, but he had a lingering soreness all over. Finally, his ears started working again. “...think he can hear us.” He heard Garret rumble. “Drake…say something, my friend.”
“I’m…I’m alright…” He managed with a raspy voice. “That…that new Boon is a bitch…” He muttered, feeling markedly better, as he realized Rose was rubbing his back.
Laurelin’s concerned voice entered his mind again. “That’s because you didn’t set a limit, you fool! You activated the Shout to its highest degree, and while that probably helped you defeat such a powerful foe, the backlash nearly killed you! If Rose hadn’t recklessly spent so many Heals on you, that final blast would’ve ended you.”
“My…bad…” He groaned, shifting to a sitting position. He finally looked at Rose, and it was guilt that hurt him this time. Her composed self was gone, nose runny, puffy red eyes, and yet there was relief there. Using the robe sleeve of his new armor, he gently wiped her face, and smirked at her as he subtly cleaned the sleeve on the grass around them. “The Goddess just confirmed it for me…I’d be dead right now without you, Rose Valcrest. My life is yours.” And having died once before, Drake knew his words were sincere, and accurate.
Her face turned a deep crimson then. “Wha- I don’t- I just-”
“I do…need to rest a minute though…guys…check on the…things…” He fell back into the elf’s lap, and was out again. This time though, there wasn’t lingering pain. Just comfortable bliss. He was vaguely aware of his teammates talking, but he had to focus. Another feature he’d gained with leveling up, was a kind of Healing Trance, and while he’d need a solid four hours eventually, for now, he needed his muscles strong enough to help him walk. A few minutes would get him there.
He sensed Garret and Lyria move rapidly away from them, belatedly realizing the sorceress probably knew Fly by now, and felt relief. They’d check the Alicorn herd, make sure everything was good, and by the time they returned, he’d probably be ready. He felt Rose stroking his head, and let a small smile form on his face. He could’ve stayed like that for hours, but eventually, he sensed the others returning, and woke up.
“You’re awake.” Rose said, her cheeks still flushed for some reason, despite there having been plenty of time for them to cool off.
“I am.” Drake replied, smiling at her. Her composure had returned, at least. “Thank you, for tolerating that…it umm…helped speed up my Healing Trance. I’m good enough to walk now, probably.” He said, slowly rising to his feet, unsteady for but a moment before he found his balance.
“The mighty Monk rises!” Garret roared, clearly enjoying being able to fly. He landed, and clapped Drake’s shoulder. “Your skills are seriously cool. What even was that energy beam?”
“I want to know, too.” Lyria stated. “It didn’t feel magical, and the Raiju didn’t resist it.”
“I basically supercharged a Ki Blast, and after I mishandled my newest Boon, it uhh, got exponentially stronger, though you saw the blowback. I know how better to wield it now, though. I don’t think I’ll be going that hard again…that hurt, man.”
Garret smirked at him, a sly look on his leonine face. “I’m sure another healing session on Rose’s lap pillow would fix you up just fine.” Lyria snickered.
Drake coughed into his fist. “The lap pillow is for emergencies only…probably.” He said, eyes closed, though he subtly peaked at Rose. Her face was red again. More seriously, he said, “I was dying, guys. And I’m pretty sure her Healing Aura helped my own healing skill work faster.”
Lyria and Garret shared a look. “Uh huh.” The sorceress said, smirking.
Drake looked at Rose again, smiling genuinely. “I meant what I said before, though. You saved me, Rose. Anything you ever need from me, just say the word.”
Lyria sighed loudly, before Rose could answer. “We get it, you’re into each other. Anyway, the Alicorns were over halfway to the northern continent when we last saw them. None of them died, and it’s just about noon. We need to get back, report in, get our rewards, and get back in time for homeroom.”
“Oh Gods…” Drake groaned, “I forgot we still had classes…”
“We should check our Statuses too.” Rose finally said, managing words in her usual calm tone, though she seemed quite happy, judging by the small smile on her mouth. “That monstrosity is sure to have leveled us up.”
They stepped apart then, checking their stats individually, and as Drake saw his new level, a mind boggling fifty five, he heard three simultaneous gasps of “Holy shit!” from behind him. Turning, he looked at his party. “You guys alright?”
Coming closer, Garret said, “We hit fifty five! That’s over the level fifty mark!”
Drake raised a brow. “Level fifty mark?”
Rose chimed in, just looking impressed. “Once someone hits level fifty, levels get a lot harder to gain. And what’s more…by my math, all of my stats increased by one for each level I got. That’s…hold on, why do I have Ally of the Gods too?”
“I noticed that as well.” Garret rumbled.
“Same.” Lyria said.
They all looked towards Drake, who shrugged. “I guess…it applies to my allies too? The allies of my Godly allies are my…allies?” That made them chuckle. “I also reached fifty five. Looks like I finally caught up to you guys.” He grinned, though it was mostly at Rose. Her beauty was like a magnet for his eyes.
“Either way,” Lyria said, interrupting before they got lost in each other’s gaze again, “We’re at the right level to be Adamantine Rank Adventurers. The rest of the class is going to lose their shit over this.”
“Right.” Rose said, still smiling. “Let’s get back. I don’t want such a great outing spoiled with tardiness!”
They stepped closer to Lyria then, and with a flash of magic, they were gone.
Primus Adventurer’s Guild - Primus City
“Wow…that burned a lot less magic than usual…” Lyria muttered, as they appeared with a bamf in the foyer of the Guild.
“Probably your new level.” Drake said, grinning. “Praise the Gods, for they are generous.”
All three of his party mates nodded in agreement. Rose seemed to literally thank Laurelin, quietly praying. They approached the Guild Clerk’s counter, while Rose had a moment with her Deity, and the elf, Kelista if Drake recalled correctly, stared at them with an open mouth, looking between them, probably at their levels. “You’re all level fifty five!?”
Once again, the entire lower floor went silent, as the gathered adventurers, some of whom had seen their shenanigans earlier in the day, stared at them, their own eyes confirming what Kelista shouted.
Not one to miss an opportunity, Drake said, loudly, “Guild Master Solus’s Quest was pretty intense…Runic class, easily. We faced something called a…Raiju. Level seventy five, massive, armored, the kind of thing that feasts on Alicorn blood.” He paused for dramatic effect. “But between our top tier Party tactics, and some Monk badassery on my part, we managed to kill that fucker! Garret! Give the lady our proof.”
The massive leonid, whose armor was practically falling apart at this point, placed two massive black horns he’d hewn from the dead beast on the Guild Clerk counter. Kelista cast Identify, and just stared in disbelief. “You…you’re not lying…this thing was an Epic tier Monstrosity, and you managed to kill it!? At level twenty five!?”
Drake chuckled loudly and confidently. “I laid down some high tier Monk moves on its ass! And now its ass is grass! Of course without my tank, our potent heals, and some timely debuffs and tanking from our Sorceress’s elemental, we’d all be crispy fried right now, but we did it.” He grinned at the elf. “And now we’d like our reward. Please. Every Alicorn survived.”
“I’ll need to check with the Guild Master…” Kelista started.
“No need.” Came a thunderous baritone that echoed through the room. The scarred handsome visage poking out above the titanic gold plated form of Guild Master Solus stepped down the stairs, walked nonchalantly through the tavern portion of the floor, and up to the victorious party. “Our branch in the north has confirmed the Alicorn herd arrived safely, if a bit spooked. Well done!” He thundered. “From this moment on, you shall be Adamantine Ranked Adventurers, and have access to the Quests available at that level! I don’t think a group of First Year students has ever gotten to that rank… Furthermore…I believe I promised one class-appropriate Tier Two piece of armor for each of you…though…Garret, was it? I’ll give you two. To replace that armor that’s clearly beyond repairing. I can tell you fought hard, to keep the abomination in place.”
There was unhappy grumbling from the modestly filled tavern, and from what Drake could tell, the regular adventurers were not thrilled that a bunch of Arc Warden newbs were now Adamantine rank, having jumped straight past bronze, iron, and even mithril.
Solus looked over the party then, and though it was subtle, he could tell they’d had quite the morning adventure. His eyes settled on Drake, then. “I see you found some proper Monk attire out there…not bad at all. Good thing I got you a weapon instead of armor!”
“Oh, I don’t really use-” Drake started, but then his eyes widened as Solus produced a pair of awesome, gleaming light blue metal gauntlets. “Fist Weapons do actually have a niche in our society, and I think these will serve you well. The Fists of Far Reach enhance your attack power, your magical control, and can turn your punches into ranged attacks.” Drake thanked him, in awe as he slid the light blue metal gauntlets onto his hands. They shrank to fit his size. Large blue arcane gems surrounded by a circle of tiny engravings were on the back of each hand of the gauntlet’s presumably powering their useful magic.
“For your dedicated High Elven Sage, a set of vestments, once worn by the first healers to learn from Goddess Laurelin herself. They will greatly increase your available magic power, and reduce the cost of all healing spells. Wear them with pride, for you are worthy of them after keeping your Party alive against such a powerful enemy.” Rose was similarly in awe, and scurried away to a changing room for adventurers to put them on immediately.
To Garret, Solus said, “Your armor will be sent to you on the morrow, but for now…I give you my old Shieldblade. I can attest to its powerful defensive magics. It should serve you well in Dungeons, until you loot something with better stats.” He moved on to Lyria then, who was clearly the most eager to try her new gear. “And to the skilled Sorceress, without whom your party would have taken much longer to arrive and return from your Quest, I give the Stave of Stored Spells. It can hold any spell, of any level you can currently cast. The higher the spell’s rank though, the less room it will have. May it save your party, when your magic is drained and your backs are against the wall.”
With the items handed out, alongside their reward of eighty thousand Gil per party member, Solus departed, leaving the teens to marvel at their new stuff. Garret was still shocked he was wielding a blade that the Guild Master of Solus had once used, from the sound of it, on quite a few adventures, before taking up his current apparently iconic greatsword. So iconic, they’d literally named it after its wielder.
From Drake’s perspective, the rest of the day was a blur. One second he was complimenting how gorgeous Rose looked in the rather revealing, for healing robes, white and gold clothing that now fit well with her similarly colored staff. It also had a hood on it. Being thoroughly drained, Drake managed to recount for his classmates what their morning had been like, much to their chagrin, and despite his best efforts, and how interesting Aslan’s lessons were, he could barely pay attention.
They did get their new arrival, though. A burly bear man by the name of Bjorn Bjornson, who demanded, not asked, that everyone just call him Ironside. He was a Berserker, and being a bearkin, that meant he was extremely durable, and hit things so hard it healed his own damage. Such Berserker tanks were rare, but renowned for how absurdly good their recovery skills were, to the point that, apparently, healers in their parties could just focus on damage and not even need to worry about their health points.
As soon as classes were over, Drake tiredly returned to his dorm, and was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He belatedly activated his Healing Trance, but rest was very much required. He hoped the rest of his days weren’t this exhausting, or his school work would surely suffer.