Michael looked on in wonder as the trio wolfed down food as if there was no tomorrow and almost drowned themselves in a liquor of sorts that the Rogue provided.

The smell was so tempting that he couldn't help but take a bite... and was instantly stunned. The food tasted like proper food for the first time since he arrived in this world!

Eyes shining, he couldn't help but look at Aylin, wondering where she got the food from. He certainly needed to visit that place and stock up.

[What are you looking at, brat? I hope you won't ask me to marry you as well.](Aylin)

"As well?"

[Haha! Marriage proposals in every city of the Fractured Peaks beset Miss Aylin daily. Luckily, she's not particularly renowned in the other regions. Otherwise, she wouldn't have much peace when traveling. Her culinary skills are known to have driven countless nobles to insanity. And you can surely understand why. With how bland the food is generally at inns and taverns, finding such delicacies is akin to finding an oasis in the desert.](Hoduin)

"I see. So it was Miss Aylin who cooked the food. It tastes amazing. If I am not prying into your secrets, may I ask where you procure your ingredients and seasonings?"

[Hoh? Why do you make it sound like you know how to cook?](Aylin)

"Well, I don't claim to be a chef, but I at least know how to prepare a decent meal. However, as you can imagine, I couldn't find many good ingredients or decent spices in a remote place like this camp."

[Hehe!](Aylin)

[*Whistle* There she goes...](Martel)

[*Cough**Cough* Miss Aylin, how about...](Hoduin)

[No! A man needs to stay true to his words! Brat, you better not talk nonsense, or I'll roast you better than this pig we're eating. You said you can cook, right? Rolo said we'd stay here for three days, so you'll be responsible for our meals.](Aylin)

"Uhm... where did that come from?"

[*Snort* What? Already backing out?](Aylin)

"No. As long as you provide the ingredients, I can whip up something without problems..."

[Bahahahaha!](Martel)

[Ugh... this...](Hoduin)

[Hmpf! Very well. I'll see what sort of 'cooking' you are capable of. I'm expecting a proper breakfast tomorrow.](Aylin)

"Of course. I'll consider it payment for the information."

An awkward silence ensued as Aylin the Sorceress kept glaring daggers at him. Though, there was no ill will hidden underneath, just provocation. Martel the Rogue kept refilling his glass and laughed uproariously, making Michael wonder where the shifty Wanderer from just about an hour ago disappeared.

As for the Druid Hoduin, he was shaking his head like a grandfather watching a bunch of naughty children mess around.

Michael couldn't help but wonder what the deal was with this lady and her cooking. Is cooking so abnormal in the Sanctuary, or was it a more personal issue with her or this trio?

[We've strayed quite a bit from the main topic, and rest is needed after being on edge for the past weeks. Let's answer some general questions young friend Michael has, and we can fill in the blanks in the next couple of days.](Hoduin)

The other two nodded while still stuffing their faces with food, making Hoduin grimace. It looks like most of the job will fall on his shoulders.

Still, he did look sagely enough. Therefore, every bit of information coming out of his mouth should be more reliable than the other two.

[Let's start with what questions you have, young Necromancer.](Hoduin)

"Hmm... First, please tell me why you mentioned that certain topics were better discussed between Wanderers and not in front of normal people?"

[*Cough**Cough**Cough**Cough**Cough*](Martel)

The Rogue went into a choking fit, and between pouring alcohol down his throat and punching his chest, he kept throwing glances at Aylin, who stopped eating for some reason.

Hoduin didn't answer either but instead looked at the Sorceress inquiringly.

[It's okay. I'll answer this one. Brat, what do you think happens when Wanderers talk about their adventures and Quests in front of ordinary people?](Aylin)

"Hmm... I guess it depends on the content. Though with the lack of entertainment I noticed around the camp, they'd all listen in and try to remember as many details as possible. After that, they can brag to their friends about what they heard."

[Mhm! Indeed. What do you think happens when exuberant youths hear the stories straight from the horse's mouth and get filled with a sense of adventure?](Aylin)

"They... I see. They will try to act out the stories or go on their own adventures."

[I grew up with three other children at the local Church in Kyovashad. Our parents died, and the priest and nuns took care of us. I was the oldest, and the other three - two girls and one boy - were only a few years younger.

When I was 17, we heard two Wanderers talk about their fight through a dying Dungeon in hushed voices. We were shocked by the story and dazzled by the notion of loot handed by the Sanctuary as a reward for defeating the invaders.

We were told that our parents died fighting the demons, so in a sense, we were instilled from a young with a thirst for revenge against their killers.

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

The two sisters of mine, Kenzy and Mina, were awed by the idea of fighting hordes of demons and emerging victorious, but Dawn became almost hysteric at the thought. He poured hours into the Church's library and discovered how all Wanderers usually need to get Quests to become who they are.

So, he came up with an idea.](Aylin)

Michael was starting to regret asking the question, as he could see from the faces of Martel and Hoduin that whatever the Sorceress went through wouldn't be an adventurous/funny story as much as it would be a horror/drama one.

[Weeks went by, and when we almost forgot about it, Dawn suddenly approached us, saying that he found a Dungeon guaranteed to make us Wanderers. We didn't believe him at first, but he showed us proof by actually being able to kill a rat from over twenty meters away with only a flick of his hands.

We were in shock at the demonstration. He told us that he now had a Necromancer Class and could also help us gain one. So, as adventure aspiring youths, we followed him into the supposed Dungeon, where we fainted after entering.

When I woke up, I was greeted by the scene of Dawn raping Kenzy, though she wasn't alive anymore to feel anything at that point. A pool of blood formed around her body, and Dawn kept absorbing it while sporting a demonic grin on his face.](Aylin)

Michael grimaced at the brutal image while he could already piece together a general idea of why that happened.

[We call 'Fallen' those that descend into demonic practices, abandoning their humanity in the process. Dawn somehow turned into a Bloodmancer, a Necromancer specializing in blood manipulation.](Aylin)

Probably noticing Michael's uncomfortable expression, she continued.

[Don't worry... As I grew up, I met enough Necromancers to understand they were not at fault for what happened to us. Even the Bloodmancers I've met didn't have the abilities Dawn had when he became a Fallen. It made me understand just how great of a threat these demons are.

So, as I stood there wailing while watching the little brother I knew and loved rape the corpse of my little sister, the Sanctuary answered my plight. It issued my first Quest: save Mina and kill Dawn.

You can imagine the rest. I found a sharper rock in the cave he masqueraded as a Dungeon, and I used it to both release my bindings and end his life while he was preparing to assault Mina. I gained the recognition I was yearning for just weeks before, but seeing the corpses of two of my three siblings destroyed the little happiness I could gain.](Aylin)

There was a deafening silence for the next ten minutes, and nobody was willing to speak up.

However, there were still questions to be asked, and I couldn't afford to be sensitive now.

"I'm sorry for your loss. Did you ever find out how Dawn became a Fallen? Also, what happened to Mina? Did she also get a Quest from the world?"

[A blasted book, well hidden in the Church's library. Nobody knows how it got there, but it somehow managed to find its way into Dawn's hands. It contained theories of a strong Bloodmancer of the past, though it was mentioned in the book that he didn't dare put his ideas into practice due to the backlash from other Wanderers and the Church of Light.

Dawn was bewitched by the idea of power and decided to act out those theories. We burned the book, but the damage was already done. Mina... she didn't become a Wanderer. Not in the beginning, at least. Only I got the Quest in the cave. She became a nun at the Church we grew up in, but she was never the same after the incident.

Later, she saved the lives of three Wanderers afflicted with a treacherous demonic poison, gaining a Priest Class and the Sanctuary's recognition.

Nobody knows the exact conditions needed to receive the Quest, though most Class owners get it at least once in their lifetimes.](Aylin)

"I see. Once again, my apologies for making you recall such a traumatic event."

Seeing her wave him away, he turned to Hoduin, who sported a kind smile on his face.

[You want to ask about Nevesk.](Hoduin)

"Mhm. I'm not sure why I got a Quest from the Sanctuary right after gaining recognition, but I undoubtedly will have to travel there if I want to walk further on this road as a Wanderer. Can you tell me what was wrong with the town?"

[I don't know. We, Druids, have strong connections with nature due to our Class. However, when I entered Nevesk, that connection was almost severed. The air felt stale, and all the plants gave off a feeling of anger and repulsion.

The reason we stayed an extra day was because I asked Rolo to. I wanted to see if we could get a Quest in that area, hoping to figure out the situation and help the people. But seeing that you got it instead makes me think we were not fated with it.](Hoduin)

"How could I dream of completing a Quest you three can't? It doesn't make sense..."

[It's not that we couldn't, brat. There are restrictions even to Quests. The Sanctuary follows the Law of Balance. While it suppresses the invaders, it also wouldn't allow Level 90 Wanderers to stomp the shit out of demonlings at the early levels.

It's a fucked up agreement between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells forced down the throat of our world. It turned Sanctuary into their battlefield, but they were 'kind' enough to think of the mortals around and give us a chance. So the High Heavens reinforced the core of the Sanctuary - the shard of the World Stone - to allow it to suppress invaders and mortals that become stronger. A bunch of hypocrites if you ask me.](Martel)

[Hypocritical or not, it gave us a chance at survival. With the shackles on the blood of the Nephalem flowing through our veins shattered, humanity could at least fight back. However, new locks were added in the form of Levels. There are exceptions, but in most cases, one can't fight invaders that are more than ten levels above or below his own.](Hoduin)

"Fighting ten levels above your own doesn't seem easy either..."

[It's not. However, that's the best compromise the Sanctuary could reach on our behalf. It didn't have much power to negotiate with the two other realms since we were in a lesser hierarchical position.](Hoduin)

"You speak as if the Sanctuary is alive."

[Isn't it? We get Quests and rewards for defeating the invading monsters and demons. However, the loot on the ground seldom belongs to the defeated party. Instead, items that empower us get conjured up from thin air on top of currency and other rare items. To create something out of thin air, only the High Heavens and the Burning Hells are capable of doing it. But neither favors us that much. So it only leaves the Sanctuary. The world we live in.](Aylin)

[It considers us its children. Lilith and Inarius created it, and their progenies later gave birth to us. The Sanctuary was witness to all of that. What guardian would watch their offspring get slaughtered at the hands of invaders without batting an eye? It might not have much power to contend with the other realms, but the Sanctuary holds the ultimate authority over its dominion.](Hoduin)

Pondering the interesting way the natives saw the servers and the code written to make all that possible, Michael couldn't help but stumble over a particular term again.

"Nephalem? Isn't the word 'Nephilim'? As in the children of angels and humans?"

[What? I had never heard of that one before. No, our ancestors are called Nephalem, children born from the love between Lilith and Inarius. An angel and a demon. Both are of high standing, and both are exceedingly powerful. It came as a surprise to both, however, that their offspring were stronger than even they were...](Hoduin)

[So, being the insecure piece of shit that he is, Inarius decided to fuck things up by banishing Lilith to the Void and putting shackles on his children. Then, after many millennia, the blood coursing through their veins became more diluted, to the point where we became mere mortals.](Martel)

Michael was slack-jawed, realizing that the flashes he saw of Lilith locked in chains directly resulted from her lover's actions. Talk about a cosmic-level drama!

[Mhm. But the Sanctuary didn't relent. And when threatened with extinction from being thrown into a war between two higher realms, it used its power to undo some of the restrictions on us. That way, we finally have a fighting chance.](Hoduin)

"This... how well known is this story? Is it considered common sense?"

[Not exactly. If you heard old man Al talking about it, it is because he heard it from us. Overall... I'd say most people know the Church's version of the story rather than the Horadrim-recorded one. And trust me, they are not similar.](Martel)

[It's getting late. Let's get some shut-eye. There's enough time for more lessons on common sense tomorrow and the days after. As for you, brat, you're sleeping here tonight. I'll wake you in the morning to make good on your promise.](Aylin)

Laughing at the glaring Sorceress, Michael acquiesced while still piecing their stories with what he knew.

Also, they were talking about Lilith as if she were a long-gone myth from an even older era.

'I wonder how would they react if I tell them she's already walking the Sanctuary.'