Umber’s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, Daggercliff Canyons, Stonereach.


    The waning moon of Darksday exuded a peculiar charcoal glow, a light that was but a whisper of illumination, as though shadows themselves bled forth to caress the rugged terrain. The landscape shimmered in uneasy contrasts, where outlines seemed both defined and obscured, casting phantom shapes that danced like echoes of the unseen.


    Wrapped in his ghillie cloak, Leoric crouched in the underbrush, his breath barely a whisper against the cool night air. The scent of damp earth and pine filled his lungs, grounding him in the stillness of Stonereach. The occasional rustle of wind through the brittle branches was the only break in the heavy quiet, a sharp contrast to the usual hum of the Whispering Wilds’ breezy valleys. Here, the silence felt different—denser, like the land itself was holding its breath.


    Ahead, the narrow pass loomed, flanked by jagged cliffs whose sharp edges caught the ghostly moonlight. The rocks were slick with moss and dew, dark patches blending into the deeper shadows that swallowed the path. It was a natural chokepoint, the perfect spot for an ambush, and Leoric’s sharp eyes caught every detail as they swept across the landscape.


    The air clung to his skin, prickling like a warning of the danger that lay ahead. But instead of retreating, the creeping sense of hostility only fuelled the fire inside him. He had ventured far beyond the familiar, low-level mobs of the Whispering Wilds, pushed deeper into Stonereach where the stakes were higher and every encounter demanded precision. The thrill of the hunt thrummed through his veins, and he could barely contain his smile. Freedom was the wind in his sails, and tonight, it had carried him into the heart of danger.


    His gaze locked onto the gnoll encampment ahead. The creatures lumbered through the shadows, their hulking forms barely visible save for the occasional glint of starlight catching the metal of their weapons or armour. Their guttural grunts and the scrape of iron against stone echoed through the clearing, a harsh contrast to the otherwise still night. Leoric’s ears twitched, tuning into the rhythm of their patrol.


    Five gnolls.


    He could hear the clink of their weapons shifting with each step, their distant snarls echoing in the night as they conversed in low, animalistic growls. Leoric narrowed his eyes, his mind already running through scenarios. He had taken down all three elite gnoll scouts earlier in the day. But after he entered this higher-level zone, he had encountered the more common gnoll warriors. They were strong, but manageable—so long as you stayed one step ahead and planned meticulously. And that is my speciality.


    He nocked an arrow, the familiar tension in the bowstring comforting against his fingertips. The soft creak of wood bending under pressure was the only sound he made, his breath steadying as he took aim. He fixed his gaze on the farthest gnoll, the one pacing at the edge of the group. His muscles tensed, his heartbeat slowing as the world shrunk to his simple plan: one shot, draw it out, trap it, stay at a distance, then finish it. Easy.


    He let the arrow fly. It zipped through the dark night with a faint hiss and hit its mark, embedding itself deep into the gnoll’s flesh with a satisfying thunk. Leoric’s lips curled into a brief, triumphant smile.


    But then the gnoll roared. The sound tore through the stillness, a guttural howl that reverberated off the cliffs like a shockwave. The other gnolls snapped to attention, their heads swivelling toward their companion, and then directly to Leoric’s hiding spot. His stomach dropped. Oh, no! Those are social mobs, and they linked!


    He cursed under his breath. He had forgotten about that game mechanic. These gnolls differed from the average enemies he had fought earlier—these called for reinforcements when attacked.


    The air seemed to grow colder around him as the monsters charged, their massive feet pounding against the ground, shaking the earth beneath his crouched form. Panic flickered at the edge of his mind, but he forced it down. Stay calm, stay calm—His breath quickened, and his fingers fumbled for another arrow as he backpedalled. He needed distance, and he needed it now.


    The hulking gnoll he had shot earlier was already on him. It swung its axe with a growl, the sharp edge of the blade slicing through the air with a deadly hum. Leoric barely dodged, throwing himself into a patch of brambles as the axe crashed into the ground where he had stood. The sharp thorns scratched at his skin through his leather armour, but he hardly noticed.


    Okay, maybe that would not be so easy, after all!


    He fired another arrow, the satisfying release barely calming his racing heart. It struck the gnoll in the leg, but the beast barely slowed. These foes were relentless, and the rest were closing in fast.


    His mind scrambled for a solution, the distant thud of their heavy footfalls growing louder. His heart raced as he struggled to keep control. I need more distance, I need—


    A blur of motion cut through his vision.


    Leoric blinked, his breath catching in his throat as a short figure darted between the gnolls. She moved with a dancer’s grace, weaving through their attacks as though the air itself bent around her. A Wind sylvani? Her green hair shimmered faintly in the starlight, and for a moment, Leoric found himself mesmerised by the fluidity of her movements.


    Their attention now focused on the newcomer, the gnolls swung at her, their heavy axes slicing through the air with a savage force. But she was faster. So much faster. With each dodge, each graceful sidestep, her ochre-glowing fists met their sides in devastating strikes. The dull thud of her blows echoed in the night, and Leoric watched in awe as one gnoll staggered, then crumpled under the relentless onslaught.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    A martial artist.


    The realisation hit him as another gnoll lunged at her, only to meet the same fate. Every movement was precise, every strike calculated. She was not just distracting them away from him—she was tearing them apart, all on her own, while he gaped at her.


    “Oi, pretty boy! It was your mis-pull, planning to take responsibility?”


    Her voice, light and teasing, cut through the chaos. She ducked under a gnoll’s wild swing, her fists still glowing with ochre energy.


    Leoric bristled at the nickname, but forced himself back into action. He loosed another arrow, this one finding its mark in the chest of a gnoll. It staggered, but compared to the sylvani’s attacks, his efforts felt almost laughable.


    She flipped backward, delivering a solid kick under a gnoll’s jaw. The beast fell like a stone.


    Too fast! She’s way higher level than me and these mobs. Leoric stared, wide-eyed, as she dispatched the last one with ease. His heart still raced, but now it was not from fear—it was from sheer absurdity and disbelief.


    How else could she be handling them so effortlessly? Leoric had already hit level twelve after a full day of questing and grinding. But this girl? She had to be at least level fifteen, maybe higher.


    The sylvani turned to him, brushing the dust from her hands as if she had just finished a casual training session. She had a goofy smile on her freckled face, with this intense look of pride and satisfaction. “Not bad, right?”


    Leoric blinked, still processing what he’d just seen. She had single-handedly taken down a group of mobs that had nearly overwhelmed him. “Uh... yeah. Not bad,” he said, though he could not hide the awe in his voice.


    She sauntered over with confidence, extending a hand. “Elyssia. Nice to meet you, Mr Bunny Boy.”


    Leoric frowned slightly at the nickname, but shook her hand. “Leoric. And... thanks for the assist. I didn’t expect them to link.”


    Elyssia shrugged, her green hair catching the pale light of the moon as it swayed with the motion. “Yeah, happens to the best of us. But hey, no harm done.”


    Leoric studied her more closely now. She was short—not even five feet tall—with green hair that shimmered in the starlight. She was wearing a simple white cotton tunic and sturdy gloves and boots. Her sapphire-blue eyes glinted with an unbound, playful energy. They had that special spark you see in people who were truly alive and at ease with themselves. Her frame was slight, delicate even. Yet she had just torn through a group of gnolls and seemed so utterly at ease after the fight.


    “What level are you?” he asked, still trying to piece it all together.


    She smirked, her eyes gleaming with amusement. “Oh, you don’t beat around the bush, huh? Level eight. Why?”


    Leoric blinked, his jaw going slack. “You’re... level eight?”


    She gave him a playful one-handed shove. “Surprised?”


    “I... I just assumed you were way higher. With the way you took down those gnolls...”


    Elyssia laughed, the sound light and carefree. “Oh, please. Mobs in open zones? Nah. They’re no problem at all, not until they’re at least ten levels above — that’s when the system goes unfair against you. But, y’know, these? They’re the perfect opportunity to blow all your cooldowns at once and show off a little.” She winked.


    Leoric shook his head in disbelief. “You just... handled five level thirteen gnolls at once. At level eight.”


    Elyssia shrugged. “Like I said, no problem. Gotta train for the big raids somehow, right? Can’t exactly train if you’re just picking off one mob at a time. You wouldn’t believe how often I’ve had to handle the last forty percent of dungeon bosses alone, back in the days. You know how it goes. Someone slips and messes up, and then your healer goes down, trying to save them. Things go sideways, your DPS die, and then, well, the tank finishes the job alone. I have lots of practice, with much harder quarry than open-world gnolls.”


    Leoric felt a pang of humility settle in his chest. He had been playing cautiously all day, methodically picking off mobs one by one, planning every move like it was life or death. And here she was, throwing herself into fights that should have been impossible for someone of her level, as if it was just a walk in the park.


    “You’re insane,” he said, half in awe, half in disbelief.


    Elyssia grinned wider. “Gotta keep things interesting, or I am bound to get complacent and slip-up. If it’s not a life or death crisis, it’s because you didn’t try hard enough.”


    Leoric could only laugh. This girl was... something else. Until he met her, he had thought he was a good gamer. He thought his cautious, methodical style made him smart. But compared to Elyssia, he felt like a rookie.


    “Hey, where are you headed next?” Elyssia asked, her tone more serious now. “I’m making my way to Luminara. Having someone to talk to on the road would help spice up the downtime, if you don’t mind the company.”


    Leoric hesitated. Luminara had been his next destination as well, but after what he had just seen, he was not sure how he felt about travelling alongside someone who so effortlessly outclass him.


    But... maybe that was not such a bad thing. Maybe I can learn something from her, if I stick around.


    He smiled. “Sure. I’ll come along.”


    “Great!” Elyssia gave him a friendly punch in the arm. “Just try not to get us killed, yeah?”


    Leoric smirked. “Me? At your level, you’ll just aggro everything in the zone.”


    “Counting on it—I don’t exactly have ranged weapons here.” She grinned, displaying her bare fists as proof.


    Leoric stared in disbelief. Was she seriously using the extra aggro radius of her low-level as a feature rather than an impediment? Who does that?


    As they set off together, the black moon hung high in the sky, almost invisible. The light of the stars was the only light shining over the path ahead. Leoric could still feel the sting of humility, but as the wind picked up and carried them forward, he could not help but feel something else.


    Excitement.


    This world, and other players? There was so much to learn, and so much more to discover. If Elyssia was any sign, maybe he had barely scratched the surface of what was possible.


    As they walked, Leoric glanced over at her. “So... what’s your secret?”


    Elyssia grinned, her eyes gleaming mischievously. “The most important one is simple: Don’t get hit.”


    Leoric laughed, shaking his head. “You make it sound so easy.”


    “It is,” she said, flashing him a smile. “Once you’ve died a few hundred times, learning how.”


    She kept walking casually. Her guard was not up, and she did not seem to be on the lookout for enemies. No, she would simply handle the next problem as it revealed itself. It was almost an affront to his play style.


    “Once you get the first part down pat, figuring out how to maximise your damage output is just a question of practice. But a dead DPS does zero DPS. Survival always comes first.”


    Leoric raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He had a feeling that by the time they reached Luminara, he would have learned a lot more than he ever expected.