ã€ŠThe Isekai Police- LitRPG | OP Protagonistã€‹


 Chapter 1: Suspended with Full Pay

    ¡°Hey Gus, you know how I saved all of those lives yesterday?¡± asked Artyom as he leaned over the wooden desk covered in paperwork. The bags under the late twenty-something man¡¯s eyes only accentuated the harried look he gave.

    The man on the other side let out a sigh and looked up from the document in front of him with a bored expression.

    ¡°And they were all children too!¡± Artyom continued, forcing an uncomfortably wide grin that showed gnashing teeth. If the sleeves of his white dress shirt were pulled up any tighter, the flexing of his lean yet well-defined muscles might have ripped the fabric. ¡°All forcibly taken from their homes and ready to be turned into child soldiers by a jackass king who wouldn¡¯t have lost any sleep at their deaths.¡±

    The other man looked directly into his friend¡¯s eyes, not letting any sort of reaction show through his schooled expression. ¡°Please get to the point, Artyom,¡± said Gus in a near-monotone.

    ¡°So why the hell am I being assigned punishment duty?!¡± asked Artyom in a shout as he flexed the corded muscles in his arms and slammed his palm onto the desk.

    The resulting thud sounded through the room despite the heavy wood absorbing most of the blow. Several loose sheets of paper on the desk jumped into the air before falling back ever-so-slightly out of place.

    Silence reigned for a long moment after as the two stared each other down.

    Eventually, Gus blinked, and began to move the documents back in order. ¡°Whatever do you mean by ¡®punishment¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Come on Gus, I¡¯m not an idiot. I¡¯m supposed to be out there keeping kids safe when they get brought over to hellholes, that¡¯s kind of the point of this whole organization.¡±

    ¡°And is that not what you¡¯ll be doing on your next mission?¡±

    Artyom narrowed his eyes and gave his friend a sneer before taking a deep breath. As he finished exhaling, he began to slowly speak. ¡°I save kids from hellholes, Gus. Places where the people in charge have no morals, and definitely no qualms about turning a bunch of children into meat shields. You know, Gilded and Grimdark Worlds, where everyone is scum.¡± His voice dripped with malice at that last sentence.

    Gus didn¡¯t reply, and merely continued to listen.

    Artyom pointed his thumb behind him towards a poster on the wall featuring five rows, each different colors starting from bright green working its way to a bloody red. A simple cartoony facial expression, name, and description was neatly arranged in each row.

    Gus craned the neck set on his skinny frame and followed Artyom¡¯s gaze. He raised an eyebrow as if to ask ¡°what¡¯s your point.¡±

    Looking into his eyes, Artyom replied, ¡°This mission is in a Fairytale World! You want me to ¡®save¡¯ a kid from a cushy summer camp!¡±

    Gus betrayed no emotion and merely blinked once.

    Artyom turned back to him with a face warped into a mockery of a smile barely holding back a well of rage. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Gus? What did I do wrong? We¡¯re friends, you can tell me.¡±

    ¡°Artyom,¡± began Gus, his voice ever-so-slightly lowering in volume. ¡°This isn¡¯t punishment, it¡¯s a vacation.¡±

    ¡°A vacation, is this some kind of joke? I can¡¯t take a vacation now!¡± An errant fist slammed into the desk again. ¡°How many kids are going to get killed while I¡¯m out¡­ dancing in a field of flowers with a bunch of peasants or something? I should be out there in the field saving lives!¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Artyom, you¡¯re not our only agent,¡± replied Gus, voice back to his previous vim and vigor. ¡°And if we end up getting swamped with people that need saving, we¡¯ll call you back. But¡­ you know very well what happened on your last mission.¡±

    ¡°All I know is that I did my job, fulfilled my duty, and saved lives. So no, I don¡¯t know. Please enlighten me.¡±

    ¡°As we were narrowing down the location of the children, you became impatient.¡±

    Arytom rolled his eyes, practically asking if that was some sort of crime.

    ¡°And resorted to torturing one of the enemy soldiers.¡±

    ¡°I threatened him, Gus. I barely laid a finger on him, just cut his cheek a little to prove a point.¡±

    ¡°An unnecessary point. We had everything we needed, Artyom, you just needed to wait another minute.¡±

    ¡°And what if it took more than a minute, huh? Or what if that bastard of a king found those kids first? Those children would be dead, and their blood would be on our hands! I took the call and I would have gotten that information if our techies failed.¡±

    ¡°Are you willing to say that to their face?¡± asked Gus.

    ¡°Sure, call them up right now so I can tell them, or would you rather I say it in person? Better yet, I¡¯ll just shout it over the headquarters intercom system! Let the whole of TOAL know!¡±

    Gus said nothing for a moment before looking Artyom directly in the eyes and spoke, ¡°Artyom, torture is against the policy of the Terran Otherworldly Advocacy League.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t torturing him. I¡¯d never torture anyone. Even other world scum! They might endanger kids from Earth, but even then I¡¯d never.¡±

    Gus raised a single eyebrow.

    Artyom stared back at him for a second before replying, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°¡®Other world scum¡¯,¡± said Gus, quoting his friend. ¡°How many of your last missions have been in Gilded Worlds?¡±

    ¡°About a dozen or so. It was more before that, but having to deploy to a Grimdark World broke that last streak.¡±

    ¡°Gilded or Grimdark, then.¡±

    ¡°Eh, I lost count after a hundred.¡±

    ¡°Each of your missions take two weeks on average, so that¡¯s over four years.¡±

    ¡°So call me a workaholic, what¡¯s the big deal? I still make sure to take some time off for R&R on base, you don¡¯t have to send me an entire two weeks away on a waste of time.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean four years of work,¡± said Gus. ¡°You¡¯ve been facing off against the worst of humanity for four years straight.¡±

    ¡°If you can even call them human,¡± said Artyom in a mumble.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°Because that¡¯s who¡¯s going to take advantage of children,¡± said Artyom, rolling his eyes and hoping the other man didn¡¯t notice the bead of sweat forming just next to them.

    Gus slowly stood up and leaned over to look at his friend more closely. ¡°Artyom, the multiverse is massive. The number of Gilded and Grimdark Worlds are miniscule compared to what¡¯s out there. You¡¯ve only interacted with the absolute worst kinds of people in all existence for four years straight, your perception of humanity has become utterly misanthropic. That¡¯s why you¡¯re being assigned a vacation.¡±

    Artyom¡¯s features began to soften as Gus¡¯ words began to work their way into his mind. And then they returned to stone. ¡°This isn¡¯t just your decision, is it?¡±

    ¡°Some of the executive council asked me to set this up. I agree with them, however.¡±

    ¡°Figures,¡± Artyom said with a shrug. ¡°Damn shame we didn¡¯t give ourselves veto powers.¡±

    ¡°Artyom,¡± said Gus, placing a hand on the other man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°This honestly isn¡¯t a punishment, it really is a vacation. We want you to come out of this happier.¡±

    Artyom let out a sigh and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll be happier once the multiverse is safe from the kinds of people I fight. Trying to make me love them isn¡¯t going to help anyone.¡±

    ¡°Please Artyom, I¡¯m coming to you as your friend. Do it for me.¡±

    Artyom looked his friend in the eye and threw off the hand on his shoulder. ¡°Are you ready to accept the blood of everyone I won¡¯t be able to save while on this little ¡®vacation¡¯ on your hands?¡±

    Gus looked down at his desk and remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking. ¡°One month. I¡¯m increasing your mandatory vacation to one month, with mandatory nightly check-ins.¡±

    ¡°You son of a-¡±

    ¡°The org¡¯s psychologists wanted to make it this long originally, and I talked them down to making it two weeks. But I can see that they were right. You need this.¡±

    Artyom stared at the other man with a look of disgust and spit out one final sentence before turning around. ¡°Some friend you are.¡±

    ¡°And don¡¯t even consider ¡®speedrunning¡¯ your mission,¡± said Gus before Artyom could leave the room. ¡°We¡¯ll send you on another vacation if you come back before the month is-¡±

    The door slammed shut.

    ¡°The sooner I get this over with, the sooner I can get back to saving lives,¡± said Artyom as he headed towards the portal room, not bothering to look back.

 Chapter 2: Survivors Guilt

    Artyom made his way down brightly lit halls towards the portal rooms, as metallic thuds echoed out as his heavy boots made contact with the brightly polished floor tiles. The staccato rhythm of each footstep followed a metronome-like pattern, forming a beat Artyom read each word of the mission dossier to.

    His task was unorthodox but simple; investigate the possible summoning of someone from Earth to a Fairytale World where there were no actual signs of a summoning.

    ¡°So there might not even be someone to rescue, huh? You sure know how to waste my time, Gus.¡±

    As far as Artyom knew, there was only one way someone could end up on another world from Earth: via portal.

    Of course, just about everyone in headquarters knew the stories from back home of someone reincarnating as a baby in a fantasy world with all their memories intact, or their mind and soul somehow ending up in the body of someone already established in a fantasy world.

    But as popular as those plot devices were for letting the story jump into the action, they apparently weren¡¯t a ¡°thing¡± as far as anyone at TOAL knew. Souls were a tricky subject, and anyone summoning a hero would have an easier time just grabbing them whole, pre-existing body and all.

    That wasn¡¯t to say those summoning rituals were easy either, but they were at least more predictable. They used a special kind of magic, Rune Magic, that could be detected across the multiverse thanks to its own multiversal nature. Tear open a connection between two worlds, and it would send ripples that anyone with an ear to the ground could hear. If such worlds had a penchant for treating people poorly, Artyom and his friends would make a social visit, and even rehome any children if they couldn¡¯t get back to Earth.

    Before Artyom could continue to the next section of the report that detailed how the techies discovered the inconsistency, someone interrupted him.

    ¡°Excuse me, Artyom!¡± shouted a young man running up behind him.

    Artyom turned to see a figure decked out in full combat gear, which consisted of a gray sweater and sweatpants underneath a padded vest filled with ammo and small implements. He had a rifle slung on his back that looked like a mishmash of various famous firearms from Earth. A pair of goggles clung to his forehead nestled over what could only be described as an armored beanie, and the etchings of magical sigils reflected the fluorescent ceiling lights at just a different angle than the rest of the glass. Despite his severe clothes, he didn¡¯t look to be older than his early twenties.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± replied Artyom, perfectly hiding his pre-existing anger from his voice.

    ¡°Just wanted to thank you for helping out in that last mission!¡± the young man excitedly said. ¡°It¡¯s crazy how you and only a few people just ran into enemy lines like that and rescued all those kids from the siege. I don¡¯t think they would¡¯ve held out for much longer, maybe a day, or an hour, or-¡±

    ¡°Hey, no problem, it¡¯s my job,¡± said Artyom. ¡°If you stick around long enough, you¡¯ll probably be able to join me on that kind of an attack too one day.¡±

    ¡°Well, I dunno¡­¡± The man bit his cheek as his eyes wandered towards the ceiling. ¡°This was just my first mission, and I really want to keep going! But I can¡¯t see how I can measure up to everyone here. Even with everything I can do, how much good is it next to monsters like you?

    Artyom raised an eyebrow and stuffed the dossier into his jacket before looking the young man straight in the eye. ¡°What were you doing before you joined up with us?¡±

    ¡°I mean, I got summoned to save a kingdom from a dark lord, isn¡¯t that what happened to pretty much everybody?¡±

    ¡°And did you save it?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± said the young man, straightening up. But as he continued to think for a second more, he began to sag. ¡°I saved the day, but I had all of these cool cheat abilities to help me. Since anything System related like special abilities and levels reset whenever we go to a different world, I¡¯m starting from scratch every time. I¡­ want to help, but what am I without those powers?¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± said Artyom, placing a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Special powers or not, you still stepped up to the front lines to save an entire kingdom. Taking up that kind of responsibility isn¡¯t easy with the kind of pressure that comes with it. I mean, there are people I¡¯ve seen on my missions who are in a position to save plenty of people for what is to them a pittance of a cost, but they don¡¯t even bother. You on the other hand? You care, and even after saving the day in your world, decided to join up with us to keep doing what¡¯s right. I know you have what it takes to fight alongside the rest of us.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°D-do you really mean that?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± said Artyom with a grin. ¡°We¡¯re fighting the good fight here, anyone who willingly signs up for more has what it takes.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, it means a lot coming from you. By the way¡­¡±

    Artyom let his arm fall back to his side and gave the young man a patient smile.

    ¡°How do you get to the portal room? I¡¯m still pretty new here and I lost my way, and there¡¯s this mission briefing that¡¯s starting soon.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in luck, I was headed there myself. Just follow me,¡± said Artyom, turning around and continuing towards his destination.

    After a quick thanks, the two continued in relative silence towards their destination, with the young man following his senior. The path they took ended up being quite nondescript, with much of the amenities of headquarters being farther down side hallways rather than the main route they took. It wouldn¡¯t do the troops or support staff any good to have non-combatants or visitors accidentally getting in their way.

    Within several minutes, the two finally reached their destination, a large set of metal double doors. After a quick badge scan from each of them, the two walked on through to the portal room.

    The word ¡°room¡± wasn¡¯t an accurate descriptor for the massive space. It was the size of an aircraft hangar, and aptly paved with a concrete floor while roofed under large, thin slabs of white-painted sheet metal supported by blue-gray metal beams and pillars. Evenly spaced out at the far end of the room were three large rings inlaid into the wall. A secondary ring around each one supported several stone slabs featuring runic characters painted or etched in gold and other precious materials. Several of these slabs were moving along the first of the outer rings, rearranging themselves into a different order.

    ¡°Huh, what¡¯s going over there?¡± asked the young man.

    His gaze wasn¡¯t locked on the structure itself, however. Rather, he was focused on the almost two dozen people standing in front of it. Men and women, no¡­ boys and girls. Mainly teens, between early and late high school, stood in place with their eyes locked on the shifting ring.

    Artyom narrowed his eyes at the group; something about how they were behaving was off. Throw enough kids into a crowd like this, at least two of them were going to start chattering away, but they were all quiet. Every single one of them stood somberly. Backs straight, hands clasped together or clenched into a fist, a few looking at the floor.

    ¡°Huh, if I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d say they were attending a-¡±

    ¡°Oh Artyom, there you are,¡± came the voice of a woman from the side.

    The two men turned to find a young woman, likely in her mid twenties, dressed in a white lab coat over a sweater and jeans. In her hands was a clipboard and pen.

    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind these kids, this is something they need.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, Sofia. I doubt I¡¯ll be getting in their way,¡± said Artyom as he gave the children another look-over and began to recognize them.

    ¡°Hold on, aren¡¯t those the kids we saved in our last mission?¡± asked the young man.

    Sofia nodded. But before she could continue, the inner ring they were standing in front of suddenly lit up in a swirling, blue glow. The kids collectively jumped back a step in surprise, but quickly returned to normal as several soldiers began to step out carrying stretchers covered in long, white cloth.

    A chill went through the room as the children and the young woman stiffened, but a frigid hammer struck the two newcomers in the back as they realized what was happening.

    ¡°These are the ones who didn¡¯t make it,¡± said Sofia. ¡°The kids wanted to give them a kind of salute, and to make sure we recovered all their bodies.¡±

    Neither of the two men said anything.

    ¡°It boils my blood that there are people out there who¡¯d take advantage of children like that!¡± exclaimed Sophia quietly enough to not be heard, yet forcefully enough to snap the young man out of his fugue. ¡°But that¡¯s why we have people like you two here to fight for them. And portal techs like me to help you all do just that.¡±

    She flashed the two a sincere smile, but felt her own lips fall as she saw Artyom¡¯s sullen expression.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be like that,¡± she said, taking a step towards Artyom until she was a foot away and staring directly at him with a concerned and motherly look. ¡°You and everyone else did all you could, and every child standing here proves just that. The ones who didn¡¯t make it were already dead before we were even deployed.¡±

    Artyom quietly nodded before blinking once and returning to his previous neutral look. Even if he did give the two a smile, he knew it wouldn¡¯t reach his eyes.

    ¡°So are you two planning to attend the funeral the kids are trying to organize? They asked that the people who helped save them attend, and not to spite us anything. They just want someone they can trust to be with them.¡±

    Artyom let out a sigh and stood silent for a second before replying. ¡°You know, I¡¯d love to.¡± He smiled even wider to the point it hurt just as much as it did inside. ¡°But I don¡¯t deserve to attend it after failing them. Besides, I¡¯ve got another mission I need to get to. Could you please get the portal for that set up?¡±

 Chapter 3: Into the World

    As much as Artyom would have loved to get his apparent exile started immediately, the process of getting everything ready would take some time: about half an hour.

    Most of that delay was from setting up the portal, namely in configuring the runic address of the destination. The magic of traveling between worlds was unlike the day-to-day version of the mystic arts most people were familiar with, which was based on the idea of harnessing a universally prevalent magical energy and putting it to use. Instead, multiversal travel was built on top of Runes.

    These were essentially the same Runes from Norse mythology, magical characters that held a kind of authority over the workings of the universe itself. Well, at least the strongest versions of them did.

    Apparently Runes came in tiers of degradation, with the lower tiered ones being stronger. Every time a set of runes was read and copied, they would degrade an additional tier and get weaker. The portals Artyom was used to utilized tier six Runes, the strongest TOAL had found so far. At least, that¡¯s what the resident rune experts estimated, since nobody had ever seen anything stronger.

    Rune magic cast with higher tiers of degradation required additional time and material costs to perform, which made summoning rituals for some worlds a last resort since they could drain a kingdom¡¯s coffers if their runes were degraded enough. This also made finding and incorporating better runes a high priority to the organization.

    These thoughts on the nature of Rune magic helped distract Artyom from the tumultuous sea in his heart as he readied himself for the mission. He grabbed a small knapsack from Sofia which contained three pairs of clothes, several nondescript coins, and a smattering of modern-themed survival gear. A thermal blanket, compass, multi-tool, and a week¡¯s worth of ultra-dense ration bars that took no more than a cubic inch per day¡¯s supply.

    Artyom took the bag to a nearby locker room where he changed out of his business casual wear into a set of humbly dyed linens; a light blue long-sleeve shirt and brown pants. As simple as his new wardrobe was, Artyom was more than happy for the swap to something much more comfortable. He only ever wore the button up shirt and dress pants when attending meetings, like the one with Gus, and preferred literally anything else. Even TOAL¡¯s standard body armor was more comfortable!

    By the time Artyom finished up and found a safe place to store his old clothes, the portal was ready.

    ¡°Everything is ready to go,¡± said Sofia. ¡°Just step through the portal and you¡¯ll find yourself on the outskirts of the nearby village of Freeacres, about an hour¡¯s walk away if you follow the road forwards. Or likely much less if you run.¡±

    Artyom nodded, unfazed by the apparent distance. ¡°By the way, what happened to the other guy who came with me?¡±

    ¡°They delayed his meeting for another half an hour so the kids could have that moment. They should be starting up again by the time you head out, and I¡¯m not surprised they¡¯re taking their time to be able to do it distraction-free. I heard it¡¯ll be a really big operation.¡±

    ¡°Mhm.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and Artyom?¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    The linen-clad man looked up with a quizzical look.

    ¡°Enjoy your vacation,¡± she said with a smile.

    He quickly looked away and nodded, mumbling an awkward thanks before stepping through the swirling blue vortex.

    A blinding flash of white consumed Artyom, quickly turning pitch black as some long-forgotten sense in his brain told him he was moving at incredible speeds despite the balance center in his ears saying otherwise. At the end of the dimensional tunnel was another flash of white, which faded into a scenic countryside.

    Artyom stood on a wide, dirt road with an unenclosed empty field to his left and grassy plains to his right. The sky was mostly a solid blue, but the space around the sun shone with a spectral refraction of slivers of pinks, greens, and silvers. Before taking the first step in this new world, he performed a quick check to make sure everything was in place. Clothes, the contents of his survival bag, and his personal flip-phone.

    While Artyom was aware of the smartphones of the modern world, and even owned one before being spirited away himself years ago, he quite enjoyed the simplistic and stylish nature of what he currently had. Besides, it came with enough useful features to beat out a smartphone from Earth: a comm line directly to headquarters, an emergency recall function to send him back if anything went really wrong, and games made by volunteers with actual passion rather than a lust for player¡¯s money.

    Satisfied that everything was present, Artyom began walking towards town. The road was quiet and the surroundings tranquil, only broken up by the occasional rustle in the grass or an unfamiliar bird¡¯s chirp. The air tasted crisp as he took in a deep breath. It wasn¡¯t even laden down with a high humidity or cloud of pollen that could be expected in the late spring, and there wasn¡¯t even a spot of pollution.

    While the surroundings were a balm to his spirit, it wasn¡¯t enough to calm Artyom¡¯s still racing mind. He still needed a proper distraction. Rather than pick out a game to play from his phone however, he pulled out the dossier he¡¯d stashed in his knapsack and continued reading.

    Right where he previously stopped, the mission brief was describing why he was here, with how there were signs of someone from Earth being in this world but no signs of someone actually being summoned. Summonings could be detected by the ripples the Rune magic would send out, but evidence of someone from Earth?

    According to the techies, each world had a ¡°noosphere,¡± or a sort of psychic layer around it that formed from all the thoughts and feelings of the people who lived there. Tapping into it to get an idea of what a world was like was originally thought up as an alternative way to search for Earthers, as well as to perform preliminary scouting to determine how hospitable a world was. It definitely saved plenty of time since it was put into effect, as well as plenty of lives.

    It was how TOAL discovered this world might have an Earther; mentions of places, food, and ideas from back home sprung up at regular intervals before slowly fading out, only to repeat again and again like clockwork. It was the perfect sign of a traveling hero who happened to share bits and pieces of their culture with those he rescued.

    It was also how they determined this world was a Fairytale world; the kind of hate, suffering, and misery that plagued the likes of Gilded worlds wasn¡¯t present here at all. Sure, tragedies still happened, but they were few and far between with community support helping to mend the worst emotional scars.

    So in other words, it would be a walk in the park for Artyom. He was confident to either find an Earther living out a heroic fantasy and a new kind of summoning ritual, or to mark the whole thing off as a weird coincidence. It was a mission for a new recruit. Or as Gus said, a vacation.

    At that point, Artyom had finished getting through the report background and finally reached the nitty-gritty parts, the actually useful intel that would help him track down this potential Earther. Before he could start reading however, he was interrupted once more.

    ¡°Stand and deliver!¡± shouted a voice in front of him.

    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me.¡±

 Chapter 4: A Very Friendly First Contact

    ¡°Stand and deliver!¡± shouted a gruff voice.

    Artyom looked up from the dossier with a sigh as he slipped it back into his knapsack. While his eyes weren¡¯t at all on the path in front of him, the interruption came as no surprise. If anything, the only surprise was that the three men standing in his way had the guts to try what they were about to.

    ¡°Give us your goods or else!¡± shouted the same man again. He was clad in a pitch-black armor that if it weren¡¯t for the spikes and extraneous decorations, Artyom would believe he was some kind of wannabe goth kid. The man wore a leather helmet that hid most of his head, but a messy tuft of black hair and the scraggly beginnings of a beard stood out.

    A few feet to either side of the night-clad man was a similarly dressed fellow. While their hairs were different colors, yellow with a mustache and brown yet clean shaven respectively, they all shared a similar expression.

    ¡°Yeah, we work for the Dark Lord, we¡¯re part of an elite scouting party! All of us are at least level twenty!¡± said the blond one with a sneer.

    ¡°You¡¯re as good as done for if you don¡¯t give up, so make it easy!¡± said the brunet with a chuckle.

    Artyom stared at the three as they each pulled out a weapon, and in the case of the blond one, summoned a wisp of flame in his right palm.

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this a surprise,¡± said the linen-clad man from Earth. ¡°Not even ten minutes in and I¡¯m getting mugged. Is this place really a Fairytale world, or did the techies screw something up? It might also explain the weird noosphere readings.¡±

    The three thieves looked at their potential mark with a look of confusion before the two apparent subordinates glanced at their black-haired leader for a cue. The man in the center lifted his sword up higher and shouted, ¡°It appears you didn¡¯t get the memo, we¡¯re more powerful than you! I¡¯m level twenty five! And how many do you have?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve gotten any yet,¡± replied Artyom with a bored expression. ¡°Unless they¡¯re handed out for taking a quick walk.¡±

    From his years of experience, Artyom knew that most worlds had their own leveling system, a seemingly artificial phenomenon that would reward effort put into a particular profession with numerical ¡°levels¡± in a matching ¡°class.¡± These levels would provide artificial boosts in ability to relevant competencies. So practicing the sword would award levels into the ¡°Swordsman¡± class that in turn inherently made one a better sword user, independent of the skill gained as a natural result of practicing.

    Not much was known about how these leveling systems came to be, but no two worlds¡¯ operated the same. Every one was a surprise and their systems incomparable, but there were some very common signs to gauge someone¡¯s true strength.

    ¡°Poor sword form,¡± mumbled Artyom, looking closely at the man in the front. ¡°Your stance is incredibly unbalanced and you¡¯re not even gripping your weapon hard enough. A strong breeze would probably knock you over if your armor were made of metal instead of painted leather, but those spikes definitely aren¡¯t helping your balance. Gotta admit though, whatever dye you use for your getup is working wonders on the intimidation factor. Just not on me.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?! I-¡± he shouted back, but couldn¡¯t get further as Artyom continued speaking.

    ¡°That magical energy leakage from that flame is terrifying!¡±

    ¡°Looks like he knows who the real threat is, eh-¡±

    ¡°I really hope you learned how to cast that from a book or something- actually, not even that. A decent magic textbook would at least try to mention efficiency! If an actual person taught you that, they should be ashamed of themselves. Less than half the magic you¡¯re pouring into that little candle of yours is actually being put to any use!¡±

    The blond mugger felt the flame in his hand reduce in size as his back began to sag.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°And you,¡± said Artyom, looking at the brunet holding a flail.

    The thief¡¯s eyes widened and a bead of sweat began to drip down underneath his helmet.

    ¡°If you swing and miss, you will hit yourself in the face.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all you have to say?¡± he blurted out.

    ¡°That¡¯s all there is to say. You can figure out what went unsaid for yourself.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± shouted the leader of the trio. ¡°Are we going to let this unruly peasant get the better of us like that? Let¡¯s teach him a lesson, and then take his stuff!¡±

    The other two perked up at that, and their faces began to turn red in anger and indignation. Without another word, the three of them charged forwards.

    Artyom merely shrugged and seemingly disappeared in a pop.

    ¡°Teleportation?¡± asked the blond.

    ¡°You¡¯re the mage, you should know!¡± replied the leader with a scowl.

    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s just really fast?¡± asked a voice from behind them.

    The trio attempted to turn around, but the linen-clad man moved quicker.

    A single punch impacted the leader¡¯s back, sending him flying several feet forward, where he landed face-first into the ground.

    The blond tried to flob the candle flame at Artyom, but with a single snap, the fire went out. The mugger-mage attempted to reignite it, but failed. After several seconds of attempts, he began to cough, and quickly fell to his knees while grasping at his chest.

    ¡°Null-magic field,¡± said Artyom. ¡°It¡¯s harmless, but the lack of any magic around you will feel like the very air went missing.¡±

    While the blond didn¡¯t respond, the last of his compatriots made his move. The brunet charged at Artyom with his flail held high, and once within range, swung down with all his might.

    Artyom casually stepped to the side, and the heavy ball went wide, completing a full arc that concluded at the back of the man¡¯s head. He fell to the ground in a heavy thud.

    ¡°I guess I was wrong, you hit yourself in the back of the head instead of the front. I must be getting rusty.¡±

    Artyom straightened his shoulders and walked over to the leader of the group, who was now raising himself off the floor, and placed a heavy foot on his back, pushing him back down.

    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly a fan of brigandage, and getting rid of you three would probably make the lives of anyone who lives around here way easier.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no prison anywhere near here, and the Dark Lord will have an easy time breaking us out of some peasant¡¯s basement!¡± shouted the leader, still apparently filled with bravado.

    Artyom leaned down and whispered loud enough into the man¡¯s ear for everyone else to hear, ¡°Who ever said anything about prison?¡±

    Everyone went stock still.

    ¡°Y-you don¡¯t mean¡­¡±

    Before Artyom could continue, his eyes flashed in realization.

    This was supposed to be a Fairytale world, and the behavior of these three proved it. Not with their criminal intentions, but with how they went about it. All the posturing, no mentions of actual consequences for resisting, and their assumptions going towards prison rather than the most common form of rural justice for hardened criminals. A true desperado would have just tried to kill him and then loot the corpse.

    If Artyom actually killed these three, Gus would just double down and increase the length of his stay! There was only one thing to do.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been defeated,¡± said Artyom while gritting his teeth. ¡°Do you promise to never attack innocents ever again?¡±

    Years of experience screamed at the TOAL soldier to end this threat here and now, but that was the entire point of this ¡°vacation¡± after all; make him chill out a bit before he accidentally committed a war crime. That was how Artyom saw it, anyway.

    But the result was the same and the man from Earth waited for a response.

    ¡°Y-yes,¡± said the leader of the three. ¡°You win, you¡¯re stronger than us. We give up.¡±

    ¡°And¡­¡± said Artyom while rolling his eyes.

    ¡°And we promise never to attack another innocent.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± said Artyom as he lifted his foot off the man and dispelled his anti-magic field. ¡°Now get out of here and don¡¯t come back.¡±

    The three of them got up, regrouped together, and dashed into the open field to the side, leaving Artyom once again alone.

    After waiting a few minutes to make sure they had well and truly run away, Artyom pulled out the dossier from his knapsack and continued reading. ¡°Even if they break their promise, the worst they¡¯re probably going to do is steal candy from a baby or something like that. I just hope I don¡¯t run into anyone else this annoying.¡±

    And he kept walking.

 Chapter 5: Welcome to Freeacres

    ¡°Instances of Earth-like information from the world¡¯s noosphere includes mentions of the state of California, pizza, and television,¡± said Artyom, reading the contents of the dossier aloud. ¡°While these are the most common references to concepts from Earth detected, various other references too widespread and numerous to list in this report were also detected-¡±

    Artyom shut the folder closed and shoved it back into the knapsack.

    ¡°Could have at least added the list as an addendum or something, how am I supposed to find this kid with only three things to go off of? Were there actually any other substantial references? I¡¯m really starting to believe this might all just be some big coincidence. Why has everything today been so annoying?¡±

    Thankfully Artyom didn¡¯t get much time to ruminate on his additional frustrations, as he soon came upon the first real signs of civilization.

    Wooden fences erected on either side of the dirt road separated and sectioned off large swathes of arable land. At this point, all Artyom could see was still grassy plains, but a herd of sheep grazed on the field to the left. They had medium-sized coats that looked to be still growing, but bizarrely, were all different colors. As in, a single sheep was made up of multiple colors in a striped pattern. Most of them were a mix of pinks and greens at the moment, with a few also sporting yellow or dark red.

    Among the herd was the vague outline of a person. They were also dressed in linens, but wore a wide-brimmed hat and carried a wooden crook. Upon seeing Artyom, they waved, and the man from Earth decided to return the gesture.

    As Artyom was about to pass the herd, he did a double take and looked more closely.

    ¡°Hold on, are those patterns moving?¡±

    Curiosity gripped him, so he stood still for a minute more and carefully observed one of the sheep. Time passed, and soon Artyom confirmed that the pattern was in fact changing, even if extremely slowly. While curious at how it biologically worked, he didn¡¯t think that a random peasant would be able to sate his thirst for knowledge at a technical enough level. So he chose to continue on.

    The grassy field only stretched on for about a mile longer. Beyond that were golden fields growing wheat and barley, and thoroughly tilled swathes of soil cultivating a variety of vegetables. Cabbage, turnips, broccoli, pumpkins, and some other unrecognizable stalks were all present.

    ¡°Hello there, traveler!¡± exclaimed one of the farmers working the field. He was walking past rows of pumpkins, putting his ear to each one as he knocked on it. If it made a particularly deep sound, he clipped it off the vine and carried it to a small cart.

    Artyom waved and shouted a similar greeting back, but didn¡¯t bother to start a conversation when he saw that the man was more interested in getting to his work than chatting him up.

    As the road became well worn, Artyom knew he was close to the village proper. The fields themselves, rather than growing seasonal crops, were now entirely devoted to orchards. Almost all of the trees grew cherries, with a smattering of citrus and peaches thrown in the mix. However, the deep red fruits and vibrantly pink flowers overshadowed everything else. Their sweet smells guided Artyom to his destination.

    The village before him was a quintessential farming town, with its planning obviously made to fit the farms rather than the other way around. The buildings were made of mostly whole, bark-stripped logs, likely belonging to the trees that were cleared away to make room for the orchards. Newer looking structures on the outskirts incorporated cut stones and bricks in addition. More care was put into them, so chances were they were constructed after the town was properly established.

    Rather than paved roads, the entire floor of the village was made of dirt and gravel, with bits of grass and weeds poking out occasionally. The better paving materials were reserved for buildings, it seemed.

    Artyom unconsciously took a deep breath and soaked in the rustic atmosphere with a sense of appreciation. Most of his missions had taken him to fancy throne rooms that smelled of suffocating perfumes or battlefields that reeked of blood. It had been a while since his assignments had brought him anywhere so¡­ peaceful.

    Now that he was here, he needed to get oriented. However, the village looked near-deserted, with only a few people out and about. That was no surprise since it was high noon; all the farmers would have been out in the fields or relaxing far away from the open sky.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Artyom made his way down the main dirt road and past an outer ring of houses into the village center towards one of the few people walking around. He was a man with a dark farmer¡¯s tan and somewhat muscular build. While he looked enough like any other human, his facial shape emphasized the cheekbones and jawline in a way divergent from any particular group back on Earth. Beyond that, the man wore thick linen overalls over a woolen shirt. Unlike the sheep from before, the wool was perfectly white.

    When he noticed Artyom, he looked over and waved. ¡°Why hello there, stranger! I take it you¡¯re new in town?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said the man from Earth. ¡°Is this Freeacres?¡±

    ¡°It is indeed, sir. The only free village in the kingdom! That¡¯s our catchphrase, you see.¡±

    ¡°Catchphrase?¡±

    ¡°Our wonderful king had this great farmland he wanted to make a village out of, but there weren¡¯t any nobles who wanted to move so far away to govern!¡± exclaimed the man with an acrid tone that quickly disappeared. ¡°So we petitioned him to let us move out and govern it ourselves, and he said yes! And rather than having one of the kingdom¡¯s lords bossing us around, we chose who among us would be the best leader and made him our alderman.¡± He shined a proud smile as he finished.

    Artyom nodded along to the story while simultaneously judging how legitimate each part of it sounded. At least until he realized he wasn¡¯t gathering intel; he was making smalltalk.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s really interesting,¡± he said, trying his best to sound invested in the story. Thankfully, something about the way the man spoke made his attitude contagious, and Artyom mustered all of that happiness and pride into a quick flash of his own smile. ¡°Thanks for sharing!¡±

    ¡°Oh, no problem sir. Now how about your story? What brings you to Freeacres?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just a traveler on vacation, and happened to be where I ended up,¡± said Artyom, trying his best not to sigh or scowl at the word ¡°vacation.¡±

    ¡°The kingdom is definitely a beautiful place, sir.¡± the man replied.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me ¡°sir¡± by the way, the name¡¯s Artyom.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t a big fan of being referred to as something so deferential. Usually, it was by someone who wanted something from him or was trying to get close enough to perform a backstab. If Artyom was going to be stuck around here for a month, he didn¡¯t want the locals to get on his nerves every time they spoke to him. Besides, getting on their good side would get him information about the supposed Earther sooner.

    ¡°Ah, how humble! Very unlike the other travelers who arrived today,¡± said the man, his mind somewhere else. ¡°Anyway, you can call me Chey!¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Chey. So who are these travelers?¡± If they were the same bandits Artyom chased off or their friends, then chasing them off once more would save him time in the future while putting him in the village''s good graces. "Are they giving you all any trouble?"

    ¡°Trouble? They¡¯re supposed to be getting rid of it! That adventurer team is holed up at Ruba¡¯s inn, trying to get rid of the rat problem. I don¡¯t see why they bother, all of the other teams that have tried in the past year have never succeeded.¡±

    While Artyom wasn¡¯t a fan of gossip and the trouble it tended to bring, the utter shamelessness of delivering the rant to a traveler who would have likely gone there made Artyom crack the faintest smile. ¡°Who knows? Maybe this team will get it right?¡±

    ¡°Hah, I¡¯d love to see that! No truly, I would, for poor old Ruba¡¯s sake. If you want to take a look at them and make a judgment for yourself, the inn is right over there.¡± Chey pointed to a two-storey building with a small sign hanging from it. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s lunch time and you don¡¯t look like you¡¯ve eaten. Ruba¡¯s making barley soup today, the best in town!¡±

    ¡°Why not,¡± replied Artyom with a shrug. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±

    Rural cooking was a total coin flip when it came to quality; it could be some best or worst food imaginable. And with a whole month ahead of him, Artyom felt that taking such gambles would at least fill in some of that time and his stomach.

    ¡°Anyway, nice talking to you,¡± said Artyom as he turned around and began walking towards the inn.

    ¡°Likewise! Oh, Bram, there you are!¡±

    Artyom looked over his shoulder to see Chey address a young boy, probably in his early to mid teens with a head of straw-colored hair and face full of freckles, leading a donkey while holding a basket full of wheat.

    ¡°It¡¯s a two day¡¯s trip to the next town over, you have everything packed?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir, Mr. Chey!¡± said the boy with a peppy cheer. ¡°Used my new Skill to make sure I have everything I¡¯ll need!¡±

    ¡°Atta boy, and don¡¯t put too much weight on the donkey when you¡¯re riding it.¡±

    The teen nodded and got onto the donkey¡¯s saddle, where the older farmer then took the basket of wheat and fastened it to Bram¡¯s back.

    ¡°That should do. Good to give the old animal an easier time, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re strong enough to carry all that wheat.¡±

    Artyom couldn¡¯t help but stare bewilderedly at the scene. Thankfully neither of the two noticed, and as the two separated and Bram headed out of town, the man from Earth made his way towards the inn.

 Chapter 6: Wandering Inâ€¦n

    Artyom arrived at the inn, a two-storey building made primarily of stripped logs. Its foundation was fortified with cut stones neatly arranged in a running bond pattern with some sort of gray mortar slathered between them, just like most brick walls. A wooden sign was hanging from a horizontal pole seven feet from the ground. It was decoratively painted and read ¡°Ruba¡¯s Inn¡± in a wavy font that was closer to print than cursive, and featured the silhouette of a mug and moon.

    Standard, in other words. A kind of standard that made Artyom reach for a nonexistent cowl to throw over his head and project an air of tough indifference. Instead, all he found was the back of his linen shirt and head of cropped hair.

    ¡°Right, Fairytale world. No secret gangs or bar fights waiting to happen,¡± said Artyom to himself as he took a calming breath and opened the door to step inside.

    To no surprise, the inside was also standard. On his right was the bar, consisting of a table made of ash-gray wood stretching several feet long, its back shelves stocked with a small yet colorful selection of bottles.

    In front of it were stools made of the same wood, with several people seated on them. On the right was a space filled with a few tables and chairs where a pair of elderly men sitting at the front played a game with dice. Off to the back was a staircase that led to the second floor, which likely held rooms for guests to sleep in.

    The people at the bar however were a much more colorful group. Besides the older woman serving drinks behind the bar, the three sitting on the barstools were dressed very differently than anyone else Artyom had met in town so far.

    While the smattering of villagers walking around wore lightly-dyed linen and wool clothes similar to Chey¡¯s, these three were dressed in brighter colors and choice materials. Closest to the door was a young man with blond hair and a chainmail shirt who carried a sword on his back. He had a jovial expression on his face and was in the middle of downing a cup of bright-red liquid in a single go.

    To the left of him was a young lady with medium brown hair shaped in a bun, who wore a sturdy leather mail dyed a leafy green with camouflage patterns and carried a bow on her back. She was cheering the swordsman on.

    And finally on her left was another young lady with hair as red as the man¡¯s drink hanging loose. She, unlike the others, was unarmed, but wore blue robes with wide, vertical white streaks on the sides. The center streak of blue was decorated in various golds and greens in an intricate symbol. She was shyly cheering the man on along with the woman next to her.

    However, as soon as Artyom walked in, all eyes went on him. Everyone had a look of curiosity, save for the lady serving and the swordsman. The bar woman looked happy at the prospect of having another new customer, and the armored man was still focused on his drink.

    ¡°Ah, hello there!¡± said the lady behind the counter, motioning Artyom to take a seat there. ¡°Welcome to my inn! I¡¯m Ruba, and you won¡¯t find better food and drink anywhere else in town!¡± Her facial features were softer than that of Chey and his farmhand, and skin much more pale. Perhaps the difference of a life of outdoor labor versus indoor service?

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Artyom politely. He wiped his feet on the welcome mat and made his way to the bar. He decided to take a seat towards the other end of the bar from the swordsman; far enough away that he¡¯d likely not be bothered by them, but not too far to look like he was purposefully avoiding the group. No better way to get someone¡¯s attention than to look like you were trying to avoid it.

    Just as Artyom took a seat, the swordsman finished his drink and slammed the sturdy wooden mug onto the counter. He turned to the two women next to him to see their reactions to his great feat before looking at Artyom.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re from out of town as well?¡± asked the swordsman. ¡°I thought my party and I would be the only ones!¡±

    Artyom looked around to make sure the man wasn¡¯t addressing someone else, and upon realizing he was the only one in view, he internally sighed before responding. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m just passing through and stopping for lunch.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Ruba¡¯s eyes lit up when he mentioned lunch. ¡°I have some fresh barley stew today! Along with some nice, crispy bread. You three haven¡¯t eaten anything yet either, would any of you like some now?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± replied the swordsman. ¡°We¡¯ll take care of your rat problem right after.¡±

    ¡°Aah, don¡¯t talk about that!¡± said Ruba with a wince. ¡°I don¡¯t want the rumors to spread even more, especially when there¡¯s someone else from out of town here!¡±

    Artyom faced forward to disengage from the conversation, but couldn¡¯t help but smirk at the trite exchange right out of a story.

    ¡°Oh sir, please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to be spreading rumors now,¡± said Ruba. ¡°This is my livelihood at stake, here! I can¡¯t believe these three I hired to take care of the problem are only going to make it worse.¡±

    The swordsman paled while his two companions turned red with embarrassment.

    Getting himself dragged back into the conversation made his left eyebrow twitch, but nobody seemed to notice. ¡°My lips are sealed,¡± said Artyom while motioning with his thumb and index finger across his mouth. ¡°And Chey already told me about it earlier, so your adventurers aren¡¯t entirely at fault.¡±

    ¡°Bah, this entire town is full of nosy gossips!¡± cribbed Ruba. ¡°But I can¡¯t really blame Chey. If I was in his shoes, half the kingdom would know by now!¡±

    The entire inn erupted in laughter, and even Artyom let out an unexpected chuckle. He had to admit, Fairytale Worlds were much livelier than where his missions normally took him. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to go along with it and unwind a little?

    ¡°Where missions normally take me¡­¡±

    Artyom felt himself grow cold. The levity the townsfolk had filled him with suddenly evaporated as he sneered at what he was reduced to; a mere tourist, when lives were at stake! That new recruit back at headquarters talked about some big mission coming up, and Artyom wouldn¡¯t get to be a part of it while stuck here.

    But he had no choice.

    Artyom might have been stuck here, but at least he could make the most out of the opportunity while trying to have faith in the other soldiers. Running missions didn¡¯t give much chance to practice any longer-term skills or perform personal experiments. And with the newly rescued kids now making their home at headquarters, some of them might eventually want to join the good fight alongside Artyom once they were older.

    They would need a guiding figure; someone to train them with a gentle hand while making sure they got all the skills they needed to survive out in the cold, unforgiving multiverse. And since he was the one who saved them, the job was likely to go to him.

    Artyom was out of practice, however, but there was an opportunity to fix that right in front of him.

    ¡°Is everything alright, sir?¡± asked Ruba as she looked closely at Artyom¡¯s scrunched up face.

    ¡°I was just deep in thought about what the swordsman just mentioned,¡± said Artyom while facing the adventuring team.  ¡°You¡¯re going to go kill the rats right after eating?¡±

    ¡°Of course, we¡¯ve been on the road since we woke up and we¡¯re starving!¡± he said proudly.

    ¡°Even if they are rats, it can be pretty dirty work. I¡¯ve always been taught to never get into anything so messy right after eating a big lunch, because it won¡¯t always stay put.¡±

    The swordsman slightly paled at this, somehow noticeable despite his light, freckled skin. The lady with the bow did as well, but the one in the robes grew slightly wide-eyed at Artyom¡¯s revelation and slowly nodded.

    ¡°Uh, thanks for the advice. Most of our quests haven¡¯t been that messy, so I didn¡¯t realize something as small as rats would be. I¡¯m Saemial, by the way. Everyone calls me Sae.¡±

    ¡°Artyom, pleasure to meet you,¡± he replied back.

    ¡°And this is Pireni and Skeya,¡± said Sae, pointing towards the archer and lady in robes.

    ¡°Nice to meet you too!¡± said Pireni. ¡°I¡¯m the team¡¯s ranger. Sae¡¯s the meathead and Skeya is the cleric.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, my official title is swordsman,¡± replied Sae, in slight annoyance. ¡°Just because I¡¯m the one who has to get near the enemy to attack, it doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m dumb!¡±

    The other two party members laughed at his response, Pireni sounding much more boisterous than Skeya.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Artyom,¡± said Skeya, once their laughter had died down. ¡°I try to help everyone do their best.¡±

    ¡°How innocent, it¡¯s outright adorable!¡± Artyom thought. ¡°They¡¯ll be the perfect test subjects.¡±

 Chapter 7: Math is Hard

    ¡°So what are we going to do, Sae?¡± asked the archer, Pireni. ¡°Do we charge in there now, or do we eat first and then wait a while?¡±

    ¡°On one hand, we can finish the job quickly,¡± replied Sae. ¡°But on the other hand, I¡¯m starving! I don¡¯t think I can hold my shield and sword all that well without something in me first.¡±

    ¡°If you put it like that, then let¡¯s just get it over with. It¡¯s just rats we¡¯re dealing with, they¡¯re not that strong.¡±

    ¡°But what if they are?¡± asked Sae with a frown. ¡°They could be giant rats, the kinds you find in dungeons alongside other monsters.¡±

    ¡°The rat problem isn¡¯t that bad, stop spreading even more rumors!¡± shouted Ruba from the back of the bar.

    Artyom sat back in his chair and watched the scene straight out of a sitcom unfold. All he needed now was a drink¡­

    ¡°Here¡¯s some sparkle on the house to keep you quiet about anything these three say,¡± said Ruba, sliding over a mug of a frothy red liquid over to him.

    ¡°Oh thanks, but I¡¯m not looking to get drunk this early in the day.¡±

    ¡°Drunk? Ha!¡± said the bartender with a laugh. ¡°This town hasn¡¯t been around long enough for our brewer to be that high level.¡±

    Artyom made a closer inspection of the beverage and noticed it was the same bright red liquid Sae was drinking when Artyom first entered the inn. The color was almost cartoonishly vivid, and a rush of bubbles rose to the top to create a light frothy cap reminiscent of most freshly poured beers, save for the foam¡¯s light pink color more akin to a peony. No soda back on Earth looked anything like this.

    Artyom slowly lifted it to his lips and tasted a sip. His eyes widened.

    ¡°So you like it, then!¡± exclaimed Ruba with a wide grin that showed much of her teeth. ¡°It¡¯s our town¡¯s specialty.¡±

    The drink was in fact soda, but none like Artyom had ever tasted. It held a hint of fermented sourness that paired well with the cherry flavor to make it stand out from the closest beverages to it from Earth. The bubbles were definitely from carbonation, but at a level far greater than any mundane beverage; it was near-overwhelming but didn¡¯t detract from its enjoyability.

    It was perfect.

    And the best part for him and the adventurers, there was no alcohol, so they could drink as much of it as they wanted to before anything important, if you ignored needing to use the bathroom.

    While Artyom pondered the wonder of his drink, the conversation between the adventurers continued.

    ¡°Come on Pireni, the soup smells so good! I want to eat some now!¡± said Sae. ¡°Even having it nearby makes me feel weaker than I would otherwise.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t smell any of it while we¡¯re in the basement, you¡¯ll be fine once you¡¯re down there.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°But¡­ need¡­ food-¡±

    ¡°H-how about if we drink some more sparkle first?¡± asked Skeya.

    The other two party members looked over to the redhead and stared at her in silence.

    She immediately began to blush, the color of her cheeks slowly growing to match that of her hair, and she looked back into her drink.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea, actually¡­¡± said Sae. ¡°It¡¯s really sweet and I feel a lot of my energy back after I drink it, I think one more mug will keep me until we finish the job.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, great idea, Skeya!¡± exclaimed Pireni while giving her teammate a thumbs up.

    Skeya looked back at the two with a smile, but the blush on her cheeks only intensified under the praise.

    ¡°One more round of sparkle for us, please!¡± said Sae, reaching into a small bag on his side.

    ¡°On me,¡± said Artyom. He threw down an unmarked silver coin onto the table in front of him. ¡°And another for me as well.¡±

    The adventuring party turned to look at Artyom, surprised at first but their expressions quickly turning into one of gratitude.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that, you know,¡± said Pireni. ¡°But thanks.¡±

    ¡°Yeah thanks, I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d get far enough for people to be treating us to drinks so quickly!¡± added Sae.

    Skeya nodded and said, ¡°Thank you, Artyom.¡±

    ¡°Hey don¡¯t mention it, I-¡± Artyom stopped mid-sentence as he noticed Ruba was looking over the coin with a deep frown. ¡°Is something wrong with that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s odd,¡± said the bartender. ¡°My [Calculate Change] Skill isn¡¯t working on it, but my [Detect Counterfeit] Skill says this is definitely a real silver coin.¡±

    Artyom recalled what he knew of Skills, a type of special ability granted alongside levels by the System. They were independent from magic, and ran on the power and authority of the System itself. Each class had its own pool of Skills its user could unlock, and they were generally related to the matching profession. The Skills Ruba mentioned likely did what was written on the cover; automatically tell the user how much change was due and whether a coin was counterfeit respectively.

    ¡°Oh, well then¡­¡± Artyom began.

    While the coin wasn¡¯t native and likely minted in an entirely different world, the standard size and blank face should have made it a match for the local tender. The fact that Ruba even said [Detect Counterfeit] returned a negative proved it.

    ¡°So what¡¯s actually the problem?¡±

    ¡°I already told you, my [Calculate Change] Skill doesn¡¯t work on it.¡±

    ¡°How much does a mug of sparkle cost?¡± asked Artyom.

    ¡°Two bronze coins.¡±

    ¡°And how many bronze coins in a silver coin? Is it ten?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s two bronze coins in change.¡±

    ¡°My Skill doesn¡¯t work, how can you be sure?¡±

    Artyom froze. And then he blinked. And after that, he could feel imaginary fans whirring to life in his brain as it tried to make sense of the situation before he stated the obvious. ¡°Each mug is two coins, and I¡¯m ordering four cups. Two times four is eight, in this case eight bronze coins for all the drinks.¡±

    Ruba looked at him and nodded.

    ¡°And that silver coin is worth ten bronze coins, so ten minus eight is two. Two bronze coins are left over, and that¡¯s the change you owe me.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± said Ruba as she looked away from him nervously. ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it, if that¡¯s what your Skill says about it.¡±

    Artyom blinked again, but before he could say anything more, a mug of the red fizzy liquid was placed in front of him and the adventuring party called out a round of cheers.

    The man from Earth grabbed his mug and lifted it in the air alongside the others, then took a sip from it.

    It didn¡¯t taste alcoholic, but maybe there was something else in it?

 Chapter 8: Fantasy Smurfing

    ¡°No alcohol, my ass!¡± said Artyom in his mind as he began channeling magical energy. Once he gathered what he needed, he focused it into the form of a spell and silently cast it on himself.

    Purge Toxins.

    The magic flowed through his body, from his head all the way to his feet, swimming through blood vessels and the gaps between his cells. Any poisons inside him would be gathered, pulled together into a single mass, and deposited in his stomach for easy removal. It wasn¡¯t even limited to traditional poisons; even alcohol and caffeine would be affected.

    Artyom braced himself for the feeling of nausea that would soon follow a successful casting. He didn¡¯t want to follow through with the purging process in front of everyone, as projectile vomiting after accepting a delicious drink from a kind old woman would not win him any favors here. But he also wasn¡¯t ready to risk letting an unknown mental toxin mess him up to the point he couldn¡¯t do basic mental math.

    The man from Earth tightened the muscles around his stomach and waited. One second, two, ¡­ten-

    ¡°Is everything alright? Perhaps your Skill is having some trouble as well?¡± asked Ruba.

    Artyom exhaled and relaxed himself. ¡°Oh sorry, everything¡¯s alright.¡±

    There was no nausea. The spell fired off, but there were no toxins.

    Artyom looked back down into his drink, and began to ponder once more. It was the second time he saw someone being very foolish in this world, at least in this village. Maybe that was just the average intelligence of the people here? It might be the reason why this was a Fairytale world, ignorance being bliss and all that, but to Artyom it felt oddly rude to call them happy and peaceful because they were all dumb. He¡¯d been to other Fairytale worlds before, many years ago, and the people there actively used their brains more than this.

    It was a mystery that Artyom didn¡¯t have all the pieces for, as well as one that was honestly not his problem. Since he was thankfully unaffected by the stupid, he decided to listen in on the adventurers again.

    ¡°So do you think there¡¯s anyone in the village we can recruit?¡± asked Pireni to the rest of her party.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen anyone in the village cast any magic so far,¡± replied Sae. ¡°And nobody seems all that keen on traveling as much as we do. They keep saying that whenever we tell them we¡¯re adventurers.¡±

    ¡°We already left our original homes to come here,¡± said Ruba, jumping in for a moment between her work at the large pot of soup in the back. ¡°Most of us aren¡¯t willing to make another such move so soon.¡±

    The trio looked down in disappointment.

    ¡°Maybe we could find someone to help us out while we¡¯re here?¡± asked Skeya, her soft voice cutting through the gloomy silence. ¡°They might like us enough to follow even after we leave.¡±

    Before the conversation could continue, Artyom spoke up, ¡°If you¡¯re looking for a spellcaster, I happen to be one. A pretty good one too, in fact,¡± he added, humbly.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    The three adventurers turned to face him, with Sae having to lean out of his seat to see him clearly. The looks of surprise, that were turning to ones of victory, were as if they¡¯d already completed their quest and were being presented with the reward.

    Sae was the first to come back down to Earth, or wherever they were, and break eye contact. He coughed into a balled hand and stood up, walking past his two teammates up to Artyom and giving him an inquisitive look-over.

    ¡°That-that¡¯s wonderful to hear. And I¡¯m glad you¡¯re interested in joining us! But¡­ will you be good enough for the team?¡±

    ¡°Come on, Sae. We¡¯ve been searching for a spellcaster forever,¡± whined Pireni. ¡°Can¡¯t we just bring him along and see how he is?¡±

    ¡°But we¡¯ve got two missions we need to take care of here, I don¡¯t want to drag someone around before we can get back to the adventurer¡¯s guild,¡± Sae replied back.

    ¡°Sorry, but why the rush to bring me to the adventurer¡¯s guild?¡± asked Artyom. ¡°If I need to officially register first, then you can just call me a ¡®helpful civilian¡¯ in the meantime.¡±

    ¡°To check your level, obviously!¡± said Pireni. ¡°There aren¡¯t any scryers here, so we¡¯ll have to bring you back to where there is one. All of us have combat levels in the teens, so we need to make sure you¡¯re up to snuff.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± said Artyom with a schooled expression.

    It was a quirk of many worlds with leveling systems to equate one¡¯s number with their strength. Practice made perfect after all, but it also made levels, leading it to being adopted as the common metric. Especially when it was easier to measure and comprehend than a resume. Years of experience, achievements, and abilities; what was the point of trawling through all of those when someone¡¯s capabilities could be understood from a single numerical value? Why wouldn¡¯t it be a good indicator of competency?

    It wasn¡¯t like Artyom was completely bereft of levels when he entered a new world.

    ¡°In the meantime, why not just let me tag along?¡± asked the man from Earth. ¡°It can¡¯t do much harm if I¡¯m just casting helpful spells from the back. You can see what I¡¯m capable of then.¡±

    ¡°I dunno, how would we know if you¡¯re really a good spellcaster if we don¡¯t know your levels?¡± asked Sae, his skepticism unsatisfied.

    ¡°I think it¡¯d be nice to have him along,¡± said a soft voice from the middle of the group. Skeya poked her head out from the side so she would be able to see Artyom. ¡°This is our first mission fighting, so having another person with us would make things better.¡±

    The other two party members turned to regard her. They stared for a couple of seconds, which caused Skeya to look down in repentance, before Pireni clasped Skeya¡¯s back while flashing her a grin.

    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea, Skeya! We¡¯ll have him tag along with us to deal with the rats and see what he¡¯s made of.¡±

    ¡°Wait, wasn¡¯t that my idea?¡± thought Artyom.

    Skeya seemed to calm down at that and returned the grin with a shy smile of her own.

    ¡°Well, it looks like our minds are made up,¡± said Sae. ¡°You can tag along with us to kill the rats, but don¡¯t get in my way. I¡¯m serious! My sword is sharp and I don¡¯t want to accidentally hit you.¡±

    Everyone who was listening laughed at the joke, the adventurers, Ruba, and the two old men in the back. Even Artyom couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the sincere delivery.

    Things weren¡¯t looking too bad. The muggers Artyom had met just outside of town had a higher level, and they were obvious amateurs, so this adventuring party was likely even less experienced.

    Sure, it made Artyom a bit of a hypocrite to judge the people here based on their levels, but he didn¡¯t need to match their actual ability; he just needed to match their levels. And if level twenty was attainable without a proper foundation for the muggers, then someone with as much experience as Artyom would be able to skyrocket in levels through casual spellcasting. He would most likely be caught up to the others by the time they headed back to proper civilization.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go take care of some rats.¡±

 Chapter 9: Rats, Rats, Weâ€™re the Rats

    It was just past noon when the quartet of men and women descended the staircase into the dingy cellar. They were all feeling peckish, but had faith that their sugar rush would see them through the challenges ahead. This temporary energy wouldn¡¯t be ideal for an extended conflict, the most experienced of them knew, but it ought to be enough for this.

    Each step downwards caused the wood beneath to creak, a drumbeat of their procession into the inky darkness below. Echoes of chittering could be heard between the sounds, growing fewer in number yet louder the lower they went.

    Yup. This place definitely had a rat problem.

    ¡°So, where did you learn magic?¡± asked Sae, who was mostly focused on not tripping on an errant rodent. The creaking had already alerted the rats, so Artyom figured there was no point trying to be any more stealthy.

    ¡°I¡¯m self-taught,¡± he replied.

    From Artyom¡¯s experience, most dedicated magic teachers focused on either the fundamentals, or single-target attacks. Since he was first summoned, and in his current position at TOAL, Artyom was tasked with leading soldiers in large-scale combat. As such, he had to teach himself the kind of spells that suited grand warfare over smaller scale skirmishes.

    ¡°How about if I turn the question around,¡± said Artyom. ¡°What about you three? Where did you all learn how to fight?¡±

    ¡°From some of the guards in the village I grew up in,¡± said Sae. ¡°I was originally training to be one, but most of the job was just sitting around or training, all for when something might happen. It was way too boring for me, so I decided I would become an adventurer instead! I figured it would also let me help others when they needed it most.¡±

    ¡°You mean I decided we¡¯d become adventurers,¡± said Pireni, butting in. ¡°I was learning to be a hunter and also hated how most of the job wasn¡¯t actually doing anything fun. Tracking a herd of animals for hours, just to shoot a few arrows, and then spend the next couple of hours lugging the bodies back into town. I¡¯d seen adventurers before and they all sounded like they were having way more fun. So I convinced you to join me in becoming one.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± asked Sae. ¡°So what if you gave me the idea? I was the one who decided to take it up.¡±

    ¡°Which wouldn¡¯t have happened if I never gave you the idea in the first place. You owe me half.¡±

    ¡°Half of what?!¡±

    Rather than let the bickering continue, Artyom stepped in and steered the conversation back. ¡°How about you, Skeya? Where did you learn to be a cleric, and how did you meet these two?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± she began. ¡°I was trained at the church in healing and casting holy spells, and one day Sae and Pireni came to us injured. I¡¯m glad I was able to help them out.¡±

    Her two teammates went quiet at that. The silence they¡¯d cast laid heavily in the air and lasted until they reached the bottom of the steps, but Artyom attempted to break the fugue.

    ¡°How did that come to happen?¡±

    ¡°Um well¡­¡± began Pireni.

    ¡°We tried to hunt a small monster, but it didn¡¯t go so well,¡± said Sae, interrupting.

    Pireni nudged Sae in the arm, hard, and took over speaking. ¡°He broke an arm when it rammed into his shield too hard.

    ¡°And she broke a few fingers when her bow string snapped,¡± added Sae.

    ¡°But thankfully it was slow, so we were able to get back to town without it following us.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s where we met Skeya, at the temple.¡±

    Artyom looked amongst the three. The two boisterous yet flustered adventurers tried to avoid eye contact with him, while Skeya only looked back at him with a soft smile and nodded.

    ¡°They weren¡¯t the only ones I¡¯d treated who had injuries from that monster,¡± said the cleric. She gathered her resolve and continued. ¡°I thought it was really brave of them to go out of their way to try and help others, and I realized I wanted to do something like that too! I wanted to be an adventurer as well, and learn to be¡­ brave like them.¡± Her sentence quieted at those last three words.

    The conversation began to truly die down at that, mostly because they were now approaching the main cellar, but Artyom decided to end it on a more positive note. ¡°I think that you¡¯re already brave to follow these two all the way here. Keep it up!¡±

    The others looked at him indignantly, but when they heard Skeya reply with a heartfelt ¡°thank you,¡± they decided to leave it.

    ¡°So what do you three know about the rats?¡± asked Artyom.¡°How come Ruba needed to hire multiple teams to handle the job?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re pretty sure it¡¯s because the other adventurers were too weak. This might be a quest for newbies, but it doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s a quest for weaklings!¡± boasted Sae. ¡°Pireni said it earlier, all of us have our levels in the double digits unlike the others who¡¯ve taken on this quest, so we should be strong enough!¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°Yup, that definitely must be it,¡± thought Artyom.

    The group finally entered the cellar proper, which would have been consumed by a quagmire of shadow if not for the noon day sun barely filtering through some metal grates from the top of the far, western wall. Several wooden crates were spread out across the room. While most of them were on the floor, a few hung from the ceiling by nets woven from thick, heavy-duty hempen ropes. Having to move the boxes to the floor and back up seemed like too much work, but Artyom figured that was how Ruba managed with the rat problem.

    The rats who made their home here had mostly fled upon the team¡¯s descent, save for a few prime specimens of their species present. Several very large rats wandered the room, hugging corners of the wall or boxes, sniffing out the new arrivals. They were each at most three or four feet long, and between a foot or two tall. Each looked well fed, but not obese, from what Artyom could tell.

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Artyom in a low whisper as to not spook the enemy. ¡°So what¡¯s the pla-¡±

    Immediately as Sae caught sight of the rats, he screamed a battlecry and charged at the nearest rodent. It squeaked in surprise and before it could do anything, Sae had already cleared the distance and slashed at it. The rat tried to dodge but failed, and received a short gash across its midsection. It refused to go down, however, and in response emitted an even higher-pitched shriek, calling all of the other rats to its aid.

    ¡°Uh oh, I think I made it mad. A little help, guys?¡± asked Sae.

    ¡°On it!¡± shouted Pireni. She pulled out her bow from her back and an arrow from her quiver, and took aim at the forming mob of rodents. She waited until she could pick a single target from the flowing wave of fur and tails, and let loose. Her arrow flew across the room and collided with a smaller rat on the far right of the group, passing right through its midsection and sending it flying to the back wall, where it collapsed without so much as a chitter.

    ¡°Dang it, I missed!¡± whined Pireni. ¡°I was aiming for the one in the center.¡±

    ¡°Better you missed right instead of left!¡± said Sae in reply, realizing how he was equidistant from Pireni¡¯s intended target compared to where she had actually hit.

    As Sae¡¯s head was turned towards his teammate, one of the rats bit him in the leg, its teeth puncturing his leather pants and thankfully failing to pierce his skin, but eliciting a yowl of pain from the swordsman nonetheless.

    ¡°Aah! It bit me! That hurt!¡±

    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m on it!¡± replied Skeya, clasping her hands together in prayer as she began chanting in a whisper. A silvery glow filled with gray motes surrounded Sae before being absorbed into his body, making him visibly calm as the spell took effect.

    ¡°That¡¯s better, now let¡¯s finish this!¡± shouted Sae. ¡°Pireni, let¡¯s go all out! And please don¡¯t hit me! [Sharpened Edge]!¡±

    ¡°Right! [Piercing Shot]!¡± replied Pireni, as she nocked another arrow.

    Sae began slashing wildly, his sword cleaving through the wave of rats, taking out one at a time. Each slash cut deeper than the last, and every consecutive hit led to an even faster one after that. Soon enough, he was a whirling dervish, tearing through rats like a farmer scything wheat.

    That wasn¡¯t to say Pireni was slacking. She fired off arrows at an impressive rate, hitting rats left and right. The swarm of rodents began to fall apart, soon turning into a trickle at the onslaught, and finally being reduced to nothing. By the time the battle had died down, all of the rats who opposed the brave adventurers were dead, either by sword or arrow.

    ¡°We did it!¡± shouted Sae! ¡°I knew we could!¡±

    ¡°Of course. We all knew we could!¡± replied Pireni.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Even Skeya let out a quiet shout in excitement.

    Once their cheering had died down, they turned towards Artyom.

    ¡°Well, I guess we didn¡¯t really learn all that much about you,¡± said Sae. ¡°You didn¡¯t even have a chance to cast a single spell with how good we were! Maybe you¡¯ll have better luck on our next mission?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Artyom. ¡°I casted plenty of spells.¡±

    The party members looked at him in confusion.

    ¡°Was there another army of rats we didn¡¯t see?¡± asked Pireni. ¡°You even throw a single fireball!¡±

    ¡°Probably because that¡¯s not the kind of magic I specialize in.¡±

    The others looked even more confused.

    ¡°So what did you cast? I didn¡¯t see a thing,¡± said Sae.

    ¡°Did you see any blood come out of the rat bite on your leg? It ripped right through your armor, but your skin is unscathed. And you Pireni, didn¡¯t you notice how your shots got way more accurate during your second volley of arrows?¡±

    The two adventurers looked at each other, and then at the newcomer.

    ¡°That¡¯s my style of spells; making people stronger and the enemy weaker.¡±

    ¡°Now that you mention it, yeah. That bite hurt, but it only felt like getting hit, not stabbed,¡± said Sae with furrowed brows.

    ¡°Same here, that has to be a new record for me in terms of accuracy,¡± replied Pireni. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of Skills that make allies stronger, but not spells. I bet your Skills are all about making it easier for you to use magic.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Artyom. ¡°I just cast Ironskin and Focused Mind on the two of you.¡±

    ¡°What about Skeya?¡± asked Pireni. ¡°She normally hesitates when someone gets hurt, but she casted a heal immediately!¡±

    Skeya looked down in sadness, probably in realization that she hadn¡¯t actually been brave on her first combat mission.

    ¡°No, actually. I just cast it on you two.¡±

    Skeya looked up at Artyom in surprise, and a wide smile began to grow on her face.

    Of course, Artyom didn¡¯t mention how his ¡°Focused Mind¡± spell had two targets. He wanted to help this group get better, and the most obvious way to start was by improving Skeya¡¯s self esteem by letting her feel satisfaction in what she believed to be her own achievements. And now that she had a taste for it, she should now be able to do the same without his help.

    ¡°Way to go Skeya!¡± shouted the other party members in congratulations.

    ¡°Yeah! It looks like we¡¯ve wrapped this up. Let¡¯s go tell Ruba that we¡¯ve solved her rat problem!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± asked Artyom, interrupting the impromptu celebration. ¡°These were just the guards. There are still plenty of them inside the walls.¡±

    The others turned around and looked at him in horror.

 Chapter 10: Filthy Acts for Practically Free

    ¡°What?¡± asked Artyom as all eyes stared at him in abject terror.

    ¡°You mean there are more rats, and they¡¯re hidden?! What about all of these?¡± asked Sae, motioning towards the numerous giant rat corpses scattered across the floor.

    ¡°As I said, they¡¯re just the guards,¡± replied Artyom. ¡°You know rats aren¡¯t normally fighters, right? They hide in the dark and steal food when nobody¡¯s looking. That¡¯s their thing.¡±

    Sae opened his mouth to speak again, but Artyom interrupted.

    ¡°Yes, even really big ones like these.¡±

    ¡°So how are we supposed to get them if they¡¯re all hiding?¡± asked Pireni.

    ¡°Now you¡¯re thinking!¡± exclaimed Artyom. While the answer was obvious back on Earth, he didn¡¯t want to just give it to the adventurers. Not every fight was about strength or strategy; sometimes you had to solve weird problems such as this.

    ¡°Well¡­ why not use a trap?¡± Skeya asked meekly. ¡°Or maybe some poison?¡±

    ¡°Oh hey, that¡¯s a great idea!¡± replied Sae. ¡°They¡¯ll need to come out to eat, and they¡¯ll get caught or sick when they do!¡±

    ¡°The only problem is we don¡¯t have a [Rogue] in our party,¡± said Pireni with a groan. ¡°We¡¯ve never needed an expert in traps or poison before.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just stick to poison in that case,¡± said Artyom. ¡°Let¡¯s head upstairs and see if Ruba or anyone else around town has any.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Ruba¡¯s a [Rogue],¡± replied Pireni. ¡°I doubt anyone in this village is either.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we just need rat poison, not people poison. That¡¯s not too hard to make.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not too hard?¡± asked Sae. ¡°I thought you were a spellcaster, not a [Rogue].¡±

    ¡°¡­I am,¡± Artyom said while raising a questioning eyebrow. ¡°Why do I need to be a [Rogue] to make poison?¡±

    ¡°Because nobody can make poison except for [Rogues],¡± said Pireni. ¡°They¡¯re the only ones who get the [Create Poison] Skill.¡±

    ¡°What? Has nobody here ever considered mixing together some arsenic, or even some cyanide? It would be pretty easy with all of the fruits being grown here,¡± thought Artyom. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because this is a Fairytale world, and people don¡¯t normally consider making something so nasty?¡±

    The three looked at the man from Earth oddly as he spent a long moment in silence.

    ¡°In that case, ladies and gentleman¡­ I do believe I shall teach you how to perform a very dirty deed, and for dirt cheap no less,¡± said Artyom, with a very mischievous grin spreading across his face.

    The others looked slightly concerned.

    <hr>

    What followed was a search for a good source of poison. While Artyom was no rodent exterminator, he knew how to kill. And there were plenty of toxins that would kill both humans and rats.

    The first option was cyanide, which could be gathered and refined from fruit seeds, but the concentrations he¡¯d worked with would be overkill. If even a drop somehow ended up in someone¡¯s food, they likely wouldn¡¯t survive long enough to make it to a healer. Artyom didn¡¯t trust himself to dilute it enough to kill a rat without hurting a person, so he decided to skip that option.

    Then how about fungal or bacterial toxins like botulinum toxin or anthrax? Artyom didn¡¯t think it was wise to mess around with what was considered the deadliest neurotoxin and disease respectively back on Earth. Especially when the process of growing and refining them took so long and risked infecting people nearby.

    That left one last option: nightshade.

    When asked, none of the farmers in town even knew what the purple flower was. This was a Fairytale world after all, and the absence of such plants didn¡¯t entirely surprise Artyom. It could also explain why brewing poisons without the Class was unheard of; the people here simply lacked inspiration!

    But that didn¡¯t worry Artyom. While explicitly poisonous plants might have been missing from the local ecosystem, the mundane crops that produced the toxin weren¡¯t.

    ¡°Ruba, do you have any green potatoes?¡± asked Artyom, back at the inn¡¯s common room.

    ¡°There are several in one of the hanging crates in the cellar, buried under the good potatoes. But you don¡¯t want those, dear. They¡¯ll make you sick!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to eat them, I have something else in mind.¡±

    The rest of the party watched Artyom in a combination of fear and awe as he pulled down the crate and picked out the greenest potatoes. It was fortunate that Ruba hadn¡¯t bothered to toss these out yet, as Artyom was able to gather several especially verdant spuds.

    ¡°Fun fact: potatoes are part of the nightshade family, along with tomatoes and eggplants. And like the original nightshade, potatoes can produce the same toxin, which is what turns it green,¡± said Artyom, facing the adventurous trio. ¡°It only forms when potatoes are exposed to sunlight however, so properly cultivated potatoes that stay underground should be fine. And even if you do eat the toxin, it¡¯s incredibly weak so it takes a whole lot to affect a human being. The problem is that it stays inside the body for a long time and can build up. That¡¯s why you¡¯re supposed to avoid the green parts whenever you can.¡±

    ¡°So your plan is to get the rats sick?¡± asked Pireni. ¡°I thought we were trying to kill them?¡±

    ¡°The church healers told me that people die if they become too sick. That¡¯s why they always treat the sickest people first. Maybe that happens to rats too?¡± said Skeya.

    ¡°On the dot, Skeya!¡± exclaimed Artyom. ¡°Oh my god these people are too innocent,¡± he thought to himself. ¡°Even the kids I¡¯ve taught fresh from Earth were more hardened than this!¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Artyom¡¯s instincts told him to give these three a proper lesson in what to actually expect from the world of adventuring and combat, but he reigned that urge in. This was a Fairytale world after all. The chances of them getting into a fight where they risked actually dying, losing their friends, and living with knowledge of their weakness was low. If he did, Gus might take it as a show of pettiness and give him another week here.

    He wouldn¡¯t hesitate to show them if they were kids from Earth.

    Artyom held out a particularly green potato in front of him, right above some barley and dried fruit that was placed in front of one of the rat burrows. He cast the same purging spell he used on himself earlier on the potato, and the green began to leach out into a thin liquid that dripped down onto the bait.

    ¡°That¡¯s the first of the burrows, let¡¯s do the same for the others.¡±

    ¡°There are others?¡± asked Sae, trying his best to scan the cellar, which was only growing darker as the day turned into afternoon. ¡°How can you tell?¡±

    ¡°Like this: Detect Life.¡± As Artyom cast the spell, magical energy flowed into his eyes and lit up his vision with several blue glows. Every living creature within a large radius, in this case animals, appeared to him even if they were behind cover. While the three adventurers and everyone else in the inn were highlighted, so too were numerous smaller figures behind the many walls of the cellar.

    ¡°Oh, this is bad. I count several nests though, let me start throwing down more of these food traps.¡±

    Doing so didn¡¯t take too long, and soon the entire basement was primed with poison.

    ¡°Now for one last step,¡± said Artyom as he gathered his magic and sent it out as a wave into each of the four walls. ¡°Vulnerability to Poison, Painless Suffering.¡±

    ¡°What do those spells do?¡± asked Pireni.

    ¡°The first one magically makes toxins more effective against the target, and the second keeps the rats from realizing they¡¯ve been poisoned, so their brethren won¡¯t be able to figure out that it was our trap that¡¯s killing them.¡±

    A dark memory surfaced in Artyom¡¯s mind. ¡°Not to mention that it¡¯s more merciful if they don¡¯t have to suffer. They deserve that, even if they¡¯re just rats. They¡¯re just trying to survive, they don¡¯t realize what they¡¯re doing is hurting others.¡±

    The three silently nodded.

    ¡°And that, my friends, is how to take care of a rat problem,¡± concluded Artyom.

    ¡°I guess that settles it, then,¡± said Sae. ¡°You can be our new [Rogue]!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you I¡¯m a spellcaster?¡±

    ¡°You can be whatever you want, Artyom, just so long as it¡¯s on our team!¡± exclaimed Pireni. ¡°And what about you Skeya? Changes to the party have to be unanimous, so no pressure!¡±

    Skeya looked over Artyom once more with large eyes.

    He gave her a warm smile in response.

    After a few seconds, she nodded. ¡°I want Artyom to join the team.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s settled then, welcome to the team, Artyom!¡± said Sae. ¡°We can go over all of our rules and how we do things in the morning. In the meantime, let¡¯s head up and celebrate!¡±

    ¡°But first, lunch!¡± said Pireni. ¡°Or is it dinner? It¡¯s getting pretty late and we skipped our last meal because of you, Artyom.¡±

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not that late. That took like, an hour and a half?¡± asked Artyom.

    ¡°The extra sparkle we drank was really filling though, so I don¡¯t mind,¡± said Skeya.

    ¡°Of course you don¡¯t,¡± said Pireni with a wink and a nudge to the girl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But Artyom¡¯s still going to pay for our meals to make it up to us.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the rest of the team be treating the new members, and not the other way around?¡± replied Artyom, as he and the others began climbing the stairs. ¡°But since I¡¯m such a nice guy, I¡¯ll cover the booze.¡±

    ¡°I guess that explains why you¡¯re so weird,¡± said Pireni. ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re a nobleman! We¡¯re still too new to adventuring to afford the stuff!¡±

    Artyom raised his eyebrows at his accidental hiccup, but quickly returned to a neutral expression. He doubted anyone would have seen his reaction in the darkness, but still replied. ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m not a noble. I just read somewhere that this was just how the big adventurers celebrate, is all.¡±

    He wanted to come off as their peers, not their betters. Any kind of perceived arrogance would hurt his ability to get advice across, and make training them even harder.

    ¡°If you say so, lord spellcaster Artyom,¡± said Sae with a cheeky grin.

    ¡°But really, why is the stuff so expensive?¡± asked the man from Earth out of genuine curiosity.

    ¡°I was told alcohol is really hard to ferment,¡± began Skeya. ¡°My church uses it in some rituals, so the priests always complained about the price. Apparently fermenting juice almost always ends up as sparkle instead, unless you¡¯re a high level [Brewer]. They get a Skill that lets you make alcohol instead.¡±

    ¡°Skeya, if we wanted a sermon about the church, we¡¯d go there ourselves,¡± whined Sae, bored at the new information.

    Skeya looked dejected in response.

    ¡°I thought it was pretty interesting,¡± said Artyom. ¡°No wonder it¡¯s so expensive, if it takes that much training to be able to make the stuff.¡±

    Skeya¡¯s eyes brightened at his response, and her expression began to glow, even down in the dark basement.

    It didn¡¯t take much long after for the group to reach the ground floor and give Ruba the good news: the rat problem should be solved for good. She excitedly handed over the reward to Sae; several silver coins and a few bottles of cherry sparkle.

    ¡°And you¡¯re sure the problem is solved permanently?¡± asked Ruba, slightly incredulous at their statement. ¡°Either way, not having to deal with the rats for a few more weeks is worth the price, but are they really gone for good?¡±

    ¡°According to Artyom here, they should be!¡± said Pireni. ¡°So let¡¯s party!¡±

    And with that, after Sae had a chance to clean off his sword and patch up the bite mark in his pants, the four party members gathered at the bar for dinner. They were arranged in a similar order from before, with Artyom sitting between Pireni and Skeya.

    They all chatted over some of their hard won cherry sparkle and grilled steaks that Ruba had prepared in celebration. Sae was describing his heroic fight against the rats, how he took on an entire swarm of them single handedly. Pireni of course corrected him whenever his boasts edged into the realm of fiction, and Skeya giggled at their resulting bickering. Artyom simply sat back and enjoyed the meal and company.

    It still stung how he wasn¡¯t in the field and making a difference, but moments like these reminded Artyom of the good times when he was first summoned. Sitting among friends, telling stories over drinks, and making the most of life. Not to mention the barley stew ended up being delicious! Artyom decided his gamble was worth it, and that he really lucked out.

    Maybe Sofia was right about this really being a vacation?

    The celebration continued late into the night, which meant everyone was getting ready for bed by nine o¡¯ clock. It might¡¯ve been a celebration, but everyone was strict about adhering to a proper bedtime. Artyom woke up early that morning anyway, so he welcomed the chance to sleep.

    ¡°I¡¯m totally going to level up tonight!¡± exclaimed Sae. ¡°I wonder if I¡¯ll get a new Skill?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯m definitely going to get an accuracy Skill tonight!¡± replied Pireni.

    ¡°I hope the Goddess blesses me with a level too,¡± said Skeya.

    By the sounds of it, the leveling System of this world only granted level ups at night time, likely when the leveler fell asleep. Different Systems did it differently, and this was a relatively common quirk.

    ¡°Well hopefully I¡¯ll be getting one too,¡± said Artyom. ¡°If everything I did today doesn¡¯t give me a level, I don¡¯t know what will.¡±

    The four teammates headed to their rooms for the night. With them being the only travelers currently passing through Freeacres, each of them had their own suite. It was still quite small however, and would not have been able to fit more than a single person anyway.

    As every member of the party fell asleep, they heard a chime and the words ¡°level up!¡± ring in their minds. The sound filled them with a feeling of happiness and pride that brought them better dreams.

    That is, except one.

    As Artyom lay in bed, ready for sleep to take him after such a long day, his phone rang.

 Chapter 11: End of the First Day, Start of the Next

    As Artyom was ready to drift off to sleep, his phone rang. He groggily pulled it out of his pocket and flipped it open.

    ¡°Hello?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Artyom, it¡¯s Gus. This is your first check-in, please tell me what you have done today.¡±

    The man from Earth glared at an imaginary figure on the ceiling and took a second to answer. ¡°Yeah, good to talk to you too, Gus. I was about to go to sleep, so let¡¯s make this fast.¡±

    The other end of the line remained silent.

    ¡°First of all, I got mugged in the first ten minutes of me setting foot here.¡±

    Gus remained silent.

    ¡°Some soldiers of ¡®the dark lord¡¯ or something. Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t kill them or anything. I just lightly beat them up and made them promise not to hurt anyone ever again.¡±

    ¡°A proper show of force and mercy towards enemies in a Fairytale world, I approve of your choice.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m honored, Gus. Well after that, I arrived at the town of freeacres, and talked to one of the locals before going to the local inn.¡±

    ¡°One isn¡¯t enough, that¡¯s the bare minimum. I disapprove of that, you need to talk to more people.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me Gus, but I thought this was a vacation,¡± said Artyom as he quickly sat up. ¡°Are you so scared, you¡¯re going to micromanage me even now? Are you going to start texting me scripts for my next social interactions? I can¡¯t imagine I¡¯d make many friends if I suddenly started talking like you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that last part was harsh, I take it back. But please, take it easy with me. Things are actually looking pretty good.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± said Gus in the same tone. Artyom figured he must have processed his words and already forgiven him, because if not, he¡¯d make it clear. ¡°What happened at the inn?¡±

    ¡°I met a promising team of adventurers and joined their ranks-¡±

    ¡°Do you intend to train them into becoming strong enough to defeat the dark lord whose soldiers mugged you?¡±

    ¡°¡­my god you have little faith,¡± said Artyom, shaking his head and falling back down onto the bed. ¡°I did join them, and I am training them up, but only because I want to. I helped them clear out some rats from the inn¡¯s basement.¡±

    ¡°Very well then, I approve of you integrating with the local culture.¡±

    ¡°You make me sound like some kind of anthropologist, but yeah, the people here seem pretty nice, if a bit¡­ simple.¡±

    ¡°Have you learned anything about the hero?¡±

    ¡°Nothing yet. The dossier didn¡¯t have much to go off of besides three things, and I didn¡¯t want to come off as a weirdo asking if anyone had ever heard of TV or California before. I¡¯ll ask after I get a little more friendly with everyone.¡±

    ¡°Holding others¡¯ emotions in high regard, I approve.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Goodnight Gus.¡±

    ¡°Goodnight, Artyom.¡±

    As soon as the phone was back in his pocket, the man from Earth felt the call of sleep gently lull him away, with radio silence to guide his mind as he drifted off.

    <hr>

    Artyom awoke to a rooster¡¯s crow. The sun¡¯s first rays filtered through the gap in the nearby window¡¯s curtains and kissed his nose with its early light. Unlike the expected red and orange hue of an Earth sunrise, this light was mostly pink with a glimmer of silver mixed in.

    He slowly got out of his bed and walked over to get a better look. While a nearby building partially blocked his view, Artyom couldn¡¯t help but feel something magical here. It was one of those few moments he never got to enjoy while on a mission.

    The man from Earth smiled, and headed out.

    After getting himself freshened up, he went downstairs and sat down at a table where Ruba served him a cup of hot, dark liquid. Another culinary coin flip with most worlds was whether they had coffee or not. Artyom lost this time, and ended up with tea. Even when asked, Ruba didn¡¯t know what coffee was, but she at least provided some cream and sugar to go along with the caffeinated beverage.

    By the time he was finished with his drink, the adventuring party came downstairs.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re already up?¡± asked Sae. ¡°I was sure we¡¯d have to push you out of bed with how hard you partied last night!¡±

    ¡°Like we pushed you out of bed?¡± asked Pireni, following just behind him.

    ¡°Oh come on, Pireni, you have to admit he did party pretty hard.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    Artyom blinked. All he did was drink a bunch of soda and soup, not even a drop of alcohol. He¡¯d known Mormons from back home on Earth who partied harder than him!

    Skeya followed along at the back of the group and broke Artyom out of his stupor with a polite smile and ¡°good morning¡± which he returned.

    ¡°But now that that¡¯s all done, we should probably get to business,¡± said Sae, taking a seat across from Artyom and motioning the others to join them in the remaining seats. ¡°And by business, I mean going over the team rules¡±

    ¡°Of course you¡¯d start with the boring stuff,¡± whined Pereni. ¡°Why can¡¯t we start with the mission?¡±

    ¡°Because he won¡¯t be a real member unless he agrees to the rules,¡± replied Sae. ¡°Sorry about that, Artyom.¡±

    Pireni began pouting while Sae continued.

    ¡°There are really just two rules for now. First, the money we earn gets split evenly between all of us. Second, we vote on team decisions. Team decisions need at least half of us to vote yes on, with the team leader being the tiebreaker. That¡¯s me, by the way. Any decision that affects the people on a team directly, like adding a new member, needs everyone to vote yes. That¡¯s why we let you join. Because everyone said yes.¡±

    Pireni and Skeya both nodded at his last sentence.

    ¡°Alright, that makes sense, I¡¯ll accept those terms,¡± replied Artyom.

    ¡°See? It would¡¯ve been faster if you¡¯d just let me say it from the get-go!¡± said Sae, angling a smug glare at Pireni. ¡°Now we can get started on our other mission!¡±

    ¡°Hold on, wasn¡¯t your ¡®other mission¡¯ to get yourself a new teammate?¡± asked Artyom.

    ¡°Nah, that was just a bonus,¡± said Sae. ¡°Our actual second mission is to take out the-¡±

    ¡°Bog Walker!¡± interrupted Pireni. Sae¡¯s look of irritation made her flinch and scared Skeya into chanting a healing spell to use for what she thought would follow. Luckily, he calmed down before doing anything stupid, and took back hold of the conversation.

    ¡°-the Bog Walker, who¡¯s been terrorizing the town. Now, Pireni, as our ranger, could you please fill Artyom in on what a Bog Walker is?¡±

    ¡°Alright! [Recall Monster]!¡± exclaimed Pireni. ¡°The Bog Walker is a dreadful beast six feet long and four feet wide on average. It has matted brown fur that acts as a light armor that resists blunt attacks, and sharp teeth and claws it can use to tear through light armor and flesh. It can move surprisingly quickly and is very agile, making it a difficult foe for new adventurers.¡±

    Artyom raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in her tone and diction, but figured it was the aptly named Skill she used, that most likely pulled it out of some bestiary.

    ¡°Thank you, Pireni,¡± said Sae, having calmed down considerably. ¡°It¡¯s last sighting is a few hour¡¯s out, so we were hoping to be able to kill it and be back before dinner. Ruba has some rations for sale that you can buy, since we only have enough for the rest of us.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, we didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d join us today,¡± apologized Skeya. ¡°I can pay for your rations if you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can afford it. And I¡¯m sure the reward will cover the cost,¡± replied Artyom. He appreciated Skeya¡¯s kindness, but felt bad for how quick she was to appease. Lucky for her this was a Fairytale world.

    With that, the group sat down together to eat breakfast, with Artyom getting himself a bowl of oatmeal filled with pitted cherries and sweetened with honey. Once they were done, he purchased some pemmican from Ruba to use as rations. It was made up of some kind of smoked game, probably deer or boar, and filled with dried cherries.

    Artyom shook his head at how this town was obsessed with the fruit but didn¡¯t say anything out loud. He couldn¡¯t blame them; there was a massive orchard of the stuff just outside, why wouldn¡¯t they use what they have?

    Once the group had finished eating, they set out.

    They left town along the same road Artyom came in from, and while the man from Earth saw many of the same sights from yesterday, the muggers were thankfully not one of them.

    An hour had passed by the time they got past Artyom¡¯s starting point in this world, which was about when the conversation turned from recounting yesterday¡¯s events into local gossip. Local to the town the other three were from, that was.

    ¡°I bet Pallin two Clobbers that I¡¯d make it to level twenty before he did, and it looks like I¡¯m a step closer!¡± exclaimed Sae.

    ¡°Gambling doesn¡¯t fit with the High Directive, but I made a promise to Fallor that I¡¯d also reach level twenty soon,¡± said Skeya. ¡°And I think I will before the next Refractal Realignment! What about you, Pireni?¡±

    ¡°Nobody wanted to make a bet with me because they all know I¡¯d do it anyway. But I don¡¯t care because I already know they¡¯re right.¡±

    As much as the hours of boredom wore away at Artyom, he was somewhat thankful for the direction of the conversation. He didn¡¯t know any of the people the three mentioned, and even more so, he was clueless about the jargon being thrown around. The man from Earth could make out the gist of what each of those terms meant, but not in any meaningful way to contribute to the discussion. And if he did ask for meanings, he¡¯d be outed as an outsider almost instantly.

    Because that was who he was; someone who should have been elsewhere.

    Artyom clenched his fists. ¡°A month is too long for this-¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re almost here!¡± exclaimed Pireni, interrupting his thoughts.

    ¡°How can you tell?¡± asked Skeya.

    ¡°I got a new Skill last night, [Prey Tracker], and it¡¯s telling me that the Bog Walker is less than a mile away.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so cool!¡± exclaimed Skeya. ¡°I leveled up last night too, but I didn¡¯t get any Skills. But I¡¯m sure the goddess has something in store for me soon. How about you, Sae?¡±

    ¡°I got a great Skill! I¡¯ll leave it as a surprise for when we fight the Bog Walker. So what about you, Artyom?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get anything last night,¡± he said with a shrug, eyes staring straight ahead while still lost in his previous doleful thoughts. ¡°Not even a level up.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably because you¡¯re so high leveled,¡± said Pireni, clapping him on the back of his shoulder.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not,¡± said Artyom, his voice drowning in melancholy. ¡°No clue what¡¯s up with that.¡±

    The others went quiet for a moment and looked amongst each other before Skeya finally spoke up.

    ¡°I could ask the goddess about it, if you¡¯d like. I usually pray just before bed and she might send an answer to you.¡±

    Artyom turned and looked into her consoling eyes and couldn¡¯t help but let his lips curl up a little. ¡°Thanks, that¡¯d be nice,¡± he said, voice just a tad softer.

    ¡°Alright everyone, it¡¯s just over that hill,¡± said Pireni, pointing towards a grassy mound by the side of the dirt road.

    ¡°So what¡¯s the plan?¡± asked Artyom.

    ¡°The same as last time! We charge in and you do your magic!¡± shouted Sae as he pulled out his sword.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a plan, especially against a monster that¡¯s supposed to be an actual danger to-¡±

    Before he could finish, the armored man took off running.

    The other two quickly followed him with their own bow and staff drawn.

    Artyom followed right behind them, shaking his head and spoking under his breath. ¡°You people are lucky this is a Fairytale world¡­¡±

 Chapter 12: The Bog Walker

    Well, it was happening. Sae charged to the top of the hill and ran down towards the creature on the other side with a grating battle cry that immediately caught its attention, while the rest of the party scrambled to keep up with him.

    The creature itself was an eight-foot long quadruped with mud-matted brown fur that covered its body like a shaggy coat all the way down to its limbs, partially concealing the long claws at the end of its four feet. While such bulky features might have gotten in the way for any other creature, the Bog Walker wasn¡¯t at all limited by them.

    As it heard the battle cry, it quickly turned to face the source with a snarl, revealing razor sharp teeth and a pair of red eyes that pointed straight ahead; this was definitely an apex predator. It wouldn¡¯t take a naturalist to see that the Bog Walker didn¡¯t approve of the intrusion into its territory, and it was ready to defend it at the cost of blood.

    The party¡¯s blood.

    Sae quickly closed the distance between the two, and despite his screaming, was able to maintain enough of the element of surprise to capitalize on a single, unblocked strike. His sword slashed through the Bog Walker¡¯s fur, cleanly parting many of its mud-caked strands, but drawing no blood.

    The monster let out a roar and countered with a slash of its own claws. Sae jumped back just in time, not letting his chainmail test the blow, and called out to the rest of his team.

    ¡°Come on guys! Don¡¯t make me kill this thing myself!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± shouted Pireni in reply. She set herself up some distance behind Sae and got her bow out. Skeya positioned herself equidistant from the other two, ready to recite a chant of healing at a moment¡¯s notice. Artyom followed out slowly, but had already applied his ally strengthening spells the moment Sae began his charge.

    Sae continued to trade blows with the monster to little effect for either side; matted fur was too thick to pierce and the armored man¡¯s deft footwork kept him out of range of any attacks.

    Pireni didn¡¯t stay still however, nocking an arrow and taking careful aim. After several seconds, she let loose, and her arrow struck the Bog Walker on the side. A light trickle of red began to seep out and mix with the mud in its fur.

    The creature reeled slightly from the first real damage it had taken during the fight, but not by much. Sae grinned, thinking it was stunned by the surprise blow, overextended his next attack expecting to finish it off.

    His mistake cost him several links in his armor, as the beast took advantage of the misplay and slashed at his midsection with full force, rending many of the metal loops that made up his chainmail.

    ¡°You forgot to use your skill, Pireni!¡± shouted Sae as soon as he realized what had happened. His armor saved him from any actual injury, save for that to his pride.

    ¡°On it, [Piercing Shot]! You forgot to activate your own skill too, you know!¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. [Sharpened Edge]! Now I¡¯ve got you¡­ huh?¡±

    While the two were bickering, the Bog Walker assessed the battle and came to an interesting conclusion.

    It realized that its attack did very little to the prey in front of it due to the shiny jingly thing on its chest that was somehow stronger than its own claws. It would have to push the prey onto its back and rip its face apart with its teeth to do any real damage. Next, it understood that the other prey that threw the sharpened stick at it was an actual threat, capable of causing harm. It would be best to avoid for now.

    However, the red-haired prey didn¡¯t have the shiny jinglies or sharpened sticks.

    Sae faced forward once his focus returned to the battle, only to see that the Bog Walker had abandoned their fight and was running away¡­ straight towards¡­

    ¡°Skeya!¡± frantically shouted Pireni the moment she realized what was happening. She pulled out an arrow while running after the creature, but realized she wasn¡¯t skilled enough to hit it when they were both on the move.

    The beast was right in front of Skeya now, its maw opened wide ready to feast.

    The cleric screamed in terror as the monster¡¯s jaws were about to tear into her midsection. Everyone watched in horror at the inevitable, forcing their bodies to move faster, react quicker, aim better; anything. Anything to save their friend. But deep down they knew; deep down they were resigned to what was about to happen.

    ¡°Olympian¡¯s Speed,¡± he said in his mind, yet the explosion of magic at the quick and dirty cast and the wind parting in his wake screamed the spell¡¯s name as Artyom came flying towards the creature in a mad dash.

    The three adventurers didn¡¯t even see him move from his original spot before his foot had already sunk into the Bog Walker¡¯s side. What they heard though was a muted thud from the matted fur absorbing much of the impact, and the faint whisper of, ¡°Tungsten Body.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Even after the foot made contact, everyone waited with bated breath for a solid second before the force finally transferred into the Bog Walker¡¯s body and sent it flying several feet forward.

    Artyom grimaced. From practical experience, he knew that the speed and body hardening spells would be enough to impart a deadly amount of energy into a target without hurting him. Into a weak target.

    Artyom¡¯s specialty was in helping armies take on other armies; tipping the scales just a little bit, but in a way that added up for each soldier present. Singular boss monsters always required some kind of improvisation.

    ¡°What are you doing? Run! Get out of here!¡± Artyom shouted at the others, who were still in a daze.

    Rather than doing as they were told, the group looked hopefully between him and the Bog Walker, who was now getting back up and looking for a new, easier target.

    ¡°What are you staring at? The thing is still alive and you aren¡¯t safe! It will kill you!¡±

    That last sentence snapped everyone back to the reality of the danger they were still in. Pireni and Sae began to run back over the hill they came from, while doing their best to keep Artyom between them and the monster.

    Artyom continued to stare the creature down, and once the other two were out of sight, he gently took Skeya¡¯s hand and led her back where they came, eyes continuously locked on the Bog Walker.

    To its credit, the monster remained in place, knowing that it was outmatched by the man standing between it and an easy meal.

    <hr>

    The party kept running for twenty minutes, and only after Artyom used his life-sensing spell to confirm they weren¡¯t being followed did the party collapse to the ground in exhaustion.

    ¡°Hey, Artyom,¡± said Sae in between hard breaths. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you, hah, finish off the Bog Walker? You totally, hah, had it on the ropes.¡±

    ¡°Sae,¡± said Artyom very calmly, drawing out his name while staring down at him.

    The armored man slowly looked up with an annoyed look before freezing.

    ¡°You dumb motherfucker!¡±

    Everyone turned towards Artyom with a look of shock.

    ¡°I know you¡¯ve never faced a real monster before, but you¡¯re the leader; you hold your teammates¡¯ lives in your hands! Have you considered that fact even once during your time as an adventurer? That everyone will follow what you say and do? And if they die because you didn¡¯t think about it, it¡¯s all your fault?!¡±

    The three stared at the man from Earth, their mouths agape. Sae worked his jaw as if to vocalize a response, but nothing came out. The misting in his eyes made it seem that tears would come before words.

    Artyom wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of the verbal battery or because he said a bad word. It was a Fairytale world, it could have been either of the two.

    Yet¡­

    Artyom sighed. It was a Fairytale world. Actual danger was almost nonexistent in a place like this; how could Sae have learned about the actual risk of death in a place where it was rare except from old age? All the recruits at TOAL, being from Earth, generally understood the kind of danger that existed out there. And those who didn¡¯t would have it beat into them through training or exposure to the ¡°real world.¡± Sae didn¡¯t have that luxury.

    Artyom schooled his expression into something more paternal and looked at the armored man with patient eyes. ¡°Sae, I know you care about the rest of the team, that you want what¡¯s best for us all. You charge to the front and make yourself a target so the rest of us won¡¯t get harmed. It just so happened to fail today.¡±

    Sae nodded silently, his eyes beginning to dry ever so slightly.

    ¡°Why do you think that was?¡±

    Sae was silent for a second, then he replied. ¡°Because it went after Skeya?¡±

    ¡°Yes. And why did it go after her?¡±

    Another pause. ¡°She was alone and unarmed?¡±

    Artyom replied with a nod. ¡°So how do we change that?¡±

    Sae was silent once again, lost in thought. Artyom was about to interrupt him with the obvious when Skeya spoke.

    ¡°What if I stand close to someone who can defend me?¡±

    Artyom looked over to her and nodded affirmatively. ¡°Alternatively, we could arm you and make you as dangerous as Sae, but that¡¯s not something we can do at the moment. So we¡¯ll go with your suggestion.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re probably the strongest, so she should stand next to you,¡± said Sae.

    Skeya looked at the two excitedly.

    ¡°Nice, taking the initiative and laying down a plan,¡± said Artyom with a quick smile. ¡°One small problem though: my attention is going to be entirely on maintaining my spells, so I won¡¯t be able to pay enough attention to protect Skeya.¡±

    ¡°Then how about next to me?¡± asked Sae. He shook his head a second later and continued, ¡°Wait, I got easily distracted during the fight too, and my attention has to be on whatever we¡¯re fighting so it can¡¯t be me. How about Pireni then?¡±

    Artyom snapped his fingers. ¡°There we go! Pireni already has to pay attention to what¡¯s around her to keep away from enemies, so it¡¯s not much different if Skeya tags along.¡±

    Skeya looked slightly disappointed, but still nodded resolutely.

    ¡°So while we¡¯re still planning, does anyone else have complaints or difficulties they¡¯d like to bring up?¡±

    Pireni, as if on cue, spoke up. ¡°Yeah, whenever I try to shoot arrows, I have to try really hard not to hit Sae.¡±

    ¡°Alright, and can you think of any way to stop that from happening?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± began Pireni. ¡°If he weren¡¯t in the way, that would help. So he can either move out of the way, or I can position myself so I¡¯m not facing him!¡±

    ¡°That should work,¡± said Artyom with a nod. ¡°So now it¡¯s my turn to chime in. I need to be defended as well, so I¡¯ll also stand next to you.¡±

    ¡°I guess we get to stand next to each other after all,¡± said Skeya with an innocent smile.

    Everyone took some time to digest everything that was said. When Artyom thought that their lost confidence had returned, he spoke up. ¡°So, team leader. Do you think we¡¯re ready for another go?¡±

    Sae¡¯s eyes lit up in determination. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do it!¡±

 Chapter 13: Letâ€™s Try that Again

    Two hours had passed since their previous defeat. Shame, acceptance, and resolution; everyone had experienced these emotions, and were now ready to fix their mistakes.

    The four members of the team walked forwards, led by Pireni¡¯s Skill, towards the site where they first encountered the Bog Walker. Artyom spent the last hour coaching the team on battle strategy and how to make the most of their abilities.

    Now would be the time to see if they had what it took to make it as adventurers.

    The group gathered behind a bush before the beast, and this time, Sae attempted to sneak towards it. The clinking of his chainmail made the attempt unsuccessful however, and only after he was spotted did he scream his battlecry and charge. But through some miracle the Bog Walker was startled a second time. Sae was once again able to close the distance and deliver a powerful slash.

    ¡°[Sharpened Edge]!¡± he shouted before his sword made contact with the monster¡¯s matted fur, remembering to actually use his Skill this time. The blade struck a previously untouched spot so it didn¡¯t pierce skin or flesh, but the blow exposed much more of it for a future attack.

    The Bog Walker reeled back in surprise at the sudden haircut, before being hit with an arrow on its flank.

    ¡°[Piercing Shot]! I hope you didn¡¯t forget about me!¡± shouted Pireni, as she let her arrow loose before nocking another and taking aim.

    Pireni and Skeya had followed Sae out while he was sneaking towards the Bog Walker, but from a different angle. This way, the ranger wouldn¡¯t have to worry as much about hitting Sae when aiming.

    Skeya stood behind her, keeping a keen eye on Sae in case he got hit, while both of the ladies kept keenly aware of their surroundings.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡± shouted Artyom from his position just behind the ranger and cleric. ¡°Hit hard and fast, use your Skills when you have the energy and opportunity to make the most of them!¡±

    The battle reminded him of field training missions he would accompany TOAL¡¯s new recruits on. Once they got an ego check from the mission¡¯s high difficulty, they drank up any help Artyom would supply. He felt this was almost the same thing.

    The Bog Walker snarled in anger at the team¡¯s sudden competence and tried to counter it with a show of force. It lunged at Sae, trying to knock him down, but he dodged out of the way and countered with a two-handed slash akin to a lumberjack trying to chop a log in two. For the first time, the sword cleaved right through the fur and drew bright red blood.

    Caught in a moment of panic, the Bog Walker jumped back and got ready to flee, knowing that it was in trouble.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like going on a wild goose chase today,¡± said Artyom, combining magic with emotion and pointing towards the monster. ¡°Aura of Aggression.¡±

    Natural, instinctual fear was suddenly overridden by an artificial sensation. The magic dug deep down into its mind bringing up something else: anger. The kind that told it to kill anything that dared threaten it.

    The monster¡¯s previously skittish stance swiftly disappeared, replaced with a showcase of confidence; bristled fur, gnashing teeth, and a bloodthirsty gaze. This was the true threat it was.

    The Bog Walker jumped at Sae, aiming for his neck in an all-or-nothing attack against its perceived greatest threat.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Sae¡¯s eyes widened and he quickly stepped to the side. He avoided the leap and riposted by holding his sword in the monster¡¯s path.

    Unable to control its velocity mid-air, the Bog Walker collided with the sharpened steel, and its fur and flesh were driven through the blade. It screamed as the wicked edge passed through it, blood gushing out of the massive wound and being absorbed by its thick, matted fur.

    Judging by how red the fur was turning, and how much blood still fell to the ground, the beast wasn¡¯t long for this world. It staggered, trying to keep on its feet through its artificial rage alone. It only delayed the inevitable. As it opened its mouth for one last roar and attack, Pireni countered with one final arrow that pierced its forehead.

    Having no more blood or brain, the monster collapsed to the ground. Dead.

    The party stood still in shock for several seconds, scared that they were only dreaming or that the Bog Walker would suddenly wake up and attack again. Slowly, their apprehension faded and everyone lowered their weapons.

    ¡°You stole my kill!¡± shouted Sae indignantly. ¡°After I hit it so hard, how come you¡¯re the one who gets to finish it off?¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Sae,¡± replied Pireni. ¡°I was only able to land that shot because you hit it so much. It was barely moving by the time I had a chance to line that shot up!¡±

    ¡°Guys, we did it!¡± said Skeya, moving the conversation to what was important. ¡°We defeated the Bog Walker!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess we did,¡± said Sae, coming to the same realization. ¡°We did it! We finished the mission!¡±

    ¡°Heck yeah, we did!¡± shouted Pireni in reply. ¡°We finished our first big mission!¡±

    The other three cheered at their accomplishment before falling to the ground out of exhaustion. Sae may have been the only one to physically exert himself, but the tension and adrenaline that flowed through everyone¡¯s veins during the fight took its toll.

    ¡°If that¡¯s everything, let¡¯s get Sae washed up and head back to town,¡± said Artyom. ¡°We still need to collect the reward.¡±

    <hr>

    The team did just that, having Sae wash his chainmail and clothes in one of the nearby rivers, before everyone began walking back to the village of Freeacres.

    Because of the delay from needing a second attempt to kill the Bog Walker, the team was still a few hours out by the time the sun was starting to set, so they made camp for the night.

    Surprisingly, the team had brought along four camping tents rather than just three, each large enough to fit several people inside. Artyom thought it was strange they had a spare tent for him, but not rations. Maybe they just happened to get a really good deal on tents that they didn¡¯t want to pass up on?

    The tents were set up in a circle around a campfire where everyone sat to warm themselves, chat, and eat dinner before going to bed. Everyone shared their food with each other. Artyom¡¯s pemmican went really well with the Sae¡¯s dry bread and Skeya¡¯s trail mix, consisting of various nuts and dried cherries. Pireni, instead of rations, brought along a small bottle of sparkle.

    ¡°What? I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d take that long to kill it,¡± whined Pireni in response to everyone¡¯s glares. ¡°Besides, I knew we were going to celebrate, that¡¯s why I brought this along!¡±

    ¡°You know what?¡± began Sae. ¡°I¡¯m not even mad. This is the perfect time for that bottle, we deserve it after everything today! Pour us all a cup and let¡¯s make a toast to the team.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry¡­¡± began Pireni. ¡°I forgot to bring those. We can still waterfall it, though.¡±

    ¡°I think we should toast Artyom. He saved the day today,¡± said Skeya. ¡°He saved me, too.¡±

    ¡°It was nothing, anyone would¡¯ve done that,¡± replied Artyom, content with how everything had turned out in the end.

    ¡°Nonsense, you¡¯re the reason why we were able to win today!¡± exclaimed Sae. ¡°Three cheers for Artyom!¡±

    The others all cheered for him as he awkwardly sat there with a big, goofy grin on his face. Appreciation was always nice, and Artyom felt like he deserved it with what he was able to do for his team.

    As the fire died down and the bottle began to empty, everyone put away their rations and went to their tents, ready to wrap up for the night. There would be a few more hours of walking left before they arrived back at Freeacres, and everyone wanted to look like the triumphant heroes they were when they would walk into town.

    As Artyom was about to drift off to sleep, his phone rang.

 Chapter 14: Kick in the Pants

    Artyom had settled down in his covers when something in his pocket began to ring. With a sigh, the man from Earth took out his phone and answered.

    ¡°This is your second nightly check-in,¡± said Gus. ¡°What have you been up to?¡±

    Artyom didn¡¯t bother to show his annoyance any more than he had to and began to recount the day¡¯s events, starting from the boring walk and getting to the first fight with the Bog Walker.

    ¡°Are you sure this place is a Fairytale world, Gus? That poor girl almost got eaten. Even if she didn¡¯t get bitten in two, she¡¯s the party¡¯s healer; there¡¯s no way she¡¯d be able to put herself back together.¡±

    ¡°Tragedies happen, Artyom; even in Fairytale worlds, as rare as they may be. But it¡¯s a good thing you were there. How does it feel to save someone not from Earth?¡±

    ¡°I see what you¡¯re trying to do,¡± said Artyom with a roll of his eyes. ¡°But you¡¯ve got me all wrong, I don¡¯t hate people for not being from Earth. I hate people who try to harm kids from Earth. These three are innocent, so I¡¯ve got nothing against them.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡±

    Artyom grumbled a second before responding. ¡°It felt good. Are you happy?¡±

    ¡°Much so.¡±

    ¡°Hey, if I keep this up, will I get a reduced sentence for good behavior?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to see, but I¡¯ll consider your progress after the originally planned two weeks-¡±

    ¡°Um, Artyom?¡± came a soft voice from just outside the tent.

    Artyom put his phone down behind his blanket and called back. ¡°What¡¯s up, Skeya? Is everything alright?¡±

    ¡°... yeah. I got a message from the goddess about why you didn¡¯t level up last night. Can I please come in?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    As the flaps parted, Artyom cast a quick, floating light spell to illuminate the tent. Skeya sat down before him in her usual robes but loosened up a bit, probably as improvised pajamas.

    ¡°Hi Artyom,¡± she said softly, in barely a whisper. ¡°I also wanted to thank you again for saving me today.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, we¡¯re teammates. We¡¯re supposed to look out for each other.¡±

    ¡°I know, but you¡¯ve looked out for me more than anyone else has like that. Not to say that Sae and Pireni haven¡¯t taken care of me,¡± she said, looking flushed. Even the tips of her ears were turning red.

    Artyom was just noticing that they, just like everyone else''s¡¯ here, were slightly elongated and ended in a rounded off point. Like a milder version of elf ears.

    ¡°Right, so what¡¯s this about a message?¡±

    Skeya squirmed slightly, and Artyom¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but be pulled towards her figure underlined beneath her robes. ¡°The goddess told me that there¡¯s something special about you, but that it¡¯s also the cause of your problem.¡±

    ¡°Special?¡± Artyom¡¯s eyes turned sharp like daggers and his muscles tensed, but his voice remained aloof.

    ¡°That¡¯s what she said, but she also mentioned you only need her blessing to fix everything. She asked me to give it to you, as well as my appreciation.¡±

    She leaned her head forward towards Artyom, the robes around her neckline beginning to sag and reveal a touch more than before.

    The realization struck Artyom like a truck. ¡°Skeya, what¡¯s this blessing? And what do you really mean by ¡®appreciation¡¯?¡± he asked firmly.

    ¡°Artyom, I think I¡¯m in love with you,¡± said Skeya, the words pouring out of her lips in a soft whisper. She leaned further towards him, her robes beginning to slide off her shoulders. Skeya definitely wasn¡¯t wearing anything underneath.

    To Artyom, time froze. The scene before him became a still image as a dozen thoughts flashed across his mind.

    Is she an assassin? Seductress trying to pry secrets? Maybe a honeypot meant for blackmail, or someone wants me to get her pregnant so I¡¯ll be stuck here?A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Is she hiding a knife, or some other weapon behind her back? Are there soldiers outside ready to jump in and attack the moment my clothes come off?

    Who planned this? What do they want from me? How much do they actually know, and what¡¯s their game?

    Does Skeya know what¡¯s going on? Isn¡¯t this just a Fairytale world?

    That last thought brought him back to reality.

    ¡°Fairytale world,¡± said Artyom in a low whisper.

    Skeya didn¡¯t respond as she leaned in for a kiss, her eyes heavy.

    The man from Earth placed a cold hand on the girl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Skeya, we¡¯ve literally known each other for two days.¡±

    ¡°And in those two days you¡¯ve already saved my life! That¡¯s all I need to know that I love you, and that I want to do this!¡±

    That actually could have been a thing in this world, as far as Artyom knew. Everyone was generally a good person in a Fairytale world, or at least wore their true character on their sleeve, so vetting a romantic partner might normally be a quick affair here. This wasn¡¯t Earth, after all.

    This wasn¡¯t Earth.

    This wasn¡¯t Earth.

    She leaned in further.

    ¡°Skeya, I¡¯m not interested,¡± said Artyom. ¡°You and the others are practically children to me.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re in our twenties, I¡¯m twenty two years old!¡± she said in a forceful whisper, the closest thing to a shout that wouldn¡¯t wake the other two. ¡°And you don¡¯t look like you¡¯re even thirty yet, what are you talking about?¡±

    Her innocent eyes locked onto his, but rather than finding mild concern or arrogance, she was met with ice cold irises; a deep brown more hardened than even the oldest, weariest priests at her church. They reflected a lifetime of conflict, and as incomprehensible as it was for the woman from a Fairytale world, it all lay within a man only in his late twenties.

    ¡°Please,¡± she pleaded, trying to break through a layer of ice thicker than her whole world.

    He knew he should be gentle, that she was truly innocent, but his hand locked her in place and the words came out of his mouth unbidden. ¡°Skeya, go back to your tent.¡±

    The chill in his voice instead shattered her.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she nodded, trying to keep her tears from rolling down her bright red cheeks. She pulled her robes up and rose to leave the tent. She looked back as she was exiting, hoping and silently praying to her goddess for a miracle. Instead, she was met by the same frozen gaze. She quickly turned back around and ran.

    The tent was silent after that, with only the sound of the nearby river reminding Artyom that this was all real.

    ¡°I¡¯m disappointed in you,¡± said Gus through the phone.

    Artyom picked it back up and frowned as he spoke into it. ¡°What did you expect me to do? I¡¯ve only known her for two days, and I¡¯m going to be gone after a few weeks. Or is part of your ¡®cultural sensitivity¡¯ training having sex with whoever asks for it?¡±

    ¡°You know very well what I mean, and that I would never ask that of you,¡± said Gus, an audible anger seeping into his voice for the first time at Artyom¡¯s implication. ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate those kinds of accusations.¡±

    ¡°So spell it out for me, what do you not approve of?¡±

    ¡°This is a Fairytale world. You should have gone easy on her with your rejection.¡±

    ¡°A lifetime of going easy almost got her killed this morning. It¡¯s about time they learn how the world actually works, so I¡¯ll happily say some harsh words if it protects them from anything worse.¡±

    The phone remained silent.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m right.¡±

    ¡°Goodnight Artyom, I¡¯ll call back tomorrow for your next check in.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. Goodnight.¡±

    <hr>

    Over in her tent, Skeya was thankful for the sound of the nearby rivers. The white noise helped her fall asleep, and kept the sound of her sobs from waking the others. In the tent across her¡¯s, Artyom slept soundly, the sounds of radio silence carrying him through his dreamless night. It wasn¡¯t his first time inflicting such pain, and he¡¯d slept just as well after doing worse.

    <hr>

    Everyone awoke late into the morning to begin their trip back to town. Something about the events of the day before left each party member feeling exhausted, especially so for Skeya who took longer than usual to leave her tent after being woken up.

    In fact, Pireni couldn¡¯t help but feel something was different about her friend today, and not anything good. There was an air of gloom about her, the kind when something about your worldview gets shaken to its core. The archer figured it was because she was almost eaten by the Bog Walker. They¡¯d all gotten a jolt on how dangerous being an adventurer, and just existing, could be. It must have been worse off for Skeya since she was in the most danger.

    ¡°Alright everyone, remember to look heroic when we walk into town!¡± said Sae excitedly.

    As the hours passed, there was much less smalltalk than the day before. Sae and Pireni gossipped like normal, but Skeya didn¡¯t add to the conversation like she normally did. They talked about their level ups, but she only nodded along when asked if she¡¯d gotten one as well. Same with Artyom, who didn¡¯t have anything to say about gossip nor leveling up, but he felt oddly more focused today. Sae thought that maybe the tension of being lauded as heroes was getting to those two.

    As they got closer to Freeacres, Pireni was the first to notice something was off.

    ¡°Is that¡­ smoke?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably a bonfire, for the party they¡¯re getting ready to throw in our honor!¡± said Sae, brushing off her concern.

    ¡°We should speed up, just in case,¡± said Artyom.

    It didn¡¯t take much longer to reach the village, and to everyone¡¯s regret, something was wrong.

    Pillars of smoke rose from across the village, mostly where buildings and farmland used to be. In their places was smashed stone and ashes.

    The party began to run towards the village center, where they saw over half the town gathered.

    ¡°By the Goddess, what happened?¡± asked Sae, panting for breath after they reached the crowd.

    ¡°It¡¯s horrible!¡± shouted Ruba as she stepped to the front of the group, tears freely flowing from her face. ¡°They came through here and attacked us, the town has been destroyed!¡±

 Chapter 15: Everything goes to Hell

    The village of Freeacres lay in ruin. Crumbled masonry and still-burning fires, pock-marks of wanton destruction, covered the land the settlement had once proudly claimed as free. Its cherry orchards were ash and cinder, and the chromatic sheep were slaughtered in the field. Scattered across town were corpses of those holding sharp farming implements; those few able-bodied who tried to openly put up a fight, among others.

    The survivors of the attack were gathered together in the center of town, either reduced to tears or utterly petrified by shell shock. Wails and sobs flowed freely from the gathering. It was a siren¡¯s song of misery that cursed the adventurers, holding them in place as they tried and failed to comprehend what had happened.

    Artyom was under no such enchantment.

    ¡°Who came through here, when was this?¡± asked the man from Earth, stepping forward and addressing Ruba with a loud and commanding voice.

    ¡°They killed so many and burned the whole town down! What are we going to do?¡± she responded, in between tears.

    ¡°Who did?! And how many hours ago?¡± Artyom asked again, his voice now booming.

    The authority Artyom¡¯s voice exuded grabbed the reins of Ruba¡¯s tears and halted them long enough to get her to respond. ¡°I-It was an army that came through and did this; three dozen soldiers with weapons and armor! It happened this morning, maybe three hours ago?¡±

    Army? A short interaction from two days ago came to mind, and Artyom blanched. It couldn¡¯t have been¡­

    ¡°Three hours?¡± asked Sae in a hoarse whisper, fists curled into painfully tight balls. He¡¯d finally snapped back. ¡°If we¡¯d woken up earlier and ran, we could¡¯ve gotten here in time.¡±

    Pireni and Skeya, while still silent, regained enough control of their faculties to react with snarling lips and narrowed eyes respectively.

    ¡°How dare they do this to our friends here. And after all they¡¯ve done for us¡­ We¡¯re going to get them!¡± shouted Sae.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get them!¡± shouted Pireni in response.

    All of the pain Skeya felt boiled to the top, and she replied with a resolute nod.

    ¡°No. You¡¯re not,¡± said Artyom, walking in front of the group.

    They glared at him together, pooling their determination to convince him of how serious they were about this. But rather than facing someone who was merely scared about doing the right thing, they were met with the same frigid glare Skeya experienced the night before.

    ¡°Everyone, that¡¯s an army. Well-trained soldiers who will kill you the moment you show up on their doorstep.¡±

    ¡°But look at what they did to everyone!¡± shouted Sae indignantly. ¡°How can we sit back and do nothing?!¡±

    Artyom¡¯s gaze turned absolute-zero. ¡°They need you to do more than needlessly die! There could be survivors in the rubble, start fishing them out. And what is everyone left going to eat with all the burned-down fields and looted stores? And a pile of ashes and gravel isn¡¯t somewhere they can sleep.¡±

    The rage in the adventurers¡¯ blood began to chill under their newest member¡¯s stare, and each of them in turn hesitantly nodded.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, we need to help the townspeople first,¡± said Skeya, managing to find her voice. ¡±What do we have to do?¡±

    ¡°Follow my lead,¡± said Artyom, before turning to address the gathered townsfolk. ¡°Everyone! Things look bad, this is most certainly the worst day of your lives; the worst day you¡¯ll ever experience.¡±

    The others looked at him with twisted expressions, not sure if he was stating the obvious or mocking them at their lowest.

    ¡°But you¡¯re still alive, and there will be a tomorrow for you. A better tomorrow. The same can¡¯t be said for anyone who stays buried in the rubble. There¡¯s still hope for some of your friends and family, don¡¯t let it go to waste!¡±

    The crowd started mumbling to themselves, a few of them even looked around madly for the closest ruined building and started to hobble over to them.

    ¡°Get back here! What do you think you¡¯re going to do by yourselves like that? We¡¯re going to split into four teams, each led by one of us adventurers, and we¡¯re going to start searching for survivors and anything useful.¡±

    The townspeople were silent, drinking in Artyom¡¯s words.

    He turned to his party and continued.

    ¡°Alright, you three. We¡¯re going to each pick out 5 or 6 of the villagers to help sift through the rubble. Try to get at least someone physically strong to help lift stones and logs, and someone lean and small to squeeze through tiny gaps. Sae, you take the North side of town, Pireni East, Skeya South, and I¡¯ll take on the West. I want every building or ash pile checked for anyone who¡¯s still alive, and stripped of anything valuable or edible. People won¡¯t live long buried under their own houses.¡±

    The three adventurers simply nodded, and they all ran to the survivors. The four of them each picked out a small team from the gathered villagers and set out.

    <hr>

    Stone after stone, log after log, each team dug through house after house. The villagers¡¯ wails quieted and tears dried as their grief was exhausted alongside their bodies. Artyom knew it¡¯d be back when they had a chance to rest, which was why he wasn¡¯t giving them one.

    To that effect, the man from Earth made full use of his magical expertise for the first time on this world. He improved the strength and endurance of all the townsfolk to the point they were able to continue beyond their natural limits, even when their bodies screamed at them to stop. On top of that, Detect Life made each team much more efficient while granting them just a little more hope. That little more distraction from what was lost.

    To everyone¡¯s benefit or detriment, there was more than enough work to make people reach their physical limits and collapse, who were then brought alongside the rescued survivors to recover. Other times, the glow of Detect Life would wear off and Artyom didn¡¯t get the chance to tell a team to move to a new building soon enough.

    ¡°O-one of the attackers!¡± shouted a villager after digging their way into a house.

    Artyom dropped what he was doing, cast a series of combat spells on himself and the nearby villagers, and charged towards the voice.

    Unlike with the Bog Walker, the man from Earth arrived on the scene ready to kill. Magic was gathered in his hand in such a way that seemingly pulled space itself towards it.

    But as he surveyed the scene, the magic in his hand dissipated. And he clutched it in a fist tight enough to restrict blood flow as his face turned ghostly pale.

    There were two bodies inside the house. The first belonged to a man dressed in a very familiar mail of dark, spiky armor. His boots were tightly secured to his body, while his helmet was removed and had fallen to the floor. His pants and the top of his chest piece was partially undone, exposing much of his neck and collar, along with a deep gash running across his trachea.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Artyom came to the realization immediately, but didn¡¯t have it in him to say the words to himself. Before the guilt could properly set in, his gaze went to the other corpse. It was of a woman.

    She was completely naked.

    Her clothes were right next to her and were covered in numerous tears, some inflicted as if being pulled apart, and others by a sharp blade. She held a knife in her hand covered in clotted-over blood, and a sword¡¯s blade in her chest cavity. Otherwise she was untouched.

    ¡°This is supposed to be a Fairytale world¡­¡± The low whimper was all Artyom could muster.

    Something snapped within the mind of the man from Earth, and a long familiar numbness filled his senses. This was a war. These were war crimes. It was part and parcel for any conflict in a Gilded world, heralded by the worst kinds of scum in all existence.

    Artyom took a deep breath, ignoring the ash-laden air, and exhaled while looking ahead beyond anything a thousand yards in front of him. He¡¯d never actually left, had he?

    The other villagers, heedless of what was going on in Artyom¡¯s mind, slowly approached and looked at the scene with varying expressions.

    ¡°That¡¯s Spina for you, would always be ready to put up a fight, and she¡¯s put up more than any of us,¡± said the one who¡¯d shouted for Artyom. ¡°But why is she undressed?¡±

    The other townsfolk mumbled to themselves in confusion, no more perturbed than they already were from all the death.

    ¡°It is a Fairytale world, they don¡¯t even realize what was about to happen,¡± thought Artyom to himself.

    Everyone stood in place, the villagers still in the dark and trying to piece together the scene.

    ¡°Cover her up with a blanket and bring her to the other bodies,¡± said Artyom. ¡°Quit dawdling, my spell shows me two more still alive in your zone!¡±

    Everyone got back to work, the man from Earth included. Nothing else was on his mind now.

    <hr>

    Sweat dripped from every pore in Artyom¡¯s body, mixing with the ashes and soot that settled on his skin, forming an uncomfortable paste. He didn¡¯t have the luxury to be bothered by it and continued his work back with his group.

    ¡°I found someone!¡± shouted a young girl who squeezed through a gap in the Western farmhouse. ¡°Oh goddess, it¡¯s- ack¡± she burst into a fit of coughs. One of the lifters in the group, a bald man with bulging muscles from a lifetime at the forge, grabbed the girl by the feet and pulled her out of the hole while another lady got her some water from a flask.

    The rescue team didn¡¯t wait for her to continue and began to lift the rubble. Ash and dust flew as they quickly tossed the stones and logs to the side to get at whoever was trapped underneath.

    Artyom was the first to go through the passage once enough room was made.

    ¡°Shit. Don¡¯t come in, someone bring me a-¡±

    A young man ran in before he could process Artyom¡¯s words and immediately went pale.

    On the floor was Chey, the farmer. A large gash ran across his chest that his guts had messily spilled out of, while the scythe he held was covered in dry blood, seemingly not his own.

    ¡°By the godde- mmh,¡± the young man said as he began to vomit.

    Artyom continued staring at the corpse, and just blinked. ¡°And here I thought Detect Life just wore off, not you.¡±

    The man from Earth spared no more words for the first man who¡¯d shown him sincere kindness in this world. That was what usually ended up happening to those kinds of people in Gilded worlds, anyway.

    Artyom covered him up with a nearby bedsheet and made sure to roll it in such a way the viscera would not be apparent from underneath it, then turned around and slowly walked out. Several villagers looked at him with hopeful looks, but he slowly shook his head. ¡°Someone better tell Chey¡¯s farmhand that he¡¯s out of a job.¡±

    Nobody laughed. Artyom was surprised at first, but then realized they merely hadn¡¯t been around nearly enough death to develop gallows humor yet. It was rare for him to encounter anyone on his missions who didn¡¯t get it.

    ¡°I found a barrel filled with wheat,¡± said the same young man as before, who had gathered back his courage and re-entered the collapsed house. ¡°And one¡¯s filled with fermenting sparkle.¡±

    ¡°Toss the sparkle, keep the wheat,¡± said another. ¡°We can feed the whole village for a day with that, the drink is just dead weight at this point.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Artyom thought. ¡°They¡¯re learning.¡±

    <hr>

    It took all of several hours, but the four teams swept through the whole village. They¡¯d found a surprising number of survivors buried in the rubble, but twice as many corpses. Several barrels of food and family heirlooms were gathered on a scavenged cart tied to a pair of mules, ready to be carried to the nearest town and bartered with, all for a chance at survival.

    ¡°Everyone here?¡± asked Artyom, taking check of all of the villagers.

    The answer was yes, at least out of whoever was still alive.

    All of the corpses were gathered and roughly cremated in individual pyres. Skeya presided over their last rites, which consisted of a quick prayer of hope for the fate of their souls, wishing them a more pleasant afterlife. She didn¡¯t have it in her to light the fires, and ran off before the town blacksmith could do so himself.

    ¡°If it makes you feel any better Skeya,¡± began Pireni. ¡°You¡¯ll probably level up after all that work.¡±

    Artyom couldn¡¯t help but smile; a twisted and bitter grin. At least someone had picked it up. All three of them would need it if they wanted to stay in their profession.

    ¡°Now that that¡¯s taken care of, on to the next step,¡± said Artyom, getting everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Getting yourselves somewhere safe. What are the nearest towns? Preferably ones with a standing army that can fend off another attack.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s two I know of,¡± began Pireni. ¡°One to the North and one to the West. North is somewhat close but it¡¯s small, but there are even bigger towns a bit further than that. The one in the West is a lot bigger and closer, but it¡¯s all alone.¡±

    ¡°Hold on, which way did the army come from and go?¡± asked Artyom. ¡°We don¡¯t want to send the villagers anywhere near them, or towards a town that was already attacked.¡±

    ¡°Can we even get away from them?¡± asked Ruba, speaking up from the group. She was free from the worst of the grief and fear while working, but now that she had a moment to catch her breath, the misery had returned with interest. ¡°One of them shouted something about circling back to make sure none of us will call for help!¡±

    Artyom looked at her with frustration for not mentioning something so important earlier, and accidentally leaked a tinge of magic focused through his will.

    The entire crowd around him immediately stepped back, some of them even beginning to wobble on their feet.

    He quickly turned it off, and realizing that the old woman was now frozen in place, tried to calmly coax the rest of the information out of her instead.

    ¡°I remember, he had black, spiky armor and the most terrible laugh!¡± she continued, the accidental psychic attack resurfacing a recent dark memory. ¡°They came from the South and ran off to the East, and he said ¡®The Dark Lord¡¯s army will be back by sunrise to finish you off after we count our loot! Can¡¯t let anyone get away to squeal.¡¯¡±

    Everyone began to panic. It wasn¡¯t outright pandemonium, but the hope for a better tomorrow Artyom had promised was practically snuffed out of the wailing crowd.

    ¡°If it¡¯s the Dark Lord, then maybe the hero will come save us?¡± said Sae loudly. ¡°I heard his television lets him see the whole world, maybe he already knows about the attack and is coming to help!¡±

    The villagers began to brighten at the words, as if some faith within them had been reignited. They began to chatter amongst themselves.

    ¡°But I heard he¡¯s in California, how far away is that?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s been seen around the kingdom, so it can¡¯t be too far away.¡±

    ¡°Someone told me they saw him up north a while ago in search of something called ¡®pizza¡¯.¡±

    Artyom simply froze once more before slowly reaching into his bag and pulling out his mission dossier. He flipped it open and confirmed his worst fears.

    There really was a kid from Earth here.

    And an enemy that operated like Gilded world scum.

    Both in a Fairytale world.

    ¡°He¡¯s not ready,¡± said Artyom to himself. ¡°He¡¯ll never be if he¡¯s being trained up in a place like this.¡±

    The adventurers looked over at him, drawn out of their hopeful conversations.

    Artyom simply turned around and began to walk away from the setting sun. ¡°It¡¯s almost night time, and you all have a very long journey ahead,¡± he said, addressing the villagers without looking at them. ¡°Rest now. Fill your bellies, get some sleep, and get on the road three hours before sunrise.¡±

    ¡°What about you, where are you going?¡± asked Pireni.

    ¡°Evening the odds for the hero. It¡¯ll also cover your escape. If I¡¯m not back by the departure time, leave without me.¡±

    ¡°Hold on, you¡¯re not-¡± began Sae.

    ¡°Wait, Artyom!¡± shouted Skeya, but it was too late.

    A cloud of dust suddenly flew into the air as the man from Earth kicked off the ground in a subsonic sprint across the dirt path.

    The village was soon a distant speck as Artyom followed the trail of hoofprints towards his destination.

    This kid from Earth was way in over his head. Even a Gilded world¡¯s army would try to train up their ¡®heros¡¯ to the same standard as their regular troops. What did standards mean for a world otherwise as peaceful as this?

    It meant that kid was going to die if he fought the warband that razed the village of Freeacres.

    That was, unless there was no more warband.

 Chapter 16: Artyom the Assassin

    The last vestiges of the sun kissed the edge of the horizon as a silver-shaded twilight turned to black. In the far distance, a series of tall flames lit up the night, and a still running Artyom turned course towards them.

    He¡¯d been running for two hours. Thanks to magical assistance, he¡¯d reached speeds that could beat out even the swiftest race horse without slowing down for the entire trip. But as he approached the fires and surrounding camp, the man from Earth eased into a silent trot and took his place at the outskirts.

    Artyom channeled magical energy and focused it on a quick series of spells centered around his sensory organs. Detect Life and Eagle¡¯s Sight highlighted a massive crowd scattered throughout the camp that he was able to pick out individually in detail. Forty three. That was how many Artyom counted.

    Just about all of them were gathered at the center, around a series of bonfires, talking and moving around animatedly. Some were even dancing, or at least giving it their best attempt. The ones who were sitting had plates full of food they evidently enjoyed while sipping on bottles of what Artyom recognized was Freeacres¡¯ cherry sparkle.

    The sight made goosebumps erupt across Artyom¡¯s flesh, but he didn¡¯t react. Instead he looked towards a nearby tent, a particularly fancy one that stood out from the others, that presently housed four people.

    Sneaking over to it, Artyom activated another sensory spell; this time Bat¡¯s Hearing.

    Ba-dum ba-dum ba-dum.

    The sound of Artyom¡¯s blaring heartbeat almost deafened him before he tuned his spell to filter it out. He almost never had to deal with that, only when he was under extreme duress. Usually a few breathing exercises would calm him down and make him feel better, but the man from Earth didn¡¯t want that.

    ¡°¡­luck that you found that defenseless town! We¡¯re feasting well tonight, and a lot of the troops are going to go up a level! Have yourselves a drink,¡± said a gruff voice from inside.

    ¡°Uh, thanks commander!¡± said a much more familiar one, before the glowing Detect Life silhouettes of him and two other figures made a drinking motion. They immediately began to bend over slightly to cough.

    ¡°Woah, this stuff¡¯s strong!¡± said a third voice, this one also familiar. ¡°Is this alcohol?¡±

    ¡°How¡¯d you get yourself a bottle, commander?¡± asked the final person in the tent. That made all three of the scouts present and accounted for. ¡°And can I have one too?¡±

    ¡°This bottle is mine, you can earn one for yourself by finding us more targets! Now leave me to my paperwork.¡±

    The three familiar silhouettes filed out of the tent, and Artyom was able to get a look at them. His heartbeat became audible again as he drank in their faces before he once more tuned it out.

    ¡°Throwing a party over slaughtering some defenseless villagers?¡± thought Artyom to himself. ¡°Are they that undisciplined, or do they really see it as such a big achievement?¡±

    Turning back to the tent, the silhouette of the apparent commander could be seen pouring himself another drink and slowly downing it, before refilling his cup.

    ¡°Seeing as how you¡¯re getting drunk, especially when alcohol is supposed to be incredibly expensive in this world, I¡¯m judging the latter. Vulnerability to Poison, Painless Suffering,¡± Artyom cast the pair of spells, and the commander didn¡¯t react, save for beginning to lightly slump as he took another sip. ¡°You¡¯re the one keeping this rowdy bunch together, so I¡¯ll just keep you out of the game until we can talk in private.¡±

    Artyom then turned towards the three scouts and raised his hand to cast another spell. ¡°Purge Toxins.¡±

    The trio immediately froze in place before hunching over and grabbing their stomachs.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel so good, I heard this is what happens when you drink too much,¡± said the one on the left.

    ¡°We just had one cup! That makes no sense!¡± exclaimed the leader.

    ¡°Well I¡¯m about to hurl!¡± said the one on the right, who took off for a corner in the outskirts of the camp.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    The other two quickly followed, along with the man from Earth just behind.

    In the dimly lit back of the camp were the latrines, as Artyom could tell from the scent. And bent over a wide hole were the three scouts, adding the contents of their stomachs to the night soil.

    ¡°Maybe we just have to get used to it? I bet we won¡¯t puke like this next time.¡±

    ¡°I feel like it¡¯s going to take a lot of next times, this was pretty bad.¡±

    ¡°And there¡¯ll be plenty of next times! Especially if everyone we meet is as big of a rube as that one guy.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what an idiot. ¡®We promise we won¡¯t hurt anyone ever again!¡¯ Imagine that we merely had to lie to him to get out of our promise, that¡¯s what makes us so great at our jobs.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things you can do if you just lie and use force, like getting a girl! I¡¯m going to try that on our next raid.¡±

    ¡°Too true, just don¡¯t get stabbed like Bega. And besides, what¡¯s that fool or anyone else going to do about it? Is he going to appear right behind us and get mad?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The three immediately turned their heads to the voice. The man in the back who¡¯d asked the last question got halfway there before Artyom grabbed his head and helped him turn it all the way, a full 180 degree snap.

    He stared at Artyom with surprise before the lifelessness set in and he fell to the side.

    The other two immediately went white as a sheet as they pulled out a sword and small flame respectively.

    ¡°Oh, that must¡¯ve been the one with the mace,¡± whispered Artyom. ¡°He would¡¯ve killed himself with brain damage eventually, so I thought I¡¯d speed things up. Death comes for us all, but too bad for you, I got here first.¡±

    The others charged. Or at least tried to.

    Artyom snapped his finger before they could take a step and the enemy spellcaster¡¯s fire went out. He began to choke, before quickly realizing that this was the same anti-magic field as before, and opted to pull out a dagger.

    The swordsman was a step ahead, but tripped on the corpse of his fallen comrade, causing his first swing to go wide.

    Artyom didn¡¯t bother to even lean out of the way of the errant slash.

    As the enemy spellcaster charged in, the man from Earth lifted his hand and channeled magic into a single point in his palm. Space itself began to warp around the spot, even seemingly moving out of sync with the rest of the world as Artyom lifted it to his attacker¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Let me show you a proper combat spell: Gravity Blender.¡±

    The enemy spellcaster felt a literal gut-wrenching pull inside his chest that caused his entire torso to heave as if squeezed by a hydraulic press, followed by blood and chunks of viscera spurting out of his mouth. He immediately collapsed to the floor, dead before he even reached it.

    ¡°M-mercy! Please, have mercy!¡± sputtered the remaining scout, the group¡¯s leader. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll-¡±

    ¡°You people sure are an interesting case,¡± said Artyom, turning to face the man. ¡°You¡¯ve got the morals of Gilded world scum, but with the simplicity of a naive child! No wonder the techies at headquarters thought this was a Fairytale world.¡±

    The swordsman stood for a moment in confusion, before taking a swing at Artyom while he looked away in thought.

    ¡°Will giving you a chance at redemption make me feel better?¡± said the man from Earth as he deftly caught the sword, and pulled it out of his attacker¡¯s grip. ¡°Not that you deserve it.¡±

    ¡°P-please, have mercy!¡±

    ¡°My god, do you really think I¡¯m that dumb? You¡¯re like a little kid who just learned how to lie, and haven¡¯t realized that the grown ups have been surrounded by better liars all our lives.¡± He took a step forward.

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°What I wanted to do the first time: carry out frontier justice. Can¡¯t risk any of you tricking the hero like you did me, after all. That greenhorn only needs to be fooled once to end up dead.¡±

    Artyom gathered magic into a single point in his hand and threw it at the scout leader. ¡°Gravity Lance.¡±

    The soldier felt a sudden pain in his chest and attempted to clutch his heart, but instead found a half-foot wide hole in its place. He fell to the ground, dead.

    The man from Earth stared at the dead bodies around him. The three tricksters, the three prideful fools, the three bringers of death. Now all tricked, humbled, and dead themselves. Yet that changed nothing for the victims of the massacre of Freeacres, who still remained dead, and Artyom¡¯s budding innocence shared that same grave.

    He let out a sigh. ¡°Why did I think that was going to make me feel better?¡±

    He forcefully kicked one of the bodies in the head, and the dull thud that echoed from its helmet rang hollow.

    A shock arced up his foot and through his spine, but he only blinked, not even flinching as each pulse of pain screamed as loudly as he himself wanted to at that moment. But it at least woke him up to the world around him.

    Artyom blinked. His heart rate began to speed up, and he blinked again. Two more times, then three, as his heart caught in his chest.

    ¡°One, just one, please¡­¡± he whispered. He kept blinking, trying to coax out even a single teardrop to fall. His mind was overwhelmed with a flood of emotions, ones he¡¯d kept bottled up for so long, that were finally demanding to be set free.

    But he couldn¡¯t.

    Hitting something couldn¡¯t make it go away, screaming would just alert the enemy soldiers, and the tears wouldn¡¯t fall.

    Having no release, the man from Earth just did what he always did. He took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, and let himself go cold.

    ¡°Even on a so-called vacation I can¡¯t escape reality. This is how the world works, and a kid from Earth is once again caught in the crossfire. Time to get back to work.¡±

 Chapter 17: Angel of Vengeance

    A swift kick was all that was needed to push the last of the three corpses into the latrine. Thanks to a quick casting of an armor spell, it didn¡¯t hurt his foot this time. It still ached, everything did, but it was now dull enough to easily ignore.

    Besides, it was dark enough on the outskirts of the army camp that nobody would have to see it. Just as well, nobody who came out there would likely see the corpses either.

    Artyom turned towards the bonfires at the camp¡¯s center, where all the other soldiers were partying. He took a step towards them, but felt his heart literally skip a beat, and he began to fall.

    ¡°Shit, I overdid it and put too much magic into those spells,¡± Artyom whispered as he quickly caught and uprighted himself. ¡°But even when I¡¯m careful they can cost too much, and I need some levels to offset that. Why haven¡¯t I gotten any yet?¡±

    The man from Earth focused his frustration on the almost forty soldiers still left standing. He¡¯d have to take them all out by sunrise; that was non-negotiable. With about half of his magic left, Artyom knew he¡¯d have to be clever. He had more time than magic afterall, so why not take things slowly?

    <hr>

    ¡°Come on, quit being lazy and come with me!¡±

    ¡°Quit being a coward and go yourself!¡±

    A pair of soldiers standing at the edge of the fires argued. The first was half-crouched and jumping from foot to foot while the other simply looked at him with annoyance.

    ¡°But it¡¯s so dark out there, what if I get attacked by a monster?¡±

    ¡°Seriously, where was all that bravery you had when we were attacking that village? Even they weren¡¯t as scared as you are right now when you were killing them.¡±

    ¡°Please?¡±

    After a few seconds, the second soldier sighed and began walking ahead of his compatriot into the darkness. The first followed with a smile until they were by the latrines.

    Snap

    Aryom let out a breath as he dropped the next pair of corpses into the latrine. There were two of the holes in the camp, but the number of bodies in them was starting to add up. It wouldn¡¯t be long before someone noticed.

    ¡°Hey, have you seen Kon or Dai?¡± came a loud voice from the center of camp. ¡°It¡¯s been over an hour since they went to the bathroom.¡±

    ¡°No, but they¡¯re not the only ones missing. Could¡¯ve sworn the camp was a lot more full when we started celebrating¡­¡±

    Artyom shook his head. ¡°One and a half hours, and a quarter of their soldiers missing; I¡¯ve even recovered all of my spent magic. Completely sloshed warbands have been more attentive, and none of these idiots are even drunk.¡±

    The talk amongst the soldiers grew more harried, louder.

    ¡°All the better.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Okay, now even the guy we sent to look for the others is gone! Should we get the commander?¡±

    ¡°We tried, but the person we sent to get him also disappeared. W-what should we do?¡±

    The entire crowd was beginning to descend into a full-blown panic. The cheers and boisterous excitement of the party made way for a loud clamoring, where everyone spoke nervously, trying to shout louder than the person next to them to have their worries or thoughts heard.

    As the din reached its crescendo, a sudden burst of heat and light made everyone go silent. One of the tents farther out in the camp burst into flames.

    ¡°So¡­ does anyone want to check that out?¡± asked one of the soldiers.

    Nobody volunteered.

    ¡°What if we went as a group? We¡¯re an army, after all. That¡¯s what makes us so strong.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Still nothing.

    ¡°Come on, that¡¯s my tent! I bet you¡¯d change your tune if it was your tent burning.¡±

    And then another tent burst into flames next to the first. A second soldier hurriedly stepped forwards, but the pair still didn¡¯t go.

    And after that, a third burst into flame. And another, and another, until five of them were on fire.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough, let¡¯s go,¡± said the soldier to the others at his side.

    Seeing the numbers they had, the quintet walked into the darkness with their chests puffed out and weapons drawn, ready to investigate the threat. Not to mention they had an even better light source to work with. They were confident they¡¯d find the source of this disturbance and¡­ they didn¡¯t stop to think whether the five of them would be able to stop whatever had made over a dozen of their number disappear.

    The other soldiers waited in the center of camp, content not to leave the illuminating presence of the bonfires they¡¯d lit, or their armed compatriots. Seconds felt like minutes as they waited with bated breath, hoping for a good answer. They were met with silence that lasted much too long. And then¡­

    It started off as a high pitched whine. As it got closer, it became lighter and louder. Soon, they could make it out as a voice, one belonging to the soldier who¡¯d tried to gather a group to investigate the fires in the first place. He was screaming his lungs out.

    ¡°Help! Help! Help! They¡¯re all dead, he¡¯s killing them!¡± the soldier shouted, his voice running hoarse as adrenaline masked the pain in both his vocal chords and legs.

    The members of the camp all began to talk at once, either asking questions or singing doom.

    Eventually one of the soldiers, the biggest of the group in both height and muscle, shouted loud enough to speak over the others. ¡°How many? Who¡¯s killing them?¡±

    ¡°All of them! We found a ton of ours thrown into the latrine, or just lying on the floor. Some of them had holes in their chest, but others just had their heads turned further than they should go. That¡­ that kills people!¡±

    ¡°But who did it, did you see? And where are the others?¡±

    ¡°He killed them too!¡±

    ¡°Who?!¡±

    ¡°Me.¡±

    The entire camp had their heads collectively wrenched towards the newcomer in fear and surprise as soon as he announced himself.

    But as they drank in their current biggest threat, their shaky and wound up muscles began to settle. Shoulders sagged and worried frowns turned into mocking smiles filled with relief.

    ¡°It¡¯s just one of the peasants we hadn¡¯t gotten to,¡± said the largest of the soldiers with a booming laugh. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, little man? We were going to come back in the morning to finish you all off, did you get impatient?¡±

    Many expected to see the telltale signs of fear, wide eyes and a cowering posture, just like in the villagers they had slaughtered. The soldiers who¡¯d faced someone with enough courage to fight back expected a different signature look; a determined frown with a strong look set in stone.

    What the troops were met with was a man who walked with a loose gait, and held a gaze that stared both through their souls and past them all. One that had seen more bloodshed in his lifetime than all of them combined.

    The existence of such a person was unthinkable to the soldiers, who each needed a whole two hands to count how many battles they¡¯d been in.

    Which was why they mistakened his look for one of a lost and tired boy trying to find his way home.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll send you back to your parents. Or if they¡¯re not there, we¡¯ll reunite you all in the morning,¡± said one of the soldiers, stepping forward with his sword drawn.

    Artyom looked both at and through him, before quickly moving to the others. He counted twenty six soldiers, twenty six threats to what he cared about. Twenty six soon-to-be corpses.

    He slowly inhaled and channeled his magic, and with a quick exhale, sent his spells flying across the camp.

    Basic Weakness, Basic Slowness.

    As implied by the names the spells were incredibly weak and cheap to cast. But they were cast against an inexperienced group, and on the entire group. Artyom saw many of his enemies suddenly weighed down by their armor, and those who tried to rush up to meet him moved as if submerged in molasses.

    Olympian¡¯s Speed, Tungsten Body.

    Artyom ran to the nearest soldier, the one who had most recently taunted him, and buried his fist in the man¡¯s chest. Links of his chainmail snapped as the armor tried to absorb the impact, but while it saved his life from the singular blow, it didn¡¯t stop several of his ribs from shattering, or his sword from slipping out of his grip.

    The man from Earth quickly grabbed the weapon with his free hand while it was still in mid-air and immediately swung it in the soldier¡¯s neck. Blood spurted out of an artery as the man fell over, a familiar lifeless surprise plastered across his face.

    The rest of the soldiers went silent as they processed the sheer speed and brutality of the attack. The fact that they were being outperformed in the sort of bloodshed they thought they¡¯d monopolized, all by a complete nobody, shocked them still.

    That complete nobody was unphased by the single act of violence however, and appeared before his next victim to perform an encore.

    The scream that followed as the target¡¯s leg was broken at the femur, followed by the gurgling, snapped the soldiers out of it. They lifted their weapons and charged.

    Artyom looked at them with dead eyes without saying a word, and simply channeled his magic.

 Chapter 18: RAMPAGE!!!

    Magic was a peculiar thing. First of all, it existed.

    But even more strange was that the human body, especially that of mundane Earth, was seemingly built for it. In a world where none existed, it was as if humanity had still evolved alongside magic. Earth human bodies could wield it as easily if not more so than the people of worlds where it was native.

    TOAL¡¯s scientists had several theories for why. Maybe we did evolve alongside magic and it just disappeared before the advent of written language or recorded history? Humanity could speak for over a hundred thousand years before we could write, and we¡¯ve been writing for only several thousands or ten thousands.

    Maybe there was the barest iota of magic on Earth? Just enough to give rise to human-specific traits like sapience, but not to do anything noticeable like conjuring a fireball.

    Whatever the answer was, it allowed anyone brought to a fantasy world to make full use of magic as if they had prodigious talent, sometimes even better than the locals.

    But the same factors in real life determined your actual talent. Genetics and epigenetics, mindset, and general aptitude for the subject. Not to mention elemental affinities, which were based on much the same.

    When he was first brought to a fantasy world, Artyom was above average in disposition and aptitude, thanks to being from Earth. A childhood full of schooling and dreaming of a world of magic helped a lot with that. But being quickly thrown into a war of life or death forced him into the proper mindset.

    <hr>

    Artyom blinked.

    Twenty four left. They charged at him all at once, from all across the camp, intent on killing him where he stood. For all the innocence they expressed in their thoughts, mercy was as foreign to them as whatever Artyom was.

    The man from Earth looked at the soldiers closest to him and acted on instinct.

    Aura of Intimidation.

    The soldiers¡¯ swings were fueled by rage and bloodthirst, but as the wave of magically charged emotion washed over them, the red in their vision was washed away by a sudden, much stronger shade of yellow. They flinched, and Artyom took that opportunity to attack their exposed necks with a stolen sword.

    Twenty two left.

    Artyom¡¯s aura quickly began to weaken, before soon it was having the opposite effect on the soldiers, imbuing the closest ones with the confidence to charge.

    As soon as the next two got within range, the aura flipped back to intimidation and threw off their swings.

    Artyom repeated his previous actions, and left two more corpses on the ground.

    Twenty.

    ¡°What was that?¡± asked one of the soldiers. ¡°I could¡¯ve sworn he was so weak for a second, and then all of a sudden he was the scariest thing in the world!¡±

    ¡°It must be a spell!¡± shouted another soldier in the back. ¡°Not one I know, but I¡¯m sure about it!¡±

    Aura wasn¡¯t exactly a standard spell, but worked along the same principles. Magical energy, when channeled into a shape and applied with an element, became a spell. A fireball was effectively the element of fire applied to a tight ball of magic and thrown. Spellcasters could harness elements they were personally attuned to or had some trace of nearby.

    One problem with Artyom¡¯s initial training was that he didn¡¯t get the chance to naturally attune to an element. It was a long process that involved meditating on the very nature of something, a task that could take years. He didn¡¯t have that kind of time so he had to rely on elements in the environment.

    But keeping a lantern lit or a large enough tank of water on him at all times was cumbersome, and the standard spells of those elements didn¡¯t fit his needs. The ¡°Personal Strength and Weakness¡± already within him and others, as well as the ever-present fundamental force of ¡°Gravity,¡± on the other hand did.

    And then there was aura. Simply put, it was the element of ¡°Human Will,¡± but the only thing that affected its behavior was the emotion it was combined with. Intimidation required anger, superiority, and bloodlust. To inspire confidence in opponents, one only needed to feel fear and a lack of self-confidence. Those feelings could be internally faked, the process being akin to method acting, and Artyom had spent much of his life pretending to be something he wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°You idiots, charge all at once!¡± shouted the largest of the soldiers in a deep voice that caught everyone¡¯s attention like some sort of beacon of order. ¡°If someone gets hit with his scare magic, everyone else nearby should also attack!¡±

    Artyom let out a quiet sigh. He hoped his enemies would continue to play dumb, but that was just wishful thinking. That wasn¡¯t to say he wasn¡¯t prepared for this, however.

    A group of six circled the man from Earth, and then those behind him charged.

    Artyom flared his aura, not just at his attackers but all around him, and prepared to strike at those who got close.

    ¡°Got you now,¡± said the largest of the soldiers. ¡°[Fearless Charge]!¡±

    Artyom felt no magic emanating from the man or falling upon those at his back, but just like magic, they shook off his aura as if never being affected by it and attacked.

    ¡°Shit,¡± the man from Earth swore as he cast a speed spell on himself to be able to get his sword in position to parry all three of the strikes coming for him at once. While his enhanced strength was enough to catch and hold back the whole trio of blows, his stolen sword began to crack and soon shattered under the combined force.

    Artyom jumped to the side before the enemies¡¯ weapons could touch him. Rather than going back in for a counterattack, he looked at the largest of the soldiers who¡¯d shouted out the Skill and with all his strength, threw the hilt of his pilfered weapon at the man.

    Systems always made things complicated. No two worlds¡¯ were alike, in that the abilities they granted as reward for the same tasks and efforts varied, but the sheer scope of what constituted an ¡°ability¡± was mind-boggling.

    The name of the Skill that was shouted out sounded like an army leadership Skill, something a commander or general would use to strengthen their troops before or during a battle. Since it had only affected three of the soldiers, it probably wasn¡¯t that strong, or its user was just very low leveled. The latter was already obvious.

    Being from another world and starting with no System powers, Artyom was at a natural disadvantage. Normally most newcomers to a world would be granted their first levels and abilities within a day, as they bring an adult perspective and level of effort to something most began as a child, not to mention that Earthers naturally leveled up faster.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    But for whatever reason, Artyom didn¡¯t get any levels despite how much advanced spellcasting he¡¯d performed. The man from Earth didn¡¯t even have a simple magic efficiency Skill to call his own. Much of his repertoire hung on taking advantage of even the slightest boon or meta-magical ability, but the unpredictable nature of Systems led him to plan out alternatives when Skills weren¡¯t good enough. Or in this case, when there were no Skills.

    The sword hilt was knocked away from the massive soldier¡¯s head as he parried it. He returned a mocking sneer and began to raise a finger to tauntingly wag, but it froze halfway up when a rush of blood spurted out of his shoulder.

    Artyom tsked but ran straight at the man instead of shouting the spell name Gravity Lance or taunting him back. When the man from Earth didn¡¯t have any levels, he made due with being clever and brutal.

    Before the largest soldier could even blink, Artyom was already before him. The man from Earth tried to get in close and lay a palm on the giant¡¯s chest, but a quick sweep of his sword kept him back. Artyom quickly navigated behind him to strike again, but somehow he was keeping up and denied any approach with deftly timed swings.

    Giving it one more try, Artyom cast Gravity Lance and aimed directly at the giant¡¯s heart. Close up, it would have been nigh-impossible to miss. Yet, as the invisible projectile entered the soldier¡¯s personal space, he swung his sword and caught the spell. It bored a hole through the steel that definitely weakened the structural integrity of the weapon, but otherwise left the wielder completely unharmed.

    Artyom frowned. Wasn¡¯t this guy supposed to be low leveled with how weak his earlier Skill was? How was he putting up so much of a fight? He was a soldier though; not any sort of official leader. Artyom figured the Skill he used earlier might have been obtained through a fluke, by just ordering the others around like he was doing now, and being rewarded with a peculiar pittance for his efforts.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Never had your attacks parried like this before?¡± he asked with a smug grin.

    ¡°It has to be some kind of blocking or parry Skill,¡± thought Artyom. ¡°It¡¯s surprising he isn¡¯t announcing its name like every other idiot here would, but he still gave it away with that taunt. He could be trying to mislead me though, but a parry Skill fits with how he caught my invisible attack. I¡¯ll just have to roll with it.¡±

    Artyom quickly bent over to pick up some dirt from the ground and threw it at the massive soldier.

    He readied his sword with a smirk, but he grimaced as the dirt flew past it and into his eyes.

    ¡°So it only works on actual attacks, not distractions. And he has to be aware of the attack as well.¡±

    While he was distracted, Artyom charged at a different, much smaller soldier behind him, and cast a quick Gravity Lance through his head.

    Nineteen.

    Artyom knew he was burning through magic now, especially with his crowd control spells still active over such a large number, but every instant counted.

    With a new, unblemished sword in hand, the man from Earth ran back at the massive soldier and with both hands on the blade, swung with all his might.

    The giant grinned as his own sword came to meet the strike.

    Artyom¡¯s smile was wider.

    Two pieces of metal clashed, and the giant¡¯s sword immediately broke in twain, the shattered top half of the blade flying over a dozen feet away.

    The massive soldier immediately knew something was wrong, but was still cleaning the dirt from his eyes.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t even need to see the attack, just be aware one is coming. But every Skill has its weakness, and parry Skills can have many. Let¡¯s test them all out at once.¡±

    Artyom jumped back and put the rest of his plan into action. He threw the sword at his head, a Gravity Lance at his heart, and charged at his legs.

    ¡°[Perfect Parry]!¡± roared the giant in a show of bravado against the cloying desperation in his voice as he activated his Skill. His broken sword caught the Gravity Lance, and he moved his head out of the way just in time to only have an ear partially sliced by the thrown sword, but he could do nothing about the man whose palm was on his chest.

    Not able to block multiple attacks at once? Needing a suitable weapon to use it? Whatever The Skill¡¯s weakness was, it didn¡¯t matter anymore.

    ¡°Parry this!¡± Artyom shouted as he cast Gravity Blender.

    A spurt of blood and a single chunk of viscera flew out of the giant¡¯s mouth before he fell to his knees, and then to the ground.

    Eighteen.

    The other soldiers looked on in sheer horror. They tried to take a step back.

    ¡°I know what you¡¯ll do if you get away; you¡¯ll just prey on passersby like actual bandits,¡± said Artyom, his eyes burning with hatred. ¡°You¡¯ll kill them on the spot, just like you¡¯ve done to the people of Freeacres, and one day the hero might end up your victim. You know how this has to end.¡±

    A few of the soldiers furthest out still tried to run.

    Artyom dashed towards them and caught up within seconds, and plunged his stolen sword into their backs.

    Fifteen.

    This time, the smell of blood brought up the taste of bile in Artyom¡¯s mouth. Killing a retreating enemy was definitely a war crime, but if he hadn¡¯t done this, they would absolutely do it to an innocent. Holding the role of judge, jury, and especially executioner was a terrible burden. But one that Artyom didn¡¯t have the luxury to process right now. This might have been war, but it was more than that; this was justice.

    The other soldiers understood this. They raised their weapons high and ran at Artyom in a desperate attempt at carving out a chance at life through him.

    Aura of Intimidation.

    The nearest soldiers froze and Artyom cut through them snicker-snack.

    Fourteen, thirteen.

    One of them tried sneaking up on him while he was killing his compatriots.

    Artyom dodged out of the way of the attack and threw a Gravity Lance. It pierced his chest, but didn¡¯t instantly kill him. The following slash did.

    Twelve.

    Desperation was setting in, and the remaining soldiers jumped him all at once, weapons flying pell-mell heedless of who it would actually hit.

    Artyom focused gravity magic into his feet and jumped. Gravity Bounce. He flew ten feet into the air and floated for a moment before starting to come down.

    Most of the attacks that would have hit him otherwise missed, but a few of them instead hit the soldiers. One of them was nicked hard on the arm, but another wasn¡¯t so lucky.

    Eleven.

    The remaining soldiers readied their attacks for when he inevitably landed, but Artyom didn¡¯t give them the opportunity.

    He cast the spell again, this time while turned to the side, and flew towards the ground at the same speed as his ascent. When he touched down, he quickly broke into a roll to burn off his momentum, and rose to his feet as soon as he was still.

    The other soldiers ran at him, but they¡¯d arranged themselves in enough of a line that Artyom was able to take out the one at the front.

    Ten.

    With so many fewer enemies, the man from Earth was confident he could keep track of them all at their full strength. He ended his weakening spells and instead focused it on the closest soldier to a much stronger degree before charging.

    Nine.

    He moved the spell and then his sword to the next target.

    Eight.

    And again, and again, and again.

    Seven, six, five.

    The last of them understood their fate and gave one final, empty charge.

    Artyom cast his magic on all of them at once.

    Four, three, two, one¡­

    Zero.

    A battlefield of blood and broken bodies lay all around him. What was once a merry party became the very thing it was meant to celebrate. Irony, karma, it could be called many things. A tired Artyom called it a necessity.

 Chapter 19: Bloody Trickery

    In his tent, the commander suddenly snapped out of his drunken stupor. It was as if a veil was lifted from his mind¡­ and his liver. He didn¡¯t remember drinking so much to fall into such a state, but was grateful nonetheless to sober up just as unexpectedly.

    ¡°Permission to enter, commander!¡± came a voice from just outside the tent.

    ¡°Whuzzat? Yeah, sure.¡±

    In stepped a male soldier in his late twenties. That was on the older side of the spectrum for members of the warband, closer to that of the veterans on their second training campaign or vacation, but the innocence and trepidation the newcomer gave off said he was otherwise.

    ¡°So what do you want? Run out of sparkle out there or something, looks like you spilled some on your armor there. Or did you hear rumors from the scouts?¡±

    ¡°Rumors, sir?¡± asked the newcomer with a tilt of his head.

    ¡°Hey hey, don¡¯t go making yourself all topsy-turvy like that! The rumors about my secret booze stash are completely false! I don¡¯t h-h-have any.¡±

    The man in the soldier uniform tried to waft the scent of stale alcohol away from his nose with his left hand while the commander was looking away.

    ¡°So what do you want, then?¡±

    ¡°I have a message from the Dark Lord, sir!¡±

    ¡°Wait, Dark Lord?¡± the commander stared at the other man for several seconds, waiting for the blurriness in his vision to disappear long enough to get a better look at him. ¡°You¡¯re not one of my men¡­¡±

    ¡°No sir, I¡¯m a messenger here to see you.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ oh! Please come on in and take a seat. Would you like a drink? I have a very nice brandy I was planning to send back to the Dark Lord, perhaps you¡¯d like a sip of it yourself first?¡±

    ¡°Um, no thank you,¡± he said, eyes shifting to the side of the tent before back at the commander. ¡°I just wanted to let you know the Dark Lord is pleased with your leadership and wants a check-in of your progress.¡±

    ¡°Now isn¡¯t that good to hear, though I¡¯m not surprised he feels that way!¡± he said, flashing a confident smile that fell off his face as he stumbled on his chair. ¡°We¡¯ve been doing wonderfully. The soldiers have leveled up plenty, and we should all be level twenty by the end of the season at this rate, just as the Dark Lord said.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± said the other man with a thoughtful nod. ¡°And of any other missions?¡±

    ¡°Other missions?¡± the commander asked as he went pale. ¡°W-we weren¡¯t assigned other missions, this is just a training campaign!¡±

    ¡°Trick question,¡± said the other man with a wry grin. ¡°You passed. And what about the hero?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t fool me twice, I know very well we¡¯re to avoid him at all costs, and we¡¯ve done just that. Our next movements will take us away from his current location. And even if he heads our way, our scouts should be able to warn us in time so we can change course. We shan¡¯t interfere.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    The soldier didn¡¯t say anything, but the commander noticed his shoulders noticeably sag even through his drunken stupor.

    ¡°Is there anything else you need? Would you like that bottle now?¡±

    ¡°No thank you, I think I have everything I need.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful then, let me show you around the camp before you go so you can see our progress with your own eyes,¡± said the commander as he walked over to the tent¡¯s exit.

    As he made his way outside and towards the bonfires, the soldier followed right behind him. It didn¡¯t take long before they reached the site of the celebrations, but in the commander¡¯s inebriated state, he didn¡¯t make much of the silence.

    ¡°Alright, here are the troops, they¡¯re- by the Dark Lord! What happened?! They¡¯re all-¡±

    Gravity Lance.

    A small hole appeared in the back of the commander¡¯s head, and he immediately fell over dead.

    Artyom took off the set of light armor he wore, glad to be rid of the poorly-fitting leather. He picked it out as the least bloodstained piece, as opposed to going for the best fitting, and had washed it as best he could before wearing it to the commander¡¯s tent.

    But now that his job here was done, he was free to change back into his comfortable linens and head back to the survivors.

    Artyom took one more look at the devastation he¡¯d wrought on the Dark Lord¡¯s warband.

    Business as usual.

    He spit on the ground and turned around before channeling his magic into his legs. Once the spell was cast, he began to run West.

    <hr>

    Two hours was a long time, yet still too little to process what was important. But it was at least enough for what the commander had said.

    The warband existed to train. Not in actual combat, but in System levels. The more they fought, or rather slaughtered, the higher their numbers would get. What this so-called Dark Lord was planning to do with the soldiers, Artyom didn¡¯t know.

    There was likely a war going on or close to starting, but nobody in Freeacres mentioned it. That would normally imply that the front lines were far away, but then how did a war band get so far into enemy territory and expect to terrorize the countryside without any opposition?

    Maybe the Dark Lord was bluffing about that being their mission. Maybe they were just sacrificial pawns meant to sow chaos, and their opponents would be forced to pull troops away from the front lines to deal with them?

    It didn¡¯t matter to Artyom, he wasn¡¯t here to protect random villagers of a country, or even world, he had no allegiance to. He was here to save a kid from Earth in way over his head.

    And on that note, the commander had also said he was ordered to stay far away from the hero. But why? By definition, the Hero was the greatest opposing force against any Dark Lord. It was the very foundation behind every version of the Hero summoning ritual TOAL has found on other worlds; a trope that nobody can get away from.

    So why didn¡¯t the Dark Lord want to send his closest troops to take care of the problem early on? It could be a sense of pride that made them want to be the one to finish the hero off with their own hands. The sentiment fit well with how childish the people in this world could be.

    Or maybe they had some other plan in store for the Hero and didn¡¯t want the novice soldiers to interfere?

    Artyom paled for a moment before shaking the feeling off.

    It wasn¡¯t entirely a bad thing; it meant that there was still time before the actual threat presented itself. Time for Artyom to find the Hero and bring him to safety.

    As the man from Earth resolved himself, the ruins of Freeacres appeared on the horizon. The survivors were beginning to slowly move about a series of small fires. They¡¯d placed several large pots and metal grates over the flames, and filled them up with food. The smell wafted even all this way.

    ¡°They¡¯re getting ready to leave soon. I¡¯m just in time.¡±

 Chapter 20: A Fleeting Return

    It had been the roughest night of sleep for the inhabitants of the village of Freeacres. Hard work, clean air, and a peaceful life always made it easy to drift off for them; that was their life every day after all.

    But today their work had been harrowing. The air was laden with smoke from their burning fields and orchards; their very livelihoods. Their friends and family lay dead, and everyone¡¯s innocence died with them.

    A waking nightmare slowly faded into a dreaming one. It was a restless sleep, but compared to what they had just faced, it was still a respite most welcome. But much too soon they were forced to wake back to reality and face the truth once more.

    Three hours before sunrise; that was when Artyom told them to get ready to leave. That gave them all five hours of sleep, which was closer to three or four for many. But the break wasn¡¯t for nothing, and all of the citizens moved with just a little more vigor than when they¡¯d gone to bed.

    ¡°We still have firewood left we can¡¯t bring with us. Let¡¯s just use it now to cook breakfast,¡± said one of the villagers, a lumberjack by trade.

    ¡°Tell everyone to get their biggest pots and pans, let¡¯s cook some breakfast before we say goodbye,¡± said another. ¡°I bet Ruba¡¯s got plenty.¡±

    The lumber from around the village was gathered together and several bonfires were lit. While Artyom would have told them it was a bad idea, as it would attract a wandering enemy¡¯s attention, he wasn¡¯t around to do so. The fires went up, and the villagers began cooking.

    It was quite difficult since the sun was still far from rising but they made due. As the first batch of food was done and being served around, Pireni, who was on lookout duty, ran to the crowd.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s coming this way!¡± she shouted, rousing everyone.

    Sae and Skeya jumped up from their seats and rushed towards their teammate.

    ¡°Who is it? How many are there?¡± asked the two at the same time.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s too dark to see, but there¡¯s a lot of dust being kicked up,¡± replied Pireni, the worry on her face hidden behind grim determination. ¡°Let¡¯s get our weapons ready just in case.¡±

    The adventurers ran to the bonfire and commanded all the able-bodied survivors to grab something sharp or heavy, and for everyone else to hide behind them.

    A few of the villagers shoveled the contents of their bowls into their mouths as they ran to their makeshift weapons, knowing that even the slightest bit of energy could make a difference between life and death. Though they all knew that if worse came to worst it would only be by a couple of seconds.

    Tense seconds ticked on as the distant dust cloud approached. Silent prayers were made, and a mix of hope and acceptance flowed through the crowd.

    As the cause of the disturbance got closer, everyone was able to make out a lone figure. Their clothes were battered and torn, and along with their skin covered in dust and blood, but as the dead eyes that had struck such great fear into the Dark Lord¡¯s forces approached, the villager¡¯s own worry began to disappear.

    Artyom slowed from his inhuman pace into a normal job, then finally a trot. As he approached the survivors of Freeacres, the man from Earth came to a stop. His chest heaved with each breath. His mouth was opened wide to let as much air in and out as he could. His eyes stared at them.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°A-Artyom? Are you alright?¡± asked Skeya, her soft voice able to carry over through the sudden silence. ¡°Did you get us time to run?¡±

    ¡°I bought you time, all the time you need. The war band won¡¯t be a problem anymore. At all.¡±

    The adventurers, along with the villagers, began to smile at the first sign of true hope that had come their way. But as everyone¡¯s smiles widened, the trio¡¯s slowly froze as they considered the implication.

    ¡°Hold on, you don¡¯t mean-¡± began Sae, only to be nudged in the side by Pireni.

    ¡°Do we really want to know the answer to that?¡± she quietly hissed.

    ¡°It¡¯s exactly what you think it is,¡± said Artyom. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you can just stay here. Your livelihood is gone and who knows if another war band might try to find out what happened to this one, and find all of you still here.¡±

    The villagers collectively felt a shiver.

    ¡°In that case, uh¡­ why don¡¯t you take a look on the road ahead so we know it¡¯s safe. Make sure there aren¡¯t any monsters we might run into,¡± said Sae, puffing out his chest in a show of false confidence. It didn¡¯t do anything to hide his pensive and worry-ridden expression.

    Artyom looked right at him, and for a moment, Sae felt they could see into each other¡¯s souls. What he saw was empty, and sad.

    ¡°Can¡¯t do that, Sae.¡±

    ¡°Why not? Oh right! You¡¯ve been running for hours, you must be starving. Grab something to eat first and-¡±

    ¡°No Sae, I mean I¡¯m not coming with you or the other villagers.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m needed somewhere more important.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± asked Pireni indignantly. ¡°What¡¯s more important than getting the villagers to safety?!¡±

    ¡°The hero! If he was trained in a world like this, he¡¯s not ready to face the Dark Lord. They¡¯re going to kill him! I have to save him!¡±

    ¡°The hero? What are you talking about?¡± asked Sae. ¡°He¡¯s the hero, he doesn¡¯t need help. He¡¯s supposed to stop the Dark Lord and all of this.¡±

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t here to stop this. And if he were, he¡¯d be dead like half the village.¡±

    The villagers began to look between the two groups with wide, shifty eyes, their heads ducked into their shoulders and lips sealed shut at the sudden awkward pressure they all felt.

    ¡°Artyom, you can¡¯t leave, we¡¯re a team!¡± shouted Pireni.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± added Sae. ¡°Besides, all of our team member decisions need a unanimous vote! I vote no for you leaving, how about you Pireni? Skeya?¡±

    Artyom let out a sigh. ¡°Honestly, I was going to leave in a month anyway. I have a lot of people to save from back home, but I truthfully didn¡¯t expect the hero would need me too.¡±

    ¡°You were always planning on leaving?¡± asked Skeya. Her eyes were beginning to mist, but they suddenly went wide as realization struck her, and soon tears began falling freely. ¡°You were always planning on¡­¡±

    Artyom looked at the three of them. In their eyes he saw all of their collective grief, their feelings of betrayal, and longing to continue their short yet wonderful friendship. He saw their feelings and desires raw, and turned around.

    Olympian¡¯s Speed.

    ¡°Artyom!¡± shouted Skeya, her voice for once rising above the din of the other adventurers, but it was too late.

    The man from Earth had already run off, leaving only a cloud of dust in his wake. He shattered a heart, lost some friends, and spat on a village¡¯s kindness. He knew deep down any good he did for them was unintentional, only the result of trying to save those who mattered most to him. To Artyom, there was no question about it. It was worth it.

    <hr>

    Thirty minutes after he started running, Artyom felt something happening to his magic.

    Hours of running back right after a massive fight took too much out of him, and as his internal stores reached zero, the man from Earth felt his legs give in. He tumbled to the dirt road below him, and he was out cold before he even felt it on his face.

    Some time later, he didn¡¯t know how long but the sun was now up in the sky, he was woken up by a faint ringing in his pocket.

    ¡°H-hello?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Gus. You didn¡¯t pick up last night, is everything alright?¡±

 Chapter 21: Comprehension and Cooldown

    It took all but three seconds for Artyom to properly wake up with his heart pounding out of his chest.

    ¡°Gus,¡± he said. His voice filled with frantic dread. ¡°Our Earther is real and he¡¯s in danger.¡±

    Gus didn¡¯t say anything at first, but the sound of him leaning forward in his chair could be heard through the phone. ¡°Explain.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a ¡®Dark Lord¡¯ and his army attacked the village I was in-¡±

    ¡°Are you safe?¡± Gus interrupted.

    ¡°Yeah, I was able to track them down and kill them all. They¡¯re not an active threat to me or our Earther anymore.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief you¡¯re fine, but Artyom¡­ did I hear that right? You said you killed them, people of a Fairytale world.¡±

    The voice from the other end suddenly grew cold and somber.

    ¡°You¡¯d better have a damn good reason why you jumped to such an extreme.¡±

    ¡°Because this isn¡¯t a Fairytale world, Gus!¡± Artyom said, his voice in a raging frenzy. ¡°That army didn¡¯t just attack, they slaughtered everyone they could find! They tried to rape someone. This is a Gilded world, and I need backup to extract the hero.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Gus?¡±

    ¡°I knew something was fishy about that place, I believe you.¡±

    Artyom slowly closed his wide open mouth before letting it curl into a smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad I haven¡¯t completely lost your faith. So when can I expect backup-¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯ll need a report first to verify the situation. Can you write one up and send it to me, along with pictures of the damage?¡±

    ¡°I spoke too soon. Dammit Gus, what the hell are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°The report, Artyom. I don¡¯t know how bad it really is there. I need intel to determine how many forces to send.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point! The people here are as innocent as Fairytale worlders, but they can be as awful as Gilded worlders. That means our Earther is going to be way out of his league with whatever training he¡¯s gotten and is going to get slaughtered! Just send me someone to help secure them and get out of here, anyone even half competent!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t. Everyone qualified is currently deployed on another mission.¡±

    ¡°Come on, there has to be someone-¡±

    Gus let out a sigh. ¡°I mean everyone, all on the same mission. Even the likes of Squad Romeo.¡±

    ¡°Them?¡± Artyom let out a scoff. ¡°They¡¯re just as likely to kill the Earther as they are the actual problem, so if you let them off their leash, then it must be bad.¡±

    ¡°It is. This ¡®Cult of Alivaine¡¯ we encountered has been pushing back at our efforts to secure some Earthers, and things are precarious enough that every squad is needed in place to keep them in check.¡±

    ¡°And our spies and lone operatives?¡±

    ¡°All too deep in the field to extract without ruining the operation.¡±

    ¡°Dammit,¡± said Artyom in a hoarse sigh. ¡°I bet you really wish you had me ready to help out there.¡±

    The line went silent for a second before Gus responded, ¡°If I did, then you wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about your Earther.¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°¡­Touch¨¦. So I guess I¡¯m on my own, then?¡±

    ¡°Unless you can get me a report so I can make a proper call on what can be spared.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll take me several days to go back and take pictures, then to type something up on my phone and send everything back. Days I don¡¯t have when there could be trouble headed straight for the Earther. Besides, I don¡¯t want to interrupt that other mission and risk getting other Earthers killed. I¡¯ll do this solo.¡±

    ¡°I can at least send you some equipment. The closest drop-off points are where we first sent you into that world, and North of your current position.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m headed North right now towards the Earther¡¯s last known position, so I can stop by the latter drop-off. Can you get me my standard gear, along with some stronger gear to supplement my magic?¡±

    ¡°Of course, but why the emphasis on magical equipment?¡±

    ¡°Level ups seem to happen when you sleep in this world, but even after completely exhausting my magic and just waking up, I still haven¡¯t leveled up once.¡±

    ¡°That is¡­ concerning. I know the complexity and cost of your spells, have you not even gained a level in something tangentially related to magic?¡±

    ¡°Nope, nothing at all, I¡¯m a blank slate to this world¡¯s System. Nothing like this has ever happened before.¡±

    ¡°¡­Artyom,¡± said Gus in a low whisper.

    ¡°Huh, what is it?¡±

    ¡°I can cancel this whole vacation, bring you back to base and give you more backup once resources have freed up.¡±

    ¡°Where the hell is this coming from?¡±

    ¡°I have a bad feeling about the world you¡¯re in. I don¡¯t have all the info, and what I started out with is completely false. That place needs to be properly scouted out before I feel confident enough setting up an operation.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too late for that, Gus. The captain of the warband I fought already knew where the Earther was, and was told to stay away from him. If he knew, the Dark Lord definitely does, and might have other active plans in store for the Earther. There might not be enough time to plan our next moves, I have to get in there and make sure the kid is safe.¡±

    Gus let out a sigh. ¡°Very well, do what you have to. I¡¯ll send the coordinates of the drop-off to your phone.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    There were no more words to share, and the two hung up.

    <hr>

    The ensuing run North was more of a weak jog interrupted with occasional breaks.

    After exhausting all his magic the previous night, Artyom was tapped in more ways than one. While he had to focus even harder to cast a spell, and at a much higher cost than before, his muscles also groaned and complained every step he took forward. Overwhelming pangs in his stomach had the man from Earth clearing out an entire day¡¯s worth of rations in a single morning, and even then he still felt hungry.

    All this, combined with only half a night¡¯s rest on a dirt road, and Artyom was running on fumes.

    Still, he kept running. He couldn¡¯t stop.

    After about two hours on the road, he felt his phone vibrate. Artyom opened it and saw that the drop-off point was close by, and after spending about ten minutes wandering through the surrounding grassy hills, he found it.

    Nestled in the valley between two particularly tall mounds was a burlap bag. It was entirely nondescript except for the four letters stitched onto its front: T.O.A.L.

    Artyom walked over to the sack with his second smile of the day and opened it up. Inside was a set of normal looking clothes, a gray sweatshirt and sweatpants, along with a pair of bracers and a ring. The clothing was loose and stretchy, but not baggy at all, and seemed to harden when handled forcefully.

    As Artyom changed into it from his simple linens, he felt it contour to his body almost perfectly yet look like he was wearing a tracksuit rather than a curve-defining morph suit. The latter would have made it impossible to travel through civilization without being called out for public indecency. But just in case, he still wore the linens on top of them so as to not stand out too much due to the alien fashion.

    Next up, he equipped the bracers around his wrists and slid the ring onto his left ring finger. The magical energy stored within the bracers immediately flooded into him, and Artyom felt the charge revitalize him.

    They were magical batteries that would allow him to cast even more spells in a battle while recharging on ambient magic rather than from his own stores.

    The ring however was enchanted with Invisibility. It wasn¡¯t a spell he could easily cast without lots of preparation and resources, especially in the heat of battle, so having something that could cast it for him once or twice a day would be incredibly helpful.

    ¡°Hold on, there¡¯s one more thing in here.¡±

    Reaching inside, Artyom¡¯s eyebrows shot up for a moment as he took in his final piece of equipment: a gun.

    Not the techno-magical gauss rifles given to TOAL¡¯s troops, but a proper modern Earth-style pistol. There wasn¡¯t a lick of magic on it.

    ¡°With how conspicuous these extra-potent bracers and invisibility ring will be to anyone magically inclined, they won¡¯t think twice about something as mundane as a bullet to the face.¡±

    Artyom chuckled to himself before growing quiet.

    ¡°I hope I won¡¯t have to use any of this.¡±

    The man from Earth quickly returned to the road, and with newfound vigor, continued North. He might have hoped for the best, but years of experience told him every single piece of equipment would soon count.

    And as the silhouette of the nearby town came into view, Artyom knew he¡¯d find out soon enough.

 Chapter 22: Search for the Hero

    Artyom¡¯s magically charged run slowed into a mundane jog. Under the effects of Olympian¡¯s Speed, it only felt like a leisurely stroll. But after helping find survivors after a massacre, fighting off an enemy army, and running all the way here with the barest amount of sleep, even that stroll might as well have been a marathon.

    The walls of the nearest town came into view and as he approached. They turned out to be just a head taller than Artyom and only a foot thick. The man from Earth scoffed while still looking ahead, knowing that it wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop a warband like the last one, especially one equipped with Skills. It was likely made to keep wild animals out rather than an invading army.

    One thing that did make Artyom smile was how the road went from plain dirt to paved stone bricks. He was expecting bumpy cobblestone with how close this town was to Freeacres, but was grateful for the unexpected respite for his feet.

    Just past the walls was a wooden sign with the name of the town written on it, ¡°Trellisia,¡± and next to that was a man. He sat on a wooden chair that faced the road coming in, and he wore an orange long sleeve cotton shirt and light blue pants.

    His eyes lit up as he saw Artyom, and the man immediately shot out of his seat and waved. ¡°Hello there traveler, I see you¡¯ve come to Trellisia, entrance to the kingdom¡¯s frontier! I¡¯m sure you have plenty of news you¡¯d like to-¡±

    Artyom shot past him before he could finish.

    ¡°News you¡¯d like to share with me about your travels, or where you¡¯re from,¡± continued the man, running up just behind him. ¡°Though judging from your linens, I¡¯d say you¡¯re from Freeacres. Bah, they¡¯re nothing more than a village, we¡¯re the true frontier town!¡±

    Artyom turned his head over to the man while not slowing his pace. His eyebrows creased and an angry frown formed on his lips, yet the strange man still looked at him challengingly.

    ¡°The grapes we grow are superior to their cherries, and so is our sparkle! You should try some, the nearest tavern is just down the road,¡± the orange-clad man said, his expression turning into a weirdly worming smile before changing back to a challenging frown. ¡°You have tried their sparkle, right? It won¡¯t be a victory unless you say ours is better, not just good in its own right.¡±

    ¡°This guy is way too nosy,¡± Artyom thought to himself before his eyes widened in a jolt of fear. ¡°Wait, what if he¡¯s a spy from the Dark Lord meant to find and kill off any stragglers from the attack? It¡¯d keep word from getting to whoever can form an army to fight the war band back.¡±

    ¡°So you never told me your name, what can I call you, stranger?¡±

    Artyom considered casting Tungsten Body on himself and punching the man, if just for getting in the way of his mission, but shot that idea down. It wouldn¡¯t leave a good impression on the other townsfolk who he needed to grill for information if the first thing he did here was beat one of their neighbors up. Though if they felt the same way about this man as Artyom did, it might make them like him instead.

    ¡°You know, you smell quite a lot like soot and iron. I¡¯m just going to call you Sooty.¡±

    ¡°Tungsten Bo- no,¡± thought Artyom. ¡°If he¡¯s actually a spy, I¡¯ll just bait him out. Otherwise, if he¡¯s so nosy, he might actually have the information I need.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably what everyone from Freeacres smells like, they probably don¡¯t boil their wood ash enough to turn it into lye for soap.¡±

    ¡°Freeacres is gone,¡± said Artyom, slowing down into a walk. ¡°It was attacked, they burned it down.¡±

    ¡°Gone? How can it be gone? Who burned it down?!¡± asked the orange-clad man. His voice started confused, but slowly grew to sound genuinely concerned.

    ¡°The Dark Lord¡¯s army. The warband that did it is gone now, but there could be others.¡±

    ¡°T-the Dark Lord?! By the goddess, that¡¯s terrible! Someone has to warn the Count! Were you planning on doing that?¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°Yup,¡± lied Artyom. ¡°But I also heard the hero was nearby, and I wanted to warn him as well. Do you know where he might be?¡±

    ¡°The hero? Of course, he¡¯s on a quest to stop the Dark Lord, he¡¯s the perfect person to ask! But¡­ I¡¯m not entirely sure where he is exactly. I heard about him being in the Count¡¯s territory from Aulif, she knows all about that.¡±

    ¡°Where can I find her?¡±

    ¡°In the bar I told you about earlier, just down this road. Let me take you there,¡± said the man as he jogged past Artyom and led the way down the street. Artyom could have sworn there was the slightest hint of a smile on his face.

    With a frown of his own, the man from Earth followed along.

    Several people out and about looked at the two with confusion, most of them pairing up and whispering to each other as soon as the duo was out of earshot.

    ¡°Does this guy have the whole town under his thumb or something? They might be too scared to warn me of any danger.¡±

    The two continued for several more minutes, passing several wood and stone buildings. Their facades were well worn, showcasing their advanced age, yet the bright blues, greens, and purples they were painted with gave off the vibrancy of a more youthful and innocent spirit living within their walls.

    Eventually, the orange-clad man slowed and came to a halt in front of a particularly large two-storey building twice as wide as the previous houses.

    ¡°This is the bar I was talking about, Aulif should be inside. Come on-¡±

    ¡°Give me a second first,¡± said Artyom, stepping to the side and towards a dark alley out of view.

    ¡°A-alright,¡± he mumbled.

    The man from Earth didn¡¯t pay his words any mind and instead activated Tungsten Body and channeled a Gravity Lance in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s now or never, he¡¯s not getting a better opportunity to ambush me than this,¡±

    Five seconds. Ten. Then half a minute, and soon an entire one. One stretched into two, and before it could become two and a half, Artyom turned around with a frown, ready to throw his attack.

    Nobody was there.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been a while, are you still there? Is everything alright?¡± said the nosy man from out of view.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m coming back now,¡± said Artyom with a look of disappointment as he dispelled his readied attack.

    As he stepped back into the sunlight, he saw the man whispering to somebody else. They disengaged as soon as Artyom was visible, but the words ¡°quarter of an entire barrel¡± were still barely audible.

    Rather than saying anything more, the man motioned for Artyom to follow him into the bar.

    The two were greeted with a cool shade as they passed the saloon-style swinging doors inside, along with the aroma of frying food and grape must. The floor and furniture were made of a dark, almost maroon colored wood that matched the purple contents of the glass cups on just about everyone¡¯s tables. About two dozen people were scattered about the many smaller tables, enjoying their drinks and talking animatedly amongst each other, yet turning their heads to gaze at the newcomers without skipping a beat in their conversations.

    The vibrancy of life surrounding Artyom felt like someone had suddenly snapped in front of his face. The shock pushed away the cloud of melancholy, if ever so briefly, just enough to feel hunger and exhaustion finally catch up to him.

    ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡± asked the orange-clad man as he looked down at Artyom¡¯s legs, which began to wobble.

    ¡°Yeah, just hungry,¡± said the man from Earth as he staggered over to an empty table to lean against. ¡°What¡¯s on the menu?¡±

    ¡°Grape sparkle, and a Teccan dish called Tomays or something,¡± said a man standing behind the bar at the back of the room. ¡°It¡¯s corn batter I wrap around some meat and vegetable stuffing that¡¯s steamed. Decided to put my own twist on ¡®em and fry ¡®em after.¡±

    ¡°You mean tamales? Been a while since I¡¯ve had those, get me twenty of them.¡±

    ¡°Twenty? Most people get full after three or four, you sure-¡±

    Artyom pulled out a gold coin and flicked it at the bartender with his thumb. ¡°And a mug of sparkle. Let me know if you need help with the math.¡±

    The shine of the coin caught everyone¡¯s attention, who immediately stared at Artyom and began whispering amongst themselves.

    ¡°So who¡¯s this contact who knows about the hero?¡± asked the man from Earth to the one in orange.

    ¡°Her, over there,¡± he said, pointing to a cloaked lady at the far corner of the bar.

    She had a number of wrinkles on her face that put her at around fifty years old, yet her hawkish gaze that darted all across the room belonged to someone twenty years younger. Her hair was a pale blonde with strands of white and gray speckled throughout.

    She was more focused on the reactions of the other patrons than Artyom himself, so when the man from Earth walked over and sat down in the chair across from her, she flinched.

    ¡°So, word on the grapevine is you know about the hero,¡± said Artyom, his gaze piercing through whatever air of mystery she tried to shroud herself in. ¡°You¡¯re going to tell me where he is.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re the guy who pissed out an entire barrel of cherry sparkle in the back alley?¡±

    ¡°What the fu-?¡±

 Chapter 23: Gossipmongerâ€™s Paradise

    Artyom had been in plenty of seedy taverns and spoken with even seedier information brokers. It was the sort of business that attracted those only interested in money, power, and the kind of dirt that would get them even more of the first two, but thankfully the man from Earth knew just how to speak their language.

    ¡°You¡¯re the guy who can hold half a barrel¡¯s worth of pee in him, right?¡± asked the woman with a single bulging eye. ¡°Even stood in the back alley for five whole minutes to let it all out right after you got into town.¡±

    ¡°What the actual hell are you talking about?¡±

    This was the first time any of them had opened a conversation like this.

    ¡°Word on the grapevine is you came from Freeacres after drinking all of their rancid cherry sparkle and needed to get it out of you.¡±

    Artyom could only stare at the woman. He tried to work his jaw to respond, but no fitting words came to mind.

    The man in orange shouted from where he sat at the bar, ¡°if it was so rancid, how could he drink an entire barrel of it? But I heard the stream with my own ears, some of the bricks back there were sawed in half!¡±

    Some of the other patrons turned away from the discussion and began whispering amongst themselves.

    Artyom gritted his teeth and stayed his tongue. If he were to respond to such obvious goading, it¡¯d be seen as a sign of weakness. But no broker would dare say something as ridiculous as this! If this was an attempt to throw Artyom off his game to get the advantage in the negotiations, it was working.

    But not for long, as the man from Earth shook off the awkwardness and continued. ¡°Enough about me, I want to know where the hero is. What¡¯s your price?¡±

    ¡°Price? What kind of woman do you take me for?!¡±

    Many more of the patrons in the bar looked their way, and for the first time here, Artyom felt his cheeks redden.

    ¡°I just want to know about the hero, can you tell me or not?¡± he asked, the red starting to grow more strongly, but out of rage rather than embarrassment.

    ¡°Go easy on him, Peppa,¡± shouted a younger woman sitting at one of the tables. She had bright green hair and very similar features to the blonde one. ¡°He¡¯s obviously used to doing things with money, you saw how he paid for his meal with a gold coin.¡±

    ¡°Buzz off, sis, this is my conversation!¡± the blonde woman shouted back with her eye bulging out even more. She quickly turned back to Artyom and began sizing him up. ¡°But she¡¯s got a point, you are rich. Are you a prince or something?¡±

    ¡°Hero. Where is he,¡± said Artyom, slamming a fist into the table and making it shake.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to pay for that if you break it,¡± said a voice from behind him.

    Artyom turned around to see the barman carrying a massive platter filled with twenty tamales arranged into a tall pyramid. The smell of freshly cooked corn flour wafted in the air, carried alongside by the more modern scent of an oily deep fryer.

    The plate slammed down onto the table harder than Artyom had struck it and produced a clang that filled the entire tavern. A small bowl was placed more gently beside it and the barman began to fill it with a purple and brown liquid from a bottle.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what those Teccans eat this stuff with, but defrutum goes really well with it. That¡¯s why your money doesn¡¯t work with my Skill, right? You¡¯re Teccan?¡±

    ¡°He must be a Teccan prince!¡± exclaimed Peppa. ¡°Always gets his way by coin or strength, and now he¡¯s on tour of our kingdom!¡±

    Artyom looked between the woman and the food in front of him. He was incredibly close to letting his building frustration take over and doing something very foolish, but his hunger was mostly to blame for that. Mostly. He was getting nowhere with the conversation, so he¡¯d might as well take care of something else.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    He grabbed a tamale, unwrapped the corn husk still around it, and bit through half of it at once. He only took a second to chew before swallowing it mostly whole.

    Running since the night before, fighting an entire war band, burning through all his magic¡­ it left him exhausted on a level beyond physical, or even mental. But just like those two types of exhaustion, what he felt could also be remedied with food.

    Both of Peppa¡¯s eyes were bulging now as they took in Artyom already on his fifth tamale. He¡¯d barely taken any time between each one to breathe, yet he was working his way through the meal as if they were a handful of miniature grapes rather than the full hand-sized masses of corn and filling.

    As Artyom was about halfway through his meal, enough sense had returned to him for an epiphany to strike.

    He stopped eating for just long enough to look back at Peppa and realize that despite having that sort of look, she was no information broker. She really was just a nosy gossip!

    He wanted to beat himself up for missing the not-so-obvious. A Fairytale world this might not have been, but the common folk still acted like it was on the surface. Was it all just an act, however? What did it take to push someone so seemingly innocent, albeit annoying, to become a monster?

    Artyom shook off the thought. He wasn¡¯t likely to find the answer here, nor was it his concern. He only had one thing on his mind, and an idea was beginning to form on how he¡¯d get it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t just have a massive thirst, but an appetite to match,¡± said the man from Earth while chewing on his twelfth tamale. ¡°And I¡¯ve been all over, so I¡¯ve seen, eaten, and drank it all.¡±

    ¡°Where else have you been?¡± asked Peppa, a needling smile starting to form on her lips.

    ¡°Oh, so many places. More than you¡¯ve ever gone.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been around plenty myself, seen too! Why, I was once in the county¡¯s capital and even dined with the Count himself!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Which one?¡± asked Artyom, as he picked up the bowl of defrutum and began to down its contents.

    ¡°Which one? Which one?! Our Count, of course!¡±

    ¡°You mean, your Count. I¡¯m from far away, a land you¡¯ll likely never even know about. I¡¯ve met more Counts than you¡¯ll ever hear about in your life!¡±

    At this point, Peppa was beginning to turn red herself. ¡°Oh yeah? Well, well¡­ I¡¯ve met someone who knows the hero! I¡¯ve met him, and by the sounds of it, you haven¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I guess you¡¯ve got me beat there,¡± said Artyom with an uninterested shrug. He looked over his side and noticed a mug of grape sparkle he must¡¯ve missed and took an idle sip from it. His face twisted into a mild disappointment. ¡°But you probably don¡¯t know much about him, what he¡¯s doing, or even where he is right now.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s going to be attending the Count¡¯s party in the capital tonight, of course! Just half a day¡¯s journey by horse on the Eastern road. Only the most sophisticated and famous of the land are permitted entry into the Count¡¯s manor, and the hero is one of them.¡±

    Jackpot. Artyom couldn¡¯t help but smile, but out of a flicker of petty spite, decided to hide it with his mug and continued. ¡°And I suppose you weren¡¯t invited, then.¡±

    ¡°As if you would be either,¡± Peppa scoffed.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Artyom asked, putting the mug down and flashing a wickedly smug grin. It emanated a sophisticated malice that struck the blonde woman straight in her ego.

    She visibly wilted in its presence.

    ¡°If I ever stop by here again, I¡¯ll let you know how it was.¡±

    Peppa immediately regained some of her vigor and nodded back. ¡°I¡¯d love to hear about it, then I¡¯ll be the talk of the town!¡±

    Artyom shook his head, but didn¡¯t say anything more about his thoughts. Instead, he polished off his plate and drank the rest of the grape sparkle before letting out a loud burp and getting up.

    The rest of the tavern¡¯s customers stared at him with wide eyes as he walked towards the exit.

    Before he left, the barman stopped him. ¡°Hold on, don¡¯t you want your change?¡±

    ¡°Do you know how much you owe me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s uh¡­ no?¡±

    Artyom shook his head. ¡°Keep it and use it to buy a round of drinks for everyone.¡±

    The tavern erupted into cheers, and the man from Earth took that as his cue to leave.

    ¡°Wait, is that even enough change for a full round?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, do the math.¡±

    The saloon doors swung closed and Artyom walked away before anything else could be said.

    The sun was just a bit before its apex at that point, about an hour or two before noon. There was only one road that led out of town to the East, and according to Peppa, it would take half a day for a horse to get to the capital from here. And in Artyom¡¯s case, about the same.

    ¡°One step closer, maybe I can put this whole thing behind me before tomorrow?¡±

 Chapter 24: Preparation for the Party

    The sun completed its rise and began to fall as Artyom ran across the road between Trellisia and the county¡¯s capital. Brick roads gave way for cobblestone eventually turning into dirt, and as silver-tinged twilight kissed the world once more, order returned to his path.

    Artyom was smart enough to pace himself this time. The inner turmoil that plagued his psyche and forced him to push himself to his breaking point had quieted, ameliorated by the gentle embrace of father time and a warm hearty meal.

    He wasn¡¯t taking it easy, but knew that he had to keep himself in a good enough condition to actually be of use. How was he supposed to save anyone if he was exhausted enough to pass out on the side of the road or unable to read someone as basic as a town gossip?

    By the time Artyom arrived at the capital, which was more akin to a medium-sized city rather than a sprawling metropolis, he was ready. His magical exhaustion had just about vanished, and in its place was a full tank of power. On top of that, the man from Earth had a plan in mind.

    Artyom slowed down to a walk on the cobblestone streets, which was when a terrible stench struck his nostrils.

    He looked around to find its source, but only saw a row of buildings made of white-painted wattle and daub on either side of the road. It was reminiscent of a medieval European town, and like such locales of yore, Artyom expected their sewage system to be matching.

    However, it wasn¡¯t the smell of human waste in the air, rather it was a different human secretion: sweat.

    Artyom lifted his right arm and smelled under his pit before recoiling with a grimace.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been running in armor all day, of course I smell like this! Should I just find the kid first, or-¡±

    ¡°Step aside! Lord Roccol¡¯s carriage is coming through!¡± shouted a voice from behind him accompanied by the rolling of wheels and an annoyed sounding neigh.

    Artyom stepped to the side while turning to face a well decorated carriage. Curtains were pulled across the windows so he couldn¡¯t look inside, but the driver, formally dressed like a high-class chauffeur from back on Earth, glared at Artyom as he passed by. He even sniffed for dramatic effect, but quickly turned his head back to the road and sped up as the smell hit him.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not getting in there without cleaning up first.¡±

    Artyom looked down the street, which rose along a gentle incline that didn¡¯t stop until it reached the center of the city. At the very top of the sprawling hill was a large manor that dwarfed the other buildings underneath it. It was most likely the Count¡¯s.

    Before that though were many other buildings, all getting progressively larger and fancier as they got closer to the center.

    ¡°I should be able to find everything I need in order if I keep heading towards the center,¡± Artyom said to himself as he continued walking.

    Within a few minutes, and after several detours through the outermost ring, he¡¯d found his first destination: an inn. Humble was one way to describe it, from the roughshod exterior and unkempt grounds, to the smell of stale sugar on the bottom floor.

    Artyom got several suspicious looks when he came in, but they quickly disappeared when he got himself a mug of sparkle and room for the next two nights.

    He only needed three things from this place. First was a bed to sleep in, and that was entirely optional.

    Second, more importantly, was an out-of-the-way location he could hide in that wouldn¡¯t attract any undue attention. If worse came to worst and he had to run and hide, a place as hidden and uninviting as this would give him more time to plan his exit than a resort hotel that catered to nobles.

    And third, which Artyom very urgently needed¡­

    ¡°Second floor, your room¡¯s the third door on the right and the bathing room is at the end of the hall,¡± said the man behind the bar as he tossed over a key while using his left hand to pinch his nose closed. ¡°And head to the bath first, don¡¯t need you stinking up the sheets.¡±

    Artyom nodded and headed upstairs to wash up. Thankfully his armor was easy to wash and quickly dry despite being made of metal fabric, and worked well enough to keep the water from his still soggy peasant linens from dripping down to his skin.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll dry while I¡¯m outside, but I won¡¯t really need them for much longer anyway.¡±

    After hiding some of his bulkier equipment in his room, Artyom left the inn and made his way down the main road towards the fancier part of town.

    It didn¡¯t take him long to find what he was looking for, and he quickly entered the small boutique. A bell chimed as he did so, alerting the woman inside that she had a visitor. She quickly dropped what she was holding onto a nearby table and strode over to her latest customer.

    ¡°Hello, welcome to Aspa¡¯s Tailor Shop! I¡¯m Aspa, the owner.¡± She had dark brown hair mixed with noticeable strands of white. Despite the forming wrinkles on her face, she gave off an air of vibrancy that energized Artyom by second-hand exposure.

    ¡°Hi, I¡¯d like to rent some formalwear for the evening.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not for Count Cabbafor¡¯s party tonight, is it?¡± she asked with a chuckle.

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    ¡°Really? Then you should¡¯ve come here sooner!¡± said Aspa with a light frown as she turned to a rack of hanging coats.

    Their design was a peculiar amalgamation between modern day suits and medieval royal wear. One set that caught Artyom¡¯s eye featured clean pinstripe gray fabric making up the form-fitting sleeves and body while an old school white ruffle worked its way down the exposed neckline. Some kind of spotted white fur lined the cuffs, as well as the back like a miniature cape, or rather a bib worn the wrong way.

    It didn¡¯t look bad by any means, but it was¡­ something.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got all the latest fashions here,¡± said Aspa with a confident smile. ¡°But most of them would probably stand out on waitstaff.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯m going as a guest.¡±

    ¡°Really? Then why are you coming in here dressed in those linens?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what I wore when I came into town,¡± said Artyom with a small glare.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Really? I wouldn¡¯t have guessed.¡±

    The man from Earth rolled his eyes but didn¡¯t bother to reply.

    Honestly, pretending to be a recently-hired waitstaff would have made it easier to get into the party as opposed to acting like an invited guest, but that had its own challenges. They would likely have matching uniforms and expect some level of deference out of Artyom. He didn¡¯t know what they would wear ahead of time, and whatever server outfit he got from here might land him working in the back of the manor instead of mingling with the other guests. Not to mention acting deferentially clashed with Artyom¡¯s go-to infiltration strategy.

    ¡°How about this piece, it really suits you. Ha! Get it, suits you?¡± said Aspa, picking out the set Artyom had eyed earlier. ¡°Not to mention the neck ruffle is made of chroma wool all the way from Freeacres. If you¡¯re a magic user, you can even control its color, though most people leave it white.¡±

    ¡°Works for me, how much will that be?¡±

    ¡°Asking for the price before buying? You¡¯re not a member of the nobility, are you?¡±

    Artyom froze for a moment before regaining his composure. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect that to be a thing here as well.¡±

    ¡°I have to wonder, how did you get invited to Count Cabbafor¡¯s party in the first place?¡±

    He glared at her again while responding, ¡°Let¡¯s just say I¡¯m a sort of foreign dignitary.¡± For the people of Earth who find themselves far from home.

    ¡°Really? That would explain all of your oddities.¡±

    Artyom felt a vein begin to throb on his forehead. The idiosyncrasies of the people in this world were hard to keep up with, and the latest one here was just annoying. But he only had to deal with them until he could bring the hero to safety, so he decided to ignore the- maybe purposeful- jab.

    ¡°So that¡¯ll be twenty gold coins a night for this suit.¡±

    Artyom looked into his pockets and counted out eight.

    ¡°It seems that my country is having some budget problems.¡±

    Aspa let out a sigh. ¡°How much do you have?¡±

    ¡°Eight gold.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s tricky,¡± she said, tapping her chin. ¡°Though I have one idea.¡±

    She walked over to another wall farther in the back and pulled out a large cotton shirt dyed royal blue, along with a similarly colored pair of poofy pants. Intricate patterns were stitched into it in silver thread that resembled the designs on Skeya¡¯s priestly robes, albeit smaller.

    ¡°This is normally worn to sermons, and the material is on the cheaper side so nobles can look humble.¡±

    Artyom was pretty sure the silver looking thread was made of actual silver.

    ¡°So the outfit is also within your budget. And it¡¯s become popular recently to wear this to events as well to show off your humility and devotion to the goddess.¡±

    ¡°Humility¡­ right,¡± said Artyom. He hoped nobody would notice his own lack of it when trying to get into the party.

    ¡°It costs four gold to buy, and only buy. If I rented out clothes like these, I wouldn¡¯t be able to afford my own rent!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s reasonable, I¡¯ll buy it. Does it come in a size that¡¯ll fit over my own underclothes?¡±

    ¡°Size?¡± asked Aspa. ¡°Just put it on in the changing room and I¡¯ll get you fitted right now.¡±

    Artyom didn¡¯t bother asking her to clarify and headed into a small closed cubicle in the corner of the store and came out wearing the blue outfit over his armor. The formalwear was several sizes too large, even with the baggy outfit underneath.

    ¡°[Perfect Full Body Fit],¡± said Aspa as soon as she saw him.

    The outer clothes began to shrink until they, as the Skill implied, were a perfect fit¡­ if there wasn¡¯t anything underneath them.

    ¡°It¡¯s too tight,¡± said Artyom with a wince.

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s because what you¡¯re wearing underneath is taking up too much space!¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you make your Skill adjust it to fit anyway?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®full body fit¡¯, not ¡®full underclothes fit¡¯. Why would it do anything else?¡±

    ¡°I mean, have you even tried experimenting with your Skill?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, but I¡¯m the one who¡¯s had this Skill for decades. It¡¯s in the name, so there¡¯s no point trying something like that!¡±

    Artyom let out a sigh as he unbuttoned the outfit while making his way back into the changing room. After a moment, he came out wearing only the outfit, with a gray sweatshirt and sweatpants neatly folded in his hands.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re at least wearing underwear, I don¡¯t want to have to get my rentals washed any harder than they have to.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m buying this piece, remember?¡± asked Artyom. Something within him snapped however, and he finally blurted out what was on his mind. ¡°And how do you even get customers with an attitude like that?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m the best tailor in the city, and every noble who passes through here knows that! How can I not take advantage of it, have you ever met any of the nobility before?¡±

    ¡°I passed by one of their chauffeurs, and that interaction explains everything.¡±

    ¡°It would, wouldn¡¯t it? And their bosses can be so much worse. You¡¯re nowhere near as bad as them, honestly.¡±

    ¡°Probably because I¡¯m not a noble, or even from here.¡±

    ¡°Really? Then how did you become a dignitary?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± said Artyom, thinking back to his previous mission and that awful meeting with Gus. ¡°Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s because of what I¡¯ve done.¡±

    ¡°From merit, huh? That¡¯s quite rare. At least for important jobs like that. But if you¡¯re not a noble, then sorry for treating you this way, especially when you haven¡¯t done anything to deserve it.¡±

    Artyom tilted his head for a moment, but then shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, you can make it up by trying to use that Skill on what I¡¯m wearing and these together,¡± he said, lifting up his gray armor.

    ¡°I told you, it isn¡¯t named that way-¡±

    ¡°Just give it a try, aren¡¯t you curious how far you can push your Skills and what heights you can reach beyond what you already know?¡±

    Aspa quieted down and looked to the side for a moment, deep in thought. When she looked back at Artyom, it was with curiosity to rival a cat. ¡°You know what, why not?¡±

    After one more trip into the changing room, Artyom reemerged with the gray sweatshirt and pants worn underneath the blue prayer clothes.

    ¡°Alright, I have both of your clothes visualized in my mind instead of just the top layer. Now, [Perfect Full Body Fit]!¡±

    The clothes on Artyom began to shrink. The baggy armor was the most noticeable, tightening around his skin just enough to closely hug it without feeling restrictive. He couldn¡¯t tell what it looked like underneath the other set of clothes, but Artyom was sure it would look like a morph suit that showed too many details.

    But the ¡°humble¡± prayer clothes on top didn¡¯t get so close to him. They too began to shrink, but stopped before they started to feel uncomfortable. Looking in a mirror, Artyom saw that it looked like it was the only layer he wore, and unlike last time, this fit was perfect.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that would work¡­¡± mumbled Aspa.

    Artyom turned to her with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s surprising how flexible some Skills can be, none of them are set in stone. Maybe you could come up with something else fun?¡±

    ¡°Oh, most certainly. Thank you for showing me this.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Though a discount wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡±

    ¡°Fat chance, I still have rent to pay!¡± said Aspa with a witch-like cackle. ¡°But I can tell you one thing about the nobles you¡¯ll be meeting at the party; if there¡¯s one thing they fear, it¡¯s a threat to their coffers. And I don¡¯t mean my prices, I¡¯m talking about what they trade in. I¡¯ve seen news of low iron or silver prices make the ones who own mines shake in their britches here.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the information,¡± said Artyom. He was already amending his plan to make good use of it. In fact, it was the last piece he needed to make it as likely to succeed as possible.

    After paying the four gold to Aspa, Artyom left the boutique and made his way up the hill towards the Count Cabbafor¡¯s manor.

    Next step was to find a way in.

 Chapter 25: Infiltration

    The sun had already set by the time Artyom left Aspa¡¯s shop. With the tailor¡¯s prices and clientele she usually served, the boutique was located unsurprisingly close to the Count¡¯s manor and the walk there was short.

    A tall metal fence that circumnavigated a perfect circle some distance away from the mansion itself marked the boundary of the Count¡¯s personal demesne. Some distance past it, at the front of the mansion¡¯s entrance, stood a crowd of well-dressed men and women enjoying drinks and each other¡¯s company. The party was already in full swing it seemed, which also explained the lack of anyone else lining up to get through the checkpoint through the gate.

    However there was one other person present: a lone security guard. His clothes were modeled after a generic soldier¡¯s uniform but with emphasis on the coattails, cuffs, and collar, and enough so that they would only be a hindrance in a fight. His carefree demeanor and mild amount of pudge hinted at the requirements for his job.

    Artyom scoffed at the lax security for such a high-class gathering, but then swallowed his unsaid words when he looked at the gate itself.

    Of course, it was enchanted. Not with any sort of deadly defense mechanism or physical strengthening, but instead an alarm system; one of the most intricate alarm systems Artyom had seen. From a quick magical probe, Artyom could tell it would catch anyone trying to jump over, dig under, or break through it.

    The sensors curved at a steady angle, likely making its working area a sphere that completely engulfed the manor and made taking advantage of any sort of ¡°maximum height¡± a moot point. What¡¯s more, the magic flowed through the gate in a sort of current, and disturbing its flow would be perceptible to anyone monitoring the system.

    Could Artyom disarm or reprogram the fence? Maybe, but enchantments weren¡¯t his magical specialty, and the setup was complicated enough that it might take him hours to do.

    Hours he didn¡¯t have.

    So instead, he opted for his original plan.

    ¡°Hello sir, may I please see your invitation?¡± asked the guard. On closer inspection, Artyom could see he had big round eyes and flowing brown hair in a bowl cut. His bushy mustache and potato-shaped nose worked in tandem to hide the movement of his mouth, such that only billowing fuzz could be seen whenever the guard spoke.

    Artyom filled his fair share of espionage-based roles, and many of them required some level of acting, usually in the realm of pretending like you belonged or that you were too good to be questioned. He¡¯d played the lead villain in his school¡¯s rendition of the Wizard of Oz over a decade ago, but that experience had stuck with him. And once more, he was about to get wicked.

    ¡°Invitation? My assistant would normally take care of such trivialities, but I had to fire him last week for incompetence, so who knows where it is?¡± said Artyom, reprising his role as a rich, arrogant jackass. ¡°Either way, I expect to be welcomed by Cabbafor with open arms, so where is my retinue?¡±

    ¡°Sir, you need an invitation to enter. And his proper title is Count Cabbafor,¡± said the guard, not bothering to hide his frustration towards Artyom¡¯s misuse of title.

    ¡°When you¡¯re in the same social strata as we are, you tend to refer to your peers as such, not that you would understand.¡±

    ¡°Whether that be the case, sir, I can¡¯t let you through unless you have an invitation. I¡¯m sure the Count would have provided you with one if what you say about your strata is true.¡±

    ¡°Not going to bend over at the first sign of resistance? He¡¯s definitely used to this kind of thing, poor guy,¡± thought Artyom to himself. ¡°But I wonder if he¡¯s used to handling aura?¡±

    The guard flinched as the man from Earth channeled magic through the lens of his emotions; arrogance, annoyance, and superiority pressed down on the mustached man who barely held his ground.

    ¡°Listen, Mike,¡± Artyom began.

    ¡°I-it¡¯s Cress.¡±

    ¡°Listen Guess, I¡¯ve been on the road for days and my staff has been through hell to get me here. How do you think they¡¯ll react when I head back and tell them that everything they¡¯ve been through was for nothing and their promised vacation is canceled because I got turned away?¡±

    ¡°Well sir, I¡¯m sure if you simply send another message from your residence¡­¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll talk to their friends, who work for other Lords and Ladies, and tell them exactly what happened. It¡¯s not going to be about me, no. I¡¯ve taken great care of them and I intend on telling them the truth. That the illustrious Count Cabbafor thinks he¡¯s too good to meet with a dignitary who has traveled for weeks just to attend his party!¡±

    ¡°Well sir, I mean, you could always take the teleportation crystal back¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, teleportation crystal?!¡± Wait, teleportation crystals? That¡¯s a thing?  ¡°Have you ever stopped to consider that not everyone is able to use them? That a foreign dignitary would deign to hire people of such disabilities? Why would I come by carriage if not for their sake!¡±

    ¡°Disabilities? Only animals not claimed as a familiar are unable to use the portal,¡± replied Cress, suspicion mounting in his voice.

    ¡°Yes, disabilities,¡± replied Artyom, his eyes burning with ire and indignation and the resulting aura pushing the guard a step back. ¡°Poor old Suzie is half blind in both of her eyes and was born without taste buds, and needs a guide dog to find her way around. She doesn¡¯t have the luxury of making this animal her ¡®familiar¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I can sympathize with your Suzie, my aunt has trouble seeing herself, but taste? What does that have to do with¡­¡±

    ¡°The dog tastes her food for her! I thought you of all people would understand because of your aunt, but I stand corrected.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Well, uh, I deeply apologize, sir. B-but an invitation is still needed¡­¡±

    ¡°Well in that case, I¡¯ll have to head back home and tell everyone what happened. That good old ableist Cabbafor sees people with disabilities beneath him, and sent poor old Suzie on a round trip because he forgot about his invitation. What will all of the other Lords and Ladies back home think of him then? The innumerable trade deals ready to be made tonight will all be canceled after witnessing his true character. The town will dry up as imports stop coming in and everybody stops buying his tainted goods. The masses will rebel, call for Cabbafor¡¯s head on a pike!¡±

    ¡°By the Goddess, I-I don¡¯t mean for anything like that to happen!¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s not all, Pablo. Cabbafor isn¡¯t stupid. He¡¯ll investigate and look for where these stories of him started, how the truth leaked out. He¡¯ll trace the chain of words all the way back up to the source and do you know what he¡¯ll find?¡± And dramatic pause¡­ ¡°This little conversation. With. You.¡± He poked Cress in the chest on the last three words for emphasis.

    ¡°So what will it be, Brittney? Are you going to tell Mr. Cabbafor that he has a guest, or are you going to bring ruin and damnation to your town?¡±

    Cress stared at Artyom for a good few seconds, completely slack-jawed. ¡°Y-you¡¯re¡­ I¡¯ve heard of you.¡±

    ¡°You have now, have you?¡± He¡¯d better not say something cliched like that I¡¯m a wanted man or something, I haven¡¯t been in this world long enough to make any kind of a name for myself. But I¡¯d better still play along. ¡°Well it¡¯s good to finally be recognized!¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s right, sir! You must be the T-Teccan dignitary! There¡¯s word from Trellisia that you passed through and ate enough to fill twenty men!¡±

    I ran directly from there, and there wasn¡¯t anyone else I passed on the road. How did all of that already reach here?

    ¡°Please, no need to use your super laser piss to take your ire out on me, I¡¯ll open the gate immediately!¡± Cress exclaimed before running back to the guard booth.

    ¡°Super laser what?!¡±

    After several more seconds, the gates began to open.

    ¡°Please enjoy yourself at Count Cabbafor¡¯s soiree,¡± said Cress from the safety of the booth.

    ¡°Uh yeah, of course,¡± said Artyom with an unsure expression as he quickly made his way through the gate.

    The walk to the manor proper was thankfully quick. As he forgot those strange last words of the gate guard, Artyom turned his attention back to why he was actually here. The chosen hero, the kid from Earth who was in over his head in this misleadingly innocent world, was somewhere within these walls. Artyom would finally get the chance to meet him face to face, and bring him somewhere safe.

    His heart began to race as that sole thought filled his mind, making the smell that hit him as he entered the courtyard shock him back to his senses. He knew what it was, but hadn¡¯t encountered it even once while in this world, at least until now: alcohol.

    Around him, well-dressed socialites held crystal vessels that sparkled like this world¡¯s morning sky, yet didn¡¯t hold the bubbly liquid within. Beer, wine, and other liquors filled the glasses the partygoers delicately sipped from as they shared practiced laughs and demure conversation.

    ¡°Well now, it seems we have a latecomer in our midst!¡± exclaimed one of the men with a light chuckle. He wore a suit very similar to the first one Aspa showed Artyom, along with a neck ruffle that was presently colored purple. ¡°I do hope you¡¯ve had the chance to sample some of these wines, the grapes are quite local too, being from Trellisia.¡±

    Artyom turned towards the man while still walking and gave a quick reply, ¡°I prefer cherry.¡±

    ¡°Stopped by Freeacres then, have you? Top tier sparkle, but not a single brewer of a high enough level to make wine, what a waste! But what could be expected from such a rural group.¡±

    Something about the statement rubbed Artyom the wrong way. He felt a single muscle in his face twitch, and opened his mouth to say something. Before he could speak however, he was interrupted by another guest.

    ¡°Quite a brash statement to make about them, given the rumors of some sort of tragedy,¡± said a woman wearing an elegant sky-blue gown. ¡°Though it¡¯s a relief the hero is around to put a stop to that sort of thing.¡±

    Artyom closed his mouth and tuned into the conversation.

    ¡°Of course, how insensitive of me, perhaps such an ill-considered statement was simply my own mourning of their now lost potential? But the hero is present at this very party, is he not?¡± said the same man. ¡°Perhaps I could see if he would be interested in guarding my estates.¡±

    ¡°I would certainly hope you intend to share. Many of my serfs have expressed worry about these rumors even before what we¡¯ve heard about Freeacres, and I would like to put them at ease.¡±

    ¡°Worry not, many of us lords and ladies planned to ask the hero together. He appears quite aloof when presented with business, so such an approach might prove more successful, as well as equally beneficial for all of us.¡±

    ¡°Aloof is preferable to the cold air the rest of his party puts up, save for their rogue. Perhaps we could talk to her? But I haven¡¯t seen any of them in quite some time¡­¡±

    Artyom figured he¡¯d heard enough and made his way into the mansion proper. Bright magical lights on the ceiling lit up the hallways and corridors just as well as incandescent bulbs from Earth, making every detail of the dark wooden flooring and maroon carpet stand out. The walls were made of white plaster, but little of it could be seen behind the many paintings and art pieces on display. Oil, water color, and even several marble busts sitting on pedestals filled most of Artyom¡¯s vision to the point he wondered how none of the drunk guests had accidentally knocked one over yet.

    The man from Earth started his search in the main hall just past the foyer. While he didn¡¯t know what the hero actually looked like, he figured it wouldn¡¯t be hard to spot a normal kid from back home in a room full of stuffy nobles.

    The hall held a massive crowd, but it only took five minutes for Artyom to walk past everyone there and rule them out as the hero. A few tried to make conversation about who he was or his apparent show of faith, but Artyom changed the subject to the hero. However, none of them knew where the hero actually was.

    Similar results followed for the rest of the first floor as Artyom entered and cleared each one methodically. Frustration and fear were mounting in equal parts. Why was it taking so long, and what if the hero had already left?

    Artyom eventually sat down on a cushioned bench in one of the hallways to gather his thoughts. Worst case scenario, he¡¯d just have to start his search over tomorrow, but it should be easier than in the beginning since he was already so close.

    While pondering whether to ask any of the other partygoers, Artyom¡¯s eyes wandered over to one of the stairs that led to the second storey. A red velvet rope was hung across it, politely barring entry to anyone else. But what was most notable was the pair coming down from the second floor and stepping over the rope, giggling all the while trying to act sneaky.

    Artyom quickly got up and made his way to the stairwell. The pair didn¡¯t look flushed, so that crossed out any sort of hanky panky. He had a good idea what it actually was.

    Once he was on the second floor, it didn¡¯t take long for the man from Earth to follow a very boisterous voice to a sizable room. Inside was a young man about ten years younger than him wearing a suit he was obviously uncomfortable in. Despite that, he spoke with excitement as he regaled the small gathering of nobles with a story of some kind of battle.

    ¡°The thing was freaking huge! It had these bulging red eyes and really sharp teeth, and his breath was awful! But it was still no match for me, and I turned that thing into chop suey!¡±

    ¡°Chop¡­ sewy?¡± asked one of the nobles.

    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s a kind of food, I don¡¯t remember what¡¯s in it though.¡±

    Artyom felt the last vestiges of rage and anxiety in him melt away. The last two days had been a lot, but his goal was literally in sight. Time to put his fears to rest and get to his next mission.

 Chapter 26: Found him!

    Artyom felt a wave of energy wash over him as he walked up to the legendary chosen hero. His quest, a week in the making, was finally reaching its conclusion. However, the spring in his step began to waver as doubt entered his mind.

    ¡°Would my so-called vacation actually end once I get him home, or will Gus send me to an actual Fairytale world where I won¡¯t be of any use? He¡¯s in a tight spot right now, so he might send me back on the front lines.¡±

    ¡°Oh man, there are a lot of good foods I remember eating back home!¡± said the hero to the gathered crowd.

    Artyom stopped for a moment and thought. ¡°What¡¯s up with that accent of his? It definitely isn¡¯t a Californian one, it¡¯s closer to something from this world. I should make sure this isn¡¯t just some weird coincidence.¡±

    While the conversation seemed to die down due to the nobles seemingly too overwhelmed in the hero¡¯s presence to participate, the man from Earth walked up and inserted himself into it.

    ¡°So what would you say is your favorite food?¡± asked Artyom with a friendly smile.

    ¡°Oh, definitely pizza!¡± exclaimed the hero. ¡°With olives and anchovies, those are my favorite toppings.¡±

    ¡°Wait, for real? I mean, where did you usually get it from?¡±

    ¡°There was this one place that had an arcade as well! There were all these games you could play with tokens, and you¡¯d win tickets you could exchange for prizes. Oh, and there was this animatronic band that I saw perform for my birthday party! It was awesome.¡±

    The other nobles politely nodded, and Artyom realized why they actually hadn¡¯t been contributing to the conversation. And that wasn¡¯t to mention that while this hero looked like he was about twenty years old, he talked more like a little kid.

    But there were more than enough details to just be a coincidence; he was definitely from Earth.

    Artyom smiled and opened his mouth to speak again, but before a single word could come out, his voice froze.

    The hero brushed at his smooth black hair that went halfway to his shoulders, and revealed an ear hiding behind it. A particularly pointy ear; an exact match for the people of this world.

    ¡°Huh? Were you going to say something?¡± asked the hero.

    Artyom realized that his mouth was still open, and opted to say the first thing that came to his mind. ¡°Um, what¡¯s your name, kid?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Tommy, and I¡¯m not a kid! How about yours?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m Artyom.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a funny name, nothing like the people from here!¡±

    ¡°I could say the same thing,¡± the man from Earth thought. It was the first of many such thoughts going through his mind.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?! Is he from Earth or is he not? What do I do now, should I call in headquarters and get the techies to run more scans? Do I quiz him some more? That won¡¯t undo anything about how he looks. But that could just be caused by the environment¡­¡±

    ¡°You went quiet again, is everything alright?¡± asked Tommy.

    ¡°Uh, yeah it¡¯s¡­ no. No it isn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°How come?¡±

    ¡°This place is dangerous,¡± Artyom began.

    ¡°Excuse me, but Count Cabbafor¡¯s manor, not to mention the city as a whole, is quite safe!¡± said one of the nobles with a look of offense.

    ¡°Not that, I mean this world!¡± exclaimed Artyom, cutting the noble off before turning back to Tommy. ¡°An army came through Freeacres and slaughtered half the people there! They committed war crimes, and they were happy about it too.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Do you mean the Dark Lord¡¯s army?¡± asked the hero.

    ¡°Yeah. They were ready to circle back and kill the fleeing survivors too before I stopped them.¡±

    ¡°Really?!¡±

    ¡°It was bloody. The sheer amount of death the villagers and I saw that day, they weren¡¯t ready for it. You¡¯re not ready for it.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m the hero, it¡¯s my destiny to stop them!¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a game anymore. I don¡¯t know what kind of fairytale world ideals the people who trained you put in your head, but this Dark Lord is not operating by those same rules. He will kill you, like he has so many others, and he will go to the most vile and brutal lengths to do it.¡±

    ¡°B-but then, what am I supposed to do?¡±

    ¡°You can¡­¡± Artyom froze again. Did he take this kid with him back to TOAL? But what if he really wasn¡¯t from Earth, would it be safe to introduce someone from another world there? What if they got inspiration from their technology or portal system, and eventually armed themselves and made a portal back? The chances of that happening, even if he wasn¡¯t from Earth, were slim to none. But the paranoid thought still crossed Artyom¡¯s mind and made him hesitate.

    ¡°Tommy, is this guy bothering you?¡± came a feminine from the room¡¯s entrance.

    Artyom turned around to find four women walking in. The rest of the room turned to them with rapt attention, likely from the fact they looked like supermodels in their figures and complexions.

    While the one at the front was looking at the hero, the other three were glaring at him with angry disapproval. Each member of the quartet looked completely distinct, each with a different hair color picked randomly from the FD&C rainbow, physical build, body language and demeanor, and dress.

    The one at the front who¡¯d addressed Tommy had bright red 40 hair as long and flowing as her dress that shifted between oranges and yellow hues like a dancing flame. She was the tallest of the group by almost half a foot and stood over everyone in the room with an imperial air that to Artyom¡¯s shame, made the words ¡°Ara Ara¡± spring to his mind.

    ¡°He sounds like he¡¯s giving you trouble,¡± said the same woman as she regarded the hero with a concerned yet introspective look.

    ¡°Hey Xerica!¡± exclaimed Tommy. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this guy¡¯s giving me an actual conversation, it¡¯s been great!¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked another of the women who stepped up without breaking eye contact with Artyom. Her blonde hair was closer to yellow 5 than any natural shade and her dress, unlike the others¡¯, had a strong tomboyish chic. It featured a white dress shirt with brown-colored poufs at the shoulders and cuffs, as well as a sand-colored pleated skirt that cut off only half a foot from where it started. Instead, she wore a pair of shorts that continued just past her knees. On her back were a pair of sheathed swords tied in place with a decorative bow-like knot.

    She continued to size Artyom up with an annoyed glare, but found her attempt at intimidation lacking as they were about the same height. ¡°We can kick his butt if you want, just tell us how big you want his black eye to be.¡±

    Artyom immediately tensed at the blatant threat and cast Tungsten Body on himself. ¡°Fucking try me.¡±

    The blonde haired woman immediately caught the shift in the atmosphere and pulled out the pair of swords strapped to her back. The action was incredibly fluid, not wasting a single movement.

    ¡°Hey Daisy. If you¡¯re going to fight him, make it quick so I can get back to the party,¡± said the third member of the group in a dull tone. This one¡¯s hair was a shade of green 3 somewhere between pistachio and forest, and her dress was as bland as her manner of speech. She wore a pale green gown with nothing particularly eye-catching about it. It was definitely fancy enough for the party, but¡­ Artyom just couldn¡¯t point to any one aspect of it to appreciate. It was a dress. Just like how she was a woman, and part of this group.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to wait for me, Ecole,¡± replied Daisy, the blonde. ¡°I¡¯m ready to have plenty of fun all by myself.¡±

    The fourth member of the group, a shorter and more slender woman with blue 1 hair, walked up behind Daisy and laid a hand on her shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s no need for violence here,¡± she said. ¡°He isn¡¯t threatening our Tommy, and look at his clothes.¡±

    Artyom¡¯s eyes darted to the blue-haired fourth member for a split second and saw that she was wearing a familiar set of robes. They reminded him of Skeya¡¯s outfit, but the colors on this one were more vivid and featured what was likely actual gold thread worked into the fabric.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m wearing church formalwear, she probably thinks I¡¯m a devotee of her goddess,¡± thought Artyom to himself.

    ¡°Aww come on, Lensa,¡± whined Daisy. ¡°It¡¯s sooo boring here, let me have a fight!¡±

    ¡°Daisy¡­¡± said Xerica the redhead, as she glared at her companion.

    The blonde let out an exaggerated sigh before sheathing her swords and looking back at Artyom with a pout.

    ¡°So that begs the question,¡± said Xerica as she looked at Artyom. ¡°Who are you and what are you doing with our Tommy?¡±

    Artyom didn¡¯t dismiss Tungsten Body and looked between the four of them.

    ¡°No answer? Did you really come here to make Daisy¡¯s night? We can gladly oblige,¡± she said, bringing up a small, white-hot flame in her hand.

 Chapter 27: Why canâ€™t it just be easy?

    Artyom¡¯s eyes went wide. Despite how miniscule the fire in the woman¡¯s hand was, he could feel its heat from several feet away. What¡¯s more, its residual magical energy was almost unnoticeable, meaning that it was incredibly efficient.

    Xerica was a very powerful spellcaster.

    The man from Earth could also see the cords of muscle flex in Daisy¡¯s form. From her build, he would have expected her to be more specialized in kicking, but even her comparatively skinny arms and torso had a wiry mass underneath that coiled in a way beyond anything human.

    While Artyom didn¡¯t have much to go off of for the other two, he knew they must be at a similar level.

    Whether it was thanks to the blessings of the System or a lifetime of hard work, maybe even both, Artyom knew that these women were dangerous. And even with his gear and skill set, he still didn¡¯t have any levels. His kit was meant to even the playing field of a level disparity, not a complete lack of them altogether!

    Not to mention the¡­ possible kid from Earth standing right there, who¡¯d likely get caught in the crossfire.

    Artyom could try to grab him and run, but who knew how far he could get? Maybe he could call Gus for an emergency extraction for the two of them? But¡­ he didn¡¯t want to bring someone who wasn¡¯t actually from Earth back to headquarters.

    No, what Artyom needed was time. Time to figure out what this kid¡¯s deal was, and what to do about it all. It would take more time than he could make for himself in this conversation. Several ideas on how to stall this out came to mind, and were quickly shot down due to either how dangerous or utterly deranged they were. As the other two women began to reach for their own weapons, Artyom came to a sudden epiphany.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to start trouble,¡± he said. ¡°I came here to join you all in the hero¡¯s party.¡±

    The four ladies froze and stared at him with wide eyes.

    ¡°You what?¡± asked Daisy, gritting her teeth.

    ¡°That sounds awesome!¡± shouted Tommy from behind him.

    ¡°What do you mean by awesome?!¡± exclaimed the blonde, her face starting to turn as red as Xerica¡¯s hair.

    ¡°I mean, he seems like a cool guy,¡± said the hero with a shrug. ¡°You should¡¯ve been here when he was talking about all the cool things he¡¯s done. He fought off an entire army by himself and saved a ton of people, I think he¡¯s perfect for us!¡±

    ¡°Tommy,¡± said Xerica, turning to him with a disappointed look. ¡°Think about this first.¡±

    ¡°Oh come on. We already have five girls and I¡¯m the only guy around here, I think having another one around would make things more fun!¡±

    ¡°Hold on, five?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ think he¡¯d be a good fit,¡± came a brand new voice from the back corner of the room.

    Artyom immediately jumped back and turned, getting himself some distance from the other four while positioning himself to be facing this new potential threat.

    It was another woman, this one with brown hair and a set of leather armor that had seen plenty of action. At her waist was a belt with many pockets, some holding knives and others various glass vials and metal tools.

    ¡°How am I only just noticing her?¡± thought Artyom as he channeled the magical energy for a Gravity Lance.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your decision to make, Neitra,¡± said Ecole, the indistinct woman with green hair.

    ¡°Yeah, why don¡¯t you disappear back into your corner?¡± sneered Daisy.

    The brown haired newcomer, Neitra, stood tall. She didn¡¯t budge from her spot, yet still looked away from the group.

    ¡°Hold on, I¡¯m the hero, and I want him to join us!¡± exclaimed Tommy, grabbing everyone¡¯s attention.

    The four other women looked at the hero, obviously trying to temper their disappointment into more innocent pouts, but Tommy stood firm.

    The room went quiet as the battle of wills took place. Though to Artyom, it looked more like a battle of tantrums. The sheer absurdity of what he was witnessing made Artyom slowly relax and release the magic flowing into his hand.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Eventually, one of the sides broke the silence.

    ¡°Oh fine, we can have another member,¡± said Xerica, the woman in the flame-styled dress. ¡°But we need to be sure this new guy can keep up with us.¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡± exclaimed Tommy, jumping up and pumping his fist. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s strong enough!¡±

    ¡°But to make sure, let¡¯s give him a test.¡±

    The four women turned to each other knowingly and nodded before looking back at Artyom.

    ¡°Our current mission is to retrieve the Goddess¡¯ holy armor that will make Tommy strong enough to fight the Dark Lord,¡± said the redhead.

    ¡°Sounds standard enough,¡± thought Artyom while nodding to the group. ¡°But let me guess, they¡¯re not all in one place?¡±

    ¡°But each piece of the armor has been scattered across the kingdom, and the next piece on our list is in a nearby dungeon.¡±

    ¡°So you want me to retrieve it for you?¡±

    ¡°My my, how smart,¡± said Xerica with a wry grin as she licked her lips.

    It took all of Artyom¡¯s willpower to not burst out laughing at a scene straight out of some anime, but his lips still slightly curved into a smile. Xerica¡¯s own smile grew in turn and Artyom swore he saw something dark in it for an instant before it disappeared.

    ¡°It¡¯s in Crystal Kobold Crossing, just to the North of this town. We¡¯ll be sticking around town for a few more days, so if you can retrieve it by then, you can join our team.¡±

    The man from Earth nodded. ¡°Is there anything I can expect out of this place? Is it filled with monsters, and if so, how strong are they? How about any puzzles, do I need any specific knowledge to be able to solve them?¡±

    ¡°Relax, the dungeon was supposed to be a vacation,¡± said Ecole, the woman with the green hair. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to have taken on an entire warband by yourself, right? You can probably clear this place in your sleep.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s that easy, why bother testing me at all?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you listening?¡± asked Daisy. ¡°She said supposedly. I don¡¯t buy your story so you have to at least prove it¡¯s not a complete lie.¡±

    Artyom felt a vein in his forehead begin to throb, but he slowly took a deep breath to let it settle. These four were really rubbing him the wrong way, but even if they were a roadblock to his real goal, they were at least a small one.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it,¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh!¡± softly exclaimed Lensa, the blue haired one in the back. ¡°Before you go, let me impart the goddess¡¯ blessing on you. Under her protection, you¡¯re sure you¡¯ll succeed.¡±

    Something about her demure expression reminded Artyom of a certain other priestess, and something she¡¯d told him. Back in his tent after slaying the Bog Walker, Skeya had mentioned Artyom¡¯s lack of levels could be fixed with the goddess¡¯ blessing.

    He wasn¡¯t able to obtain it back then, but maybe now? If there were still evil armies wandering around alongside whatever the Dark Lord had in store for Tommy, he¡¯d need all the power he could get.

    ¡°Sure, what do I need to do?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Just stay where you are and accept the blessing into you.¡±

    Artyom did as instructed as Lensa began to chant. A faint aura of energy began to coalesce around her, before compressing into the size of a soccer ball and floating over to Artyom. The orb only felt a little bit like magical energy to Artyom¡¯s senses, the rest likely made up of whatever divine spells were powered by.

    The ball stopped just in front of Artyom.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to accept it,¡± repeated the blue haired woman. ¡°Accept the goddess into your heart.¡±

    All of Artyom¡¯s instincts screamed at him not to lower his defenses, but a pang of guilt brought forth by memories of a tear-streaked trio of adventurers worked them loose. He immediately felt a jolt go through him as the blue orb entered his body and filled him with a rush of energy and strength.

    ¡°May the goddess watch over your journey,¡± said Lensa with one final nod.

    ¡°I hope she makes him fail,¡± said Daisy.

    Artyom ignored her and smiled at Lensa. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to be of help,¡± she replied. ¡°But the actual effects won¡¯t take place until exactly tomorrow at noon. That¡¯s the tradeoff for this particular blessing.¡±

    ¡°And if you do manage to find the piece, we¡¯ll be waiting at the Saffron Lodge in the upper ring of the city,¡± said Xerica, who then turned back to the hero. ¡°Now Tommy, let¡¯s enjoy the rest of this party. And maybe I¡¯ll enjoy you after.¡±

    ¡°What about me?!¡± shouted Daisy.

    ¡°You¡¯ll get him for his twentieth birthday in a few weeks,¡± said Xerica with a bored expression before wrapping an arm around the hero and walking out of the room.

    Artyom raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t say anything more and just shook his head. ¡°Generic¡± wasn¡¯t enough to describe the kind of anime this felt like; a few more choice words would have to be appended to the description.

    With the hero found and his next task at hand, there was nothing else for Artyom to do at the party. Besides, if he spent any more time around those four, he would need a drink. But for tomorrow he would need all his wits about him.

    So instead, Artyom bid his farewell to the hero and left the manor. He made his way past the gate and down the dimly lit streets, letting the day¡¯s events play out in his mind, and forming a plan for tomorrow.

    As he approached the middle-class district, he felt a sharp headache. Maybe interacting with those four was just that exhausting. But then how was Artyom supposed to deal with them when he properly joined their party?

    A surprising number of Earthers at TOAL headquarters claimed eating anything with too many artificial colors would do weird things to you, and Artyom was willing to believe them after today.

    He soon made his way back to the inn and fell asleep almost instantly when he fell onto his bed, not even waking up when his phone began to ring.

 Chapter 28: The Mapmaker

    Artyom awoke the next morning to a quiet room. The bed wasn¡¯t particularly soft, but he¡¯d slept right through the night¡­ and the missed call he was now seeing on his phone.

    ¡°You missed another night¡¯s call, Artyom,¡± said Gus, the disappointment somehow clear in his monotone voice.

    ¡°Looks like I slept right through it, sorry about that,¡± replied Artyom. ¡°But the good news is I¡¯ve found the hero¡­¡±

    ¡°Why does it sound like there¡¯s bad news attached to it?¡±

    ¡°The hero looks like he¡¯s from here.¡±

    Gus took a slow breath before replying. ¡°To what extent?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s his ears, they¡¯re pointed just like the people from this world. Not to mention all the other physical traits that make him look like a perfect fit for someone born here.¡±

    ¡°So why is he so familiar with Earth and Earth culture? Did our technicians make a mistake?¡±

    ¡°Nope, he¡¯s the real deal. Talked about celebrating his birthday at a Chuck E Cheese! Animatronics, arcades, pizza, all of it! He¡¯s definitely not a pretender, and if this is a coincidence, it¡¯s a nigh-impossible one.¡±

    The line went silent for a long moment. Artyom didn¡¯t know whether Gus was still digesting the information or already coming up with a plan. However, he didn¡¯t wait for him to finish.

    ¡°I was able to convince him to let me join his party, and I plan to travel with him long enough to figure out what¡¯s actually going on here. The only thing is the rest of his party wants me to prove myself first by nabbing some piece of armor from a nearby dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Artyom,¡± began Gus. ¡°If I were to relieve you of your ¡®vacation¡¯ right now, would you accept?¡±

    Artyom froze. ¡°Where¡¯s this coming from?¡±

    ¡°Things are getting hectic on our front. It¡¯s not anything we can¡¯t handle, and there hasn¡¯t been any loss of life on our side so far, but having you could make things easier for us.¡±

    Artyom slowly stood up from his bed and walked over to the window, which was just an open hole in the wall. The sun had already risen and shined its kaleidoscopic rays onto the city. He took a deep breath of the muggy air of the outer district. ¡°Alright, what¡¯s actually going on?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on is I want you back, Artyom.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit, something is up. You never lie about operations, so I know things are going well enough without me, and you sent me here for my own sake in the first place. You¡¯re not going to withdraw me unless you have a proper reason. So what is it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t? Mister strategy and operations?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the reason, Artyom. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on there, we¡¯ve never encountered this sort of situation before. There have been pretenders but I believe you that he isn¡¯t one.¡±

    ¡°So you want to give up?¡±

    ¡°I want to get my friend away from an unknown situation. You don¡¯t have to rush into this and get yourself so close to this unknown. We can switch you out for a scout who can observe from a distance and do something when we have enough information.¡±

    ¡°Later¡­¡± mumbled Artyom as his mind went to the Dark Lord¡¯s war band, and the words of its commander. ¡°They¡¯re planning something, Gus. It¡¯ll be soon too.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re officially on a mission right now, so I can¡¯t order you to immediately come back, but please think this through.¡±

    Artyom remembered the party last night as well. The likely overwhelming strength of those four women and their sheer pettiness; all that power and not one ounce of responsibility behind it. It didn¡¯t sit well with him.

    ¡°You¡¯re right about one thing, Gus. There are too many unknowns and this whole situation doesn¡¯t sit right with me. But if I just leave now, it might be an innocent kid from Earth who gets killed, and his blood would be on my hands. I¡¯m staying.¡±

    Gus stayed silent on the other end for a long moment. Eventually, he let out a sigh, ¡°Very well then, be careful, Artyom.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± said the man from Earth, as he hung up.

    Artyom looked around his room and at the bag of his hidden equipment. He didn¡¯t know what this dungeon would hold, and even if the hero¡¯s party members downplayed whatever danger lurked inside, he didn¡¯t want to be caught unprepared.

    After bathing and getting freshened up, Artyom equipped all of the gear Gus had sent him. The sweatshirt and pants went on first, followed by the magic battery bracers and invisibility ring, and then the gun in a leather holster at his side. To top it off Artyom put on his loose linens, that while they looked a bit odd with everything underneath it, still made him look more normal than without.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    But even with all of his gear, he still felt naked.

    ¡°No levels last night either,¡± Artyom said to himself. ¡°I was sure Lensa¡¯s blessing would make it work for me, but she said it wouldn¡¯t take full effect until noon.¡±

    The man from Earth shook his head and stepped out the door, but came to an embarrassing realization. ¡°I don¡¯t know where the dungeon is.¡±

    <hr>

    It thankfully didn¡¯t take Artyom long to find what he was looking for.

    As he entered the cartographer¡¯s shop through its front wooden door, the smell of paint and parchment hit his nostrils, forcing him to reorient himself. The room he ended up in glowed with many muted shades of brown, from the oak shelves, to the rolled up sheets of tan colored canvas, down to the owner¡¯s undyed linen clothes. The owner in question was a bald, unassuming middle aged man whose blister-covered hand held a brush that glided across the canvas in front of him.

    There was no bell tied to the door to announce Artyom¡¯s presence, but the loud creaking of the door¡¯s old hinges reverberated across the shop floor, bouncing between shelves and heralding the new arrival to the entire building. Artyom braced his eardrums, expecting the sound to be followed with an equally fortissimo creaking of the owner¡¯s chair across the hardwood floor. It never came.

    The owner continued his work, heedless of the aural disturbance and potential customer.

    ¡°Hello?¡± asked Artyom, somewhat surprised at meeting the first shopkeeper not showering him in platitudes upon his arrival.

    ¡°Hey,¡± said the owner, his voice soft yet distant.

    Artyom made his way across the shop floor, past several tables and shelves holding rolled up pieces of canvas, all organized into specifically labeled piles.

    ¡°Uh, I¡¯d like to buy a map, please,¡± said Artyom. ¡°One that shows the way to Crystal Kobold Crossing?¡±

    ¡°Space F3, on shelf 4,¡± he replied, his eyes still glued to his work. ¡°If you can¡¯t find it, you¡¯ll have to wait for me to finish this up first. And that¡¯s not going to be for a while.¡±

    Artyom shrugged and began looking. He noticed that each of the shelves were labeled with a number at the top, and upon locating shelf 4, he saw that each of the rows had a letter etched into them.

    He located row F and walked over to the third column, where the space for F3 contained several rolled up maps. Artyom unfurled one of them and took a look at its contents. It contained the western entrance to the town and the area beyond that, which included a cave-like icon marked as ¡®Crystal Kobold Crossing¡¯.

    What was most surprising to him was that this town was named ¡°Brimhaven¡± and that it took until now to find out.

    ¡°Got it!¡± said Artyom.

    ¡°Huh, that was fast,¡± mumbled the owner, finally looking up from his work. ¡°Most people can¡¯t even figure out my organization system. You have a locator Skill or something?¡±

    ¡°No, it was pretty simple. The numbers and letters are all written down, they¡¯re pretty hard to miss.¡±

    ¡°Well you¡¯re the first one I¡¯ve heard say that. The name¡¯s Carr, by the way.¡±

    ¡°Artyom,¡± he introduced himself as he walked over to Carr with the rerolled map in his hands.

    ¡°Two gold.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°The map costs two gold.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± said Artyom, as he fished around in his bag for the last of his largest denomination. If things went well, he wouldn¡¯t need to worry about money anymore, so he didn¡¯t mind one last large purchase. Did expecting to mooch off the hero make him some kind of gold digger?

    Artyom handed the coins to Carr, who barely glanced at them before putting them inside his desk and returning to his work. He picked up the brush he¡¯d placed down and focused his full attention onto the canvas in front of him, as if Artyom was never there.

    Having accomplished his goal, Artyom was ready to make his leave. But something about Carr caught his attention.

    ¡°So¡­¡± began Artyom, ever the master at smalltalk. ¡°Looks like you really like drawing maps.¡±

    ¡°Mhm,¡± replied Carr, paying barely a speck of attention to Artyom.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been doing this a while?¡±

    ¡°Twenty years,¡± he replied.

    Artyom nodded in respect. In all his travels, it was rare to find someone so dedicated to their craft who was still practicing it. Normally with levels and Skills, reaching a high enough echelon would get you poached by the nobility or allow you to live off a few token efforts, which resulted in stagnation.

    Someone still putting everything into their craft for so long meant high levels, which in turn meant some very interesting Skills. Even if it was for something as mundane as cartography, Systems tended to be very creative in what kind of abilities they granted for the highest of levels, and that had always piqued Artyom¡¯s curiosity.

    ¡°So what Skills are you using to draw those?¡± asked the man from Earth.

    ¡°None. If I were, then the map would just show up on the paper.¡± Carr still hadn¡¯t looked up again, but his eyes began to narrow and his grip tightened around the brush.

    ¡°Why not use it then? It¡¯d probably be a lot faster.¡±

    Carr halted his hand mid stroke before taking in a deep breath. He slowly lifted the brush off the canvas and set it aside, eyes still on the page in front of him.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t become a map maker to have a Skill do what I love for me. Besides, they all stopped working once I got my latest one.¡±

    ¡°And which one¡¯s that?¡± asked Artyom. Some Skills could subsume all previous ones, usually because they did the same thing or combined them into a single super-Skill.

    ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®Emissary of Dharma¡¯, whatever that means. But everything feels more clear since I got it, and making maps has been a lot more fun, so I don¡¯t mind the trade-off.¡±

    Artyom stood still, processing Carr¡¯s response. Maybe the System saw he wasn¡¯t interested in what it had originally given him and swapped them out for something he would appreciate instead? Some Systems took peoples¡¯ feelings into account.

    But what stood out to Artyom was that this man was different from so many others he had met along his journeys, and Artyom could understand how.

    The man from Earth slowly smiled as he made his way to the exit. ¡°Hey Carr!¡±

    For the first time, Carr looked away from his work.

    ¡°Keep drawing your maps.¡± Artyom opened the door and left the shop.

 Chapter 29: A Casual Delve

    On his way towards the town¡¯s Northern exit, Artyom was assailed by a wonderful aroma. Grilled cuts of fatty meat, fried batter, and a sheer multitude of delicious yet certainly unhealthy foods wafted through the air. Ethereal wisps gently embraced the man from Earth with their tantalizing scents and promises of immediate luxury. And for the first time on his mission, he felt true weakness.

    Artyom looked into his bag and counted only a handful of silver and bronze coins, yet not a single gold. He¡¯d spent his last of his highest denomination on the fancy suit that was currently stashed in his room. What he did see in the gold¡¯s place however were a handful of TOAL¡¯s ration bars.

    His face fell as he looked between that and the many food stalls set up in the city¡¯s outer district. Since this area was populated by the working class, the food would likely be more affordable, maybe in the range of a few bronze coins?

    Artyom knew he normally wouldn¡¯t be concerned with something as trivial as his taste buds during a mission, but the strange headache he had from last night seemed to come back just then, and something greasy was more likely to make it go away than a cube of compressed sawdust.

    ¡°Maybe a small bite for flavor, and the ration bars for the rest of the way?¡± he mumbled to himself as he fished out a handful of coins and took them to the nearest stall.

    Artyom bought himself a small paper bag of some sort of fried dough balls. They were reminiscent of Takoyaki since they were also made in a metal pan filled with round holes of similar size, but there wasn¡¯t any filling and they tasted sweet.

    The man from Earth slowly chewed one, feeling the mildly gummy dough stick to his teeth before reaching into the bag and popping another one into his mouth.

    Halfway through, Artyom switched to a ration bar and cringed as he quickly worked his way through it, before switching back to the delicious treat.

    Once the early lunch was over, he realized his headache was still there, and in fact a touch worse.

    Not wanting to dawdle any longer, Artyom headed towards the town¡¯s exit. Waiting around any longer would likely make the headache even worse. Once he was outside, he activated his speed spells and headed straight towards his destination.

    <hr>

    Half an hour later, Artyom reached into his back and pulled out the map.

    It took about ten seconds to realize he¡¯d passed the landmark he was supposed to make a turn at almost ten minutes ago.

    Artyom was ready to curse his headache, but he realized it had vanished. Looking at the sky, he also noticed that it was now just past noon, which was when Lensa of the hero¡¯s party said the goddess¡¯ blessing would take effect.

    ¡°Looks like it has me feeling better! I don¡¯t feel particularly stronger, but it¡¯s already pulled its weight as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡±

    Once Artyom turned back and found the landmark he¡¯d previously missed, he continued down the correct path this time, which led him down a narrow forest trail.

    The trees that surrounded him were a mix of evergreen and deciduous, all of them covered in vibrant green foliage at the current time of year. The crisp air and sound of distant woodland creatures filled Artyom with a sense of calm that beckoned him to sink his full attention into the beautiful surrounding world. Yet in doing so he ended up missing even more landmarks, even if they stood out on the trail, and once again got lost.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°I knew I should¡¯ve taken a right turn at alabaster rock! But I should still be close by,¡± said Artyom as he pulled up his map and turned it upside down after half a minute.

    He was currently in a small clearing. The floor was covered in grass, able to grow due to the additional light that filtered through the sparser canopy, and seemed to lead to a single banana tree in the center. It extended far beyond any other tree in the forest, to the point Artyom was surprised he hadn¡¯t seen it earlier. There was no fruit growing on it, but that made sense as banana trees only flowered once in their lifetime, and this tree had likely been growing for an incredibly long time.

    Rather than focus on the strange sight, Artyom looked back at his map to get his bearings.

    It only took another five minutes to realize that the banana tree was right next to the entrance of the dungeon, and after a quick walk, the man from Earth reached his destination.

    Crystal Kobold Crossing looked much like any other cave entrance. It featured a large, rocky mouth that led down into a dark recess, and a musty odor wafted from not too far inside. What stood out however was the drawing of a skull carved into the stone at the top of the entrance.

    ¡°Probably means danger,¡± said Artyom to himself as he began walking in.

    It didn¡¯t take long before the light from outside had completely disappeared from the subterranean world.

    ¡°Pitchblack Vision.¡± Artyom cast the spell on himself and suddenly a myriad gray-blue filled his eyes. His surroundings were visible in clear detail, albeit with no real difference in color beyond anything grayscale. It was still more than enough to find his way through. Not to mention enough to find a little surprise.

    Artyom bent down and pulled on a taught string that extended across the cavern floor. As he did, a pile of boulders netted to the ceiling just above it immediately came toppling down. Artyom was already out of the way well before they were close to the ground, but the loud noise they made as they struck the ground and each other threw him slightly off.

    ¡°Traps shouldn¡¯t be that big of a deal, but it does show that someone¡¯s living here and they don¡¯t want visitors. But watching out for all of them sounds boring¡­ I think I¡¯ll just run through them instead. They can¡¯t hurt me if I¡¯m too hard or they¡¯re too slow!¡±

    Artyom bent down in a sprinter¡¯s stance, cast Olympian¡¯s Speed on himself along with Tungsten Body, and bolted off. Several more traps activated within the span of a minute as the man from Earth juked and weaved through the cave.

    A swinging ax missed him by three feet, and a falling net was blown to the side just by his tailwind.

    Artyom laughed loudly alongside the cacophony he created, not a care in the world to bring him down.

    However, a change asserted itself in that reality as he reached the end of the tunnel and found himself in a large room. Its floor was circular and at least fifty feet in diameter, with the ceiling rising to twice that, and several stalagmites and stalactites were littered both above and below.

    In the distance, a large figure ambled around. It had a bipedal humanoid frame, albeit heavily rotund, and it carried a large pickaxe on its shoulder. The figure turned towards Artyom with a glare.

    ¡°Maybe I should¡¯ve been more quiet?¡±

    What followed was a wave of fear that spread through the air and through Artyom, shaking him to his core. Something about this sensation was familiar, but a strange mental haze made it hard to think about anything other than running away.

    Artyom immediately canceled all his other spells to focus his magic entirely into a speed spell, and turned around to run.

    He ran into a wooden club and crumpled to the floor.

    As the world around him faded, he could hear a deep voice booming in contempt.

    ¡°How did a dumb peasant manage to get so far? Whatever, I¡¯m not about to turn away free food, lock him up in the cells. I¡¯ll eat him when I get hungry.¡±

    A group of short, scaled figures ran up to Artyom and began dragging him down a hallway, and then everything went black.

 Chapter 30: Truth

    Darkness. It was everywhere. And not just a lack of light, but the absence of¡­ anything. A black voidscape extended to infinity, and Artyom floated through it. Without a body or any physical form. Just his mind.

    ¡°Physical¡± didn¡¯t exist here. But where was ¡°here¡±?

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m not dead,¡± thought Artyom to himself. Here however, his thoughts were as loud as any shout, yet utterly silent as even sound could not exist.

    ¡°I got knocked out though, ran straight into an attack from something sneaking up behind me. And I even canceled my armor spell to run faster. I¡¯m an idiot!¡±

    Something changed in the realm of nothing, and a dense fog descended upon infinity. Artyom¡¯s voice became muddled, his thoughts less sharp, and his will nearly nonexistent.

    ¡°I can¡¯t blame myself, I wanted to get out of there.¡±

    The words came out with Artyom¡¯s voice but they didn¡¯t sound right. Did he mean to say something else, and the fog distorted his words?

    No, Artyom felt that deep down, they were his own. He recalled the pointed elf-like ears on Tommy, the hero supposedly from Earth. Was he really from back home? Artyom could have been helping out with the latest big mission instead of wasting his time on such a gamble.

    He should have taken up Gus¡¯ offer to head back instead of staying here, but he didn¡¯t, and now he was paying the price.

    [Class Obtained: Mage]

    [Level up! Mage: 1]

    ¡°Oh that was right, Skeya said that the goddess¡¯ blessing would let me level up. It¡¯s about time!¡±

    [Level up! Mage: 2]

    [Skill obtained: Lesser Magic Regeneration]

    ¡°And now all of the spellcasting I¡¯ve done over the last few days is finally paying off.¡±

    [Level up! Mage: 3]

    [Level up! Mage: 4]

    ¡°But I should have waited until tomorrow to enter the dungeon, why didn¡¯t I? Was it the headache? Or maybe I just didn¡¯t think about it¡­¡±

    [Level up! Mage: 5]

    [Skill obtained: Lesser Spell Efficiency]

    ¡°But these levels and Skills should help me escape once I wake up. Or better yet, I can just use my phone to get myself an immediate extraction if they haven¡¯t taken it. But what will happen next?¡±

    [Level up! Mage: 6]

    ¡°I head back to base, go on a new mission, and someone else comes here to keep an eye out on Tommy. Some newbie who¡¯s better off here instead of on the front lines. This place is a Fairytale world, after all.¡±

    [Level up! Mage: 7]

    ¡°Except for the Dark Lord¡¯s army, committing war crimes left and right, even if they act all naive about what they¡¯re doing. This¡­ isn¡¯t a safe place. And Tommy is a kid, he¡¯s not ready for that kind of thing. But he¡¯s not from Earth, so it isn¡¯t my problem, right?¡±

    [Skill obtained: Lesser Strength]

    ¡°It¡¯s the problem of whoever replaces me here. Yeah. And if Tommy gets killed since he¡¯s way out of his depth, then it¡¯s¡­ his problem too¡­¡±

    The fog felt more dense than it did a moment ago, and Artyom felt his mind enveloped by its cool embrace. His thoughts became strained as his mental voice was muffled by the cotton-like cloud. No point thinking any further, just let the level ups keep piling up and get back home after waking up.

    Home¡­

    Home?

    ¡°Earth. That¡¯s home. Or rather, that was home. Everything was taken from me the day I was summoned, and there¡¯s no way back. The same thing happens to so many other kids, and maybe even Tommy.¡±

    [Level up! Mage: 8]

    The fog began to shift around Artyom, trying to wrap around him but finding itself drifting just too far to the side.

    ¡°But I was able to build something back up. I had to fight tooth and nail to do it, but not everyone gets the chance, especially if they¡¯re dead. And if Tommy dies?¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Artyom let loose a mirthless chuckle.

    [Level up! Mage: 9]

    ¡°Then his chance disappears with it.¡±

    A spark went off in Artyom¡¯s mind, jumping from neuron to neuron and triggering a massive cascade that brought forth true light into a world of nothing. The fog retreated in its presence, leaving a small sphere of clarity around him.

    ¡°I made a promise! To give everything I had to keep the people of Earth safe from those that would do them harm! I¡¯d sooner see this world burn than¡­ no, watching another world burn is easy, and this one might already be on that path if it really is Gilded. I¡¯d sooner see my world burn once more than willingly let another innocent kid from Earth die.¡±

    The fog surrounding Artyom began to grow in density and slowly creep towards him, growing unafraid of the slowly fading light.

    ¡°So what if I don¡¯t know if Tommy¡¯s really from Earth or not? I¡¯m not about to risk his life on a maybe, letting go of him is against everything I stand for! Saving kids from Earth is my purpose, my duty! I¡¯m going to get out of here and save him!¡±

    [Level up! Mage-

    [Level ups canceled]

    ¡­

    [System Reloading]

    ¡­

    The fog began to grow thin, and soon disappeared completely, leaving him once more alone in the empty voidscape save for that single spark. Artyom felt a rush of lucidity and a sudden realization of what had happened to him.

    [Skill obtained: Emissary of Dharma]

    He opened his eyes.

    ¡°Lensa you bitch!¡± shouted Artyom as he shot up.

    A group of diminutive creatures gathered around him all began to scream and run towards a cage door on the far end of the room and close it shut behind them.

    Still shaking off the last bit of dizziness, Artyom was unable to grab any of them or give chase. And the door was already locked by the time he got to his feet.

    The man from Earth took a deep breath and took in his surroundings. He found himself in a dungeon. Well, a dungeon within a dungeon. The small room featured a natural rock formation that mimicked a row of prison cells, splitting a section of its floor space into squares barred off by speleothems too close to each other for a normal human to squeeze through.

    The cage door, made of metal bars, was attached to a nearby stalagmite on a swivel, making his small enclosure a true prison cell.

    And looking in from the cage door was a tightly packed group of short creatures covered in teal colored scales and wearing torn brown linen rags. On each of their heads was a pair of stubby horns and on their backs was a tail that extended about two feet.

    They were all squeezed up in front of the cage door to stare at him with wide eyes, filled with fear and concern, but mostly curiosity. None of them made a move to run out of the room to warn anyone else, so Artyom was content to process his current situation.

    ¡°So first things first, Lensa¡¯s a bitch. Her so-called ¡®goddess¡¯ blessing¡¯ must have actually been some kind of high level Confusion spell. Maybe it did come with a blessing attached, but I¡¯m certain it was only to hide the intended effect.¡±

    Artyom had been affected by Confusion and its stronger cousins before, and knew to recognize when his head wasn¡¯t on straight, but only because they solely affected surface level thoughts and senses. This was something completely different; it messed him up on a fundamental level.

    ¡°That just went to show how strong all of them are, not just Xerica.¡±

    Artyom started to feel relief at the thought of Tommy having such a powerful entourage to keep him safe, but that soon froze and turned to dread as he realized their actual character.

    ¡°At worst I looked like an overeager fan, nowhere near as annoying as the one from the Arena in that one game, and their response was to try and get me killed? Who the hell are these assholes?!¡±

    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re not assholes!¡± shouted one of the creatures.

    Artyom broke out of his thoughts and turned to them. ¡°Didn¡¯t you knock me out and drag me here so you can eat me?¡±

    ¡°No, only for our boss to eat you!¡± another one shouted. ¡°We eat plants, rats, and spiders.¡±

    ¡°The ones that don¡¯t outsmart us,¡± added in a third.

    Artyom slowly blinked. Why were these monsters, who¡¯d knocked him out and locked him up, bantering with him like they were old friends? Artyom looked down at his body and saw.

    ¡°Right, they all think I¡¯m some dumb peasant who ran in here. But that doesn¡¯t explain how familiar they¡¯re acting with me, like I¡¯m not some kind of enemy. Are they looking down on me? No, they wouldn¡¯t be so friendly if that were the case.¡±

    Artyom¡¯s eyes lit up with realization but then dimmed in disappointment. ¡°Right, ¡®Fairytale¡¯ world. Everyone here is naive but can be as brutal as any Gilded world.¡±

    However, one thing stood out to him about these creatures.

    The man from Earth cleared his throat and asked, ¡°So what are you all, some kind of kobolds?¡±

    ¡°¡­yes?¡± one of them replied after a moment.

    From his experience, almost every fantasy world had some kind of creature fit a particular role: weak, diminutive, dumb¡­ low level mooks in essence. But in large enough numbers with the proper armaments and home field advantage, they could be incredibly dangerous.

    ¡°As weak as these kobolds look, I don¡¯t trust a thing those four said about this dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you know what we are?¡± asked one of them.

    Speed of the Olympian. ¡°I need to figure these creatures out.¡±

    ¡°Do you think we¡¯re famous out there? Does anyone else know about us?¡±

    Tungsten Body. ¡°Find their weaknesses.¡±

    ¡°Too bad he¡¯s going to get eaten soon, I like having a fan.¡±

    Lion¡¯s Strength. ¡°And do whatever it takes to keep Tommy safe.¡±

 Chapter 31: Kobolds

    There was a saying Artyom was familiar with: ¡°If violence wasn¡¯t your last resort, you failed to resort to enough of it.¡±

    But to say violence was always his last resort would have been an outright lie. However, it was almost never his first, for the sole reason that all other options could at least reveal some kind of weakness, making the eventual violence all the more effective.

    So while Artyom cast an array of combat spells on himself for the coming inevitability, he also sharpened his tongue for the prelude.

    ¡°So does your boss share his meals with you?¡± asked Artyom idly while keeping in a tense, combat-ready stance. ¡°I mean, he made it sound like I¡¯d be pretty tasty.¡±

    ¡°The boss doesn¡¯t share anything with us,¡± said one of the kobolds.

    ¡°Except rocks,¡± chimed in another. ¡°He likes throwing his rocks at us.¡±

    ¡°Or making us eat them!¡± said a third.

    ¡°They taste awful,¡± whispered a fourth.

    ¡°Right¡­ have you considered taking a taste for yourself before you serve it to him, or try any leftovers after he¡¯s done?¡±

    ¡°Eh, not really,¡± said the first kobold. ¡°You humans are always so scared and miserable when you¡¯re here, we might end up like you if we took a bite.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, imagine feeling like that all the time!¡± added a second. ¡°Things aren¡¯t so great for us as it is, imagine if we cried about it all the time, ha!¡±

    ¡°The boss would probably make us eat even more rocks if we showed him that kind of attitude.¡±

    ¡°But how do you think I would taste?¡±

    ¡°Gross,¡± they all chimed in at once.

    Artyom cursed to himself. These creatures weren¡¯t compelled by hunger then, not even to the degree a wild animal would be.

    ¡°Alright, so why do you listen to your boss if you¡¯re unhappy?¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s scary!¡± they all said in unison.

    Artyom shook his head. It was as if all seven of these kobolds shared a single brain cell. Yet as he looked at them, they were smiling and chatting amongst themselves with barely a care in the world. Maybe it was that Fairytale world innocence at play with even the monster population, or maybe they were just stupid.

    ¡°This one seems a lot happier than all the others,¡± said one of the kobolds.

    ¡°Maybe he¡¯ll taste better?¡±

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll make the boss extra happy?¡±

    ¡°I hope so, he might even give us a bigger compliment!¡±

    The whole group began to excitedly hop in place.

    Artyom frowned. Was this all it took to get them excited? He turned towards them and spoke. ¡°I have to admit, the way you snuck up behind me to knock me out was pretty smart.¡±

    They all turned to him at once and preened. The low chirping sound they made didn¡¯t at all fit with their scaly visages.

    ¡°So those are their weaknesses: fear and flattery. Yeah, I can work with that, but how far can I take it?¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    Artyom cleared his throat, grabbing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Who do you think will get the most praise?¡±

    They looked at him with confusion, before one of the kobolds puffed out their chest. ¡°Obviously it¡¯ll be me, I¡¯m the one who swung the club to knock you out!¡±

    Another one stepped in front of them and sneered. ¡°I¡¯m the grill master, I¡¯m the one who¡¯ll actually make this human taste good!¡±

    Another pair walked in between the two and pushed them apart. ¡°We¡¯re the ones who collect the herbs and mushrooms that make them taste the best, we¡¯re the ones!¡±

    A fifth kobold picked out a black rock from its pocket, and scraped it against another pair of stones until it caught fire. They then lobbed it at the group, who jumped out of the way and began screaming at the pain.

    ¡°What was that for?!¡± they all asked.

    ¡°I mine the coal that¡¯s used for the fire. The boss would only have raw human if it weren¡¯t for me.¡±

    The first kobold pulled out a wooden club and began to march over to the one who¡¯d thrown the flaming coal, who immediately turned around and ran.

    Without too much space in the current room however, they weren¡¯t able to get far before receiving a trio of whacks to the head.

    Before a fourth could land, the pair of herb and mushroom gatherers grabbed the club wielder¡¯s arms and pulled him back.

    The grill master took that opportunity to drop kick the club wielder from behind and send him sprawling to the ground.

    The group erupted into an all out brawl that had Artyom staring at with bewilderment.

    ¡°It just took one sentence¡­¡±

    After half a minute, overwhelmed by a mix of guilt and pity, Artyom shouted at the group.

    They all stopped in place, half of them on the ground or with their hands around another¡¯s horns or tail.

    ¡°Why are you trying to kill each other over a little praise?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not trying to kill each other, we¡¯re just teaching each other a lesson,¡± said one of the kobolds, the club wielder. ¡°But the only lesson I have to learn is how jealous everyone else here is of me.¡±

    The fighting quickly resumed after that comment

    ¡°Hey!¡± Artyom shouted again, making them calm down once more. ¡°There¡¯s no way they¡¯re this dumb, right?¡±

    ¡°What is it? I want to get back to bashing!¡± one of them asked.

    ¡°Instead of hitting each other, why don¡¯t you improve your chances of getting more praise?¡±

    ¡°How do we do that?¡± asked another.

    ¡°Obviously, by helping your boss make me taste better. Grab some herbs from outside the cave and some hardwood from the trees for grilling so I taste especially yummy! I¡¯m sure your boss would think you¡¯re the greatest for going that extra mile,¡± he said with an exaggerated smile.

    The five creatures took a step back and stared at each other before turning back to Artyom and nodding.

    ¡°Thanks for the advice!¡± the last of them said as they all turned around and ran out of the room.

    Once he was alone, Artyom let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen mook monsters this ridiculous outside of a Fairytale world, maybe this really is one?¡±

    And now that the room would be empty for the foreseeable future, Artyom checked himself over.

    ¡°Looks like they didn¡¯t take any of my gear. That big one called me a dumb peasant, so they probably didn¡¯t realize what all of this is. All I need to worry about now is grabbing that armor piece and getting out of here.¡±

    Artyom walked over to the door and inspected the lock and hinges. The rock and metal were completely ordinary, without any sort of magic flowing through them.Alternating weak elemental spells to weaken the material would have been perfect to escape, but Artyom had a less¡­ ¡°clever¡± means of escape.

    But before attempting it, Artyom grabbed the door and began to rattle it. The noise was loud enough to echo throughout the room and well into the next. Yet as much as he shook it, not a single one of the five kobolds ran back in.

    Seeing as how they weren¡¯t just acting dumb earlier and truly had left, Artyom put his escape plan into action.

    He placed a foot against the hinged side of the door and recast Tungsten Body and Lion¡¯s Strength, before beginning to push.

    On the first shove, he heard a creak of metal.

    On the second, a cracking of rocks.

    And on the third, the door gave and fell to the ground. Artyom caught it before it could land with a thud, and he slowly lowered it without making too much noise. He wanted to sound desperate, not like he actually escaped.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do things properly this time; Detect Life, Pitchblack Vision,¡± said the man from Earth as he bent into a crouch and began to make his way out of the prison cell and back into the dungeon proper.

 Chapter 32: Little Goobers

    The walk through the dungeon was surprisingly¡­ quiet. Barely any of the kobolds were actually this far back in the dungeon and the tunnels seemed to go on forever. That gave Artyom plenty of time to let his mind wander to what happened right after he got knocked out.

    Much to his chagrin, Artyom¡¯s dream-state just before waking up was still a haze. He remembered getting several level ups and Skills, yet didn¡¯t feel any stronger. There was some other System text afterwards that came off as more bureaucratic than rewarding, followed by the Skill that woke him up: [Emissary of Dharma].

    ¡°The mapmaker mentioned having it, and how it canceled out all his other Skills. I¡¯ll need to ask him for details about it once I¡¯m done here,¡± thought Artyom to himself.

    It was only thanks to his spells that Artyom felt confident enough to focus on something other than his surroundings. Detect Life revealed every living creature within an incredibly wide range, making it easy to keep away from any traveling groups or lone scouts.

    Another spell, Lessened Footfall, muffled the sound of his steps by reducing the gravity and inertia of his feet¡­ or something like that. Magic interacted strangely with physics, and none of the techies had bothered to figure out its actual effect. All Artyom knew was that it made him quiet without reducing his speed, which was more than enough.

    Enough so that when he encountered a lone kobold patrolling the same long tunnel, he was able to get past them without a hitch.

    Just before the kobold was about to turn the corner and see him, Artyom sped up his pace and turned towards the wall, climbing it up effortlessly. Of course, his supposed spider-like display didn¡¯t last and he began to fall back. Thankfully the man from Earth grabbed onto a stalactite while his feet secured themselves on a pair of makeshift footholds on the ceiling, keeping him airborne long enough for the diminutive creature below to pass him, none the wiser.

    Artyom fell back to the ground in a way that would put a cat to shame, making not a single sound. He gave the creature a smile before turning around and continuing down his path.

    ¡°What are the chances that one will turn back aground?¡± Artyom thought. ¡°Maybe I should¡¯ve killed ¡®em instead?¡±

    In the end, the man from Earth decided not to. He was moving faster than the kobold anyway, and he could convince the creature to leave him alone if it came to it. Killing them would just create a mess that would get them all rushing after him.

    ¡°Not to mention what those four said about this dungeon. If they wanted to kill me by sending me here, then it¡¯s likely a lot more dangerous than they led on. Starting a big fight isn¡¯t in my best interest.¡±

    Unlike with the Dark Lord¡¯s war band.

    Artyom¡¯s face froze as he remembered the destruction in Freeacres and the field of corpses he¡¯d left in the aftermath.

    He couldn¡¯t help but let out a mirthless chuckle at the irony of it. Literal monsters were less evil than some regular people here. Kobolds certainly didn¡¯t relish committing war crimes. The only thing they were interested in was getting praise from their boss!

    Speaking of their boss, he wasn¡¯t quite a kobold himself.

    From the many fantasy worlds Artyom and the members of TOAL had visited, the creatures would flock to whatever strongest monster tolerated their presence and looked sort of like them. Usually it would be some kind of draconid; wyverns, wyrms, and sometimes even dragons if they were willing to put up with the little goobers¡¯ shenanigans.

    But according to that same collective experience, kobolds had never worked under a creature that looked like¡­ that. Bipedal, stocky, and carrying a pickaxe. Was it some kind of dwarf-dragon hybrid? He doubted it, this thing was brand new. And it wanted to eat him.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°If I encounter that thing, I doubt I¡¯ll be able to trick my way out; I¡¯ll have to fight it. But I can at least make it easier for myself.¡±

    Just as Artyom finished that thought, he reached a new room. While Detect Life highlighted a sizable crowd gathered around the center, it didn¡¯t say anything about the layout of the room itself.

    Peeking inside, he saw a large space similar to the one he was captured in. It was essentially a fifty foot radius half-sphere filled with an array of rock formations, with a peculiar looking one at the very center. What looked like a pedestal stood in the very middle, surrounded by kobolds ambling about and chatting with each other or just playing, and a chunk of metal sitting on top.

    ¡°Looks like the prison cells are at the very back, even past the treasure room. Score!¡±

    Artyom walked into the room with a smile on his face and his stealth spells deactivated, immediately getting the attention of all of the kobolds.

    They immediately jumped up and rushed towards him with weapons.

    ¡°The prisoner is escaping!¡± a few of them shouted.

    ¡°No I¡¯m not,¡± replied Artyom. ¡°The boss wants to eat me now so I¡¯m going over to him.¡±

    The kobolds lost much of their zeal and began to lower their arms.

    ¡°Really, now,¡± said one of the diminutive creatures, eyeing up Artyom. ¡°Then which way are you going to take to get to him?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I got lost. Can you show me?¡±

    ¡°Oh sure, he¡¯s down that corridor over there,¡± the same kobold said, pointing towards one of the tunnels that connected to the room. All suspicion had left him.

    ¡°Thanks. Also, he wanted to take a look at the treasure to make sure it¡¯s still safe. I¡¯m sure if he sees it, he¡¯ll say something about how great of a job you¡¯ve all been doing!¡±

    ¡°Really? Then take it!¡± shouted the kobold closest to the armor piece as he ran to grab it and bring it to Artyom.

    ¡°Perfect, thanks. Also if you hear sounds of fighting, stay where you are instead of coming to help out. It¡¯ll make your boss really angry if you leave your positions.¡±

    They all looked at him with wide eyes and nodded.

    ¡°Alright, bye!¡± said Artyom as he walked to another exit.

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re going the wrong way, that leads to a dead-end!¡± shouted one of the kobolds before Artyom could leave.

    The man from Earth swore to himself, but kept a smile on his face. ¡°Oh whoops, thanks for catching that. No wonder I got lost in the first place.¡±

    He went down the ¡°correct¡± tunnel and reactivated his stealth spells.

    ¡°I guess I locked myself into this path by saying I was headed towards their boss, but it was the only story I could think of that would let me know where he is and to get the treasure. Maybe I can still sneak past him? If only there was some convenient path back to the entrance that only shows up after you get to the end, like that one game.¡±

    As Artyom was lost in thought, he heard a scream coming from a fork in the path just up ahead. The side-tunnel it came from was cramped, and after running over to it, Artyom had to bend over even further to see inside.

    A kobold was wildly swinging a pickaxe around at a giant centipede in a small cavern that opened up at the end of the tunnel. The giant insect remained several feet away, well out of reach of the frantic attacks, and just stared forward with dripping mandibles. It knew the kobold was tiring out and wouldn¡¯t be able to keep swinging for longer.

    Automatically, Artyom channeled a Gravity Lance in his hand and aimed it at the centipede, but paused before he could throw it. Did he really want to save the enemy here? One less kobold meant one less potential foe when he fought their boss. But the continued screaming and a dead kobold would immediately put everyone on high alert, making it harder to sneak around.

    Artyom almost thought he felt even more relief than the kobold when the Gravity Lance connected with the giant centipede¡¯s head and tore a hole right through its brain.

    The kobold kept swinging for several more seconds before they opened their eyes.

    ¡°Huh? Wha- who are you?¡± they asked.

    ¡°Just a prisoner heading over to the boss to be eaten,¡± said Artyom with a shrug.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a prisoner do that before¡­ you escaped, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Artyom charged up another Gravity Lance.

    ¡°But the exit tunnel is guarded by the boss, and we have to go through his room if we want to truly escape.¡±

    ¡°Hold on, we?¡± Artyom asked as he let the attack spell disperse.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m digging this tunnel,¡± said the kobold as they walked over to the end of the cavern and began to swing their pickaxe at it. ¡°To make a new exit route for everyone so we can escape.¡±

 Chapter 33: Viva la Resistance

    The kobold miner kept swinging the pickaxe at the cave wall, heedless of the corpse of the giant centipede that tried to eat them just a moment ago, nor the very dangerous escaped human still standing behind them.

    ¡°So when you say you¡¯re digging this tunnel so we can escape, does ¡®we¡¯ mean you and I, or all of the kobolds?¡± asked Artyom.

    ¡°The latter, but if you haven¡¯t been eaten by then, you¡¯re more than welcome to join us,¡± replied the kobold miner without looking behind him.

    A silence fell over the two, broken up by the regular percussion of metal against rock. Artyom stared at the miner expectantly, but the creature was too focused on their task to be bothered by his eyes burning a hole in their back.

    ¡°Seriously, you can¡¯t expect to just throw around all of these lines without having the courtesy to tell me what¡¯s going on,¡± said Artyom, growing impatient.

    ¡°If it¡¯ll get you to let me work in peace, then I guess I have no choice.¡±

    The kobold turned around and wiped some sweat from their brow before plopping down onto the cave floor.

    Artyom leaned back on a wall out of sight from the tunnel entrance before giving his attention.

    ¡°We used to be our own people once. Until a few years ago when the boss suddenly showed up and took over. He¡¯s treated us terribly and forces us to mine out this cave and guard that dumb chunk of metal for some reason.¡±

    ¡°You mean this?¡± asked Artyom, holding up the armor piece he¡¯d gotten.

    ¡°How did you- what did you do to my people guarding it?¡± the kobold asked, his voice suddenly frantic.

    ¡°I told them I was going to show it to the boss so he¡¯ll see how hard they¡¯re working.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! I¡¯m sure they could use the compliment-¡± the kobold started before putting a hand to their face and sighing. ¡°I see you¡¯ve discovered our weakness.¡±

    ¡°Both of them, actually. You¡¯re also all scared of being, well, scared.¡±

    The miner nodded. ¡°And that¡¯s why we still work for that monster, we¡¯re too scared to do anything about it. And it¡¯s not as if he looks all that scary with how fat he is, but something about his sheer presence fills us with terror.¡±

    ¡°Terror¡­¡± thought Artyom. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he snapped his finger. ¡°I got it!¡±

    ¡°Got what?¡±

    ¡°When I first saw him, I was oddly scared of him too, even though I¡¯ve fought bigger monsters before. I didn¡¯t realize it back then, but I get it now; it¡¯s aura! His fear effect is from aura.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a kind of magic based on human emotion and will.¡±

    ¡°Magic? That explains much,¡± said the kobold as he shook his head. ¡°But we don¡¯t have any defense against such a thing.¡±

    Artyom looked at the creature with a hint of pity but didn¡¯t let it show in his voice as he spoke. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s no fun. But you don¡¯t have to deal with magic if he doesn¡¯t even know you¡¯re there. Haven¡¯t you tried escaping by just sneaking around him or distracting him? Or even just running as fast as you can?¡±

    ¡°We tried, but it¡¯s as if the boss has some sort of extra sense that lets him spot anyone who passes through his room. It¡¯s the first open space after the entrance tunnel, so everyone has to pass through it to leave the dungeon, and he never leaves it either. Not to mention he can block the exit in an instant!¡±

    ¡°Which is why you¡¯re digging this tunnel,¡± said Artyom with another realization.

    ¡°Right, so I can bypass the boss¡¯ room and go right to the exit.¡±

    ¡°But that isn¡¯t without its own dangers, I take it?¡± asked Artyom, looking over at the corpse of the giant centipede.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°They tend to dig into these caves, but they don¡¯t get too far. The closer I get to the outside, the more I¡¯ll encounter, but that¡¯s to be expected when you¡¯re nearing success!¡±

    Artyom looked deeply into the kobold¡¯s face.

    They shone him a bright reptilian smile but the man from Earth could see the pain behind those tired eyes, hidden by the forced grin.

    Artyom grumbled to himself before replying. ¡°Well I might have a little bit of good news for you.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s that? You¡¯ll help me dig my tunnel? I feel like the boss will get hungry and send someone to search for you before that, and if you¡¯re digging the tunnel, then he¡¯ll figure out what I¡¯m up to.¡±

    ¡°Thankfully no, I don¡¯t have that long to wait. I need to get out of here today, so it looks like I¡¯ll be picking a fight with him.¡±

    The kobold burst into a fit of laughter. ¡°Ha! After a couple of us just knocked you out with a single hit? We¡¯re much weaker than him so if we could do that, you don¡¯t stand a chance!¡±

    Artyom¡¯s face scrunched and began to turn red, but he managed to mumble a response. ¡°I was cursed then, but it¡¯s gone now. My head actually works properly and I think I can put up a proper fight.¡±

    ¡°Really, what happened? Did they knock the curse out of you with that whack?¡± the kobold asked, not even bothering to stifle the giggle that came alongside it.

    ¡°I got a weird Skill, [Emissary of Dharma].¡±

    ¡°Oh, I have that one too!¡±

    ¡°Really?!¡± Artyom asked as he shot up from his spot along the wall. ¡°What does it do, how did you get it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know, I just woke up with it one day after a bunch of us got a really bad beating from the boss. Apparently all of my other Skills stopped working so I was mostly thrown to the side. On the bright side, that gave me plenty of time to work on this tunnel!¡±

    Artyom looked back the way he came and measured out about a dozen feet before he reached the end.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get it that long ago,¡± the kobold said with a shrug.

    The man from Earth just nodded, trying not to show his disappointment at the lack of a good answer. That was three people he knew who had the Skill, himself included, and he wasn¡¯t any closer to figuring out why he got it or what it actually does, beyond breaking the curse he was under. But that could have just been a side effect of leveling up. The point was, he was as in the dark about the Skill as he was in the cave.

    ¡°I just hope the others can hold on for a little while longer for me to finish this tunnel. No offense, but I don¡¯t expect you to win.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say I don¡¯t blame you after my last showing, but the other kobolds seem to be doing just fine from what I¡¯ve seen of them.¡±

    ¡°Of course they would, they¡¯re strong like that! Shrug off every hardship that comes their way with a big smile and innocent attitude; that¡¯s how we¡¯ve survived for so long! It¡¯s just¡­ we have our limits, and I fear we may be reaching them soon.¡±

    Artyom couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of sympathy for these strange, yet innocent creatures. Enslaved and forced to toil away, no sapient creature deserved that. History would show people like that rising up some way or another, but in this case, aura magic had the kobolds dead to rights.

    ¡°Hold on, aura¡­¡± whispered Artyom before speaking directly to the miner. ¡°If things are getting desperate, would you say the others are ready to fight back against the boss if that fear effect no longer worked on them?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I can¡¯t say for sure, but that sounds like an impossible dream, ha-¡±

    The kobold immediately froze and soon began to shiver in place. Their eyes went wide and they began to frantically look around and down the tunnel, before the episode just as quickly ended.

    ¡°That was me, by the way,¡± said Artyom. ¡°Not your boss.¡±

    ¡°How did you-¡±

    ¡°Aura. I can use it too, and I can also cancel another one out.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s reassuring,¡± the kobold said, still looking distressed. ¡°But the boss¡¯ fear is one and a half times stronger than that. Will you really be able to counter him?¡±

    ¡°Stronger?¡± Now it was Artyom¡¯s heart skipping a beat. He was considered an expert on aura, maybe even approaching the abilities of a master if he had enough Skills to back him up. But to be outdone by the boss of a ¡°simple¡± dungeon?

    ¡°Xerica you-¡± Artyom stopped mid sentence and shook off his frustration. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I should still be able to fight the effect off.¡±

    ¡°How can you do that when he¡¯s stronger than you?¡±

    ¡°Because the willingness of the target makes a big difference on how strong an aura is. If the kobolds don¡¯t want to be so scared, my counter aura will be able to overpower his, even if it were double the strength!¡±

    The kobold took in his words and considered them for a long moment. They ran a hand across the wooden shaft of their pickaxe, feeling the cracks and splinters on the worn material. Eventually, they let out a sigh. ¡°If I keep mining this tunnel, I¡¯m more likely to run into another centipede or my tool will break. And I won¡¯t be able to get a replacement for it or my life. There¡¯s no other choice.¡±

    Artyom looked at the miner hopefully, who gave him the same look back.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take your offer. I¡¯ll gather up the others, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll take too much convincing if it¡¯s from me, but together we can get rid of the boss once and for all.¡±

    The man from Earth nodded with a resolute smile. Yet behind the confident facade was a singular worry. The kobold said their enemy was better than him at wielding aura, something he¡¯d spent over a decade honing. How else would he be stronger?

 Chapter 34: The Battle Begins

    ¡°Everything ready?¡± asked Artyom in a whisper. ¡°It took you quite a while.¡±

    The kobold nodded but looked irritated. ¡°Did you have to convince the ones guarding that chunk of metal not to move from their place? That¡¯s why it took so long!¡±

    Artyom just gave him an apologetic smile, but turned back towards the entrance into the boss¡¯ room. ¡°So the plan is for you to send everyone in to ¡®talk¡¯ to him, and once he¡¯s distracted, I¡¯ll hit him with a coup de grace.¡±

    ¡°And if that fails-¡±

    ¡°When that fails,¡± said one of the kobolds standing in the back.

    Artyom and the lead kobold looked back at them with a glare, causing the diminutive creature to step into the rest of the crowd.

    ¡°And if that fails,¡± their leader continued, ¡°we¡¯ll start fighting.¡±

    Artyom tried to smile, but wasn¡¯t able to put his heart into it. He¡¯s the one who needed to escape, but he was dragging all of these kobolds into a battle of life or death just for himself. No, that wasn¡¯t right; they were fighting for their own freedom, and both him and them happened to share a common roadblock in each of their goals.

    Maybe he was just growing a soft spot for these goofs?

    Before Artyom could think about it more, the mass of kobolds began to rush into the room as a single massive throng. The cacophony of their stomps and the dust they kicked up prevented him from hearing or seeing into the boss¡¯ chamber.

    A mass of chattering and frantic waves of scales that followed didn¡¯t help either.

    ¡°Now¡¯s your chance, the boss is distracted and his back is turned,¡± said the kobold¡¯s leader, nudging Artyom with their elbow before walking in themselves.

    The man from Earth nodded before making his way into the room as well. When he first came in, the boss thought he was a random peasant despite his magical equipment and active spells. That meant whatever senses he had didn¡¯t extend to sensing magic.

    With that in mind, Artyom activated his stealth and armor spells and casually walked in, pretending to be a kobold who had nothing to fear.

    The first thing he saw was a group of kobolds amongst the many more cowering in the corner in fear. Artyom recognized them as his jailers whom he¡¯d convinced to head outside to gather herbs and firewood to make him taste better. The rest of the creatures were gathered around them, hesitant to say or do anything.

    ¡°What do you take me for?!¡± shouted the boss in a deep voice. His belly seemed to jiggle as he screamed, and spittle flew out of his mouth and over the five ex-captors who shook with every word. ¡°You obviously just want to escape, am I right? Don¡¯t answer that, of course I am! I¡¯m the boss!¡±

    Artyom tried rolling his eyes at the trite statements right out of a sitcom, but a familiar sensation made him freeze up. A wave of fear ran down his spine, and the man from Earth was ready to start shaking before he came to his senses and let his own magic flow through him.

    It was as if the waterfall of external emotion was cut by a knife, the magic splitting to either side of Artyom with not even a single drop touching him. Yet the magical pressure was immense, and Artyom had to actually pay attention to prevent the magic from affecting him.

    ¡°That kobold was right, he really is strong,¡± thought Artyom with a frown. ¡°But now to finish him off-¡±

    The man from Earth paused mid-thought as he caught another sight; the exit.Stolen novel; please report.

    The boss was distracted, in fact all the other kobolds were distracted as well, including their actual leader. If he tried, he might be able to sneak out or at least get close enough to make a break for it without getting caught.

    Artyom had the armor piece, after all. He could hand it to the hero and join his team. Finally get back to his actual mission!

    It would be easy.

    But the man from Earth was snapped out of his thoughts once more by the continued screaming of the boss monster.

    The words coming out of his mouth were just nonsense, something that anyone would be able to tune out after enough exposure. But these kobolds had been exposed to it for years, yet they were all still scared.

    ¡°They¡¯re innocent like little kids, of course they¡¯d be scared¡­ but even little kids would outgrow this kind of shallow fear.¡±

    The boss reached a crescendo that shook the walls of the cavern with his voice, and sent all of the kobolds, including the ones who¡¯d just entered the cavern, reeling back. Artyom found himself taking a step back as his aura defense was caught off guard and almost overpowered.

    ¡°Their fear isn¡¯t shallow, though. It¡¯s magical,¡± thought Artyom to himself, feeling a different familiar emotion begin to well up.

    Memories of decadent throne rooms with fat kings and scared Earthers came to mind. Kids, innocent, and taken from their homes. Some barely eight or nine years old, dressed in torn rags and covered in blood and bruises.

    Imposing guards standing over them, angry monarchs and nobles screaming curses, demanding fealty and violence done in their names with threats of torture and execution. Imposing inhumane burdens on¡­ children.

    A cold focus overtook Artyom as he channeled as much magical might into his hand. He grasped a chaotic maelstrom of gravity magic that demanded to be let loose to tear something or someone asunder. The man from Earth slowly walked towards the dungeon boss, ready to grant his magic¡¯s wish, having selected the perfect target; the kind of thing he¡¯d dedicated his life to eradicating.

    Artyom worked his way through the group of kobolds standing in the way. Most of them were thankfully gathered up by the sides, but it still took a moment to get to the front.

    The man from Earth raised his hand towards the boss¡¯ back, just behind his heart, and-

    ¡°Gotcha,¡± said the boss in a low whisper as he turned around and caught Artyom¡¯s entire arm sans-hand in a vice-like grip. ¡°No living being has the guts to walk right up to me, especially when I don¡¯t want it, and to think it was the dumb peasant all along!¡±

    Artyom could see a wry grin beginning to form on the monster¡¯s face, as if he¡¯d planned this all along, and Artyom was the one dumb enough to fall into his trap.

    The boss licked his lips. ¡°And all this screaming has got me working up an appetite, I think I¡¯ll enjoy some human now!¡±

    Artyom didn¡¯t give the monster a chance to act. ¡°Lion¡¯s Strength,¡± he thought to himself, casting the spell as he kicked off the ground and hugged the boss¡¯ arm as he spun it around.

    Being caught by surprise, the monster wasn¡¯t able to resist the sudden force twisting his wrist in an impossibly painful angle. But instead of letting go, he began to squeeze.

    Artyom was the one to let out a scream as he felt the force beginning to overpower his armor spell, yet in a desperate bit, he slapped his palm down on the monster¡¯s exposed wrist.

    Gravity Blender immediately detonated as soon as its magic made contact with the boss¡¯ flesh. His hand seized and began to contort as muscle and bone beneath the surface was torn to shreds while the skin remained intact. At least, for a moment.

    The monster let go of Artyom with a hellish scream just as his own scales tore apart and spewed out a volcano of crimson.

    The man from Earth took the opportunity to get to his feet and gather some distance.

    The boss on the other hand picked up his own severed hand with an unsteady grip and placed it on the bleeding stump. ¡°So you¡¯re not just some dumb peasant after all, huh?¡± A wave of aura began to radiate from him, making the kobolds stand straight in attention. ¡°I hope the taste will be worth the hassle.¡±

    Artyom couldn¡¯t help but see the flesh between the severed hand and the stump begin to flow as bone and sinew began to reknit itself. Within seconds, the two pieces were once again connected, and fully working.

    The boss stomped a foot on the ground and a solid mass of Earth rose in front of the two paths out of the cavern. ¡°Alright you worthless maggots,¡± he said, addressing the kobolds. ¡°Attack!¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s this kind of boss, huh?¡± mumbled Artyom to himself. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I have enough magic to last the entire fight, so it¡¯s a good thing I got help.¡±

    The man from Earth took a deep breath and bathed the room in his own aura.

    The boss looked with shock. ¡°What the-¡±

 Chapter 35: Rebellion Manifest

    Regeneration was a frightening ability. To heal from the worst of damage within seconds, to undo even the greatest of an opponent¡¯s destructive efforts so casually¡­ it was sure to demotivate even the strongest and most experienced adversary.

    But in Artyom¡¯s years of experience, he¡¯d found a simple yet obvious weakness: it had limits. The mundane healing process made use of the body¡¯s natural resources. How could anyone grow back bone without calcium, or create more blood without water and iron? Not to mention the energy requirements.

    Regeneration wasn¡¯t that much different. It still needed resources to replace what was too far gone, and even of what remained, the precision required to move everything into its original position had its own demands. On top of raw organic materials and physical energy, there was the magic cost too.

    So there were two options for how to deal with a regenerator.

    First was to overwhelm their healing with enough firepower to render it moot. Artyom had seen it done several times, usually with artillery, or in one case for a monster the size of a skyscraper, TOAL¡¯s secret weapon: The Eye of Balor. Can¡¯t exactly heal from an attack that doesn¡¯t leave anything to heal from.

    Second was to keep hitting them until they ran out of those healing resources.

    With a monster the size of the boss, coupled with where Artyom¡¯s magical specialties lay, the first option wouldn¡¯t be possible. But that didn¡¯t mean victory would be impossible.

    ¡°Attack!¡± shouted the boss, focusing his commanding aura on the kobolds around him and pointing them at Artyom.

    The man from Earth simply took a deep breath and focused on his own magic. He pulled forth a well of emotion and let the two mix. Anger, indignancy, a desire for freedom. These disparate emotions mixed into a single one Artyom knew all too well from his past, when he was first summoned to a fantasy world, and with a single action, let the kobolds know it as well.

    ¡°Aura of Rebellion,¡± Artyom cast, letting the wave of counter-magic wash over the kobolds. Unlike the aura he showed off to the kobold leader, this ability was infused with a true emotion borne from the deepest parts of Attyom¡¯s soul, and it sang louder than any fear or malice from their so-called boss.

    One by one, they each snapped out of the spell their boss had placed them under, lowering their guards and relaxing the grip on their weapons. But as this new aura took hold, their holds tightened and they began to face the boss.

    Artyom spoke no words now. It wasn¡¯t his place, he was an outsider. Instead, he turned towards the kobolds¡¯ true leader and gave them a nod.

    ¡°Brothers and sisters!¡± they shouted, raising a pickaxe into the air. ¡°For years we¡¯ve been brought to heel under this tyrant, this invader who has claimed everything of ours for himself; our home, our work, our very lives! But no more. Today, we have been given a chance. Today, we will take it! Today, we will be free!¡±

    The force of the words echoed throughout the cavern and even made Artyom and the hulking monster pause at the sheer passion that momentarily shook even both of their clashing auras.

    The kobolds, rather than being caught off guard, all cheered and charged at their old boss. Arrows flew from crudely carved bows strung with roots and animal sinew, while sturdy pickaxes struck true on tree trunk legs.

    The first few hits caught the boss by surprise and made him more angry than anything else at the sudden betrayal, but as the wave of attacks truly piled on, he began to wail.

    ¡°Good, he¡¯s not some kind of unfeeling flesh monster,¡± said Artyom. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t be able to experience pain if he didn¡¯t have limits to his regeneration.¡±

    ¡°W-what?!¡± the boss shouted in surprise. He began to spin in place, using his thick, elongated tail to knock away the closest kobolds, sending them flying. ¡°Aura is my thing! I was created to wield it! Which one of you dares?!¡±

    While the kobolds got off the floor and readied themselves for a second barrage, the boss turned towards the kobold leader with a deathly glare and began to charge right at him.

    ¡°He can¡¯t sense magic, so of course he doesn¡¯t realize I¡¯m the one doing this,¡± thought Artyom to himself. ¡°Get out of there! He¡¯s coming for you!¡±

    The lead kobold only realized what was happening after the boss broke into an explosive run towards them. They tried to run to the side but Artyom could see it would be impossible for them to get out of the way in time. The other kobolds realized this too and began to throw themselves in between the two.

    ¡°Speed of the- no, Sonic Waverider!¡± shouted Artyom as he went into his own dead sprint. He flew like a bullet and made it halfway before his eyes went wide.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    The kobolds trying to guard their leader suddenly began to falter. They dropped their weapons or began to sink to their knees, letting the boss rush right past them without harm.

    Artyom swore to himself. The boss¡¯ aura was somehow growing stronger, and with all of his other spells active, he wasn¡¯t able to match it. He could drop his armor spell, but then it would take a single hit from the boss to turn him into a red smear or rip his limbs off. Not to mention the physical strain brought on by his speed spell would damage his body without it.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like I¡¯ll be able to rescue him without getting myself killed, and if I go down, this whole rebellion goes with it,¡± thought Artyom as he grimaced. ¡°Sorry about this.¡±

    Artyom canceled his speed spell and redoubled his aura, building back up the mental defenses and confidence of the rest of the kobolds.

    The diminutive creatures stood tall as one and began to slash at the boss¡¯ legs as he passed them by.

    A series of blows strained his regeneration enough that after one lucky hit, he lost balance and began to slow. Not enough to stop him completely however, as he still barreled into the lead kobold, sending the both of them flying.

    The lead kobold fell to the ground, body intact and still breathing, but he didn¡¯t get up.

    The boss however rose to his feet after a second, seemingly no less worse for wear.

    ¡°To think you¡¯ve been lying to me about not having your Skills anymore when you¡¯ve had this the whole time,¡± said the boss with a sneer. ¡°But I can¡¯t have anyone giving me trouble when I have a job to do.¡±

    The monster began to walk over to the lead kobold but stopped when an arrow flew into the back of his head. He turned around, and another half a dozen arrows flew into his body.

    The monster pulled them out and snarled, turning to the crowd and trying to make out who was-

    ¡°The peasant!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°I should¡¯ve known, how else would you be able to escape, even with these idiots guarding you?¡±

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    The boss began to charge at Artyom, and with all the kobolds shocked at the sudden defeat of their leader, left his attack uncontested.

    Artyom didn¡¯t see any other choice. He canceled his aura and cast Sonic Waverider as he ran in the opposite direction of the boss. Even with the advanced magical boost, they were almost neck in neck. When Artyom made it to the cave wall, he ran up the slope and jumped over the monster as he barreled straight into the barrier he erected between them and the outside world.

    When the dust settled, he saw that it wasn¡¯t even a dent on the rock.

    ¡°Was that your plan to get away?¡± said the boss with a mocking laugh. ¡°Well I¡¯m not that dumb to make my barrier so weak.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I was hoping for,¡± replied Artyom. ¡°But running into that must have hurt, right?¡±

    The monster frowned and adjusted his nose which hadn¡¯t regenerated in the right shape, before charging again.

    Artyom tried to dodge in closer range this time, only staying a few feet away from his arms. It took most of his concentration to not get hit, and combined with the speed and armor spells, left him little brainpower left over. He tried to charge up a Gravity Lance, but was only able to build it up for an instant before it began to affect his other spells.

    With a desperate flick, Artyom managed to throw it right into the boss¡¯ eye. However, it didn¡¯t even slow down the hulking monster¡¯s assault and the damage healed before Artyom could even get the next one charged up.

    And that was nothing to say about the high energy cost of such a dirty cast.

    ¡°He¡¯ll wear me down fast like this, and I don¡¯t think he¡¯s anywhere close to running out regeneration yet.¡±

    Artyom¡¯s gaze darted to the background, where he saw the kobolds still on the floor gripped with fear, but some of them were starting to stand up.

    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s just what I need!¡±

    The few who¡¯d gotten up were archers, who nocked their bows and half heartedly shot their arrows.

    Rather than hitting the boss, they all came close to Artyom instead, one even bouncing off his armored skin.

    Artyom¡¯s eyes filled with fear, knowing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to take on both groups like this. Rather than continue the current losing strategy, he turned around and began running around the cavern. Even with the boss right on his tail, it freed up enough of his concentration to think.

    ¡°He¡¯s too fast and strong for me to not have my speed spell up, and that makes having armor also a necessity. I can¡¯t keep all of those and aura active at the same time, at least for all of them to be strong enough to actually do something.¡±

    Artyom let out a sigh, it didn¡¯t look like he had any other choice. The armor he wore under his peasant clothes was meant to deal with all sorts of physical trauma, yet this monster was able to bypass it because he loved grappling and crushing. If he could keep on the move, the boss would have to settle for regular blows.

    ¡°And besides, I lead armies. What kind of a general would I be if I kept all of the magic for myself?¡± said Artyom as he turned off his armor spell and channeled that magic back into his aura. ¡°It¡¯s not over, kobolds! This is the only chance you¡¯ve all got, fight for your life, fight for freedom!¡±

    The diminutive creatures all got up as if lightning arced through their backs, not looking so tiny anymore as they stood tall in the face of their ex-boss. The first of them nocked an arrow and shot it, nailing their true enemy in the shin and making the monster trip.

    Artyom jumped to the side but winced as his magic no longer protected him from the force of the redirection on his knees. He easily fought through the pain however and kept moving until he was in the middle of the throng of kobolds.

    ¡°I know your real leader is proud of you,¡± said Artyom, addressing the crowd around him. ¡°Now don¡¯t let his sacrifice be in vain, charge!¡±

 Chapter 36: Desperate Push

    Artyom hoped to get a chance to catch his breath with the kobolds¡¯ sudden loud charge, but the boss recognized the real threat.

    The hulking monster looked the man from Earth dead in the eye and ran at him. Arrows and pickaxe swings peppered his scales and even drew blood, but he ignored them all as he sprinted at his real target.

    Artyom cursed to himself and renewed the magic to his speed spell before jumping out of the way.

    When the boss reached the spot Artyom was just at, he turned on a dime and continued his pursuit, barely losing any speed.

    Artyom cursed again when he reached the cavern wall and was forced to swerve to avoid impacting it, but this time loudly as pain rocketed through his shins and knees. Without the armor spell active, his body wasn¡¯t able to handle the stress from turning at such inhuman speeds.

    But he didn¡¯t have a choice.

    The rest of his active magic and concentration was reserved for the aura spell keeping the kobolds functioning.

    ¡°I can¡¯t take much more strain like this,¡± thought Artyom after making another jump. ¡°I have to reduce how much I need to turn each time, and make each turn count.¡±

    The man from Earth quickly put his idea into practice, and the next time he reached the cavern wall he began to run alongside it instead of perpendicular to his angle of approach.

    A bloated hand almost grabbed him as he did so, but just barely missed. It was pierced with another three arrows for its trouble. This time however, blood dripped from the wounds just a second longer than usual before it stopped.

    Artyom smiled. ¡°That confirms it, he has a limit! But at the rate I¡¯m going at, we won¡¯t reach it in time. The running force is being distributed unevenly between my legs, so one of them will give out before the boss.¡±

    The hulking monster¡¯s eyes widened as it looked at its previously injured hand. Rather than let fear, the element it was a master of, get the better of him, he tightened his resolve and threw all caution to the wind as he put everything into his next charge.

    ¡°That¡¯s too fast!¡± shouted Artyom, seeing that the boss¡¯ path would put him on a collision course with where Artyom was headed.

    It was a tough choice now; jumping out of the way with how fast everything was currently going would absolutely mess up his knees, but staying on the same path would mean death. Maybe not that tough of a choice between those two options, but Artyom hated being forced into making it nonetheless.

    But an idea came to his mind at the very last moment before impact. A third option.

    Artyom jumped onto the cavern wall itself and continued his run, body parallel to the ground and using the centrifugal force to keep his feet attached to the wall.

    The boss¡¯ charge ended just below him, sending rocks and debris flying in all directions, but still missing him.

    ¡°Now this is something I can handle!¡± exclaimed Artyom with a wide grin.

    The boss grimaced and continued his charge, but at a much slower pace than before, letting the kobolds catch up to within melee distance of him. The constant barrage of small attacks against him, along with the distance he had to jump each time he tried to attack, all of the boss¡¯ attacks went wide.

    Artyom couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud by the time this continued for half a lap around the cavern. ¡°What, is this too much for you? If it is, you can always-¡±

    A wicked grin spread across the monster¡¯s face, but it was too late for Artyom to react.

    The rock blocking the exit to the dungeon suddenly enlarged, growing tall enough to block Artyom¡¯s path further.

    All of the man¡¯s strength was put into not running face-first into it, which at his speed, would have at the very least instantly knocked him out.

    Artyom screamed as he went flying from the cave wall onto the floor, feeling the muscles in his legs tear and his knees buckle as he poured every ounce of energy into them. He landed in a roll that ended with him on his back staring up at the slowly approaching monster.

    ¡°Now to finally kill you off and put an end to this little rebellion,¡± said the boss as he looked at Artyom with sadistic glee. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll tear your legs off first so you can¡¯t pull any new tricks to run away with.¡±

    Artyom didn¡¯t react to the taunt. He¡¯d heard much worse over the years from more intimidating enemies, and when he was in actual danger. The man¡¯s hand was wrapped around his flip phone, with his thumb over the emergency recall button. He¡¯d be out of there before the boss could lay another finger on him.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    But the confidence of having a guaranteed lifeline wasn¡¯t in his eyes. Rather, they reflected guilt.

    Artyom looked at the kobolds continuing their desperate strikes against their former boss. The fire of rebellion still shined bright in their hearts, but their strength was waning after having exhausted themselves in the prolonged fight. The damage they did with each strike or arrow was miniscule, not even enough to make the monster react, but they¡¯d already carved out more than twice the total amount of flesh he was made of.

    It still wasn¡¯t enough, they still needed to do more.

    They wouldn¡¯t get the chance once Artyom escaped.

    ¡°Maybe buy them more time? Anything¡­¡± thought Artyom as he pulled out his gun with his free hand and began firing into the boss¡¯ head. No longer running, he was able to switch out the speed spell back for his armoring one, allowing the man to easily handle the recoil of each shot.

    Of course, mundane bullets flew through his flesh, which regenerated almost as fast as it was damaged.

    Twenty feet, ten feet, five.

    The monster¡¯s laugh only became louder and more taunting the closer he got to Artyom. And when he was right above the man from Earth, they were replaced with a scream.

    Artyom quickly looked to his gun to make sure Gus hadn¡¯t actually given him something enchanted, but soon realized that wasn¡¯t what made the boss wail.

    At the monster¡¯s feet, a kobold¡¯s pickaxe had swung clean through his heel, exposing bone and sinew that spurted out blood at an alarming rate before it began to slowly close up.

    Even the small army kobolds paused at the sudden massive damage they¡¯d somehow inflicted.

    ¡°What are you ding dongs waiting for, keep hitting him!¡± shouted a voice from the other side of the cavern.

    Everyone turned at once to see a single kobold standing tall with their pickaxe pointed towards them.

    ¡°[Strength of our Burdens]!¡± The lead kobold shouted the Skill¡¯s name, and a jolt went through the room. The others of their species no longer looked as diminutive as before, and while the world still weighed on their shoulders behind their looks of surprise, they now stood with the newfound strength to carry it.

    The next kobold to attack was an archer, whose arrow flew clean through the boss¡¯ arm with more force than Artyom¡¯s bullet.

    Two more of them swung their pickaxes just after, each ripping out a massive chunk of flesh.

    The boss jumped away from the crowd behind him reflexively and looked at them, for the first time Artyom had seen from the monster, with fear. But that emotion was short-lived as it soon gave way to rage, and this time directed at the kobolds¡¯ leader.

    Artyom was completely forgotten about as he rushed towards the ¡°true¡± threat with a murderous glare. Somehow the boss was even faster than when chasing Artyom, maybe being fueled by desperation with his regeneration running out, but this time the actual leader was ready.

    They jumped out of the way with half a second to spare as the boss rocketed past and only stopped shy of the cavern wall. It wasn¡¯t a casual dodge, as it left the leader looking a little haggard afterwards.

    ¡°My fellow kobolds!¡± they shouted. ¡°Position yourself around me so you¡¯ll get a hit when he tries charging again!¡±

    The others lit up with realization and did as instructed, forming a loose net around their leader.

    A few more arrows peppered the monster in that time, and he took a few more seconds to heal from them before charging again, but by then the kobolds were in position.

    One more desperate charge, one more quick dodge, and many more gaping wounds inflicted. The macabre routine continued several more times, with even more damage beginning to pile up. However, partway through, Artyom began to realize something.

    ¡°His healing rate isn¡¯t slowing down any more, is this his base state? How is it still this fast?!¡± The man from Earth shook his head. ¡°If this is as bad as he gets, then one more decisive attack should be able to finish him off. Hmm¡­¡±

    The lead kobold was definitely approaching their limit, with the latest charge clipping their arm and sending them spinning in the air. When the leader landed, they held their arm with a wince. It was obvious the kobolds wouldn¡¯t be able to finish the job at this rate.

    Artyom focused even harder on his aura, no longer having to worry about supporting additional spells, and created a second casting infused with all of the fear and pain he could muster. There was only one target for this emotional assault, and he would have to face the full force of it.

    The magic was set loose, and in only a second, the boss felt it wash over him.

    The monster stopped his charge and looked at Artyom with realization. ¡°Oh that¡¯s right, you¡¯re the aura user out of this sorry bunch. This other idiot is making everyone strong with that Skill, but if I kill you first, everyone will fall.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± shouted the lead kobold, too far away to do anything more.

    ¡°Did you really think your feeble ability would work on me?¡± the boss asked with an arrogant grin as he began to run towards Artyom. ¡°I was created to wield aura, none are greater than me!¡±

    Every archer shot at once, turning the boss¡¯ back into a pincushion, but he kept moving. However he was moving slower now, as even his desperation gave way to exhaustion. In fact, he was slow enough that the archers would have had enough time to launch another volley before he reached his target.

    But not another arrow came at him.

    The monster¡¯s arm flew out towards the man from Earth, and just as it was about to reach him, Artyom flashed him a fiendish grin. Gotcha¡­

    ¡°Sonic Waverider, Tungsten Body,¡± he said, as he jumped off the ground and deftly sidestepped the outstretched hand.

    The boss¡¯ eyes went wide as he was for the first time too slow to react.

    Artyom came up to his face and placed a palm on his forehead and spoke a single whisper.

    ¡°Gravity Blender.¡±

 Chapter 37: To the Victor, the Spoils

    ¡°Gravity Blender,¡± said Artyom in a soft whisper.

    The monster¡¯s head immediately began to contort, and his neck even spun in a complete circle. The kobolds looked on in horror and awe as Artyom poured all of his magic into the single attack that now pushed through the boss¡¯ skull and into his torso, squeezing his entire upper body into a single point.

    And then it imploded.

    Blood, viscera, and shards of bone flew in all angles, bathing his half of the cave in a violent crimson.

    Artyom himself wasn¡¯t spared from the blast and ended up covered in the vile smelling substance. Thankfully he kept his eyes and mouth closed, but it didn¡¯t help prevent the odor from entering his nostrils.

    Yet once he landed and the last of the droplets hit the ground, the cavern went silent. The kobolds looked on in anticipation, waiting for the wounds to heal and for the boss to rise once more. Even Artyom charged up another Gravity Blender, but this one was much weaker than the last and wouldn¡¯t do nearly as much damage as the first. He¡¯d truly put everything into that last attack.

    But the seconds passed and turned into a full two minutes, and the corpse remained still. Only after one particularly brave kobold slowly walked up to it and kicked it did everyone in the cave let out a collective held breath.

    ¡°We¡­ we did it,¡± muttered the leader. ¡°We did it!¡±

    The kobolds erupted into cheers. Bows and pickaxes were thrown into the air without a care in the world for where they might land as they all began to dance around one another.

    Hops, skips, and leaps for joy did these creatures make, making their joy known to the world, even if it was a world of themselves and their savior.

    Artyom couldn¡¯t help but smile along. It took all his strength to keep standing, and only because of his armoring spell reinforcing his near internally mangled legs, but he walked over to the crowd to celebrate with them.

    He tried to jump along with them, but began to fall to the floor once he landed, and a pair of kobolds had to catch him.

    ¡°Hey hey, don¡¯t push yourself so hard,¡± said the lead kobold as they rushed over. ¡°You took the most damage out of any one here, save for our old boss.¡±

    The two of them looked at the belly and legs on the ground in the distance, just to make sure it still wasn¡¯t moving. They felt their shoulders lighten after seeing it hadn¡¯t.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, I just need a chance to rest up,¡± said Artyom as he waved away the kobold¡¯s concern. ¡°Maybe head back to headquarters for a healing potion or something.¡±

    ¡°Potion? We have a few of those stored away, I have one with me here,¡± said the lead kobold as they passed Artyom a vial of red liquid. ¡°It takes about a day to take full effect, so it¡¯s not good for a fight.¡±

    The man from Earth inspected the vial and felt the wisps of magical energy emanating from it. ¡°Yeah, this should be strong enough to heal me up, are you sure you all don¡¯t need it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it looks like the boss only went after the two of us, since we were the main threats. He needed everyone else alive to keep working the mines, after all.¡±

    Artyom nodded and drank the contents of the vial. It tasted bitter with a hint of sourness, and not at all like the strawberry soda it looked like. He didn¡¯t complain though, but still wished they¡¯d at least try to make potions taste good, just like the ones from headquarters. Maybe he was a little spoiled.Stolen novel; please report.

    The lead kobold did the same, not a single wince or complaint on their face.

    ¡°Speaking of threats, what was that thing you did? You shouted something after you woke up and everyone suddenly got stronger; I thought you said you lost all of your old Skills?¡±

    ¡°I got a new one! I heard a weird whisper in my ears while I was out cold, and the next thing I knew, I was up and using it,¡± said the lead kobold with a shrug.

    Artyom let out a sigh with a smile on his face. His greatest disadvantage in this world might not stay one for much longer, but with all the time and trouble the kobold had to go through to get even one Skill, it didn¡¯t bode well for his actual mission.

    ¡°Something about the Skill feels special,¡± they continued. ¡°It¡¯s a lot stronger than I would have expected for my level, and it¡¯s technically my first Skill after the reset. It felt like it came exactly when I needed it? Maybe¡­ nah.¡± They began to laugh.

    ¡°Maybe what?¡± asked Artyom. The System of the world was a mystery to him; why he didn¡¯t start with access to it, how all of his benefits were lost after getting [Emissary of Dharma], and the kobold¡¯s strange level up. Any insight was better than what he had, even if it was only conjecture.

    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s some kind of guiding force behind it?¡±

    ¡°Like the goddess?¡±

    ¡°Eh who knows, you think she would have helped earlier if she cared,¡± said the lead kobold with a dismissive wave. ¡°But I¡¯m grateful to whoever did help, if there is someone behind it.¡±

    To Artyom the goddess would have made the most sense since he didn¡¯t get connected to the System until her blessing. But he immediately lost it because of that Skill, the one that the lead kobold had who got a new and very useful Skill when they needed it most, also likely because of that Skill, and-

    Artyom grabbed his head with both his hands and grunted. ¡°Too many puzzle pieces, I have no idea what¡¯s going on with this stupid System!¡±

    All of the kobolds began to laugh.

    The man from Earth began to calm down and chuckle along with them. The potion was already taking effect, and he didn¡¯t feel like falling over after putting much of his energy into his laughter.

    As the noise died down however, Artyom reached into his pocket and pulled out the armor piece. He gave it a look over and felt a stronger weight in his hands than the object physically exerted. This was what he came here for; the goal of his mission, his ticket to the Earther¡¯s side.

    ¡°Feel free to take that with you,¡± said the lead kobold. ¡°The boss gave it to us one day and told us to guard it with our lives. It doesn¡¯t mean anything to us, except a reminder of that jerk.¡± They turned back to his corpse and confirmed it was still dead. ¡°Heh, maybe we should burn the remains to put my mind at ease?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± said Artyom, pocketing the treasure. ¡°Do you need any help? I have a bit of time to spare.¡±

    <hr>

    A blaze went up from the entrance of the cave.

    The kobolds and Artyom stood around a wooden pyre where the remains of the boss had been placed, and promptly set ablaze.

    It was funny, the man from Earth thought. Funerals were partially meant to put the loved ones of the departed at ease and give them closure. Yet here, it was doing the same for the dead monster¡¯s enemies.

    The smoke was acrid and caused much of the audience to cry, yet they shed their tears with beaming smiles.

    It was over.

    ¡°Tonight, we feast!¡± shouted the lead kobold, projecting their voice above the fire.

    Everyone cheered.

    They looked at Artyom with a thoughtful smile and said, ¡°You¡¯re more than welcome to join us, it¡¯s been forever since we¡¯ve gotten to eat squirrel meat!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ think I¡¯ll pass,¡± replied Artyom with a sheepish grin which soon turned serious. ¡°I need to continue my mission and get that armor piece to the hero.¡±

    ¡°Not sure who that is, but good luck,¡± said the lead kobold.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± said the man from Earth with a bright smile, as he turned around and headed back into the woods.

    The kobolds waved him back and shouted their well wishes until he disappeared into the tree line.

    ¡°I hope we get to see him one day,¡± said the lead kobold with a tear in their eye. ¡°But now that I think about it, I don¡¯t think he even learned my name!¡±

    ¡°You have a name?¡± asked another kobold next to them. ¡°I don¡¯t even know if you¡¯re a man or a woman!¡±

    ¡°How can you say such a thing?!¡± said the leader in shock that soon turned into more laughter. ¡°Especially when I don¡¯t know that about you either!¡±

    ¡°How have we not asked each other this sooner?!¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± said the lead kobold looking out to the pyre and the others dancing around it. ¡°We have plenty of time now thanks to him. Let¡¯s make good use of it.¡±

 Chapter 38: Book 1 Epilogue (book 2 coming tomorrow)

    Ring, ring, ring¡­ click

    ¡°I never expected you to be the one to initiate our nightly check-ins, Artyom,¡± said Gus from the other side of the phone. ¡°And this early in the day, at that.¡±

    ¡°Me neither, but this isn¡¯t a check-in. It¡¯s a mission report.¡±

    Artyom leaned back in the bed in his room at the inn. It wasn¡¯t anything luxurious, but the layer of cotton over the pile of straw was more than he could ask for given the price he paid for the room. A sound-blocking privacy ward surrounded him in a small bubble that kept any noise from escaping the room.

    ¡°It¡¯s worse than I thought, Gus. I don¡¯t know how you did it, but the place you sent me to is a complete madhouse. Something very deeply fundamental to this place is downright wrong.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve already described the duality of human nature there, what else has happened?¡±

    ¡°Oh, where do I begin,¡± mumbled Artyom before focusing back. ¡°The hero¡¯s party tried to kill me.¡±

    ¡°Did you get away? If they¡¯re still treating the Earther well, we can try to extract him at a later date.¡±

    ¡°No, not like that. They gave me a little errand to run before I got to join the party, retrieving some treasure from a nearby ¡®easy¡¯ dungeon. Their priestess gave me a little ¡®blessing¡¯ first. It might have let me start leveling up, but it made me dumb as all hell. I just ran into the dungeon without a care in the world and got knocked out the moment I was ambushed. Not to mention the boss monster was a true end-game threat, something even an entire squad of our soldiers would have trouble with.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ is concerning. And highly unlike you.¡±

    Artyom stretched his leg, which suddenly felt stiff as its ligaments reattached themselves. ¡°Understatement of the century. But the stupid went away when I got this weird Skill, [Emissary of Dharma]. I don¡¯t know if it actually does anything else beyond clearing my mind and canceling all of my level ups, but I met two others who have it. They seem to be a lot sharper than everyone else around here, so maybe it makes you smart or something? It might just cancel out the stupidity curse in my case.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, dharma, I think it means truth in Sanskrit, but there¡¯s probably more to it. We¡¯ll get you checked out by a medical team when you return to headquarters.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be for a while.¡±

    A turbulent silence settled around the two that lasted several seconds before Gus popped it.

    ¡°After the injuries you¡¯ve sustained, I¡¯m willing to switch you out with someone else; you can take their support role on the current big mission.¡±

    ¡°Are they more experienced than me?¡±

    ¡°No, they are not.¡±

    ¡°Then forget it,¡± Artyom spat. ¡°I told you something is fundamentally wrong with this place, and I intend to figure out what, all while by the hero¡¯s side.¡±

    ¡°In the presence of his party members who tried to kill you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I can¡¯t be anywhere else.¡±

    Gus took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. ¡°I seem to be lost, you need to explain your reasoning to me.¡±

    ¡°Remember why I got sent on this mission in the first place?¡±Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°Because you need a vacation-¡±

    ¡°I mean what¡¯s on the dossier, Gus.¡±

    The man on the other side of the line paused for a second before snapping his finger. ¡°The unknown summoning method. You need to make sure they won¡¯t be able to summon another Earther once you rescue this one.¡±

    ¡°Exactly, and if I do extract Tommy, his entourage would kill me on the spot if I tried to rescue the next one.¡± Artyom exhaled and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t even know if I should rescue the kid. He looks nothing like someone from Earth, but has all the memories of one.¡±

    ¡°Which is another reason you wish to get close to him.¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    Gus hummed in thought before speaking up again, ¡°Will you need additional gear? I can issue you sturdier body armor and a gauss rifle.¡±

    Artyom shook his head. ¡°No, the kid will recognize all of that and blow my cover. I¡¯m not sure how the others will react if they know I¡¯m also from Earth.¡±

    ¡°I believe it is safe to bet they would try and kill you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s safe to bet they¡¯ll do that anyway.¡±

    Artyom burst into laughter while Gus gave a polite chortle.

    ¡°Man, this is going to be dangerous,¡± said the man from Earth with a bittersweet smile.

    ¡°It will be,¡± replied Gus solemnly. ¡°You¡¯ve made your decision and I won¡¯t try to stop you, but I wish you best of luck. Be careful.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I will.¡±

    Artyom said goodbye and hung up the phone. There was nothing more to discuss.

    ¡°Alright, the potion should be done healing me up by tomorrow, so I¡¯ll drop off this armor piece once I¡¯m back in shape. Don¡¯t want to show any weakness around those harpies.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Come on, Tommy!¡± cooed Daisy as she clung to his arm. ¡°Can¡¯t we go already? I¡¯m getting bored here.¡±

    ¡°We promised Artyom we¡¯d wait for him to get the armor piece, we can¡¯t leave now!¡± said Tommy. ¡°At least there¡¯s plenty of fun to have here in the meantime.¡±

    The hero¡¯s party stood around the ¡°Fancy and Pancy,¡± Brimhaven¡¯s premier inn. It was late in the morning, and while many nobles were present for brunch, they stuck to the corner tables of the main hall. It was the only way to keep some semblance of the peace they were used to without coming off as rude in front of a national hero.

    ¡°She has a point,¡± said Xerica as she walked up to the two with her arms crossed. ¡°If he actually cared, he would have gotten back here by now. We can only assume he¡¯s not interested or he couldn¡¯t get through the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­¡± began Tommy, not making eye contact with the redhead. ¡°He just seems really cool, you know? I¡¯d love to have him as part of the team.¡±

    Standing in a corner, Neitra silently nodded along with a soft frown, her brown hair bobbing as she did.

    Lensa walked up and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Worry not, Tommy. If it is the goddess¡¯ will, she will see him back to us safely. I gave him her blessing, after all.¡±

    Tommy looked up to her and smiled bashfully.

    ¡°But he really should be back here by now,¡± drawled Ecole as she cleaned out her fingernails with a dagger. ¡°I bet the dungeon¡¯s boss did him-¡±

    The rich wooden door of the inn was kicked open and Artyom walked in. What little dialogue was taking place in the corners of the main hall went dead silent as the man from Earth strode in with a scowl. He made his way to the table Tommy and the other ladies were sitting at and slammed his hand down onto it.

    ¡°Given up already?¡± asked Xerica with a smug grin. ¡°It¡¯s a lot smarter than I would have expected from you.¡±

    ¡°As a matter of fact,¡± replied Artyom, his own lips rising from a frown into a smile that surpassed even her¡¯s in smugness. ¡°It was just as easy as you said it would be.¡±

    All four of the ladies looked at the table with disbelief as Artyom lifted his hand to reveal the armor piece. Neitra looked over with equally wide eyes, but with an expression of wonder to back it up.

    ¡°Awesome, welcome to the party!¡± exclaimed Tommy, jumping out of his chair.

    The others remained silent, but they raised their heads to Artyom, directing their collective wrath and disdain onto the singular target.

    The man from Earth merely regarded them each with a polite smile.

    ¡°I know this isn¡¯t going to be the last time you all try to kill me,¡± he gravely thought behind his placid facade. ¡°But I¡¯m ready this time. I know you¡¯re all up to something, and I¡¯ll stake my life on keeping this kid safe. That¡¯s my duty, after all.¡±

    ¡°So, ladies, what¡¯s our first order of business?¡±

 Chapter 39: Joining the Party

    If anyone had told Artyom that partying up with the main character of a harem isekai anime would be the most dangerous decision he¡¯ll ever make, he¡¯d fall to the floor laughing.

    If anything, he¡¯d feel like his money was well spent, because only a professional comedian directly targeting him at a paid show could come up with something so funny.

    ¡°Thanks for letting me join your team,¡± said Artyom as he gave the young man and four unnaturally attractive women in front of him a smile that didn¡¯t come close to reaching his eyes.

    And he most certainly wasn¡¯t laughing.

    ¡°Whatever, it wasn¡¯t much of a test anyway, you shouldn¡¯t look so proud of yourself,¡± said Xerica with a harrumph. Her flowing red hair fluttered as she did, making it billow behind her head as if it were a cape.

    The dungeon they sent him to held an end-game boss monster capable of taking on an entire army by itself, let alone a single adventurer.

    ¡°It must be the goddess¡¯ will,¡± said Lensa, the girl with the lavender hair, meekly walking up behind the redhead. ¡°And her blessing I gave him earlier.¡±

    The so-called blessing was a curse that rendered Artyom mentally impotent, making the man from Earth run into the dungeon without a care in the world before getting knocked out. It was only by a real miracle he was able to break out of it before getting killed.

    ¡°Big whoop, we¡¯ve all got the goddess¡¯ blessing,¡± said Daisy, a short-haired fit blonde with a shorter temper. ¡°We¡¯re already part of her chosen hero¡¯s party, after all.¡±

    She had pulled out her weapons and threatened to kill him when they first met just for talking to the hero.

    ¡°Whatever, can we just get on with the day?¡± asked Ecole with a groan. She idly brushed her green hair out of her face before taking another bite of breakfast. ¡°We don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll even stay for long.¡±

    Artyom didn¡¯t have anything to say about Ecole. She didn¡¯t actively try to kill him, but she didn¡¯t seem the kind of person to actively do anything. She was still most certainly in on it.

    ¡°I hope he stays a while,¡± said Neitra, the brunette girl standing in the back of the inn away from the crowd. She wore a cloak whose hood cast a shadow over much of her face, which made it hard for Artyom to discern how she actually felt.

    He didn¡¯t like that. Context meant everything with a line like that; was it supposed to be friendly or a threat? It didn¡¯t help that Artyom was caught by surprise when she spoke since he didn¡¯t notice her until now.

    Every single person in the group was dangerous; each capable of killing him without a second thought, and some of them had even tried! Yet he was still here, walking into the middle of a viper¡¯s den. But why?

    ¡°Glad we finally have another guy with us!¡± exclaimed the young man of the group. ¡°It¡¯s like that time the summer camp I went to was only filled with girls and I barely made any friends.¡±

    The others nodded along, not really understanding what ¡°summer camp¡± was, and Artyom copied them, despite knowing fully.

    Tommy, the young man, was supposedly from Earth. He might not have looked the part with his inhuman elf-like ears that matched the locals¡¯, but he sounded just like a kid from back home.

    And Artyom was a member of the Isekai Police. He traveled between worlds to save anyone who ended up somewhere that wasn¡¯t conducive to the stereotypical isekai dream.

    That meant if the villains weren¡¯t shy about committing war crimes against children, Artyom and his team would intervene and bring the summoned Earth kid to safety.

    He¡¯d already witnessed several war crimes on his third day in this world.

    ¡°Yeah, whatever,¡± replied Ecole. ¡°Do you have our supplies for the trip?¡±

    ¡°I was waiting to see if the new guy would join before buying them,¡± replied Neitra. Her tone, while similar to Ecole¡¯s, was cool and distant rather than uncaring.

    ¡°What the heck, Neitra?!¡± shouted Daisy, who was in the process of stuffing half a croissant in her mouth. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you just get the stuff first?! We¡¯ve already spent too much time here!¡±

    ¡°Everyone was talking about how he wouldn¡¯t be able to succeed, so I followed what you all wanted,¡± replied the brunette.

    Xerica, the redhead, looked at Neitra and shook her head. ¡°I have to agree with Daisy, you need to show better initiative if you¡¯re going to be on the team.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve already got a replacement for her anyway, wanna see how he does her job?¡± asked Ecole.

    The five women looked at Artyom, the four near Tommy with discerning looks and Neitra with sudden apprehension.

    Artyom bit his lip. He didn¡¯t want to be dragged into team drama so soon, especially when saying the wrong thing might make someone want to kill him sooner. He looked around the decadent inn for some kind of out, but all the other richly dressed patrons were keeping their distance from the boisterous group. Some of them who were paying attention looked at the man with pity.

    ¡°I-¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Just then, the inn¡¯s front door and surrounding brick fell with a crash, throwing up a cloud of dust.

    Everyone¡¯s attention was instantly grabbed and they turned to face the disturbance.

    ¡°I finally found you,¡± a deep voice rumbled from behind the cloud. ¡°It took me long enough to recover and follow the treasure all the way here, but it¡¯s all about to be worth it.¡±

    Artyom¡¯s eyes went wide in shock, leaving him speechless.

    As the dust settled, a massive figure covered in scales and muscle looked down on the man from Earth with eyes filled with pure hatred. Despite his regenerative abilities, his body was marred with pockmarks and scars, only adding to the threatening visage he casted upon the inn patrons.

    ¡°You and those pathetic kobolds thought a little fire was enough to put me down for good? Do you know who I am?! Once I kill everyone in this building, I¡¯m heading back and teaching those smug little idiots a lesson they¡¯ll never forget!¡±

    ¡°This is bullshit!¡± Artyom reflexively shouted, much to the displeasure of the sophisticated inn patrons. But behind that frustration, there was relief that the kobolds who toiled under this monster were safe¡­ for now.

    His reflexes didn¡¯t end there however, and he cast a battery of spells on himself: Sonic Waverider for unparalleled speed, Tungsten Body to reinforce his durability, and he began to charge a Gravity Blender attack in his hand.

    Before Artyom could act further, Xerica spoke. ¡°Did you say everyone in the building?¡±

    The monster looked over to her and the rest of the group with contempt, before his own eyes began to widen in realization.

    ¡°Oh, you recognize someone?¡±

    ¡°T-the hero?¡± said the monster with a stutter. ¡°No, no please!¡±

    ¡°You know we can¡¯t have anyone hurting our precious Tommy,¡± said Xerica with a snap of her fingers. ¡°Time to cut you off.¡±

    The other ladies immediately pulled their weapons out and charged at the monster, not giving him any time to react.

    Daisy with her twin swords ran between the hulking creature¡¯s legs and slashed the achilles heel of both his feet, causing him to lose balance.

    Ecole threw a poison-coated knife into his protruding belly next, suddenly making the veins around the impact turn a shade of dark green and purple, and the rest of his face paled even further.

    Neitra, seizing the opportunity, leapt onto the monster¡¯s back and dragged a dagger across his throat like a hot knife through butter, causing a spray of blood to hemorrhage out. She fell back as a fireball from Xerica struck his face the next second, sending errant wisps of flame flying towards her.

    ¡°Get out of the way!¡± the redhead shouted with a tisk before looking at Lensa.

    The lavender haired girl raised her staff and completed a chant, causing a faint glow of a thick ethereal rope pointing towards the sky to appear above the monster.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t!¡± he gargled out like a twisted parody of a cartoon duck, but it was too late.

    Daisy ran up the walls and was in front of the thread, which she cut with a casual flick of her blade.

    His rapidly regenerating injuries immediately stopped healing, and blood began to pour out of his wounds at an even faster pace. It didn¡¯t take long for the four women to tear the monster to pieces.

    ¡°And to make sure you don¡¯t get back up again,¡± began Xerica as she lit a white-hot flame in her hand. She threw the mote of bright light at the monster, and as soon as it made contact, it exploded into a controlled orb of fire that completely engulfed its body.

    Only some of the heat leaked out, but the color of the flames and the level of control being exerted told Artyom everything he needed to know about the power of the spell and its caster.

    At that moment, the man from Earth wanted to grab a chair and sit down after witnessing how easily the four of them took out the monster he struggled to fight with a small army at his back. The only thing that stopped him was the desire to not show any sign of weakness to the predators around him.

    ¡°Was the fight really that easy, and the relative power of the people in this world just that high?¡± Artyom thought to himself before shaking his head. ¡°No, the adventurers and warband I encountered at Freeacres were much weaker than this, but both groups were made up of newbies. This could just be the height of power they¡¯re expected to quickly grow into¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, new guy!¡± shouted Daisy.

    Artyom was snapped out of his thoughts and turned to face her.

    ¡°That¡¯s the boss from the dungeon we sent you to, wasn¡¯t it? You were supposed to kill him, you failed your test!¡±

    Before Artyom could get a chance to speak, Neitra interjected.

    ¡°The test was for him to get the armor piece, not kill the boss,¡± said the brunette as she inspected her hair for any burnt strands.

    ¡°Nobody was talking to you,¡± shot back Daisy.

    ¡°She¡¯s right though,¡± said Tommy, stepping forward. ¡°The test was to get the armor piece, and he got it!¡±

    Daisy¡¯s features softened, and after a few seconds, she looked away and sputtered out something before walking upstairs.

    Xerica just shook her head and let out a sigh. ¡°Well, Tommy¡¯s right, you¡¯re still part of the team.¡± Her features then hardened as she practically looked through Artyom¡¯s soul. ¡°But if your negligence gets Tommy hurt, we¡¯ll do a lot worse to you than we did to that dungeon boss.¡±

    Artyom used all his willpower not to swallow the lump in his throat and simply nodded.

    ¡°Good!¡± said Xerica, suddenly brightening up. ¡°Now while we finish getting ready for the day, why don¡¯t you head out with Neitra to buy our supplies?¡±

    The man from Earth looked around the inn, and without another word, nodded and turned around to follow Neitra out of the inn through the destroyed front wall.

    There was no doubt in Artyom¡¯s mind that Tommy¡¯s party would keep him safe from most threats, but that wasn¡¯t Artyom¡¯s biggest worry.

    Something about this world wasn¡¯t right.

    A coddled and naive hero being put up against a ruthless and sadistic enemy didn¡¯t sit well with Artyom, no matter how strong Tommy or his party was. Not to mention Tommy¡¯s not-quite human visage.

    Was he really from Earth? From what Artyom knew, the only way to summon an Earther was through a portal, but that wasn¡¯t how Tommy got here. And if the hero did get rescued, the people of this world could just summon another one. Artyom would have to find the actual source of the summoning and put a stop to it.

    It was his strangest and most dangerous mission to date. None of the rules applied, and he would have to use all of his wits to get through this alive.

    Artyom looked back at Tommy chatting with the remaining three, and at the destruction that marred the inn.

    ¡°No doubt the owner will be out here soon, and anyone still at the inn is going to have to answer for all the damages. I¡¯m not going to be able to talk to Tommy at this rate, and besides¡­ better them than me.¡±

 Chapter 40: Keeping Up

    The streets were busy at this time of day, with most of the townsfolk finishing up their current tasks before lunch, or already trying to find a bite to eat. Neitra deftly wove through the crowds as she made her way down the street with Artyom several feet behind her.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you can keep up with me like this, are you sure you don¡¯t want to walk closer?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure,¡± replied Artyom uneasily. It was the best position to keep an eye on her, after all. He wouldn¡¯t be able to stare directly at her without looking suspicious if he was by her side, and someone of her caliber would only need an instant to disappear and stab him in the back.

    ¡°Well alright, but shout for me if you get lost. I¡¯m Neitra, by the way.¡±

    ¡°Artyom. The others already called you by your name, so I know.¡±

    She nodded, and they continued forwards.

    The first shop they stopped by puzzled Artyom for a second before hindsight put the pieces together for him. The smell of sugar and honey struck the duo as they entered, and a rhythmic thumping echoed through the store as one of the employees repeatedly slammed a large mound of a red elastic mass on the countertop.

    ¡°One bag of sour candy and another of soft chews, please,¡± said Neitra, walking up to the attendant.

    ¡°My my, another visit from the hero¡¯s rogue, I see?¡± said the older woman manning the front of the shop. ¡°And who¡¯s this, is it the hero? A bit older and more grizzled than I expected, but still quite a dashing lad!¡±

    ¡°Hi Miss Sugarbee,¡± said Neitra with a glowing smile. ¡°This is Artyom, he just joined the team.¡±

    The man from Earth politely waved, but otherwise said nothing.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ll be leaving town soon,¡± said the older woman. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely miss you, so please come back when you get the chance.¡±

    Neitra nodded, and after paying, left with Artyom.

    ¡°Honestly I¡¯m not surprised.¡±

    ¡°Tommy is a big fan of sour candy. He says it reminds him of his favorites from back home.¡±

    ¡°And the soft chews?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±

    The two continued onwards, and in the time they¡¯d spent in the candy store, the streets had begun to clear up. It made it easier for Artyom to follow along, but the deafening silence cast a blanket of awkwardness over him. After a while, he felt forced to finally say what had been on his mind.

    ¡°Thanks for speaking up for me earlier.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°The other four were ready to deny me from joining because the dungeon boss was still alive, but you reminded them I was only told to get the armor piece, not kill him as well. Thanks.¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°I was only doing what was right.¡±

    It felt good to get the words out of him lest he come off as ungrateful. But with that feeling gone, another one remained. Artyom finally swallowed the knot forming in his throat now that nobody was looking.

    While the other women in the party didn¡¯t even try to hide their strength, the issue with Neitra was that she was too good at hiding. In more ways than one.

    Artyom had faced certain death many times in the past, and on occasion had even spit in its face. Sometimes literally! But that was only because he was confident in his ability to run away or knew some fact that would keep him safe. The women in the party wanted to appease Tommy, who in turn wanted Artyom to join, so their first murder attempt was forced to be discreet.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Neitra was a rogue; her entire thing was discrete killing.

    And thus, silence returned to their walk.

    Before long, they arrived at their next destination.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going in there,¡± said Artyom.

    ¡°Why not? It¡¯s a shortcut I learned and we need to get back quickly.¡±

    ¡°Neitra, I¡¯m not walking into a dark alley.¡±

    ¡°There aren¡¯t any monsters in the dark, don¡¯t worry!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m scared of.¡±

    ¡°Then what are you- if we don¡¯t make it back in time, they¡¯re going to be mad, and they¡¯ll probably use it as an excuse to actually kick you out this time. It usually takes any of them about half an hour to get ready; to shower, get dressed, and all. We¡¯ll only have enough time if we go through here!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ll be busy for a while longer than that. The owner of the inn is going to make a stink about the front wall being broken down, not to mention all the other damage from the fight.¡±

    ¡°Huh, I guess so¡­ but I¡¯m not taking that risk. Let¡¯s run instead, try to keep up and if you get lost, just meet me back at the inn!¡±

    Before Artyom could reply, Neitra began to dash across the open street, leaving a dust cloud in her wake.

    ¡°And she¡¯s fast,¡± thought Artyom as he began to run.

    Sometime during their conversation, the whole town seemingly finished eating and began to fill up the streets once more.

    Artyom started to lose Neitra in the crowd, and suddenly worried she¡¯d use it as an opportunity to disappear and reappear with a knife in his back.

    ¡°Speed of the Olympian, Detect Life,¡± said Artyom to himself as he cast the two spells and began running after her. While the effectiveness of Detect Life was muddled by the sheer number of people around, Artyom was able to keep track of her specific magic silhouette.

    The only problem was that she was a rogue, and her abilities let her effortlessly slip in between people in the crowd while keeping her frantic pace.

    Artyom began to fall behind. But rather than losing her, he poured more magic into the speed spell and placed his feet onto the wall of the building to his right. Just like in the dungeon during his fight against the monster that had attacked the inn, Artyom began to run parallel to the ground.

    But unlike then, he didn¡¯t have the benefit of centrifugal force to keep him stuck to the wall and soon began to feel himself falling.

    Rather than face plant into the ground, Artyom grabbed the edge of a balcony and used it to swing himself forward.

    ¡°Parkour!¡± he said to himself in an excited whisper all the while.

    Thankfully, Artyom only had to take another two swings before the crowd began to thin out and he was able to safely land and continue his normal run. And thanks to his previous speed spell, he caught up to Neitra quickly.

    After a few more minutes, the woman began to slow her pace and eventually came to a stop in front of a hunting shop in the inner circle of the city. ¡°Oh wow, you kept up!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re surprised after I got the armor piece?¡±

    Neitra looked away. ¡°I mean, the others said it was an easy test, and the dungeon boss followed you back¡­¡±

    Artyom couldn¡¯t help but quirk an eyebrow when he replied. ¡°The others said? You didn¡¯t know anything about the dungeon yourself?¡±

    ¡°Not really, no. When I joined up, they made me go through a really easy dungeon, so I figured it would be the same for you.¡±

    ¡°And when was that?¡±

    ¡°About half a year ago.¡±

    It was plain as day to Artyom that the others treated Neitra with disdain, but they still assigned her responsibilities and let her contribute. The fact she had been part of the party for so long and wasn¡¯t a corpse yet made Artyom believe she was part of the whole conspiracy.

    But the more she spoke, the more she painted a story similar to his. Artyom figured he could at least get some perspective from her.

    ¡°You saw the boss with your own eyes, how strong was he compared to the one you fought?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t fight mine, I was able to take the armor piece and get out without being noticed.¡±

    Artyom looked to the ground and let out a sigh, remembering the kobolds he¡¯d fought alongside. ¡°I couldn¡¯t take that option.¡±

    ¡°They probably didn¡¯t know what dungeon to send you to,¡± she replied. ¡°I told them I was a rogue so they sent me to one that was a good fit for my strengths. I think you¡¯re a spellcaster, but I don¡¯t even know what kind of magic you¡¯re good with.¡±

    ¡°Way to give them the benefit of the doubt, I bet they didn¡¯t even curse you,¡± Artyom thought as he shook his head. He realized he wasn¡¯t going to get any more information out of her without giving away he knew they¡¯d tried to kill him. ¡°Let¡¯s just get back to shopping.¡±

 Chapter 41: His First Mission

    The two walked into the store and were immediately greeted with a display right out of a modern day sports hunting store. Tents, fishing poles, and survival gear lined the walls and many racks that made up the sprawling floor. In the back counter, there were no rifles, but rather some sort of magical crossbows sat behind a glass display case.

    Standing in front of them at the counter was a burly man who let out a laugh as soon as he saw the two walk in. ¡°Haha! Neitra! What can I do for ya?¡±

    ¡°Hi Mr. Awber, just here to pick up some rations, as well as a tent for our newest member.¡±

    ¡°New member? Glad you¡¯ve made a new friend, you deserve it! Our tents are on display in the back, and our rations should be next to it.¡±

    ¡°Come on, you know Tommy doesn¡¯t like pemmican, no matter how good the fruits you put in it are,¡± said Neitra with a smirk while she placed the bag of soft chews on the counter.

    Mr. Awber snagged it with a guffaw and began walking to the back of the store. ¡°I know, I know, I just can¡¯t help myself. Let me grab you a little something from my personal stash.¡±

    After rummaging around for a minute, the shop owner came back with a small crate of bars.

    ¡°After getting banned from the candy shop, I haven¡¯t been able to enjoy this as much as I would have liked to, so I don¡¯t mind parting with the good stuff for a taste of even better stuff! Especially for such a good cause.¡± He gave the two a wink.

    After paying for the rations and Artyom¡¯s supplies, the two left the shop and began to head back to the inn.

    ¡°How long have you been in town for?¡± asked Artyom. ¡°Or did you know those two from before you got here?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been here for about a week and I only met them a day after we arrived,¡± replied Neitra.

    ¡°And you got to know the shopkeepers well enough to make the candy transaction a thing in that little time?¡±

    Neitra shrugged. ¡°I spent a whole day asking around town to figure this all out, and a lot of it was luck.¡±

    Artyom couldn¡¯t help but feel she was selling herself short; working with people was hard, especially to this degree. Maybe those skills let her carve out a niche in the party that kept the other four from offing her?

    Or maybe she was using those skills to get Artyom¡¯s guard down before she would slit his throat.

    Before Artyom could dwell more on understanding Neitra¡¯s true nature, the duo arrived at the inn.

    Walking through the giant hole at the entrance, they found an especially well dressed man berating the rest of the party. The four women formed a human barricade between him and Tommy, who was the only one to look embarrassed in contrast to the others¡¯ annoyance, and was still wearing the same clothes as this morning.

    ¡°See, what¡¯d I tell you?¡± whispered Artyom. ¡°Let¡¯s wait outside in case they try to drag us into this.¡±

    Neitra looked at him unsurely and didn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Money isn¡¯t enough to make up for this, think of the loss of reputation! What noble would want to stay here when it was attacked by a monster?!¡± shouted the innkeeper. ¡°And what kind of a cut causes blood to spray out hard enough to cover the drapes on the OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM?!¡±

    ¡°A cut to the jugular or carotid artery, most likely,¡± Artyom whispered.

    Neitra¡¯s eyes widened and face reddened, and she immediately disappeared from Artyom¡¯s vision.

    ¡°Shit, Detect Life,¡± he mumbled, scanning the room around him. To his relief, he saw Neitra¡¯s silhouette just outside the inn right next to the hole in the wall, and snuck away to join her.

    ¡°H-how¡¯d you know I was here?¡± she asked as soon as Artyom stopped next to her.

    Artyom looked around confused for a moment before focusing in on the source of the sound¡­ and the silhouette generated by his spell.

    ¡°Oh, nevermind,¡± said Netira, turning off her invisibility.

    To Artyom¡¯s credit, even when he knew she was there, he was surprised enough by her sudden appearance to funnel it into a convincingly shocked expression.

    The two waited until the argument died down and the innkeeper walked off. He sounded pretty satisfied after being given permission to use the hero¡¯s name for his inn¡¯s marketing.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°What took you two so long?!¡± shouted Daisy as the duo sauntered into the inn. ¡°Can¡¯t you look after a single newbie, Neitra?¡±

    ¡°So are we ready to go now?¡± asked Artyom, cutting in before Neitra could reply in defense.

    ¡°We would be if it weren¡¯t for the innkeeper making such a fuss.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying we¡¯re not late?¡±

    Even from a distance Artyom could see a vein begin to bulge on her forehead.

    ¡°Normally we¡¯d be ready by now, and you two are late by that standard,¡± said Xerica.

    The two groups stared at each other for several seconds before the silence was suddenly broken.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ going to go shower now,¡± said Tommy, quickly retreating from the festering argument.

    ¡°So we¡¯re not late then. You are,¡± said Artyom, both flipping the table and spilling whatever was on it all over them in one fell swoop.

    All four of the ladies looked at him with hatred, but he just shrugged and walked past Neitra to an empty seat.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that,¡± she whispered. ¡°They would¡¯ve just blamed me for it.¡±

    ¡°Now we¡¯re even,¡± replied the man from Earth with a cheeky grin. Besides, the four women already wanted him dead, so pissing them off even more wasn¡¯t going to change his fate.

    They plotted from the shadows. His words struck from the light.

    <hr>

    About twenty minutes passed before Tommy came downstairs. He was dressed in a thin light armor that looked more stylish than protective, but radiated a moderate level of defensive magic.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get going!¡± he shouted, walking out the hole where the front door once stood.

    A moment before the others got up from their seats to follow, he peeked his head back in with a sheepish grin. ¡°Where exactly are we going?¡±

    Xerica let out a sigh and shook her head, but her lips were curled into a patient smile. ¡°The next armor piece is located somewhere near and dear to me. It¡¯s where I learned how to work with magic and become the spellcaster I am today.¡±

    ¡°Like, a magic school?¡±

    ¡°Holdbright Arcane Academy,¡± she replied as glittering flames seemingly danced in her eyes. ¡°The kingdom¡¯s premier school for magic!¡±

    Xerica began to walk out the inn and the others followed behind.

    ¡°A magic school?!¡± exclaimed Tommy, running up to the front beside her. ¡°That¡¯s so cool! Is it like a giant castle, and the teachers are all super cool and strong?¡±

    Artyom noticed the red haired woman pause and how her voice began to waver for a fraction of second as she continued.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see, it¡¯s a place that means a lot to me.¡±

    The group took several winding pathways that, while at first looked to be headed towards the Eastern exit, quickly turned into a winding maze that took them deeper into the city.

    ¡°Do you know where this magic school is?¡± asked Artyom to Neitra in a whisper. ¡°I¡¯m not sure which direction it¡¯s even in.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll find out once we get to the city the school is in.¡±

    Artyom couldn¡¯t help but feel her answer didn¡¯t explain things at all. If anything, it just raised even more questions.

    That stack of questions reached their peak and began to topple over as the party stopped in a section of the city between the industrial and tourist districts. Several hotels and warehouses lined the streets, with some obvious tourist trap shops and restaurants dotting the spaces between them. But the most noticeable feature was a large blue crystal floating in the middle of a wide, open space.

    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± asked Artyom.

    What was meant to be a whisper came out loudly, and the rest of the party turned towards him with looks of disbelief and frustration.

    ¡°You¡¯re acting like you¡¯ve never seen a teleportation crystal before,¡± said Xerica.

    ¡°But to be fair, looking at it brings even me wonder sometimes,¡± said Lensa. ¡°For it¡¯s thanks to the goddess¡¯ blessings we have these; only beings with access to her System can interact with it, after all.¡±

    Artyom remembered the little ¡°chat¡± he had with the gate guard in front of Count Cabbafor¡¯s manor. He mentioned something about teleportation, and this must have been what he was referring to.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re headed to Cape Horn.¡±

    ¡°Cape Horn?¡± asked Lensa in a squeak. ¡°That¡¯s my hometown! Could we visit the church I grew up in first?¡±

    Xerica looked at her with mild impatience, which quickly faded for a kind smile. ¡°Of course! You probably miss your friends from there. Is that fine, Tommy?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Sure, that¡¯s fine,¡± he said with some disappointment.

    Artyom silently watched the scene play out in front of him. For all the four ladies could play the mean girls act, they seemed to have their own insecurities. How he would be able to leverage that into keeping himself alive was Artyom¡¯s next question.

    He didn¡¯t have time to think about it now, as the rest of the party approached the crystal and put a hand to it, and a second later they suddenly disappeared.

    ¡°Well, no better time to learn than the present,¡± siad Artyom as he did the same, waking up to the crystal and placing his own hand on its surface.

    A strange sensation overtook him. He couldn¡¯t describe it, but it tickled whatever part of his brain his [Emissary of Dharma] Skill did when he first unlocked it yesterday.

    ¡°Alright, so¡­ Cape Hope, right?¡± he mumbled out loud, and then his vision turned white.

    It only lasted for a second but when he came to, he was somewhere entirely different.

    The first thing he noticed was the sound of the coast not being far away.

    Soft waves lapped on rocky shores, and seabirds cawed overhead. The sky was perfectly clear, with the kaleidoscopic sun well above the horizon now, illuminating the sparkling sea in slivers of turquoise green on top of its deep royal blue.

    Green grass beneath Artyom¡¯s feet bent gently as the wind blew the scent of salty waters all the way to where he stood.

    It was the kind of place that called to the part of everyone that yearned for peace, promising it to anyone that would sit down for just a second.

    The man from Earth was tempted to do just that, but before he could feel the grass on his back, he heard a blood-curdling scream.

 Chapter 42: Surprise Attack

    The promise of a beautiful peace called to Artyom, but he quickly denied it when he heard the scream.

    He turned around and saw the rest of the hero¡¯s party doing the same as him in trying to find its source.

    It didn¡¯t take long.

    All around the town, various bodies at different levels of decomposition ambled about. Zombies, skeletons, and ghouls claimed the daylight as theirs as they banged on doorways and chased after the town¡¯s residents.

    ¡°The church!¡± shouted Lensa, pointing to a building in the distance surrounded by the largest number of the undead.

    They threw themselves at the large wooden door, trying to force their way in.

    ¡°We have to save the priests, they¡¯re my family!¡±

    Tommy and the other three ladies of the clique didn¡¯t need to hear anything more, and immediately broke into a run towards the building in the distance.

    Neitra made to follow them, but heard another scream in the opposite direction, and saw a woman about to get a bite taken out of her by a ghoul that had her pinned to the ground. She didn¡¯t have a second thought before charging at the undead.

    Artyom nodded and followed her while casting a series of spells.

    The ghoul looked like someone took a human being and forcibly warped their spine and limbs into that of a quadruped, then took their skin and stretched it as tightly as it would go over every inch of their body. Unthinking eyes blared red and drool dripped from needle-sharp teeth onto the face of its soon-to-be victim.

    And a Gravity Lance cut through its body.

    The hole the spell created went through its side and out the other end, leaving a gaping wound the size of a small fist through its ribcage.

    Yet all it did was make the creature flinch and take a step to the side.

    Artyom tsked but concentrated his magic onto Neitra instead with a speed spell. It wasn¡¯t as strong as what he could cast on himself due to the complexity involved, but it imparted the rogue with a swiftness that carried her to the monster in no time at all.

    Her dagger easily slid into its flesh and right into where its heart would be. Yet even as the ghoul bucked in seeming pain, blood barely came out of the wound and it looked unbothered by the injury as it aggressively turned to face Neitra for a counterattack.

    ¡°These are undead alright, but what kind?¡± asked Artyom to himself as he grimaced. ¡°We have to keep trying things to narrow it down.¡±

    Neitra froze for a moment as the monster reared its hand for a slash. Its fingers were elongated with an extra joint and ended in knife-like blades instead of flat nails, perfect for rending fresh meat.

    ¡°What are you doing?! Get out of there! Dodge!¡± shouted Artyom, but his words went unheeded.

    Instead, Neitra snapped back to reality and shoved her dagger into the bottom of its neck, just between its collarbones.

    The ghoul instead froze this time, and after a second, it slumped lifelessly.

    Neitra removed her dagger and let the monster fall to the floor, once more a corpse.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked the fallen woman, helping her to her feet. ¡°If you can move, get to safety.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah, I¡¯m fine. I just tripped while running and that thing was ready to eat me! T-thanks,¡± she said as she ran to join the rest of the fleeing crowd.

    In this time, Artyom caught up to Neitra and the two turned to face the rest of the undead.

    ¡°Their weak point is at the bottom of their neck, you can hit it from the front, back, or side,¡± said the rogue. ¡°That¡¯s what my [Identify Weak Point] Skill says.¡±

    Artyom nodded and began running as well.

    Something strange happened as they began their charge, however. At once, all of the creatures attacking the townsfolk turned to face the two and began their own counter-charge.

    ¡°Speed of the Olympian, Tungsten Body, Lion¡¯s Strength,¡± said Artyom as he cast all three spells on himself. Within seconds, he was in front of the first undead in the oncoming horde. It was an animated human skeleton menacingly holding a hatchet. It raised it to attack, but before it could even bring it up all the way, Artyom slammed his fist into its neck.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Bone cracked as his enhanced body made contact, and the life in the Skeleton¡¯s form dissipated almost immediately.

    Both fists thrown simultaneously did the same to the next pair of skeletons approaching him with their weapons drawn. As they fell, Artyom grabbed a rusty axe from the one on the right and twirled to jam it into the neck of a zombie attempting to sneak up from behind.

    ¡°Maybe I should get something more permanent while I¡¯m here?¡± mumbled Artyom as he cleaved through several more undead. ¡°It¡¯s kind of annoying having to borrow someone else¡¯s each time.¡±

    On her side, Neitra cut through her own enemies with a rivaling efficiency. Precise stabs and slashes, alongside pommel hammers against skeletons, left every single attacking entity lifeless once more with no time wasted between strikes.

    It didn¡¯t take long before the duo had cut and smashed their way through all thirty of the undead attacking the villagers, leaving them panting for breath. Not because of the effort needed to take them all out, but from the desperate speed of their assault.

    Artyom knelt down and inspected one of the skeletons he¡¯d defeated. He ran a hand across the spine and followed invisible pathways only he could see that mimicked muscles and veins in a living body.

    ¡°The necromantic magic is concentrated in a single point and flows from there to the rest of the body, kind of like puppet strings,¡± he said with a frown. ¡°Naturally occurring undead have that magic equally concentrated throughout their body.¡±

    ¡°So what are you saying?¡± asked Neitra. ¡°What does that mean if they¡¯re not natural?¡±

    ¡°Somebody animated them.¡±

    ¡°Who did? If we stop them, we¡¯ll stop the attack!¡± she exclaimed as she began to turn her head from side to side while looking for anyone suspicious.

    ¡°They¡¯re probably long gone by now, but something about this doesn¡¯t sit well with me.¡±

    ¡°What doesn¡¯t?¡±

    Artyom took a closer look at the corpse in front of him. Something about it was different from most undead he¡¯d encountered in the past. The magical pathways were, as best as he could explain, cookie-cutter.

    Drawing them out was like drawing lines with a paintbrush. Nobody could apply the exact same amount of pressure for each stroke, so no two lines would be perfect¡­ unless drawn with a stencil or machine.

    What was more, whatever stencil was used had magical hooks in the bones to hold it in place. But those hooks didn¡¯t thrum with the magical presence Artyom expected. It was more like¡­

    A silvery blue symbol began to faintly glow on one of the corpse¡¯s bones, shaped like the letter B, but made entirely with jagged edges.

    ?

    ¡°Rune magic,¡± Artyom whispered, eyes wide and voice catching in his throat.

    Beyond the standard type of magic that existed, fueled by a pervasive energy that existed even across different worlds, there was also rune magic.

    Not much was known about it. Whether it would be present on a given world in the first place was up to pure chance; get heads on a dozen coin flips and it would still be a maybe. Yet even when a world had access to rune magic, it would still be the stuff of legends, its secrets locked away in old tomes or ancient ruins, never to be seen by mortal eyes for eons until it was stumbled upon by chance or circumstance.

    Most importantly, it was how Artyom and his organization were able to travel between worlds. It was how heroes were summoned from Earth. And right now, it was a powerful hint for how the hero was brought here from Earth.

    ¡°What did you say?¡± asked Neitra.

    Artyom hesitated for a second before responding. ¡°I uhh said, the attack started seconds before we showed up, right? Sounds like a trap, but we weren¡¯t the target.¡±

    Neitra¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Everyone else, most of the undead were attacking the church!¡±

    Neither said another word as they made a mad dash towards their other teammates.

    It didn¡¯t take long for them to catch up, but by that time they found the church courtyard filled with nothing but burnt and battered corpses. None of them thankfully belonging to the others.

    The front door however was open.

    They quickly yet cautiously went through, Neitra with her dagger raised and Artyom with a Gravity Lance at the ready.

    As they entered, they both let out a collective sigh and lowered their weapons.

    None of the undead had made it inside. The party was sitting around an older priest who was unharmed, but looked weary after the scare. Lensa was next to him with a hand wrapped around his back in a sideways hug while the others whispered words of encouragement.

    ¡°And where were you two?!¡± all but shouted Daisy. ¡°Lensa¡¯s father could have gotten killed!¡±

    Even Lensa, demure as she was, looked up at the two with a flush of anger.

    ¡°We were protecting the other townsfolk,¡± said Artyom.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± added Neitra. ¡°They were also about to be killed and eaten and there was nobody else to save them.¡±

    ¡°You truly are members of the hero¡¯s party,¡± said the older man who looked up at them with soft, tear-filled eyes. ¡°The goddess has truly blessed us by having you all come together, and to be here in our greatest time of need!¡±

    The priest wore white robes with a central vertical blue stripe just like the other clerics Artyom had met so far, but a short, black waist-length cape hung from his shoulders as well, likely a show of his rank. His hair was gray, turning to white, and his face held just enough wrinkles to mark the beginnings of advanced aging.

    Lensa immediately calmed down at the priest¡¯s words, and even nodded at them.

    ¡°Wait, the other townspeople are in trouble?!¡± shouted Tommy as he got to his feet with a look of fear.

    ¡°Not any more,¡± said Artyom. ¡°We finished saving them before coming here.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± said Tommy, sounding somewhat disappointed as he sat back down. ¡°But that¡¯s still a relief.¡±

    ¡°As I said, it truly is a miracle you all came here when you did,¡± continued the priest. ¡°There have been disturbances within the church¡¯s catacombs ever since a piece of the goddess¡¯ armor appeared at the bottom, but I never thought its magic would lead to such danger!¡±

    ¡°Armor piece?¡± asked Tommy. ¡°If it¡¯s right here, let¡¯s just grab it right now and solve the undead problem at the same time!¡±

    The others began to nod along, but Artyom stepped forward.

    ¡°Too bad that¡¯s not what¡¯s causing the problem; there¡¯s a person behind it.¡±

 Chapter 43: Confessionals and Rumors

    Everyone turned to Artyom with looks of surprise.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± scoffed Xerica. ¡°Lensa¡¯s father already told us it¡¯s caused by the magic of the armor piece!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a mage, haven¡¯t you taken a closer look at the undead?¡± asked Artyom. ¡°Their necromantic energies are concentrated on a single point, that doesn¡¯t happen with natural undead.¡±

    ¡°Well nothing about the armor piece is natural, it¡¯s beyond that,¡± she replied with a glare. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re collecting them.¡±

    ¡°And the armor piece can make surrounding magic stronger, including what animated the undead,¡± said Lensa. ¡°The goddess¡¯ blessings are powerful. Even a small piece can bring about so much.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit the armor piece I found felt special, but it didn¡¯t make me any stronger.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make people stronger unless you have all the pieces, which is why we¡¯re looking for the whole set. A single one can only affect the environment,¡± said Lensa.

    The others looked at the two women and began to lose interest in Artyom¡¯s words.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s just head down there and grab the armor piece right now!¡± exclaimed Tommy, standing back up from his seat.

    Three of the other four ladies began to follow him as he walked towards the back of the room, but stopped when they saw one was missing from their number.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lensa?¡± asked the hero.

    ¡°I mean¡­¡± the lavender haired woman began, not quite able to make eye contact with him or the others. ¡°What if there¡¯s another undead attack?¡±

    ¡°What are the chances of that?¡± asked Ecole. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s just get this over with.¡±

    Lensa squirmed in her seat. ¡°I mean, we just got here, and everyone here¡¯s scared, maybe we could stay here for a bit longer and¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you coming or not?!¡± asked Daisy in a frustrated half-shout.

    Lensa flinched, but didn¡¯t say anything.

    Artyom looked on with surprise. This wasn¡¯t something he expected from the group that decided to kill him without needing to exchange words. And yet now in the face of something personal, their foundation was shaking.

    Mean girls indeed.

    But at the same time, a minor undead attack occurring just as they arrived, and learning the supposed source was at the bottom of the town¡¯s catacombs? It smelled like a trap.

    But a trap for Tommy or Artyom?

    Logically it would be for Tommy, but who was to say the others wouldn¡¯t take it as an opportunity to kill Artyom in all the chaos? In terms of raw power, the others were far stronger than him, so they would be able to keep Tommy safe whether or not he came with them.

    Artyom put a hand to his chin. ¡°So the question is whether I want to risk my life to take advantage of their weakness or avoid the obvious trap they¡¯re laying for me down there.¡±

    ¡°Hey Lensa,¡± said Artyom with a patient smile.

    She looked up with obvious irritation.

    The words on his lips made him feel it worse, but he knew this would be better in the long run. ¡°You go on ahead, I¡¯ll watch after the priests here and keep them safe.¡±

    Lensa looked¡­ surprised.

    ¡°Better make it Neitra as well,¡± said Daisy. ¡°I¡¯d rather trade both of you away to have Lensa along. Not that you¡¯d do much of a better job than our girl at keeping everyone here safe, but I doubt they¡¯d get attacked again.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    Lensa looked between Artyom and the rest of the party, and finally at Daisy before running to her side. She then looked at Artyom and nodded while wording what looked a lot like ¡°thank you¡± before walking off with the others.

    Once they were gone, Artyom looked at Neitra with a look of confusion. ¡°Not going to speak up for yourself? You let Daisy walk all over you.¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°I just want to help out as best I can, and this seems like the best place to do it. You look like you could use my help.¡±

    Artyom felt his eyelid twitch, but said nothing more as the two took a seat on the couch opposite the priest.

    ¡°What amazing friends Lensa has made,¡± the old man said with a tired and shaken smile. ¡°That they would look out for her so.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just doing what¡¯s best for me as well,¡± said Artyom.

    ¡°Worry not, my son. Only through cowardice can one show bravery, and you have wrought a good deed through yours.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not-¡± he began.

    Neitra began to giggle next to him.

    ¡°Though I must confess,¡± said the priest with a despondent look. ¡°I too was afraid, yet lacked the courage to send Lensa to go with her friends. Thank you again for helping my daughter.¡±

    Artyom nodded. ¡°I have to ask though, when you say she¡¯s your daughter-¡±

    ¡°More of a daughter than any other girl who walks the goddess¡¯ path, but not born from me,¡± said the priest. ¡°She was left at the church¡¯s front steps as a baby, and I adopted her. This place has been her home ever since.¡±

    Neitra glared at Artyom, and he saw it from his peripheral vision but didn¡¯t face her. ¡°Oh, I meant like how people usually call priests ¡®father¡¯, if that was supposed to be literal in this case.¡±

    The brunette looked away satisfied.

    ¡°Strange, I¡¯ve never heard of the practice before,¡± said the priest with an inquisitive look. ¡°Do you perhaps come from far away?¡±

    ¡°I heard that he¡¯s from the Teccan empire,¡± Neitra chimed in.

    Artyom stiffened. Had the rumors from Trellisia really followed him this far?

    She leaned in to whisper in his ear. ¡°If you need to use the restroom, maybe use the ocean instead of the toilet?¡±

    The man from Earth went red and put his hands to his face. ¡°They¡¯re all lies, don¡¯t believe everything you hear on the street.¡±

    ¡°But they sounded really-¡±

    Artyom cut her off mid-sentence and turned back to the priest. ¡°I really do believe there¡¯s a person responsible for the undead attack, and since I¡¯m the only one who thinks that way, I want to start investigating when the rest of the party returns empty-handed after an ambush.¡±

    ¡°Ambush?!¡± exclaimed Neitra. ¡°Why aren¡¯t we going with them if you think there¡¯ll be one?¡±

    ¡°I did the math, and it¡¯s better if we stay here,¡± said Artyom. That math included the injuries he and the ladies would sustain when they inevitably tried to attack him down there, and how that would make it harder for them all to protect Tommy, but he didn¡¯t say that out loud.

    ¡°Oh,¡± said Neitra, looking down at her feet.

    Artyom rolled his eyes but still felt her reaction strike a soft spot. ¡°The others wouldn¡¯t be at their best if they were still upset with Lensa, and that would make it harder for them to protect Tommy.¡±

    Neitra visibly perked up at his comment.

    ¡°So as I was saying, I wanted to ask if there¡¯s anyone in town who¡¯s a necromancer or looks suspicious. If not, then someone who¡¯s recently moved here?¡±

    ¡°Necromancer? Oh, goodness no, nothing like that!¡± the priest said while placing a hand to his chest. ¡°And nobody here is suspicious either. However there is one resident who is quite new.¡±

    The other two looked on in interest, urging Lensa¡¯s father to continue.

    ¡°He¡¯s a noble on leave staying at his vacation home further into town. However he¡¯s a good sort and comes to church often, though he has complained about the orphanage in the past, but never in a way that is hurtful.¡±

    ¡°Orphanage? I¡¯m guessing you must run it,¡± said Artyom.

    ¡°Not me, that would be Sister Elery.¡±

    ¡°Then why does Lensa call you her father when she was given there?¡±

    The priest looked at him with confusion before wincing. A moment later, whatever discomfort he felt was gone and he smiled at the two. ¡°Something about Lensa felt special, as if the goddess was telling me to take her under my wing, and so I did! And it turned out I was right.¡±

    Artyom nodded politely, but didn¡¯t bother hiding his frown. The priest seemed to ignore it and kept smiling back.

    Before the man from Earth could ask another question, a series of loud footsteps began to echo out from the back of the building, leading to the room they were in.

    Neitra pulled out a dagger and readied it while Artyom began to channel his magic.

    The door burst open and Tommy and the rest of the party came in.

    ¡°Bad news,¡± said the hero. ¡°The catacombs didn¡¯t have a single undead and the armor piece was missing!¡±

    Despite the four ladies staring daggers at Artyom to keep his mouth shut, he gave Tommy an unsurprised look. ¡°Hmm, I got one out of two, I think that still counts. Told ya so.¡±

 Chapter 44: Meeting the Fans

    ¡°So now what?¡± asked Daisy. ¡°All that hard work for nothing!¡±

    It had been about fifteen minutes since the group went into the catacombs, only to come back empty handed.

    ¡°Well we can¡¯t just leave now,¡± said Lensa, looking at her father in concern. ¡°It¡¯s close enough to still animate the dead, so everyone here is still in trouble while it¡¯s out there.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯ll have to double back if we don¡¯t grab it now,¡± mumbled Ecole.

    Lensa and Xerica both looked at her with a glare which she casually shrugged off.

    ¡°It looks like we don¡¯t have a choice,¡± said Tommy.

    Artyom was surprised when the hero turned to Xerica and put a hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°Sorry we won¡¯t get to visit your old school yet, I know you were looking forward to it. But that¡¯s what being a hero is all about, and I promise we¡¯ll spend an extra long time there after all this, just for you!¡±

    The redhead¡¯s despondent mood gave way, and she flashed him an appreciative smile.

    ¡°Right,¡± said Tommy with a resolute nod. ¡°Where do we start looking?¡±

    All eyes went to Lensa, the resident expert, and she began to look nervous under everyone¡¯s gazes. ¡°I-I don¡¯t really know, but I¡¯m sure the goddess will help. I¡¯ll start praying and hope she shows us the way soon.¡±

    Lensa made her way towards the door that led to the church¡¯s main hall. As she reached for its knob, the door shot open and almost hit her in the face. The lavender haired girl jumped back a step just in time to avoid getting hit and had her staff raised as another priestess walked through.

    ¡°Oh!¡± she said, taking a step back herself, which caused her shoulder-length black hair to lightly bob. ¡°I didn¡¯t know we were having guests.¡±

    ¡°S-sister Elery!¡± shouted Lensa as she raised her arms and ran at the woman.

    The other priestess could only let out the beginnings of a surprised cry before Lensa was on her, wrapping her in a bear hug.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s you, it¡¯s been so long!¡± exclaimed the lavender haired cleric as she buried her face into the other woman¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Ah, Sister Elery! My daughter and the fine young folks she is travelling with saved us!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡± she said, absentmindedly returning the hug and patting Lensa¡¯s back. A second later, she frowned. ¡°Saved us from what, exactly?¡±

    ¡°The, uh¡­ undead,¡± said Tommy. ¡°They were attacking the town and we fought them off.¡±

    ¡°There was an attack on the town?! Thank the goddess we¡¯re all still safe, you truly must have been sent by her to protect us.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what we do,¡± said Tommy with a wide smile. ¡°That and collect pieces of the goddess¡¯ armor. Have you seen one here?¡±

    ¡°Hold on, if you¡¯re collecting those, then you must be the hero!¡± she exclaimed.

    ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m Tommy, pleasure to meet you!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you too, Tommy.¡±

    ¡°Sister Elery here is like a mother to me,¡± said Lensa, disengaging from her hug and taking a step back. ¡°She helped raise me alongside my father.¡±

    ¡°By the way Lensa, Tommy,¡± began the priestess. ¡°If you¡¯re not too busy, could I ask you a favor?¡±

    ¡°Sure, what is it?¡±

    ¡°I run the nearby orphanage, and the kids there have been having a really hard time lately, especially with how many new children we¡¯ve recently taken in from across the kingdom. Could you stop by for a little while to meet with them? I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll lift everyone¡¯s spirits.¡±

    ¡°Meeting my fans? Of course!¡± said Tommy, visibly beaming.

    ¡°All of you are welcome to come along too,¡± said Sister Elery. ¡°The more the merrier!¡±

    The older priest stood up and nodded at the group. ¡°That sounds like a wonderful idea. While you¡¯re there, I¡¯ll look into finding a place for you all to stay.¡±

    As the rest of the group wordlessly followed this new priestess, Artyom felt a pit open up in his stomach.

    Many new kids? He was almost certain of why that was the case.

    Artyom closed his eyes and remembered the fires that swept across Freeacres, and the bodies that littered the floors of crumbling buildings. The victims were mainly adults, but that just meant they would have left plenty of children behind.

    Would some of the newly minted orphans from Freeacres be here? What would they say if they saw Artyom?

    ¡°Would they forgive me for running?¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Neitra was the first to look behind her and see the man from Earth falling behind.

    The others followed suit after a moment.

    ¡°Hey Artyom, is everything alright?¡± asked Tommy.

    ¡°Hey,¡± the man from Earth began. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m not that good of a fit to join you all for this one.¡±

    ¡°How come? You¡¯re part of the team now!¡±

    ¡°I only joined today, and I haven¡¯t done anything particularly heroic the kids would appreciate.¡±

    ¡°So? You will eventually, and the kids can all brag about meeting you before you were popular! Besides, you saved me a ton of time by completing the test so that means I¡¯ll be able to beat the Dark Lord and save the kingdom all the sooner.¡±

    Something about Tommy¡¯s easygoing smile put Artyom at peace. He was able to nod with some sincerity. ¡°I¡¯ve saved lives here, in Freeacres after the attack and with the kobolds. I¡¯ve done the right thing at least somewhat, so I think I can face the music if fate decides to play me a tune.¡±

    The group followed Sister Elery out of the church onto the single brick path that led into town. It was surrounded by a wide field of grass on either side that extended as far as the eye could see on the left and all the way to an oceanside cliff on the right.

    After about two hundred feet, they reached the first few buildings at the outskirts of the town proper, which soon made way for even more roads and structures. The sounds of humble civilization filled the party¡¯s ears just after, the sounds of footsteps and talking barely beating out the distant roar of ocean waves as they made their way through a market.

    Stalls were offering fresh fish and vegetables, cotton and linen fabric, and some even miscellaneous trinkets that reminded Artyom of gift shops from back on Earth. Most of the townsfolk were gathered around the first two types of stalls, while the few obvious out-of-towners hawked the latter.

    Past that were homes. They started off as apartments, followed by single resident houses, and finally concluded with large, luxurious cabins. Just past these, however, was their destination; the orphanage.

    Rather than a single building, the orphanage was defined by a large, fenced-off plot of land containing several buildings. As the group passed through the open wrought iron gate, Artyom couldn¡¯t help but feel a shiver go up his spine. This whole place, with its dark exterior and drably painted buildings, reminded him of a Charles Dickens¡¯ novel. Not that he ever read any, but they were iconic for their dour Victorian atmospheres and miserable children protagonists, which felt very fitting for here.

    This was still supposedly a Fairytale world so he hoped this place was nothing like those stories.

    But the oppressive feeling was still there on a primal level.

    Even Tommy visibly flinched as he walked through the gates, and he hadn¡¯t shown any fear of life or death combat yet.

    ¡°These are the orphanage grounds,¡± began Sister Elery, seemingly unbothered by the creepy vibes. ¡°They used to belong to a Duke before the Duchy capital was moved elsewhere, and rather than keep it as a spare home, he decided to give it to the church to be used as an orphanage! How kind!¡±

    ¡°They could¡¯ve at least put on a fresh coat of paint,¡± whispered Daisy.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s been painted since it was given away,¡± replied Ecole.

    Sister Elery either ignored or didn¡¯t hear the two and continued walking. ¡°The children should all be gathered in the common room at this time, so let me lead you there.¡±

    They entered the main building, a mansion that dwarfed even the largest of the surrounding cabins, and passed through a foyer into an expansive room that could fit half of the grassy fields by the church inside.

    What would likely have been a living room in its past life had kept its purpose. Several dozen children of varying ages talked and mingled with each other inside, either standing or sitting on the many faded regal couches and chairs placed about. A few even sat on the floor while playing some simple board or card games with decks and pieces Artyom didn¡¯t recognize.

    ¡°Children!¡± exclaimed Sister Elery as she ran to the front of the room. ¡°Before we eat lunch, I wanted to introduce you all to a very special guest, I want you to treat him with your utmost politeness.¡±

    ¡°Yeees, Sister Elery,¡± they all said in unison.

    ¡°Very good! I want you all to meet the Chosen Hero and his party! He¡¯s come all the way here on his quest and has made time to visit you all!¡±

    Like an army of puppies at the mention of the word ¡°treat,¡± all of the kids immediately ran up to the group with bright eyes and a deluge of excited screams from their lips.

    ¡°It¡¯s actually the hero!¡± ¡°He¡¯s so cool!¡± ¡°Everyone''s hair is so colorful, how do they do that?!¡± ¡°That other guy looks too old.¡±

    ¡°Children, children!¡± shouted Sister Elery in a stern tone that shocked the kids out of their uncontrollable excitement. ¡°Don¡¯t crowd around him, he can start by answering your questions one at a time, and then you can all spend time with him after lunch. You will be eating with us in a minute, won¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± exclaimed Tommy at the mention of quick and convenient food. ¡°Bring on the questions!¡±

    One of the girls in the back was the first to raise her hand amongst her peers and the hero picked her out. Rather than blurt out what was on her mind, a sudden shyness gripped her tongue as she slowly mumbled out her question. ¡°Umm, Mr. Hero¡­ are you going to defeat the Dark Lord?¡±

    ¡°Of course! It¡¯s why I was chosen!¡± said Tommy with a confident smile.

    The next person to raise their hand was an older boy, likely in his early teens, judging by the sudden growth spurt and squeaky voice. ¡°How did you get so strong? Is there anything I can do to be like that too?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I mostly just have the goddess¡¯ blessings to thank for that, but I run around a lot and fight tons of monsters, so if you have a sword make sure to swing that around a lot!¡±

    While the boy looked happy, Sister Elery glared at Tommy.

    He caught the look from his peripheral vision and blanched, quickly adding ¡°But make sure it¡¯s a wooden or training sword, and don¡¯t swing it at others!¡±

    The third person called was an older teenager, likely fifteen or sixteen. While the others were generally shy or excited, this one gave off a different kind of air that made Artyom¡¯s stomach knot as if he was witnessing an impending car crash.

    ¡°Hey, hero,¡± this older boy said, putting an uncomfortable emphasis on Tommy¡¯s title. ¡°Have you ever been to Portolus?¡±

    ¡°Huh? I¡¯ve never heard of that town, where is it?¡±

    His eyes grew a shade darker. ¡°It¡¯s out of the way and pretty boring, so I don¡¯t blame you for not knowing. But it got really famous two months ago, I¡¯m surprised you still haven¡¯t heard of it.¡±

    ¡°Oh cool! What¡¯s it famous for?¡±

    ¡°Getting attacked by the Dark Lord and just about everyone getting killed.¡± The teen had dropped all pretense and was actively glaring at Tommy now.

    Everyone in the room stared at him in shock, but unable to say anything. Even Sister Elery, with her stern demeanor, was only able to stutter the beginnings of a response after being caught blindsided.

    ¡°Where were you when everyone I knew died to the Dark Lord¡¯s army?!¡± he shouted. ¡°My friends, neighbors, my parents! Where were you?!¡±

 Chapter 46: Emotional Damage

    ¡°Where were you when everyone I knew died?!¡± shouted the older boy.

    Everyone in the room was frozen in place, unable to utter a word. Even Sister Elery, for all the authority she exuded, could barely move her lips and let out a stutter.

    Tommy was the worst of everyone and looked like someone had violently popped a balloon in his face.

    ¡°Well?!¡±

    ¡°I-I was collecting the pieces of the goddess¡¯ armor,¡± the hero said weakly. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ my job, to stop him.¡±

    ¡°Well his armies are already here killing everyone, why haven¡¯t you stopped them?¡±

    ¡°I said¡­ it¡¯s because-¡±

    ¡°Because you were too busy on a fun little scavenger hunt to protect the people who actually need your help!¡±

    Even Artyom was caught off guard. He expected any anger would be directed at him, so he couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of guilt for his relief. But looking at Tommy¡¯s paling face¡­ a kid like him definitely didn¡¯t deserve it.

    ¡°I knew it, you¡¯re no hero, you don¡¯t care about us at all! What are you even doing here? Just quit so somebody who¡¯ll actually do something can take your place.¡±

    ¡°Rotte, enough!¡± shouted Sister Elery, finally working up the nerve to speak up.

    But it was too late.

    The hero ran out of the orphanage without another word, heavy footsteps carrying him away as a thin line of tears glistened in the air behind him.

    ¡°Tommy, wait!¡± shouted the four ladies as they ran after him, with Neitra following just behind.

    Artyom stood where he was, caught in the stares of the many children not sure what just happened.

    ¡°I bet they ran because they didn¡¯t have anything to say either,¡± said the older boy, Rotte. ¡°How about you, do you think you¡¯re any better?¡±

    Artyom looked into his eyes and saw a familiar sight. The gaze that passed him by a thousand yards was like staring into a mirror. A flood of long forgotten emotions emerged from a wellspring Artyom spent half a lifetime cloaking in darkness.

    And for his efforts, it thankfully stopped at just the feelings, and didn¡¯t progress to memories.

    They still painted Artyom¡¯s face in a mimicry of the older boy¡¯s, who slightly flinched at the sight.

    ¡°Ever heard of the town of Freeacres? Many of its people got killed by the Dark Lord¡¯s war band.¡±

    Rotte slowly shook his head, not blinking.

    ¡°I was there, and I couldn¡¯t stop them.¡±

    He frowned and his eyes grew darker. ¡°Then you¡¯re-¡±

    ¡°But I stopped them from killing any more. That war band won¡¯t be killing anyone ever again.¡±

    Despite this being a Fairytale world, or at least the people here being equally naive, Rotte¡¯s eyes widened in understanding of exactly what Artyom meant. His naivete was dead. He belonged to the same world as Artyom. He knew.

    ¡°Then teach me to do the same.¡±

    Artyom was broken out of his emotional stupor by the unexpected request. His eyes snapped back to the present, filled with uncertainty.

    ¡°I want to be strong like you, to stop the Dark Lord¡¯s forces from ever doing that to anyone ever again! Teach me how to fight!¡± Rotte exclaimed while clenching his fists. ¡°Show me how to swing a sword, or cast spells if you¡¯re a mage. I¡¯ve been teaching myself after my new Skill and I can already animate some of the bones-¡±

    ¡°Rotte!¡± exclaimed Sister Elery. Her face was beginning to turn an incomprehensible combination of pale and red simultaneously. ¡°First the outburst, then these terrible desires to cause harm, and now desecration of bodies?!¡±

    The older boy didn¡¯t even flinch at the tirade against him. ¡°They¡¯re animal bones. I¡¯ll save the human necromancy for the Dark Lord¡¯s troops themselves, unless he¡¯ll teach me something else,¡± he said, looking expectantly at Artyom.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Artyom looked back with heavy eyes. ¡°Sorry kid, I¡¯m not going to do something as terrible as finish what the warband started.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± he stuttered. ¡°What are you talking about, I want you to teach me how to stop warbands!¡±

    Artyom put a hand on the boy¡¯s shoulder that felt like a lead weight. ¡°They stole your loved ones and way of life, but they didn¡¯t steal your future.¡±

    ¡°Of course they stole my future, they stole everything!¡±

    Artyom looked at the other children and asked, ¡°how many of you are also here because of the Dark Lord¡¯s warbands?¡±

    After a few seconds, a good number of them meekly raised their hands.

    ¡°And how many of you were happy today? Keep your hands up if you were.¡±

    ¡°I felt really sad this morning when I remembered my parents,¡± said one.

    ¡°That¡¯s perfectly fine,¡± replied Artyom with a gentle voice. ¡°But you still found happiness today after that, right?¡±

    They nodded. They all did.

    ¡°That¡¯s the future I¡¯m talking about,¡± said Artyom, turning back to Rotte. ¡°You can still be happy.¡±

    ¡°How can I be happy? How can any of you still be happy?!¡± he all but screamed, eyes and cheeks turning bright red and swollen. ¡°How can you forget the ones you loved?!¡±

    ¡°Because you don¡¯t, weren¡¯t you listening?¡± asked Artyom. ¡°The pain will always be there, you can¡¯t get rid of it for good or escape it forever. But¡­ it will fade. Time will scar over the deepest of wounds. They¡¯ll still be there, and they¡¯ll hurt from time to time, but you can still continue living.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t just do that to everyone-¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not doing anything to them by just living. You¡¯re allowed to be happy. Isn¡¯t that what they would¡¯ve wanted for you anyway?¡±

    ¡°I-I mean, they would¡­ but what if it happens again? What if there¡¯s an attack? And who¡¯s going to stop them from doing it again?¡± Tears were beginning to run down his face.

    Artyom let out a deep sigh. ¡°In that case, get strong enough to protect yourself and your loved ones. But don¡¯t dedicate yourself to revenge. You have a chance, unlike me.¡±

    ¡°The Dark Lord-¡±

    ¡°Not him, someone else. Someone long ago from far away. I didn¡¯t have a choice, and I had to let go of a happy future.¡± Memories of an unwanted adventure from half a lifetime ago began to surface, and Artyom shook them off as he always did. ¡°But after I was free, I scrounged up enough of my own fate to dedicate it to keeping that tragedy from happening to anyone else.¡±

    Rotte had no words.

    ¡°Listen, I¡¯m going to be in town for a little while, I¡¯ll teach you some basics, but nothing crazy.¡±

    Artyom was expecting to be hit with a tirade from Sister Elery, but she was surprisingly silent. When he looked at her, he saw a woman with tears streaming down her cheeks. Maybe she was willing to trade the dangerous lessons for giving this boy some much needed catharsis.

    ¡°And if it makes you feel any better, he¡¯ll teach himself magic with or without me. Better that he¡¯s supervised by an expert.¡±

    She slowly nodded but didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Sorry kids for the honestly¡­ sucky visit, but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be back for a better one soon,¡± said Artyom as he stood up straight and stretched himself out. ¡°But in the meantime, I have someone else to give a pep talk.¡±

    As the man from Earth turned around to leave the orphanage, Rotte called back to him.

    ¡°T-thanks,¡± he said loudly, but not too sure of himself. His tears were beginning to dry, but raw emotion was still present in his voice. ¡°I thought the goddess gave me a new Skill after it because she wanted me to fight back. Are you sure I don¡¯t? It¡¯s called [Emissary of Dharma].¡±

    Artyom¡¯s eyes widened, but he was looking away from all the others. ¡°That¡¯s the fourth person I¡¯ve met who has that Skill, me included. The kobold¡¯s leader and I got it to fight against evil, but the mapmaker was just doing his job¡­¡±

    ¡°What a peculiar Skill,¡± said Sister Elery, interrupting both of their thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it, but I can check in our archives for answers.¡±

    ¡°I think¡­¡± said Artyom. ¡°It means you have the chance to take destiny into your own hands. Just do what you think is right and follow that.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I think I can do that. Thank you again.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± said the man from Earth as he waved behind him and walked out the building.

    Once he was out of sight, he let his lips sag into a frown.

    ¡°I just pulled that explanation out of my ass; I have no idea what the deal with that Skill is, but¡­ it¡¯s interesting. It finds people who really need it and gives them the mind to make their dreams a reality. But the mapmaker didn¡¯t look like he was in dire need, and it probably wouldn¡¯t help a kid out either.¡±

    Another dark thought came to Artyom¡¯s mind.

    ¡°And who¡¯s to say only ¡®good¡¯ people get it? Systems that grant Skills are almost always neutral. They just give what¡¯s appropriate to a person, not taking morality or deservedness into account beyond how well a specific power is relevant to those criteria. Rotte could very well have been the necromancer controlling the undead that attacked the town.¡±

    So that made two suspects; him and the noble.

    Artyom wanted to stay back and talk to the kid more to find out for sure, but he was still processing some trauma. Every instinct in the man told him to let the kid first heal. After all, Artyom truly did make it his life mission to prevent what happened to him all those years ago from happening to anyone else, but it felt strange to give that sort of guiding talk to someone who wasn¡¯t from Earth.

    Still, he saw a kid who was hurting in a way he understood, and did what he ought to have done. There was nothing else to say.

    In the distance at the entrance to the orphanage¡¯s grounds, Tommy and the rest of the party sat in the grass trying to comfort him.

    Now there was a kid from Earth who was also hurting, and Artyom made his way to do his job.