Hunter rolled out of bed, feeling refreshed. He got dressed in what he was starting to think of as his Jedi clothes and snagged his staff. After taking a drink of water from the grove and scooping up an apple, he walked out of the Sanctuary while crunching into the fruit. When he finished his breakfast, he broke into a sprint.

The young warrior didn’t run into any ghorum on his way up the mountain, which he found strange. He wanted to practice his new skills and was in the absurd position of not having enough enemies to test them on.

Maybe, my previous kills were all the ghorum that had territories close to the trail. The others probably haven’t yet realized their rivals are dead and can move onto the path.

As he neared the Outpost, he spotted a couple of tieflings on the road. Not wanting to seem extraordinary, Hunter left the trail and melted into the shadows cast by the skeletal trees. He traveled parallel to the trail and remained out of sight until Hunter was sure the pair had passed.

When Hunter was sure they were gone, he returned to the trail but slowed his movements until they were only slightly above average. Within the hour, he reached the settlement palisades. The young warrior was concerned that he would have to convince the guards to let him in, but he noticed a familiar face. Hunter’s improved Intelligence allowed him to recall the man’s name quickly.

“Hey, Walt,” Hunter called. “Do you mind letting me in?”

Walt glanced at the teenager. “That you, Gold?”

“Yeah, in the flesh.”

The tiefling sneered. “What happened, boy? It’s only been a couple of days, and you’re already back without a shred of armor and carrying a metal stick. I heard the mayor shared his quest. Give up already?”

Hunter shrugged, not wanting to get into a full conversation with the sentry.

“It’s a tough quest.”

Walt snorted. “Well, at least you’re right about that. You want in, you have to pay the toll.”

The other guard on duty, an azure-skinned tiefling, shot Walt a look that Hunter recognized. Clearly, Walt did too.

“Yeah, you’ll get a cut if you shut your mouth.”

Hunter frowned as he sheepishly scratched the stubble on his cheek. Or at least he thought he was rubbing it. He belatedly realized that all he felt was the cool metal mask over his features.

“About that, Walt. I don’t have a storage ring anymore. I don’t have any money.”

Walt raised his eyebrows and chuckled. “Sounds like you got robbed, boy. Probably why you’re walking around looking like a monk.”

The tiefling’s chuckle cut off. “Looks like you won't be getting in, then.”

“I don’t think my grandfather would appreciate your tone, Walt.” Hunter’s voice was pleasant, and his face deadpan.

“That a threat, boy?”

“Just an observation,” Hunter said before shrugging.

Hunter started walking through the open gate before Walt could make up his mind. He wasn’t fast enough because the tiefling’s spear swung through the space in front of Hunter.

“I don’t think I appreciate your ‘observation,’ Gold. It looks like the toll just doubled.”

Hunter considered his options, he didn’t want to draw attention to himself, but he had a quest to complete. Besides, it might be worth it to teach the greedy demon a lesson. He really didn’t want to have to pay a toll every time he tried to enter the Outpost. He still had two more quests to complete and didn’t possess a storage ring for him to carry the money in the first place. Plus, Hunter had learned from his many years of being bullied that the more you gave into it, the more the bullies took advantage. It was better in the long run for Hunter to let it be known that he wasn’t going to put up with bullies.

Decision made, Hunter whirled his staff upward. The end caught the spear with a resounding crack and deflected it away from him. As Walt tried to hold onto his spear, Hunter was already twisting to deliver a follow-up strike. He channeled mana through his staff to give it an extra kick.

His staff swept horizontally through the air to impact Walt on the right shoulder. This time, the collision was more dramatic. Walt’s gleaming pauldron was dented and the tiefling shouted when the warped metal pierced his flesh. Walt dropped the spear as his left arm became useless, and he snarled at the young Gold. Faster than the eye could see, Hunter moved the butt of his spire until it rested against the tiefling’s Adam apple. He left it there for a beat so that Walt could understand his peril.

When the other man’s eyes widened, Hunter retracted his staff and returned to a resting stance. He appeared calm and collected as if nothing had ever happened outside of a pleasant conversation. The teenager gently smiled. He had won the exchange, but he didn’t want to add insult to injury.

“Thanks for understanding, Walt.”

Hunter turned to the other sentry, who looked surprised at the display. The man’s mouth was hanging slightly open, and Hunter inclined his head in thanks. Neither sentry opposed Hunter as he strode through the gate.

The interior of the village was just as unpleasant and garish as Hunter remembered. He snaked his way through the throng of occupants until he was at the mayor’s building. He considered stopping by his grandparent’s house first—that would’ve been the polite thing to do—but ultimately, Hunter decided not to. His grandfather would get his cut, and the teenager wanted to embark on the next quest as soon as possible. Dealing with his family would probably just result in more drama. He had enough snide commentary from Walt; he didn’t need it from Grandpa Hank too.

As he approached the door, the guard opened it for him.

“The mayor is already expecting you,” she explained.

Hunter just nodded, furiously thinking.

The mayor must have some way of knowing when the quest was completed. It would have been nice if he informed the guards at the gate of the fact.

When Hunter entered the tavern-like room, he saw that it was empty except for the mayor, who was polishing another damned glass. Hunter didn’t know if it was necessary. Did the man even have any people visiting the place? Or was it just an affectation to put others off balance?

Hunter closed the door behind him and then walked over to the bar. He took a seat at the mayor’s gesture.

“So, you’ve returned—far more quickly then I realized.”

Hunter pulled back his hood and met the man’s eyes.

“My, my. Your eyes have changed too. Perhaps you’re closer to joining the Great One than I assumed.”

The mayor thought that Hunter’s eyes were due to demonic influence. The truth was much more surreal, but Hunter was okay with the mayor’s mistake. He didn’t even know how to explain the changes that had been wrought on his body. Plus, he still remembered the warning from the Archives discouraging him from sharing the information with anyone he didn’t trust. Giving the information to a greed demon seemed like a poor choice.

“I just wanted to collect my rewards and get the next quest.”

“Of course,” the man smiled. “But where is your grandfather?”

“That seems more like your problem than mine,” Hunter quipped.

“The young have no sense of family loyalty anymore.”

The mayor’s voice was mocking, and Hunter knew the man wasn’t serious. James didn’t give a shit about Hunter’s grandfather. All he cared about was wealth and prestige, and they both knew it. Hunter was already growing tired of the games.

Sensing Hunter’s surly attitude, the mayor put down his mug and raised his palms in a soothing gesture. “No need to get upset. I’ll be right back.”

Hunter watched the mayor leave the lower level and trundle up the stairs. He hoped the tiefling was going up the stairs to retrieve his rewards and not bringing down some kind of concealed weapon. With his luck, he’d probably catch a sword to the gullet as a quest reward.