With Centum observing from the side, the heroes stand in their agreed-upon formation. “Don’t worry guys, I’ll buff your weapons,” Mia says, trying her best to help. A quick chant flows from her lips, and each of their weapons and arrow tips become coated in holy light. “I’ve lowered the power of the buff by half,” she assures, the grotesque images of the previous wolf attack haunting her thoughts.

The buff’s power alerts the slumbering wolves. They rush out of the alcove, snarling at the group. Cale stealthily circles the wolves, avoiding their senses. “Face my mighty power!” Eric screams, raising his shield. The leading wolf pounces at him. He successfully blocks the attack, being forced back a step.

“Take this!” Eric shouts, striking down on the wolf with his sword. The blade penetrates the wolf’s shoulder, a violent power erupting from the edge. A disgusting sound rings out, and the wolf explodes, albeit into fewer pieces than before. The explosion throws Eric off balance, giving the second wolf an opportunity to exploit.

It leaps forward, enraged by the other wolf’s death. In the air, a single arrow penetrates the wolf’s head, popping it like a balloon, excess holy power shreds the wolf’s lower body. The last remaining wolf takes a step back, frightened by this vicious display of might. Before it could run, Cale appears behind it, stabbing its neck. The wolf also explodes, covering him in gore. In less than five seconds, the den lays in ruin.

On the fallen tree, Centum records his observations, “In their first quest, the group of heroes swiftly slay the vicious wolves, ending their reign of terror. Although they came to collect their pelts, the heroes felt disgusted at the evil wolves, deciding to obliterate any hint of their vile existence from this world. Truly, they are selfless heroes.”. He closes the leather book, satisfied with his recollection.

Cale stares at Mia, shouting in frustration, “That’s half-power?!”. Mia hides her face in between her hands, almost crying, she says in a quivering voice, “I just wanted to help…”. Emily walks up to her, embracing her in a hug. She flinches at Emily’s embrace before bursting out into tears, “It’s always the same, here and on earth. I only try to help, but everyone just gets angry.”.

“It’s alright, Mia,” Emily comforts, managing to calm her down. “Let’s just forget about your buffs for a while, rather focus on healing us, okay?” Emily comforts, Mia silently nodding in her arms. Reigning in his frustration, Cale approaches and says, “I’m sorry I shouted. We completely ruined anything useful on the wolves, and I got angry. I just wanted us to finish this quest quickly and can collect the reward, so we can finally afford a proper place to stay for the night.”.

Next to them, Eric observes the darkening sky and says, “It’s getting late, we should head back. Besides, we still have four more locations to check. I’m sure we’ll get enough pelts tomorrow.”. Everyone agrees to his suggestion. Cale takes the lead, guiding them out of the forest. A crestfallen atmosphere lingers around the group as they march through the open plains, back to Avalon city.

Fifty meters behind them, Centum writes while walking, “The heroes, disheartened that they could have done more for the kind people of Avalon, walk back in shame. They’ve begun to realize that their quest against evil is arduous and filled with danger.”. With each word, Centum could feel their epic tale taking shape.

With nothing to show, the group enters Avalon. None of the guards could see Centum following behind them. The group gathers in the Guild Lobby, finding themselves a table next to the bar. Checking their bags, Cale comments, “Currently, we only have one wolf pelt. I’ll hand it in at the receptionist, but I want to complete this quest tomorrow. It’s laughable that we’re struggling with such an easy quest.”.

Cale stands up. Everyone else is looking down at their drink; none of them meets his gaze. He snorts, turning around and heading towards the reception desks. As he reaches the front of the queue, the head receptionist, Rebecca, steps forward to greet him, abruptly replacing the confused receptionist next to her, “Welcome, I’m surprised you made it back.”.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Cale asks defensively. “It’s just a joke, I’m sure you were never in any danger,” Rebecca says, nervously eyeing Centum sitting at the bar. “I should introduce myself; I’m Rebecca, the head receptionist. In the future, if you or anyone from your teammates need help, just come to my desk directly, okay?” she says, introducing herself.

Taken aback by this sudden preferential treatment, Cale hesitantly agrees, “O-okay, I’ll inform my team.”. “So, what can I do for you?” Rebecca asks, a strangely enthusiastic smile on her face. “Well, I’m just handing in one of the wolf pelts for our quest. We rather not have it weigh us down unnecessarily,” he says, handing over the pelt.

“Certainly, but remember you’ll only receive your reward once you finish the quest,” Rebecca agrees, taking the pelt. She updates their quest, indicating that they still need nine wolf pelts. “Do come back safely,” she says, seeing Cale off. Next to her, the other receptionists stare in bewilderment, confused by the Head Receptionist's out of character performance.

Cale walks back to their table and sits down. “Tomorrow, we’ll leave at daybreak. I want to attack every wolf den before nightfall, okay?” Cale says, further solidifying his leadership role. The rest agree, Mia, staying silent throughout the discussion.

On the top floor of the Guild building, a receptionist greets the Guild Leader, “Sir, you called?”. Sitting at his desk, the guild leader says, “A new group of adventurers recently joined the guild. Find out everything we know about them and report back to me. Now, go.”. The receptionist departs, leaving the guild leader to his thoughts, “Why would such a powerful being follow around a group of nobodies? Something is going on, and I’ll get to the bottom of it.”.