The villain wore a heavy cloak over his body, it was purple, but not like the purple you usually saw, if Albert was here no doubt he’d say something along the lines of how it was an Imperial Purple from some region where purple was something they exported.

Adam, however, was not Albert and so he just purple, but it did look pretty damn cool.

The heavy cloak had hidden the glint of shiny breastplate that was made to fit the tall and villainous looking fellow, who also wore a long sabre at his hip.

The guard beside him wore heavy chain and wielded a long spear, and Adam swore he could recognise the fellow. The guard was a typical looking guard, though was rather young. He was of decent enough build, with short brown hair and dull acorn eyes that revealed that he was definitely only in this role for the heavy coin he would earn from the pompous villain.

Adam felt slightly sorry for the young guard.

Then he saw the little girl, who was not actually a little girl. Well, she was little and she was a girl, but she was not a little girl. She was a dwarf, and perhaps she was quite young because she didn’t have a beard, but perhaps female dwarves did not have have beards, or perhaps only some of them had beards, Adam wasn’t sure enough about dwarves to actually make a comment on it.

She was short, of course, and held on her head black hair like a mass of void, that was strewn about quite messily on the top of her head like an strewn mop. Her eyes were dark too, and she wore the expression of utter death on her face, especially at Adam. She wore dark robes with a hood, though it was currently not on the top of her head. She also had with her a backpack that she wore, dark and heavy, like the rest of her.

The villain scoffed. “Protecting one of your own, is it?” He sauntered into the room with a swagger that one could only describe as shifty.

The guard remained at the villain’s side, but the dwarf girl marched to a seat as far away from Adam as possible before she sat down. She pulled out a book to write inside it.

“What seems to be the issue?” George asked from behind the counter, keeping an eye on the villainous noble looking fellow.

“Someone had taken my prize,” he said.

“A theft? How awful. Would you like to make a request?”

“No, no,” the noble shook his head, “I am here for someone to own up to the crime.”

“You’re saying an adventurer stole your prize?”

“That’s right!” the villain exclaimed as he rocked his head back so he was looking down at George. “This is why your type is so foul.”

George gave the kind of smile one would give to a Karen to try to appease them, though there was more than just a sprinkle of mockery within it. “Of course, of course, and which adventurer was it that stole your prize?”

“If I had to take a guess,” the villain turned on his heel and threw out an accusatory finger at Adam, “I would say it was this half-breed!”

The exclamation brought several gasps from the nearby adventurers, even Bobby almost choked on something he was snacking on. The dwarf girl’s eyes peered over her book with wide eyes no longer filled with death, but with an expectation.

Adam just glanced between the villain, George, and then the finger.

“What?” Adam blurted out.

“You, half-breed, stole my prize,” the villain snapped.

Adam looked at George and then back to the villain. He thought to say something but decided against it. This guy was probably some trouble.

"I'm sure you have proof of your accusation," George said, "for that is how we operate in the good town of Red Oak."

"Proof? My guard is proof, he had seen the half-breed take the bear away, even the dwarf girl can attest to that."

"Is that true?" George asked.

The dwarf girl didn't say anything as her eyes glazed over with death once more.

"Tell them," the villainly fellow said.

The dwarf girl remained silent for a long while before she finally spoke. “I saw him,” she said, “the stupid feyblood.”

Adam looked between the dwarf girl, the villain, and then he finally looked up to George. George’s face had soured slightly as he grabbed onto something under the desk and then began to fiddle with it.

“Do you recognise these three?” George asked, shooting Adam a look.

“I remember there were two,” Adam said as he nodded towards the guard and the girl. “I believe if they are the ones to have seen me and they must have been the pair that I saw.”

“You don’t recognise Alten?” George asked.

“No, I don’t.”

“That’s Sir Alten to the likes of you,” Alten snapped back. “My father is a Sir, and so you will refer to me as such.”

“You aren’t a Sir, isn’t that why you’re here?” George asked.

Alten narrowed his eyes. “You audacious fools are so!” he scoffed and then shook his head. “How will you deal with this thief?”

“We haven’t established that Adam was the one to take your prize just yet,” George replied dryly.

“I have said that it was him and I have two witnesses, that is all you need.”

George remained staring at Alten for a long while and then blinked. He turned to Adam and gave him that look, that kind of look as though he wanted to stab someone but he couldn’t.

“Did you see the two fighting a brown bear?” George asked.

“I’m not sure. I saw that the brown bear was ready to fight them but then I came onto the scene.”

“Then what happened?”

“I fought the bear.”

“Were the other two fighting the bear as well?”

“No. I didn’t see Alten at the beginning, but once I was fighting the brown bear, the others disappeared.”

“They weren’t there with you?” George looked over to the guard and then to the dwarf. “Where did you disappear to?”

“We took a tactical retreat in order to bring the bear elsewhere, but that was ruined by the untimely arrival of this half-breed!” Alten snarled.

It was then the doors opened and Adam saw a familiar face. It was Thundersmith, who was carrying a longsword as he waddled his way towards George, keeping an eye out on the tense seen.

“Another dwarf,” Alten said. “What would you say to such a thing, Thundersmith? This… this feyblood elf had come and stolen my prize.”

Thundersmith placed down the longsword and looked at Alten and then to Adam. “Aye, is that what ya say? An elf ya say? Stolen ya prize ya say? I can believe that.”

“You see?” Alten said with a growing smirk. “This is why you can’t trust elves, they’ll come and steal everything from you sooner or later, isn’t that right?”

Thundersmith nodded. “Aye, ya speak true. Can’t trust them as far as ya can see them.”

“I’m only half an elf though,” Adam piped up to Thundersmith with a nod of his head.

“Half an elf?!” Thundersmith gasped, placing a hand on his chest in an overly dramatic fashion. “Half!” His head snapped to Alten. “Ya said he was an elf!”

“He is an elf,” Alten’s lips curled downward. “He’s here because no one wanted him, isn’t that right, half-breed?”

George’s face grew dark and Thundersmith coughed, throwing a look to Adam who was slightly annoyed at the comment, but he wasn’t going to say anything. This was just how it went.

“Aye, is that what ya say?” Thundersmith said quietly, well, as quietly as a dwarf could. “If ya pay me half ma price, are ya saying ya paid me?”

Alten looked to Thundersmith. “What do you mean?”

“Ya come to ma smithy and ah ask for a hundred gold for ma work, and ya pay me fifty, would ya say ya paid me?”

“I’ve paid you some,” Alten said.

“Aye, but have ya paid me for ma work?”

Alten remained silent for a long while as he looked at the dwarf, confusion still painted on his face.

“Aye, that’s right. This here boy’s no elf, he’s a half-elf. That is no elf!”

“A half-breed or not, he has thief blood in him.”

“I didn’t see you guys when the bear fought me,” Adam said. He had grown rather annoyed at Alten, who kept saying things that would have gotten him cancelled. “I didn’t see you when it tore into my shoulder. I didn’t see you when I managed to finally slay it. I didn’t see you when I lifted the bear and carried it here. I didn’t see you when I met with the guards as they helped me drag it in. I didn’t see you when I helped Paul bring it back. I didn’t see you, moustache, until you finally came here and accused me of theft. From what I can see, I slew a bear, I dragged it all the way here, and now you’ve come to claim my prize. Sounds like one of us is the thief, but it’s not me.”

“You!” Alten grew red hot with anger. “How dare you! Half-breed! You dare accuse me of theft?!” Alten exclaimed. He reached into his pouch and pulled out a ribbon and then marched right to Adam. He held out the ribbon expectantly.

Adam looked at the ribbon, then into those rage filled eyes, and then looked to George for a little guidance. What was going on?

“Do you see how he shrivels to a duel!” Alten turned to George with a wry grin on his face.

“He doesn’t have to accept your duel,” George said. “From what information I have been given, it seems as though Adam was in the right. He slew the bear and carried it here. I’m sure the guards would be more than willing to vouch for that.”

“You scoundrels! Is this how you behave?”

“A duel, huh?” Adam said, interrupting the pair. “What are the rules?”

“I will have you take back your words, half-breed, and you will exclaim to the world what you truly are! A thief! A knave! You will grovel before me for forgiveness!”

“Those are the demands? You don’t want to steal my bear from me?”

“It is my pride you have struck and so it is my pride you will return to me, with yours in hand.”

“So those are your demands? What about when you lose?”

“There is no need to think of such matter.”

“So what? When you lose you can cry and say I didn’t come up with a demand so you can go crawling back to the hole you came from?” Adam had been growing ever more annoyed by this spoilt brat.

Alten’s eyes darkened. “Then what do you demand?”

“I don’t want to see you in Red Oak ever again,” he said. “Leave the town, I don’t want to see your face again.”

Alten held up the ribbon. Adam looked up at Alten and reached for it, but quickly pulled his hand back.

“What time?” Adam asked, recalling the fact that he had something in his back pocket that would require some time.

“Once you have taken the ribbon we may fight at dusk.”

“Tonight?”

“What? Do you need time to run away?”

“So you want me to fight right now as I am resting from an assault that the three of you fled from and I had to deal with by myself?” Adam looked to George. “He just called me a coward, but I think he doesn’t know what that word means. A thief and a coward.”

Alten ground his teeth. “Then when is it that you wish for the duel to occur.”

Adam looked up at Alten. He wanted to level up, but he wanted to be sure he had levelled up properly the next day too.

“The day after tomorrow,” Adam said.

“The day after tomorrow? I will not wait on a half-breed thief.”

“Well then go cry to your mommy and daddy,” Adam said as he pulled back. “I’m busy tomorrow and I don’t have time to babysit some brat.”

Alten’s jaw dropped and he began to move his lips like some kind of fish. “You! Very well! The day after tomorrow and I will have you grovelling and eating dirt for my forgiveness!” Alten held out the ribbon.

Adam nodded and then looked to George. “I want it in writing. It will be him against me, no champions or anything else. We’ll fight until the other yields the day after tomorrow in the morning. If he wins, I’ll grovel and eat dirt. if I win, he leaves Red Oak never to return, ever.”

George nodded.

“Very well!” Alten snapped as he held out the ribbon.

“Oh, and the bear is my prize right? So I can get stamps for that?” He asked George, just to be sure.

“Yes, I will confirm it with Paul.”

It was then that Paul stepped in from the back. He looked around the scenario, looking between everyone in the scene and then to the ribbon.

George cleared his throat. “There seems to be an issue with the bear quest. Alten claims it’s-”

“The half-breed may keep the bear!”

“Alright,” George said and he shrugged.

“What’s going on here?” Paul asked.

Adam grabbed the ribbon. “The day after tomorrow, you and me.”

Alten grinned. “Good. No tricks feyblood, this will be a battle of steel.”

“Fine, whatever.” Adam shrugged his shoulders. He wasn’t too bothered about that.

Like the storm that he was, Alten left as quickly as he had come, twirling his moustache all the while.

Adam looked to George, who nodded as he drew up the contract and then brought it over to Adam.

“How is it?”

Adam read it over quickly. “It looks good, thanks.”

“Sorry about all that,” George sighed. “Are you sure that was a good idea though?”

“I’m pretty sure. I don’t really like his type and I think it would be good for him to learn his place. I don’t expect him to actually leave Red Oak when he loses.”

“His father is the Captain of the soldiers of the region,” George said.

“Oh,” Adam replied. “I didn’t know that.”

“He’s a little tougher than he looks.”

“Who do you think will win?”

“It’ll be a close fight.”

Adam nodded at the response. “Then I’ll turn in for the night,” Adam said as he stood up.

“Would you like your rewards first?”

Adam stopped. Did he need to gain the rewards before he could gain the quest experience?

“So the quest is complete for me?” Adam asked.

“Yes,” Paul said with a nod of his head.

Adam waited for a moment. “Alright, I guess I’ll get the rewards right now.”

Paul stamped Adam’s token five times. Now he had fifteen stamps and he was so close to becoming an iron rank adventurer, he was just five stamps and a promotion quest away.

QUEST COMPLETE

Slay: Brown Bear

STAMPS GAINED

5

EXP GAINED

QUEST (+100) = 100

SUB TOTAL

100

OTHERWORLDER BONUS (+100) = 100

EXP TOTAL

1200 + 200

CURRENT EXP

1400

Level up available!

“How much of the bear would you like to keep?” Paul asked.

“I’d like to keep it’s pelt,” Adam said. “I’d also like some meat to be sent to the guards too.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I’m sure I don’t, but they helped me out so I’d like for them to get a cut.”

“Anything else?”

“I’d like three meal’s worth of meat about so big,” Adam said as he motioned with his hands, it was about three of his hands wide. “One for me, one for Jurot, and one for James.”

Paul nodded his head.

“I’ll sort out the gold quickly, unless you want that tomorrow?”

“We can discuss it tomorrow,” Adam smiled. He wanted Alten to see him get the gold. He wondered how much it would have been.

With that Paul was gone and Adam was too tired to really do much else. Before he could leave, however, Thundersmith had walked over to him.

“Are ya alright?” he asked.

“I’m fine, thank you. Just some minor issue about a soldier trying to steal my glory, which is about expected.”

“Be careful with that one. His head is bigger than his hands.”

Adam narrowed his eyes. “Right?”

Thundersmith nodded and with that he walked over to the other dwarf and then placed a hand on her head and rubbed it as she raised the book to hide her embarrassment.

With that over with, he went to have a quick bath, tended to his wounds which had seemed to have healed over quite fine even though it had looked terrible previously, and then he went right to bed.

LEVEL UP

Adam saw the mass of text appear ahead of him. There was a lot to go through, but he only had one class in mind. So he levelled up warrior.

EXP reduced by 500.

900 EXP remaining.

GAINED: WARRIOR (2)

Level up available!

Oh! Sweet! He could still level up, though he saw that there were now two numbers.

Level up available!

-500

Level up available!

-750

He checked the classes for 500 and it was basically every class that he hadn’t yet taken a level in as well as the second level of wizard. Then he checked the classes for 750.

It was for the third level in warrior, which also came with a class decision for his subclass.

That sounded cool.

He checked which sucblasses sounded coolest and instantly fell to Brute, Knight, and Samurai.

Damn it.

They all seemed so cool!

Brute was just going ham on an enemy.

Knight has some bonuses moves he could employ.

Samurai was just cool, it made him an unrelenting beast with something called Samurai Spirit.

He was fairly certain he was going to level into that, and after a moment’s pause, he did.

EXP reduced by 750.

150 EXP remaining.

GAINED: WARRIOR (3)

SUBCLASS UNLOCKED!

SAMURAI

Even in this dream world of blackness, which probably didn’t exist, he was too tired to check every single bonus he had received. He would do so in the morning.

So he slept.