As soon as Bon stepped into the thirtieth floor he got a quest notification.

Slay the Cockatrice

The Cockatrice has been terrorizing the residents of the world for decades

The people are helpless against its onslaught

Only a group of heroes can get rid of this monster

Gather a group of players and slay the Cockatrice

(Quest requires a party of at least two members

Completion of this quest will give players access to the 31st floor)

Rewards: 1 Epic Armor Piece, 500 Gold, 10,000 EXP

The gold would buy Bon a few meals, but the rest of the rewards were trash. The portal had transported him to a medieval city. There were children running on the streets, laughing merrily while playing some game. There were street merchants crying out their wares. Bon could smell some food being fried from one of the food vendors’ carts. It had been so long since he had seen so many people at once. It was quite an experience.

Bon’s heart pounded loudly as he took in the sights and sounds. He could have spent hours just watching the people. They were so interesting. There was a group of men ogling any young women that walked past them. A few ruffians were dragging a man away, probably at the behest of a loan shark. The city guards did nothing to stop them. The guards were dressed in bright blue uniforms and wore bludgeons on their belts. A few of them also had swords.

There was a big castle in the middle of the city. The city had probably formed around it. Bon wondered what the lord of this city would be like. Would he be a benevolent ruler or a ruthless despot? Bon was just curious and didn’t plan on changing anything in the city. It wasn’t his problem.

Bon saw a blacksmith hammering on some horse shoes across from him. There was a weapons and armor shop near the smithy. He walked to the shop and called out to the blacksmith.

“Can I buy some metal and use your forge?” he asked the blacksmith.

“Eh? Oh, it’s a hero. You’re one of the first ones to get here from the new batch,” the blacksmith stopped his hammering. “You can use the forge for one gold an hour. The metals you want will be charged at a ten percent discount, since you’re a hero and all.”

“Great,” said Bon, choosing the metals he wanted. His smithing skills had imparted more than enough knowledge for Bon to forge a simple weapon. He looked at the various ores and metal bars, and chose a few, mostly steel. He then made a mold for a sickle and chain. There was a special UI to assist him. The blacksmith watched as Bon began to forge. Eventually, the blacksmith yawned and fell asleep on his chair, while Bon continued the process. It took him ten hours to finish forging his weapon, which was an amazing speed. Normal blacksmiths would take days. He etched a few runes on the weapon with the blacksmith’s mana pen, and looked at it with satisfaction.

Bon’s Fire and Ice Sickle and Chain (Uncommon)

The first weapon made by blacksmith Bon

Deadly in the right hands

Weight reduction +5

Chain contains the ice element

(Slight chance of freezing enemies)

Sickle contains the fire element

(Slight chance of burning enemies)

At last, he had a full arsenal in his inventory. While the sickle and chain may not have been legendary, Bon was still satisfied with it.

“Wake up,” he patted the blacksmith on his shoulder.

“Oh! Eh? Eh?”

Bon paid him what he owed, and then said, “You said earlier, that I’m one of the first few heroes to get here from the new batch.”

The blacksmith nodded, “I did.”

“How many heroes got here before me?”

“About fifty I think. I wasn’t watching the portal very carefully. Busy with work, you know.” It didn’t seem like the blacksmith was busy with work. He only had a few horse shoes left to hammer.

“What did you mean by the new batch? How many batches have there been before us?”

“Too many to count,” the blacksmith pointed at the night sky. “Just like the stars in the sky. The last batch came here thirty years ago. They didn’t look like us. They were blue skinned and had tails. Some of them were nasty.”

“Are any of those blue skins still around?” Bon asked.

“Maybe on the upper floors. Many heroes settle in the Tower. They find it too difficult to fulfill their duties,” the blacksmith stretched his arms and yawned loudly. “All of us here are descendants of heroes.”

“Do you know the fisherman Babo?” Tomato had asked him to look up Babo for a quest.

“Why are you asking about him? He lives in Carp village near the Sandy Bridge. That’s far away from where you want to go. The Cockatrice is in the opposite direction. The monster is in the Pillberry Plains. You can buy a map from the cartographer.”

“Are there any inns around here, with good food?” Bon’s stomach was growling. Even though he could live off qi it wasn’t quite as satisfying.

“Rubber Stump has some of the best food in the city. It’s near the central fountain. Just go straight up the road and you will get there.”

“Thanks. Take this for your troubles,” Bon handed him an extra gold coin and left.

Bon found the inn quite easily. It was well lit and there were sounds of revelry coming from inside. A band of four bards were playing and singing within. Some of the lyrics were a little raunchy. Bon took a seat and a serving maid immediately came over to him.

“What will it be, hero?”

“Is there something that marks me as a hero?” The people here didn’t seem to have any difficulty in identifying him.

“There’s a gold marker on top of your head. It’s easy to spot for those who know where to look.”

Bon used Mana Sense and found a tiny confluence of mana above his head. He could have wiped it off if he wished.

“What’s there to eat?”

“We have some stew ready, and the bread is fresh out of the oven.”

“I’ll have that then, and some beer. Fried chicken if you have any.”

The stew was tangy, and very tasty. It was filled with an assortment of meats and vegetables. The bread was soft and full of butter. The chicken was nice and crisp. Bon ate ravenously. He finished three servings and then booked a room. The room was tiny but clean. Bon meditated for an hour and then went to sleep. Even while asleep, he remained alert for any intrusion. If an enemy were to approach him, he would wake up instantly.

When morning came, Bon left the inn and bought a map. He then headed east, towards Carp village. He walked slowly, savoring the rustic scenery. Carts filled with produce constantly went to and fro on the mud roads. The air smelt fresh and the warmth of the sun on his skin was very comfortable. He smiled and greeted everyone he passed by. There were a number of villages on the way.

“A hero is coming,” the children of the villages acted as his heralds. The people were all very excited to see him.

In one of the villages, a woman ran before him and got down on her knees. “Brave hero, my daughter was kidnapped by goblins. Please rescue her. I will give you everything I have in return.”

“I’ll do it if it’s on my way,” said Bon. “Where are the goblins?”

“In the caves of the Frond Hills. My daughter often went there to pick herbs.”

Bon consulted his map. The Frond Hills were within a forest. It just so happened that this way was a shortcut to Carp Village. The woman also reminded Bon of his mother. It wouldn’t be too much trouble to help her.

“Alright. I’ll do my best to rescue her,” he said, and set off into the forest.

“Time is of the essence,” the woman shouted after him, seeing how casually he was walking.

Bon nodded and was soon out of sight. Within the forest, he was like a shark within the ocean. It had become his natural environment. He flashed through the forest, jumping from tree branch to tree branch like a ninja. There were a few nocturnal creatures who tried to make trouble for him.

“Identify”

Ghost Bride HP 1,000/1,000 MP 500/500 She lived in peaceful bliss until the day her fiancee poisoned her Powers Spirit Chill Freezes the target for 2 seconds Gaze of Death Drains a random amount of HP from the target

Bon used his sickle and chain and gave the Ghost Bride eternal rest.

He fought off a pack of wolves, bandicoot bandits, vicious bats, malignant mice, and will-o-wisps.

There were ghouls and zombies roaming below the hills. Their bodies exploded with a single hit of Bon’s spinning chain. As the moon reached its zenith, Bon reached the goblin caves. The goblins came at him in groups, which made things easier. His chain was slick with blood by the time he entered the central cavern. Within the cavern were two thrones. On one sat a very strong looking goblin, with green bulging muscles, and a thick beard. On the other throne sat a human woman, looking at him with anger.

“Identify”

MINIBOSS Goblin King Azfrak HP 15,000/15,000 MP 5,000/5,000

King of the Frond Goblins

He gained his throne after a hundred duels

Powers Smash Grabs the target and smashes him to the ground Azfrak’s Whirlwind Azfrak swings his ax, causing wind to damage everything around him

Bon was not interested in seeing the goblin king’s powers. He tossed his sickle and cut off Azfrak’s head.

“No! My love. How dare you,” screamed the woman. This wasn’t going according to script.

Bon looked at the woman, “Your mother hired me to rescue you.”

“Does it look like I need rescuing?” the woman shuddered. “I was going to be made queen. Can you imagine that, me a queen.”

“Queen of a small pack of goblins,” Bon shook his head in bewilderment. “You would really marry someone who isn’t human?”

“I would marry power, and Azfrak had big plans. He would never have harmed anyone from my village.”

“So you’re okay if he harmed other villages?” Bon asked, still puzzled by the whole situation. Was she really that power hungry?

“The other villages would be a necessary sacrifice. He had a plan to unite all the goblin tribes. Eventually we would have killed the human king, and set the entire land free of his taxes. Your feeble mind cannot grasp the bigger picture. Now, it's all ruined.”

“A land ruled by goblins sounds much worse.”

“As queen I would make sure that everyone lived in peace.”

“Sure you would,” Bon laughed. “You know that your plan would never have worked. You’re just a power hungry bitch, using your ideals as an excuse. You can find your own way back home.”

Bon made to go.

“Take me with you,” the woman shouted. “You were hired to save me. I can’t travel through the forest on my own.”

“I was hired to save you from the goblins,” Bon waved his hand. “The rest isn’t my problem. Just know that your poor mother is very worried about you. I would wait for dawn before setting off. There are weapons aplenty lying in the caves.” She would be safe during the day.

“You’re no hero,” the woman shouted out after him.

Bon knew that he was no hero. He had never said that he was. If a little golden spot over the head could turn people into heroes, then the universe would be a much better place.

Bon walked at the steady pace through the forest and came to some grassland. On the grassland were enormous beasts. Their heads were like snails and their bodies like caterpillars. Bon thought this was a good opportunity to test one of his skills. He could detect humans in the distance, heroes with golden marks on their heads.

Bon used the Summoner’s Taming skill and observed the mana flow as it penetrated the snail caterpillar’s soul. The creature was now his to command. He tried doing the same with qi, but couldn’t make it work. What if he could use music to tame monsters? The vibrations of sound would be able to mass tame all these monsters in one go. He took out his guitar and started playing. The monsters got riled up and moved forward to attack him. They were quite fast, despite being so large. Bon continued playing, not giving up. He could detect someone coming close. He hoped that whoever it was wouldn’t interfere.

Then, a woman covered in mythril armor ran towards the monsters with a great sword. He knew she was a woman because he could see her ponytail sticking out of her helmet. There was also something in her movements that indicated her gender. He wondered if she would be able to handle his legendary Zweihänder.

“Don’t worry,” she shouted. “I’ll save you.”

Who needed saving? These monsters were about as much threat to him as a cockroach. Bon stopped playing as he watched her fight. She was definitely a Berserker. There was a red mist around her body, and her strikes were filled with great power. When the monsters surrounded her, she spun like a top, hitting them all. She made an opening by charging through them. Every monster she hit toppled over when she charged. Berserkers were quite cool, especially with the added color effect. She then struck the monsters over and over again, her speed and damage increasing with each hit. The monsters soon died. She had killed the monster he had tamed as well, who had just been standing peacefully there the entire time.

The woman walked to him and took off her helm.

“Phew,” she wiped off some sweat from her forehead. “It’s a good thing that I was close-by,” she said. She had curly red hair and her face was freckled. “What were you doing here, fighting all alone? This is no place for a bard. You need to be with a party.”

“I don’t have a party,” said Bon.

“Then why don’t you join ours? And you can say ‘thanks for saving me,’ you know,” she seemed a little disgruntled.

“I didn’t need saving, but thanks anyway. It’s the thought that counts.”

“Oh! A combat bard? What’s your level?”

“125,360.”

“It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me,” the woman snorted, “but that number’s a little too imaginative. I’m Kara by the way. What’s your name?”

“Bon. Nice to meet you.”

“A pleasure. Come, follow me. I’ll bring you to my party.”

Bon followed Kara to a lake that was a mile away. There he saw a group of four women and two men. One of the men was extremely good looking. He wouldn’t look out of place as a model or a film star. Three of the women were crowded around him, taking turns to feed him some food. They kept pushing each other out of the way. It was a wonder that they didn’t spill any food on the man.

“Hey everyone,” Kara shouted to them. “Guess who I met.”

“Hi, I’m Bon,” he nodded and smiled at each of them.

“He’s a bard,” said Kara. “We don’t have a bard in our party, so I invited him.”

The good looking man looked at Bon suspiciously. Was he scared that Bon would steal away his little harem? He had nothing to worry about. The only woman Bon could look at was Sarah. Besides, Bon knew he was out of his league. He was good looking, but nothing compared to this man.

“We don’t need a bard,” said the handsome man.

“Don’t be like that, Steve,” a blonde with an Australian accent said. “The more the merrier.”

“Fine,” said Steve. “What’s your level?”

“125,360,” Bon answered truthfully. He knew that they would never buy it.

“Very funny,” Steve scowled. “You can keep it a secret if you want, but if you join my party you have to follow my orders.”

“Sure,” said Bon. “I’ll just leave if the orders are dumb.” He knew he was being rude, but he didn’t want to sugarcoat his words. They needed to know where he stood right away.

“Hey,” said one of the other girls, a brunette with a British accent. “Steve’s a great leader. You will do well listening to his orders. You will level up in no time.”

“Whatever you say,” Bon grinned.

“Let’s introduce ourselves,” said Kara. “You already know me. I’m Kara, a level thirty berserker. The blonde is Lucy, a level twenty nine priestess. That’s Elizabeth,” she pointed at the Brit, “a level twenty eight mage. “She’s Nia,” she pointed at a dark skinned woman, “a level thirty fighter. “Then there’s Aisha and Jim, level twenty eight rogue and archer,” she pointed to a couple who were sitting close together. “And Steve of course, who’s a level thirty five paladin.”

They all said hello.

“So what are you doing here so far out?” Steve asked him. “It’s a hard journey for a solo bard.”

“I came for a quest. I have to go to Carp village,” Bon took out his map and pointed at the village’s location.

“We’re heading there too, to meet Babo the fisherman,” Kara smiled happily. “It looks like we’re all pursuing the same quest. That’s great.”

“Did your guide tell you about it?” Steve asked.

“Yup. I had to pay her a hundred gold for the information.”

“Oh,” Steve shrugged. “Mine told me that information for free.”

“I’m sure she did,” Bon drawled. With Steve’s looks he probably got a lot of things for free. They seemed like nice people though. It may not have been such a bad idea to stick with them, despite Steve’s wary looks. They ate a lunch of chicken sandwiches prepared by Lucy.

“No harem, no fowl,” Bon bit into his sandwich with relish.

“What did you say?” Steve asked, hostility plain on his face.

“Relax man. It was only a stupid pun. No harm, no foul. I just enjoy my chicken sandwiches, that’s all.”

Bon thought of various ways to tease Steve during the journey, but decided against it in the end. Steve didn’t look like he had a sense of humor.

They made it to Carp village towards evening, and then began their first quest as a party.