Adventuring is a dangerous business, but in measuring cause of death, nothing comes close to the body count that dungeons have racked up.

Well, excluding the [Necromancer], but given that he is dead, the focus of this primer will be on dungeons.

A few things to note about dungeons.

Dungeons are often, but not always, located near the center of any given zone You can tell that you’ve entered a dungeon if the monsters that you kill don’t leave behind a body Dungeons contain “dungeon bosses.” They have their own special “room,” and once you enter one, you can’t leave without defeating the boss

If you get nothing else from this, remember point 3. Point 3 is the reason for the body count. Fortunately, most dungeons contain some indication of an imminent boss.

Has there been a drastic change in dungeon architecture? Possible dungeon boss room.

Is there a suspicious lack of enemies in a wide-open space? Possible dungeon boss room.

Is there a giant door that takes multiple people to open? Confirmed dungeon boss room. I feel like I shouldn’t have to explain that one.

Either way, accidentally stumbling into a boss room is a good way to get your party killed. That’s why the adventurer’s guild enforces a rule banning copper and iron rank adventurers from exploring new dungeons. It’s too dangerous.

Exploration of new zones and dungeons is best left to a fully-manned adventuring party of at least silver rank. However, in this adventurer’s opinion, it should be 2 fully-manned teams that have cross-checked to ensure they have all types of elemental damage covered.

Twice.

Some people call me paranoid. I greatly prefer that to dead. If you want to last long in this profession, so should you.

Excerpt from The Adventurer’s Dungeon Primer

------

A few months before the return of the [Demon Lord]

Elluin stalked silently through the woods late one evening. He needed to make his [Hunt] in the wilderness quick, or he was sure to be found out.

I hope I find something soon. He thought. I don’t want to go back empty-handed.

Then with his [Enhanced Senses], he finally spotted his quarry off in the distance.

Gotcha. He thought as he quietly pulled out his bow and took aim.

The deer’s head perked up, and the [Ranger] froze. He took two slow breaths to calm his nerves and slowly drew back the bow.

I wish I didn’t have to do this, forest friend. He thought. But unfortunately, the orphanage is low on food. Your life will not be in vain.

He was just about to release his arrow when a loud noise echoed from a distance and spooked the deer. It took off deeper into the woods, and Elluin’s hasty shot thudded harmlessly into a tree nearby.

“Tree blight!” he muttered as he took off after his prey. However, even with 2 [Ranger] levels, there was no chance that he would catch the four-legged beast.

He sighed and was about to start his [Hunt] over again when he heard the faint yelling.

Two voices… From the north. He hesitated. He was already pretty far north, which meant he was awfully close to human territory. He didn’t want to get involved with the flat ears if he could help it.

However, his curiosity got the better of him, and he took off in that direction.

He came upon a terrifying scene. A dark bear had a couple of humans trapped in a tree, and given the felled tree next to it, Elluin suddenly knew what sound had spooked the deer off.

“[Identify],” he cast. Level 8? I’m no match for that thing. He debated slipping away and leaving the flat ears to fend for themselves when the bear succeeded in felling the tree.

The man put himself between the bear and the woman, but he was batted away without a moment’s hesitation from the monster.

The man immediately stilled, even as his screams echoed through the woods.

They aren’t [Berserkers]. Elluin thought as he belatedly realized they were also wearing shirts. However, that meant they were in trouble. Elluin’s next action surprised even him.

“Hey! Over here!” he shouted as he loosed an arrow.

It thudded into the bear’s shoulder, and Elluin was sure it did only a sliver of the monster’s health. However, it succeeded in his goal of getting the bear’s attention.

And now I run. Elluin thought calmly as the bear charged in his direction.

He turned and sprinted into the woods. The bear was faster, but it was also big. Elluin squeezed through gaps in trees, ran through heavy undergrowth, and even painfully made his way through a patch of thorns.

Then, the wood elf even used his [Nature Affinity] perk to try to urge the plants to help him.

Unfortunately, the perk wasn’t strong enough for what he needed, and the bear was a juggernaut. It crashed through the woods after him and then finally batted him through the undergrowth with a heavy paw.

The single attack did nearly half Elluin’s HP. He was in a daze as the bear approached him.

I guess this is how it ends. He thought. He struggled to his feet.

The bear was rearing back to end him when he saw the sacred blue words… More of them than he had ever seen before.

System: The Hero has been slain! The Hero’s chosen successor has been given the opportunity to take up the mantle

System: Faylen Sarrel has fallen to the side of evil for her murder of the previous Hero! She will be forever clad in black and have red eyes, and a new Hero will be chosen to take her place!

System: Congratulations! You have been chosen as the new Hero of Placeholder!

System: Heroic Mentality detected. “Poise in the worst of circumstances”

System: Heroic skill unlocked. Calm

“[Calm],” Elluin whispered.

The bear paused mid-swipe. Then, Elluin watched in amazement as its fur turned from the pitch black of a hostile monster to a light brown. It walked off into the woods, and by the time Elluin thought to go after it, it had vanished.

He had a lot to process, and he thudded to the ground.

The Saint’s dead. She was murdered.

Then, finally noticing the beautiful silver bow that had appeared in his hand, he stowed it in his inventory.

The Hero’s bow. He thought. I’m the [Hero], and the next [Demon Lord] will be here in about six months.

He felt like he should be swearing, but he was still under the effects of his own skill. Instead, he just gave a long sigh and walked back to the village.

-----

System: Zone entered, Saint’s Rest Village. Faction - Dryadal

Wow, it’s later than I thought. Elluin thought with a frown as he snuck back toward the orphanage. And I don’t even have something to show for it.

That was excluding his new class, of course. However, seeing as he wasn’t even supposed to be a [Ranger] yet, he thought it would be best to keep that under wraps.

I would rather face that bear than Miss Ludan if she finds out. He shuddered as he carefully climbed the outside of the orphanage up to his room’s window.

He sighed with relief when he found the window unlocked, and he slipped inside his dark room.

It suddenly lit up as a candle flared to life.

“Elluin None. I wondered how late you would keep me waiting,” a flat female voice said.

“M-m-miss Ludan!” Elluin replied as he looked over at the middle-aged beastborn, who looked none too pleased. “I-I didn’t want to accidentally wake any of the others, so I thought I’d sneak back in.”

“Of course,” she said as her yellow eyes narrowed to slits. “It had nothing to do with the fact that you were out hunting without permission… and past curfew.”

Elluin had no choice but to accept the coming judgment.

----

“I still don’t know why skills like that exist,” Elluin grumbled the next day as he helped in the back of the [Alchemist’s] shop. He was still feeling the effects of [Corporal Discipline: Spanking]. “It doesn’t lower HP, but it still hurts.”

“It exists because of troublemakers like you… and like me when I was younger,” Gormar the [Alchemist] chuckled. “How many spankings did she give you?”

“I didn’t keep track,” Elluin muttered. He shook his head. “I can’t wait to get out of that orphanage.”

“Don’t be in too much of a hurry to grow up!” the older elf advised. “Being an adult isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. You should make sure to enjoy your last year!”

“Sure, sure,” Elluin replied. Then, he immediately got lost in thought. I became a [Ranger] 2 weeks ago. So, if this works like I heard, I should be 18 in just two more. He frowned. I’m also the [Hero]. But… what am I supposed to do? I think I remember hearing something about a quest that the [Hero] has to go on, but I’m only level 2. I don’t think I’m ready for that.

He frowned. Also, I would have to let the cat out of the bag that I picked up the [Ranger] class. He absent-mindedly sorted alchemy ingredients as he continued. I have some time, though, right? Isn’t the [Demon Lord] supposed to take a few more months to come back? I guess I can at least wait until I turn 18 before I-

He was pulled out of his thoughts when the town bell rang to indicate the coming service.

“Ah, we best get washed up and head over,” Gormar said. “It wouldn’t do to be late after everything the Saint’s done for us.”

Elluin simply nodded in reply. It had been some years since Saint’s Rest had met the 2nd [Hero] of Placeholder. It had started with a magical sickness that swept through the town and then a call for aid.

They had expected a few more [Priests] or [Priestesses] to help. Technically, they only got one. However, given that she managed to cure the entire town single-handedly, Elluin was pretty sure she had been worth 20 other healers, if not more.

Surprisingly, she decided to stick around for a few months after the fact. Whether it was just a passing fancy, or she just wanted a break from it all, Elluin wasn’t sure.

However, that was enough that the villagers decided it was time for a new name. Thus, Saint’s Rest. Elluin didn’t even remember what it used to go by.

And so, Elluin and Gormar headed off to church.

Initially, the entire Dryadal church had decreed it to be a day of mourning, but it was short notice for everyone, with Sarah’s death being just the night before.

However, they couldn’t just go on like nothing had happened, so they compromised. They held nationwide memorial services for the Saint for anyone who wanted to attend.

Elluin’s attendance was mandatory. Both because Seldanna would give him grief if he didn’t come and because Miss Ludan would make more use of her skill if he didn’t show up to help keep the younger orphans in line.

Elluin was grateful to the Saint. He really was. However, he couldn’t stop his mind from wandering as [Bishop] Rosaniya went into detail about Sarah Smith’s life.

I’m the third [Hero] of Placeholder. He thought. Both of them have been… Well… Heroes. Am I really cut out for this? Some of the tinier orphans started acting out, and before he knew it, he had accidentally soothed them with his [Calm] skill.

Sarah could heal anyone with barely a touch. And… the other guy was… a good swordsman or something? Elluin regretted not paying more attention during Miss Ludan’s history lessons. He groaned lightly. I didn’t think knowing what some human did more than 100 years ago would be important.

That was yet another thing that he wanted to ask Seldanna. However, as he took a peek over at her and saw her in tears, he figured that today was not the day to ask a bunch of questions about [Heroes].

Either way, both of them took down a [Demon Lord]. Will I be able to do that with just a bow and arrow?

He stared at the bow in his inventory that he hadn’t dared to take out since he’d received it.

He barely heard a word of the [Bishop’s] message, but thankfully, everyone misunderstood his quiet contemplation.

----

The next day, Elluin was doing his work by rote when Gormar finally nudged him. “You seem a bit distracted today. Is everything okay?”

“Just… wondering about the future,” Elluin replied truthfully.

Gormar clapped him on the back. “Don’t worry about it too much! You’re young! Now’s the time to make mistakes! Chase girls! Get into all sorts of trouble!” He grinned mischievously. “In fact, once you’re done here, why don’t you pay a visit to that young [Priestess] that I always see you with?”

Elluin thought for a moment. He’s right. I shouldn’t keep all of this from Anna. And maybe she’ll have some ideas for what I’m supposed to do as the [Hero]? He nodded. “I think I will pay her a visit, as long as it’s okay with you.”

“Have you done all the mana infusions I asked?”

Elluin nodded.

“Already?” Gormar started looking through the alchemic vials, cauldrons, and other various apparatus. “Well, I’ll be! You have quite the mana supply! You should consider coming on full-time once you can get the [Alchemist] class!”

“I’ll… consider it,” Elluin replied. He didn’t have the heart to tell the old man that he hadn’t even had access to his [Apprentice: Alchemist] class for the past two weeks. He knew the rule that you could only keep one other class when you picked an advanced class, and he had chosen [Apprentice: Hunter] instead.

Which had immediately turned into [Hunter], allowed him to [Hunt] by himself, and was possibly part of the reason that he found himself with his current headache of being the [Hero].

As Gormar ushered him out, Elluin couldn’t help but be confused at how he had done so much more work than usual.

Ever since he became a [Ranger], Elluin always held back a portion of his mana bar so that Gormar wouldn’t notice the sudden increase.

So, he flipped open his status.

Oh. 55 mana. Not 27. Elluin should have been surprised or ecstatic about a sudden doubling of his mana. However, he was more worried about the cause, which was undoubtedly his new class.

Fortunately, he now had an excuse to hopefully get some answers. He made his way over to the building where he hoped to find his friend.

“Excuse me,” he called as he knocked and entered the nearly empty church. “Is Seldanna in?”

“Not at the moment, I’m afraid,” [Bishop] Rosaniya replied. The elderly elven woman gave a small grunt of exertion as she got to her feet. “She’s out seeing a patient who couldn’t make it in. Is there something I can help you with, Elluin?”

Elluin shook his head. “No, I just had something to talk to her about. I’ll come back later. Thanks!”

He headed out the door and collided with a young wolf-eared woman who was running the other way at top speed.

“Oh, hey Anna!” Elluin said as he caught her and kept her upright.

“E-Ell!” she stammered. “I-I didn’t expect to see you here!”

Elluin immediately caught that there was something off about her behavior. They had been friends since childhood, and he was pretty sure that she was lying for some reason. She also had a flower in her hair, which definitely wasn’t a part of her typical [Priestess] attire.

Elluin shook that off. It didn’t really matter that much.

“Yeah, I just thought I would drop in,” he replied. “Do you have a couple of minutes? I need to talk to you.”

“I think I should have a few minutes,” Seldanna said as she shot a look into the church at Rosaniya. After Rosaniya gave a brief nod, she continued. “A-a-and… I have something to tell you too.”

“Perfect. Walk with me for a bit?”

She nodded and followed behind him.

[Bishop] Rosaniya also shot Seldanna a wink that Elluin thought he wasn’t supposed to notice for some reason.

Everyone’s acting strange today. He thought as the two walked deeper into the forest.

When he thought he had gone far enough, he paused. Listening around with [Enhanced Senses], he tried to make sure no one was around when Seldanna interrupted him.

“S-so, we both have something to say, but why don’t you go first?” she asked as she nervously ran her hand through her long brown hair.

He was about to reply but then stopped. “I don’t know. My thing’s pretty important, and I don’t want it to keep you from saying what you need to say. Maybe you should go first?”

Seldanna waved her hands in panic. “N-n-no, that’s fine! You should definitely go first. It was important enough that Gormar let you off early to come see me, right?”

How does she know about that? He asked himself. In the end, he just chalked it up to news traveling way too fast in a small town. Besides, she was right. “Okay, so this is a big deal, and before I tell you, I need you to promise you’ll keep it a secret.”

She gave him a hurt look. “Okay. I… guess if that’s what you want, I can keep it a secret.”

That was finally enough to get Elluin to pause. “We’ve kept tons of secrets before. Why should one more be a deal-breaker?”

She looked on the verge of tears. “It’s just… this isn’t something that should be kept a secret, not unless you’re ashamed of it. And if you think you have to hide it, then I don’t want to be… to be…”

Okay, we’re definitely on the wrong page here. He thought as he looked at his distraught childhood friend. I need to clear up whatever misunderstanding this is.

“I’m the [Hero]!” Elluin blurted out.

Seldanna’s head whipped up from where it had been bowed, and she stared at him.

Then she laughed.

“Okay, you got me,” she said as she wiped at her tears. “I almost believed you there for a second.” She grinned. “But I didn’t think you brought me out here to play [Hero]. It’s been what? Ten years since we last did that?”

Elluin shook his head and grabbed her shoulders. “I’m being serious!”

Seldanna laughed. “Come on, Ell. I’m a part of the church! A [Priestess]! You think I wouldn’t know better than anyone that [Hero] is an advanced class? There’s no way System would give it to someone younger than 18!”

Elluin was about to protest, but it died on his lips. There’s a better way of doing this. He thought. He flipped open his status and then flicked it over to the young [Priestess].

She looked at it and then froze.

“Ell,” she said seriously. “Skills and magic that modify your status display are illegal, and ones that make you out to be the [Hero] are taboo. You need to get that changed back immediately or-”

“I didn’t use magic or a skill,” Elluin protested. “I’m really the [Hero]!”

“Sure, sure,” she said with a sigh. “Look, I’ll pretend that I didn’t see this as long as you get it changed back. It’s not a funny joke, especially after losing Saint Sarah. You know how much I looked up to her.”

Seldanna was starting to get worked up, which actually worked in Elluin’s favor. “[Calm],” he said quietly.

Elluin could almost watch the tension fade out of her shoulders.

“That skill wasn’t… I’ve never… you’re… the [Hero]?” she asked in disbelief.

“Yes, I was picked when the Saint died,” he replied.

“But… you aren’t 18! System would never pick someone underage to become the [Hero]!”

Elluin laughed awkwardly. “I… uhh… Might have… kind of… already had an advanced class?”

The flat look that she gave him informed him that he wouldn’t be getting out of it that easily.

So, he explained how he had come across the class.

It turned out, to become a [Wizard], a [Sorcerer], a [Knight], or a [Warrior], it was pretty heavily regulated, and you needed to go through a guild.

As for [Rangers] they were… less so. The oath was also not to a specific organization. It was more along the lines of swearing to “uphold justice and protect nature.”

He was also able to get away with doing it over mail because of how remote of a location he was in.

Either way, Seldanna didn’t approve of him lying over a letter to become a [Ranger]. That fact didn’t surprise Elluin at all. The thing that did surprise him was how quickly she put that aside.

“So what are you going to do now?” she asked. “Put together a party? Go on a quest to deactivate an elemental dungeon? Defeat the [Demon Lord]?”

Elluin groaned. “Well, of those three, it sounds like I need to put a party together first. But we’re in the middle of nowhere! Where am I going to find other adventurers?”

Seldanna hmmed. “I suppose I might know where you could find one. It would be a big sacrifice having to take on an advanced class, but she might be willing to do it for you.”

Elluin looked at her blankly. “Who?”

Seldanna started to speak, then closed her eyes and sighed. “There are some days when I wonder why it had to be you,” she muttered.

However, he picked it up clearly enough thanks to [Enhanced Senses].

Before he could ask what she was talking about, she continued. “It’s me. Every party needs a healer, right? So, I thought that I could become a [Cleric] and join you!”

“Really?” Elluin replied. “That would be great! Then we just need to find some [Warriors] and maybe a mage, and we’ll be good to go!” He started pacing in thought. “I might have an idea for two potential [Warriors]. Or maybe they’ll want to be [Knights]? I’ll have to ask.”

Seldanna no longer looked thrilled, and Elluin quickly came to a conclusion.

“Oh, sorry!” he said. “You had something you wanted to tell me, but we’ve just been dealing with my mess this whole time. What is it?”

Seldanna thought for a moment before replying in a somewhat strained voice. “Just that… I was planning to become a [Cleric]! Just like the Saint.” She nodded. “Yeah, that was it.”

Elluin frowned. “Really? But I thought you were just becoming a [Cleric] because my party needed one?”

The young [Priestess] made a slightly strangled noise and then started coughing. “Well… that’s because…” She paused. “Shouldn’t we go get the rest of your party together?”

“Now’s probably not the best time. My two picks are probably still at work,” Elluin replied. “Speaking of… don’t you have to get back too?”

Seldanna’s eyes widened. “Oh, System! You’re right! I need to get going!” She turned and almost dashed off before stopping. “Umm… I know you’re the [Hero], and you get to pick who’s in your party… but can I at least meet them before you promise them a spot?”

“Sure, but you already have,” Elluin replied. “I was thinking of inviting Folwin and Folmer.”

Seldanna groaned. “The muscle head twins? Really?” She sighed. “Well, I guess they make sense. We need someone to stand between the enemies and me, and they can at least do that much.”

Given the frown on Anna’s face, Elluin was almost positive she wasn’t happy, though. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to invite them?”

“Go ahead,” she replied. “As long as you are sure they can keep a secret.”

It was Elluin’s turn to frown. I didn’t think about that. Those two don’t really seem like the secret-keeping type. He had a jolt of inspiration. “I can have them swear!” he replied.

Seldanna’s eyes widened. “A [System-Bound Oath]? Really? You’re that serious about keeping this a secret?”

Elluin nodded.

“But… the gravity of that kind of oath… is it really okay to use it just to keep your identity as the [Hero] secret?” she asked.

“I mean… if it was just that, probably not,” Elluin replied. “But there’s also a [Hero]-killer out there. I don’t know why anyone would want to kill the Saint, but if they’re just targeting [Heroes], doesn’t that mean it’s dangerous for anyone to know?”

“I… didn’t think about that,” Seldanna admitted. “Okay, that’s fair, then. Do you want me to give you an oath, too?”

Elluin shook his head. “Nah. I know you. You’re not one to give out a secret.”

“I’m glad you trust me,” she replied with a smile.

The two stood there staring at each other for a bit before Elluin broke the silence. “Umm… Didn’t you need to go?”

“Right! Let me know when you’ve got the party assembled, and we can talk over our next steps!”

Seldanna took off at a mad dash, and Elluin was left alone.

Alright. Now to try to convince those two to join my party…

------

It took Elluin several hours to locate the elven twins who were his quarry. He would have had no luck if he hadn’t caved in and asked the one person who was sure to know where they were… their mother.

After being informed that they ran off into the forest and being given permission to “box their ears” for shirking work, he finally located the twins.

“Folwin! Folmer! There you are,” Elluin said as he heard the familiar sound of them wrestling. When he finally saw them, the 6-foot tall, heavily muscled twins were a tangle of limbs on the ground.

“No fair! I had you until he distracted me!” one of them complained.

“Sure you did,” the other replied sarcastically. “Just like you had me the last five matches.”

“That third match was a draw!”

Meanwhile, Elluin just watched. He had known the twins for years, and if he was being honest, he still struggled to tell them apart.

“It doesn’t matter even if it was. I still won the most matches, which means you gotta pay up!”

The other twin grumbled but still initiated a trade screen.

The matter of their bet settled, they turned back to Elluin.

“So, what brings the mighty [Hunter] out here?” one twin asked.

“Wait… don’t tell me,” the other one paled. “Mom sent him! Quick! Split up!”

They tried to take off in opposite directions.

Tried is the opportune word.

Elluin reached out and snagged both of them by their shirts. They struggled a bit, but Elluin was surprised at his own strength as he dragged both of the taller and older boys to the ground.

“Dang, when did you get so strong, Ell?” one complained.

Elluin paused. “Actually, I have a story to tell you about that, but you have to swear not to tell anyone.”

-------

After securing the twins’ oath, he spilled the beans about being the [Hero].

They took it about as well as he expected… which means that they were whooping and hollering and ready to pick up an adventurer class right then and there.

Then, just to make sure they didn’t get into too much trouble, he dragged them back to their mom.

They weren’t so happy about that last part, but they did promise that they would be willing to meet up later.

And so, he began his trip back to Gormar’s shop. He felt a bit bad about abandoning the old man for the entire day, so he figured the least he could do would be to check back up on him.

He was stopped on the street by a thin elven woman.

“Oh, Mylaer,” Elluin said. She was always buried in a book, and she always had a condescending look to throw his way. He tried to keep his disdain from his voice as he answered. “Do you need something?”

“Yes. I saw you dragging those two imbeciles back,” she replied. “All by yourself.”

“Yup, their mom couldn’t wait to let them have it,” he replied. He tried to walk past her, but she stepped into his path. “Could you stop beating around the bush and let me know what you want?” he asked with a sigh.

“I just think that was a pretty advanced technique.”

Tree blight. She figured it out. He grimaced before catching himself. “I… have no idea what you’re talking about.”

She laughed. “Thanks for confirming that for me. I was only about 85 percent sure.”

Elluin clenched his fist. “Alright, what do you want?”

She leaned in and whispered. “I know that you are planning something with those two idiots. I want in. Whatever it is.”

Elluin raised an eyebrow. “You have no idea what we’re doing.”

“Ah, but you are doing something.” She paused. “And that is all I care about. I’m bored. There’s nothing to do in this useless little village, and I have already read every book in our antiquated library.”

Elluin had one last card to play. He was going to try to bluff his way out.

“Well, if you want in, you’ll have to swear to keep it a secret… it might also be dangerous.”

Elluin miscalculated. If anything, that got the young elven [Librarian] more excited than before.

His chance of getting her to leave it alone was sunk, and he couldn’t have her causing even more scrutiny on him or the others. He swore her to secrecy, reluctantly revealed his class, and then gave her the details of their meetup later.

------

Later that night, Elluin was somehow able to sneak out once again. Though he knew he had to make it fast, or Miss Ludan would tan his hide again.

He made it to the meeting spot first, and the other showed up just a bit later.

“Ugh, you invited Mylaer?” one of the twins asked.

“Why her?” the other one complained.

Meanwhile, Seldanna just gave him a look that he couldn’t quite parse.

“Mylaer’s here because she figured me out,” Elluin finally said with a sigh. “So, it was either swear her to secrecy and get another party member or have her reveal us.”

“I… guess that makes sense then,” Seldanna said with a sigh.

Mylaer snorted. “Now that we have established I have as much of a right to be here as the rest of you, let’s get down to business.” She looked at the rest of the party. “What advanced classes are you taking?”

“I’m going to be a [Cleric],” Seldanna replied. “[Priestess] is my primary class anyway, and I’m sure the [Bishop] will let me take the oath.”

“Good. That gives us a healer and a ranged attacker.” She looked over at the twins. “And what are these two muscle brains doing for an advanced class?”

“Hey!” one of them interjected. “Just because we like to fight doesn’t mean we’re idiots!”

“Oh? Then what class are you going to take?”

The twins looked back and forth at each other. “Uhh… what options are there?”

“We need some people to fight in the frontline,” Seldanna replied. “So, that leaves [Warrior], [Knight], [Martial Artist], or [Berserker].”

Elluin grimaced at the mention of the last class. The twins weren’t too happy either.

“And become like one of those shirtless weirdos up north? No thanks,” one twin grumbled.

“Why would you even bring that up as an option?” the other added.

“Well… it is a legitimate frontline class,” Seldanna finally replied. “As long as you don’t pick up the [Rage] skill, it isn’t that different from [Warrior] in a lot of respects.”

“Even if they wanted to pick that class, the guild certainly wouldn’t swear them in,” Mylaer replied. “Maybe we shouldn’t waste our time on options that don’t matter?”

Elluin didn’t like her tone of voice and was about to call her out on it when Seldanna stopped him.

“Yes, you’re right,” she said. “We should focus on the other options. Primarily [Knight] and [Warrior].”

“But what about that lethal painter class, or whatever?” one of the twins interjected.

The entire group turned and stared.

“You mean… [Martial Artist]?” Seldanna finally asked.

He nodded. “Yeah! How is an [Artist] supposed to fight anyway? Do they just use a giant paintbrush or something?”

“[Martial Artists] practice [Martial Arts],” Mylaer stated flatly. “It is a fighting style where you fight unarmed. They are not scatterbrained morons who try to defeat enemies with paint supplies.”

The twin deflated. “Aww.”

“But it sounded like you excluded that option?” Elluin finally spoke up. “Doesn’t it make sense for them since they’re already used to fighting like that?”

“The only known place that swears in [Martial Artists] is Besti,” Mylaer replied. “Given that the [Demon Lord] will be back in a few months, I imagine we do not have the luxury of a road trip to the far east.”

“Alright then, what’s the difference between a [Warrior] and a [Knight], then?” a twin asked.

“[Warriors] get more offense-based skills, and [Knights] get more defense-based ones,” Elluin replied.

It was Elluin’s turn to have the entire party look at him.

“What?” he said defensively. “I did a lot of research before I picked to become a [Ranger], okay?”

Seldanna was the first to recover. She shook her head. “Okay, so given that your choices are [Warrior] or [Knight]. Which are you leaning towards?”

The twins looked at each other.

“[Warrior],” they answered in unison.

“That should be fine as long as you can keep the monsters off us. Now, what about you, Mylaer?”

“I will become a [Wizard],” she replied.

“Sure you aren’t better suited to be a [Rogue]?” Seldanna muttered almost inaudibly. Then, taking a deep breath, she continued. “Okay, it’s settled. We’ll pick up those classes as soon as we can. Then we just need to set up some time to kill monsters.”

The rest of the meeting went smoothly, and they determined that they would meet up again after a few days.

-----

Elluin’s party had a surprisingly easy time securing their classes.

The tiny branch of the adventurer’s guild in Saint’s Rest didn’t put forward too many concerns about the twins becoming [Warriors] when it came out that they had a party with a healer planned out. The main sticking point was their mother, but they managed to work around that… by not telling her until afterward.

She was none too pleased, and Elluin had guests sleeping on his floor for a few nights, but she eventually accepted it.

As for Mylaer, there was no mage’s guild in the village. Fortunately, the adventurer’s guild was willing to swear her in as their proxy.

Seldanna had the easiest time of all. She had a good relationship with the [Bishop], and the older woman was more than happy to let her accept the class when she explained that she wanted to follow in the Saint’s footsteps.

After that, the next cause for concern was equipment.

The entire party had spaced that part of their setup.

Fortunately, the adventurer’s guild had some basic weapons that they were willing to loan out so that the twins at least had a sword each.

Finding time to hunt monsters together also turned out to be easier than expected.

They were all able to convince their respective employers to give them some time off to start their adventuring.

Even Elluin. He told Gormar that he wanted to head out and adventure with the group, and the old elf made sure to cover for him.

All of that led to their very first fight…

----

“Where are all the monsters at?” one of the twins grumbled. “I thought the wilderness was supposed to be crawling with them, but we’ve been out here for hours!”

“Have a little patience,” Mylaer admonished him. “If monsters were that ubiquitous, then no one would ever be able to leave town! In fact-“

“Quiet!” Elluin hissed. He thought he heard something.

Mylaer rounded on him but didn’t have time to say anything before they heard the howls.

“All right, just like we practiced!” Elluin called out. The party drew their weapons, and Ethan loosed an arrow at the first wolf that appeared.

His aim was true, and the arrow lodged into the now-dead wolf’s face.

However, there were 4 more where that came from.

Elluin stopped admiring his own shot. This isn’t like hunting! I need to keep shooting!

With a practiced motion, he pulled the next arrow from his inventory and nocked it. Another quick shot and the second wolf went down.

Meanwhile, Mylaer also did her best to contribute. “[Mage Bolt]!” she cast. The bolt flew towards one of the wolves… and went slightly above its head. It impacted a tree in the distance harmlessly, and then the wolves were in melee.

Two of the wolves went for Folwin, while the other went for Folmer (Elluin had finally convinced them to at least wear different color clothing).

Folmer dispatched his wolf as it jumped at him while Folwin struggled to dodge his two attackers.

However, Elluin finally had an opening. He loosed his third arrow of the fight and took down one of the wolves.

That caused a problem. With that final wolf slain, his entire party leveled up.

Folmer tripped on his way to help his brother, and Folwin fell to the ground after an exaggerated swing of his sword.

Then the wolf was on him.

“[Heal] him!” Elluin called to Seldanna.

However, Seldanna was already on it, and she cast the spell simultaneously with his cry.

Meanwhile, Mylaer landed her first [Mage Bolt], and Folwin finished the last monster off with a solid right hook.

The party rushed over to Folwin.

“Are you okay!?” Folmer shouted as he practically tackled him.

“Calm down! You’ve got my HP bar right up there, ya idiot,” Folwin replied as he gave his brother a light punch to the shoulder.

He made it back to his feet and then lofted his sword. “Victory for the [Hero’s] party!” he shouted. “And levels for everyone!”

The entire party exchanged looks. Then Seldanna shrugged. “To our first victory!” she shouted.

The party cheered. It was their first fight of many, and they were already level 2. This adventuring stuff didn’t seem so hard.

------

Elluin’s party eventually made it to level 3 (with him making it to level 4 due to the perks of being the [Hero]) just by fighting wolves in the wilderness.

However, with how slow that next level was, they realized they would need to go somewhere with more monsters.

“I’m telling you!” Folwin said one day. “There’s an unclaimed zone about half a day northeast! It would be a lot better to train there, wouldn’t it?”

Seldanna hesitated. “Are we sure we’re ready to fight in a zone? I mean, we may end up against dozens of monsters at once.”

“It’ll be fine!” Folmer interjected. “As long as we fight in a good spot, Elluin can take down a dozen on his own. Not to mention that even Mylaer is contributing now that she has [Fire Bolt]!”

Seldanna looked to Mylaer. Mylaer sighed. “As loathe as I am to agree with the muscle twins about anything. They do have a point. We have stagnated with our current leveling. Based on adventurer guild records, the next thing we need to fight is an alpha wolf or a bear that we should only find in a zone.”

Technically, they can show up outside of a zone too. Elluin thought.

“But… are we really ready to fight something like that?” Seldanna protested.

“Come on!” Folwin interjected. “We have a [Hero]! He just needs to bust out his [Hero] skill if anything goes wrong!”

Seldanna finally looked to Elluin.

Elluin sighed. “I think they’re right. I wish we had years before the [Demon Lord] would show up, but he’s due to arrive in just a few months. We need to start leveling faster.”

“But-“

Elluin cut her off. “But we can wait a few more days before we go.” He turned to the rest of the party. “I should be turning 18 here soon. We might as well wait for that since this will be an overnight trip.”

“Won’t that mean you’ll have to tell Miss Ludan, though?” Seldanna asked. “She won’t buy your birthday suddenly changing otherwise.”

Elluin grinned. “Yup. But by the time I tell her, I’ll be officially out of her care. She won’t be able to do a thing.”

Seldanna chuckled nervously. “Your funeral,” she whispered.

-----

Elluin’s 18th “birthday,” he learned the hard way that just because he was “an adult” didn’t mean that he was free from the consequences of angering Miss Ludan.

She couldn’t have spanked him if she wanted to, but he returned to the orphanage after working at Gormar’s shop to find all of his things neatly placed in piles in the front yard.

He gathered all of his stuff without protest.

Well… It’s a good thing I like camping.

The only other “celebration” of note was that he finally got to pick his last name.

He had never been creative, so he just went with Hunter.

Seldanna did make fun of him a bit for that.

After that, it was time for the party to prepare for their first-ever multi-day training mission. They secured food, tents, extra arrows, and even an unexpected bit of aid from Gormar.

“I can’t take these,” Elluin said wide-eyed as he stared at a set of 5 health potions. “This costs more than I make in a year.”

“Well, it is always better to have a potion you don’t need than to need a potion you don’t have,” the [Alchemist] replied. He pushed the vials into Elluin’s hands. “And I insist. You’ve been a great assistant, even if you’ve been hiding your class for the past month.”

For a second, Elluin panicked because he thought Gormar meant his [Hero] class, but at the man’s sly wink, he relaxed. “Yeah. Sorry I didn’t tell you I was a [Ranger] sooner. I was sure Miss Ludan wouldn’t be happy.”

“Just do me a favor and don’t get into a situation where you need those, okay?” the aged elf continued. Then, he hesitated for a moment before wrapping Elluin in a hug. “I always thought of you like the grandson I never had, so don’t do anything reckless enough that you don’t come back, you hear?”

Elluin nodded. “Got it. We’ll stay safe… Or at least as safe as adventurers can be.”

Surprisingly, when the morning came for their departure, they had a bit of a crowd that came to see them off. Even Miss Ludan was there to wish them well.

Then, the group was off.

------

System: Zone entered, Unnamed. Faction - Neutral

“Here we are,” Elluin said as he stopped. The twins gave him a confused look that turned into one of recognition as they received the same notification from System.

“So, what’s the plan?” Folwin asked.

“It makes the most sense to set up our camp outside of the zone,” Mylaer replied. “Zones are especially treacherous at night.”

“In that case, why don’t we backtrack a bit and then get our camp situated?” Seldanna suggested.

One quick camp setup later, the party was off searching the new zone.

Like the other areas around Saint’s Rest, the new zone was also a forest. However, it was a lot denser than they were used to. Eventually, Folwin and Folmer pulled out their swords to hack through the thick underbrush.

A part of Elluin winced at the treatment of the plants, but he knew the necessity. If they were ambushed by monsters when they couldn’t move around, they’d be in big trouble.

“Hey! I think I see a clearing up ahead!” Folwin called.

“Perfect. We can set up in there and wait for a monster attack,” Mylaer replied.

“Anything beats this place,” Folmer grumbled and practically charged ahead through the undergrowth.

The party followed along until he entered the clearing.

“Ah, I feel like I can breathe again!” Folmer said as he stretched out in the sun.

Then he froze.

“Stay back!” he shouted.

“Why? What’s wrong?” Elluin asked as he strode forward.

Folmer blocked his path.

“Boss room,” he stated gravely. He reached out his hand towards Elluin and rested it on an invisible wall.

“A boss!? We aren’t ready to fight a boss yet!” Seldanna yelled in panic.

“But what else can we do?” Folwin snapped back. “I’m not going to just leave him in there!”

“[Calm],” Elluin said. “Let’s take one second and talk this out.” He said softly. “Folmer is trapped in a boss room. Our only options are to go and fight it, or leave and try to get help.”

“We’re a half day’s hike from anywhere!” Folwin protested. “We don’t have time!”

“But that means we’ll have to fight a boss,” Seldanna replied. “They’re level 15. Will the 5 of us really be able to handle that?”

“Maybe you should just leave me behind,” Folmer said. “It’s better that just one of us dies here, right?”

“Screw that!” Folwin replied as he shoved his way past the party. Folmer tried to block him, but he pushed him out of the way too. Then, once he was thoroughly in the zone, he punched his brother in the face. “And that’s for giving up on yourself! No brother of mine is ever gonna just roll over and die!”

“Ow,” Folmer replied. Then while rubbing his jaw, he continued. “Well, I’m glad you have my back and all, but what if the rest of the party doesn’t follow you in?”

Elluin made his decision. “We will,” he said as he walked forward into the boss room. “We can’t just leave a party member to die, right?”

System: You have entered a dungeon boss room! You will be unable to leave by any means until the dungeon boss is defeated.

He ignored System’s prompt and looked back at the two hesitating women. “Come on!” he said. “If we’re going to do this, we’ll need our healer and our other ranged damage dealer!”

Seldanna and Mylaer looked at each other. Seldanna was the first to move.

“Well… okay, but if I die, I’m never going to forgive you, okay?” she said.

“Good thing no one’s going to die,” Elluin replied.

That left the [Wizard].

“Mylaer. Mylaer. Mylaer,” Folwin started chanting.

The rest of the party joined in one by one, and eventually, the [Wizard] groaned.

“I get the unmistakable feeling that I am going to regret this,” Mylaer replied as she stepped forward.

The entire party was now trapped together inside the boss zone.

“So, now what?” Folwin asked.

“Well, fortunately, we have a bit of time to prepare,” Mylaer replied. “We may be in the boss room, but no health bar has appeared. That implies it is not yet active.”

Elluin nodded. “That’s good. We can let everyone get all our SP back before starting the fight.” Then he remembered something. “Oh! And everyone take one of these,” he said as he passed out health potions.

“Where did you get all of these?” Folwin asked.

“Perks of working with an [Alchemist],” Elluin replied. “Gormar gave them to me in case of an emergency, but let’s try not to get in a position where we need them, alright?”

Everyone nodded their ascent.

Then… they waited.

It was a bit odd simply sitting down and resting while being trapped in the same room as a monster that was sure to be 10 levels above all of them. However, any time anyone’s nerves started acting up, Elluin simply reapplied [Calm].

They didn’t only rest during that time. They also discussed strategy. Not that there was much to discuss there. There’s only so much you can do when you have no idea what type of opponent you’re about to face.

All too soon, everyone’s resources were topped off.

“Ready?” Elluin asked. At the party’s nods, he continued. “Alright, let’s go. We’ll head towards the center of the clearing first.”

They went in formation with the twins at the front, but they didn’t get to the center before a boss health bar appeared.

Its title was The Grasping Willow.

Meanwhile, the party watched as a giant willow tree suddenly sprouted in the middle of the boss room.

Some of its branches rapidly extended their way, and the battle was joined.

“Folwin and Folmer! Take out the branches!” Elluin shouted as he nocked his bow and shot a long-distance shot into the tree’s trunk.

He celebrated internally for a moment when the boss’s health bar dropped ever so slightly.

“Mylaer! Aim at the trunk with me! Save your [Fire Bolts] for now!” he called.

Her only reply was a steady chant of “[Mage Bolt]” as she pitched in her damage.

Meanwhile, the twins cut branch after branch that tried to stab or grasp at them.

That left Seldanna doing nothing, but Elluin was happy with that. Having a bored healer was always a good thing in his book.

“Just keep this up!” Elluin encouraged the party. “We’ve got this!”

However, it was about then that the boss reached three-quarters of its health.

Elluin felt something coming but only belatedly realized what his [Nature Affinity] perk was telling him.

“Mylaer! Move!” he called.

She turned to look at him in confusion, and it was too late. A tangle of roots burst from the ground, grabbed Mylaer, and then dragged her back underground in one impossibly fast motion.

“No!” Elluin cried as he sprinted over. There was no sign of her, and the hole left behind was too small for anyone to follow quickly.

She was gone, but this was no time to panic. He activated [Calm] once again.

“She’s losing HP, but slowly!” Seldanna called out. “We can still save her if we beat the boss!”

“You heard her! Charge!” Elluin called.

“I thought you’d never say that!” Folwin whooped. “It’s time to show that stupid tree who the real bosses are!”

The four remaining party members charged towards the tree.

The twins kept hacking through the attacking branches while Elluin kept up his firing.

However, he realized they could no longer have Seldanna sit back and do nothing.

“Anna! Catch!” he called as he tossed her his hunting knife in between shots.

She gave him a confused look that quickly turned to one of determination. “Got it!” she said.

The now-three melee attackers reached the tree’s trunk and began hacking away at it. Elluin followed at a slight distance, which meant that he soon became the primary target for the branches.

Fortunately, an indestructible bow makes for a decent staff in a pinch. Elluin somehow managed to juggle shooting arrows into the tree’s trunk while calling out warnings for his teammates and fending off the attacks that were coming for himself.

That held up until the next boss threshold. Half HP.

“Folwin! Dodge!” Elluin cried.

Folwin’s reflexes were up to snuff, and he dove out of the way just as a tangle of roots breached the surface where he had been a second ago.

“Thanks for the heads up!” he called back.

Elluin relaxed for a brief moment. They hadn’t lost anyone to the second round.

That brief moment was all it took.

A second set of roots breached the surface and dragged the helpless [Warrior] underground.

“Folwin!” Folmer yelled as he hacked at the ground where his brother had disappeared.

“Folmer! We have to focus down the boss!” Elluin called out.

He gave no reply but a wordless yell as he began hacking recklessly at the tree.

Unfortunately, they finally got to see what happens when the tree’s branches were not lopped off or crushed. Spear-like branches pierced Folmer even as he continued his attack.

“[Heal]!” Seldanna cast.

“Save your mana for them!” Folmer snapped. “They’re dying! We need to finish this now!”

“And we need you alive to deal damage!” Seldanna snapped back as she continued stabbing the tree. “If we make it through the boss, we’ll level! I’ll have extra mana then!”

“Just keep going and get ready to dodge when it reaches one quarter HP!” Elluin called. “We can still do this!”

Folmer was dropped low due to his manic attacking, but it was effective. They reached one quarter HP soon enough.

Elluin tried to sense the attack coming.

“It’s on me!” he called as he dove out of the way of the incoming roots.

However, he was wrong. It was on him AND Folmer.

Their second [Warrior] was dragged underground, while Elluin was left in a panic. The roots were coming for him again.

He barely managed to get to his feet and dive yet again.

Unfortunately, the boss would not be satisfied until it had ensnared a second adventurer.

He managed close dodge after close dodge and even had to start batting away the branches that joined in on the mix.

Until finally, Seldanna sprinted over to him.

“What are you doing?” he called. “Get back!”

He dodged yet another subterranean attack… while Seldanna dodged into it.

“It’s up to you,” she said.

And then, just like that, she was gone.

Elluin was the only adventurer left aboveground. Seldanna and Folmer had been grabbed. Mylaer and Folwin were already in negative HP.

Elluin focused back on the boss. He needed to take it down the rest of the way alone.

He loosed another arrow… and a new set of branches appeared that blocked the attack.

He loosed again and did no damage once again.

It’s blocking ranged attacks! He realized. He sprinted towards the trunk while batting away attacks with his bow. Then, he learned that there was a second change in the boss’s behavior.

A single root snaked up as he approached, grabbed him by the leg, and then tossed him bodily away from the tree trunk.

Elluin couldn’t attack from range, and he couldn’t get in close. He tried to find a gap in its defense and shoot through that, but he didn’t have any luck there either.

Elluin grabbed his next arrow from his inventory and froze as his list of items shifted.

Last arrow. He thought. He was starting to panic and almost activated [Calm] again.

No. This isn’t the time to be calm. His eyes narrowed on the boss. This monster isn’t going to get away with killing my friends!

“I’m going to take you down with this one last shot!” Elluin shouted with defiance as he pulled his bow back to its maximum.

Dozens of spear-like branches stabbed through him. His HP dropped precipitously, but he cared only about putting that monster down.

System answered his prayers. Time slowed down as the messages showed before his eyes.

System: Heroic Mentality detected. “Defeat Darkness with a single blow”

System: Heroic skill Sunder viability below threshold for current Hero

System: Converting for Ranger class…

System: Heroic skill unlocked. Trueshot

“[TRUESHOT]!” he shouted. He loosed his arrow with a thunderclap, and he unleashed a bolt of pure lightning.

It crashed through the protective branches as if they were nothing, blew a hole clean through the boss’s trunk, and continued off into the woods beyond.

I did it. He thought. He leveled to 10, just like that, and he could vaguely sense that the rest of the party was back aboveground.

However, his vision seemed a bit fuzzy. And his chest was… wet?

Even as he received notifications from System, he looked down and saw the red leaking from his body.

System: New Achievement. Dungeon Delver. Class Perk Points Gained 5

System: New Achievement. Underdog. Class Perk Points Gained 5

System: You have defeated the boss for an unnamed zone! Please choose a name

System: New Achievement. Explorer. Class Perk Points Gained 2

He collapsed to the ground.

He could hear his teammates calling for him, but they seemed so far away.

I… need to name the zone. He thought.

“Beware the Clearing,” he stated as the darkness overtook him.

------

Elluin awoke to voices.

“How’s he doing?” he heard one of the twins ask in a low voice.

“He should be close to a full recovery,” Seldanna replied. “With the increased mana from becoming a [Bishop]- err, the adventurer version of the class, not the church class. Anyway, with that and also throwing my perk points into mana, he shouldn’t even need to go to a bigger town. He should just need another full mana bar or so.”

Elluin finally realized that he must have been back in town. There was no other explanation for the bed he found himself in. Given the other beds he saw, he could only assume that he was in the church’s patient room.

“Hey,” he called out toward the voices. “Could I get some water?”

“Ell!” he heard three voices shout in unison as the twins and Seldanna burst into his room.

He tried to sit up but found that his body protested doing even that much.

“Ow,” he said. “I guess that boss really did a number on me.”

“You don’t know the half of it!” Folmer replied. “We all shoved our health potions down your throat, and Seldanna barely managed to stabilize you with [Restore].”

Elluin laughed weakly. “Sounds like I’ll have to tell Gormar I really owe him.” He had barely finished when he started hacking and coughing.

“Oh, System! Wait, I should be able to spare a bit more mana,” Seldanna said. Then she placed a hand on his shoulder. “[Restore].”

Elluin’s coughing fit subsided, and he felt a bit of his strength come back. She also pulled out a glass of water from her inventory and handed it to him.

“Thanks,” he said as he managed to sit up and gulp it down.

“Of course,” she replied.

However, one question burned in the back of his mind. “So, where’s Mylaer?” he asked. “Is she okay?”

The rest of his party shared a look.

“She’s… physically fine,” Seldanna finally replied.

Elluin frowned. “And so she’s not doing so well some other way. What’s wrong with her?”

“It’s nothing. Just worry about getting better.”

Folwin scowled. “Don’t coddle him. He needs to know.” He offered Elluin a hand. “Can you stand up? I think you need to see for yourself.”

Despite the [Priestess’s] protests, the twins helped Elluin up out of bed, and the party made their way to their [Wizard’s] house.

“Mylaer?” Seldanna called as she knocked on her door. “We’re coming in, okay? And Elluin’s here with us.”

There was no response. Seldanna slowly opened the door, and Elluin was shocked.

The entire place looked like someone had ransacked it. The few decorations Mylaer had were scattered around, and even her table and chairs were upended.

But the thing that broke Elluin’s heart was seeing Mylaer sitting on the floor in the middle of the room in the fetal position with multiple candles burning around her.

“Reaching. Grasping. Roots,” Mylaer muttered to herself. “Don’t let them near. Don’t let them get me. Don’t go back to the dark. Don’t. Don’t. Don’t.”

“Why haven’t you healed her?” Elluin asked.

“I’ve had to spend most of my mana on you,” Seldanna replied. “But this is even after a couple of rounds of [Restore]. Also, it’s a bit difficult to get her to cooperate.” She looked at the twins. “Ready?”

The twins nodded and left Elluin leaning on a wall for support. Then, they pinned Mylaer to the ground.

“NO!” she shouted. She thrashed to try to break free, even as she began casting. “Fire Strike my foes, [Fire Bolt]!”

The [Fire Bolt] hit Folmer, who simply grunted.

Then, Seldanna moved in and cast [Restore]. After a few seconds, her struggles subsided a bit.

“Seldanna?” she asked. “Wait. Where are we? The last thing I remember was-“

Seldanna shushed her gently. “Don’t think about it right now. Just try to get some sleep, okay?”

Mylaer’s eyes widened. “Wait. I remember. It was dark. I was alone… and…”

“No, don’t worry about it right now. Just breathe, and-“

However, Elluin could tell the elf was close to another panic attack.

“[Calm],” Elluin said. That finally did the trick. Mylaer’s tensed body relaxed, and her upper body thudded to the floor. She was sound asleep in just a few seconds.

“Well, I suppose that’s one way of dealing with that,” Seldanna said. She gently picked the other woman up and tucked her into bed.

“How did you even get her back to town like that?” Elluin whispered.

“I had to knock her out and carry her,” Folwin replied. “Every time she got up, another non-lethal takedown.” He shook his head. “If you think this was bad, it was way worse outside around trees.”

“Wow,” Elluin replied. Then after pausing for a bit. “I know this is a bit heartless, but how long do you think it will be before she recovers? We need to keep getting stronger if we want to be ready to face the [Demon Lord].”

The party shared furtive glances.

“She’s not the only one who needs rest,” Seldanna replied. “You should at least rest for a week or so before you even think of going on any more adventures.”.

To his surprise, even the twins nodded in agreement.

So, the outvoted [Hero] found himself working for Gormar again the next several days. The old [Alchemist] was glad to have him back, and Elluin had to reluctantly admit that the break did do wonders for him. He hadn’t even realized how weak his body was because he had gained so many levels.

Speaking of levels, he finally had the time to spend his gains at the village’s obelisk.

For skills, he picked up [Double Shot] to go with his [Bowmanship]. There was also an option to get [Marking Shot], but it wasn’t seen as a skill that was worth the 10 skill points. Elluin figured he would be better off waiting until he hit [Bowmanship] level 5 and using the skill points to boost his cap.

He took the straightforward [Scout] upgrade to his [Ranger] class. He was a bit disappointed that he didn’t have any special options, but that also likely came down to the fact that his skills weren’t very high.

Then finally, he used his perk points. With 12 points, he had enough to get a health increase and buy both [Enhanced Party] and [Survivalist Party].

He also immediately was bumped up to level 11, which was a nice bonus.

He felt a lot more confident about whatever boss they would end up facing next.

That’s why he didn’t end up waiting the entire week before he started asking his party when they next wanted to go monster slaying.

However, Elluin quickly noticed that they were avoiding him. The twins had started actually going to work and asked not to be disturbed there. They were also suspiciously hard to track down after that.

Seldanna wasn’t any better. He only got to see her when he faked a bit of wooziness and asked her to take a look. She quickly changed the subject whenever he brought up the idea of their next dungeon clear, and he couldn’t figure out what was going on.

Then, one day a detachment of [Watch Officers] rode into the town square.

“Elluin Hunter, please report to the obelisk,” a magnified voice echoed out through the village. “I repeat. Elluin Hunter, please report to the obelisk.”

Elluin shot a look over at Gormar.

“You best get goin’,” Gormar said. “Though, I have to admit I didn’t expect you to take what I said about getting in some trouble that far.”

“But I don’t even know why they want me!” Elluin protested as he quickly cleaned up and headed out to meet them.

However, he wasn’t the only one who went out to see what the fuss was about. The entire town had reacted and now conveniently had some form of business to take care of in the town square.

Oh well. Elluin thought. I need to clear this up either way.

“Excuse me!” he called out as he exited Gormar’s shop. “I’m Elluin Hunter. Do you have some business with me?”

The lead officer nodded to two others, and they all dismounted. Then, the other two strode forward while the lead officer continued speaking into a magic item that amplified his voice.

“Elluin Hunter, you are under arrest for four counts of reckless endangerment by means of dungeon-delving beyond your team’s rank, one count of violating the treaty line with Gert, and one count of swearing an oath to take an advanced class under false circumstances,” the lead officer said. “As there are no facilities here fit for your trial or incarceration, you will need to be taken to the capital.”

As he was speaking, the two other officers strode up to him.

Elluin debated resisting arrest for half a moment but didn’t figure that would be a good look once it came out that he was the [Hero].

He reluctantly allowed the two men to bind his hands together in front of him with a pair of manacles and then lead him back towards the horses.

Meanwhile, the small village was in an uproar. Some people were saying they couldn’t believe it. Others were begging for leniency because he was just a boy. Even Miss Ludan seemed unhappy with all of it.

With all their carrying on, Elluin barely caught the lead officer’s whisper as he was marched past him.

“Not to worry, [Hero]. The charges will be dropped once you get there. We just needed a plausible story to give everyone for your departure.”

Elluin froze, and the officers escorting him stopped half a step later when they realized they couldn’t budge him.

There are only four people who knew I was the [Hero], and there’s only one person who didn’t swear an oath. He thought as his eyes locked onto Seldanna in the distance. While the rest of the crowd was shocked or in an uproar, she was crying. When she finally noticed Elluin’s look, she also mouthed two words.

“I’m sorry,” she said without sound.

“Come on!” the [Watch Officer] on his right said as they started dragging him. “Keep moving! The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can go back to sleeping in a real bed!”

“Wait!” Elluin replied. “Please let me say my goodbyes!”

Despite the other officers’ protests, the lead officer allowed it, and Elluin got to say his goodbyes to the town.

He thanked Gormar for showing him how to do Alchemy and giving him a job. He told the twins to stay out of trouble without him there. He even managed to give Miss Ludan a slightly grudging bit of gratitude for being there to raise him.

Mylaer wasn’t there to see him off, but that wasn’t too unexpected. She still suffered minor panic attacks whenever she left the house.

So, his goodbyes were mostly complete. They likely seemed off to the villagers, but he said them because he wasn’t sure if or when he would ever return.

There was only one person left to say goodbye to.

“I know this is asking a lot, but can I please talk to her in private?” Elluin asked.

The lead officer nodded. “Everyone, clear out,” he said into his magic item. “You’ve had your bit of excitement for the day. Now it’s time to move along.”

Given the other officers’ protests, it was clear that their leader was the only one in on the knowledge that they had a [Hero] in tow.

However, he placated them by having Elluin make a quick oath that he wouldn’t run away from watch custody until everything was settled.

Then, Elluin finally got some alone time with the [Priestess] inside the church.

“Why’d you do it?” he asked simply.

Seldanna dried her tears and tried to answer. “Because… it was the best course of action. For all of us.”

“That wasn’t for you to decide!” Elluin snapped.

He could count on one hand how many times he had snapped at his childhood friend. However, she just laughed bitterly.

“I didn’t want to send the [Message],” Seldanna replied. “I hated the thought of you going somewhere else and joining another party. I wanted to be the only healer you ever had to rely on. And I dreamed of being the one who was by your side forever. Because… I love you, Elluin.”

He was too floored by the love confession to reply, and she soldiered on.

“But that’s also why I knew I had to do this. If you’re going to fight a [Demon Lord], you need a better party than a bunch of backwater villagers that were thrown together in a few weeks. That boss fight showed us that.” She bit her lip as the tears started falling again. “We were little more than dead weight to you. Bodies that were there to take the Boss’s attacks and-“

“That’s not true!” Elluin interjected. “I would have died in there alone!”

Seldanna laughed again. “But what if you had a party of level 15s with you instead? That fight wouldn’t have even been close. And I’m sure the capital can arrange something like that.”

“But… you saved my life!” Elluin protested.

Seldanna nodded. “Yes, and that’s the more selfish reason for my [Message].” She paused and took a deep breath. “I had to watch you nearly die. More blood was pouring out of you than I knew was possible. And I… I…” she broke down. “I can’t do that again. Not again. Please. I can’t bear to watch you get hurt like that again.”

Elluin paused but then wrapped her in an awkward, manacled hug.

He held her until the tears stopped, and then the two separated.

“I don’t know when I’ll be able to make it back,” Elluin said.

“I know,” Seldanna replied.

“If I’m going up against the [Demon Lord], I don’t even know if I’ll make it back,” Elluin said.

“No,” she replied. “Promise me. Promise me you’ll make it back alive. If you don’t do that, I don’t know how I’ll be able to live with myself.”

He took one of her hands in both of his. “Alright, it’s a promise.”

They stayed like that for a few moments but were interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Time’s up,” the lead officer called. “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” Elluin replied as he let go of Seldanna’s hands. “Goodbye, Anna.”

“Goodbye, my [Hero],” she whispered in reply.

------

With the oath about not escaping, the watch was fine with removing the manacles for most of Elluin’s journey to the capital.

That was a good thing for him because he had no experience riding a horse, and he probably would have slowed them down another day or two if he had that additional handicap.

As for his stay in Dryadal, Elluin hated it.

The city felt suffocating to him. He felt like he was drowning in a sea of people during any of the rare times he was allowed to leave the estate he was staying at for house arrest.

Yes, Dryadal’s government decided to take the threat of a [Hero]-killer even more seriously than he expected. Very few people learned of his existence, and he was kept under armed guard by two high-level [Defenders] at all times.

However, that wasn’t to say that he didn’t get stronger. He was allowed to practice his [Bowmanship] all he wanted, and he poured himself into that to keep his mind off things.

He even managed to level…without any effort on his own part.

In addition to the 2 [Defenders] who stayed with him, he was assigned a full gold-rank adventuring party: 2 mages, another [Ranger], 2 [Bishops], and 2 [Warriors] in addition to the [Defenders]. Also, all of his party members were level 15 or above. Seldanna had gotten her wish.

As for how he managed to level without fighting, that was simple. By order of the [King], his party got a monopoly on one of the dungeons that was in training mode and simply cleared it day after day without Elluin ever leaving the estate. They leveled him to 16 like that, and he joined the register of gold-ranked adventurers.

There was no sense of accomplishment, and he gained nothing else from it. He hated every minute of it.

So, when System finally informed him that the [Demon Lord] had returned, he had a reaction unique to all of Placeholder; he sighed in relief. He was sure that his quest would start soon.

Then, it didn’t.

Days passed with nothing changing, and asking any of his keepers why they couldn’t leave yet were met with stonewalling.

“That’s need-to-know, and you don’t need to know,” was a grating phrase that he heard over and over.

However, by listening in with [Enhanced Senses], he eventually picked up on the fact that the [Demon Lord] had appeared in human territory again. There was also some speculation that Dryadal’s [King] was planning to let him wreak a bit of havoc first before stepping in to help with the [Hero] they kept hidden.

That was the day Elluin decided that he hated politics.

However, the good news was that things didn’t go according to their plan. There were no reported [Demon Lord] attacks, and it seemed like he had just vanished off the face of the world for a few months. It did mean more months of boredom for Elluin, but he consoled himself with the thought that that was a small price to pay for people not to get hurt.

Then, one day he was randomly told that he was going to a meeting with several very important people and that he should be on his best behavior.

He quickly picked out that this was an international gathering. There were delegates from the dwarves, both human nations, and there was even room at the round table for a few more people.

Those people arrived soon enough.

“Sorry we’re late,” a giant beastborn rumbled as he entered the conference room. His presence was so commanding that Elluin only noticed the other beastborn man, who was dressed in a loose tan garb, after a few seconds.

“I keep forgetting how long other people need for their necessities,” the large man continued.

He scanned the room, and his red eyes locked onto Elluin.

Elluin rose in a panic. “You’re… you’re!” he stammered.

The [Demon Lord] chuckled. “You must be the new guy. Yup, I’m Titus, the [Demon Lord],” he said. He suddenly appeared on Elluin’s side of the table. “Nice to meet you,” he said with a hand outstretched.

Elluin had no idea what was going on, but no one else in the room was panicking, so the one part of his brain that wasn’t freaking out took over.

“I’m Elluin Hunter,” he replied as he shook the [Demon Lord’s] hand automatically. “A pleasure to meet you.”

“Oh, please.” The [Demon Lord] gave a predatory grin. “The pleasure is all mine.”