Arlan woke up after a few hours of sleep in the Adventurer’s Guildhall.

I wish this body wasn’t so frail compared to how I was before. I wouldn’t be losing my consciousness so much.

Arlan saw his sword and armor to the side of the room and began equipping his gear again. He recounted the events from earlier and remembered that they were successful in saving Merith.

But Soketh let me go. It’s strange. Why would he let me go if he plans on fighting me anyway? He didn’t strike me as a friend but he gave way for me to leave.

The young lion figured it was time to return to the lobby. As he walked down the stairs clad in his blacksteel armor, the Moon Striders were in the lobby and noticed he was awake. Merith was resting in their Inn so it was only them four still.

Yozac was the first to greet Arlan, “I see yer well and walking. You took a beating, I figure. That armor was a good investment. You might’ve been crippled for life if it weren’t fer it.”

“Thanks, Yozac, looks like I held up my end of the bargain.”

“That yer did. If you ever accept any bounties or need anything from the Adventurer’s Guild, don’t hesitate to let yer buddy, Yozac know.”

Arlan let a slight laugh out with Yozac as he met with the Moon Striders. They thanked Arlan and were planning to compensate him but the young lion denied the coin.

The four Moon Striders all bowed before Arlan and Castien spoke for them all, “Arlan, we are forever in debt to you.”

“It’s alright. Maybe one day I’ll call upon the Moon Striders for help.” smiled Arlan as he left the Adventurer’s Guildhall. Kage was outside waiting for him. He had to get his armor fixed with Wren.

Once again, Arlan rode through the streets of Auron City and arrived at the blacksmith that Arlan had purchased the armor from earlier.

“You just bought it today! How is it broken already?” asked Wren.

“Well I kind of had a run-in with dark fiends in a dungeon,” answered Arlan.

“Okay just leave it over there,” said Wren as he wiped the sweat off his forehead, “And pick it up next weekend. It’ll be two silver for blacksteel armor repairs.”

“Is the master blacksmith in yet?” inquired Arlan.

“Nah, the master is still at the warehouse. Say, are you finally gonna tell me what happened now?” probed Wren as he was hammering a heated ingot into a blade.

“Yeah. Take a break and let’s eat something. I’m starving.” replied Arlan.

Wren gave a snicker and stabbed the heated ingot into a barrel of water as steam let out.

“Give me a minute,” answered Wren.

The two made their way through the Auron City streets with Kage in tow. They stopped at a food stall selling cooked meat and Arlan purchased some as they sat down overlooking a small park.

While they ate, Arlan filled Wren in on the events leading up to Auron City while leaving out specific details of how he’s from another world.

“I’ve gotta say Arlan, that is the greatest story I’ve ever heard,” said Wren as he tore off another sliver of his fried savory pork.

“I’m going to have to do my best to save Midland. I want you to join me in this endeavor. That’s why I want you to hone your abilities as a blacksmith.”

“I may be good but I don’t know if I have what you need, at least not yet.”

“It’s not just the skills, Wren. It’s also trust. I wouldn’t be able to trust a random blacksmith I don’t know. But I’ve known you since the orphanage days with Miss Petrah.

“I guess,” shrugged Wren, “but I can’t promise I’ll be any good at fighting though,”

Arlan assured his friend, “That’s okay, I’ll handle that.”

The young lion finished catching up with Wren as the two parted ways.

“Remember Wren, in a few months, I will be calling upon your help.”

“I’ll be here in Auron City until then. Come get your armor next weekend.”

The young lion arrived at a darker and deeper area of Auron City. Arlan was there to meet with Jovann who had learned to read and write. Jovann was busy setting up a warehouse store with a few different older orphans Jovann had hired.

Arlan awaited Jovann inside the warehouse office. The young elf was startled when he entered the room. “Rove, you were there the entire time?” asked Jovann.

“No, I just got here. I’m here to tell you of my real name as well.”

“Your name isn’t Rove?”

“Long story but my real name is Arlan Reeve.”

Jovann wasn’t too surprised but he figured Arlan was some sort of noble since he had the letter with the Reeve’s sigil and carried quite a bit of money.

“I figured as much, but a Reeve nonetheless, third most powerful house across Midland.”

“Yes, but our dealings between us are of my own volition. That is why officially, you have no relation to House Reeve.”

“I understand. I’ve received your instructions and we’re now registered with the merchant union as a trading company. I’ve already hired some older orphans as workers for the warehouse, as you instructed.”

“Excellent. I knew you wouldn’t let me down Jovann. I want you to purchase building materials.”

“I’ll see to it. What do you plan to do with all the ores you’ve had me purchase.”

“In time, Jovann. Once I’ve deemed it more possible, I’ll inform you of the plan.”

“Right. I’ll proceed with purchasing the wood and have the boys load the wagons and bring it here.”

“If there are any issues, please don’t forget to send me a messenger to the Reeves Manor. They’ll pass it to me as well.”

“There is this one issue...”

“What is it?”

“A gang threatened us for a protection fee.”

“What gang and where are they located? I'll take care of it.”

A few hours went by and the sun started to set on the fall autumn sky. An amber ray cast itself over Auron City. Among the fifty or so different taverns, one resided in a more quaint neighborhood that wasn't bustling. Instead, it was quiet and well guarded. Almost as if the owner didn’t want customers.

Shady brigands would frequent the tavern while locals wouldn’t dare speak up against them or enter the establishment. A familiar brown-caped figure appeared around the corner of the street and began approaching the tavern. It was Arlan in his brown cape to hide his identity.

Behind Arlan were three older gentlemen who also sported brown capes with masks to hide their alias. As they approached the suspicious building, twenty different thieves emerged from hiding. They brandished machetes and daggers as if they had butchered people before. The four were surrounded with no route for escape.

Arlan knocked on the tavern door and an older bald man answered by cracking the door slightly open. He grinned at the potential profits standing in front of him. Arlan spoke first, “Are you in charge here?”

“Hehe, you’ve got some fucking nerve coming up and demanding shit.” answered the bald man.

Right as the bald man finished his last word, a monstrous force swung the door wide open, knocking the bald man out. The door was barely hanging on by a single hinge. Arlan had kicked the door open. The thieves all readied their blades as the three older gentlemen accompanying Arlan drew their swords as well.

Normally the twenty thieves outside would’ve cut the four people in front of them down but they were all paralyzed in fear of the murderous aura emanating from all four of these individuals, especially the teenager.

Inside the tavern were another fifteen rogues with their blades drawn, ready to kill Arlan. The only issue was that they couldn’t react. The fear in their hearts was like nothing they’ve ever felt. Just looking at Arlan with his killing intent flourishing was enough to telegraph what could happen.

The young lion stepped through the tavern, followed by his escorts. Each step Arlan took was seen by everyone in the room. After reaching the center of the tavern, Arlan asked once again, “Who's in charge here?”

Only silence answered Arlan’s question. The rogues were too intimidated by the four figures in front of them. “If none of you will talk,” stated Arlan coldly, “Then I will carve my message onto one of you.”

The rogues inside and the thieves outside all began to converge on the four visitors. They couldn’t handle Arlan’s disrespect. The three escorts were Heracul Knights. They hid their identities and faces with the same face-covering as Arlan.

Each Knight began casting [Aero]. A wind-based magic attack. The spell wasn’t fatal if tuned by the lowest mana. The balls of air shot out to hit both the brigands and tavern furniture.

Arlan used [Battle Trance] to grasp that all the thieves were first-tier cores. The young lion enhanced his strength and speed with rage-filled eyes. He unleashed his fury upon the brigands by striking one after another with his fist. Each attack didn’t mortally wound them but bones were shattered.

The three Heracul Knights began unleashing their destruction upon the thieves that were rushing through the door. One by one, they fell prey to a single attack. Within a minute, the entire tavern had been a mess.

Arlan reached for a dagger on the ground and slowly walked over to a rogue they had left conscious. The young lion’s grim stare penetrated deeply into the rogue’s soul.

Using his steel dagger, Arlan stabbed into the rogue’s leg as a written message. There wasn’t an ounce of remorse in the young lion’s eyes as the rogue cried in pain. The injured thief wondered what depths of hell Arlan crawled out from.

“You,” said Arlan, “Pass on my message. If I hear about anyone messing with the Eastvale Trade Company. We’ll come back here and kill every last one of you. Got it?”

“Y-Ye-Yes, sir.” answered the rogue.

“Good, pass this message on to whoever you need to,” stated Arlan coldly.

The Heracul Knights followed him thereafter and maintained their hidden identities. The four visitors left their impression on the gang known as the Gray Mambas.

Arlan bid his knights farewell as he returned to the Adventurer’s Guild. There, he accepted four different bounties for monsters that resided outside the city. The elven assistant behind the counter was shocked but knew Arlan was allowed to take on difficult bounties by himself.

Arlan would advance to a B-rank adventurer if he was able to complete his bounties. The young lion left Auron City on his shadowy steed. The only thought on his mind was his quest. The sun had settled and it was pitch black across the forest.

This didn’t stop the lone rider as he continued onward with Kage. Dark Stygians could easily see in the dark while Arlan’s [Battle Trance] allowed him to see any potential dangers.

After an hour of riding, Arlan arrived at a clearing and decided it was good enough to stop for the night. The rider dismounted his steed and gathered logs. Kage started to graze off the nearby grass. The calm night sky was quite peaceful for the Baron of House Reeve.

Starting a fire in this world was no different than starting a fire in Terra. Arlan had special survival training that gave him knowledge and experience of how to survive in the wild. This included making fires.

The bright amber fire warmed the area and allowed Arlan to read the bounties once more. He was tasked with killing goblins, a great bear, and two trolls. All of which were known to frequent this area.

Kage sat beside the fire allowing Arlan to lay against his side. The young lion was thoroughly impressed at how obedient and loyal his steed was. The bond between the two had strengthened even more. This had to do with the initial bond of releasing essence between the two. Dark stygian were quite stubborn though and were picky with whom they bonded.

The next day, Arlan ventured deep into the forest as he left Kage behind. Arlan could easily summon Kage with a simple whistle though. Dark tall trees decorated the forest and it created an easy place to hide from monsters.

A goblin camp revealed itself to Arlan not long after venturing deep into the forest, it was a small camp of about fifteen goblins. They were ill-equipped but still poised as a threat to nearby civilians or weaker adventurers. These goblins weren’t as well equipped as the ones Arlan fought before.

The young lion started his attack on the camp by moving silently between the tents. His mithril longsword was drawn ready to cleave any foe. While Arlan’s injuries were healed from his fight with Soketh, the young lion was experiencing soreness throughout his lower abdomen.

This soreness didn’t stop Arlan from slicing goblin after goblin silently. This stealthy approach made it much easier to handle. Arlan could’ve simply charged in but it would’ve proved more effort.

After dispatching the goblins, there was plenty of loot around but nothing of worth to the young lion. The items the goblins kept belonged to the people they’ve killed and robbed. Upon cutting a few fingers and placing them in a bag, Arlan moved on to his next bounty.

A great bear was thrice the size of a regular bear and had iron-like skin. These evolved animals were corrupted by mana. This caused them to become more aggressive and territorial than normal bears. Quite a few travelers had been attacked and eaten by the monster.

It wasn’t hard for Arlan to find the great bear stalking the area. The speed enhancement and [Battle Trance] allowed him to cover great distances. The great bear was by a river drinking from it as Arlan used his silent movements to get closer.

Arlan leaped into the air above and dove with his sword pointed at the great bear’s skull. Before the great bear could react, a long teal sword pierced into its skull and fell flat. Hunting these monsters wasn’t too difficult for Arlan as he held the element of surprise and had enough strength to deliver killing blows.

While the trolls were a bit more difficult, Arlan was able to dispatch them and collect their fingers as well. The young lion retrieved his steed Kage and began his ride back to the Auron City Adventurer’s Guild. A familiar voice rang through Arlan’s ear.

“You are now level 12.”

That is something I’ll never get used to. Wait, does that mean…?

Arlan immediately channeled some essence to feel his core. It was now a fifth-tier red core.