“A thousand apologies!” Rose shouted. She was standing near a table within The Feral Tomcat. Her bow was deep, and her head hung low. Rose couldn’t apologize enough for what happened the previous night. The targets of her remorse were four novice adventurers who were enjoying their lunch before she showed up. Now, they all wore irritated expressions. Not even the taste of a delicious sandwich could rectify this issue.

“It’s alright. We don’t mind.” Nicholas said, waving his arms to get the paladin’s attention. His words were nothing but lies. He was probably the most upset out of everyone in the group yet couldn’t express that fact. A bitten lip stopped him from saying anything else. Nicholas grew more agitated over his negative skill with each passing sentence. Not even his own friends could tell they were lies.

“Speak for yourself, dude. She literally stole everything from us.” Rex said with an angered voice. Rose was the one that officially defeated Envy. As a result, she obtained all of the experience points and level-ups that would have gone to the team. She wasn’t in their party, so the reward was not spread amongst the other people present that night.

“Sorry, Rose. He’s got a point.” Robyn said, agreeing with her frustrated friend. One of the other issues they had with the paladin was her rise to fame. Rose received all of the glory. She was believed to be the sole vanquisher of Envy. A parade was even held in her honor earlier that day, though none of these four went to see it.

“Not you too! Please, allow me to make this up to you!” Rose cried out. She dropped to her knees and bowed her head. The other patrons in the tavern looked with shocked expressions, but Rose didn’t care. The guilt was heavy upon her shoulders. She hated taking all of the recognition. The parade was agonizing to sit through. She knew this team was the only reason the city still stood, but revealing the truth was impossible. No one would believe a group of novices defeated a sin.

“Knock it off! Don’t you remember what we said? You can take credit for winning the battle. It’s not a problem.” Xander said, whispering the second half. Even with the skill [Forgettable], he was embarrassed. He somehow knew no one would forget this moment. Not even the negative skill would help him. Xander pumped his arms in a gesture that said, “please stand up”.

While it was true that the team was mad, they didn’t care about the fame. Of course, recognition would have been nice, but most of their concern was focused on the lost experience and levels. In fact, they wanted Rose to keep the spotlight. Word would soon spread about the paladin that eliminated a sin. Headlines were about to be written across the world. The king would probably give her an enormous reward. Her name would be known throughout the country. Rose would become a hero. A living legend.

And, she would become one of the world's biggest targets.

Demons lurking in the shadows would want her dead. One of the seven sins was killed. If the remaining six had any sense of comradery, they were bound to hunt for Rose. Vengeance would drive them until either side perished. Naturally, the team that really defeated Envy wanted nothing to do with that. They were all pathetically weak. Any demon could breathe in their direction and accidentally massacre them. Worst case scenario, the other six sins would learn the truth and snap the group out of existence.

“Then, allow me to make it up in another way. How about new equipment? Or, maybe just gold? Please, I cannot besmirch my lord, Asher, by not accommodating you.” Rose said. It went against her nature and her god’s will to allow this situation to continue. She needed to rectify the problem. The team’s gear was weak, and they were probably low on funds. Whatever it was, she’d give it to them.

“We can’t use equipment above our level,” Robyn responded. Considering their levels, the team was well-equipped. Robyn and Nicholas utilized their skills and planned to use magic when available. Xander was happy with his bow, and Rex was liable to master stick combat before ever grabbing a sword. There was no need for new equipment, even if it was within their level.

“We don’t need more gold either. Our current situation is fine.” Nicholas said a bold lie. The others in his group stared at him like he was a maniac. The team could always use more money to afford their rooms and meals. Once their level increased, they’d need better armor. Gold was what made the world go round. Only a madman would refuse more money.

“What about a blessing?” Rose suggested. She was running low on options. These adventurers were hard to please, so she needed to think outside of the box. The gift she proposed was unique. It was something only a paladin could bestow upon the group. Unfortunately for her, the team didn’t fully understand what she was offering.

“No offense, but we can get those at the temple,” Rex replied. He’d gone to the temple on numerous occasions. In a world without hospitals, it was the only place to heal his wounds from battle. The prices were fair and the clergy were incredibly polite. The head priest even offered free blessings to any adventurers. It was their way of paying respect to those that kept the local area safe.

“A paladin’s blessing is different from those of a priest. I am more in tune with my god than they are with theirs. This reward would be more than sufficient.” Rose said. She meant no disrespect to the others. The devotion to their god was admirable. That said, paladins were a step above normal parishioners. They were connected directly to their god and granted unbelievable powers.

“Genesis?” Nicholas mumbled. He didn’t think the paladin would lie, but it was best to check with a higher power. Genesis would answer one question a day, so he wanted to confirm what exactly was offered.

“NOTICE. A [PALADIN]’S SKILL [BLESS] HAS THE POTENTIAL TO INCREASE MANY VALUES. THESE INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, LEVEL, HEALTH, STAMINA, AND MANA.”

“We’ll take it,” Xander immediately answered. He refused to discuss it with his team. Increasing everyone’s level was beyond worth it. Of course, they would have gone up multiple levels if they dealt the final blow on Envy, but this was a great compromise.

“Very well then! I shall bestow upon you my blessing.” Rose said. She was happy to finally be free from her burden. She held out her arms, waving them over the group. Both hands glowed a brilliant white. Orbs of light appeared in her palms. They slowly rose before floating toward their targets. Each member of the team absorbed an orb and felt its overwhelming power.

“LEVEL UP. NEW SKILLS AVAILABLE. ADDITIONALLY, ALL SKILLS HAVE INCREASED IN LEVEL.”

“Wait, all skills?” Rex asked with a face full of concern. There were many skills that he’d prefer not to level up. He had [Irresponsible]. Xander still battled with [Forgettable]. Nicholas couldn’t fight against the effects of [Pathological Liar], though no one but him knew about it. Finally, Robyn feared her own skill, [Lesser Animal Attraction].

“CONFIRMED.”

“Oh no! [Forgettable] went up again! Hey, you remember me, right?!” Xander said. Panic set in. He reached over the table and grabbed Nicholas by the shoulders. He shook his friend as if to force the memories to come back. Nicholas's head bobbed back and forth before he regained control of the situation. He grabbed Xander's hands and held them tightly. Nicholas gave a warm smile and responded as honestly as he could.

“I have no idea who you are.”