"Heh," Grimdal raises his hands as you level your wooden sword against his neck. "you've totally surpassed me, Garden Beast."

The fight was short, and the winner was clear. As both of you had maxed out your long-blade skills, it all came down to speed. Unlike you, Grimdal doesn't have Supersonic Speed talent to aid him.

And thus, you are declared the victor of this bout. The Mystfox, who's been overseeing the entire battle, casually licks his paws, as though this was a foregone conclusion.

"My footwork could use some fine-tuning though..." you lower your weapon and scratch your cheek.

"Well, you have adopted some of my combat mannerisms," the swordsman sheathes his blade. "That's more than enough for someone of your caliber."

"If you say so, teach."

"You can stop calling me that now. You've already graduated from training."

"Ah, I guess so..."

Your simper wavers and you overlook the forests and mountains beyond. This valley you've grown to adore over the course of a month is as beautiful as the day you first saw it. But you no longer experience the lingering sadness you did yesterday, as you've come to terms with your departure.

Dwelling on those emotions harms not only you but everyone else you know. So, you accept this as a natural stage in life.

Before you leave these secret training grounds, Grimdal taps you on the shoulder.

"Hm? you turn around to face the man.

"I have a parting gift for you, Nameless Seer."

"A gift..?"

And the swordsman gently places his Lunar Glaive, tucked in its gold-encrusted scabbard, in your hands.

"Now you don't have to borrow it from me every time you need a sword," he chuckles.

[Lunar Glaive]

Quality: Epic

Description: A remarkable sword forged from Lunarite. When wielded in darkness, the blade glows a brilliant blue that mimics the starry night sky.

Weight: 5.0

"Eh?" you're stunned. "Are you seriously giving this to me?!"

"A sword is nothing without a swordsman. And right now, I'm planning on retiring for good. It'd be a shame to let this trusty old blade gather dust in storage. Who else to take on the mantle but you—the girl who defeated me in a duel."

"Gosh, I..."

You step back, unsure of how to take all this. But seeing the seriousness in Grimdal's single eye, you calm yourself and answer sincerely.

"I gladly accept your sword, sheath and all," you clutch the weapon close to your chest.

"That's the spirit. If you ever come back, tell me of the foes you've felled out there."

"Mm!" you pump your fist confidently. "I'll tell you all about it!"

And you fasten the scabbard to your belt and stride toward the tunnel that leads to the world outside the vale alongside your Mystfox friend, walking through crowds of people who await you in the village.

The elves and dwarves who'd previously stared at you bearing looks of distrust and suspicion, now line the streets and send you and the Mystfox off with tender words and friendly faces.

People from all over have come to say their goodbyes, and you cannot believe how many are present for your departure.

"Good luck on your journey, Garden Beast!"

"Safe travels you two! Come visit our volcano home sometime!"

"Don't go wrecking any more bathhouses you troublesome fox!"

And at the end of this long and saccharine stroll, five familiar faces greet you by the exit. The original five who got you to visit this village.

The Elderwood Scouts.

Celia, Fidri, Anya... and Leronil again.

"Sorry Garden Beast," Leronil awkwardly lowers his head. "I told them I've already said my farewells, but they still dragged me here..."

"What the heck are you talking about?!" Celia scolds the man. "We're the ones who brought her here, therefore, we should be the ones who see her off! Besides, it was your blunder that led to her discovering us."

"You're right, you're right... we ought to do this as a team."

With that short exchange out of the way, the members of the Elderwood Scouts all look to you.

"We wish you well on your journey, Nameless Seer!" the elves say in unison.

"You guys..." you struggle not to break down in tears and answer with a content smile.

And Fidri steps forth and gives you a gift of his own.

[Elven Dagger]

Description: A simple steel knife with a curved elven design.

Quality: Normal

Weight: 0.75

"We all thought to give you this as a practical keepsake," the boy says. "It's the other half of my dual daggers. Think of it as taking a part of us along with you. You also lost your dagger during the slime king fight right?"

"Fidri..." you inspect the curved knife and notice five initials engraved along the blade. "Wait, this is..."

"Yep! We all carved our names on it. It was Celia's idea, surprisingly."

The woman bops the boy on the head. "Oi, what's that supposed to mean? I'm full of good ideas."

"Sure, and I'm going to be chief someday."

You run your fingers across the nicks in the blade and eventually store the weapon in your belt bag. Receiving all these gifts you can't help but feel guilty. There's a part of you that wants to repay them.

"That doesn't make it a gift anymore does it dummy?" Darius' remark rings in your ears. And you stifle your guilt like smothering a flame.

Instead, you apologize to them.

"S-sorry for leaving on such short notice, you guys..." you hold your head down. "I probably should've told you sooner..."

"D-don't worry about us!" Anya replies.

"Eh?"

"We understand that you're not the type to stay in one place for long. Elder Anna was like that when she was younger. It'd be wrong of us to keep you here when you much rather explore the world."

"Anya..."

"No matter how far apart we are though, we'll never stop being friends. So come back sometime, okay? You too, Mystfox."

The elves all nod along to her sentiments. Never before have you felt so loved. The Mystfox curls around the young girl's leg in response. Even after the Furbane Fever ordeal, he still dotes on her the same.

"Well, let's not keep her you guys," Leronil gestures to the gang to let you through. "It's best if she leaves while it's still sunny out."

And the elves stand back and watch as you and the Mystfox saunter through the tunnel. You turn around one last time and wave at everybody.

Suddenly, you hear a loud voice coming from behind. It comes from an out-of-breath Elder Anna, who holds your healing potion up high and calls out to you.

"We'll meet again, Garden Beast!" she yells.

It is a scene that reminds you of an encounter you had many moons ago, and it brings a grin to your pale face.

"Definitely..." you mutter to yourself as if to finish the memory.

When the voices of the people fade into silence, and the sounds of nature take their place, you clench the wooden staff in your hand and take a deep breath. The Mystfox stops and turns to you, noticing your trembling legs.

A long silence ensues as the reality sinks in. And you fight the urge to turn around. The Mystfox almost scurries over to comfort you, before you slap your face with both your hands and snap out of your sadness.

You are determined to see the rest of this world, lest you grow bored with this blessed existence.

"Let's go far, far away, buddy," you tell your friend as your stare off into the woods. "You and me, just like old times."

The fox's tail wags and it excitedly skips about, happy to be on an adventure with you again. You soldier on, leaving this comforting place behind and soaking in the sights as you disappear into the wilderness.

That is the fate of the nameless seer. To not be bound to a home, and to step through unfamiliar territory along with your Mystfox.

A seer with many names; Nameless Seer, Garden Beast, Friend, Foe, Apprentice, Savior.

You've come to learn that you are not nameless after all.

And you trudge on into the unknown, to fulfill this quest you've given yourself.

Current Objective: Learn how to live.