Yuta’s hands were chapped and red raw as he scrubbed the last splotch of guts from the drained baths. He threw away the brush with prejudice and then headed over to the faucet winch on the far wall. With a few cranks of the wheel hot water poured forth.

Yuta sat down by the edge of one of the baths and stared at the steam as it rose up towards the ceiling. “Forget about my status screen for now… Focus on the fundamentals… Develop each thing one part at a time. Mirio, your advice had better be worth the trouble”.

He threw off his shirt and stepped into the pool of water to wash himself after a hard day’s work. Yuta once finished hopped out and turned off the water, “All done”. He headed out to the front and slapped his hand on the table “Your baths are now spotless my lady Alicia”.

“Oh thank you Yuta, you really helped us out today, keep up the good work”

Yuta nodded, grabbed what little he made from the day and headed upstairs to the mess hall where rowdy adventurers were sharing war stories and sharing a drink after a hard day of work. The hall was like any other tavern, except that it was on the second floor and had a balcony overlooking the market square. It had all the same kind of smells and sounds too. The waft of spilled alcohol, the hearty laugh of those already feeling a buzz, and the faint smell of yeast from freshly baked bread to accompany a robust serving of salted meats.

“I’ll grab an ale thanks,” Yuta said as signalling the barmaid with a flick of his finger.

“Here you go” she said with a light and joyful tone in her voice. “Want anything to eat with that?”

“No no, I am starting a diet” he said as waving her off. “Thanks though”

Yuta didn’t waste time in guzzling it down. He was glad that in this world there was no such thing as a drinking age, and if you were daring enough to work in the adventuring guild you were considered by right to be old enough to drink.

*I wonder if any young kids abuse this system?* he thought to himself.

A mental image of a bunch of eight year olds running around town passing out flyers, finding cats, and feeding old people flashed into his head.

*I bet they probably do now that I think about it. But the barmaid probably gives them ginger ale… Hah!*

Yuta turned his eyes to the other side of the bar where he recognised one of the Elvish archers he had teamed up with a couple of days earlier in order to kill bullfrogs.

The Elf leaned into the center of the table with a gleam in her eyes. “Wouldn’t you know it, by the time we came over the hill after putting down those bullies there were hundreds more of them, stretching from treeline to treeline some hundred paces apart. And before we have time to get our bearings, BOOM, right in front of us is an explosion of smoke and fire”

“No way,” one of the men at the table gasped. “Pfff” another man scoffed.

“Moments after Mirio walks out of the smoke covered in blood and guts, and he yells out to us to kill off the rest. I look around and see that the brood mothers are all dead including the last one in that cloud of smoke and another off in the distant tree line”.

“What did you do next?” a slender young woman asked.

“What do you think we did! We slayed them all! And got a pouch full of silver and gold! Most of them anyway, left a few for tomorrow” the Elf replied.

The man in the hood who had scoffed earlier stood up from the table in disgust, “I’ve never heard a taller tale! There is no way one man took down five brood mothers on his own in a matter of minutes. I mean I can see a Tier 2 mage pulling that off no problem, but a man with a sword… No way, not alone”

The Elf lifted her finger sharply. “If I remember correctly he used a dagger at first”

“Fwah!” the man scoffed again, “Absolute nonsense”

A man at the next table turned around and called out to him, “I don’t see anything wrong with the tale myself, I have taken down brood mothers myself, and so have my friends here, surely you don’t think that because it is difficult for you that it is difficult for everyone”.

“I wasn’t talking about you monster hunters, of course you guys can slay mammoth beasts on your own, but some villager from the sticks who joined the guard at fifteen. I won’t believe it”

The monster hunter stood up from from his seat and glowered at the hooded man, “It is best not to speak ill of those who kill monsters in your stead”

The hooded man lifted his hands in surrender, “No no, I didn’t mean to offend you sir, just the opposite. I have utmost respect for true monster hunters like yourself, it is only because I admire what you guys do that I find it hard to believe a mere child could compare”

The enormous monster hunter waved off the hooded man and turned back to his table “Isn’t that the kid the bartender at the Eagles Nest was telling us about the other night?”

Another of the monster hunters spoke up, “Seems it is the same kid”.

“Maybe we should put him to the test, see if he really has the stuff,” said another.

All of the monster hunters at the table nodded to each other in agreement and clinked their mugs of Ale together with a mighty cheer “Ayyyy! Put him to the test! Ayyy!”.

Yuta turned back to the barmaid “Another ale!”.

After Yuta finished his mug of ale he stood up to leave, but just as he did the Elven archer called out to him. “Hey, don’t I know you… Yeah you are that kid that couldn’t even kill one bullfrog and quit”. A couple of her friends snickered.

Yuta clenched his fist.

*No, I can’t just leave without saying anything, I refuse to be a nobody everybody laughs at!* he thought to himself.

“I’m a grade G adventurer, I’d never even picked up a pike before that very moment, and you are giving me drama over actually having a go at fighting on the front line. I might seem like monster fodder to you, but with training and enough guts anyone can become strong”.

“Hey Silvia, that pathetic loser just spoke back to you. Aren’t you going to do something about it” the man in the hood said to the Elven woman.

The monster hunter that had spoken up earlier smirked. One of his peers elbowed him in the ribs. “Hey Beran, how about we show this kid a tip or two?”. Beran stood to his feet and walked over to Yuta.

*Stay cool Yuta, stay cool!* he thought as his knees began to tremble.

Beran towered over Yuta, his light yellow eyes stared into Yuta as if about to shoot fire.

“Punch me”

Yuta tried to turn away but was yanked back and shaken by Beran. “I won’t ask again, do it now”.

*Shit shit shit… What do I do, he won’t let me leave, and he is huge. I don’t even know how to throw a punch!*

“Do it! NOW!”

Yuta balled his fist out of panic and threw his arm at Beran’s abdomen.

KINK

His wrist bent back on impact, “YAAH!”.

CRACK

Yuta flew back through the air a couple of paces and collapsed on the floor. His face was red and swollen from the backhanded slap Beran had dealt him. The blow had been so fast he hadn’t even seen it coming.

“Learn to swallow your pride, or you’ll always be weak”

Yuta mumbled back, “Better weak than an asshole”

Beran nodded briefly, and then picked up a burning candle from a nearby table. He stepped his boot onto Yuta’s hand and then knelt down next to him.

“Looks like I will have to leave a reminder” he chuckled. Yuta screamed in pain as Beran poured the scalding hot wax onto his arm. He kicked and thrashed like an animal caught in a trap, but it was no use, Beran was just too strong. The pain was so great that Yuta couldn’t help the welling of tears in his eyes “Stop! Just stop! Please!”.

Beran lifted his boot. Yuta quickly wiped off the remaining wax and then clutched the burn. He looked around the room for a moment, and then ran down the stairs and out of the adventuring guild.

Beran chuckled, “what an idiot”.

Silvia stood up from her table, “Hey! That was over the line” and rushed out after Yuta, quickly grabbing up a mug of water as she went. As she got outside the doors of the guild, she saw Yuta huddled in a ball just off to the right sobbing in anguish. She ran up to him, “I’m sorry for insulting you, I didn’t think that would happen, here I have water for your arm”.

Yuta was in shock and wasn’t responding to her words. She forcefully took his arm. “Look, I’m going to pour some water on it okay”.

Yuta had never felt so much pain before, neither mentally or physically, not even when he had died in his previous life. The adrenaline and severity of the injury had left him numb to all that was happening, but right now… The humiliation, and the mental anguish amplified the pain far beyond anything he could handle with grit and determination.

“Look, I’m sorry Okay, but you need to watch yourself around monster hunters. They can be a bit unpredictable” Silvia said.

Sob. Sob.

“Gah, damn it” Silvia cursed as she pulled a healing potion from her waist belt, “Guess you need this, and it is kind of my fault. Costs 10 gold pieces though… Ugh”. She popped the lid off of the healing potion and gently poured it onto Yuta’s burn. It sizzled and hardened over the burn, turning into a thick gel.

Sob. Sob.

“Look, stop making me feel bad. I already gave you a potion. You should be fine now, so I’m going to go”

Sob.

As she walked off she heard a weak voice call out to her, “I will become strong”

Silvia glanced back at him with pity and then went back inside.

…

Jahad beckoned to Mirio as he entered The Eagle’s Nest for his evening shift. “Some hunters came through earlier asking for information. I gave them your name, said you might even be ready to join their ranks”.

“What the hell did you say?” Mirio replied. He rushed up past sailors and women patrons up to the bar. “You didn’t really give any of those psychopaths my name did you?”

Jahad leaned forward and slid Mirio a shot of spirit liquor. “I would have thought you’d be happy about it. And you know the pull those ‘psychopaths’ have with the nobility and the monarchy, you would do well for yourself in their ranks”.

Mirio grabbed the shot and drank it down. “I don’t want to join a group like that. I mean I respect monster hunters and all, but I am just not sure it is the right path for me to do the most good”.

“What is a greater good than gold, glory, and girls though Mirio?” Jahad replied.

“I don’t know, I’ve just heard stories that rub me the wrong way. Like sometimes they heard beasts to destroy villages to put pressure on the nobility if they aren’t getting their way”.

Jahad dismissed Mirio’s claim with a wave of his hand. “That is just rumors. The guild wouldn’t be partnered with them if they weren’t on the up and up”.

“Bah, the guild should just handle its own dirty work” Mirio scoffed.

Jahad had never once seen Mirio so opinionated in the three months of knowing him. It was unusual for Mirio to do anything other than straddle the fence or evade the question. “Tell me this, Mirio. Are you strong enough to pass their test? And if you are, have you been avoiding letting anyone know so that you won’t be pushed to join them?”

Mirio waved his hand at the question. “Look I will just get to work okay, I don’t want to talk about it honestly”.

*Looks like I hit the mark* Jahad thought *Mirio has been hiding his true abilities from the guild to avoid being ranked as a hunter… but the question is why*

...

In the upper part of the Eagle’s Nest nobles greased the wheels of diplomacy and political one upmanship with fine wine. Out on the balcony a lavishly dressed noble clicked his fingers at Mirio “Come here my boy”.

“Yes Count Rickard”

“I’ve been hearing murmurs of your deed earlier today, it is yet another of the rumors I hear of your competence as a swordsman, have you given any thought to my offer?”

“I am sorry my Count, but I need more time to consider your proposal”

A knight by the side of the count looked at Mirio with disdain. “Count Rickard, I advise against hiring a peasant boy into the noble order of the knighthood, just think of what the duke would say”

Count Rickard swilled another sip of his wine. “The duke will say nothing of it, and if he does I will simply let the boy prove his worth”

“My lord, might I remind you that knight contests are to the death. Even if this boy were to triumph, it would only spill noble blood. And in the likely case he fails, you will have embarrassed yourself and the order!” the knight said.

*Yeah, I don’t need this kind of drama* Mirio thought to himself *The knights might be the best equipped in all of the realms but… It isn’t worth it*

The count turned to Mirio, and grabbed the hilt of his rune blade. He drew it out in front of himself. “See this. The boy already carries the sword of a knight. It had three rune slots just like yours Sir Dante”

“Bah, it is a cheap knock off made by one of the local blacksmiths my lord. It would probably shatter if a rune were placed in it” Sir Dante Replied.

The count pulled out Sir Dante’s sword and put it on the table next to Mirio’s. “Go ahead then, put the runes into his sword and we shall see if it shatters. If it shatters I shall speak no more of it!”

Mirio’s eyes bulged wide open. “My lord, I am confident it can hold two glyphs at least, but a third might shatter it!”

The count dismissed Mirio with the wave of his hand and nodded to Dante to extract the runes and place them in Mirio’s sword. “This is ridiculous Count Rickard, just for the record, there is no way that a peasant boy holds a true knight’s sword, or that one was made by a local smith. But fine, if it will satisfy you, I will do it” Dante said.

Mirio watched on nervously as the Knight withdrew each of the runes from his blade. Dante juggled them in his hand for a moment “And now for the real test” he said. As Dante placed the first rune the blade came to life, blue magical flames flicked along its edge.

“That is one down,” the count said.

The knight then placed the second rune into slot in the side of the blade.

VWOOSH!

A powerful wind blew through the balcony as white magical energy danced around the sword and lifted it off the table in a pocket of air.

“Amazing!” the count said as drawn to the beauty of the magic held in the blade. “You didn’t even think it could hold two, did you Dante? Hah but look at it!”

Mirio stepped forward once more, “Please Count Rickard, if it holds two runes it is as good a sword as I will ever need, no need to leave me of the sword to prove a point”.

The count waved his hand again. Danted smirked and placed in the third rune without hesitation. The blade clanked down to the table, devoid of magical energy.

“Ha! See! Nothing but common trash!” Dante exclaimed.

Mirio swallowed down hard *Is that it, is the sword broken now?*

“Hold on a moment” the count said. “It still glows, faintly, but it glows. And the steel still holds true… Mirio my boy, hold it up”

Mirio reached for the handle, and to his surprise the blade was as light as a feather. Mirio looked along the blade and could feel the tremendous power flowing within it. He whispered under his breath “Eagle Eye”. With his magical vision he saw thousands of thin lines all throughout the blade, but not a single glowing point. *It holds!*

Mirio channeled arcane energy into the blade, and it lit with a tremendous blue flame and a blast of air. Green tendrils writhed from within the steel.

Sir Dante jumped to his feet and snatched the sword from Mirio, “This is impossible!”.

The count jumped up from his seat, spilling his wine all over the deck, “It is marvelous! I knew it! See I told you my knight this boy is the real deal, it was destiny that he should carry a knight’s true blade. And it responds to his call!”

Dante quickly set about removing the runes and slotted them back into his own sword with a satisfied grin. He handed the empty socketed sword back to Mirio as though it were refused to toss away. Mirio reached out to take it and then slid his runesword back into its sheath at his waist.

The count turned to Mirio with a grin, “It is destiny, you must join my knights!”

Mirio shook his head and stepped back a couple of steps, “Like I said, I have to think about it”.

The count raised his voice, “Well don’t think about it too long boy, the offer won’t stand forever!”. Mirio retreated to the downstairs part of the bar and asked the Tower if they could switch floors for now.

“Some noble giving you hell? No problem, just take my spot here” the Tower said.

“Thanks,” Mirio replied.

*Damn it, I should have never asked the count about where to get runestones when I first met him, it should have been obvious that he would only give them out to his knights. Now I’ve gotten myself into a mess*

“Mirio!” Jahad shouted out. “Here they are!”.

Mirio’s eyes widened as four heavily armored monster hunters strode through the front door.