《Druid - A LitRPG Story》 Chapter 1 Eli - Lvl 0 (No Class) Strength-3 Dexterity-3 Perception-2 Vitality-4 Spirit-4 Willpower-3 I closed my Status and focused back on the empty streets of the market district ahead of me. After I unlocked my status this morning I had said my farewell to my parents; hopefully, they wouldn¡¯t worry too much. Now that I had my status screen, I was going to the adventurers guild. I couldn''t wait to finally get a monster core and be Awakened. I set off at a quick pace through the gently sloping and paved streets of Brightswell City. After a half-hour of steadily heading downhill from my parents¡¯ house and shop by the merchants¡¯ district, I reached the large southern wall. It towered high over my head, but the building next to it was only slightly shorter than it. The Adventurers Guild. I walked up to the open doorway in the large, tavern-like building and walked inside after I took a deep breath. When I entered I could hear dozens of separate conversations happening all along the massive hall. Some people sat in small groups at tables near the center of the hall, while a small crowd studied the notice boards spread across one of the walls. After a few moments of looking around, I saw an area with three receptionists sitting behind desks with a short line behind each of them. I wandered over and took a spot in one of the lines while I continued to study the room and the various odd-looking people spread around. A glance over towards the large oak wall across from me I saw what looked like a blue half-giant talking to another few adventurers quietly while gesturing at one of the notices. I stared for a few seconds before one of the women talking to the giant turned to look back at me. The woman had a small short bow that looked to be made of some sort of horn held in one hand and was extremely pretty with lightly tanned features and piercing green eyes. I immediately looked away and flushed slightly after I realized I had attracted her attention. I saw the line had moved closer to the receptionist and there was only one person left in front of me a few feet away. I quickly made my way closer to the receptionist and looked towards the last remaining side of the hall. A row of portals guarded by members of the adventurers guild and more receptionists to take payment spanned the entire wall. I studied a man as he started walking towards the portal and jerked in surprise when one of the receptionists behind me cleared her throat. ¡°Coming!¡± I stammered out as I jogged up to the window I had been facing away from. An older woman with her hair tied up looked at me with mild annoyance and boredom on her face. ¡°A newly Awakened? Here to register? Very well, very well. Let me get a badge, just tell me your full name,¡± the woman said as soon as she looked me over and seemed to analyze me instantly after only a brief look. I nodded immediately back, but she didn¡¯t notice as she was already looking around in one of the drawers. ¡°Eli Verhelm, ma¡¯am. Yes, I¡¯m here to register,¡± I replied up as she pushed a bronze amulet around a leather cord towards me across the wooden counter. I looked at the adventurers¡¯ medallion with wide eyes for a second before I quickly pulled it towards myself and put it around my neck. I noticed the heavy, odd feeling of it hanging against my chest. The receptionist pushed over a form for me to sign along with a pen, and then a slightly dull brown monster core. I stared at the core in interest since it was the first time I had ever seen one before I grabbed the quill and signed my name on the standard adventurer''s membership form. After I pushed the form back towards the woman I swallowed my suddenly dry mouth. It felt almost like I was having an out-of-body experience as I grabbed the monster core and saw the receptionist looking past me impatiently, already putting me out of her mind. I walked over towards the center of the hall to an empty corner with a small table. That was the reason the adventurers guild was so popular despite the danger that comes with it. You join the adventurers guild and they sponsor your class choice with a monster core, with your only duty being to defend against the monster hordes when they attack every year. Hundreds of adventurers die during the hordes that assault all the cities in Satar, but some of them survive and grow stronger. The horde had just ended one month ago today, and the adventurers guild had likely been packed with newly awakened young men and women streaming in constantly since then to apply. Getting a monster core, or the essence to gain a class naturally if you''re not a noble is extremely dangerous. Gaining enough essence from killing monsters can allow you to naturally awaken, but the danger was so high that most didn''t risk it unless they could afford magical equipment or guards. I looked up from the monster core that sat on the wooden table in front of me and slowly panned my gaze across the room. I noticed the scattered groups of commoners with no weapons or armor to the few groups of nobles with enchanted equipment and their guards. I looked forward to this moment all my life but now it doesn¡¯t even seem real while it¡¯s happening. My eyes pinched together as I gazed determinedly at the monster core and placed my hands on each side of it. Absorb Monster Core? A message appeared in front of me and I immediately agreed. I felt the Essence slowly drain out of the core and spread into my body with an oddly burning sensation. Level 1 Acquired! Class choice available. The message disappeared and a large leather book appeared in its place. The book of classes. I swallowed in shock, I had only heard stories from my father of what he had heard throughout his life as a merchant. My father told me that inside the book of classes there was everything imaginable, from knights to wizards to beast tamers, although if you passed on something once it would not be offered again. I slowly flipped from one page to the next as I studied the choices I was offered. Slayer Spellbinder Cartographer Berserker Runecrafter I stopped for a moment on the leather page. Like all of the pages before it, I could only see the name of the class, written in a different style for each class. Although it sounded powerful, and I felt myself being drawn to it in a way, I turned to the next page to look for something better suited to what I had planned. Dragonslayer I spent a moment staring in awe at the page. I had spent a lot of time growing up, planning how I would survive and thrive once I Awakened. I decided over the years that I would look for a class that would make me the most valuable to a team. Only with a strong team would I be able to gain enough strength to survive my first horde. I dismissed the Dragonslayer page with a sigh. Hydromancer came next but it was nothing that would make me stand out from the crowd. Pyromancer. Cleric. I looked at the page with distaste, I didn''t want to depend on the power of someone else, even if they were a God. I looked through what felt like hundreds of classes, flipping from page to page in the endless book before I stopped on a page with interest.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Druid I knew the word had something to do with nature, and I felt a sense of vigor just from looking at the page. This was the first time I had a physical reaction to looking at one of the classes and I decided it must be a sign that I had a strong connection to this class. Immediately my body spasmed between pain and constant relief as an odd feeling went through my body and mind. After a few seconds, I blinked my eyes open and slowly moved around to see that my body and mind felt alright, if slightly different than before. ¡°Status,¡± I said after I gave myself a shake, immediately forgetting the pain and discomfort as I looked at my first choice. When someone is Awakened they earn one skill point and when they level afterward, they would earn an additional statistic point. Eli - Lvl 1 Druid Strength-3 Dexterity-3 Perception-2 Vitality-4 Spirit-4 Willpower-3 Unlock one Class Skill I spent a few seconds going over the information again on my class page before I looked in satisfaction at the bottom. I had been wondering for years over what the choice I would be facing upon my awakening. I focused on the only option and studied the leather page that appeared in front of me again. 1 Skill Point Available Barkskin Thornbolt I thought Barkskin was a way of increasing my defense and thornbolt was a way of attacking monsters from a distance. I found myself leaning towards thornbolt, but if Barkskin was a way of increasing my teams'' defense as well as my own, that would be exactly what I needed. One ranged attack wasn''t anything special in the realm of newly awakened adventurers, but something to increase your survivability would be very helpful. I grimaced in hesitation as I thought over the benefits of each skill, but everyone who grew up in Brightswell knew that less than half of newly awakened adventurers lived through their first horde. Having the ability to protect others would be incredibly valuable to people like me with only one other ability and no increased statistics. As soon as I focused on Barkskin I felt an odd sensation in my head and my core. It felt like the essence I absorbed into my core was spreading throughout my body. In an instant, the essence had pooled in my head and imprinted a formation. Just like that, the feeling was gone, but I knew I could immediately cast that specific form of essence. ¡°Barkskin¡± I spoke clearly and with confidence. I used the knowledge that my class had gifted me to understand that I used the incantation as a focus while I channeled energy from my core into the essence formation. I felt my skin grow tight and I noticed a hardness and toughness to my skin that felt both unnerving and powerful at the same time. I smiled and clenched my fist. I felt stronger than I ever had before. ¡°Dispel,¡± I said while focusing on releasing another formation of energy from my core, and I immediately felt the hard feeling of my skin return to normal. I slowly smiled as I stood up feeling pleased and more confident than before. I saw a large gathering of people sitting at tables next to the path that led to an orange portal. All newly Awakened would be heading to Gorok, the city closest to the bloodfields, an area of land famous for spawning a large concentration of F-rank dungeons. I walked over towards the tables and the spread-out groups of people who looked to be around my age. A group of three boys and a girl were sitting at a table talking casually where I was walking and I saw them all studying me and falling silent once I got close. ¡°Hello. We¡¯re searching for a fifth. Specialization?¡± A tall boy who towered about a foot over my somewhat average height spoke up in a deep voice as I got close to their table. ¡°I¡¯m a support type, I can strengthen mine and my allies'' skin,¡± I spoke up while I looked over the rest of the group curiously. The tall brown-haired boy I was talking to had a long spear leaning next to the chair he was standing by. Another brown-haired boy sat at the table watching with interest clear on his face and a bow leaned against his chair. The last boy was impressively muscular for our age and had a large wooden shield and mace under the table next to him. A girl sat on the opposite side of the table from the three boys and was pretty with straight brown hair and green eyes, but I noticed she didn¡¯t have any weapons like me. Maybe someone else who used some form of spell casting? I watched the boy who asked me the question look surprised, and then extremely interested as he digested the information. ¡°Interesting, that could be useful. Do you have any skill with fighting? A weapon?¡± the large boy who sat next to the shield and hammer asked. This was the problem with choosing barkskin instead of the Thorn Bolt option I thought immediately with some nervousness. ¡°No, but after I receive my next level I will have a ranged attack as well,¡± I said after a second of thought, trying to put it in the best light possible. I noticed a frown come over the boy sitting near the bow and some interest showing on the girl''s face still. ¡°So nothing besides defense for now.¡± The boy who had first asked me about my specialization said, although he looked like he was still considering it. ¡°I think increased defense is just what we need for our first dungeon dives. We all know how few adventurers survive their first fights, having someone who can increase all of our defense is just what we need,¡± he said to the other newly minted adventurers sitting at the table. He sat down and gestured for me to take a seat next to him, which I did with some hope and relief filling me at possibly finding a viable team almost as soon as I started looking. A good omen for my new life as an adventurer, I thought hopefully. ¡°I vote yes, I¡¯m ready to get moving anyway, I don¡¯t want to spend half the day just trying to find one more person.¡± the girl spoke up impatiently. ¡°My name is Gabrielle, and I specialize in fire magic. Welcome to the team.¡± Gabrielle nodded towards me with a slight smile on her face. ¡°Gary, nice to have you join us. I¡¯m the team leader and I specialize in using my spear here,¡± he said from the chair to my right while gesturing towards the tall wooden spear next to him. ¡°Aaron, and I¡¯m an archer. Unlike the rest of you, I¡¯ve spent the past month leveling my bow skill so I know I¡¯ll be able to hold my own. I hope the rest of you aren''t too disappointing,¡± the skinny, brown-haired boy looked like he was the same age as the rest of us, but he was wearing slightly nicer clothing that made him look a bit like a merchant. Probably the son of a fairly successful merchant, hopefully, he didn¡¯t just learn how to shoot that bow a month ago I thought. ¡°And I¡¯m Zack, good to meet you. I specialize in holding the attention of the monsters while the rest of you make sure they end up dead. Can you show me your ability? It sounds impressive. From what my older brother told me, all the Gorok dungeons are full of weak goblins that only manage to kill so many adventurers because new adventurers are so under-geared and weak.¡± Zack spoke up in a loud voice, booming out with enough volume to make another dozen or so of the nearby adventurers look over for a moment. He gave me the impression of someone tough and reliable, not to mention it sounded like he had more information about what we¡¯ll be facing than I did. ¡°My name is Eli, it¡¯s nice to meet all of you and I¡¯m glad I was able to find a team so quickly,¡± I said with a bit of a smile as I tried to make a decent impression on the rest of the group. I stood up and walked next to Zack, placed my hand a few inches over his arm, and focused on the formation of energy from earlier as I cast Barkskin. I used the word to focus the energy in my core like I had a couple of minutes ago and felt like I could tell how much energy I used this time. I figured I could cast Barkskin 4 times at most before I would need to spend some time waiting for my core to refill with Essence. ¡°Wow! This feels so strange, it¡¯s like my entire body became extremely tight and dry all at once.¡± Zack said while flexing his hands and testing out his flexibility. ¡°Tight and dry? That doesn¡¯t sound like much of a defensive boost. Is that it?¡± Aaron asked Zack, a grimace showing on his face. Zack pulled a knife out of a sheathe on one of his boots and tried to cut himself with the edge across his forearm with no success. He flipped the knife in his hand so the edge was pointing at his forearm and hardened his face, before stabbing down with force. ¡°Gah! Damn!¡± Zack yelled immediately, seeing the small knife stuck in his skin about half an inch. He yanked it out with another grunt and set it on the table before his face instantly switched to a grin as he saw the wide-eyed looks of the rest of us staring at him in shock. ¡°What? We had to test how powerful the ability is before we needed to depend on it in battle. That¡¯s one impressive spell! Damn am I glad to have you with us, Eli!¡± Zack grinned as he pulled out a bandage to wrap around the small wound. I stared at the small cut that the knife had produced with a stab and realized barkskin was much more powerful than I had expected. ¡°Well, now that that¡¯s over,¡± Gabrielle said with an eyebrow raised towards Zack. ¡°Is there anything the rest of you need before we head to Gorok? Zack told us we¡¯ll have a long walk ahead of us once we leave, so the sooner we set out the better.¡± Gary looked at each of us and after we gave him a nod to signal that we were ready, he led the rest of us in standing up and grabbing our gear. Each of them had a small pack sitting near them, filled with what I assumed to be extra clothes and bandages. I have a small brown pack that my father had helped me pack over the past few weeks in preparation for joining the Guild. Inside I have a variety of essential equipment that I''ll need over the coming weeks. I followed behind Gary as he walked towards the large orange portal and the two guards and attendants that stood in front of it. Chapter 2 ¡°Team for Gorok? Newly Awakened?¡± The attendant asked our group as we stopped in front of him. Once he saw all of us nod, he continued, ¡°good, go on and head straight through. Try not to die,¡± he said in a monotone voice, before looking past us at the next group behind us. Zack and I looked at each other for a moment somewhat nervously, before we walked towards the glowing and very intimidating portal in front of us. Zack stepped through first, and instead of watching his body slowly disappear as he put each part through like I expected, the second his body touched the portal he was gone, causing me to freeze in surprise. I quickly stepped forward so Gary didn¡¯t walk into me from behind and then closed my eyes shut tight as I forced myself to step into the portal. I forced myself to take three quick steps forwards before I opened my eyes to see another large guild hall similar to the one in Brightswell. I glanced behind me and saw Gary stepping out of the light blue portal that I had just come through. ¡°Well that was much better than I expected, I thought I was going to throw up as soon as I got through but I didn¡¯t feel a thing!¡± Gary said to the two of us. I nodded in agreement and zoned out his and Zack¡¯s conversation as we waited for the other two to join us. I looked around the hall and noted the same design as the last guild, with the portals on the side that we were standing at and a large wall filled with notices to our left. Receptionists worked in front of a long line of adventurers in front of us with stairs leading to another floor and the entrance to the guild on the right wall. Dozens of tables filled with relaxing adventurers filled the center of the guildhall. ¡°We¡¯re all here. Let¡¯s go look at the notices.¡± Aaron said shortly, clearly impatient to get moving. I started walking towards the notice board and veered to the right where I saw primarily younger adventurers. Blood Fields Dungeons F Grade Dungeon Core - 5 Silver E Grade Dungeon Core - 50 Silver Monster Cores F Grade Monster Core - 50 Silver E Grade Monster Core - 5 Gold Rare Materials Bloodmoss - 1 Silver\bag Warg Fangs - 5 Copper\pair Interestingly, it looked like there were no actual missions for us newly awakened to take, just requests for the useful materials found in the Bloodfields. I followed Gary after he got our attention and gestured towards the exit of the guildhall. I found myself thinking that I didn¡¯t feel prepared to go into a dungeon with these people that I had just met. I decided to say something once I knew where we were going since Gary just walked off after studying the board. I stepped outside into the midday sun and followed Gary for a few paces before waiting for the rest of the group. ¡°All right. From what my brother told me, it will take us about 2 days of walking to reach the Bloodfields. After that, it could take us anywhere from two days to a week to get a dungeon heart or enough materials to earn a profit, and then 2 days of walking to get back. That¡¯s 11 days of food for each of us, so we¡¯ll be heading to the market to stock up first. Follow me.¡± Gary quickly explained before heading along the street towards some nearby market stalls. While I knew that I would need to purchase supplies before leaving on my first mission, I wasn¡¯t expecting that I¡¯d have to carry that much. I didn¡¯t want to fall behind so I quickly followed a couple of steps behind Gary while I tried to take in the sights. I had never even left the city gates of Brightswell city before then. After a short walk, we arrived at a bustling market and entered a large stall selling provisions. ¡°Good afternoon, adventurers. Are you looking to make your way to the Bloodfields? I have pre-made ration packs that are easy to pack and last 15 days. ¡± The gray-haired shopkeeper spoke up cheerfully and with a small bow as we walked into the large awning. ¡°The price is just 1 silver 50 copper, coming to just 10 copper a day. I assure you all, the cheapest you will find in Gorok for experienced adventurers like yourselves.¡± he finished off his speech with a smile. I winced as I heard the price. My parents were able to send me off with three silver for my expenses before I left. My hope of buying some better gear to take with me would have to wait for the future. We all paid the shopkeeper and stored the tightly wrapped packs of rations into our bags after a short discussion. ¡°All right, we¡¯ll be heading straight out the east gate of the city. It looks like there are about four hours of daylight left and I¡¯d like to make some progress before we stop to camp for the night,¡± Gary said after we all finished buying rations. I nodded along with the rest of the group and followed Gary as he led us towards the gates. As we walked I thought about how expensive the rations were. Unless we were able to secure a dungeon core on our first expedition as newly awakened it would be difficult to save any money. I had another silver and 50 copper left, so even if this trip didn¡¯t go as planned, I would still be able to afford another two weeks¡¯ worth of rations. I quickly found myself realizing life was going to be harder than I expected for a while. Outside of the city, we found ourselves walking along a dirt road wide enough for a few wagons to ride side by side. The road stretched due east, with only dirt and sparse grass scattered along the horizon. ¡°What¡¯s up? Not the grand adventure you were expecting this morning?¡± Aaron asked after he noticed the expression on my face. Despite his slightly condescending tone, I decided to let it go and answer his question regardless. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect to spend so much money right away. If we don¡¯t manage to defeat a dungeon we won¡¯t even make any money. I¡¯d always heard adventurers were rich.¡± I explained with a worried expression. Zack walked over and started to match my pace along my other side after I finished talking. ¡°The successful adventurers are all rich, that¡¯s for sure. The truth is almost all newly awakened who aren¡¯t nobility die before they manage to level. Adventurers improve quickly, but only if they manage to survive long enough.¡± Gary said from where he was walking in front of us. ¡°My brother told me that he almost didn¡¯t recognize himself after his first expedition. Skills all advance quickly during combat, and if we do well we could reach level two from this trip alone.¡± I had heard that before from my father, but it was good to hear it confirmed. I decided to pull up my skill screen to see if there had been any change in it from the two times I had used barkskin so far. Level 1 Druid Barkskin - Level 1\10 - Upgradeable Experience - 5\100 Interestingly, it looks like I had earned 5 experience from my two casts of barkskin. Maybe I got more experience from the first cast on myself since I left it applied for a longer period, or I got more for my second one for casting it on someone else. I hadn¡¯t realized that I would be able to level up my skills just from training. The two days of walking that I had ahead of me suddenly didn¡¯t seem like such a waste of time at all. ¡°Barkskin¡± I cast on myself as we walked, feeling my skin tighten and harden over a second. I focused on how full my core felt before and after I finished. I could manage three more casts before I ran out of energy. ¡°Can you cast that on me again? I¡¯d like to get used to how it feels, especially since I¡¯ll be fighting with it on,¡± Zack asked as he noticed me using the spell on myself. ¡°Of course, I should have thought of that myself.¡± I quickly cast the spell one at a time on each of my team members, stopping before Gary with a grimace. ¡°I can¡¯t do the fifth just yet, I think four casts is my limit for now,¡± I explained to his questioning look, a bit disappointed in myself. As far as I¡¯m aware I can¡¯t grow the essence in my core without leveling up, although maybe with practice it could grow. ¡°Not bad. Even being able to buff four people is impressive at level 1. Have you been Awakened for long?¡± Gary asked as we continued along the road, with the sun getting closer to the horizon in the distance. My legs were beginning to get tired and I felt worn out from the long day. ¡°Not at all,¡± I laughed, ¡°I just awakened today. What about yourself?¡± I asked. ¡°Yeah, I awakened this morning as well,¡± Gary said back with a grin. ¡°I think I¡¯ve looked at my status screen a hundred times since I took my class.¡± By the time Gary led us off the road and towards a group of trees in the distance my legs and back were incredibly tired and sore. The five of us worked together to quickly set up our tents and start a fire before we pulled out one of the large bags of dried rice and beans to heat up for a meal. I looked at the bags of rations and realized I had no idea how to turn anything into a proper meal. ¡°Seriously? Do none of you know how to cook?¡± Gabrielle said in a huff, looking at each of us staring uncomfortably at our bagged supplies. I felt my face heat up in embarrassment as I glanced at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, unlike the rest of you, I know how to prepare a meal on a campfire. My father is a hunter outside Brightswell, and I¡¯ve gone out with him a few times so he could show me how to survive in the wilderness after I joined the Guild.¡± Gabrielle said with some pride. She began preparing a large meal of rice and beans in a couple of our pots. ¡°Thanks,¡± I said after grabbing a bowl filled with steaming rice and beans from Gabrielle a few minutes later. The sun was finally setting, leaving me momentarily dumbstruck as I stared at the deep purple skies covering the horizon. After a second I noticed Gabrielle looking at me standing in front of her still with a raised eyebrow as she waited for me to move so she could hand Aaron his bowl. I jerked forward as I realized where I was and mumbled something that sounded like a sorry as I walked back over to where I had been sitting near the fire. I quickly ate the bowl of food and found myself struggling to keep my eyes open. I sleepily washed up my bowl with some water from one of the two large jugs I¡¯d brought from home and then pulled myself into my small tent and immediately fell asleep. I woke with the sunrise and winced at the soreness in my legs, arms, and back. My parents had told me that even though they were unawakened they had increased their statistics with hard work, so I wasn¡¯t too annoyed by the feeling. Before I got out of my tent I decided to check my skill page, wanting to see how much experience I¡¯d received from casting Barkskin as we hiked yesterday.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Level 1 Druid Barkskin - Level 1\10 Upgradeable Experience - 35\100 I grinned in appreciation once I saw the experience I earned from yesterday¡¯s training along the road. We hiked for about six hours before camping for the night, and I had cast barkskin on each member of the team multiple times as my essence recovered. It took me about forty minutes to recover fully after I cast four Barkskins in a row. I pulled up my Statistic page with a thought. Eli - Lvl 1 Druid Strength-3 Dexterity-3 Perception-2 Vitality-4 Spirit-4 Willpower-3 My parents had given me some lessons on how our statistics worked before I unlocked my Status so I knew that a higher Spirit allowed you to hold more essence in your core. If I leveled my willpower I would be able to recover my essence faster. Although I wasn''t able to increase my Essense-related stats before I unlocked my status, I had done exercises in my parents'' yard to train my physical stats for the past few years. My father often bragged about the 8 Dexterity that he earned over his years working as a tailor. After quickly putting my boots back on, I pulled my way out of my tent and looked around. Despite the early hour, everyone besides Aaron was already out of their tents getting prepared for the day. With a quick nod to the others, I started pulling my tent apart and carefully packing it back at the bottom of my pack. I looked over to see Gary starting another campfire to prepare breakfast. I dropped my pack next to the fire and asked Gary if I could cast barkskin on him again. I wanted to see how much progress I would gain in Barkskin today if I cast it as much as possible. I also thought emptying my core of essence repeatedly might help to increase my Spirit and Willpower as well. ¡°Hey Gary, good morning. Do you mind if I cast my spell on you again? I¡¯m going to try to train as much as possible today.¡± I asked after he finished lighting the campfire. ¡°Morning, Eli. That¡¯s fine with me.¡± Gary said as he sat down on his pack a few feet away from me. The rest of the team was slowly heading over to the campfire once they finished packing up. ¡°Barkskin¡± I cast my skill with a brief second of focus, feeling as if it was slightly easier than yesterday. Gary stretched his arms and hands briefly, clearly trying to get familiar with the feeling again. ¡°Do you know if we¡¯ll reach the Bloodfields today?¡± I asked as Zack took a seat beside us. ¡°We should arrive tonight, and then tomorrow morning we will slowly and carefully make our way into the fields while we search for a young dungeon,¡± he replied seriously. ¡°Morning Zack, I¡¯m going to be casting Barkskin on you guys throughout the day again. Ready?¡± I asked. ¡°Morning Eli! Hit me with it!¡± Zack cheerfully replied. I cast the spell on him, then Aaron and Gabrielle who had just walked up and heard me ask Zack. Gabrielle prepared the team another breakfast of rice and beans that tasted exactly like the previous night. After throwing on our packs and walking a short distance we found ourselves back on the wide road stretching towards the bloodfields. I found myself walking next to Zack and since we¡¯re all on the same adventuring team I realized it would be important to know each other''s capabilities. ¡°So what skill did you unlock when you Awakened?¡± I questioned him. Zack walked next to me with a large canvas pack with a rectangular wooden shield attached to one side, and a metal mace on the other. Despite all the weight on his back, he didn¡¯t look like he was struggling at all as we walked along the path. ¡°Vigor. It¡¯s a passive skill that increases my strength and vitality, with the option to activate it for 30 seconds and double the boost. If I use the active portion of the skill I lose the passive buff for the next two hours. Pretty good, right?¡± Zack said back. ¡°That sounds fairly useful,¡± Aaron said from just in front of us. ¡°My skill is called Drill Shot and it increases the strength and the penetrating ability of my arrows. I can use it about three times before running out of Essence.¡± That¡¯s good to hear, I was worried we didn¡¯t have any powerful ranged abilities for now, but that made me feel better about not unlocking Thorn Bolt. ¡°I can use Fireball six times before running out of Essence,¡± Gabrielle stated with a grin before she focused and looked to the side of the road. ¡°Fireball,¡± she said while holding her arm out in front of her. As soon as she finished speaking a ball of dense-looking flames about a foot in diameter grew in front of her before it shot out and impacted a bush 20 meters away from us. After it hit the bush the flames spread a little bit around, but there wasn¡¯t any noticeable explosion. ¡°Wow. That was bloody awesome.¡± Gary said after the whole team watched Gabrielle cast her skill. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem very impressive now, but my skill is called Charge. It¡¯s probably better to just show you.¡± Gary said before he dropped his pack and gripped his spear with both hands. ¡°Charge,¡± he said before a cloud of dust appeared where he was standing and he moved in a blur about twenty paces with his spear held out in a thrust. After we walked up the road to catch up he continued, ¡°I can use it about twice with my Essence reserves right now, and that¡¯s the furthest distance I can go. With me and Zack holding our front line, Gabrielle and Aaron providing our long-range damage, and Eli buffing us we have a pretty impressive team for just a group of newly Awakened.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to getting my second ability or a weapon, I don¡¯t want to just stand around and watch while the rest of you fight everything for me,¡± I responded with some discomfort. I¡¯d never spent any time learning any weapons skills while I grew up, so I hadn¡¯t planned on using one unless it went with the class I chose. ¡°From what my brother told me, the goblins that infest the Bloodfields fairly commonly have bronze weaponry, so maybe we can grab you something to use soon after we arrive,¡± Gary said. From there each of us focused on our thoughts and hiking down the dirt path. I cast Barkskin constantly on the rest of my team every time my Essence started to feel almost full and by midday, I felt that I¡¯d cast it about as many times as the entire day yesterday. I pulled up my Skills screen with a thought. Level 1 Druid Barkskin - Level 1\10 Upgradeable Experience - 74\100 It looked like I should easily be able to reach the second level of my skill by the time we stopped for the night. I don¡¯t have much information on what happened to skills as you leveled them other than hopefully an increase in strength. I assumed that I could upgrade the skill once it reached level 10, although it¡¯s probably by spending another skill point on it. I felt myself growing hungry, but by the other¡¯s expressions, no one wanted to stop to make a campfire and cook a meal before we reached the Bloodfields. Another few hours quickly passed and in the distance, I could see what looked like large red trees covering the horizon a few kilometers away. As we got closer I could see dozens of tents arranged in separate camps all along the edge of the Bloodfields. ¡°Looks like a lot of adventuring groups are camped on the outskirts of the Bloodfields, maybe we can get some information before tomorrow,¡± I said to the group as we reached the end of the road. There were about 200 meters between the end of the road and the sparse dark red forest in front of us that continued into the distance. ¡°Yeah, I think most groups just venture in for the day and always came back out on the edge of the fields. Let¡¯s go set up our camp and eat before we go around asking anyone for information.¡± Gary replied while he led us to an empty area a good bit away from the other groups. We quickly set up camp and ate, all of us looking forward to talking to another team and getting some more information about what to expect. After cleaning up Zack and I walked over to a group camped closer to the road, while the rest of the group went to talk to another group in the opposite direction. As we walked up I studied each of the adventurers in the group we were approaching. Of the four members, one had a large double-headed ax with a large frame to support swinging it, another had an odd-looking staff with a slightly glowing stone on the tip, and the other remaining two had large bows. It seemed like a fairly unbalanced group, and they were all newly awakened. Bandages peaked out from under their ripped clothes and sparse leather armor. ¡°Good evening. My team just arrived at the Bloodfields and we were hoping you could provide us some information or tips before we enter tomorrow.¡± I said as we arrived. The four were all sitting in a small circle around a low-burning fire without any of them talking before we got there. The heavily built boy who sat with the large ax sitting balanced in his lap met my eyes as I talked, and I saw the pain in his expression. ¡°Yeah, all right. We went in this morning, headed straight in, and killed all the stinkin ¡®gobs we found, no problem.¡± the boy spat on the ground, shaking his head. ¡°For the first few hours, we only found maybe 2, 3 ¡®gobs at a time. We figured we were gettin close to a dungeon, the groups started gettin bigger, one of them had a warg. Tough bastard, half the reason I got these bandages covering my arms.¡± he stopped for a second to lift his bandage-covered arms and chuckle morbidly for a moment. ¡°We kept pushing on, the five of us, not lettin a couple of tough fights and a warg stop us after we were nearly at a dungeon. We shoulda turned back there, it seems so obvious now, but we didn¡¯t. Another few minutes pushin through the trees and we found a clearing with a small goblin camp, obviously protectin the entrance to their dungeon. Well, no point sayin anymore, there were too many ¡®gobs in that camp, way more than we could handle. Brandon died fast, swarmed by the damn things, the rest of us barely made it out. Luckily we didn¡¯t see any ¡®gobs on our way out, not sure the rest of us would have made it.¡± he finished talking with a sigh. The rest of his group didn¡¯t speak up, most of them continued staring dejectedly at the fire while the last quietly said good luck. Zack thanked the boy before we slowly walked back to our camp, both of us showing troubled expressions on our faces. ¡°Damn, that sounds much more difficult than I expected. I don¡¯t think we have any chance of taking on a dungeon, we should probably just focus on the smaller groups of goblins for a few days.¡± Zack said with a serious look on his face. I nodded quickly in agreement, only worried about how many coins I¡¯d be able to make from just killing goblins. ¡°Yeah. We might be a little better prepared to fight goblins than that group, but fighting an entire camp? No way, not while we¡¯re all still level one at least.¡± I said back. I needed to level as fast as I could before the hordes, but that didn¡¯t mean I should push too fast. Survival would be my number one priority, advancing in level would be my second. Zack and I sat in our camp while we waited for the rest of the group to show up, both of us lost in our thoughts after listening to the other team. A few minutes later they arrived back at our camp, all three of them showing serious and slightly fearful expressions. ¡°From what you two look like I assume you got pretty similar information as us,¡± Gary said as Gabrielle, Aaron and he sat on their packs next to us. ¡°The group we spoke to has been here for three days, each day they push into the fields towards a dungeon they located on their second day when two people in their group died pushing to clear the entrance. They combined with a second team to bring their numbers back to five today and focused on killing the small patrols of goblins and the occasional warg. Unless any of you have a better plan I think we should spend a few days focused on killing the patrols like that team to work on our skills as well as our teamwork while fighting.¡± Gary finished speaking and all of us nodded our heads in agreement. None of us wanted to push our luck and end up like the rest of these teams losing one or more people on our first trip out here. We all decided to get to sleep early so we could get an early start tomorrow. As I laid down in my tent I brought up my Skill screen with a thought. Level 1 Druid Barkskin - Level 1\10 Upgradeable Experience - 97\100 I woke up feeling a little bit less sore than yesterday and I quickly left my tent to see that I was the last one up. I spent a couple of minutes packing up my tent before I sat next to Aaron with a quiet good morning. My eyes lit up, I felt suddenly awake as I realized how close I was to reaching level 2 Barkskin. I cast the spell on myself and then Aaron next to me before a message appeared in front of me. Level 2 Barkskin reached! I thought about the formation of Essence I use to cast the skill and realized it had changed slightly. I quickly dispelled my previous casts and used it on myself again, noticing that it took about 10% less Essence than before. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was improved in any other way, but I realized with a grin that I could most likely cast it five times in a row with full Essence. ¡°I leveled my Barkskin ability, and I think I can use it five times with full Essence now. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s increased in strength at all, but from what I¡¯ve heard it should have.¡± I said to the others as Gabrielle handed out our usual bowls of rice and beans to the team. I looked at the meal without excitement, I already felt bored with the rations. ¡°Great! Good work, Eli. Make sure to save the rest of your Essence for now, after we eat we¡¯ll be filling our waters at the well and heading inside.¡± Gary said over his bowl. The rest of the team congratulated me, only Aaron saying his skill was at level 2 as well. We quickly finished eating and cleaned our bowls before packing them away and walking towards the well at the edge of the road. We filled our water jugs and quickly arrived at the entrance to the Bloodfields. It was a sharp contrast between the dusty dirt and scattered tree-covered land we were coming from to the dark red forest in front of us. I felt some nervousness when I stopped next to Gabrielle, looking up at the tall trees and vines covering the fields. Chapter 3 ¡°All right, team. While we¡¯re inside the Bloodfields keep talking to the minimum and everyone stays focused. We move together slowly with me and Zack in the front, Eli in the center, Gabrielle and Aaron in the back. Eli, use Barkskin at your discretion, for now, we can¡¯t leave it on permanently or you might be out of Essence when we need it on all five of us. Zack, try and focus on keeping the patrols¡¯ attention split between the two of us. Aaron, once we make contact keep your eyes open for ambushes while you take whatever shots you can from behind. Gabrielle, try to get an opening cast of your skill before they get close if you can so there¡¯s no collateral damage. As long as we keep focused we¡¯ll be in and out in a few hours.¡± Gary efficiently told each of us our positions and what our roles were, leaving me impressed. I could tell the rest of the group was just as impressed as me, each of them agreeing quickly to his plan. With a nod to each other, Zack and Gary took the lead and pushed through the entrance to the forest. I followed a couple of steps behind them and heard Gabrielle and Aaron taking the rear. The trees seemed much less packed together with a few steps deeper and there was plenty of room to walk under the canopies. The two in front walked slowly while all of us studied our surroundings for any signs of life or movement. After thirty minutes Zack raised his hand in the air with his palms open causing all of us to stop and listen. There was a faint sound front our right side that was rapidly getting louder. ¡°A patrol from the right, get ready,¡± Gary whispered as we rearranged our team so that Zack and he were facing them. I cast Barkskin Zack and Gary quietly as they walked past me, deciding I¡¯d rather play it safe for our first battle, although I didn¡¯t cast it on anyone else yet. I swallowed my suddenly dry throat as I heard them get closer and suddenly I saw Zack step out from behind the tree he was behind and slam his mace into the surprised shoulder of a short, skinny green goblin. I stepped out into the open and saw three goblins, each of them carrying bronze-tipped wooden spears and loincloths. The one Zack hit fell into a pile on the ground, either dead or dying. A fireball slammed into the one next to it, who was getting ready to lunge forwards towards Zack as he settled in behind his shield. The goblin hit with the fireball screamed and stumbled back for a second before an arrow jerked into his forehead, killing him instantly. Gary used his Charge skill and it looked like he teleported in front of the last remaining goblin who was staring in fear and yelling as he turned to run as Gary''s spear stabbed into his chest. The goblin let out a hiss as it fell off his spear and bled out on the ground. I stared in shock at the dead goblins in front of me and recoiled in disgust as I smelled blood and feces mixed. I threw up after a second of trying to hold it back and turned away from the gruesome sight. ¡°Good job, everyone. Let¡¯s walk a bit away and take a quick break.¡± Gary said, a surprising look of shock and disgust on his face. We followed Gary for a couple of minutes, warily checking our surroundings and moving quietly. We stopped a short distance away and sat next to a couple of trees before I pulled out my water to distract myself and hydrate. ¡°Well, that was surprisingly easy, I think,¡± Gabrielle said from the ground next to me, attempting to put a smile on her face. ¡°It was easy, but let¡¯s not get overconfident. We saw what happened to other adventurers, none of us want to end up like that.¡± Gary said to the group. ¡°Besides, that was only a group of three goblins that we managed to ambush. If we see a group with goblins and a warg it will be tough to keep all of them focused on just Zack and me. Everyone ready?¡± ¡°I want to go grab one of those spears that the goblins were holding, I need something to defend myself,¡± I said as we all got back up after our short break. Gabrielle nodded too and said she¡¯d like one as well, just in case. We headed back to the pile of three dead goblins and grabbed a spear for each of us. The redwood spear was about five feet long and had a small bronze blade at the tip. Aaron searched the bodies for any pouches with coins or any other type of valuables but didn¡¯t find anything before he backed away, shaking his head at the smell. ¡°All right, let¡¯s move out,¡± Gary said after we finished and we got back into our formation and headed further into the forest. Another fifteen minutes passed with no sign of anything living before Aaron yelled out to wait. At the same time, two goblins jumped out from behind a tree that Zack just walked past and stabbed into his leg while the other stabbed towards his head. Zack got his shield up in time and bashed the other spear away. I hurriedly looked around and saw three more goblins coming from behind us. ¡°Three more behind us!¡± Aaron shouted out right before I was about to. I glanced back to the front and saw Gary disappear in the telltale sign of him using Charge. ¡°Barkskin¡± I cast my skill on myself and rushed forward to the three goblins in the back that Gary had just charged towards. He stabbed one in the stomach and caused it to slump to the ground, but the other two goblins were on his left moving to surround him while he tried to finish the first one he stabbed. Before I knew it I was next to Gary, with the two goblins shrieking one of them stabbing towards my leg and one at my chest. I swung my spear at the top one and overpowered the weak thrust, while the other goblin hit my shin, which caused me to shout in pain. I slammed the tip of my spear awkwardly into the goblin¡¯s neck that I had blocked and quickly looked at the last one to see an arrow sticking out of its arm, making it drop its spear and turn to run. Gary quickly stabbed it in the back before it could move more than a step away from me, and I checked to make sure the one I slashed in the neck was dead. Blood was draining out of its neck in pulses and it was dead and bleeding all over my boots and pants. I jerked back and turned around to make sure Zack and the others were all right. Zack was walking over towards us and didn¡¯t look like he was injured much from getting stabbed by the goblin. I looked down at my shin, seeing a small cut about two inches long and not very deep. My Barkskin skill had minimized the damage or else I doubt I¡¯d even be able to walk right now. ¡°Is everyone alright? Thanks for having my back, Eli, I would have been in trouble if you didn¡¯t move forward and cover me.¡± Gary said as he clapped me on the back lightly. ¡°No problem, good thing you have that Charge Skill or we would have been in serious trouble before you got there. My shin got stabbed but it¡¯s not too bad, if I hadn¡¯t cast Barkskin on myself I wouldn¡¯t even be able to walk I think.¡± I said back with a weak grin. ¡°I got stabbed right in the side here and I only have a small cut like your shin. That stab would have been bad, maybe even fatal if it went deep enough. I¡¯m glad we got you on our team, man. Thanks, I mean it.¡± Zack said from my side. He stretched out his hand for a handshake and I could tell he was being serious, he might have died right there if I wasn¡¯t here. The goblins didn¡¯t seem too dangerous but we nearly died in our second fight of the day, I could tell we were all thinking about how close we just came to dying. Aaron went through the bodies again to check if they had anything worth taking, but all they had were the same spears and loincloths the first three had on them. We quickly left, staying in a bit tighter of a formation now, with all of us quiet and searching the trees intently. Another hour passed before we heard what sounded like growling and goblins talking from in front of us. We all stopped and Aaron motioned that he would try and scout it out quietly. The longer he was gone the more nervous I got until I saw him slowly making his way back a few minutes later. ¡°There¡¯s a group of 4 goblins and a warg about 200 meters away and they¡¯re staying in the same spot. I think we must be pretty close to the dungeon and they¡¯re scouts or something. Two of the goblins had armor on but I couldn¡¯t get a good look at them or the other two.¡± Aaron quietly reported his findings to us. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°All right, we move in our formation towards them. Aaron focuses on taking out that warg immediately, Gabrielle sends Fireballs at the goblins any time you have a clear shot. Zack and I will take the front with Barkskin and Eli will stay near the front in case we need you to support us.¡± Gary said quickly before leading the way in the direction Aaron had pointed. We walked quietly towards them for a couple of minutes before I saw the warg from behind some trees about 30 meters away. The warg saw me at the same time and howled immediately before the goblins started rushing towards us with it in the front. A fireball flew past me from my side and crashed into the leading goblin, sending it falling onto the ground and screeching in pain. An arrow sprouted from the side of the warg but it shook it off and led the way for the goblins. The warg was about 5 meters away from Zack, who had his shield ready to block the charge when an arrow slammed into the warg with a loud bang, sending it into the ground where it whimpered in place. The other three goblins got to Zack and Gary in the front right after the warg fell and it was a melee of swinging arms and grunts for a few seconds while I struggled to make anything out. Another fireball flew forward and slammed one of the goblins in the side, allowing Gary to stab it in the neck. Zack managed to slam another with his mace at the same time, and an arrow appeared in the last goblin''s forehead with another loud bang. I moved forward and slammed my spear into the warg¡¯s neck, quickly putting it out of its misery. I looked up ahead and saw Gary had charged forward and killed the last goblin with a thrust of his spear. ¡°Good work, everyone,¡± Zack said as we all gathered together. I looked everyone over and saw that no one had any injuries from this fight. Even with a warg and the slightly better-armored goblins they didn¡¯t give us any trouble as long as we worked together and kept our cool. ¡°Yeah, we handled that one very well. Good shots, Aaron, that drill shot is impressive, you completely neutralized that warg. Gabrielle, good work too, your fireballs may not have much strength but they¡¯re great at disrupting them so we have time to hold the front line while Aaron gets some shots in. Zack, good work focusing on defense, as long as you can hold them in front our team can handle whatever we run into out here.¡± Gary said to the team. I didn¡¯t mind that he didn¡¯t say anything to thank me, considering I didn¡¯t do anything this battle. I¡¯m looking forward to unlocking Thornbolt, although with me needing to save my Essence for Barkskin, I¡¯m not sure how often I¡¯ll be able to use it. I¡¯m under half Essence and I haven¡¯t even had to use Barkskin on everyone yet, I¡¯ll need to be careful about managing my Essence correctly. Aaron and I walked over to the bodies to see if they had anything on them, and I examined the leather armor the goblins had on. They looked like strips of toughened leather that they wrapped around their bodies to offer a little protection, but they were covered in goblin blood and pretty cut up so I didn¡¯t bother taking any. ¡°I found some copper pennies, one of them had a small pouch attached to its belt. Also, a small knife that looks like it was taken from an adventurer, it looks like a city forged weapon.¡± Aaron said as we walked together back to the team waiting near a tree a few meters down from the smell. I grabbed the knife from his hand and looked it over, impressed with the quality. It had a wooden handle with leather wrapped around it to improve its grip and a long 4-inch blade. ¡°At least these goblins have something useful. Can I have that knife? I¡¯d like a weapon other than my bow for emergencies.¡± Aaron said as we reached the group. I handed the knife back over to him with only a little bit of regret. I don¡¯t blame him for wanting a melee weapon he can use in case he needs it, and I already have this spear which is better quality than it looks. ¡°Yeah, good idea. It looks like a decent knife. Did either of you grab those warg fangs? They were on the notice board at the Guild, I think they¡¯re an alchemy ingredient or something.¡± Zack said as he pointed back towards the warg. I forgot about that notice, I think they were 5 coppers per pair, so one copper each for every warg we kill. Every little bit counts, considering we need to make at least 150 copper just to break even from this trip. After Aaron went and cut off the wargs fangs we once again moved out deeper into the forest. In only another fifteen minutes we came across a small patrol of 2 goblins and quickly cut them down with an arrow and a stab from Gary. After finding nothing on the two bodies we moved deeper and after ten minutes we could hear a lot of noise from in front of us. ¡°That must be a camp, like what that group of adventurers told us was guarding the entrance to the dungeon they found. I don¡¯t think we should risk getting any closer, let¡¯s head back and see if we can find some more patrols if we take a slightly different direction.¡± Gary said after we listened for a few minutes. All of us agreed and we started making our way slowly back towards the exit of the Bloodfields. Another hour and a half passed before we saw a patrol with a warg and 4 goblins. We started the fight from an ambush position behind some trees and easily killed them with a similar fight to the last group. Aaron looted the goblins and found another small pouch of coppers and the pair of warg fangs before we started moving again since none of us wanted to take a break. Another hour of slowly hiking our way through the forest and we once again saw light peeking through the forest in front of us. We all quickly hurried out of the forest and stopped in a circle after we were a few meters away from the thick tree cover. ¡°Good work, everyone. We did a great job for our first day together, and I think our team has potential.¡± Gary said to the team as we all dropped our packs and sat down, drinking some water and taking a well-deserved break after the long day hiking and fighting in the forest. I took a moment and pulled up my Skills screen with a thought. Level 1 Druid Barkskin - Level 2\10 Upgradeable Experience - 144\200 Wow, 144 experience from just one day of using my skill in combat. That¡¯s more than I got from two days of constantly casting it, even though I only used it a handful of times today. I guess you do earn a lot more experience from fighting than training. I pulled up my Status screen with a thought, wondering if it would show me my progress towards reaching level 2. Eli - Lvl 1 Druid Experience - 40/200 Strength-3 Dexterity-3 Perception-3 (+1) Vitality-4 Spirit-4 Willpower-4 (+1) One-fifth of the way to level 2! I stared at my status screen for a minute with a grin, before realizing not only had my perception gone up one point, willpower did as well. It seems like not only do skills increase faster in combat, attributes will as well. I looked over at Zack sitting beside me and decided to ask if he had improved as well. ¡°Hey, did you make much progress today? I increased two attributes and earned quite a lot of experience.¡± I said with a proud grin. Zack looked up at me from where he was looking off into space at one of his status screens and matched my grin. ¡°Damn right! Increased my strength, vitality, and dexterity, not to mention I finally leveled my Vigor skill. A few more days like today and we won¡¯t even recognize ourselves.¡± Zack said, looking around at the rest of the group to see if they had made similar gains. ¡°Nice work, Zack. I leveled my Fireball, Spirit, and Dexterity. We earned much more experience than I thought we would, even if we only grind through the patrols slowly like today we should all reach Level 2 in our classes way before we have to head back to Gorok.¡± Gabrielle said with a smile. She didn¡¯t seem to mind the dirt-stained clothes and sweaty body odor that I know my mother would not have been able to handle. I chuckled to myself for a second before looking up to see Aaron speaking up. ¡°I leveled my Drill shot to level 3, as well as Dexterity and Perception. Gary?¡± Aaron said with a hint of a smile. ¡°Good work, everyone. My charge, Strength, and vitality all increased today. Let''s set up camp a bit further from the edge of the forest and get some food, I¡¯m starving.¡± As soon as Zack finished talking I stood up with a groan, realizing how hungry I am. The five of us walked a few hundred meters away to near the area where we camped the previous night, gathered firewood, and made food. The rest of the night I spent going over our fights today and thinking over what I could do to improve. I didn¡¯t use the spear other than to finish off a few monsters once they were already gravely injured but I liked having a weapon. Maybe I should spend some time learning how to fight with the spear? Chapter 4 I woke up the next morning a bit earlier than usual and quietly packed my gear so I wouldn¡¯t wake up my team members. After I finished I grabbed my spear and spent a few minutes practicing thrusting and slashing similar to how I¡¯d seen Gary do them yesterday. As the rest of the team started climbing out of their tents a few minutes later I wasn¡¯t sure if I made any progress, but I was sure it couldn¡¯t hurt. We quickly ate and made our way towards the forest. ¡°I think I¡¯m looking forward to today just as much as I¡¯m dreading it,¡± I said to Zack with a chuckle as we reached the thick treeline. I woke up feeling sorer today than I had any of the days previously. Maybe it has to do with the increase in my attributes or maybe spending a day hiking through the forest and fighting goblins is hard work? ¡°Dreading it? Another light stroll through the forest?¡± Zack said cheerfully back. I heard Gabrielle and Aaron laugh behind me as we pushed our way into the forest and moved into our formation from yesterday. The day passed similarly to yesterday with us staying a bit farther back from the dungeon and hunting as many of the four goblins with one warg patrols as we could find. We spent about eight hours in the woods and managed to kill 44 goblins and 6 wargs, a good bit more than yesterday. ¡°A grand total of 18 coppers and 12 warg fangs today. That¡¯s just under 10 coppers apiece, it looks like we almost broke even.¡± Aaron said as we grouped up outside of the forest. Considering this is only our second day out of eleven, I¡¯m not too worried about earning enough money to cover our expenses for this trip anymore. The next three days passed in a relatively similar manner with us earning slightly more each day as we got more efficient at clearing our way through the patrols. On our fifth day after arriving at the Bloodfields, we decided to push a little closer to the dungeon entrance and see if we could find some larger patrols or groups to help challenge ourselves. ¡°Patrol ahead,¡± Gary whispered to the rest of the group after calling a halt. I quickly maneuvered so that my body would be hidden behind a tree from the direction the patrol was coming from. Everyone moved quickly and efficiently to an appropriate ambush spot that kept our formations integrity while we waited for the small group of goblins. After five days of hunting together, our team had improved drastically in our individual skills and teamwork. All of us expected to achieve our second level today, which would improve our strength exponentially. A few moments later the patrol arrived and Aaron sent a Drill Shot into the goblin on the far left, leaving a crater in the center of its chest. Gabrielle shot a fireball right in between the front two goblins, knocking both of them to the ground with painful burns. Gary charged towards the two goblins on the ground and quickly killed them both with a stab to the neck. Druid Level 2 reached ¡°Yes!¡± I shouted as soon as Gary stabbed the last one, seeing the message appear telling me I finally reached level 2. I could tell the rest of the group leveled as well by the blank expressions on their faces as they looked at their status screens. ¡°Congratulations, everyone, but now isn¡¯t the time to lose focus. Let¡¯s head back early for the day and discuss our plans moving forward.¡± Gary said to the group after a second before leading the way back next to Zack. We only spent a little over half a day in the forest today, but all I could think about was unlocking my new skill when we get got back to camp. I tried to stay focused on our way back, and luckily we didn¡¯t see a single patrol. We finally exited the forest before we hurried to our usual camping spot and set up our tents and campfire to finish our routine. Sitting on my pack with a grin I opened my Skills screen and unlocked Thornbolt with a thought. Barkskin - Level 4\10 Upgradeable Experience - 102\800 Thornbolt - Level 1\20 Upgradeable Experience - 0\200 Immediately I felt the Essence in my core swirl around before it settled in a formation along with my right hand for a few seconds. The feeling quickly faded after it left an imprint of how to cast the new skill clearly in my mind. ¡°Thornbolt¡± I used the incantation and manipulated my essence into the formation. A dark brown thorn the size of my hand shot out and buried itself in the ground, which kicked up some of the loose sand. It felt like the spell used less Essence than Barkskin, which I could now cast 7 times in a row while full of Essence after leveling my Spirit once and Barkskin twice more over the past few days. For my statistic point after a few minutes of contemplation, I decided to add it to Spirit to increase my total essence storage, bringing it up to level 6. I pull up my Status screen with a thought to check my progress. Eli - Lvl 2 Druid Experience - 1\500 Strength-4 (+1) Dexterity-3 Perception-3 Vitality-4 Spirit-6 (+2) Willpower-5 (+1) I leveled my Spirit on our third day hunting in the forest and my Willpower and Strength yesterday. My attributes have been increasing faster than seems possible recently, likely as a result of being constantly fighting and training. I noticed the experience required for level 3 had more than doubled from 200 to 500 and Thornbolt actually had 20 levels instead of 10 like Barkskin. I suppose that left me more room for growth before I needed to spend another skill point on upgrading it which I realized could be beneficial. Still, 20 levels worth of experience would take longer than I could imagine considering how long it took us to reach level 2. ¡°Hey Zack, what skill did you unlock?¡± I questioned him after I finished looking over my status. He quickly grinned at me before looking around to see if anyone else was nearby. ¡°Watch!¡± he said as he walked over to stand a few feet away. ¡°Fortress.¡± As soon as he finished his incantation a large steel shield grew out of the ground in a circle around us. The shield surrounded us at about 5 meters away and a meter off the ground. The shield stayed even after Zack walked towards the barrier to study it. After a few moments of looking over the design and sturdiness, he decided to take out his mace and see if it could survive a strike. With a loud crash, the large ¡®fortress¡¯ crumbled all at once after he hit it. ¡°Looks like if it¡¯s overpowered in any spot the entire thing falls at once. Still pretty damn cool and it should be very effective against large groups of goblins. Just what we need, eh?¡± Zack said while a huge grin was spread across his face. I honestly felt a little jealous at how impressive his skill was, my Thornbolt didn¡¯t seem very useful compared to that. ¡°Incredible, I can¡¯t believe that¡¯s your second skill. If we decide to attempt the goblin camp that Fortress will be perfect in case they try to flank us with wargs like earlier today. I can¡¯t wait to see how it improves as you level it, too.¡± I said back before we both headed over to Gary who was training with his spear a few meters away from our camp. It looked like he was going through one of the forms he had been teaching me in the mornings before everyone else woke up. ¡°Gary! Did you see my Fortress?¡± Zack said with a smirk as we walked up to him. ¡°I saw, it looks incredible, just what we¡¯ve been missing to protect our backline in emergencies or when we¡¯re being overrun. I assume you unlocked your Thornbolt, Eli?¡± I nodded in reply to his question. ¡°Good, good. I unlocked a passive skill called Balanced Foundation which increased all my statistics by one. I hope that as it levels it will become an increasingly powerful ability.¡± Gary said. ¡°I agree, even if it doesn¡¯t sound powerful now that skill could be amazing after a few more months of training. Let¡¯s go see what Gabrielle and Aaron unlocked?¡± I said to both while heading back in the direction of our camp. Aaron noticed us as we walked over and stood with a grin. ¡°Nice Skill Zack, I unlocked a skill called Leap. Nothing too flashy, and it takes about half of my Essence to use. Watch.¡± Aaron said before walking a few steps away from us. ¡°Leap¡± Aaron jumped about 3 meters high and landed 12 meters away. My jaw dropped and I saw Zack looking just as surprised as me. ¡°That¡¯s awesome! I better get a skill like that eventually, damn!¡± Zack was yelling as soon as he got over his surprise. Gary looked pretty impressed as well, he was just more reserved than Zack. ¡°Pretty cool, Aaron,¡± I called over to him as he jogged back over to the group. We all looked at Gabrielle to see what she unlocked last. She smiled and turned away from the camp before glancing back to make sure we were all watching. ¡°Wall of Flames,¡± She said the name of her skill slowly as she pointed her hand at the ground a few meters away and swiped her hand to the left. A wall of fire about 2 meters high and 6 meters long appeared where she pointed. ¡°I can make it longer as well but it will take more Essence, that took about a third of my reserves. I can¡¯t wait to level it further, this skill actually has 50 levels.¡± Gabrielle explained to the team. My eyes widened in shock after she said how many levels her skill had. If the experience increases at the same rate as mine I can¡¯t even imagine how long that would take to master. ¡°Very impressive, Gabrielle. And everyone else. I was going to propose we look for another small team to work with and try to clear the dungeon we¡¯ve been training near together. Even with our increase in strength, I don¡¯t want to push our luck just to make a little more profit and experience. At the same time, I know that we need to constantly be challenging ourselves to keep up with our rapid rate of growth. What do you guys think?¡± Gary asked the group. I had been expecting us to go for the dungeon after we reached level 2, or a few days afterward, and that sounded like a good idea if we could find another group that was willing. I decided to say as much as everyone else was still thinking. ¡°I like it. I wanted to at least attempt the Goblin Camp that¡¯s built on the entrance once we reached level 2, but I wasn¡¯t confident that we should enter the dungeon. If we can work with another group I know I would feel much better about our chances.¡± I said in support of his idea. Aaron started nodding after he heard me talking and quickly voiced his agreement after I finished. Zack and Gabrielle agreed that it sounded like a good plan to both of them and we split up to go search for some allies. Gary, Zack, and I headed to a camp set up nearby with 4 members eating around a firepit while leaving Gabrielle and Aaron to watch our supplies. ¡°Good Evening. Do you guys mind if we ask you some questions?¡± Gary said to the group after we arrived. The four of them had already been studying us as we made our way over. All four of them were boys who looked around our age and had the slightly bloody and ripped-up clothes that pretty much every group of adventurers out here had on. ¡°Sure, what do you guys need? You don¡¯t look too green to me.¡± One of the guys said in reply. ¡°We¡¯re not. We¡¯re looking for another group to ally with us for an attempt at a dungeon we¡¯ve been training around. There are five of us and we¡¯re all level 2.¡± Gary explained our position to the group and they seemed to look interested.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Well only 2 of us have reached level 2 for the moment, but we¡¯re definitely interested. Hard to make money out here, even just enough to pay for our rations. I¡¯m Jack and this is Dorsey, Finn, and Paul.¡± He said while pointing out each of them in turn. I tried to see if I could match each of them to the weapons they used but none of them had their packs nearby. ¡°How about we meet here tomorrow morning with the sunrise, then?¡± Gary asked the group before getting nods in agreement. We walked back towards our camp and split up to do our own training in the hour or so we had before sunset. My Essence was finally full so I was going to see how many times I could use Thornbolt. ¡°Thornbolt¡± I cast one at a time and shot into the ground slightly farther each time. By my sixth cast, I could tell the maximum distance was around 50 meters before it started to fall. I finished ten casts before running completely out of Essence. Not too bad for level 1, tomorrow I would get some opportunities to see how strong it was. With that pleasant thought, I crawled into my tent and quickly went to sleep. The next morning after going through the spear forms that Gary instructed me in we walked over to join the other team at their campsite. The four of them had all of their gear already packed and sat on their packs as they waited for us to arrive. ¡°Hey, so how¡¯re we planning on doing this?¡± Jack said after putting on his pack. I could see a small wooden shield attached to one side of his pack and a sword sheath attached to his belt. ¡°Let¡¯s stay together until we get to the goblin camp and then we¡¯ll discuss our tactics when we see what it looks like. If we move as one group we can up our hiking speed since we won¡¯t have to worry about the small patrols and we should get there in a little over 2 hours.¡± Gary said to both groups, getting nods from everyone. We set off hiking through the forest in our usual formation with the other team staying close on both sides. We killed three different patrol groups on our way there and stopped about 300 meters away from the camp to let Aaron and Finn go scout. A few minutes later both of them came back at the same time and gave their reports. ¡°I saw at least 15 goblins outside with 4 four buildings that could have more hidden inside. I only saw three wargs and they were all standing on guard near the entrance to the dungeon which looks like a wide staircase that heads into the ground. Finn?¡± Aaron finished describing what he¡¯d seen. ¡°That marks up with what I saw as well, but there¡¯s definitely more goblins in the buildings. I saw through one of the doors and I could tell it wasn¡¯t empty. There are no walls and we could possibly use the buildings to give us a choke point to hold for the battle.¡± Finn gave his report as well, confirming that there would be more than 15 goblins. The biggest patrol we had ever fought had 5 goblins and a warg, so this was going to be another magnitude harder even with an extra 4 members with us. If there are another 15 goblins in those buildings I¡¯m not sure we¡¯ll have a chance even together. ¡°Hopefully those buildings aren¡¯t all full or this could be more than we can handle. Can the four of you tell us what roles you normally have so we can prepare a better strategy?¡± Gary asked the other group while looking at Jack. Normally adventurers don¡¯t share skills outside of their own teams, but hopefully, they wouldn¡¯t mind giving us some information since we are at least temporarily allied. ¡°We can do that. Dorsey and I usually hold our frontline, me with my sword and buckler while Dorsey takes my side with his spear and shield. Finn stays in the backline with his short bow like Aaron over there and Paul can create walls or other formations out of the earth.¡± Jack replied back. I wonder if it¡¯s better for us to work together or attack from two different sides to split up the goblins. Gary looked over at Paul, ¡°How long do your walls last?¡± ¡°They stay until they¡¯re knocked down, all I¡¯m doing is rearranging the ground already below us. It takes a lot of Essence, though, so I can only build so much before resting.¡± Paul answered back. What an incredible Skill, I couldn¡¯t help but think, to create permanent structures at level one. I wonder what type of class would give you a skill like that. ¡°I think we should stay together and hold our position in front of those two buildings. Paul can build walls to either of our sides to create a bottleneck and hopefully, they¡¯ll come at us primarily from in between the houses. My team will hold our position on the left and yours on the right, helping when needed. Eli can use his skill on the four of us front liners to increase our defense before we begin. Any questions?¡± Gary directed both teams. The plan sounds all right to me and it should leave me enough Essence to cast Thornbolt 5 or 6 times depending on how long we fought for. I tried out Thornbolt once earlier on a patrol and unfortunately, the only way it would kill a goblin in one cast is if I hit it in the neck or head. I would save Thornbolt for emergencies, especially if they sent goblins behind to flank us. ¡°That sounds doable to me, it will only take me about 10 seconds for each wall, although I won¡¯t have much essence left after that,¡± Paul replied back. Everyone was already prepared so we moved out as one and quickly came to a large clearing in the trees. I saw four goblins and a warg directly in front of us, blocking our path to the two large buildings we had decided to use. Aaron and Finn quickly shot off an arrow each, wounding two goblins and alerting the rest to our presence. One of the goblins immediately lifted a horn and blew through it, alerting the rest of the goblins in the camp. Gary charged forwards, stabbing one of the wounded goblins in the neck and swiftly killing it while the rest of us ran to catch up. I glanced at the warg as I ran, seeing it already had 2 arrows sticking out of its head. By the time all of us arrived the four goblins and the warg were already dead and we quickly moved into our positions between the two buildings. Paul started working on a wall along the backside of the buildings while the rest of us spread out to arrange ourselves in our regular formations. ¡°Done! Push them out of the front and I¡¯ll build the second wall.¡± Paul yelled over the sounds of fighting. Two wargs and 6 goblins rushed around the corner of the buildings and saw our group waiting for them. Gabrielle saw and quickly used her wall of flames spell to hold them off for Paul to build his second wall. The goblins stayed back behind the flames, screaming at us and waving their spears in the air as more and more goblins joined their ranks. I heard a shout from behind me and turned away from Paul working near the front to see three goblins rushing through the small gap in the wall we left behind us. I pointed at the one in front, steadied my hand, and aimed directly at its head. ¡°Thornbolt¡± I chanted quickly, watching the hand-sized thorn shoot forward and slam into the goblin¡¯s chest and neck. The goblin fell to the floor, bleeding and screaming while the other two ran around it and reached me and Aaron. I lunged forward with my spear, aiming for a goblins torso and getting parried by the one next to it. Aaron shot the one that parried me point-blank in the face and it dropped dead to the floor. The second goblin slashed my arm before I could get it out of the way, leaving a three-inch-long cut across my forearm. I grimaced in pain and slammed the side of my spear into the smaller goblins frame and then stabbed it as it stumbled to the side. I looked up and saw a warg and five more goblins rushing through the gap. ¡°Gabrielle!¡± I yelled, dragging her attention from the battle happening at the front. She whipped her head backward, looking behind her at the rushing goblins a few meters away. ¡°Fireball¡± she cast her skill as the three goblins in the rear pushed through the gap at the same time, the warg and two goblins in front already through. I couldn¡¯t spare any more time looking at the goblins in the back and knew I had to focus on the warg before it got to us. ¡°Thornbolt¡± I cast again as I aimed at the wargs head, but it moved quicker than I thought and I only hit it in its upper body. I readied myself to try and stab it as it lunged at me but Paul dashed up to my side with a bloody spear taken from a goblin and stabbed it through its head from the side before it could jump at me. The two goblins were directly behind it and one stabbed Paul in the side as he was pulling out his spear while the other took an arrow from Finn and fell to the ground. I quickly stabbed the goblin on the ground and looked at Paul to make sure he was all right. He held his hand to his side and I saw blood dripping through his fingers and gushing down his side. ¡°Get to the middle and wrap that with a bandage!¡± I yelled at him, before turning my attention to the other goblins that Gabrielle had hit with her fireball. All three of them were laying on the floor with arrows sticking out of them, dead. I didn¡¯t see anything else coming through the gap so I turned around, eyes widening in shock as I saw our frontline. Zack and Gary were still fighting goblins that were standing on a pile of corpses to get at them. I looked and saw Jack face-down on the ground, a pool of blood all around him. Dead or seriously wounded, I thought with some fear and tried to force it down while I focused on how I could help. I shot two Thornbolts towards the goblins in the front, wounding two and taking some pressure off Zack and Gary. I couldn¡¯t see any more goblins rushing in from either side and it looked like they were fighting 6 at the moment, with Dorsey slashing one''s legs with his sword and then stabbing it in its skull. Five left. ¡°Thornbolt¡± I used the last of my Essence to shoot one of the goblins standing atop the pile of corpses through the skull and then rushed forward to help Jack since they looked like they could handle the last few. I reached his side and knelt down on the blood. I quickly studied his body and looked for wounds. He was laying on his front and I didn¡¯t see anything other than small cuts on his body after a few seconds so I decided to roll him over. There was a gash that went from his collarbone down to his waist, deep enough to spill out his intestines. I gagged and threw up to the side, unable to hold it in while looking at such a gruesome wound. ¡°Everything clear!?¡± Gary yelled from the front while he looked around to find more enemies. Aaron jumped up and pulled himself onto the roof of the building before looking around to see if there were any Goblins or Wags left. ¡°Clear, I don¡¯t see anything,¡± Aaron yelled down from the top of the building and I felt some of the tension drain from my shoulders. I stood up and walked over towards Paul who was sitting down leaning on a wall with his hand pressed to his bloody side. I pulled my pack off as I rushed towards him, digging through it to grab out bandages. ¡°How deep is it? We need to wash it out quickly before we bandage it so it doesn¡¯t get infected. Take off your shirt.¡± I said as I kneeled down next to him. He let out a slow, wheezing chuckle before meeting my eyes. I winced as soon I looked into his eyes, seeing pain, shock, and resignation in his gaze. He was dead, and he knew it, I thought with trepidation. I¡¯ve never seen people die right in front of before this and now Jack is dead and Paul will be any second. As I watched his eyes slowly closed and he stopped breathing. I gulped loudly and stood up to check on my team. ¡°Let¡¯s get everyone inside that building, come on Eli.¡± Everyone else was looking at me as I got up, already gathered and ready to move. I nodded and walked over to them. We walked through the back wall and entered one of the large buildings we had fought between. I looked around the dark square room and only saw dirty bedspreads and an empty rack that looked like it was for the spears all the goblins carried. I looked down and realized I was still holding the bandages and water jug in my blood-covered hands and arms. I saw the gash on my arm, winced, and then sat down to clean and bandage it since it looked like everyone was sitting down. ¡°Here, just hand me the bandages¡± Gabrielle knelt down next to me after I washed off the cut and took the bandages from my hand. I tried to give her a smile in thanks but all I could manage was a grimace. I zoned out for a few seconds as she wrapped my arm a couple of times and then took a seat next to me with a groan. ¡°Are you all right?¡± I asked after she sat. I turned my head to look her in the eyes. She had bloody streaks running across her face and neck from a couple of small scratches and blood caused her brown hair to clump up all around her face. ¡°I think so. You?¡± She smiled with a corner of her mouth for a split second before it disappeared. ¡°I guess,¡± I muttered back and looked over at Gary bandaging Zack¡¯s thigh and Finn bandaging Dorsey¡¯s shoulder. Everyone was covered head to toe in human, goblin, and warg blood. All we did was clear out the entrance to the dungeon and almost a quarter of us died and most of us were hurt. A few minutes passed by in a blur and I watched everyone walk over towards me and Gabrielle and sit in a circle. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Paul and Jack. We didn¡¯t know them very well, but they seemed like good guys.¡± I said towards Dorsey and Finn, both of whom looked like they were still in shock. Finn just nodded his head back and Dorsey looked towards the floor, not responding. ¡°We need to decide what we¡¯re doing next,¡± Zack said to fill the silence, echoing everyone¡¯s thoughts. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can handle the dungeon. If the camp outside was this difficult, who knows how tough it will be inside.¡± Finn said after a moment. Aaron frowned after hearing Finn wasn¡¯t confident in continuing on, but I didn¡¯t blame him. It seemed unlikely that Dorsey or Finn would want to assault the dungeon after half of their team just died. I¡¯m not even sure that I wanted to continue after that experience. ¡°How about we put it to a vote? I don¡¯t want to have fought our way to this point for a few warg fangs split between seven people. Especially not when we lost two of us to get to this point.¡± Gary said with a somewhat subdued voice compared to his normal. Clearly he still wanted to continue and face the dungeon. ¡°Show of hands for those who want to face the dungeon?¡± Aaron cut to the chase before we could discuss it anymore. I looked around and met Zack¡¯s eyes and after a second he shrugged and slowly raised his hand. I glanced around and saw Gary already had his hand in the air and Gabrielle exhaled loudly and put her hand in the air. I looked over at Finn and Dorsey who still looked out of it and saw Aaron looking at me with one eyebrow raised in the obvious question. With a shrug, I raised my hand to show solidarity with the rest of my team and quickly saw Aaron nod and put his hand up as well. ¡°If the two of you would like to head back there¡¯s no shame in that. Our team is all here and we¡¯re going to push forwards and do our best to defeat this dungeon before more patrols come back or the dungeon sends more goblins out to occupy the camp again.¡± Gary said as he stood up, gesturing for the rest of us to join him. ¡°We¡¯ll leave everything of the monsters out here to the two of you to take back if you decide to return for now.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll head back, I need some time to recover.¡± Dorsey said as soon as Gary finished talking. Finn looked at him as he spoke and nodded along with a slight look of regret on his face. He probably wanted to attempt the dungeon with us but didn¡¯t want to leave Dorsey alone after they lost the rest of their team. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then. I¡¯m sorry it turned out this way, maybe we¡¯ll see you guys back at the edge of the forest once you defeat the dungeon?¡± Finn said as he reached out and helped pull Dorsey to his feet. Dorsey''s shoulder was bleeding through the bandage already so it must have been a fairly deep wound he took from one of the goblin spears. The decision to head back immediately made much more sense to me, especially since they would at least earn a decent amount between the two of them from the pile of goblins and wargs scattered outside. ¡°Thanks for joining us, I wish it went better. Sorry again.¡± I said as the seven of us headed out of the building and the two of them headed towards the bodies scattered around the ground. Our team walked the other direction towards a large hole in the ground in the center of the camp where a wide staircase descended into the dark. Chapter 5 The five of us stopped at the top of the staircase for a moment before Gary cleared his throat and spoke up. ¡°All right everyone. Let¡¯s move back to our regular formation but keep it tighter than when we were out in the forest. Is everyone ready?¡± I quickly nodded before stepping towards the middle of the group, finding myself looking forward to the challenge ahead of us. Working with the other team was definitely helpful to get us to this point, but not having trained together is most likely what got Jack and Paul killed. It sounded bad but I almost felt more confident with our smaller group than with more members that we haven¡¯t worked with at all. Fighting together required everyone to know exactly what everyone else could do and even just after a few days together I felt like I knew the rest of the team''s capabilities, as well as I, knew my own. A few minutes of walking slowly down the staircase led us to a large shimmering red portal that covered the entire area in front of us. ¡°The Dungeon Portal. My brother told me a little about one of the dungeons his team destroyed in the Bloodfields before they moved into a different area. He said it only took a few hours to reach the end so we shouldn¡¯t plan on being inside overnight.¡± Gary said as we all stood together and studied the portal. I looked at Zack pulling out some water and decided to drink some as well before we moved forwards. ¡°Should I cast a Barkskin on you and Zack before we head in?¡± I asked Gary as we all readied ourselves to move inside. Gary considered for a second before nodding. Thankfully I could cast Barkskin about 8 times without running out of essence now and it only took about thirty-five minutes to fully recover from an empty core. I quickly cast Barkskin on both of them and watched them nod appreciatively before they walked side by side into the portal. I watched them disappear then tightened my grip on my spear and followed right behind them. Instantly I found myself standing behind them in a completely wooden tunnel with no enemies around us. A wooden staircase that headed lower was a few meters in front of us. A second later Aaron and Gabrielle appeared behind me and with a look around Gary took the lead and quietly moved forwards. We reached the stairs and I followed three steps behind with the others the same distance behind me while I tried to stay alert and prepared for anything. After we reached the bottom of the stairs I could see a large cavern open up with a few huts scattered around a small dirty pool of water. I quickly scanned the area from left to right and saw two small campfires with three goblins sitting around one and four around the other, but there could be others inside any of the huts. ¡°See if you can get a shot off from here before they see us, Aaron. Zack and I will hold a few meters outside of the tunnel, be prepared to fall back towards the tunnel if necessary.¡± Gary quickly spoke up as we all bunched up at the entrance to the cavern and Zack and Gary moved a few feet outside. They both still had Barkskin applied for a few more minutes so I didn¡¯t bother applying it again. I debated casting it on myself so I could hold the front with them, but as I heard Aaron fire his bow I decided to wait in case it wasn¡¯t needed. I watched an arrow hit one of the goblins in the shoulder and heard him scream and fall over. The rest of the goblins jumped up and started towards us in a sprint. The three goblins who hadn¡¯t been hit from around the closer fire quickly closed the distance and Gabrielle shot a Fireball that slammed into the middle one when they were only a couple of meters away which staggered all three and sent the one it hit slamming into the ground. Gary immediately took advantage of the distraction and Charged towards the one on the left and stabbed it through the neck, immediately killing it and kicking it so it fell onto the one already on the ground. ¡°Thornbolt¡± I cast towards one of the goblins right behind the first group and hit it directly in the forehead and saw an arrow hit the one beside it in the heart, leaving only one left in the backline. I tightened my grip on my spear and moved forwards to support them with melee but by the time I got there Zack had finished killing the remaining goblins in the front and Gary slashed the last goblin in the forearm and then took advantage of its pain with another stab into its neck. I watched Aaron send another arrow towards a wounded goblin clutching an arrow in its shoulder by the campfire and relaxed. ¡°Stay in formation, let¡¯s clear those huts before we take a minute to recover,¡± Gary said immediately after Gabriellele and Aaron stepped into the cavern behind us. We quickly moved towards the three huts and checked the small areas inside, seeing nothing but straw mats for sleeping. Aaron walked back with Zack to check the goblins for any loot while the rest of us looked into the pool, seeing nothing but a shallow area likely only for drinking water. I only used one Thornbolt to keep the pressure off of us and the two Barkskins earlier so I was sitting a little over half essence right now. ¡°Should we take some time to recover fully before we move forward?¡± I asked the group at the same time as I heard Aaron shout at us to come over. ¡°I think it¡¯s best we take every opportunity we can to fill our essence, who knows how difficult the next area could be,¡± Gary responded to my question as we all gathered around Zack and Aaron by the corpses of the goblins. ¡°Bloodmoss! He has a pouch tied to the side of his loincloth, looks full too. Anyone remember how much these go for at Gorok?¡± Aaron said with a smirk as he showed us a small brown linen pouch stuffed with dark red moss. ¡°One silver, if I remember correctly. It looks like we might end up with some decent profit if we get a few more of those.¡± Gabrielle said with relief. I nodded seriously, I had been preparing myself to spend the next month or so barely making enough to get by based on our experience so far. Earning twenty coppers each in the first room was worth the same as killing twenty wargs. Not bad at all. ¡°Mmm just imagine how many ration packs we can get with that money!¡± Zack boomed out with a laugh. ¡°Ugh, way to ruin it for me, Zack,¡± Gabrielle said back with a grimace before she stomped off to sit around one of the campfires that the goblins had been using. ¡°Speaking of rations should we eat before we move on? I¡¯m already nearly full of essence, what about you Eli, I¡¯m sure you used the most.¡± ¡°Another five minutes or so until I¡¯m full. I don¡¯t think we should eat in here, I¡¯d rather wait until we¡¯re back.¡± I said back as I took a seat on the ground next to her. My stomach has been feeling uncomfortable since earlier when I looked at Paul and Jack''s wounds. I decided to check my Status since we had a few minutes until we moved on. Eli - Lvl 2 Druid Experience - 53\500 Strength-4 Dexterity-3 Perception-4 (+1) Vitality-4 Spirit-6 Willpower-5 Over 50 experience gained already and we still had to clear the rest of the dungeon. I gained a level in Perception today as well, just as I had been told, pushing yourself and dealing with more dangerous situations will speed up your progress in every area. The rest of the group got up and we moved into formation and towards the only other exit to the room, another wooden tunnel that led deeper into the dungeon. We slowly walked out of the larger cavern and back into another wooden tunnel, eyes wide while we prepared for another round of goblins or wargs. After a couple of minutes of walking down the tunnel and I saw Gary motion the group to stop in front of an opening in the wall to our left. The tunnel continued forward as well so it looked like there were two directions we could take from this point on. ¡°The dungeon shouldn¡¯t be very large and I don¡¯t want to possibly leave anything behind us in case they try to ambush us when we¡¯re further in,¡± Gary said as he nodded towards the turn and started walking in. I turned the corner a few steps behind them and saw the tunnel open up into another large cavern like the previous one, except the path forward was limited to a small wooden walkway suspended over rough-looking stone. Gary and Zac quickly moved across at a faster pace. I frowned as I followed behind them, I looked around the chamber and saw a large wooden fortress about 100 meters in the distance with a few goblin heads peeking over the wooden battlements. The wooden walkway ended at the base of the wall in front of a gate. Gary stopped us about 50 meters away with another hand motion and waved Gabrielle and Aaron towards the front so we could talk before going further. ¡°Looks like they¡¯ll attack us as soon we get inside, be ready to push forwards, and,¡± Gary broke off as a stone whirled towards his head from the side. I jerked my head to the side and saw a small stone pathway along the wall a few meters away with a goblin hiding behind a stone pillar with a slingshot in his hand. Aaron fired a shot right after I saw the goblin but it just ducked behind the stone before it sent another stone at us. I saw another goblin join it and immediately realized if we didn¡¯t move forward now we could be in an extremely dangerous position. We needed to either move forward or back to the wooden tunnel. ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡± Zack yelled at the group before taking his advice and jogging forward towards the fortress. I kept my eyes peeled in case I needed to dodge any stones from the goblins and cast Barkskin on myself as I jogged, then sprinted forwards to cast it on both Zack and Gary. After a moment of hesitation, I looked back and decided to wait for Aaron and Gabrielle so I could use it on them as well. A moment after I stopped I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head and fell to my knees after a stone crashed into me from the other side of the wooden pathway. I felt the wet sensation of blood dripping down onto my neck but I could tell it wasn¡¯t a serious injury so I quickly got back to my feet and tried to stay low while I cast Barkskin on Aaron and Gabrielle after they reached me.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°You all right?¡± Gabrielle asked me as we moved forwards to join Zack and Gary under the wooden archway. I nodded in reply and tightened my grip on my spear as we emerged into the other side of the archway. I looked around to see a few wargs rushing towards us from the front and goblins standing on both of our sides with slingshots and spears raised. ¡°Fortress!¡± Zack cast his new ability, immediately stopping a hail of stones from crashing into us from both directions with the steel barrier surrounding us. ¡°That will only buy us a few moments, what¡¯s the plan?¡± He said in a rush as soon as we saw that the crash of stones didn¡¯t break the barrier right away. ¡°There are stairs to our left and I could see a small wooden room through the battlements with only a few goblins inside. Rush the room as soon as the barrier comes down and hold it!¡± Gary shouted with blood dripping from one of his hands that held his spear but determination clear on his face. After that, there was no more time to plan since another volley of stones sent the barrier crashing down and we all rushed towards the stairs a few meters away to our left. Gary charged forward with his ability and took the lead, stabbing one of the goblins at the top of the stairs through the neck before blocking a slash from the other one and kicking it to the side. I reached the bottom of the stairs and felt another stone hit me on my hip. It hurt but it wasn¡¯t enough to knock me over so I pushed up the stairs towards the doorway. I looked through the door once I got to the top and saw Zack and Gary fighting five goblins inside the room with a warg in the doorway blocking the path. ¡°Thornbolt,¡± I cast at the warg just before it jumped at me, it felt as the thorn slammed into the side of its snarling face. I pushed past it and rushed a lone goblin on the right side of the room. Zack saw Gary trying to fight three at once and quickly moved to assist him. ¡°Wall of Flames¡± I heard Gabrielle cast her spell behind us, buying us a few moments from the wargs that were only a few steps behind us. I slashed at one of the goblins and got blocked only for Aaron to shoot it from behind me. I stabbed it through the head and then slashed the last remaining one attacking Gary. I looked around quickly, adrenaline pumping through me and I couldn¡¯t feel much from where I had been hit earlier. ¡°I¡¯m letting the wall go down, I don¡¯t have much essence left,¡± Gabrielle said with some pain bleeding into her voice. Blood streamed down from a cut in her forearm. We moved into a formation with Zack in the center, me and Gary at the sides, and the other two behind us. The wall of flames holding off the wargs and a few goblins behind them went down and the first warg dashed through the entrance, got an arrow in its shoulder from Aaron before another one took its place and two goblins pushed in right behind them. I quickly gauged my essence and decided I had enough for two more Thornbolts at best. A warg jumped towards my legs, mouth wide as it tried to bite my calves. I jerked my spear in the way of its mouth and managed to fend it off for a second before a fireball slammed into its side, which sent it howling to the floor and gave me time to stab it in the throat. I had no time to thank Gabrielle since another goblin with a spear jumped on top of the wargs body and slashed at my chest. I tried to parry the slash but was only partially successful, sending it skittering along the length of my spear and cutting into my arm. I jerked my arm back from the pain and felt an arrow fly over my shoulder and into the goblins¡¯ shoulders. ¡°Charge!¡± Gary shouted and dashed forward through the doorway and stabbed one of the two goblins still outside the room who was shooting at us with his slingshot. I saw the last goblin in the room move behind Zack as he smashed another in the head with his mace. The goblin that moved past him stabbed at Aaron with its spear as I lined up a Thornbolt. ¡°Leap!¡± Aaron jumped ten meters towards the other side of the room just before the goblin reached him. ¡°Thornbolt,¡± I cast at the goblin once Aaron was out of the way and it fell dead from the thorn penetrating fully through its head. I looked around to see that there were no more enemies around. I let out a heavy breath that I didn¡¯t know I had been holding and grimaced as I felt the pain from the back of my head and my shoulder hit me all at once. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re clear. Does anyone have any serious injuries?¡± Gary said as we all stood around the small room, panting from the difficult fight. I shook my head and immediately winced, then looked around to see everyone with small, bloody wounds. Looks like none of us made it through that unscathed. ¡°I¡¯ll help bandage that up, Eli. Let¡¯s stay here while our essence recovers.¡± Gabrielle said from beside me as she pulled off her pack to grab some bandages. I pulled off my pack and took a seat on top of it while I waited for her to finish wrapping a bandage around my head and I took a moment to check my skill progress to distract from the pain. Barkskin - Level 4\10 Upgradeable Experience - 212\800 Thornbolt - Level 1\20 Upgradeable Experience - 41\200 Good progress in Thornbolt already, and I had already doubled my Barkskin experience today. Gabrielle finished wrapping a bandage around my head and another smaller one around the small cut and larger bruise on my shoulder. I traded places with her and quickly wrapped the gash in her forearm. ¡°You know I think that would have cut into my bone if you hadn¡¯t put Barkskin on me,¡± Gabrielle said with a hint of a smile, gesturing at the long, shallow cut along her arm. I glanced down in a mixture of embarrassment and pride, it was never more obvious than today how useful my class has been. ¡°I¡¯m just glad it¡¯s been useful, well, kind of,¡± I said with a wry chuckle. ¡°All of our abilities showed their usefulness today, it seems like we¡¯re all improving incredibly quickly.¡± ¡°Definitely! I just reached level 4 in Fireball from this fight, and I can¡¯t wait until I make some real progress in Wall of Flames. I just wish it didn¡¯t take so much essence to use.¡± Gabrielle replied as we all sat around waiting for our essence to recover before continuing. ¡°Good job Gabrielle, I got to level 4 in Charge as well. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t expecting the dungeon to be this difficult before we even reached the boss but I¡¯m seriously impressed with how well we¡¯re all working together. If we hadn¡¯t all used our level 2 abilities during that fight there¡¯s no way we would have made it this far without more serious injuries or losing someone. Good work, everyone, I¡¯m proud of everyone''s performance.¡± Gary said after Gabrielle finished. ¡°Agreed! I hope we¡¯re all willing to continue working together after we make it back to Gorok, I know I would be happy to.¡± Zack said in his typical booming voice, making me glance outside the room a bit nervously. I saw Aaron wince at the same time before he looked at me and rolled his eyes at Zack¡¯s volume. ¡°I know it¡¯s a bit early to say this, but we should still have enough rations after we take out this dungeon core to search for another before we need to head back. With the profits from two cores and hopefully some more Bloodmoss, coins, and other drops we should be able to drastically improve our gear. I¡¯d feel much better with some tough leather armor and better arrows for our next expedition.¡± Aaron said from his seat next to the window. We all nodded in agreement as he thought about what we could buy when we got back. I still wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to continue using a spear, although I could tell I had been improving from my training and fighting. I decided I would prioritize getting some armor before a new weapon, even with Barkskin it would only take one good hit and I could be the one bleeding out or crippled. Another thirty minutes passed with all of us lost in our thoughts before Gary stood up with a groan. ¡°Everyone ready to move? Let¡¯s check for loot on the way out and head back downstairs towards the doorway to the inside of the building.¡± Gary said, motioning towards the warg fangs and goblins bodies stacked at the doorway. Immediately I noticed the rotten smell coming from the bodies and I hurriedly got moving, not wanting to spend any more time in the cramped room. I checked a couple of goblins with no luck before I found another small brown pouch attached to one of their loincloths on a goblin outside by the stairs. ¡°Another bag of Bloodmoss!¡± I yelled out to the others as they went through the rest of the bodies and joined me at the bottom of the stairs. I looked around the courtyard and saw the only other path forward was a large wooden door heading further inside the keep. The others joined me a minute later before Gary quickly opened the door and moved inside with Zack following behind him. I went through the door and saw we had entered another small wooden corridor with an opening into a larger room ahead of us. We walked forwards carefully until we saw what looked like a small throne room with a massive goblin sitting on a chair on the far side of the room. ¡°Hobgoblin. Get ready,¡± Gary said as we all entered the room together. The hobgoblin got off the throne and I stared as I looked up towards the large green-skinned version of a goblin. Its body was at least twice as thick as mine and even though it mostly looked like fat rather than muscle it was obvious that it would only take one hit to knock me out. It dragged a large wooden hammer with a steel hammerhead at the end of it as wide as my waist. I gulped and then quickly rushed forward to cast Barkskin on Zack and Gary, holding off on casting it on anyone else as it looked like the rest of the room was empty. I saved the rest of my essence for casting Thornbolt unless more goblins joined it. ¡°Let me take its attention, Gary,¡± Zack said after I buffed him and the hobgoblin was steadily walking towards us. ¡°Vigor.¡± I heard him use the active portion of his ability before he walked forward with his shield held in front of him. Aaron shot an arrow and hit it in its chest where it only penetrated about an inch into its tough skin. The hobgoblin immediately let out a growl and rushed forward, towards us until it slammed its hammer into Zacks¡¯ shield. Zack went stumbling back from the hit and barely managed to keep his feet as he moved around it. A fireball whizzed over my shoulder and slammed into its back, dragging its attention from Zack for a second and he took advantage of the opening and slammed his mace into its hand holding the hammer. ¡°Thornbolt!¡± I cast as soon as it turned back towards Zack with a shout, aiming for its calf so I could slow it down and let us wear it out from a distance. Aaron saw me targeting its legs and used a Drill shot on the same spot, sending an arrow 6 inches through its calf in the same spot and sending it crashing to its knees where it grabbed Zacks¡¯ shield and pulled it out of his grip. Gary Charged forward and stabbed into the back of the hobgoblin''s neck, sending a massive spurt of blood shooting into the air before he dashed backward as it swung its arm back towards him in a rage. I sent a Thornbolt into its face as soon as it faced us and it jerked back from the thorn sticking out of its eye and immediately got another Drill Shot in its neck. Gabrielle sent another Fireball into the front of its face as I shot another thorn from a distance and it slumped forwards onto its face. Blood poured from its wounds until it went slack and died. ¡°Not even a challenge,¡± Aaron said with a snort, moving towards the body to salvage his arrows. I stared at him with my eyes wide open in disbelief before I felt myself start to laugh as I looked at the bent steel at the top of Zacks¡¯ shield. That could have gone much worse if Zack didn¡¯t take the initiative and drag the hobgoblins¡¯ attention away from the rest of us right at the start. I looked around the room and saw that there were no other exits other than the path we took to get here. ¡°Over here!¡± Gary shouted from behind the wooden throne that the hobgoblin had been sitting in. I walked over with Zack after he picked up his dented shield and saw Gary standing next to a small wooden chest. The five of us circled the small chest and Gary flipped the lid with the tip of his spear. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡± I cheered as soon as I saw the small pile of copper and silver coins at the bottom of the chest. I reached inside to count them and came up with 4 silver and 40 copper in total. ¡°Looks like this was just a boss area and the other direction leads to the dungeon core. Let¡¯s start heading back towards the other tunnel, by the time we get there we should all be full of essence.¡± Gary said after we finished putting away the coins and checking the room for anything else. Chapter 6 A short walk later we found ourselves back in the tunnel we started in before we took the turn towards the wooden keep. We moved back into our usual formation and went further down the wooden tunnel until we reached another staircase heading deeper. We reached the bottom of the stairs and a massive chamber opened up in front of us. Inside the room, there was a large pool of water with a small island sitting in the center. A precarious stone path seemed to be the only way to reach the island other than swimming through the murky water. On the island, there was another wooden keep that looked nearly identical to the one earlier with goblins standing on top of the battlements. ¡°This looks similar to earlier, those goblins up there will likely start trying to hit us with their slingshots as soon as we get close to the keep. I¡¯m not sure if we¡¯ll be able to keep our balance on those rocks if we get hit even with Barkskin applied. Any ideas?¡± Gary said with a concerned expression on his face as we all contemplated the problem. I tried to imagine myself keeping my balance on the thin rock path while also getting hit by the goblins. ¡°What if we just ignore the path? Can everyone swim?¡± Gabrielle asked a couple of minutes later. ¡°I¡¯ll need to take my bow-string off before we swim and then reattach it once we get there if we swim.¡± Aaron grimaced as he thought it over. I tried to think of any other ways we could get across but nothing came to mind besides the path or swimming, neither of which seemed like a good option. ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like a great plan but I honestly can¡¯t think of anything else,¡± I said with some disappointment to the others, getting nods from all of them in return. Aaron sighed and unstrung his bow before taking a waterproof pouch out of his pack and stuffing it in a pocket. I dropped my pack at the bottom of the stairs and tied my spear to my back so I could use both hands when I swam across. I quickly cast Barkskin on all five of us before we got into the water, using over half of my essence. ¡°Swim near the path and try to stay together,¡± Gary said and then we all waded into the cold water until it came up to our chests and started swimming. I had only swum a few times throughout my life and I felt seriously weighed down once my boots and clothes filled with water. A couple of minutes later I grabbed one of the rocks next to me and held on to give my arms and legs some time to rest along with the others. ¡°A little over halfway there,¡± Zack started to talk before he cut off with a curse as a stone flew towards us and smashed into the stone beside Gabrielle. Stones started to fly regularly from a few goblins with slingshots on the walls. My arms quickly started to burn from the exertion again and I kept my eyes squeezed shut under the water so they wouldn¡¯t burn once we got there and had to fight. A few seconds later I felt something bite my ankle and I reflexively yelled and got a mouthful of the dirty water as I kicked my leg back and forth. I came up for air and saw we were only a few meters away from where I would be able to stand so I forced myself to ignore the stinging pain in my ankle and swam as quickly as I could for a few more seconds. I got to the more shallow water and yanked the spear off my back as soon as I could stand and then looked down to see an eel the size of my hand gnawing on my leg. I stabbed the eel and kicked it off my leg before looking around to see the rest of my team dealing with similar issues. A rock slammed into my neck as I looked around and I shouted in pain, feeling a bruise start to form. ¡°We need to get to the shore, now!¡± Gary shouted from in front of us. All of us rushed forwards under the hail of stones and quickly made it to the open archway that led into the wooden keep. I managed to dodge the rest of the stones until we got through the archway and I looked around to see stairs leading up to the battlements behind us and a large courtyard with two hobgoblins as well as a few goblins and wargs spread around in front of us. My eyes widened in fear as I realized how tough this was going to be especially with no buildings inside to take cover at this time. ¡°Up the stairs! To the battlements! Now!¡± Gary screamed after we all paused to take in the situation around us. Zack rushed to the stairs and the four of us quickly followed behind him while he tried to hide behind his increasingly dented shield. As soon as we reached the top of the staircase Gary Charged forwards towards one of the furthest goblins at the top of the battlements to the left. I took a right and saw three goblins standing with slingshots in their hands in that direction and decided not to use any more essence for now unless I needed to. I watched an arrow take out the goblin in the back and I mostly ducked under a stone shot from the one nearest to me before I stabbed it through the stomach. A stone hit me in my thigh, sending a throbbing pain shooting through my leg. A Fireball from Gabrielle sent the last goblin on this side falling over the wall and I quickly turned around to see the wall was clear and two wargs sprinted over the top of the stairs. ¡°Hold the top of the stairs! Behind me and Zack!¡± Gary shouted as he rushed back towards the center of the battlements where Gabrielle and Aaron were still standing. I heard Gabrielle scream as a warg sunk its teeth in her leg and twisted its head before Zack bashed it across the top of its body with his mace. It crashed back down the stairs to knock over two spear-wielding goblins. I stood right behind Zack and Gary at the top of the stairs to the battlements and had a rare moment of calm to look over the battlefield. Four goblins were rushing up the stairs, one warg was snarling behind them and the two hobgoblins dragged their massive hammers in the back. Before I knew it I was standing in between Zack and Gary stabbing at the goblins and lost in the frantic back and forth of the fight as we used our height and reach advantage to quickly send them tumbling down the wall. Finally, there were only the two hobgoblins remaining and Aaron sent Drill Shots into both of their legs to try and cripple them as we did earlier. I followed his example and cast one Thornbolt into each of their ankles, leaving me enough essence to cast one more before they reached us. The hobgoblin on the left threw a massive swing of its hammer overhead towards me and I jumped back just in time to feel the air pass in front of me and hear the thud from the hammer hitting the floor.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Wall of Flames,¡± Gabrielle cast her ability right under their feet at the top of the staircase making both of them scream in pain. ¡°Fortress!¡± Zack yelled as the rest of us fell back along the battlements, giving the hobgoblins nowhere to go other than down the stairs or to stay standing on top of the flames. The wall only stayed up for one hit from one of their hammers and it shattered immediately, showing both of them bleeding heavily and burnt all along the bottom of their bodies. ¡°Thornbolt!¡± I used my last cast on the one that looked more injured and hit it directly in its ear which sent it stumbling backward to fall off the battlements to the ground below. Gary ducked under a swing from the other one and Charged point-blank into it to stab it in its gut. His spear snapped in half as it twisted away. Zack''s shoulder checked with his shield which shoved it off the wall to land near the other one in the courtyard. We rushed forward to the edge of the battlements to look over and saw both of them lying still on the ground. ¡°Take a seat so I can bandage that, Gabrielle,¡± Zack said as we all walked down the stairs. I looked over at her leg and saw jagged cuts right above her knee from the warg bite leaking blood down her pants. I took a second to look around once I got down to the courtyard and I saw all five of us completely covered in blood and small wounds. It was starting to sink in how dangerous this profession is, and how close we had come to losing our lives today. There¡¯s a reason most adventurers don¡¯t even make it to fight in their first horde. I know I chose Druid as my class because it gave me strong odds of finding capable teams but once we return from this expedition I need to look into how else I can improve. I need to become more skilled with a melee weapon and have some decent armor before I attempt another dungeon, this was way too close. Aaron and I finished bandaging each other and went to search the courtyard for the dungeon core. ¡°Is this it?¡¯ Aaron called over to me after a couple of minutes of searching and I walked over to join him at the far side of the courtyard. He was looking at a small green gem half the size of my fist sitting on top of a waist-high wooden pedestal. I nodded seriously, ¡°Yeah, that has to be it. Grab it and let¡¯s finish checking the room and the rest of the bodies while they rest.¡± Aaron bent down to grab it and I turned to look over at Zack, Gary, and Gabrielle. All three of them were more injured than me and Aaron, not that the two of us were in good shape at all. My entire body felt like one huge bruise and I had more cuts than I could count spread across my body, although none of them were as bad as Gabrielle¡¯s thigh or Gary''s forearm. Zack had his shirt off and I could see a yellow and purple bruise spread from his shoulder down to his hip, probably from blocking one of the hobgoblins hits with his shield. I found another three small pouches of coins on the goblins with a few coppers in each and one more pouch full of Bloodmoss sitting next to one of the chairs on the side of the courtyard. ¡°Good job everyone. I¡¯d give a speech but I think we¡¯re all too tired for that, let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Gary said with a pained smile after we finished looting the room and I joined them under the archway. We took the stone path on the way back instead of swimming, and thankfully we saw no more monsters on the way outside. The evening sky shaded the forest as we exited the dungeon, covering the dark red forest in shadows and giving it a sinister feel. None of us spoke as we saw the goblins¡¯ bodies still piled up next to Paul and Jack¡¯s corpses. During the hike back to the treeline we heard one patrol walking ahead of us and I used the opportunity to cast Thornbolt as many times as I could. After going through the dungeon I felt like nothing out in the forest could be dangerous and I didn¡¯t think there was any reason to limit my essence usage. After quickly killing the patrol the rest of the hike was uneventful and we crossed the treeline a few hundred meters south of the road a few minutes later. ¡°Let¡¯s go set up camp and have a discussion,¡± Gary said as I stood a couple of steps past the trees. I glanced over at him and saw my exhaustion mirrored in his face. After a moment I nodded back and followed him for a few minutes until we reached our usual camp spot where the other three had already begun setting up. I took a minute to set up my tent before I used the rest of my water to carefully wash up and change my clothes, leaving my bandages alone for now. I got back to the camp around the same time as everyone else and finally took a seat a few paces away from the small campfire. Everyone else was still busy with cleaning up and checking their progress for the day so I shrugged and opened up my Status while I waited. Eli - Lvl 2 Druid Experience - 228\500 Strength-5 (+1) Dexterity-4 (+1) Perception-4 Vitality-5 (+1) Spirit-6 Willpower-5 I gained one level in strength, dexterity, and vitality as well as over 200 experience today. My many bruises and cuts reminded me that it wasn¡¯t easy. I brought up my skills list next. Barkskin - Level 4\10 Upgradeable Experience - 322\800 Thornbolt - Level 1\20 Upgradeable Experience - 102\200 I¡¯ve already gotten over halfway to level 2 in Thornbolt and today is the first full day that I¡¯ve used it. I wonder how much experience I¡¯d be able to gain per day from just training without any monsters to increase my experience gain. Chapter 7 ¡°Hey, how¡¯re you feeling?¡± Gabrielle called over from beside the fire as she started to prepare a meal. Even our usual rations sounded amazing right now and I felt my stomach grumble in agreement. ¡°Well I¡¯m sore all over but I¡¯m all right,¡± I replied from my seat. I gestured towards her leg and continued, ¡° How about you? The cut on your leg didn¡¯t look good from what I saw.¡± ¡°Yeah, it''s pretty painful but it''s not very deep. I can walk on it as long as I don¡¯t put too much pressure on my leg. I¡¯m not sure if we were prepared for that dungeon,¡± Gabrielle trailed off as she focused her attention on preparing our meal. The rest of the group walked over once Gabrielle finished cooking and handed out rations. I finished the extra-large portion in record time and then leaned back with a contented sigh. ¡°Thanks, Gabrielle. I have a few things I want to bring up to the group, but first, I¡¯d like to say good job to everyone. I know the dungeon was harder than we all expected, but I¡¯m proud of us for pushing through it despite our injuries.¡± Gary said to the group after everyone finished eating. I nodded along as he spoke, I was proud of every one of us as well. Another team might not have been able to deal with the pressure and tense situations like we had. ¡°Definitely. I know we had spoken about staying and attempting another dungeon but with our injuries, I¡¯m not sure if we should even be going back into the fields.¡± I replied with some disappointment carried into my voice. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I was going to bring up next,¡± Gary inclined his head towards me before continuing, ¡°I know we still have extra rations but we made enough money today that all of us should be able to buy some better gear if we head back to Gorok. We all need time to recover and I¡¯m sure everyone could use the break.¡± I felt some tension drain out of my body after I listened to Gary, I had been worried about how I would sound to the team. I looked around and saw that the rest of the team had no objections, even Aaron was nodding along, he seemed like he might only be slightly disappointed. A moment later Aaron grinned and spoke up, ¡°Well let¡¯s see how much we made then, everyone, break out the loot!¡± I laughed in reply before I realized I wanted to know how much we made just as much as him. I stopped using my pack as a seat and started digging through the pouch where I had kept all the loot I gathered since we arrived. Bloodmoss, wargs fangs, and a few small pouches of copper found on the Goblins we had killed joined a growing pile next to Aaron. I looked back over at Aaron after I retook my seat and snorted at the manic expression he had on his face while he separated everything into different piles. ¡°34 Warg fangs, four silver coins, 410 copper coins, five bags of Bloodmoss, and one dungeon core. That comes up 18 silver 95 copper if my math is right.¡± Aaron said after a moment. I stared at him in disbelief. I would have no idea how to do math like that, especially off the top of my head. ¡°What? My father runs a stall in Brightswell, I¡¯ve handled the transactions a few times over the years.¡± He said with a cocky grin, clearly happy about the money we made in just a few days. ¡°3 Silver and 19 copper for each of us, after we sell everything. Considering we¡¯ll need to spend about another silver on rations again and some copper on lodging at the adventurers guild for a few days that doesn¡¯t leave us much for equipment. About a silver and a half per person, we might be able to get some low-quality leather armor if we¡¯re lucky.¡± The longer he kept talking the more my face fell. My boots were already showing signs of wear and I was hoping to get a better spear than the ones the goblins use as well as armor. It looked like that wouldn¡¯t be happening for a while longer than I had hoped. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s more than most newly awakened can say for their first expedition. Not to mention those that lose their lives, I¡¯d say we¡¯re making out as well as we could hope for.¡± Gabrielle said in an attempt to cheer us up. My thoughts turned dark for a moment as I contemplated the fate of the team that joined us this morning. I guess I couldn¡¯t complain about heading back with money to spare, although it would most likely be a long time before could afford the portal back to Brightswell to visit my parents. We continued our discussion and decided to head back early the next morning since none of us saw any reason to wait around at the edge of the Bloodfields for any longer than necessary. The next morning passed like usual and we were on the road only a couple of hours after the sunrise. ¡°Thornbolt!¡± I decided this morning to continually deplete my Essence as we walked and to train Thornbolt instead of Barkskin. I was hoping that keeping my Essence supply depleted would help train my Spirit and Willpower during the long hike back to the city. After hearing my explanation the rest of the team quickly followed my lead, having nothing better to do to occupy our time. The two days on the road passed quickly with all of us focused on training and attempting to push our limits. As the roads started to get more crowded a couple of hours away from the city we decided to end our training so we didn¡¯t get the guards called on us and I pulled up my Status while I walked. Eli - Lvl 2 Druid Experience - 228\500 Strength-5 Dexterity-4 Perception-4 Vitality-5 Spirit-6 Willpower-6 (+1) Barkskin - Level 4\10 Upgradeable Experience - 322\800 Thornbolt - Level 1\20 Upgradeable Experience - 194\200 I earned another level in Willpower, making it my match my spirit at level 6, as well as about 90 experience in the past two days of constant training. I must have cast Thornbolt over a hundred times during the past two days and earned less experience than one afternoon of using it a handful of times in combat. On the other hand, it looked like my method of training was definitely beneficial for training my statistics, earning me an extremely valuable level that could have taken a lot longer from my usual sparing use of Essence in combat. I decided to continue my training while we were in the city but to limit myself to Barkskin unless I was in the Adventurers Guild training yard. A few minutes later we walked through the gates of the city just as the sun was setting. ¡°Let¡¯s head to the Guild and get everything sold so we can get a meal of something other than rations for once, eh?¡± Zack asked with a raised eyebrow and a hopeful expression on his face. ¡°Gods, yes!¡± I called out as soon as he finished before I saw Gabrielle frowning. ¡°Not that you''re a bad cook, Gabrielle! It¡¯s just,¡± I stopped when I saw her laughing and realized she was just teasing. ¡°Oh, whatever,¡± I said with a laugh at my own expense. A short walk later we entered the Adventurers Guild of Gorok and waited in a short line at the receptionists'' desk. ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am. We have some items from the Bloodfields we would like to turn in for their bounties.¡± Gary said as he handed over our sack of items to sell. The woman at the desk quickly counted everything out and handed over 10 silver and 85 copper. Aaron had already split up the coins earlier when we counted them out. Aaron led the way back out of the guild and we happily strolled to an inn that was only a short walk away. This was the first time I had ever gone into an inn and I was immediately assaulted by the sound of dozens of voices shouting over each other. Everyone in sight was drinking with large mugs half the size of my head in their hands. Several of the tables had games of chance going with a pile of coins in the center of the table and dice or cards held in hands. I let out a deep breath and felt myself smile as I looked around and tried to take in the whole atmosphere. ¡°Ge out te door, den, brats!¡± A large man standing by the door waved us further inside. I looked around as we walked towards an empty table to take a seat and saw we had to be the youngest group inside, although I did see a few people that looked like they might only be a few years older than us. We sat down at one of the few empty tables at the far side of the packed inn. ¡°Has anyone been to an inn before?¡± Zack leaned forwards on the other side of the table and asked the group. Gary, Gabrielle, and I all shook our heads. ¡°No, but I¡¯ve had an ale with my father a few times to celebrate a big sale. Are we planning on staying the night here or should we look for lodgings back at the guild? I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be cheaper there.¡± Aaron said as we waited for a server to make it to our table.Stolen novel; please report. ¡°My brother told me the guild rooms are just massive halls filled with bunks. If it¡¯s not too expensive maybe we can spend a night here, first? Let¡¯s divvy up the rest of the coin so we know how much we have to spend.¡± Gary said as he pulled out the rest of the coins he got from the receptionist earlier. Aaron took the coins from him with a smirk on his face after we watched him frown at them while trying to figure out the math. A few seconds later Aaron was pushing two silver and 17 copper to each of us so I brought out the rest of my money pouch and figured I would take the opportunity to see how much I had in total. Five silver and twenty-nine copper saved up, although I would need to save over one silver for rations. ¡°How long are we planning on spending in Gorok before we head back out? And do you know how much the rooms cost at the guild?¡± I asked Gary who was looking around for a server. ¡°I thought we would decide how long we wanted to stay in the city tonight, and I¡¯m not sure on the price but I know it¡¯s cheap.¡± Gary finished speaking at the same time as an older girl walked up to our table to take our orders. All five of us ordered an ale and a large bowl of stew with fresh bread, which seemed to be what most people were eating around the room. ¡°My leg¡¯s already healed a bit during the walk, but I¡¯ll need a few more days at least to be in fighting shape,¡± Gabrielle said as she gestured towards her thigh. I winced just from remembering the nasty cuts she had from the warg bite. ¡°How about we spend tonight at the inn then two nights at the guild. We can get gear and rations tomorrow and use the next day however we¡¯d like. On the third day, we hit the road and head back to the Bloodfields?¡± I said, leaving the ending open as a question. Everyone agreed and we set in to enjoy our first meal that wasn¡¯t our packed rations in over a week. I let out a contented groan as I devoured the fresh bread and steaming hot stew, feeling myself relax more than I had since leaving Brightswell. I finished my large mug of ale around the same time as my meal and I could already feel my eyes drooping despite my intentions to stay up and talk. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go ask for a room, I can barely keep my eyes open,¡± I explained as I got up and started stumbling my way towards the bar. ¡°We¡¯ll meet here in the morning!¡± Zack called out to me as I left. I waved a hand over my shoulder to signal that I heard and continued to the innkeeper standing behind the bar. I waited a couple of steps away while he finished talking to a server until the innkeeper turned to look at me with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Hello. How much would a room for the night be?¡± I asked. ¡°At¡¯ll be five copper for a night. Seven if¡¯n ya wan break ya fast in the morn,¡± he said with the rough accent common of the people who worked near the docks of Gorok. I handed over seven copper with only a slight grimace, it didn¡¯t seem like too big of an expense considering how much I have saved up so far. He handed me a key and told me to head to the second floor and the sixth room on the left. I nodded in thanks and walked up the stairs without another glance at the room, sleeping in a bed was the only thing on my mind. I got to my room, unlocked the door, and barely managed to get undressed before I collapsed on the bed and immediately fell asleep. I woke up the next morning with the sun peeking through a window that I hadn¡¯t even noticed yesterday. I stretched out on the large, somewhat soft bed and decided I wouldn¡¯t mind spending the rest of the day without moving with a contented yawn. A couple of seconds later my stomach let out a groan as it showed its disagreement and I let out a wry chuckle. A few minutes later I got dressed in my least-dirty pair of clothes, wincing at the feeling of pulling clothes on over my old bandages. After breakfast, I would try and find somewhere to clean my clothes, take a bath, and switch out my bandages. I got downstairs and took in the mostly empty common room, a stark difference from the packed atmosphere it had last night. Only four tables had people sitting at them and I didn¡¯t see any of my friends yet. I sat at one of the many empty tables and waited patiently for a server to come by. ¡°Barkskin,¡± I cast on myself as I waited. No reason not to use this time to train, I thought as I felt my skin tighten and dry up in the usual way. Every level my ability had gained so far increased the visible effects as well as the strength. At this point, my skin was clearly raised in grooves reminiscent of the namesake. ¡°Training even at breakfast?¡± Aaron said with his customary smirk. ¡°Well, I would too but I don¡¯t think leaping across the room will earn us any favors.¡± I shook my head in amusement as I noticed him wincing as he sat across me. ¡°How long did the rest of you stay up?¡± I asked, ¡°And how much did you drink?¡± I watched him rubbing the sides of his head as he leaned back with a pained smile. ¡°Gabrielle headed to sleep a few minutes after you, but I managed to convince Gary and Zack to get another ale with me before we called it a night,¡± he replied. I reached across the table and cast Barkskin on him and he looked annoyed for a second before he sighed. ¡°Actually, I think that helped my headache, thanks.¡± ¡°Mornin¡¯, here ya go,¡± a server laid two plates of eggs, bread, and cheese in front of us with two large cups of watered-down ale. We both barely managed to thank her as we stared hungrily at our plates. I dug into the hot meal and didn''t look up until I finished in what felt like less than a minute later. I finished with a contented sigh and leaned back in my chair, noticing Gary, Zack, and Gabrielle walking over towards us and looking enviously at our empty plates. ¡°Morning, team,¡± I said with a smile around the table after I noticed Zack and Gary looked like they were nursing hangovers. ¡°Barkskin¡± ¡°Barkskin¡± ¡°Barkskin,¡± I cast on all three of them, getting a loud moan in reply from Zack. I chuckled at his slightly over-the-top response and with some mental nudging towards my core, I realized that my capacity had probably grown to 10 casts of Barkskin with full Essence. ¡°Thanks, Eli. I don¡¯t suppose I can cast Fireballs to light the fireplace?¡± Gabrielle joked after we rolled our eyes at Zacks''s antics. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯ll go over so well, the innkeeper didn¡¯t seem like a man to mess with. Hey Aaron, do you want to head to the bathhouses while they eat? I¡¯m tired of smelling myself, I don¡¯t know about you.¡± I decided to ask since I felt like I wanted to get moving. The rest of the group could join us after they ate when we joined up to search the market for cheap gear. ¡°Definitely. We¡¯ll meet the rest of you at the Adventurers Guild later? We can meet there before we go to the market.¡± he replied, looking excited at the prospect of exploring the market. ¡°Sure. We¡¯ll see you guys there later.¡± Gary waved as we left the inn. Neither of us knew where the bathhouses were in this city so I asked the bouncer near the door before we walked out. ¡°Right near the docks, there¡¯s a free bathhouse, just head down towards the water and look for the white stone building. Ya can¡¯t miss it.¡± The man helpfully explained so I tossed him a copper in thanks. We walked down the wide streets towards the water about a mile from the inn we stayed the night at. I tried to take the experience in, knowing that if I had decided almost any other path besides becoming an adventurer I never would have been able to travel to other cities like this. Even with how expensive the portals of the adventurers guild were, there¡¯s nothing like that for regular peasants. I¡¯m sure the mages guild has something similar but they won¡¯t let anyone other than their members use them. I¡¯ve never seen a world map, but the untamed wilds between cities can be extremely dangerous to travel without a large caravan and guards. ¡°So why did you become an adventurer?¡± I asked as we walked through a smelly fish market near the docks. ¡°Well, my father sold mostly to adventurers so I spent a lot of my time growing up talking to them. On my 6th horde, my mother got killed, too. If I can earn enough money I¡¯d like to buy my father a house inside one of the more secure districts.¡± He replied as we neared the ocean. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Sorry about your mother, I lost my uncle and his entire family two hordes ago, too. I grew up listening to my father''s stories about traveling between the cities in a merchant''s caravan. The adventurers they hired would fight off all types of monsters and he told me about dozens of different places he visited before he settled at Brightswell. He has souvenirs from every city he visited and I always used to imagine myself seeing the cities as an adventurer.¡± I explained as we walked along the docks to a massive white stone building Aaron pointed out in the distance. Once we reached the building I saw a large archway with a few serving girls and an attendant near the entrance. ¡°Could I get three pairs of clothes cleaned while I use the baths?¡± I asked the attendant out front. ¡°Yes, three copper and it¡¯ll be ¡®bout an hour.¡± He responded in a bored, monotone voice. I handed over three coppers a bit dejectedly, feeling like my hard-earned money was draining away the longer we stayed in the city. I grabbed a towel from a large stack and waited for Aaron to hand over his clothes before I went inside. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, next trip out to the Bloodfields we¡¯ll make out like bandits,¡± Aaron said after he joined me. Obviously, he noticed my look when I was handing over the coins. ¡°We earned a lot of experience this trip, not to mention we found a good team that¡¯s willing to stick together.¡± ¡°Yeah, you''re right. That dungeon was more difficult than I expected, though. I wonder if they¡¯ll all be that tough.¡± I wondered out loud as we entered a huge chamber with a large pool of water separated by smaller alcoves big enough to fit a few people in each. I took off my towel and sank into the chilly water with a sigh. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been wondering that as well. Unfortunately, we¡¯re all still pretty far from reaching level 3,¡± he replied. ¡°Regardless, if we can manage to get some decently thick leather armor for all of us we should be able to handle it.¡± Both of us washed off the dried blood, mud, and whatever else we¡¯d managed to get covered in over the past few days since we¡¯d met at Brightswell. Floating here in the baths it struck me that it had only been 8 days since we had met, and both of us have changed from the experience. ¡°Any idea how much a shorter spear and a shield would cost? Dealing with those goblins shooting rocks at me would be a lot easier if I had a shield, and I¡¯d feel a lot more comfortable when I¡¯m using my spear if I had something to block with.¡± I asked as we lazily floated in the alcove and waited for the serving lady to bring our cleaned clothes to us. I had been thinking of switching to a weapon that would allow me to use a shield for a while now, but I still wanted to stick with a spear since I could tell I had been improving with it. Aaron¡¯s eyebrows drew together in contemplation, ¡°I¡¯m not too sure, a couple of silver each I¡¯d guess.¡± ¡°After I buy rations I¡¯ll have about four silver,¡± I complained. ¡°I guess I could get the spear and shield instead of leather armor.¡± ¡°Hey, whatever you think would be best for you. A better quality spear than the bronze-tipped one you¡¯ve been using would be a huge step up.¡± he laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll need to get a few dozen new arrows as well, shouldn¡¯t be more than a five copper a dozen I hope.¡± I looked up to see one of the serving girls drop two stacks of wet clothes near the edge of the alcove. I sighed, I guess it was time to get moving to the adventurers guild. We both got dressed and packed away the rest of our clothes before heading out of the building and in the direction of the adventurers guild about a half-mile away. We stopped at one of the seafood stalls on the way there and paid a copper for some steaming hot grilled fish, which was surprisingly tasty. They didn¡¯t have fish in Brightwell so it was the first time either of us had tried any. Chapter 8 We walked inside the adventurers guild and I looked around to see if I could spot the rest of the team, although I didn¡¯t expect them. I hadn''t asked but I was sure they headed to a bathhouse after they finished eating as well. I looked over at Aaron and he gave a slight shrug so I led us towards one of the empty tables near the noticeboards. We waited at the table for about an hour before the rest of the group showed up and joined us in their damp clothing. ¡°Hey guys, are you ready to head to the market? We grabbed some food on the way here,¡± Gabrielle asked. ¡°We ate grilled fish from one of the stalls, too. Let¡¯s go.¡± Aaron replied. ¡°Barkskin,¡± I cast my ability on all five of us as we got up, getting eye rolls from everyone. ¡°Hey, you''re all just jealous I¡¯m taking the lead in training!¡± I smirked as we left the building. ¡°Eli, I think I speak for all of us when I say that the stronger Barkskin gets the more I like you.¡± Aaron joked back. ¡°My rooms open if you need to train while I¡¯m sleeping!¡± Zack said in his usual overly loud voice in the middle of the street, earning our group looks from everyone walking by. I felt heat rush to my cheeks from the attention to the amusement of my team. ¡°Ok, ok. Do we know where we¡¯re going?¡± I asked to change the subject, although I decided if we were going to be sleeping in the rooms of the adventurers guild tonight I would wait until Zack fell asleep and see if casting Barkskin on him would wake him up. ¡°I asked one of the receptionists at the guild, he said to head to the portside market. There should be a leatherworking section there.¡± Gary answered. I spent the rest of the walk looking around the city and I noticed in the distance there seemed to be an inner wall that separated the rich from the less affluent. My father told me most cities are separated like that so that monster hordes have to make it through miles of peasants before they reach the more heavily guarded nobility. It¡¯s extremely rare for any monsters to reach that far and they''re most likely handled by the higher rank adventurers who guard the inner walls, regardless. I felt a spike of anger mixed with jealousy at the thought, but that¡¯s just the way the world worked. As long as I became strong enough I would be able to get my parents into the inner wall of Brightswell. ¡°You ok?¡± Gabrielle fell back to join me behind the rest of the group after she noticed my worried expression. ¡°Yeah,¡± I sighed, ¡°I¡¯m just worried about how my parents will be during the next horde, I guess. We already lost my uncles family and if I can¡¯t afford a place in the inner wall for them before the next horde I feel like it would make all of this pointless.¡± I explained. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your family,¡± she put her arm around my shoulder for a moment and I smiled in reply. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll be able to make enough in a year, but who knows how quickly we¡¯ll improve. It¡¯s only been a little over a week and just think about how much stronger we are already? Every skill we improve, every level we earn, and even every piece of gear we upgrade we¡¯ll be able to handle that much more difficult of monsters and dungeons.¡± she said. I nodded and realized she was right. I thought back to the F-rank noticeboard that we looked at before heading to the Bloodfields. The price for even an F-rank monster core was 50 silver and that''s something that we could earn in some of the deeper dungeons of the Bloodfields once we could handle them. We entered the market and I followed Gary through the packed throng of people heading in every direction while we tried to catch a glimpse of some of the wares on display. We passed row after row of stalls selling different types of clothing in all types of styles before entering another area with the rich, earthy smell of leather products. We walked past a few more stalls before Gary stopped by a large stall that had a few other people browsing the wares already. One of the apprentices working the shop quickly walked up to see what we were looking for. ¡°We¡¯re looking for five sets of your cheapest leather armor,¡± Gary replied, getting an instant nod in return. Obviously, he could tell what we were looking for by how we looked, I thought with a glance down at my ripped clothes and bulging pack. ¡°Leather jerkins, greaves, and bracers go for two silver fifty copper. We don¡¯t sell any low-quality pauldrons, gloves, thigh armor, or gorgets so those would all cost substantially more. Would you like me to go over the prices for anything else?¡± the apprentice answered quickly. Well, it¡¯s actually cheaper than I was expecting. I debated whether or not to invest in the armor while the rest of my group paid for the jerkins, greaves, and bracers. The apprentice looked at me after dealing with the rest of my team and I shrugged before handing over the two and a half silver, hopefully, I would still be able to afford a short spear and a very cheap shield. ¡°Do you know where I could find a cheap spear?¡± I asked the apprentice after he handed over the thick leather pieces. I didn¡¯t want to put anything on so I just attached it to the sides of my pack for now. He gave me directions and I walked outside to where everyone else was waiting for me to join them. ¡°I got directions to a stall where they sell cheap spears, I¡¯d like to go check their prices before I head back,¡± I said. Gary looked interested, ¡°I¡¯ll come with you,¡± he offered. I recalled his spear snapping in half at the end of the dungeon. The rest of the group waved goodbye and left to head back to the guild to look into how much it would cost to stay there for the next two nights. All of us were still sore and bruised from our trip in the dungeon. Another short walk later we arrived at an area with stalls of all sorts of metal weapons and armor. Both of us stopped to stare at an impressive stall with rows of gleaming swords and daggers of all types. ¡°I almost want to ask how much those weapons cost, but I¡¯m sure it would just be depressing,¡± Gary said longingly from my side. We left with a sigh and quickly arrived at a stall selling all sorts of spears, javelins, halberds, and other weapons that I couldn¡¯t name. Gary took the lead and asked one of the apprentices the prices for their cheapest long spears. ¡°Two silver for our cheapest ashwood spears,¡± he replied, Gary, looked disappointed and shook his head. ¡°What about one-handed spears?¡± I asked, hoping for a slightly better price. I only had two silver 69 copper remaining after paying for the leather armor and I still needed to buy rations and lodgings for two days. ¡°We have some one-meter ashwood spears for a silver twenty copper,¡± he answered. I still had 7 days of rations from our last trip out of the city so I should only need to spend about 80 copper for this next trip if we want 15 days'' worth of food again. That would leave me with 69 copper for room and board at the adventurers guild, which would be more than enough. I pulled out my money pouch and left the stall with a steel-tipped short spear held proudly in one hand. ¡°Looks nice, unfortunately, I¡¯ll have to stick with one of the goblin spears for now though,¡± Gary said after I handed it to him so he could look it over and attach it to my pack. With nowhere else to look and no money to spend, even on a cheap shield, we headed back towards the guild. I entered the guild next to Gary and didn¡¯t see Zack, Gabrielle, or Aaron waiting so we got in line behind the receptionist''s desk. A few minutes later we reached the front and I asked how much room and board would cost for two days.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Five copper a day or one silver a month for F-rank adventurers. Make sure you use the F-rank compound and training grounds only or you¡¯ll be kicked out for the day.¡± I handed over 10 copper and got a small wood plaque that read ¡®F-Rank - Bunk A-44¡¯, with Gary getting bunk A-45 right after me. We exited the guildhall towards the large walled-off section that you couldn¡¯t see into from the street. I looked around and saw six large buildings with large training yards attached to each. ¡°Says F-rank over at that one,¡± Gary pointed towards the building furthest on the left and we headed straight inside. Inside there was a small hall with 5 doors labeled a through e, so we walked inside the A door and saw Zack, Gabrielle, and Aaron sitting on one of the bunks at the far side of the room. ¡°Ah, you two made it. And a new spear! Look¡¯s good, man!¡± Zack congratulated me as I dropped my pack beside my bunk. Despite the relatively easy day I already felt tired and sore from walking and carrying my pack. I decided to take a quick nap before I had to figure out where they served food. Aaron shook me awake a while later, ¡°Eli, we¡¯re gonna go grab some food. Want to stay here, or?¡± I blinked a few times and shook my head a bit to wake up. I probably only slept for a couple of hours, but if I didn¡¯t eat I¡¯d be even sorer tomorrow. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll come. Should we bring our packs with us?¡± I asked as I sleepily pulled myself off of my bunk. ¡°Yeah, I wouldn¡¯t risk leaving it here if no one¡¯s watching it. They serve food at the guildhall so it¡¯s not like we¡¯re going too far,¡± he replied. We walked the short distance back to the guildhall and joined a line of people waiting by the bar. Once we got to the front of the line they asked for us to show our wooden chit and we got a large bowl of stew with bread. I quickly cast Barkskin on everyone as we sat down at an empty table. ¡°Seriously, Eli. What if we don¡¯t want to feel like a tree while we eat?¡± Gabrielle complained. Aaron and Zack laughed at my constant obsession with training. ¡°Sorry. I just don¡¯t want to waste any time with full essence.¡± I said and Gabrielle waved off my apology before we quickly focused on eating. None of us wanted to check out the training yards since it was already starting to get dark outside so I dropped back in my bunk and pulled up my Status before heading back to sleep. Eli - Lvl 2 Druid Experience - 228\500 Strength-5 Dexterity-4 Perception-4 Vitality-5 Spirit-6 Willpower-6 Barkskin - Level 4\10 Upgradeable Experience - 488\800 Thornbolt - Level 1\20 Upgradeable Experience - 194\200 The next morning I woke up to a flurry of activity in the room, likely because breakfast was being served. I quickly followed the throng of people to the guildhall and ate the same hearty meal that they served last night. The rest of my team wanted to head to the training yard to check it out after we ate. As soon as we walked behind the F-rank compound we entered a large fenced area with a few different teams training and sparring against each other. I spotted a rack of wooden shields laying against one of the fences and grabbed Gary¡¯s attention. ¡°I want to get some practice with my spear and a shield, want to spar?¡± I asked as I pointed out the wooden shields and spears. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s put on our leather gear, first. We all need to get used to fighting in it.¡± Gary said with a pointed look at the rest of the team before we dropped our packs and started pulling on our new leather jerkins, greaves, and bracers. I spent a couple of minutes stretching and flexing my body to get used to the feeling of wearing the thick leather. Thankfully it was all very light so I didn¡¯t think it would affect me very much once I got used to fighting in it. ¡°Ready?¡± Gary asked with a grin. I stood on the opposite side of one of the 5-meter wide sand pits for sparring scattered around the training yard. I saw Zack asking another adventurer if they¡¯d like to spar out of the corner of my eye. I focused back on Gary in front of me, rolled my shoulders, and settled into a low combat stance I¡¯d learned from the drills he taught me throughout last week. ¡°Ready,¡± I stated, before rushing forward and trying to sweep his legs with a wide slash. Gary took advantage of his much longer spear and danced back out of range, stabbing towards my chest. I jerked the wooden shield in front of his strike and grunted as it smashed into my shoulder. We sparred against each other and some other adventurers for a few hours, until someone came by and announced that food was being served in the guildhall. I ate quickly while chatting with Gary about some of the techniques the other adventurers had shown us. Aaron interrupted our conversation as we finished eating, ¡°We were going to buy rations today, right? I¡¯d like to head straight out of the city in the morning if we can.¡± I had completely forgotten before he said that. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go get that out of the way,¡± Zack said with a grimace, probably already thinking about spending days eating the same bland meal again. I couldn¡¯t blame his reluctance, considering I was already getting used to eating the filling meals they served at the guild. A short walk later we arrived back at the same merchant from who we bought our rations before our first expedition. He didn¡¯t have any problem with us only purchasing eight days of rations each, for the same price of 10 copper per day. After paying I had 59 copper left, but I didn¡¯t want to completely run myself out of money so I decided not to spend on anything else until we got back from our next expedition. I headed out to the training yard once we got back and walked over to the range where Aaron and Gabrielle had been training during the morning. Every time that I looked at my Skills over the past few days I saw how close I was to reaching level 2 with Thornbolt. ¡°Thornbolt,¡± I cast the skill repeatedly until a message appeared. Thornbolt level 2 Finally! I emptied the rest of my essence and headed back inside to spend the rest of the day resting. I was going to be hiking and then fighting after today so I figured I¡¯d use whatever time I had left to rest. My injuries were mostly healed at this point, but my body was still covered in partially healed bruises. Besides a quick meal at night when Zack shook me awake I spent the rest of the night sleeping and enjoyed my last few moments of peace for a while. I woke up early and saw two or three other people getting up, but none of my teammates. I cast Barkskin on my sleeping team and got confused looks, followed by groans and laughs as they pulled themselves up and got their packs on. We ate a quick breakfast and turned in our wooden chits at the receptionist before heading out and getting back on the road to the Bloodfields. ¡°Leap!¡± ¡°Charge!¡± ¡°Vigor¡± ¡°Wall of Flames¡± The road was mostly empty a few hundred meters away from the city so we all got back into the routine of constantly draining our essence and training our skills. Any little bit of experience we could get before attempting our next dungeon could mean all the difference. Now that I had reached level 2 in Thornbolt I decided to return to focusing my training on Barkskin even though it took substantially more time to level. Thornbolt is useful but it¡¯s nothing compared to Aaron''s Drill Shot or even Gabrielles Firebolt when it comes to offensive power. The most powerful thing I bring to the team is definitely Barkskin, and every level I can raise it will increase our survivability. The two days of hiking passed quickly, only interrupted by the occasional shout of a skill leveling up, Wall of Flames for Gabrielle and Vigor for Zack. We reached the end of the road and the familiar sight of dozens of different adventurers'' camps welcomed us back. We set up camp for the night, ate a quick meal of rations and I laid down in my tent before I checked my Status. Eli - Lvl 2 Druid Experience - 228\500 Strength-5 Dexterity-4 Perception-4 Vitality-5 Spirit-6 Willpower-6 Barkskin - Level 4\10 Upgradeable Experience - 708\800 Thornbolt - Level 2\20 Upgradeable Experience - 0\400 Chapter 9 Gary woke me up an hour early to get back to our daily spear drills before the rest of the team woke up. I focused on flowing from one move to the next and found it easier than usual, likely due to the shorter spear being a better fit for my body type. The hour passed quickly and we ate a quick meal before we walked to the edge of the Bloodfields. ¡°So do we have a plan for the day?¡± Aaron asked as we stopped just in front of the dense tree cover. I glanced around and saw everyone looked just as excited as I felt. All of us wanted to reach level 3 as fast as possible. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should go any deeper than the dungeon we cleared, but if we can find one around that distance I¡¯m willing to go for it,¡± Gary said. We made our way back into the forest and I found myself slowly slipping back into the alert state that I had learned to maintain over our last expedition. It was a few minutes before we came upon a patrol; three goblins and a warg that we didn¡¯t bother to try an ambush. The fight went swiftly with a Drill shot killing the warg instantly and a Thornbolt taking out one of the goblins. Zack and Gary finished off the two remaining goblins and Aaron quickly looted the wargs'' fangs while I checked for coins. ¡°That felt almost too easy. I didn¡¯t even have time to cast a Firebolt,¡± Gabrielle complained about her arms crossed as I checked the last goblin. I let out a wry chuckle and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s pick up the pace, then,¡± Gary stated, before leading us deeper through the dark red tree cover. We passed a few more patrols with no more trouble than the first and two hours passed in a flash as we made our way further into the bloodfields. Finally, we heard something different in the distance. ¡°It sounds almost like dozens of wargs, howling and yelping away. Wait here and I¡¯ll scout closer,¡± Aaron said after we all stopped to try to make out what was causing the noise. I stood with my body partially hidden behind one of the large trees while I peered around the forest, the constant noise causing goosebumps to spread across my arms. Aaron returned a few minutes later with a grin. ¡°It¡¯s a huge cave, looks like it could even be a dungeon, but I¡¯m not sure. At least eight wargs are laying about outside and I saw two returning from the forest while I watched. No goblins that I could see, though.¡± he explained and I felt my heart start to beat faster. Is it a dungeon full of wargs this time? At least every warg we kill would be worth 5 coppers from their fangs alone, unlike the goblins who only occasionally have some coppers in a pouch. ¡°That¡¯s different. None of the adventurers we¡¯ve spoken to have dealt with a dungeon like that, right?¡± Gary asked the group. ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯ve talked to too many other adventurers, though,¡± I replied honestly. After working with that team during our last expedition I felt discouraged from meeting other adventurers around our level, not wanting to get attached in case they died. It sounded cold when I said it like that in my head, but there¡¯s no doubt that it was true. ¡°That¡¯s true, but keep in mind it could be because this warg den is rare or more difficult than the goblin camps. Be prepared for a tough fight, if there are eight wargs we could have trouble holding them off Aaron and Gabrielle. Let¡¯s keep a tighter formation than usual with Eli up front holding the left flank. Go ahead and give us all Barkskin and then let¡¯s move out.¡± Gary quickly decided on a plan of action. ¡°Barkskin,¡± I finished casting on all five of us and gauged how many Thornbolts I could cast with my remaining essence as we stalked closer. I felt like I had slightly less than half of my essence remaining, and I could cast 10 Thornbolts at level 1. I haven¡¯t tested it since reaching level 2, which I quickly started to regret as we made our way closer, but I¡¯d plan on being able to cast four times. I passed the last few trees beside Gary and saw a wide clearing without any tree cover. There was a small hill with a wide cave about halfway up the hill. Some wargs had already noted us exiting the forest and started rushing down towards us without any care for strategy. I held off on using any more essence unless they rushed us in a larger group. A Drill Shot whistled over my shoulder before impacting one a few meters away from reaching us with a bang. ¡°Keep an eye out behind us, let¡¯s move forward so we¡¯re not right against the edge of the forest,¡± Zack said after he bashed the other warg into the ground. We jogged forwards to meet another pair of wargs as they sprinted down the hill into a firebolt from Gabrielle. Zack and Gary quickly finished them off as they stumbled and yelped from the flames. Four more wargs rushed at us and I sent two Thornbolts into one as it got close, the second one piercing deeper into its skull which sent it silently to the ground. I glanced around and snorted lightly as I saw none of the last four even made it to us, two corpses riddled with arrows and the last speared through the torso after Gary Charged it. ¡°Well that was probably easier than the goblin camp,¡± I said as we all calmed down once we saw no more wargs nearby. Aaron walked off to grab his arrows and start cutting off the warg fangs. ¡°Well, imagine if we all used melee weapons.¡± Zack started with a thoughtful expression, ¡°that would be a tough fight without you three to thin them out before they could reach us.¡± ¡°I never want one of those things to get close to me again, my leg still hurts from that bite. I¡¯m going to have a nasty scar once it finishes healing.¡± Gabrielle said with a grimace. ¡°At least they can¡¯t use slingshots,¡± I said while I rubbed my waist. I could still feel the lingering bruise when I carried my pack. I pulled out my belt knife and helped Aaron with collecting the fangs and then pulled out the large sack we used during our last expedition to carry them. Almost two dozen warg fangs already, and this is our first day back. I could already see myself with a shiny new shield once we got back. We sat down a few meters away from the mouth of the cave to rest and wait for our essence to recover before we went inside. Gary stood up and looked around to make sure we were all ready, then started putting on his pack. ¡°Another Dungeon Core awaits!¡± Zack boomed out, making me jump and whirl around, grabbing my spear and looking for enemies. I cursed and focused on ignoring Aaron cackling at my reaction as we hiked up to the cave mouth. I reached the entrance and saw that the cave went straight for about thirty meters before it angled to the right and disappeared. It looked like a completely natural cave system so far, with none of the wooden features that the last dungeon showed. A group of three wargs rested by some large stalagmites about halfway to the turn. I didn¡¯t bother casting Barkskin or Thornbolt and decided to ration my essence now that we were inside and didn¡¯t know what to expect. The wargs waited until we were ten meters away before one yelped, alarming the other two as it started growling and pacing towards us. An arrow appeared in its side, causing it to howl and stumble towards us as the other two started sprinting. I rushed forwards to intercept one, looking to get some practice with the short spear. A fireball crashed into it a few paces away from me and I took advantage of its pain and dashed forward to stab it through the neck. My spear sank through its skin surprisingly easily, courtesy of the new steel tip.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Good work, let¡¯s keep moving,¡± Gary said after we finished looting. We moved forward, reached the bend in the cave, and saw a small cavern with blue, glowing moss spread across the walls and floor. I squinted my eyes while I tried to scan the room for monsters. I saw only stalagmites and no obvious exit in the cavern that was about half as large as the guildhall. ¡°Be on guard, let¡¯s move around the edge,¡± Gary stated after nothing popped out at us. We started steadily walking around the room and passed by stalagmites twice as wide as Zack scattered throughout the room. As I stepped past a trio of stalagmites right before we reached the far wall of the cavern, a sharp skittering noise surprised me from behind. I jerked around and saw a huge beetle as tall as a pony and as wide as a carriage rushing towards Gabrielle. She reacted quickly despite the shock, sweeping her hand from her left to right. ¡°Wall of Flames.¡± she cast and spread two meter-high flames directly in its path. The beetle rushed right over the flames without any sign that they affected it. ¡°Charge!¡± Gary slammed into its side half a meter in front of Gabrielle, giving her time to rush backward and reposition. ¡°Thornbolt!¡± I cast as I rushed forward to reinforce Gary, seeing him having trouble piercing the thick carapace with his bronze-tipped spear. My spell slammed into the beetle, but only penetrated two or three inches into its dark red shell. The beetle swung its head at Gary and slammed the side of its pincers into him which sent him stumbling to the side. I stepped past him and stabbed into its mouth, right between its two pincers, and the beetle hissed in pain as my spear went deep into its mouth before I pulled it back out covered in green goop. ¡°Drill Shot!¡± Aaron belatedly used his ability, sending a loud boom echoing through the chamber as it penetrated deep into the beetle''s side. Zack stepped forward and let out a shout as he slammed his mace into the side of the beetle''s head, slamming its legs open and into the ground. I prepared to cast another Thonbolt if it moved again, but luckily it stayed still, its injuries finally managing to kill it. ¡°What is that thing!?¡± Aaron half yelled from where he was pressed against the wall a few meters back. I raised an eyebrow and looked at Zack, who let out a wide-eyed chuckle at his expense. ¡°My brother never told me about anything like these,¡± Gary said after a moment, grimacing as he studied the scratch his spear left on the tough outer shell. ¡°New dungeons and different types of monsters appear all the time, I¡¯ve heard. Lucky us, I guess?¡± Gabrielle said in a shaky voice. I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t feel too confident after seeing it walk right over her flames without care. ¡°Should we keep going? This might be tough if Gabrielle''s skills won¡¯t affect the giant beetle monsters.¡± I said, deciding not to mention Gary''s spear. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s seriously missing his old spear, especially after he watched my short spear stab into it. ¡°Let¡¯s clear the room. We¡¯ll discuss it after. Barkskin, Eli?¡± Gary made a decision. I winced, realizing I probably should have prioritized casting Barkskin on the team rather than Thornbolt and my spear. I shrugged off the potential mistake and focused back on the situation, we were still in an uncleared room with more of them likely hidden somewhere. ¡°Barkskin.¡± I cast on all five of us and we got back into our formation and slowly continued on our path around the room. Five minutes of walking later we reached the other side of the tunnel entrance into the chamber after not finding anything else. In the center of the room, there was only a large group of stalagmites near center with a few others spread out leaving no room to hide. Gary led us straight to the center, following a patch of glowing moss. I followed slightly behind him and to his side, all the way to the patch in the center, finally we saw only a wide hole with glowing moss traversing down the sides hidden behind the stalagmites. ¡°Looks like a staircase to a lower level, let¡¯s take a breather and recover Essence,¡± Gary said after he looked down to make sure nothing would come at us. I walked back over to the beetle, interested in if I could find out any more information about it. The monster had black pincers the length of my arms, huge multifaceted eyes, and a dark red carapace. ¡°You think there¡¯s anything worth salvaging? The shell looks like it might be worth something.¡± Aaron wondered from my side. I raised my eyebrows and grabbed my knife from the sheathe at my hip. I tried to use my knife as a lever to pry off one of the 6-inch squares that made up the shell and gave up after a few seconds with no progress. ¡°Zack! Come help!¡± Aaron walked over towards the group and waved at Zack. If anyone could do it, it would be him. The rest of the team wandered over, curiosity showing on their faces. ¡°See if you can pry this off?¡± I asked once Zack reached my side, pointing at my knife sticking out of the beetle. Aaron explained while Zack started on it, ¡°We could take those to either an alchemist or a blacksmith back at Gorok. The guild might even buy them, it just wouldn¡¯t be listed under the Bloodfields notices because they haven¡¯t been seen here before.¡± Zack let out a grunt as he fell backward with the single piece of carapace clanging off the stone floor beside him. ¡°Easy!¡± Zack grinned and flexed his muscles, although it didn¡¯t have the effect he was going for under the leather jerkin and heavy linen shirt. ¡°Great, only¡­ About 40 more?¡± Aaron laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. Zack¡¯s face fell and he looked at Gary with wide, pleading eyes. Gabrielle and I laughed at his expression and Gary smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s get 5 of them for now, if there¡¯s more of them deeper in the dungeon we can think about getting more. We don¡¯t even know if they¡¯re worth anything yet.¡± Gary decided before he clapped Zack on the shoulder with a laugh. I handed Zack my spear before he started with the knife again, the greater leverage and steel tip might work better. The next piece came off quickly with the spear and the rest of us left him to go wait by the stairs. ¡°So any plan if we have to fight more of these? I don¡¯t think my flames will help at all,¡± Gabrielle said with a sigh. ¡°Aaron¡¯s Drill shot, Zack''s mace, and Eli¡¯s spear all worked fairly well. We¡¯ll keep our formation close in case they come from behind us again. If things get too tough we¡¯ll just retreat and look for another dungeon. Tomorrow.¡± Gary said. I nodded, despite its large size and intimidating nature, it was nothing we couldn¡¯t handle. Plus it was probably a great source of experience for the team. I had another ten minutes until my essence was fully recharged so I brought up my Status to check out the day''s progress. Eli - Lvl 2 Druid Experience - 308\500 Strength-5 Dexterity-4 Perception-4 Vitality-5 Spirit-6 Willpower-6 Barkskin - Level 4\10 Upgradeable Experience - 792\800 Thornbolt - Level 2\20 Upgradeable Experience - 48\400 Another fight and I¡¯d reach level 5 in Barkskin, not to mention we¡¯d gained almost 100 experience today without even entering the dungeon portal. We only killed about a dozen wargs and a few patrols of goblins before this monster beetle. ¡°I think that beetle was worth about 30 experience!¡± I exclaimed, my jaw dropped in shock. The rest of my team stared at me before all of them opened their Status screens and checked my math. As far as I could tell wargs were usually worth between 3 and 4 experience each with goblins giving between 1 and 2. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but I hope there are more giant beetles down there,¡± Aaron said with a mix of excitement and nausea spreading across his face. I started to put my pack back on and the group followed my lead since they were waiting on my essence to recover before we moved on. Gary led the way down the stairs and we followed in our usual formation one step behind. A few dozen steps later we entered another natural-looking stone tunnel with a large blue portal blocking the path a few meters away. I felt my pulse quicken as we stopped in front of it for a second, my thoughts going back to the last dungeon we conquered. Despite the danger, I felt drawn to challenge and push myself, half from the rewards of gaining levels and a half from knowing that I was putting my life at risk and coming out on the other side. Chapter 10 I followed Zack through the portal and entered a massive chamber filled with roaming packs of wargs in small groups. ¡°I don¡¯t see any exits, is the entire dungeon just this one room?¡± Gabrielle asked as we crouched by the portal, each scanning the room for threats. Aaron pointed to our right a few hundred meters away and said, ¡°Over there, where the stone rises up in a mound. There¡¯s another cave.¡± I looked over where he pointed and squinted my eyes to try to make out the details. I could see a wide cave mouth but it was mostly blocked off by wargs patrolling and others resting by its entrance. ¡°Let¡¯s start moving in that direction. We¡¯ll hug the wall and Aaron will lure the patrols towards us.¡± Gary said as he started walking. Ten meters later Aaron shot towards a patrol that was heading in our direction. The warg howled in response to the arrow sticking out of its leg and I saw four different patrols look towards us. Gary cursed, ¡°Keep your backs to the wall, Eli we¡¯re gonna need you in front with me and Zack. Barkskin on us three.¡± he spoke quickly, dropped his pack by the wall and moved forwards to intercept the closest group of wargs. I dropped my pack where I stood and rushed to follow his orders. ¡°Barkskin.¡± ¡°Barkskin.¡± ¡°Barkskin.¡± I cast the last spell on myself as I ran to my position just before a warg slammed into Gary¡¯s spear. I focused in front of me where an entire patrol of four wargs were sprinting towards me and quickly closing the distance. ¡°Thornbolt." ¡°Thornbolt,¡± I cast two times as quickly as I could, hitting the two wargs on the right before I grabbed my short spear with two hands and stabbed towards the closest one. The warg ducked under my stab and sank its teeth into my ankle with a snarl. Barkskin level 5 I winced in pain, for once not caring about a level up as I stabbed down at the warg wrapped around my leg. My spear sank into it and I felt the resistance as it slammed into its spine and shattered it. Another warg leaped at my face from my left and I swung the butt of my spear at it just in time, sending it crashing to the floor. I focused my attention back to the other side as I felt claws scratching into the leather of my jerkin and sending me stumbling back. I felt a fireball whizz over my shoulder and slam into the two wargs on my right, giving me time to stab the one on my left as it tried to bite at my leg. ¡°Fortress!¡± Zack shouted, using his skill to surround us with a massive steel shield. The two wargs on my right were trapped inside with us and looking around to see what happened. I rushed forward to take advantage of their surprise and stabbed one through its mouth as it turned back to face me. Aaron sent an arrow to claim the others'' life and I hurriedly backed up to get to Gary''s side before the fortress fell from the constant scratches that filled our ears. I heard my heart beating faster and louder than I ever remembered before and the wall shattered around us, wargs appearing in its place. ¡°Thornbolt!¡± I cast towards one of the wargs rushing at Gary, seeing none of them left in front of me. The thorn plunged into its side and I followed it up with a thrust in the same spot, pushing the thorn deeper inside. ¡°Thornbolt, Thornbolt, Thornbolt!¡± I took advantage of the situation and emptied the rest of my essence casting at the rest of the wargs swarming Zack and Gary. As soon as I cast the last one I circled behind the wargs and started stabbing and slashing my way through them. None of the wargs turned to face me and I quickly finished off the last of the wargs that were clawing ineffectively on Zacks greaves while he bashed another on the skull. I looked around, eyes wide as I looked at the bodies piled in heaps around the five of us. My legs were completely covered in blood and I quickly backed away, boots dripping as I walked back to the wall where Aaron and Gabrielle sat on their packs drinking water. Somehow not a single warg made it past the three of us upfront to reach them. ¡°Good job everyone,¡± Gabrielle said after she finished chugging half her waterskin. ¡°I¡¯m completely drained of Essence, but I don¡¯t think any other patrols will head this direction.¡± I looked around the chamber and nodded. It seemed like we wiped out the entire section of patrols for the surrounding hundred meters or so. Hopefully, the rest wouldn¡¯t investigate while we recovered. ¡°That was crazy. So much for grabbing one patrol at a time,¡± Aaron said while staring at the stacks of bodies. ¡°18 wargs by my count. Did any of you three get injured?¡± he asked. I looked down at my ankle, untied my greaves, and pulled up my pants leg to see a few red marks but no punctures. Both of my sides felt like they might be bruised, but nothing worse. ¡°One of them clawed my hand, but it barely penetrated at all. Barkskin saves the day again,¡± Zack said, nodding his head towards me and showing off four thin cuts on top of his hand. ¡°18 wargs and barely a single injury. I know I¡¯ve said it before but I¡¯m proud to have you all with me.¡± Gary said with a proud smile. ¡°Barkskin just reached level 5,¡± I remarked with a grin. ¡°All that training is paying off, eh? I just reached Drill Shot level 4 during that fight as well.¡± Aaron replied. ¡°Fireball level four for me, too.¡± Gabrielle cheered. ¡°Balanced Foundations finally leveled up to two during that fight. Looks like it increased all my stats by one again. Starting to pay off already.¡± Gary said and I couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. A skill that increased all of your stats every time you leveled it would be incredibly helpful. All of us were rapidly increasing in strength from the difficult dungeon and we still had at least one more large group of wargs to take out before we reached the cave. I drank some water to pass the time while we finished waiting for our Essence to recover and I went over my performance during the fight. I knew Thornbolt could kill the wargs in one strike if I hit them in the head, I needed to prioritize my aim over my speed in the future. ¡°Now that we know it¡¯s going to be a big fight like that let¡¯s focus on thinning them out before they reach us. If either of the flanks can get cleared out quickly do what Eli did and get behind them.¡± Gary advised as we prepared to move forward. We continued along the wall towards the cave about 200 meters in the distance. I started counting out how many patrols we would most likely pull when we engaged in the next fight. ¡°Either five or six patrols this time, depending on if the wargs laying around the cave entrance come at the same time,¡± I informed the team. A short walk later we decided on our position and Aaron sighted his bow at the closest patrol. I quickly cast Barkskin on the three of us in the front. ¡°Drill Shot.¡± he led with a cast of his skill to guarantee a kill on the first shot. The warg walking beside the one he shot howled in response, alerting all the nearby patrols just like before. I glanced towards the cave on my right and winced as I saw all the wargs standing up and starting towards us. Two of the wargs were nearly double the size of the others and stayed near the back as they waited for the others to attack us first. I counted seven wargs heading directly towards me. I took my time and cast Thornbolt three times towards the nearest wargs. My first shot slammed into a wargs skull, killing it instantly. My second shot was slightly off and skittered off the ground underneath another. My last spell was point-blank and dropped the warg lunging towards me, giving me time to bat away another coming up on my side. A Drill Shot whistled over my shoulder, defending me from one of the other wargs and giving me time to stab the one I beat onto the ground. A warg grabbed hold of my thigh and I cried out in pain as I let go of my spear. The wargs teeth sunk deeply into my thigh and it twisted its head as I jabbed down with my elbow over and over, as I tried to get it to loosen its grip. A fireball slammed into its side, filling my nose with the smell of burning hairs and causing it to let go as it whined and danced backward. I gasped, falling to kneel as I picked up my spear and furiously blinked the tears out of my eyes. ¡°Thornbolt.¡± I cast at one of the wargs attacking Gary, the thorn vanishing into its skull. ¡°Thornbolt.¡± I killed the last warg on my flank as it danced around me in an attempt to get to Aaron in the back. I felt at my core of essence in my gut and knew I had enough for one more cast. I looked back towards the cave and saw the two larger wargs standing there, eerily watching us battle without moving. ¡°Thornbolt.¡± I used the last of my essence, hitting a warg in its back as it held onto Gary''s greaves while he stabbed another. I used my spear as a crutch and stood back up before I winced at the burning pain shooting through my leg. Zack finished off the last of the wargs as I watched and I worked on bringing my breathing under control. ¡°Keep watch on those two by the cave. Sit on your pack Eli.¡± Gabrielle directed me towards my pack sitting against the wall. I limped over and sat with a grimace, feeling blood gush into my pants and down my leg. I glanced away as she started pulling my pants down, feeling embarrassed despite the pain and I distracted myself by checking the wargs up by the cave. They hadn¡¯t moved at all, it looked like. They stood there and stared at us from 50 meters away as they waited for us to get closer. I glanced down at the cold feeling of water being poured on my thigh, then gritted my teeth and looked away as she started wiping the wound with a rag. Tears started pooling in my eyes involuntarily as she tightly wrapped the wound in a bandage. ¡°All right, it doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯re going to move towards us,¡± Gary said as he walked back towards the wall to join us. ¡°How bad is it?¡± he asked with a frown towards my leg. I took a deep breath and wiped at my eyes and started to pull my pants back up. ¡°It hurts, but I¡¯ll be able to walk, I think,¡± I said to their sympathetic looks. I frowned as I looked down at my leg, feeling like I let down my team one day after we got back to the Bloodfields. I used my spear as a crutch to lift myself off my pack and put my weight on my leg, flinching at the pain. I took a few slow steps and decided it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to walk, but bending and fighting would be painful. I gritted my teeth and tried to harden my thoughts. It wouldn¡¯t be debilitating as I thought at first, I would just have to be more careful. ¡°We¡¯ll keep you in the backline with Aaron and Gabrielle, then. Take a seat, we all need time to recover essence.¡± Gary said as he stared at the two wolves in the distance. I followed his advice and sat back down with a sigh, then pulled up my status to distract myself while I waited. Eli - Lvl 2 Druid Experience - 412\500 Strength-5 Dexterity-5 (+1) Perception-4 Vitality-5 Spirit-6 Willpower-6 Barkskin - Level 5\10 Upgradeable Experience - 42\1600 Thornbolt - Level 2\20 Upgradeable Experience - 202\400You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. At least the experience was impressive, and it looks like I finally raised my dexterity to 5. Thornbolt was already over halfway to level 3 and it¡¯s almost guaranteed that we would reach class level 3 during the dungeon. I wasn¡¯t sure if more skills would appear on my skill page after I leveled, but I was hoping that was the case. ¡°Everyone ready?¡± Gary asked, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it Eli, we can still handle this dungeon.¡± I nodded, having two people in the frontline hopefully wouldn¡¯t be much worse. At least going forward there should be fewer monsters attacking us at the same time, judging by the size of the cave behind the larger wargs. ¡°I¡¯ll grab the one on the left, you get the other?¡± Zack asked, hefting his blood-stained mace with both hands. Gary nodded in reply. ¡°We¡¯ll focus the one on Gary, then,¡± I said, trying to push down the pain and focus. With the strategy settled we started walking along the wall towards the cave. ¡°Barkskin.¡± ¡°Barkskin.¡± I cast on our two front liners and hobbled my way back between Aaron and Gabrielle. I was confident I had six Thornbolts worth of essence, with maybe one more depending on how long we fought for. The two wargs snarled at the same time once we got within 20 meters of them, but they still didn¡¯t move from their position. ¡°Aaron?¡± Gary nodded towards us as they held their position a few meters in front of us. ¡°Drill Shot!¡± Aaron sent a shot towards the warg on the right but it turned its body to the side so it wouldn¡¯t hit it in the eye. The skill still penetrated about half the length of the arrow into its shoulder and both wargs howled as they started bounding towards us. I used my spear as a crutch and focused my aim with my other arm extended. ¡°Thornbolt!¡± I cast on the same warg when it was 3 meters in front of Gary as he got ready to stab forward. I hit the warg in its eye, blinding it right before it reached Gary and giving him an easy opportunity to stab its chest. Gabrielle was shooting fireballs one after the other with no break in between, focused on keeping a constant barrage of fire in its face and giving it no time to retaliate. The warg was already seriously injured, and I looked towards Zack, seeing that they had it under control. I gasped, seeing Zack falling back towards us with blood pouring from his chest. ¡°Thornbolt, Thornbolt, Thornbolt!¡± I cast three times as quickly as I could, trying to keep it from taking advantage of Zack¡¯s slow retreat. He could barely hold onto his mace and as I shot my last spell he dropped it and fell to the ground a few steps in front of Aaron. I saw the other warg fall to the ground out of my peripherals and yelled to draw the rest of my teams¡¯ attention. ¡°Charge!¡± Gary charged directly into its path as it brushed off my three thorns sticking out of its chest. ¡°Drill Shot!¡± ¡°Thornbolt!¡± ¡°Fireball!¡± Our combined assault proved too much for the warg and it cried in pain, unable to look towards us as we unleashed a constant stream of spells. Gary finished it with a thrust through the neck while it turned its head to the side to avoid our skills. I started rushing as quickly as I could to Zacks side and I got there as Gabrielle turned him over onto his back. His eyes were closed and blood was pumping out of three large cuts from his shoulder to his waist through his leather jerkin. Aaron pulled out bandages as we unbuckled his leather jerkin as quickly as we could. ¡°Patrol incoming! Eli and Aaron get up!¡± Gary shouted, his voice was frantic and I looked up from Zack¡¯s bloodsoaked body to see three wargs a few steps away from our huddle around Zacks body. I leveraged myself to my feet with my spear, ignoring the pain shooting down my leg, and aimed at the closest one in a rush. ¡°Thornbolt!¡± I cast my spell with the last of my essence. I aimed slightly high and hit it in the back as it prepared to jump at Gabrielle beside me. The warg groaned and fell to the ground. I put most of my weight on my uninjured leg and stabbed down. Which shattered its spine. Aaron was shooting rapid-fire arrows at one of the wargs while Gary killed the other. Gary swung the butt of his spear at the warg riddled with arrows and it slumped onto the ground, whining and dripping blood from its mouth. He thrust one more time, driving his spear through its skull, and sat heavily on the ground with a pained grimace on his face. Druid Level 3 reached 1 Skill point and 1 Statistic point are available I ignored the messages and limped to Gary¡¯s side, seeing his mangled foot laid out in front of him. I cursed and felt helpless as I slowly worked his boot off and saw the bite marks along the top and bottom of his foot. I wrapped it tightly in our dwindling supply of bandages while I tried to ignore his pained gasps. ¡°How¡¯s Zack?¡± he asked once I finished, and I looked back towards Aaron and Gabrielle who were knelt by his side a few paces away. ¡°His breathing is slow, he lost a lot of blood.¡± Gabrielle stammered in reply. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to make it.¡± Aaron sat back with a forlorn look. I cursed, if I hadn¡¯t gotten hurt because I was too slow earlier, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. I would have been by his side, not standing in the back using my spear to stand up. Reaching level 3 felt like a poor reward as I dejectedly looked around at my team sitting near Zacks¡¯ prone body and Gary looking at the ground beside me. Status, I thought. Eli - Lvl 3 Druid Experience - 2/1000 Strength-5 Dexterity-5 Perception-4 Vitality-5 Spirit-6 Willpower-6 Barkskin - Level 5\10 Upgradeable Experience - 88\1600 Thornbolt - Level 2\20 Upgradeable Experience - 288\400 One Skill Point Available One Statistic Point Available I mentally selected Skill Point, hoping it would show a new skill and not just options for upgrading my current skills that I wouldn¡¯t be able to use yet. Rejuvenation Entangle I selected Rejuvenation the moment the menu allowed it and felt the familiar sensation of tingling as Essence was directed from my core towards my head. The essence flowed into a specific formation and was imprinted into my memory in an instant. I levered myself to my feet and rushed to Zacks side. ¡°Rejuvenation.¡± I cast once and felt over half of my essence drain into Zacks¡¯ prone body. Everyone stared at me, eyes wide as they realized what I had done. ¡°A healing spell!?¡± Aaron shouted out a question as we all gazed worriedly at Zack. ¡°I think so. It feels like,¡± I broke off, frowning as I studied the feeling the spell gave off. ¡°Growth. It feels like a season full of growth.¡± I looked around, gauging the rest of my team''s expressions. Aaron looked astonished, Gabrielle hopeful and Gary looked completely awestruck. I remember my father telling me of a healer serving in a luxurious position under royalty in the city of Wonders. The Capital of Foren. I swallowed, then focused back on Zack. It would be about five more minutes until I could use my skill again. ¡°The bleeding stopped. Can you use it again?¡± Gabrielle asked as she checked the bandage with a worried look. ¡°In five minutes. It took over half of my essence to cast.¡± I answered. His breathing looked a little better already. I started to feel the tension drain out of my body as I realized he could pull through. ¡°I¡¯ve only heard of two healers in all the cities of Foren.¡± Gary gushed out, ¡°and both of them work for the King.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t tell anyone, Eli,¡± Gabrielle reassured, ¡°Right?¡± She gave a serious look towards Aaron and Gary and they quickly nodded in reply. ¡°Wait, why?¡± I asked, confused. I focused most of my attention on my core while I waited to recover enough essence to cast a second time. ¡°Those healers might be rich and live in the city of Wonders, but do you think they¡¯re allowed to leave? I bet the king keeps them under watch at all times and barely lets them leave the palace.¡± Aaron explained, looking like it was obvious. ¡°Rejuvenation.¡± I cast a second time and felt my essence drain completely. I frowned, of course, they¡¯re right. If anyone knew that I could heal their injuries they would do anything to have me as their personal healer. ¡°I¡¯m taking off his bandage,¡± Gabrielle said as we kneeled around Zack and watched his breathing rapidly improve from the second cast. She gently unwrapped the bandage and I felt my mouth drop open as I watched the long cuts slowly turn into scabs. ¡°Amazing,¡± Gary breathed out. The healing continued for another 15 seconds before it stopped. ¡°30 seconds, by my count.¡± Aaron said, ¡°It kept healing him for 30 seconds before it ended.¡± he explained. I nodded, which lined up with my guess as well. I brought up my Status and assigned my statistic point to Spirit to improve the amount of essence I could store. The closer I could get to be able to cast two in a row, the better. I brought up my new Status to check it over now that the crisis seemed to be over, ignoring the rest of my team for a moment. Eli - Lvl 3 Druid Experience - 2/1000 Strength-5 Dexterity-5 Perception-4 Vitality-5 Spirit-7 (+1) Willpower-6 Barkskin - Level 5\10 Upgradeable Experience - 88\1600 Thornbolt - Level 2\20 Upgradeable Experience - 288\400 Rejuvenation - Level 1\10 Upgradeable Experience - 20\200 The experience was pretty good at 10 per cast, although the cost was extremely high. The first few levels would be quick as long as I switched my training from Barkskin to Rejuvenation, for now. ¡°E-Rank by the time the hordes arrive!¡± Gary finished saying as I focused back on the conversation. ¡°Without the need to take time off when someone gets injured, we could make it to A rank someday,¡± Gabrielle said with a wistful expression on her face. Zack coughed a few times and opened his eyes. ¡°Uhm... I¡¯m alive?¡± he mumbled before he blinked a few times and glanced between us. I heard Aaron snort and before I knew it everyone was laughing. The extreme tension and stress we had all been feeling started falling away. ¡°Eli got a new skill, Zack. Rejuvenation.¡± Gabrielle informed him with a smile as we finished. ¡°But, rejuvenation? That sounds like a healing skill?¡± Zack looked at me for confirmation and I nodded. ¡°Gods!¡± He used a hand to push himself to a seat and leaned back against his pack I pushed into place. He ran his hand across the three cuts that stretched across his torso, touching the scabs that looked weeks old. ¡°Should we camp here?¡± I asked as I looked around the room. On the far side of the chamber, there were still another 40 wargs slowly patrolling that section of the cave. Beside us was a tunnel that stretched downward for a few meters before disappearing. ¡°We¡¯ll camp by the portal for now,¡± Gary pointed, ¡°I don¡¯t think the wargs will attack but that way we¡¯ll have a way to retreat if necessary.¡± I got back to my feet and waited while Aaron helped Gary as Gabrielle helped Zack. ¡°We look like we¡¯re coming back victorious after beating back the hordes,¡± Aaron joked. I was still using my new spear as a crutch, Aaron had an arm around Gary''s back to take his weight and Zack was only able to take a few steps at a time before he needed a break. ¡°Did anyone else level?¡± I asked once we arrived back by the portal. We sat in a half-circle with our backs to the wall and leaned against our packs. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m still trying to decide which skill to take next.¡± Gabrielle replied with a frown. ¡°I chose Haste,¡± Aaron said after a moment. He stood up and walked a few paces away from the group. ¡°Haste,¡± he cast and then sprinted towards the cave in the distance so fast that his legs appeared to be a blur. A few seconds after he started he slowed back down to his normal pace and jogged back towards us with a grin. ¡°Awesome!¡± Zack congratulated him and I shut my jaw with a click. When he used that in battle he would be able to send a dozen arrows in just a few seconds. ¡°Impale. I believe it focuses essence in my speartip, helping me pierce tough monsters like that beetle.¡± Gary said. ¡°Sounds helpful, I¡¯m expecting more of those beetles to be at the end of this dungeon,¡± I replied. Gabrielle stood up and pointed to a spot a few meters away from us with a look of concentration. ¡°Meteor,¡± she cast which caused a large sphere of flame to pool a few meters above her. I watched with eyes wide as the ball of flame grew until it was the size of my body. The meteor rushed down towards where she had pointed and impacted with a thud, the flames spreading a meter in each direction before disappearing. ¡°I chose the wrong class, gods!¡± Zack shouted, his eyes alight. I couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous after I saw that display. I can¡¯t imagine a regular human surviving that. ¡°Enhanced Physique. It¡¯s a passive skill that gives me two vitality, strength, and dexterity. After I level this a few times I¡¯ll be able to go punch for punch with those hobgoblins,¡± Zack bragged as he looked like he was already forgetting about his injury. I finally had enough essence for another cast, I realized. ¡°Rejuvenation.¡± I walked over to Zack and cast it on him for the third time. Immediately he started twitching back and forth and his face twisted into a grimace. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, my eyebrows coming together as I watched him squirming on the ground. ¡°It itches! Everywhere! I thought you said this was a healing spell!¡± Zack shouted. His voice got more and more high-pitched the longer he talked and I laughed with Aaron. I looked up at Gabrielle rolling her eyes and saw Gary grinning as we watched. ¡°That was horrible! Just wait until he uses it on you, Gary. Let¡¯s see how you deal with that when your foot feels like it itches inside your skin.¡± Zack complained with a hurt look, ¡°Next time just let me die, I¡¯m not built for that.¡± Despite his grumbling, he quickly got to his feet and started stretching to test his injury. ¡°I feel as if I was injured a couple of months ago, now. My chest still feels tight and sore but the pain is mostly gone,¡± he said after a few moments. I grinned and felt proud of my new capabilities. When I chose this class I was hoping for something that would make me useful to a team and allow me to grow. So far it¡¯s been everything I wished for and more. Chapter 11 ¡°I can switch off healing everyone every 25 minutes until we¡¯re all completely healed,¡± I said, ¡°then we¡¯ll finish this dungeon.¡± I used rejuvenation another 6 times over the next couple of hours; once on Aaron and Gabrielle and twice on Gary and myself. After that, we waited for my essence to recover fully before we moved forward. We had Gabrielle cook up some of our rations since none of us wanted to wait until we got back outside of the Bloodfields. Finally, we made our way back to the cave entrance and headed inside. After a short walk, the tunnel slowly started to fill with clouds of fog or mist. The tunnel continued sloping slightly down with no other changes and we cautiously moved forward. ¡°The tunnels opened up,¡± Gary whispered from a few meters in front of me. I could barely see through the haze of white mist so I walked quickly to close the distance between us. There was a faint murmur from moving water ahead of us and the air was rapidly heating up as we moved into the room. ¡°Should we just be heading straight in?¡± I asked anxiously. I stood a meter behind Zack and Gary with Aaron and Gabrielle close enough behind me to touch. We had walked about ten meters into the room and as I looked around I couldn¡¯t see anything other than thick clouds of mist. The heat was getting more intense the further we went and the sound of moving water was swiftly getting louder. ¡°We can¡¯t fight like this, let¡¯s move back,¡± Gary finally replied. I turned around with a nod and focused on following Gabrielle back the way we came. A loud skittering sound broke up the uneasy silence a few steps later. All of us froze at the sound and I swallowed worriedly, painfully aware of how little we could see in the mist. I hesitated for another moment as we all stood still, then realized I needed to cast Barkskin before it was too late. ¡°Barkskin,¡± as I cast the last time on myself I heard the sharp clicks coming from behind us and to our side. ¡°Get our backs to a wall!¡± Gary called out as we heard the sounds heading in our direction. I kept my eyes locked on Aaron¡¯s back as I sprinted behind them and listened to the clicks get louder and louder. Finally, I watched Aaron turn around as he reached the side of the cavern and I spun around to stand beside Zack and Gary in front. The clicking noise continued just out of sight, but none of them came close enough for us to see. A tense minute passed as we listened to the monsters scurry back and forth in front of us. My eyes widened in shock as three massive beetles ran towards us all at once. ¡°Drill Shot! ¡°Fireball!¡± ¡°Impale!¡± I didn¡¯t have time to watch the rest of the fight as the beetle heading towards me shrugged off the fireball without slowing. I leaped to the side as it got close and barely managed to dodge the pincers half the size of my body. I aimed a thrust towards its side after I landed but my poor footing caused me to barely leave a scratch in its carapace. I cursed and quickly backed up as I tried to buy time for my allies to kill the others and help me. ¡°Thornbolt,¡± as soon as it turned to face me I shot it directly into one of its huge unblinking eyes. The thorn slid deep into its eye and the beetle clattered its mandibles in pain for a brief moment before refocusing on me and charging. I prepared to leap to the side right before it reached me like last time. I dodged towards the wall with a leap but one of its legs caught me in my calf, sending me crashing onto my side. I cursed and rolled back to my feet. I limped a bit from the new bruise on my ankle. I glanced up as the beetle turned back towards me. Gary Charge into its back and slashed one of its legs off with the skill. An arrow slammed into the beetle''s other eye as it turned towards Gary and I rushed towards its side and stabbed into its stomach before retreating back. ¡°Impale!¡± Gary stabbed into the side of its face and pierced through its brain with his long spear. I scanned around as it fell and saw the other two beetles slumped in front of Gary a few meters away. ¡°That wasn¡¯t too bad, I didn¡¯t even get a chance to use my new skill,¡± Aaron groused as I walked back over towards the wall. I thought about waiting for enough essence to use Rejuvenation on myself but I quickly decided I didn''t want to extend our trip any longer than necessary. The new bruise along my ankle hurt but it didn¡¯t impair my mobility much at all. ¡°We¡¯ll hold this position until our essence recovers. Any ideas on how to see through this fog?¡± Gary asked as we took seats near the wall. None of my abilities would be able to help and I had no ideas so I stayed silent while I hoped someone else would think of something. ¡°Well¡­ When I shot a fireball at that beetle it seemed like it might have burned away the fog,¡± said Gabrielle. ¡°Maybe we could make some torches?¡± I dropped my pack to dig through my supplies and see if I had anything to use. ¡°I have some extra tent stakes, we can wrap some rags around the tip and use that?¡± Gary offered. The short metal stakes were less than a meter long and the sharp tip at the end would work to hold the dirty rags. A couple of minutes of tinkering later, Zack and Gary both held improvised torches and we threw our packs back on. ¡°Fireball,¡± Gabrielle cast at a piece of cloth she left on the ground. Half of the cloth turned to ash at the powerful force, but thankfully parts of it caught and allowed them to light the two torches. With the two torches held in front of them, the fog steadily cleared away and we continued our slow pace through the chamber. Gary kept us heading in the direction of the moving water where I assumed the fog was coming from. The room quickly started to get warmer the further we got from the walls where we entered. ¡°Stream ahead, we¡¯ll follow it deeper,¡± Gary advised as we arrived at a thin stream. ¡°The noise will mask the beetle¡¯s presence as well as ours. Stay alert.¡± The fog was becoming denser as we followed the stream although the torches were working well to clear it around us. I studied the stream as we continued and didn¡¯t see any fog coming from the water as I had expected. A short distance later I started to hear a hissing sound coming from just ahead where the room was completely covered in thick steam. We lowered our pace to barely a shuffle while we tried to ignore the increasing heat. I felt sweat mixed with steam drenching my body and pouring down my face.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°There¡¯s a ledge here,¡± Zack informed us as he stopped. I quickly stepped forwards to get a glimpse and heard a loud noise from ahead. ¡°Barkskin,¡± I placed my hand on Zack and cast. The noise was getting closer and sounded similar to the beetles from earlier. ¡°Barkskin.¡± ¡°Barkskin,¡± I finished casting on myself and Gary as the noise got louder, but held off on Aaron and Gabrielle after they packed up and prepared for whatever was approaching. I saw Aaron wiping down his bowstring with a grimace as I turned back to the front, dropped my pack, and held my spear with both hands. The sharp clicking noise finally revealed itself as a dark red scorpion, slightly larger than the beetle¡¯s from before. It looked like it was made of the same type of plated carapace with a tail as thick as my torso and it was over five meters long. The pincers were pitch black and looked sharp enough to cut through stone. ¡°Thornbolt!¡± I shook myself out of my stupor and cast towards the two slightly glowing red eyes embedded on the top of its head. The thorn impacted just below its eye and bounced off, barely leaving a scratch as it closed the distance between us. ¡°Haste!¡± ¡°Dill Shot!¡± ¡°Drill Shot!¡± ¡°Drill Shot!¡± Aaron sent out a barrage of arrows each causing a loud boom as they impacted the monster. Bright red blood poured out of both eyes and the front of its face had small fissures leaking down its body. ¡°Vigor,¡± Zack whispered as the scorpion reached us and slowed to a stop. The scorpion sent its tail arcing over our heads and lashed down towards Gary. I rushed to Gary as he dived out of the way to stab the tail but the crash of the tail sent me stumbling to the ground. A loud boom from upfront sounded as Zack slammed his mace into the right pincer, cracking off a few plates and grabbing its attention. I pushed myself back up and resolved not to spend any more essence in case someone got injured. The scorpion was completely focused on Zack to my side and I sprinted forward to slash at its back leg with all my strength. A small cut appeared from my strike and I grit my teeth as I saw it barely even penetrated. ¡°Charge!¡± Gary appeared next to me and stabbed completely through the leg with his rush. ¡°Gary!¡± I called out and tossed him my spear as I backed up, seeing him yanking ineffectively at his spear. I looked towards the front of the scorpion and saw Zack darting back and forth as he fought to hold the monster''s attention. ¡°Meteor!¡± I heard Gabrielle start to cast her spell from a few meters behind us. I glanced towards the ceiling above us and frowned, seeing the large meteor forming above the monster''s tail. ¡°Zack!¡± I shouted to get his attention, ¡°Run towards us!¡± I didn¡¯t check if he listened and grabbed Gary''s arm as I retreated back towards Aaron and Gabrielle. I reached their side and turned around just in time to see the meteor slam into the top of the scorpion''s face, slamming it into the ground to crush its legs beneath the large body. It twitched on the ground but it seemed like it couldn¡¯t manage to stand after it crushed the majority of its legs. The blood pouring out of its wounds quickly bled it out until it stopped moving a minute later as we watched from a few meters away. ¡°Eli?¡± Zack gestured toward his leg with a grimace on his face. His pants had a dark spot from blood pooling up near his foot. ¡°Stay alert. Eli, check him out,¡± Gary said as I walked over to his side. He sat on the ground and pulled off the battered greaves from his left leg. As he pulled his pants up to his knee I saw a bloody wound from where a portion of his greaves had broken off and cut into the area just below his knee. ¡°Rejuvenate,¡± I cast, emptying almost all of my remaining essence at once. I watched in awe as the gash started to pull itself together as a large scab covered it in a few seconds. Zack had his eyes squeezed shut and his hands clenched as he sat through the uncomfortable healing process. Thirty seconds after I cast, the large cut was engulfed by light green and gray scab in the center, with newly healed skin on the edges. ¡°Thanks, Eli,¡± Zack huffed out once the healing ended. I smiled back and helped him to his feet, then walked up to join the rest of my team. ¡°I¡¯ll need another twenty minutes until I can use it again, should we wait or continue forward?¡± I asked once I reached Gary¡¯s side. Aaron was wrapping a new bunch of rags around our improvised torches so they wouldn¡¯t run out of flames. The fog had cleared up in a wide area surrounding us, but thick clouds still spread out from below the ledge in front of us. ¡°Can you see that?¡± Aaron pointed towards a little speck of color that seemed to be catching the light off our torches down the ledge and a few meters away. I squinted at the spot and watched as Aaron moved the torch back and forth, revealing a shiny rounded object. I smirked and let out a deep breath of relief, ¡°It¡¯s the core, I think. I hoped that was the dungeon boss, after a fight like that,¡± I replied. ¡°I think you''re right, but let¡¯s move down as a group,¡± Gary said after a moment. I sat down near the ledge and then turned around to lower myself by hand. Thankfully, I felt my feet touch the ground. I waited for the rest of my team to join me and then walked slowly beside Aaron as the torch burned away the fog around us. The shallow stream pooled up just behind the bright blue dungeon core and sent clouds of steam streaming into our faces as it reached the heated stone floor. None of us wanted to stand around in the uncomfortably hot and humid area so Gabrielle grabbed the core and we immediately turned around to head back out. ¡°Let¡¯s grab a few of the larger plates from the scorpion before we head back,¡± Aaron pointed at the bloody corpse. I tossed my spear to Zack and watched him lever a few of the heavy, unbroken plates off the body before we split them among our packs. ¡°Good job, everyone,¡± Gary congratulated us as we climbed back up the ledge. ¡°This was by far our toughest challenge so far, yet we pulled through just like before. I¡¯m sure you''re all just as tired as I am, so let¡¯s get out of here. Hopefully, night hasn¡¯t fallen just yet.¡± I nodded tiredly in reply as we trudged back along the stream. I would be surprised if it wasn¡¯t nearing dark by the time we got back outside and now that we were leaving I felt my muscles starting to ache. We quickly left the cave and arrived back at the large cavern still half-filled with wargs. ¡°Straight to the portal,¡± Zack stated unnecessarily. I snorted, all of us were completely worn out, none of us would willingly fight another one of the massive groups of wargs today. Luckily, the wargs seemed to be sticking to their patrol along the far side of the cavern and they ignored our presence again as we hugged the wall and made our way back to the blue portal where we had entered from. Chapter 12 We headed back towards the edge of the bloodfields in formation and only encountered one small patrol that we made quick work of. Soon enough we set up a camp and gathered to have a meeting by the fire. ¡°Today was our hardest day as a team, but like always, we pulled through.¡± Gary said to the group. ¡°Good job, everyone.¡± I nodded in response, today was easily one of the most difficult days of my life. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if we¡¯ve been pushing ourselves too hard or the perfect amount,¡± Gary continued, ¡°What does everyone think?¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely been more difficult than I expected, but at the same time we¡¯ve already reached level three in our classes.¡± Gabrielle said with a thoughtful expression. ¡°I agree, we¡¯ve been advancing extremely quickly but it¡¯s not worth it if we barely survive the day. I think we should focus on the closer dungeons along the edges of the Bloodfields moving forward,¡± I decided to tell them how I felt, although I was willing to consider what my team had to say as well. ¡°That sounds like a good plan, Eli.¡± Aaron responded, ¡°We might not make as much money or advance as fast as before but what we need is time to level up our new skills and learn to use them properly before we take on harder dungeons.¡± ¡°Yeah, during the last dungeon I wasn¡¯t sure when to use the majority of my Essence on Meteor.¡± Gabrielle quickly spoke up after Aaron finished, ¡°I was thinking on the way back that it might have been better to use it as an opening to take pressure off of Zack and Gary in the front.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let it go to your head, Gabrielle,¡± Zack said. ¡°There¡¯s always going to be a better way for us to use our Skills and Essence. As long as we improve throughout our fights it¡¯s the best we can do.¡± ¡°All right, starting tomorrow we¡¯ll head along the edge of the Bloodfields after we enter and look for one of the younger dungeons. Let¡¯s spend the rest of our rations this trip and then for our next one we¡¯ll have another discussion on how we can move forward then.¡± Gary stated after we had everyone¡¯s agreement. After our discussion everyone split up to take care of their gear and study our status screens. Eli - Lvl 3 Druid Experience - 170/1000 Strength-6 (+1) Dexterity-6 (+1) Perception-4 Vitality-5 Spirit-7 Willpower-7 (+1) Barkskin - Level 5\10 Upgradeable Experience - 312\1600 Thornbolt - Level 2\20 Upgradeable Experience - 388\400 Rejuvenation - Level 1\10 Upgradeable Experience - 120\200 I studied my Status with a grin. Strength, dexterity and willpower had all increased today, not to mention I nearly made it to level three with Thornbolt. I was starting to reach the point where I wasn¡¯t sure which skill I should focus on the most. Rejuvenation was already powerful at level 1, but Barkskin and Thornbolt were the skills that I relied on during combat. I spent a few minutes thinking on it before I headed to sleep for the night. We spent the next 10 days fighting patrols and the occasional dungeon within the first mile or two of the Bloodfields. All of the dungeons were easier than the few that we had defeated so far, and mostly consisted of goblins, wargs and the occasional hobgoblin for a boss. We managed to find four dungeons and complete all of them without anyone receiving another serious injury. While I found that my statistics didn¡¯t increase nearly as much as before, my skills still made a good amount of progress. We decided to head back once we had three days of rations left so we could take it easy along the road back. ¡°So, does anyone want more time at the city once we get back?¡± Gary asked once we started on the road back to Gorok. I didn¡¯t have much of an opinion either way so I stayed silent. ¡°Well, how much did we make this time, Aaron?¡± Gabrielle asked since he told us he would count it all out last night. ¡°With five dungeon cores, 7 bags of bloodmoss and a ton of warg fangs it came out to 39 silver 40 copper. We also have those plates from the beetles, too, which we don¡¯t know the price of.¡± Aaron grinned as we all stopped to stare at him. ¡°I bet with those plates we¡¯ll make 50 silver this trip!¡± ¡°What!¡± Gabrielle screamed, ¡°We¡¯re rich!¡± I laughed for a moment with everyone, but I realized my parents had given me three silver to help me get started. They made decent money in Brightswell but I doubted it was more than 20 silver a year. In two weeks, I probably made half of that.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Wow,¡± I trailed off after a moment lost in my thoughts. We continued down the road for a few minutes before Gary slowed to a walk beside me. ¡°10 Silvers each will gave us enough money to seriously upgrade our equipment. The first thing I¡¯m doing is buying that steel-tipped ashwood long spear we saw last time,¡± he said. ¡°Yeah, this spear was a huge upgrade from those goblin sticks. I still plan on buying a shield, but other than that I¡¯m not sure.¡± I responded. I¡¯m sure I could spend the rest of my money on upgrading my leather armor but maybe there¡¯s something that would be better. ¡°A shield will be good for you once you learn how to use it. Other than a new weapon I¡¯m just going to be focusing on getting better armor. We¡¯re a long way away from affording anything enchanted,¡± Gary said as we walked. "Yeah, armor is probably for the best,¡± I agreed. ¡°Do you know anything about enchanted gear?¡± I asked towards Gary and Aaron who sped up to join the conversation. ¡°Unfortunately, my father never traded in anything like that. I¡¯d guess even cheap enchanted items are over a gold in price. They don¡¯t even sell them in shops outside of the nobles district.¡± Aaron replied. ¡°We¡¯re a long way away from even thinking about enchanted gear, but every trip back to the city we¡¯ll probably be able to afford some sort of upgrade to our gear.¡± Gary shrugged, and I found myself agreeing. The next two days passed quietly as we focused on hiking and training. A few hours into our third day of travel we reached the city gates and joined the queue into the city. As we waited I pulled up my Status to see the results of the past few days of training. Eli - Lvl 3 Druid Experience - 730/1000 Strength-6 Dexterity-6 Perception-5 (+1) Vitality-6 (+1) Spirit-7 Willpower-7 Barkskin - Level 5\10 Upgradeable Experience - 1440\1600 Thornbolt - Level 3\20 Upgradeable Experience - 748\800 Rejuvenation - Level 3\10 Upgradeable Experience - 40\800 The increase in levels for Rejuvenation had not reduced the Essence required to cast it, unfortunately. I still needed a short break before I could cast it two times in a row, although it healed more quickly throughout the thirty seconds that it lasted now that it had leveled. Thornbolt stayed the same size at level 3 but it flew more quickly and penetrated more easily. While we stayed in the city I planned on advancing Thornbolt to level 4 in the training yards. The rest of my Essence would go towards leveling Barkskin. The line to get in the city went by quickly and we decided to head straight to the adventurers guild to unload all of our loot. ¡°Good afternoon, how can I help you?¡± The attendant asked as we arrived at the counter. Aaron quickly handed over all of the items on the noticeboard and received 40 silvers in return. ¡°We also encountered a different creature in the Bloodfields that we harvested the carapace plates off of. Do you know who I could see about getting them appraised?¡± Aaron asked. The attendant raised her eyebrows in surprise before she responded a moment later. ¡°Well I might be able to appraise them if they¡¯re on a noticeboard for another area. Sometimes monsters that are rarely seen in the Bloodfields spawn in one of the dungeons. Usually these monsters are common in other areas and already have a price set for any usable materials.¡± she explained as Aaron placed the black plates on the counter. ¡°Interesting. These are from an Iron Beetle, which are usually only seen in the dungeons by Wydenhald, two silver per undamaged plate¡± she said before she pulled out a binder that she began flipping through. ¡°Four silver per undamaged plate of these dark red plates, which are from an Iron Scorpion, according to their Adventurerers guild.¡± ¡°Oh, Gods,¡± Aaron mumbled as he began placing all the plates on the counter. All together we had a total of 16 plates, bringing us another 48 silver to spread among the team. Aaron quickly finished the transaction and we sat at one of the empty tables by the bar. ¡°88 Silver, leaving us with about 17 and a half silver each,¡± Aaron said with a huge grin on his face. He handed me the largest amount of coins I had ever owned at once. ¡°We struck it rich!¡± Zack yelled as he thrust a fist into the air. The rest of the group laughed and I noticed a smile on everyones face. A server came by and soon after we each had a large meal and a mug of ale. All I could think about was the food that actually had taste after two weeks of eating plain rations. ¡°Do you guys think we could get some better rations? We have got to be getting the lowest quality food out there. It¡¯s not healthy, I¡¯m telling you,¡± Zack said after we finished eating. ¡°Definitely,¡± Gabrielle said, ¡°I can get some spices, too. I¡¯m so over eating bland rice and beans every meal.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± Gary chuckled for a moment. ¡°How long does everyone want to stay in the city?¡± ¡°Three nights?¡± I suggested. ¡°I could use some time to relax and do some training with a shield before we set out again.¡± ¡°Some training, he says,¡± Aaron grinned. ¡°I better not get woken up by Barkskin again. Three nights sounds good to me, too.¡± The rest of the team nodded and I headed to the bathhouse to get cleaned. I passed the rest of the day lounging pleasantly in the baths before I went back to the guildhall to sleep. I left with Gary the next morning to work on getting our gear purchased. After stopping at one of the seaside stalls to get some more grilled fish we found the weapons stall that we purchased my spear at during our last trip there. Gary purchased a reinforced ashwood long spear with a steel-tip for four silver. It had bands of steel that helped to increase the durability of the spear shaft, unlike mine which was just unadorned ashwood. The attendant pointed us towards a nearby stall that sold me a reinforced ashwood buckler for 4 silver. It was a round shield about three feet tall that could cover my side well and didn¡¯t seem to be too heavy. ¡°Back to that leatherworker that we purchased our armor from last time?¡± Gary asked after we left the stall. I nodded in reply and we headed back down the busy market street towards the leatherworker. The same attendant from last time met us at the front of the stall a short time after we arrived. ¡°Hello, what are you looking for today?¡± he asked with a short nod to greet us. ¡°I want to see about a better quality leather jerkin and some leg-guards.¡± I replied. ¡°Maybe some pauldrons too if they won¡¯t limit my mobility too badly.¡± ¡°I see. We have a reinforced leather jerkin that¡¯s about double the weight of the one you bought here last time. It costs 6 silver. We have some thigh guards that cost 1 and a half silver. As for pauldrons we only have a reinforced version that will cost 4 silver.¡± he responded with the prices. I debated for a moment before I grimaced and pulled out 11 silver to pay him for all of it. Just like that and I had less than three silver remaining. Gary decided to buy the same outfit that I did after he saw me wearing it all. The pauldrons and jerkin were fairly heavy but my strength had increased a lot over the past weeks and this could help to continue training it. ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to head to the training grounds back at the guild,¡± I said to Gary after he finished up at the stall. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll come. It¡¯s going to take a while for me to get comfortable fighting in this new gear.¡± he replied. Chapter 13 Gary and I spent the rest of the day in the training yards sparring each other and a few of the other adventurers that seemed to be around our level. I felt like I was fighting myself trying to use the shield effectively while only using one arm for my spear. Some of the training I had done with Gary carried over but a lot of it was completely different. After the day was done I felt less confident in myself compared to before having the shield. ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up, Eli. A few days of training will make a big difference.¡± Gary tried to reassure me as we walked back to the guildhall to eat dinner. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll stick with it until it feels more natural and decide from there if I want to continue with it,¡± I said. At least I had made some progress with draining myself of Essence by casting Thornbolt whenever possible. I did my best to cast it as soon as my Essence had regenerated enough to see if it would push my Spirit up more quickly. I still needed 10 experience more experience for Thornbolt before I would switch focus to Barkskin. We arrived in the guildhall and I stopped Aaron, Gabrielle, and Zack sitting at a table close to the bar. ¡°Hey, everyone,¡± I said as a took a seat at their table with Gary. Aaron nodded back as he ate his stew and Gabrielle smiled. ¡°Hey! How was training all day on your first day off?¡± Zack said as he shook his head at me and Gary. ¡°We went to the market too, it¡¯s not like we trained all day,¡± I said defensively with a half-smile. ¡°Where did all of you go after the market,¡± I asked since I and Gary had left before they woke up. ¡°There¡¯s a beach to the west of the market district that we relaxed at for the afternoon. We also looked around the market for a few hours to see the different prices of things we might need in the future.¡± Aaron answered my question after a drink of his ale. Our server brought Gary and me some food and ale so I focused on eating. After training and sparring most of the day I was starving, I had noticed my muscles were getting bigger and tougher surprisingly quickly since I had Awakened. I assumed it was the effects of my Vitality and Strength increasing so quickly over the past weeks. ¡°So how¡¯s the shield, Eli?¡± Zack asked as he gestured towards the shield leaning against the chair I was sitting on. ¡°It¡¯s hard, and I feel a lot weaker than before using my spear with one hand,¡± I complained over my ale. ¡°But, it¡¯s only my first-day training with it. It should get easier tomorrow.¡± ¡°You''re learning a whole new style of fighting, it¡¯s going to take some time. I picked up a better quality bow today, for most of my funds. Also, some higher quality arrows for those beetles if we see them again.¡± Aaron responded. I leaned over and studied the new bow. It was a pale grey wood only four feet tall with some metal bandings around each end. ¡°Looks nice, Aaron,¡± Gary said. ¡°It¡¯s a lot shorter than your old bow, does it have less draw weight?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a much heavier draw than my previous bow, which is what drew me to it. With my strength increasing so much I realized my bow was too weak for me now. It feels more comfortable to pull this back, and it will increase the strength of all of my shots.¡± Aaron explained cheerfully. He was on his second ale and his normally pale cheeks were bright red. ¡°Smart choice. I see Zack got a new mace and Gabrielle it looks like you just got new leather armor?¡± I asked as I was curious what everyone spent their money on. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t ever use a weapon, so I just decided to spend everything I could on my armor. Zack got that mace and a large ashwood tower shield he left by his bunk.¡± Gabrielle explained since Zack had left for the outhouse. ¡°Do you think it would be worth it to carry a larger melee weapon than a dagger?¡± Gary asked with some concern. ¡°At least with a short sword you can defend yourself from a goblin if you ran out of Essence.¡± I found myself nodding in agreement. Gabrielle used to carry a spear with her but she rarely ran out of Essence during fights anymore so she left it behind to attack more accurately with her skills. ¡°Maybe, I would have to learn how to use one, though. I guess it would be a good way to train my dexterity, too.¡± Gabrielle nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. You''re right that I need something to defend myself with if I run out of Essence. Using meteor costs about half of my Essence now, so that does limit me more than when I only had to cast fireballs and wall of flames.¡± The rest of the night passed pleasantly as we stayed talking at our table and drinking ale until late at night. The next day I spent the morning training with Gary and another adventurer who fought with a one-handed spear and shield-like I was working on. The adventurer had a lot of pointers that helped me to improve my technique a lot in a few short hours. I left in the afternoon after I seriously thanked the adventurer for helping me out. ¡°All you owe me is a mug of ale,¡± he grinned before he turned and walked away to continue training. After training, I went to one of the attendants at the counter of the guildhall and asked what the price was for using the city portals. The attendant let me know portals cost 5 silver each way. The portal from Brightswell to here was only provided because they funded the first portal to an area where you would be able to level at it if necessary. It was both more and less than I had expected so I didn¡¯t find myself too bothered by the price. With that done I waited at one of the tables for Gabrielle who asked me to meet her there in the afternoon.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Hey, have you been waiting long?¡± Gabrielle asked a few minutes later when she walked up to my table. I stood up to join her as she gestured to the door. ¡°No, I just got here a bit ago,¡± I replied as we made our way out of the noisy guildhall. ¡°Great, so I wanted to head to the mage¡¯s guild to see what they offered. I don¡¯t know much information about them.¡± Gabrielle explained as we walked. I shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about them. I thought most people in the mages guild were nobles or something.¡± I said honestly. ¡°Yeah, they might be,¡± she said. ¡°I just figured with both of us having mage classes it would be worth talking to them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they have tons of information that we don¡¯t have. Hopefully, it doesn¡¯t cost a hundred gold to join, or something ridiculous like that.¡± I laughed somewhat uneasily. It was probably going to be a ridiculous amount. We walked for about forty minutes, almost to the edges of the nobles district before we arrived. There was a large mansion with a large gated compound behind it that was blocked from view. Attached to the front of the large building were two glass doors that opened automatically. Gabrielle and I both stopped for a second when the doors swung open when we were still a few steps away. I glanced at her for a second before she shrugged and continued through the doors. Inside there was an obvious reception area with an official-looking person upfront. ¡°Good afternoon, may I ask what you''re visiting the Mage¡¯s guild for?¡± the tall man asked us once we walked up to him at the entrance to the hall. ¡°Hello, we¡¯re here to see about any information on the mages guild and what it offers to its members,¡± Gabrielle said to the attendant. ¡°I see,¡± he looked us up and down for a moment before he sighed. ¡°Very well, go speak to one of the attendants behind me.¡± He finished speaking and pointedly ignored our thanks as he focused back on the book he was carrying. I decided to ignore that guy judging us based on our low-quality leather armor. ¡°Hello, how can I help you today?¡± the attendant asked once we walked up to her desk. ¡°Neither of us knows much about what the mages guild does and what they offer their members, could you explain?¡± I asked the middle-aged lady behind the counter. ¡°Of course. The mages guild offers a variety of services, including training in enchanting, spell-crafting, and Essence training. More information than that would have to be given after you joined the guild.¡± she explained shortly. I expected her to give us a lot more information than that, but everything other than training in enchanting seemed to be useful. ¡°What are the requirements to join the guild?¡± Gabrielle asked a moment later. I looked at the attendant with interest as I hoped it was something we could save up for easily. ¡°Level five in a Mage class and five gold coins are required to take the entry test. The test is merely a gauge of your skill in each of the three areas, and is only to see what resources would be available for you once you were a member,¡± the attendant explained to us with a smile. Five gold was an incredible amount of money, but by the time we were level 5, it might not be too difficult to work on saving that much. ¡°All right, thank you for your help,¡± Gabrielle said with a sigh. I nodded to the attendant and we headed out of the mages guild. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as I was worried it was going to be,¡± I said after we got back onto the streets outside. ¡°Not to mention the Essence training probably includes ways to increase our Spirit and Willpower.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s extremely expensive, but we will be able to afford it eventually, I¡¯m sure,¡± Gabrielle responded. ¡°I¡¯m excited about the spell-crafting that she mentioned. Does that mean I could learn other Spells that aren¡¯t offered from my class?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I didn¡¯t even know that was possible,¡± I said back. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll find out eventually, once we reach level 5 and save a fortune.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± Gabrielle replied. ¡°I¡¯m going to head to the market and see what the prices are for a short sword, then I¡¯ll meet you at the training yards?¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll probably spend the rest of the day there. See you later,¡± I said before we split up to go down different streets. I spent the rest of the day mostly training by myself in the forms that the adventurer I met yesterday had instructed me in. Gabrielle arrived a few hours later and was already sparring with another woman by the time I noticed her arrival. Thornbolt level 4 reached A few hours later I finally finished leveling Thornbolt and I switched to working on Barkskin. I decided to stop for the day after leveling and I headed to the bathhouse quickly to wash up before meeting the rest of the team in the guildhall. The next day passed similarly other than the team going to the market together to get another two weeks'' worth of higher quality rations for two silver and twenty copper each. ¡°All right, team,¡± Gary spoke up after we made it out of the city gates on our way back to the Bloodfields the next day. ¡°I talked to one of the more senior adventurers last night at the guildhall and he explained where we could find monster cores if we¡¯re interested in trying to make a little more this time.¡± ¡°Interesting, how much did they pay for F-rank monster cores, anyways?¡± Gabrielle asked. ¡°50 Silver for each undamaged core we recover. Monster cores only develop when a monster survives outside of a dungeon for a long time.¡± Gary continued. ¡°Some of the more experienced adventurers at the Bloodfields don¡¯t even bother clearing out the dungeons. Instead, they search around deeper in the Bloodfields for Awakened monsters to harvest.¡± ¡°How do you think those Awakened monsters compare to the dungeon bosses we¡¯ve faced so far?¡± I asked, interestedly. ¡°Well, the adventurer I talked to said they mostly hunted the Awakened Hobgoblins that live in villages around 10 miles deep into the Bloodfields,¡± Gary said. ¡°Sounds like it could be a good idea. Would we be camping in the Bloodfields, then?¡± Aaron asked after he heard the distance. ¡°Yeah, if we want to try hunting for some cores we¡¯re going to have to camp out in the Bloodfields, otherwise we would spend too much time hiking back and forth,¡± Gary said with a shrug. ¡°Otherwise, we can continue hunting for dungeons near the outskirts again like last time.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s give hunting for the Awakened monsters a try first. If it doesn¡¯t work out we can always move back to clearing dungeons,¡± said Zack after the short discussion. No one had any problems with that so we separated to focus on training as we walked the familiar path to the Bloodfields. Barkskin Level 6 Barkskin finally leveled up after I cast it on the team at dinner at the edge of the Bloodfields. We had just arrived about an hour before dark so we decided to get an early start tomorrow. Since we planned on hiking ten miles into the Bloodfields before we would start searching for Awakened monsters we were going to leave with the sunrise. I quickly checked my status to confirm that I would need to earn 3200 experience with Barkskin to level it again. I let out a groan at the expected sight and tried to focus on the fact that I leveled it at all as I laid down to sleep. Chapter 14 The next morning I woke with the sun and saw the rest of my team already awake. I quickly packed up my gear and got ready to head out after a quick breakfast of oats. ¡°All right, let¡¯s head straight in. I think we should avoid any of the patrols we can until we make it about five miles in.¡± Gary said once we were all gathered together by the edge of the Bloodfields. ¡°Why bother avoiding them? We can take them out easily at this point,¡± Aaron asked while we made our way into the dense forest. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how long it will take us to get 10 miles deep,¡± Gary explained. ¡°I just figured the sooner we got far enough into the fields the sooner we could start looking for an Awakened hobgoblin or Warg.¡± ¡°Fair enough, works for me. I¡¯ll scout ahead for now,¡± Aaron said before he jogged through the trees ahead of us until we lost sight of him. The next few hours passed by slowly as we hiked through the dense tree cover. We passed by a few patrols and ended up killing one large group of six goblins and three wargs about 9 miles in. ¡°That was the first time we¡¯ve seen goblins with leather armor like those,¡± Aaron commented as he searched the bodies. I had noticed that during the fight as well, instead of dirty rags, this group of goblins was outfitted with crude strips of leather. ¡°All right, let¡¯s slow down and move in formation from now on,¡± Gary said after we looted the bodies. ¡°That adventurer mentioned said we¡¯d see patrols from the villages ruled by Awakened out here.¡± I nodded and moved closer to Gary and Zack in the front while Aaron and Gabrielle moved behind us. We slowly made our way deeper into the bloodfields and I noticed that the dense tree cover started to get more sparse with occasional clearings in the trees. ¡°Stop,¡± Aaron said quietly from behind me. Everyone stopped moving and stayed quiet as we studied ahead of us and listened. I heard a faint noise in the distance ahead of us but it was too far to see through the trees. ¡°I¡¯ll scout, stay hidden,¡± Aaron whispered and moved quietly towards the noise ahead. The rest of us moved to crouch behind a nearby tree that was easily large enough to hide all of us. A few minutes passed and I started to feel worried and did my best to ignore it. Eventually, Gary cleared his throat and shifted which caused everyone to look at him since we were all crouched near each other without moving. ¡°Should we keep waiting?¡± Gary asked quietly and I almost jerked back in surprise. I expected an order more than a question about what we should do from Gary when we were in a combat situation. The group had naturally fallen into his command and we trusted him to do it well. ¡°Let¡¯s move,¡± Gabrielle said decisively and Gary and I nodded in support. Gary stood and led us out towards the direction Aaron had moved in. He still moved quietly so we didn¡¯t rush forward despite us all feeling the urgency in the situation. I wasn¡¯t sure how long it had been since he left but I estimated it was around half an hour. We walked through the dense forest for another few minutes before we saw a large clearing through the trees. There were smaller patches of dense forest throughout the clearing but I could see that it was a massive area. We moved to the edges of the treeline carefully until we crouched near the front to look around. ¡°A patrol, there,¡± Gary said quietly while he pointed to a group of six goblins and two wargs far to the left of us. They walked slowly through the clearing along the edges of the treeline as they scouted the area. ¡°There¡¯s a large copse of trees in front of us that would let you see the center of the clearing. I¡¯m sure Aaron went into there to scout, then saw the patrol coming along the treeline.¡± Gary said confidently after we all studied the monsters in the distance. ¡°If we strike once they reach this position whatever is in the center of the clearing won¡¯t be able to see.¡± ¡°Aaron¡¯s been alone for a long time,¡± Gabrielle commented quietly. I nodded worriedly, I thought Gary was probably right that Aaron was in the copse of trees a few hundred meters ahead of us but he could still be in trouble over there. ¡°He could be in trouble, or maybe he¡¯s fine,¡± Gary said after a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s move to that treeline, if the patrol sees us they¡¯ll follow us there. If Aaron doesn¡¯t find us immediately after we get to cover, we stop to deal with the patrol. We¡¯ll find him after, if necessary.¡± Gary stated and met each of our eyes for agreement. Everyone nodded seriously and I started to jog beside Gary with Zack and Gabrielle behind me. We crossed the first half of the clearing before I heard a shout from behind us. I knew without looking that it was the patrol and I immediately sped up. We sprinted the rest of the distance to the trees before I turned to face the sprinting wargs. They were still a good distance away and the goblins were just behind them. ¡°Gabrielle, try to place a wall of flames on the goblins when they get here to separate them. I¡¯ll focus one warg and Zack will get the other, move to support when you can, Eli.¡± I nodded quickly and cast Barkskin on all four of us before taking a position a few feet behind Zack and Gary. The wargs and goblins had slowed and they now walked together with the wargs towards us. They screamed and charged forwards once they were only a few meters away. I watched Zack engage one while Gabrielle sent a fireball in front of Gary. I figured Gary would finish that one with Gabrielle¡¯s help so I dash forward to attack with Zack. ¡°Fortress,¡± Zack cast right before the warg jumped at him. A steel shield rose covering the area in front of him and the warg slammed into it. The wall fell and Zack slammed his mace on the wargs head. Two of the goblins stabbed at Zack with their spears and I parried one away with my shield while I stabbed for its chest. I noticed the goblins were all larger than the ones we had seen in the past, but they were still far from the size of a hobgoblin. The goblin jerked back after my spear stabbed halfway through its chest and I was immediately stabbed in the thigh by another goblin behind it. The spear penetrated through my armor but only scraped on my skin and left a shallow cut. ¡°Thornbolt,¡± I cast quickly at the goblin who stabbed me. My spell went fully through the goblins head and I quickly turned towards Zack. Gary had Gabriel sending fireballs at one while he fought the other carefully. ¡°Incoming!¡± I heard Gary shout and I glanced back to see Aaron running through the trees towards us with goblins following him. I cursed and turned to help Zack finish off the two goblins so he could help me take the other group after. ¡°Thornbolt.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Thornbolt,¡± I cast twice as I couldn¡¯t save essence when our lives were on the line right now. My first shot hit one of the goblins behind the head and sent it to the ground while my second only hit the torso of the last goblin. Zack quickly took advantage of the distraction and bashed it on its head. ¡°Meteor!¡± I heard Gabriel shout right before a blast sounded behind me. I turned with Zack and rushed towards the seven goblins who were staggering back from Gabrielle¡¯s spell. I saw Gary finishing the last goblin he had been fighting and joining Zack and me in front of Aaron and Gabrielle. ¡°No essence for the wall of flames,¡± Gabrielle said in a rush. ¡°I¡¯m out,¡± Aaron spoke quickly right after she finished. The goblins seemed to be gathering up now and preparing to rush us again. Aaron sent an arrow at one of the goblins but it turned its head in time and only received a large cut along the side of its face. ¡°Charge,¡± Gary charged at them just before they reached us and stabbed us once through the head. I quickly focused on the two heading towards me. ¡°Thornbolt,¡± I cast at one and then rushed at the other one swiping at me from the other side. I moved forward and caught the swipe with my shield and tried to stab at the goblin''s chest. Another goblin hit me from my side before I could react and pierced through my jerkin just below my ribs. I gasped in pain and shuffled back as quickly as I could to create some distance between me and the two goblins in front of me. ¡°Fireball,¡± Gabriel sent a spell into one of the goblins rushing towards me and sent it shouting and falling back. The other goblin raised its spear to stab at me and I weakly lifted my shield to block it. The thrust sent me crashing to the ground in agony even as it hit my shield and it tore the wound in my side. I looked up to see Gabrielle fighting the goblin carefully with her short sword and my shield that she picked up from my side. I tried to focus on standing up to help but my side hurt more than anything I had ever been through before. ¡°Drill shot,¡± Aaron sent an arrow through the goblins skull as Gabrielle kept it distracted and facing away from him. I looked around in a haze to see that all of the goblins were still and everyone was still standing. ¡°Eli, are you ok?¡± Gabrielle asked worriedly after she knelt next to me and looked at my bloody side. ¡°How much essence do you need to cast rejuvenation?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it went too deep, but it seriously hurts,¡± I said slowly as I layed back on the grass. It felt like waves of pain were shooting through my side and I clenched my teeth as I focused on my essence. I had a little less than a quarter remaining, so I only needed to ignore the pain for a while. ¡°A few minutes until I can cast,¡± I said before I tuned them out and focused on the essence inside me. It swirled around my core and I could feel the essence slowly growing as I drew it in from around me, somehow. I meditated on the feeling until I had the essence that I needed. ¡°Rejuvenation,¡± I cast on myself immediately and ignored the annoying feeling it produced as I finally got relief from the burning pain in my side. I felt my mind unfog and I looked around to see the rest of my team sitting around me looking worried. ¡°Finally, that was scary,¡± Gabrielle said after I finished casting. ¡°Glad you''re ok, Eli,¡± Zack said with a smile from where he sat leaning on his pack a few feet away. He was covered in blood and I could see where some of his armor had been crushed in a few spots around his torso. ¡°That was pretty intense. What happened Aaron?¡± Zack asked and we all looked towards Aaron to hear what had happened. ¡°Well, I got to the edge of the treeline and saw the clearing. There was no one in sight so I moved to this copse of trees and headed towards the other side to see the center of the clearing. There¡¯s a walled village over there with dozens of goblins on the walls and I could see a few hobgoblins too. I spent a couple of minutes waiting to see if I could spot something that looked like an Awakened monster but I didn¡¯t see anything. On the way back I was ambushed by those goblins and a few wargs, I used all of my essence to kill the wargs then escaped back to here. Good thing you were all here, thanks.¡± Aaron finished his story and I was immediately glad that we came after him when we did. The fight was difficult but if all of us were together I think we would have done much better and might not gotten so many injuries. ¡°Glad we were here in time, Aaron,¡± Gary said with a nod and a smile towards him. ¡°I think we should move out of this area and move somewhere defensible where we can camp for the night to heal up and plan for tomorrow.¡± We all nodded at his suggestion and I painfully got up with everyone else. It looked like none of us made it out of that fight without some injuries but all of us were able to move. There was no goblins insight and we moved back out of the clearing where we entered earlier. We hiked for another forty minutes before our pace had slowed so much that we needed to stop. ¡°Let¡¯s set up here between these trees,¡± I suggested as we passed three massive trees that blocked all sites from three sides. Gary nodded and everyone moved inside and sat down our gear. I had already cast rejuvenation twice more on the walk back, once on myself and once on Zack who seemed to be the most injured. ¡°Let¡¯s keep one person on watch at a time, hour and a half shifts,¡± Gary said after we all settled down to cook dinner. No one argued and I quickly ate before I worked on cleaning my gear and setting up my tent. I cast rejuvenation a few more times on every one since I took the first watch and no one objected to me casting it in their sleep. My watch passed quietly and I studied my status as I sat with my back to one of the large trees. Eli - Lvl 3 Druid Experience - 960/1000 Strength-6 Dexterity-6 Perception-5 Vitality-6 Spirit-7 Willpower-8 (+1) Barkskin - Level 6\10 Upgradeable Experience - 320\3200 Thornbolt - Level 4\20 Upgradeable Experience - 220\1600 Rejuvenation - Level 3\10 Upgradeable Experience - 430\800 The night passed by without anyone waking me up so I assumed no one saw any monsters overnight. I woke with the sun and packed quietly until everyone was awake and we gathered up over a breakfast of cold oats. ¡°So, yesterday was a hard fight,¡± Gary grimaced and stopped for a moment. ¡°To say the least. That being said I don¡¯t think we should give up on hunting here, with all of us together I think we can handle ourselves.¡± ¡°Agreed. We should all reach level 4 today as well, which will be a serious increase in our strength.¡± Aaron said with a grin. I nodded excitedly, I only needed 40 experience to level up, which would likely only be one or two of those larger patrols and stronger goblins. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t want to leave here already.¡± Zack concurred and no one had any objections. We packed up and headed back towards the clearing we fought at yesterday and arrived without seeing anything. There were no patrols in sight and we crossed to the same copse of trees that we were at previously. We moved carefully through the trees and didn¡¯t see any patrols or goblins waiting in ambush as Aaron found before. ¡°Damn, that¡¯s a lot of goblins,¡± I said as I looked at the dozens of goblins lining the walls. Patrols were moving around the walled village and into the different copses of trees scattered through the clearing. ¡°We can see where the patrols are going and move to hunt them down,¡± Gary said after we all watched for a minute. ¡°I don¡¯t see any other option, honestly,¡± I said with a shake of my head towards the village. ¡°That just doesn¡¯t seem possible.¡± Chapter 15 With our plan set, we followed Aaron¡¯s lead as he led us towards the back of the group of trees we were in. We crossed the clearing out of sight and entered the nearby trees that we watched a large patrol enter earlier. Gary motioned Aaron back once we arrived and we moved cautiously through the dense, blood-red trees that we passed everywhere in the bloodfields. ¡°There,¡± Zack said quietly with a motion for us to stop. I saw bodies moving in the distance ahead of us after we stopped moving but I couldn¡¯t get an accurate count. I quickly cast Barkskin on all five of us since it seemed to be a large patrol from what I could tell. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Gary said quietly and led the way forwards determinedly as he stalked forwards towards the goblins. Gary and I moved evenly with him and we continued for a few more moments before one of the goblins noticed us. It shouted and pointed through the few remaining trees left between us. ¡°Drill shot,¡± Aaron shot it directly in its leather-wrapped head when its arm was still pointed towards us. I rushed forwards and entered the beaten path that the goblins were patrolling on. I stopped hesitantly beside Zack and Gary as we saw how many goblins were ahead of us. ¡°We can handle this,¡± Gary said quickly as the goblins grouped up ahead of us. I counted in a rush as I watched the goblins form small groups in front of us before all twenty walked towards us. The goblins were a few meters away now and I noticed some of the goblins carried weapons other than spears. The larger goblins held swords, spears, maces, and a few shields, compared to the standard spear they always had before this. I swallowed and focused on the group of four goblins heading towards me. ¡°Don¡¯t spare any Essence, kill as many as you can before they get to us,¡± Gary shouted as I was preparing to cast. ¡°Haste¡± Aaron cast Drill Shot four times in a blur of speed and I watched the four goblins in front of me fall to the ground at nearly the same time. ¡°Wall of flames,¡± Gabriel cast and sent a six-foot-high wall of fire blocking off half the remaining goblins heading towards us. ¡°Fortress,¡± I heard Zack cast from beside me as a massive shield covered most of the rest of the area in front of us. He left a small gap that two goblins charged through right as the spell finished. ¡°Impale,¡± Gary cast and he lunged forwards at one of the goblins. I moved to the side of the other goblin and stabbed while Zack blocked its thrust with his shield. I heard blows hitting the sides of the Fortress but I didn¡¯t have time to ask Zack how much longer it would last. He finished the one we were fighting and two more goblins headed through the gap. The Goblin swung at me with his mace and I had to dive to the side to dodge the blow. I positioned forward since I was confident in defending with my shield, but I was worried a blow from that mace would break my arm, even behind my shield. As I was standing back up my team had already taken out the two goblins with a rush of skills. ¡°It¡¯s coming down,¡± Zack grunted out from my side. He had mentioned before that he could constantly send Essence into the skill and I assumed he just spent his entire core of essence on the spell to buy us time to whittle them down. Zacks Fortress came down all at once and a wall of goblins rushed us from in front of us. ¡°Thornbolt,¡± I cast at the goblins directly in front of me first so that I could turn and help Gary or Zack, but unfortunately the leather caps these goblins were wearing made it take two shots to kill one of them. I killed the first one I aimed at in seconds, but the second one blocked my first thorn with his shield and I only landed a second on his chest. I didn¡¯t have any more time to prepare and I darted quickly to the right side further away from Gary and Zack to limit the number of goblins that could hit me at once. Two goblins attacked me with swords and I managed to block one hit with my shield and the other I parried with my spear. I couldn¡¯t push forward to attack since the goblin I hit in the chest with Thornbolt was coming from my side. I blocked the spear thrust from the wounded goblin and immediately felt a block behind my back and was knocked painfully to the ground. ¡°Fireball,¡± I heard and felt Gabrielle cast a spell over me to buy me some time and I painfully rolled back over and stood up. Two goblins had fallen from the fireball and were getting back up a few feet away while the last one attacked with a slash towards my head. I ducked under the blow and stabbed the goblin through its stomach. I turned to face the remaining two goblins and I barely flinched to the side as a spear stabbed towards my chest. The stab tore painfully into my side, but I could tell it was only a fraction of an inch deep. I swung my shield as hard as I could into the sword of the goblin as it came from my side and it lost its grip from the hit. I moved quickly around that goblin and stabbed it in the neck. I turned to focus on the last goblin and I saw an arrow send it stumbling to the side. I finished it off with a thrust through the head and turned to face the rest of my teammates worriedly. ¡°Charge,¡± Gary charged from one goblin he finished with a thrust to the last three that Zack was painfully defending from. He moved like he was in rough shape and I ran over to help support Gary as he drew some pressure from Zack. Aaron sent arrows from the side after he leaped 30 yards over to land behind them. Once I arrived Gary was fighting the last goblin and I sunk my spear into its skull from behind to finish it off. Druid level 4 reached I had felt myself level during one of the first few goblins but I hadn¡¯t allowed the notification to appear to distract me during the fighting. I sat down with a grunt and focused on my Essence as everyone gathered together. I had less than half of my Essence remaining and I still needed slightly over half my Essence to cast rejuvenation. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Injuries?¡± Gary asked shortly after I had sat down. ¡°I got stabbed in the side but it didn¡¯t penetrate too deep,¡± I spoke up first. ¡°Also got hit by a sword in the back, but I don¡¯t think it cut me.¡± Gary nodded and turned to Zack. ¡°Just a ton of small cuts and bruises all over, I had five of those goblins on me at the end there,¡± Zack said from where he was leaned up against a tree. ¡°None of them got to me or Gabrielle,¡± Aaron said with a nod towards us. ¡°Good job holding them back, guys.¡± ¡°Yeah, that was incredible. All of us are improving so much,¡± Gabrielle said with a smile and a nod towards us. ¡°Definitely. Just a week ago, I doubt we would have survived that fight,¡± Gary responded after. ¡°Now, we¡¯ve handled a band of goblins 20 strong with no major injuries at all. I assume everyone reached level four, too?¡± Gary asked. I nodded along with everyone else in the team and we all shared a quick grin. ¡°Let¡¯s loot up and move back to the main bloodfields to heal up for now,¡± Aaron suggested and we quickly grabbed a few coin pouches from the goblins before heading slowly back out of the clearing. I was able to cast rejuvenate on myself a few minutes later, which made the walk much more bearable, although still painful. We hiked for over half an hour, and I was able to cast rejuvenate once more on Zack along the way back. ¡°All right, let¡¯s break here for now and grab some food. We can decide what to do after we finish healing up and study our statuses.¡± Gary said after we reached an easily defensible area to stop in. I dropped my pack and pulled up my status after I unlocked Entangle and put my free statistic point into Spirit. Eli - Lvl 4 Druid Experience - 120/5000 Strength-7 (+1) Dexterity-7 (+1) Perception-5 Vitality-6 Spirit-8 (+1) Willpower-8 Barkskin - Level 6\10 Upgradeable Experience - 540\3200 Thornbolt - Level 4\20 Upgradeable Experience - 420\1600 Rejuvenation - Level 3\10 Upgradeable Experience - 510\800 Entangle - Level 1\5 Upgradeable Experience - 0\100 As much as I wanted to test the spell out immediately I had to save essence to continue casting rejuvenation until we were all completely healed. I immediately noticed that it would only reach level five before it would need to be upgraded, although I didn¡¯t know if that was a good or bad thing yet. ¡°Food¡¯s ready,¡± Gabrielle said a few minutes later and everyone got up from studying our statuses. ¡°Thanks, Gabrielle. Did everyone see the experience to reach level 5?¡± I asked as I grabbed a steaming bowl of stew and sat down on my pack beside everyone else. ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t know about that from my brother. The last time I saw him he was level three, although he must be higher by now.¡± Gary said. ¡°So what skills did everyone get?¡± Aaron asked after a bite of stew. ¡°Entangle, hopefully, it will be a good one,¡± I responded although I was sure I had told everyone what skill I had available a while back. ¡°Flame Attunement,¡± Gabriella said with a grin. ¡°It¡¯s a passive skill that increases the power of all of my flame-related spells.¡± ¡°So, every skill?¡± Zack said and everyone laughed. ¡°That sounds strong, I know my passive skills have made a huge difference for me. I unlocked Empowered Strike.¡± ¡°Good, you were missing a skill that helped you take out stronger targets, that will help out,¡± I said encouragingly. ¡°I got Heightened Senses, a passive skill that will increase my Dexterity and Perception constantly,¡± Aaron spoke up next and I realized everyone besides me had at least one passive skill by now. I wondered if my class would give me one next. Active abilities felt more powerful for now but compared to Gary¡¯s Balanced Foundations that gave him a total of six statistics for each level it gained and Zack with two passives that increased his statistics I felt like I was falling behind. ¡°Sounds strong, Aaron. Similar to the Vigor skill that Zack got on his last level,¡± Gary said supportively. ¡°I gained Flurry, I assume it allows me to strike quickly sort of like Aarons Haste spell.¡± ¡°Hopefully my class grants me a passive skill for my statistics soon," I said after everyone finished congratulating each other. I couldn¡¯t help but worry that my body and spirit would fall behind soon without a skill to help out. ¡°Yeah, I think you¡¯ll get a Spirit and Willpower focused passive soon, Eli,¡± Gabrielle said from where she lounged against her pack nearby. ¡°That would be incredible, now that my attributes have reached levels 7 and 8 my growth seems to have slowed down significantly,¡± I said after letting out a sigh. ¡°Wow, my highest statistic is only seven,¡± Gabrielle said with some surprise. ¡°Which ones have you leveled up to eight?¡± ¡°Willpower and Spirit are both eight now, although Spirit only reached it from the Statistic point that this level provided us,¡± I explained. I was surprised that her Spirit and Willpower weren¡¯t at the same levels as mine. We continued discussing what we had been doing to try and increase our Essence amount and regeneration for the next few hours while Zack, Gary, and Aaron discussed something else nearby. I continued to cast rejuvenation on my team for the next few hours until we were all completely healed. ¡°All right, looks like everyone is ready to go and we still have a good half the day to fight.¡± Gary started speaking after we all picked up our packs and stood. ¡°I think we should go take another look at the goblin village and make a decision from there. They seemed more intelligent than the normal dungeon goblins, so there might be a reaction from the village now that we¡¯ve killed so many of them.¡± ¡°That makes sense, hopefully, we¡¯ll be able to find another few patrols before they start trying to hunt us down,¡± I said thoughtfully to Gary''s observation. None of us could tell from what scouting we could do from earlier, but it looked like there had to be at least a couple hundred goblins living in the village. We had killed over thirty and they must have noticed by now. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving, then. I want to see what effect my new passive will have on my spells!¡± Gabrielle said excitedly and we all nodded in agreement. Maybe this level would give us the strength to take out the large village, although I wasn¡¯t convinced that it would be enough. Chapter 16 The team moved towards the same area where we spied on the goblins earlier this morning. The hike there took about an hour, but we didn¡¯t see any more patrols, even during the trip from the bloodfields to the smaller copse of trees in the clearing. ¡°There are more goblins on the walls, and I don¡¯t see any goblins leaving the gates to patrol this time,¡± Aaron said in a whisper as we waited crouched down at the edge of the treeline. ¡°Let¡¯s scout out the other groups of trees in the clearing and see if there are any other patrols out, then,¡± Gary said after a couple of minutes. We spent the rest of the afternoon moving around the clearing as we checked each area for patrols, but ended up finding none. ¡°Well, that was a letdown,¡± said Gabrielle as we hiked back towards the same spot where we had camped the night before. Once the sky started to darken we headed back to call it a day, despite us not finding any other monsters to fight. ¡°Yeah, I vote we check back tomorrow for more patrols. If we don¡¯t find any, we should leave the area and look elsewhere. I don¡¯t want to assault that village,¡± stated Gary once we had all settled down and laid out our gear. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s something we can handle, right now.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± said Aaron. ¡°I doubt even two teams of F-rank adventurers like us could take on that village.¡± I nodded at his comment somewhat reluctantly. No one else was in the mood to talk after the long afternoon we spent hiking for no reward. I took the first watch and moved to sit at the only entrance to the small grove of trees we were camping in. The first hour passed slowly as I studied my status screen and the surrounding foliage tiredly. I frowned shortly before the end of my watch as I heard a growing noise in the distance. It sounded like it could be a patrol but it was pitch black in the forest so despite them getting louder I couldn¡¯t see anything. I quickly made a decision and jogged back to the sleeping forms of my team. ¡°Barkskin,¡± I cast on Aaron and then briefly told him that I heard a patrol before I moved on to the rest of my team. No one made any noise as I woke them up with Barkskin and we quietly moved into our formation as the sounds of the patrol grew louder. ¡°We have a good spot to fight. Gabrielle, once they get here create some fire for us to see behind us, hopefully, it will blind them as they charge in.¡± Gary ordered as we prepared to see them in front of us. They were tracking us somehow since we could hear them moving steadily in our direction. ¡°Heightened Senses,¡± I heard Aaron cast the active portion of his skill from beside me and I recalled him saying that it lasted ten minutes. ¡°Two wargs, eight goblins. Get ready,¡± Aaron spoke quickly in a whisper right after he activated his skill. ¡°Drill shot,¡± Aaron cast and then quickly grabbed another arrow. I jerked back when I heard the scream of a warg and shouts from the goblins seemingly right in front of us. ¡°Wall of flames,¡± Gabrielle cast a small wall of flames behind us that immediately cast the area in bright light. Ahead of us, I could see six goblins and a warg rushing towards us despite the light shining in their eyes. ¡°Thornbolt¡± ¡°Fireball¡± ¡°Drill shot¡± ¡°Vigor,¡± we started casting our skills and three goblins dropped to the floor while two reached Gary and Zack in the front. I rushed towards the third and managed to stab shallowly along its thigh before it swung at me with its sword. I blocked the blow and was sent stumbling back, the goblin was nearing the size of a hobgoblin, and my arm throbbed from where it struck my shield. I prepared to move towards the goblin again but I was interrupted by a loud horn sounding off from behind the goblins we were fighting. I ignored it as I baited out another strike from the goblin and jumped back once it had committed. ¡°Thornbolt,¡± I cast and sent the goblin to the ground from the hole in its forehead. I looked around worriedly and saw all the goblins and wargs dead with my team standing over their bodies. ¡°Someone blew that horn, but they haven¡¯t moved forwards,¡± I stated unnecessarily. ¡°Should we leave?¡± I asked worriedly. Everyone looked to Gary while he debated the decision for a moment. ¡°Yeah, pack,¡± Gary was talking and cut off as he looked towards the entrance to our camp. Two hobgoblins entered the clearing and looked warily towards us. I could tell something was off about them, compared to the other hobgoblins we had seen. I wasn¡¯t sure what it was until I looked at one in the eyes and I could see it weighing us slowly as it glanced between us. These goblins were intelligent and I assumed both of them were Awakened monsters. We spent a minute studying each other uncomfortably before Gary spoke up. ¡°They¡¯re stalling for time, other goblins must be coming in our direction,¡± he said briskly. I cursed and prepared to fight the two monsters. They looked similar to other hobgoblins we had seen in the past but they carried armor similar to ours; leather reinforced by bronze banding. One of the hobgoblins carried a large hammer while the other gripped a two-headed axe. ¡°Entangle,¡± I cast my skill on the hobgoblin that was holding a hammer and watched as thick vines grew out of the ground and tightened around the monster twenty meters away. ¡°Entangle,¡± I cast on the other goblin immediately after as it started to stalk towards us. Vines grew from under it and held it in place despite it trying to move out of the spell as it formed. ¡°Fireball¡± ¡°Drill shot¡± ¡°Thornbolt,¡± the three of us with ranged abilities used them while we had time as the goblins struggled to get out of the sturdy vines. As the spells rushed towards them one of the goblins grunted out what sounded like a word. The goblin shifted as it grew both taller and wider from the skill it cast and it ripped its way out of the vines as it moved to the side. My thornbolt still managed to hit it in the shoulder as Aaron''s Drill shot struck it in the arm. The other goblin used a skill as well and I watched its hammer grow until it was twice the size it was a moment before. They rushed towards us together and I decided to save my essence since casting entangle already felt like a waste of about a fifth of my essence. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Vigor¡± ¡°Charge,¡± Gary cast as the two goblins neared Zack and Gary beside me and I watched him shoot forward to stab the larger goblin in the side before he darted back. I moved around it as a fireball and arrow from Aaron slammed into it as well. The goblin seemed to shrug off the damage as it furiously moved to attack Gary with a massive swing of its axe. Gary rolled to the side, but still got hit a glancing blow from the goblins¡¯ hammer. I debated casting Thornbolt again, but I decided to try and save enough Essence for Rejuvenation in case we needed it. ¡°Flurry,¡± Gary cast after he got to his feet and stabbed towards the 10-foot tall goblin in front of him. The goblin casually parried his strike but the skill caused two spears to fly forward to the sides of his own. The goblin roared and fell backward from the two strikes to its stomach and I rushed it while it was distracted. I stabbed the goblin in the thigh and it fell back quickly to create some distance. I looked over at Zack''s fight and saw that he was still holding with Aaron and Gabriel helping to support him. ¡°Impale,¡± Gary cast before he darted forwards under the goblins blow. He stabbed the goblin again in the stomach, but it only shoved Gary back with its arm. The goblin drew back with its ally and we followed them forwards slowly to not let them create any more distance. ¡°We have to finish them now,¡± Gary said as we stalked them forwards. I knew everyone had to be running low on essence by now, and the goblins looked wounded but not badly enough to hinder their movements. ¡°Meteor,¡± Gabrielle started to cast as the goblins kept slowly backing away from us and we maintained the distance of only a few meters. Her spell sent a massive ball of fire crashing into the goblin with the enlarged axe. ¡°Charge,¡± Gary cast as the goblin went down from Gabrielle''s spell and he thrust into the goblins'' face. The other goblin kicked Gary back after he pierced the fallen goblin''s brain and Gary went flying back into a nearby tree. I raced forwards worriedly as Zack engaged the last goblin and reached Garys'' side in seconds. I had barely enough essence for rejuvenation, since the fight had continued for so long I had regenerated a decent amount. ¡°Rejuvenation,¡± I cast on Gary as soon as possible and watched him weakly groan in response from where he lay curled on the ground. I stood up and reluctantly turned away from him as the spell worked. ¡°More goblins in the distance!¡± I shouted as soon as I looked up and saw a group of goblins through the trees behind the Awakened goblin that the rest of my team was fighting. I swallowed nervously as I took in the situation. Gary was still limp on the ground behind me, although my spell had just begun its work. Zack was still standing up front and fighting the hobgoblin, but he was moving slowly from the beating he had likely been taking. ¡°Empowered Strike,¡± I heard Zack cast from in front of me as I moved forwards to support him. Zacks mace didn¡¯t change visibly, but I felt a sort of pressure emitting from it as he swung it forward into the hobgoblin''s shoulder after Aaron had hit it in the eye with an arrow. The Awakened goblins skull shattered from the hit and a regular goblin jumped over its body at Zack. My spear took the goblin in the jaw as it jumped forwards and it fell to the ground. ¡°There¡¯s another band coming behind this one, cast a skill to cover our retreat if you have any Essence,¡± Gary said from behind me as he walked up to Zack and me. I had no Essence remaining and I saw six goblins closing in on us while another group moved further back in the dark woods. ¡°Fireball,¡± Gabrielle cast on a fallen goblin spear and picked it up to use as a torch. ¡°All the Essence I have left.¡± ¡°Fortress,¡± Zack cast just before the six goblins in the front reached us and then turned in the direction opposite of them. ¡°Go!¡± Zack shouted and we turned as one to rush through the dark nighttime bloodfields. Gabrielle passed the torch to Gary and he jogged in front so we could see the path ahead of us. I was already breathing heavily when we started and Zack was even worse as he took giant gulps of air while we ran through the forest. ¡°Slower, but don¡¯t stop,¡± Aaron said to Gary after we continued for about ten minutes. We could still hear the goblins chasing us, but Aaron, Zack, and Gabrielle were barely able to keep jogging. We slowed to barely faster than a walk and I could hear goblins continuing to get closer. ¡°What do we do?¡± I asked Gary worriedly as I gestured behind us. ¡°You and I will thin the closest group if possible, then we continue retreating. It doesn¡¯t sound like more than three or four are close.¡± He said after a moment of hesitation. He looked completely worn out, but he said it determinedly and I nodded in reply. We moved to the back of the group as they walked forwards and tried to catch their breaths. ¡°Barkskin¡± ¡°Barkskin,¡± I cast my defensive skill on the two of us again as the patrol neared us and used all of the Essence I had recovered since casting rejuvenation. I couldn¡¯t spare any to save for Zack when the two of us would be fighting alone. ¡°Keep going, we¡¯ll be right behind you,¡± Gary said as the group stopped in front of us when they saw we stopped. Gabrielle looked like she was about to say something but I interrupted her quickly. ¡°There¡¯s only a few, keep moving. We¡¯ll handle them.¡± I said and they seemed to trust my word. ¡°Fireball,¡± Gabrielle cast on a stick lying nearby, and then they continued to lightly jog away from us. I turned back to see five goblins and a warg coming through the trees a few meters ahead of us. Gary stood his ground beside me and I didn¡¯t see him use any skills. Gary positioned in front of the warg and I moved to meet the goblins coming from behind it. I parried a stab from the first goblin to reach me and bashed a slash from another one beside it with my spear. I took a few steps back and met another spear strike with my shield. ¡°Charge,¡± Gary sped in front of me and stabbed the goblin closest to me through the skull. I moved forwards and stabbed another while it turned to face Gary. Both of us attacked from either side and we pushed our way through the rest of the goblins in only a few strikes each. I was still for a moment after the rush of fighting as I realized we cleared through the medium-sized group with ease. The regular goblins were no longer the threat that they used to be. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s move,¡± Gary said when he noticed me standing for a moment and I shook my head to clear my thoughts. We jogged together after Gary picked up the burning spear from the ground, although it had almost completely burnt out. It only took us a few minutes to reach the rest of our group and we continued throughout the night. We switched back and forth, spending time jogging for a few minutes before we returned to a quick walk for hours as and fought more than one patrol of goblins after they caught us a few hours later. Everyone had full Essence by that point and we killed the groups without any of them truly threatening us. ¡°There, finally,¡± Aaron wheezed out as he pointed towards the gap ahead of us. I sagged in relief once I realized we made it back out of the bloodfields, where the goblins would likely stop chasing us. The sun was close to rising and none of us had slept more than an hour since the last day. ¡°Let¡¯s just sleep. We can talk tomorrow,¡± Gary said as we wearily walked a few hundred meters away from the edge and began setting up our camp. None of us suggested eating and I checked my status as I lay down to sleep. Eli - Lvl 4 Druid Experience - 1240/5000 Strength-8 (+1) Dexterity-7 Perception-6 (+1) Vitality-7 (+1) Spirit-8 Willpower-9 (+1) Barkskin - Level 6\10 Upgradeable Experience - 1340\3200 Thornbolt - Level 4\20 Upgradeable Experience - 810\1600 Rejuvenation - Level 3\10 Upgradeable Experience - 610\800 Entangle - Level 1\5 Upgradeable Experience - 70\100 I had leveled four statistics in only one day and night of almost constant fighting, as well as gained a substantial amount of experience for both my class and skills. Despite the danger of the night, I felt more alive than I ever had before. Chapter 17 ¡°Morning,¡± Zack smiled at me as I sat down to join the rest of the team at breakfast. I had been the last one to wake for once and I could tell by the sun that I had slept more than half the day away. ¡°Hey, has everyone been awake long?¡± I asked as I grabbed a large bowl of oats and some jerky. ¡°No, we all just started getting up an hour ago or so,¡± Gabrielle replied as she slowly ate her food. Everyone looked tired but in good spirits from what I could tell by looking around. ¡°Well, I held off on talking about last night until everyone was here.¡± Gary started once he finished eating. ¡°I think we got too confident in staying near that village after we saw what it looked like. The adventurers I spoke with back at Gorok didn¡¯t say anything about finding a place like that while they hunted Awakened. We were either too deep or in the wrong area and I should have led us somewhere else.¡± Gary apologized to the group, but I didn¡¯t personally mind since I didn¡¯t think anyone had been against staying in the area. Now that I looked back on what happened I could find myself agreeing that we should have left once we saw the village. ¡°Maybe we should have gone somewhere else, but I don¡¯t blame you. Don¡¯t beat yourself up,¡± I said to Gary. He gave me a half-smile and a nod in reply. ¡°At the very least, we know we can handle Awakened monsters, now,¡± Aaron said afterward. ¡°I¡¯m seriously trying not to think about the two Awakened cores worth fifty silver each that we had to leave back on the battlefield. I¡¯m not thinking about it.¡± I immediately let out a long sigh as I realized we left behind at least a gold in loot last night. ¡°We may not have made any money, but we got an incredible amount of experience. I leveled multiple statistics and my Vigor skill. My Empowered Strike skill was much more powerful than I expected, too!¡¯ Zack was nearly shouting by the end of his quick speech. I chuckled with the rest of my team but I couldn¡¯t help but agree. The progress I made last night was worth days spent back at the low-level dungeons. I was also impressed with Entangle, and I had managed to use it a few more times later in the night when small groups of goblins and wargs caught up to us. A regular goblin was completely unable to escape until it cut the vines with its spear. Thankfully, the first couple of levels would go by quickly, and I only had to reach level five to learn about upgrading it. ¡°I think we head in a different area when we leave next and continue searching for Awakened monsters,¡± Gary said. ¡°In the end, we managed to come out ahead from this one and we all earned plenty of experience. If we can find one Awakened at a time it will still push us but it won¡¯t be the life or death battle we had last night.¡± Everyone quickly agreed and I saw that it was late afternoon already. ¡°Let¡¯s spend the rest of the day here resting before we head out with the sun in the morning,¡± Gary continued after a few more minutes of discussion on how our new skills worked in our fights. I didn¡¯t feel like moving so I kept talking with Gabrielle about our skills and statistics for another hour before I got up. Gary had started training with his spear a while ago and he asked me to spar with him. The five of us spent the rest of the night sparring with each other in various matchups. We ate a large dinner of rice, beans, and flatbread with jerky and headed to sleep early. I woke earlier than usual and went through some spear forms with my shield, and I noticed the feeling I had before of the shield feeling uncomfortable was gone. I was more capable with my shield compared to before when I was fighting with the long spear, like Gary. I hadn¡¯t put much thought into learning weapons other than the spear but I realized I had gained a lot from learning the shield. The thought stayed in my head while I trained and I decided to begin training in other weapons while I was back in the city. ¡°Morning, Eli,¡± Gary said after he woke up next. I gave him a nod and continued going smoothly through the spear and shield forms while I tried to engrave the motions into my subconscious. A few minutes later everyone else had packed up and eaten a quick breakfast. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s head about a mile along the edge of the bloodfields then head in until we reach around eight to ten miles. Hopefully, we¡¯ll be able to find an Awakened monster today.¡± Gary said and we all headed down along the edges of the bloodfields. I spent the time studying the other bands of adventurers that we passed along the short walk. There were hundreds of different groups of adventurers spaced along the bloodfields. The majority of the adventurers I saw showed signs of being freshly awakened and carried goblin spears and no armor. Occasionally we passed a group that wore gear similar to us, or one group that had what looked like fully enchanted gear. ¡°Here should be fine,¡± Gary said before he turned into the bloodfields. We quickly hiked through the forest and killed one patrol we passed by early on. The next few hours passed peacefully as we hiked our way deeper into the bloodfields. Eventually, we reached a point that felt similar to the distance we traveled the other day. ¡°I think this is deep enough if we want to start searching the area,¡± I suggested as we continued further in. The group stopped and looked to Gary who nodded. ¡°Seems right, let¡¯s head to the side from here,¡± Gary said and we moved at a slower pace in the new direction. Another hour passed slowly before Aaron motioned us to stop. ¡°I hear something,¡± he said and I stayed silent but I couldn¡¯t hear anything. His perception was likely quite a bit higher than mine by now so I wasn¡¯t bothered by the fact. ¡°I¡¯ll scout, although I won¡¯t go anywhere crazy this time,¡± Aaron said quietly with a grin and I smirked in response. Gary nodded and Aaron headed through the trees ahead of us as we crouched down behind some nearby trees to wait. About ten minutes later Aaron walked back and we all stood back up to join him. ¡°There¡¯s a little village up ahead. No walls and only eight small buildings and one large hut.¡± Aaron reported back and I grinned along with the rest of my team at the news. It sounded like it would be several goblins and an Awakened monster, although there would possibly be more than one hobgoblin, here. ¡°I saw a few goblins walking around, but I didn¡¯t see any guards.¡¯ ¡°Well, there could be a patrol or guards somewhere out of sight. We¡¯ll move forwards carefully and plan as we go.¡± Gary said. I walked up front and a short while later I saw a small clearing with crude wooden buildings. I scanned the area and counted ten goblins walking around with one hobgoblin standing by the hut in the center of the small village. I felt confident that we could handle it with the right approach, but there could be as many as fifty goblins in the village, not to mention the hobgoblin and likely Awakened monster. ¡°What about trying to take the visible ones down from our maximum range and then retreating to the forest?¡± Aaron whispered to the group after we had sat studying the village for a few minutes thinking of a plan. ¡°That could work. The best I could come up with was pushing to one of the buildings and using it as a shelter, but I don¡¯t want to be trapped in a house with an unknown amount of monsters coming for us.¡± Gary responded with a shrug. That was what I had been thinking of, too, and I didn¡¯t like the idea at all. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°What if only Aaron shows himself outside of the treeline? I bet you can take one down from barely outside the trees if you aimed for a goblin¡± I suggested after. ¡°If the goblins only saw Aaron they might not send the whole village out to chase us right away.¡± ¡°Smart, Eli,¡± Aaron said with a grin. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, I can take out one of those goblins from about 30 meters past the treeline here. That¡¯s close enough that you can come help if I need it. I¡¯ll try to take out three or four as they charge me, then I¡¯ll retreat to here.¡± ¡°Sounds good, I expect some impressive shooting,¡± Gabrielle said with an encouraging nod and a half-smile. ¡°Good luck, don¡¯t stay too long, just pull them back to us and we¡¯ll handle them as a group,¡± Gary said and Aaron quickly walked out of the dense forest into the clearing ahead of us. I Aaron jogged forwards once we reached the clearing and pulled to a stop a few seconds later to draw his bow. He sent his first arrow to a goblin sitting by one of the cooking fires a couple of hundred meters distant from him. The goblin slumped to the ground and Aaron continued shooting two more before a monster shouted. I tensed as ten goblins and the hobgoblin started heading in Aaron''s direction while others started to come out of the buildings. Aaron took a couple more hurried shots then turned and ran back towards us. ¡°Push to the front of the forest, we¡¯ll hold them there for now. Focus your essence on thinning them out, this isn¡¯t going to be a short fight.¡± Gary said and we ran forwards to meet him at the edge of the treeline. I cast Barkskin on Zack, Gary, and myself as we waited for the goblins to come in a range of our skills. ¡°Fireball¡± ¡°Fireball¡± ¡°Thornbolt¡± ¡°Drill shot¡± ¡°Thornbolt¡± I cast alongside Aaron and Gabrielle and we killed the five goblins in the front as they charged towards us. Gary and Zack met the charge of a pair of goblins and I moved towards the last one to reach us. I stabbed at the goblin once it was in reach of my spear and it failed to parry with its sword in time. The goblin fell back in pain and I swiftly finished it with a stab through its heart. The hobgoblin was only a few steps behind it and I cautiously paced towards it since I saw a stream of goblins heading our way behind its back. We had to kill them as they came to us, or we would be overwhelmed. ¡°Thornbolt¡¯ ¡°Drill shot¡± ¡°Thornbolt,¡± I cast twice and hit the hobgoblin in both legs with my spells. Aaron sent a Drill shot and hit the monster in the shoulder. I rushed it with my spear and managed to slash its side as it barely managed to dodge back in time. It swung at me with its club and I grit my teeth and tried to block the blow with my shield since I couldn¡¯t dodge in time. I heard my shield splinter as I lost my balance and tripped backward onto my back. My arm hurt but it only felt like I had gotten a bruise from the strike. I tried to move back with the strike like my spear forms had taught me and I felt that it had probably saved my arm from a break. ¡°Charge,¡± Gary charged the wounded hobgoblin ahead of me as I stood back up with my spear gripped in two hands. My shield had a split along the middle and I didn¡¯t trust it to hold up to any more hits. The hobgoblin looked under control and I moved forwards to cut off three goblins heading towards Gabrielle and Aaron behind me. I swiped one''s legs with my spear and then darted back to get some distance as all three of them turned towards me. One of the goblins fell from an arrow and I stabbed another as it jerked beside the fallen goblin. A slash from a goblin cut my side and sent me stumbling. ¡°Fireball,¡± Gabrielle cast over my shoulder and I grit my teeth to ignore the pain. The last goblin in front of me stabbed at me with his spear and I parried it easily and slashed across its neck. I turned back towards the front and saw Zack fighting four goblins while Gary moved to assist him. I glanced behind them and saw a group of four hobgoblins leaving the hut in the distance. I jogged forwards and helped Zack and Gary finish the last goblins from behind. ¡°Anyone injured?¡± Gary asked once we finished the last goblins. Gary didn¡¯t have any blood on him and looked uninjured. ¡°A bit beat up, but I¡¯m all right,¡± I responded as I warily watched the four hobgoblins walking towards us. ¡°Same as Eli,¡± Zack replied after and Aaron and Gabrielle shook their heads. ¡°Good. Zack, try and handle two with Aaron. Eli, you and Gabrielle focus the other and I¡¯ll handle the last one.¡± Gary ordered and everyone nodded determinedly. Once the hobgoblins got close I could see that one of them held a bow and the other three held clubs. ¡°Zack and Eli, take the three with clubs. Aaron and Gabrielle, help where it''s needed,¡± Gary said after the archer hobgoblin stopped and drew its bow while the other three rushed towards us. ¡°Charge,¡± Gary cast and he dashed past the three hobgoblins towards the archer in the back. I moved to the side and feinted a stab at one of the monsters before I moved back when it turned to face me. Zack had charged one of the other hobgoblins with an Empowered Strike and I saw arrows and fireballs flying past me as I focused on the monster in front of me. I dodged another wild swing and managed to land a hit on its armored shoulder. My spear still penetrated the leather and left a bloody gash behind. A fireball slammed into the hobgoblin as it fell back and it roared and turned towards Gabrielle as it slid back from the force of the blast. ¡°Thornbolt,¡± I cast and hit the hobgoblin in its leg while it was distracted. The hobgoblin fell back to the ground and I kept myself behind it while attacking. After a few hits on the hobgoblin''s neck and back it slumped over and I turned to help Gary with the other two hobgoblins. Gary was fighting the archer alone, but he didn¡¯t seem injured from the glance I sent his way. ¡°Thornbolt,¡± I cast and felt myself completely run out of Essence. My spell hit one of the hobgoblins in the shoulder and I followed it with a slash to the goblin''s side. An arrow flew over my head and buried itself in the hobgoblin''s shoulder where my thornbolt had landed. I jumped backward quickly as the monster swung towards me faster than I expected after we wounded it so badly. The strike missed me and I saw another fireball hit the hobgoblin in the head while Zack fought the other hobgoblin a few feet away. I stabbed forwards after the hobgoblins swing and hit it in the neck as it stumbled to the side from its wounds. It slumped to the ground barely moving and I decided to ignore it and help Zack, who had just been thrown to the ground. ¡°Haste¡± ¡°Drill Shot¡± ¡°Drill shot,¡± I heard Aaron cast from behind me and saw two arrows fly past my fight at the archer Zack was fighting. I ignored it and slashed at the last hobgoblin standing over Zack. I split its back open with my slash and it quickly turned to me and kicked me. I wasn¡¯t expecting the move and I fell to the ground winded from the strike to the gut. ¡°Fireball¡± ¡°Fireball¡± ¡°Fireball,¡± Gabrielle cast rapidly behind me and the hobgoblin was slammed into the ground in front of me. I pushed myself up with my spear and paced forwards to finish the slowly moving hobgoblin laying in front of me. After I finished the hobgoblin I met Zacks eyes who walked up beside me and we both wearily nodded and headed in Gary''s direction at a jog. ¡°Surround it, it¡¯s Awakened!¡± Gary shouted once we reached him and I saw his blood all over his body as he stood in front of the wounded Awakened monster. The hobgoblin had been hit with several skills and was probably more hurt than Gary. Zack moved to engage it from the front and I headed towards its back. An arrow from Aaron hit the monster in the shoulder and Zack rushed it with a swing of his mace. The monster jumped back to land in front of me and I immediately stabbed it through the back of its head. ¡°It¡¯s dead,¡± Zack said wearily. ¡°Thank the Gods, I think my arms were broken. And some ribs.¡± I sighed in relief from the quick ending to the battle and moved to check on Zack¡¯s injuries. The rest of the team grouped up and we bandaged a few bloody wounds while resting from the long fight. ¡°Rejuvenation,¡± I used my skill after I had spent enough time recovering Essence to cast. Zack sighed in relief immediately and nodded his head in thanks. The next few hours we spent waiting on my Essence to recover to get everyone back to fighting shape. We had a short discussion on the fight and all of us had been entirely out of Essence by the end. If Gary hadn¡¯t rushed the Awakened monster at the start of the fight I would most likely have had to use Rejuvenation on whoever got hit by its skill-empowered arrow. I was impressed with how strong thornbolt was becoming as I leveled it and although I didn¡¯t have a chance to use entangle during the fight, I knew it would gain in strength quickly. I needed to find a way to increase my Spirit for a larger core of Essence faster. Chapter 18 After a couple of hours spent recuperating Aaron started moving through the bodies to search for any loot to take and I stood to join him. ¡°Any idea where the monster core is?¡± Aaron asked once I joined him at the corpse of the large hobgoblin. ¡°Well, I assume it¡¯s where ours is, right?¡± I answered somewhat uncomfortably. The intelligence I had seen in the awakened monsters eyes made me feel like it was less of a monster than the regular dungeon creatures we fought. ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± Aaron responded and cut into the goblins stomach. A moment later he pulled out a bloody brown monster core, similar to the one I remembered awakening with. I watched him clean it on the goblins leather armor and stuff it into a pouch we kept to store loot attached to our packs. ¡°I found a few pouches of coins, too, but we just earned over ten silver each from one fight. Crazy,¡± I said with a shake of my head. I was having trouble wrapping my head around earning so much money so quickly. After we finished looting I went over to talk with Gary since the sun was getting close to setting. ¡°Hey, are we going to camp here or do you want to retreat back a bit into the forest? I asked. ¡°I think it¡¯s best to stay here in the clearing for the night. At least we can see anyone coming if we stay here,¡± Gary responded. I nodded and we gathered up before heading towards the village to check the state of the buildings. We searched the crude wooden structures and decided to sleep in the large hut in the center of the village. I volunteered for the first watch after we ate dinner. I spent the night outside thinking over my role in the fight and studying the changes in my Status. Eli - Lvl 4 Druid Experience - 1580/5000 Strength-8 Dexterity-7 Perception-6 Vitality-7 Spirit-9 (+1) Willpower-9 Barkskin - Level 6\10 Upgradeable Experience - 1640\3200 Thornbolt - Level 4\20 Upgradeable Experience - 1030\1600 Rejuvenation - Level 3\10 Upgradeable Experience - 720\800 Entangle - Level 1\5 Upgradeable Experience - 70\100 I finally reached level nine spirit, and when I focused I could feel that the size of my core of Essence was larger than before. I cast a few skills to deplete my essence entirely and I seemed to have gained slightly less than a tenth more essence from the level. I would be able to cast rejuvenation twice in a row with a full core if necessary now. I closed my Status and realized I was standing watch in the middle of the bloodfields with no essence, now. I couldn¡¯t afford to get so lost in studying my status that I endangered my entire team. I had been thinking recently of how lucky I was to be on this team. We worked well together while fighting and everyone seemed to get along very well personally. My watch passed quietly and I woke Gabriella up a couple hours later to take over. ¡°Eli! Get over here, quick!¡± Ben shouted at me from the front of my parents'' yard. I glanced over interestedly, glad to have any excuse for a break from washing rags. ¡°What? I gotta finish cleaning Mom''s rags before I go help her in the shop.¡± I responded as I looked over at him. Ben waved frantically while I was talking and his green eyes almost glowed in the sun as it crested over the roofs of the nearby shops. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, we have to go. I heard from James there''s a party of adventurers that just came in through Durhils gate with a Gryphon!¡± Ben was nearly shouting by the end and I felt myself start to smile as his excitement rubbed off on me. I glanced back to the shop hesitantly for a moment but I didn¡¯t hear any noise coming from inside. I turned back to Ben, grinned, and dropped the rag I was cleaning on the small stack of clean rags I had managed to work through in the past few minutes. ¡°Where are they taking it?¡± I asked as I jogged over to him quietly, ¡°How did James find out? How are we gonna find them?¡± Ben took off running down the market street and responded once I caught up to him. ¡°James was bringing his Dad''s breakfast to Durhils gate when the adventurers got there,¡± Ben spoke quickly as we took a turn onto the grocers street. ¡°The adventurers said it was a guild mission posted by one of those high-level beast tamer shops in nobles district.¡± I skidded to a stop after I heard that. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± I looked at Ben in surprise once he stopped and turned towards me. ¡°The guards will beat us if they see us walking around in there!¡± I shouted at him in the empty street. ¡°No way! Adventurers are bringing in a Gryphon,¡± Ben threw his hands up and looked at me seriously. ¡°I bet there are a hundred people there to see it!¡± I frowned as I thought about it and glanced up at Ben. ¡°Eli, this is our chance.¡± Ben walked over and grabbed my shoulder. ¡°We can¡¯t join the Guild for another six years, who knows how long it will be until we see a Gryphon again!¡¯ I debated for a moment before I grinned and nodded; with enough people on the street watching there¡¯s no way the guards would notice us. I focused on running through the mostly empty streets of the market district. With the sun just coming up the streets were just starting to fill with early-morning shoppers and workers. A few minutes later we reached the end of the market district and saw the tell-tale sign of the nobles district in the distance. A large wall separated the rest of the city from the nobles district, although the gate was only technically closed during the hordes. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. From the comparatively mundane mix of the plain brick buildings that made up the market district we cautiously entered a street made up of fancy magic-wrought buildings with glass displays lining the store-fronts. Ben and I slowed to a walk just before we reached the first of the buildings and entered the unusually busy crowd of people heading towards a crowd of people gathered around a large compound in the distance. I edged towards the side of the street so I could see into the display cases as we walked. ¡°Ben, do you see those?¡± I asked as I pointed into the building we were passing. The two-story building was made of some type of faintly glowing dark brown wood lined with runes. The glass display windows along the front had pale white mage lights placed over the tops of an assortment of finely crafted metal bracers, belts, and wristguards. All of the gear had runes clearly engraved into them and a small sign placed just below. ¡°A belt of strength.¡± Ben looked at me, eyes wide as he stopped beside it. I read the small sign as I stopped next to him. Belt of Strength Imbues the wearer with a moderate (4) increase to their strength statistic 12 Gold Coins ¡°12 Gold,¡± I said despondently, ¡°no way we¡¯ll be able to afford something like that before we join the guild.¡± Ben nodded glumly towards me and we continued walking with the crowd. Our shared misery didn¡¯t last long as we made the most of the rare opportunity to walk the streets of the nobles district. We passed dozens of fancy shops filled with magical items and expertly crafted weapons and armor. An alchemist''s shop had rows of small vials easily identified as health, mana, and stamina potions. A mage¡¯s store had three displays featuring scrolls of various earth magic spells. A few minutes later the crowded street got so packed that only our small figures allowed us to squeeze through towards the front of the waiting pedestrians huddled around the entrance to a massive establishment. A large sign was placed on top of the front gate that introduced the store as Devin¡¯s Beast Mastery. ¡°Look!¡± Ben shouted over the noise of the people standing near us. ¡°I think that¡¯s the team bringing the Gryphon!¡± I looked over at Ben¡¯s words and saw a group of four adventurers. Two of the adventurers were sitting on the front of a wagon with a large cage sitting on the back. Another two adventurers walked beside the wagon, easily recognizable by the chainmail worn by one and the black robe worn by the other. The four adventurers made steady progress towards us as they nodded politely towards the excited people they passed along the road. They stopped for a moment to greet another group of what looked like adventurers and then continued until they reached the entrance to the Beast Master¡¯s shop. I stood on my toes and could just barely see inside of the cage. A brown bird''s beak with the body of what looked like a cat slept peacefully in the center of the cage. It was only about the size of a large dog and I found myself both intrigued and disappointed. ¡°It must be a baby, I heard adult Grphons are larger than a warhorse.¡± My eyes grew wide as I looked over to a rich-looking man standing a few feet away from me and Ben. ¡°Did you hear him, Ben? I knew it was too small!¡± I said to Ben as I tried to imagine what a grown-up version of the Gryphon would look like. Ben didn¡¯t respond as his gaze shifted excitedly between the sleeping Gryphon and the adventurers passing through the gate in front of us. An official-looking attendant met them halfway down the paved path and after a short conversation he took the wagon through a gate a few hundred paces away from the front building. The crowd started to disperse after the wagon disappeared behind the gate but I watched the party of adventurers with interest until they entered the main building with another attendant. I let out a sigh, turned to Ben, and watched him turn to face me with determination shining in his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s gonna be us, Eli. I swear it,¡± he said seriously as he looked me in the eyes to gauge my resolve. ¡°Those Silvers?¡± I scoffed, ¡°As Gold ranks, we¡¯ll be bringing in dragons!¡± Aaron shook me awake a few hours later and I joined the rest of my team for breakfast after I packed up my bedroll. My thoughts turned back to my dream as I methodically packed away my gear. I hadn¡¯t dreamed of Ben in years, and I still felt some pain from thinking about him. He died two years after that during the years monster horde. It had been a bad horde and the city was breached in multiple places for a few hours before the adventurers guild finished pushing them back and began clearing them out of the city. I had nightmares for years and I mostly stopped playing with the other boys who lived on the market street afterwards. ¡°Morning, Eli,¡± Gary greeted me after I sat down to eat my bowl of oats and dried fruit beside him. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the plan today?¡± I asked loudly enough for the whole team to hear me. ¡°We¡¯re going to head south and look for more Awakened hobgoblins for the rest of this expedition. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll manage to reach level five from this trip, but if we push ourselves we¡¯ll be able to earn a lot of silver from the monster cores.¡± Gary said after the rest of the team gathered around us. ¡°If we find a few more monster cores before we head back to Gorok I¡¯d like to spend longer at the city to train and take a trip back to Brightswell through the portal.¡± I responded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine with me,¡± Gary agreed. Everyone else agreed and we would wait to decide how long to spend in the city after we knew how much we earned from the trip. We still had about five days worth of rations to spend searching the forest before we would have to head back. The next few days passed similarly to the fight we had at the small village. We found three more awakened hobgoblins that we managed to kill in a similar way each time. All of the villages were around the same size so we just had Aaron pull the group to us so we weren¡¯t overrun at the start of the fight. The Awakened hobgoblins all had different weapons and skills and every time we fought them it struck me how much more intelligent they were than the regular dungeon monsters we fought. We discussed it a few times and Aaron thought they recieved a class the same way we did. We ran into another group of adventurers fighting in one of the villages on our last day before we planned on heading back to the city. ¡°I don¡¯t think they need help,¡± Gabriella said as we all watched the adventurers clear the village from the treeline. Four of them used ranged attacks and spells to clear everything that moved towards them while the last heavily armored adventurer fought a pair of hobgoblins alone. The skills I saw flying through the air were clearly more powerful than ours and I realized this had to be a group of E-rank adventurers. ¡°This seems too easy for them,¡± Aaron said as we watched the fight continue in the distance. ¡°I wonder why they¡¯re not hunting something more difficult.¡± I watched the armored adventurer kill the last hobgoblin and start looting while the rest of his team finished any other goblins that headed towards them as they casually walked towards the dead hobgoblins. ¡°Maybe they¡¯re passing it as they go deeper,¡± Gabriella suggested with a shrug. ¡°Well, I guess let¡¯s just head back. If we leave now we can still get out of the bloodfields today,¡± Gary said. We made quick time during the hike back since I was sure everyone was ready to finally get out of the odd, dangerous woods. With a total of four monster cores and some other loot from the past few days of hunting the bloodfields, I would have plenty of money to use the portal to Brightswell. I was looking forward to seeing my parents again and telling them how the past few weeks had gone. Chapter 19 I spent the hike back to Gorok working on leveling Barkskin since it was still my most important skill and it was finally nearing level seven. I emptied my Essence reserves by casting it a total of eleven times to finish out the level. Barkskin Level 7 I grinned as I felt the subtle change in how I would form the essence after I leveled. I pulled up my Status to see my progress since after the first village we defeated. Eli - Lvl 4 Druid Experience - 2730/5000 Strength-8 Dexterity-8 (+1) Perception-7 (+1) Vitality-8 (+1) Spirit-9 Willpower-9 Barkskin - Level 7\10 (+1) Upgradeable Experience - 0\6400 Thornbolt - Level 5\20 (+1) Upgradeable Experience - 220\3200 Rejuvenation - Level 4\10 (+1) Upgradeable Experience - 180\1600 Entangle - Level 3\5 (+2) Upgradeable Experience - 200\400 Out of all our trips to the bloodfields, this was by far the most successful run we had completed so far. My statistics were continuing to increase almost evenly, which made sense considering my fighting style was evenly split between using my body and my essence. I wasn¡¯t sure if most adventurers specialized in either physical or essence stats but so far I liked the route I was moving in. We managed to pass halfway to level 5 and I was confident we would reach it at the end of our next journey to the bloodfields. Thornbolt leveled after the second village we had cleared out and I noticed the thorn had gotten sturdier and penetrated through the reinforced leather armor some of the awakened hobgoblins wore. Rejuvenation continued to increase the speed of its healing and allowed us to spend less time waiting after we finished our fights and needed to heal our injuries. Entangle was a skill that quickly increased in strength as it leveled, and I was able to grab two nearby enemies with one cast. The skill cost about a tenth of my essence but I found it was well worth the cost when it held even an Awakened monster for a few seconds in battle. I tried to use it as much as possible since I planned on upgrading the skill after I Ieveled to five if I didn¡¯t receive another skill to unlock. I was excited to see the changes in Barkskin and I cast it once I had recovered enough Essence. My skin felt less odd than it had before. The spell had always left your skin feeling tight and dry while it was on and the effect was now a bit reduced. Instead, I had created a layer of essence that rested on top of my skin, although it seemed as if that effect was only a small part of the skill. I expected that by the time I reached level ten the skill would switch from changing the target''s skin at all and it would all be a layer of essence that would form above the skin. I continued training Barkskin on the rest of the hike back to the city and I had decided to continue to focus on the skill despite the rising experience costs. We entered the gates after a short wait and we headed straight to the adventurers guild to get our loot sold. We had already split the coin pouches that the goblins commonly held in the villages and had each earned about 3 silvers each. ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am. We have four F-rank monster cores to turn in,¡± Aaron said as he excitedly handed over the small brown cores of Essence. The attendant swiftly handed over two gold coins and I happily led the way to one of the tables by the bar. ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can get some change from the bar,¡± Aaron suggested before walking to the bar. He came back a minute later, sat down, and started handing each of us a pile of silver coins. With the little silver I had left from our last trip and the coins from the goblins I had about 45 silver to my name.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what to spend it on, honestly,¡± Gabrielle said while staring at the pile of coins in front of her. ¡°This is more money than my family makes in a year, by far.¡± ¡°Well, we could consider saving some money for the mages guild fee?¡± I responded once I had the coins placed into my pouch. Five gold was an incredible amount of money to save up, and even if we made similar money to this moving forwards it would take us months to save that much. ¡°Mages guild? Did you two check that out last time we were here?¡± Zack responded interestedly. ¡°Yeah, I guess we forgot to mention it. They have an admission fee of five gold, but the attendant hinted that they would have ways to increase our essence-related statistics faster and maybe teach us to cast a spell without a skill.¡± Gabrielle replied to the group and everyone looked interested. ¡°I¡¯m focused on my physical attributes more than essence but it would help to have a higher spirit and willpower,¡± Zack responded. ¡°Five gold is ridiculous, though. I¡¯m going to look into some armor and a new shield, for now.¡± I nodded at that, Zack was already tough to knock down in his leather armor; once he could afford some better armor he would be a much better frontline than me or Gary. ¡°That does sound interesting and it''s probably something we should all join at some point,¡± Gary said towards Gabrielle ¡°That said, I think we should focus on upgrading our gear every time we have the funds to do so. In the long run, we might be wasting some money but I¡¯d rather us stay alive with empty pockets than die with full coin pouches.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡¯ Aaron replied quickly. ¡°Making forty silver each is a fortune for now, who knows how much we¡¯ll be making in another few months. I just bought a new bow and some decent armor so I¡¯ll have to do some thinking on what I can upgrade while we¡¯re here at the city.¡± Our server brought out each of us a large bowl of stew with some ale and the table grew quiet as we all focused on our food. ¡°I¡¯m going to head to Brightswell tomorrow morning if anyone wants to join me. The portal fee is 5 silver each way, but I¡¯d like to speak with my parents and tell them I¡¯m all right.¡± Everyone planned to join me and I decided to head to the bathhouse to get cleaned up. I spent an hour just soaking in the pool of water as I let myself completely relax. I browsed the market streets for a few hours afterward as I looked for anything that could be helpful during our next expedition. I found a few small items that could be useful but I decided to hold off on buying anything until I looked around in Brightswell and talked to the rest of my team some more. I decided to call it a night and slept in one of the bunks at the adventurers guild. The next morning I met the rest of my team for breakfast and we headed towards the far side of the main hall of the adventurers guild. One of the attendants pointed us in the direction of the Brightswell portal and we all quickly handed over 5 silver for the fee. Unlike last time I wanted to keep my eyes open as I passed through the portal and I immediately stumbled after I stepped through the portal into the similar-looking room. I walked off the area in front of the portals and waited for the rest of my team to join me. ¡°All right, when does everyone want to meet here to head back?¡± Gary asked once we all gathered near the exit to the adventurers guild. ¡°How about an hour or two before sunset? I don¡¯t plan on staying in the city,¡± Zack replied. I had planned on staying overnight but now that I was here I realized everything I wanted to get done I could finish during the day. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll see everyone here then,¡± I said. The rest of my team quickly said bye and we split up to head to our parents¡¯ homes. I took my time passing through the streets of the market district that I had grown up in. It felt almost like I had been gone years, by how much I had changed in the short time since I awakened. A few minutes later I arrived at my parents'' shop and I walked through the open doorway. ¡°Good afternoon, how may I help you?¡± my mother asked from behind the counter of the shop before she looked up. ¡°Hey, mom,¡± I grinned as she jerked her head up in surprise. ¡°Eli!¡± she shouted as her face broke out in a smile and I could see a mixture of happiness and relief in her eyes. ¡°Did you just arrive back in the city? How have you been? Are you all right?¡± I tried to reply and kept getting interrupted by my mom as she continued asking questions and hugged me. ¡°I¡¯m fine, mom!¡± I finally got a moment to speak and cut her off before she could ask anything else. She stopped talking and I laughed a bit at her reaction to seeing me. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect you back so soon. I¡¯ve been talking with James¡¯s father and he said it took his son four months to come back to Brightswell after he joined the adventurers guild. He said the fee to use the portals was five silver each way!¡± she said while we stood by the counter of the shop. It felt comforting to be back in my parents¡¯ tailor shop and I contentedly took a seat beside her. ¡°Yeah, unfortunately, it is. Thankfully, I found a great team and we¡¯ve been doing very well on our expeditions out into the bloodfields. I think we¡¯re improving faster than most adventurers, but I haven¡¯t talked to many of the other adventurers I¡¯ve seen.¡± I explained. I knew she was worried about me so I wasn¡¯t going to bring up how close some of our fights had been. ¡°Well, how long are you going to be here? Your father won¡¯t be back from the market for a few more hours, but I know we¡¯d both like to hear about how being an adventurer has been. What class did you choose?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m meeting my team just before sunset to head back to Gorok, but I can spend the day here. I decided to become a Druid, and it was the best decision of my life. The skills are incredible, and I can¡¯t wait to see what I learn in the future.¡± I replied with a smile. I was looking forward to casting rejuvenation on both of my parents when my father got back home. I spent the next couple of hours chatting with my mother before I headed out to the market district to compare the prices to Gorok. After spending a while wandering the market district I realized that there just wasn¡¯t much demand for lower quality gear here since there were no low-level dungeons nearby. There were two shops near the entrance to the nobles district that had wyvern-hide armor, but it cost four gold just for a jerkin. I sighed and resigned myself to saving the majority of my silver unless my team had some good ideas. Chapter 20 ¡°Wow, Eli. That sounds incredible, I¡¯m very proud of you,¡± my father said with a small smile. I had just finished describing what had happened since I joined the adventurers guild and left for Gorok. My mom still seemed uneasy with the knowledge that I was fighting every day, but she seemed proud of me in her own way. My father had traveled with adventurers during his youth and knew that while it was dangerous it also gave you the strength to handle yourself against monsters. ¡°It has been incredible, every level I¡¯ve gained I felt like I was becoming more of who I¡¯m meant to be, in a way.¡± I said. Explaining the past few weeks of my life to them had given me a different perspective of the struggles I had made it through recently. It truly dawned on me how much I had learned and advanced over the past few weeks. ¡°Well, I spoke with James¡¯s father last week. He said James had reached the E-grade, is that something that happens when you reach level five?¡± my mother asked. She had just served us dinner and we ate slowly as we continued chatting about myself and how the shop had been doing. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Gary said he asked some adventurers but they just ignored him. F-ranks don¡¯t really talk to higher-ranked adventurers at the guild, it¡¯s obvious that they don¡¯t want to talk to us,¡± I said with a grimace. It was similar to how nobles treated people in the market district when they rarely found themselves outside of their inner walls. I had learned years ago that it was just the way that the world worked, the more powerful don¡¯t care about those without strength. ¡°I want to leave some money with you every time I come back home. Hopefully, you¡¯ll be able to afford a place in the nobles district before the next horde comes.¡± I said seriously as I placed a small pouch of ten silver on the table. ¡°All right, as long as you keep enough money to help you stay alive. I know you said that better gear is incredibly expensive, so you need to save what you earn to afford something as soon as possible,¡± my mom chided me a moment later after my father nodded to me and grabbed the pouch. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s going to be a while before I can afford something that will really make a difference, I think,¡± I responded. ¡°I also wanted to show you this skill I earned.¡± ¡°Rejuvenation¡± ¡°Rejuvenation,¡± I cast on my father and then moved to my mother as my dad frowned. Neither of my parents spoke as they waited for the effects of the spell to finish. ¡°Eli, this is amazing! I feel like I¡¯m your age,¡± my mother laughed and stretched as she stood up. ¡°Thank you, Eli! I feel amazing, you didn¡¯t mention a healing skill,¡± my father shook his head in wonder as he moved around. ¡°Thanks. It¡¯s been extremely helpful for adventuring; it¡¯s probably the biggest reason we¡¯ve advanced so quickly,¡± I said with some pride, although I knew that it wasn¡¯t something that usually got us through a fight. ¡°All right, I have to head out to meet everyone. Don''t tell anyone about my healing skill, please. I¡¯ll be back again as soon as I can, I love you both.¡± My parents both promised to keep my skill secret and made me promise to stay safe. I headed back towards the adventurers guild soon after and saw the rest of my team waiting for me outside the entrance. ¡°Hey, everyone,¡± I said after I joined them at the front of the guild. ¡°Hey, Eli,¡± Gary responded, ¡°let¡¯s head inside.¡± Gary led us to the attendants by the portal to Gorok and we paid the fee before heading through to the other adventurers guild. Gabrielle took a seat at an open table, ¡°So how long do you guys want to stay in the city?¡± ¡°How about a week?¡± Zack suggested. I wasn¡¯t sure what I¡¯d spend my time on for a week but I wasn¡¯t against taking a longer break. ¡°Sure, that¡¯s fine with me,¡± I shifted in my seat, ¡°I want to learn about how to become an E-rank while we¡¯re here, too.¡± ¡°I can help with that,¡± a tall man with dark brown hair and a tanned face answered from beside our table. He looked like he was about my age so I immediately assumed he was an F-rank adventurer like us. ¡°Gary, good to see you again. How did your teams hunt for Awakened monsters go?¡± ¡°John, hey, take a seat,¡± Gary pointed towards an empty chair at our table and the man sat down with a nod in thanks. ¡°This is the adventurer that told me about the Awakened hobgoblins deeper in the bloodfields. We managed to hunt down a few of them during our last expedition. Thanks a lot for the information.¡± I nodded with Gary when he thanked him, I hadn¡¯t met many others in the adventurers guild who were willing to help anyone else out. ¡°No problem, I¡¯m glad it went well for your team. My team has been hunting them for a couple of months now while we¡¯re trying to save enough gold for E-rank monster cores. I heard you saying you didn¡¯t know how to reach E-rank,¡± John motioned towards me, ¡°well it¡¯s the same as Awakening the first time. Consume a monster core a rank higher than yourself and you¡¯ll be able to pass level five.¡± I leaned back in my seat and frowned. If I remembered right, the guild bought those for 5 gold per core. ¡°You mean we¡¯re going to need five gold each just to keep leveling?¡± Aaron slammed his fist into the table. ¡°That will take months¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the reason why most newly awakened are still F-rank by the time the monster hordes arrive. Only nobles or extremely gifted teams are usually able to earn E-rank before they¡¯re stuck on the walls of some city fighting a horde.¡± John said. ¡°Although, I heard from another team that there are areas even deeper in the bloodfields where E-rank Awakened live. I told Gary about the F-ranks to see if you guys were capable. How would your team feel about going on an expedition to hunt for our own cores? Think about it, don¡¯t give me an answer tonight.¡± John stood up when he finished and waved goodbye. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Well, that was a lot to dump on us, eh,¡± Zack laughed. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re going to need 25 gold to get all of us to E-rank¡­¡± Gabrielle trailed off. ¡°25 Gold or we hunt with John''s team. If they¡¯ve been hunting Awakened for months already they must be strong. They might not be able to advance their class levels but they can still work on their skills.¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we¡¯re ready for that, Eli. The F-rank Awakened hobgoblins we¡¯ve been fighting recently haven¡¯t been easy to take to down and I¡¯m sure the E-ranks will be much stronger.¡± Gary responded worriedly. ¡°They¡¯ll be stronger,¡± Aaron took a sip of ale, ¡°but we¡¯ll have a team of ten experienced adventurers. With five of us the biggest danger was us getting overrun by regular hobgoblins, goblins or wargs.¡± ¡°Having more people doesn¡¯t really mean we¡¯re that much safer,¡± Gabrielle replied sternly. ¡°Remember the first group we teamed up with for a dungeon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the same, though. Neither one of our teams knew what we were doing back then,¡± I replied. ¡°Let¡¯s take some time to think about it, like John suggested. We¡¯re going to be in the city for a while, we don¡¯t have to figure this out right now.¡± Gary raised his hands to calm us down. We spent the rest of the night lounging at our table eating stew and drinking ale. I woke up to my head pounding and I immediately regretted drinking so much ale throughout the night, although it was nice to just hang out and talk with the rest of my team without the threat of monsters constantly hanging over our heads. I slowly got up and shakily made my way to the bar to get some food, and Gary joined me a few minutes later after I had been served. ¡°Morning, Eli,¡± Gary rubbed his temples and looked down at the table. I squinted at him and grunted while I focused on eating my food and drinking the milk I ordered. I finished eating and relaxed while the rest of my team joined us one by one over the next few minutes. ¡°I hate you, Aaron,¡± Gabrielle stated firmly. ¡°I¡¯m never drinking ale again.¡± I winced after I looked over at Gabrielle and saw dark bags under her eyes and a grumpy expression her face as she gave Aaron a dirty look. ¡°That was a crucial part of being in an adventuring team,¡± Aaron defended himself weakly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to yell, it¡¯s already loud enough in here.¡± ¡°Vigor,¡± Zack cast and immediately he sighed in relief. I looked up and glared at Zack with everyone else at the table. ¡°Seriously?¡± Gabrielle looked disgusted and turned her chair to face away from Zack. ¡°Eli, did you try rejuvenation?¡± Gary whispered across the table. I had completely forgotten and I immediately cast on myself after I realized. The spell slowly eased the feeling of pain in my head until it was completely gone. I cast on Gabrielle once my spell finished working since she looked like she was in the most pain out of everyone else. ¡°Wow, Eli¡­¡± Aaron looked disappointed in me as he sighed at us across the table. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll get you guys next,¡± I responded somewhat guiltily. ¡°What¡¯s everyone doing today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m heading to the market to look at armor if anyone wants to join me,¡± Zack said. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, I looked at some wyvern-hide armor in Brightswell but it cost a few gold just for a jerkin,¡± I complained. ¡° Are you going to look for more leather armor or some metal like you were saying a few days ago?¡± ¡°I want to see the price for a chainmail jerkin, at least.¡± Aaron spoke up, ¡°Well you better not be leaving until you cast rejuvenation on me and Gary.¡± Aaron narrowed his eyes at me and I saw Gary stealthily looking at me from the corner of his eyes. I laughed, ¡°Calm down, I won¡¯t leave until I can cast on you both.¡± I spent most of the next hour chatting with my team and eventually headed out to the market after Gary and Aaron were appeased. Zack found a chainmail jerkin for fifteen silver that he purchased along with a thick tunic to wear beneath it. I bought a cheap short sword on the way back to the adventurers guild since I had been wanting to learn how to use some other weapons while I had the chance and a replacement shield for the one I broke the last time I was out with my team. The next few days passed similarly as I split my time between training with my team and talking with some of the other adventurers staying at the adventurers guild. Most of the adventurers I spoke with were only level two or three and only hunted the dungeons right at the edge of the bloodfields. I enjoyed learning the short sword a bit after Gabrielle showed me a few of the forms that another adventurer taught her while we were in the city previously. I was still planning on using my short spear when we left for the bloodfields but I felt that learning the basics of other weapons would help me learn how to fight against the variety of weapons that the Awakened hobgoblins had been using. ¡°So I know we¡¯ve talked about it over the past few days but we need to come up with a decision now so we can let John know if we¡¯re joining his team or not,¡± Gary stated at breakfast. We had been in the city for six days now and we planned on leaving tomorrow early in the morning. ¡°Raise a hand if you want to join them.¡± I glanced around briefly and raised my hand alongside Aaron and Zack. ¡®All right,¡± Gabrielle sighed. ¡°Are you going to show them your healing skill, Eli?¡± ¡°Only if I need to, but we¡¯ve talked with the rest of his team, they all seemed like good guys.¡± I pointed out. We had been sparring with the rest of his team while we were here to understand what everyone specialized in. John''s team had three archers and two warriors, which made them a lot stronger than us in an extended fight. They relied on their essence less than we did overall, although they likely had some powerful skills as well. With our decision made we set out to grab a month''s worth of rations for 5 silver from each of us. John had recommended we plan for a long expedition, although we wouldn¡¯t know how long we would end up staying in the bloodfields until we were there. I checked my status to see the progress I made during our week in the city. Eli - Lvl 4 Druid Experience - 2730/5000 Strength-8 Dexterity-9 (+1) Perception-7 Vitality-8 Spirit-9 Willpower-9 Barkskin - Level 7\10 Upgradeable Experience - 220\6400 Thornbolt - Level 5\20 Upgradeable Experience - 240\3200 Rejuvenation - Level 4\10 Upgradeable Experience - 290\1600 Entangle - Level 3\5 Upgradeable Experience - 200\400 Chapter 21 I earned about 200 experience in Barkskin and a full level in my dexterity during my week in the city. It was hard to get excited about such small progress in Barkskin but dexterity was another matter. I found myself valuing my physical stats just as highly as my essence ones for improving my ability to fight. I would never have enough essence to constantly cast my skills and there was no reason I couldn¡¯t continue to improve at fighting with weapons over time. I let my mind wander as I walked down the road towards the bloodfields with the nine other adventurers. John''s team had been staying mostly to themselves as we shared the path over the past two days. We talked for a few minutes each night about all the details of our planned expedition. John had planned on heading directly for an E-rank Awakened as soon as we arrived, while Gary wanted to slowly make our way deeper while clearing out any monsters we could find. I supported Gary''s decision, along with everyone else on our team. None of us wanted a repeat of our first time working with another team of adventurers. ¡°It¡¯s our willingness to keep pushing forwards that will let us reach E-rank, not rushing towards it as fast as possible,¡± Gary said to John beside me. We had just set up our camp at the edge of the bloodfields as the sun was setting over the trees in the distance. ¡°How about this,¡± John held his hand up, ¡°we hunt down one or two F-grade Awakened then we head deeper, ok?¡± John looked hopefully at Gary and the rest of my team beside him. I looked to Gary questioningly even though that sounded like a good compromise, to me. Gary seemed to consider for a moment before he looked towards the rest of our team to see if we had any objections and I nodded along with everyone else. ¡°All right, we can do that, ¡° Gary agreed. John smiled and nodded as some of the tension drained out of him and Gary. After two days of them quietly arguing away from both teams as we hiked down the road they had to be annoyed with each other. I was just relieved John had suggested that; he was worried about how long it would take to find one once we began looking but I doubted it would be complicated. Both of our teams called it a night after a quick dinner so we could get an early start. I fell asleep while thinking of ways to incorporate entangle into my fighting style. I woke up feeling rested and well-prepared for the expedition we were heading on today. After a quick breakfast, we headed into the bloodfields after an hour''s walk along the edge to get away from the road. Gary and John had decided both teams would move in our groups separated by a few meters. In the dense forests, their team was as far from us as they could be without disappearing entirely behind the wildlife. We moved steadily throughout the forest as we quickly dealt with any goblins or wargs we saw. A few hours passed steadily until we reached a similar distance to our past trips this far. We turned and kept a similar distance from each other as we searched the area for any clearings in the trees. ¡°Noise,¡± Aaron said. I quieted along with the rest of my team and John quickly noticed and signaled his team to still. Gary jerked his head forwards and Aaron dashed off towards the sound coming through the trees. I leaned against a tree and let the weight of my pack rest while I waited for Aaron to return. We had set a quick pace during the day and I felt it. A few minutes later I saw him returning through the trees ahead of us. ¡°Looks like the usual,¡± Aaron said once both teams had gathered. ¡°Seven houses and a large cabin in the center. No hobgoblins outside.¡± John grinned, ¡°Sounds like an easy F-rank core, right there. My team will fight a few meters to your side. We¡¯ll pull them from a distance and clear them as they hit us, we¡¯ll hit the Awakened together if possible.¡± It was our usual strategy when dealing with the villages, but it had served us well so far and more people would only make it easier. Aaron led us forwards until we reached the treeline and I saw a normal goblin village with a large cabin in the center. We advanced into the clearing and continued until we were about halfway to the village and John waved for both teams to stop. Some of the goblins in the distance had already noticed us and were charging across the grassy clearing to reach us. All four archers killed the goblins as they streamed towards us from the buildings in the village. I waited patiently in the front beside Zack until four hobgoblins rushed out of the cabin. ¡°Two Awakened,¡± Gary said as the four hobgoblins roared and sprinted towards us. Small groups of goblins finally reached the front and I quickly finished a wounded one with a thrust. Most of the goblins were alone or wounded and I killed any that reached me in one or two quick strikes. ¡°Gabrielle hit them with a meteor. We¡¯ll move forward right after it lands,¡± Gary ordered as the hobgoblins started to near our two teams. ¡°Meteor,¡± Gabrielle started casting immediately and the sphere of flames quickly grew in front of her. She sent the spell shooting past once the group of hobgoblins was about 30 meters away and it sent all four crashing to the ground once it landed between them a moment later. Gary, Zack and I had all rushed towards them as she cast the spell. Three bangs sounded from in front of me and I knew Aaron had cast Haste and all three Drill shots he could while the skill lasted. Gary flashed away the last ten meters with a cast of Charge and I saw him spear the heavily wounded hobgoblin in the front. ¡°Entangle,¡± I cast as the hobgoblin reached for its fallen club on the ground and caused vines to rush up and grab its arms. It was the first time I¡¯d used it that way in combat, but it was a method I considered recently while thinking of better ways to use it in combat. The hobgoblin struggled for a moment until Gary stabbed it through the skull and turned to another. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Entangle,¡± I sent vines up behind the hobgoblin Zack had just bashed with his mace and grabbed its legs. I stabbed the monster''s chest as it jerked around wildly and swung its mace towards Zack. ¡°Vigor,¡± the massive swing caused Zack to cast his spell and he managed to block with his shield. I stabbed rapidly into the hobgoblins back until it slumped over. I looked around and saw John fighting one Awakened while Gary fought the other a few meters away from the other. As I jogged over Gary was baiting out its skills and leading it slowly in our direction. ¡°Thornbolt,¡± I cast once I got close and sent a thorn slamming into the monster''s side as it lunged forwards towards Gary. The hobgoblin roared and grabbed at its side and Gary capitalized by rushing forwards and casting Flurry. His arms blurred as he sent three strikes towards the monster and it fell onto the floor, dead. I glanced over to John and saw the other Awakened lying at his feet while his team walked towards him. I grinned and looked towards Aaron with my eyebrows raised, ¡°That was easy.¡± ¡°Just some target practice,¡± he shrugged with a smile. John and his team walked over to join us as we gathered up by the awakened¡¯s corpse. ¡°Good job! You guys are pretty good, I¡¯m impressed. And Gabrielle, especially,¡± he winked towards the brown-haired girl. She looked unimpressed and raised her eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m impressed, too. With all of us archers and casters there were barely any goblins that reached us, I¡¯m a lot less worried about being overrun than with just one team out here,¡± Alex said with a nod towards Aaron. He was one of the archers on John''s team and I hadn¡¯t spoken to him much, but I¡¯d seen Aaron walking with him. ¡°Well done, everyone. Let¡¯s get everything looted and move to the cabin for the night while it¡¯s still light out,¡± Gary prodded us before we continued talking and we quickly split up to search the goblins and dig out the monster cores. A few minutes later I got to the cabin and took in the large foul-smelling room. There were rags piled in a few spots around the edges of the room, but everyone''s packs were set up near the center where it was mostly empty. I dropped my pack near the others and worked on cleaning my gear while everyone else started trailing inside. Gary waved me over a few minutes later and I saw everyone heading in his direction. ¡°Today was a good showing of the strength both of our teams have when we work together,¡± John grinned and raised his hands and we let out a light cheer. ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll go deeper and see if we can find something a bit more challenging.¡± I looked to Gary and watched as he nodded to John. ¡°All right. After today, I¡¯m confident we can handle anything we¡¯ve seen, so far. Hopefully, we can find a larger village tomorrow with an E-rank Awakened,¡± Gary responded with a nod in support. ¡°Well, it won¡¯t be a village,¡± John shrugged a bit guiltily. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what all of you know about geography, but these clearings are the on the edges of bloodfields. We won¡¯t find E-ranks within these forests.¡¯ ¡°What?¡± Aaron yelled, ¡°Then what did you bring us out here for?¡± I frowned and looked at John as everyone turned to him, including his team. ¡°John, what do you mean? You had us preparing to go after them for months,¡± Alex protested with a shocked expression on his face. ¡°Calm down, everyone,¡± John shouted over everyone until we all quieted. ¡°Let me explain. The Bloodfields are at the edge of Satar¡¯s territory, beyond the forests is an area ruled by Awakened hobgoblins. With the forest blocking travel in this direction, Satar never expanded further than Gorok.¡± I had never heard of a place that was outside of Satar and I didn¡¯t know whether he was telling the truth. ¡°Who told you that?¡± George asked him, another member of his team. ¡°No one. My father is a cartographer, so I¡¯ve seen maps of the entire kingdom of Satar. This is the southern edge, and Gorok is the southernmost city,¡± John replied quickly. ¡°So how do you know there are E-rank Awakened outside of the forest?¡± Gabrielle asked him with her arms crossed across her chest. ¡°It¡¯s obvious. There¡¯s no way adventurers kill all the Awakened in this massive forest, and they don¡¯t push towards Gorok or we¡¯d know about hundreds of adventurers dying to them. They have to go somewhere,¡± he finished strongly as he pointed outside the cabin. ¡°Can hobgoblins even become E-rank?¡± I asked doubtfully. ¡°Of course, any Awakened advances the same way we can. Trust me, the plan isn¡¯t any different than before. We head deeper until we come out the other side of the forest and search for Awakened.¡± John responded confidently. ¡°All right. I wish you would have told us the truth sooner, though,¡± Alex said with a glare towards John. ¡°Agreed. We¡¯ll head deeper in the bloodfields, but if we reach the edge we¡¯re moving forwards slowly and carefully,¡± Gary warned John and received a grateful nod back. I sighed and shook my head at the drama John caused. In the end, it sounded like something I wanted to do. Explore past the edge of the Bloodfields and see something that was outside of Satar. I hadn¡¯t ever thought of lands outside of Satar and I hadn¡¯t even really considered that anything was out there. Gabrielle cooked our team dinner and I spent an hour or so discussing the day before I headed to my bedroll. I pulled up my status to check the day''s progress. Eli - Lvl 4 Druid Experience - 2970/5000 Strength-8 Dexterity-9 Perception-7 Vitality-8 Spirit-9 Willpower-9 Barkskin - Level 7\10 Upgradeable Experience - 320\6400 Thornbolt - Level 5\20 Upgradeable Experience - 290\3200 Rejuvenation - Level 4\10 Upgradeable Experience - 290\1600 Entangle - Level 3\5 Upgradeable Experience - 330\400 Chapter 22 The next morning we gathered together for a long breakfast in the cabin before we left to head deeper into the forest. I sat quietly beside Gabrielle and Aaron as we helped prepare breakfast until everyone arrived. ¡°Morning, everyone,¡± John said to a fairly cold reception. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for dragging all of you out here for this expedition, somewhat unknowingly,¡± he grinned weakly towards the group. ¡°Although, I gave both teams knowledge of the F-rank awakened that we¡¯ve hunted for a much greater reward than the dungeons in the bloodfields. I¡¯m just asking you to trust me on the next step, I know there¡¯s something out there past these forests.¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful for the knowledge of the F-rank awakened you shared with my team, and it¡¯s the main reason I¡¯m trusting you enough to stay,¡± Gary said with a sigh. I nodded slowly; ever since John had talked about the edges of Satar I felt drawn to seeing what was past the bloodfields. I tried not to let it affect me when our team discussed the decision to move on last night, but I was interested. ¡°It¡¯s fine, if we don¡¯t find anything after a few days we¡¯ll just head back and keep hunting for the clearings,¡± Gabrielle responded. Although we were willing to go with John for a few days since we had left with a month''s worth of rations, we wouldn¡¯t spend too long searching if we didn¡¯t find anything. I ate a small breakfast of oats and dried fruits with everyone else and then packed up. We formed up in a closer formation when we set out towards the other end of the clearing, with both teams only a few meters apart. The next few hours passed without any surprises as we traveled through the dense forest without coming across any patrols. ¡°The trees are clearing up,¡± Zack noted from beside me and I nodded in reply as I scanned the area ahead of us. The dark red trees slowly shifted from densely packed to sparse within the next couple of hours as we hiked further away from Gorok. I was surprised we hadn¡¯t seen any monsters at all once we passed the clearing, and I was doubting John¡¯s idea more as the day went on. ¡°Heightened Senses,¡± Aaron cast a while later. There was a small mountain range that we could finally see through the tall trees of the bloodfields. ¡°I can¡¯t see anything on it, but we¡¯re very far away.¡± The mountains spanned as far as I could see in front of me and the base was probably around fifteen miles away from us. ¡°Amazing, we can reach the base of the mountains tomorrow,¡± John grinned and looked excited, but the rest of his team didn¡¯t look impressed. I glanced around and saw Aaron examining the mountain intensely while everyone else gathered up to discuss our plan. ¡°I thought I saw something moving, but it¡¯s too far. It might have been my eyes playing a trick on me,¡± Aaron said after he noticed me watching him. He shook his head and turned to walk towards the rest of our two teams. ¡°What does everyone think about heading halfway to the mountain today. We can finish the last few miles tomorrow morning and see what''s waiting for us while we¡¯re still fresh,¡± John suggested. I glanced at the sun and judged we had another two or three hours of sunlight left. I shrugged indifferently, we could probably make it to the base of the mountains today if we set a quick pace. ¡°All right, sounds fine to me,¡± Gary responded and both teams set out towards the mountain range in the distance. The rest of the hike passed quickly and a few hours later we were all resting beside a stream we had found while searching for a good place to stop. ¡°Heightened Senses,¡± Aaron cast again from beside me as we sat eating. He had been casting the skill repeatedly since we had seen the mountains and I waited as he studied the mountain in the fading sunlight. ¡°There¡¯s fire up there, in a few different spots that I can see. I think I see movement, too,¡± Aaron stated loudly enough for everyone to hear him. I grinned and looked around to see everyone staring at Aaron. ¡°That¡¯s all I can see.¡± ¡°It must be all Awakened out here unless there are different dungeons in the mountains,¡± John said. ¡°They could be anything, tomorrow we need to be careful. Mountains seem like easy places to get ambushed¡­¡± Gabrielle trailed off as she frowned worriedly at the mountains slowly fading from view. ¡°We¡¯ll keep both teams close like we did today, moving forward,¡± Gary said firmly and John nodded in reply. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone scouting ahead once we reach the mountains, we stay together as we move.¡± I spent the rest of the night chatting with Zack about his new armor and how the weight was affecting him. With two passives that leveled his strength and his larger frame he almost didn¡¯t notice the heavier metal. He complimented me on my better use of Entangle and we planned some additional techniques we could use together in different situations as we passed the first watch. While we were out past the bloodfields we agreed to keep two on watch at all times to make sure we stayed safe. Neither of us saw anything during our watch and a couple of hours later we woke Gabrielle and Aaron and headed to sleep. I woke up feeling refreshed and I joined the rest of the group for a quick breakfast while we watched the sunrise past the mountains. Everyone wanted to get moving so we ate quickly and packed our gear before we head off into formation. Two hours passed before we reached the base of the mountain, and we hadn¡¯t seen anything during that time. Once we got close enough we turned slightly to head towards an area where there was a gentle slope leading up, rather than the cliffs that blocked most other areas. We carefully made our way up the path as we inspected around us and we hiked slowly for a couple of hours along the rocky mountain path. As we walked I started to feel an odd sensation from the air all around me and I glanced around to see if anyone else noticed anything as I slowed to a stop. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Does anyone feel that?¡± I asked while I frowned at the air around me. I felt almost a light pressure from everywhere around me and as I studied the feeling I realized that it felt incredible. ¡°It¡¯s Essence, in the air around us!¡± Gabrielle shouted and I looked around to see everyone peering around in confusion. I closed my eyes and focused on my core of Essence as I ignored everyone around me. It felt like my core was surrounded by essence just waiting to rush back in and I realized my regeneration would be massively increased while we were here on these mountains. Gabrielle grinned at me once I explained what I thought and I laughed at the excited expression on her face. No one had any ideas what was causing the Essence to gather around us and we eventually continued along the path. ¡°Stop,¡± Aaron spoke in a sharp whisper and everyone grew still. ¡°Heightened Senses,¡± Aaron cast and looked past the ridge we had just crested. The path led back down for another half a mile before I lost sight of the path in the mountains ahead of us. ¡°There are people down there,¡± he pointed into the distance and I squinted as I tried to focus on what he was pointing at. ¡°There¡¯s a large cave along the mountain there, I see people going in and out of it.¡± ¡°Are they hobgoblins?¡± Gary asked. I could only see the cliff face where Aaron had pointed and I gave up to look back at him. Everyone from both teams was standing around listening. ¡°I can¡¯t tell, I can just see specks moving around the cave from here,¡± he responded and I sighed. We would have to leave the path to head in that direction, and travel over the rougher terrain to reach the area, but I was ready to see what lived up here, outside of Satar. We took a short break to eat some dried jerky and hydrate before we set off along the mountainside. Another hour passed before we reached another crest in the mountain and I could see the cave ahead of us. I crouched down immediately once I saw how close we were and both groups stopped as they reached me. I studied the massive cave that had to reach hundreds of meters into the air with some shock before I looked at the creatures at the entrance. ¡°They¡¯re fighting each other,¡± Zack whispered loudly and I nodded dumbly as I stared at the odd sight. Large grey creatures fought with clubs in the clear area outside of the cave. Their skin looked almost like a stone from the distance and they had to be three meters tall at least. ¡°Trolls, I think,¡± George said after a minute. ¡°What do we do?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re not fighting all of them at once. Let¡¯s move back,¡± Gary ordered after George¡¯s comment. I followed him as he led us a few hundred meters away to an overhang we¡¯d passed earlier. We all gathered up once we were hidden from most directions and I looked to Gary to see what he planned. ¡°I saw fourteen of them out there, most of them fighting each other. I saw another two of them walking towards the cave from further along the mountain past the trolls.¡± Aaron said before Gary could speak up. ¡°Well, that changes things,¡± John said with a relieved sigh. ¡°We have no chance of fighting that group by the cave. Two trolls should be possible for both of our teams together,¡¯ he looked around to gauge our reactions and I looked down worriedly. Those monsters looked to be about meters tall and I was worried what would happen if one of them was able to hit anyone. Maybe it would be better to return to the Bloodfields and stick with the safer option, for once. On the other hand, the increased Essence out here would let me level my skills much faster than before. I cast Thornbolt as we hiked earlier to test how much faster my Essence regenerated and was shocked to see that it was twice as fast. I guessed that I could recover my full core of Essence after twenty minutes out here, compared to just under forty everywhere else. I settled back as both teams began discussing whether or not we wanted to move forwards as I decided to trust Gary''s decision. He hadn¡¯t led us poorly so far and I felt confident he would make the right decision. ¡°We¡¯ll take a long route along the ridge and wait on the other side of the cave to see where the patrols go. If there¡¯s an area where we can ambush them outside of sight of the other trolls, we¡¯ll take them out,¡± Gary finally decided after everyone talked. No one else had anything to say about the plan and we quickly set to it as we backtracked another mile to get further out of view of the cave. We continued along the other side of the ridge as we made our way to the far side of the cave where we had seen the patrol walking earlier. ¡°Here¡¯s a good spot,¡± Aaron suggested as we hiked beside a massive rock overhang. I glanced around the rock and saw there was enough room behind it to hide all ten of us easily. ¡°We can hide here while we wait for another patrol to head this direction, they won¡¯t be able to see us from any direction, even if they send a larger group.¡± We had planned to go further, but the sun was only two or three hours from setting, and we had yet to see any more trolls as we hiked along the base of the mountain cliffs. ¡°Good plan, Aaron,¡± Gary complimented as we stopped behind the rocks. ¡°We can set up a strong ambush from here, can you find a good spot to watch the area?¡± Aaron nodded and both groups dropped our packs down to rest while we had a chance. Aaron stayed seated on top of the rock formation a few meters away from us and I focused on thinking how I¡¯d fight a monster that large. Time slowly passed and eventually, watches were set as no trolls appeared and the sun steadily set behind the mountains. I settled into sleep, excited for tomorrow and interested by the strange Essence in the air of the mountains. Chapter 23 John and George woke me up for the last watch and I waited with Zack while the sun slowly rose. The air was a bit colder up here than I was used to in the bloodfields, but it warmed up quickly once the sun was up. I joined both teams for breakfast behind the rock overhang as we waited for another patrol to head out from the cave we passed yesterday. ¡°Your team was all on the walls for the last horde?¡± Aaron asked John. I looked over at that and I saw the rest of my team looking interested, too. ¡°Yeah, we got lucky. No monsters managed to get past our section of the wall, we had a few E-ranks and a Silver rank near us. Still, it was something else, you wouldn¡¯t believe the number of monsters there were.¡± John said as he rubbed his arms uncomfortably. ¡°How do they get past the walls if their silver ranks up there?¡± Aaron asked angrily. ¡°It makes no sense¡­¡± ¡°There was a Silver rank by our section of the wall, but the city is huge. We were stationed near a gate so the guild made sure it was well-defended. I never understood how monsters always got past the walls until I was up there and saw it, myself.¡± Alex shook his head and paused as we all looked at him. ¡°It was an endless wave and some parts of the wall only had a single F-rank team of adventurers for every fifty meters. The city is just too big to defend with the number of adventurers there are.¡± That¡¯s what I had always heard my parents tell me when I asked why the monsters got through the walls. I listened to Aaron and Gabrielle ask John''s team questions about the horde while I wondered why they were all still level 5 if they had been Awakened long enough to stand the walls for a horde. I had lost hope that the city of the guilds would be able to defend the outer walls of Brightswell years ago. ¡°Patrol, heading this way from the cave,¡± Alex reported from where he was standing watch. We had spent the past hour planning our strategy once we had an opportunity and we all quickly gathered near Alex. ¡°It¡¯s two, like yesterday. If they take the same path we should be able to ambush them here.¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s move,¡± Gary led the way towards a location we decided on this morning. There was a slope heading up to the peak of the mountain we were on the side of slightly further along the mountain. The path heading up was hidden from sight until you were right in front of it, and it would give us room to retreat if the fight went poorly. We went a few meters up the path and arranged ourselves in a loose formation, with all four archers and Gabrielle at the back. ¡°Remember, split them up if we can, we need to focus one down as fast as possible and join together on the second one,¡± Gary said as we waited for the trolls to make their way to us. Another thirty minutes passed as I waited crouched down on the rocky ground before I saw the trolls pass ahead of us. My eyes widened in shock as I saw the size of the trolls and what I previously thought was fifteen feet seemed closer to twenty from this close. My head wouldn¡¯t even reach the monster''s waist. ¡°Drill Shot¡± ¡°Volley¡± ¡°Fireball,¡± everyone cast on the closest troll, and I watched as it stumbled a few steps to the side after it was hit. Both trolls stopped and looked around as the one they hit roared and slammed its club into the rocks. Another round of skills was sent toward the troll and it quickly turned in our direction after it was hit. I swallowed nervously at the troll facing us, the skills didn¡¯t seem to be doing anything other than annoying it from this distance. ¡°Split up, one team for each troll,¡± John said quickly as they began rushing towards us. Gary nodded and we jogged a few meters apart before Aaron started shooting the troll in the front. I could see a few arrows poking out of the troll''s skin, but clearly, they weren¡¯t penetrating very far. The other troll roared and headed towards John¡¯s team after a skill sent it skidding back down the path. ¡®Barkskin,¡± I cast on Zack, Gary, and myself as we prepared to meet its charge. ¡°I¡¯ll hit it with an Empowered Strike if I can,¡± Zack said as he moved forwards to grab its attention while I and Gary moved out to the monster''s sides. I felt tiny as I moved towards the giant beast and I watched Zack worriedly as the monster swung at him with its club. The strike moved faster than he could dodge and I saw him cast Vigor and Fortress as I stabbed the troll in the leg. My spear penetrated deeply and I quickly pulled it out and stabbed again while the troll was distracted with Zack. I watched Gary cast Flurry and hit the monster on the other side while Zack held its attention and Gabrielle sent constant fireballs at its eyes. The troll twisted and kicked Gary away after he finished his skill and I slit my spear along its heel as it turned away from me. ¡°Empowered Strike,¡± Zack cast while the troll was still turned and he slammed his mace through the troll''s thigh. The troll collapsed with a painful roar as it lost half of its thigh and I rushed forwards to stab it in the skull while I had the opportunity. I reached the monster''s head at the same time as Zack and we attacked it full force as it struggled on the ground. Zack¡¯s hit managed to cave in the monster''s skull and I sent my spear deep into its brain right after. ¡°Where¡¯s Gary?¡± I asked as soon as I realized the troll was dead. Zack pointed and I rushed off to his body while the rest of my team headed towards the other troll John''s team was still fighting. Gary was on his back holding his stomach and I rushed to his side and cast Rejuvenation. Blood was pooling through his fingers as he held the wound, but he just nodded and gestured for me to help the others. I still had some Essence left, but not much and I would likely need to cast Rejuvenation again before this was over. I jogged towards the fight and I didn¡¯t see John or Derrick, the other melee fighter in his team. Zack had just taken the troll''s attention back from the fleeing archers with a swing to the troll''s knee.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Thornbolt,¡± I cast at the troll''s face as it turned to face Zack and rushed forward to stab the monster''s foot leg. The monster swung his club at me from the side and I raised my shield and grimaced. I felt my body go limp as my vision flashed and I opened my eyes dizzily a few moments later. ¡°Eli, are you all right?¡± Zack asked tiredly as he walked over towards me. I hesitantly moved my body and determined I was extremely bruised and I had broken my arm and my shield. ¡°I broke my arm, where¡¯s John?¡± I asked as I stood up slowly. I glanced around and saw Gabrielle knelt by Gary in the distance, but I knew he would be all right. I only saw Dan and Alex, two of the archers from John¡¯s team standing. ¡°He took a hit to the head, there¡¯s not much left¡­¡± Zack trailed off as he looked sick and pointed down the slope a bit. ¡°Derrik and George are dead, too. They were dead before we finished our troll, I don¡¯t know what happened. We shouldn¡¯t have come here,¡± Zack rambled as he held my shoulder while we walked to Gary and Gabrielle. Zack waved Dan and Alex over to us as we gathered and they slowly made their way over to us. ¡°John, Derrick, and George?¡± Gary asked once everyone reached his side. I glanced around and saw Alex shake his head as he met Gary''s eyes and then looked to the floor. No one looked injured besides Zack, Gary, and myself and I realized everyone other than the three of us who got hit died. I had only cast Barkskin on the three of us, if I cast it on everyone we might have all survived. ¡°Eli?¡± Gabrielle interrupted my thoughts as I felt nauseous and stared at the ground in the distance. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I responded and focused on the conversation the rest of the group was having. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, it¡¯s over now. As soon Gary and Eli can move easier we¡¯ll head back the way we came,¡± Aaron said to Alex who looked like he was panicking. ¡°Alex and Dan, keep watch from around the bend, we¡¯ll head down as soon as we get bandaged,¡± Gary said as Gabrielle started wrapping his stomach carefully. Both of them looked lost, but they looked at each other and nodded after a moment. ¡°I can walk, slowly, but I don¡¯t think we should rush out of here. We¡¯re still safe, better to heal up first in case we run into more of them,¡± I said as I knelt next to Gary. Another minute and I could cast rejuvenation, again. ¡°We¡¯ll heal up, first,¡± Gary grunted from where we were leaning against his pack. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we came here, this whole expedition was a mistake.¡± ¡°Yeah, it was,¡± Zack said as he slumped down next to Gary. ¡°We all made the choice, though. Let¡¯s just focus on getting out of here, all right?¡± Gary looked around wearily and Gabrielle sat back with a sigh after she finished wrapping his wound. ¡°Aaron, can you check the bodies while Eli recovers Essence?¡± Aaron nodded and headed over to the bodies in the distance while I focused on the heavy, comforting feeling of the odd Essence in the mountains. I cast on Gary a couple of minutes later and he was able to stand and walk. ¡°F-rank cores on both of them. They had a pouch of big stones, too,¡± Aaron said as he walked over. I looked at the pouch he was carrying and he watched as he poured out a few stones the size of my fists. They looked like regular rocks except they had faint blue lines that trailed across the surface. ¡°F-ranks?¡± Gabrielle questioned glumly. Aaron nodded with a sigh and I found myself thinking over the fight as I wondered if I should have cast Barkskin on more of us. I sat quietly as I waited for my Essence to regenerate and barely noticed when Aaron shook me worriedly a few minutes later. ¡°It¡¯s been half an hour, are you ready?¡± I focused back on my surroundings and realized I had been full of the essence for a while with a grimace. I quickly cast Rejuvenation on Zack and then on myself a few minutes later. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said after the uncomfortable healing effects wore off a few seconds later. Gary nodded and we headed down the slope until we reached the cliffside where Alex and Dan went to keep watch for more patrols. ¡°They¡¯re gone,¡± Aaron said as we reached the bottom of the slope. I looked around in confusion as I took in Aaron''s words. We hadn¡¯t heard anything and it didn¡¯t look like there had been any fighting. ¡°They left when they saw our injuries¡­¡± I trailed off as I understood why they left. ¡°I should have told them about my skill, they would have waited for us and we could have left safely together.¡± ¡°Maybe we should have, but they also just abandoned us without saying anything. If they said something, you would have told them.¡± Gabrielle stated as she shook her head. ¡°Oh well, hopefully, we¡¯ll catch up to them on the path. Let¡¯s keep moving,¡± Gary said and we started down the ridgeline that led to the path we took up into the mountains. We moved carefully down the path as we constantly checked over the ridgeline to see if we were safe, although we didn¡¯t see any more patrols. We continued walking for a few hours and made it over halfway back to the Bloodfields before the sun started setting. We hadn¡¯t seen any signs of Alex or Dan on the way back and I couldn¡¯t help feeling guilty about how everything turned out. Zack seemed to notice the struggle on my face as he walked beside me the rest of the night and chatted as we hiked. We stopped wearily at Gary¡¯s signal and we all dropped our packs beside a couple of trees. I pulled up my status as I rested against my pack and drank some water after the long day. Eli - Lvl 4 Druid Experience - 3370/5000 Strength-9 (+1) Dexterity-9 Perception-7 Vitality-8 Spirit-9 Willpower-9 Barkskin - Level 7\10 Upgradeable Experience - 620\6400 Thornbolt - Level 5\20 Upgradeable Experience - 330\3200 Rejuvenation - Level 4\10 Upgradeable Experience - 400\1600 Entangle - Level 3\5 Upgradeable Experience - 330\400 ¡°We¡¯ll talk in the morning, let¡¯s just get to sleep early and get out of here with the sun,¡± Gary said over dinner. No one was talking as we all contemplated the day and the deaths of the people we had spent the past few days with. I didn¡¯t know how I felt about everything, but I realized we were pushing ourselves too fast, we had time to reach E-rank. We still had most of a year before we would face our first horde, and even if we only reached E-rank by then I was confident we would survive. Most adventurers on the walls during a horde would be F-rank. I spent hours thinking over the day before I could calm my thoughts and fall asleep. Chapter 24 ¡°Morning, Eli,¡± Gary greeted me as I joined him by the cooking fire he was building. I nodded to him and we quickly prepared a breakfast of oats while everyone trailed over once they finished packing. ¡°So, yesterday¡­¡± Gabrielle trailed off awkwardly while we ate. I glanced up at Gary and watched him take a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for getting us in this situation,¡± Gary said and raised his hands when everyone tried to speak up. ¡°I know, it was a group decision, but I could have stopped us from coming out here, and I should have. We¡¯ve been too caught up in pushing to E-rank as quickly as possible,¡± Gary said as he stood up and looked back to the forest. ¡°We could have died back there, just so we could earn a little bit more money. It¡¯s not worth it.¡± ¡°You''re right,¡± I nodded, ¡°we have plenty of time to reach E-rank before we have to guard the walls during the next horde. I got so lost in the silver and strength we¡¯ve been gaining that I thought we could handle anything we¡¯d find out there.¡± ¡°We made a mistake, let¡¯s just try to be smarter moving forwards,¡± Gabrielle said. ¡°We can still earn plenty by hunting down the F-rank Awakened hobgoblins when we get back to the Bloodfields.¡± ¡°Agreed. Who cares if we can¡¯t gain experience in our classes for a while, we¡¯ll still be able to level our skills while we earn the gold for the E-rank monster cores,¡± Aaron said optimistically. ¡°What about Alex and Dan?¡± I gestured back towards the mountains. We hadn¡¯t seen any signs of them since they disappeared yesterday and I wasn¡¯t as confident that they abandoned us. ¡°We hope they got back to the bloodfields. It¡¯s possible that they rushed back and camped behind some trees where we couldn¡¯t see them,¡± Gary said with a grimace. I sighed and nodded wearily. I got up with everyone else and we started back towards the Bloodfields. We spent the next three weeks moving from village to village in the depths of the Bloodfields. After the first day, we managed to clear two camps on most days, although we still decided to skip the heavily fortified villages when we found them. The fights were still challenging and we made good progress in our skills as the days passed by. By the time we left the Bloodfields to head back to Gorok, we had thirty-two F-rank monster cores to turn in and all five of us had reached level 5 in our classes. We were surprised to see that none of us received a new skill to unlock when we leveled, although there was a chance we would receive a skill once we consumed an E-rank monster core. Eli - Lvl 5 Druid One Skill Point Available Strength-9 Dexterity-9 Perception-8 (+1) Vitality-8 Spirit-11 (+2) Willpower-9 Barkskin - Level 7\10 Upgradeable Experience - 4190\6400 Thornbolt - Level 5\20 Upgradeable Experience - 3040\3200 Rejuvenation - Level 5\10 (+1) Upgradeable Experience - 50\3200 Entangle - Level 5\5 (+2) Upgradeable My stats had started to slow down in their speed of leveling, recently. I only leveled Perception and Spirit once during the three weeks of hunting Awakened, and I used the statistic point I earned to level Spirit again once I leveled my class. On the other hand, I managed to level Rejuvenation again and I had maxed out Entangle a couple of days before we finished. Although there was no obvious difference in the strength of Rejuvenation, Entangle was quickly becoming my most powerful skill. The Awakened hobgoblins would only be able to pull themselves out of the vines if they used a skill to empower themselves. Although I knew I could spend my skill point to upgrade Entangle, I decided to hold off in case another skill was offered when I reached E-rank. The rest of my team managed to make a similar amount of progress in their skills and by our last few days in the Bloodfields we were hardly challenged, even when we fought two Awakened at once. ¡°We¡¯ll spend a week in Gorok, again,¡± Gary said as we sat at one of the tables in the adventurers guild. Aaron and Zack left to take the bags of loot to the attendant and I ordered stew and ale for all five of us. ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± I replied distractedly as I watched Aaron talking to the attendant. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°He¡¯s not even listening,¡± Gabrielle rolled her eyes and laughed from across the table. I tuned her out as I watched Aaron slap Zack on the back and head towards our table with a huge grin on his face. ¡°Well?¡± I asked as soon as he sat down. Aaron calmly pulled out three gold coins and pushed them towards me as I grinned. ¡°Three gold, twenty silver,¡± Aaron laughed. ¡°Each!¡± I spent the rest of the night celebrating with my team at the adventurers guild before we left to book rooms at a nearby inn. I woke up the next morning feeling sick and barely made it to my chamber pot before I emptied my stomach. ¡°Morning,¡± I said once Gary joined me for breakfast. I cast Rejuvenation on him after he slumped into the chair beside me with a groan. ¡°Thanks,¡± Gary perked up after my spell. ¡°I think I¡¯ll grab food at the market. I need some new boots, badly,¡± he gestured towards his feet. I rolled my eyes and smiled, I¡¯d been listening to him complain about them for a week. ¡°No problem, I¡¯m gonna head back to the guild. I want to talk to one of the receptionists about where the E-rank dungeons are,¡± I said as he got ready to leave. ¡°I know it¡¯s a dungeon by the capital, but that¡¯s all I¡¯ve heard about it.¡± ¡°Good plan, let me know what you find out,¡± Gary waved as he left. I waited around for another half hour to see if anyone else would show up so I could cast Rejuvenation, but eventually gave up and headed out. I walked the short distance back to the adventurers guild and walked right to the counter since no adventurers were waiting for this early in the morning. ¡°How can I help you?¡± the attendant asked after I walked up to her desk. ¡°I¡¯m looking for information about where E-rank dungeons¡­¡± I trailed off as the woman nodded and waved me to stop. ¡°There¡¯s only one E-rank dungeon, and it¡¯s a short distance from the capital. It¡¯s called the Depths and you won¡¯t be allowed inside if you''re not already at the E-rank, so I wouldn¡¯t bother worrying about it.¡± The lady looked away once she finished speaking and I awkwardly walked away after I realized she was done. With nothing else to do, I shrugged and headed to the training yards to practice. The next few days passed pleasantly as I spent most of my time split between training and eating. I¡¯d been noticing that I had started to put on some muscle after the months of daily training and fighting, although not nearly as much as Zack. By the time we were ready to head back to the Bloodfields, I was down to just over three gold after I replaced some of my armor and bought a new pack and another month''s rations. ¡°Our last time heading to the Bloodfields, hopefully,¡± Zack cheered after we passed through the gate on our way out of the city. ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t be against heading back to those mountains once we reach E-rank,¡± I shrugged thoughtfully. ¡°I found out some more about the Depths, the E-rank dungeon, yesterday,¡± I shook my head in disgust. ¡°You have to sign up weeks in advance just to enter the dungeon!¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± Aaron looked shocked as he stared at me. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I heard an E-rank complaining to his team before they went through the portal to the capital,¡± I replied with a sigh. I had been heading back to the inn after spending the afternoon training when I saw the silver emblem on the teams¡¯ clothes. It was rare to see E-ranks at the guilds we had been to and I stopped to watch them head to the portals. ¡°E-ranks? Why didn¡¯t you ask them about the dungeon?¡± Gabrielle asked. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I ask five E-rank nobles about the dungeon they fight at?¡± I looked over at her flatly. ¡°Fair enough,¡± she sighed. ¡°I wish I knew who to ask about those mountains, I¡¯ve been wondering what caused the Essence to be so dense there.¡± ¡°Me too, I¡¯ve never felt anything like it,¡± I said as I thought back to the odd feeling of the Essence in the mountains. The rest of the day passed quickly as we all chatted about what we thought was causing the strangely dense Essence. Aaron and Gary decided it had to be an E-rank dungeon, while the rest of us thought it was some sort of Essence leyline. Each of us had around three gold left and with another full month to spend we would easily earn enough for each of us to purchase an E-rank core when we returned. There had been a short discussion on pooling our money to allow half of us to level our classes first, but we ultimately decided to advance all together after one more expedition. I spent the hike to the bloodfields talking with Gary about whether or not I should go ahead and upgrade my Entangle since he was facing a similar choice. ¡°Trust me, Eli!¡± Gary looked at me with an annoyed expression on his face. ¡°I want to know what Charge upgrades into just as badly as you want to know what Entangle changes into. Do whatever you want, I¡¯m going to wait.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± I trailed off as Gary waved good-naturedly. I had probably brought it up too many times. I sighed and tried to be happy about having Essence to spare for leveling Thornbolt primarily during this trip. The rest of the trip to the Bloodfields passed quickly and we entered the forest early on the third day since we left Gorok. Just like our last time in the forest, we tried to clear out two of the small villages every day. I focused almost entirely on casting Thornbolt and Barkskin as I worked to get as much as I could from the routine fights. Although the Awakened hobgoblins were always slightly different from each other, the fights all started to feel the same after a few days. None of us gained much progress in our statistics during the trip and we knew it was because of the easier fights, although no one complained. Losing three people on our last inadvisable trip had lessened my drive to push myself to my limits, and I was still trying to decide if that was a good thing or not. ¡°We¡¯ll get three gold, sixty silver when we arrive back at Gorok,¡± Aaron said as we walked back down the path to the city. All five of us were bloody, tired, and sore but Zack laughed and led us in a cheer. ¡°That should leave each of us with enough for an E-rank monster core and over a gold to spare,¡± I said with a grin as I clapped Gary on the shoulder. We spent the trip back to the city cheerfully debating what the effects of E-rank would be. I pulled up my status to check on the progress I made during the long month of hunting in the Bloodfields. Eli - Lvl 5 Druid One Skill Point Available Strength-9 Dexterity-9 Perception-8 Vitality-8 Spirit-11 Willpower-10 (+1) Barkskin - Level 8\10 (+1) Upgradeable Experience - 60\12800 Thornbolt - Level 6\20 (+1) Upgradeable Experience - 2240\6400 Rejuvenation - Level 5\10 Upgradeable Experience - 640\3200 Entangle - Level 5\5 Upgradeable Chapter 25 I waited in line with the rest of my team as we waited for an attendant to see us at the adventurers guild. We had stopped at the inn first this time so we could drop off our packs and get cleaned off. After a few days out fighting, I stopped noticing the smell, but the looks we got in the city made it clear it was just me. I felt refreshed after the quick bath and the wait passed quickly. I followed Aaron to the counter and listened as he turned in our F-rank cores and received a pile of gold in return. ¡°We¡¯ll be purchasing five E-rank monster cores, as well,¡± Aaron said as he started sorting the coins into separate piles. ¡°Ah, you¡¯ll need to speak with the guild master, then,¡± the attendant looked surprised at the request. ¡°Go have a seat somewhere in the hall while I send a message to him. I¡¯ll send someone to find you once he¡¯s ready to see you.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Aaron nodded and I followed him over to one of the empty tables. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that,¡± I said once I took a seat. I looked around curiously and saw everyone else look confused as well. ¡°Here,¡± Aaron handed each of us three gold and sixty silver coins. ¡°Yeah, maybe he¡¯ll tell us something we need to know about using the monster core.¡± I nodded thoughtfully at his comment, I had assumed it would be similar to when I had Awakened and the system would lead the process. ¡°Well, let¡¯s eat. I doubt the guild master will be ready to see us any time soon,¡± Zack said with a shrug. We settled in and ordered food and watered-down ale while we waited for the attendant to get our attention. ¡°The guild master will see your team, now,¡± a man said from beside our table. I smiled and quickly followed the man as he led us towards a staircase in one corner of the large hall. ¡°It¡¯s the only door,¡± he said as he pointed up. Gary thanked him and led us up to the second floor and down a short hallway to a closed door. He knocked on the door and I waited uncomfortably for someone to answer. ¡°Come in,¡± a loud voice came from behind the door and I followed my team inside the large office. A large man sat behind a fancy wooden desk and he gestured to the chairs placed in front of him impatiently as we trailed into the room. I hurried over to take a seat as I studied the man. He had no hair on his head and he had a strong build with a tall frame. His face looked hard and impatient as he watched us sit in front of him quietly. ¡°All five of you have been Awakened for less than half a year,¡± he stated calmly as he looked at each of us. ¡°Despite that, you¡¯ve earned enough to advance to E-rank,¡± he nodded. ¡°Well done. I suppose even in a pile of shit some will be competent enough to gain strength. I need the names of your classes before I give you the cores to advance.¡± ¡°What, why?¡± I asked. I wasn¡¯t sure what would happen if I told him about my Druid class and I noticed Gary looking worried. ¡°The E-ranks of the adventurers guild is the main group that holds the walls during the Hordes. If we don¡¯t know your class we won¡¯t know where to place you,¡± he said impatiently. ¡°Understood. I¡¯m a Spearman, Zack is a Bulwark, Gabrielle is a Pyromancer, Aaron is an Archer, and Eli is a¡­¡± Gary cleared his throat, ¡°Geomancer.¡± ¡°Good. You can grab the cores and your E-rank emblems from an attendant back on the first floor. Don¡¯t absorb the cores in the guildhall,¡± he said as he jotted down the information on a scroll. I stood up and headed back downstairs to the counter after his dismissal. ¡°Thanks, Gary,¡± I said when he stopped beside me in line. ¡°I was just going to tell him Druid and hope for the best, but I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t have to risk it.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± he replied with a smile. ¡°Your skills are similar to a Geomancer that I saw training last month at the guild, so I figured we would go with that if anyone asked.¡± I nodded, although I wasn¡¯t convinced that anything would happen if they knew I could heal. I made it to the attendant a few minutes later and handed over five gold for the E-rank monster core. She handed me the silver E-rank emblem I had seen on a few adventurers before and I happily clipped it to my chest. I waited for the rest of my teammates to finish their purchases before we headed back to the inn. ¡°We¡¯ll use them in our rooms, it probably just takes a long time to absorb all the Essence,¡± Gabrielle shrugged as she followed Gary through the door to the inn. ¡°All right, knock on my door if anyone needs me,¡± Gary said as we split up to head to our rooms. I rushed to my room and quickly shut the door behind me before I took a seat and focused on the monster core in my hands. Absorb E-rank monster core? I mentally selected yes and immediately I felt my attention being drawn to the small core in my hands. I closed my eyes and felt as the essence from the core started to get absorbed through my arms and streamed into the core of Essence inside my body. My core was already full of Essence and I squirmed uncomfortably as Essence continued pouring into my core and packing it more and more densely. Minutes passed by slowly as my core went from uncomfortable to painful to excruciating and I felt sweat pouring off my body. I lost track of time until I felt my core begin to shake as the walls were in danger of giving out from the tightly packed Essence. I grimaced and focused on reinforcing the walls around my core with my Essence and eventually sighed in relief once it finally settled. I sat for a few more minutes catching my breath as I made sure nothing else would happen. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. I opened my eyes and blinked around in confusion as I saw the bright light streaming through the window. The light looked too bright for a moment and I shook my head a moment later as I smelled a terrible scent in the air. I groaned and rolled to the side when I saw the brown sludge I was covered in and the disgusting smell hit me all at once. I quickly stood and stripped off my clothes before I put on another pair and grabbed an extra set for after I cleaned myself. I left the inn and walked the short distance to the bathhouses. Once I relaxed into the pool I pulled up my Status with a content sigh. Eli - Lvl 5 Druid Experience - 0\10000 One Skill Point Available Strength-11 (+2) Dexterity-11 (+2) Perception-10 (+2) Vitality-10 (+2) Spirit-13 (+2) Willpower-12 (+2) Barkskin - Level 8\10 Upgradeable Experience - 60\12800 Thornbolt - Level 6\20 Upgradeable Experience - 2240\6400 Rejuvenation - Level 5\10 Upgradeable Experience - 640\3200 Entangle - Level 5\5 Upgradeable My eyes widened in shock as I took in the changes to my statistics. I had just gained an incredible amount of strength, although I noticed I didn¡¯t have another skill to unlock disappointingly. I soaked in the pools for another few minutes as I thought about how the increase in my stats would help me, move forwards. I would be able to cast Rejuvenation twice with my increased Essence pool from my Spirit. The improvement to my Strength and Dexterity would be crucial for when I was fighting with my spear. I left the bathhouse with a smile on my face while I concentrated on the new power I could feel in my body. Once I arrived back at the inn I glanced around the common room to see if any of my team was there, but no one was there. I decided to just head to sleep for the day as I realized that I was exhausted after a moment of standing there. ¡°Morning, everyone,¡± I said as I joined the rest of my team for breakfast. ¡°Eli, we were just discussing last night. None of us unlocked a new skill, I assume it''s the same for you?¡± Gary asked interestedly. ¡°No new skill, but I¡¯ve been wanting to upgrade Entangle for ages now, anyways. Did everyone gain two levels in every stat, too?¡± ¡°Yeah, even without any new skills the boost to our attributes is a big deal for our team. Now that everyone¡¯s here I was going to suggest that we head straight through to the capital, today,¡± Gary said and everyone turned to face him. ¡°There''s a town built around the entrance to the Depths that we can stay at while we find out how to enter the dungeon.¡± ¡°All right, I don¡¯t mind heading out today, but we¡¯re taking a few days off before we enter the dungeon no matter what,¡± Gabrielle stated with a roll of her eyes. I shrugged and agreed since I was looking forward to seeing the capital and the new dungeon. I finished eating and headed to my room to grab my pack and do something I had been looking forward to for months. Entangle - level 5\5 Upgradeable I spent my skill point on upgrading the skill and I felt the familiar sensation of my class teaching me a skill. The Essence formation was similar to how it was before, but I could tell that the total cost would be greater than it used to be. Snaring Roots - Level 1\10 Upgradeable Experience - 0\200 I wanted to cast the spell in my room but I quickly stopped myself before I damaged something and had to pay for it. With that done I grabbed my pack and met the rest of my team downstairs. No one needed to do anything else in the city so we headed straight to the adventurers guild. ¡°Five silver, sir,¡± the attendant stated when I reached the front of the line. I handed over the coins without complaint as I still had well over a gold left. I closed my eyes as I walked through the portal this time and found myself in an adventurers guild different from the usual. I walked over to Gary slowly as I took in the massive building. The hall we were standing in had multiple exits to other rooms, but even this room was impressive and something about it made me feel comfortable. ¡°It¡¯s like the mountains!¡± Gabrielle exclaimed as she joined us. ¡°The essence is just as dense as it was there.¡± ¡°Interesting, maybe it was something we could have taken, then,¡± Aaron said with a thoughtful expression. We walked towards an empty table and I looked at the fancy building interestedly. ¡°I¡¯ll go grab some information, I¡¯ll join you in a bit,¡± Gary said before he walked off towards the attendants. We had just eaten so I leaned back and studied the other adventurers walking around as I waited. Most of the people in the guildhall were dressed like nobles and I realized that was probably going to be pretty common from now on. The guild master had insinuated that commoners rarely reach the E-rank and I knew that he was right. ¡°There¡¯s a portal to the Depths at the mages guild for five silver, otherwise we can spend two days on the road,¡± Gary sat down and passed on the information he learned from the guild attendant. ¡°We can sign up to enter the dungeon once we get there, but she said it would probably be weeks until we get a slot.¡± ¡°Weeks! How are we supposed to improve if we can only fight once every few weeks?¡± I asked as I shook my head in disbelief. ¡°Well, we don¡¯t know enough about it, yet. Let¡¯s take the portal to the Depths and see what we can do,¡± Zack suggested after we discussed the issue for a few minutes. I nodded and we quickly set out towards the mages guild. Every building in the city looked like it belonged in the nobles district of Brightswell or Gorok, and I realized that it was as soon as I thought that. I walked behind Gabrielle and Zack and listened to them chat about the fancy buildings and streets until we arrived at the mages guild. The guild looked similar to the one Gabrielle and I had gone to in Gorok, except for the single red portal sitting beside a wall. We made our way to an attendant and through the portal to the Depths after we handed over five silver and I looked around with awe as I appeared on a hill in the center of a small town. Chapter 26 I looked down at the small town that spread across the sides of the large hill I stood on top of while I waited for my team to join me. For some reason, I had been thinking that Satar¡¯s only E-rank dungeon would be similar to the Bloodfields. ¡°This is nicer than where I grew up,¡± Aaron snorted. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s not a bad thing if we have to spend some time waiting here, right?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s just be careful with how we spend our money,¡± Gary said with a half-smile. Despite the prosperous-looking town, the dungeon immediately drew my attention when we arrived. Below the large hill, the town occupied there was a massive crater in the valley. ¡°Well, should we head into the town or take the path straight to the dungeon?¡± I asked as we all studied the view. There were a few different paths down from the portal, but one of them went directly to the crater while the rest went to different sections of the town. ¡°Let¡¯s head to the dungeon and see what they say,¡± Gary said. ¡°If there¡¯s a wait we should talk about what we want to do, next.¡± I nodded and we started down the path to the dungeon in the distance. If the wait was longer than a week, I would propose returning to the mountains beyond the Bloodfields to my team. Although the path we traveled on went straight to the base of the hill, I could still see impressive inns, markets, and guilds during the hike down the hill. As we grew closer the size of the dungeon started to seem unbelievable, as I realized the crater was incredibly large. ¡°That¡¯s probably the adventurers guild representative in the building,¡± Gabrielle pointed ahead of us. As we got closer it was easy to see a large building just before the path descended into the crater. The walk took us less than half an hour and soon after we arrived at the smaller version of the adventurers guild blocking the path ahead. A few people were walking around out here and our team was getting looked at by everyone we passed. ¡°Come on,¡± Gary led us through the swinging doors of the adventurers guild and I looked around quickly, unsurprised by the usual layout. We headed directly to a receptionist and after a quick wait, we were waved up to the mans¡¯ counter. ¡°How can I help you?¡± the attendant asked. ¡°We just arrived at the Depths,¡± Gary said, ¡°do we need to wait before we can head in?¡± ¡°New E-ranks?¡± the man asked with a raised eyebrow and a sweeping look across our team. ¡°Commoners by the look of you. You¡¯ve probably all been adventuring for years to reach this point,¡± the man laughed as he shook his head. ¡°The wait is six weeks.¡± My jaw dropped when I heard the man. He smirked and I heard another team of adventurers at a nearby counter burst out in laughter as they watched us. My cheeks heated up in embarrassment and I realized this was probably just a noble messing with us because he wanted to. ¡°I see. Can you add our team to the list, then?¡± Gary responded curtly after a moment. He passed on the information the attendant condescendingly asked for and we left the building as soon as he was finished. ¡°Six weeks, to visit the dungeon for one day,¡± Zack said in disgust. I shook my head beside him and sighed as we gathered together beside the path back up the hill. ¡°I had a feeling it was going to be like this, based on how the guild master talked. They don¡¯t care about commoners, even if we advanced to E-rank.¡± Gabrielle folded her arms angrily. ¡°We could find a mission at one of the other cities, to clear out a camp of monsters or something similar,¡± Zack suggested. I grimaced and looked away, we would barely earn any experience if we started looking for guild missions to complete. ¡°What about the mountains?¡± Aaron put his hands on his hips and looked around. ¡°It¡¯s what we¡¯re all thinking, even though no one¡¯s said it.¡± I nodded slowly and took a deep breath as my thoughts returned to the mountains where we fought the trolls. Although they were only F-rank the difference in size made them extremely formidable creatures. ¡°I agree, the area beyond the Bloodfields is our only real option if we want to continue to improve,¡± I said hesitantly. Zack and Aaron were nodding and I looked at Gary and Gabrielle. ¡°You''re right, we¡¯ll just have to be more careful than last time. Maybe we can clear some Awakened on the way to get used to our new stats?¡± Gabrielle suggested. I nodded agreeably to her idea and glanced over at Gary. Only Gary and I had skills that were upgradeable at level five. ¡°And my new skill, Snaring Roots. Did you upgrade Charge, Gary?¡± I asked interestedly. ¡°I think we could handle that. Sounds interesting, Eli. My new skill is called Piercing Charge, it feels like it takes more Essence than before, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s more powerful, too.¡± Gary said excitedly. We started heading back up the hill as we continued chatting about our skills. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Does anyone feel like their Essence is¡­¡± Gabrielle trailed off for a moment as we hiked up the steep path. ¡°I don¡¯t know, it feels different than it did before we advanced.¡± I nodded and thought about how my Essence had felt denser since we had ranked up. ¡°Yeah, I wonder if all of our skills will be more powerful, now. Our Essence has been changed,¡± Zack said agreeably. We spent the rest of the day making our way back through the portals to Gorok and then purchasing a month''s rations for our team before we retired for the night back at the inn we had been frequenting in the city. The following morning we ate our last meal in the city before getting back on the road for the Bloodfields. We had discussed staying in the city for longer, but everyone wanted to test out our new improvements in a fight. I had gone to the training yards the night before and tested out Snaring Roots where it wouldn¡¯t damage anything. The upgraded skill allowed me to create thick roots instead of the vines I made before. I was hoping the improved skill would prove strong enough to hold a troll. I continued my training by draining my Essence completely during the hike to the Bloodfields and noticed a significant improvement in all of my skills. ¡°Looks like a regular Awakened camp,¡± Aaron reported back to our team. He had just gone ahead to scout out noise in the distance, which I noted was already much further than my perception allowed me to hear. I gripped my spear and shield comfortably as I grinned. We had ignored all the smaller goblin and warg patrols on the way here and I was excited to see how we had all improved. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then. We¡¯ll stick with our usual plan for the villages,¡± Gary stated and we followed Aarons''s directions to the clearing a few minutes away. I studied the village as we walked through the clearing towards a distance Aaron could easily strike from. The goblins started rushing us just before Aaron started shooting and I waited for the larger goblins to reach us. I had cast Barkskin on Zack, Gary, and myself like usual and my increased Spirit provided me with much more Essence than I had ever had before. Gabrielle, Aaron, and I tore the goblins apart before they could reach us with our ranged skills and only left a few for Zack and Gary to finish easily. Two larger hobgoblins rushed towards us and Gabrielle sent a Meteor slamming between them and Aaron sent a barrage of Drill Shots as they lay stunned. ¡°Piercing Charge,¡± Gary charged past me as I rushed forwards and I watched him blur past me and stab through one of the hobgoblin''s skulls. Zack smashed the other through the skull with an Empowered Strike and I slowed to a walk as I realized both monsters were dead. ¡°Well, that went well,¡± I laughed as I reached the two bodies. ¡°Are those even Awakened?¡± I asked although both of them were wielding a sword and shield. ¡°They are, we¡¯re just too strong, now,¡± Zack laughed and slapped Gary on the back. I grinned and began the grizzly work of retrieving the monster cores from the two monsters while the rest of my team separated to check the other bodies. Even if we couldn¡¯t go to the E-rank dungeon, we could still make good money out here. ¡°All right, do we want to look for another Awakened camp?¡± Gary asked once we grouped up a few minutes later. ¡°Not really, I didn¡¯t even use my new skill,¡± I complained. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting Zack and Gary to kill both of them in a single hit.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Gabrielle said with a look at Aaron, who folded his arms and glared at me. I cleared my throat, ¡°I mean, my team impressively managed to kill the monsters before I could prepare myself.¡± ¡°All right, all right,¡± Gary raised his hands to grab our attention. ¡°It¡¯s just past midday, if we head to the mountains now we can camp close to the base tonight. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll head to our ambush spot and see how we handle those trolls, now.¡± We hiked to the base of the mountains, where we set up camp in a small hollow along the mountainside. No one wanted to start a fire without the trees to hide the smoke so we had a cold dinner and I split off to stand the first watch. I pulled up my Status to see how much experience I gained from the quick fight earlier today. Eli - Lvl 5 Druid Experience - 45\10000 Strength-11 Dexterity-11 Perception-10 Vitality-10 Spirit-13 Willpower-12 Barkskin - Level 8\10 Upgradeable Experience - 180\12800 Thornbolt - Level 6\20 Upgradeable Experience - 2290\6400 Rejuvenation - Level 5\10 Upgradeable Experience - 670\3200 Snaring Roots - Level 1\10 Upgradeable Experience - 2\200 I had expected the experience to slow down once we advanced to E-rank, but to only gain 45 experience from killing two F-rank Awakened and a camp full of goblins were disappointing. The rest of my watch was uneventful and I found myself excitedly planning on how to face the trolls tomorrow. ¡°Thanks,¡± I grabbed a bowl of cold oats and dried fruit from Aaron and joined the rest of my team for breakfast. I brought up the reduced experience gain idly and we discussed how it would affect us while we ate. We finished and grabbed our packs to head up the same path into the mountains we had taken during our last trip to the area. ¡°Get down,¡± Aaron hissed at the group and I dropped to my stomach quickly. We had just barely crested a small hill as we headed deeper into the mountains and I glanced down the path as it twisted through the mountains ahead of us. ¡°There¡¯s a group of hobgoblins, I don¡¯t think they saw us,¡± Aaron whispered to the group and Gary gestured for us to back down the other side of the hill. I crawled back until I was out of sight and waited for everyone to join me. ¡°Looked like twenty hobgoblins heading away from us down the path. They were pretty far away, I could barely see them,¡± Aaron explained. ¡°They were far past the turn towards the trolls'' cave.¡± ¡°Aaron, keep watch on the hobgoblins. Let¡¯s make sure they leave the area before we head back to our ambush spot for the trolls.¡± Gary said and Aaron headed back towards the top of the hill to keep a lookout. I waited with the rest of the team for another hour before Aaron headed back towards us. ¡°They¡¯re gone, but they left the path and disappeared behind another mountain,¡± Aaron said. Gary looked worried but nodded seriously a moment later. ¡°All right, we¡¯ll head to our ambush spot. Everyone keep an eye out, we know there''s more than trolls in these mountains,¡± Gary said and I grinned. More than anything, I felt excited about a true challenge. We had been taking it slow and easy over the past couple of months, and I felt my blood pumping in anticipation. ¡°Let¡¯s see what we can do,¡± I stated confidently and got a small cheer in return. Chapter 27 We moved stealthily down the path until we could see the troll cave in the distance. Everyone was focused on our surroundings as we hiked along the mountain trail and I squinted to see the cave on the horizon. ¡°Aaron, look at the cave,¡± I slowed down until he caught up to me, ¡°I don¡¯t see any trolls.¡± Aaron cast his skill to increase his perception and the team gathered to hear what he could see. We had only been hiking for a few hours and the day was still early so I didn¡¯t bother to take off my pack. ¡°I can see them on the ground around the cave,¡± Aaron said, ¡°it looks like they¡¯re dead.¡± ¡°Do you think those hobgoblins killed them?¡± I asked curiously. I had never seen monsters fighting other monsters before. ¡°If they were Awakened, maybe?¡± Gabrielle shrugged, ¡°should we still check out the cave?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think heading to that area after a battle that wiped out that many trolls are a good idea. Let¡¯s keep moving down the path for now, but we need to stay cautious. That group of hobgoblins we saw earlier would be too many for us to handle, not to mention that entire cave of trolls,¡± Gary said after a few minutes of discussion and everyone nodded seriously. This area was more dangerous than the Bloodfields, by far. We continued down the path to head further into the mountains as we carefully studied our surroundings for any signs of monsters waiting in ambush. We stopped a few times as the hours passed to send Aaron up a nearby hill to scout an area before we continued. Eventually, the trail opened up into an actual valley between two mountains and we cautiously entered the valley after Aaron reported it to be empty. We hiked through the valley for an hour before we reached the first turn. ¡°It opens up to a larger valley ahead, there¡¯s a stone fortress or something by the sides of one of the mountains,¡± Aaron jogged back to us as we waited on our packs. ¡°A what?¡± Gary looked surprised. ¡°I mean, it looks like a stone compound or something,¡± Aaron just shrugged as everyone stared at him. ¡°It¡¯s pretty far away.¡± ¡°Does it look like where the hobgoblins went?¡± Zack asked. ¡°How would I know?¡± Aaron shook his head, ¡°I would have to get a lot closer to see anything else.¡± ¡°Would you need to go alone?¡± Gary asked. ¡°It¡¯s a fairly open area¡­¡± Aaron trailed off and Gary nodded his head thoughtfully. ¡°Scout it out, we¡¯ll set up a camp here. How long will you be gone?¡± ¡°Give me two hours, if I¡¯m not back then come after me. I¡¯ll head along the side of the mountain on the left until I can get some more information.¡± ¡°Stay safe,¡± Zack said as he clapped him on the back. I told him good luck and moved to set up camp with the rest of my team. We ate a meal of cold stew and jerky while we waited and made some small talk on what the monsters would be. I was less worried about Aaron on the open mountainside; with his Leap ability, he could quickly escape and make his way back to us. About an hour and a half later Aaron arrived back at the camp and I eagerly rushed to his side. ¡°Hobgoblins. I saw groups of five hobgoblins returning to the fortress from all directions as I watched, I assume they¡¯re patrols, at least. The place is even bigger than I thought, there are thousands of them in there.¡± Aaron sat down and accepted a bowl of food from Zack with a nod. ¡°Thousands! That¡¯s insane,¡± I exclaimed when I heard the number. We were only days from the city, they could destroy half the city if they took it by surprise. ¡°Well, obviously we can¡¯t do anything about the fortress,¡± Gary said. ¡°But you said groups of five hobgoblins leave for patrols?¡± ¡°I think they¡¯re patrolling, but I¡¯m not too sure. There are three paths up the mountain I saw the groups returning from,¡± Aaron said around a mouthful of jerky. ¡°I saw eight different groups coming back while I watched the area, that would be a lot of different patrols.¡± ¡°If we scale the mountain out of sight, would we be able to see where they¡¯re going?¡± Gabrielle asked thoughtfully. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Maybe? I don¡¯t know where they¡¯re going, all three paths just went up the mountain,¡± Aaron replied with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s a plan, at least,¡± Gary said with a nod. ¡°We¡¯ll head up tomorrow and see if we can find an area to ambush the hobgoblins on the other side of the mountain.¡± The sun was already close to setting and everyone split up to prepare their things. Despite the long day of hiking, I found my body wasn¡¯t sore at all and I was sure the increase in my stats from advancing to E-rank was the reason. Even with the change in my Essence from when I advanced the increased density in the mountains meant it recovered at roughly double the speed while we were here. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t risk spending all my Essence while I was out here in case we were attacked so it felt almost like a tease. We were camped in another hollow just off the path leading towards the large valley and I sat on top of a rock while I scanned the area. I had taken the first watch like usual and I decided to leave Barkskin on myself, permanently, from now on. The skill lasts five minutes and my Essence would easily recover fully by the time it would end. Not to mention, it would allow me to constantly train the skill. Since the change to my Essence, the layer is created on top of my skin was strong enough that it reduced a noticeable amount of the force you would take from a blow and I was excited to see it improve. The next morning we ate in a hurry and followed Aaron as he led us to a good spot for us to scale the mountain. We made our way up at a decent pace, and it quickly became clear the difference in our bodies, compared to when we had just Awakened. Sheer walls of stone were no barrier to us as we could easily make it up alone or with help if needed. A few hours later we reached the crest and I could finally see the entire valley below us. There was a large stone structure directly in the center, although I couldn¡¯t make out any details other than its size. ¡°I can see where that path leads, there¡¯s a large cave that heads into the side of the mountain,¡± Aaron pointed along the side of the mountain we were standing on. I thought I could see a small grey area but I trusted his perception. ¡°It would be pretty difficult to get there, from here,¡± Gabrielle gestured to the steep mountainside ahead of us. ¡°There¡¯s another cave, over there,¡± Zack said suddenly and I saw a large cave only a few hundred meters below us mostly blocked from view by rocks. ¡°Let¡¯s check out the nearby cave, first,¡± Gary said after he looked at it. It was only a short distance away and it would possibly give us a good area for us to use as a base if we needed to. The cave was straight down from our position on the peak and we slowly made our way down the steep mountainside. As we got closer we could see the area outside of it was empty and we quickly reached the entrance. ¡°We¡¯re going to need torches,¡± Aaron said glumly as we all stepped in front of the dark cave. The sun let us see a short distance inside the large cavern but it was dark beyond that and I couldn¡¯t see anything moving. I grabbed some nearby tree limbs and handed a decently thick one to Gabrielle while I tied the rest to my pack just in case. I turned back after I finished and saw the fairly charred burning log held in Zack¡¯s hand as he began leading the way into the cave. We moved along one of the walls of the cave and followed it quietly until the only light was provided by the makeshift torch. The torch-lit up a massive area in the large cave and as we moved deeper it became obvious that there were many different paths leading deeper into the cave. ¡°Let¡¯s move into it,¡± Gary said decisively as we reached the first tunnel. The smaller tunnel headed down and was still large enough for all five of us to walk side by side comfortably. I swallowed and shook my arms to relieve some of the tension of being so tense. It was eerie walking through the dark with no noise besides the sounds of us moving. The cave led us deeper long enough for the log Zack was carrying to burn halfway down before we could see anything ahead. ¡°There¡¯s light,¡± I pointed out needlessly. The rest of my team gave me flat looks as we walked steadily towards the obvious light in the distance. ¡°Be careful, we don¡¯t know what¡¯s ahead,¡± Gary warned us as we got closer. As we got closer I started to grin and I exchanged a happy glance with Gary as we sped up. ¡°A dungeon portal,¡± I said excitedly once we arrived. The portal was a dull orange, but it was easily recognizable as a dungeon portal like the ones in the bloodfields. The tunnel ended in a small chamber that only held the portal and large rocks scattered around the room. ¡°Maybe we found our ow-¡± Aaron cut off as a groaning noise coming from around the room. I readied myself for a fight and watched the tunnel we had entered from as the groaning continued. I cast Barkskin on all five of us as I worriedly watched the tunnel above us. ¡°The rocks! Behind the portal,¡± Aaron shouted and I turned around to see three monsters made of rocks growing from the ground. ¡°Drill shot,¡± Aaron sent an arrow into the monster and I watched as it only shattered a few rocks while it continued to grow. I didn¡¯t think Thornbolt would be powerful enough to damage rocks and I waited hesitantly for Gary to say something. ¡°Gabrielle, see if a meteor can damage one,¡± Gary said after a moment. The monsters were still growing in size and they were approaching the size of a hobgoblin, although they hadn¡¯t moved towards us. Aaron sent a few more Drill shots into the closes monster and managed to cause it to stop growing after eight shots. Meteor destroyed the other as it formed and Gary charged the last one and struck it with Flurry and Impale. Zack circled it and sent his mace slamming through its center and it slumped to the ground. ¡°Good job, I¡¯ve never felt so¡­¡± I trailed off for a moment and shrugged. ¡°Useless, in a fight. I don¡¯t think I could damage them with my skills or my strength.¡± ¡°The only reason I charged that is that I had Barkskin on, Eli,¡± Gary said as he shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re not all going to excel in every fight.¡± I nodded, feeling somewhat embarrassed by the situation. ¡°F-rank cores,¡± Aaron said after a moment of digging around the pile of rocks. I looked over with interest, this would be the first time we found Awakened by the entrance to a dungeon. ¡°Good. We¡¯ll move in with only Zack and me in the front. Keep Barkskin on the two of us and stay in the back to support Aaron and Gabrielle, Eli.¡± I nodded supportively as I understood I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the rock monsters if we ran into them again. Barkskin and Rejuvenation would be the only skills worth using in this dungeon. Chapter 28 I followed Zack and Gary through the orange portal and entered a large underground cavern. I could see a ceiling far above us as I squinted in the dim light cast by the glowing gemstones embedded in the walls. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Gabrielle commented after she came through the portal. I nodded in awe as I looked around the massive area. Despite the wide-open space, I couldn¡¯t see any monsters immediately, although they could grow like the ones outside the portal. There was only one other exit to the room at the far side of the empty chamber. ¡°Looks like the Essence is normal in the dungeon,¡± I said idly as we spread out by the portal. It was disappointing, but I had a larger store of Essence now, regardless. ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate, but there¡¯s nothing we can do about it. Let¡¯s head towards the tunnel,¡± Gary pointed across the chamber. ¡°We can check out the gemstones after.¡± Aaron looked over with a sigh and we started to head through the center of the large room. After a few steps piles of dirt started to form all across the room and the noise immediately stopped us. ¡°Hold our position, don¡¯t let any get behind us,¡± Gary quickly said and I moved forwards to take the front with them. If these monsters were only made of dirt I could probably damage them with a strike or skill. As I moved forwards I scanned the room and saw dozens of the monsters forming, while larger shapes grew at the edges of the room. ¡°Barkskin,¡± I cast on myself as I rushed to meet the charge of the waist-high dirt monsters. I slashed through the monster''s head as it threw a packed ball of dirt into my shield and cursed when the cut didn¡¯t affect it at all. ¡°Center of the chest!¡± Aaron shouted as he sent an arrow slamming into another one of the monsters in front of me. I started to slowly back away as I blocked the weak attacks the monsters were sent at me. Even though the attacks weren¡¯t too strong I was being constantly bombarded with dirt. ¡°Thornbolt¡± ¡°Thornbolt,¡± I jumped back to dodge most of the attacks and sent two Thornbolts wildly in front of me to try to take some pressure off. We were pushed back to the portal and there were dozens of the monsters sending their ranged attacks towards us. ¡°Meteor,¡± Gabrielle cast directly in front of us into the packed group of the small monsters and Gary immediately charged the group in the confusion. I scanned the battle and saw Zack handling a smaller pack while Gary pushed in the center to buy Aaron and Gabrielle some room to fight. I took a deep breath and focused on casting Thornbolt as accurately as I could to thin them out. ¡°Gary!¡± I shouted a few moments later to grab his attention. Eight of the rock monsters had fully grown and were slowly heading towards us. ¡°We can¡¯t fight that many at once, do you have enough Essence to hold a few of them?¡± Gary asked as he gestured for us to retreat to the portal. There were still tons of the smaller monsters forming around the room, but we had cleared the majority of the ones that rushed us in the first wave. ¡°I could hold three, maybe, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± I replied worriedly as I watched the monster steady approach. ¡°Let¡¯s retreat, for now, Gary. We¡¯ll come back with full Essence.¡± ¡°All right, out of the portal, let¡¯s see if they follow us out,¡± Gary nodded and jogged through the portal. I followed him through after a final glance back to the stream of monsters steadily forming and walking towards us. I joined the rest of my team as we waited for a few minutes outside of the portal, but nothing came through. ¡°Well, we¡¯re going to need a new plan,¡± Aaron said as we sat watching the portal. With the increased Essence recovery in the mountains, I was already back to full Essence within a few minutes of returning. ¡°What if we rush to the rocks and destroy them, first?¡± Zack suggested. I nodded, it had worked when we found them outside the portal. ¡°Then we¡¯ll be trapped on the other side of the chamber, if we can¡¯t get back we could be in trouble. Even as we left they kept forming,¡± Gabrielle said with a shake of her head. ¡°The dirt they threw didn¡¯t hurt too much, I¡¯m sure we could force our way through them if we needed to,¡± Zack responded with a shrug. ¡°Speak for yourself, not all of us had Barkskin on, those things hurt,¡± Aaron said with a wince. ¡°Rejuvenation,¡± I walked over and cast on him. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you got hit.¡± ¡°I think our only option will be to push into the room and try to destroy the rocks as they form, then turn to deal with the others,¡± Gary said. ¡°We could have Eli cast Barkskin on all five of us to make sure we can retreat if we have to.¡± We moved back through the portal as soon as my Essence fully recovered. Gary led us into the chamber and we followed alongside one of the walls as we rushed to the first of the rock monsters. By the time we were halfway through the room, the small monsters had begun to start sending their dirt missiles at us, but Barkskin allowed us to shrug off anything that managed to hit us. We made our way through the room and took out the first four of the monsters while they were still forming by the time we reached the tunnel. ¡°Backs to the tunnel!¡± Gary shouted as we jogged away from the latest of the rock monsters. The monster was nearly ten feet tall and seemed like it was nearly finished forming when we destroyed the core. Dozens of the smaller monsters were flooding towards us and I doubted we could finish any more of the larger monsters easily.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I moved behind Zack and Gary as they stood at the entrance of the tunnel. I had a good amount of Essence, but I was hesitant to spend any on fighting right now. Gabrielle sent a Meteor forward to clear out a large group of the smaller monsters once they started to become overwhelming and I used the respite to cast Barkskin on Zack, Gary, and myself. The skill had some more time left but I didn¡¯t want to risk it ending during a crucial moment when we were fighting. ¡°Thanks, going to need you upfront for this, Eli,¡± Gary said hurriedly as we watched the mass of monsters steadily moving closer to us. The mass of smaller monsters was now supported by the four bulky monsters made entirely of rock while more of both formed behind them. Zack looked worried as I nodded to him from his side and I heard Aaron muttering something to Gabrielle quietly behind me. ¡°Meteor,¡± Gabrielle cast again and I assumed drained her entire core of essence, but the skill killed and scattered the front lines of the monsters. ¡°Fortress,¡± Zack yelled right after Gabrielle¡¯s spell and I watched a large shield form in front of the tunnel. Four massive bangs filled the tunnel with noise right after the shield appeared and I turned to check Zack worriedly. ¡°I can handle a few of those with my skill, but if any of us got hit by one we¡¯d be in trouble,¡± Zack reported immediately as he saw everyone turn to him. I hadn¡¯t seen the rocks the monsters had thrown at us, but they must have been large to create that sound. Gary cursed and slammed his spear into the ground, ¡°Retreat into the tunnel, we need a better position to fight them,¡± I swallowed and nodded. Zack led the way and dropped his skill a few moments later as we took off down the tunnel at a jog. I glanced behind us as we continued down the straight tunnel and saw nothing had followed us into the tunnel. ¡°They stopped,¡± I said as I slowed to a stop. The rest of my team came to a stop around me and I wondered if the monsters couldn¡¯t leave that room of the dungeon. If the room reset the way it did when we left the dungeon, we¡¯d be able to get back through easily. ¡°Let¡¯s recover our Essence before we move any deeper, then. Who knows when we¡¯ll run into something else,¡± Aaron suggested as we caught our breath. ¡°Good plan. I¡¯m not sure how we can handle that room once the rock elementals are fully formed,¡± Gary said worriedly as he peered back at the chamber. ¡°Is that what they¡¯re called? The monsters might settle back into the ground if we¡¯re gone long enough,¡± I commented. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m sure we can make it out if we need to.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Zack trailed off as he glanced back. ¡°The rocks those elementals threw were big, I don¡¯t think even I could block one with my shield, and it stopped advancing once it started casting the spell at us.¡± ¡°If we have full Essence I¡¯m sure I and Gabrielle can take out two or three of the rock elementals, I¡¯m sure,¡± Aaron said. ¡°Yeah, but by the time we destroy those, four more will already be heading towards us,¡± Gabrielle crossed her arms as she leaned against the rock. ¡°There¡¯s no way we can clear that room.¡± ¡°Who says we need to?¡± I asked. ¡°We can get back through when we need to head out of the dungeon. We¡¯re going to keep going, right?¡± Everyone responded that they wanted to keep exploring the dungeon and we decided to take a short rest before heading further down the tunnel. I pulled my Status up idly as I relaxed on my pack. Eli - Lvl 5 Druid Experience - 230\10000 Strength-11 Dexterity-11 Perception-10 Vitality-10 Spirit-13 Willpower-12 Barkskin - Level 8\10 Upgradeable Experience - 380\12800 Thornbolt - Level 6\20 Upgradeable Experience - 2390\6400 Rejuvenation - Level 5\10 Upgradeable Experience - 690\3200 Snaring Roots - Level 1\10 Upgradeable Experience - 12\200 ¡°We earned more than double the experience we got from clearing out an Awakened camp, just from our fights today,¡± I said as we started down the tunnel. ¡°Not to mention my skill experience¡­¡± Gabrielle sighed loudly, ¡°Eli, you''re so obsessed, seriously. We¡¯re literally in a dungeon.¡± ¡°You know I was joking about liking you more the higher level your Barkskin is, right?¡± Aaron laughed. We kept chatting quietly as we walked for more than an hour down the plain tunnel until we reached an opening, which we approached carefully. As we drew close I could see there was a large room with odd rock formations jutting out from the ground and down from the ceiling throughout the cavern. I could tell that it was a large room, but most of it was blocked from view. ¡°That¡¯s crystal,¡± Aaron pointed wide-eyed at an opaque crystal shooting up from the ground. As I studied the room I saw oddly colored rocks everywhere I looked, and the dim light from the gemstones gave the room an ominous feel. The way the rocks cast jagged shadows throughout the rocky area made it seem like we would be walking into a trap as soon as we entered. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Gary sighed heavily as he studied the room in front of us. ¡°Maybe this dungeon is too difficult for us.¡± No one replied for a minute as I watched everyone thinking over the dungeon. ¡°It will be challenging, but I don¡¯t think this is too much for us to handle,¡± I said thoughtfully. ¡°We can either look for places like this dungeon to keep challenging ourselves and improve quickly as we have been. Or,¡± I said slowly, ¡°we can keep fighting Awakened for a few months until we reach level six.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think any of us wants to go back to the Bloodfields, but we could keep searching the mountains for other dungeons, trolls, or smaller groups of hobgoblins,¡± Gabrielle said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to give up, yet,¡± Gary said as we stood by the entrance to the next chamber. ¡°If anyone is injured, we can pull back to the tunnel and have Eli heal us while we recover our Essence. I don¡¯t want to be like the other E-ranks, happy to sit and wait in town for a month between their time advancing. I don¡¯t think any of you do, either.¡± Everyone nodded seriously and I felt a smile creep onto my face as I stood. ¡°Let¡¯s do it,¡± I grinned. Chapter 29 We moved carefully into the next room towards the largest opening in the rocks. I cast Barkskin on Zack, Gary, and myself while we slowly moved forwards. As we passed through the first gap all I could see were the towering rocks reaching from the dirt-packed floor to the ceiling above us. The path was just wide enough for Zack and Gary to walk side by side in the front. ¡°Elemental,¡± Gary spoke quietly and came to a stop after we turned another corner. I looked past him and saw another one of the rock elementals a short distance away. As soon as Aaron and Gabrielle followed me around the corner, the elemental raised its arm to cast. ¡°Fortress,¡± Zack created a large shield blocking the path in front of us. ¡°Drop the skill after its spell, I¡¯ll charge it and get behind it,¡± Gary said in a rush. A loud crash came from the spell hitting Zacks Fortress and the skill vanished a moment later. ¡°Piercing Charge,¡± Gary sped off towards the ten-foot-tall rock elemental and I followed behind Zack as I looked for an opening. Gary¡¯s skill tore a chunk out of the monster''s chest but it wouldn¡¯t be damaged unless we destroyed its core. I watched him continue to attack the monster from behind it and it sent a shockwave through the ground in response. I stumbled and fell to a knee while I waited for the tremors to pass and I saw Gary dive to dodge a rock the elemental sent his way. A barrage of Drill Shots from Aaron took the monster in the back of one of its legs and sent rocks flying off the limb. ¡°Snaring Roots,¡± I cast my skill towards the monster''s leg while the tremors continued. I wasn¡¯t sure if my skill would be strong enough to affect the monster but I still couldn¡¯t move and Gary was struggling to dodge the monster''s attacks. The thick roots from my skill quickly surrounded the monster''s leg where Aaron¡¯s arrows had hit and locked it in place. ¡°Vigor,¡± I heard Zack cast from in front of me before he charged the last few feet to the elementals back. ¡°Empowered Strike,¡± Zack smashed his mace through the core of the elemental. My Snaring Roots had worked better than I had expected and the monster wasn¡¯t able to move out of the way of his strike. ¡°Good job, guys,¡± Gabrielle said as she joined us by the monsters¡¯ bodies. ¡°So how are we supposed to make any money if we have to destroy the core to kill these things?¡± Aaron asked grumpily as we examined the shattered monster core. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s even worth taking, I can¡¯t feel any Essence in it anymore,¡± I said disappointedly after Aaron handed me the larger pieces of the core. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we can¡¯t make money on the way back to Gorok if we need to,¡± Aaron shrugged half-heartedly. ¡°The experience here is its reward,¡± Gabrielle said excitedly, ¡°Fireball just reached level nine and I can upgrade it at ten, it¡¯s all I can think about.¡± I exchanged an understanding look with her and turned my attention back to the path ahead. ¡°Recover to full, then keep going?¡± I asked Gary. ¡°Definitely. Our strategy worked well for that one, as long as we can create an opening for Zack he can handle them in one strike,¡± Gary replied. I agreed and grinned as Zack looked away when everyone nodded emphatically. With our recent advancement to E-rank, our Essence recovered slightly quicker and we were heading deeper down the path within a few minutes. I had cast Barkskin on everyone besides Aaron and Gabriel as soon as we left in case of an ambush from ahead. ¡°Crystal elemental,¡± Zack pointed. Littered in between the massive rocks we walked between was a light blue, crystal elemental the same size as the others. As I studied it, the elemental raised its arm and I watched a projectile form in front of its hand. ¡°Fortress,¡± Zack quickly blocked the path with his skill and a sharp ¡®ding¡¯ came shortly after. ¡°They aren¡¯t nearly as strong as the rock elementals spell.¡± ¡°Same plan, after the next strike,¡± Gary said and I prepared to rush forwards to support. Another noise came from the shield and Zack dispersed it right after. I watched Gary Charge forwards as Aaron sent arrows into their leg and I prepared to cast Snaring Roots when I saw Gary take a crystal shard to the arm and fall to the side. ¡°Thornbolt,¡± I cast and hit the monster in the head, but it just chipped the crystal and bounced off. ¡°Meteor,¡± Gabrielle cast, and the monster was consumed by the flames of her skill for a moment before I could see it on its knees. ¡°Snaring Roots, Snaring Roots, Snaring Roots,¡± I cast the skill three times in succession as quickly as I could and covered the elemental in thick roots up to its waist. Zack was charging to it when he got sent off his feet from another shard and I circled to its side to try to draw some pressure. ¡°Thornbolt,¡± I cast at its face and only caused it to jerk slightly. Aaron sent another Drill Shot forwards and Gabrielle had kept up a constant barrage of Fireballs since I covered it in roots. Zack was back on his feet and signaled to Gabrielle to stop as he approached the monster. ¡°Empowered Strike,¡± Zack sent his mace through the core of the monster and it stopped struggling at once. I exhaled in relief and looked around to see who was injured and I saw Gabrielle already kneeled beside Aarons''s prone form. I jogged over worriedly and calmed down when I saw it was a shard in his gut, although I knew it was painful I could heal it. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°From now on, you''re casting Barkskin on everyone,¡± Aaron said with a hiss after Gabrielle pulled the shard out of his body. I winced, ¡°Sorry, I wanted to keep enough Essence for the fight and I thought you would be safe when we engaged it,¡± I rambled quickly and I felt terrible as I realized I could have prevented it. ¡°Relax, I¡¯m not blaming you,¡± Aaron said with a painful grunt as everyone joined us. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would need it, either,¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t cast Rejuvenation for another few minutes¡­¡± I trailed off as Aaron sighed heavily and nodded. ¡°Sorry, Aaron,¡± Gary said with a commiserating look. I looked at him and saw he had a slight piercing wound and a serious bruise around his gut already forming. ¡°I think you should cast Barkskin on everyone from now on. It¡¯s too valuable not to have on any of us. Look at the difference between us,¡± he gestured towards their wounds. ¡°It will be one of our lives, at some point.¡± I nodded agreeably, ¡°I¡¯ll cast it on everyone as soon as we¡¯re about to fight.¡± I thought back on the fight as waited and I planned to avoid using Thornbolt from now on. Even as a distraction it was a waste of Essence. With five Barkskins I would have slightly over half my total core of Essence, so I would have to be intelligent with my skills. We spent the next hour resting as I cast Rejuvenation until everyone was fully recovered and I was ready to move on. ¡°Good work, everyone. Let¡¯s see if we can do the next one any better,¡± Gary said once everyone stood. We moved cautiously for the next hour and in what little I could see of the main chamber we were in I thought we were halfway through the room. ¡°Elemental, I don¡¯t know what type,¡± Zack said hurriedly as he walked around a large crystal blocking my sight of the path ahead. I cast Barkskin on everyone as we gathered behind the crystal. ¡°It was red and black, I¡¯ve never seen a rock that looked like it.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Gary said shortly before he took off around the corner and we followed in formation. When we turned the corner the monster started to slowly turn towards us and Gary rushed forwards. ¡°Piercing Charge,¡± Gary dashed forwards to attack the elemental while it slowly turned towards us. ¡°Snaring Roots, Snaring Roots,¡± I cast twice, once on each of the elementals legs as everyone sent skills it''s way. I watched the monster ignore my skills and cast heated rocks towards each of us. I dodged the one it sent my way with a dash off a rock and saw Gabrielle get hit. I quickly headed towards her, although I didn¡¯t have Essence for Rejuvenation, yet. ¡°I¡¯m all right,¡± Gabrielle waved towards me and I turned back to the fight with a relieved nod. I glanced back and saw everyone had been hit by the strike beside me and Aaron, although they were all getting back up. ¡°Meteor,¡± Gabrielle cast a moment later and the monster was covered by the flames of the spell hitting it. As the flames cleared the ground pulsed and cracks began forming all along the floor all around us. I could see streams of red-hot rock moving like a liquid as it started to spurt up past the cracks. Zack and Gary attacked as I painfully tried to dodge the splashing liquid and reach them. I tried to dodge another spell from the elemental and got hit by a grazing blow to the side that took my breath and an armful of the burning liquid. I reached the monster as they were still bashing on the mostly shattered chest. I struck when I could and ignored the scalding pain of the splashing material as I helped chip away towards the core. ¡°Impale,¡± Gary cast again with a shout and finally penetrated the core with a loud, sharp noise. I sighed wearily and fell to my knee. I was in pain, everywhere. The burning sensation was overwhelming and I just groaned as I waited for my Essence to regenerate. I could see all five of my teammates moving, although they were all seriously wounded. The next few hours passed slowly as I cast Rejuvenate as soon as my Essence allowed until we were all fully healed. It was a painful process, especially for Gary, who insisted we all receive a cast before him. The burning rock it sent towards us was painful, but the splashing liquid was the most painful thing I had ever felt, by far. Everyone''s armor was riddled with holes and no one talked as we processed and healed from the fight. ¡°Good work, everyone,¡± Gary began slowly as we gathered together. ¡°That was¡­¡± he trailed off for a moment as he took a deep breath and shook his head. ¡°That was a tough fight, for all of us.¡± I nodded heavily as I thought over the last few painful hours and I saw everyone with similar expressions on their face. ¡°Despite that, under pressure, we took it down,¡± Gary said with a small pause between each phrase. ¡°Let¡¯s head back and camp for the night.¡± Although I couldn¡¯t tell what time it was in the dungeon or the cave, I felt deeply tired and I could tell everyone felt the same. ¡°Back to the tunnel, or outside the dungeon?¡± Zack asked as we all grabbed our gear and prepared to leave. The monster''s core was once again ruined by the fight and no one wanted to carry heavy pieces of rocks for the next few weeks. Especially if we had no idea if it was valuable, although we had all grabbed some of the crystals from the last elemental. ¡°We¡¯ll camp in the tunnel, it should be safe,¡± Gary said and we slowly made our way back to the long tunnel connecting the first cavern and this new one. We only walked a few minutes down the tunnel before we stopped and set up a camp for the night. Since we were in a dungeon we used a few pieces of our tinder to start a fire and had a warm meal for the first time in a few days. ¡°Have you guys checked your status today?¡± Gabrielle asked as we ate dinner and I decided to check now instead of waiting until I was in my bedroll. Eli - Lvl 5 Druid Experience - 1040\10000 Strength-11 Dexterity-12 (+1) Perception-10 Vitality-10 Spirit-13 Willpower-12 Barkskin - Level 8\10 Upgradeable Experience - 1580\12800 Thornbolt - Level 6\20 Upgradeable Experience - 2460\6400 Rejuvenation - Level 5\10 Upgradeable Experience - 1040\3200 Snaring Roots - Level 1\10 Upgradeable Experience - 186\200 I had leveled my Dexterity and nearly leveled Snaring Roots from the three difficult fights. ¡°Empowered Strike finally got to level four, and Strength reached level twenty,¡± Zack flexed his biceps through his torn leathers and we all laughed and congratulated him. I couldn¡¯t imagine how strong I would become with twenty strengths and I felt my drive to improve increase as I listened to everyone share their advancements. The rest of the night passed cheerfully as we discussed our gains and our plans moving forwards for when we would head deeper, tomorrow. Chapter 30 I woke up to the sound of voices and saw the rest of my team preparing breakfast. After quickly packing up my bedroll I joined them around the fire. ¡°Morning, everyone,¡± I said as I grabbed a bowl of oats and dried fruit from Gary. ¡°Hey, Eli. I know I said we would head deeper today, but I wanted to make sure everyone feels confident that we can handle it,¡± he replied after I started eating. I looked around curiously to see what everyone else would say, I knew my answer. ¡°The least this dungeon can give us is a dungeon core,¡± Aaron grinned. ¡°I¡¯m getting incredible experience in Empowered Strike, and I can upgrade it at level five. Just stay behind me!¡± Zack thumped his chest and I laughed. ¡°As long as Eli can cast Barkskin before a fight, we should be fine,¡± Gabrielle said with a smile towards me. ¡°Still, though, these monsters are strong, we can¡¯t underestimate them. ¡°These monsters are strong, but when we fight them we improve so quickly, every day we wake up stronger than the next. Let¡¯s keep getting stronger,¡± I said determinedly. The more we had fought together, the more I trusted my team to make it through every fight we ran into. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s see if we can reach the end of the dungeon today,¡± Gary said. We quickly finished eating and headed back towards the second room of the dungeon. After a short walk through the tunnel, we entered the rocky path through the next chamber cautiously. ¡°It¡¯s back,¡± Gary warned us back as we entered the area where we had fought the elemental the day before. ¡°Looks like just the regular Rock Elemental that was here, yesterday¡± Gary peeked his head around the rock blocking our view ahead. ¡°Let¡¯s try to overwhelm it before it can turn towards us. Gabrielle cast a Meteor, then Aaron can cast a few Drill Shots right after. I¡¯ll Charge forward and try to end it while it¡¯s downed, but come to support me when you can, Zack.¡± Everyone nodded seriously as he detailed our plan of attack and we quickly moved into position after I cast Barkskin on all of us. ¡°Meteor,¡± Gabrielle¡¯s spell forming behind me was my signal to start jogging towards the elemental in the distance and I barely glanced up as the monster was consumed in flames. Three arrows slammed into the elementals shoulder and the kneeling monster felt flat onto its stomach as soon as the flames cleared. ¡°Snaring Roots, Snaring Roots,¡± I cast twice and sent roots shooting up around the elementals shoulders to keep it locked on the ground. Snaring Roots has reached level 2 I ignored the notification as Gary shot off the last few meters to the elemental and started stabbing at the core of the monster with the aid of his skills. By the time I and Zack arrived, the core was shattered. ¡°Good work, looks like leveling Impale to seven made a difference,¡± I said with a grin to Gary. He laughed and gestured to the thick roots that still covered the elemental. ¡°Did you level Snaring Roots?¡± he asked with a smile and I nodded cheerfully. With the knowledge that the room would reset itself, we moved forwards to the next two elementals. We were able to defeat the Crystal Elemental easier than the day before, although it did use a new skill during the fight. The monster sent a pulse through the ground like we had seen the other elementals do, except this one caused crystal spikes to erupt all around the ground. Thankfully, none of us got hit by that skill, although most of us took a hit from the crystal shards it sent towards us. The Fire Elemental was a challenging fight, again, but we handled it without any serious injuries. Meteor wasn¡¯t very effective against the elemental so the fight ended up with us taking a good amount of the painful rocks and burning liquid from the monster. After a break to cast Rejuvenation on everyone and recover our Essence we began moving further down the path. ¡°Back,¡± Zack waved at us from where he carefully looked around the edge of a rock blocking the path ahead. ¡°Three of them look like one of each type of elemental.¡± ¡°Three of them?¡± Gabrielle asked worriedly and Zack nodded with a grimace. ¡°I think we should turn back,¡± Gabrielle shook her head at the path ahead. ¡°It¡¯s no harder than the first chamber,¡± Aaron said. ¡°As long as we can take the rock elemental down quickly, we can handle two at once.¡± ¡°The first chamber we had to run through?¡± I asked with a small smile. ¡°Gabrielle¡¯s right, I don¡¯t think we should risk it.¡± ¡°We can train on the elementals up to this point, for now?¡± Zack suggested. ¡°That¡¯s what I was going to propose, Zack. If we can clear up till this point and leave the dungeon, I¡¯m pretty sure it will all respawn if we give it time.¡± Gary said. ¡°We might be able to beat this next room, but there¡¯s no need to risk it when we have already had a perfect place to train,¡± Gary gestured back to the path behind us. ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the first chamber and see if we can clear it, now.¡± We began the hike back to the beginning of the dungeon and I found myself looking forward to trying the first room again. I had been thinking the last night that it would be a great place to train our Skills if we didn¡¯t clear out the dungeon. When we arrived back at the first chamber a couple of hours later the room was empty, like when we had first seen it. We headed directly for the larger elementals and crushed four of them before they could grow and begin moving. Like our previous attempt, we quickly started to get overwhelmed and had to retreat out of the dungeon after managing to kill only one more of the larger elementals. After leaving the dungeon we decided to camp for the rest of the night and we would attempt the first room again, tomorrow. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. We spent the next week challenging the first room as many times as the dungeon would allow us to. After our first full day of fighting in the large chamber, we realized that the dungeon would need a few hours to reset the room entirely and we only entered the dungeon three times each day. Zack suggested we try out a defensive strategy on our third day and we were able to destroy all eight of the first rock elementals that spawned in the room, but crystal elementals began spawning while we fought those, and we were still forced to retreat out of the dungeon. By the end of the week we were fighting the third wave of fire elementals on every attempt at the room and despite us not having progressed we were all happy with the training the dungeon provided us. Snaring Roots had improved to the point where an elemental would be locked in place by one cast, which allowed Gary or Zack to easily kill the elementals. Eli - Lvl 5 Druid Experience - 3110\10000 Strength-11 Dexterity-12 Perception-10 Vitality-11 (+1) Spirit-14 (+1) Willpower-13 (+1) Barkskin - Level 8\10 Upgradeable Experience - 5820\12800 Thornbolt - Level 6\20 Upgradeable Experience - 3060\6400 Rejuvenation - Level 5\10 Upgradeable Experience - 2910\3200 Snaring Roots - Level 4\10 (+2) Upgradeable Experience - 12\1600 All of us had managed to level a few of our stats and skills during the week, as well as advance nearly a third of the way to level six. Although none of us had made huge increases in our strength, the week of fighting sharpened our teamwork and gave us time to grow used to our improved capabilities from reaching E-rank. I was confident that we would clear the first room, today. ¡°All right, everyone,¡± I looked down on the empty chamber below us as I listened to Gary. ¡°Same strategy as yesterday, split up, destroy the first wave of rock elementals and then move as a group to deal with all of the lesser elementals before we retreat to the entrance and hold our position.¡± I nodded confidently in return and moved to cast Barkskin on all five of us before I would rush one of the larger spawns, alone. With my spirit leveling recently the five casts of Barkskin left me with about two-thirds of my Essence, and I would have to use it sparingly throughout the fight. Gary waited for me to finish my last cast of Barkskin before he gestured down at the chamber below us, ¡°Go!¡± I rushed down across the room and ignored the smaller elementals as they formed around me. After a short sprint, I arrived at the rapidly growing elemental and I quickly destroyed the core with a few spear strikes. I glanced across the room as I deflected a few of the smaller projectiles the lesser elementals were sending towards me and saw the rest of the team moving to their second elementals. I moved to support Aaron and Gabrielle by clearing out some of the smaller elementals attacking them while my team destroyed the last three of the rock elementals. ¡°Towards the tunnel,¡± Gary shouted. I disengaged from the group of lesser elementals and jogged towards the tunnel gratefully. The smaller projectiles they cast still hurt, even with Barkskin and my armor dulling most of the blows. There were close to fifty of the lesser elementals behind me and I grinned as I realized I had managed to destroy a fair amount more than our last attempt with this strategy. I reached the tunnel entrance and caught my breath while we waited for the slow-moving elementals to bunch up and reach us. ¡°Meteor,¡± Gabrielle cast after the large group of elementals caught up to us. Aaron had been shooting non-stop as they approached and managed to thin out their numbers a fair amount. ¡°Towards the left wall,¡± Gary said and we moved together through the remaining lesser elementals. I saved my Essence and struck at the closest elementals while we crossed the room towards the first of the crystal elementals. The elemental was nearly completely formed, but Gary cast a Piercing charge and dashed the last thirty meters towards it to destroy the core. We caught up to him shortly after and moved towards the next. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a fight here on out, but we have to clear them quickly,¡± Gary said warningly. ¡°We¡¯ve got this.¡± Aaron sent two Drill Shots into the crystal elemental as we approached and the elemental responded by casting its crystal shard spell. I dodged the quickly-forming shard with a jump to the side, I had been stabbed by more than one and I would rather not experience it again. Gabrielle started casting Fireballs one after another as Zack neared it. ¡°Empowered Strike,¡± Zack shattered the monster''s core with a strike as I reached it. We quickly cleared out the last two elementals that formed on this side with another Piercing Charge by Gary and five Drill Shots by Aaron for the last one. ¡°Back to the tunnel entrance,¡± Gary said as soon as Aaron finished the last elemental from a distance. The other four crystal elementals were halfway across the room and we had learned from experience that we had to handle these with the safety of the tunnel at our backs. After a short jog to the tunnel entrance, I cast Barkskin on everyone, again. I had about half of my Essence remaining for the rest of the fight. ¡°Meteor,¡± Gabrielle cast another meteor towards the massed group of lesser elementals and I worked my way through a few of them with my spear, while the larger elementals approached. I was able to kill a few before Gary signaled me to fall back and I joined the rest of my team as we looked over the chamber ahead of us. Four of the crystal elementals were nearly within their range to shoot at us and the fire elementals were halfway formed along the other edge of the wall, although we had killed most of the lesser elementals and they had stopped respawning after the second wave. ¡°Start from the right, move!¡± Gary shouted as the first elemental raised its arm and sent a crystal shard towards us. I sprinted forwards with Zack and Gary as Aaron and Gabrielle sent skills shooting towards the elementals in front of us. I ran with my shield held in front of me and with my body crouched behind it as much as I was able. ¡°Snaring Roots,¡± I cast on the elemental as I neared it and sent roots as thick as my waist shooting up and locking into place around its waist, just below its core. Gary moved around to the monster''s side and destroyed the core of the elemental with a cast of Impale as Zack and I blocked the other elementals with our shields in front of him. We used the same strategy for the next three elementals and then headed directly for the nearly formed fire elementals. ¡°Low on Essence,¡± I said as we jogged across the chamber. Gary and Zack nodded from beside me as we moved towards the nearly formed elementals. ¡°Clear as many of them as we can, then retreat to the tunnel,¡± Gary yelled out so everyone could hear him. ¡°I¡¯ll try and destroy the furthest two, meet you at the entrance,¡± Aaron shouted before he split off to head deeper. I followed Gary as he led us to the first elemental and he efficiently destroyed the monster core with a cast of Impale. We reached the next one and Zack, Gary and I shattered the core while the monster finished forming and began to move. I looked over and saw that Aaron had managed to destroy the last two elementals, although I knew he had to be totally out of Essence, now. ¡°To the tunnel, we should have a minute before the last four reach us,¡± Gary said breathlessly as we cleared the last few of the lesser elementals who had been chasing us. Despite our increased stats, the prolonged battle was pushing all of us to make the most of our improved strength and I felt my muscles protest as I jogged the few hundred meters to the tunnel. ¡°Good job, everyone,¡± Gary said as we all rested on the wall. The four fire elementals were slowly walking towards us and we wouldn¡¯t engage them until they got to the tunnel. ¡°We¡¯ve got this,¡± I said. I was tired but I felt something pushing me to prove that I could surpass this challenge. I pushed myself off the wall and saw the rest of my team nod determinedly as they joined me by the tunnel entrance. Chapter 31 ¡°Aaron and Gabrielle support us as much as you can,¡± Gary said as we watched the last four fire elementals head towards us. ¡°I, Eli, and Zack will just have to work our way through them. Barkskin has enough time on it to get us through the rest of the fight, we just have to push through it. I know everyone¡¯s low on Essence, but we can handle these.¡± ¡°Damn right!¡± Zack slammed his mace into his beaten steel-banded wooden shield. ¡°Stick to my sides, we¡¯re finishing this room today!¡± Zack charged forwards as the first elemental started sending the burning-hot rocks at us. I jogged forwards just behind as all four of the elementals started sending a barrage of the rocks towards us. I dodged all of the ones heading towards me, not wanting to rely on my shield for these spells. Zack and Gary were far ahead of me as my dodging had slowed me down considerably and I sprinted forwards to try and catch up. ¡°Snaring Roots,¡± I cast as soon as I was in range and the closest elemental was rooted in place. Gary got sent to the ground from two of the elemental spells and I got to his side a moment later to cover him with my shield. ¡°I¡¯m good!¡± Gary shouted before he pushed himself up and at the rooted elemental a few feet away. Zack was smashing at the core of the elemental but without skills, it would take a few hits to break through the hard rock. ¡°Impale,¡± Gary cast as he reached the elemental and they both stepped back to join me as the monster died. Gabrielle cast a tall Wall of Flames and left only one elemental on our side. ¡°Quick!¡± Gabrielle shouted and I rushed towards the lone elemental. I could only scratch the elemental''s thick natural armor, but I could distract it if I was careful. I sprinted towards the monster and cursed as a pulse went through the ground and I had to focus on dodging the splashing liquid. I had to block a rock the monster sent at me with my shield and I fell to my back a couple of feet away from the elemental. ¡°Vigor,¡± Zack cast from beside me before he smashed the elemental''s chest and sent it stumbling back. My arm and chest would be bruised but I wasn¡¯t injured. I quickly got back to my feet and circled towards the elementals side to stab towards its side. Zack and Gary were both wearing down the monster''s core, but clearly, neither of them had enough Essence for a skill. The fire came down as I stabbed at the monster''s leg and the other two elementals quickly began sending more of the missiles towards us. ¡°Move back!¡± Aaron shouted and all three of us backed up with our shields up. We moved at an angle to keep the back two elementals behind the one we were fighting. Aaron sent a Drill Shot into the damaged rock defending the core of the elemental and it slumped down with a crack. I sighed heavily and felt at my emptied core of Essence to see I had enough for a Thornbolt but nothing else. ¡°Two more,¡± Gary said heavily from beside me. I nodded slowly and moved to support Zack as he advanced towards the last two elementals. We rushed them together and I focused on dodging every shard that came towards me and I got to the elementals last. I stood in front of Zack once I got there, grit my teeth, and blocked a rock heading towards him. I skidded back and groaned lightly, but Zack continued to slam his mace into the elemental. Burning-hot liquid splashed all over my legs and I tried to ignore the pain in my arm and legs while I got back in front of Zack. ¡°Empowered Strike,¡± Zack cast a moment later and I sighed in relief as I turned to the last elemental. No one spoke as we all charged towards the last elemental. Gabrielle sent a fireball towards the monster and I didn¡¯t have to dodge any of the monster''s spells. The rocks were easier to dodge as they formed up close, but dodging the liquid the monster created was impossible as we all smashed at the elemental. Zack smashed through the core what felt like hours later, but was probably only a painful minute or two. ¡°Good¡­¡± Gary trailed off as he tried to catch his breath. ¡°Work,¡± I let my body pull itself to the ground and lay there tiredly as I tried not to think about how much I hurt, everywhere. ¡°Just let me sit here and pretend I don¡¯t exist until my Essence recovers,¡± I said painfully. I had barely closed my eyes when I heard Aaron shout. ¡°Elemental!¡± Aaron shouted and I opened my eyes in disbelief. In the center of the chamber, a massive elemental was forming at a rapid pace. Based on the size of the elemental while it was forming it would likely be a massive creature when it was fully grown. ¡°To the tunnels, get moving, everyone!¡± Gary yelled and I levered myself on my spear to get up. Even with the adrenaline from seeing the new elemental, I could barely get myself to stand. ¡°Eli, you need help?¡± Zack jogged to my side and asked me as he held onto his bloody side. I glanced up at his face and saw his nose was broken and it had drenched his face in blood. ¡°You''re asking me if I need help?¡± I laughed, painfully, as I got to my feet. ¡°You look terrible. Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± I jogged slowly towards the tunnel and my teammates ahead of me. ¡°Wow, thanks Eli,¡± Zack chuckled and I saw a wince on his face as I glanced at him beside me. I turned further to see the elemental behind us and saw it looked to be about twenty feet tall and still growing, although we made it to the tunnel soon after. ¡°Into the tunnel, fast walk,¡± Gary said as soon as we reached them. I nodded and we continued down the tunnel until it was clear that the elemental wasn¡¯t following us. ¡°Ok,¡± Gary said quietly. ¡°Let¡¯s rest.¡± I gratefully slumped down against the wall and took a look at the rest of my team. Everyone looked so beat up that I couldn¡¯t tell who was more injured after a quick look. ¡°Who needs the first cast?¡± I asked after I caught my breath. I spent the next few hours healing each of us with Rejuvenation as my Essence recovered. After everyone was completely healed just past midday we gathered to discuss our plan. ¡°Nice work, everyone,¡± Gary nodded seriously towards us. ¡°We all pushed ourselves past our levels during that fight. I¡¯m proud to be a part of this team.¡± I grinned and joined the rest of my team in congratulating each other for finally making it past the last four elementals.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Well, we knew there was a chance that there would be another wave after the fire elementals. Looks like one it¡¯s just going to be one monster for the boss of the room, although we¡¯ll have to watch for more spawning elementals while we fight,¡± Aaron said as he studied the chamber from deep in the tunnel. ¡°All right, it seems like this is going to be a boss fight,¡± Gary crossed his arms and looked around at our gathered team. ¡°We¡¯re going to move forward with a similar strategy, Gabrielle and Aaron, I want you two to unload your entire cores on the monster while we approach,¡± he pointed at Zack and himself. ¡°We¡¯ll hit it from both sides while Eli layers as many roots as he can. If we can¡¯t finish it in our engagement we¡¯ll retreat into the tunnel.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want us to fight it carefully at first, to see what skills it will cast?¡± Gabrielle asked worriedly. ¡°What could be more careful than overwhelming it?¡± Zack replied with a smile. ¡°Honestly, I doubt that elemental will be able to handle Meteor, Drill Shots, and Snaring Roots while attacking back. We have some powerful spells to handle single targets. Trust me,¡± Gary said as he nodded and led us towards the open chamber in the distance. As we got close to the chamber I could see the massive elemental a few meters in front of the tunnel entrance. It looked similar to the larger rock elementals that spawned in the first wave of this room, although it was more than double the size. I cast Barkskin on all five of us as we approached. ¡°Focus on the left leg until it collapses, then destroy the core,¡± Gary said as we got closer to the towering elemental. It was obvious at this distance that we wouldn¡¯t be able to reach the core of the elemental without pushing the monster off its feet. ¡°Meteor,¡± I stopped beside Gabrielle as she began casting her spell. The spell hit the elemental in the center of its leg and the monster loudly crashed to its knee. ¡°Snaring Roots, Snaring Roots, Snaring Roots,¡± I cast three times, sending roots that grabbed the elemental all around its body in a rush as Aaron sent a barrage of Drill Shots into the monster''s leg. Gary and Zack were sprinting towards the monster and I watched as hundreds of rocks lifted from around the room and began to shoot towards them. Zack cast a Fortress behind them as they reached the elemental and I was blocked from view, along with Gabrielle and Aaron beside me. ¡°Should I-¡± I cut off as Zack''s shield and the field of rocks fell to the ground a couple of seconds after they began. I sighed in relief and exchanged a grin with Gabrielle and Aaron as we jogged towards the dead elemental. ¡°Gary!¡± Aaron yelled and I jerked in surprise at his tone. I glanced over and saw him staring wide-eyed at the dungeon portal a few hundred meters past us as we approached Gary and Zack. I looked back to the entrance of the dungeon and saw a group of five large hobgoblins standing casually together as they watched us. They seemed to be talking to each other and I could see three of them laughing while one of them rolled on the floor with laughter. I slowed to a stop besides Gary and all five bunched of warily as we studied them. ¡°Ok, start walking back to the tunnel. Buy as much time as we can to recover Essence,¡± Gary said. ¡°It¡¯s just five Hobgoblins, but they¡¯re not charging us like usual. They shouldn¡¯t be dangerous, but let¡¯s be careful.¡± I nodded slowly and took a step back to the tunnel. One of the hobgoblins appeared twenty meters away from us a moment later and all five of us froze in shock at the skill. ¡°It¡¯s just five Hobgoblins, but they¡¯re not charging us like usual!¡± the hobgoblin shouted back over its shoulder as it stood with its hands on its hips looking at us. ¡°Did you hear that, Dorv?¡± All five turned to face the hobgoblin fully as it shouted over its shoulder and I watched one of the hobgoblins push off the ledge by the dungeon entrance so hard he shattered the rock he was standing on. I gripped my spear tightly and crouched as I watched him fly across the room in a blur until he landed a few meters away to our side in an explosion of rock. I gulped my completely dry mouth and looked at the rest of my team to see all four of them frozen in fear, although we all looked ready to fight when they attacked. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t be dangerous, but let¡¯s be careful!¡± The newest hobgoblin shouted as it slammed its two hammers together with a booming laugh. I looked at the hobgoblins as my breathing quickened in panic. Everything both of the monsters wore was enchanted, from their high-quality boots to their engraved weapons, belts, and rings. Both of them looked like what I expected the King to look like if he went to battle. I felt an aura of Essence coming from both of the Awakened monsters that gave a measure of immense strength and I took a shuddering breath as I looked at Gary and the rest of my team. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for any disrespect I caused,¡± Gary began to speak as the three hobgoblins in the back began walking towards the two standing casually in front of us. ¡°And where are you little human children from?¡± The hobgoblin with the two hammers asked over Gary¡¯s quiet voice. All five of us stood side by side in a half-circle as we faced the two hobgoblins. Gary didn¡¯t answer and I stood there nervously while I waited for someone to answer. ¡°Why?¡± Gabrielle asked with a frown towards the hobgoblin. ¡°Gabrielle!¡± I whispered as loudly as I could and glared at her as I tried to communicate without speaking that a word could get us killed. I saw Aaron looking sick as he watched the three hobgoblins in the back getting closer. ¡°Why?¡± The hobgoblin pushed off the rock he was standing on and I cast Barkskin on myself in a panic as he landed a couple of feet in front of us. Zack stepped in front of us and raised his shield as he cast Vigor. The hobgoblin just stood there casually as it eyed the five of us and I studied its expression that seemed oddly similar to humans. ¡°Well, it¡¯s obvious you''re not from the Scarlet Horns territory, or the Towering Kings territory,¡± the monster mused as it rubbed its two shining hammers together casually. At this close of a distance, I could feel a presence behind each of the weapons and it made me feel extremely uncomfortable to watch and feel them move as he talked. ¡°Look at them!¡± The teleporting hobgoblin stopped beside the other and pointed at Zack¡¯s shield. It looked at the shield incredulously before it turned to the other hobgoblin and roared in laughter. I shifted uncomfortably and tried to take a deep breath and look at my team. I didn¡¯t know what to do and everyone was just standing there, even Gary was staying quiet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bothering your team,¡± I said carefully. ¡°We¡¯ll just leave the dungeon and get out of your way as quickly as possible.¡± I was drenched in sweat by the time I finished the short sentence and I watched the last three hobgoblins come to a stop beside their companions as I finished. ¡°Ha!¡± One of the newly arrived hobgoblins shouted after I finished talking and I looked at it warily. The hobgoblin was holding an extremely pale staff with a dark orb placed at the tip and with a gesture an ornate-looking chair appeared behind him and he took a seat. I cursed under my breath and shook my head as I tried to understand that we were dead and there was nothing we could do to change it. This was so far beyond us that nothing we did mattered anymore. ¡°Well, they might be children, but they cleared the first room of a Bronze dungeon with rags and sticks,¡± the hobgoblin sitting on the chair said musingly. ¡°They¡¯ll earn us a few contribution points before our first deployment, I suppose.¡± I listened to the monster and exchanged a confused and panicked look with Gabrielle as she stood stepped close enough for us to touch shoulders. I felt her shaking and I glanced back up as another hobgoblin cleared its throat. ¡°Well, humans? I don¡¯t know where you''re from, but I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter. You have two choices, here. Join the Ascended Skorv''s Warband,¡± the hobgoblin with the two hammers spoke cheerfully, ¡°or die.¡± Chapter 32 I looked at the hobgoblin cautiously, as I felt the icy feeling that had come over me start to fade. The more I had studied the hobgoblins talking in front of us the more I had accepted my death. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Gary asked quietly. ¡°Are you slavers?¡± ¡°Enough, I¡¯m not spending all day on this. Dorv, take them to the outpost and have them contracted under our team,¡± the hobgoblin with the staff spoke commandingly as it stood. The chair disappeared with a touch and the hobgoblin with the hammers straightened and nodded seriously to the order. ¡°Follow me, humans,¡± the hobgoblin waved us towards the entrance as the other four hobgoblins walked past us to head deeper into the dungeon. I looked incredulously at the leaving monsters and hesitantly followed the remaining monster to the dungeon portal. ¡°What do we do?¡± Gabrielle whispered as we followed the hobgoblin. I shook my head and shrugged, although I was happy to get far away from the rest of the hobgoblins team, at least. We slowly made our way out of the dungeon portal and back into the mountain cave. ¡°So¡­¡± the hobgoblin trailed off as he studied our team after we all exited the portal. ¡°Do you pups want to try to escape now, or later?¡± I looked at Gary from the corner of my eye and watched him look around at our team for a moment before he turned back to face the hobgoblin. ¡°What¡¯s the Ascended Skorv¡¯s Warband?¡± Gary asked the hobgoblin. I tried to imagine a way that we could slow down this monster and couldn¡¯t think of anything at all. I could tell that the hobgoblin''s answer would decide whether we would fight or surrender, here. The hobgoblin grunted and shook its head, ¡°You humans grow up in a cave? Ascended Skorv and the Towering Kings have been fighting for hundreds of years.¡± The monster flipped a hammer in the air and caught it while it looked into the distance. ¡°Our Warband just formed, and we won¡¯t leave for the campaign for another four months. You¡¯ll train with us here at the eastern edge of Ascended Skorv¡¯s territory and then we¡¯ll campaign against the Towering Kings for a year,¡± the monster grinned and its sharp teeth gleamed in the dull glow of the cave. ¡°Look, you children are out here begging for death as it is,¡± the monster walked up to Gary and both of his hammers disappeared. He touched Gary¡¯s spear and shook his head as Gary tensed and pulled back. ¡°Think of it as an opportunity, because it is. You won¡¯t be sent to your deaths; Ascended Skorv treats his Warband well.¡± ¡°And you won¡¯t let us leave, right?¡± Aaron asked cautiously. The hobgoblin stood right in front of us and he was more than a meter taller than each of us and the aura he gave off was intimidating to deal with. ¡°No,¡± the hobgoblin grinned, ¡°We earn contribution points depending on how well you do during the campaign. As will all of you, of course.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Aaron replied, ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°What! Aaron, we can¡¯t,¡± Gabrielle said as soon as Aaron took a step forward. I was conflicted, but I knew this was a choice between survival and death. There was no choice other than following the monster where it led us, for now. ¡°Gabrielle,¡± Gary put his hand on his shoulder and shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice.¡± The hobgoblin chuckled as he shook his head, ¡°too right! Follow me, humans,¡± he began leading us out of the mountain. ¡°And tell me where you''re from!¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± Gabrielle asked as we followed him. The five of us walked side-by-side a few paces behind the monster and it replied over its shoulder without stopping. ¡°I¡¯m just curious, I didn¡¯t think there were any humans between here and the Crystal Hammer territory, and I can¡¯t imagine where you all must have grown up to carry gear like that.¡± the hobgoblin chatted as it strolled along the cave. ¡°We¡¯re E-rank adventurers, what type of gear are we supposed to have?¡± Zack said defensively. ¡°E-rank adventurers? Is that supposed to mean something?¡± the hobgoblin turned and began walking backward as it asked its questions. ¡°We Awakened and advanced past level five to reach E-rank,¡± I explained after I received a nod from Gary. The monster immediately began nodding and he turned back around to face the cave. ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve reached early Bronze,¡± he waved a hand in the air lazily. ¡°And where is your early Bronze equipment? Even something created by an Awakened leatherworker would be better than those rags you''re wearing.¡± I shook my head, ¡°we¡¯re not nobles. Enchanted gear is worth more than we¡¯ve earned since we Awakened.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure how much we planned on explaining to the hobgoblin, but I didn¡¯t see the risk in saying that much. I wasn¡¯t sure if this was a monster or something similar to another human-like it acted. I had no idea what to do other than follow it with the rest of my team. ¡°Incredible!¡± The hobgoblin didn¡¯t say anything else and we continued following him quietly until we reached the opening to the mountains. The sun was setting as we exited the cave and I took a deep breath of the fresh air after the days spent in the cave and dungeon. I closed my eyes to try to clear my head and the hobgoblin cleared its throat from right in front of me. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Let¡¯s camp here, we¡¯ll head to the outpost in the morning.¡± I jerked back as the hobgoblin chuckled at my reaction. ¡°Don¡¯t make me chase you down.¡± I nodded and walked away from him back into the cave to join the rest of my team. I laid out my bedroll beside Gary, on the opposite side of the hobgoblin. ¡°What are we doing?¡± I whispered as I straightened my pack beside him. ¡°Staying Alive,¡± Gary replied softly and shrugged. I looked him in the eyes and saw the same fear of death that I felt before I turned away. There was something about the hobgoblins that made it clear anything I tried would end in my death. Not to mention the enchanted items they all seemed to be covered in. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the hobgoblin had pulled a full tent out of nowhere and was sitting in a comfortable-looking chair. ¡°Where¡¯s he getting everything from?¡± I asked and Gary just shook his head while we walked outside the cave to where Gabrielle was setting up a campfire. ¡°Hey,¡± Zack nodded his head as we sat down beside the rest of the team. ¡°Gary, what¡¯s the plan?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Zack. I don¡¯t have a plan for this,¡± Gary gestured behind us at the relaxing hobgoblin fiddling with some sort of item. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what this is. I didn¡¯t even know hobgoblins could talk, but that hobgoblin can kill us without breaking a sweat. If we want to live, we follow it,¡± he shrugged helplessly and I sighed. I agreed with everything he said, running would only get us killed. ¡°Do you think what he said was true? About the Warband? I¡¯ve never heard of any other kingdoms or territories outside of Satar,¡± I rambled for a moment and looked around. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anything he said, but I don¡¯t see why something so powerful would lie,¡± Gary responded after a moment. ¡°If they wanted to kill us they would have.¡± ¡°So, we¡¯re supposed to just disappear for a year and a half and fight in some war?¡± Gabrielle was shaking her head and I saw tears when I glanced at her face. No one said anything for a while as we contemplated our future quietly around the small fire. I heard some noise an hour later and saw the other four hobgoblins joining the one we followed here. ¡°I guess we just go sleep, then¡­¡± I trailed off and exchanged a wary look with Aaron. He sighed and led the way back to our bedrolls inside the cave. None of the hobgoblins were coming over to us so I decided to just lay down and go to sleep. Hopefully, I¡¯d wake up tomorrow and all of this would have been a dream. I pulled up my status half-heartedly as I tried to ignore the hobgoblins chatting on the other side of the cave. Eli - Lvl 5 Druid Experience - 3710\10000 Strength-11 Dexterity-12 Perception-10 Vitality-11 Spirit-14 Willpower-14 (+1) Barkskin - Level 8\10 Upgradeable Experience - 6420\12800 Thornbolt - Level 6\20 Upgradeable Experience - 3060\6400 Rejuvenation - Level 5\10 Upgradeable Experience - 3140\3200 Snaring Roots - Level 4\10 Upgradeable Experience - 420\1600 At least I leveled to fourteen in Willpower from the difficult fight in the dungeon, as well as earned a significant amount of experience in my skills and class. I rolled over and spent the next few hours trying not to think about what was going to happen to us when we reached this hobgoblin outpost. ¡°Get up, Eli,¡± I opened my eyes to Gary gently shaking me awake. I looked around and saw that I was still in the cave, with the five hobgoblins still resting on the other side of the cave. I sighed loudly and packed up my bedroll into my pack before joining the rest of my team outside of the cave. ¡°I was thinking, last night,¡± Aaron said quietly as I sat down. ¡°He said we¡¯ll be training here for four months, that¡¯s plenty of time to escape back to Satar.¡± ¡°Quiet, Aaron,¡± Gary shook his head warningly and I remembered the hobgoblin hearing us from halfway across the chamber in the dungeon. We quietly ate breakfast while we waited for the hobgoblins to lead us to the outpost over the mountain. An hour later the hobgoblins started leading us back over the top of the mountain and into the valley towards the stone fortress. None of the hobgoblins spoke to us, even when Gary tried asking a question, and we didn¡¯t arrive at the outpost until night had fallen. The city walls looked similar to Gorok¡¯s from close up and as we got closer to the gates we passed hundreds of other hobgoblin patrols and teams. This was supposed to just be one Warband of this territory and I doubted any city in Satar would survive an attack. ¡°Dorv, take them to get a contract with the Warband,¡± the hobgoblin with the staff said as we entered the gates behind him and Dorv waved for us to follow him. The buildings in the outpost were all made of the same stone the city walls were and everything looked blocky and similar other than the signs on some places. I saw a few races other than hobgoblins during the walk, although no other humans. After another half-hour of walking through the city in the fading sunlight, we reached a large building with an emblem I had seen all over the city, a pair of bloody tusks. ¡°Come,¡± Dorv waved at us impatiently as he walked into the building. I followed him inside and saw a counter with attendants set up similar to the adventurers guild. I studied the other creatures in the building while we waited in line and I saw four different races, although I only knew the name of the drow elf because it was so obvious. Everyone in the building wore enchanted gear of all types and I found myself staring from one item to another as we waited. ¡°I need recruit contracts for these humans, contribution to Duskar of the Dusk,¡± Dorv said as he walked to an open attendant. ¡°Understood,¡± the hobgoblin behind the counter nodded and pulled out five contracts and bracelets. ¡°This contract shows that you swear fealty to Ascended Skorv and will serve in his Warband for one campaign. Desertion will be handled by a team of early-gold hunter classes, so I wouldn¡¯t recommend it,¡± the hobgoblin grinned down at us as we looked at the contract warily. ¡°Of course, contribution points will allow you to purchase some gear that doesn¡¯t make you look like a barbarian. Enlistment into Ascended Skorv¡¯s Warband comes with one hundred contribution points, although twenty percent will be sent to your recruiter.¡± I swallowed and glanced around the room half-heartedly looking for a way out of the situation. ¡°Go on, I¡¯ll show you where to get settled after we¡¯re done,¡± Dorv waved us towards the contracts. ¡°What are the bracelets?¡± I asked cautiously to delay making the decision. ¡°Ah, the bracelets are how we keep track of your contribution points. They will allow you to get paid for resources and handle purchases here in the outpost,¡± the hobgoblin attendant explained helpfully. I was sure they were also used to track us, though. Gary sighed and with a depressed glance back towards us he led us in signing the contracts and attuning to the bracelets by sending Essence into them. Before I knew it, we had sworn fealty to this Ascended Skorv and joined his Warband. Chapter 33 ¡°Come, you must meet Duskar before we can sleep,¡± Dorv paced off down the street as soon as we left the administration building behind us. The sun had completely set and enchanted lights kept the entire streets fully lit. ¡°Come on,¡± Gary stepped off towards the hobgoblin and I followed along a moment later with the rest of my team. I spent the walk lost in thought as I tried to come to terms with this situation we found ourselves in. It looked like the hobgoblins were telling the truth, and we wouldn¡¯t be tortured or sold into slavery or anything like that. Just conscription for their war, although the hobgoblin did say we would train for four months before leaving. ¡°Every single hobgoblin we¡¯ve walked past had enchanted gear,¡± Aaron said idly as we walked through the busy street. I nodded tiredly, it felt like we were sinking deeper and deeper into a dungeon well beyond our capabilities. In the crowds of seven or eight-foot-tall hobgoblins covered in engraved equipment, our burnt rags and steel-tipped wooden spears stood out. As we walked behind Dorv everyone walking to our sides slowed and stared at us as we passed. At the end of the busy street, we entered a tall building with many floors that resembled a large inn. Dorv waved at the five of us to take a seat at a table and I saw him leave towards another room. I took a seat at one of the empty tables in the common room along with my team. ¡°How are they all so strong?¡± Zack shook his head, ¡°How have we never heard these other places?¡± ¡°The nobles probably know,¡± Gabrielle sneered, ¡°but why would they tell commoners?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, we just need to stay alive. One way or another, we¡¯ll make it through this,¡± Gary said seriously. ¡°As long as we don¡¯t have to kill other people,¡± Gabrielle shook her head worriedly and I sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll find our way out of here,¡± I said. We spent the next twenty minutes worriedly talking about the Warband until Dorv came back. ¡°Hey, humans,¡± Dorv yelled at us from across the room. ¡°Come,¡± he waved towards the door he was standing in front of. We followed him into another large room, and then through another door into a hallway that led to an open office with a hobgoblin sitting behind the desk. As I entered the room I studied the seated hobgoblin and the aura I could feel as we got close. The hobgoblin had a darker skin tone than most of the others I had seen and he wore a beautiful set of leather armor that was hard not to stare at. ¡°Duskar,¡± Dorv tapped his fist on his chest casually as he took a seat in one of the chairs in front of the hobgoblin''s desk. Duskar glanced at him and nodded before he continued studying each of us as we sat down. There was an uncomfortable silence as Duskar looked back and forth between my team and Dorv. ¡°All right,¡± Duskar spoke with a deep, curt voice and I shifted uneasily in my seat once he talked. ¡°I¡¯m not going to ask, Dorv. Welcome to the Dusk battalion, humans. My name is Duskar of the Dusk, what are your names?¡± ¡°Gary,¡± Gary replied first and the hobgoblin nodded slowly as it turned to face him. ¡°A spearman, I see. Early Bronze and with Flurry already, impressive,¡± the hobgoblin listed his class and skill as if he read it from Gary¡¯s status. ¡°You¡¯ll serve in the third squad, with our other skirmishers. ¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Gary asked and I saw him worriedly glance towards me. ¡°When you address me in public you will refer to me as chief, understood?¡± Duskar responded calmly and he waited for all of us to nod our agreement before he continued. ¡°A spell called Analyze lets me see the details of anyone''s status, provided they don¡¯t have a way to hide it. Your name, Pyromancer?¡± the hobgoblin pointed at Gabrielle. ¡°Gabrielle,¡± she replied quietly. ¡°I see, you will serve in the second squad, along with our other casters,¡± he replied casually before he looked at Zack. ¡°We¡¯re going to be separated?¡± I asked hesitantly after I heard Gabrielle would be in a different squad. Duskar looked at me for a moment and laughed while Dorv snickered loudly. ¡°Where exactly are you from, that you don¡¯t know how a Warband works?¡± the hobgoblin chuckled again and waved his arm to stop me from answering. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯ll be separated depending on your capabilities when we train and fight together as a battalion, during the campaign. While we train here you¡¯ll be training with your team, mostly.¡± ¡°Eli,¡± I replied after a moment. ¡°Druid,¡± Duskar said musingly as he studied a paper on his table. ¡°You¡¯ll serve with the first squad, the vanguard.¡± I nodded and turned to Zack after he said his name. ¡°First squad for the Bulwark, as well,¡± he replied before turning to Aaron last. ¡°And you, Archer, will serve in the second squad, too,¡± Duskar continued without waiting for his name. ¡°I will assign you your training every day while we¡¯re here at the eastern edges of the territory. I¡¯ll see you all here in the morning,¡± he said before dismissing us with a wave of his hand. I stood up and followed Dorv out of the room. ¡°You can get rooms from an attendant in the lobby,¡± Dorv pointed. ¡°I¡¯m leaving, but I¡¯ll see you two in the first squad. Good luck.¡± The hobgoblin ignored our cold faces as he turned and left towards another hallway. Gary led us back into the lobby where we entered the buildings and we quickly agreed to pay one contribution point a day for rooms and meals while we were at the building, which only housed the Dusk battalion. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I¡¯m just going to sleep. I¡¯ll meet everyone in the morning,¡± I said as soon we got our keys from the attendant. It had been a long hike from the other side of the mountain across the valley and I was tired mentally, as well. I left my team while they went to search for a table and headed up four flights of stairs and down a hallway until I arrived at my room. The room had a small table with two chairs, a large bed, and a few large dressers spaced throughout. I quickly dropped my pack, undressed, and went to sleep. I woke up and headed down to the common room on the first floor after I changed into some new clothes and grabbed my pack. Most of the tables were empty and I sat at the one closest to the staircase while I waited for a server. ¡°Morning,¡± Gary sat down at the table and nodded towards me. I nodded over my breakfast of eggs and steak, the only meal they served, not that I planned on complaining, and the rest of my team trailed down to the table over the next few minutes. ¡°All right, let¡¯s head back to chief Duskar,¡± Gary said once we had all finished eating. ¡°I wonder if we¡¯ll be training as a squad¡­¡± I trailed off as I headed towards his office with my team. ¡°I hope not, I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s alone in my squad,¡± Gary frowned and I winced. ¡°Sorry, hopefully we¡¯ll be able to spend these contribution points on some gear first, anyways,¡± I trailed off amusingly as we approached Duskars office and everyone nodded fervently. The door was open and Duskar gestured for us to take the seats as we entered the room. ¡°Humans. You will head to the contribution hall after this and purchase what equipment you can afford,¡± the hobgoblin glanced down at a paper on his desk. ¡°After that, head down the western path over the mountain and go to the Demon¡¯s Wasteland dungeon, you¡¯ll need to get directions from some people on the way, it¡¯s hard to find. Come back in a week or so, after you¡¯ve gathered a good amount of resources.¡± Duskar nodded and waved us towards the door before he turned to write on an artifact on his desk. I quickly got up and led the way out of the room. ¡°Are we supposed to be so grateful for the gear they give us that they expect us to die for them?¡± Gabrielle asked with a frown as we walked back to the lobby. ¡°At least they¡¯re treating us well, this could be much worse,¡± I shrugged. ¡°They could have killed us more easily than they recruited us.¡± ¡°Yeah, they treat us great until we try to leave,¡± Aaron said quietly and I saw the anger in his eyes as he looked around the lobby. Gary quickly got directions to the contribution hall from the server who brought us our breakfast and headed out of the building. ¡°It¡¯s just down the street. Cheer up, it sounds like we¡¯ll be out of this outpost in a few hours,¡± Gary said once we joined him outside. I saw that he didn¡¯t look as lost or depressed as he had the night before, and he took off down the packed street without waiting for anyone to comment. ¡°I guess we can talk once we¡¯re out of the city,¡± I said to Aaron who was glaring at Gary¡¯s back. ¡°Does he think it¡¯s that simple?¡± Aaron looked at me with disbelief clear on his face. I shrugged, I just wanted to make it through the thick crowd of hobgoblins. I finished pushing my way through the street and joined Gary as we walked inside another large stone building. Inside the building, there were dozens of other hobgoblins waiting in line behind some nearby attendants and we moved to the back of the line. ¡°This line is for appraising resources, if you''re spending contribution points head into the market,¡± the creature in front of us in line said after a moment. The creature was shorter than me and looked humanoid, but his dull-gray skin stood out as he pointed to the open doors on the other side of the room. ¡°Thank you,¡± Gary nodded to the creature and we followed its advice. Through the doors was an indoor market area with at least a hundred different stalls and booths. I followed Gary to the closest stall and ignored the drow elf sitting behind the counter to stare at the weapons on display. I could feel an aura from the large two-sided hammer he had sitting proudly above the rest of his weapons. It gave off a faint feeling of blood as I walked closer and I tore my gaze away from the impressive hammer to look at the rest of the weapons. I quickly walked towards a dark green spear that had engravings spiraling up the length of the shaft until it ended in a leaf-like tip. ¡°Humans in Ascended Skorv¡¯s Warband, incredible, incredible,¡± the drow elf stood and walked over to stand by me. ¡°I see your team looks to be newly enlisted?¡± ¡°We are,¡± I said cautiously while the rest of my team glanced over curiously while they looked through the weaponry. ¡°In that case, you must have a small number of contribution points and many things to buy,¡± the drow elf nodded slowly. ¡°I will allow you all to purchase a late bronze weapon for fifty points or early bronze for thirty points.¡± he pointed to the two sections as he named them and I dismissed the green spear to walk towards the early bronze section with my team. The weapons were all still clearly enchanted in both sections and I realized other than being enchanted I didn¡¯t know what the weapons would do. ¡°What are the enchantments on the early Bronze weapons?¡± I asked the waiting merchant. ¡°A few different ones, although we may not have each enchantment on each weapon type. Lesser strength, dexterity, spirit, willpower, vitality or perception are available on the early Bronze weapons while there are some improved enchantments such as enlarge or imbue on the late bronze products.¡± The drow elf explained as he lifted one weapon or another for each of the examples. I found a short-spear a similar length to mine that was made of Orichalcum, a green metal that was extremely sharp in the early Bronze section. As I picked up the weapon a notification appeared. Orichalcum Short Spear Lesser Spirit (+2) I joined the rest of my team after they joined me outside of the drow elf¡¯s stall a few minutes later. Zack carried a steel mace enchanted with strength, while Gary had a long orichalcum spear-like mine, except with lesser dexterity. Gabrielle had a steel short sword enchanted with spirit and Aaron eventually decided to buy a late bronze short bow enchanted with strength, instead of lesser strength. The drow elf happily pointed us in the direction of a nearby stall that would sell us early bronze armor after thanking us for our business. We spent the rest of our fifty contribution points on early bronze armor at the next merchant, and I left the stall in shock with an enchanted troll hide brigandine and greaves that covered my shoulders to my boots. Trollhide Brigandine Lesser Dexterity (+2) Trollhide Greaves Lesser Spirit (+2) With all of us receiving enchanted gear like this we would easily pass for nobles in Satar, and I was pretty sure most of the equipment here was superior to what I had seen in the kingdom. I waited for the rest of my team to finish shopping while I tried to understand how I felt about the Warband and chief Duskar. Chapter 34 ¡°Yeah, the drow elf that sold us our weapons told me we¡¯d have to bond any enchanted equipment before it would have any effect,¡± Gary explained as he had us stop just outside the outpost¡¯s walls to put on our new equipment. I had been wondering how the enchantment was going to work and I quickly sent some Essence into each piece of gear I bought at the market. ¡°I still don¡¯t feel any improvement in my stats,¡± Zack said with a frown. I nodded. I felt something happening when I sent a small amount of Essence into the enchanted gear but it would be easy to tell if I had earned six levels from the enchantments. ¡°It¡¯s going to take a few hours for the enchantment to take effect and we will lose the stats we gain if we get separated from the piece that gave it,¡± Gary explained as we got dressed in our new equipment. ¡°I guess that makes sense, are we heading towards this dungeon, then?¡± I asked. I still wasn¡¯t sure what our plan was going to be now that we were out of the outpost. I didn¡¯t think sending us out on our own was a test to see if we would leave, although I was sure they would eventually send those gold hunters after us if we didn¡¯t return. ¡°Until we¡¯re out of sight,¡± Aaron smirked. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to figure out how to take these bracelets off once we¡¯re away from everyone.¡± Aaron fiddled with the silver bracelet that had locked into place around each of our wrists when we sent Essence into it. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Aaron,¡± I said uncomfortably as I glanced at my team for support. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea for us to run away immediately,¡± I spoke quietly while we walked through the valley on one of the main paths from the outpost to the nearby mountain. There was a lot of traffic on the road, although most of the teams were heading towards the dungeon since it was still so early. ¡°What?¡± Gabrielle looked shocked by what I said. ¡°You want to go back?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± Gary trailed off as a group of five of those short dull-gray creatures passed near our team. One of them had a black panther following them just off the path and all five of us turned to watch it pass. ¡°We can¡¯t just run, how long do you think we can hide from those gold hunters the attendant told us about?¡± Gary continued after a moment. ¡°We don¡¯t even need to hide,¡± Aaron laughed, ¡°chief Duskar told us to be back in a week, we can be back to Satar in three days, easily.¡± ¡°How do we know that they can¡¯t tell when we leave the path to the dungeon?¡± I asked wryly. The only way I could see them letting us go was if they just didn¡¯t care to chase us. ¡°Why would we want to leave now, anyway?¡± Zack asked. ¡°All we have to do is go train in a dungeon for a week and earn contribution points¡­¡± he trailed off and gestured towards our engraved and enchanted equipment. ¡°We¡¯re probably wearing fifty gold worth of gear and it looks like we have a way to get more.¡± ¡°Are you insane!¡± Gabrielle shouted and I glanced around to see another team of the gray humanoids watching us and laughing. I kept an eye on him as she stomped over to Zack. ¡°We¡¯re surrounded by monsters, in the middle of nowhere, and all you can think about is the shiny toys they¡¯re giving us,¡± the monster walking with his team along the path with us was hunched over in laughter. ¡°Gabrielle, quiet,¡± I walked over and got her attention. She looked upset but she nodded and went back to walking alongside Aaron. I didn¡¯t look over, but I saw the other team keeping pace with us on the other side of the wide path. We continued hiking towards the mountain quietly as we all retreated to our thoughts. Gary stopped us to rest and eat lunch once we arrived at the base of the mountain a few hours past midday. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break and eat before we climb over the mountain, it¡¯s going to be a long hike to the peak,¡± Gary led us off the path far enough that none of the passing hobgoblins and other races would be able to hear us. I had started to feel a change in my spirit and dexterity while we walked and when I checked my status shortly before we stopped I confirmed that I received the full buff from all three enchantments. With another four spirit, I would have enough Essence to feel much more comfortable in a fight, and the dexterity would be incredible for fighting with my spear. ¡°Gary.¡± I got his attention as we sat on our packs and nodded towards the team of five gray humanoids that I had seen walking beside us for most of the day. They had split off the path and sat down to take a break as well, but one of them was heading directly towards us. ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing,¡± Gary said quietly, but all five of us focused on the creature as it walked up to us. Although it was slightly shorter than me, the monster was stocky and stout with thick muscles and he walked with a full set of plate armor like he didn¡¯t notice the weight. ¡°Humans,¡± the warrior nodded as he approached. ¡°Welcome to the Warband, would you let a curious monster,¡± he grinned, ¡°join you?¡± The monster looked at Gabrielle and she looked away after a moment.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Thank you, would you mind telling us what you are?¡± I asked curiously. Aaron turned to glare at me, but it didn¡¯t seem dangerous and I had been wondering all day. ¡°Duergar, my people are called, and Aidor is my name,¡± he said slowly while he sat on the ground in front of us. ¡°Odd that you don¡¯t recognize my people, are you not from the territory of the Priestess of Purity?¡± The Duergar looked at Gabrielle as he asked his question. ¡°No¡­¡± Zack trailed off as the Duergar turned to him. ¡°Why does everyone keep asking if we¡¯re from a territory? What does that mean?¡± I looked curiously to see if he would answer, although I wasn¡¯t sure if Zack should have admitted our ignorance. ¡°You''re from the wilds, then?¡± I glanced around and saw everyone in my team was listening intently, although Gabrielle and Aaron looked angry. ¡°Interesting. When someone reaches early Diamond they¡¯re able to begin building a territory, an area where the Essence is Awakened, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed it is, here,¡± he waved his hand around him idly. ¡°So everyone is Awakened, here?¡± Gabrielle looked at him and I shook my head in disbelief. I can¡¯t even imagine how much it would change Satar for the better if everyone Awakened. ¡°Of course,¡± the Duergar chuckled. ¡°So you are from the wilds, then. I expect you all have much to learn, then. Seek me out in the Hammerfirst battalion, if you find yourselves willing to handle the presence of a monster,¡± he shook his head and stood. ¡°Thank you, Aidor,¡± Zack replied seriously and I nodded my head to the departing Duergar cautiously. I started a fire and helped Gary cook quietly while the rest of the team discussed what we had just learned. ¡°That must be how they have so many enchanted items,¡± Zack said excitedly and Aaron I saw Aaron nod thoughtfully. ¡°We can afford F-rank cores for our parents now, anyways,¡± Gabrielle responded. ¡°Who knows if that¡¯s even true.¡± ¡°I mean, we knew the Essence was different here in the mountains and I can¡¯t see any reason that guy would lie to us,¡± Zack shrugged and Gabrielle spun to face him. ¡°That guy? Zack, that was a monster, I don¡¯t understand how you can¡¯t see that¡± Gabrielle spat out. ¡°Was he? Everyone we¡¯ve met out here has acted pretty similarly to other humans,¡± I said quietly. Gary glanced at me with an unreadable expression and I turned to face Aaron and Gabrielle. ¡°Honestly, everyone here is at least as strong as a noble in Satar and everyone has treated us well, other than the team of hobgoblins who captured us. If it wasn¡¯t for the war I probably wouldn¡¯t even want to leave.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Eli,¡± Aaron shook his head as I handed him a bowl of beans and rice. ¡°I guess for now we can go along with it, but I¡¯m worried we¡¯ll get stuck here.¡± ¡°For now, we don¡¯t have a way out of here safely, regardless. Let¡¯s focus on what we can and spend a week in this dungeon. After some time to think, maybe we¡¯ll be able to think of something,¡± Gary said to the group. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be sent out of the outpost to train again, this won¡¯t be our only chance to escape before we leave.¡± ¡°Also, the training we do with our squads might be helpful, we should get everything that we can out of the Warband before we leave,¡± I added. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about returning to Satar in a full set of enchanted gear and we hadn¡¯t even looked at the other enchanted items in the contribution hall. ¡°Just don¡¯t forget that we need to escape, all right?¡± Gabrielle asked with a sigh. ¡°I know,¡± I nodded seriously. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean we shouldn¡¯t get as much enchanted gear as we can,¡± I grinned and gestured towards my spear as I shook my head wryly. ¡°It is incredible, I can¡¯t believe it. I can¡¯t stop checking my status to look at my stats. Do you even understand how strong I am, now?¡± Zack¡¯s voice got louder and louder as he talked and I couldn¡¯t help but laugh by the end of it. Some of our tension drained and we soon found ourselves chatting for the rest of the meal. After the quick break, we got moving and headed up the steep path leading over the peak of the mountain. By the time the sun was starting to set we could see the dungeon in the distance and we decided to camp out and head the rest of the way in the morning. There were quite a few buildings placed around the entrance to the large cave, but none of us wanted any company for the night and we saw other teams camping out nearby. We ate a quick dinner while I decided I felt safe enough to start making use of the increased Essence regeneration and started casting Barkskin. We split off to do some quick training before the sun fully set and we all did some light sparring with our new weapons and armor. My new Orichalcum short spear was lighter than my old spear and I still wasn¡¯t sure how sturdy it would be in a fight. I wasn¡¯t as worried about the troll hide armor since it seemed incredibly tough. After a couple of hours of training, I decided to call it a night and I pulled up my status after Aaron said he would take the first watch. Eli - Lvl 5 Druid Experience - 3710\10000 Strength-11 Dexterity-14 (12+2) Perception-10 Vitality-11 Spirit-18 (14+4) Willpower-14 Barkskin - Level 8\10 Upgradeable Experience - 6620\12800 Thornbolt - Level 6\20 Upgradeable Experience - 3060\6400 Rejuvenation - Level 5\10 Upgradeable Experience - 3140\3200 Snaring Roots - Level 4\10 Upgradeable Experience - 420\1600 I went to sleep looking forward to entering the dungeon the next day and being able to see how my new stats and gear would hold up in a fight. Hopefully this Demon''s Wasteland dungeon would be a good area for my team to train. Chapter 35 ¡°Let¡¯s just head to the cave entrance, for now, we¡¯ll figure out what all the buildings are for later,¡± Gary said as we walked between the large stone buildings outside of the cave entrance. The sun had just come up and there were a few other teams of hobgoblins walking towards the dungeon as well. We continued down the path until we reached the large cave entrance, passing by a few large training yards just outside of the cave. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of hobgoblins, why aren¡¯t they in the dungeon?¡± Gabrielle asked breathlessly as we walked into the crowded cave. I could see dozens of small groups of warriors resting inside the cave, although a few groups were waiting to enter the three dungeon portals at the back of the chamber. ¡°We¡¯ll see, let¡¯s get in line and see what information we can find out,¡± Zack headed towards one of the portals and I followed behind as I studied the other groups in the cave. I saw a few more of the Duergar spread across the room, but the room was full of hobgoblins; they seemed to make up most of the Warband from what I had seen. Although everyone here seemed strong, no one gave off an aura like chief Duskar or the mage who captured us. The portal we moved towards had four groups waiting in front of it and a few attendants sitting at a table in front of it. We settled into line a few meters away from the group of hobgoblins waiting in front of us. A few minutes passed before a group of Duergar came out of the dungeon portal. The next party spoke with the attendant shortly and then headed inside. The group stayed inside the portal for about ten minutes before they came out, sweating and with fresh blood scattered around their enchanted equipment. ¡°It must be a large group of monsters at the start, for everyone to leave so quickly,¡± I mused quietly as we moved up another spot in line. Another few groups had fallen in behind us and I thought I had figured out the system. A group would challenge the dungeon, then rest around the portal until their Essence recovered before getting up to fight again. If this dungeon was that challenging and we were able to constantly drain our Essence from fighting we would be able to advance faster than we ever had before, here. ¡°Definitely,¡± Garry nodded agreeably. ¡°I think we¡¯ll be defending our position near the portal until we run out of Essence and have to retreat, but we can¡¯t make a plan until we know what we¡¯re up against.¡± A few minutes later we found ourselves waiting in front of the drow elf seated at the desk by the portal. ¡°Humans, are you new to the dungeon?¡± the drow elf asked while she nonchalantly studied each of us. ¡°It¡¯s our first time here,¡± Gary replied cautiously. ¡°Well, welcome,¡± the woman spread her arms grandly with a smile, ¡°only the finest dungeons in Ascended Skorv¡¯s territory,¡± she laughed. ¡°The Demon¡¯s Wasteland is a very good training ground for Bronze Awakened, such as yourselves. The demons have various forms and will rush you mindlessly as soon as you descend from the portal.¡± ¡°Thank you for warning us,¡± Zack nodded to the drow elf and I thought about what she said while we waited. We should be able to hold our position with Gary¡¯s Fortress and Gabrielle¡¯s Wall of Flames skill, at least until their Essence ran out. ¡°I can have someone join your team during your first attempt if you¡¯d like?¡± The drow elf asked a couple of minutes later. ¡°No, we¡¯ll be all right,¡± Gabrielle replied coldly. I sighed softly and exchanged a disappointed glance with Gary before he shook his head lightly. The drow elf nodded casually and soon after the team exited the portal in front of us. ¡°Good luck, don¡¯t go far from the portal,¡± the woman gestured towards the glowing dungeon portal. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said excitedly before leading my team towards it. I could see the anticipation on everyone''s faces and I knew everyone had to be looking forward to using their new enchanted equipment, like me. I cast Barkskin on all of us as we waited for a step away from the portal, and I had over three-quarters of my Essence remaining. ¡°Time to see what we can do,¡± Zack grinned and held up his steel mace, enchanted with Lesser Strength. Gary headed through the portal at Zack¡¯s side and I followed through a moment after. I gasped as I entered a dungeon far different from any we had been in before. We were in the center of a flat plain, full of cracked earth and thousands of monsters in every direction. Everything I could see was a dark shade of red, including the sun hanging low in the sky. We stood on a small hill beside the dungeon portal, but a short walk down the hill monsters were scattered in every direction around us. ¡°Is this even a dungeon?¡± I asked hesitantly to the rest of my team. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss the dungeon later, let¡¯s move before they start grouping up at the base of the hill,¡± Gary spoke up before anyone else. ¡°Let¡¯s clear out an area as soon as we get down there. Zack can set up a barrier to protect our sides while we handle a few at a time after we thin them out.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll cast a meteor once we¡¯re close,¡± Gabrielle responded seriously. We dropped our packs by the portal and started down the side of the short hill. I studied the demons as we got closer and saw that although their forms varied greatly, most of them were about the size of a goblin. The demons fought each other everywhere we looked and I saw bigger ones in the distance rampaging through the smaller ones that filled the dungeon.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Gabrielle sent a Meteor into the packed demons that had started to gather at the base where we were descending to. The explosion killed dozens of the small monsters and I rushed into the gap. ¡°Thornbolt,¡± I sent a thorn through a snarling demon¡¯s skull as it dashed towards me. Zack was pushing further out from the hill while Gary was clearing out the monsters to one side and I quickly spun to face the opposite direction. A few arrows and Fireballs helped clear out a few of the larger groups and I charged a lone demon with a stab. The demon dropped to all fours and my strike barely cut the monster''s shoulder. I backed up cautiously as I pulled my spear back and the monster flew forward to slam into my chest. The demon scratched wildly at my brigandine and I hurriedly shoved the lighter creature off me and slashed through its neck. They were weak and easy to kill but incredibly quick. ¡°Fortress,¡± Zack brought thick walls up from the ground to block both of our sides and I turned to face the only opening besides the hill behind us. He left a large gap up front, wide enough for two or three of us to hold easily. ¡°I¡¯ll hold with Zack, stay close and ready to support,¡± Gary called over his shoulder as I jogged up. I stopped a few paces behind them beside Aaron and Gabrielle and started sending Thornbolts into any demon that got close. The demons were rushing us so fast that I was able to kill almost a dozen of the charging demons before Gabrielle sent another meteor over Zack and Gary to give us a moment to breathe. ¡°I¡¯ll join upfront,¡± I moved towards the edge of the opening quickly before the demons could group up and rush us again. ¡°Bigger one heading towards us,¡± Aaron shouted before a barrage of Drill Shots went flying into the towering demon. I didn¡¯t have time to study it as I focused on shoving one demon back with my shield and stabbing another through the chest. I cast a Thornbolt to finish off the one I stabbed and slashed the other across the throat. ¡°Snaring Roots,¡± I turned to face the front and saw the dark red, hulking demon taking leaping steps towards us. I sent roots crashing up through the rocky floor to grab the demon''s heels as it touched the ground. The monster crashed into the ground face-first and Gary charged forwards with a skill. I turned to face the mass of demons and cast Thornbolt as quickly as I could without worrying about my fastly draining Essence. I glanced towards Zack and Gary and saw them facing a second of the larger demons, the first one on the floor and being used as a platform by the smaller demons. ¡°Nearly out,¡± I heard Zack shout while I swung my spear in an arc to buy some room. I was close to running out as well and I steadily started walking backward while striking the growing group of demons where I could. ¡°Wall of Flames,¡± Gabrielle cast and blocked off the gap with flames as tall as me. ¡°Keep moving back!¡± Gary yelled while I fought the monsters in front of me. I bashed two of the jumping demons with my shield and jogged back. I saw Aaron standing a few meters up the hill shooting at the demons chasing behind me and quickly sprinted up to join the rest of my team. The demons stopped chasing once we started moving up the hill and I slowed to a walk shakily as I tried to let the adrenaline drain out of my body. I had enough Essence to cast one more Thornbolt, and barely that much, although we had only been fighting for four or five minutes, I thought. ¡°That was a rush,¡± Aaron grinned at me and continued, ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine how you''re supposed to beat this dungeon.¡± I shook my head, ¡°Well, we did just reach E-rank, or early Bronze, I guess.¡± I followed Gary out of the dungeon portal and found myself back in the large chamber with the drow elf looking at me with a smile. ¡°Good job, humans,¡± the woman nodded before turning to speak with the next group heading towards the dungeon portal behind us. ¡°Come on,¡± Gary led us to an empty area along the wall of the cave and we all took a seat. ¡°Good work, everyone. Before we got all of this enchanted gear I doubt we would have lasted nearly as long in that dungeon. I think we handled it pretty well, good job-saving Essence for a Wall of Flames at the end, Gabrielle. I was completely out after that second big demon, I could barely pierce its hide, even with Impale.¡± ¡°This place is incredible,¡± Zack shook his head with a smile, ¡°and yeah, my two Lesser Spirit enchants are the only reason I could hold my Fortress up for so long.¡± ¡°Drill Shot reached level nine during that fight,¡± Aaron grinned. ¡°This new bow is unbelievable. I could kill those smaller demons in one shot, without a skill. It would have taken me a Drill Shot for every one of them if I had my old bow.¡± I nodded as I thought over how my new spear had performed during the fight. I was able to stab the demons as if they were as tough as a hobgoblin, but I could tell from when they struck me that they were much tougher. ¡°No wonder Satar is so weak compared to the Warband if they have places like this to train,¡± Gabrielle said with a frown. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not too worried about the month-long wait to enter the Depths, anymore,¡± I laughed. ¡°How long will your Essence take to recover, Zack?¡± ¡°A little over an hour, I think,¡± Zack replied after a moment. I was surprised but I realized my Willpower was likely a good amount higher than his so it made sense for it to take him so much longer. We had some small cuts from the demon''s claws in the gaps between our armor and I cast Rejuvenation on each of us while we waited for everyone to recover. As we waited I pulled up my status curiously. Eli - Lvl 5 Druid Experience - 4010\10000 Strength-11 Dexterity-14 (12+2) Perception-10 Vitality-11 Spirit-18 (14+4) Willpower-14 Barkskin - Level 8\10 Upgradeable Experience - 7020\12800 Thornbolt - Level 6\20 Upgradeable Experience - 3390\6400 Rejuvenation - Level 5\10 Upgradeable Experience - 3180\3200 Snaring Roots - Level 4\10 Upgradeable Experience - 460\1600 I gained three hundred experience from one run through the dungeon, and we had the rest of the week to fight it. I tried to do some math in my head to figure out how much experience we would earn and ended up confusing myself. It didn¡¯t matter, I could tell we were about to advance faster than we ever had before. Chapter 36 Druid Level 6 Druid Specialization Available I glanced back at the message curiously as we headed back up the hill to the portal. I forced myself to hold off until we got back to the training yard like we had planned before we challenged the dungeon this time. After running through the dungeon six times yesterday we only needed two more attempts for all of us to finish leveling. Since we leveled from this fight it meant we managed to earn six hundred experiences from this one battle, almost doubling what we earned on our first attempt at the dungeon. It wasn¡¯t that we had switched tactics from our fights over the past day and a half, we had just become much better at killing the demons that assaulted us in the dungeon. Our attributes quickly climbed under the pressure from the dungeon and the rate we gained experience in our Skills was incredible. After we finished our sixth run the previous day we had decided to rest and train at the training yards outside of the dungeon instead of continuing. Even though we had only been fighting for a total of thirty or forty minutes all of us were feeling worn out from battling the intense demons of the dungeon. We mostly rested, although I borrowed Gabrielle¡¯s sword to practice with it for a while. I was finding myself in a lot of situations where I felt a sword would be more suitable, recently. Unfortunately, while I wouldn¡¯t consider myself very skilled with a spear, I was much more capable with one than a sword, for now. We quickly made our way to the training yards outside of the cave and Gary led us to an area close by where we could sit undisturbed. I dropped my pack a second behind him and sat down excitedly. I put the one statistic point I earned from leveling into Spirit as soon as I opened my Status. Eli - Lvl 6 Druid Experience - 30\15000 One Skill Point Available Strength-12 (+1) Dexterity-15 (+1) Perception-10 Vitality-12 (+1) Spirit- 20 (+2) Willpower-15 (+1) Barkskin - Level 9\10 (+1) Upgradeable Experience - 2090\25600 Thornbolt - Level 7\20 (+1) Upgradeable Experience - 6300\12800 Rejuvenation - Level 6\10 (+1) Upgradeable Experience - 2010\6400 Snaring Roots - Level 6\10 (+2) Upgradeable Experience - 130\6400 One Druid Specialization Available Earth Nature Air Restoration Bond I studied the five choices intently, but like when I chose my class, no new information was available besides the names. I glanced at the rest of my party seated beside me and saw all of them frowning at their status. ¡°Did everyone else receive a choice between five different specializations?¡± I asked curiously. ¡°Yeah, I did as well,¡± Gary nodded. ¡°I¡¯m assuming each choice will unlock a similar type of skill.¡± ¡°Or a choice of skills, we don¡¯t know when we can unlock another specialization, after this,¡± Gabrielle commented. I frowned slightly, without knowing when I could unlock another the choice would be that much more difficult. Everyone grew quiet after that and I studied each of my choices carefully. Earth, Nature, and Air were all similar and I assumed they were different spells relating to each of the different elements. I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect out of each other than spells related to their different fields. Restoration would allow me to learn new skills similar to Rejuvenation, but I didn¡¯t think that was what I needed right now. I thought back on the monster tamers I had seen in Brightswell when I saw the Bond specialization. Having a strong beast to fight by my side could be more powerful than any single spell I could think of. I thought over my choices for another twenty minutes quietly with the rest of my team before Zack got up and broke my contemplation. ¡°I see the Duergar, Aidor, over there, ¡° Zack saw me watching him curiously and pointed at the training yard. ¡°I¡¯m going to see if he has any information about specializations before I make my choice.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come,¡± I replied after a moment. Anything I could find out would help me make my decision easier, and I had other questions for the Duergar, too. No one else responded to our quiet conversation so I left my pack beside them and walked with Zack to the nearby training yard. The training yard was massive and there were a few teams scattered throughout sparring and moving through weapons forms. We walked towards Aidor, who was moving slowly through a complex pattern with his polearm. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Humans!¡± he came to a stop with his polearm planted in the packed dirt once he saw us approaching. ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure?¡± ¡°Aidor,¡± Zack nodded, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t introduce myself before, my name is Zack of Dusk battalion.¡± Aidor¡¯s eyebrows lifted a bit and he smiled with a nod of his head. ¡°Eli, also of Dusk battalion. What did you mean by the wilds, before?¡± I asked curiously. I had been wondering about it since we had last spoken to him a couple of days before. ¡°The wilds are what people call the areas outside of a territory,¡± the Duergar shrugged with one shoulder as he leaned on his weapon. ¡°It¡¯s not very common for people to live there, but it¡¯s not unheard of.¡± ¡°We just advanced to level six and unlocked one specialization, could you tell us anything about it?¡± Zack asked. ¡°I could see you were all early bronze, but I didn¡¯t expect you to have just advanced,¡± the man looked surprised. ¡°You unlock a specialization at bronze, Iron, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Although,¡± he held up one hand and looked at each of us, ¡°when you unlock one specialization, the others are all changed, slightly. You may be given the same options, but the skills you¡¯ll receive will be different than they would be and skills you upgrade will advance differently. Be careful in your decision, it will lock in your path, in a way.`` I didn¡¯t respond as I tried to absorb all of the information he had just told us and no one spoke for a moment. ¡°What level is Iron?¡± I asked. The Duergar stared blanky for a few seconds and I shifted uncomfortably and glanced at Zack. ¡°Sorry,¡± Aidor spoke gruffly, ¡°You¡¯ll advance to Iron at level twenty, Silver at fifty, Gold at one hundred, and Platinum at two hundred. People normally separate the levels between each one into early, middle, late, and peak when they¡¯re talking.¡± I nodded sadly to his response. If I had to wait until level twenty before I could unlock another specialization it would be a long time before I got to choose another. ¡°Where exactly are you two from, Zack and Eli of Dusk battalion?¡± Aidor asked. ¡°A kingdom called Satar, although it¡¯s not a territory, like here,¡± Zack responded and I looked at him warily. I doubted Gabrielle would be happy to hear that he told the Duergar where we were from. Aidor hummed and shook his head, ¡°And how did you get here, then?¡± ¡°We were training in a dungeon nearby in the mountains when a group of hobgoblins captured us and brought us to the outpost. It was either join the Warband or die,¡± Zack shrugged, ¡°now we¡¯re here.¡± Aidor looked surprised and he chuckled softly for a moment before he responded. ¡°Interesting, I wonder who it was that captured you. If you wish, you could leave the Warband and serve Ascended Skorv elsewhere. You won¡¯t be forced to fight, even if you signed a contract. Although, you would have to pay off the contribution points you spent,¡± he gestured towards Gary¡¯s mace. ¡°We can?¡± I exclaimed in surprise. ¡°Of course,¡± Aidor nodded. ¡°They will get a year of service out of you, but there are other places you could serve. You won¡¯t earn as much or advance as quickly anywhere else while we¡¯re at Bronze, though.¡± ¡°Thank you for all of the information, Aidor,¡± Zack said seriously before he stepped forwards to shake his hand. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble,¡± he replied. ¡°Good luck with your specializations,¡± he waved as we headed back towards our team. We had a lot of information that they needed to hear. I let Zack go over everything Aidor told us once we got back to our team while I sat down close by to contemplate my choices. If all of the skills I would earn in the future would be impacted I would have to choose whatever would suit me best. Earth, Air, Nature, Restoration or Bond. Although I thought Bond could be the most powerful choice in the right situation I didn¡¯t know if I wanted to make that my first choice, especially since I didn''t know if I would be able to find a creature to form a bond with. I knew Restoration would be helpful, but I didn¡¯t think we needed more healing beyond what I already had. Rejuvenation was usually only useful after a battle was already over. My quickly growing Spirit already allowed me to cast the skill twice if I needed to, and I was able to heal any injury we had sustained so far. When I advance to Iron I''ll probably end up choosing Restoration if it''s offered again. Between Earth, Air and Nature I was leaning towards choosing Earth. While most of my skills seemed to be Nature oriented, I thought if I chose Earth I would learn skills more suited to what I needed. Also, choosing one of the elements would hopefully offer spells with more utility than Restoration or Bond. Earth felt like it would allow me to handle myself better on the front line when I fought with a melee weapon. Earth Specialization Unlocked One Skill Point Available Tremor Earthen Might I was surprised that there were only two choices, but new ones could replace them once I unlocked both. Tremor sounded like a powerful skill and I thought it would cause the ground to send monsters off their feet. Earthen Might, I wasn¡¯t sure about, although I thought it had to be either a passive skill or possibly a buff I could cast on others. I wanted to unlock Tremor, but if Earthen Might was a passive or a buff I would prefer it over Tremor. Over the past few weeks when I had trained with Zack and Gary I noticed both of them had become much stronger and faster than me from leveling their passive skills. I knew over time the gap would only widen if my class didn¡¯t give me the ability to increase my statistics. Earthen Might Unlocked Earthen Might - Level 1\10 Upgradeable Experience - 0\100 I felt the familiar sensation of Essence flowing from my core and into the shape I would need to form it in to cast the skill. As soon as it finished I could tell that it was unlike any skill I had learned before. The Essence formation was complex and continuous, unlike my other skills which were released all at once. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and began the process of casting the spell. ¡°Earthen Might,¡± I finished about half a minute later and I felt the skill take hold immediately as I could feel my Strength and Vitality grow. The skill drained about a third of my Essence, but I could tell that the buff would last for a while, probably close to an hour. I pulled up my Status eagerly to see if it would give me some information on what the skill provided. Eli - Lvl 6 Druid Experience - 30\15000 Strength-16 (+4) Dexterity-15 Perception-10 Vitality-16 (+4) Spirit- 20 Willpower-15 Barkskin - Level 9\10 Upgradeable Experience - 2090\25600 Thornbolt - Level 7\20 Upgradeable Experience - 6300\12800 Rejuvenation - Level 6\10 Upgradeable Experience - 2010\6400 Snaring Roots - Level 6\10 Upgradeable Experience - 130\6400 Earthen Might - Level 1\10 Upgradeable Experience - 5\100 I grinned and started laughing when I saw how much my strength and vitality increased from the skill. The first few levels would be quick, too, meaning the skill would be even more powerful soon. I got up and walked back to the rest of my team; I couldn¡¯t wait to see what skills everyone else got. Chapter 37 I walked over to Gary who I saw standing by himself toying with his spear while the rest of the team continued talking close by. ¡°Did you choose?¡± I asked curiously. Gary turned to face me and stabbed his spear into the ground. ¡°No,¡± he shook his head, ¡°I just needed to move around, I¡¯m not sure which one I should take.¡± ¡°What are your choices?¡± I asked. ¡°Spear, Stance, Preservation, Agility, and Lightning. I want to take Spear, but I¡¯m also considering lightning and stance,¡± he responded. I was quiet while I thought over the options his class gave him and he began slowly practicing his spear form. ¡°Which choices did you get? All of us were wondering when you walked off.¡± ¡°Sorry, I was pretty focused on what choice to make and I didn¡¯t want any distractions. My specializations were Bond, Restoration, Air, Earth, and Nature,¡± I grinned, ¡°I chose Earth.¡± ¡°Interesting, I would have chosen restoration if it were me, I understand that this has to be a choice you decide for yourself, though.¡± Gary shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m sure earth will give you some powerful skills, did it offer you a skill?¡± ¡°I had a choice between Tremor and Earthen Might, and I chose Earthen Might. It¡¯s a spell I can cast on someone that increases their strength and vitality by four.¡± I explained, ¡°It lasts about half an hour, although it takes about a third of my Essence to cast.¡± Gary looked interested and stopped his slow spear strikes and blocks. ¡°That¡¯s amazing, if you can cast that on Zack and me before we enter every dungeon it will make a huge difference. How long would it take you to fully recover after casting it twice?¡± he asked. ¡°Slightly under fifteen minutes, I think. I think I¡¯ll cast it on myself first, then on you and Zack. I should be able to have the effect during the whole fight, although it might run out at the end,¡± I explained eagerly. I was looking forward to fighting under the effects of my new skill. ¡°When I decided to choose Earth over Restoration it was because I didn¡¯t want to base my entire future on healing, even with how powerful it is. I want to be in the fight and be able to hold my own, finally.¡± I winced slightly at how I sounded, but it was true. Although I improved significantly from when I started fighting with a spear I was still far less capable than Zack and Gary in a dungeon. ¡°That makes sense,¡± he nodded, ¡°maybe that¡¯s a good way to look at it,¡± he said musingly. ¡°I want to be a spear master, how could I choose anything other than Spear.¡± I headed over to the rest of the team since Gary looked like he was thinking deeply about the skills he was offered. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask it what else we could do in the Warband, then?¡± Gabrielle asked Zack with a scowl on her face while I took a seat beside them. ¡°He¡¯s a Duergar, not an ¡®it¡¯,¡± I defended Aidor. If I got past the shock of speaking with someone who wasn¡¯t human, he seemed like he was a good person. ¡°We came back to tell you all of you everything he said. Besides, we can always ask him later.¡± ¡°I guess,¡± Gabrielle responded. ¡°Did you choose a specialization, Eli?¡± I nodded and quickly explained my specializations, the skills I was offered, and what Earthen Might did. ¡°Well, I chose Protection, but I can¡¯t decide between the two skills, Intercede and Shield Bash,¡± Zack said. ¡°Interesting, shield bash sounds like it could be good for this dungeon,¡± I replied thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s what we all told him,¡± Aaron rolled his eyes, ¡°I went with Execution, it was a pretty easy choice and I decide on Imbued Arrow over Seeking Arrow for my skill.¡± ¡°That sounds strong,¡± I said. ¡°What about you Gabrielle?¡± ¡°I chose Barrage for my specialization, and my spells are Flame Pillar and Fire Wave,¡± she smiled. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to choose Pillar, but I haven¡¯t decided yet.¡± ¡°Fire Wave sounds like it could be difficult to cast if you''re behind us,¡± Zack commented. ¡°Yeah, you might be right,¡± she nodded decisively. ¡°I¡¯ll go with Flame Pillar for now, and I¡¯ll probably end up using my next skill point to upgrade Fireball,¡± she sighed. ¡°Two more levels for Fire Wave.¡± I waited quietly while Zack and Gabrielle looked at their Status pages, and we chatted lightly for a few minutes. ¡°Gary,¡± Zack nodded towards him as he walked up to us. ¡°Did you make your choice?¡± ¡°I did, I went with Spear and my two skills were Sweeping Strike and Spear Art. I learned Spear Art, it¡¯s a passive skill that improves my dexterity slightly and I think it will help me improve more quickly,¡± he shrugged,¡± but I¡¯m not sure about that.¡± ¡°Sounds like it will be strong in the long run,¡± I said. It probably wouldn¡¯t be too much of an improvement for now, but I was sure it would be a strong skill. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I was hoping it was more of an active skill,¡± he shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be a good skill, though.¡± I nodded and listened as the rest of the team took turns telling him about the skills they learned. We challenged the dungeon two times earlier today, but it was still early afternoon and after we ate a quick lunch we headed back towards the cave. ¡°I think I¡¯ll cast Earthen Might on myself when we¡¯re second in line to go in the dungeon,¡± I said to Gary while we stepped into the cave. It was hard to say exactly how long each team would spend in the dungeon, but I figured about an average of ten minutes would be close enough. ¡°Sounds good to me. I think we¡¯ll go with a similar strategy to what we were doing before, hopefully, Aaron and Gabrielle will be able to thin out some of the behemoth demons so we don¡¯t have to retreat when they start to outnumber us upfront.¡± Gary replied. We had improved a lot over the past ten attempts at the dungeon, but once more than three of the large demons attacked us once we were forced to retreat. The big demons weren¡¯t too quick, but only Zack was able to block their attacks. ¡°I think Aaron¡¯s new skill can do it, but we¡¯ll all be low on Essence by that point, anyway,¡± Gabrielle pointed out. Only two teams were waiting in line at the portal so I cast Earthen Might on myself before joining back in the conversation. ¡°The demons don¡¯t attack the sides of my Fortress, honestly. I¡¯ve been spending about a quarter of my Essence on it each time, it¡¯s not that bad.¡± Zack shrugged. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s better than using Wall of Flames, then,¡± Gabrielle replied. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can conserve Essence at the start; the more Essence we have left for the behemoths the longer we¡¯ll last,¡± Gary said once it was our turn to go through the portal. I cast Earthen Might on Zack, Gary, and myself and I was back to full Essence, now. The skill would only last another seven or eight minutes and I quickly cast Barkskin on all five of us so we could head inside the portal. I dropped my pack beside the entrance and moved down the hill with my spear and shield at the ready. This would be our first time clearing out the base of the hill without Gabrielle casting Meteor to help out, although the small demons shouldn¡¯t be too much trouble. I followed behind Zack as he pushed the pack of demons out of his way and easily killed a demon with each strike. The four extra strength from my new skill combined with my Orichalcum spear let me slice through the small demons with ease. With Aaron and Gabrielle supporting us we quickly cleared out the area and Zack sent up the walls of his Fortress to protect our sides. ¡°Good work, don¡¯t bother conserving anymore they¡¯re going to start swarming,¡± Gary called out as I blocked a couple of the demons. I started casting thornbolts in between blocking demons to hold my position and I saw Aaron take down a behemoth before it could make it to us. ¡°Flame Pillar,¡± I heard Gabrielle shout from behind me. I shoved a small demon back with my shield and stepped back to see a behemoth approaching Zack get engulfed in bright orange flames. The flames continued raging as I watched but the demon jumped at me and I quickly turned my attention back to the monster. After a couple of minutes of fighting the smaller demons, the behemoths had grouped up to assault us. ¡°Snaring Roots,¡± I sent the thick roots of my skill around the demon''s leg and dashed around to its back. I stabbed it in the lower back but I could only penetrate half a foot so I quickly backed off while the monster swung around and tried to reach me with its claws. ¡°Thornbolt,¡± I sent a thorn into the monster''s face to distract it and slashed across its stomach. I caught a wild kick from its free leg with my shield and rolled back painfully from the blow. ¡°Piercing Charge,¡± Gary dashed over and stabbed through the monster''s skull while it faced me. I nodded tiredly and swept my spear out in an arc to catch a small demon''s throat. ¡°Snaring Roots, Snaring Roots,¡± I spent the last of my Essence to slow another two Behemoths striding towards us. ¡°Back up!¡± Gary shouted and I focused on blocking the small demons and moved back towards the hill. Zack sent the two behemoths he was fighting flying back almost ten meters with a Shield Bash and jogged back to the hill in the opening. ¡°That skill looks incredible,¡± Aaron grinned at Zack and I nodded fervently. If I was offered that skill I would probably take it, those behemoths were about two and a half meters tall. ¡°Good job, everyone. I think we managed to kill three more behemoths than we have before.¡± Gary said just before we headed back through the portal. I followed him through and we made our way to an open area to rest while our Essence recovered. ¡°Did everyone see the demon coming towards us at the end?¡± Aaron asked. ¡°It was still a good ways off, but it was a different type.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see it, what did it look like?¡± I asked curiously. ¡°It was walking on four legs, not two like the behemoths, and it was closer to black than red. That¡¯s all I could see,¡± he replied. I saw four behemoths close to us and three in the distance at the end of the fight, so we would probably have to kill all of them before facing the new demon. ¡°Well, I doubt that¡¯s the boss,¡± Gabrielle commented. ¡°Most of these teams are a lot stronger than us and I don¡¯t think they¡¯re defeating the dungeon.¡± We continued discussing the fight and our new abilities for the next few minutes. Once my Essence recovered I cast Rejuvenation on myself, Gary, and Zack to heal any small cuts we got from the demons. I pulled up my Status to check our progress while I waited for my Essence to recover again. Eli - Lvl 6 Druid Experience - 570\15000 Strength-12 Dexterity-15 Perception-10 Vitality-12 Spirit- 20 Willpower-15 Barkskin - Level 9\10 Upgradeable Experience - 2390\25600 Thornbolt - Level 7\20 Upgradeable Experience - 6440\12800 Rejuvenation - Level 6\10 Upgradeable Experience - 2070\6400 Snaring Roots - Level 6\10 Upgradeable Experience - 410\6400 Earthen Might - Level 1\10 Upgradeable Experience - 50\100 I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of experience we managed to earn from one run through the dungeon. We would probably only challenge the dungeon one or two more times today, but we still had five days to spend here. It looked like it would only take two more runs to reach level two in Earthen Might and I was excited to see how the skill would improve. Chapter 38 We spent the next five days challenging the dungeon, and we managed six attempts per day. We found out from Aidor that we should have been collecting the behemoth demon¡¯s claws since they could be turned in for contribution points back at the outpost. The four-legged demon Aaron saw was called a leviathan demon and we were never able to fight it, although during our last days we were able to last until there were only a couple of behemoths left before we could face it. I continued training with Gabrielle¡¯s sword every day when we left the dungeon and retired to the training yards. Even though I hadn¡¯t reached the same level of skill with the sword I took it with me on our last few attempts and noticed a huge difference in the number of small demons I was able to kill. Using the one-hand spear with my shield meant I had to hold it in an underhand grip and I struggled to quickly shift directions with an attack. When I used Gabrielle¡¯s sword combined with Earthen Might it made dealing with the small goblins a breeze and I was able to conserve much more Essence for when we fought the behemoths. I planned on selling the spear and purchasing another sword if I could when we returned to the outpost. Once I leveled Earthen Might it increased both of the stats it gave by one, and it reached level four by the time we were ready to leave. With an increase of seven to their strength and vitality, Gary and Zack were able to handle the behemoths without using any skills, although they still had to steadily fall back while fighting them. Once I leveled my class to seven I decided to hold my skill point instead of spending it on unlocking Tremor, since I was close to being able to upgrade Barkskin. I finally earned the 25000 experience I needed for Barkskin level ten two days before left and it upgraded into Stoneskin. The improved skill made my skin incredibly hard and it almost caused the smaller demons'' claws to stop cutting us when they hit unarmored spots. Zack and I were able to block the behemoth''s strikes with our shields and it allowed Gary to easily kill them from behind. Upgrading my first skill made me feel like I made a serious step forward, especially with how effective it was during our fights and it quickly reached level two. I didn¡¯t use Thornbolt as much as my other skills, but it still reached level eight from clearing out the smaller demons when they swarmed us. The skill was slightly stronger afterward, although it still wasn¡¯t strong enough to do more than distract the behemoths. Rejuvenation also leveled once from healing any small injuries we got from the dungeon. There were a few close calls when we fought more than three behemoths at the same time, but Zack was always able to push them back with Shield Bash if they started to get close to Aaron and Gabrielle behind us. Snaring Roots leveled once and I found that I was able to bring roots up from two spots if they were close together. This let me grab both legs of the behemoths with the spell and I was able to slowly whittle one down alone if I needed to. Gary improved noticeably with his spear over the few days he spent training with his new skill, Spear Art. He spent some time talking with a hobgoblin at the training yards and they sparred together every day after that. He unlocked Sweeping Strike when we advanced to level seven and with it, he was able to send out a wave of a cutting force with his spear. The skill wasn¡¯t strong enough to pierce the behemoth''s skin but he was able to easily clear out large groups of the swarming demons with a single cast. Fireball upgraded into Fireblast and the spell didn¡¯t change much visibly other than when it landed and caused an explosion of force. Gabrielle could even stagger the behemoths with the improved skill and the power of her spells was quickly increasing as she leveled her Flame Attunement passive skill. Flame Pillar grew immensely in strength as the days passed; from badly burning the behemoths at level one to searing them to death in the bright orange flames at level four. Aaron¡¯s Imbued Arrow was our main strategy for quickly killing the behemoths when they grouped up and he started spending the majority of his Essence on the skill as we grew more familiar with the dungeon. He was able to level the skill to level five and the arrow was able to blast a hole through any behemoth he sent it through at the end of our stay at the dungeon. Seeking Arrow didn¡¯t sound helpful for this dungeon and he upgraded Drill Shot to Piercing Shot before our last attempt at the dungeon. The new skill let him send an arrow through a behemoth, although the wound was only the size of an arrow. Aaron was still happy with the improved skill since it cost a fraction of the Essence that Imbued arrow did and he could kill the demons in one or two casts if he was able to get a good shot. When Zack first learned Shield Bash it created a wide shield in front of him when he thrust forward and as the skill progressed it increased in size and strength. By level three the skill was five meters wide and easily sent the behemoths flying back through the air. He wasn¡¯t able to use the skill too often since it was a waste of Essence in most situations, but Zack used it once every run just to earn some experience since it was an incredibly strong skill. He unlocked Intercede at level seven and the skill let him push off the ground with a burst of strength. The skill didn¡¯t see any use in the dungeon but he wasn¡¯t able to upgrade any of his skills yet and it could be strong in the right spot. Once we finished our last attempt at the dungeon we were all ready to spend some time away from the repetitive routine we had developed over the week we spent challenging the Demon¡¯s Wasteland. We had behemoth claws strapped to the sides of our packs since all of them were filled with the six-inch-long claws and I hoped they were worth the trouble of retrieving them. We only took the claws from the first behemoths we killed during each run since we didn¡¯t have time to cut them off they started to group up to assault us. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. I woke up still feeling tired, but I forced myself to get up early since we were trying to hike back to the outpost today. I quickly packed up my bedroll and started a fire while I waited for the rest of my team to wake up. By the time I finished cooking everyone else had joined me and I served each of them a hot bowl of oats. ¡°Thanks, Eli,¡± Zack tiredly nodded towards me. ¡°No problem, I¡¯m just ready to get this climb over with,¡± I smiled half-heartedly. We wouldn¡¯t have to climb as high as when we came from the outpost as we were still about a quarter of the way up the side of this side of the mountain, but it was still going to be a long climb to the peak. ¡°Oh, shut up, Eli,¡± Gabrielle rolled her eyes with a smile. ¡°You''re going to be talking about how easy it is with Earthen Might the whole walk back, I can already hear it.¡± I scoffed and everyone laughed playfully at my expense. ¡°You know, now I¡¯m kind of looking forward to using Intercede to dash up the mountain,¡± Zack grinned, ¡°I bet I can make it ten meters uphill!¡± ¡°Honestly, hiking to dungeons is the only time I ever get to use Leap, so I know how you feel, Zack,¡± Aaron replied wryly. ¡°Leap has saved you plenty of times, don¡¯t be dramatic,¡± Gary said with a shake of his head. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving, I want to sleep in a real bed, tonight.¡± I perked up at the thought of a bed in my room back at the outpost and quickly packed up the cooking supplies before throwing them on my pack. Gary led us back up the path towards the peak of the mountain and we whittled away the hours of the day training our skills until we reached the peak and started descending towards the outpost in the distance. Despite being able to see the outpost around midday we didn¡¯t reach it until just before nighttime and all I could think about was reaching a bed once we arrived. I tiredly made my way through the gate in the fading sunlight with the rest of my team after we got through the line waiting outside the entrance and followed Zack as he led us back towards the Dusk Battalion building. ¡°We¡¯ll meet up at the common room for breakfast whenever everyone gets up,¡± Gary said while we walked into the building. ¡°Good, it might take me a while to get out of bed,¡± I yawned around my words. ¡°Well, don¡¯t sleep too long or I won¡¯t wait for you to go to the contribution hall,¡± Aaron teased me. I rolled my eyes and joined Gary at the counter to get our rooms from the hobgoblin behind the counter. I sluggishly made my way to my room once I got my key and I quickly got undressed and into bed. I pulled up my status contentedly as I let myself completely relax for the first time in a week. Eli - Lvl 7 Druid Experience - 7880\20000 Strength-14 (+2) Dexterity-16 (+1) Perception-11 (+1) Vitality-13 (+1) Spirit- 23 (+3) Willpower-17 (+2) Stoneskin - Level 2\10 Upgradeable Experience - 70\200 Thornbolt - Level 8\20 Upgradeable Experience - 6710\25600 Rejuvenation - Level 7\10 Upgradeable Experience - 3020\12800 Snaring Roots - Level 7\10 Upgradeable Experience - 9110\12800 Earthen Might - Level 4\10 Upgradeable Experience - 320\800 I almost couldn¡¯t believe the progress we made from only a week spent training at the challenging dungeon. All of my statistics had improved dramatically, especially Spirit from the extra statistic point I spent once I reached level seven. I was considering spending my next free point on Willpower since it was starting to take longer for me to fully recover my Essence. Now that we were back in the outpost I planned on using Stoneskin as much as possible to move through the quick early levels, although I wasn¡¯t sure how long we would be spending here. We would probably go see Chief Duskar before going to the contribution hall in the morning, so hopefully, we would find out what we were being ordered to do next then. After the week spent living close-by to the other hobgoblins, Duergar, and drow elves I found myself becoming more comfortable spending time around the non-human races. Gary had seemingly developed a friendship with the spear-wielding hobgoblin he had sparred with constantly over the past few days and I went with Zack to talk with Aidor a few more times before he left with his team a couple of days before us. I asked him where the closest human territory was and he told us about the Priestess of Purity¡¯s territory. He had mentioned the name before when Gabrielle called him a monster upon first meeting him and the territory was at constant war with all nearby non-human races. I was disappointed at that knowledge now that I had spent some time with Aidor and he told us about other nearby territories that had more humans within them. Ascended Skorv¡¯s territory had some humans living in some of the cities closer to the center, although they were a rare sight even there. The Scarlet Horns territory that the Warband was formed to fight against was comprised of mostly demons, although Aidor informed us they didn¡¯t resemble either of the types in the dungeon. The war between the two territories had been waged for years, but it never moved past the borders where the warbands met every year. Newly awakened came from several close territories to join one side or the other for the opportunity to be trained and spend at the warband''s famed contribution halls. Chapter 39 I woke up the next morning and relaxed for an hour or so in bed before my stomach forced me to go downstairs for breakfast. I put on a clean set of clothes I saved for when we returned to the city and loaded up my pack with everything I would need for the day before heading to the common room. It was still fairly early and most of the tables were still empty when I arrived, but I saw Zack already eating a bowl of food. ¡°Morning, Zack,¡± I greeted him while I took a seat at his table. ¡°Hey, morning,¡± he said around his food. ¡°The barkeep told me about a bathhouse in the building down the street, I¡¯m gonna head there after I finish if you want to come.¡± ¡°Definitely,¡± I waved a server over and ordered a plate of eggs and sausage. The rest of the team joined us over the next few minutes and agreed to meet back here after we went to the bathhouse. I spent the next half hour cleaning up and then waited for the others to finish up back at the common room. ¡°All right, do we want to go to the contribution hall first or go see Chief Duskar?¡± Gary asked once we all gathered together. ¡°I want to talk to someone at the building where we signed our contracts,¡± Gabrielle replied. ¡°We can find out what else we can do for the year as Aidor told us.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk to Chief Duskar first,¡± Zack countered, ¡°we can probably ask him, anyway.¡± Gabrielle shrugged, ¡°As long as we find out what our other options are, I don¡¯t care.¡± Aaron and I nodded agreeably and Gary led us up the stairs back to Chief Duskar¡¯s office where he knocked on the closed door. ¡°Enter,¡± I heard his voice through the door and we quickly went inside and seated ourselves in front of his table when he gestured towards the chairs. ¡°Welcome back,¡± he nodded towards us. ¡°I see you¡¯ve all leveled, good work. Interesting specializations and new skills, they should be useful,¡± Duskar glanced at each of us and quickly wrote down some information. ¡°We won¡¯t be doing any squad or battalion training for another two weeks, so I¡¯m going to send your team to the Ogre Citadel with another team when they arrive back at the outpost. It¡¯s a late-bronze dungeon but it¡¯s a good group training area for two teams of early bronze if you''re careful.¡± ¡°Actually,¡± Gabrielle spoke up after Duskar finished, ¡°we heard from someone that there were other ways to fulfill our contract, is that true?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he looked surprised, ¡°I won¡¯t force you to serve in my battalion, although you would have to return anything you got at the contribution hall before you left. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t ask to be here,¡± Gabrielle folded her arms, ¡°your battalion captured us, why do you think we want to leave?¡± I swallowed nervously when I heard her tone and watched Duskar warily. ¡°Yes, you were captured trespassing in Ascended Skorv¡¯s claimed territory,¡± he barked out a laugh, ¡°they were well within their rights to kill you if they had any desire to. Instead, they brought you to the outpost and asked me to allow your team to join my battalion. To join one of Ascended Skorv¡¯s Warbands you must be offered a position in a Chief¡¯s battalion. I promise you, that¡¯s not normally an easy feat to accomplish,¡± he stopped talking and I realized it did make sense for intruders to be dealt with by the Warband. Although there was no way for us to know that we were trespassing in the first place, other than seeing the outpost in the distance. ¡°I understand, and we¡¯re grateful that they spared us,¡± Gary responded after a moment, ¡°Honestly, this has been an amazing opportunity for us, but we have people depending on us to return. Being away for a year isn¡¯t possible right now.¡± ¡°I see. You''re from the kingdom of Satar, I assume?¡± he read from a piece of parchment on his desk and I jerked in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s the only human settlement within a thousand miles, do you think I¡¯m an idiot?¡± Duskar shook his head and sighed before continuing, ¡°You said you can¡¯t be away for a year, why?¡± ¡°We have an obligation as adventurers to defend our cities during the yearly monster hordes,¡± Zack explained briefly. ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll make sure you''re able to be there,¡± he looked down at his desk and noted it down. ¡°Satisfied?¡± ¡°No?¡± Gabrielle scoffed and folded her arms, ¡°We don¡¯t want to fight in some random war for no reason!¡± I had mixed feelings after what Duskar said and I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about it, yet. I stayed quiet and watched Duskar and the rest of my team''s reaction as Gabrielle finished talking. The hobgoblin nodded slowly to her outburst and looked around to see if anyone would speak. ¡°Being here is an incredible opportunity, but it¡¯s true, what Gabrielle said,¡± Gary shrugged and met Duskar¡¯s eyes. ¡°We don¡¯t know anything about either side of this war, it has nothing to do with us.¡± I nodded once he finished talking, I felt conflicted but I wasn¡¯t sure if the training was worth it, either. ¡°I understand. You are children, with no knowledge of the world,¡± he raised a hand to stop Gabrielle¡¯s protest, ¡°I only speak the truth, humans of the wilds. Your kingdom may have seemed impressive and all-powerful to you, but that¡¯s anything but the truth. Do you know the stage of your emperor?¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Silver, I think,¡± I said when no one else spoke up. I knew the city lords were D-rank and the emperor had to be a stage higher than them, at least. ¡°Emperor Ovelnis Satar, Middle Silver. A full stage lower than a chieftain is required to be in Ascended Skorv¡¯s Warband.¡± he grinned and my eyes widened in shock. I knew he had to be strong, but the aura he gave off was barely noticeable and I had assumed he was early silver rank at best. ¡°Now, the pursuit of power shouldn¡¯t be the only thing you care about, so I understand and applaud your reluctance to join without reason.¡± Duergar stood and walked behind his desk, then clasped his hands behind his back. ¡°I accepted you into my battalion at Dorv¡¯s request, but I didn¡¯t treat you fairly. If you had explained you''re situation to me when you arrived, perhaps I would have acted differently,¡± he said pensively. ¡°Like most Awakened, I desire a Territory of my own, a task that requires an elite battalion of my own. I plan to train us into warriors capable of thriving in the Lost Lands. To do this, yes, we will war against the Tower Kings, a Territory that invades in all directions. Allies of the Priestess of Purity and enemies of all Awakened. I won¡¯t promise you safety, or peace, but I will give you the strength to protect your own, and the equipment to develop as warriors. Those that stay in my battalion after the campaign will be my brothers and sisters, forged in battle, and our paths will advance together.¡± ¡°Think about your decision before you make it, you have time before you must return to your home. Come back in three days to meet the team you¡¯ll be joining for your next mission,¡± Duergar nodded in dismissal. ¡°Why do you care about us?¡± I asked as we stood up to leave. I couldn¡¯t understand why he would try so hard to get us to stay. ¡°As you advance further in your class, you¡¯ll find that it can¡¯t be done alone. To go further I need strong companions, willing to seek out the peak of strength. Often those that come from the weakest of backgrounds will rise to the greatest of heights.¡± I found myself surprised by his words as we left the office and headed back downstairs to the common room. In a way it seemed obvious that strength couldn¡¯t be gained alone; just trying to imagine fighting in a dungeon alone sent shivers down my back. ¡°Contribution Hall?¡± Aaron asked hopefully once we got downstairs. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s see what they give us for these Behemoth claws,¡± I agreed. All of us already had our packs so we headed outside and towards the contribution hall at the end of the street. We quickly entered the building and waited a few minutes in line before we were able to be seen by an attendant. ¡°How can I help you?¡± the hobgoblin man asked politely. ¡°We have Behemoth claw¡¯s from the Demon¡¯s Wasteland dungeon, where should we put them?¡± Gary replied as we set down our packs and began opening them up. ¡°Just on the desk please, I¡¯ll count them as I place them in a ring of holding. They¡¯re worth five contribution points each,¡± he explained helpfully and I watched curiously as he started placing the claws into the engraved ring. Aidor had shown us his back at the dungeon and I couldn¡¯t help my fascination with the incredible item. ¡°Sixty-four fangs, for a total of three hundred and twenty contribution points. I¡¯ve assigned sixty-four contribution points to each of you, as well as twenty additional from chief Duskar for completing your mission,¡± the attendant touched his bracelet to each of ours and I could tell that I had eighty-four points available when I focused on it. I thanked the attendant and followed the rest of my team towards the market area. ¡°I¡¯m going to the weapon stall to see if I can sell my spear, or trade it for a sword,¡± I said to Gary. ¡°All right, I¡¯m going to look at an enchanted belt or bracer,¡± he waved as he walked towards a stall covered in enchanted accessories. Aaron, Gabrielle, and Zack all shrugged and followed him so I walked over to the drow elf waiting at the weapon stall alone. ¡°Good morning, Eli, was it?¡± the man greeted me, and my surprise at him remembering me must have shown on my face because he laughed right after. ¡°It¡¯s not often I see humans in this corner of the territory. How can I help you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking to start using a sword instead of the one-hand spear that I bought my last time here, I don¡¯t think it suits me anymore,¡± I explained as I placed the spear down between us. ¡°Is that so? Well, you are still at the start of your path. If there is any suitable time for experimentation in you''re fighting style, it is now,¡± the drow elf grabbed the spear and placed it behind the counter. ¡°Help yourself to any early bronze weapon you would like, there will be no extra charge.¡± ¡°Thank you, I appreciate that greatly,¡± I said seriously. ¡°My name is Eli of Satar, what is your name?¡± ¡°Elrius of Darkhold,¡± he bowed slightly towards me with a faint smile. ¡°A pleasure to become your acquaintance, Eli of Satar.¡± I browsed around his shop halfheartedly, but I had already decided on an Orichalcum short sword enchanted with Lesser Spirit like my spear had been and I left with one shortly after. I saw the rest of my team talking to the merchant at the same stall they went to first and I excitedly made my way over to them. I thought I would have had to spend at least ten or twenty of my contribution points on a new weapon, even with selling my spear, so I was ecstatic to still have all of my points available. ¡°Eli! This is perfect for you, you''re getting it, I¡¯m getting it, Gary¡¯s getting it, we¡¯re all getting it,¡± Gabrielle chatted excitedly to me as soon as I walked up. I opened my mouth to ask what it was and she held up a ring. ¡°A ring of holding?¡± I asked eagerly as I studied the small ring. It looked like it was made of bronze, but it was covered in intricate silver symbols. ¡°Yes! Once we attune to the rings we can access a storage space the size of a small closet. We can put something in or pull anything out of it with only a tiny amount of Essence, although it costs fifty contribution points,¡± she ended with a shrug. ¡°Fifty contribution points to never have to wear my pack again?¡± I asked in disbelief. ¡°This is the happiest moment of my life,¡± I said, only half-joking. Aaron laughed and clapped me on my back. ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more. We need to save some points for some more rations too, don¡¯t forget,¡± Aaron said as he walked towards another stall after making his purchase. I decided to keep looking around this stall after the rest of my team left and I eventually settled on spending another twenty points for an early bronze bracer of Lesser Spirit. I happily joined the rest of my team as they browsed the other stalls, and I ended up spending a few hours with Aaron looking at the various pieces of equipment we could get in the future. Eventually, we made our way back to the Dusk battalion building and I relaxed in the common room with my team. We wiled the hours away discussing our conversation with Duskar and enjoying the break from the week of intense training. Chapter 40 I sent some Essence into my ring of holding and reached forward to grab my Orichalcum short sword. I spun the sword idly in my hands and returned it to my ring of holding before scanning around the room to see if Zack had arrived yet. We planned on heading to the Hammerfirst battalion and asking Aidor about the Ogre Citadel dungeon that chief Duskar was sending us to in a couple of days. I continued summoning my sword to my hand over and over as I sat in the common room and a few minutes later I felt a deep pressure settle onto my core. Immediately, I started sweating and I began to feel nauseous from the extremely uncomfortable constricting feeling surrounding my core of Essence. ¡°If you summon that sword to your hand one more time I swear to the gods I¡¯m going to take it as a threat,¡± I looked behind me and saw a tall hobgoblin glaring at me with his arms crossed over his chest. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± I stammered out as fast as I could. I felt sweat dripping down my face and I knew that the hobgoblin could kill me with barely any effort. The hobgoblin shook his head and muttered as he left, ¡°Damn children.¡± The pressure faded from my core, although I was covered in sweat and I shivered uncomfortably as I watched him leave. I would never summon a weapon from my ring of holding outside of the training yards again, at least while we were at the outpost. I needed to ask Aidor how people gave off that immense feeling of pressure when I saw him. ¡°Eli! Sorry if you were waiting on me,¡± Zack walked up and leaned on the back of the chair beside me. He pulled his mace into his hand from his ring of holding and grinned at me. ¡°That¡¯s never going to get old.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that in here!¡± I shouted at him. A few of the other groups of people sitting around us grew quiet at my voice and I blushed as half the room turned to look at me. ¡°Let¡¯s go, come on.¡± ¡°Are you ok? Why are you so sweaty?¡± Zack asked as I rushed outside the building. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± I said quickly. I didn¡¯t want to describe what happened, honestly I felt pretty embarrassed by the whole situation at this point. "Well, Hammerfist battalion has a building nearby. I asked the barkeep last night before I headed to bed,¡± Zack shrugged when I didn¡¯t explain and I followed his lead as we made our way through the busy streets. ¡°What¡¯s your Spirit up to with that new bracer?¡± Zack asked as I adjusted the bronze arm guard. ¡°Twenty-five,¡± I grinned at his impressed expression. ¡°Although my Willpower is starting to fall behind, I¡¯m still leaning towards Spirit being more important for me.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s annoying having to wait so long to recover Essence, but honestly having as much Essence as possible is crucial for you,¡± Zack said agreeably. ¡°I¡¯m glad Gabrielle convinced me to get a lesser spirit enchantment last time we were at the outpost; I needed it for those demons. I¡¯ll be able to upgrade Vigor when I advance to level eight, so my strength and vitality should still get a nice increase soon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the first skill that you¡¯ll be able to upgrade, right?¡± I asked. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s my only skill that upgrades at level five, it just took a while for me to get it there. It doesn¡¯t give much experience, even when I use the active portion of the skill,¡± he shrugged idly and pointed at a large stone building with the Hammerfist crest placed above the door. ¡°There it is, Aidor told me to ask the barkeep for him when we come by.¡± I nodded and followed him as he made his way inside the building and to the front of the bar. ¡°How can I help ya?¡± the Duergar asked once he walked over to us. ¡°We¡¯re looking for Aidor, do you know where we could find him?¡± Zack replied and the man nodded once he heard his name. ¡°Aye, he¡¯s in the training yards out back I believe,¡± he waved his hand toward a set of doors in the back of the room. ¡°Yards just through there.¡± We quickly thanked him and made our way through the common room to the back doors. Once I got outside the building I saw a large area with multiple teams training in small groups or alone. ¡°I see him,¡± I pointed towards Aidor once I spotted him. Zack nodded and we walked around the training yards so we didn¡¯t disturb anyone on the way there. ¡°Aidor,¡± Zack waved to him as walked up. He was watching two Duergar spar in the center of a training yard and I watched the fight interestedly. One of them wielded a large halberd and used wide, sweeping attacks to hold the other back. The person fighting him was using a long, curved sword with two hands and was trying to dart in to strike a hit in between the broad attacks. ¡°Zack, Eli, good to see you again,¡± Aidor turned to greet us and I reluctantly faced away from the impressive spar. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°You too, Aidor. How long are you staying in the outpost?¡± I replied as I reached forward to clasp his arm. ¡°We leave tomorrow. Hammerfist is putting us through some battalion training over on the other side of mountains,¡± he grinned, ¡°There¡¯s a dungeon that¡¯s grown to cover half a mountain, apparently the monsters are starting to mass up to expand.¡± ¡°That sounds tough¡­¡± Zack trailed off. ¡°How big is the battalion?¡± ¡°About a hundred all told, I¡¯d guess,¡± Aidor responded after a moment. ¡°They¡¯ve already scouted out the area, I¡¯m sure. It won¡¯t be too much for us to handle, although I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be an easy fight,¡± he clapped Zack on the back and laughed, ¡°too bad I don¡¯t have you in front of me.¡± ¡°I think Eli might get a bit jealous,¡± Zack smiled and I raised my eyebrows. ¡°Aaron and Gabrielle might have something to say about it when they start getting overrun,¡± I joked. ¡°What about your team? Heading back to the demons after a break?¡± Aidor asked. ¡°Well, chief Duskar wants us to do some group training with another team so we¡¯re waiting for them to get back to the outpost before heading to the Ogre¡¯s Citadel,¡± Zack explained. ¡°Do you know anything about it? ¡°Aye, we went there a month back. Tough dungeon, the ogres are incredibly hard to put down and they¡¯re seriously strong. It was a great experience, though, and we earned a good amount of contribution points from the resources we brought back,¡± he replied. ¡°Should be a good challenge, and hopefully you work well with whatever team you go with. It can be difficult to work with another group for the first time so make sure you take it slowly at first.¡± ¡°Good advice,¡± I responded as I thought back on our other attempts to work with adventurers back in Satar with regret. Zack nodded with a downcast expression, ¡°We¡¯ve teamed up twice in the past and both times it ended with us losing people,¡± he explained to Aidor¡¯s questioning glance. ¡°Aye,¡± he nodded commiseratingly, ¡°this path can be tough, especially with how poorly you were equipped before coming here. I had a full set of enchanted equipment before I even stepped foot in a dungeon. Even lesser enchants are incredibly valuable when you''re only level one.¡± I shook my head, ¡°Only nobles could afford to start adventuring like that, unfortunately. Enchanted equipment is worth far more than most commoners make in Satar.¡± ¡°Well, if only adventurers willing to fight are Awakened then I can¡¯t imagine there was much enchanted equipment to go around,¡± Aidor sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sure most humans in Satar would leave for Ascended Skorv¡¯s territory if they could.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± I replied thoughtfully. ¡°Hey, do you know what that pressure strong Awakened give off is from? ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a technique you can use when you advance to silver. It¡¯s one of the reasons that it¡¯s nearly impossible to fight someone at that level, even if you''re peak Iron,¡± Aidor explained, ¡°Do you two want to do some sparring? I¡¯m sure we can fit you in our rotation,¡± Aidor suggested as the two Duergar finished their match. I saw Zack¡¯s questioning look and nodded, sparring with Aidor¡¯s team would be great for improving with my sword. We spent the next few hours sparring with about a dozen different people. By the end of it, I had been told quite a few tips for improving and I headed back to the Dusk battalion building excitedly thinking over the advice. Now that I had a ring of holding I would probably look to get a backup one-hand spear when I could. There were still monsters that I would prefer to fight with the spear rather than the shield. We got back to the common room and separated to clean up before meeting back at the common room for dinner with the rest of the team. After washing up and heading downstairs I spotted Gabrielle, Gary and Aaron seated at a table by the bar. ¡°Hey,¡± I greeted them as I took a seat. ¡°Hey, Eli. Find anything out about the dungeon?¡± Aaron asked interestedly. I quickly explained what we had learned from Aidor and some of the other Duergar we had chatted with while sparring. ¡°Interesting, I guess we¡¯ll find out more soon enough. We went and met with Borst and his team at Ebon battalion,¡± Aaron half smiled, ¡°Gabrielle even talked to a drow for the whole day.¡± Gabrielle rolled her eyes, ¡°Well I learned a lot from that discussion. She taught me a way to train my Willpower while we¡¯re not on an expedition, and gave me a scroll that I can study to cast Gust, an air magic spell,¡± she rambled excitedly to me. ¡°Learning to cast new spells is one of the best ways to improve your Willpower naturally.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but share her excitement at the scroll and I spent the next few minutes ignoring everyone else as we studied the diagrams and descriptions on the scroll. It looked complicated, but I hoped with enough time I would be able to learn the spell, too. Gabrielle explained that Zarne, the drow elf, was an Elementalist, but she supplemented her skills with spells that she learned through study. Although the spells weren¡¯t as powerful as a high leveled skill they gave her a variety of options when she fought. I agreed with the idea, I couldn¡¯t see any downside to learning as many spells as I could, although I was sure it wouldn¡¯t be an easy feat to learn the spell. I decided to retire early so I could study the scroll first thing in the morning since Gabrielle said she would be using it tonight. No one had brought up our discussion with chief Duskar from the day before and I assumed we were just going to talk about it when we had more time to think. If Duskar was willing to let us return before the hordes, I was starting to hope everyone was willing to stay. We had only spoken with the hobgoblin a few times, but he truly seemed sincere in what he told us, and I believed him when he told me that we would advance together if I stayed. Chapter 41 I woke up early the next morning and headed to the common room to wait for Gabrielle to show up so I could get the Gust spell scroll from her. Zack and Gary joined me a few minutes after I arrived and quickly ate before leaving for the training yards behind the building. ¡°Hey, Eli,¡± Gabrielle looked depressed as she slumped into the seat beside me. ¡°Good luck¡­¡± she pushed the scroll towards me grouchily. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked worriedly. ¡°The Essence formation for Gust is incredibly difficult, there¡¯s no way I¡¯ll be able to learn it any time soon,¡± she replied with a sigh. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to look for something easier until we improve, I gave up after a few minutes and just practiced forming my Essence into simple shapes for a few hours,¡± she shrugged. ¡°I think I got a little better, at least.¡± ¡°Damn,¡± I said disappointedly. ¡°Well, maybe we should ask Zarne how she started learning, then.¡± ¡°She told me that I wouldn¡¯t be able to learn from a spell scroll for a while, but I didn¡¯t believe her,¡± Gabrielle replied. ¡°Practicing forming your Essence into simple shapes was what she did when she was just beginning.¡± ¡°Well, it is what it is,¡± I responded slightly disappointedly. ¡°At least we know how to start learning, now.¡± ¡°Yeah, you''re right,¡± Gabrielle nodded. ¡°Do you want to practice here or should we head to a training yard?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think training in the common room is a good idea,¡± I said hurriedly with a wary glance around the room. I didn¡¯t see the hobgoblin from before, but I wasn¡¯t willing to take the chance. ¡°All right, let me eat and then we can go out back and I¡¯ll explain how I started,¡± she said. I nodded contentedly and continued reading through the scroll and studying the diagrams while I waited. Aaron showed up a few minutes later and told us he planned on training with a sword at the training yards. Now that we had rings of holding it was easy to quickly switch out our weapons, and he thought it might be worth learning a weapon more suitable for close-quarters if he needed one. ¡°Good plan, I should spend some more time working with my short sword while we¡¯re here, I guess,¡± Gabrielle said glumly. I didn¡¯t say anything because I didn¡¯t want to push, but I agreed that they needed to learn how to handle a weapon. There will come a time for all of us when we have no Essence left and still have to fight. A few minutes later Gabrielle and I made our way outside and sat on a bench beside the training yard the rest of my team was using. ¡°All right, focus on your core,¡± Gabrielle began, ¡°push a small amount of Essence into the air in front of you and try to form a round ball.¡± I nodded and easily moved a small amount of Essence through my arm and outside of my right hand. I focused on the floating Essence under my control and willed it to form into a ball. The Essence shifted to a lumpy ball for a moment before I lost control and had to refocus. I continued attempting with a similar amount of success for the next few minutes, and it became painfully clear how helpful it was to have my class teach me my skills. ¡°It¡¯s so easy with my skills, I don¡¯t understand why this is so much harder,¡± I complained about a sigh. Gabrielle glanced at me and nodded, ¡°Yeah, the Essence formation for Meteor is much more complex than Gust and it takes almost no effort to cast. But I¡¯m able to hold my Essence into a ball for longer than last night, just keep trying.¡± Although it didn¡¯t cost me much Essence to repeatedly practice shaping my Essence, by midday my head was pounding and I felt more mentally tired than I ever had in my life. I took a break to grab some lunch with the rest of my team and felt slightly better afterward, but I decided to train with my sword for the rest of the day. I focused on running through my sword forms instead of sparring today, and then watched some of the other sparring matches for a while. I felt like I was learning a good amount just from watching some of the much more experienced members of the battalion and I offered to cast my Rockskin before the matches after Zack suggested it. The spars became much more intense with the added safety of Rockskin applied and I thought I earned our team some goodwill from it. The next morning passed similarly until halfway through breakfast when Gary got called up to chief Duskar¡¯s office by a tall drow elf woman. She introduced herself as Lleldrith and she was the leader of the team we would be leaving with today. ¡°He probably just doesn¡¯t want to explain the mission to all ten of us in his office, so he¡¯s passing it on to them,¡± I speculated after Gary nodded to us and headed upstairs with the drow elf. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll hit the road early, then. Did you ask Aidor how far the dungeon was?¡± Aaron asked.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. I shook my head, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t think about asking. Honestly, I wouldn¡¯t even mind having to hike for a while,¡± I raised my hand and gestured to my ring of holding. ¡°Now that we have these, it¡¯s just an easy walk.¡± ¡°Speak for yourselves, not all of us have twenty strength,¡± Gabrielle shook her head, ¡°I better be getting priority for Earthen Might.¡± I laughed at her expression; I already planned on casting it on all of us for the hike. The skill was getting fairly close to leveling up and I would be ecstatic if I could advance it before we reached the dungeon. We relaxed at the table once we finished eating and waited for Gary to return since we probably wouldn¡¯t have time to train before we left. A few minutes later he walked down the stairs and headed to our table. The drow elf split off and headed to the training yards, I presumed to grab the rest of her team. ¡°All right, we¡¯re gonna be meeting the other team outside the gates in a few minutes,¡± Gary said once we reached our table. ¡°Anyone needs to grab anything?¡± We were all prepared so we headed directly out of the building and made our way outside of the outpost. Shortly after we got there I saw a team of four drow elves and a hobgoblin heading toward us. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Lleldrith of Dusk battalion, I hope our two teams will be able to work together well in the coming days,¡± she said once she stopped in front of us. ¡°Allow me to introduce my team. I am a Shadowmancer, I specialize in concealment and assassination,¡± she gestured towards the drow elf man standing beside her. ¡°Guldrar, Berserker. I usually fight in the front, although I won¡¯t be able to take a blow from the ogres, so I¡¯ll need to be on a flank for this dungeon,¡± he said. I wondered what skills a Berserker would have idly as I looked to the next drow elf. ¡°My name is Sornd, and I¡¯m a Scout. I¡¯ll be ranging around our teams before we move anywhere in the dungeon. I¡¯ll be fighting from the back with my short bow,¡± the lean drow elf stated calmly. That sounded like a useful class, although it was likely weaker than average during a fight. ¡°Nadal, Cleric of Fystros. I can heal most injuries, and I have an aura to help restore Essence more quickly,¡± she said. I looked at the drow elf woman interestedly, she was the first healer other than myself that I had met. ¡°Nalghar, Vanguard Knight,¡± the hobgoblin grunted. ¡°I¡¯ll be fighting the ogres up front, and I should be able to hold their attention for quite a while.¡± I was impressed by how well-formed their group was and I tried not to get distracted thinking about what their skills might be as I joined the rest of my team in introducing ourselves now that they had finished. ¡°Well met, humans of Dusk battalion,¡± Lleldrith nodded. ¡°The dungeon is a two-day journey from here, and we should be wary of ambushes once we¡¯re a few hours away from the outpost. This dungeon is only large enough for one group at a time so the path is not as often traveled as the rest.¡± With our introductions done, we turned and started our hike through the mountains. I walked through my team and cast Earthen Might as many times as I could, then headed towards Nadal to see if she was willing to speak about her skills. ¡°Hello, I was hoping to learn some more about your healing skill,¡± I nodded as I fell in alongside her. ¡°Of course,¡± she said agreeably, ¡°I was planning on inquiring about which healing skill you had as well. I have two healing abilities, Cure Wound, and Soothing Mist. The first spell heals a wound all at once, although it won¡¯t completely recover a serious injury with one cast. Soothing Mist is a large spell that I can cast over an area, it will continually heal us for five minutes before ending.¡± ¡°Soothing Mist sounds very impressive, my healing skill is called Rejuvenation. It slowly heals over a short time, and I have to be touching someone to cast it on them,¡± I said. I was slightly jealous of her skill, it sounded like what I expected the Restoration specialization would have given me. ¡°Indeed, it was my first skill to be upgraded after I chose my specialization of Fystros, the god of healing,¡± she replied with a small smile. ¡°Rejuvenation is a very strong first skill. Although it won¡¯t heal as quickly or as much as Cure Wounds, it can slowly regenerate a lost limb. Cure Wounds will only seal my skin shut, should I lose a hand, or arm.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know I could do that,¡± I said with some wonder. ¡°Your specialization was a god? How does that work?¡± ¡°A cleric is offered the five most suitable gods for their character for their specializations. Since I chose Fystros, the specializations I unlock next will all be different, as no god will allow me to serve them as well.¡± Nadal replied helpfully. I grew quiet and walked with her companionably as I thought over what I had learned. Everyone I met since arriving at Ascended Skorv¡¯s territory was so much more knowledgeable than myself or my team, and I felt like I had to constantly push myself to try to catch up. The rest of the day passed by pleasantly and we made it a good distance from the outpost by nightfall. Sornd took Aaron with him to give him some advice for scouting ahead when he left to clear the area ahead of us. We didn¡¯t run into any monsters, although Aaron told us they saw a few monsters when they were ranging ahead and to the sides of us. After a quick dinner, I started to unpack my bedroll since my watch wouldn¡¯t be until just before the morning. I pulled up my status to check my progress for the past few days of training. Eli - Lvl 7 Druid Experience - 7880\20000 Strength-15 (+1) Dexterity-16 (+1) Perception-11 Vitality-13 Spirit- 25 Willpower-18 (+1) Stoneskin - Level 2\10 Upgradeable Experience - 175\200 Thornbolt - Level 8\20 Upgradeable Experience - 6910\25600 Rejuvenation - Level 7\10 Upgradeable Experience - 3420\12800 Snaring Roots - Level 7\10 Upgradeable Experience - 9110\12800 Earthen Might - Level 4\10 Upgradeable Experience - 690\800 It looked like the headache from training my Essence shaping was worth it, since I managed to level up my Willpower for the first time in a while. My strength and dexterity also improved from the combination of training and sparring with the other members of the Warband back at the outpost, and Earthen Might would likely level before we entered the dungeon. I was impressed by the competence of the team we were working with and I was much less worried that we would have more casualties, like we had in the past.