[Just a few hours before the Lizard-men hunting quest— In the Noble city of Aivelth just westwards of the Holy City, approximately 25 miles from the west woods. ]
Although me and my party were able to reach Rank C3 in no time, it was way too easy.
Well thankfully it was easy.
Honestly I don’t like fighting at all but the spirit from the grimoire told me that was the best way to strengthen my magic and familiarize myself with using it.
I still haven’t found any of my own teammates, or any other contestants in general, my mark is a Purple Orchid running all along my chest and like the Wizard said, no one has a mark similar to this one.
Well no citizen at least.
The guild refers to groups as parties, the largest group you can have is 5 but I assume it’s probably different for different guilds.
I wouldn’t know though as this is the only guild in the city.
Anyways, my party consists of me, Sjilo who’s classified as a warrior in the guild, and Meryl who’s under the hybrid class of both warrior and mage.
However he is blindfolded, it took me a while to get used to it but apparently he has an earth magic spell constantly activated to help him walk without aid.
He’s kind of like a monk, very religious and spiritual.
Sjilo also has earth magic, but it’s more or less to enhance.
My creation magic can replicate certain enhancement magic and other elements only in appearance however.
It doesn’t have the same properties of those elements.
With such magical abilities it’s quite easy to complete a quest.
So far we’ve completed a total 28 quests, killing monsters, subjugating some for the guild to send to the army.
Apparently they can tame the monsters with it.
Honestly this world is all so new to me, I don’t really understand much beside the guild and monsters.
It’s unbelievable, I don’t like fighting much as I mentioned earlier but to get stronger I must.
I mean, according to the Wizard, this is a team deathmatch.
I can’t believe it, I have to kill other contestants, other humans.
I have to attack first or else they’ll get the upper hand on me, I can’t show hesitation or else I’ll die.
This principle applies to fighting monsters, even the intelligent ones.
I would assume when the contestants- those with a reason to fight and kill me which is all the enemy teams, they won’t hesitate.
Because they too have a reason for entering this tournament.
Of course, I’ll be scared to fight another human to the death but I too have a reason.
And I can’t allow my own feelings to falter, I mustn’t allow that to happen.
Even if I have to ruin someone’s dreams.
It may be selfish but I can’t let myself think that way.
I too have my own reasons, for the better of my own country where the vast majority is starving and in dire need of money and food.
The wars which happened over a decade ago have withered my homeland into nothing but a waste.
A wasteland not fit to even keep a child from starving, the air completely polluted by outside waste, a lack of government because there isn’t enough food to go around where a person could even think of saving the country.
Despair and death waits for the corner as wild animals can’t help but pick from the flesh of fresh corpses.
Well you don’t have to be dead, if you run into a wild animal, there isn’t anything that can be used to protect yourself besides rocks and dry sticks.
my people are barely living in that wasteland, covered entirely by a desert.
Even now, they are suffering.
I want to win this tournament so I can save them, so I can give them a better life and opportunity.
“Hey, Åsa, are you there?” Sjilo said as he waved his hand in front of my face.
“Oh, sorry. I was just… thinking of my home.” I said as I jumped out of shock.
I forgot I was here.
In the oh-so crowded guild.
“So why did you leave your home again, didn’t you say it was quite far from here?” Meryl said although he wasn’t looking at us.
“I became an adventurer to make my parents proud, I wanted to join the Holy City Guild but it seems I lost my way and ended up here.” I explained this twice but it seems Meryl doesn’t believe me.
“Well don’t worry, our guild is more or less in a partnership with the Holy City Guild so hopefully we will suffice.” I once again jumped as the receptionist suddenly appeared beside us.
“No this is more than enough, the Holy City is a neighboring city anyway right. So I was close. Heha” I let out a nervous laugh as I rubbed my hands together.
“Yes that’s good to hear, well you should rejoice. The lot of you, it seems the monster activity is increasing around the border of the city including the woods. You can acquire the qualifications to travel the world as adventurers with this quest, do you accept?” The receptionist said as she put the quest paper on the table for me and Sjilo to see.
“This is to hunt a group of 10 Lizard-Men in the West Woods Swamp. Rank D1+? Certainly you have something higher than this.” Sjilo said as he read the quest aloud for Meryl to hear.
“We certainly do but currently these have the most danger potential. Lizard-men, if left unchecked, can become quite intelligent.” The receptionist explained as she was unwilling to back down.
“I see. You got my vote for this quest.” Meryl said as he tried turning towards the center of the table but missed by a slight angle.
“Uh-huh, do you know?” Sjilo said as he looked at him through the side of his eye.
“I agree too, you know we’ve never gone against lizard-men as a party before.” I said as I looked at Sjilo.
“Is that right… fine. Then we accept the quest Ms.Frays.” Sjilo said in a defeated tone as he looked at the receptionist.
“Great, we’ll prepare your carriage immediately.” The receptionist said as she headed back to the counter with a smile on her face.
So after gathering our equipment, we got on the carriage and headed to the Western Woods, specifically the swamp.
On the way we were able to notice how many monsters were in the plains, and certainly.
It had increased quite drastically but you’ll only manage to run into them if you walk into their “territory”
We were quite motivated and encouraged after all we acquired a handful of spells over these past three weeks since we formed the party.
This is only just a D1+ ranked quest for us who are C3.
Half way through the forest it seemed like the horses stopped pulling the carriage due to the soft and moist soil.
We continued the way on foot, making it to the swamp but it seemed there was currently a large battle going on the other side of the swamp.
We headed there, following the noise of an explosion, as we reached the point where we could see a Yellow Lizard-Man.
I immediately attacked by chanting a spell in my head to create a stone pillar that shot out of my staff.
It flew at the Yellow Lizard-Man who hadn’t noticed until the last second, when it immediately turned around to block by crossing its hands.
However it seems the scales were too hard even after pushing it as far as I could with the force of a tank.
Well I assume it is the force of one.
Anyway I pushed it over the large group of Greenish-red Lizard-Men.
This certainly isn’t a problem, I can easily deal with them.
“Don’t use a wide attack, the Lizard-Men are probably fighting another adventurer.” Sjilo said as he stood watch beside me.
“Right, I sense a large quantity of mana on the other side of the group.” Meryl said as he looked ahead to the group.
However, they said that much too late.
I already chanted another spell to merge from the pillar to thousands of spikes similar to small knives.
It destroyed the entire group of Lizard-Men.
I quickly started advancing to avoid the scolding from my party members.
But unfortunately, I couldn’t escape it as it reached the corpses of dozens of Lizard-Men.
My Purple Mark started shining.
It seems someone from the contests may be here.
As I see a wooden dome retract into the ground it reveals a man with tattered clothes and a green mark shining brightly.
Standing between me and the Yellow both which were my enemies. Find the original chapter at g.com.
And pulled my staff up quickly aiming at the both of them, chanting a spell shooting over a dozen thorns at them.
The Yellow Lizard-Man rushed him but it seems he didn’t wait for it to attack as he started rushing towards me.
He was indeed a strong Fire magic user, maybe more familiar with than I was.
We began exchanging blows even my party members who were once objecting against this battle joined in.
There was another one in the trees so I cut it down.
I know that much as he has been blocking my party members from attacking and even killed the Lizard-Man quickly.
Right now we have the advantage, it seems the one buried under one of the trees is out of commission.
Still the man put away his daggers which were filled with his fire magic, now his fists are bursting with fire in every attack.
My iron armor is barely keeping up and he is faster than a breath.
I need to keep my eyes open and my spells in check.
My party members are locked in the other man’s Nature magic spells.
We are in a tight battle but I still have the upper hand.
At the last minute as his fist reaches towards me I shoot spike hitting in his arms and his vital spot.
With this I win.
Or so I thought.
A large giant appeared.
As I break Sjilo free from the Nature magic user’s spell.
Meryl breaks himself and issues us to run because before us stands a Colossal Guardian of Nature.
Built by the merging of trees.
It healed the man and shifted the trees so we couldn’t run.
Upon seeing the man’s neck the green mark could be seen.
He is also a contestant and a teammate of the Fire user.
After noticing this everything was flipped.
We no longer had the advantage.
Upon a shout from my party member after hearing the man scream his dead teammate’s name.
Sjilo was pierced by a thorn.
I- who was left in utter shock was unprepared for a branch to suddenly wrap around my arms.
Invading my body as a thorn ran its way up my bloodstream.
Meryl who tried to save was caught by a thin branch which flew out from the ground.
It wrapped around his slowly growing.
Flowers suddenly burst out of my arms, my legs and chest.
Even my cheeks and mouth.
All I could feel was an indescribable pain as I watched Meryl get swallowed up by a tree.
Tears could only fall from my face as I could no longer move nor speak because the thorns were even growing inside of my throat.
I couldn’t breathe, the only thing I could feel was pain, as my eyes started swelling greatly.
I failed.
I have lost to the first contestant I’ve seen.
I’ve failed my country.
I am sorry.