Bryan got out of bed sleepily, rubbing his hair, and stood up to get dressed.
Well, no knock this time. Maybe she’s learned - hehe.
He stretched with a moan, threw on his clothes, and headed down for breakfast.
Bryan sat down opposite the girls at a table.
With a big smile, Tali announced, “Already ordered your food.”
“Thanks,” he said, looking around the table.
Mirelle ate normally, Zarethia somehow reading while eating one-handed, never looking at her plate.
Tali shoveled food into her mouth with gusto.
Ah, a girl after my own heart.
His food arrived and he dug in while Mirelle and Tali chatted.
“You know, you did really well - you’re a great healer!” exclaimed Tali between bites.
Ah, not a bad party. Me and these three girls…
“Sure, but you held that demon off like a professional,” Mirelle said very matter-of-fact.
They both smiled and kept eating.
Three girls… shit, this looks like a harem…
He stood abruptly. “I’ll be right back.”
Bryan quickly walked away, Mirelle and Tali looking confused.
Where is he…?
Scanning the room, Bryan saw Len leaning casually against the bar.
He walked up to him with confidence.
“Hey, so you said you wanted to join us yesterday, right?”
Len turned and smiled. “Why the sudden change of mind?”
Bryan took a deep breath to explain himself, but before he can -
“I’m joking. I’ll join you. Watched you for over a week - I know what I’m getting into.”
After saying this, Len patted Bryan on the shoulder.
Oh… ok then. Strange guy…
“Ok, sure. Come join us,” Bryan said, turning back to the table.
He retook his seat as Len joined beside him.
Mirelle eyed Bryan suspiciously. “Why exactly did you do that?”
Need more guys obviously - at least one more…
“Never hurts having more talent join us, does it?” he said with a smug grin.
“Ain’t getting more talented than the greatest archer at the table,” Len declared.
Mirelle squinted and tilted her head. “You’re the only archer though.”
Len threw his hand in the air. “Exactly. I’m the best.”
I may have made a mistake.
Bryan rubbed the back of his head as both Len and Tali laughed.
The laughter is cut short by a loud ringing bell, causing many to jump to their feet.
A patron shouts, “It’s the bell at the gate! We’re under attack!”
They pushed through the crowd and out the door, the bells clanging loudly as people sprinting down the street.
These people look terrified… to the danger!
As they head for the gate, the bell tolls mix with thunderous crashes that shook the ground, along with the crunch of metal.
When they arrived, the head of a monstrous creature towered above the gate, soldiers firing everything they have at it.
Fuck… that thing’s massive.
Bryan looked to his party and saw steely resolve on each face - except Zarethia’s, whose grin is far too eager.
They pushed through the splintered remains of the gate and finally saw the monster.
“What is that thing?” Bryan shouted.
Len replied, “It looks half ogre, half boar, but it’s like thirty feet tall.”
“Are the Demons sending another message?” Bryan said confused.
Mirelle rushed to the injured men by the gate, beginning to heal them.
Tali nodded to Bryan and charged forward, shield drawn, stone chips flying as the beast stomped.
Len started firing arrows toward its head with inhuman speed.
Zarethia, still grinning, practically floated as she ran, unleashing firebolts that exploded on impact.
Wait - why are there pizzas on the floor… oh. Oh, they’re squished people. God.
Bryan rushed the monster’s leg and swung hard with Heavy Slash.
The blade barely scratched its gargantuan leg. It lifted that same leg - the force knocking him back.
Bryan moved in front of it to reassess.
Ok, my team’s attacks are doing damage - but combined with the guards, we’re barely holding it back.
Bryan fired his most powerful Fire Bolts to limited effect.
The creature slamed a foot down, launching debris toward the gate - straight for Mirelle.
Bryan dove to intercept, but she raised a hand toward the impact.
Before he could reach her, the rocks crashed down, kicking up a thick dust cloud.
Fuck…
He cleared the air with an Air Blast, revealing Mirelle unharmed, a shimmer of energy around her and a bleeding man beneath.
“Explain later!” he shouted, turning back.
We need something big here - all or nothing.
Bryan’s hands glowed as he focused.
Condense... Blast... Empty...
He gripped his sword with both hands and hurled it at the creature’s head. It sunk in hilt-deep, but the beast still moved.
His hands glowed brighter. He raised them, aiming at the buried sword.
Empty all mana... Focus it to a small point... Lightning Bolt!
A blinding flash erupted from his hands. A massive surge of lightning blasted from his palms, striking the sword and channeling through the creature’s body.
It seized, screeching as the current burned through it before crashing to the ground with a deafening thud.
Mana Dump Unlocked
The stink of burning flesh filled the air as Bryan panted.
Level Up
Tali turned to him, smiling. “We did it!”
Before he could respond, Bryan’s vision tilted - sky, then darkness.
When light flickered back into view, he mumbled, “What… where…”
“Relax, man. Zarethia said you used all your mana,” Len’s voice said beside him.
As his vision cleared, Bryan realized Tali and Len were dragging him back toward the city.
By the time they reached the inn, he was steady enough to walk on his own.
“Thanks for getting me out of there,” Bryan said, smiling.
“My guy, we owe you. We barely held it back until you did that crazy move,” Len said, patting him firmly on the back.
Zarethia approached. “You’ll need to tell me what that was later,” she cackled, a manic gleam in her eyes, before striding into the inn.
Inside, the group sat together as patrons crowded around, offering drinks and praise.
Bryan excused himself. “I’m gonna lay down for a bit. I’ll join you later.”
He climbed the stairs and collapsed onto his bed, quickly falling asleep.
Bryan sat up in bed and stretched.
Ok, a week since that monster attack - another busy day, I bet.
He made his way downstairs and joined the others for breakfast.
Tali beamed. “Hey!” she said, her tail swishing back and forth.
Waving back, he sat down to eat.
After finishing, Bryan adopted a serious look.
“Look, this week has been crazy, but we have the summons today.”
Len interrupted. “Oh yay, pompous nobles expecting us to kiss their butts. Sounds fun,” he laughed, taking a swig of his drink.
Honestly, this guy is never serious.
“Thanks, Len. Useful input,” Bryan said, shaking his head.
“But we’ve had a great week! We haven’t lost once!” Tali said excitedly.
Always cute…
“Yes, and we’ve all levelled up, which we’ll need. Can’t imagine they want something simple from us.”
Zarethia spoke up. “Yes, your Trainer skill has been useful - but I haven’t gotten to see you use that Mana Dump again, sadly.”
“Well, it wasn’t exactly fun passing out from exhaustion,” Bryan said, rubbing his face.
With a grin, she replied, “Sure, but I could learn a lot seeing it again.”
I swear, she’d sacrifice us all to learn new things…
“Moving on,” he said loudly.
Mirelle chimed in. “Look, despite how eccentric these people are, they do seem capable - so we should be fine.”
Tali tilted her head. “What does that word mean? Ex… en… trick?”
Before Mirelle could respond, Bryan answered, “She’s calling us all weirdos.”
Tali huffed. “That was mean.” She pouted, then added, “But… true, I guess.”
Tali, Mirelle, Len, and Bryan all laughed together.
They finished eating and started walking toward the exit.
“They stare and whisper all the time now,” Tali said, ears pressed down against her head as she got close to Bryan’s arm.
“Honestly, it’s not that bad. We’ve done some cool things.” He patted her head lightly.
They exit the inn and headed down the street, people stopping to comment as they passed.
“It’s that ashen guy.”
“Are those demis his slaves?”
Well now that is very rude.
“I wonder what they’ll manage next?”
They approached a large inner stone gate.
“Through here, right?” Bryan inquired to the group.
Mirelle responded, “Yes, through that gate we reach the noble district.”
“Ah, cool. Not left the market district,” he said as they walked through it.
“Wait - you’ve been here a while and never left the market district? What about the other five?” she asked, sounding shocked.
Not sure I ever bothered asking if there was more actually.
Bryan shrugged visibly. “This one had all I needed: food, drink, somewhere to sleep, and quests.”
Mirelle huffed. “The capital has much more to offer than just that, but fine.”
As they walked, people gathered along the paths with royal banners hanging above them. The street widened as they neared the palace gates.
As they walked down the center of the road, the people began to clap and cheer.
Wait… what is happening?
“Why are they clapping?”
Len grinned. “Could be those posters. They say today we celebrate heroes.”
Tali pressed closer to Bryan, looking uncomfortable. “Still seems like a bit much.”
Mirelle sighed. “The royals do love their fanfare.”
Guess that’s true - and I suppose we did do some useful things.
They walked through the crowd until they reached another gate.
“How much farther?”
Len chuckled. “If we don’t get there soon, Tali might pull Bryan’s arm off.”
Tali scowled at him, then leaned back into Bryan’s arm.
Mirelle sighed. “Not everything needs to be joked about, Len. We’re entering the royal district.”
“Anything to add, Zarethia?” Bryan asked.
“No. Unless we’re fighting or you’re allowing me to study you, my time is better spent reading.”
Yeah, not at all surprising.
They passed through the gate, noticing the stone beneath their feet is smoother and more polished.
Two gleaming guards in plate met them and took point. More soldiers lined the streets, banners held high.
Ok, this is a huge waste of money.
As they neared the end of the road, a massive palace came into view - shining white marble gleaming in the sun.
“My god, how is it like this, Mirelle?”
“Not too loud, Bryan. I told you - they hoard spells and knowledge. This is the result.”
I mean, it’s impressive… but jeez.
They approached the grand staircase leading to the palace. As they began ascending, large horned instruments blared a tune, the sound echoing through the courtyard and vibrating the steps beneath their feet.
Tali covered her ears and grimaced.
“We need to try and appreciate it - they’re trying to impress us.”
She smiled a little. “I guess, but it’s a bit much.”
At the top, a forty-foot wooden door towered before them. As they drew near, the massive doors parted on their own.
I dare not even think how much magic they use maintaining all of this.
They entered the hall - a long chamber lined with guards in plate armour, and behind them rows of seated nobles.
They stopped at the stairs leading to the throne. Mirelle shot Bryan a look and a scowl.
Oh shit, yeah, she told me about this.
Bryan awkwardly dropped to one knee and bowed his head, the others followed suit. The hall fell silent, the soft clink of armour echoing through the air as they kneel.
A herald stepped forward and announced in a booming voice.
"His Lord and Majesty, King Renard Caelth - mighty ruler of the Caelthorn Kingdom - welcomes you, great heroes!"
The man then bowed before moving to the side.
This whole thing is a lot of fuss for us.
An old but regally dressed man stepped forward.
“Heroes, you have done this city a great service with the demon attack and the gate incident.”
Bryan and the party raised their heads to clapping.
Half the nobles are not smiling… must be jealous.
“We thank you, but we have another request to make of you. You may stand.”
Bryan and the others got up and briefly looked around.
Actually, some look annoyed… definitely jealous.
Bryan stepped forward, standing tall with his hands behind his back.
“What do you ask of us?”
There was a low but audible gasp from the nobles.
A slight hint of anger crossed the king’s face as Bryan felt Mirelle’s elbow dig into him.
“My liege,” he added.
Wait Zarethia is still on the floor… she fell asleep.
Sigh… of course.
The king composed himself and responded.
“Lord Delongprey told me of your actions, and recommended you for the most important quest we could offer.”
A man stepped up next to him, smiling widely.
Tali edged closer to Bryan, silent but visibly concerned.
“We wish for you to make your way to the Demon Lands to the north and kill the Demon Lord, ending this war before it escalates.”
Sure, because it’ll be a leisurely stroll.
Tali began to whisper, “Bryan.” He quietly hushed her.
She held his arm but stayed quiet while he responded.
I’ll talk to her after.
The king spoke again.
“Our scouts report that the Demon Lord’s armies have begun to move. If left unchecked, they may reach our borders within months.”
“We wouldn’t expect you to do this for free. When you succeed, we will grant you a title and land.”
The king gestured to the herald.
The herald rushed over and handed Bryan a large pouch.
“30 platinum - a token of our gratitude for what you have already done.”
God damn… now that’s more like it.
“We’ll happily take care of your little problem. We’ll get ready and depart,” Bryan stated, smiling.
The nobles all began clapping loudly before the king raised a hand and they stopped.
“Good. We will await your triumphant return.”
The king turned and returned to his seat as the clapping resumed and horns blew again.
Kinda glad to leave here.
Bryan subtly kicked Zarethia’s boot, waking her up as she stood.
They made their way back out of the great hall and down the large stairs.
“Zarethia, did you really sleep through that?”
Rubbing her head sleepily “There was nothing to learn, also I cannot stand that kind of posturing”
Well luckily they either didn’t notice or care about her.
Once nearing the gate to leave the royal district, they saw a knight stood in the street in their path.
Jeez that guy is so shiny… he must polish a lot.
The man stepped forward and kneeled.
“I am Sir Calder Veyne. Would you do me the honor of joining you on this noble quest?”
Well, he’s shiny enough to be a distraction or a meat shield…
“Erm, sure, you can join us. We could use a man of your calibre.”
Tali tilted her head at him. “Meat?”
Bryan responded, “Not sure what you are talking about.”
Calder stood and grasped Bryan’s hand firmly.
“You will not regret this.”
Doubt I will.
“We are heading back to our inn - you can join us while we prepare.”
Calder nodded, and they all began walking back.
“Zarethia, why did you sleep through all that?”
She shrugged visibly. “Nothing to learn there, just posturing.”
Yeah, I could have guessed that.
“Fair enough. Len, you were oddly quiet the whole time?”
“I’m surprised they let us demis in. Didn’t want to ruin your grand moment, my lord.” He very exaggeratedly bowed.
He bows any lower, and he isn’t getting back up.
Bryan shook his head.
Mirelle spoke. “Why did you accept like that?”
A smile crossed Bryan’s face. “30 platinum is a lot of money. Isn’t this what we adventurers live for?”
She sighed audibly. “I have warned you several times. Nothing is straightforward with nobles.”
She is so very serious, surprised she isn’t grey.
“You worry far too much - just think, after this you can open your clinic.”
She grumbled in approval.
Bryan turned to Tali. “What was up with you, by the way?”
Tali looked a bit uneasy for a moment, but her ears perked up and she skipped over and playfully held onto his arm.
“Don’t worry. I’m sure I was just being silly.”
She didn’t like the whispers - the grandeur was likely too much.
“Was the attention a bit much for you?” he asks, tilting his head.
With a half smile, she replied, “Yeah, that was part of it.”
He gently patted her head. “Don’t worry. We’ve got this - then we can each do whatever we want.”
Nearly back at least.
Calder spoke up. “I do not understand the reservations people have. This quest is a great honour.”
Bryan put a hand on his shoulder.
“That’s the spirit.”
They arrived back at the inn and filed inside.
Tali looked at Bryan. “I’ve been wondering - why do you often keep your hands behind your back?”
Do I still do that… huh.
“Erm, no real reason. It just feels right, I guess,” he shrugged.
Each person dispersed to collect their belongings and met at the inn afterward.
Tali said, “Got everything you need?”
“Yeah, I got a new sword with some of the money. Hopefully this one shouldn’t melt like that other one did with the gate beast,” he said while turning it in the light.
“Well, it does look nice,” she said while inspecting it.
“Yeah, meant to be highly heat resistant.”
We’ll see if it holds up - but I’ll avoid Mana Dump if I can.
Bryan asked if anyone needed things stored in his bag.
Shaking her head, Mirelle said, “Yeah, don’t ask. His bag has item box, so we may as well make use of it.”
I keep forgetting it’s odd, with how much weird stuff you find in shops…
They look confused but hand over various supplies with awe as it all disappeared into his bag.
Calder inspected the bag. “Was this bag a gift from a noble?”
Bryan squinted. “No, but it works. We will leave it at that.” He nodded subtly toward Mirelle.
Maybe she’ll like that?
Mirelle sighed and turned away from him.
Never mind.
“Ok, well, we should rest and head off tomorrow morning.”
They nodded in response.
Ok, I’m Level 60. We got this - should be a piece of cake, right?