Radiant Shield put his on away with a joyful look. He couldn’t wait to reach level 15 and equip his new hammer.

  Luckily the EXP from the fight had already pushed most of the party to level 11, shortening the distance slightly.

  Meanwhile Cye divided the rest of the loot, showing little i in the green and white items.

  The jailer dropped a key as well, which was handed over to Bleary Mirage.

  “Good job guys. Let’s let those poor souls out.”

  “Sure.”

  “A deed worthy of heroes.”

  The party talked happily among themselves as Liam approached the cages. Three of them were still intact, taining prisoners which looked at Liam with hopeful eyes eager to finally regain their freedom.

  The veteran didn’t dey, opening the doors one by one, aiding the unlucky prisoners in esg.

  “They could’ve at least thanked us…”, grumbled Cye unhappily.

  “Don’t worry. They are part of a quest. Although we skipped it, you go bad cim the reward. I’ll give you dires ter.”

  “That’s more like it.”

  Liam’s expnation dissolved some of the party’s dissatisfa as they reached the st cage.

  A single goblin could be seen inside, wearing a way te pair of yellow trousers and a stratered brown hat.

  The goblin appeared surprisingly lively despite his impriso, beginning to talk as soon as Liam opehe door.

  “Adventurers, it’s good to see you! I knew someone would e to save me, Ruxor, the greatest fisherman to ever grace the three os and myriad kes!”

  “ you imagine? I was happily going about my business, skinning a one-hundred-meter big fish I just dragged on nd, when those deserters appeared and ruthlessly kidnapped me!”

  “Speechless, right? Yeah, I couldn’t imagi as well! I felt like back then when some audacious see anemone dared to swallow me!”

  The party wore strained smiles as the goblin tinued rambling, vely boasting about all his achievements.

  Liam soon had enough. But he didn’t dare to forcefully interrupt the goblin, fearing t dowionship, causing the goblin to hold back the reward.

  But luckily the veteran had a great idea, sending out his secret on.

  Silver Bde rolled her eyes reading the message sent by Liam. She stepped forward, carefully interrupting the goblin.

  “… do you know what a fish is? Don’t uimate those silly little…”

  *cough*

  “Sir Ruxor. Sorry for interrupting you, but we o leave. Else these deserters might notice what happened here.”

  “Oh, young dy, you are naturally correct. I still have fish to catd os to quer!

  Let me thank you again for the timely help. Here, take this famous fishing tool of mine.

  Increase your skills and seek me out again! I’m sure we will work well together iure!”

  Notifications fshed before the party’s eyes telling them that they automatically accepted a quest and fi instantly.

  Balm smiled brightly as this was the final push towards reag level 11, being the st in the party to do so.

  Suddenly Balm felt a gust of wind besides her. She watched with bewilderment as Ruxor dashed swiftly like the wind, disappearing behind the wooden wall.

  “How did those deserters capture him with that speed?”

  Cye was baffled as well, but even Liam didn’t have an ahis was simply how the game’s setup.

  Meanwhile Silent Acacia was more ied in the quest reward. He retrieved it from his iory, holding an obje the form of a ntern, its ter surrounded by a made of thial.

  Acacia furrowed his brows as he checked the object’s description.

  “This thing is made to fish with electricity?”

  The hunter pursed his lips, ridig the ‘world’s greatest fisherman’ in his head.

  Listening to Acacia the party began to joke around while Liam led them back to the cliffside.

  “Let’s go guys.”

  “Mirage… ’t we take another path?”

  “e on, it’s not that bad. Just don’t look down.”

  Liam smiled while setting an example, climbing the first rope dder agile like a monkey.

  “He’s doing that on purpose, right?”, grumbled Fortune, her camera trained on Liam.

  “We don’t have much of a choice…”

  The party sighed and cursed as they one by one scurried down the cliff. Radiant Shield felt his stomach and roll. As soon as he made it to the floor, he id down refusing to move.

  It took a while until the party followed Liam out of the forest. They returo Svebrial City, directly taking the teleporter.

  A momehe party found themselves in a town of average size.

  Watchful Eye looked around, speaking with a grim face:

  “The atmosphere is rather bloody.”

  “Mhm.”

  Silver Bde agreed solemnly looking at the soldiers in heavy armor patrolling the street.

  “What’s going on here Mirage?”

  “We reached the empire’s border. Traveling some more we would enter orc territory.

  Although there is no open war betweewo powers, ore here from time to time to raid the vilges and towns.”

  “Oh, so are there any good quests here?”

  “There are but they are somewhat out of our league.”

  “A pity.”

  “It’s alright. We aren’t here to fight orcs. We have a so kill.”

  “Finally!” Cye excimed happily, looking forward to her new css. She also wished for new skills to funt around.

  Uhe young woman’s urging the party moved quickly, leaving the town in the dire of the empire’s ter.

  They traveled along a dirt road for a while before turning towards the wilderness. A deep ge opened up before them, a narrow path leading downwards.

  Excited screeches echoed between the rocks. Soon, bck dots could be seen in the sky, swooping down towards the party.

  It was the first time they had to deal with flying oppos. The fight proved to be difficult as the tanks had a hard time drawing aggro. Thus, everyone had to keep up their focus to dodge the birds’ attacks.

  Luckily the oppos were only level 14, too weak to obstruct the path for long.

  The party tinued deeper into the ge, gradually leaving the birds behind.

  Soon, they reached the bottom. A fantastical se preseself. Multiple kes of all sizes id before them. Their water was crystal clear, supp a small ecosystem of pnts and animals.

  A refreshing smell of nature permeated the air.

  At the edge of the ke sery fishermen could be found, staying perfectly silent as they held their rods into the water.

  A few carts stood around, carrying barrels filled with beautiful fish, their blue scales sparkling in the sunlight.

  “Wow…”

  Everyone looked around with astounded eyes taking in the picturesque sery.

  “Is this where we should fight a boss?”

  “Yeah. Don’t worry, the ke won’t be destroyed.”

  “I hope so…”

  Silver Bde felt somewhat relut as she followed Liam towards the muddy paths runniween the kes.

  “You ready guys?”

  “What?”

  Liam’s friends were fused. They didn’t uand what to look out for as the sery eaceful and the fishers apparently didn’t seem to be in danger.

  But as soon as the party got close to the kes, croaking could be heard. With a spsh twe, ugly toads jumped out of the water, their tongues fshing at insane speeds.

  “Ew…”

  Fortune shuddered in disgust, managing to dodge the attack purely by instinct.

  “Keep those ugly things away from me!”

  The tent creator hastily hid behind Silver Bde, urging the tanks to do their jobs.

  Naturally two toads couldn’t trouble the party. They quickly died under a rain of attacks.

  More croaking could be heard as the party tinued. From time-to-time toads jumped out of the kes, barring the path.

  Fortune sched her face. Treading through muddy paths, stantly being attacked by ugly toads was certainly not her favorite hobby.

  But luckily, she kept her pints to herself, earning her Liam’s silent praise. It was important not to demoralize the party.

  Soon the party arrived on a rger piece of ween two smaller kes, where the ground was more solid.

  Silver Bde let out a sigh of relief as her eyes swiped over a formation of smaller trees not far away. But suddenly she paused in surprise.

  “Guys, look.”

  The other party members followed the tank’s finger, finding a familiar old man sitting on a low branch. His face showed a worried expression as he patted the rge bag o him with his hand.

  “An old man in need of ai…”

  Before Radiant Shield could finish his words, Cye’s delighted excmation interrupted him.

  “Meyhran! My favorite NPC!”

  The others looked over in surprise, fused by the bright, foolish grin on Cye’s face.

  “Who is Meyhran?”

  “An NPC who lets you draw from his bag when you plete his quest. He gave us the first unique quest.”, expined Silver Bde.

  “What? You cleared the first unique quest?!”

  Quickstep turowards the female tank in surprise.

  “Sure.”

  “W…”

  “Who cares about some quest in the past? Hurry, let’s see what the old man has to say!”

  Cye’s hands felt restless as she urged the party to hurry up, approag Meyhran with the look of a child seeing santa.