Chapter 15: Chapter 15 – Returning to Town

A group of people shuttled outside the church, where a priest still yelled despite hours having passed since starting.

"What the hell was that? Bonnie, I thought you said he was level three!"

The man wielding a shield rubbed his throat as he glared at the green-haired archer.

"He was! With a team of four, we should have easily beaten him. Unfortunately, our tank decided to get two-shotted right off the get-go!"

The shield user grit his teeth as the memory replayed in his head.

"Stop."

The archer and shield user immediately turned to their leader.

Plop.

The previously burning fervour in Cain's hazel eyes was now replaced with a far away coldness. Thoughts of the battle floated into his mind as he sat outside the revival church.

"Let's take a while to analyze the battle. This is good. The battle with the vampire raccoon made us think we were the strongest on the island."

The shield user and archer both smiled, then their smiles staled.

"That's likely the mystery player who defeated Favur, all by himself too. He wasn't unbelievably powerful, though. So, I doubt he was the one that beat the wind wolf. So that means there are at least two players of that calibre here on the island. One more powerful than even him if the strength of a predator carries over to game logic. After all, a Fox loses ten times out of ten against a wolf."

A brief flare of desire tinted Cain's eyes before resuming their stillness.

"It felt like I was fighting against my own party. How did he sense it all so clearly? Bonnie's arrows..."

The archer frowned.

"…and how did he deal so much damage to the player with the most health out of us all…?"

The shield user frowned as well.

The group was locked in their head as one final thought made them all feel a chill in their bones.

"…and what the hell was that crimson fire around him?"

They all remembered the overpowering feeling of the crimson-haired man's presence. Very, very clearly.

"Magic."

A whispering voice suddenly appeared near the group.

Gah!

"Goodness, Ezekial! Warn us next time."

The sudden intrusion of a young man dressed in rogue-like garbs nearly sent Bonnie into a fit of surprise. In contrast, Cain's calm eyes latched onto the new arrival.

"You're sure?"

Ezekial's mischievous smile straightened solemnly.

"We aren't the first, it seems. Others must have picked it up like me."

Cain hummed and garnered the party's attention.

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"We have less time than I thought. Call the guild administrators. Recruit from the island players for the raid quest. And let's get some replacement gear."

"I've already put forth the orders."

Cain pleasantly smiled at Ezekial's foresight and turned to his thoughts.

Maybe if I try it like that crimson flame, I'll be able to pull off the trick with my spear.

 

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Huff. Huff.

On the outskirts of town, a cloaked figure was dashing between alleyways. Their cracked lips struggled to speak with clarity.

"I can feel it. A vitality like those plants. It's close by—"

Ack!

Suddenly, a purple-tinted white flame emanated from the figure's sword. The figure's hand clenched tighter, and then, with a rapid downwards slash, a sizzling groove formed in the ground that slowly broke apart like concentrated acid.

It wasn't until the mumbling, cloaked figure raced off that the sizzling groove slowly returned to normal.

 

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Avalan was like a pizza loosely split into three slices by three main roads. At the center of it all was the pizza saver of a town square that held the town hall and church.

A bustling port shipped goods in and out of the island to the south. The port, made of warehouses, inns, and shipyards, was a haven for the avid anglers and salty sailors.

To the northwest, the glamour district held the rich taste of many nobles, prosperous merchants, and the otherwise wealthy. The wealth they brought kept Avalan economically afloat. As a result, many guards—usually privately hired—roamed around the area.

To the northeast stood the largest and currently the most densely populated trade hub of town. Initially, this area favoured the many shopkeepers, merchants, artisans, and civilians. Now there was another breed of people altogether: the players.

Now deemed the 'player hub,' this was the area where the players chatted, crafted, and partied before heading out to the wilderness.

Novus whistled at the sight of players running amok.

They're more numerous than I thought.

A grilled rabbit leg appeared in Novus' hand as he relished his inventory's ability to keep things as they were when they entered. Speaking of Novus' inventory, there were a few more additions.

 

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