Just like that, a month passed by like the cool breeze blowing through a savanna, just not nearly as comfortable or relaxing.
It was during this month that I realized I generally got skill for things that I did, practicing swordsmanship with Vale gave me a swordsmanship skill, and the exercise gave me experience. I even got a dodge skill after one particularly harsh beating I wanted to avoid.
Altogether over this month, my stats went up very little, but I feel like my strength is on another level. I feel like I could take five of the former me easily.
Although Vale still plays with me like a toddler, I can at least make him move around a bit.
My stats went up a bit too,
STRENGTH: 10
DEXTERITY: 15
CONSTITUTION: 10
INTELLIGENCE: 18
It looks like they can improve through training as well as points. Good to know I don't really have to kill things to get stronger.
It was a normal day in the practice field, with me being 'Trained' by Vale. when Garths' familiar face appeared in the doorway.
I'd gotten to know him and the others a lot better in the last month, and it looks like they're actually a pretty well know mercenary group, they all even have their own titles!
Garth, The Silent was their very obvious leader, and the strongest among them, being the sole A rank adventurer in the group. But I still don't understand his name, he seems to talk a little too much if anything, silent isn't the greatest description I think.
Atlas, The Colossus was one of the original members of Garths' party, being a B rank adventurer but having insane defensive abilities with his Arc.
Clara, who people call Artemis, was also a B rank adventurer. Her Arc seemed to be poison based, which she puts on her arrows, and coats her blades in.
Last there was Rune, the last original member of Garths' party. People only really seem to call him Rune because his arc lets him draw on things so they produce certain effects.
These four are surprisingly, one of the toughest groups in the city, not that i've seen much of it yet. My days are mostly just training, eating, and sleeping.
"Adventure time laddies!" Vale and I look over, stopping our training as Garth walks over.
"I have a job for just the two a ya's." His eyes glimmer in excitement as he takes out a sheet of paper.
"See, looks like we got a vampire problem ere' in the city. Hoping it's be a good chance for ya to get some real experience under ya Hadrian."
"My name is Adrian, and wouldn't it be better for someone else? Vampires seem like a little much for a first time out." I look over towards Vale who, as usual, has a blank look on his face.
"Course not, from what I can tell these ones be feral lesser ones, practically ghouls. Ain't too different from killin' some fast bears. With fangs... and can turn you.
"Oh of course, fast poisonous bears, what could go wrong?" Garth lets out a hearty chuckle.
"Tha's the spirit lad, now get goin. The ice queen here's goin with ya so ya shouldn't get roughed up too bad."
I hear Vale click his teeth behind me as I'm pushed out of the yard and into the streets outside of the hall.
Handing me the paper he had, Garth sped away. Reading it, it seemed the vampires congregated around the sewer entrance on the Western side of the city, near the gates. They only come out at night time, and killed a few guards who tried to fight them off.
I look towards Vale, who was nonchalantly already walking towards the west gate. I quickly follow after him, but seeing as it was noon, it'd be a while before they came to attack again.
"Shouldn't we wait until night time?" I ask as we navigate the crowds.
"No."
A one word answer, as usual. "What about you? aren't Vampires and such resistant to cold things? They're undead right?"
"No."
Ok, seeing as I wouldn't get anything from Mr. Chatty, I just focused on getting myself ready. I hadn't fought monsters before, and I've only really killed one guy. Hopefully Garth picked something that'd be a easy and I'm just stressing out for nothing.
Hitting the western gate. we're greeted by the sight of guards on high alert, and almost no civilians in the area. They all seemed really nervous, I could see the sweat dripping down their faces from quite a ways away.
Approaching, Vale just casually walks by then, towards the outside of the city. I stop and look towards the nearest guard.
"Any reason you're all so on edge? The guards looks towards me, then towards his companions.
"A fair warning." His voice seems to falter and crack as he says this. A tear falls down his face.
"They aren't just lesser vampires."
Suddenly, the veins in his neck and face seem to almost spring out of his body. The stark blue against his pale skin was grisly as the seemed to split open, blood pouring out of his eyes and mouth.
He lets out a stifled scream, turning into a gurgle as blood filled his throat and he vomited it, collapsing onto the ground, just a pale corpse in a pool of gore.
The other guards screamed and ran from the scene, leaving me there alone.
"THE FUCK!?" I stagger away from the grisly scene, looking towards Vale who had turned back, his face calm as always.
"Keep moving." He turns and keeps walking outside of the city, towards what I only thought of as death.
"Shit man." I jog to catch up to him, cursing whatever god put me in this gruesome world, hoping I'd be able to at least help that fuckery from not happening to anybody else.
Or die trying, unless Vale saves me, I hope he saves me.