Kiyoshi and Sakura hovered near the quest board, its weathered surface plastered with parchments of every rank—E to A, scrawled with promises of glory and gold. Their 25 silver coins felt like a fragile lifeline against the shadows of this strange world, so they sifted through the options and settled on a D-rank job: wipe out oversized bee monsters harassing a far-off village for a single gold coin.
Two days of brutal training followed—sword swings that bruised his palms, survival drills that frayed his nerves—until they passed the guild's combat exams, barely ready for the task ahead. "We're not dying over bees," Sakura muttered, her words a tether as they stepped into the light, but Kiyoshi's quiet nod masked a flicker of dread; one gold coin was a start, yet the board's higher ranks loomed like a taunt he couldn't answer—not yet.
12:00 PM
The cart rattled along the uneven road, its wheels groaning under the weight of Kiyoshi and Sakura as they headed toward Lifo village. Ninety kilometres stretched between them and their destination—a five-hour haul to a place plagued by bee monsters. The quest was simple: wipe out the swarm, and claim two small gold coins. By the time they rolled up to the village, dusk had settled, painting the sky in bruised purples and oranges.
A sturdy wooden wall loomed around Lifo, its planks weathered but solid. Inside, the village chief, Joru, greeted them—a short man, maybe 50, with a quiet strength in his weathered face. The village hummed with life despite its troubles, all thanks to the Onzi plant growing in neat rows beyond the walls. Its rare leaves were the backbone of healing potions, and the villagers guarded it like a lifeline.
(Inside the Chief's Home)
"Thank you for coming," Mr. Joru said, his voice rough but warm. "I was starting to think no one would take a quest for just one gold coin this far away."
Kiyoshi shrugged, forcing a smile. "No need to worry, Chief. We're here to help."
Garu, Joru's son, piped up from the corner—a lanky 15-year-old with a spark in his eyes and a sword at his hip. "They don't look like much, do they, Father?" His tone carried a teenage edge, half doubt, half challenge.
Kiyoshi's jaw tightened. This kid…
Joru shot Garu a stern look. "Apologize, Garu. Now." Turning back, he added, "I'm sorry about that."
Sakura waved it off, cool as ever. "It's fine. Just tell us where the bees are."
The plan was straightforward: set the hive ablaze to thin the swarm, then finish off the survivors. These weren't ordinary bees—each stretched one to two meters long, their wax hot enough to blister skin on contact. Kiyoshi felt a shiver crawl up his spine just thinking about it.
Hours later, they crouched around a sputtering fire near the hive, just outside the village walls. Joru and Garu were there, along with two jittery village soldiers who kept darting glances at the shadows. The soldiers ducked behind a bush, clutching their spears, while Garu gripped his sword, his stance steady and sure. Kiyoshi watched him, impressed. The kid moved like a hunter, all focus and grit—an E-ranker's strength without any fancy awakening. How?
He leaned toward Garu, keeping his voice low. "How do you manage with just two soldiers?"
Garu's eyes flicked to him, guarded at first, then softening. "It's rough. Father's the real muscle here—he's stronger than he looks. Most adventurers ignore our quests. They sit around at the A.M.O., griping, 'I'm not trekking to some anywhere village for 1 coin to fight bees.' We can't spare more than that. Any higher, and we'd starve coming winter."
Kiyoshi nodded slowly. "Not everyone's like that."
Lifo was small—25 families clinging to a fragile existence. Their fields sprawled outside the walls, too big to fence properly, but monster breaches were rare. The harvest barely kept them fed through the cold months. It isn't much, but it is home to them.
Garu's voice dropped, raw and quiet. "I want to be an adventurer someday. See the world, help people, keep this place safe. My brother—he awakened, left us behind. I tracked him down in the capital years later. Ran up to him, so happy I could burst, and he just… stared at me. Said, 'Why are you here? Your brother's dead. Leave me alone.' Didn't even look back."
His eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and Kiyoshi felt a pang in his chest. Garu's hero had turned into a ghost, and that bitterness clung to him like smoke.
Kiyoshi activated his Eye of Wisdom, curiosity tugging at him as he glanced at Joru. The screen flickered:
<<
He shifted to Garu instead:
Name: Garu
Species: Human
So Garu's not awakened, Kiyoshi thought. Maybe Joru never bothered with the A.M.O. either.
"It's time," Joru said, breaking the silence. "Garu, light it up."
Garu and the soldiers dipped arrows in pitch, lit them from the fire, and let them fly. The hive erupted in a whoosh of flame, a furious buzz rising as ten bees burned to cinders. The rest—maybe a dozen—burst out, wings thrumming like war drums, their long bodies glinting in the firelight. The soldiers yelped and scrambled back to their bush, but Garu charged in sword flashing. He ducked a stinger, slashing clean through a bee's thorax, his movements sharp and fearless.
Kiyoshi's heart leapt to his throat. "Chief, get back—it's too dangerous!"
But Joru didn't flinch. His eyes narrowed, glinting with something fierce. Then his body shifted—muscles bulging, shirt ripping at the seams, veins popping under his skin. Steam curled off him like he was boiling from the inside. Two bees dove at him, stingers gleaming. He sidestepped with impossible speed, grabbed them mid-flight—one in each massive hand—and slammed them into the dirt. Their bodies crunched, lifeless, and Kiyoshi's jaw dropped. What is he?
Nearby, Sakura danced through the chaos, her dagger a blur. She slipped into hiding, vanishing for a heartbeat, then reappeared behind a bee, driving her blade into its soft underbelly. Another lunged; she spun, using Target to spot a weak joint in its wing, and severed it clean off. Six bees fell to her in minutes, her movements fluid and deadly, like she'd been born for this.
Kiyoshi fumbled with his sword, muttering, "Luck, don't fail me now." He triggered the skill, a faint tingle rushing through him. A bee zeroed in on him, its buzz rattling his bones. He stumbled, foot catching on a jagged rock, and hit the ground hard. The bee reared back, wax dripping from its maw—then fired. By some miracle, the scalding glob veered off, splattering a second bee behind it. The two collided, tangled in a sticky mess, wings thrashing. Kiyoshi scrambled up, adrenaline surging, and drove his sword through the first bee's side. It twitched once and went still.
He spun, panting, as Sakura and Garu finished the last of them—her dagger slicing, his sword hacking. Joru stood over his kills, chest heaving, steam fading from his skin. The air stank of charred wax and honey. They gathered the spoils: magic stones glinting faintly, jars of honey, clumps of wax that'd be useful for crafting. The bee corpses would rot to ash in a week or two, leaving no trace.
Kiyoshi collapsed onto the grass, breathless. "Sakura, how'd you fight like that? You were… unreal. Don't tell me you were some assassin back home."
She wiped her dagger on her sleeve, smirking faintly. "No. It's these skills—they're something else. You'll get there too. Stronger, faster, sharper—it comes with rank. Don't let it eat at you."
He forced a grin, hiding the sting of her words. "I'm fine. Really."
Turning to Garu, he said, "You're unreal too, man. For a non-hunter? That was wild."
Garu's face lit up, a shy smile breaking through. "Thanks, bro."
Joru stepped forward, holding out a gold coin and the gathered loot. "Your reward."
Kiyoshi hesitated, guilt gnawing at him. "Chief, that's not right. You fought too. We'll just take the coins."
Joru shook his head. "AMO rules. I can't keep it. But I've got something for you instead."
Sakura nudged Kiyoshi. "Take it, idiot. He's offering."
Joru handed over a jar of honey, its golden glow catching the firelight. "This'll give you energy for training. Use it well."
Kiyoshi took it, the weight of it grounding him. "Thank you. We'll come back if you've got more quests."
Garu grinned, a little softer this time. "Thanks, brother. Sister."
And with that, their first quest was done.