"Idiots!! How could you let him find out?"
"S-sorry, boss. We had no idea he was under Darwin's direct protection."
"Damn it. If that's true, the royal family already knows. No doubt."
"Get a few men out there, now. I want the area scouted. Anything suspicious, you report it immediately."
"Yes, sir!"
He exhales sharply, frustration gnawing at him. "How the hell did it come to this? Is it because that bastard's dead, and now the royal family's taken over?"
He pauses, a dark thought creeping in. "...Wait. Maybe it's time I used *that*."
***
"Too bad Lloyd and the others are tied up today."
"We'll have to recruit another party. If not, we can always hunt the beasts near the village."
"I figured taking down a few would be easy, but the spoils are hardly worth it."
After Lenia and I talked, we made our way to the [Guild], hoping to grab a simple quest. But when we got there, we scanned the board—nothing. No easy quests left for just the two of us.
"Lenia," I mutter, my eyes narrowing. "Looks like today we'll need to find a party first."
She nods, eyes flicking to the board, then back to me. "Yeah. The easy ones are probably gone. Taken by the others."
We move through the crowd, searching for a team that's short on members. Or at least someone who hasn't been scooped up yet. My gaze catches on a group of [Bronze] badge holders, but they've already banded together. Too late.
"Lenia," I sigh. "It looks like we're hunting monsters on our own today."
"Hmm, fine by me."
We leave the Guild, heading to the nearest forest. Just a simple hunt. Nothing more. We won't push it. That's what I tell myself.
Once inside, we stalk the monsters lurking between the trees, the ones that roam in small packs. Goblins, slimes, coyotes—easy prey. I take down several, but it's not enough to clear the growing tension.
Then, something strange catches my eye. Lenia. She's casting spells—no, that's not it. She's *not* casting spells. No chanting, no movement, just... magic. It flows from her like it's second nature. I blink, unsettled.
"How are you doing that?" I ask, but she only shrugs, voice calm, like it's nothing. "Certain conditions have already been met."
Conditions. What conditions? And why won't she tell me more?
I don't know if she realizes yet that I'm a [Hero], but one thing's clear. Lenia—she might just be the key to the party we're about to form.
***
The next day, Lenia and I joined a party of five. Redan, Tiva, and Wedge rounded out the group, and we started taking on quests, slowly climbing the ranks.
At first, everything seemed fine. But as time dragged on, the others started leaning harder on Lenia. Too hard. They relied on her buffs for everything. I tried to warn them, told them not to depend on her so much. Their response? Insults. They mocked me for not being able to use elemental magic, called *me* the most useless in the party.
***
Now, Lenia and I have reached [Silver] rank. Just five more quests to go until we can rank up again. And here I am, stuck in another quest.
We're still with those same three. I can't stand them, but we're stuck. They fill the roles we need for the formation, even if Lenia's buffs are the only thing making them useful.
--[Silver-Level Quest]--
The apple orchard in Rutesh village has been overrun by Orcs. Scout the area. See if they're forming a group. If they are, report it. If not, wipe them out.
• Max members: 7
• Reward: 2 Gold
• No time limit
'Just once, I hope Lenia doesn't have to carry them all again.'
I thought about joining Lloyd's party once. But something didn't feel right. I couldn't bring myself to do it. Maybe I'll rank up first, then consider it.
'Yeah, it's slow going. But if everything goes right, I'll be free from these fools soon enough.'
I glance at Lenia. She doesn't look right.
"Lenia, are you okay?" I ask, voice low, concern creeping in.
"Y-y-yeah, I'm fine. Don't… don't worry about me," she replies, her voice barely steady.
"You look pale," I say, stepping closer.
I press my hand to her forehead. It's burning.
"Hey! You've got a fever. What do you mean you're fine!?"
"I... really… I'm okay," she mutters, trying to stay upright.
"Redan, Tiva, Wedge, we should head back!" I shout to the others, my voice sharp.
But they don't even turn around. They keep walking, laughing like we're not even here. Like Lenia isn't struggling.
"Hey!" I yell, louder this time.
"Huh? What?" Redan snaps, looking over his shoulder.
"We need to go back," I say again, firmer this time.
"Tch. Here," Wedge says, tossing me a small potion. I catch it, but it's barely a quarter full.
"What's this?" I ask, anger rising.
"Give it to her. A drop of that should be enough to heal an insect, right?" Wedge says, his voice dripping with mockery.
They laugh. All three of them.
"HAHAHAHA."
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, YOU BASTARDS!?"
"Ah, shut it," Redan scoffs. "She's just slowing us down. The three of us can handle the Orcs on our own."
"Hahaha, yeah, of course. They're just dead weight," Wedge adds, smirking.
"They're only holding us back," Tiva says, grinning as if this is all a joke.
"Hahaha."
"Goodbye, losers."
'THESE UNGRATEFUL IDIOTS!' I scream inside my head.
I tense, my body coiled, ready to strike. My fists clench, anger thrumming in my veins. But just as I'm about to launch at them, Lenia grabs my arm. Holds me back.
"Ken... don't. You need to... control your anger."
"Yeah, she's right. My primary mission in this world isn't for my own sake."
"Alright then. Let me help you walk so you don't tire out."
"Yes... thank you."
***
We arrived in Rutesh village, making our way to the village head's residence. There, the trio of arrogant fools was already boasting about their so-called strength.
"Hm? Oh look, the two losers have finally arrived."
"Hey, hurry up, idiot!"
I tuned out their taunts. This time, my focus was on the quest and keeping Lenia safe.
"Hmmm, it seems everyone is here. Allow me to introduce myself again. I'm Mohan, the head of Rutesh village. We're facing problems with Orcs invading our fruit orchards, preventing us from harvesting. I request the guardians to handle them."
"Don't worry, old man. We'll take care of them."
"Very well. Our orchard is to the east. Head there and you'll find the apple orchards."
"Alright, let's move out."
Redan took it upon himself and, with his two companions, headed off without a second thought.
"Sorry, Chief, but do you have any medicine? My friend has a high fever."
"Ah, yes. Just a moment."
The village head returned with a glass of water. I felt a pang of guilt asking him for medicine, but Lenia's condition left me no other choice.
"Here you go."
"Thank you. Lenia, drink this instead of those potions."
"Yes... thank you."
"Hmm, it's best if your friend rests here."
"Yes, that's right. Lenia, you should stay and rest."
"No! I'll help you with the quest."
"But your condition—"
"I'm going."
Lenia's stubbornness was a force I couldn't counter. I sighed and led her to follow Redan, unable to shake the feeling that this quest might be our undoing.
When we reached the orchard, I was struck by disbelief. Not by the presence of orcs, but by the sight of those damned thieves desecrating, stealing, and devouring the apples.
"Hey, what the hell are you doing?"
"Can you stop yelling, you fool?"
"We're taking the apples so the orcs don't come back here."
"Do you expect me to believe the words of scoundrels like you? You're trying to loot every last apple from Rutesh Village, aren't you?"
"If we leave these pests alone, they'll only get louder. So what if we take them?"
"Wedge, should we just tie this kid up and hand him over to the orcs?"
"Hahaha."
"Stop it! We're here to complete the quest, not to brawl."
"Oh, the princess speaks."
*thud-thud-thud-thud*
In the midst of our heated exchange, we heard the thunderous rumble of something large charging through. As we turned to face the noise, a deer burst into view, sprinting desperately.
We all froze in shock as three orcs burst through the foliage, their war axes glinting in the light, relentless in their pursuit of the deer.
"Damn, damn, damn. I didn't expect them to come in force."
"Wedge, block them with your element!"
"Yeah."
[Stone Wall]
The earth rose up, forming a barrier about two meters high. The orcs charged through it without hesitation, breaking through with ease. They halted on the other side, their gaze now fixed on us.
"Everyone, get ready!"
"Tiva, prepare to attack!"
[Flame Arrow]
Tiva fired two arrows, hitting one of the orcs, but it wasn't enough to stop it.
In front of me was one orc, and I was ready to use the technique I'd first learned.
[Absolute Area]
"Lenia, can you give me a fire buff?"
"Of course."
[Pyro]
Flames ignited on my sword. As the orc swung its war axe at me, I dodged left and struck its arm.
"Huh? Damn it, why didn't it cut through?"
Wedge continued to disrupt the orc's balance with his earth element.
"Hey, Runemaster, what are you doing!? Help us, you idiot!"
[Geo, Pyro, Anemo]
Their combined elements intensified; Tiva's arrows pierced the orc, Wedge's earth barrier became stronger to withstand the orc's attacks, and Redan's spear strikes were sharper.
They managed to hold off the orc, but it still wasn't enough to defeat it.
"Ugh, why is only half its arm cut off?"
*Bam*
An orc's punch landed squarely on my left side, sending me sprawling.
"Cough, cough, Le… Lenia, avoid…"
Fortunately, Wedge's [Earthquake] skill disrupted the orc's balance, allowing Lenia to pull back.
Lenia then used [Heal] on me, and the pain vanished. I sprang up and attacked the orc's arm again, but my strike was blocked by its war axe.
"Ugh, why is its weapon so strong?"
One of the orcs hurled its war axe with a force that ripped through the air like a thunderbolt. Wedge tried to dodge, but the beast was too quick, too precise. The axe cleaved through flesh and bone, severing his leg as if it were nothing more than a branch.
His scream echoed through the battlefield—a raw, animalistic sound that cut through the chaos. Blood gushed from the wound, staining the ground in a widening pool of red.
"Damn it, Wedge's down!" The realization hit me like a blow to the gut. We were on the edge of being overwhelmed.
"Tiva, aim for its head!" I barked, forcing my voice to stay steady, to project command over the panic bubbling inside me. Tiva nodded, her face grim, as she drew back her bowstring, sighting down the arrow's shaft at the orc's exposed skull.
Redan was locked in his own battle, his spear a blur as he fended off another orc. But we couldn't afford any more losses. Not now. "Lenia, get to Wedge!" I ordered, the words coming out harsher than I intended.
"But what about you?" Her voice wavered, a mix of worry and exhaustion.
"I'll manage," I snapped, my focus already shifting back to the orc in front of me. "Your buffs will hold. Go, now!"
She hesitated for a split secondjust long enough for doubt to creep in—but then she was moving, rushing to Wedge's side, her hands already glowing with the soft light of healing magic.
The orc before me bellowed in fury, raising its war axe for another swing. I could see the rage burning in its eyes, the bloodlust. It wanted to tear me apart. I readied myself, feeling the familiar heat coil around my blade. Fire licked up the steel, hungry and alive.
I dodged the next swing, the axe whistling past my ear with a terrifying closeness. I spun on my heel, driving my flaming blade into the orc's leg, aiming to cripple it. The scent of burning flesh filled the air, but the damn thing still didn't go down.
Tiva's arrow struck true, burying itself in the orc's eye with a wet, sickening sound. It roared in pain but refused to fall. Behind me, Redan was gaining ground, his spear movements sharp and deadly. He had the upper hand, but I knew it wouldn't last if Lenia's magic faltered.
"Lenia, how's Wedge?" I called out, my voice tight with concern. I risked a glance her way, and my heart sank. She was still working on him, but her face was ghostly pale, her body trembling from exertion. She was pushing herself too hard—anyone could see that.
'I knew this would happen,' I thought bitterly. She wasn't in any condition to fight, yet here she was, giving everything she had. And because of that, our buffs were starting to flicker and fade. Redan's once-mighty spear strikes were slowing, the wind that had whipped around him now little more than a breeze. Tiva's arrows, deadly only moments ago, now barely fazed the orcs.
"Hahaha, die, you damned orc!" Redan's triumphant shout cut through the noise as he lunged, aiming to finish the beast. But just as his spear tip neared its mark, Lenia's magic flickered out. His strength vanished, and the spear scraped harmlessly off the orc's skull.
"What the hell—Runemaster!" Redan roared, his voice full of panic and frustration. He barely had time to turn before the orc Tiva had been trying to pin down charged him, its rage-fueled eyes locked on its prey. Tiva fired another arrow, but without Lenia's magic, it might as well have been a child's toy.
Redan tried to meet the orc's charge, but his spear lacked the power it had moments before. The orc slammed into him, sending him crashing into a tree with a bone-shaking thud.
I wanted to help, to rush to Lenia's side, to protect her—but the orc in front of me was still very much alive, its eyes burning with hate. Without Lenia's buff, taking it down was going to be a monumental task.
The ground shook with a steady rhythm—dugdugdugdug. The sound grew louder, closer, more ominous.
'Damn it... don't tell me there's more of them... The thought chilled me to my core.