I continue walking through the forest, the tall, overbearing trees blocking the sun, casting long shadows around me. The distant sound of water crashing and the rich, earthy smell fill the air; it feels as though no human has been here for years. I stop at the riverbank, looking for a red flower the Adventuring Guild sent me to find. Its seeds are an essential component in healing potions, and locating them was harder than I thought.
After wandering aimlessly, the sun begins to set over the land of Ilyndor, casting an orange glow through the branches. Just as I consider turning back, I spot a patch of the elusive red flowers. I drop my bag and kneel beside them. Using my blessing, Nature's Bond, granted by Faelina, the goddess of nature and fertility, I coax the flowers to release their seeds willingly.
In this world, there are blessings and curses given out by the gods themselves. My blessing is Nature's Bond, given by the goddess of nature and fertility, which grants the ability to communicate with animals and control plants.
After collecting them carefully, I place them in my bag and brush my fingers over the hand-stitched patch on the side, a gift from my mother. The patch reads "Sekai." I don't know why she named me that, and now... it's too late to ask her.
With a sigh, I make my way back toward the capital of Ilyndor, a beautiful, bustling town surrounded by a sturdy brick wall. The flag a golden ship against a green and blue background flutters against the gray stone, a proud symbol of trade and prosperity.
As I approach the gate, a guard steps forward. "Adventuring or Merchant Card?" His green eyes pierce through me, assessing my every move. I shrink a little under his stare, fumbling for my Adventuring card. His posture was powerful. The silver glint on the guard's metal armor was a gentle reminder of his strength.
The guard's voice is blunt. "Name?"
"Sekai Shizen" I say, voice shaky. He looks me over again.
"Gender and age?"
"Male… and nineteen."
His gaze drops to my card. "Bronze rank, huh?" he says, as polite as a streetfighter. I nod. The guild splits the members into ranks of Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Mythril. I'm in Bronze the lowest rank for rookies or small, untested parties. Not exactly a prestigious title.
The guard finally tosses my card back at me. "Move along." I barely catch it, muttering a "thank you" as I step into the bustling streets of the capital. After a short walk, I make it to the Adventuring Guild building, a tall structure with three floors towering over the building around it and the red roof glowing brighter in the sun. As I step inside the sound of people talking, chairs moving, and the occasional cheer whenever something happens at the poker game or someone says some important event like a rank up, I make my way to the front desk. A female receptionist greets me if I remember her name is Ružica; she smiles at me brightly before speaking.
"Hiya Sekai got those flowers we requested?" Ružica asked in a cheerful tone. Her uniform was a red coat with a green undershirt and black pants with a pen tucked behind her ear. Her blue eyes looked at my bag, pushing her white hair to the side of her face.
"Yep, got them right here," I say nervously as I put my bag on the table, taking out the seeds around thirty of them around double what I needed playing with the straps on my bag.
"Great job; here I will get your payment," Ružica said as she retreated into the back room. Moments later, she reappeared with a small brown pouch with a small rope tied around the top, keeping it shut. "Here you go; all we owe you is in that bag," she said with a beaming smile.
"Thank you," I say with a small smile, taking my bag off the table and placing the pouch in my pocket as I start to leave. Someone grabs my shoulder when I am halfway to the door. I turn around to see a muscular man with scars all over his body. "Can I hel-' Before I can finish my sentences, I am slammed against the wall pinned between the wall, a man, and a nearby table.
"Give me what you got in your pocket," the man slurs, clearly drunk. His deep blue eyes stare into mine, pupils dilated. My heart races, pounding so loudly it feels like it's right next to my ear.
Before I can react, Ružica speaks up. "Sir, put the man down," she says, her voice still polite but now firm, her face and posture showing more resolve than I can muster. I'm physically shaking, but she's holding her ground.
"And if I don't missy?" The drunk man said he was not intimidated by the five-foot-seven-inch girl, not bothering to look at Ružica, who was fuming and not a fan of bullies like this man. As the argument continued, my eyes darted around trying to find a way out of the verbal fight being toned out, but suddenly the drunk man's head was slammed into the table beside me, snapping me out of my trance.
"For someone your size, you take a hit like a girl. Damned people from Zeradiel just because your country has a warrior culture doesn't mean you're good at it," a new voice says bluntly. I look up to see a towering man with yellow eyes, his face marked by a large scar that runs from his left eyebrow to below his chin. His short black hair is tied into a bun, and his eyes burn with an intensity as hot as a raging flame.
The entire guild hall falls silent. Every table freezes, drinks stop pouring, and everyone either sits still or stands frozen. After what feels like years, the man speaks.
"I am not paying for that," he said bluntly, talking about the table. He slammed the man through everyone, not saying a word until Ružica spoke up.
"Sekigan, you have to. It's the rules; you need to stop beating the blessing out of people." Sekigan, as she calls him, grumbles something under his breath, searches the unconscious man's body, pulls out his wallet, and throws it at Ružica before leaving without another word.
"Who was that?" I ask Ružica, my voice shy and quiet, still shaken by the attack.
"That's Sekigan, a former member of The Red Blades. He's partyless at the moment and... not someone you want to mess with," she says with a sigh, clearly having dealt with Sekigan's violent behavior before, her shoulders slumping at the memories.
"Why did he leave the party?" I ask, slowly recovering, my hands steadying and my heartbeat slowing.
"He didn't leave; he was kicked out because of his curse." Ružica pauses, seeing my curiosity. "And I know you're going to ask, so here's his curse." She pauses, throwing on some dramatic flair before speaking up again. "Bloodlust," she said so dramatically, she could get an acting job if being the guild's receptionist falls through.
"B-b-b-bloodlust?" I repeat, scared, the gods often give out curses to people who commit sins or as a way to challenge their followers. Bloodlust sounds self-explanatory; the person has a lust for blood, but that doesn't make it less scary.
"Yep! Loyal guy, when you get to know him, just trust him," Ružica said in her normal cheerful voice. If that is true or not, I am not. Sure, Ružica sees saying anything that is not polite as a mortal sin. Unless she is drunk, then she is as rude as humanly possible.
"Huh, sure… Are there any quests I can take on?" I ask wanting to change the subject away from the guy who showed up and beat the hell out of some guy and left.
"No, everything is done for now, quest-wise." Ružica said cheerfully, and I panicked because of my time looking for the flowers. I didn't get enough money for an inn. Seeing my panicked expression, she frowned. "There is going to be a Dungeon raid in an hour that is everything left for the day." I hadn't been to a Dungeon before, nor was I planning on it. Dungeons are high-risk, high rewards being made from the gods before I can say no. Ružica passes me a map and more or less drags me to the equipment room. Being a bronze rank, I get small perks like basic equipment, supplies, and maps. Basic healing services are provided at a discount.
Ružica looks at the wall full of stuff and passes me a simple knife for protection, leather boots, and a leather chest plate. She focused me into the changing room and yelled to me, "Change up; we are going when you are done." Before I could repose "And no arguing," I sighed and put on the equipment, almost cutting myself with the knife. I collected flowers for a reason; when I stepped out, she dragged me out of the guild.
"Wait, what about your job?" I argue, trying to find a reason to not do this. "It is my clock-off time," Ružica responds, giving me a bonk on the head for trying to be a coward and pulling me to the walls of the capital, stopping at the guard. "Hey, Ružica," the guard appears to be a different one from the morning, looking to be a more kind person.
"Hey Wade, how is it going?" she said to the guard, her blue eyes staring at Wade as cheerful as ever. The guard simply let us pass no check as we passed the walls of the capital into and down the path, looking around and seeing the large sea to the west and the fields to the east, the ideal place for merchants, which is why Ilyndor is a nation known for its expansive merchant fleets and diplomatic prowess.
When we are out of earshot of Wade, Ružica speaks up. "And that's why you know people in high places; no ID checks are needed," she said with a cocky smile, her boots stomping on the ground as we made our way to the Dungeon through the heavily forested land of Ilyndor. After a while, I speak up.
"Can we take a break?!?" My voice is full of strain as my legs feel like they weigh a hundred pounds, but Ružica, without a sign of exhaustion, jumps from one foot to the other, still as cheerful as the day she was born. "Not at all, we're only halfway." I sigh, and after what feels like an eternity, we arrive at the entrance of the dungeon of the large cave outside. People have gathered; the sound of groups talking fills the air, and I fall to the ground, recovering from the far walk.
"We are here; anyway, you should find a party; you are more of a support than a damage dealer." Ružica said, full of energy like she hadn't walked four miles. I looked around to see the groups of adventures; the highest rank I saw was a gold before I saw the same man from the guild who knocked out the man. What was his name again, Sekigan? Whatever he's insane, and I do not want to talk to him, "Hey Sekigan, come here." Ružica yelled to Sekigan, and the scared man walked over in his equipment, a set of steel boots, a leather chest plate, and a pair of sickles strapped to his side. "What do you want, Ruž?" Sekigan said to Ružica, who smiled in response and spoke up. "You are taking Sekai with you in the dungeon or you are expelled from the guild," she said happily. "You can't do that." Sekigan argued stubbornly, "Nope, remember that guy you beat; I can kick you out for that, so take Sekai with you or else," she said, but her normal cheerfulness had a mix of mischief. Sekigan sighs before turning to me. "Okay, come with me," he said before dragging me with him, not happy about bringing me.
He then takes me to a group of adventurers. A man around five feet seven with a large iron shield and plated armor speaks up, "Who is this child?" The man asked, "I own Ružica. We, we have to take him." A woman around six feet wearing light armor pushes up her glasses before speaking, "As long as he doesn't cause a problem, it shouldn't be a problem. Now, strategy, gentleman." She said clearly from an upper-class family as she pulled out a notebook to write down ideas. Another man with a bow and arrow with no armor speaks up, "Well first, what the new kids are blessing?" Everyone looked at me, making me feel small, and I mumbled, "N-Nature's Bond, no curse. How about you guys?" Sekigan speaks up "Hemokinesis, Bloodlust, Hana speak," Sekigan said bluntly glancing at the woman with the glasses "How impolite anyways my blessing is Eyes of the Beyond it allows the user to see glimpses of future events or sense hidden dangers. However, frequent use can lead to mental exhaustion, causing temporary blindness. As well, hemokinesis is the ability to control blood," she explained as Sekigan looked bored before the man in heavy armor spoke. "My name is Cal, and my blessing is Power Burst," he said before Sekigan spoke up. "No one asked for your name, Cal. Cain goes," The archer spoke up. "Precise shot, I can't miss if I focus on a target for ten seconds."
Before we can talk strategy, a woman walks over, "Hello, is Haha here?" Haha perks up at her name. "Yes, ma'am, are you the guide we hired?" The woman nods in the affirmative, "Yes, I know the Spider's Den Dungeon; well, don't worry." I shiver at the name. Is there going to be spiders? Sekigan speaks up. "Good, let's go. If we keep this pace up, all the loot will be gone by the time we find a mammoth spider, let alone the boss," he said, bluntly growing bored. "Sorry, a WHAT," I say, scared no one said anything about mammoth spiders. "You will see Flower Boy," Sekigan said, dragging me into the cave as everyone else followed. My arguments are met on deaf ears before Sekigan speaks. "Ok, flower boy, what can Nature's Bond do?" he asked, trying to see if I was useless or not. "W-well, I can talk to animals and control plants." I say scared about being in my first dungeon. Sekigan looks far from happy. "Oh, we are in a cave, so you are fucking useless," he said bluntly, throwing the party's extra gear onto me, making me the bag carrier.
We entered the cave. Large stalactites hung from the ceiling. The darkness surrounded us until Sekigan lit a torch. Illuminating the cave the large webs shining slightly in the new light source. The sound of movement can be heard far into the Dungeon before the guide speaks up.
The guide clears her throat, her voice steady and clear. "Stay close, everyone. The path splits in a bit, and we don't want anyone getting lost." She leads us down a twisting corridor, the webs growing thicker the deeper we go. My heart races at each skittering sound echoing through the cave. I clutch my simple knife tighter, feeling woefully underprepared.
As we round a bend, a faint chittering comes from the shadows ahead. Sekigan holds up his hand, signaling for silence. His yellow eyes narrow as he stares into the darkness, his voice barely a whisper. "We're not alone. Stay ready."
Cal, the heavily armored man, positions himself in front of me, his large shield raised defensively. Hana, the woman with glasses and a notebook, stays close to Sekigan, her eyes darting around, likely using her blessing, Eyes of the Beyond, to sense any dangers ahead.
In the silence, Cain the archer strains his bow, his arrow ready. "Whatever it is, it's moving fast," he murmurs, his gaze fixed on the shadows.
Suddenly, the chittering grows louder, echoing off the stone walls. The guide tenses, her eyes scanning the path ahead. "It's just a scout spider, but where there's one..."
Before she can finish, a giant spider emerges from the darkness, its eyes gleaming in the torchlight. It's easily the size of a horse, with jagged fangs dripping venom. My heart pounds as the creature lunges toward us, but Cal slams his shield into its path, blocking the attack.
"Everyone, attack now!" Hana shouts, her voice full of authority, as she quickly jots down something in her notebook. Sekigan charges forward, his sickles flashing in the dim light, slicing deep into the spider's legs.
Seeing my chance, I summon Nature's Bond and focus on the moss and lichen clinging to the cave walls, urging them to grow and ensnare the creature's limbs. Vines wrap around its legs, holding it back just enough for Cain to release an arrow directly into one of its eyes. The spider shrieks, flailing wildly.
The guide steps back, giving us a room as the spider struggles. "You've got it on the ropes! Keep going!"
Sekigan grins, the bloodlust in his eyes flaring as he delivers a final blow, slicing through the spider's head. With a shudder, the creature collapses to the ground, lifeless.
The cave falls silent once again, save for the sound of our heavy breathing. I realize my hands are shaking, but Ružica's pep talk rings in my head, reminding me that this is what adventurers do.
Sekigan gives me a rough pat on the back. "Not completely useless, flower boy," he mutters with a smirk.
The guide nods approvingly, her face stern but encouraging. "If you all keep up this teamwork, we might just make it through the den in one piece."
I swallow, nodding in agreement, knowing that this is just the beginning of my trial in the dungeon. The silence is deafening. Hana glances around from time to time, using her blessing to check for danger as Cal is in the front so he can take most attacks. As the guide leads us through the dungeon, we find more scout spiders, but they meet the same fate as the first. As he travels further, the sound of water flowing is heard. The guide speaks again, We are halfway there. Watch out for tunnels. The Tankain live there, and they "will drag you to the feeding hole." She said calmly. My head whips to her. "Sorry, there will drag me where?" The guide laughs at my spooked face. "The feeding hole, all the newborns from the Spider Queen are; they will rip you to bits; very painful." All the color from my face drains as I hear my eyes darting to see any tunnels.
"And what do these 'Tankain' look like?" I ask, my voice shaking slightly, and my fear doubles when I hear the answer, "Faceless humans, pail white, jaws that can open three times a normal person's, and elongated fingers," she said calmly, enjoying messing with me to the point where she is not paying attention to her surroundings, and then Haha yells, "Behind you!"
We all whip around to see the guide's head being bit off by a tankain. Sekigan quickly puts a sickle in the head of the Tankain, and Cain puts an arrow in its chest. The sight makes me throw up as the Tankain falls dead. Everyone is silent except for my sobs before Sekigan speaks up again, not bothered by the sight in front of him. "Stop whining. We knew her for twenty-five minutes. Let's go."
My stomach twists as I wipe my mouth, trying to hold back another wave of nausea. The others are already moving, unfazed, as if losing a guide to a horrific creature like this is nothing new. I force myself to stand, even though my legs feel like jelly. Sekigan gives me an impatient look, his yellow eyes cold and hard.
"Keep up, flower boy. Unless you want to end up like her," he mutters, jerking his head toward the guide's lifeless body.
I take a shaky breath and follow the reality of dungeon raids hitting me harder than ever. The others fall into formation, with Cal in the front, his shield up, and Hana staying close, her eyes scanning every inch of our path with renewed vigilance.
As we move deeper into the dungeon, the sound of skittering and dripping water fills the silence. I catch sight of side tunnels, dark and yawning, and I do everything I can to stay clear of them, the guide's warning echoing in my head. "The feeding hole" now feels more like a certainty than a distant threat.
We stop briefly at a large, open chamber, where the underground stream widens, its cold, clear water pooling into a shallow basin. The atmosphere is thick with tension as we prepare to move onward. Hana's eyes gloss over momentarily as she uses her blessing, Eyes of the Beyond, to check ahead.
"It's clear for now, but I sensed... something massive just beyond this chamber," she says, her voice tight with apprehension. She blinks, shaking off the mental strain, and pushes her glasses back up. "It may be the queen."
Sekigan grins, his grip tightening on his sickles. "Finally, some real action," he says with a spark of excitement that makes my skin crawl.
Haha, it gives him a sharp look. "Let's not rush into it. We'll need everyone at their best." She glances at me, giving an encouraging nod. "You've got this, Sekai. Just stay focused. Nature's Bond might be more helpful than you think, especially against something as vicious as the Spider Queen."
I swallow, nodding despite my nerves. The team repositions, each of us on high alert, moving slowly through the chamber toward the darkness ahead. I keep close to the center, gripping my knife and feeling the vitality of the plants clinging to the walls.
As we stepped into the chamber, the silence was thick, broken only by the steady rhythm of our footsteps and the faint clink of metal from our armor echoing off the stone walls. Before us lay the Spider Queen, motionless. Her eighteen crimson eyes, once bright with malice, were now dull and vacant, gazing emptily toward the ceiling.
The creature's massive body sprawled across the chamber floor, severed in two, with several of her legs sliced clean off, scattered around her like the broken limbs of a twisted marionette. Sharp stalactites jutted from the ceiling, several piercing her monstrous form, their tips stained with dark, viscous blood that trailed down to pool on the icy stone floor. Her blood, thick and almost black, was splattered across the cold chamber walls, marking the scene of her brutal end.
Sekigan Sighed "Someone beat us to it," he said, looking around for any excess loot as he looked around. Haha spoke up. "But we were the strongest party I saw, and by what was left of the queen, it was no lucky beginner."
My heart pounds at the sight of the Spider Queen's carcass, torn apart with a brutality that sends a chill down my spine. Whoever or whatever killed her did it with such precision and force that it's hard to imagine them leaving anything behind. The others exchange wary glances as they scan the room for any hint of the slayer's identity.
Cal crouches beside the scattered remains, inspecting one of the queen's severed legs with a frown. "Clean cut. Whoever did this was... precise." He trails off, his gaze lingering on the eerie stillness of the cavern as if expecting something or someone to emerge from the shadows.
Sekigan, undeterred, starts rifling through the remnants around the queen's body, muttering under his breath. "They might've left something. Even the best can overlook a few gems." His eyes gleam with determination, but I can tell even he's unnerved by the scene.
Haha, she adjusts her glasses, her face set in concentration. "The force it would take to sever limbs like this... It's no spell, I know. And it's not hemokinesis." She looks over at Sekigan, who scowls, clearly annoyed by the reminder.
Haha, as she glances at the ceiling, noting the blood-streaked stalactites. "Whoever it was might still be here. Be on guard." She casts a glance over her shoulder, offering me a quick nod. "Sekai, keep your senses sharp. Nature's bond might give us an edge if there's more than just spiderlings left in this place."
I take a shaky breath and close my eyes, reaching out with my blessing, feeling for any sign of movement in the cave. The faint pulse of energy I sense is quiet and still until a subtle shift prickles my senses, a presence lurking just beyond the chamber, barely discernible but there.
"There's... something," I whisper, and all eyes snap to me. "Someone, maybe, just ahead."
Sekigan stands, tightening his grip on his sickles, a dark grin spreading across his face. "Well, let's go meet the competition then."