"...should have clocked him upside the head," the sour looking rogue muttered as Rowan made his way over to the group.
Silvia rolled her eyes. "Omi, not everything needs to end in a fight. "
"Omitar. Omi-tar," he said poignantly. "Stop butchering my name."
Before the conversation could devolve into their usual bickering, Nemir saw him walking over, a relieved expression flashing across his face. "Ah, there he is," he said. "Are you ready?"
Rowan nodded. "Ready and eager to scalp some goblins," he said with a strained smile, though besides Annie, none of the group seemed to notice it. She shot him a questioning glance, but he ignored it, hoping she'd leave it alone.
"Murderous," Omi smirked. "I like it."
"Jamis!" Silvia exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she saw him. She rushed forward, giving him a big hug.
He still hadn't gotten used to people calling him that. Rowan wasn't an uncommon name, but in the wrong circles, it could lead to the wrong kind of attention. The chances of someone connecting the dots were slim, but there weren't many black-haired and gray-eyed Rowan's walking around the kingdom. Besides, it never hurt to be cautious.
Rowan chuckled, patting her on the back. "Nice to see you too, Sil."
She pulled back, gripping his shoulders and staring at him intently. "Where is he?" she asked with uncharacteristic seriousness.
Rowan laughed, pushing her off. "At home. Probably lazing around."
"Can we…?"
"Yeah, yeah," he waved her off. "He'd peck my eyes out if I didn't take him with us."
"Yes!" she pumped her fist. "And by the way, he wouldn't do that to you. He's a good boy," she said, pointing a finger at him. "Maybe a finger or two. But an eye?" she shook her head. "No way."
Annie snorted. "Come on, let's go pick up that bloodthirsty little menace. Daylight's a wastin'."
They left the crowded Guild Hall, the din of rowdy adventures and the clink of mugs fading behind them. Outside, the sun hung high in the air, casting short shadows on the cobblestone streets of Litwick. The scent of baked bread and spiced meat drifted from the nearby stalls, a welcome change from the stale air inside.
Rowan inhaled deeply, savoring the crisp summer breeze that carried the faint whiff of freshly cut hay. "Gods, does it smell in there," he muttered, wrinkling his nose.
"Should have picked Wind instead of Fire," Annie teased. "You'd never have to worry about smelling sweat and unwashed pits ever again."
Rowan snorted. "Gee, I wish I thought of that when I was making the single most important decision in my life."
"You really should have," Annie nodded sagely. "But oh well, we all make mistakes. At least now you know what to pick next."
Rowan chuckled, shaking his head. Annie's joke hit closer to the mark than she knew.
He'd decided on Wind as his second affinity a long time ago. Fire gave him all the offensive power he would ever need, and he tried to shore up his weaknesses by investing into Dexterity.
Most mages didn't fight up close, but Rowan was never one to shy away from a brawl. And to do that, he needed speed. More speed than he could get with just his stats.
That was where Wind came in.
There were spells to boost mobility. Ones Rowan was more than eager to learn.
It also didn't hurt that the combination led to Lightning at tier-two.
One step at a time, he reminded himself. That's months away, at best. Focus on the present.
Looking at the four people accompanying him, Rowan couldn't help it as his lips curled up into a small, genuine smile.
It was easy to fall back on what he knew—bitterness, sorrow, the kind of loneliness that had become second nature. But here, in this distant city so far away from home, surrounded by people who called him a friend, Rowan found himself laughing along to their jokes.
For now, the thoughts that perpetually clouded his mind faded away. He knew it wouldn't last. They would be back, the same as they always did when his head hit the pillow. But right now, he didn't care.
It was a grain of sand against a desert. But it was better than nothing.
It was a start.
.
.
.
"I'm so happy I could die," Silvia cooed, nuzzling her head against Kai's soft feathers. When she thought no one was looking, she pulled out a small brown lump and fed it to him.
Name:
Beast Pellet
Grade:
Basic
"Stop spoiling the little glutton," Rowan smiled. "You'll never get rid of him if you keep doing that."
"That's the plan," Silvia grinned, placing Kai on her shoulder.
Rowan frowned. "Are you trying to bribe away my familiar?"
"Do you even feed the poor guy?" Annie added, arching an eyebrow. "He's all skin and bones."
Kai let out an offended squawk, spreading his wings wide, showing off.
"Please," Rowan snorted. "He eats like a king."
Well, besides the rats.
He put a hand into his coat pocket, hiding the fact that he was using his ring and pulling out a similar brown pellet. Only this one was significantly better.
Name:
Beast Pellet
Grade:
Uncommon
Kai let out a happy trill as Rowan threw the treat high into the air, flapping his powerful wings and heading after it.
Silvia was about to say something, but Nemir interjected. "Alright, enough joking around," he said, his expression serious. "We're almost at the tree-line, keep your eyes peeled."
The rest of the team nodded, the playful atmosphere dissipating in moments.
Annie's grip tightened around her spear. Silvia pulled out an arrow and placed it against the string of her bow, her gaze roaming their surroundings. Omi stood next to her, two dangerous-looking daggers in his hands.
They had left the safety of the city walls half an hour ago, traveling across the flat plains surrounding the city. This close, the Wilds were relatively tame. Adventurers patrolled at all hours of the day, keeping the farms and the people manning them safe.
But they were heading deeper in. Past the treeline that marked the border between Litwick and the Wilds. To a place stronger adventurers than them had lost their lives.
It had been rare to find anything besides Vale wolves and Stonetusk boars this close to the city—monsters that rarely grew stronger than Bronze—but as of late, even Silver-ranked adventurers kept their guard up.
The Crimson Grove was strong for their level. Each one of them was a capable and skilled fighter. Yet they were still in Iron, meaning none of them had an Aura. And without one, the dangers posed by the Wilds were not something to scoff at.
Level:
15
Body:
Iron V [15 Levels]
Core:
N/A
Level:
13
Body:
Iron IV [13 Levels]
Core:
N/A
Level:
13
Body:
Iron IV [13 Levels]
Core:
N/A
Level:
11
Body:
Iron III [11 Levels]
Core:
N/A
Nemir stood at the front, his greatsword sheathed and hanging over his shoulders, a firm grip on the handle. He was the highest leveled among them, and from what Rowan knew, he was almost ready to advance.
Annie stood slightly behind and on Nemir's right, guarding their front. She might have been the lowest level among them, yet that didn't make her weaker. Rowan had seen her fight, and the way she used her spear was nothing short of masterful.
It was skills that made a warrior, not their level.
Omi and Silvia trailed behind, keeping Rowan in the center and guarding their rear. Both of them had skills that heightened their perception, something that was vital for where they were heading.
Rowan felt his excitement build as they finally entered the forest. A familiar focus settled over him like a comforting embrace, chasing away anything that might distract him from the task at hand. His Core was full, and his spells were ready. All he had to do was try to keep the thrill from overwhelming him.
Out here, with danger lurking around every corner, was the only place Rowan felt at ease.
It was simple. Monsters would try to kill him, and he would kill them in turn. This was no place for deep thoughts, no place for painful memories. Just him, his magic, and foes to slay.
As they left the open plains behind, going past the looming edge of the treeline, the environment shifted. Towering trees stretched toward the sky, their thick, intertwined branches forming a natural barrier against the sunlight. The air grew heavier, cooler, carrying the earthy scent of damp soil and moss. A stark contrast to the open, sunlit plains they'd just crossed.
The Wilds seemed to pulse with life. The rustling of leaves and the distant calls of unseen creatures creating a constant, low hum. Unlike the gentle breeze that had followed them since they left the city, the wind here felt different—stifled, as if the forest had swallowed it whole.
As they stepped further in, Rowan glanced around at his companions, feeling the same tension they did. Shadows stretched in strange patterns across the forest floor, where roots twisted like serpents, half-buried in the undergrowth.
This was no ordinary forest, a fact all of them knew. Here, nature ruled, and anyone who entered was merely a guest.
Kai fluttered from branch to branch, keeping watch alongside Silvia and Omi.
For the first ten minutes, nothing disturbed them. But that changed when his familiar let out a loud screech.
Suddenly, Silva pointed her bow to the side, fully knocking her arrow.
"Vinesnakes!" she shouted, the string thrumming with energy as she activated [Quickshot].
The arrow flew through the air with alarming speed, impacting a nearby tree before Rowan even registered the twang of her bow. A loud hiss followed it, her arrow impaling a serpent that was wrapped around its trunk.
Level:
7
Body:
Iron I [7 Levels]
Core:
N/A
Its dark brown coloring had made it almost invisible, yet with three members of their team on the lookout, the snake never stood a chance.
"Form up and watch the canopy!" Nemir shouted, pulling out his greatsword with practiced ease.
Rowan's heart beat like a war drum, the thrill of battle growing as more shapes made themselves known. The serpents slithered down the massive trees, moving faster than creatures of that size had any right to.
The rest of the team moved into position. Their expressions were determined and composed, more than ready for the fight ahead.
With the monster's ambush foiled, there were only two options left open to them. They could either fight, or flee. And the denizens of the Wilds didn't have a reputation for restraint.
His pulse quickened as the serpents drew nearer. The rush of battle, the thrill of the fight wasn't something he could resist. And in the end, he didn't want to. This was where he thrived. Out here, in the Wilds, everything made sense. The chaos quieted the perpetual storm brewing in his mind.
A [Firebolt] burst from his fingertips almost unconsciously, and a serpent crumpled, its body writhing as flames engulfed its head. A grin tugged at his lips.
This was what he needed. An outlet. Control.
For the moment, he could let go of the pain gnawing at him and lose himself in the fight.
But Annie's sharp voice cut through his reverie like a slap. "No!" she barked, her tone firm. "Stop wasting mana. We're after goblins, not garden pests."
Her command should have grounded him, but instead, a knot of frustration twisted in his chest. They were deep in the Wilds, surrounded by enemies, and she wanted him to stop?
Rowan clenched his fists as mana moved through his channels, another spell already forming. But just as quickly as it came, he shoved it down, trying to push away the fog clouding his mind.
He knew she was right. These monsters weren't threats, they were distractions. Yet it didn't make his choice any easier.
His fists clenched, he watched as the others dealt with the threat.
"Incoming!" Nemir shouted.
With a roar, he raised his sword high in the air, cleaving a serpent in half as it lunged at him. Silvia followed it up with an arrow through another's eye, while Omi became a whirlwind of steel and blood. His daggers flashed as he tore through their numbers, severing heads and piercing through their scales with pinpoint precision—each strike lethal.
They didn't need him. Not for this.
Rowan's gaze flickered towards the writhing bodies of the dead serpents, his hand twitching. He could do so much more—he could end this fight in seconds, decimate these monsters with a few well-placed spells.
The weight of his own mana felt like a storm just waiting to be unleashed. A beast he had to keep chained.
"Behind!" Silvia shouted.
Rowan whirled around just in time to see a massive snake slither out of the underbrush, at least four times the length and twice as thick as all the rest.
Level:
15
Body:
Iron V [15 Levels]
Core:
N/A
His heart leapt at the sight, his finger itching to weave the next spell. Rowan caught Annie's eye, silently asking for permission.
Just let me—
But she shook her head, nodding towards Nemir. "Hold off the big one!" she commanded, stabbing a monster through the skull and pinning it to the ground. "We'll deal with the others and take it out together."
Nemir didn't waste any time, disengaging and moving towards what had to be the matriarch of the nest.
Rowan forced himself to step back, mana still moving through his channels. This wasn't the Plateau. This wasn't just him and the beasts. These were his friends—people who counted on him, trusted him with their lives. And the last thing they needed was a reckless mage trying to prove his worth.
He exhaled slowly, his muscles still tense but his thoughts clearer.
Rowan let the excitement ebb away, leaving behind only a calm focus.
That focus proved immediately useful.
From up above, he heard a branch snap, followed by a loud caw.
His gaze snapped upwards just in time to see three shapes falling straight towards them. One was thrown to the side when a black blur barreled into it. Another was shot out of the air by a well-timed arrow from Silvia.
That left only one.
The one directly over Rowan.