Part 1: Dodging Trouble
Greg's stomach sank as he faced Prince Garrick's red-faced fury.
"Oh crap." He thought, suddenly remembering he was stuck in a priest's body. All of his spells were useless in a fight. If Garrick decided to throw a punch, Greg probably can't do anything to retaliate, all he could do is dodge.
"Need a physical spell or something" Greg grumbled to himself, hoping the game world would give him a better spell in the future, he doesn't have strength to even hold up a proper weapon.
To his surprise, Garrick didn't lunge. Instead, the prince pointed a finger at the brown-haired girl beside him, his so-called future wife. "Y-You! Beat him up for me!" he barked.
The girl's green eyes flashed, her calm mask cracking. "Have you forgotten I'm cursed?" she snapped, glancing between Greg and Garrick. "You promised a high priest to cure me if I married you."
Greg's ears perked up. Cursed? He kept his face neutral, but his mind raced. Sounds like trouble, hoping that the girl wouldn't request him for help.
Garrick's face twisted. "You… useless!" He spun to the cafeteria, arms wide. "A hundred gold to anyone who beats this priest!"
The hall went quiet, students turning to stare. But not one stepped forward. Greg smirked inwardly. "Temple of Light's is quite influential in this kingdom. Nobody wants to mess with them." He couldn't help but think, "If I were them, I'd punch myself for that gold. Can I claim it if I knock myself out?"
Shrugging, Greg stood, ignoring Garrick's shouts of "Stop!" Not sticking around for this circus, he decided. If the girl asked him to cure her curse, he'd be in a bind. He would be lucky if he fails. Succeed, and Garrick might send assassins his way. Nope, I'm out. He headed for the exit, hoping to check the library to read up more on Eldoria lore, but a "Closed" sign hung on its doors. Figures. With no better plan, he aimed to go back to the Temple of Light to rest up for tomorrow.
As he left the inner kingdom's gleaming streets, Greg spotted a group of knights in white armor, their breastplates stamped with the Temple's light symbol. Paladins, he guessed, recalling the city guards' sneers from earlier. Bet they're the ones the guards hate. He accidentally locked eyes with a woman with long white hair, her face half-hidden by a helm. Her gaze sharpened, and Greg's heart skipped. "Not good." Greg thought, but someone approached her, pulling her attention away. Seizing the chance, Greg quickened his pace, slipping out of the inner kingdom before more trouble found him. "Dodged a bullet there" He thought.
Part 2: A Dirty Plan
Greg leaned back in the creaky wooden chair at the Dawnbreakers' usual tavern table, the morning sun spilling through the windows. His stomach growled, already dreaming of the Moonpetal-Grilled River Snapper at the Crownshade Institute's cafeteria. "Morning, guys. Any plans for today?" he asked, glancing at his party.
Mira shrugged, tossing a braid over her shoulder, and looked at Lila. "What'd Tilda say?"
Lila slumped, resting her head on the table with a dramatic sigh. "We're too low rank for quests outside the kingdom. Only boring stuff inside the walls."
Tomas stood, stretching, and headed to the tavern's quest board, its parchment notices curling at the edges. Greg didn't mind a quiet day, free food at the Institute sounded better than any quest. Glowing fish, tangy sauce… yeah, that's calling my name. He sprawled back, daydreaming about cafeteria stalls, until Tomas returned, his eyes glinting with an idea.
"Guys, I checked the quests. One stands out," Tomas said, dropping into his chair.
"What is it?" Lila asked, lifting her head.
Greg and Mira leaned in, curious. Tomas grinned. "Cleaning the sewers."
"What?" Mira's face twisted in disgust. "What's wrong with you? You know how bad it smells down there?"
"What's the catch?" Greg asked, ignoring Mira's glare.
She gasped, mock-shocked. "Oi! Can't believe I'm stuck with a greedy priest!"
Tomas chuckled. "Thirty gold per district. The outer kingdom has fifty districts. Do it right, and we're looking at fifteen hundred gold."
Lila perked up. "What's your plan?"
"Not fully sure yet, but it's all about Greg," Tomas said, eyeing him. "Let's test my theory. Come on."
Greg and Lila hopped up, ready to follow. Mira groaned, dragging her feet behind them, muttering about "stupid sewer plans." They trekked through the outer kingdom's muddy streets to the nearest sewer grate, its stench hitting like a punch. Tomas stopped and turned to Greg.
"It's a bit late to ask, but you can cast Purify, right?" he said.
"Yeah, but what's that got to do with it?" Greg replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Perfect. Test it out. Can you purify that filthy puddle over there?" Tomas pointed to a grimy pool near the grate, shimmering with grease and worse.
"Okay…" Greg crouched, holding out his hand pointing towards the puddle. "This better not splash." He whispered a fake chant "O Light, turn this filthy water to something that we can drink, uh, please." To keep up appearances, then focus: Purify. A soft white glow spread over the puddle, the muck dissolving into clear water, the stink fading like a bad memory.
"Whoa. That's… actually cool." Greg thought to himself.
Tomas grinned wide. "Knew it! If you can clean that, we can blitz the sewers and rake in the gold." Mira rolled her eyes, but Lila clapped, interested in it.
Part 3: The Sewer Gambit
Greg stood by the sewer grate, the stench still lingering despite his purification clearing the nearby puddle. Lila edged closer, her nose wrinkling as she stopped short.
"What do you think, Greg? Can you clean a whole district?" she asked, fanning the air.
"Depends on how much time we've got," Greg said, turning to Tomas. As long as he is given sufficient time, he probably can continue to spam purify the whole district.
Tomas rubbed his chin. "Not sure exactly, but we'll need you, Lila, to buy Greg as much time as possible." Lila nodded. "Got it."
"Meanwhile I am thinking about what us three would do while Greg's purifying? Any ideas?" Tomas asked, glancing at Lila.
Mira crossed her arms, still scowling at the sewer. "Yeah, what's our job while he's playing holy janitor? I am not comfortable taking advantage of Greg."
"Greg purifies the area to kill the smell," Lila explained. "Once it's clear, we pick up the trash lying around. Plus, we keep him safe from anything nasty down there."
Greg, Tomas, and Mira nodded, the plan sounding solid. "Trash duty? Not glamorous, but fifteen hundred gold's worth it if they can clear all 50 districts." Greg thought.
Mira raised a hand. "Fine, but we're not starting today. I need to hit the market for cheap, disposable clothes. No way I'm ruining my gear in that stinkhole."
"Good call," Lila said. "I was thinking the same. Let's head back to the guild and talk to Tilda."
The Dawnbreakers trudged back through the kingdom muddy streets to the adventurer's guild, a squat building buzzing with mercenaries and quest boards. Inside, Tilda the guild's clerk with a wild mop of red curls, gaped as Lila laid out their plan.
"You're joking, right? The sewer quest? Really?" Tilda's eyes widened, her quill frozen over her ledger. "Nobody's touched that job in months!"
Lila sighed. "How many times do I have to say we're serious? Are there any conditions or deadlines?"
Tilda blinked, recovering. "No rush, indefinite time limit. Just let me know when you've cleaned a district, and I'll send someone to check your work."
Lila grinned. "If there's no deadline, sign us up now. I don't want to fight tomorrow's morning crowd just to register."
"Y-You're actually doing this?" Tilda stammered, scribbling their names.
"Tilda!" Lila snapped, exasperated. "Come on!"
"Fine, fine!" Tilda laughed, shaking her head. "I'm just shocked. Of all the parties, you're the first to tackle the nastiest quest."
"If it's that bad, bump up the pay," Lila shot back, smirking.
Tilda leaned in, lowering her voice. "Do a great job, and I'll throw in something big. A special tip."
Lila narrowed her eyes. "Ehhh? Sounds suspicious."
Part 4: A Radiant Test
Back at the tavern, Lila clapped her hands to gather the Dawnbreakers, her voice cutting through the hum of clinking mugs and chatter. "Alright, listen up! Me and Mira are heading to the market to grab cheap clothes and gear for tomorrow's sewer job. Greg, you're our star player, so rest up. We need you sharp in the morning. Meet us at the sewer district we checked out earlier, got it? See you all then!"
Greg nodded, watching as Lila and Mira headed out, Tomas trailing behind. Greg grinned to himself.
"Rest? Yeah, right." His mind buzzed with the day's events. Instead of heading to the Temple of Light, he wandered back to the sewer district, the muddy streets of the kingdom, quiet under the fading sun. "Got a new spell to test. Better make sure it works before we dive in tomorrow." Greg thought
"I haven't tried Radiant Pulse yet." Greg muttered. "Sounds like an area-of-effect spell. Hope I'm right."
He'd hit level 10 after the incident where his party were able to defeat the troll, unlocking the spell, but hadn't had a chance to use it. "If it's as good as I think, this sewer gig might be a breeze." Greg muttered
At the sewer grate, the stench hit like a troll's fist. Greg took a deep breath, casting Light Ward to summon glowing orbs that lit up the damp tunnel. Shadows danced on the slimy walls, but the wards kept him from stepping in anything gross. "Here goes nothing." Greg whispered, "Radiant Pulse."
A ball of light sparked in front of him, growing to the size of a watermelon. It pulsed, glowing brighter until it vibrated and unleashed a wave of white energy. Greg braced, expecting a flat burst, but the pulse rippled outward and upward, washing over the sewer like a cleansing tide. Filth dissolved, the air cleared, and the stone gleamed like it was freshly carved. Greg's jaw dropped. "Holy crap, it's like a magic pressure washer that works in 360 degrees."
He checked his mana, only 25 points drained. "Twenty-five mana, and this place looks brand new," he said, grinning. "Forget healer. Should I call myself the Cleaner?" The thought of 1500 gold for the sewer quest sparked another grin. With this spell, we'll rake it in. Wonder if the team's up for traveling around Aetheria after this. Could use a world tour once they have enough money and the current situation stabilises.
The sky outside was darkening, so Greg walked out of the sewer, his robes thankfully clean. Enough testing for now. He decided to explore the outer kingdom market to get a feel for Eldoria, his mind drifting to the book that he had read at the library and its mention of the Kharuun tribes. What do they even look like? Nomads with storm-goats? Gotta ask Lila later.
The market buzzed with vendors hawking glowing herbs, smoked fish, and rune-etched trinkets. Greg window-shopped, marveling at the sights, but his priestly sight made it rough. Apparitions, ghostly figures of villagers, some with hollow eyes, drifted through the crowd. A few passed right through him, sending chills down his spine like a sudden dip in ice water. Each time, he flinched, earning weird stares from passersby. "Great, I'm the creepy priest now." He wondered. He forced himself to keep walking, trying his best to ignore the ghosts.
Part 5: A Shady Gift
Greg flopped onto his creaky bed in the Temple of Light, the straw mattress poking through the thin blanket. Staring at the stone ceiling, he let his mind wander. This world's nuts. Back home, I'd be at my gaming rig, hunting for the next big title or trash-talking with the squad online. Instead, he was stuck in Eldoria, dodging demons and trolls. He shuddered, picturing that demon's claws slicing him clean in half or the troll's tree trunk smashing him flat. Wouldn't even know I was dead, he thought, gritting his teeth and shaking off the image.
Rolling over to dim the special candle, a warm orb etched with runes, he spotted something odd on the bedside table: an envelope with "Greg" scrawled in neat ink. "Huh?" He frowned, picking it up. "Nobody told me about mail. Why leave it here? What if I crashed at the tavern instead?" His gamer instincts screamed trap, but curiosity won. He flipped it open, pulling out a crisp white letter.
"Dear kind stranger named Greg," he read under his breath, "I would like to thank you for healing me when I was in a critical state. Without your Heal, I'd likely be caught by the kingdom guards. I hate one-sided debts, so I've left you cash as a reward. You don't seem to like the Temple's food. The gold is in your chest, with your belongings. P.S. If you want someone… removed, hang two brown handkerchiefs at the church's main gate."
Greg's jaw dropped. "An assassin? I healed a freaking assassin?" His mind flashed to a shadowy figure he'd patched up in a back alley days ago, who looked to be struggling, possibly half-dead and panting. Didn't think much of it then. He glanced at his wooden chest, its lock untouched but faintly warm, like someone had tampered with it. "Skilled, too. No scratches, no busted hinges." Thought Greg.
He unlocked the chest, heart pounding, and found a heavy leather pouch nestled beside his spare robes. He tipped it onto the bed, gold coins spilling out with a dull clink. "How much is this?" he whispered, counting carefully. One, two… two hundred fifty?! His eyes widened. "This person's loaded. Blood money, probably. Clients pay to make people… poof." He scooped the coins back into the pouch, his stomach twisting. "Use this, and am I cashing in on someone's death?"
Greg slumped back on the bed, the pouch heavy in his hands. What if the ghosts follow the gold? Those apparitions in the market, hollow-eyed, already creeped him out. "I don't need apparition following me due to my wallet." He sighed, shoving the pouch back into the chest. "Future Greg can deal with this. For now, I'll earn clean gold from the sewer job. No assassin drama, no ghost baggage."
He dimmed the candle, its glow fading, but sleep didn't come easy. The letter's words, him not liking temple food, made him wonder. "For how long had the assassin been watching him for?" This world's got more shadows than a dungeon crawl, he thought, closing his eyes, ready for tomorrow's stink and whatever the sewers hid.