I told you not to be rash…" Anton sighed, brushing the dirt from his gloves. The field was littered with upturned soil and half-buried mandrakes, their shriveled roots twitching faintly.
Marcus slowly removed his hands from his ears, his face pale and trembling. "Well, we did think that another good way is to just beat monsters… and, well, weak monsters."
Anton looked at him, unimpressed. "Correct. Mandrakes can be considered weaker than slimes… but still, they are equally as dangerous. Your best bet is to kill them the second you pull it out."
"SAY IT LOUDERRR!" Diego shouted, still half-deaf, waving his hands dramatically. Anton sighed again, muttering under his breath.
"Well, do you wanna try again?" Marcus turned as he saw Nandita still at work, carefully picking Mandrakes one by one. She had been clever—killing them before pulling them out, so there were no screams at all. Her movements were dull and slow, because of her sword, which was bigger than a dagger.
She noticed Marcus watching and walked over, brushing off her gloves. "Twelve Mandrakes," she said, handing him a bag.
He took it and replied, "I collected four. And Diego?"
Diego looked at them, grinning proudly as he held out a handful of seven Mandrakes.
Marcus's jaw dropped. "WHAT THE—HOW??"
Diego blinked. "WHAT?"
"How did you get so many?"
"MANY? YEA, I HAVE SEVEN!"
"Yeah, how did you get so many?"
"MANY? I TOLD YOU I ONLY GOT SEVEN!"
Nandita rubbed her temple and sighed. "He's deaf."
Marcus sighed as Anton stepped in, explaining, "He was quite smart with it. He was pulling them out and throwing them afar, then running to them when they stopped screaming and killing them. But he miscalculated—he went once the Mandrake recovered some voice to scream again, and, well… I finished it off. But he went deaf."
Marcus shrugged. "Oh, no issues. We have a healer—he can fix Diego up."
Nandita frowned as she opened her stat board. "No skill though… how do you even get it?" She looked to Anton, who crossed his arms.
"Well, it's complicated. I did think you could get it like this… but you didn't."
"Is there any other way?" Marcus asked.
"WAY? ARE WE GOING HOME?" Diego shouted, making everyone flinch.
Anton continued, "It's circumstantial, boy. Consider an example—someone with a skill like Fireball. Can they use the same Fireball in the rain?"
Marcus thought for a second. "No?"
"Right. But in that sort of situation, he could gain a new skill—Steam Ball. Similar to Fireball, but shaped by circumstance and pressure." Anton dusted off his coat.
Nandita nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing. "How easy is it to get skills?"
Anton scratched his beard. "Well, I'm lucky, but there are some people who still have one skill despite years passing…"
"Y–years??!?!?" Marcus and Nandita stuttered together.
"YEARS??? I'M 23 YEARS OLD!" Diego shouted suddenly.
"Huh?" Marcus turned to him. "Twenty-three? You look thirty…"
Nandita's eyes widened in disbelief. "HOW IS THIS GUY YOUNGER THAN ME???"
Marcus turned to her. "Wait, how old are you?"
She folded her arms. "I'm not saying. What if you're younger than me as well?"
Marcus grinned. "I'm twen—"
"If you guys are done," Anton interrupted, adjusting his hood, "can I leave?"
"Oh, yeah sure," Marcus said, then suddenly stopped him. "Hold on—where do you stay?"
Anton squinted. "Why do you wanna know? You wanna rob me?"
"Oh no, no!" Marcus waved his hands. "I just wanted to suggest you a place!"
Anton stared at him for a long second before shaking his head and walking away. His heavy steps crunched through the dry soil until he disappeared into the forest path.
Nandita watched him go and said, "Well, he left. I think we should go as well…"
"OUI??!! FRENCH??!!!" Diego shouted, making Marcus facepalm.
"Let's take him to Dilek and see if Dilek can fix him up," Marcus said.
—
"OWWWWWCHHHHHH! STOP, SAINTTTTT! YOU'RE JUST PULLING MY EARSSS!"
Skill: Painful Healer activated.
Dilek frowned, holding Diego's ear firmly. "Not at all. It's small, so it worked. Don't get your eardrums blown again."
Marcus leaned on the counter. "It wasn't really his eardrums blowing—just temporary deafness, I think."
"Still Mandrakes?" Dilek asked. "Did you sell them?"
"Not yet. I was thinking of doing it tomorrow," Marcus said.
"Can we eat it?" Diego asked eagerly.
Dilek sighed. "Ask Hela. She's in the kitchen preparing lunch."
The tavern was warm and bustling, wooden walls creaking softly as sunlight filtered through the shutters. The smell of stew and bread hung in the air.
Diego perked up at the mention of food and hopped toward the kitchen.
"GET OUT! DON'T BRING THAT THING AGAIN!" Hela's voice thundered through the door.
Dilek sighed, clasping his hands together. "Sorry, Diego… once again, you were screamed at."
The doorbell rang, echoing through the small hall.
Dilek turned. "Who is it?"
Duja, half-asleep behind the counter, suddenly bolted upright. "CUSTOMERRRRR!"
Ami, who had been sitting nearby, sighed and got up. "I'll go check it." She opened the door, exchanged a few words, and came back holding an envelope.
Duja blinked. "Where's the customer?"
Ami placed the envelope on the table. "Mail man. It's for Dilek, Marcus, Nandita, and Diego."
The group gathered around as Diego came out of the kitchen, still pouting. "What's that?"
Nandita picked up the envelope, and four small cards slipped out.
"WOAH! CARDS!" Dilek exclaimed, snatching them eagerly. "Oh guys, our adventure cards arrived!"
He held his up first.
———
Name: Dilek
Race: Human
Class: Saint
Rank: ⭐
Title: Saint of Purity
Skill: Healer (Low)
Healing Light (High??)
———
"What's this? They put my skills?" Dilek frowned. 'These are fully wrong though…'
Nandita checked hers next.
———
Name: Nandita
Race: Human
Class: Support Mage
Rank: ⭐
Title: Wizard of Zo
Skill: Morale Booster (Low)
———
"Looks fresh," she said, satisfied.
Marcus looked at his own card.
———
Name: Marcus
Race: Human
Class: Tank
Rank: ⭐
Title: Sir TankALot
Skill: Good Endurance (Low)
———
"Good endurance… that's not even my skill name though. Well, as long as it looks good, I suppose."
Diego raised his card proudly, beaming. "GUYS, MINE IS HERE!"
———
Name: Diego
Race: Human
Class: Striker
Rank: ⭐
Title: Fist of the Saint
Skill: Strike
———
All three stared at him.
"How come yours already had details filled? I don't remember us filling it," Nandita said.
"Oh, I went and filled it myself," Diego said proudly.
Dilek raised an eyebrow. "Fist of the Saint?"
"Mhm!" Diego grinned. "Saint, I'm your fist, just remember that."
Marcus burst out laughing.
Dilek shot him a look. "Something funny?"
Nandita turned to Ami. "Oh wait, Ami… don't worry. Tomorrow we'll fill up your adventure card details."
Marcus nodded. "Sorry, I forgot."
Ami waved it off. "Oh, it's all good. Besides, Diego told me he already added my name to your party."
Dilek frowned. "Without my permission?"
Diego looked nervous. "SORRY, SAINT! I THOUGHT YOU'D BE OKAY WITH IT!"
Dilek sighed, rubbing his temples. "It's alright. I am okay with it. Still, she has to fill her adventure card details, right?"
"Not really. I already have it," Ami said calmly. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a card. "I've been here before you guys."
Everyone crowded around to look.
———
Name: Ami Bautista
Race: Human
Class: Ranger
Rank: ⭐⭐
Title: Fastest Sight
Skill: Good Eyesight
Good Mobility (Low)
———
"TWO STARS?! HOW THE HELL? WHAT DID YOU DO?!?!" Nandita shouted in disbelief.
Ami smirked as she was hearing her praises.
Diego was speechless. Marcus just stared, amazed.
Dilek blinked. "Are you the sister of Dave Bauti—"
"AMI, YOU'RE A RANGER?! LIKE, AN ARCHER OR A FOREST PERSON?!" Marcus interrupted.
"Hey Ami, do you know Dave? I want his autogra—"
"Two stars! You will be the eyes of the Saint from today!" Diego added dramatically, Ami's ego was inflating.
"Ami, can you suggest me to Dave? I'm a good acto—"
The constant yelling filled the tavern until it was practically shaking.
Duja, watching the chaos from behind the counter, sighed and walked into the kitchen.
Hela looked up from stirring a pot. "Almost done, honey. Can you set up the table?"
Duja smiled and hugged her from behind.
"DON'T GET ROMANTIC IN THE KITCHEN! I WILL KIL—"
"Hela!" Nandita burst in, waving her card. "Our cards arrived!"
Hela froze, her expression lighting up instantly. She shoved Duja aside and hurried into the room.
Scanning through everyone's cards, her eyes sparkled. "OH MY GOD, YOU ALL HAVE GROWN SO MUCHHH! I'M SO PROUD!"
Dilek turned to Ami. "Ami, can I see Dave someday? Ami… Ami, are you hearing me?"
The noise of laughter, chatter, and the smell of the food, filled the tavern.