Chapter 35

“Who’s this?” Hert asked Leon.

Leon shook his head. “Someone I denied joining our party, but he just won’t give up.”

Ava frowned and stepped toward Finn. “Are you a Ranger?”

“Yup. The best ranger there is. Name’s Finn. But you, gorgeous, can call me whatever you like.” He winked.

Ava pulled on Leon’s arm, making him bend forward. She whispered in his ear. “A Ranger would be great, right? That’s a class that we don’t have.”

Leon looked to the side where Finn had leaned in, too. Finn shot back up and raised his chin in the air. “That’s exactly right. I will raise your party to a new level.”

Hert looked between Finn and Leon, scratching at his cheek. “Why did you say no?”

“I have a feeling he’s trouble we don’t need.”

Hert looked from him to Ava. “Well, if even you have a feeling like that, I’m inclined to agree.”

“Pfft. You haven’t even watched me shoot.”

“Maybe we can give him a chance?” Ava said and stepped toward him. “I’m Ava. That’s Hert, and you have, of course, met Leon already. Cleric, Tank, and Warrior.”

Finn nodded.

“I said no.” Leon crossed his arms.

“It’s my decision, too. He can follow along today and then we can decide. Right?” Ava bit her lips and looked up at Leon, her eyes gleaming.

Leon sighed. “He doesn’t get to join the party, but if you need convincing, sure. Let’s have him tag along today. It won’t take long to see why, and then we can leave it behind us.”

“Yeah, I’ll show you,” Finn said. He joggled his eyebrows toward Ava. “He’s just scared I’ll outshine him.”

Leon nodded to the side. “Let’s get going.”

“Where?” Hert asked, then he muttered, “And wasn’t she just worried that she’d be kicked from the party?”

Leon decided not to answer the last part. “I had a look at the forests and came to think of the wheat field outside. I’ve only met wolves up to level six in the Tutorial Forest, so it might be worth checking out. I’m not sure we’re up for the E-ranked one yet. Not if we get unlucky and meet more than one monster at a time. That okay?”

Hert and Ava nodded.

“Wow, I never imagined you’d fear a challenge,” Finn said, slapping Leon’s back. “Did my story about the lion scare you?”

Leon stared at him. “I hope you’re aware that dying here actually kills you. I’d rather try to find a safer way and take the more dangerous one as a last option. We need to see what we can handle.”

“You’ve been into the E-ranked forest?” Ava asked.

Leon and Hert started walking, and a short while later, Ava and Finn noticed and followed them. Hert threw a glance over his shoulder.

“I can kind of see why you don’t want him already. Why did you agree to take him with us today?”

Leon didn’t look back, but up into the sky. “Because I want to remove all doubt from Ava’s mind. I can imagine that she’d try to convince us until we gave in, or that he would just tag along, anyway. I mean, Ava’s viewed herself as useless all this time, and I think she wants the party to become as strong as it can get.”

“And if she doesn’t see it?”

“She will.” Or at least Leon hoped so. They’d heard in the memories that she was smart, smarter than she seemed willing to show. She could put two and two together.

As they walked through the Slums, Leon and Hert talked about Hert’s closing business and their newly purchased equipment, while hearing occasional laughter behind them. Leon groaned inward, but held his belief in that they’d see the man fail, and then Ava would dismiss him, too.

Hert and Leon stopped a few yards from the arch and looked over the field. It didn’t look special in any way; just like a normal field with ready-to-harvest wheat. If Hert stepped inside it, it would reach his waist at the most. What kind of monster would they meet?

“You wanna go first?” Hert asked.

Leon shrugged while footsteps closed in from behind.

“Guys, come on. You didn’t do any research? If you step in there, you’ll find nothing, even if you search all day.”

“So where’s the entrance?” Hert asked.

Finn waved his whole arm forward, and they walked to the end of the field, roughly two football stadiums away. Beside the road was a dirt path, like the one Leon had seen outside the other gate, surrounded by inch-long grass. They followed it until Finn stopped and held up a hand.

He approached the field and kicked his heel into the ground a few times to reveal stone. He nodded and kicked a few times more, and as the first step became visible, the dirt and grass in front of him shuffled to the side, revealing stairs. as he walked forward and down, the grassy surface and the bottom of the field shivered, as if it was a mirage.

“Is it a portal?” Leon couldn’t help himself.

“Yup. Well, something like it.”

“How did you know?”

“Man, I’ve told you! I’m a scout. It’s kind of my thing. The tag thing.”

Ava gaped at him and clenched her fists. “That’s so cool!”

“I know, right?” He put his hands on his waist. “I can find hidden entrances, hidden loot; hidden anything.”

Leon raised an eyebrow and drew his weapons. “Are you going in, or what?”

Finn gave a quick shrug. “Sure.” He strode forward and disappeared. Leon only had time to take two steps before the man’s head popped out again, seemingly in the air. “You guys coming, or what?”

Leon continued without awarding an answer. As he came to the bottom of the stairs, something cold enclosed him, like slime. Half a second later, the feeling disappeared, and he looked around. This was a joke, right?

There were walls and a ceiling, all made with wheat. This part of the field had divided into an angular room with perfect corners, and which led into something that looked like a labyrinth.

“Activate mini-map,” Leon said while looking at the box in front of him.

Caution

You have entered a semi-dungeon creation.

Rank: F+

Recommended Player level: 7-14

He dismissed it and looked at the small rectangular map. It was almost completely see-through in the lower right corner of his vision, and two blue dots and a silver one stood in the middle of the small square inside it. Two lines were behind the party’s dots, and Leon suspected Finn wasn’t in it because he wasn’t part of the group.

“Semi-dungeon? Is that even a thing?” Hert asked, pointing in front of him.

“Well, yeah,” Finn said. “They don’t want monsters to come into the city, do they?”

“How come the forests are open, then?”

“Nah, they might look like it, but they aren’t open or semi-dungeons. They actually have barriers, even if you can’t see them. At least along the roads close to the city.”

“Bull.”

Finn shrugged. “Think what you want.”

“This feels kind of weird,” Ava said.

“Stick close to me and I’ll keep you safe.” Finn winked at Ava, and she smiled.

Leon stepped further into the beige area and walked toward the opening at the other end of the room. A glance at the mini-map confirmed that it expanded the further in he went, and he took the first path to the left.

“I hear a buzzing sound,” Leon said, readying his weapons.

“Me too,” Hert said, close behind.

They continued to the end of the path, and turned right, where Leon stopped, looking at a grasshopper, which was twice as long as Hert. It was a mix of light and dark green, and its black eyes stared in the other direction. Fluorescent wings laid flat against its long back, and its two front legs had growths that looked like barbed broad blades, ending in a shape of a spear. A light-yellow tag danced above its head, stating it was a Green Grasshopper Level 7.

“I’ll sneak up on it; maybe we’ll get a free hit,” Leon said over his shoulder.

He walked forward as quietly as he could on his leather boots, sword and dagger at his sides. He raised the blades to stick them into the meaty flesh under its second set of legs when an arrow swished just over his head, piercing the creature’s wing. It let out a high-pitched roar and twisted around. The second leg pushed into Leon’s body, flinging him flat onto his back, under the giant insect.

“Pow!” Finn shouted.

The creature stomped around, and as the pointed leg hurled toward the ground, Leon rolled aside, just in time to avoid getting stabbed. The grasshopper raced toward the rest of the party while trying to widen its wings, but only one opened up. Another arrow pierced through just under its head as Leon got up on his feet, and it gargled. Green blobs dripped onto the ground, and Finn punched the end of the bow upward, hitting the already wounded chest.

“Boom!”

Finn suddenly had a black dagger in his hand, and he stabbed the creature’s chest twice as it screamed from pain.

“Slash!”

The creature sagged down onto the ground as Leon stopped before them.

“What the hell?” he asked, pushing Finn’s shoulders. “You could have killed me!”

“Nah,” Finn said, putting the bow into his inventory. He blew a strand of hair from his face. “I took it down, didn’t I?”

“I-It was awesome!” Ava said, throwing herself around Finn’s arm.

He beamed at her. “Right? Told you, I’m the best there is.” He bent down to pick something off the dirt floor, except there was nothing there. “Cool, you don’t get the scythe that often.”

Leon and Hert exchanged a look, and Hert shook his head, looking at the ground.

They continued walking down the path where they met the monster. He wished he could use his insight skill, but since he’d used it the day before, it was still on cooldown. They’d just have to trust their ears on this one.

The beige corridor continued, and widened into another, smaller room than they’d arrived in, and Leon paused, holding his arm out to stop the others. A soft buzzing came from the middle of the room, where two level eight grasshoppers hovered a foot above the floor. As if they smelled them, they came closer, then landed on the ground, swinging their heads from side to side. Their antennas vibrated.

“So,” Leon whispered, “Should we head inside and try to lure one—”

“Pow!” An arrow flew into one creature’s front leg, where it bounced off and landed on the floor. Finn chuckled. “Well, that should make them come to us, right?”

The grasshoppers spread their wings again and came at them with incredible speed.

“Hert, protect Ava and Finn,” Leon said, and readied his sword and dagger.

As the two creatures came closer, Leon darted to the side of one, spun around, and slashed at its back. A crack sounded from the wound. And as it turned to face him, an arrow hit the insect’s chest, followed by a “Boom!” from Finn.

Leon pulled back the dagger and smashed it into the cracked opening. Another arrow came, and the monster sank down.

As it did, Leon saw the second grasshopper swinging one of its barbed legs down toward Hert and Ava, and Hert caught the leg with his new round shield. His reaction wasn’t quick enough. The edge bit into his shoulder and he quenched a scream. Leon sprinted toward the monster, and as he did, another arrow came flying from the side, hitting the creature’s neck area. It screeched, and Leon swung his dagger and sword.

“Cross-strike!” He swung the blades toward its middle part, and just as he hit the grasshopper, an arrow bounced off his bracer. He sucked in a breath and jumped back.

“Sorry, man! You shouldn’t aim where I aim.”

Leon bit his cheek and launched in for another strike, but before he finished it, an exclaimed “Pew!” and an arrow finished it.

The creature collapsed, and both of them turned into pixels and made a shimmering pile. Leon put his weapons inside his inventory.

“Seriously?” he asked as he approached the Ranger. “I shouldn’t aim where you aim? Shouldn’t you see where I go?”

“Nah, man. You look like you’re going to hit somewhere, and then you hit at my place. That’s not exactly my fault, is it?”

“And what about going for the other one instead of the one I fought? Hurt got wounded!”

“Man, he’s a tank. He should take the damage, anyway.”

Leon just shook his head and continued to Hert and Ava. “How are you doing, Hert?”

“That hurt more than I thought it would,” Hert said, rolling his shoulder.

“Did you heal him?” Leon asked Ava.

“Of course. Though, if he was better at this stuff, I wouldn’t have needed to. At least I can heal twice a day now that I got all those status points.” Ava looked from Hert to Leon and smiled, hugging his arm. “You did really well though.”

“Come on, slowpokes,” Finn said, leaning on his bow. “Soon I’m going to die of old age.” When he spotted Ava on Leon’s arm, he hurried forward and ripped her away. “Did you see what I did? I told you I’m great. There’s the proof.”

Hert came up to Leon as Finn pulled Ava to the side. “Yeah. That’s not gonna work for me.”

*******

“Boom!” Finn shouted, releasing an arrow.

“Boom!” Ava echoed, punching the air.

“Pow!” The arrow lodged in the grasshopper’s neck.

“Pow!”

Leon struck his sword in the beast’s chest and twisted. The outer, harder shell cracked. It fell onto the ground, wafting up a cloud of dust before the body splintered into pixels. He bent down to pocket the loot, since they’d agreed they could share their haul later. He almost knocked Finn on his chin on his way up. Leon dodged the hit just in time, and Finn looted the invisible pile with a grin.

It was interesting to see how the loot divided between the party and others. The system seemed to divide the monster experience the same as the loot, and most of it went to the one who dealt the most damage—Finn, or the party.

Leon walked back to Hert and Ava with mixed feelings. Finn could have been a valuable asset to their team if one discounted the attitude and the blatant disregard for safety. One stomp from a leg could pierce through someone’s mid-section if one got in the grasshopper’s way, and usually, that someone was Leon. He was glad to have put some points in agility, or it might not have ended as well as it had. Luckily, they’d only encountered beasts that were level seven or eight.

Ava trotted up to Finn and looked up at his face. “What level are you? You’re so strong.”

“Twelve.” Finn rubbed a finger under his nose and straightened his back.

“Wow,” Ava said. “What’s it like, being in the main part of the city?”

“He’s staying at the Laughing Bard because no one wants him in their party,” Leon said in a flat voice.

A redness crept up Finn’s throat. “Well, let me clarify that bit. I’m looking for a party in Lowtown because most parties in the main part of the city are full, full of jerks, or simply too bad to waste my time on.”

“Sure,” Leon said, nodding while he continued down another path. “That’s why you’re looking for lower level players. Not just to brag, or that you’ve run out of options.”

“That’s exactly right!” Finn said. He quickened his steps and put an arm around Leon’s shoulders. “I knew you would understand me, eventually.”

“There’s another level seven,” Leon said in a monotone voice. He’d given up for today. There was no doubt Finn’s arrows dealt more damage than his hits, and since he was the only real damage dealer in their party, they hadn’t had the chance to grow nearly as much as he’d hoped today. One percent for roughly four hours.

Finn turned to Leon. “Watch this!”

He pulled back the string, and before he let go, he looked back at Ava and winked.

“Power shot!” The arrow flew, gaining speed. It crashed into the creature, which fell dead onto the ground. “Crash!”

“Pow!” Ava giggled and rushed up to Finn. “You’re totally going to be a fit for our party.”

“Yup. Told ya.” Finn scratched his chin with the bow. “Since I’m gonna join you guys, what level is your party?”

“No,” Hert and Leon said as Ava answered, “Seven.”

Finn whistled. “You guys must have done a lot together, huh? Yeah, I think I’ll join you. We’re going to raise our party from average to epic!”

“You’re not joining,” Hert said, shaking the head of the hammer toward him. “You lack all kinds of awareness, you endanger—”

Ava pushed her hand over his mouth. “We’re a team, remember? The least we can do is talk about it.”

Leon sighed and put his weapons into the inventory while Finn pocketed the loot. He looked from the crouching man to Ava, then at Hert. “Sure. Okay. Let’s head back to Pura. We can discuss this there.”

“What?” Hert said.

“Oh, thank you!” Ava hugged his arm.

“Sure,” Finn called. “We need to discuss who gets to lead us, anyway.”

Leon kneaded his eyelids. “Without Finn.”

*******

Since Leon couldn’t enter the Drowned Goblin, they decided to go to Hert’s shop. It turned out to be better that way, since Finn wouldn’t leave them alone, and Hert needed to give access for someone to enter. Needless to say, he only granted Ava that permission.

It was surprisingly warm in there, considering that the forge stood unlit, and Ava wrinkled her nose.

“It smells… dirty in here. Like soot or something.” She looked around the empty room. “And weren’t you supposed to have a shop?”

“Surely you’ve smelled worse, having lived in the Slums for so long.”

Ava swiped a finger over a table and frowned at the slightly gray outcome. She crossed her arms while Leon launched himself up to sit on the counter.

“So, Finn. What do we do about him?” Leon asked.

Hert crossed his arms over the cracked metal plate on his chest. “I think you’ve got it right on this one. Things could have gone badly today if you hadn’t gotten better at dodging.”

“But he’s so strong,” Ava exclaimed. “And kind of funny.”

“I hate to admit it, but Ava is right. He’s strong,” Leon said. He held up a finger as Ava opened her mouth. “But Hert is also right. He’s dangerous to hunt with.”

“So… he can join us?” Ava asked.

“I say yes—”

“What the hell?” Hert said, taking a step toward Leon.

Leon continued, “But we only keep him in the party until we level up. He can get far more done than we could in a day, so he’ll basically boost us. He gets the company and the praise he really wants, and we get what we want, which is to rise in power and levels so we can start to climb the tower.”

Hert stroked his chin. “Well, I suppose we could do that.”

“What?” Ava said. “That’s so mean!”

“It’s business, and striving for our goals,” Leon said. Then he shrugged. “Who knows, maybe he grows on us and he’ll get to stay.” He doubted that, but weird shit happened from time to time. Like people coming back to life after having been dead for eight years. The chance was just as likely.

“Well, I guess that’s okay, then.”