Chapter 8 Gwenith (10 years after Hope, Winter)

Author's note: "placeholder" now means people talking and 'placeholder' thinking, sorry bout that :).

"Are you really sure about this Gwen?" Gareth asked worried even though he knew the answer. "You know it's the only way. They'd burn you too just like they burned Martha!" Gwenith reminded him of their lost friend, Martha. She was a teacher before Dawn and helped children learn and control their newfound magical talents. "I know I know, I've seen it too Gwen...I just still can't believe it...are you sure they would even target you though, your skill isn't technically magic." Gareth was referring to her Berserker form. He wasn't sure the Crusaders of Maqir would classify her as corrupted. They would burn or hang every person with a class or skills using mana but they often didn't check thoroughly if it might not just have been a flashy stamina skill.

"I'm sure they'd burn me Gareth, just the change in my eyes and the crimson light emitting when I activate Bloodthirst would be enough to send them into a frenzy. It would end with a lot of people dead and I think Valaan has bled enough in the past three months." Gwenith shut him down. He knew she was right and her staying would just end with both of them dead. Still it was hard to let her go. After he and his men found her and her little sister Dora in the forest surrounded by dead wolves he took them in.

He first just wanted to protect them from the Guild who at the time contracted everybody with a mediocre or good combat class, resulting in many dead exploring the new world or working on a job. They didn't care much about their adventurers dying. The one's growing too strong would leave the Guild behind anyway and there was enough supply considering their monopoly on jobs, knowledge and safety. Many died but the chances of dying without using the Guild's resources was significantly higher.

The girls soon grew on Gareth and each replaced somebody lost in their previous life. Gwen lost her parents in the war and Dora grew up in an orphanage. Gareth had a son who went missing on the frontlines fifteen years ago. "I get it, I get it. You know I understand but it's difficult letting you go so soon after your sister." Dora had left for the east one year prior after she married an adventurer who stopped in Valaan to restock on supplies. "It's not easy for me either but I had planned on going on my own journey in the next year anyway, it's just a little sooner now..." they hugged each other while holding back tears.

"...you can always come with me.." Gwenith uttered those words but knew they were futile. As much as Gareth cared for her he wouldn't leave his home and his people behind. The home he helped build and protect with his hard work and blood for the past ten years. "I might've done it...I might...but Valaan needs me now more than ever. I have to safe as many as possible. And you know the Crusaders are only the smaller evil." the two let go of each other while Gwenith shouldered her backpack.

For eight years he had cared for them, had trained them, laughed and cried with them. Gwenith had trouble holding back her tears as she turned to Gareth and looked in his eyes for the possibly last time. "Thanks for everything....dad." She turned around and left the building she called home for the past eight years with tears flowing down her cheeks. It was the first time she had called him her father. He always wished for them to see him that way but Gwenith couldn't forget her real parents. She looked back once more at the snow covered stone house and whispered again "Thank you."

Valaan grew considerably in the past ten years. When Gwenith received her class the population numbered around 200'000 and now it exceeded 300'000. 'Might've gone down a bit since those bloody witch hunters entered town...' though Gwenith as she covered her flaming red hair with a thick hood made of wolf pelts. Wolves she had killed herself. Her training didn't just consist of sparring lessons with Gareth or the guard. Gwenith had more experience with monsters than most. Not because she went outside more than others or because she was braver or stronger, it was simply because of her class. Once she tasted blood while having her skill activated she could barely stop herself from killing and combined with the regenerating stamina and health she could sometimes go for days or even weeks without coming back.

It was hard on Gareth and Dora in the beginning and they were often worried sick but they soon accepted it as just another part of her character. Everybody had to fill their time somehow and once the cities were more or less safe people had to get creative. There was no internet or TV in this world and books had to be written first even though some were found in old ruins. Compared to the epic tales written on Earth the ones found were barely acceptable. Not everybody can write quality fiction, especially not while fighting to survive on a daily basis. Many tried to fill their time with work, they knitted, built, cooked and wrote but all that required resources. What better hobby was there to have then but to kill monsters and acquire those materials.

Gwenith, although only twenty years old had more money and better equipment than most other mercenaries, at least in the smaller cities. She also never registered with the Guild, resulting in her keeping 100% of her profits. 'The Berserker class is truly a blessing, but everything has to have its downside.' she thought while walking towards the western gate of Valaan. She had to leave because it became dangerous here with her class. The wildlife in Dawn was much, much more dangerous than on Earth but humans just couldn't stop killing each other, it's the only thing they've been doing consistently in their brief existence.

Snow was falling on Valaan and a freezing wind greeted everybody entering the night. Gwenith didn't care that much about the cold. Compared to ten years ago she was warm. Her Resistance stat was at 890 reducing the icy wind to a warm breeze. Stats grew either through leveling or just using that stat. A warrior could either level up by fighting beasts or do pushups to increase his strength stat. One level would give 5 stat points one could distribute however they wished. Gwenith was mostly hunting alone because she lost herself too fast in her frenzy to work well in a tactical party. She increased her stats in a very fast speed because she had to fight longer to kill enemies, got hit frequently and often fought till exhaustion and beyond. Resistance was increased by surviving harsh conditions or getting hit by different attacks. The same went for Vitality but it was proven that Resistance split into hundreds if not more subcategories compared to Vitality. One couldn't check his fire resistance but people who were burned more often could tolerate fire and heat better than others.

She was currently at level 189. The best way to evaluate one's strength are the Guild licenses. They changed over time because the general level rose steadily. The current level required to work with or for the Guild is 50, which means a copper license. To reach silver one has to be level 100 and finish just as many jobs. Silver is currently the most common rank because higher licenses have to be approved specifically. Another reason for that is that Lurker- (lvl 100-150) and Demon (lvl 150-200) class monsters are considerably stronger and more dangerous than lower levels. Gold is equal to level 150 and Platinum to 200. Fewer than two thousand Platinum adventurers are known to work for the Guild. Their levels differ greatly though but after reaching Platinum the mercenaries rely on personal reputation to get jobs and not on their Guild license anymore so the Guild didn't create higher licenses. It is just another way for them not to pay them more. The highest known Guild adventurer right now is level 274 but there are many rivaling him who aren't part of the Guild. Gwenith's stats are special though. Her current strength is 1434, her main stat.

She received 940 distributable stat points for her 189 levels which barely cover her Resistance stat. In fact she never even put one point into resistance. All her stats were leveled through the fighting, bleeding, running and killing she did in the past eight years. Experience is shared when fighting in a group so leveling up is faster the more people there are. The problem is that the healer never gets hit so his Vitality never increases except for when he puts points from leveling up into it. The whole party doesn't really increase their Endurance because they're dependent on their slowest link. The knight or warrior doesn't increase his Dexterity by a lot because he can prepare his strong swings from behind the safety of the tank and therefore never has to dodge.

This of course isn't really a problem because the party system was formed especially because of work distribution. Somebody fighting like Gwenith is generally seen as absolutely nuts. It's only possible because of her class in the first place though and because she never hunted for the levels but for the thrill and adrenalin. Her stats are rivaling the top hundred humans living in Dawn right now even though her actual level is lower than even Platinum adventurers. The reason why most people were leveling in groups was because they'd probably die rather fast otherwise and also because a higher level meant better skills could be acquired and better equipment could be used.

Equipment does make a considerable difference in strength but the stats themselves are more important. For example a level two hundred warrior could use a whole set of armor to increase his vitality and strength by about 200 where his base stats in those categories numbered about five to seven hundred. Gwenith also has a combat class, which means she learns a lot fewer skills than for example a lightning wizard. Normal combat classes learn about one to two skills per one hundred levels whereas mana oriented classes learn ten times that amount, if not more. There are certainly exceptions to this rule but at least 90% of all classes can be measured that way.

Gwenith never went very far away in her killing sprees and therefore never found any noteworthy loot comparable to the rare magical items found by expeditions in ruins or dangerous monster strongholds. Her equipment is generally very light to ease her ability to dodge and move fast. She currently wears light leather armor and a cloak made of wolf pelts. The cloak is mostly there to hide her identity but she also feels oddly comfortable wrapped in the skins of her fallen adversaries. 'They're so fluffy and warm. It's a shame we couldn't tame them yet...' she thought to herself as she reached one of the central squares of Valaan. It's certainly not the best idea to leave a city stealthily by going through the main squares but Gwenith wanted to leave the city with dignity, not like some hunted beast.