Back at the Adventurers' Guild, the atmosphere was lively as usual requests flying in, hunters boasting, clerks scribbling reports. But the moment Fiona spotted Auriel and Aaron approaching the reception desk, her breath caught.
Her eyes widened in surprise. "They're already back?"
As they drew closer, she couldn't hide the worry in her voice.
"How was the task? Did you complete it? Or... are you here to request reinforcement?"
Auriel stopped at the counter, her expression unreadable. Her voice was cool and firm.
"We completed it. Here's the parchment."
Fiona blinked, reaching for the document. Her fingers hesitated as she unfolded it. The mayor's signature was clearly scrawled at the bottom.
Even with the proof in front of her, disbelief clung to her voice.
"And... the goblin ears?"
Without a word, Aaron stepped forward and gently placed a wooden box on the counter. Dust clung to its lid. He lifted it, revealing the box full of goblins ears of various sizes.
Fiona stared at the contents of the box in stunned silence before signaling to a guild staff member. "Verify the tally," she said quietly.
A few minutes later, the staff member leaned close and whispered the results into her ear.
"One Goblin Shaman, five Goblin Berserkers, twenty Elite Goblin Warriors, and thirty-five Goblin Hunters."
Her eyes widened.
Fiona looked up again at Auriel and Aaron, this time not just surprised but impressed. She took a slow breath, then reached beneath the counter and began counting out coins.
She handed over a pouch to Auriel. "The base reward for the task is twenty gold coins," she said, then pulled out another pouch with a few extra clinks. "In addition, the Goblin Shaman carried a bounty of five gold coins. Each Goblin Berserker earns one, and the remaining goblins have been rounded up to another gold."
She placed the second pouch beside the first twenty-one coins in total. "That's forty-one gold coins altogether. Honestly your group is quite powerful. Although you only have three people."
Auriel gave a quiet nod while Aaron stood beside her, eyes drifting lazily around the guildhall like a kid lost in thought.
Fiona leaned forward, eyebrows raised. "Would you like to take on another quest?" she asked, her gaze flicking between the two.
Auriel glanced at Aaron, only to find him still dazed his attention somewhere off in the rafters. Without hesitation, she gave him a quick poke in the side.
"What kind of task should we pick next?" she asked.
Aaron blinked and snapped back to focus. "Ah, right… Well, my experience bar is full, but I can't seem to level up. Is… is something wrong with me?"
Auriel let out a soft, amused breath, while Fiona chuckled, shaking her head. "Oh? So you've hit level ten already. Then you're due for your advancement quest."
Aaron frowned, clearly still confused.
Auriel rubbed her temple and sighed. "He really doesn't know..." She made a mental note to walk him through the basics later. The fact that he'd come this far without understanding something so fundamental was… both impressive and mildly embarrassing.
Fiona leaned on the counter, smiling patiently. "After every ten levels, adventurers must complete an advancement quest. In short you've got to defeat a boss-tier monster. Only then can you break past the level cap and continue growing stronger."
Auriel nodded in agreement. "It's true. Actually, David and I haven't completed our advancement quests yet either. If you're up for it, we could take on one together."
Aaron turned to Fiona, genuinely puzzled. "Boss-tier monster? What kind of creature is that? How strong are they compared to normal monsters?"
Auriel visibly winced. Her hand twitched toward her temple, a familiar flicker of secondhand embarrassment crossing her face. *He really doesn't know… again?*
Fiona blinked at him, stunned. "Wait... you don't even know the basic monster classifications?"
She leaned in, brows raised. "How did you even get into an adventuring team without learning this stuff?"
But then she sighed and waved a hand. "Never mind. Let me explain before I lose sleep over it."
Clearing her throat, she continued, her tone slipping into lecture mode:
"Monsters are divided into four general tiers based on strength, intelligence, and threat level."
"Normal-tier monsters are the most common. They're relatively easy to handle in one-on-one combat, but in large numbers, even experienced adventurers can be overwhelmed."
"Elite-tier monsters are about five times stronger than the normal ones. They're usually smarter, possess skills or magic, and tend to lead groups. The Goblin Shaman you faced that's a textbook Elite."
"Boss-tier monsters are ten to a hundred times stronger than normal ones. You usually need at least two full parties so, ten experienced adventurers to take one down. They're extremely powerful and unpredictable. Though... occasionally, someone from a famous bloodline pulls off a solo win. Very rare."
She gave him a meaningful look before continuing.
"Now, Leader-tier monsters..." Fiona exhaled slowly. "They're monsters enhanced in every possible way strength, endurance, speed, intelligence. At least a thousand times stronger than your average beast. Fighting one with anything less than high-tier backup is suicide. Even with fifty teams, casualties are guaranteed."
Auriel crossed her arms, casting a sideways glance at Aaron. "Maybe it's time someone made you a handbook."
Aaron stood still for a heartbeat, Fiona's words echoing in his mind. Boss-tier… ten to a hundred times stronger? His eyes widened not with fear, but with something far more dangerous.
Excitement.
The memory of the goblin lair flashed through him not the danger, but the ease. The precision. The eerie calm he'd felt slicing through enemies who barely pushed him. He'd cleared sixty goblins and their shaman alone… and it hadn't left him breathless. Just hollow.
But the idea of something stronger something that demanded more… that stirred a part of him that had been quiet too long.
He looked up at Fiona, then at Auriel, a slow grin tugging at his lips.
"Yeah… I think I need that we need an advancement quest."
Fiona looked between Auriel and Aaron, concern flickering in her eyes.
"Are you sure about this? There are only three of you, and Boss-tier monsters are no joke. Would you prefer to join forces with another team for the advancement quest?"