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"Phew… let's get this started." Silver muttered to himself as he cracked his neck
Silver stood at a corner of a wide dirt arena with thick wooden fences on the sides acting as makeshift barriers. All his family members watched him from the sidelines nearby, with his parents being the most worried of them all.
At the other end was a small metallic cage that rattled from time to time. It was covered with a small white blanket, hiding whatever it hid from the rest of the world. Saphos stood besides the cage with his arms crossed, waiting for confirmation to begin his trial.
'While this shouldn't be too difficult, I'm a little nervous… but that's exactly why I have to do it.'
He turned around and gave his grandparents a nod, and without any ceremony, Saphos pulled the blanket, revealing what stood underneath.
/Fwoosh!/
A green and plump humanoid monster snapped at the cage, gnawing at it ferociously. It looked at Silver and everyone around him with its large eyes, bloodthirsty eyes.
It was without a shadow of a doubt a Goblin!
(Image)
Looking at its appearance and form, Silver's thoughts raced, 'Although goblins are considered the weakest monsters of the modern Dungeon, for a 12-year-old child with no special abilities, this may be too much.'
'Despite their size, goblins are said to be only slightly stronger than a human adult. Only enough to pose a challenge to beginner adventurers. For most Level 1 adventurers, that much power is equal to nothing.'
'But to me, it's more than enough to throw me around… There is one saving grace for me though… this isn't a Dungeon goblin but a surface one. It can easily be overcome with technique and critical thinking alone, which is one of an adventurer's biggest tools.'
'Developing techniques and tactics to beat their opponents — that's how most adventurers explore the Dungeon. Few can smash their heads against its halls and claim superiority over its challenges.'
Monsters can generally be divided between -Surface- monsters and -Dungeon- monsters.
To briefly explain the reason, what classifies a monster as one is the fundamental structure of its body and the nature of its birth. All monsters hail from the Dungeon, being birthed from its energy and power.
Usually upon death, all the energy used for their creation scatters, leaving behind only faint trails of the materials that make up their flesh and bones in the form of black dust and smoke.
Reinforcing this idea, all monsters have a core inside of them called Magic Stones. These stones serve as the core of their existence, binding the energy within them and giving it shape. Without it, or if the stone were to be damaged beyond function, they would instantly degrade back to energy.
'Not all cases can be explained like this, but just like a human heart, if the center of a monster is damaged beyond what their biology can support, it'll lead to the monster's instant demise.'
'Upon their defeat, the intact or damaged stone falls onto the ground, still containing much of the raw power that once fed the monster's existence. Adventurers collect these stones as their primary source of income when other possibilities aren't applicable.'
Hunting monsters for their Magic Stones is the basis of an adventurer; however, the Dungeon itself is as filled with treasures as it is with dangers. Just as incredibly powerful monsters can appear, so can materials and plants, fueling all kinds of industries with exceptional rare materials countries and empires abroad would never even imagine setting their eyes upon.
Monsters may also rarely condense their energy into certain body parts, causing them to "drop" onto the ground together with their Magic Stone. A rarity to be sure, but welcomed by all. Such materials are called Drop Items, being thus the exceptional circumstances where a monster's body decomposition goes outside the norm and its energy seeps into its body, over-saturating it and leading to said body-part surviving its self-destruction.
This raw energy is then used to support a massive industry through which Orario owns most of its monopoly.
'What matters here is that monsters are a foul mimicry of life… In the Dungeon, monsters are in their natural habitat. They rarely need to procreate, for the Dungeon takes care of it, and oftentimes they don't even eat and drink, and for obvious reasons.'
'Most monsters don't even have the time to do such activities, for they are intended to die within a few days of their birth at best. Only monsters at the Dungeon's depths are given the environment and the means to somewhat live like ordinary animals… however, despite all of that, all monsters are given the features of a lifeform.'
'If I were to look at them as someone coming from another world, I would've seen them as an unusual lifeform and nothing else. But knowing where they come from, even if they can be considered life, they're certainly apart from this world's usual biosphere.'
'For now, I see the Dungeon as a cancer that has lodged itself in this land. A Virus, even… Here, outside the Dungeon, monsters live their daily lives like any ordinary animal. They hunt, sleep, hibernate, or whatever they were programmed to do by the Dungeon… with a few changes here and there, one of them being the way they procreate.'
'Monsters do not reproduce like ordinary animals. To do so, they must consume the energy within their Magic Stones. This leads to its weakening over time, which with successive generations, has caused most of the monsters on the surface to possess a degenerated core.'
'In short, this means monsters on the surface are significantly weaker than their Dungeon counterparts. The only exception to this might be ancient monsters that have managed to preserve their power for centuries.'
'Monsters can age, albeit such is never seen. Some monsters can live longer than others, with some potentially being immortal like the gods. All monsters on the surface are descendants of those that escaped the Dungeon to wreak havoc in the mortal world thousands of years ago until Babel was constructed to seal the Dungeon's entrance.'
'Amidst those lies the three great ones, Behemoth, Leviathan, and the Black Dragon… and who knows if more prowl in wait out there, sealed away in some forgotten corner…?'
"To kill a goblin that is probably only as strong as a teenager… and that's in its best condition… this one looks half-starved to death."
'Though that only means it'll be that more ferocious…'
Silver took a deep breath before looking at his parents. They watched him from the side in worry and anticipation, his mother… shaking in fear and other indescribable emotions.
"Stop shaking, Rubia! " It's just a goblin!" Lington said as she sighed loudly
It would be a lie to say he felt nothing, but he knew more than anything this goblin wouldn't do much against his grandson. Even if something unusual happened, at his distance, he could more than finish it at a moment's notice.
Originally, the plan was to tie a rope around the goblin's neck so they could pull at it instantly, but they voted out that idea for the sake of making this experience feel more genuine.
/Inhale…/
/Exhale…/
/Inhale…/
/Exhale…/
/Inhale…/
/Exhale…/
Rubia began hyperventilating, "How can I?! My son is going to… to… to…"
"Here… drink this and calm down, Rubia." Misty said as she force-fed her a colorless potion
The others watched as Rubia's chest heaved up and down… /Ploft!/ before she suddenly lost consciousness, falling into Marcus' arms.
""...""
No one made a remark about that…
"Is everything okay over there?" Saphos asked as he watched it all unfold from afar
/GROWL!!/
/BAM!/
The goblin growled in reply, snapping in Sapho's direction as it tried to rip him to pieces, but he didn't even blink as it slammed against the cage.
"It's fine!" Ullie replied as she exhaled as well
Lington wiped the sweat off his forehead, "Let's leave this for later before the child loses focus."
"Remember not to underestimate your opponent!" He added as he put his hands on the wooden fence
At the same time, he gave a signal to Saphos, who nodded in reply before looking at Silver, "The moment I open this cage, the goblin will attack you, so be ready!"
"Understood!"
/GROWL!!/
The goblin was just like one in fantasy. The only difference was that it wasn't utterly hideous. If he were to explain it, Silver would say it looked more like a little sci-fi alien with an elongated skull.
It had a few unusual details, such as the bone horns sticking out of its skin and the brown fur covering its chest to its feet, but aside from those, if it calmed down and remained still, the goblin would look rather harmless.
One might even say it looked scared… but that was just an illusion. Its nails were as sharp as daggers, and its mouth contained a hundred teeth with a bite force strong enough to crush bones.
Its jaw could also dislocate enough to bite a man's face off; it was not a defenseless monster by any means… none were.
/Clunk!/
Saphos opened the metal cage by pulling its gate with a rope. To make sure the goblin could only see him, Saphos covered the cage again with the blanket, leaving only the gate uncovered. This forced the goblin to look back at him, causing Silver to grip his sword tighter.
The goblin slowly crawled out of the cage, testing his surroundings…
/Swush!/
But before the goblin had the chance to move a second step out of the cage, Silver twisted his body and threw a stone directly into its head!
/Splurge!/
/KYYYY!/
It penetrated right into the goblin's fragile eye, making it panic and succumb to its instincts as it flayed around in pain and fear. It ran towards Silver, jumping before slashing its claws down.
/SLASH!/
/CLANG!/
Silver did not stay put. Remaining calmer than he's ever been, he prepared his first move.
/PIERCE!/
/SPLAT!/
Before the goblin could reach him, Silver took a shot step forward and quickly jabbed the sword in its direction, piercing its chest before stepping sideways. The difference in reach and timing was easily shown why they were important here.
/THUD!/
/SLASH!/
/Splat…/
The goblin fell on the ground bleeding and screeching, but he didn't have the chance to attack as Silver immediately sliced its head off with a clean circular swipe.
""...""
/Thud…/
His mother, who had just recovered, awakened to see blood splashing onto Silver, falling unconscious again in Marcu's arms…
Silver looked at his bloodstained sword and pondered, 'If I were stronger, I would've finished it in the first move, but I couldn't keep my stance. The goblin's skin was too tough for this ordinary blade, and the goblin himself was probably slightly heavier than me even.'
'I aimed at where the magic stone should be, but the blade never had the chance to go that far.'
Silver looked down at the creature and took a few steps back, returning to his original position, displaying the great discipline his grandparents had shoved inside his head over the last few years in action.
With his stained sword resting on the ground, he had conquered his first challenge!
…
/Meanwhile…/
"Sigh… I knew this would happen. A goblin wasn't enough to test him." Misty muttered as she reached for her nose bridge, frowning
Saphos approached them from the side as he went around the arena, "He fought well, following everything we taught him to a 'T', his only mistake was his lack of strength which wasn't exactly his fault."
"But we can't just go and overpraise him, can we? Not against the simplest of monsters… Any ideas?"
Lington adjusted his moustache as he stepped forward, "Leave it to me."
He stepped forward, standing now at the edge of the arena. He called out to Silver, saying:
"Good work, but watch your movements! You could've finished it in one move, but you used three. The rock, the thrust, and the finisher. You wasted precious energy and time that could've been applied elsewhere. Imagine if there were two or even four goblins striking at you? Your movements would've work then!"
Lington went on and on… he spoke about the importance of preserving energy and being hyper efficient in one's movements, but from Silver's view and the others, this was a very good first test.
It was enough to get a feel of things, but above all, to have him shed his nervousness of combating monsters. While Silver was no child in extreme fear of combat, there was still some degree of "fear" and nervousness he had to cast out of his system.
Without his old accomplishments, he felt exposed. Learning how to act and fight without them would take a long time, and regaining the basic confidence to do things without them would take even longer to cement down his psyche.
This would be a long process… but why not start now?
For his grandparents, today was a confirmation that their efforts were going in the right direction. Now what they needed to do was push him even further and instigate a tactical and calm mind into the mind of their grandson. This way, unless he was lucky, he shouldn't be having issues going through the basics of being an adventurer.
This was also their chance to see how Silver would act before a monster he had only ever seen from afar or heard stories about. He had seen their bodies before, but never taken the life that once inhabited them… but as expected, Silver showed little adverse reaction to the process.
He took down his opponent without hesitation, and that was what mattered.
He had several more such tests in the following months, from bigger groups of goblins of three to even ten at once, to stronger monsters like kobolds and other monsters he didn't know much about.
Large lizards, snakes, insects… sometimes he wondered just where his grandparents took all those monsters from. But he knew where… the Beol Mountains in the distance.
The Beol Mountains were the first great geographical location visible from Orario. And as expected of the land closest to the Dungeon's entrance, it was also the place most invaded by monsters in ancient times.
In its massive expanse wide enough to englobe multiple nations, millions of monsters hide within its complex terrain, acting both as a seal and a barrier, protecting the people from the monsters and vice versa.
Ancient monsters prowled within the rock and snow, creatures so ancient one would only find mentioned in history books, for the Dungeon did not produce them anymore. Ever-evolving throughout its existence, the Dungeon has modified and created new monsters to fit whatever goal its twisted goals required.
Now the only signs of such existing would be records kept from ages long lost and those ancient specters prowling the depths of the mountains and beyond.
Whenever his grandparents vanished for a few days, he knew exactly where they were going… they were risking themselves out there to capture monsters for him to fight in the safety of his home.
This didn't continue forever, though. Once Silver grew proficient enough with combat and taught him everything they felt was needed, they led him into the wilderness to train directly at its source. This way, not only did Silver have the experience of hunting and learning about field combat, but he also had the chance of witnessing his grandparents fight some of the more dangerous monsters.
Or so he tried… some monsters were so fast and elusive that whatever battle they had used to end faster than he could even blink. After Level 2 and beyond, compared to his weak senses, unless they were against some slow monster, it was difficult to capture any of their actions.
Eventually, after months of training, they led Silver to a small goblin "village" where he fought dozens of them at once, including one slightly stronger goblins, albeit not by much.
Monsters could grow stronger, but seeing it happen here on the surface was far rarer than in the Dungeon, even if one were to consider their extended lives… the conditions for such were so complicated even his grandparents only knew a few rumors here and there.
In any case, for his first goblin village, he proceeded stealthily, but after getting used to them, he took the faster approach. For his second settlement, he charged straight through!… But as a consequence of that, he was drenched in their foul blood.
Nests, gatherings, anywhere monsters gathered, they took him to clear out, and at a certain point, Silver was living most of the year camping in the mountains than at the village.
Only after clearing all monsters at the foot of the nearby mountains within a day or two of travel from the village did they stop hunting, resuming their training within the village and taking him out to hunt every so often in more distant parts of the mountains.
He once begged them to take him to Orario, but right now the city was in utter chaos. It was the pinnacle of the Dark Age, and the smoke from their clashes could be seen from kilometers away… the situation was so intense his grandparents were reconsidering allowing him to go there just from the danger of dying to criminals, heretics, or deranged lunatics then the Dungeon monsters themselves.
…
/CLANG!/
/CLANG!/
/CLANG!/
"Huff… haaa… g-gramps… I don't feel my arm anymore."
/CLANG!/
"Keep hammering. You've folded it only fifteen times. Let's go for twenty and call it a day… don't forget the sand!"
/CLANG!/
/CLANG!/
"Huff… gramps… it's been over four hours… let me rest a little…"
/CLANG!/
"And let the metal cool? Boy! I thought you were more capable than that! I can keep this up for a whole day!"
/CLANG!/
"That's because… huff…" /CLANG!/ /CLANG!/ "… You've been doing this for the past forty years!"
/CLANG!/
/CLANG!/
"Not to say your blessing… this hammer's probably as light as a feather to you!"
/CLANG!/
/CLANG!/
"Of course it is, that's why I use another hammer… what? Do you want to use that one too?"
/CLANG!/
"… I'll skip it…"
"Then keep hammering!"
/CLANG!/
/CLANG!/
"…"
'My arm's about to fall off… what I wouldn't do to make a simple mechanical machine… it wouldn't even take that long to make… I heard they have such machines in Orario… I can't wait to go there…'
Silver kept hammering, shaping the bright red metal into something worthy of his old man's eyes.
/CLANG!/
…
/THUD!/
"Haaaa… haa… g-granny, I can't do this anymore… my head's throbbing as if it were about to burst." Silver complained as he collapsed on the floor, sweat all over his face as breathed deeply
But Misty wouldn't listen, "Rest and try again. We're making fine progress."
"A few years ago you could barely keep yourself conscious, but now you can even speak and move around. If we keep this up and in a few more years, you might be able to become a proper mage."
"T-That's just because I'm growing used to this… it doesn't mean I'm feeling any better…"
"I know, dear. I'll figure out what's troubling you. Now, take this potion and try again." She said after she wrote something in a large book
"Huff… I already drank seven of those. If I drink more, I might just sweat blue…"
She chuckled, "That would be a good time to stop, indeed."
"…"
Resolving himself to his fate, Silver closed his eyes in defeat, 'What did I do to deserve this?'
His magical training (being a guinea pig) continued…
…
/SLASH!/
/CLANG!/
/PIERCE!/
/CLANG!/
In the middle of night, one so dark the moon couldn't even be found, Silver stood within a wide plain where tall grass hustled in the wind, his vision covered by cloth so he couldn't see anything, not even the slightest wisp of light.
"… Excellent. You're beginning to master full dynamic awareness. It seems we'll be able to move on to more complex applications soon." Lington said as he appeared amidst the tall grass
"Sharpen your senses, learn to focus on each of them. You possess sharper hearing and vision than I do; even your sense of touch and smell is more refined. Make use of the blood your grandmother passed down to you, and the thin blood from your distant ancestors."
"In the Dungeon, fighting in the light is a privilege. Down there, seeing your enemy before they strike is death! If you see one, it means five others are hiding! You need to make use of everything you possess to survive, even if it means relying on something as little as the traits of your long-dead ancestors."
/Sha!/
He threw a sharp dagger in his direction. It cut through the air almost soundlessly… /CLANG!/ Yet Silver blocked it by tilting his body, using the large shield in hand to defend himself.
"Easier said than done, gramps! I can't hear anything with this grass rumbling in my ears! Especially when we keep changing locations! How am I supposed to home in on you if the noise keeps changing?!" Silver exclaimed out loud, his words echoing in the plains
"Good, so you do understand. This isn't easy, but mastery signifies a considerable step. As you dive deeper into the Dungeon, you'll continually fall upon stranger and wilder places."
/Swiss!/
/CLANG!/
"There are whole worlds down there, son… Each of them is a secluded biosphere with its own noises and creatures. You'll have to learn how to isolate the background and focus on what matters."
"Like an animal, you'll have to learn how to listen to what is beyond the song of the forest. Beyond the thousand critters singing in the trees, beyond the waterfalls splashing throughout the caverns, beyond the sands and stones cutting the wind… and even amidst battle, you'll need to learn how to pay attention to…"
/CLANG!/
"Arg! I barely even heard anything this time!"
"… to the echoes of ambush. You'll never be left alone down there. Even if you have your face against a wall, the Dungeon will snap its jaws around your neck… stone will shift and turn below and around you, all for the sake of taking you down."
"Consider yourself not within a labyrinth but within a living organism. That is what the Dungeon is."
"… I'm getting second thoughts…"
/CLANG!/
/CLANG!/
/CLANG!/
/CLANG!/
/CLANG!/
"G-Gramps?! Calm down…"
/CLANG!/
"Humph… cast aside such thoughts. Hesitation and doubt are the key factors for defeat." Lington said as he approached Silver all of a sudden, shocking him as he hadn't heard anything
"If you feel and decide it's time to run, then do so without hesitation. You must make your decision within a split second and act on it decisively."
"… but how do I know such a decision is the right one?"
'It's not like I don't know the answer… I too had to make such decisions in the past, although then, things were far more forgiving… I didn't have to worry much about injuries when I could just heal myself most of the time.'
He smiled as he patted his head, "That's the fun part, you don't."
"…"
"Only with practice and a thousand failures will you instinctively come to make them. Those who think too much are more suitable for back-line positions than anything. Either that, or they figure out a way to think so fast it doesn't matter anymore."
"But in the Dungeon, monsters follow your strength as you go down. That's why we have denominations for its levels… be sure never to go too far down and stick to the areas where monsters you can take down remain."
"No matter how much training you have, at a certain point, it just won't enough."
"I understand."
"I know. You're a smart boy… now… shall we resume?"
"Unfortunately… yes…"
"Hoho… don't be like that. It's fun."
"Maybe for you. I'm the one here holding a shield in the chilly night while blinded… while you're the one throwing the daggers…"
"Should I make the daggers blunt then? I'll warn you though, if I make this part easier, I'll compensate with more and faster daggers."
"L-Let's take this step by step…"
"Hoho… stay sharp, my grandson. This is only another of the many techniques I've taught and will teach you. You can't grow disheartened now."
"I've been feeling overworked for as long as I can remember…"
"HAHAHA! Me too, kid, me too… back then I used to run around the place all the time. I rarely even had the time to stay put for long before the next commission came to me… truly a hectic life."
"Don't you think it'd be fair to be a little more gentle with your grandson, then?"
"What are you talking about, kid? It's exactly because you are my grandson that I'm making you work three times as hard as me! Isn't that the same for all of them?"
"At least hide it a little… I can only handle so much…"
"Yet you've been doing fine… Enough talking. The night is still long."
"I need to sleep, gramps…"
/Swiss!/
/CLANG!/
…
Back in the village…
"Urg… gramps… I think I'll sweat blood at this rate…" Silver complained as his face was drenched in sweat
"Stop whining, keep that stance for a few more minutes."
"I've… I've… huff… been here for an hour…"
"Then a minute more should be fine… listen, Silver… martial arts are the core of adventurers. Some may fight without claiming they know it, but that's a misconception."
"Even if an adventurer hasn't learned formal martial arts from another, it just means they created their own through trial and error amidst countless experiences and life and death encounters."
"Even mages and supporters will master techniques for their craft. You shall be no different."
"I-I unders… huff… tand…"
Saphos put his hands behind his back as he turned around to face the mountains in the distance, "Martial arts are the core through which our ancestors survived the chaotic times."
"With the few heroes of the past blessed by the ancient spirits, the rest had to make do with what they had, their bodies. That's why demi-humans and other species were hailed as powerful warriors of the past, their strengthened bodies coupled with martial arts permitted the mortals of the past to challenge beasts far beyond their prowess."
"Elves were known for their affinity with magic, which when coupled with their lengthy lives led to the greatest mages of all history… even when compared to the likes of today. If not for their laziness and stubbornness that led to their seclusion for thousands of years, then perhaps Elven magic would've reached a realm of refinement far beyond what my mind can envision."
"Thus, these ancient warriors, supported by others — smiths, mages, and armies — even mortals could face the mighty beasts and conquer whatever the Dungeon threw at them with nothing but their given flesh by the deities."
"The greatest masters of them all were said to be able to display might comparable to that of Level-2 and 3 adventurers of today. It takes decades of practice to reach such a state, and even I have yet to get close to it, but it doesn't matter."
"As long as you have the basics down, you'll not find yourself faced with a wall… Be mindful Silver, monsters grow faster as you dive than your blessing can support. The mercy of the Gods is not all-powerful, or rather… the wrath of the Dungeon overshadows their kindness."
"To continue ascending, you'll need to make do with what the Gods cannot provide. Equipment, Skills, Stats, Development Abilities, Magic, and much more… but there isn't anything as reliable as yourself."
"Martial skills can define an adventurer if not an entire Familia. Do not forget it."
"Urgg…"
"To reach the pinnacle of an adventurer, to become First Class, in other words, to reach Level-5, mastering advanced martial arts is necessary. They can bring forth power beyond your level, and a lower-level master of martial arts can face and conquer situations above their strength with perseverance and a tactical mind."
"In modern times, the greatest masters you'll find will all be there… at Orario! Silver, pay deep attention to everyone you meet, from their martial arts you will find the inspiration to one day develop your own techniques and system that will support your ascension."
"I too, was once like that… I observed the greatest adventurers of my time and developed my own martial arts while using basic techniques as their foundation. I now teach you the same techniques and my own refined insight… this privilege is something few could ever experience."
"Martial arts like these are, after all, the foundation of many noble families and knight heritages throughout the continent." He said proudly as he kept gazing into the distance
"I-I-I see!…"
"You may be unable to fully perform as I did, but that matters little. Take what you must from my arts and seek inspiration on your own… you should also seek to find others willing to teach you once you're there. Because while martial arts are tightly kept secret, in Orario where tens of thousands of martial experts gather, a few are bound to be willing to teach what they learned."
"Right now, Orario is in disarray, and many have lost their lives. It is a deep shame to see such legacies lost, but it wouldn't be the first time… just how many martial arts have been lost to us throughout millennia? I'm afraid only the gods could answer… which is why…"
He turned around, "If you can, Silver, perhaps you should consider joining a God adept at martial arts. They aren't common, but if you do, I doubt they'd be unwilling to teach you, someone with the talent and drive to learn their transcendental martial arts."
"Y-Yeah…" He replied as his face paled
"Hum… you're free to relax now."
/THUD!/
"HAAAA… HAAA… URRRRGG… The wave of pain!!…"
Saphos looked at his pained expression from up above, "Remember this pain, my grandson. It is better to twist and turn here in the grass with your muscles torn and your lungs aching than out there in the blood of your comrades with your flesh scarred by the beasts."
"Cry now so you can rejoice later."
"Haaaaa… but I feel like… everything I do… is feel pain…"
"HAHAHAAA… Right! We'll break your body real good so it doesn't shatter so easily! Me, your grandmother, and that annoying man!…" He said loudly with a laugh as he tapped his chest, "Hum… has your grandmother been treating you well? I heard she's been trying to fix your condition?" He asked as he reached for his beard
"She's… not treating me well…" He replied amidst hurried gasps
"HAHAHAHA! Good! That's exactly what I wanted to hear! Let's stop here for today. Soon enough, you'll be going to her after all. Take this time to rest and take a shower… and be careful once you're there, it's spawning season for the Blue Longfins. The forest gets quite rowdy this time of the year."
With that, he left with his hands on his back, leaving the collapsed Silver behind.
"…"
'Someone release me from this hell… did I die and was sent to hell for my sins in my past life? I'm really sorry for abusing so many people… and stealing… and lying… and destroying… and mocking… and…'
Silver stood there for ten more minutes before he finally accumulated enough strength to move. No matter how much he wanted to stay there, he knew that if he did so, his grandmother would find him… eventually…
Better not say what she would do to him if she found him like that…
…
/Back home…/
"Sigh… my son doesn't even play with me anymore… I can't even teach him anything. Silver always learns everything so fast… he even already surpassed me in my own field… he's barely half my age…" Marcus exclaimed as he slowly "melted" into his chair
"He's a young man now, you can't expect him to keep playing with his daddy forever." Rubia replied with a chuckle as she swept the house
But her smile soon faded, replaced with frustration, "My only complaint is about our parents. They held him so close to them that little Silver never had the time to interact with anyone. I can count on one hand the times I remember him playing with others his age."
"He'll soon turn into a man, and some of the gals around the village are beginning to show interest in him, yet all he does is spend his time training and studying with them. How is he supposed to accomplish anything in life if all he does is that? Girls don't like it."
Marcus grimaced, "Maybe not the ones around here… He'll surely find one out there."
"… I still don't approve of it. Sending him there. I don't know much, but I know enough to say it's dangerous."
She left the living room with her broom, fuming, "Why can't he just grow content with what we have? Why must he go so far away for something so…"
"…"
As she left the room, Marcus was left there to look at the ceiling and then at the mountains, thinking of the world beyond them.
'Every man has a dream. I cast mine away when I was young, but Silver… he has never lost sight of his.'
'There will come a time when someone starts to make their own decisions. Silver might've grown differently from others, but he lived many years as an obedient son that committed almost no wrongs… so much so I grew awkward…'
'I wanted to teach and reprimand him, to see him grow and remember his mistakes and eventually teach his own son the same things my father did… but that might not be the kind of life he's aiming for.'
'All we can do as parents is empower him to seek out what he desires… though I won't deny it… I'd prefer if he remained somewhere more accessible while also doing something less dangerous.'
"Being an adventurer is not that bad either… if it were such a terrible thing that killed all who did it, then I wouldn't be alive and neither would Silver… I hope Silver can also have such an impact in someone's life eventually…"
'That he can one day achieve what he set out to do… and that he doesn't leave this world with regrets like my parents. All their lives they've blamed themselves for something they had no power over, and I wouldn't want Silver to go through the same thing.'
'At least… not anytime soon… he has the right to live like a youth, doesn't he? After everything they had him go through…'
"It was exactly for that purpose…" He said as he closed his eyes
Soon enough, Marcus fell asleep, much to his wife's annoyance as she cleaned the house.
…
Like that, Silver spent the final years of his growth training his body, martial arts, magic, and improving his handicraft skills. After all, now that he was growing older, he had to consider the near future. He was soon to come of age, and once he departed on his journey, he'd need the equipment to do so.
Something he could rely upon until he found the right deity willing to accept him into their Familia. A blade that could remain by his side even when he became an adventurer and underwent baptism.
Meanwhile, as he grew older, Silver also began dabbling in his research again… especially magic. He knew people could infuse the energy of the world into objects and items, reshaping them to create incredible items. Be it gargantuan ships the size of islands to ships able to sail in the sand and swords able to spew fire, ice, and lightning, the principles behind it all were there to be studied, and he wished to understand them all.
While what his grandmother had wasn't much, it was still something to study. With the little she had with her, Silver dabbled in his research, forging and playing with numbers night after night… and it even reached a point where he wished he could've traveled elsewhere like Altena, where magic was the highest authority…
Nevertheless, he kept moving with interest, for magic was a man's dream!
And so, after the seasons revolved a few more times and he turned sixteen. Silver thought he was finally ready to take on a stronger monster...
...
"It's finally time, huh?.."
Silver looked calm, but he was excited. 'I've essentially hunter everything a well-trained knight can take down and more. And now I can do it with ease.'
'After much training and discussion, they allowed me to hunt something beyond that…'
'To hunt an Orc.'
Orcs, pig-headed monsters of immense physical prowess, almost if not greater than that of an elephant. Their average size is three meters tall, possessing bulging muscles covered in layers of fat and hard hide.
They are hulking masses of flesh with immense physical strength and enough intelligence to know they can hold a long and swing it down to cause devastating damage.
(Image)
It's normally a monster that can match an experienced Level-1 adventurer if not surpass them in physical might. Their power was so great they could incapacitate a Level-2 adventurer if they were to hit them in a moment of carelessness!
Even if the strengths between adventurers were varied, this only meant that between the strongest and the weakest, on average, Level-2 adventurers would be considerably if not severely wounded by its powerful strikes.
The stronger they were, the lower the degree of injury. But on the other spectrum… it could mean death!
For Silver, still a few months off from being sixteen years of age, taking one down would be the height of his career. Although a surface Orc pales compared to its Dungeon counterpart, it's still a monster that would cause anyone on the surface to rise to the realm of experts and masters if they were to defeat it in single combat.
There were cases of mortals taking down monsters of even greater power in single combat, but Silver felt difficulty imagining himself winning in such scenarios… at least not in the way he was right now.
Those people were legends, hailed as heroes and sun for generations. Was he at that level yet?… He usually acted with confidence, but this time, he had to say was several steps below that realm of skill.
Silver did not believe himself able to defeat an Orc in single combat, much less in an ambush with preparation, so he had little to fear. He had seen many before, witnessing his grandparents hunt and take down far greater threats; this challenge was only meant to cement his current skills and prove to them he was ready to push his training another level.
That said, it wouldn't be for long. Being already an adult, Silver was ready to depart to Orario. These last few rounds of training were only there to push himself to his limits so he could leave with an idea of where he stood in this world, nothing else.
It was only a shame his grandparents refused his request to be baptised. With gods being around them, finding one with their skills and connections wouldn't take long. His parents were baptised by a god recently and so were his grandparents, so why not him as well?! At least this way his training would yield further results…
When one converts to a Familia, there is a one-year downtime where they cannot convert again, but had this been done in the past, wouldn't he have been ready by now? He still couldn't understand why they refused… to some degree, it got in the way of his plans quite a bit.
If he reached Orario now, he wouldn't have time to reach a significant level at all… but now, crying about it wouldn't change a thing. The only thing he could do was… was to keep challenging himself.
He would fight and fight and do something truly worthy of remembrance! Only this way would he awaken something worthy of his ambitions and rise to a fitting spot in the future to come.
That was the promise he made himself over ten years ago, which he kept strong within him to this day. It was what fueled him to train ten times harder than anyone his age.
Silver checked his equipment and everything he had packed inside his bags, 'Everything's ready… time to kill something slightly bigger than a goblin...'
Silver departed with a smile on his face, his broad shoulders carrying the weight of his tools and gear…
…
/Shaaa…/
The northern forest beyond the mountains was covered in mist and fog. Coldness breeding in the air… the promise of winter.
'It's cold… I suppose we're not far from winter. This place gets covered in snow around late December. Even for my grandparents, moving around then becomes quite a hassle. If we don't do these tests now we'll have to wait until next year.'
They stopped around the mountain's peak, looking down at a valley at its foot. Misty was the first to speak as she pointed down, "From here on out is Orc territory. We will accompany you for a certain distance but won't intervene."
"Just like before then... are there any other monsters in the area?" Silver asked as he looked around, memorizing the layout of the region
"No. The Orc living here has already hunted everything that it considered a threat. It has claimed this entire piece of land as its territory."
"Very well… one less thing to worry about."
Silver finished his scouting, stepping forward, "Well… I''ll be going."
""…""
No further words were exchanged. Everything that was to be said and shared had already been done so on the way. From here on out… it was his stage.
…
/Step.../
/Step.../
/Crunch…/
As he went down the slope and entered the valley, Silver looked back and realized everyone had disappeared.
"Hah… Those posers…"
'Let's get myself ready then.'
He took off his short spear and shield and began his search for the Orc.
'I took a good look at the valley. According to my documents and the preferences of an Orc, this limits the number of areas it could nest in to only a few.'
'I should look around those regions for trails and set up traps to catch one.'
Silver crouched down, opening his bag, 'I didn't bring much… and most of it is equipment, while adventurers do the contrary, usually carrying more supplies than extra gear like traps and secondary equipment.'
'In my case I don't need to worry much about food, it's everywhere here… but the Dungeon is another story.'
"That's why Supporters exist."
Supporters are people who explore the Dungeon along with adventurers. They carry many things ranging from magic stones dropped from monsters to spare weapons and items. It's usually seen as a lower-ranking job and often with disgust and a superiority complex by those that employ them.
…
/Crunch…/
Silver continued to look around the valley, eventually finding what he was looking for. It wasn't difficult to find it, for the Orc caused immense destruction everywhere it went.
Once he saw the signs of its rampage, finding it was only a matter of time.
/Growl…/
/Snore…/
The Orc slept in a twisted clearing, one that was probably made by the beast given the piled logs and branches surrounding it like a barrier.
Besides the Orc, Silver also saw a large, distorted log about as large as him… that most likely was the Orc's weapon.
'… This is it. I should probably set some traps around the place before engaging in it. Securing an escape route is also necessary.'
'Let's see… the first thing to do is... investigate.'
Many plans passed through his mind as he tiptoed around the place. Only after he went around the whole clearing, inspecting trails and setting up traps, did he crouch down to reflect on his findings.
And they told him something rather odd:
'This is strange. The nest is clearly new, so there aren't that many tracks around the region; however, they are signs of heavy hunting given the pile of bones on the side.'
'Considering the age of this nest, this is too much food for a single Orc… and Orcs are lazy by nature; they will only move to hunt if they are starving... so why is there such a large pile? That much food would've fed it for months, if not longer.'
'I have a few inklings of what this is, but what my grandparents told me on the way here is conflicting… I can't proceed like this; I'll do another round.'
Silver went around the place and investigated some more, only to find a few traces of footsteps going out of the nest; however, he was quite distant, so he couldn't confirm their size in relation to the other Orc.
Still, he found the trail as he circled the nest, going deeper into the woods.
'... There are several possibilities, but the most likely one is... that there are two Orcs living here... which conflicts with what my grandparents told me.'
'Is this part of their test? Was one not enough, so they set me up against two at once?… That's reckless, but leaving like this would be too much. If I step down here, then there's no point in going to the Dungeon.'
'I suppose that if this is the male... then the female left… this must be a rare case of mating. I'll need to plan my next moves with this possibility in mind.'
Silver formed a plan inside his mind and retreated to the woods. It took him half an hour to plant traps all around the place and a few more minutes of tracing his steps before he finished his preparations.
"... finished..." He whispered to himself as he returned to the nest
'Taking it down… is actually quite simple.'
'Normally I would lure it into a poison trap or even just use a poisoned dart. I have several concoctions able to take it down in a few minutes… but I was prohibited from using them.'
'I even have stronger poisons. Years of reading books and experimenting with small things had some results... although from my grandma's perspective, it's nothing but playing around.'
'Monsters in the Dungeon are far more resilient to poison and venom. Unless I find a really poisonous plant, animal, or spend a few years studying them, I'll never properly poison an adventurer… and monsters are said to be even more resilient to such.'
'In any case, this prohibition also includes other alchemical products such as sleep powder… I still brought them in case I needed them, but if I use this too soon, they won't give me the pass.'
'I'll leave everything on the side. In case things go south, I can use them to take the Orcs down. I can always try it again with another Orc anyway. Failure to complete a mission is just that, but I only have one life to lose… to hell with pride.'
He looked back, 'My escape route is right behind those trees. I can pass through a narrow passage between them, which should be enough for me to escape from the Orcs in case I need it.'
'The path has been heavily marked and is full of small traps to aid me in taking them down… but I shouldn't need them.'
'Time for action!' He thought as his eyes narrowed
/FWUSH!/
Silver looked around and grabbed a sharp rock. After sometime aiming it, he threw it straight at its balls!
/Crack!/
/Crunch!/
/ROARRRRR!/
The Orc awakened with a painful roar of agony, slamming its fist around and causing the ground to quake. It looked around the place for its assailant before picking up on the scent of blood. He picked his wooden club and made his way towards the source of the smell.
Limping...
/SNIFF/
The Orc smelled the place, but it didn't detect Silver. Only the smell of blood that led nowhere… "Quiii!!" or did it?
The Orc immediately reacted to the sounds. There, it found a hurt boar tied to a wooden pole.
"Guck?!"
Seemingly licking its lips, the Orc lifted its massive trunk and…
/SQUISH!/
/CATHENG!/
The boar was turned into mush on its brutal impact! But the strike also activated a trap, causing several ropes to bind to his legs and even neck!
/GROWL!!/
This wasn't a problem for the Orc, it could easily get out of the ropes. The problem was the next trap, a sharp wooden spear that hit his face!
/ROARRRR!/
The beast screamed once more, this time with its eyeball destroyed… But it wasn't enough to kill it; even its eyeball was resistant enough to stop the spear from making all the way to its brain.
/Swush!/
Silver took this chance while it was distracted to pierce its chest with his spear, right on the spot where the Magic Stone is located!
"Gug… gurg…"
/Buwong!/
It made gurgled in pain before falling on the ground and exploding in dark smoke. Leaving behind a large piece of green hide and a broken magic crystal the size of half a finger.
Seeing this, Silver walked out of his hiding spot and sighed in relief. His body was covered in some sort of lotion, which was the reason why the Orc couldn't find him by smell.
'I used all of my strength on that strike, and even then I barely even reached the magic stone… And right now my physical prowess is almost superhuman…'
He then looked at the ground, smiling.
"How lucky! A hide…"
But... He let his guard down for a moment…
/ROARRR!/
/SWUSH!/
It was at that very moment that another Orc jumped from the bushes and swung its massive fists in his direction!
"?!"
The fight was far from over!
.
.
.
Notes
We're reaching the end of "Volume 0" or better put, the Prelude. Soon enough Silver will depart.
That's about it this time, peace out!