After hours of relentless grinding, Twig and his friends finally returned to the inn, just as they always did. They sorted their loot, stored their weapons, and hid their knightly armor, returning to their humble disguises — three ordinary kids living quietly in a roadside lodge.
At Jenny's little hideout behind the stables, the three gathered for dinner. She had prepared carrot soup with meat — and it was delicious.
As they ate, Twig leaned back in his chair and asked,
"So, what did you think of today's surprise? The Peco-Pecos — how was your first ride?"
Aron nearly choked on his soup. "Peco-Pecos? Dude, we should totally buy some of those!"
"Not a chance," Twig said quickly, lowering his voice so no one would overhear. "Those creatures are magical. They can only be rented through the Kafra Service, and they disappear once we leave the dungeon. Showing one of those around Westeros would draw every kind of trouble imaginable."
Jenny propped her chin on her hands, eyes curious. "So… no personal Peco-Pecos?"
"Not for now," Twig replied. "But if we're getting mounts, they'll be real horses. Which means we'll need a stable."
Aron's eyes lit up. "I can take care of that! I'll start tomorrow morning. I'll make perfect planks — it'll be the best stable ever!"
Twig smirked. "Just don't mess it up, Aron. I'd hate to see the horses sleeping in the rain because of your 'perfect planks.'"
"Don't worry," Aron said, puffing his chest. "No horse will sleep in the rain under my watch!"
Jenny burst out laughing, and Twig joined in.
That night, after they went to bed, Twig lay awake staring at the ceiling of his tiny room.
"Picking up all that loot is such a pain. Sorting, stacking, selling… it eats up way too much time. System, isn't there a better way to handle all this?"
[Ding!]
Suggestion detected. Recommended additional class: Merchant. Host is likely to be surprised — and pleased — by the results.
Twig frowned. "An additional class? But what about my Knight progression? Won't that mess with my leveling?"
[Ding!]
"Host, accepting an additional class will increase the total EXP required to level up by 20%. However, the expected financial and logistical gains will compensate for the cost. Considering your current enemy levels, the impact should be minimal. In higher dungeons, multiple classes will ensure greater success."
"Twenty percent more EXP, huh? Sounds manageable," Twig muttered, thinking it through. The System had warned him that the next dungeon would be much harder. "Alright, fine. If it's only 20%, then I'll just work 20% harder."
He raised his hand. "System, activate Merchant Class quest."
[Ding!]
Quest received: Signature in the Ledger
Objective: Complete a sale, trade, or purchase.
Reward: Merchant Class unlocked.
Twig smiled to himself. "Finally, a quest that doesn't involve nearly dying. This should be easy."
[Ding!] "Host, correction: the transaction must be made with a stranger. Deals with known acquaintances will not count. Transactions with Kafra staff such as Aliane are invalid."
His smile vanished. "Of course… nothing's ever that simple. Guess I'll have to find some random traveler or merchant to deal with. Fine. I'll handle it later. Good night, System."
The next morning, their "hardworking" routine resumed — at least from Saul the innkeeper's perspective. The trio swept the yard, chopped firewood, scrubbed buckets — all perfectly staged.
In truth, they could now finish in one hour what once took them all day. Repeating that performance once a week was enough to keep Saul convinced they were model helpers.
Jenny dusted her hands and grinned. "All done. So… time for our little 'walk'?"
"Time for the 'walk,'" Twig confirmed, glancing down the hallway to make sure no one was watching. He led them out the back door to their usual discreet teleport spot.
A moment later, Aliane appeared with her usual polite smile. Twig requested teleportation — but this time, with a small change.
When they reappeared, Aron blinked in confusion. "Wait… isn't this the first dungeon we ever went to?"
The same pebbled floor. The same twisted roots. The same faint dripping of water.
Jenny looked around, nostalgic. "Porings, Lunatics, and Willows… we haven't been here in almost a year."
"What's going on, Twig?" she asked. "Why'd you bring us back here? Shouldn't we be in the Fortress? Or something higher level?"
Twig crossed his arms. "Things have changed. The monsters here aren't the same anymore. The dungeons now host new creatures — stronger ones, and with better rewards. We need to clear them."
"New monsters?" Aron's eyes gleamed. "Well then, let's find out what's waiting for us."
They advanced deeper into the cave. Before long, the sound of buzzing wings filled the air. From the shadows, an enormous insect emerged — ugly, twitching, and loud.
"That's a Chonchon," Twig said, pointing at it. "Who wants the first hit?"
The siblings hesitated. "You go. Show us what it does."
Twig chuckled. "Don't worry. They're no stronger than the old mobs here."
He stepped forward, spun his Pike once, and sliced cleanly through the giant fly.
"See? Easy."
Relieved, the two followed him deeper inside. As they ventured further, they encountered Fabres — plump green caterpillars — and Hornets, weird insect-like creatures with a bee appearance combined with humanoid fairy wings.
When Twig struck down the last of them, a familiar sound echoed.
[Ding!]
Congratulations, Host! Three new monsters registered in the Omnibook (Levels 5–10).
Tip: Completing all possible monsters in the level 5-10 range will grant special rewards.
Twig scratched the back of his head and laughed. "Ah, great. You just had to say the magic words, didn't you? Now I have to complete the set. Collector mode activated…"
Jenny frowned. "Twig? Why are you laughing to yourself?"
"Nothing, Jenny. Let's keep moving."
She shrugged and took the lead. Raising her Partizan, she lunged forward and skewered a Fabre with a clean spin.
[Ding!]
'Lucky Strike' triggered. All possible drops obtained!
Among the shimmering loot, something green sparkled. A large, flawless emerald rolled to her feet.
"Look at that…" Jenny whispered, picking it up. The gem's green light danced across her face.
Twig whistled. "That's an incredible drop, Jenny! With this emerald, we can probably afford good horses. It'll make our deal much easier."
Jenny's eyes lit up. "Really?! Then I'll name mine Argo! Just like Xena's horse!"
Twig laughed. "Sure, you can name it whatever you want. But first, we need to get them."
"Right!" she said, holding the emerald close with a grin.
Aron joined them, shaking his head. "This place is way too easy. None of these monsters can even touch us anymore."
"It's supposed to be easy," Twig said with a shrug. "We've completely out-leveled it. But we'll have to come back here again."
"Come back? Why?" Aron asked, confused.
"Because every time we enter, the monster lineup changes," Twig explained. "New ones appear each run. We need to defeat all possible types so I can complete the collec.. — Cough I mean so no new enemies will arise."
Jenny nodded, adjusting her grip on the spear. "So our mission is basically to wipe out every variation until no new enemies remain?"
"Exactly," Twig said, turning toward the exit. "Once the list's complete, we'll move on to higher-level dungeons."
Aron sighed but didn't argue. Twig was the only one who could bring them anyway.
They finished clearing the cave, sold the excess loot for Zeny, and requested teleportation back to the inn.
By the time they arrived, the sun was still up — it hadn't been a long run. Twig slowed his pace on the path home.
"Guys," he said suddenly, "I'm not going back to the inn tonight."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Aron asked.
"I'm sticking to the plan — getting us horses. I need you two to cover for me today. If Saul asks, make something up — say I went to the latrine or stepped out for supplies. I'll run to the next village or town and look for a horse dealer or trader. Once I've got three good ones, I'll come back. Probably by tomorrow."
Aron exchanged a glance with Jenny.
"Alright, we'll cover for you," Aron said. "But the stable's not done yet — and I doubt it'll be finished tomorrow."
Twig looked up at the clouds and nodded. "That's fine. If I don't return tomorrow, then the day after for sure. Aron, start the build today, okay? And Jenny — you'll help him?"
Jenny crossed her arms and grinned. "Of course. Don't underestimate me."
Aron rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Even if it's not perfect, I can at least throw together a roof. No horse's sleeping under the rain."
"Perfect," Twig said, smiling. "I'll bring the best horses I can find — good mounts for combat and travel."
"Good luck," Jenny said softly.
"Yeah," Aron added, nodding. "We'll hold the fort."
The three exchanged quick farewells. Then Twig veered off the path, slipping into the forest.
He swapped into travel gear — a better cloak, cleaner clothes, a belt pouch — and adjusted the straps on his pack. He couldn't afford to look like a peasant if he wanted to negotiate with precious stones.
After one last glance toward the inn, he set off down the forest road.
For the first time, Twig was heading out alone — on a true journey beyond the inn's walls.