Inside one of the southern dungeon areas, which was dimly lit, a slightly large boar wandered. It had long, twisted tusks and green fur with some plants growing on it. Moving between the dungeon walls, it sniffed the ground calmly in search of food. The dungeon's silence was soothing, with the sound of dripping water adding a melody to the tranquility.
After a while, the boar reached a tree. It was a short tree with plants that glowed with a white light, and its wood was violet. As the boar approached, it began to eat the tree's glowing fruits. But away from it, two adventurers stood, gripping their weapons as they observed the boar. This was the third floor of the southern dungeon, and it seemed that Laos and Ponier had found their first herboaz.
"Nice, it's not too dark here," Laos muttered.
"How are your wounds?" Ponier asked, staring at the herboaz.
"I can fight, don't worry. Fuck those stingers! They're even on the second floor! Where's the dungeon variety?!" Laos grumbled in annoyance.
"Then follow me!" the foxen suddenly shouted as he charged toward the monster, which continued munching on the tree's fruits.
God, if Maris were here, she could heal my wounds. Fuck! We need a healer in the party, and a torchbearer too. Passing that torch around is annoying, and I can't fight properly with one hand. Well, fuck these problems for now—I need to kill that green boar. Gripping Astral tightly, I followed Ponier. The moment the boar noticed the fox rushing at it, it charged forward in an attempt to ram him.
With a swift movement, Ponier leaped high, dodging the attack, causing the herboaz to stumble due to its own weight affecting its speed. Alright, my turn. I unleashed a slash as usual, but unlike usual, it didn't kill the herboaz. It got back up and went after Ponier again. So this is gonna be a real fight, huh?
"Laos, launch another slash!" Ponier yelled as he prepared for the boar's charge.
I slashed at its fucking ass while Ponier held it down to keep it from dodging or doing anything else. But the boar's strength wasn't something to take lightly—it overpowered Ponier and sent him crashing down with its momentum. The moment the monster realized Ponier was on the ground, it ran toward him. So I sprinted toward it, raising Astral with both hands.
"Ahhh! Take this!" I roared as I slashed its ass. God, it's covered in that disgusting blue blood.
The boar turned to me and glared with such fury, as if saying, "You just fucked my ass, you bastard. Fuck you!" And, of course, it charged at me at full speed. Ponier quickly got back into the fight and chased after it with insane speed. What should I do? Should I launch another slash? But what if I miss? At that moment, I dodged to the right, avoiding its charge. This dumb only knows how to dash forward. As expected, it failed to stop and crashed to the ground again. Alright, this is my chance!
"Water Slash!"
The attack sent it crashing into one of the dungeon's rocks. Nice! Suddenly, I noticed a green vine with thorns shooting toward me. It was fast—so fast that I couldn't even move or react in time. Then, I felt a sharp pain tear through my right cheek, followed by an excruciating sensation. Goddamn it, it fired that vine Thalesa warned me about!
"Idiot!" Ponier cursed as he slashed the vine that tried to strike me again.
I clutched my cheek and saw my palm covered in blood. Fuck, fuck, fuck! I need Maris more than ever right now! I stepped back and wiped my cheek with my cloak. Then, Ponier launched a fire spell at the fucking boar, setting it ablaze as it tried to stand. It thrashed around, burning until it finally died. Fuck that thing!!
"That was fast, wasn't it?" Ponier said with a mocking laugh. This fucking fox!
"Alright, only two more left. Let's keep going… Don't tell me you want to stop and head back!" Ponier added.
"No, no, let's keep going. It's just a scratch," I replied.
After that, Ponier approached the burnt herboaz's corpse and began yanking out one of its tusks. After some effort, he finally managed to pull it out and stuffed it into his backpack. Damn, that was a tough fight. God, we still need to kill two more. Maybe leaving Maris at the tavern was the worst decision I've ever made.
I then walked up to one of the trees. Wow, trees growing inside a dungeon? Its wood was a deep violet, and its small fruits glowed softly, illuminating the surroundings with white light. This is so fantasy! I plucked one of the fruits—it was delicate and cold, and its faint glow shimmered in my palm. Then, I squeezed it, and its light gradually faded until it withered. This is amazing!
"What are these trees, Thalesa?"
"They are Veltar trees, which grow only inside dungeons. It is said that the sun god Apollo created them to guide adventurers through the dungeon's darkness," Thalesa replied.
Veltar trees? I've heard that name before… Oh, wait! There was a bronze-rank quest about gathering their branches. We can sell them—this is great! We'll make money from the quest and these trees!
"Ponier, let's collect these trees' branches and sell them," I said as I tried to snap off a branch.
"No!" he suddenly shouted. I pulled my hand back and waited for him to explain.
"You idiot, haven't you read the guild's terms and conditions? Any resources an adventurer collects belong to them!"
"Who's gonna find out? Just take them, and we'll sell them," I insisted.
"Do you have a merchant license?" Ponier asked.
"Thalesa, quick, what's a merchant license?"
"It's something common in the Kingdom of Ethelas. It allows you to sell whatever you want. If you don't have one, you can't sell anything—unless it's through illegal trade… I mean, you can sell things to an underground merchant, and they won't ask for a license."
"Of course, you don't have one. You're an adventurer from Alis, and Alis issued a rule that no adventurer in its guild can obtain a merchant license," Ponier explained.
"Oh my god, Alis' rules are so bad. Maybe it's the worst guild here. Why are most adventurers registered with it, I wonder?" I muttered.
"No, Alis is the best guild in the entire kingdom," Ponier whispered.
"Really? Then why?"
"There are several reasons, Laos... several reasons," the fox muttered as he continued advancing through this floor. "Don't just stand there. We have a quest to complete."
◆ ◆ ◆
Evening fell upon the town, and the sun began to set, painting the sky orange. At that moment, adventurers were withdrawing from the dungeon, returning to town after a grueling adventure. Everyone moved away from the entrance—some carrying bags full of loot, others returning empty-handed—but what mattered was that they were all coming back. It was just another day's end for the adventurers of Iveleth.
Among these adventurers, two emerged from the dungeon—one was a foxen with orange fur, and the other was a taller human youth with white hair and a striking sword hanging at his waist. They left the dungeon, heading back to the town under the orange sky and fading sunset. Then, the white-haired young man let out a sigh and muttered: "Damn! That was so hard... Hey, why don't we get a healer in the party?"
"We had Maris. Why doesn't she come anymore? Did you fight with her?" Ponier asked.
"…"
"She couldn't stand the sight of blood anymore, so she decided to stay home," Laos answered as he looked at the withdrawing adventurers.
After that, they continued on their way, and when they reached the town, the first place they headed to was the guild. They waited in line for a long time and finally received their reward. They split the money and then each went their separate ways. Amid the bustling night of Iveleth, Laos walked back toward the tavern.
Ugh! What a tiring day. I can't even take a shower! Fuck, fuck, fuck this primitive world… I'll have dinner, then have sex with Maris and go to sleep. Then, I'll go on another adventure… Ugh, this isn't the life I wanted. Fuck, this is boring. I didn't think an adventurer's life would be this bad… No, no, you are tripping! I'm just complaining for no reason!
I know my life is good, but this daily exhaustion makes me so fucking angry, especially with these annoying wounds. I entered the tavern, and as usual, the place was crowded and chaotic. I quickly headed upstairs, guessing what meal Maris had bought for dinner. Once I reached the door, I knocked.
"Coming!" Maris responded enthusiastically as she approached to open the door.
"Oh my goddess! You're covered in wounds!" she exclaimed loudly.
After that, I stepped inside as she closed the door. I glanced at the table and found an apple pie. Well, not bad. Ugh, I must look so pathetic, no lie. I remember she once said, "Don't you dare come back to me to heal your wounds," and yet here I am doing exactly that. FUCK. Well, I just hope Maris isn't toxic and doesn't mock me…
"Come, sit. I'll heal your wounds," she said as she sat on the bed. What a perfect wife.
I removed my armor, revealing my wounds, then lay down and rested my head on her thighs. The moment she cast her healing spells, I felt immense relief. Well, she wouldn't fully heal my wounds, but at least she'd make them more resilient, not fresh and open anymore. The warm green light of the spell was soothing, and the feeling of my wounds closing up was incredible. Ah, what a relief…
"If you're really struggling with injuries, you need to learn healing magic, or at least recruit a priest into your party," Maris said after finishing the treatment.
"Learn healing magic? Isn't all I have to do just pray to some god?" I muttered.
"Not exactly. But yes, first, you need to declare your devotion to a god. Then, keep praying regularly until you receive a healing spell. Your focus during prayer speeds up the process," Maris explained.
"And I have to keep praying for the rest of my life?"
"No, once you get the spell, you can stop praying if you want—just like I do now."
Oh my god, Staria is the only world where creatures exploit gods instead of the other way around… This is hilarious! Well then, should I do it? Healing magic is something I'll definitely need, so it's a necessity… Ugh, I have to follow some god, huh?
"What do you think?" Maris asked.
"Yeah, I'll do it," I answered.
"Good. Do you have any quests tomorrow?"
"No, tomorrow's a rest day."
"Alright, then let's go to the Moon Goddess' temple tomorrow. The priests there will perform the ceremony, and you'll become a follower of Lunariss. It's easy, don't worry," Maris explained.
"I'll do it. Now, let's eat this delicious pie!" I said loudly.
The idea that I'll become a follower of that goddess is weird. I mean, I literally talked to her and saw her in person. She was right in front of me. That's really strange. I did something no other creature has done before. But the idea that I'll be her follower… Well, Lunariss is a great goddess, and she's the best one among all the gods, but why the hell did she give me an NPC class??!!
"Just lie, fuck that bitch!"... "No, no, just kidding!"
I hope she can't hear that.