Biter

Sebas sat on a metal stool in the forge room, shoveling charcoal into the firebrick surface, Gis surprising the boy by punching him in the back of his ribs.

“DON’T USE ALL THE COALS UNLESS YOU’RE GOIN’ TO REFILL IT.”

Sebas screams back at the snappy blacksmith, “I'M GOING TO BE MADE TO ANYWAY, I MIGHT AS WELL,” Shovel flinging coals everywhere, sooty dust filling the forge.

“STOP YOU IDIOT, YOU’RE GOING TO CAUSE A DUST EXPLOSION.”

Sebas threatened the dwarven man, prepared to fling coals at the first move, flinching every small move that Gis made.

Holding his large hands around his face, Gis said with a hint of depression, “We hired a fucking lunatic, why did we have to use you?”

“I’m paying off the debt for the boots.”

“That’s right, maybe I should rip them off of your feet myself.”

Sebas holds the shovel upright, readying himself to sling combustible fuel everywhere.

“Make my day old man.”

A hearty chuckle, “you would make a good dwarf.”

Sebas lowered his shovel, placing the fuel and shovel down, “I’m an honorary elven hunter, I don’t know if I can be a dwarf and an elf at the same time.”

“Course you can, who’s going to stop you?”

“Divine intervention? Possibly Elo.”

“If the god of order wanted you to refrain from becoming honorary to other species, he would descend himself to stop you.”

“I thought there was a theoretical limit to which they could affect the plane outside of the realm of the gods.”

“Aye but if you piss someone off, you piss someone off, god or no god they’ll beat you into the dirt if they’re stronger than you, some just need the tip of their pinky, while others use weapons,” Gis said as he began to walk through the room.”

“Wise words?”

“Bar Fight with a giant,” Gis began, picking up a hammer, ”now get the hell outta my shop unless you want to learn fire immunity, in fact I should toss you out for making a dust of the coals,” Gis said, turning around to reveal that Sebas had already slipped out.

“Sebas, do you have time today to work at the storefront?” Jenva asked.

“Sure, Miss Fayeth, I could do that much after you two literally took care of me.”

“Isn’t it normal for a mother bear to take care of an injured cub?”

“Uhh…” Sebas began, flustered mumbling beginning.

“Thank you Sebas, it’ll only take an hour.”

“Y- uh, mhm.”

A small jingle rang as Jenva left, only to open it back up right after.

“Also, drop the miss, I am only 200 years old, that’s like calling me a grandmother Sebas.”

“Bye grandma,” Sebas said, a smile painting his face while he shook his head.

“Low hanging fruits young man.”

“The ones off the ground are too rotten, they even make the flies drunk.”

“You’re not good at metaphors, are you.”

“Go shopping, I need this hour to be up so I can start working on… a broodmother rat pelt,” Sebas said, looking down at a sheet of paper while his fist held up his head.

A titter sounded from Jenva as the bell resumed its latter half of jingle during the doors closing.

A week and a half had passed since Sebas’ return to consciousness brought on by near death of a trapped chest, he had spent the few days working with the interspecies couple, something like a second home had been created as they accepted him, crass and disagreeable acts.

Sebas learned the minor dealings of a blacksmith’s work and began his own education of the inner workings that went into businesses, albeit the lack that he had in variety, working for a pair of gold level merchant guild members was extremely lucrative.

[Skill: Level 2 -> Level 3]

[Trait: has been created.]

The first trait Sebas had ever encountered, at least the first that was his. Gis laughed while calling him a “Greedy mouse nosed bum,” which Sebas didn’t understand, however was still offended.

Finally able to be free from chores, Sebas stretched outside of the chipped anvil, only to run into a pair of adventurers.

Adam Rynard tackled Sebas into a hug, blubbering about how much he missed him. Sebas tried prying the boy off of his torso, his was strained to the point where the contest of hug and denial was almost a stalemate.

“I am fine you oaf, let go!”

“Sebassss, you almost dieeeed,” Adam blubbered while snot covered bellowing attempted to reach Sebas’ shirt.

“Get off of me, who is this girl with you?”

As if suddenly better, Adam immediately got up, introducing the new party member.

“This is my soon to be girlfriend, Karri Bladewood.”

Wearing an olive brown ranger shawl, a cloak that covered the upper half of the body like a hooded poncho: Sebas gave the girl a questioning glance while nodding his head to Adam.

She responded with a shake of her head, denying it.

Sebas nodded his head in response, understanding.

“Why are you guys having a silent conversation?” Adam asked while being restrained to a distance by Karri.

“Adam, have you guys gone to the second floor yet?”

“Yes sirree, we beat an alpha bihorn.”

“No kidding… you still got one of its horns?”

As a response, one of them manifested itself in Adam’s hand.

“How much do you want for it?”

Adam tossed the horn to Sebas, who grabbed at it, the silver-metallic horn leaping higher into the air with each failed attempted catch, before landing simply in his right palm.

“Happy birthday.”

Sebas shook his head with a smile.

“You guys plan to go back in?”

“Sure!”

Karri, who was always silent, finally spoke up.

“We would need to get you added to the new party, Adam was recommended to set up a new one since the old one was dissolved.

“That makes perfect sense… Are you okay with it, Karri?”

She shrugged, before turning around and walking away. “Don’t hold me back and we will have no issues.”

“She’s prickly but she has a sweet center~” Adam said.

“You have problems that are beyond help.”

In the adventurer guild hall, Sebas walks in after Karri and Adam, the tavern hall lights up in a song, singing the exploits of the rabbit slayer, and his electrical fight.

Sebas' teeth turn red as he begins to walk towards the tavern end of the building, only to be called by the crew he is with.

“Hurry up lunatic,” Karri said

Sebas sighed and placed his hand onto the strange desk obelisk they were waiting at.

Name: Adam Rynard

Species: Human LV 11

Class: [Sealed]

Strength: 8

Dexterity: 7

Constitution: 5

Intelligence: 10

Wisdom: 12

Charisma: 42

Skills: [Item Box LV 1 ] [Triple Slash LV 3] [Lowest Rank Swordsmanship LV 2]

Traits: (Weapon Mastery ) (Looter)

Name: Karri Bladewood

Species: Dryad-Human LV 12

Class: Hunter

Strength: 10

Dexterity: 30 [+10]

Constitution: 4

Intelligence: 15

Wisdom: 8

Charisma: 8

Skills: [Power Shot LV 5] [Eagle Eyes LV 2] [Stealth LV 6]

Traits: (True Aim)

Name: Sebas Aren

Species: Human LV 8

Class: [Unlocked at Level 10]

Strength: 20 [+5]

Dexterity: 30 [+15] [+5]

Constitution: 13

Intelligence: 1

Wisdom: 1

Charisma: 1

Free Stat Points: 12

Skills: [Bite LV 3] [Lowest Rank Swordsmanship LV4] [Barter LV 3] [Ambush LV 2]

Traits: (Valuables Insight )

“What are you?” Karri asked Sebas.

The group was walking through the cobbled streets of town, Adam was walking ahead of them, taking time to look at every single stall that lined the streets, sometimes collecting food that lay pierced on skewers, or ogle at shoddy equipment that Sebas noted in his head: “Gis could make with his left foot”

Looking over to her, Sebas just stared at the girl, not bothering with such an open ended question.

“Well, you’re abnormal.”

“I’m not the one who gets two bonus stats every level,” Sebas said, looking at Adam failing to haggle down the price of some sort of circular fried dough on a stick with sugar covering it.

“He’s an anomaly as well, but you’re somehow more strange, he has the makings of the anomaly that would quantify what could be described as a hero.”

“Well just sing his praises, it’ll be better when I’m able to dig another ditch for his ego.”

“He always sings your praises, you know?”

“He shouldn’t.”

“I agree, you’re a cynic with an uncontrolled approach to violence that’s borderline sociopathic.”

“You’re really nice to talk to.”

“They have songs about you, yet you have not done anything, you’re literally a walking billboard for ugly ex-noble who nobody likes.”

“God keep talking, this is great.”

“Sebas.”

“What? I don’t know you, why are you acting like we’re friends?”

“Sebas.”

“What?”

“Sebas.”

“What!? What could you-”

She points to Adam, he appears to have knocked over a stall in the short time he was left alone, 12 skewers of various street food dispersed throughout each hand, while a stallkeeper yells at him for knocking over a deep fryer.

“Should we assist or just… continue on our way?”

“He’s the hero, he will be alright.” Karri said.

“Yeah… the hero.”

The pair walk by while Adam talked at them, trying to get assistance, while Sebas looked confused at him.

“Do we know each other sir? Surely you’re not trying to get some of us common street folk caught up inside of your own mistake.”

“Sebas please.”

“I don’t know what happened, just pay for the damages and be on your way, fellow adventurer.” Karri said.

“Karri please.”

“Listen to your friends you ungrateful brat.” The stallowner nagged.

Sebas stifled a laugh while the pair made their way further north towards the dungeon entrance.

Adam sat on the ground, out of breath as Sebas checks his holster for his dagger, along with removing his satchel and placing the contents within his magical pouch, and equipping his new boots.

[White Stag Boots]

{ Uncommon Boots }

50/50 Durability

+5 Dexterity

+10 Defense

“Created with the care of an unnamed adventurer, something wicked once foresaw doom, yet these boots were a hope that would ward away doom. They are not finished yet.”

“Keep the potions in your satchel, you don’t want to empty out your magic storage to get a potion.” Karri said.

“She’s right Sebas,” Adam began, cutting him off. “She’s very tactically minded where you and I are a hit hard and fast set of minds.”

Sebas began his bellyaching before stopping and began placing them back onto his satchel, re-affixing the box shaped bag onto the left of his hip, little loops for vials of potions placed within snugly.

“Any other advice?”

“Try to develop your poison resistance, you will not always have antidotes.”

“I don’t have any antidotes now.”

She held two blue vials of sludge material out in one palm.

A giant iron door sits right in front of an absently spinning windmill, replacing what used to be a civilian’s business with an extremely inconvenient blockade.

The always open iron doors sit agape adventurers, farmers and plenty of others come in and out freely while guards kill giant rats that flee out into the open.

“Welcome to wheat hell.”

“Karri?”

“Rats abound, all ye who enter.”

Sebas snickered at the girl’s statement.

Large sconces constantly flicker with light, leading towards a stairway that spirals downward, Sebas, Karri and Adam make their way inward through the plenty of adventurers, and a further pass through a tunnel of additional wall bound lights towards a massive underground cavern, covered in wheat grains for miles, along with dozens of dozens of adventurers fighting monsters, farmers collecting the straw on the ground.

“Time to go mess up some rats.” Adam said.