The Royal Quest

In the oppressive darkness of the Rezha Forest, a place where legends whispered of fearsome creatures, a trail of white wolf corpses stained the ground. The scene was gruesome, a silent testament to a brutal confrontation. The culprits behind this massacre? A group of five adventurers in search of glory and rewards.

Among them was a sorceress, one of the three categories of mages, whose presence was both commanding and sharp-eyed. A berserker, from the four categories of warriors, a wall of muscles and fury. Two archers, emblematic figures of hunters, precise and stealthy. And finally, a healer, belonging to the enchanters' category, struggling to keep up with his companions' relentless pace.

— Hurry up, healer! You're lagging behind! the sorceress barked impatiently.

— Yes, sorry! the young man replied, quickening his pace, trying to mask his breathlessness.

— I swear, why do we have to drag this dead weight along? the berserker grumbled, arms crossed. He's clearly not up to the task. Even his healing is useless!

— We didn't have much of a choice, one of the archers sighed. This was a surprise quest. They're rare, and the rewards are valuable. We needed five people to participate. We stick to the plan. The final boss is a level 90 Red Dragon. We should be able to handle it. Kazé, as the berserker, you'll strike first. The dragon will focus on you. Hilda will use a binding spell to prevent it from advancing, then Selma and I will finish it off. As for you, healer, stay in the back. Heal us if necessary, but don't get yourself killed.

— O-okay, ma'am! Fenril stammered, unsure of himself.

Fenril. This was his third mission as an adventurer. Even though he didn't meet the required level, he had accepted the role to gain experience and claim even a small fraction of the reward. Healers were rare because they were slow and difficult to level up.

He activated his Reiki, channeling energy into his eyes to assess his teammates' levels. Hilda, level 94. Kazé, level 96. The archers, 93 and 95. And himself, only level 45. His spells weren't even strong enough to boost their power or heal their serious injuries.

"One hit from that dragon would kill me instantly. Even a single blow from those white wolves could've ended me."

The title of Hero was the ultimate reward for those who reached level 150, the maximum level. Only heroes were allowed to take part in the Royal Quest, an event held every ten years that granted the chance to claim the title of Supreme King. For Fenril, it was an almost unreachable dream, but he clung to it nonetheless.

A deep, rumbling noise stopped them in their tracks. Kazé raised a hand to signal them to halt.

— Are we close to the dragon's lair? Hilda asked, on high alert.

— No… we're IN its lair, Kazé replied, scanning the darkness. It's nearby…

A massive shadow darkened the sky. The ground trembled. The group looked up just in time to see an enormous creature descending upon them. The Red Dragon.

A bone-chilling roar echoed as a torrent of flames engulfed them. The archers swiftly dodged and took cover in the trees. Hilda, with a flick of her wand, conjured a Reiki barrier to shield herself and Fenril. Kazé, however, stood firm, taking the flames head-on without flinching.

— HAHAHAHA! You'll have to do better than that to take me down, you overgrown lizard! the berserker roared, gripping his axes.

He lunged forward, striking the dragon straight in the eye. The beast howled in pain and countered with a violent swipe of its snout, sending Kazé crashing into the ground. But the berserker shot back up, enraged.

— RAIN OF PAIN!

A relentless flurry of blows rained down on the dragon. Seeing an opening, Hilda sealed the beast inside a giant cube of Reiki.

— You're ours now, she murmured, her wand pointed at the trapped creature.

The archers unleashed a storm of poison-tipped arrows, slowing the dragon's movements. Yet, even after an hour of intense combat, the beast refused to fall. Kazé, Hilda, and the archers were breathless, their Reiki nearly depleted. Kazé, who had endured every attack without faltering, now felt his muscles stiffen under the continuous onslaught.

— Why won't it go down?! Kazé yelled, exasperated.

— It's a Solar Quest… These monsters are abnormally resilient, Hilda panted.

— Hey, healer! Heal us! Kazé shouted.

Fenril chanted "Revigorate!" A sphere of light appeared above each of them, but its effect was pitifully weak. His level was far too low.

— Tsk, you're completely useless!

The dragon let out another deafening roar and raised its massive claw. Kazé instantly understood.

— Hilda… The quest is a failure. Run.

The claw came crashing down on him with terrifying force. His body was smashed into the ground, motionless. Silence fell.

Fenril, paralyzed with fear, turned to Hilda with pleading eyes.

— W-what do we do?

The sorceress gazed at him, expressionless. Then, she raised her wand.

— I'm sorry, she whispered.

A transparent cube materialized around Fenril, trapping him inside.