Raegar traveled through the forest for hours using the branches above and avoided fighting any more monsters as they were driving him mad. 'Damn things keep ambushing me,' he thought.
Soon after, his eyes caught sight of the road winding toward the Nytheria Bridge, the path that would carry him to Dreadshade City. In an instant, he appeared on it, his boots striking the ground as he began the trek toward civilization.
While traveling, he spotted a merchant caravan up ahead surrounded by adventurers who were nervously watching their surroundings. Without bothering with the people, he traveled past them while ignoring the looks he was receiving.
An hour later, Raegar stepped out of the forest and spotted the bridge in the distance. 'Now I can get some ingredients for camp bread while emptying this bag,' he thought.
Not long later, the guards stopped him, only for them to be waved away when Cauis Hawke, the bridge commander, appeared. The older man had a big smile as he patted him on the shoulder.
''Blackwood! We were wondering when you would reappear. Has the forest been keeping you busy?'' he said in a welcoming tone.
''Yes monsters were attacking the villages which I helped defend,'' Raegar replied before tapping his bag. ''Now I need to sell the materials I gathered and pick up some supplies.''
Following that, as the merchants complained about his line-jumping, Cauis joined him on his walk back to the city, but he ignored them. While walking, the older vampire turned to him with a concerned expression.
''We have a contingent of Devil Hunters from the empire here because of the devil's attacks,'' he revealed with anger boiling over. ''The attacks are getting too much for us city guards to handle. Dozens are dead, with no signs of the beasts that did it.''
Raegar paused, uncertain how to respond, but steadied himself and addressed the commander with unwavering confidence. ''If I'm here when those devils strike, they're as good as dead. They're nothing to me.''
Caius grinned down at him, reaching out to tousle his hair. ''Thanks, lad. I reckon those beasts didn't faze the White Devil of Bloodfang Forest,'' he said, his smile broad and warm.
His eyes widened in surprise, prompting a knowing nod from the older man. ''Aye, word's spread far, my boy. We've all heard how you saved Eldergrove and Redwood Village. Rumors say King Vlad's mighty impressed.''
''If I remember correctly, those places churn out rare plants and materials vital to the kingdom's trade with the empire,'' he revealed.
Following that, the two of them made it to the city and were let in by the city guard, who welcomed him. Once inside, Raegar said farewell to Cauis, who went to report to the governor about the devil attacks.
As he made his way toward the guild, Raegar noticed the streets buzzing with more life than he'd ever seen before. He wove through the crowd, sidestepping people as they hurried past in a chaotic rush.
'Why is it so busy? Are the surrounding towns and villages taking shelter here?' he pondered while dodging a family.
After ten minutes of this nightmare, he made it to the guild that was heavily guarded by Nytherian soldiers who were stopping people as they entered. Raegar approached and showed them the gold plate Vlad gave him.
When the commander saw this, his eyes went wild, but they soon let him through after scanning it with a device. Once inside, Raegar approached the counter where he couldn't see Mary.
'Damn. I'll have to go with someone else,' he reflected while getting in the queue.
Half an hour later, he fell into a bored daze just as a sweet voice reached his ears, causing him to see Mary standing there with a smile. ''Would you prefer to use a private room, Raegar?''
He nodded before following the young woman, while the other adventurers watched with narrowed eyes. A few moments later, they stepped into the room only for him to see an older, dark elf woman.
She had light blonde hair with grey eyes and he couldn't figure out her age, but she looked to be in her late twenties. Raegar stopped walking as the stranger smiled before introducing herself while offering her hand.
''Hello, little Blackwood. I'm Lisara Draveth, the head of the Guild in the Nytheria Kingdom. It's good to meet the White Devil of Bloodfang,'' she spoke with a warm smile.
''Nice to meet you Lisara,'' he replied while taking her hand. ''But why did you want to meet me?''
The dark elf woman flashed a sly smile as she unveiled the real reason for their encounter. ''We need you to join a Strike Squad and aid us in clearing out the dungeon overrun by devils inside the city. I offer twenty gold coins, and once it's done, I'll grant you Rank D adventurer.''
Raegar hesitated for a moment before raising an eyebrow. ''You realize I'm just a Tier One Mage, right?''
Lisara burst into laughter, pulling out an Aether Disc. With a flick, a shimmering screen sprang to life, replaying his fierce clashes against wraiths and devils alongside the hunters. The older woman's grin widened.
''Oh, we know you're a lower-tiered warrior, but you fight like a Tier Two Spellblade. Besides, you came highly recommended by Tanya and Rhenya Belmont,'' she revealed with a knowing smile.
His eyes widened as she pressed on. ''They couldn't stop singing your praises and insisted we reach out to you.''
Raegar thought for a second before speaking. ''Will you give me a good price on the loot I have now?''
Lisara's eyebrow rose as a giggle left her lips as she nodded. ''Yes. Bring out what you have and I'll get Mary to sort it out straight away.''
Upon hearing her words, Raegar upended his magic bag, spilling out a cascade of hundreds of Aether Cores, monster parts, and other odds and ends he figured might hold value, including wolf's fangs.
Five minutes later, he looked up at the two women, their eyes still bulging in disbelief at the sprawling hoard of loot. The dark elf woman rose to her feet, shaking her head in awe. ''How many blasted monsters have you taken down? This haul's bigger than what most adventurers scrape together in an entire month!''
Raegar chuckled before answering. ''I enjoy hunting monsters and this isn't all of it. There's another mountain of stuff back at my camp. This is all I could carry.''
Lisara shook her head and looked at Mary. ''Go get some help and make this a priority.''
''Yes Guild Master,'' the young woman said as she rushed out of the room.
Once she was gone, the dark elf motioned toward the chair with a smile. ''Sit down. Would you like some tea? It should give you a decent energy boost.''
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Raegar nodded while getting comfortable as he sunk into the soft cushions and gave his answer to the Strike Squad. ''How long will I be gone?''
The older woman turned around while pouring the water. ''A few days at most. All we expect is you to put the monsters down before a dungeon break happens. The city couldn't deal with an attack from inside and out.''
''Okay, I'll do it,'' he replied. ''Where do I have to go?''
Lisara's face lit up with a warm smile as she strolled over, balancing two steaming cups of tea. She set one down in front of him with a gentle clink. ''I'll set you up in one of the guild rooms for the night and take you to the dungeon come morning. For now, though, go unwind and enjoy yourself.''
Raegar nodded before trying some of the tangy tea, which sent a rush of energy shooting through his body. Ten minutes later, the two of them left the office as the Guild Master led him to a room.
''You'll stay here for the night,'' she said with a smile. ''Normally the staff use them, but I have orders from the governor to make sure you're okay.''
''Thank you,'' he replied just as Mary appeared looking exhausted as she handed over a pouch of coins.
''Thirty gold for everything Raegar,'' the young woman said.
Raegar's eyes widened, prompting a soft giggle from Lisara as she playfully nudged him into the room. ''Get some rest or roam the city, your call. Just watch yourself out there.''
Moments later, the two women departed, leaving him to step into the cozy, homely room. He stashed his magic bag out of sight and settled in to unwind. As he sat there, the muffled clamor of combat drifted in from outside, catching his ear.
He walked over to the window and looked out to see a group of people fighting on the training grounds. Raegar became interested and made his way downstairs, only to be greeted by an older blonde man with a greatsword on his shoulder.
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