The stew was the best thing I had ever tasted.
It wasn't fancy. It was a simple, hearty beef and root vegetable stew, the kind that had probably been simmering on the hearth for hours. But as I sat at a deserted table in the dead of night, the silence of the tavern wrapped around me like a blanket, each spoonful was a revelation. It was warmth chasing away the deep, subterran ean chill from my bones. It was sustenance refilling a well of exhaustion I hadn't realized was so deep. It was Elara's silent, gruff approval, a reward more meaningful than any XP notification.
I ate slowly, methodically, my body screaming for the calories. With each bite, the adrenaline from the fight ebbed away, leaving a profound sense of accomplishment in its wake. I had faced a lethal threat, outnumbered, in the dark, and I had emerged not just victorious, but stronger. My plan had worked. My risky, cobbled-together skills had proven effective. The trembling in my hands finally subsided, replaced by a steady, humming strength.
After finishing the stew and leaving the clean bowl on the bar for the morning, I climbed the stairs to my attic room. The Mana Depletion Sickness was a leaden weight behind my eyes, but it was a familiar, almost welcome ache now. It was the price of power, the receipt for a job well done.
Before collapsing, there was work to do. I sat on my mattress and pulled up the most beautiful sight a gamer could ask for: the level-up screen.
[You have reached Level 5!]
[You have gained 5 Attribute Points and 1 Skill Point.]
I opened my status screen to review my foundation before building upon it.
[ CHARACTER STATUS]
Name: Maddox Olivia Morgan
Level: 4
Title: Novice Dishwasher
[ ATTRIBUTES]
Strength: 7
Dexterity: 8
Vitality: 8
Intelligence: 14
Wisdom: 11
Health: 80/80
Stamina: 80/80
Mana: 140/140
Unspent Attribute Points: 5
Unspent Skill Points: 1
My strategy of pouring everything into my casting stats had paid off, but the frantic dodging during the last fight was a clear warning. A glass cannon is useless if it shatters before it can fire. I needed to be faster, more agile. I needed to be able to create distance and control the battlefield, not just stand there and sling fire.
I made a decision. It was time for a slight diversification of my portfolio. I allocated my points with a new strategy in mind.
Intelligence: +3
(Total: 17)
Wisdom: +1
(Total: 12)
Dexterity: +1
(Total: 9)
Three points still went to my primary damage and mana pool stat. One to Wisdom for control and regeneration. But that single, precious point into Dexterity felt like a monumental investment. It wouldn't make me an acrobat, but it would make me a little quicker on my feet, a little surer in my movements. It was an investment in not dying. The change was subtle, a feeling of being lighter, more balanced.
Next, the skill point. Reaching Level 5 was a milestone, and the System seemed to agree. A new Tier 2 skill was unlocked in my Fire tree.
[FlameWall] (Active): Conjure a stationary wall of roaring flame at a designated location within range. The wall persists for a short duration, dealing continuous Fire damage to any who pass through it. Size and duration are dependent on mana invested and skill level.
Cost: 1 Skill Point
Prerequisites: [Ignite] Level 5, Character Level 5.
My [Ignite] skill, thanks to all my practice, was Level 6.
This was the perfect evolution of the makeshift flamethrowerer I had used against the Level 3 crawler. It wasn't just a blast of fire; it was a tactical tool. It could block off tunnels, create barriers, funnel enemies, and provide cover. It was a spell for a strategist, not just a brawler. I learned it without hesitation.
The tutorial that flooded my mind was more complex than the previous ones, involving not just creation, but also placement and sustenance. I could see the potential, and the immense mana cost. This was a spell to be
used decisively.
With my points spent and my new skill learned, I looked at my final, updated status.
[ CHARACTERSTATUS]
Name: Maddox Olivia Morgan
Level: 5
Title: Novice Dishwasher
[ ATTRIBUTES]
Strength: 7
Dexterity: 9
Vitality: 8
Intelligence: 17
Wisdom: 12
Health: 80/80
Stamina: 90/90
Mana: 170/170
Unspent Attribute Points: 0
Unspent Skill Points: 0
My mana pool was now a respectable 170. My Stamina had also increased thanks to the point in Dexterity. The XP needed for Level 6 was staggering. The cellar crawlers were a good start, but I would need bigger, more numerous monsters if I wanted to progress at a reasonable rate. The grind was real, and it was only getting steeper.
***
The next few days settled into a new, comfortable rhythm. My relationship with Elara had changed. The air of suspicion was gone, replaced by a tacit understanding. She worked me just as hard, her tongue was just as sharp, but there was a subtle difference. Sometimes, she'd leave a meat pie on the counter for me after a particularly grueling shift. Once, she even offered me a small mug of ale, muttering that I "looked peaky." Whatever that means. It was the Oakhaven equivalent of a warm hug, I guess, unless it's something bad. Though, I don't think it was an insult.
My interactions with Borin changed, too. My increased stats meant the work was genuinely easier. I could lift the heavy stacks of pots without straining, and my endurance was far greater. My efficiency, once surprising, was now simply expected. The big man's perpetual scowl seemed to lessen by a few degrees when I was around. He even started grunting a "Mornin'" in my direction, a gesture so uncharacteristic it made Leo drop a stack of plates the first time it happened.
My nights were spent in my now-safe training ground. With the crawlers gone, the cellar was truly mine. I practiced my new [FlameWall] spell, learning to control its height, its length, its duration. My first attempt was a roaring, ten-foot-long inferno that consumed a quarter of my mana pool in seconds and left me breathless. It was spectacular and wildly
inefficient. I spent hours refining it, learning to create a smaller, more controlled barrier. A simple fence of fire that was far more sustainable and tactical.
But as satisfying as it was, I knew that practicing in an empty room would only get me so far. I needed a real challenge. I needed a new dungeon.
The opportunity arrived, as it often did, in the cheerful, oblivious form of Leo. He found me in the kitchen during a lull in the midday rush, his face flushed with excitement.
"Maddox!!! My favorite delivery specialist! I have a field promotion for you!" he announced, striking a heroic pose.
I dried my hands on my apron, a smile tugging at my lips.
"Oh yeah? Where to this time? The bakery? The stables?"
"Better!!" he declared. "Much more exciting. I need a case of this fine Elven wine," he patted a wooden crate on the counter, "delivered to the Adventurer's Guild."
My heart skipped a beat. The Adventurer's Guild. I had seen the building from a distance it was a large, formidable structure made of dark stone and heavy timber, located closer to the city's outer wall. It was the hub for mercenaries, monster hunters, and anyone in Oakhaven looking for danger and coin. It was exactly the kind of place I needed to be.
"The Guild?" I asked, trying
to keep my voice even. "Isn't that a bit… intense?"
"Nah, it's great! Full of fascinating people with amazing stories," Leo said with a wave of his hand.
"Just, you know, don't make eye contact with the big guy with the facial tattoos, and try not to spill anything on the lady with all the daggers. You'll be fine! The Guildmaster, a fellow named Kaeya, ordered it himself. He's a good customer."
"Why the sudden order?" I asked, hoisting the crate. It was heavy, but manageable.
Leo's cheerful expression faltered for a moment. "Oh, well, things have been a bit… tense lately. There have been more monster sightings in the Whisperwood, closer to the city than usual. A couple of merchant caravans have gone missing on the eastern road. The Guild is posting a lot of high-paying jobs, so the place is busier than ever. They're probably drinking to calm their nerves or celebrate a successful hunt."
Monster sightings. Missing caravans. This was it. This was the next step.
"I'll take it," I said, my mind already racing. "I can leave right now."
"Fantastic! Just tell the person at the front desk you have a delivery for Guildmaster Kaeya. They'll take it from there."
As I headed for the door, crate in my arms, Elara's voice cut through the air, sharp and low. "Maddox. A word."
I stopped and turned. She was behind the bar, polishing a glass, but her eyes were fixed on me. She jerked her head, indicating I should come closer. I set the crate down and approached the bar.
"You're going to the Guild," she stated.
"Leo asked me to make a delivery," I confirmed.
She stopped polishing the glass and leaned forward, her voice dropping so only I could hear. "Listen to me, and listen carefully. The Guild is not the university. It's not a place for wide-eyed children. It's a pit of vipers, heroes, and desperate fools, and it's often hard to tell the difference between them."
Her gaze was deadly serious. "The people in there have skills you can't imagine. There are rangers who can see a flea on a deer at five hundred paces, rogues who can hear a coin drop in the next town over, and mages far older and more powerful than you. They live and die by their wits and by what they can learn about the people around them."
She tapped a finger on the bar for emphasis. "You walk in there smelling of ozone and fire magic, and you will draw attention. The wrong kind of attention. People will see you as either a tool to be used or a rival to be eliminated. Keep your head down. Don't show off. Make your delivery and leave. And for the love of the stones, do not cast a single spark in that building. Am I clear?"
The intensity of her warning was like a bucket of cold water thrown over my head. I had been so excited by the prospect of new quests and challenges that I hadn't considered the danger of the people. My [Observe] skill was a useful tool, but Elara was reminding me that other people had their own versions, honed by years of experience in a world that would kill you for a moment's carelessness.
"Yes, Elara," I said, my voice sober. "Perfectly clear."
"Good." She grunted, resuming her polishing. "Now get going. That wine won't deliver itself."
Her warning echoed in my mind as I walked through the bustling streets of Oakhaven. The city felt different now. I wasn't just a dishwasher anymore. I was a mage, a monster-slayer, a woman with a dangerous secret, heading to a place filled with people who were probably far more dangerous than any crawler.
The Adventurer's Guild was even more intimidating up close. It was a two-story stone fortress, with arrow slits for windows on the second floor and a single, massive door made of iron-banded oak. A carved wooden sign depicting a crossed sword and axe hung above the entrance. People of all shapes and sizes came and went, burly warriors in plate mail, lithe archers with longbows slung over their backs, and robed figures who clutched staffs and radiated an aura of power that made the hairs on my arm stand up.
I took a deep breath, centered myself, and pushed the heavy door open.
The inside of the Guild was a cavernous, chaotic symphony of noise and activity. The air was thick with the smell of sweat, spilled ale, leather, and something metallic, like old blood. A massive hearth dominated one wall, a roaring fire casting a flickering orange glow over the entire room. Tables were crammed with adventurers arguing over maps, celebrating with flagons of mead, or silently sharpening their weapons.
But my attention was immediately drawn to the massive wooden board that covered the far wall. It was the Quest Board.
It was plastered with dozens of pieces of parchment, each one a plea for help, a contract for a kill, a request for an escort. could see some of the headings from across the room: `Goblin Infestation in the Old Mines`, `Escort Needed for Caravan to Silverpeak`, `Missing Person: Farmer Giles`, `Wyvern Sighting - EXTREME DANGER`.
It was a smorgasbord of adventure and XP.
A gruff-looking woman with a scarred face and a chainmail shirt sat behind a sturdy wooden desk near the entrance. She looked up from her ledger as I entered, her eyes giving me a quick, dismissive appraisal.
"State your business," she barked, her voice like gravel.
"Delivery," I said, placing the crate of wine on her desk. "For Guildmaster Kaeya. From The Grinning Griffin."
She grunted, making a note in her book. "Leave it. I'll see that he gets it." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "You're new. Haven't seen you before."
"I just work at the tavern," I said, remembering Elara's warning. Head down. Be boring.
But as I turned to leave, a voice, smooth as silk and sharp as glass, cut through the din.
"Well, well. What have we here?"
I froze. A man had approached the desk, moving with a fluid grace that was almost silent. He was tall and lean, with sharp features, silver hair tied back in a neat tail, and eyes the color of a winter sky. He wore immaculate black leather armor, and two ornate, silver-hilted daggers were sheathed at his belt. He looked at me, and I felt a chill that had nothing to do with the cold. It felt like my soul was being weighed, measured, and appraised.
I instinctively tried to use [Observe]
The System's response was immediate and alarming.
[Observe Failed! Target's level is too high.]
[You have been detected!]
The man's lips curved into a predatory smile. "Trying to use a scrying spell on me, little mouse? How rude. And how… interesting."
He took a step closer, his cold eyes boring into me. The scarred woman at the desk suddenly looked very busy with her ledger. The noise of the Guild hall seemed to fade into the background. I was completely, terrifyingly exposed.
Elara's warning had been an understatement. I hadn't even cast a spark, and I had already drawn the worst kind of attention.