--------------Thunder rolled across the sky. The wind howled through the trees.------------------
"Saishi!"
A deep, commanding voice thundered across the forest, echoing through the canopy like the roar of a god. Rain lashed down, cold and merciless.
"W-Who's calling me?" Saishi mumbled, his voice weak, barely audible over the storm. "Where… am I?"
His head throbbed with pain. His limbs felt heavy, cold, lifeless. He blinked slowly, trying to make sense of the swirling gray sky above him. All he could see were treetops swaying violently in the wind.
"Saishi! Where are you?!" the voice called again—closer this time. Familiar.
"I know that voice... It's Father..." he whispered.
He tried to move but realized he was lying at the bottom of a deep pit, hidden in the overgrown edge of the woods just outside his home village.
"I can't see… it's freezing… I can't stand up... Why did I even leave...?"
His voice cracked as the world around him blurred into black. One final breath escaped his lips before he passed out in the cold rain.
--------------------------------------Years Later... Present Day--------------------------------------
Saishi awoke with a sharp inhale, drenched in sweat.
He sat up abruptly in his camp bed, clutching his chest. The sound of thunder was gone now, replaced by chirping insects and the distant crackle of a dying campfire.
"A dream…?"
His eyes scanned the inside of the small wooden shelter. His breathing slowed.
"That memory… Why now? Why dream about my childhood? Why about him…?"
His gaze drifted toward the object leaned carefully against the wooden wall.
His axe.
"You're all I have left of him," he muttered.
The axe, old yet well-kept, was more than just a tool. It was a family heirloom, passed down to him as the first-born son of a carpenter. His father's hands had once swung it. Now, Saishi carried it with quiet pride.
He looked around the camp and saw his companions still fast asleep.
Jibo, the rogue of the group, slept tangled in his blankets like a beggar under a bridge, mouth open, limbs sprawled.
Hürs, the warrior, lay perfectly still. A massive man who slept like a stone statue—silent, unmoving.
Burk, the group's support mage, snored loudly as usual, mumbling in his sleep, probably dreaming of food or spells.
Saishi smiled faintly.
"Glad you guys can sleep so soundly. You need it more than I do…"
He stood and walked to the edge of the camp. The sun was rising. The morning mist drifted through the trees.
Most people saw Saishi as the team's handyman—the base builder, the potion brewer, the resource gatherer. He didn't mind. He liked the quiet work. The real work.
Ever since his father had pulled him out of that forest hole, scarred but alive, something in him had changed. He didn't fear adventure—but he no longer sought it. Fighting? Fame? Treasure? That wasn't his dream.
Peace was.
That morning, the group gathered for a new quest. The Adventurer Association had finally granted them a shot at a C-Rank.
This was their chance to prove themselves.
---------------------------Lore Note: The Adventurer Association---------------------
Governs all quests, adventurers, and guild activity across the four kingdoms.
Solo adventurers can take quests up to C-Rank.
B, A, and S-Rank quests are limited to guilds with 5+ members and a 10,000G license fee.
All adventurers are issued an A-ID: a magical identification card linked to their blood and stats.
As the group broke camp, Saishi stayed behind for a while longer, chopping a few logs, gathering some minerals, and harvesting herbs. His routine was always the same.
Even on the edge of danger, he made time for the work that kept them alive.
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Scene Change – Dungeon Outskirts, Jungle Forest
The group arrived at the quest location: a lush, overgrown jungle bordering a small cavernous dungeon. Birds screeched above. Insects buzzed in swarms.
Saishi glanced at the quest scroll.
-----------------------------Quest Objective:------------------Collect rare mushrooms near the dungeon entrance.Reward: 150G
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Hürs looked at the paper and burst into laughter.
"This is a quest? HAHAHA!"
Jibo narrowed his eyes. "Don't underestimate anything. Burk—cast Protection."
Burk grumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Y-Yeah, yeah…" He raised a hand and muttered a light incantation. A gentle glow shimmered around them.
-----------------------------------Magic Note: Protection--------------------------------
Element: Light
Effect: Grants mild immunity to low-level physical damage.
Cost: Small mana drain.
One of the first spells learned by Light Mages. (Available at Mage Master 500G)
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The group scattered slightly, gathering mushrooms around the mossy rocks near the dungeon mouth.
Then Jibo froze.
"Wait… is that—?" He knelt near the wall, spotting a faint shimmer.
"This is Magnil!" he shouted.
They all rushed over, eyes wide. The mineral was rare—used in crafting high-tier weapons and enchantments.
Jibo pulled at it but failed to dislodge even a piece.
"Shit. My strength stat's too low…" he grumbled.
Hürs pulled out his A-ID, pressing the crystal to his thumb.
"Heh. I've got this."
He stepped up and began chipping the mineral out with ease.
Jibo smirked. "Wait till Saishi sees what he's missing…"
"Drop the stones!" a voice boomed from behind.
They turned—too slow.
A fist collided with Hürs, sending him flying into the dungeon wall.
"What the hell?! I thought we had Protection!" Jibo yelled.
Burk stammered. "W-We did… I-It didn't work…"
A tall figure stood in the entrance, bathed in sunlight. His red armor gleamed. His long blond hair flowed like royalty.
"Tsk tsk tsk… filthy little groups, always stealing from our territory."
Jibo paled. "Shit. It's Paron… RUN!"
As Hürs groaned from under rubble, he growled, "This is the jungle—it's no one's territory!"
"Shut the fuck up, Hürs!" Jibo snapped.
Paron sneered. "You think a few chunks of Magnil are enough? I want the whole dungeon stripped. Delivered to our Guild Base."
------------------------------------------Lore Note: Guild Bases--------------------------------
Only the Top 6 Guilds in Hamriel are permitted to occupy official bases.
Bases are located across the kingdoms:
Sirca: Western coast, and one abandoned near a sealed dungeon.
Kari: Central plains.
Larsa: East and West volcanic ridges.
Ava: Deep within the jungle.
Bases are strategic, powerful, and often contested.
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"If you don't do it," Paron grinned, "your little friend dies at the Rift."
Before they could react, he was behind Burk—and knocked him out cold.
Hürs and Jibo shouted, rushing forward, but Paron was already gone—his team vanishing into the jungle mist.
They were alone.
"We need to move," Jibo said, clenched fists shaking. "We have to tell Saishi."
"Tell him what? That we're dead men? That we need his help—but he's never even fought?"
"We don't have a choice."
---------------------------------------Scene Change – Back at Camp-----------------------------
When they returned, Saishi was alone, carrying a full tree log on his back like it was a pillow.
He dropped it with a thud, turned, and greeted them.
"Hey, you're back early. What happened?"
Hürs and Jibo stared, mouths slightly open.
"Did… did you just carry that whole tree by yourself?"
"Yeah."
"...Brother," Jibo whispered. "We might actually have a chance."
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