This chapter is sponsored by The Bitch in the Fantasy World Patrons:
• [Crusader] The orc warrior 261
• [Mercenary] Tafadzwa Kungwengwe
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I would also like to thank the donators for December 2025 (Ko-Fi account is unavailable at the moment due to technical reasons):
• [Crusader] uxel - $5
This chapter 1/3 for the 4th week of December 2025.
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4:31 p.m.
Ston Village, Luxen Kingdom.
A wagon, driven by a black-haired coachman in his mid-20s, stopped in front of a Temple of Priests building and a group of people climbed down.
It was Cole, Lorcan, Marcel, Felize, Gaze.
Cole turned to Lorcan and Felize.
"Both of you come with me," he said and then focused on Felize. "And make sure to behave properly."
Felize nodded.
"Yes, Mr. Cole."
Cole turned away and then headed for the main entrance.
When they entered the main hall, they found themselves in a somewhat busy place. Cole went to the reception area where there were two female receptionists.
One of the receptionists, a female in her late 20s, let out a warm smile and gave a slight bow.
"Good afternoon, welcome to the Branch Chapter Temple of Priests. How may I help you?"
Cole gave a respectful bow, and then Lorcan and Felize followed suit.
"Thank you for welcoming us," he said and then raised his head. "We traveled from Luxen City and just arrived today. And during our travels, one of our companions, a young Copper II Adventurer, was slain by a monster. We would like to have him resurrected. We also have his Traveling Papers, Adventurer Pendant and Class Crystal to prove his identity, and that he isn't a criminal or anything."
Although the receptionists weren't Priestesses, most of the non-Priest employees here are from Priest families or have ties with Priest families.
The receptionist nodded.
"As long as you can provide his Adventurer Pendant, that would be enough," she said and then stepped out of the reception desk. "Please wait for a moment. I will inform an Honored Priest about your situation."
Cole gave another respectful bow, and then Lorcan and Felize mimicked him once again.
"Thank you."
***
4:48 p.m.
Temple of Priests Public Building, Right Wing 1st floor, Clinic Section.
Cole, Lorcan and Felize were sitting down on a lounging area of a lobby that had a single hallway with 2 private office rooms on the left side, and several Healing Rooms on both the left and right sides.
Ka-cha!
A door of one of the Healing Rooms opened, and a man in his late 20s stepped out. He turned back to the room and lowered his head.
"Thank you, Honored Priest!"
After raising his head, he turned around, headed for the lobby, and then for the exit.
A few moments later, a White Cloak Priest with blonde hair and in his mid-30s stepped out from the room. He stopped by the reception desk, where a female in her late 30s and a man in his mid-30s were seated.
"In case there's another patient, please tell Sister Eimer to handle it. I'm out of mana and I've already drank 5 Mana Potions today. I'll be at my office."
The receptionists lowered their heads.
"Yes, Honored Priest Colm."
Colm turned away and headed for one of the private office rooms on the left side of the hallway.
Lorcan turned to Felize, who had a worried expression on her face.
"You don't have to worry. Torr will be alright. Since this is his first time being resurrected and died during a fight, he will be a bit jumpy. That's why we're not allowed to stay inside the Healing Room."
Felize slowly nodded.
"Yes, I understand…" she said while still focusing on the door of Healing Room 5, the one where Torr was in.
When it comes to resurrection, each person takes it differently.
Some said it's like being suddenly pulled out of a dream or nightmare, while others said it's like waking up from a deep sleep.
As for what was the "dream" or "nightmare":
Those who claim to be pulled out of a dream, it's still different for each person:
• some claimed to be walking in an endless field of flowers
• some claimed to be back in a time of their happiest memory
• some claimed to be reuniting with their loved ones who have passed away in some location -- house, alehouse, field, etc.
But despite all of the differences, they all had one thing in common -- their entire surroundings were colorful, like all of the colors had this ethereal glow.
Meanwhile, for those who claim to be in a "nightmare", it's also different:
• some claimed to be walking all alone in an endless, vast desert with extreme heat during the day and extreme cold during the night
• some claimed to be riding alone on a small boat in an endless, vast ocean, and they would experience storms from time-to-time
• some claimed to be back in the time of their worst memory
• some claimed to meet or reunite with the people they've wronged, both living and the dead
And for the colors, this is where it's mixed. Some have claimed that the colors in their "nightmare" still had an ethereal glow, while others claimed they didn't have it, and a few have claimed no colors.
In regard to whether there was a difference between what "good" people have claimed and what "bad" people have claimed, it was actually a no. Based on what the Scholars have discovered, both "good" and "bad" people experienced "dream" and "nightmare". Moreover, it can also change. If in the person's first death they "dreamed", there was a chance that on their second death they had a "nightmare" or just experience "deep sleep".
The same applies to the one who experienced "deep sleep".
Furthermore, there were also people who experienced a "dream-nightmare".
Regardless, once they wake up, the ones who only experienced "deep sleep", the first thing they would remember was their last memory before they died. On the other hand, the ones who had a "dream", a "nightmare" or "dream-nightmare", they would have both the memory of their "dream", "nightmare" or "dream-nightmare" and the last memory before their death.
In the case of Torr, since he's an Adventurer and his last memory was being in the middle of a fight, he would be in fighting mode and could throw a skill or spell. So before they resurrect him, they would have to first drain his mana and also bind his arms and legs, preventing him from causing any damage.
In addition to that, there was also the issue of this being Torr's first resurrection. There have been cases where the patient, especially those who died from violence, becomes extremely violent, experiences severe depression, or suffers from some sort of mental or psychological trauma after resurrection. And such reactions are usually the most powerful during the first resurrection. So after he's resurrected, he would be given a medicine or antidote (depending on his symptoms) to calm him down. And if he's rich or could afford it, he could hire a Guidance Counselor to help him get through the symptoms he's showing.
Ka-cha!
The door of the Healing Room that Torr was in opened, and a non-Priest employee stepped out. He swept his gaze around as if he were looking for someone.
Cole, Lorcan, and Felize got up from their seats and made eye contact with him.
Upon making eye contact, Felize immediately ran over to the man.
"Felize, mind your manners…!" Cole said under his breath as he followed from behind.
Lorcan, on the other hand, didn't say anything and kept a cool and calm demeanor as he followed from behind as well.
"Mister Sir, is Torr okay?"
"The patient has been resurrected and you may see him."
***
Torr sat up on his bed and Felize was sitting on a chair beside him.
"Are you okay…?" Felized asked with a worried expression.
Torr stared at Felize for a moment, recalling the "dream" he had.
It was a memory of back when he, Felize and Gaze were still 9 years old, Gaze was their new friend, they played in the streets, and it was a bright summer afternoon.
Felize reached out for his hand.
"Torr, are you okay…?"
He nodded.
"I'm fine. Where's Gaze? Is he okay?"
An image of Gaze's guilty and sorry expression flashed inside Felize's head, causing her to slightly bite her lower lip for a moment before she finally nodded with a smile.
"Yes, he's fine. He's with Mr. Marcel, Mr. Kyle, they had to deal with other matters."
Kyle was the coachman of the wagon.
Cole and Lorcan, on the other hand, were talking to a brown-haired Gray Cloak in his mid-40s.
"Since this is his first time getting resurrected, I suggest that he enjoy some beer or alcohol to lighten his mood a bit for the first week, but not to the point that it can affect his work. He's an Adventurer, correct?"
Cole nodded.
"Yes, Honored High Priest."
"6-8 glasses a day will be fine, and preferably with family and friends. Or perhaps anything that can lighten his mood, but it's important that he has his family and friends to talk to.
"And if he can afford it, you can hire a Guidance Counselor to really help him sort out his experience."
Cole respectfully lowered his head, and then Lorcan followed suit.
"Thank you so much, Honored High Priest, we swear to heed your advice."
The Gray Cloak nodded.
"I'll be leaving now. May the God of Light always watch over you," he said and then left the room.
After the Gray Cloak left, Cole and Lorcan looked at each other. They didn't say anything, but they already understood each other's thoughts.
Lorcan let out a sigh and then approached Felize and Torr.
"The two of you."
Felize and Torr turned to him.
"Do you drink?"
The two teens nodded.
"During meal time," Felize said.
"Good. We're all going to celebrate tonight."
They looked at him with a confused expression.
***
5:28 p.m.
Merchants Guild building, Ston Town, Luxen Kingdom.
Charles sat down on the corner of a large and busy office. Although he wore a calm and friendly expression, inside, he was cursing.
Damn those stupid illiterates…!
I told them to guard the 3 kids, but they let one die…!
In the office, there were 5 secretaries, 2 males and 3 females, sitting behind a desk processing documents and entertaining customers. There were also 3 messenger/errand boys and 1 messenger/errand girl waiting for any order from the secretaries.
He glanced at the door of the main private office, which was on the right side of the wall and about 8ft away from where he was sitting.
If I want to appease them, I have no choice but to offer 3 of the 4 special monsters…
The Light Kraine would go to Lord Scholar Helge…
The Ice Kraine and Earth Kraine would go to Lord Headmaster Scholar Caolan…
I'll take the Fire Kraine for myself…
Ka-cha!
The door of the main private office opened. A merchant wearing an expensive-looking Nobleman's attire and carrying a stack of documents stepped out with a dejected expression on his face as if his whole world had completely fallen apart, and then silently headed for the exit with his back hunched over.
Ku-chud.
A Knight, guarding inside the office, paid Charles only a quick glance before closing the door.
Charles straightened his back and then fixed any visible creases on his clothes.
Time for war…
He softly cleared his throat.
Elemental Gods, especially the God of Fire and the God of Earth, and the Founding Fathers of the Merchant Guild, grant me all of your wisdom and protection…
He checked his clothes one more time.
Ka-cha!
The door of the main private office opened once again and the Knight landed his gaze on Charles.
"You may come in."
Charles rose to his feet elegantly and then headed to the door.
When he entered the office, his gaze quickly searched for the person he was looking for.
The office had a rectangular shape and was divided into 3 sections: a working desk at the left corner, a long table in the middle that could accommodate around 14 people, and a lounging area at the right corner next to a fireplace featuring 2 one-person sofas and 2 two-person sofas with a coffee table in the middle.
The person he was looking for was seated at one of the edges of the long table with several folders and logbooks stacked in front of him. It was a thin man in his mid-50s with short and slick gray hair and wearing a yellow-colored Scholarly robe.
The man didn't acknowledge Charles' presence and focused on reviewing a document inside a folder.
Charles raised his chin a bit higher and then made his way to the man. And when he finally reached the man, he offered an elegant bow.
"Greetings and thank you for meeting me, Lord Headmaster Scholar Caolan."
Caolan made no response and continued reviewing and writing on the document he was reviewing.
"I have brought the people you ordered me to, but unfortunately, a slight problem occurred on our way here.
"Last night, we encountered a pack of Kraines, which was led by a Light Kraine, and had 3 other special Kraines under it -- an Ice Kraine, a Fire Kraine and an Earth Kraine.
"Torr, one of the children you asked me to bring over, was killed by the Fire Kraine.
"We managed to resurrect him when we arrived here, but the 3 children are completely traumatized and are in no capacity to be interviewed at the moment. But they will be ready tomorrow. I have already instructed my brother-in-law, Cole, to deal with it.
"And as an apology for the delay, I would like to offer you the corpses of the Ice Kraine and then Earth Kraine, and offer the corpse of the Light Kraine to Lord Scholar Helge."
Caolan stopped and raised his gaze.
"Is that all?"
"Yes, Lord Headmaster Scholar," he said and bowed.
"Bring them here tomorrow morning. Make sure there are no other delays. You may leave."
"Yes, Lord Headmaster Scholar, and thank you for your leniency," he said and bowed before finally leaving.
***
5:30 p.m.
Lorcan, Felize and Torr stepped inside an establishment called O'Donnell's Alehouse.
The alehouse was already packed, but not so many that people had to drink outside. The patrons inside from all walks of life -- regular drunks, porters, Adventurers, Mercenaries, etc. -- drinking, singing and sharing stories as Lorcan, Felize and Torr navigated through the crowd.
Lorcan was already in the middle of the floor when he finally spotted his companions.
Seated at a small round table in a corner were Marcel, Aurora and Gaze.
Marcel was sitting down with his arms folded and had a short barbecue stick between his teeth.
Aurora had a mug of beer on her left hand, while her right arm was resting on Gaze's shoulders, and she had a huge drunken grin on her face as she was talking.
Gaze, on the other hand, was sheepishly holding a mug of beer with his two hands, and he had droplets of saliva and bits and pieces of food on his face and hair as he wore a wry smile and nodded with whatever Aurora was telling him.
As Lorcan, Felize and Torr got closer, Marcel noticed them, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he picked up his mug of beer and took a sip.
When Lorcan and the rest finally arrived at their table, Aurora was the next person to notice them. However, she still had a drunken grin on her face.
"Hey Lorcan, did you know that this kid says he's going to be the best Adventurer in the world? I'm giving him tips on how to become one."
Lorcan ignored her as he grabbed a seat and sat down.
"Where's Shana?" he asked Marcel.
"Singing along at another table," Marcel said as he picked up his mug and took a sip.
Gaze glanced at Felize and Torr for a moment before looking down. He could barely look at them straight in the eye, especially at Torr.
Lorcan turned to Felize and Torr, who were still standing and also unable to look at Gaze, casting their gazes elsewhere.
"Are you two going to spend the entire time standing?"
Hearing Lorcan's voice, Felize and Torr quickly grabbed a seat and sat down. However, they continued casting their gazes elsewhere.
Aurora tightened her arm around Gaze's neck.
"Hey, hey, don't you agree that everyone is too cold to me? You do agree, right? Hey, why are you drinking so slowly? You're a man, right? You should've at least finished 10 mugs by now, but you're still on your second one. You can't be the best Adventurer in the world if you can't even drink beer fast. Anyways, as I was saying earlier, if you ever encounter a Treesap and there's no food around, you actually cook and eat its insides. Of course, as a tree-type monster, the insides are as hard as wood. So to eat it, you need to boil it for at least 5 hours. Well, you can just boil it for 3 hours if you're in a rush. But 5 hours is the best. Once you put it inside a pot to boil, make sure it doesn't run out of water, or it will burn the food, so you need to keep adding water. Don't forget about that, okay? That's very important. Oh, did you know that the Treesap doesn't have any taste and it's chewy? So if you want some tastes, you need to add spices. Okay, let me tell you what kind of spices you can find in the wild that will go well with Treesap. There's --" she began explaining.
Lorcan looked at Gaze with a pitiful smile. Every time she gets to drink, she becomes like this. However, just because she acts like this, it doesn't mean anyone could just take advantage of her. Despite all of that, she was ready to throw hands at any time. And if the aggressor happened to be a man, she had no hesitation in obliterating the crowned jewels between their legs.
He was about to turn to Felize and Torr when someone approached them.
"Hey handsome, what can I get you and your friends~?" a fat waitress asked.
"3 mugs and 8 pieces of skewered meat," Lorcan said.
"Coming right up~!" the waitress said and then left.
Marcel took a sip from his mug.
"Did you hear? The Marquis Domain in the Iron Kingdom is gathering all sorts of Mercenaries and at least Gold Rank Adventurers -- even from neighboring kingdoms," he said without looking at Lorcan.
Lorcan turned to him.
"Why?"
"They said that a powerful group messed up the entire Swamp of Gefal'lenen."
"To capture or to kill?"
Marcel shrugged.
"Not sure."
"How much?"
"200 Iron gold coins per head."
"For the hire or the target?"
"The hire."
"And the target?"
"There was no mention about how much gold you will get if you capture or slay the target, but I'm assuming there will be."
Lorcan thought about it for a moment.
"200 Iron gold coins..."
Marcel turned to him.
"You interested?"
"The Marquis Domain is quite the trip and winter is coming."
Marcel nodded.
"My thoughts exactly."
"Here's your drinks and food, handsome~!" the fat waitress from earlier said and placed the items on the table.
Lorcan grabbed two mugs and placed one each in front of Felize and Torr.
"Call me if you need something else, okay~?" the waitress said before finally leaving.
Lorcan grabbed his mug, raised it, and then turned to everyone.
"To Torr's first death and becoming a real Adventurer!"
"To Torr's first death and becoming a real Adventurer!" the rest said while raising their mugs.
And then they all drank.
Once Lorcan placed his mug down, he focused on the 3 teens.
"Felize, Torr, Gaze."
They all turned to him.
Aurora unwrapped her arm around Gaze's neck and casually leaned back on her chair. Meanwhile, Marcel only paid him a glance before looking somewhere else.
"Now that's out of the way, there's something I want to talk about with you 3.
"All of us here are Adventurers. I'm not saying that you should look forward to dying, but as Adventurers, death is just part of our job. If any of you think you won't die, then you're in the wrong profession and best quit this instant. In my case, I've already died 4 times."
Felize, Torr and Gaze's eyes widened.
"But I love being an Adventurer, so I don't plan on quitting any time soon," he said and then looked at Marcel and Aurora. "How many times you guys died?"
"2," Marcel said.
Aurora took a sip from her mug.
"I've only died twice, but the second time was because --"
Lorcan turned to Marcel.
"And Sansa died? 2 or 3?"
"3."
Having been cut off, Aurora made a sad face like she was about to cry. Lorcan ignored her and returned his attention to Felize, Torr and Gaze.
"Torr, Gaze, both of you are Warriors, right? I'm also a Warrior. And as Warriors, our position is at the front, so our mortality rate is very high, especially when we're still young. And if death is enough to affect you like this, then I also suggest that you should change Class as well."
He focused on Torr.
"Why did you choose to become a Warrior?"
Torr thought about it for a moment.
"I… I… thought it would be the best Class for an Adventurer…"
Lorcan turned to Gaze.
"And you?"
Gaze swallowed.
"I also thought it would be the best Class for an Adventurer..."
If Gaze were to be honest, he wanted to be a Warrior or a Hunter. However, in the end, he chose to be a Warrior, because it had [Warrior's Body] which increases Physical Force by 1 Grade and physical stamina, [Warrior's Mind] which increases Magic Force by 1 Grade and mental stamina, and [Warrior's Heart] which increases Physical and Magic Force by 1 Grade.
Lorcan returned his focus to Torr.
"Why did you want to become an Adventurer?"
Torr opened his mouth but no answer came out. In the end, he could only lower his head.
"I'm not sure…" he muttered under his breath.
He couldn't bring himself to say that the only reason why he chose to become an Adventurer was because he, Felize and Gaze were childhood friends, and then Gaze convinced all of them to sign up to become Adventurers.
Lorcan decided not to push further and then turned to Gaze once again.
"And you? Why did you become an Adventurer?"
Gaze stared straight at Lorcan's eyes and gritted his teeth.
"My father was an Adventurer when he was still young and I want to be like him, but I also want to become the best Adventurer in the world before I retire," he said with conviction.
Lorcan turned to Felize.
"And you, Felize, why did you become an Adventurer?"
She thought about it for a moment.
"In the beginning, I just wanted to follow whatever Gaze wanted to do. But now… I think I enjoy it --" she said and then suddenly stopped when an image of Vivian flashed inside her head. She shook her head. "No, that's not it... I still enjoy being an Adventurer and going on Adventures… But I enjoy becoming stronger so that I can do whatever I want to do..."
Lorcan considered their answers for a moment.
"Each of you heard your answers. Once we're done with this Quest, you 3 have a proper and honest group discussion. It will be uncomfortable, but you guys really need it. If you don't, you will only grow to resent each other the longer you avoid it, which will affect your teamwork and then lead you guys closer to death."
Felize, Torr and Gaze glanced at each other for a moment before looking away.
Lorcan sighed inwardly. In his head, this was the best anyone could do. From hereon, the 3 of them will have to solve it themselves. Further interference will only cause trouble.
Aurora wiped her tears.
"I… I didn't know you could speak like this… Should we also have an uncomfortable meeting after this Quest…?"
Lorcan and Marcel looked at her with a deadpan expression.
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Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
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