As they slowly made their way south through the winding road, they passed more adventurers and merchants. Some giving her odd looks at the trail of very disgruntled but also slightly terrified men being towed behind her by a gigantic wolf. Their expressions varied, some disgust towards the men, some fear towards her and her new wolf. Some people cheered her on, saying she did the world a favor.
They still had a few hours to go when she asked Jarvis…
"Jarvis, can I get a basic progress report for the trip. Starting with the second day?"
{"Coming right up Sam"}
{Trip to Solaris Progress Report:
Day Two:
Quest XP: +550
LVL UPS: Knife 7→8
Beasts Slain: 4
Beast XP: 1500
Beast Bank: 0
Balance: 1600xp
Day Three:
Quest XP: +550
LVL UPS: Axe 7→8
Beasts Slain: 6
Beast XP: 1340
Beast Bank: 0
Balance: 1600xp
Day Four:
Quest XP: +550
LVL UPS: Spear 8→9
Beasts Slain: 1
Beast XP: 520
Beast Bank: +520
Balance: 1600xp - 1051xp = 549xp +520xp = 1069xp}
{"Would you like a loot report? I know how much you love your loot.")
"Nah, I'll just look myself." With that said she pulled the Broad Sword, a pair of High-grade Leather Boots. Then she looked a little closer in her inventory. There was a bag…two bags. One labeled Rings and one Pendants. "Uh, Jarvis?"
{"For someone with such good perception, you can be a little bit oblivious. What those bags contain are the various rings and pendants you've earned. In an effort not to clog your inventory, they are all placed in a bag. However, once you inspect them, they become individual items. I'd suggest making a chest to store them in if you choose to at look what's in there. You can always sell them. I mean you only have so many fingers, and there will most likely be doubles or triples.}
"Ok, I'll leave them for later, once I'm settled."
Looking back at the bear's loot, she inspected each one.
{Ring of Storms - Summon a localized storm causing lightning and thunder. Mana cost: 25 | Duration: 2 minutes. | Range: 5 meters (moveable)}
{Pendant of Strength II - Adds a stat boost of +4}
{Weapon: Sword (Broad),
Rarity: Epic
Quality: Legendary
Recommend Tier: Blue and above
Recommend Level: LVL 20
Recommend Mana Control: 20
Enchantment: Stormchaser – Generates strong winds with each swing, pushing back enemies and causing lightning strikes.
Mana Cost: 25 | Cooldown: None | Duration: 30 seconds}
{Armor: Boots
Rarity: Rare
Quality: Great
Recommend Tier: Orange or above
Recommend Level: LVL 10
Recommend Mana Control: 15
Enchantment: Slowed Descent - Slows down falls from heights of 20 meters and under. (Upgradable)
Mana Cost: 15 | Cooldown: 15 sec | Duration: Variable}
"Wow, that's awesome. Think I might sell the sword. It's a little big for me, but the boots and the rest I'll keep. Oh, and Jarvis, can you switch the beast bank collection to 50% of XP gained, please?"
{"Sure thing, Sam."}
The closer they got to the city, the more carts, carriages, and people there were. Their little entourage got some attention. A Dawnsveil Courser and a gigantic Grove Warden Wolf will do that. Not to mention the half dozen bandits trailing the massive wolf. As she approached the end of the very long line, she saw a guard making her way towards them.
"What have we here?" Said the armor-clad man. He was easily 6'4", with short, cropped brown hair, his hand was on the pommel of his sword and was giving her a curious stare with his bright blue eyes.
"A present for you, they attempted to rob me on my way here. They didn't succeed." Sam said, smirking.
"I see…" he lifted his arm and flagged a few more guards to come over to him.
"Hand 'um over Syn." The wolf walked forward and stretched her neck. The vine in her mouth moved on its own towards the guard, once it was in his hand she backed off.
"Right…uh, thank you." he said to the wolf, looking at the damp vine covered in wolf saliva. "This won't disappear on me, will it?" He asked, knowing some skills, once away from their user and not concentrating on it, would dissolve for lack of a better word.
Sam looked at Syn
'It will remain in its physical form until I tell it to disappear.' Syn said within Sam's head.
"She says it's fine." Sam paraphrased
Handing the vine to one of his subordinates, he turned back to Sam.
"The city of Solaris thanks you. When you reach the gate, tell them Lieutenant Summer's told you to ask about the reward for the bandits. It will be waiting for you."
"Thank you, Lieutenant, oh, and there are a few more in the back. Along with a bag of their things. I wasn't sure what to do with them." Sam said, pointing to the back of her cart. The man walked with the other guards to the three bodies she had stashed in the back along with their weapons. Most were common garbage, dull, and chipped. Lifting them like sacks of grain, along with the bag, they all walked back to the gate.
{Ding! Quest Complete: First Blood
Reward: 7x 100xp = 700xp
Reward: +5 to all stats, +2 to Luck
Reward: T.O.U.S's Skill - Some tames are 'Of Unusual Size'. Use this skill to shrink your tames to a more 'civilized' size.}
"God, I love this S.I.S.T.E.M." Sam laughed at the reference to one of her favourite movies. "Alright, Syn, let's test this new skill out. It should shrink you down to a smaller, more city-friendly size. Or I can just send you to your beast space."
'I'd like to stick with you.' Syn said
"Ok, here we go." Sam activated the skill, and Syn shrank down to the size of a normal wolf. Similar to the size when they first met. "That should work nicely."
It took another half an hour or so before it was their turn.
The man looked familiar, but having never been here, she didn't know how that could be.
"Name and reason for entry?" He grumbled, clearly wanting his day to end.
"Um, Sam. The Lieutenant said you'd have something for me? A reward for the bandits I brought in." Sam said, trying to remember where she, or most likely O.S., had met this man.
"Ah, yes, the bandits, one moment." He said, turning to the doorway that led into the guard tower. That's when it hit her. The memory. Her breath caught. Six years ago, he was one of the men O.S. had snuck past when she fled, leaving her parents and the other elders of her village to fight the beast wave that swept through. Her stomach twisted. Even if she didn't experience it, her body remembered.
{"Sam? Are you alright? I'm getting an elevated heart rate, excessive sweating, and increased breathing…what are you panicking about?"} Jarvis asked, concerned.
Mentally, Sam visualized the memory, relaying it to Jarvis. 'He's one of them…the men O.S. saw in the woods', she said, trying to calm down. The cats got closer, trying to comfort her. 'We have to leave… I think the Lord of this city or one of the Nobles here sent those beasts to kill my … O.S.'s parents. If they find out who I am..'
{"It's going to be ok, Sam, we can leave. If they ask, just say you were dropping the bandits off at the closest city and then continuing on your journey. Dungeon City would be a better idea anyway. Like that blacksmith Franklin said, the rumors here are probably based on the Lord who runs this town."}
'Ok…' Sam said, taking a deep breath, trying to calm down before the guard came back. She had just managed it when he reappeared.
"Alright, here you go." He said, handing her a leather bag. "So, reason for entry, besides the bandits." He said, giving her a look.
"That's it." Her voice cracked. She cleared her throat. "You guys were just closer than my final destination. So…" she paused "Am I good to go? Got a long day of travelling yet."
Looking at her oddly, he tilted his head. "It's a long day's travel from Crossroads, I assume that's where you just came from. It's the only place that road leads to. You don't want a hot meal and a decent sleep?" He asked, almost concerned. "I'm sure the Lord would like to thank..."
"Nope, I'm good. But thanks. No need for thanks. Just doing my bit to help. Come on, Sunblaze." She interrupted. Like hell she wanted to speak to the Lord. She turned her cart onto the outgoing road and was off. Tanking a deep breath to calm her nerves. That was close.
{"Sam?"} Jarvis asked
"I'm ok, just need to get further away." She looked to Syn and deactivated the skill, bringing her back to her original size. She felt a little better with the giant wolf next to her. They took a well-worn road to the west, away from Solaris. Another two days' ride to Dungeon City.
"Tell me about Dungeon City Jarvis, maybe it'll calm me down, or at least distract me." Sam said, looking behind her. As they continued, Jarvis told her all about their next destination.
{"Dungeon City, it's the home to the Adventurers' and Hunters' Association. Or The A.H.A. They have their headquarters there. Also being so close to The Rift, as people call the massive canyon that The Fracture caused, it is the most popular place for the integrated. It also has the headquarters of all the major guilds.
It's the only city that isn't run by a Lord, but the head of the A.S.A., and they don't take kindly to noble shenanigans. You'll be much safer here. You'll also do much better selling your crafted items here than in Solaris."}
"Ok, good."
They travelled until it started to get dark, then pulled off to the side of the road to rest. She unhitched Sunblaze and then made her way to the back of the cart. Before going to sleep, she made a makeshift collar and pendant for Syn.
Even used her material identification to pick the best leather metal for the job. She asked Jarvis to wake her up in a few hours before dawn, and they'd set again. Taking some meat out for her tames and the hay and grain for Sunblaze, she fed them and gave them water from her barrel and then tucked herself in for the night.
As dawn approached, she woke up, and after a quick breakfast, they were off again. She finished her daily quests. Since she had upgraded all her weapons on the trip to Solaris, this time the weapon training gave her the same XP as the others. This trip had no bandits or massive bears accosting them, and they made it to town late in the evening. After paying the entrance fee, she used T.O.U.S. on Syn, and they made their way through the first gate and down the short passage to the open second, without any issues or fear.
The air changed the moment Sam stepped through the interior city gate.
Not the weather—though even that felt off. Charged. Like the sky had inhaled and was still holding its breath. But no, it was something deeper. An undercurrent humming in her bones, subtle as heartbeat, loud as dread.
Welcome to Dungeon City.
The guards didn't stop her. One glance at her tames, and the gate captain just nodded. After years of experience, he knew a Beast Tamer when he saw one. Anyone who could tame a Dawnsveil Courser and a Grove Warden Wolf had potential, even at her young age. He turned, already yelling at someone hauling a dead bugbear out of a wagon. Blood—fresh, purple, and steaming—trailed behind it like a signature. Sam manoeuvred around it without blinking.
Behind the thick stone walls, Dungeon City was definitely different from Crossroads village. She never got a chance to see inside Solaris, so she couldn't judge it against that, but this city was massive. The road she was on was at least four carts wide. There were actual mana lights here, not just torches.
The main road sloped gently upward, cobbled and wide, worn smooth in places by the sheer weight of boots and ambition. On either side, buildings jutted close like they were elbowing for space—lean-tos and multi-floor inns, gear shops, tamer posts, smithies, rune carvers, scroll hawkers, pop-up potion booths, and at least one stand entirely dedicated to enchanted jerky.
The whole place buzzed. Not the chaos of a marketplace—this was the buzz of people preparing to risk their lives. Sword tips getting inspected, spell glyphs checked, rations packed. Everyone was going somewhere, fast, like the ground might open up behind them. And honestly? It might.
At the far end of the road, raised slightly on a wedge of carved stone, stood the headquarters of the Adventurer and Hunter Association—the A.H.A.
Sam slowed.
It wasn't just the size. Though yeah, the place was massive—blocky stone bastion walls wrapped in enchantments that shimmered faintly under the afternoon sun. But it was the way it sat in the landscape: confident, immovable, like it had been punched into the city by something older than time and then fortified by people who knew better than to leave soft spots.
A second wall encircled it. Shorter than the outer one, but thicker. Defensive. There were guards posted on the parapets—not relaxed, not smiling, just watching. The kind of posture that said, if you made it through the first gate, congratulations. Now try that again.
Banners fluttered from the upper ramparts: the triple-blade crest of the A.H.A., flanked by the symbols of each sanctioned Guild. Sam spotted six right away, maybe more. Some she recognized from affiliate guilds in Crossroads. Some she didn't. All of them dangerous.
{Location Discovered: Dungeon City – Capital of Daring, Desperation, and Death Wish}
{System Note: You are now within 1 km of a Dungeon Rift Canyon.}
Sam exhaled slowly. "Nice place for a panic attack," she muttered. "Maybe that's what that feeling is… all that energy from the dungeons."
Tempy made a soft snort of agreement from her side, tail flicking.
The scent of scorched iron, cooked meat, and mana-burn hit her at once as a forge ignited nearby. A beast tamer shouted in the distance. A hawker tried to sell her a "dungeon-safe charm" that looked suspiciously like a bottle cap tied to a string.
And through it all, looming above the stone-and-sigil skyline, was the A.H.A. Stronghold.
She couldn't wait to look around during the day. Sam and the crew made their way towards an inn. They had a stable behind the building, so she stored her cart there and asked Syn to watch it for the night. She took care of Sunblaze's needs and then sent her to her beast space, and then brought the cats and the eggs inside with her.
The building was in excellent condition. Clean and well decorated, you could tell someone loved it. The sign over the door read "The Gilded Petal Inn". Walking inside, she made her way up to the counter that doubles as the bar and reception. With a name tag attached to her apron simply saying Mary, the woman behind it smiled at Sam, "I'll be right with you, darlin'." Sam nodded and watched the woman attend to a patron.
Mary Thorne was grace in an apron and iron in a smile. Wearing a flowing dress in soft rose and lilac tones, with lace cuffs, she somehow keeps clean, even on stew days. Her laugh was gentle, her voice warmer than a healing charm, and she smelled faintly of cinnamon and lavender polish.
She had arranged the tables with floral centerpieces, but every vase is weighted, and she can down a disrespectful guest with a ceramic teapot if necessary. Don't let the pearls fool you—Mary once cast a Mass Sleep spell on a gang of drunken mercs before serving them scones when they woke up. She remembers names, birthdays, favorite drinks, and how you take your tea—even if you've only told her once.
The townsfolk call her Lady Thorne, not out of formality—but reverence.
Sam looked around while she waited.
The Inn was equal parts tavern, teahouse, and former adventurers' guild hall that got a glow-up.
Half the main room is oak tables and laughter: golden sconces, soft music, ale flowing freely. The other half is dainty porcelain teacups, velvet-cushioned benches, and artfully arranged pastries under glass cloches. Floral wallpaper edges meet battle-scarred wooden beams, and no one questions it.
The menu shifts depending on the hour: Honey-roasted boar and barley stew by night, blackberry scones and chamomile blends by morning. And if you're very lucky—or very polite—Mary might bring out the Hidden Menu of enchanted herbal blends and spirit-infused cordials, mostly retired from adventuring days.
A low-tier [Calming Aura] enchantment keeps the brawls from getting out of hand. Her husband Red, swears it's Mary's doing. Mary swears it's Red.
Neither one is technically lying.
"What can I do for you?" Mary said from behind Sam. She turned to speak with the lovely woman.