Alex, Coco, Zena, and Fenrir woke up in their separate rooms. Alex and Coco to one room and Zena and Fenrir to the other.
It was a repeat of yesterday's morning, but Zena and Alex were less exhausted than the day before.
Everyone woke up around the same time, got dressed, and headed down to the bar. The dwarven owner gave them leftovers from the night before, since they didn't eat dinner at the inn yesterday.
Leftovers was beef and roasted vegetables, simple and kind of bland, but it did what it needed to do.
The team then headed over to the Sinful Hunters guild hall. They were told by Greed to head over there today, but he didn't specify a time, so they just went there after their morning routine was finished.
Because it was around nine in the morning the city had vendors open, but it wasn't super busy.
After making it to the Sinful Hunters guild hall, they walked in, and Greed was staring at them on the top floor, looking over the overhang above the receptionists office
Greed made eye contact with Coco and the others, then tilted his head as if to say "over here."
Shaking off their nerves, they walked over to the stairs and climbed to the top. This was their first time on the third floor. To describe it in one word, it was bland.
The first two floors of the guild hall were bright and vibrant. Colorful assorted drinks at the bar, bright rosewood adding a soft tone to the guild, and a bright red dragon's head mounted to the wall behind the receptionists office. Top all of this off with loud adventurers and the place almost felt like a safe place to be.
This feeling of a safe place vanished when the group saw the dark stone walls and the war table taking most of the space on the third floor. The only shiny thing on the floor was Greed himself, his shininess not being diminished in the slightest despite the darkness of the room.
Located in the back of the third floor, resting his leg and back on the wall, was a cloaked figure. Noticing the group of four children walking to the massive table, he stepped off the wall and introduced himself.
His appearance was hidden by a black cloak and a burgundy colored hood. He also had four daggers being held up by the belt that was around his waist.
"Yo. My name is Charmeverson, the guild master of this place. You can just call me Charr." He sounded young and lively, but they couldn't see his facial expressions. And unlike with David, this person was hard to tell what kind of face he was making.
"Nice to meet you, I am Fenrir. The leader of this guild. These are my party members, Coco, Alex, and Zena." Fenrir said in a friendly voice while pointing to his comrades when introducing them.
"Can I ask why we are here today?" Coco asked, feeling like they did something wrong yesterday and was scared to be reprimanded this early.
"I read the journal that was written by Pigsky, which detailed the events of the dungeon raid yesterday. Don't worry, I am not going to revoke your right to work here or anything like that. This was a one time offense I am sure." Charr said seemingly unbothered by the fact that Zena deliberately tried to place the party in danger.
"If we aren't in trouble then what is it?" Alex asked feeling more nervous.
"I just wish to help you guys out, that's all. Since the Greed Games are coming up, I imagine that you guys would like a shot at winning, but the way your group acted yesterday proves that you wouldn't even make it through the first round."
The guild master pointed out the painfully obvious elephant in the party. They just met the other day, and despite having their souls connected through the God that ordered them here, they still lack good communication and trust.
They worry about getting in each other's way. They are afraid to ask deeper questions like what the first fourteen years of their lives were like; keeping it to only simple questions like "what's your favorite food?" Each member doesn't view the others as friends or teammates, but who met by sharing the same fate.
Each person, Coco, Alex, Fenrir, and Zena all averted their gaze at Charr's comment.
"Sir, we only have one month, you can't make us get closer and work together so easily in that amount of time." Coco spoke this sentence like it was fact. She is worried that these issues would hold back the party from their main goal of defeating the demon king for a few years.
"I can and I will." Charr said in full confidence then continued, "the training will be rough and intense, but it's only for one month so I think you guys can handle it."
"Are we gonna be fighting a bunch? Taking on dangerous quests? Making it to the tenth floor of the dungeon from yesterday?" Fenrir asked, unsure of what Charr meant by intense.
"So quick to violence, that is a bad habit. First you will each do the same morning tasks, get to know one another, become a real team. After your morning rituals are done, you will be doing odd jobs around the city, whatever the guild needs so you will get paid for it, of course."
"That's it?" Zena said with a cold stare.
"Yup! Learn about one another. Breath the same air if you will."
"You will technically start this process tomorrow, but for now, just take on a quest or two. In one month, the difference will be unrecognizable." Charr said with full confidence.
"I am expecting good things." Greed said with a plain look on his face as if distracted by something else.
"A lot of us aren't used to official combat yet, so could you teach us a few things?" Coco asked, unsure of what the response would be.
"I suppose you are just kids. Hmmm… I got it! Today you will be following me around. I will see you all in action. Is that good with you David?"
"As you wish." David said, not seeming to care if he places these children in danger or not.
Charr then led the group downstairs and out of the Sinful Hunters adventuring hall. "Just follow me." He spoke like a true leader.
…
Charmeverson, guild master of the Sinful Hunters association, took Team Earth, Coco, Alex, Zena, and Fenrir on a small journey.
He led them to open farmland located about two hours east away from the capital. It was mostly flat land with two sizable hills in the distance.
In the large open section of farmland, there was a large barn. The land was segmented into segments indicating the various vegetables being produced. One section was for carrots, another for potatoes, a third was for corn, the list went on and on.
"Does anyone know where we are?" Charr asked like a test.
"Ummm, a farm?" Zena said with a large amount of sarcasm.
"Correct. Do you know the purpose of this farm?"
"It's the capital's vegetable farm?" Coco added.
"Right again! It's a large-scale commercial vegetable farm for the capital's markets. Third question, do you know why we are here?"
"Theft?" Alex asked perplexed.
"Ding, ding, ding. There has been an increase in thieves coming in and taking the capital's products."
"Why has there been an increase?" Alex asked, concerned and confused.
"There are plenty of reasons for it, increase in market prices and the fact that a head honcho bandit recently died are two of the main reasons." Charr said looking at Zena as if hinting that some of this was her fault.
Although she left no trace, she and the head bandit shared the same last name, so it was easy to guess but hard to prove.
"So, we are waiting for bandits to appear?" Zena asked for clarification.
"Man, this group is so smart. One of my spies let me know that they would attack tonight, so we got here in advance to intercept them. Well, you all are going to intercept them, I am just here to see how you all perform." Charr said as his closing statement.
…
Coco, Alex, Zena, and Fenrir all planned for the attack, they discussed how they would work together and who plays what role while hiding in the giant red barn.
Coco and Alex would be in the back-line. While Zena acts as the rear guard and Fenrir as the tank.
As the group discussed their plan in dealing with their opponent, Charr sat and watched from the top of the bar. Like a person sitting in a tree with their eyes closed. He seemed as though he was sleeping, but they couldn't see his face due to his hood.
Later that night, right as the sun set, the bandits moved in.
"They're here." Zena said in a whisper.
The bandits moved past the barn, and headed over to the potato section of the land. The reason for their uninterested in the barn was because that was the first place that got robbed. Nothing of value was left inside. All of the tools and equipment were stripped bare.
Alex closed her eyes and meditated near the closed doors of the barn. After a few minutes she heard the sound of breaking earth. The bandits finally started harvesting the potatoes.
"Fenrir, Zena, you're good to go." Alex said finally getting off the ground.
They slowly inched the barn doors open, as quietly as metal sheets can be opened.
From the bandits perspective, all they heard was the sound of the ground breaking, potatoes popping out of the ground, and being thrown into burlap sacks.
Once the doors of the barn were open just enough for Fenrir and Zena to get out. They ran quietly towards the bandits. There were six of them in total.
Zena took two daggers from her belt, snuck up behind one of them, and sliced his throat. She meant to make it a clean cut, that would decapitate the man, but she didn't add enough force behind her blades to do that.
This small error allowed the bandit to make just enough noise to alert the others that they were being hunted.
"Bleh, behind … us." Those were his dying words before falling over.
The other five people got up, turned around, and pulled out swords. Fenrir and Zena met their stances ready to fight.
"There are only two of them, kill them!" The man in the front yelled.
The other four ran past him and charged towards Fenrir and Zena. Two on one each.
Fenrir blocked the first oncoming attack, then he jumped backwards to narrowly dodge the second sword.
Zena ducked out of the way of the first attacker, jumped up using the man's back as a launchpad and shot herself forwards with her daggers held out in front of her. She became a human arrow. Aimed right for the man who was going to strike next.
One dagger pierced through his chest, and the other punctured his throat. Dead in an instant.
She then ran towards the leader who gave the command. "Coward!" Zena yelled, slashing a dagger downwards once she was in arms reach of the leader.
The dagger missed the target as the leader simply stepped back. Then he slashed down with a blade of his own. Zena caught herself and nimbly avoided the attack.
"Not bad kid. You should join us."
…
Despite his back being used as a launchpad, the bandit that Zena used as a means to an end, fixed his posture then charged towards Fenrir. It was now a three on one fight.
Fenrir trained daily, he worked out, did sword swings, and even did some magic training. However, he had never been in a real fight.
Common! You can do this. All you have to do is move. Move dammit! Crap, my legs are frozen to the ground. I am scared. I am supposed to be the leader, but three on one? How is that fair?!? I don't want to die here.
The bandit on Fenrir's left was about to attack, his blade in the sky ready to slash downwards.
Swoosh
An arrow penetrated through the man's shoulder. I am against killing unless absolutely necessary, but this is fine right? Right!? Alex thought before pulling another arrow out of her quiver.
"They have a ranger!" The bandit in front of Fenrir yelled out, before swinging downwards with his sword. Fenrir moved his sword upwards, as if through instinct, and blocked the attack.
Fenrir let out a loud breath as if lifting something heavy.
"He's open!" The man whose blade was connected to Fenrir's sword cried out.
The person to Fenrir's right prepared to thrust his sword into Fenrir's side.
"Water ball" Coco casted a spell from her wand. She was also located near the barn, a few feet away from Alex.
A sizable water ball connected to the right man's face. Not only did it block his vision with cold water, but it had enough force behind it to make the man move his body to the side. Causing the attack to be off target.
The man's blade was now between Fenrir's chest and his ally's body. "What the hell are you doing Jace?" The man looked down at the sword that narrowly missed his side.
Fenrir, noticing his opponents distraction pushed his blade upwards making his opponent lose balance. Fenrir, using his full strength to make the man get off of him, accidentally tripped over his opponent and split his head at a diagonal angle.
"AHHH"
Jace and the man to Fenrir's left let out a scream. "Captain! We need to leave." Jace yelled out, but he looked over and saw an unsightly scene.
Fenrir looked at the dead man before him, the man who he killed. He looked at his sword now drenched in blood. He said nothing, but looked, not believing in what he was witnessing.
…
"Join you? Ha, not in a million years." Zena said in response to the leader of the bandits' offer.
"Why not? You seem like you would fit right in." The man said with a smug look.
"If I worked with you guys, then I would be underselling myself. So my answer is no."
"Haha, underpaid? Don't you think you are overselling yourself a bit?" He said with a crazy look on his face. A face overcome with ego.
"I am Wolf Vitals daughter." Zena said with a deadly calm voice.
"Wolf … Vital?" The captain looked at Zena in a new light. Sweat rolling down his face. He began to hyperventilate thinking back to the rumors hoovering around Wolf.
Before he could even realize it, his head was rolling on the ground with tears running down his cheeks.
…
"Captain?" Jace said with his vision going in and out, not believing in what he was seeing. Zena cutting off the captain's head.
"If you don't wish to die, then toss your weapons to the floor." Alex yelled out, still located near the barn.
The two men tossed their weapons to the floor. With some rope that they found in the barn, one of the few things not taken, Zena, Coco, and Alex tied the two men to a tree.
Fenrir sat there looking at his first kill. I took a life… I sinned, I am a murderer, a monster. It wasn't even a warriors match. I didn't even know his name. It all happened so fast that I couldn't stop myself. Right, it wasn't me, it was just an accident… Who am I kidding? I ended someone's life. I am sorry. I am so sorry.
"Remember this feeling, Fenrir, never forget what it means to take someone's life." Charr said, finally leaving the barn, and placing his hand on Fenrir's back pulling him out of his own mind.
Charr walked over to the men tied to the tree, held out his hand, and activated his magic, "bubble."
A white orb formed into existence and cut down a portion of the tree, locking the two bandits inside an invisible bubble. No sound could be heard on their end.
"I will interrogate them later. First, a review is in order." Charr said feeling displeased.
"Sir, I really don't think that now is the time for that." Alex protested.
"I will ensure that the men who died here are buried and that the other man's arm is taken care of. I do think you all need to hear this now though."
Fenrir, who had just killed his first person, was not in the right mindset.
Alex, who hates death of the living, just witnessed three deaths and was worried for the person that she injured. She was not doing okay.
Zena was clearly tired from fighting two people back-to-back.
Coco was relieved that her party was alive, but felt useless in the fight. She was stuck in her own mind re-running the fight over and over inside of her head.
Charr took a deep breath in. Then gave his review despite the group not being in the best mindset. The reason for this was because they needed to hear it now, as this feeling remains fresh in their minds.
"You each need a lot of work. Alex, as a ranger, when combat starts you need to reach higher ground. You are the eyes of the party. Good job on saving Fenrir though. Coco, you also did good on saving Fenrir, but you only casted one spell. As a mage, you need to create space for your party. That man shouldn't have been able to get that close to Fenrir in the first place before you casted that spell. Zena, you are too eager to attack first, you are strong, but you left Fenrir by himself causing him to get overwhelmed, if he went down, you would have been facing four people. You are a team, not four individuals. Remember that. Lastly, Fenrir, learn to retreat, you need to have trust in your support to have your back."
Everyone fell silent.
The explanation was long, like a lecture on everything they did right and wrong.
They didn't need to hear it. They already knew their mistakes and their bad habits. Even knowing this Charr said it anyway. Making it feel even more real.
Charr then spoke again, "but overall, each person lived, no injuries received, I give you each a C in performance. Passing." He said before picking up his invisible bubble with the two people inside of it.
"Let's head back." Charr said with a cheerful voice. Unaffected by the silence filling up the air.