Oh wow, I really am… quite weak, aren't I?
Blood slowly trailing out of his nose and down his philtrum, Rowan slowly rose to his feet. Upon being knocked down, his friend rushed over to him.
"Shit, sorry, sorry, you alright?" His friend, a tall, lean man with long black hair concernedly asked, to which Rowan nodded his head.
"Yeah, I'm fine…" he muttered, wiping his nose. The bloodflow ceased to be, Healing Magic having been put to use. With that, Rowan held his hands up to protect his face, and got back into the fight.
…
"Om-nom-nom."
Taking a bite of an ice-cream sandwich, Rowan sat on a bench outside the cafeteria. This ice-cream sandwich, however, was no ordinary ice-cream sandwich. Instead, it was actually a neopolitan ice-cream sandwich. In which, he ate the chocolate part and the strawberry part equally in his first few bites, as he liked to keep things balanced.
He sat alone. Of course, he had friends he usually sat with, but he felt like being alone for the time being. Especially since his current mood was quite sour, it would be a terrible turn of events if his pissy self ended up being even more annoying to his friends than he already was.
David really doesn't know how to hold back. Well, he does, but I'm just so upset that I'll spew absurdities, just cause I feel like it. My nose flippin' hurt for a few seconds. So, curse him! Yes, curse that sexy man and his ripped abs!
A slow eater, his ice-cream sandwich began to melt, seeping into the folds of his hand. Upon feeling it so, he shoved the entire thing in his mouth, getting rid of it rather quickly.
Gulp.
The back of his head rested on the bench.
Why am I mad at the symptoms? I should be more upset with the illness, no?
After all, the pain of a bloody nose stems from the fact that I'm weak. It's pretty sad, but it's true.
The apparition of the faces in the crowd were indeed like petals on a wet, black bough. Only, it was a hot day, and not a train station.
Without many—or, perhaps even any thoughts in his head, Rowan looked around at the passing world. It was a beautiful campus, with plenty of people almost always walking around, giving it an air of a lively home.
Their appearances were so widely varied that he could even play a game of Count the Rainbow, where he'd look at everyone's hair-colors, looking to make up the colors of the rainbow. If Rowan were to do that, he'd likely win in around fifteen seconds, just considering how many students held vibrant colors.
Washing his hand with Water Magic, forming a small sphere of good old H2O, Rowan cleaned his hand of the melted ice cream, before he ruffled around his own short, spiky white hair.
Everyone here is pretty cool… They're all so wonderful and amazing. I mean, sure, this place is no Yedenar, but its Hunting program definitely isn't the worst. We get adequate training on how to deal with monsters, and they even let us rent enchanted weapons for use… Yeah, this place is pretty great…
…But it really, really is not Yedenar.
Yedenar University, the top Hunting University in the country. The minimum graduation requirement for the students there was, naturally, that of an S rank. Occasionally, even an SSS rank. Of course, it was incredibly difficult for someone nowhere near that level to truly grasp what it meant to be at such a level, so Rowan himself didn't bother thinking too hard about it.
I don't even have enough money to apply. Plus, I hear that the entrance exams of that place are sick, so I probably couldn't get in, even if I tried. Still, it's pretty disheartening to know that the first wall to guarantee your future isn't about skill, but about money.
"But whatever."
Rowan slowly got off of the bench. He moved like a tired old man, before finally looking ahead with a small glimpse of determination.
But enough doom-and-gloom! It's unbecoming of me!
With a bright, cheery grin, Rowan puffed his chest out, the sun reflecting in the pink hue of his eyes.
Every time I've gone Hunting with everyone else, they put me on the back-foot, always playing support! Well, I want to be strong too! Who knows, if I get strong enough, I could try to transfer to Yedenar.
So, I'll just have to go Hunting later tonight!
…
"Just don't die."
So bluntly mumbled a young teenage boy, who merely sat on the couch, texting on his phone. Whenever Rowan shot a glance at him, he couldn't help but imagine that the brat was the caricature of what an old person imagined a teenager to be like—addicted to that phone and TV!
"...Yeah, wasn't planning on it," Rowan replied, putting his shoes on and hoisting the family axe over his shoulders. "Todd, make sure you wash the dishes for me, 'kay? I'm risking my life to keep the wifi on, please just get the dishes done."
"Fine, sure, whatever."
His little brother, who was now not-so-little-anymore was still just as unbothered as always, causing Rowan to sigh. Without another word, the white-haired man left the apartment, taking out his phone and texting all of his friends.
"Yo, I'm going Hunting solo bc I wanna get combat experience. David, if I die, it's all your fault. Jkjk"
Putting on some music, slipping in his earbuds, Rowan went down the stairwell and entered his car. As he did so, his phone received a notification, which he checked rather fast.
From David, it was a clear and simple message.
"Lol good luck. Don't go into tampered dungeons, be safe."
Rowan smirked, putting on some funky music to relax before he got onto the roads.
Todd's mean, but at the same time, I can't really blame him for that. Dad's either Hunting or in bed, while I'm either busy with school or hanging out with friends… As for mom… ah, no. But that's how it's always been, and he never complains, so… I guess it's fine as is.
A solemn expression crept up on his face, causing him to turn up the volume of the speakers to block out his own thoughts.
A short drive later, Rowan got out of the car and looked ahead, seeing a vibrant orange forest due to the Autumn season. It was a fantastic, beautiful sight, what with all the seas of orange and the drifting leaves descending from their branches.
Rowan took out his axe, tracing his fingers along the dulled metal blade, before resting it over his shoulder.
It's a bit too dull, but it's gotten dad through many situations. I mean, I'm not dad, but I'm not a complete slouch either.
With quiet footsteps, he entered the Rio Forest, an area where monsters invariably roamed the lands.
Let's see… I'm able to create a good amount of water with Water Magic, I've gotten even better at Fire Magic since I started classes a month ago, and I can heal basically any wound that doesn't knock me unconscious.
I should be good, especially since I'll never run out of mana.
It was his Ability, after all. Though he phrased it poorly, it did indeed reduce the mana expenditure. For everyone else, when they'd use "ten points" of mana, he'd only have to use five to reach the same outcome.
Put simply, he was blessed with a very strong Ability.
Continuing to truck through the woods, Rowan refused to speak aloud as he sometimes did. He focused on keeping his ears open to noise, which had yet to reveal itself to him.
Rowan pushed deeper and deeper into the forest. Until, finally, he heard noise.
But, rather than the sound of a monster or animal, it was instead human dialogue.
"We'll be taking this dungeon from you guys."
A man's voice, Rowan understood. As Rowan approached closer and closer to the source, he eventually spotted all the persons involved.
There were ten people. And, from what he could tell from their division, it was split into two groups. One with six people, and the other with only four, as they seemed to be fighting over a blue portal… a C rank dungeon—the lowest rank possible.
"What do you mean? You can't just—!"
The next moment, a gun was drawn, and a bullet was shot. Acting as the cue for the others to make their moves, the group of six drew their personalized firearms and opened fire on the defenseless group.
—How quickly things had changed.
It wasn't even a fight. Though it seemed obvious, especially due to the involvement of firearms, that notion ran rampant through Rowan's head. His mind went blank. Utterly blank.
"Run" or "fight" or "hide" or whatever, those things just were not options. He went empty.
"A-ah…"
Yet, his throat did not. Producing a meaningless noise, Rowan gave away his position, to which the murderous group turned to look at him.
Dancing. The orange leaves that delightfully fell were now dancing around the group, who kept their guns in their hands as they stared at him.
"Hmph." A man had vocalized, his arms covered in bandages as he dressed quite casually, his messy brown hair and yellow eyes piercing Rowan. Quickly, he drew his gun, and—
"Wait!" A woman shouted, placing her hand over his arm. The man withdrew, as the woman stared at Rowan with faint intrigue. "Rowan, Rowan Palmer—come over here for a second. Your ability's useful, come talk. If you run, we'll hunt you down."
Of course, to back up her threat, she raised the handgun, the barrel pointing at the sky.
Gulp.
"P-pfft…"
How unserious, to gulp at a time such as this.
With lumbered steps, Rowan made his way over. He heard the crunching of the leaves under his feet. Those were good.
Inevitably, he passed by the four dead bodies strewn along the dirt, scarlet blood pooling out from underneath, seeping into the earth below. When he did so, Rowan couldn't help but look at them, desperately trying to avoid eye contact with the group of killers.
"..."
"What do you see in him?" The bandaged man asked, to which the woman stepped forward. Looking Rowan over, as he remained utterly still, hesitant to make a move, she simply hummed.
"Well, his Ability should help. After all, you know how it takes ten people to turn a C rank dungeon into an A rank, right?"
In reference to the process of "tampering" with a dungeon, she looked at the man who seemed to be the leader of the group.
"I do."
"Well, as it would turn out, this guy's got the ability to essentially double the mana he puts out. In other words, if he's with us, then instead of it being seven people's mana, it's more like eight. Plus, we've been missing a member ever since Henry died, no?"
The bandaged man stepped forward, getting too close for comfort to Rowan. His bandaged arm reached out, lightly touching Rowan's chin and tilting his head up.
"Hm. Though, he's hardly Pleiades material. Look at his body and mind. He's a bit skinny, meaning his magic is likely also weak. On top of that, he's got a look of utter fear in his eyes. It's pathetic. On top of all that, there's no guarantee he won't turn us in—he is a stranger, after all."
The woman let loose a smug laugh, sensually tracing her fingers along the man's bandages, rubbing herself along him as though she were a cat.
"Now, now, are you forgetting who you're talking to? He's a stranger, yes, but I know more about him than you do. Including the fact that, to put it simply, he's easy to buy with money."
The woman, her long brown hair tied up, removing it from obscuring her emerald green eyes, penetrated Rowan's heart with her stare. "Isn't that right, Rowan? After all, you need money to apply to Yedenar, and if you can get to Yedenar, you can become an A rank Hunter. Do all that, and finally, you can pay back your father, and prevent him from losing his life, as he grows old continuing to hunt deadly, deadly monsters almost every night."
"Y-you… how…" Rowan weakly muttered, clenching his fists with intensity he'd never met before. Her gaze lowered to his white knuckles, and she remained confident.
"Well? It's your choice, Mr. Palmer. Will you die, and leave your father, who can die at any time, to take care of your little brother? Or will you join us, and fight for your family's security?"
"T-that's… that's…!"
"Obvious, right?" The woman finished. Rowan, having been forced to choose, was no fool.
Though he was afraid of what it might entail, he resolved himself to make his choice. It was only natural, after all.
The value of his life was based solely on how he could provide for those around him. That was a mindset Rowan adhered to, day-in, day-out.
I… I don't want to think. I don't want to feel anything about this. I just… I just want to accept it.
No more thoughts. No more concerns. No worries, nothing.
Even if I come to hate this decision, even if I lose myself as a result of this…
I definitely won't let my family lose anyone else.
"Alright… then, I'll do it," he solemnly swore.
"Marvelous," the woman affirmed, taking his hand and dragging him over to the portal of the dungeon. "So, your first task is to use your ability to help turn this into a B rank dungeon. It only takes three people to make a C rank into a B rank, after all."
Rowan swallowed his spit, and cleared his throat. He did just as he was told, using up all his mana, whilst the woman filled in the rest. Upon tampering with the portal, black sparks began to emanate from it, signifying its unnatural development. Meanwhile, upon reaching B rank, it shifted from blue to red, signifying its metamorphosis into a stronger dungeon.
Breathing heavily from using up all his mana, Rowan crouched on the ground. The woman circled around him, and like a Neapolitan ice-cream sandwich, Rowan was the vanilla in the middle of the strawberry that was the dungeon, and the chocolate that was the woman.
"Hah… so, uh, are we going to raid the dungeon?"
"Of course! Well, you are, at least."
Rowan couldn't even sputter out his words. Then,
"Ahh!!!"
With the woman's unceremonious kick, Rowan was knocked head-first into the B rank dungeon.