Cid sat on a large stump, flanked by the woman as if she was a hired mercenary. Their glares were honed like sharp blades aimed at the trio sitting on their knees in front of them.

  The one-armed leader was bandaged up but not fully mended. He looked calmer than the other two who were split between shaking fearfully and glaring in irritation.

  The leader cleared his throat.

  “Ahem… Let’s… Let’s start from the beginning. My name is Numen, this is Riva and Gale.” Numen pointed to the terrified mage and the agitated tank respectively.

  “I’m Cid, and this is…” Cid gestured to the woman, realizing he never bothered to ask for her name.

  “Reina,” she said coldly, dropping her once upbeat attitude to pressure them with a tough visage.

  “Alright, Cid. I don’t know how much you two know, but the town of Laytika, where the Region End portal resides, is gate-kept by a group of thugs calling themselves the Modarks. Named after their leader, Modey the Monarch… It’s as lame as it gets.” Numen sighed scornfully and gripped his bandaged elbow.

  “You can only level up to fifteen in the first region, after that you’re supposed to go to the Region End portal to resume leveling in the next region, but that damned tyrant chose not to. He decided to live a life of luxury by bullying the weaker players into doing his bidding…

  “At first he only had Laytika under his command, but more like-minded criminals gravitated to his ruling policy, helping him take over Midpoint. It was a massacre… They then carved a path south towards the third town, but some group kept them at bay and even attacked Midpoint. I wish it worked out, but the Modarks were too much for them. I decided to join the winning side for immunity and to warn those with more heart than sense. I want to save them from crossing any unseen lines placed by those savages.” Numen frowned shamefully.

  Reina chuckled. “Save them? More like save your own skin, you rat. Frame it how you want, but you definitely watched them hurt innocents and kept your mouth shut. That doesn’t make you better than them, not in the slightest,” she hissed, her words clearly hitting a chord since Numen scowled at the ground.

  Reina’s glare darkened when she stepped closer to them. “You should’ve joined the Resistance in Earlius if you really cared about saving others! You could’ve helped us fight him! Even if you’re weak alone, join the cause and let there be strength in numbers!”

  “What strength? They kept losing, and now they just lost their leader. Without him, the Monarch isn’t as afraid of conquering Earlius and killing the rest of the people who oppose him. It’s over for them.” Numen’s half-irritated face cracked into a somber stare.

  “What? No, Galahad still protects it. Who told you he’s dead? He’s a level fifteen tank with an upgraded weapon, nobody can hurt him!” Reina countered.

  “The Modark general Yuvi came to town with a large number of men under her. It wasn’t right. Marching straight into enemy territory is essentially a declaration of war, so I had to ask them what was happening. They told me another general killed your leader but was butchered by someone else, so she was sent there to search for the threat and secure Earlius if the person was unrelated.”

  Cid furrowed his brow, his eyes bouncing in thought. The scenario sounded worryingly familiar.

  “No… That can’t be right…” Reina seemed rattled by his claim. “My friends are still there… They should be there defending it! You’re lying! I’m going to check on them myself!” She stormed off, but then abruptly stopped and turned around.

  “Don’t you three go anywhere! If I see you outside of this starter zone then I’ll pump you full of healing potions and dismantle you like a machine while you’re still alive!” Reina barked her threats at them furiously, her words making their skin turn pale.

  She then glanced at Cid, her eyes becoming more thoughtful and calculative when they met his gaze.

  Cid matched her stare with a questioning look. Her deep contemplation made him uncomfortable.

  “Hey…” She casually strode towards Cid, her hands moving up as if she would grab something.

  “What… are you doing?” Cid leaned back and watched her turn sapphire glitter into an iron bucket.

  “Uhm… Could you cook me that amazing meal again? I want to take it with me.” She beamed and pointed at the bucket.

  “I… Yeah. Sure, just give me the ingredients.” Cid smiled, feeling a tinge of pride. The love his cooking received always filled him with happiness and reminded him why he enjoyed it.

  “They’re right there.” Reina shrugged her head towards the workbench.

  “Hm? I don’t remember you putting anything…” Cid spun around and faced the empty table. Hard metal struck his head as the bucket snuggly pressed down like a tightly fitting helmet, obscuring everything around him.

  [Received 2 damage. 48 HP remaining.]

  Cid’s muffled cries rang out as he suddenly found himself in a lightless nightmare where things touched him, tugged him and whipped him lightly—scary things that he did not understand the origin of. He screamed because that was all he could do against the intangible masses pushing his body against his will, gripping him, squeezing him and wrapping snake-like bands around his arms and body.

  On the outside, the trio watched in horror as Reina tied Cid up into a human column, and then pulled the end of the rope over her shoulder to transport him like a hunting trophy.

  “If he doesn’t know who it was then he won’t aggro… He’s too unique for me to leave him here… As for you three, you better be here when I come back!” she growled. The addition of a panicking Cid on her back made her threat a thousand times more convincing, so they all nodded like obedient dogs dominated by fear.

  Reina shook her head disapprovingly and continued walking with the screaming Cid in tow. She was hellbent on taking him with her, going as far as braving the attacking wolves that heard Cid’s shriek.

  She had to defend him with one hand while she kept him close with the other, but that wasn’t enough to deter her from transporting him.

  Luckily, as time passed, Cid’s throat grew too hoarse and the constant panicking tired him out, so she didn’t have to suffer through waves of beasts for the whole journey. Forced into a calmer state by fatigue, Cid simply looked at the localized void around him listlessly, wondering if the abyss would stare back sympathetically.

  ‘This psychopath actually kidnapped me… The first three women I met after leaving my life behind just had to be crazy, huh? The pink-haired demon that I’ll definitely kill… Hades and her unreasonable bloodlust… and this smiling wacko talking to me in third person like I’m not human…’ Cid sighed loudly with an echo.

  He didn’t enjoy the sensation of being moved around like he was tied to a ship’s sail at night, so he distracted himself by summoning his status window. Within the blinding helmet, the box of information created a strange effect where it appeared the same distance away from him as always—half a meter—as if there was no bucket on his head. It made it feel like he was floating in an all-consuming darkness.

  ________________________

  Name: Cid Renz.

  Class: Apprentice Crafter.

  HP: 48/50

  Level: 5 (2/53)

  Skills: [Swift Dash], [Shadow’s Presence], [Weakpoint Exploit], [Handy Repair]

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Passives: [Crafter’s Vow], [Builder’s Resilience], [Quick Build], [Blue Resonance I]

  ________________________

  ‘Level five, huh? Most of my experience points came from mastering recipes… I wonder if it’s more efficient than doing my quests… No, I shouldn’t normalize this! I need to gain XP from killing monsters!’

  Cid hated the unsteady sway of Reina’s movements. There had to be some way to escape. The bindings wrapped around him were the biggest issue, without them he could just activate his skills and disappear. A knife was his trick out, and he was stocked up on the most basic of knives—stone shivs.

  He mentally asked for a sharp rock, hoping to mold it to his desire since his strange Class seemed to affect resources differently, and suddenly the dark expanse flashed in an annoying crimson, paired with a scratchy buzz.

  [Action denied – Cannot use inventory items when restrained.]

  ‘What!? Damn you!’

  Cid flailed around like an eel, hoping to escape the proverbial fishing line hooking him. The weight that propped Cid up instantly disappeared, letting him free fall and slam down against a soft surface. It was still too gentle to physically damage him, but the lack of awareness hurt him mentally.

  “Gnh…” Cid groaned as the tight grasp of the snakes around him vanished, freeing his arms. Once he regained control, he hastily rammed his palms against the bucket and flung it away from his head.

  “I’m free!” Cid grinned at the beautiful open air then looked at Reina who smiled at him brightly.

  “The devil!” Cid panicked and rolled away to escape her.

  “Huh!? Wait, why are you running away!?” Reina instantly leaped on him and pinned him down, it wasn’t hard to do thanks to his non-existent strength.

  “Get off of me! You kidnapped me!” Cid barked angrily and resisted her.

  “I did no such thing, it was someone else! I-I saved you, actually!”

  “Lies! You got me from the back when I was vulnerable and ripe for the taking!”

  “What’s your proof!? You think I’m the kind of person who’d go for the back!?” Reina tried to out-yell him to submission.

  “You took advantage of my innocence! I trusted you! What is wrong–” A dull thump alerted Cid to a youthful man in a cream-hued robe dropping his staff, his round eyes stretching wide. For some reason, the man’s face had turned a deep red.

  Cid cocked a brow and glanced back at Reina who laid atop of him, holding him down by his wrists while being close enough to headbutt or kiss. He assumed Reina came to the same revelation when her cheeks flushed and her arm darted towards the man.

  “Wait! This goes deeper than you think! I’m just trying to-”

  “I don’t care how deep it goes! Do this elsewhere!” The man lunged for his fallen staff and awkwardly bolted on a paved cobblestone road, running towards a town in the distance.

  Reina’s face darkened in embarrassment and she quickly looked at Cid. “N-Nothing’s happening here!”

  “Something is happening! It’s called a kidnapping!” Cid retorted.

  “Mmnh… Horrible timing… Gah! Why don’t people stick around to ask more questions instead of making assumptions!?” Reina sat away from Cid and sighed in exasperation. “Bad luck… What if he starts rumors…? Saying things like I would stoop low enough to do things with a…” Reina glanced back at Cid with a pitiful look.

  Cid popped a vein trying to keep himself from putting her inside of thirteen wardrobes, six feet under the core of the earth—assuming this world even had one.

  Fortunately for her, something else was a higher priority than burying her alive. A winding path moving beyond the receding treeline and through the massive emerald fields surrounding a cluster of buildings in the distance.

  Cid stood up and cautiously looked at the town, the one he assumed to be Earlius. A treasure trove of recipes but also a place rife with dangerous events and the volatile nature of humans.

  In terms of battle strength, he was mostly good at crowd control and not damage. That made Reina a useful weapon to have around, able to punish whoever he pinned down, as she proved in the previous battle. Sadly, she wasn’t completely under his command and seemed to be annoyingly impulsive, so he knew she would bite someone’s leg and cause problems.

  Reina stared at the town with a distant gaze, her mind probably on a journey of its own. He wished he could see inside her head, but he couldn’t so he opted for the next best thing: a question.

  “What’s your plan, Reina?”

  “Huh? You’re back to neutral? Ahh… Good… My plan? Uhh… my plan is to go look for my friends, see if they’re safe. So far the town doesn’t look different, so I’m sure those three were lying.”

  “What if they’re not? Any precautions we should take?”

  “Uhm… Don’t stick out? Modey’s lackeys are levels ten and above while I’m only level seven… So we’re just going to look around for now. Even if there are baddies doing sketchy things, we won’t fight them.”

  Cid nodded in agreement. He was honestly impressed she had the foresight to stay away from trouble during a scouting mission. “Wait, hold on… We?”

  “Oh. Sorry. Force of habit. I’ll be doing that. You’ll be doing the thing you do best. Cooking.”

  “Why?”

  “Backup plan. If your food attracts attention and fame, then Modey himself might want a piece. When that happens, I’ll replace you as a chef and bam! Death through poison…”

  “I’m not doing it.”

  “Why not? You’re a chef, aren’t you?”

  “I’m not. I’m a… I’m a mage.”

  “A mage? Oh… Damn, you’re right. Yeah, you used magic when you created those walls around that man, didn’t you? I thought that was some anti-murder mechanic they gave you… Wait, you’re a mage!? Wow! I didn’t think you were a companion type! Are you hirable!? Wait, no, no! Better question, why can you cook so well then?” Reina looked at Cid with a sparkling smile full of wonder. It reminded him of a small child learning about tigers and beetles for the first time.

  “You’re asking too many questions. Answer mine instead, why the hell did you take me here?”

  “I told you. Backup plan. I wasn’t kidding about using your cooking to end Modey’s tyranny. Being a mage is fine too. It still helps to have you fight by my side if things go wrong… How about it? I’ll hire you. How much is it?”

  Cid glared at her. He didn’t want her dragging him to her pace. Unfortunately, he was sure a simple “no” wasn’t going to shut her up, so he thought deeply about it.

  “Hmm… Heh. You can’t afford me, peasant. I cost three thousand gold as initial payment, and I get loot priority.”

  “L-Loot priority and three thousand!?”

  “Exactly. You can’t agree to that, right? Then that’s that. See ya.” Cid waved and walked away. No sane player would agree to giving away loot priority.

  Reina glared at Cid and pulled out a sizable burlap sack from a cloud of sapphire dust.

  “Deal. If you’re that expensive then it should be worth it. Starting players can’t even get a thousand easily, so you must be high-leveled if you’re asking for so much. That’s reassuring.”

  “Huh? I thought you only had two thousand…”

  “I’m in charge of selling monster parts and divvying up the rewards, so I actually have around four thousand total. I’m sure Beeno won’t mind if I used his gold for this.”

  Cid’s eyes widened when she tossed the hefty bag in his hands. His knees instantly buckled from the crushing weight of the coins and they threatened to snap in different directions while his back creaked and begged for mercy.

  The sack rapidly burned a green radiance and broke into emerald glitter, relieving him of the stress.

  [Acquired 3,000 Goldins.]

  [Party invitation received from Party Leader Reina Pors. Accept?]

  Cid’s eyes bulged further at the sudden emerald panel asking for his permission, and the implications it carried. Normally, people in the same team could see each other’s stats, skills and abilities, and sometimes even equipment. Accepting it would expose him for the mage that he wasn’t.

  [Invitation rejected.]

  Cid looked at Reina quietly, doing his best to put on a face of stone while her eyebrows furrowed quizzically.

  [Party invitation received from Party Leader Reina Pors. Accept?]

  [Invitation rejected.]

  [Party invitation received from Party Leader Reina Pors. Accept?]

  [Invitation rejected.]

  “Are you turning down my invitations?” Reina glared at him.

  “Huh? What invitations?” Cid smiled awkwardly.

  “Hmm…”

  More requests flew his way, the buzzing crackle of him declining them grated his ears, but he kept his smile through the pain. Each of her messages sent harmonious chimes while his refusals blared annoyingly.

  Reina’s impatient foot smacked the ground in a loop while she sent more requests in a barrage, and her face sank deeper and deeper in frustration, until she eventually stopped and looked bewildered by some realization.

  “Oh… Is that why…? Are you a Legacy?”

  Cid’s smile remained but his eyes stretched wider than hers. The jig was up.

  “You are!? No wonder the invitation isn’t working… Now it makes sense.” She read his features too easily.

  “Wh-What do you mean by that?” Cid couldn’t remove his nervous smile that kept feeding on his worry and growing.

  “Legacies are like… Mmh… It’s better if she tells you. She’s more informative than me. Forget it for now. Listen, we’re a party as of this moment, okay? Even if we don’t have the same team-link and benefits a party usually gets, we’re definitely a team.”

  “Alright… As long as you don’t forget that I get loot priority.” Cid was curious about what she had to say about him being a Legacy, but didn’t want to press her for more information. It risked exposing him for the stunted Crafter that he was.

  “Then let’s go find my friends. Quest start!” Reina raised her fist up enthusiastically and moved towards the dirt path.

  Cid followed behind her, now three thousand coins richer without anything physically tethering him to his obligation to her.