He couldn’t believe it.

  Jurot, dead.

  Again.

  Adam hadn’t even mao go on a quest with the Iyrma. ‘How did he mao die even quicker than st time?’ His body grew freezing cold.

  “What are you doing?” Paul asked, his voice cutting through Adam’s thoughts. The older man grabbed onto Adam’s wrists, pulling them away from Jurot. “If you keep that up, you’ll snap his neck.”

  “You!” Adam gred up into Paul’s eyes, seeing how they stared down at him curiously.

  “He’s just unscious,” Paul said, raising his brow. “Though if you keep doing whatever you’re doing, then he might really die.” He noticed the gre in Adam’s eyes, and wondered why the half elf had been so angry.

  Adam stared up at Paul in shock, suddenly taken aback by the revetion. ‘What?’

  stitution SaveD20 + 4 = 16 (12)

  Adam took off his helmet, stumbling towards the side of the Adventurer’s Guild. He dry heaved in the er, feeling his chest tighten. Relief set into his body, his cold body slowly growing warm again.

  [Did you really think Jurot had died again? You really are built differently.]

  ‘It’s built different.’ Regardless of what Bell was saying, Adam was still surprised that he had thought that Jurot had died right away. ‘Did I fail my roll?’ Right, he didn’t have any ability to distinguish that kind of thi. ‘Is there an Appraisal feature?’

  Paul watched curiously, w what had gotten into Adam. ‘Did he really think it was that easy to kill an Iyrman?’ Paul paused to think for a moment. ‘Well, I am pretty strong.’

  The Vice Master k down aly shook Jurot awake. “I should have probably aimed somewhere else…”

  Jurot awoke, seeing Paul’s bruised face. Paul smiled down at him, having grabbed Jurot’s axe as it was about to cut into his breastpte. “Did we pass?” Jurot asked, vaguely recalling what happened.

  “With flying colours,” Paul said.

  Third Test plete+50XP

  “What happeo your face?”

  “The half elf got me good after you went down,” Paul said, helping Jurot up. “Though your team work could have beeer, you didn’t fight too poorly.” Paul wondered what ic Adam knew, but since he wasn’t willing to reveal it, he couldn’t ask. ‘If you weren’t holding back, I wonder what kind of surprise you would have shown me.’

  “How did Adam get you?” Jurot asked, seeing Paul’s face. That didn’t look like a blow with a sword’s pommel. He recalled how Adam ung Paul after he had lost his sword. ‘Losing your on during a fight, how atrocious. Wait…’ “He punched your face?”

  Paul nodded.

  Jurot stared up at Paul, w if he was joking. Seeing that Paul wasn’t telling him the pune, he assumed that the punch was real. He looked over to Adam, who was leaning up against the Adventurer’s Guild building. “What did you do to him?”

  “Nothing,” Paul replied back. “Give him a sed.” Whatever it was that was b Adam, he o deal with it. “We’ll do the raest once you’re well.”

  Adam looked back to Paul and nodded. “I think I’m alright.” Adam grabbed his sword, sheathing it. He caught Jurot’s gaze, and owards the Iyrman. “Good fight.” Adam reached out a hand.

  Jurot shook it, nodding his head back to Adam. “You as well, Adam son of Fate.”

  Paul let them around back, though a thought crossed Adam’s mind. “How e we’re doing the raest now? It would have made more sense if we did it before the rock lifting.”

  “That’s not how adventures go. You o be able to hahe uability of life when it es at you.” Paul then leaned in. “I think that’s a bunch of bullshit. The inal Guild Masters of old made the test long ago and they probably didn’t think too hard about the order.”

  Adam nodded his head. “Retroactive reasoning.”

  Paul nodded as they went to the ranged field. There was someone who had appeared in the short while they had gone, currently throwing daggers at the targets. As they noticed Paul and the newbies, they took the daggers out of the targets and slunk away into the shadows. Everyone could still see them, but it was the iion which was important.

  “…”

  “Alright, let’s see how you do whearget isn’t immediately before you.” Paul pletely ighe figure watg them, not even expining them to Jurot and Adam.

  Jurot grabbed his Javelins, but looked to Adam. “Do you want to go first?”

  “I’ll take you up on that offer,” Adam said. Jurot had been unscious not long ago, so it wouldn’t have been fair. “I’m good to use Fme Bolt?” Adam asked.

  “Go ahead, we’ve made the targets fire resistant.”

  “That was quick,” Adam joked. “How e?”

  “So many people have Fme Bolt, that it was being an issue. Red oak might be slightly resistant to fire, but it has its limits.”

  “Has the guild ever burned down?”

  “Long, long ago.”

  Adam stretched his arms ahead of him. “Alright.” He held out his hand, and tried to figure out a cool way to call out his Fme Bolt. He thought about how he had punched Paul in the face, and his Martial Arts feature. He held out his hand, f a fist with the wizard’s die within it. “Fire Fist.” Fire flowed all around his fist, ready to take flight.

  AttackD20 + 4 = 16 (12)Hit!D6 = 6 (6)6 fire damage!

  The fire shot out of his hand, flying towards the target in front of him. It remained in the shape of a fist, until it struck the target towards the tre.

  “Ho! Pretty good.” Paul wrote something down on the paper. “Let’s see if you hit all three?”

  “The half elf knows magic!”

  “Of course he knows magic, he’s an elf.”

  “Only half.”

  Adam tried to ighe audience. “Fire Fist!”

  AttackD20 + 4 = 24 (20)Critical hit!2D6 = 7 (1,6)7 fire damage!

  ‘Critical hit? Where were you when I needed you st time?’

  The fire fist had struck right in the tre of the target, almost causing it to alight, but the shadowy figure had mao get to the target in time and kick the fmes away.

  “Whoa! Now that was a hit!” The adventurers cpped.

  “Fire Fist!”

  AttackD20 + 4 = 24 (20)Critical hit!2D6 = 6 (1,5)6 fire damage!

  ‘Two in a row? Are you taking the piss!’

  Once again it hit right in the tre, and the shadowy form went to kick the fire which was slowly growing.

  ‘How did I do so well with my magic?’

  Jurot, who hadn’t been too impressed with Adam thus far, stared at the targets. ‘He’s okay as a warrior, and he’s a great mage?’ He put Adam up a few points within his mind. ‘He’s at the least as good as me.’

  "He’s not too shabby. No wonder he couldn’t lift those rocks, he’s a mage!"

  "Do you see the sword at his side?"

  "And the armour he’s wearing?"

  “Jurot, go ahead.” Paul cut through the adventurer’s shenanigans.

  Jurot tossed three javelins towards the targets. The first hit the target almost dead tre, whereas the other two flew right above and hit the grass oher side. He had throwoo heavily, or at least, that was his excuse.

  “…” The adventurers remained eerily quiet, looking all around awkwardly.

  Paul wrote something down. “I ’t bme you sidering you were unscious not long ago.”

  Adam wondered if he should have healed Jurot, but sidering that he didn’t want to offend the Iyrman, he decided against it. “So, we passed?”

  "You’ve both passed the initial tests, so gratutions. We’ll get ys sorted and you’ll both be sidered to be fully fledged adventurers. I’ll prepare your other tests soon, if you don’t mind.” He looked to Jurot first, who nodded, and then to Adam.

  “Sure,” Adam said, nodding too. He wondered what other test Jurot o do.

  Fourth Test Passed+30XP

  "Yic is quite powerful." Jurot said, havirieved his javelins. They were at his side once again, though covered them with his coat so they were out of sight.

  “Thank you,” Adam replied back with a smile. “I o work on my physical strength though.” He frowned. He still couldn’t believe he failed lifting first few rocks, even though they were meant to be easy.

  “Not all of us were born in the Ire,” Jurot said, smirking at Adam. He flexed his muscles, making his pectorals dance.

  ‘Was he always so smug? Just you wait! I’ll definitely show you that I’m strong!’ “Since we’ve got time, why don’t we che those rocks again?” Adam led him back to the rocks. ‘Did you think you wouldn’t see me again, you rocky bastards? I’m not satisfied with our st enter, so prepare yourself!’

  Adam flexed his muscles and readied himself to lift. He spped his chest to Guidance himself too. “Let’s go!”

  SpellGuidanceD3 = 1 (1)

  Athletics CheckD20 + 5 + 1 = 7 (1)

  He ed his arms around the fourth rock to try and lift it. “Haaaa!” He tried to lift it up, but couldn’t even budge it. ‘Noooo!’

  He stepped away from the rock, panting out.

  “Need a rest?” Jurot asked, readying to pick the rock up.

  “H-hold on! I got this!” Adam prepared himself again, casting his Guidance more.

  SpellGuidanceD3 = 1 (1)

  Athletics CheckD20 + 5 + 1 = 7 (1)

  He tio try and lift the rock, but no matter what he did, it wouldn’t budge. Eventually, he just dropped on top of it, ying down on his front. A siear fell down his helmet.

  ‘How embarrassing.’ Even Jurot could feel the aura of depression emanating from Adam. He decided to be quiet, and leave the saga of the ro this note. If he lifted up the roow, it would just be bullying.

  Even the adventurers, who had bet a few copper pieces between another, silently sed their . They could see Adam needed some time to himself.

  [You spend experieo reroll your checks.]

  ‘I ? How much does it cost for a reroll?’

  [It’s your Level x 1ht now it’s 100XP.]

  ‘Damn, that’s really expensive! I don’t see some of my rolls though, so how I be sure that it’s right?’

  [You will have to trust yut. Certain rolls will prompt a reroll if you afford it and it puts you in danger.]

  “Leave the rock alone and e along,” Paul said. He had returned moments ago to see Adam cuddling the rock. ‘Is that an elven thing? Is he a wood elf? A rock elf? A sea elf?’ Paul didn’t know too much about elves, sihey were so rare.

  Adam followed Paul around back, separating from Jurot. He led Adam into a small room, waiting for the half elf to enter before shutting the door behind him.

  Perception CheckD20 + 2 = 19 (17)

  The room was made of red oak pnks, though Adam could spy something through the gaps in the pnks. It was somethiallic, though he couldn’t quite make it out properly. ‘Must be somethiive. I’m not sure they’d appreciate it if I asked them what it was.’

  Paul pced down a small ring into the table. It was made of red oak, and there didn’t seem to be anything special about it. “I’d like you to identify this,” Paul said, taking a seat opposite Adam.

  “I would love to, but I don’t have a pearl,” Adam admitted.

  Paul pced down the pearl, having waited to see whether or not Adam had his own pearl. He was slowly f his opinions about the half elf. His armour was new and shiny, and he didn’t seem used to fighting with his sword. He was much better at pung, and his magic retty strong. Of course, he could just be having a bad day.

  ‘And he didn’t have a pearl to cast the spell. This must be his first journey out of his own vilge or town? He’s definitely not a her, more than likely he’s a oner, but what kind of ets new mail and a longsword?’

  Adam took the pearl and tossed it up, feeling its weight. He didn’t really know why he did it, but it seemed like the right thing to do.

  “What are you doing?” Paul asked, having never seen anyone check a pearl the way Adam did.

  “Nothing.” Adam cleared his throat. He removed his helmet and picked up the red in order to appraise it. “Hmm.” He could definitely feel a slightly magical aura ing from it, aried to see if there were any engravings on it to see if he could identify it through that.

  Are LoreD20 + 4 = 5 (1)

  It was pletely bnk, with nothing which gave up what it was. Yet, for some reason, Adam felt a protective force from it. It was just a feeling. ‘Probably a Ring of Prote?’ He thought about how cool it would be if he mao identify it without much effort, but before he opened his mouth to speak, he recalled how he had misdiagnosed Jurot earlier. ‘I ’t just trust my gut, I o verify it.’

  He pced the ring down oable and inhaled deeply. He grabbed the pearl in one hand tightly, and the ring in his other hand. He could feel it, the warm sensation of magining through his veins. His magied near his heart, and the are power ran though his veins, cirg around towards his heart again. He could feel the slightly electric feeling through his fiips.

  Adam slowly fell into a zen like state, where it was just the feeling of the power running through his veins keeping him pany. Paul remained silent enough to allow Adam the best state of mind, giving him no excuse to fail identifying the objebsp;

  ‘He’s definitely got some magic,’ Paul said. ‘He didn’t try casting anything oher, otherwise my amulet would have triggered.’ He could feel the amulet glued between his breastpte and his chest, which was still cool. If it had gone off, it would have bee warm, and whatever spell which had tried to affect him would have dissipated.

  Spell (Ritual)IdentifyRed Oak Ste RingThis ring has a dimensional space of 1 cubic metre. It hold up to 30 kilograms of items. If the ring is overloaded, it is destroyed, and the tents are spilled forth, unharmed. It ot store living creatures.

  “You know,” Adam began, trying to figure out how to reveal how much he knew about it, “you have to admire certain iors and schors. They i something, a ring which you store things, and instead of calling it something like an interspatial or interdeminsional ring, they keep things simple. It’s a ring made of red oak which store things, a Red Oak Ste Ring. It hold up 30 kilograms worth of items as long as it fit into 1 cubic metre.”

  Paul nodded his head. “I have firmed that you cast Identify.” Paul wrote something down on a piece of paper, and the away. ‘It’s very rare we have someone who identify. I wonder if he’d be ied in a deal.’

  Insight CheckD20 + 1 = 8 (7)

  Adam wasn’t sure aul was thinking deeply about, but he recalled what he had done in his previous life. “Now that you’ve firmed it, we talk?” Adam asked.

  “Talk? About what?” Paul stared down at the half elf.

  “Let’s make a deal.” Adam smiled.

  “With your Identify spell?” Paul wondered if his thoughts had been read, but his amulet was still cool.

  “That’s right. I’ll be here to Identify any objects which require it now and again, and you’ll pay me for it.” Adam tio smile politely.

  “What’s your price?” Paul asked, taking the ring and tapping it onto the table. ‘Ho? It seemed like he had this in mind already?’

  “What’s the going rate for Identify these days in this town?” Adam asked.

  “The guild has a rge need for it, and the time for the wizards is quite precious. They usually charge fifty gold s.”

  “Fifty gold s?” Adam raised his brows in surprise. “ell, that does sound abht. A Healing Potion goes fhly fifty gold, doesn’t it? And it’s about as good as a Cure Wounds.” Adam nodded his head, thinking about how the price matched.

  “How much are you willing to charge?” Paul asked. Even if it was fifty gold s for each item, the fact that they could save some time by going to one of their own, which they could tax too, referable.

  “Let’s call it thirty gold s for each identify, but I get my own room and as much as I want.” Adam smiled. “You will also o provide me with a pearl, and after ten items Identified, I get to keep the pearl too.”

  “Isn’t that closer told s for each casting then?”

  “I only want to own the pearl after the first time. If I lose the pearl, you will provide me with another pearl, but I won’t take it away unless you give it to me.” Adam tio smile.

  “So it’s fold s for the first ten items, and then thirty gold s for the items after…” Paul tio tap the ring oable. “We have to provide you with your own room permaly, and as many meals as you like.” Food wasn’t expe all, and they had more than enough rooms. ‘He wants safety and stability as an adventurer? Elves are so weird.’

  “Permaly?” Adam thought about it. “If one of us wants to break the tract, we’ll o pay the other party fifty gold s. I’ll be able to Identify when I’m not busy, unless it’s an emergend you need something verified that instant.”

  “Sounds quite unreliable,” Paul said.

  “It’s in case I am busy with other matters. If you feel like I’m getting too many bes and not w hard enough, then you’re free to pay the fifty gold s and break the tract. If I feel like I’m being sed with too many requests, I’ll o save up the and I’ll pay the fifty gold.”

  Paul nodded his head. Even if he only identified a handful of items every year, it was always good to have another option avaible to them. “I’ll have Emma write up the tract.”

  “Good, I’ll sign it once I’ve read over it.” Adam smiled wider. A roof over his head, food in his stomach, that was all he really needed. However, he wasn’t going to be a ze about who only appraised various magical items, he had so much he wao do.

  “Let’s introduce you to Master Thundersmith then,” Paul said as he stood up. “Ah, actually…”

  “What?” Adam asked.

  “I’m not sure that you’ll get along.” Paul frowned slightly.

  “Why not?” Adam raised his brow curiously.

  “He’s a dwarf,” Paul said, as though that expined everything.

  “…” Adam waited for Paul to eborate. “So?”

  Paul stared at Adam. ‘Is he an idiot?’

  Wait.

  Paul wouldn't kill Jurot.

  Would he?

  The bromance lives!

  SpoilerFor now.

  [colpse]Also, I swear I was meant to have this out yesterday, but I was just too tired. I didn't mean to leave you on a cliff hanger for so long.