Chương 7: Zedart and Gamielle

We of the Healers Union declare an unconditional surrender. We will no longer enter The Realm nor heal active Trialists. This is a plea to the Witch Tyrant. Please stop hexing us.

"Please, I haven't been able to leave the toilet for ten days. I'M ON EARTH, SHE HAS TO BE HEXING US FROM EARTH! SOMEONE, PLEASE FIND HER! I don't want to die like this." - Ontriarch, the head [Healer] for the Healers Union.

"Look, my skills aren't working, I've been hexed, I'm sorry fellow comrades. Look, my hands are shaking." - Volexei, a realm 8 [Healer]. *It has been reported that the Witch Tyrant has received an area of effect anti-healing skill for her troubles against the Healers Union. There have been accusations that this has been the entire point all along. Of course, none of these accusations were made in public or online. Ryan's mind was awhirl, not for the first time today.

His head moving on autopilot as he looked around the Adventurer's Guild, newbie adventurers were staring at him in silence and shock, he was staring at them like an idiot. It was truly surreal. He tried to find any semblance of calm as the entire room watched him. Like hawks eying their prey. He knew all of this was being recorded as well, it was normal to have your entrance posted on realmnet and made fun of, a bit of a hazing for the newbie. Unlike most entrances, though, everyone was in awe.

He walked through them with his head held high, enjoying the spectators. That was until more than a few loud adventurers started arguing whether he was a fake. It took every bit of willpower he had, not to turn around and start arguing with them. He didn't even realize the receptionist was in front of him.

"W-welcome, would you like to register?"

"I'd like to register. The adventurer's standard. Please." Goddamnit. The receptionist hadn't followed the traditional script. Ryan had, and now he sounded like an idiot. The receptionist was supposed to say: 'Welcome to the Adventurer's guild, how may I help you?' That was the tradition! Actually, he should have asked for an anonymous Destined signup. Ryan shifted, about to change his mind when a loud and obnoxious voice blasted through the entire room.

"Hooooooold it!" Both he and the receptionist turned around. A girl in tight-fitting robes started running at them, a human… with very pronounced features that few in the room hid their stares from. He turned to give her space as the new girl slammed her hand on the poor desk, glaring at the receptionist, who was now glaring back at the [Mage]. The receptionist hissed.

"Gamielle, what are you doing?"

"This was an unscheduled arrival." Gamielle said. Then she pointed a finger at him.

"He's probably a Destined." Then she turned the finger at the receptionist.

"You're supposed to check that and explain to him the extra options given by Adventurer's Law." The receptionist's widening eyes and subsequent blush indicated that she had indeed forgotten that part of her job. That made him feel better. She was probably new at her job. Maybe also an airhead. Like a Clara, a friend he worked with at the Manaburger.

"That's fine." Ryan said.

"I'd like the anonymous sign up." It had been what he wanted. He tried to ignore the stares from all the other adventurers around him. More and more of them were discussing the possibility of him being a poser.

"You'll have to come up with your adventurer's name. It'll be probational until it fully goes through the system." The receptionist said, bringing his attention back to her. Ryan responded without thinking.

"What about Zahil?" That had always been his online name, and he'd grown attached to it. Wait, that was actually a dumb idea. If someone connected the dots… oh god he had comments from when he was twelve on the realmnet. Somehow, someone else came to his rescue. The girl who had run up earlier just clicked her tongue.

"Absolutely not! Wait, is that named after Zahiru? Then definitely not." Ryan turned to the girl who was both saving him and telling him his adventurer's name wasn't good. At first he was annoyed she was telling him what to do. Then he was surprised she recognized such an old name.

"You know who Zahiru is? And why shouldn't I pick Zahil as my name?"

"Well duh, Zahiru, the Settler Swordfront. Zahil is a [Swordmaster]'s name and you're a [Rogue]. Plus we already have someone with a [Swordmaster] name. Two would be too confusing." We? Before he could respond, the entire building came alive with jeers, everyone standing up to start yelling at her.

"Oi! Gammy, what do you mean 'we'? He ain't picked your team yet."

"He's going to die waiting for your team to finish picking members!" Gone were the questions of his legitimacy. Fake poser or not, everyone was pissed off at 'Gammy' stealing a march on them. Someone else pushed his way through the crowd. A dark blond elf in silvery chainmail and a longsword made his way towards them. The young elf grabbed Gamielle's arm to try to pull her back. Ryan felt like he recognized the elf from somewhere. The elven [Warrior] also started hissing at the girl.

"Gamielle, what are you doing?"

"I'm doing your job. Now shush!" Gamielle shot back, then she turned to him, "You'll want to join our team, mister Destined. Everyone else would never recognize a name like Zahiru. They're all riffraff." Then she waved at the rest of the room like an unpleasant smell. If the room had been mostly having fun before, it sure as hell wasn't now. A burst of angry adventurers stepped closer to shout at the [Mage]. She might as well have thrown a [Fireball] in the middle of the room.

Gamielle blew a raspberry at an elf who was being dragged back by his teammate.

"You wanna die, cunt?" The clearly drunk elf burst out of the hands that were trying to pull him back as he stomped towards her. Gamielle ducked behind her [Warrior] elf in silver. The elf in chainmail turned to face the hostile room and put a hand on the handle of his sword. For a brief moment the entire room paused. The pecking order clearly went from this [Warrior] to the rest of this room to the uppity [Mage]-- that was winking at Ryan, enjoying the chaos she'd caused.

"You think you can take on all of us?" Someone at the back yelled out. And the pecking order was broken. The entire room was pissed now. More people yelled as the people started crowding around the reception. Ryan felt excited, rolling his shoulders in anticipation. Was his entrance going to cause his first adventurer's brawl? Now that would be a classic. The worst of the words were being thrown at the girl hiding behind the [Warrior]. The girl who ignored it all and just gave him a wink.

Ears covered with her hands. SLAM! He jumped. Everyone in the room did. Everyone other than Gamielle and the receptionist who had just slammed her table.

"That's enough!" Everyone stared at the receptionist. Nobody was willing to overrule the elf with all the administrative powers of the Guild. She was also wielding a two-handed war hammer. A war hammer she had just used to slam down on a dent-ridden desk.

"All of you can make your case in private, IF you form a line. I will pick the order. Gamielle is first considering she was the only one who had the balls to approach." There were some murmurs at that, all of which ceased the moment the receptionist glared at them. Then Ryan remembered that the receptionists in The Realm were adventurers too. Important people that you didn't mess with. He decided to stop labeling this receptionist as a Clara.

"Under section Destined, D. 2 of Adventurer's law, in accordance with the Tyrants and the Manager. All recordings of the Destined for an anonymous sign up will be destroyed. This is your one and only warning. I have all your seats memorized. If a recording is found. Or this Destined's identity is leaked and you are found responsible, you will be blacklisted." Silence at that. Even Ryan gulped.

Anonymous sign ups were ordained by an agreement with the Manager, Ryan and a lot of the internet had thought it was bullshit. The Tyrants had used more than a few Destined as double agents in the war. A practice they maintained to keep the threat on the nations of Earth. The receptionist looked coolly at the silent room. Satisfied, she took out an object that seemed out of place in a medieval guildhall. A solid-state drive. A memory bank with wires attached. SLAM. The harddrive was turned to a pancake.

Then the receptionist gave him a pleasant smile. Oh. She had just destroyed the evidence of her earlier mistakes, while using Adventurer Law as justification, while threatening every adventurer in the room. Definitely not a Clara.

"Please, Destined, come this way. You will be left alone while we bring you food and drink. On the house. On behalf of the Adventurer's Guild and the grace of the Tyrants, Welcome to The Realm."

"Welcome, Adventurer!" If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. The room chorused, finishing the tradition. – Ryan was ushered away through a hallway behind the reception and into a private room. Away from those that were looking at him like he was prime steak. The room maintained a medieval atmosphere with simple oak wood. Even the electrical lights disguised themselves as small lit lanterns.

A tablet lay on the table, the only offending piece of modern technology. He immediately went for it and started browsing through the food menu. The list was endless. There was a dish from every part of the world, even burgers from Manaburger. He raised an eyebrow at that. Then the hunger hit him. Along with everything else. How long had it been since he had eaten? Twelve hours? How worried were his parents and friends? Why had the Manager picked him to deliver the quest? He was no great talent, no great genius.

It wasn't worth thinking about. For the first time in what felt like forever, he let go of the tension. He started ordering absentmindedly. Trying to keep his mind off the letter in his pocket. The Manager wanted him to get caught. That was one thing he was certain of. But not in a way where someone else made him get caught. It had to have been him doing it himself. Achievements maybe? Achievements for him? That was the only thing his tired mind could think of.

Getting the Tyrants' attention might not even be the worst thing. If the soldiers were indeed American. Then he was probably going to get identified on Earth. At that point, being a public figure would probably give him more protection. If a Tyrant took him under their wing, then he'd really be untouchable… He shook his head, trying to clear his head of stupid fantasies. These were problems for later. For now, he needed to find an energy control teacher so he could use the [Return to Earth] skill safely.

More bullshit caused by the Manager. A knock came from the door.

"Please come in." The door swung inwards to reveal… a robot waiter. His mind froze as another out-of-place bit of modern technology whirled its way in and stopped in front of his table. Right, the Adventurer's Guild never hires ordinary Realmers to work in their actual guildhalls. It was way too dangerous considering how rowdy adventurers could get. The robot started sliding trays of food onto the table. Utensils clattering from each tray. He immediately went for the familiar Manaburger cheeseburger special.

He devoured the burger in three bites, and some semblance of civility returned as he popped the lid of the cola and poured it into his mouth. Then he looked at the seven more trays on the table. Had he really ordered that much? That was when a second robot whirled in with the rest of his order. … The receptionist did say it was on the house. -- Zedart was being dragged by his [Mage] teammate, one who he wasn't quite sure if he should be happy with in this moment.

"Gamielle, we should wait until we're called."

"Look, I talked to Sab, okay? Besides she said we're first, and now's the time to strike. Trust me." They had walked past the receptionist, and Sabrina had to have seen them. The fact that she didn't say anything must have meant Gamielle got her approval. That made sense. Zedart looked at his only teammate.

"You're being more pushy than usual. You sure he's an actual S-grade?"

"Oh yeah, you haven't checked the news. There was a problem at New York's System portal. Three people managed to smuggle their way in during a conflict. I'd bet anything it was orchestrated."

"I don't see what that has to do with this."

"Well, there was a story about a Destined five years ago that also managed to get a first Trial S-grade. He apparently ended up in a Trial against hostile forces. Soldiers, spec ops." Zedart stopped as he looked at Gamielle.

"You're saying this guy beat three spec ops and then soloed a three scale?"

"I'm saying that by the time those three people respawn on Earth, others will have connected the dots and it'll be too late. He'll be a freaking celebrity." When you lost your safety life, it took twelve hours to respawn. For regular sponsored trialists like them, they'd get kicked out through the system portal on Earth. With all your powers stripped. Zedart quickened his pace. If what Gamielle had said was true, then he had to meet this person.

No, he had been eager from the moment he saw him step out of the Trial exit. He paused before the door.

"What if he's one of the soldiers? The others could have just taken a random exit choice."

"If that's true, then we'll find out if the three don't get kicked out of the portal. Either way…" Zedart nodded at Gamielle. They would strike first. He knocked on the door. – Ryan heard a knock on the door.

"Come ack-" He coughed mid swallow.

"Come in." He recognized Gamielle and her companion as they walked in. Gamielle hopped in, waving, while the [Warrior] marched in. The elven [Warrior] had an intense look that made Ryan feel like he owed him money. Self-conscious, he realized he had been slouched with his belly almost sticking out. He tried to sit up and gesture to the table.

"Please sit. I think I ordered too much, uh help yourselves." Gamielle plopped onto a free chair, her straight black hair cascading down perfectly, her tight fitting robes… He tried not to stare. The [Warrior], a picture of politeness, sat down after sliding the chair at a measured length. The [Mage] human looked to Zedart then introduced herself.

"I'm Gamielle, as you know, and this is -""Zedart Kelly," Ryan said.

"Dragonslayer parents, came third in the world in the under 18 two-handed blade tournament while 17 around two years ago." Zedart stiffened at the words. The [Warrior] cleared his throat.

"I promise I'm a lot better than I was back then." Ryan blinked. Somehow he'd already put his foot in his mouth.

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean that as an insult. Third place is amazing. You were up against bad odds." Apparently, being the third best in the entire world was an embarrassment for Zedart. Ryan tried to placate the young elf more, he was honestly half a fan of Zedart already.

"It wasn't fair at all, the guy that made you lose took a stupidly risky strike. I honestly think you would've won if it weren't for that." Ryan couldn't stop himself as he tried to make the elf feel better. Seriously, who was ashamed of coming third in the entire world? Ryan would have given his damned soul to come third in a swordmaster tournament. He was trying not to drag the conversation that way when Gamielle burst out clapping Zedart on the shoulder.

"See! I told you he's a blade nut." She put the back of her hand on her head, like a damsel in distress.

"Oh, woe is me to be with two men that only think about their -""Gamielle!" Zedart hissed. Ryan laughed, they were doing a great job with their bit. The stoic swordsman and the bubbly [Mage] were a classic. Though maybe a little overdone. He was in a good mood. Now these were real adventurers. He might as well hear them out before turning them down.

"So, you want me to join your team? Do you have a pitch?" Gamielle and Zedart looked at each other. The [Mage] waggled her eyebrows at Zedart, and the [Warrior] sighed.

"It's simple, we are by far the best team here. I can promise you that I am the best [Warrior] in this town and despite Gamielle being… Gamielle -""Hey!"

"She's better than any first realm [Mage] I've ever seen." Now that was a very high compliment from the son of two dragonslayers. The said [Mage] blushed, she looked down and fidgeted. Her tone suddenly changing to a southern drawl.

"Aw shucks, I'm just the daughter of a rich lady. Das all." Zedart didn't engage with the statement or the accent. The [Warrior] was still watching Ryan really intensely. He scratched the top of his hood in embarrassment and realized that Zedart couldn't see his face through the [Shadowed] enchantment. The clothes were so comfortable that it honestly hadn't registered that he was still wearing a cowl. The duo were good, maybe the team of his dreams. He shook his head in disappointment.

"Thanks for the offer, but I don't think I can join your team." Gamielle, who was helping herself to a chicken wing, paused mid bite. Surprised.

"Why not?" Ryan answered her question with another question.

"Are you planning on picking any more members?" The [Mage] blinked at him in confusion.

"No? We're going for the optimal achievement build, one of each class, keep the numbers low and blitz the next three Trials. We acclimatize, I go to the academy, you two learn energy control, then we take down the Fifth Trial and keep on blitzing, stopping only to free up skill slots along the way." He sighed. Now that was a great dream. A true fantasy.

"Yeah, I thought so. Sorry, I'm not going for the achievement rushing thing."

"What?" for once, both [Warrior] and [Mage] were in sync.

"Yeah, I'm not going for high tier achievements. The S-grade ranking was a fluke. I'm going for the safe strat to realm four. Then I'll try the Fifth Trial with a large team, and lots of emergency gear." It was still the truth. Even if he wasn't planning on ditching the disguise and appearing later with his actual face, he wouldn't fit in with these two. Not without the promise of a safety life. Even with a safety he would probably fall behind, despite being a [Rogue].

Gamielle cut in before Zedart could say anything.

"You can't fluke an S-grade ranking. At a certain point, you had to have accepted some level of risk." Or the Manager took the choice away. He didn't actually say. Ryan tried to decline them gently. They had looked so excited too.

"Or just get really unlucky and have the optimal decisions be evaluated as risky. Like I said, lucky." Gamielle just blinked rapidly in confusion. She was about to say something but this time Zedart cut her off. The [Warrior] was not taking the rejection well at all.

"That's it? Do you have no ambition to try to push your advantage? You achieved an S-grade Trial one, you had to have been offered Rare skills. Don't you know what snowballing is?" Ryan opened his mouth and closed it. He almost laughed but stopped it in time. The [Mage] looked to her companion with a look.

"Do you? Yeah, it's an old adventurer's term, but on the internet-" Zedart ignored her as he continued.

"People would kill to start with a S-grade ranking, Trial one S-grade achievers have been known to snowball so hard that-" He couldn't stop himself, Ryan laughed.

"Dude, please stop saying snowballing, I can't take the conversation seriously. Besides, dude nobody is going to kill anyone for an S-grade clear." Whether Ryan was right or wrong, it was probably the wrong thing to say. The elven [Warrior] clenched his jaw and looked like he wanted to strangle him.

"Zed-" Gamielle started. Zedart slammed his fist on the table.

"You're what's wrong with this generation! Why despite more adventurers than ever, there's fewer people reaching dragonslayer status. You don't want to do anything with the talent you have. You're just content with the path carved by the people ahead of us." Whether Zedart was wrong or right, that was definitely the wrong thing to say to him. Ryan sneered, then realized they couldn't see his face. He leaned forward. His hood loomed over the table as his tone went as cold as ice.

"That's fucking rich coming from someone who's had it all since birth. Child of dragonslayers? Talent?" A switch had been flipped and he was furious." Talent? I couldn't even make it to state qualifiers. Guess what? Talent can't match shit when you're just a regular human with regular parents." Zedart, blinked, then tried to backtrack, the [Warrior] realizing he wasn't quite correct either.

"And an S-grade shows you have talent, more than I do. Wasting it on what? Money?" Even Gamielle winced at that. Ryan didn't realize at this moment how much venom was coursing through his veins. Zedart had hit an open wound, and Ryan couldn't let it go." Money." he spat.

"Yeah, you wouldn't understand. Bet your parents fed you stamina potions so you could train longer. Healing potions when you pushed yourself too hard. I know they taught you everything they knew, and you didn't have to worry about something like money. Me? My parents lost their house because I kept fighting for that stupid system slot." Ryan trailed off, not finishing the sentence. He could tell from Zedart's expression that he'd struck true. It still didn't feel like much of a victory. Ryan pulled back and sighed.

"I think we're done here." He'd gone too far. Zedart pulled his chair back silently about to stand up. That was when the Gamielle threw some popcorn into her mouth. Crunching it as loudly as he'd ever heard popcorn being chewed. It broke the tension in the room. Had he even ordered popcorn? Gamielle tapped on the desk with her fingers, egging them on.

"You boys finished already? C'mon, I thought it was just getting good."

"Gamielle, not now." Zedart said.

"Nuh uh, it's Gamielle's turn to put the snowball back. You have to let the ladies finish too." The [Mage] rolled up the sleeves on her robes, eyeing both of them down with all the seriousness in the world. Ryan really wished he had taken [Volatile Antimagic Throw]. Blowing them all up sounded better than whatever was about to come next.