Chapter 82 — How many more?


    <strong><span ss="txtchunk">[Wayne]</strong>


    <span ss="txtchunk">A young man sat near a crackling campfire somewhere deep in the pine woods, his handsome, youthful face illuminated by the flickering mes. The orange glow set off his chiseled jawline and dark brown hair as he stared intently at a map spread out before him.


    <span ss="txtchunk">Wayne was tall and well-built, with broad shoulders and muscr arms that resulted from years of hard work on his family''s farm. Born into humble means, working thend alongside his parents and siblings was all he had known, but a restless spirit had driven him to join the adventurer''s guild despite his family''s objections. A twinge of guilt panged in his chest at the memory of their tearful farewells, but the siren song of adventure had proven too strong to resist.


    <span ss="txtchunk">Unfortunately, Wayne had been born without a trace of magical affinity. Nature refused to bless him with even the weakest of talents. But that was quitemon, he knew. If one child per generation in the vige gains even the dullest, most pathetic sliver of affinity, it was considered an immense luck. It almost surely secured them afortable life for the rest of their days. Whether it was military, church, or guild, all wanted them, and the stronger one, the better the payment. And if one with strong affinity also gets a blessing stone... well, they can be a force to be reckoned with.


    <span ss="txtchunk">The blessing stones were the next best option for someone like Wayne, who had no affinity whatsoever. It is a special, extremely rare gem that monsters sometimes have in their bodies. Though it is such a rare urrence, you can spend decades fighting the nastiest creatures this world has to offer without finding one.


    <span ss="txtchunk">Those who managed to acquire one could absorb it into their body, granting themselves a part of the creature''s abilities depending on which monster it hade from. Some monsters were more valuable than others, like a dragon or any other ancient beast, though good luck to even see one, not to mention kill it. But even the weakest one, such as a goblin, was worth more than the average human would make in a lifetime. So many, if not most,moners who found them often sold them for that money instead of absorbing them, securing themselves and their families financially for the rest of their lives—a good way to retire early.


    <span ss="txtchunk">There are also things such as purities of stones,patibility with affinities, and who knows what else. But Wayne cared little for that since he didn''t n to use it. Even the lowest of them would make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. The young adventurer was determined to prove his father''s words that hard work and grit could take a man just as far as magic.


    <span ss="txtchunk">Besides, his dream of seeing the world beyond his small vige had finallye true, though the reality was proving to be far harsher than he had imagined. Wearing his father''s leather armor and a short sword at his side, he looked more like a farmer ying dress-up than anything formidable. Wayne ran a hand through his brown hair, sighing deeply as he examined the map. His deep green eyes looked up from the map to meet the gazes of his travelingpanions, a confused look on his face.


    <span ss="txtchunk">— "Let me see if I got it right," Wayne said, pointing to the map. "We''re heading to the middle of nowhere to plug a fucking hole in the ground?" he asked, looking at the leader of their small group, a tall, muscr man with shoulder-length ck hair and brown eyes named Valther. A man was d in heavy iron armor that tended to clink annoyingly from the slightest movements, with a few cracks and dents here and there. Underneath, he wore a thick, padded gambeson, which looked worn but sturdy. Arge, two-handed sword leaned against the tree behind him.


    <span ss="txtchunk">"Yep, pretty much," Valther nodded in confirmation, leaning back against a log near the fire. "It''s called a breach, and we''ve been tasked with closing it and clearing whatever has crawled out of it. Heard about what happenedst year in Lisse?" he asked, his voice deep and gruff.


    <span ss="txtchunk">— "Uhh... yeah..." Wayne replied grimly, memories of the gruesome tales he heard in taverns shing through his mind. "Heard about that. A bunch of monsters came out from somewhere near that vige and attacked it. Was a mess, from what I''ve been told."


    <span ss="txtchunk">"Indeed," Linnea, a woman with long auburn hair tied back in a loose ponytail and deep blue eyes, added. She had a calm, intelligent demeanor about her. "This whole area is filled with underground caverns with who knows what inside. But this one ranked as lesser and is quite small, fortunately. It''s more like a hole than a breach, so I doubt we''ll meet anything dangerous out there," she added, adjusting her clothing. She wore no armor, only simple but well-made clothes that seemedfortable for long travels — warm woolen pants, a long-sleeved linen shirt, and a brown cloak wrapped around her shoulders. "It will be my fourth such quest already. Though, never anything as remote as this one."


    <span ss="txtchunk">— "It will be my first one," Wayne admitted with a shrug. His deep green eyes glinted in the firelight as he looked at Linnea curiously. "Have you ever even been inside?" he asked.


    <span ss="txtchunk">"Gods, no," Linneaughed, waving her hand dismissively. The firelight flickered against her fair skin, casting dancing shadows across her delicate features. "That ce is a deathtrap. Only fools or desperate for money who think you could find something valuable go inside those holes."


    <span ss="txtchunk">"Yeah. Not many are stupid enough to enter it. Even less made it out alive," H, a petite woman with shoulder-length blonde hair and bright blue eyes, added, shaking her head. Her voice was soft yet firm as she spoke. She was wearing a simr leather armor to Wayne''s, though much better quality. Two daggers were strapped at her sides, and a bow rested against the nearby tree trunk. "Those who do... be... different," she added with a spooky tone, wiggling her fingers at Wayne before bursting intoughter.


    <span ss="txtchunk">"Don''t scare him, H," Valther chuckled, his deep voice warm and reassuring despite the eerie atmosphere of the dark woods surrounding their camp. "It''s just a hole I must close with my Earth magic. Nothing fancy, nothing dangerous. The hardest part of this quest is how damn far from the city it is. Though, the payment is quite good."


    <span ss="txtchunk">"Easy for you to say, Mr. Stone mage," H teased, rolling her eyes at him. "My reward barely covers the expenses for this quest. I''m hoping to find something valuable along the way to earn a living."


    <span ss="txtchunk">"Ah, yes..." Valther mumbled back, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. He keeps forgetting how hard it is to earn a coin for them. "Well, if you find nothing like that, I''ll share some of my payment for you two, then... How about you, Linnea? I''m sure someone from church-" he began, only to be cut off by said girl.


    <span ss="txtchunk">"No way," Linnea pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. The shape of her pointy nipples became visible beneath her tunic as she did so; the clothing she wore underneath did little to hide her figure. "I already have to pay a cut to the church and the orphanage I grew up in. There''s no way I''m giving even more."


    <span ss="txtchunk">"Umm... alright, just me, then," Valther shrugged, though the corner of his lips turned upwards slightly. He always liked to see Linnea''s cute pouting. However, Wayne enjoyed the sight of her chest and shapely hips more than anything else. Trying to change the topic from money to something else, Valther cleared his throat and spoke, looking at Wayne, "Anyway, it''s going to be pretty easy. We''ll get there and close that hole, all while fighting some slightly overgrown critters and bugs that came out of there. Not a big deal at all. Besides, it''s not the hole you need to worry about but that forest," he pointed a finger at the map on the ground next to Wayne.


    <span ss="txtchunk">The breach was close to the ancient forest, which was stupid just to consider venturing into. Even with earth mage and light mage in a group, Linnea, it would be suicide. Usually, the guild gathers a little army of adventurers, at least 40, to deal with such tasks. "I heard some crazy stories about that ce," Wayne murmured, shivering at the thought.


    <span ss="txtchunk">"If only half of them is true... yeah, better stay away from there," Valther nodded back, poking at the fire with a stick. "We were paid nowhere near enough to go there."


    <span ss="txtchunk">"Good thing it''s not our job," Linnea hummed back, leaning against a tree behind her; her chest jiggled slightly from the movement. "It''s full of dryads, trolls, nasty beasts of all kinds... even giants. However, those are further north, not here. But still, not a pleasant ce to be in, let''s say that."


    <span ss="txtchunk">— "What is the most dangerous monster you have ever encountered?" Wayne asked curiously, looking at Linnea and Valther. His green eyes shined brightly in the dim light, and the dancing mes reflected off his youthful face. The night grew darker around them as the conversation continued.


    <span ss="txtchunk">Linnea hummed, tilting her head slightly to the side as she pondered his question. Her lips pursed thoughtfully. "I had the displeasure of meeting a troll once," she replied after a brief pause. "It wasn''t that big, but gods, he regenerated so fast. Luckily, we had a fire mage, which made things much easier."


    <span ss="txtchunk">— "Damn... trolls. I''m d we have no such things near my vige. Though we had our fair share of bandits," Wayne chuckled, looking at Valther. "What about you, big man?"


    <span ss="txtchunk">"Orcs," Valther said simply, his expression darkening as if reliving an unpleasant memory. "You never want to see one, trust me. I''d rather fight a bear than ever encounter another one."


    <span ss="txtchunk">Wayne raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Where have you seen them?" he asked curiously. In the north, it wasn''t often you''d see them.


    <span ss="txtchunk">"Southern mountains, near the dwarven strongholds. It was a mess," Valther shook his head, sighing heavily as he looked into the mes. Trying to change the topic, he turned to H, a quiet ranger who had been silent for a while now. "What about you?"


    <span ss="txtchunk">H looked up from staring into the flickering mes; her pale features, for a moment, seemed even paler in the dim light. "Well, if anythinges to my mind, it is... spiders," she admitted after some silence. "The kind that the guild often issues for neers to see whether or not it will scare them off. I know they are considered weak creatures, but gods... those things give me the chills every time—big, ugly spiders with hairy legs and beady little eyes. Ugh!" she shivered at the thought. "It was my first quest to help one farmer who asked me to check why his chickens were disappearing. It was bigger than my head. Had nightmares for weeks after that. Good thing they are not poisonous."


    <span ss="txtchunk">Valther chuckled at her response. "Spiders, eh? I see. Well, they can get nasty, too, especially paralyzing ones. Often makes me envy fire mages for burning them all so easily," he said with a half-smile before looking into the mes again.


    <span ss="txtchunk">— "Nah, your magic is awesome, man," Wayne replied, unbuckling his short sword from his hip and cing it nearby. "The way you move the earth with just a flick of your hand... damn."


    <span ss="txtchunk">"Thanks," Valther whispered back, scratching the stubble growing on his chin as his scratched iron armor glinted in the light of the flickering campfire. "Though, it is not as easy as it looks. It took me years to do at least something dangerous-looking, and I still have lots to learn. And my speed a bit sucks."


    <span ss="txtchunk">Wayne, noticing how quiet Linnea was, turned his attention to her. She seemed deep in thought, staring intently at the fire crackling before them. Her long auburn hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing her beautiful features. "Linnea''s light affinity is also pretty cool," Wayne added shyly, smiling at the woman. "Healing wounds sounds like a miracle."


    <span ss="txtchunk">Linnea looked up from the mes and met his gaze, a soft smile ying across her full lips. "Thank you, Wayne," she said quietly. "But it is not as awesome as you may think. It''s not nearly as fast or shy as many tend to think about light affinity. It takes time to heal even the simplest injury and a lot of knowledge about the human body not to make things worse. You better not rely too much on it in battle because it''s far from a miracle. Best case, I''ll stop the bleeding, so you don''t die immediately," she chuckled, shrugging her delicate shoulders.


    <span ss="txtchunk">— "Still, it''s a lot," Wayne replied, a shy smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Ever since they started traveling together, he wanted to ask her something... something childish and silly, yet it was a thing he wanted to see ever since he was a kid. "C-can..." he stammered, his voice barely audible over the campfire crackling. He swallowed nervously before continuing, "Can you make a light orb? Or maybe a glowing animal figure..."


    <span ss="txtchunk">Valther and He chuckled at Wayne''s question while Linnea simply raised an eyebrow in surprise. Wayne''s cheeks burned with embarrassment as he felt all eyes on him. "What? I know it''s a trick to impress kids, but it''s cool! Everyone in my vige dreamed of seeing it."


    <span ss="txtchunk">"Alright... sure, I can do that," Linneaughed gently, her blue eyes twinkling at him. She held out her palm and began whispering under her breath, concentrating on each ancient word of the spell. Wayne tried to listen to what she was saying, but to his ears, it all sounded like a bunch of nonsense words. Soon, a sphere of light materialized above her soft palm, slowly growing brighter and bigger until it was about the size of a grape and shone brighter than the fire nearby. "I don''t know how to do animals or anything fancy. It''s just a spell to light the way in dark areas or make enemies temporarily blind if I put more mana..." Linnea sighed, looking at it before moving her palm toward Wayne. The soft light cast a gentle glow on his handsome face, highlighting his expression of awe and delight. "Well, how does it look? Happy?"


    <span ss="txtchunk">Wayne couldn''t contain his excitement, grinning broadly as he watched the orb float before his green eyes. The light gave no warmth whatsoever, and yet his heart felt like a cozy firece in his chest. He reached out tentatively toward the floating ball of pure energy before hesitating. "Can I touch it?" he asked cautiously.


    <span ss="txtchunk">"Sure," Linnea nodded, her smile widening at Wayne''s childlike wonder. "It will disappear. But go on, try it anyway."


    <span ss="txtchunk">Without hesitation, Wayne carefully reached out and tried to touch the orb. As soon as his finger made contact with its luminous surface, the sphere flickered and dissipated into thin air with a faint whispering sound as if it was never there. He didn''t even feel a tingle when touching it. "It was... beautiful. Thank you," he breathed out softly, looking at her. "Is it true that the light affinity is the rarest?"


    <span ss="txtchunk">Linnea simply smiled in return before answering Wayne''s question. "If not include mutated affinities, like ice or magma, then yeah. They way rarer than mine," she exined, her fingers ying idly with her long hair as she spoke. "The light is the mostmon among orphans, for whatever reason. Though I would dly give away my affinity to get my parents back."


    <span ss="txtchunk">— "Sorry..." Wayne muttered, his gaze dropping as he nervously fiddled with a twig.


    <span ss="txtchunk">"It''s alright," Linnea shrugged dismissively, gettingfortable against the tree behind her. "Anyone knows how to sing? I would love to listen to something before bed,<span ss="txtchunk">" she asked, trying to change the topic.


    <span ss="txtchunk">Valther and H looked at each other, shaking their heads at the question. The campfire crackled and danced between them as silence fell over the group again, broken only by crickets chirping.


    <span ss="txtchunk">Wayne cleared his throat and hummed softly, to everyone’s surprise. Sitting together under the vast, starry sky, they all exchanged curious nces, not saying a word as the farmer boy sang gently.


    <span ss="txtchunk">Clearing his throat, Wayne shyly began humming softly, surprising hispanions. Sitting together beneath the vast, starry sky, they all looked at him curiously, not uttering a single word as the farmer boy sang gently, surprising them with how good his voice was. It was not at all what you would expect from someone like him. It soon became clear that the song he picked was a truly poor choice for singing in the woods.


    <strong><em>When the sun begins to set,</em></strong>


    <strong><em>And the day is almost done...</em></strong>


    <strong><em>In the woods, you best forget,</em></strong>


    <em><strong>To walk alone when night''s begun.</strong></em>


    <strong><em>Looks as pale as the moon,</em></strong>


    <strong><em>Eyes blue like summer sky...</em></strong>


    <strong><em>Her children two, just like her soon,</em></strong>


    <strong><em>Their hungry, golden stare </em></strong><strong><em>will make you cry!</em></strong>


    <strong><em>How many more?</em></strong>


    <strong><em>To understand must wander in?</em></strong>


    <strong><em>How many more?</em></strong>


    <strong><em>Must disappear?</em></strong>


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