Chapter 8: Getting Started

“What’s the point of trying if you don’t get a kick outta it?”

—Umare Ikusade

Lysa waved her hands over Meisatsu, as they glowed with a faint green light, illuminating the parts of the body she hovered over.

“Umm...it looks l-like his magical power has been restored,” she whispered.

“Dang kid,” Umare said, placing a fist lightly on Meisatsu’s right shoulder, as he lay still on the bed.

“You really gave me one heck of a battle—though it cost ya!” he laughed, slapping his knee repeatedly.

He stepped in closer, crouched beside Meisatsu, then shuffled in a bit more...

“I even held back quite a bit,” he whispered, his breath blowing softly on Meisatsu’s ear, sending a small shiver down his spine.

“Urm...aren’t you a little too close?” Meisatsu blurted in a slightly high-pitched voice, dread creeping up across his face.

Dammit! I thought being a Hero would come with more perks. I mean, sure, I’ve been given another chance at life and all...but—where are all the chicks? his mind screamed in agony.

That priest girl—her name was Lysa, right? If only she were the one inches from my head, as she parts those lovely locks of blonde hair draped across her face... That would be bliss.

“Alright, that’s enough.” Ayame swiftly whisked Umare away from Meisatsu—with surprising ease for someone her size.

“Oi! Can't you see he needs rest, you big oaf!” Ayame barked at Umare.

“Oh, forgive me—princess.” He bowed mockingly. “Your wish is my command.”

“Although...” Umare paused.

“You’re a pretty lame excuse for royalty.” He snickered, “But I’ll do you a favor and help your puny kingdom.”

“After all, you’re just Level 24. It’s totally understandable,” he said nodding.

Umare and Ayame went on bickering, back and forth, hurling accusations and insults—some being so hurtful, they’d be better off not being known...

The exchange seemed to go on forever—

Slight tremors rocked the guild hall—Ayame’s monstrous magic power was leaking out, making the air feel heavy and cold—

“So, uhh...can I get up now?” Meisatsu shouted over the rapidly escalating argument.

“Y-yes!” Lysa quickly responded. “You are completely fine now.”

The duo, who were at each other’s throats moments ago, stopped abruptly with a—

HMPH!

—both crossing their arms and looking the other way.

A Few Moments Later...

Meisatsu, Ayame and Umare had left the infirmary—Lysa gathering all the courage she could muster to send them off waving with a shaky smile.

As the group made their way to the reception hall, Umare draped an arm over Meisatsu’s shoulder, causing Ayame to glare furiously at him.

“Alright kiddo,” Umare said. “Guess it’s time for you to take your first quest—don’t forget to take it easy on your magical output.” He pointed a finger at Meisatsu.

My magical output, huh...? Meisatsu thought.

Magical Output

The term Magical Output refers to the amount of magic power that a being releases at any given time. The world in which Meisatsu finds himself, has magic at the very core of its existence.

Animate or inanimate, everything contained some amount of magic. And the more magic a body withholds, the greater its dormant potential.

Umare headed toward a small gathering within the guild hall—his party. They all swarmed him frantically, asking him how it felt fighting against the Hero.

Apparently, it was a big deal—a really big deal—it’s not every day one gets to spar with a legendary figure of such magnitude

“Yo, Umare?” said a young man with short spiky, light brown hair.

“I saw the fight. That was one heck of a show,” he said lightly punching Umare’s left shoulder.

“The way you were all like—woosh! and shing!—with that sword of yours.” He laughed as he imitated Umare swinging his sword in battle, even mimicking his facial expressions.

“But you sure took a real nasty hit to the jaw,” he said, poking the area in question.

“Let him be, Kurito. He’s had more than enough of you for one day already.” A young lady with dark purple hair and sharp eyes said. Her face having strikingly pronounced features.

“No way in hell Kiku-chan.” Kurito responded with a dorky smile.

In the midst of the banter, stood a young man of lean figure and dark blue hair, casually eating what appeared to be a baguette...?

“You sure love those things—don’t ya Shizuka?” Kurito said as he gestured toward the unusually radiant baguette that seemingly appeared to glow.

“Mmmm...” Shizuka moaned nonchalantly, as he took another hefty bite of the baked good.

Kurito Jin, Kiku Shiranui and Shizuka Shiinazaki are a standout bunch. They are Umare’s closest allies, with him serving as their leader.

Every passing day he must put up with the antics of these three though he never seemed to mind—he’d grown rather fond of them.

“Alright, settle down,” Umare said, motioning for them to ease up.

“Let’s all go for a drink—on me!” He pointed a thumb at himself with a grin.

The party roared with cheers, swept Umare away like a tidal wave, right out the door.

Ayame and Meisatsu continued their walk toward the desk at the reception hall. As they approached, Meisatsu noticed something he found rather intriguing about the structure of the desk.

The desk was wide and massive, and it seemed to be crafted using the finest quality of wood, the frame being spectacularly exquisite, the craftsmanship showed finesse. The top lit up with a royal blue light, illuminating the entire surface—extremely easy on the eyes.

Within the radiant blue glow appeared map-like grids, images of various monsters, information on various explorers all executed seamlessly—almost like those high-tech ones normally featured in spy movies.

“Hey, Ayame?” Meisatsu nudged her.

“Yeah, is something wrong?”

“Nah not really—just curious about that glowy thingy at the desk.”

“Oh, you mean projection magic?”

“What the heck is that?” Meisatsu questioned.

Wait I’ve seen this before—actually, I see it every morning. It’s the same thing they use for—

GOOD MORNING ASTURIA

Essentially, the morning news—never been a fan though—couldn’t be bothered.

“That’s the result of highly sophisticated magical application” Ayame said with a hint of pride.

“The desk shares a unique connection to the barrier, surrounding the entire kingdom. This allows us explorers here at the guild, to monitor and detect unusual activity.”

“Let’s say—monster breach. The guild will be able to put up quests to neutralize the threat—hey?!”

The sudden influx of information was too much for Meisatsu to handle all at once causing him to be more spaced out than ever—completely lost.

“I think I got the gist of it,” Meisatsu said, his face showing clearly—he didn’t.

Akane, upon seeing the two straightened herself up in her chair, adjusted her glasses, elbows resting lightly on the desk, with fingers interlocked said—

“Welcome, once again Meisatsu Kanezuka, to the Beetho Explorers Guild,” she said in a tone that was slighty warmer than the one from their previous encounter.

“Your fight with Umare was unlike anything I had ever seen—truly a feat worthy of the Hero.”

“Geez, you flatter me,” Meisatsu replied, his cheeks turning red while his face reflected—clear as day—he was getting a big head.

“So, as you already know, we have certain instances where monsters breach the barrier—wreaking havoc once inside. It’s our duty to handle these threats effectively.” She adjusted her glasses, pulling them slightly lower this time.

“Do you know why this town is so prone to attacks?” she asked, her gaze fixed on Meisatsu.

“Cuz our town is kinda close to the edge of the border,” he replied confidently.

“Oh, is that so?” She leaned forward. “Then all towns and cities located near the barrier should be plagued by swarms of monsters at the same rate, no?”

“Well I... guess so...” he said, voice sounding defeated.

“To put it simply, the section of the barrier, that shields Beetho—is the weakest compared to all other parts.” Akane’s tone grew grim. “The reason—the Explorers Guild is there. A place filled with brave souls who would give their all to protect the kingdom...” She paused.

“It is like that for the other kingdoms as well.”

“Other kingdoms?!” Meisatsu echoed, eyes growing wide with surprise.

“Yes!” Ayame chipped in. “Besides Asturia there are three other kingdoms—Amazonia, Alfehia and lastly, Sheo. Or as it is more popularly known—the Demon King’s domain.”

The Four Kingdoms of the World

Amazonia – This is a kingdom that is home to the vast majority of a unique race called—Beast People. They are humanoids who exhibit various beast-like qualities. The land is teeming with wildlife, as its inhabitants live in perfect harmony with their surroundings. From its majestic waterfalls to open grasslands, this kingdom is primal personified.

Alfehia – A kingdom that serves proudly as the home of the Elves. With their lush green landscapes, towering forests and their spiritually rich atmosphere, it flourishes greatly, creating a land so serene and tranquil that—it appears to be its own little paradise untouched and hidden from the outside world. The Elves themselves are solitary people, hence there is little diversity in the land, having very few from other races who inhabit it.

Sheo – The vast and dismal land, claimed by the Demon King. Devoid of peace, stricken with barrenness, only bringing forth creatures that seem to serve no other purpose but cause chaos—it is a living Hell. The air filled with resentment and rage, the skies enveloped in endless darkness and thunderous storms.

The waters that flow beyond the confines of the barrier belonging to the other continents, are teeming with terrifying monstrosities that lurk in the very depths—truly a place of utter misery and suffering.

Each kingdom stands upon its own super continent, having a magical barrier that extends outwards from the center of the landmass, covering exactly fifty percent of the total land.

The barriers are enchanted with powerful spells that help maintain and sustain all natural and ecological processes.

“Now Meisatsu,” Akane said, quickly adjusting her glasses. “Please hold out your hand.”

Meisatsu cautiously lifted his right hand, palm facing upward. He squinted, mind hesitant for he had no idea what other strange thing would unfold.

In his outstretched palm, a brilliant mass of swirling energy radiated with a bronze glow. A faint pulse spread through the air—slowly materializing into a pentagon-shaped pendant.

The guild’s emblem engraved in the center. Below it, a single gleaming line of text read—

EXPLORER Level I

“Woah! Cool," Meisatsu remarked, as he held up the pendant by the chain, to his face, as it swayed ever so slightly—glimmering with each motion.

“That is going to be the symbol that identifies you as a member of this guild,” Akane sighed as she reclined in her chair, hand crossed behind her head.

“Hold on—Ayame, you’re an explorer too, where’s your—”

Ayame reached into the collar of her shirt, rummaged around a little, then pulled out a similar pendant—

EXPLORER Level II

“You would have noticed if you paid a lot more attention to your big sister Satsu,” Ayame responded as she held out her pendant, as if trying to prove a point.

“Sorry,” he said, running fingers through his hair. “My bad.”

“Back to business,” Akane interjected as she switched back to SERIOUS BUSINESS MODE.

“We use a straightforward ranking system for our guild members,” she said as she gestured toward a gathering in a corner of the guild.

“There are three stages—Low, Mid and High.”

“Low-level Explorers, such as yourself—” she said gesturing toward Meisatsu, “—are those whose level range from one to fifteen.”

“Mid-level Explorers fall in the range of sixteen to twenty-four.”

“And lastly, High-level Explorers are level twenty-five upwards.” She paused, taking a moment to catch her breath.

She continued, "In the history of the Explorer’s Guild, the highest level ever achieved by an Explorer is—Level 30. Only two people have reached that level, the first being the founder of the guild, the second being the guild’s current strongest—our champion.”

“What is he like,” Meisatsu asked, his eyes locked with Akane’s like he was trying to pry into her mind through them.

Meisatsu for the longest time had wondered what the upper echelon of this world was like, it was only natural he would be interested.

“I can’t say, they like their privacy,” Akane responded coyly. “A-anyway, you’ll be assigned you first quest.”

“Which is...?” both Ayame and Meisatsu chanted in unison.

Akane grinned.

“Slime hunting.”