Chapter 7 - Identity

“Is that something easily done?” Renji asked.

“It’s not too hard, depending on where you hunt. It’s a good way to get funds for our day-to-day needs. We should take the portal to level fifteen though. Monsters are generally weaker in the upper levels.”

“Let’s go then.” Renji shrugged.

The pair left the guild hall and made their way to the portal gate. Alina led the way, stopping by a couple of local shops to get supplies—potions and food—unaware they were being tailed.

In the square, two guards dragged a bound man to his knees before the Duke’s herald. A crystal shard was pressed against the prisoner’s skin until it burned, searing a mark onto his arm. The man screamed as onlookers turned away.

Alina’s grip tightened on her staff.

“What was his crime?” Renji muttered.

A merchant whispered nearby, “Couldn’t pay crystal dues. That mark means he belongs to the Duke now.”

Not wanting to do anything that would attract attention to themselves, the pair continued towards the portal gate.

About an hour later, they arrived at the portal gate. It was a raised round platform with a metallic arch about three metres tall. Two armed guards in plate armour stood on either side of the platform. A fifth guard, in chainmail, stood behind a pedestal.

“Where does the portal gate lead?”

“This one? Only goes to floor fifteen.” Alina pointed to another portal about fifty metres to the right. “That one goes to floor twenty-five.”

She continued, “Almost all portal gates only take you to the next safe floor.”

The pair showed their nameplates to the lead guard behind the pedestal. He checked the names against a list on a piece of parchment.

Probably a list of fugitives. But only Rovan and Alina know my name. What about Alina? The Duke knows who she is…

“You’re clear. Please proceed.” The guard gestured toward the portal.

“Wouldn’t we be on the list?” Renji whispered as they walked toward it.

“My nameplate uses an alias, and nobody knows your name,” she whispered back.

The pair stepped into the portal.

About a minute later, two shadowy figures went through the portal after them.

***

The duo emerged from the portal on Floor Fifteen. They showed their nameplates to the guard and were let through without incident. As they exited the cavern that housed the portal gate, Renji noticed that this floor was a lot flatter and more open compared to Floor Twenty. He could make out an abundance of farmland in the distance.

“This floor feels different,” Renji remarked.

“Yes, it’s mostly farms. Supplies produce to a few floors,” Alina said. “We’ll skip the town on this floor and head to the entrance of Floor Fourteen.”

“Sure. Lead the way.”

The duo trekked through the open fields towards what looked like a cliff or a wall. They stopped outside a cavern that led into the cliff.

“Floor entrances are always on the edge of the floor.” Alina spread her arms wide, facing the cliff. “Hence this huge wall.”

They entered the cavern, which gave off a distinctly different vibe compared to the wide-open spaces of Floors Fifteen and Twenty. They walked through a snaking path for about half an hour before the cavern widened slightly.

They passed a group of three young men walking in the opposite direction.

They look like adventurers. Returning from their hunt?

“Hello, Miss Alina. Frog hunting again?” one of them said, smiling politely.

“Oh, hello. Yes, need more water crystals,” Alina replied, smiling back.

Renji overheard part of their conversation as they passed.

“It’s our lucky day. Saw her pretty face before lunch!”
“Yeah. Wonder if she’ll join us for a drink at the tavern later.”
“She turns you down every time. Give up already.”

Some laughter followed, and their voices faded as they walked away.

“Friends of yours?” Renji asked Alina.

“Hehe. Not really. I come here regularly, and we’ve crossed paths.” Alina grinned, slightly embarrassed. “Nice fellas—pretty harmless though. They offer me their extra food and drink every now and then.”

Renji smirked. “Young men and a pretty lady. Doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.”

“Now you’re just teasing me!” Alina pouted.

“No, I’m not. Just making an observation.”

Renji continued, “They said something about frogs?”

“Yup, we should start seeing them soon.” Alina stopped and raised her staff. “There’s one.”

It was a frog—or at least looked like one—slightly bigger than a large dog, about a metre tall on all fours. Roughly ten metres away.

Renji stopped in his tracks, eyes widening.
“What the… that’s a frog?”

Alina muttered a quick incantation, and an icicle about thirty centimetres long formed in front of her staff. It shot forward and slammed into the midsection of the giant frog, throwing it back a few metres. It lay motionless for several seconds before dematerialising into an ash-like substance. A blue crystal, about an inch across, sat where the frog had been.

Okay… nothing makes sense anymore. What the hell just happened? No carcass?

“So that’s how I usually hunt frogs. I can fire off that spell a dozen more times before I need a break.”

“So that spell doesn’t use crystals?” Renji asked.

“Nope. That’s why I need breaks. It uses my own magic reserves.”

Alina pointed to Renji’s sword. “Non-magic users just kill them with swords or other weapons and sell the crystals for profit.”

“Here comes another one. You try,” Alina encouraged.

Renji had trained in martial arts, which included staves, daggers, and unarmed combat—but never with a sword.

The fundamentals shouldn’t be that different. The sharp end goes into the target. Simple enough.

He dropped his pack, drew his sword, and settled into a ready stance, muscle memory guiding him.

“Oh, they can spit acid and their tongues have venom. It won’t kill you, but it’ll hurt—badly.”

“Right, now you tell me. Gee… thanks,” Renji said dryly as he approached the frog.

The frog’s tongue shot out towards Renji, who instinctively dodged sideways, raising his sword to block. He ended up severing the tongue, causing the frog to squeal.

He rushed in from the side and stabbed the monster just behind the shoulder, all the way to the crossguard, before pulling the sword free.

He picked up both crystals once the monster dematerialised.

“Nicely done, Renji,” Alina said cheerfully.

The pair continued hunting frogs for another hour, taking down a couple dozen. Renji got used to the sword quicker than he expected.

“Let’s stop to have lunch,” Alina said as she led the way to a safe area in the dungeon.

They ate in silence for a few minutes before Alina spoke up.

“Hey, Renji,” she asked tentatively.

“Yes?”

“Erm… Are you still angry? You know… with me… for pulling you from your world into ours?” Alina asked softly.

Renji sighed. “Angry with you? No. Never was. I’m sorry if I made you feel that way.”

He continued, “But I’m angry at the whole situation. Feeling helpless doesn’t sit well with me, I guess. The Duke, however…”

He took a long swig from his waterskin.

“You’ve got family waiting for you? A wife? Children?” Alina asked.

Renji looked ahead. “I guess you could say I have some kind of family.”

He thought of his team—his brothers at the SFG. The closest thing to family he’d ever known.

I wonder what they’re up to now. They must be kicking up a fuss with command.

“What about you?”

Alina shook her head. “Master Rovan raised me. He knew my parents. He only told me they were adventurers who died in the lower levels of the Labyrinth.”

“I see. Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. I was too young to remember them anyway.”

“So, he taught you magic. Can anyone learn magic?”

“No.” She shook her head. “You need an affinity for it first. Some say it’s given by the Labyrinth.”

Their lunch conversation was interrupted by approaching footsteps. Renji got up on one knee.

“Alina Maerith, you are a hard woman to find.”

Two men, dressed in light armour, approached with swords drawn. Renji shifted his weight, left hand on his scabbard.

“Don’t even think it,” the leader said, pointing his sword at Renji.

“Alina, you know them?” Renji asked, not taking his eyes off the approaching men.

“I recognise them. From the Duke’s mansion.”

Renji’s eyes narrowed. “So I can kill them?”