Chapter 3

In a house at the edge of the village.

Nereea: “Sevren, long time no see.”

Sevren: “Nereea... did you just teleport here? I could have been naked.”

Nereea: “Let's not go there.”

Sevren: “Your power has some nice benefits. I bet it is nice to be everywhere. I wonder... how much better I could use it.”

Nereea: “Spare me. You know why I am here.”

Sevren: “Yes. And the answer is yes.”

Nereea: “So, you admit committing a crime?”

Sevren: “Nothing you can prove, of course. That's why you're here, alone. Fishing.”

Nereea: “Whatever your plans are, drop them. This is your final warning.”

Sevren: “You know... some day, I will make you show me some respect. And I will enjoy it very much.”

Nereea: “Just try it. We are many and you are alone. I can't wait to see how that goes for you.”

Sevren: “Trying to bait me into revealing my associates? Is that the best that you can do?”

Nereea: “Low level tricks, for low level scums.”

Sevren: “You can leave now. I have no time for this.”

Nereea: “This is not over, Sevren.”

Sevren: “Correct. It is just beginning.”

She then disappears, leaving Sevren with a small smirk on his face.

At the training grounds, the boys became more and more comfortable with their weapons. Nireh was focusing on clean and efficient attacks, while Norkai focused on distraction and endurance. Draviel had naturally taken the role of the stabilizer, complementing their style very nicely. 
Then one day after the training was over, Draviel had something to say.

Draviel: “Good job, guys. Tonight, be sure to get some nice sleep. Because tomorrow we are going on our first mission.”

Norkai: “Finally.”

Norkai: *I am so ready.*

Nireh: “What's the mission?”

Draviel: “You will find out tomorrow. There's no need to worry now.”

Norkai: “I hope it's something cool.”

Nireh: “Can't you give us a hint?”

Draviel: “Be patient. Tomorrow, we meet at the donuts shop. Don't be late.”

Norkai: “We won't. See you tomorrow.”

Norkai: *I am so excited for our first mission.*

The next morning at the donuts shop.

Draviel: “Morning. I see you arrived before me.”

Norkai: “We were too curious about the mission.”

Draviel: “Good. Because I don't have it.”

Norkai: “What?”

Nireh: “What do you mean? Yesterday you said you have a mission for us.”

Draviel: “Relax. We just need to pick it. Let's go to the Vanguard.”

Norkai: “I get it now. We are choosing it together.”

Draviel: “Correct.”

In a couple of minutes, they arrived at the Vanguard. An old institutional building, packed with all sorts of people. Merchants, civilians, bank couriers, shipping representatives, warehouse owners, rich travelers, diplomats, monks and foreigners. Everyone who needed some sort of extra protection. Fighters were just as needed as every other job in the village.

Nireh: “This building... looks nostalgic for some reason.”

Draviel: “Yeah... I know what you mean.”

Norkai: “Who cares about the building? Let's go see the missions.”

Draviel: “You should care, Norkai. This place is where you get your money.”

Norkai: “I'm not the biggest fan of money. I just want to be the best Legend.”

Nireh: “But we still need money. Otherwise we'll be using mom's money for the rest of our lives.”

Norkai: “I guess that's true. When does she come back anyway?”

Nireh: “I wish I knew.”

Draviel: “I'm sure she's fine. Let's focus on choosing a mission. Look, there are the boards.”

All kinds of missions were packed with very specific details.

Norkai: “How about ‘Rescuing a diplomat from an unknown location’?”

Draviel: “I think that's too hard for us. Maybe after we gain some experience as a team.”

Nireh: “Then ‘Hunting two compromised rogues’?”

Draviel: “Haha... guys relax. It's our first mission. We want it to be a success, not a major risk.”

Norkai: “Checking a small village that didn't send the weekly shipment?”

Nireh: “I like that one.”

Draviel: “That's a good one. You guys wait here while I register the mission.”

Norkai: “Register?”

Draviel: “Yeah. In case there are multiple notes. We let them know someone is already handling the mission.”

Nireh: “Okay. We'll wait here.”

Once Draviel officially took the mission, he made them check their backpacks one last time. Every fighter needs to have one ready at home. It is specifically designed for long missions. In school, one of the final exams was to assemble a good backpack. An hour later at the village's gate.

Nireh: “Our first official mission. Can you believe how fast the training phase ended?”

Norkai: “That was just the first part of the training. We still have much to learn.”

Draviel: “That's true. But for now... we have a mission to finish. Are you guys ready?”

Norkai: “You bet.”

After a couple of hours they reached the village.

Norkai: “Where is everyone?”

Nireh: “This village might be smaller than I thought.”

Draviel: “Something's not right. I've been here before... and there were plenty of people.”

Norkai: “Are you sure it's the right village?”

Draviel: “Yes, Norkai... I'm sure. We need to investigate and see what happened here.”

Nireh: “I'll be knocking on doors. See if someone responds.”

Norkai: “I'll search the rest of the village.”

Draviel: “Good. And I will search for signs of a fight.”

In a few minutes, they all met in the center of the village.

Nireh: “Nobody answered.”

Norkai: “I think the village is empty.”

Draviel: “I'm not surprised. I found a trail with many footprints. We need to follow them.”

After twenty minutes of walking, they arrived at a mine. The village's residents were working there. The team quickly took cover behind a few large trees.

Norkai: “I guess we found them.”

Nireh: “Those thugs are forcing them to work.”

Draviel: “It would seem so. They are seven in total.”

Nireh: “What should we do now?”

Draviel: “What do you think?”

Nireh: “We beat the bad guys and save the villagers.”

Draviel: “In theory, yes. But that's not what we've been paid to do.”

Norkai: “You want to leave them there?”

Draviel: “I didn't say that. I just wanted you guys to know what's happening. If we continue, then the risk is on us.”

Nireh: “What risk?”

Draviel: “The risk of failing the mission. Because right now, we can go back and report. And they will pay us for discovering why the shipment has not arrived.”

Norkai: “But if we do that, these people will be forced to work until a new team gets assigned.”

Draviel: “Exactly. A new team gets paid to do that job. If we continue... then we are doing extra work. And if someone dies, then the mission will be flagged as failed. Do you understand now? Nobody asked us to rescue them.”

Norkai: “Yeah... but I don't like it.”

Nireh: “So, what are we going to do?”

Draviel: “Nobody likes these kinds of situations. It is up to us to decide how to proceed next.”

Nireh: “I say... save them now.”

Norkai: “Agreed. We can do it.”

Draviel: “Okay. If we're going to do that, then we need a plan. Someone needs to distract them away from the villagers.”

Norkai: “I'll do it.”

Draviel: “Perfect. Give your weapon to Nireh and make them follow you.”

Norkai: “Whaat? I need to give away my weapon?”

Nireh: “I'll give it back when the fight starts.”

Draviel: “Don't worry. No one will hurt you.”

Norkai: “Fine. But next time, Nireh is the bait.”

He picked up a few small rocks from the ground and began running towards the thugs. When he got in range, he started aiming at them.

Norkai: “Oi! Ugly ones. Why are you not working? Didn't your mother teach you some manners?”

Unknown voice 1: “Who is that kid?”

Unknown voice 2: “I don't care. Get him!”

Unknown voice 3: “Oi! Clown. Stop!”

Then he ran away, going towards a safe spot far from the villagers. After a couple of meters, he tripped and fell.

Unknown voice 2: “I guess you're not so smart now.”

Draviel: “Let's go, Nireh.”

Nireh: “Norkai, here's your spear.”

He immediately throws it to him.

Norkai: “I'm sorry, guys.”

Unknown voice 3: “Who the hell are you?”

Draviel: “The one who will kick your ass.”

The fight begins. Draviel takes out one of them with just a single kick.

Draviel: *These guys are not real fighters. This should be easy.*

Norkai and Nireh fight the rest while Draviel makes sure they don't go for the villagers. In a couple of minutes the boys finish the thugs.

Norkai: “These guys were a joke.”

Nireh: “I didn't even warm up.”

Draviel: “That's perfect. Nobody got hurt.”

Norkai: “Too bad I fell. Now my clothes are all dirty.”

Unknown voice 4: “What the hell is happening here?”

It was the leader of the thugs. A layer 2 fighter, covered in scars, with an ugly expression on his face.

Draviel: “So you're the one behind these thugs. It makes sense now.”

Unknown voice 4: “Who the hell are you? And why are you messing with my operation?”

Draviel: “Don't worry about my name. You're coming with us to answer for your crimes.”

Unknown voice 4: “I don't think so pretty boy. Actually, I think I might kill you right now.”

Norkai: “No, you won't. We'll help.”

Draviel: “Not this time. This fight is mine.”

Unknown voice 4: “You're going to get hurt now, pretty boy.”

The fight starts with aggressive hand-to-hand combat. They are evenly matched. Draviel uses his Palm Blow, a heavy wind release that can knock enemies off their feet. The thug falls but immediately gets back up, revealing his layer 2 power, Increased Resistance. Draviel has the advantage now. The thug begins to use his affinity more often. He infuses his sword with lightning and starts launching lightning strikes from a distance. Immediately, Draviel assesses that the enemy is more dangerous than he anticipated and decides not to take any risks. With his next move, he closes the gap between them and baits the enemy into attacking him. At the last second, he uses Wind's Pull, one of his signature moves, and pulls the thug towards him. Then he strikes his head with his Wind's Fist technique, decapitating him on the spot and revealing his layer 2 power, Increased Raw Power. The scene was brutal, everyone was shocked. Even the villagers froze.

Norkai: “That was intense.”

Nireh: “I didn't expect him to be so strong.”

Norkai: “It might be his layer 2 power. Is he born in October?”

Nireh: “Maybe. But keep it low. You know we can't talk about these things.”

Norkai: “I know, I know. You don't want the enemy to know your layer 2 power.”

The boys reacted while being mildly impressed by the event.

Villager: “He's finally dead. Thank you so much. He treated us like slaves every time he came here.”

Norkai: “So this wasn't the first time? I hate them even more now.”

Norkai: *Taking advantage of innocent people. What kind of fighter does that?*

Nireh: “No worries, sir. We'll make sure the remaining thugs will be punished.”

Draviel: “I'm sorry you had to see that.”

Norkai: “It's fine. He deserves it.”

Draviel: “He was stronger than I initially thought. I had to end the fight before he got some unexpected ideas.”

Nireh: “Unexpected ideas?”

Draviel: “Yeah... like taking a hostage or attacking one of you two. That would have put me at a great disadvantage.”

Nireh: “That makes sense.”

Unknown mysterious voice: “I think it was grotesque.”

Nireh: “What? Did you say something Norkai?”

Norkai: “No. Why?”

Nireh: “It doesn't matter. I think I'm still in shock.”

Norkai: “Probably. Let's finish the mission and go home.”

Draviel: “Yeah... these people have suffered enough.”

Over the next few minutes, Draviel calmed the villagers, and together with the boys, he accompanied them back to the village. The rest of the thugs were immobilized and locked up until a new team could come and escort them to the prison. Draviel praised their teamwork and wanted to make sure they were not injured. It was not his intention to expose them so early to these kinds of events.

Norkai: “Draviel, are you born in October?”

Draviel: “Haha... good assumption.”

Norkai: “I would never have guessed your power if you didn't show it like that.”

Draviel: “Good. That's how it should be.”

Nireh: “I am born in November and Norkai in January.”

Norkai: “Which means that I have Increased Resistance and he has Enhanced Instinct.”

Draviel: “Correct. A good fighter needs to know these things and recognize them in his fights, so he can use that advantage.”

Nireh: “Yeah... they were pretty strict about this in school.”

Draviel: “I am not surprised.”

Norkai: “What about the layer 3? Why do we know so little about it?”

Draviel: “That's a good question. Even if there are many Legends, nobody really knows the exact process to unlock that layer. Otherwise... I would have been a Legend by now.”

Nireh: “That's a little bit odd.”

Draviel: “It is. But in the meantime, we should do our best to try and unlock it ourselves.”

The rest of the trip was smooth and everyone got home safe. Nireh was a little bit confused about the mysterious voice. The fact that he was the only one to hear it made him a little bit nervous.