The World's First Monk (OCs, Isekai, LitRPG, Fantasy)

[Bigreader]

Laurelin was quiet for a moment, and then nodded. "I can sense your pure intentions. I will not cripple your understanding of your Earth Sciences, but know this: should you try to recreate your radioactive death bombs, your hand-held murder machines, or any other of the many devices you Earthlings use to slaughter each other, I will scrub your knowledge completely, and without warning.

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I admit I'm still in the first real chapter one but I do not think the goddess understands the assignment because part of the reason her Society is so stratified is that all the power and force is at the top and while guns would certainly not resolve this in a World of Magic it would put a lot of power back in the hands of the common Folk if any common folk could shoot a gun and shoot some kind of superhuman wizard, not as much as in our world, but still it would rebalance the system a little bit.

though I do understand not wanting nukes created. The reason her world is so stratified is because the power is concentrated in the hands of a few Bloodlines that have power from generation to generation.

 

[Sahqoreyth]

I admit I'm still in the first real chapter one but I do not think the goddess understands the assignment because part of the reason her Society is so stratified is that all the power and force is at the top and while guns would certainly not resolve this in a World of Magic it would put a lot of power back in the hands of the common Folk if any common folk could shoot a gun and shoot some kind of superhuman wizard, not as much as in our world, but still it would rebalance the system a little bit.

though I do understand not wanting nukes created. The reason her world is so stratified is because the power is concentrated in the hands of a few Bloodlines that have power from generation to generation.

Click to shrink...

Fair. But the power is at the top out of necessity. There's a Demon God after all, and giant hellpits (other flavors Are available) that spew Monsters everywhere. As you will perhaps learn soon...they're genuinely just the worst. In order for decent society to survive in this world, the power needed to be at the top, and while things have stagnated in a comparatively quiet age, it wouldn't be an isekai if the Demon God didn't start shenanigans in the wake of protag's arrival.

She's also the Goddess of Life. It's a large and vague spectrum, but i'll just say that, as she was orbiting Drake's Earth, much like ours, the amount of out of control gun death was abhorrent to her. And to be clear: she forbid Drake from creating or contributing with his Earth knowledge in any way to the creation of firearms, etc. Artificer is a class, and there's nothing technically stopping them from making guns. Arcadia has been very purposely steered towards like, magitech, lasers, energy weapons, though. But the surplus of magic means it all runs on magic. Even the technology.

 

[Sahqoreyth]

Chapter 22: Disciple of the Fist​

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Vaelroth City - Tharvoss​

Drake Long was surrounded by magic spells.

Fireballs detonated in the air around him, and a Lightning Bolt was just barely dodged with Step of the Wind. Next came what Drake classified as a Prismatic Spray, as a floating prismatic orb launched into the air and spewed multiple types of magic at him. He dodged and bended away each before descending another several hundred feet.

He'd forgotten how Falkor still looked to most denizens of Arcadia, and upon approaching the Adventurer City of Vaelroth, they'd both remembered that though most of Primus had at least heard about the Laurelin-blessed dragon, the rest of the world would take time to understand and not shoot draconic forms on sight. They'd also been quite low, and visible, as they'd been gathering seawater for their Leisure Sphere with Drake's waterbending.

He'd apologized to Falkor before hastily recalling him into the Leisure Sphere. Now he was descending towards the docks, but it seemed every Wizard in the city was shooting spells at him now. He'd wanted to keep his Dispelling Fist on the DL, but as a horde of Magic Missiles came for him, he had no choice.




Properly irritated now, Drake became a blur. With his airbending and his fists, he smashed through every single Drake-seeking missile, and then landed with enough of a gust to knock the casters off their feet, and interrupt their next spells. "Enough! Idiots! I'm one of you!"

The casters got back to their feet quickly, and one stepped closer. He was dark elven, and had a 'classic Wizard' vibe to his pointed hat and deep blue starry robes. "Monk…Hero!? Wait…are you the one who slayed the Demon Lord, and cleared the Wallow Dungeon on the same day!?"

Drake fixed his robes and nodded, lowering his fists. The casters slowly let their spells fade, the truth of his words as obvious as his class. "I am. Please, stow your weapons." Once the casters complied, Drake continued. "Now, I'm gonna let this slide, since I was flying in on a Dragon. However, he's quite a kind Dragon, and you all owe him an apology. Stay calm, don't attack him, and he won't attack you."




With that said, and before the seemingly lead Mage could stop him, Drake brought Falkor out again. He frowned at the group, but otherwise sat still, looking regal, with his golden horns and Laurelin's mark obvious and prominent on his brow. Drake gave him a nod, as having him introduce himself, they'd found, elevated his status from monster to sentient in the minds of those they met.

"I am Falkor, first of the Luckdragons. I will thank you not to shoot at me in the future."

While initially nervous, both the mages and armed guards with crossbows were starting to calm down. The dark elf spoke again. "My…apologies, Luckdragon, err, Falkor, was it? We're used to…very different Dragons down here. Your description will be passed to the other cities, and I will inform the Mages Guild that you are not to be targeted. Again, sincerely…we apologize." He bowed low, sincere and formal.

"You are forgiven." Falkor said, shifting to a kind smile. "I hope I can be of aid against the Dragons who dwell here. Perhaps, one day, Arcadians will no longer fear me."

The Wizard gave him a crooked smile. "If you're as powerful as Dagorath's Dragons are at your level, one day, Arcadians will follow you into battle. I look forward to it." He bowed again, and Falkor inclined his head.




At that moment, a new figure joined them. He was the same level as Primus's Guild Master, but where Guild Master Solus was full plate and had a legendary greatsword, this man, or woman (they were too androgynous for Drake to tell), was in high quality scale armor, and had an equally legendary longbow on their back. Drake saw their race listed as High Human. "I take it that's the Dragon." They said, grimacing. Their tone didn't give away their sex either.

"He's a Luckdragon. Specifically, in terms of the system, he's my familiar, and ally." Drake answered. He stepped forward and offered a hand. "I'm Goddess Laurelin's latest Hero. Drake Long."

The Guild Master's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And why have you come to my city with such firepower, Drake Long?"

Drake blinked. "Firepower…? Oh, you mean Falkor. He's my ride. Dragons fly quite fast."

The Guild Master stared at him in disbelief. "You? Ride a Dragon? Sure you do."

Drake gestured to his partner. "For what other reason would he have a saddle?"




By this point the Wizard from earlier approached. "I can confirm, Guild Master. We assumed it was a General of Dagorath at first, but it seems…we've a Dragon on our side now. Our survival odds just went up."

"Unfortunately, we're not staying…Mr. Wizard. I'm here to join the Monster Hunters Guild. But some day, when we graduate, I'll be joining the fight down here."

The Wizard sighed. "I'll just have to endure until then. Forgive our manners, Monk Hero. The Adventurer Cities care more about fighting Monsters than etiquette. I am Dorthaniel Darkbrow, and this is our city's leader, and strongest Arc Warden, Guild Master Teloneus."

"Overjoyed to meet another Hero that won't be staying to help us. Waste of fucking time…" They muttered, as they turned and walked away, their guards in tow. "Join the Guild, and then get out of my city. Everyone who wants to stay here, needs to go through the proper channels. And swear the oath."




Drake frowned as the Guild Master left. He wanted to help, but he didn't know if he was high enough level for Tharvoss monsters. Everything he'd read said they were built different down here. Even if he wanted to venture out, he didn't have supplies or his party. And he wouldn't risk Falkor.

"Don't be too concerned. The Guild Master just has their hands full with Castle Sanguivore." Dorthaniel said, stepping up beside Drake and gesturing to a large blackstone castle in the distance, built into a mountain. "Dagorath's Vampyr are quite cunning, and have been trying to destroy Vaelroth since it was established. It's a credit to the Guild Master that we've grown as large as we have, right on the doorstep of a high tier Dungeon."

Drake tilted his head. "What problems do this city, and the others down here face? I have some pull now, I could probably get you some assistance."

The Wizard rolled his eyes. "It's not bodies that are the problem. It's supplies. Every year they become more expensive, and without potions, we lose people out beyond the walls. But the government is apparently just too busy to help us. Especially with that recent business in Primus." He waved a wrinkled dark toned hand. "It's not your problem, Monk Hero. But our Guild Master might change their tune if you managed to get us potions. Anyway, the Guild Hall of the Monster Hunters is on the far side of the city, practically right next to Castle Sanguivore. You can find them there. Just follow your nose, and you'll know when you find it."




Drake thanked the level ninety seven Wizard, and began walking. Once again he had an experience of a city very different to Primus. There were no slums, no starving poor, just the occasional drunk adventurer that was sleeping it off in a gutter. Houses seemed to be occupied by one's party, and acted as a sort of base of operations.

Drake also noted a lack of skyscrapers or wealthy dwellings. Larger buildings had a purpose, though Drake couldn't always figure out what it was from looking. Eventually, he smelled the Guild Hall before he saw it, and realized his new schedule didn't really allow for lunch. Not when he and Falkor were crossing continents anyway. Normally Drake let him out to hunt the fauna, participate in life's cycle as the apex predator he now was, but that wasn't an option on Tharvoss. The apex predators here would wreck them.

As he entered what seemed to be a dedicated food portion of the guild, a cat person who was more cat than Human cheerfully greeted him. In fact, looking around, the food prep was being mainly done by sentients of similar size and surplus of fur. "Everything is Canon…" He muttered, before taking a seat.




The feline chef smiled at him. "Ooo I know You! The Grandmaster said you'd be stopping by…but you seem rather hungry. What would you like?"

"I'm fine with whatever you have that's easily made, and filling. Don't really need more than basic rations with some flare. My main request is for a…friend of mine. He can take his meal raw, I just don't want him to eat all your supplies."

The feline chef waved a paw without a care. "We have enough meat to feed a Dragon! We can handle your friend. All races are welcome."

"I'm glad." Drake answered with a smirk. "Because my friend is a Dragon. A Luckdragon specifically. He won't hurt you, I promise. In fact, he's quite friendly."




Causing another stir, Falkor appeared in the street, sitting, regal, and trying not to step on anything, or anyone. His tail curled around his legs to keep from accidentally smashing into anything. The feline leaned back as they looked upwards. "Wow! He really is a Dragon! Hi big guy! Want some dinner?"

"If it's not too much trouble." Falkor answered, inclining his head in respect to the high level Culinarian. "I'm quite hungry too."

"Meat is about the only thing we have a surplus of down here. When most of the planet is vegetarian, the people on the front lines get the leftovers. We'll have your meals ready in a few minutes."

Falkor was, as usual, attracting a crowd, but the Monster Hunters were more in awe of him than fear. The idea of a talking dragon was very interesting, but the Hunters lost steam when they realized he didn't really know about other dragons, or monsters, and was actually plying them for information on the dragons that plagued this continent.




They ate quickly, and with Falkor fed enough to get him home, Drake recalled him into the Leisure Sphere, and sought out the guild's receptionist. The registration process was easy, and instead of mockery from the higher rank Monster Hunters, he was eagerly welcomed. Apparently word of his hunt alongside the Grandmaster and his squad had already spread through their ranks, and they were always eager to welcome new Hunters.

The receptionist also gave him the rundown on what weapons Monster Hunters typically used, and to Drake's lack of surprise, it was typically giant versions of what lower level adventurers used against their tier of monsters. Giant hammers, two different kinds of swords, bows, hunting horns, lances. A few who, like him, used Dual Swords. There was something called an Insect Tamer stave, which he assumed would function similarly to the Kinsect Staff he was familiar with.

He noticed a lack of Charge Blades, and of course, the blowguns were missing. In their place was a style that used agility and dual repeating crossbows, and apparently that style was the newest. But the Hunters seemed well prepared to face Tharvoss, as they had no small amount of other tricks and traps that would take out groups of monsters before they knew what happened. As he left the guild, full of grilled meat and knowledge, he felt confident about his rank grinding.




Apparently new Hunters could only fight lesser monsters until they ranked up, and ranking up itself was a process. Thankfully, it was one he could do in Primus, and on the way there. Apparently just accepting a Hunt teleported one to the closest city/town to the reported disturbance, and even at low level, monsters classified as variants and strange enough to be reported to the Monster Hunters were always quite deadly. Once the monster was dead, the Hunters were teleported back to wherever they set their home point.

Unlike the system Drake was familiar with, hunting additional monsters was encouraged, and apparently clearing their dens granted experience and loot, automagically, per person in the party. Dens tended to spawn most around Dungeons, apparently, which had immediately made Drake concerned about the Wallow. If there were goblin dens around it the others had missed, they could already be repopulating the Dungeon, even though the entrance was technically a several hundred foot drop into the former second level. Goblins would find a way. He set Falkor's saddle as his return point, and let the dragon fly home, while he tested the new system he was part of.

He set the monster target choice as random, and then with a flash of light, he was gone.

Blood Gulch - Averion​

As Drake appeared again he heard the words. "And here's our fourth…oh great. A newbie."

"No, dude look at his level! Seventy five at Low Rank!? And that Class…"

A feminine voice spoke next. "Monk…Hero. Interesssting."

Drake appeared before a trio of adventurers in their thirties, in terms of level. Age wise, they seemed like young adults. The human one had a massive greatsword, the other human had an equally large bow, and the last and by far the most visually interesting was a snakekin woman, though unlike Class One's, she had snake features all over, but a body that was humanoid, and a long tail that ended with a 'rattle'. It swished slowly as the snake woman eyed him.

"So…you are the Life Goddess's chosen…what luck. This Hunt will be quite easy."




Drake looked the three over, with the two men being basic humans, albeit one had slightly pointed ear tips. "As you saw, I'm brand new to this. If possible, I'd like to try to solo this Hunt. You'll still get credit and a share of the loot of course. But I'm hoping to experience the difference between these Hunts and clearing a Dungeon."

The full blooded human gave Drake a look. "Like you know what clearing a Dungeon is like."

His friend cuffed him on the back of the head. "Imbecile. He's the one who basically led the Wallow Raid. The guy who recorded it."

"Really?" The greatsword using human squinted at Drake. "So you're the genius who made an acronym for his party that ended up being 'Goblin Slayers'?"

Drake chuckled. "That was more of a joke. That was actually our first time as a full Raid Party. We're still workshopping the name, and the actual members."




"Your firssst time!?" The snake woman hissed in surprise. "That'ssss unheard of. You musst have had good leaders."

Drake smirked confidently. "We're the real deal. So. What are we Hunting today?"

The snake woman and the human just shook their heads in disbelief. The Half Elf gave the debrief as asked. "That's what's strange. This area is referred to as Blood Gulch." Drake flinched as he gestured to the landscape, a boxed in canyon with rolling hills, and two visible bases. Now that Drake looked, he saw the uncanny and canonical similarities to the Halo map he was familiar with. "Typically home to some of the strongest unaffiliated fighters on Arcadia, they've split into two sides. Red, and Blue."

Drake interjected, out of burning curiosity. "Are they one specific race? Or is it a mix?"

"A mix." The Half Elf confirmed. "They're a…unique bunch. What's strange is that they called us in. Apparently neither team has been able to kill the Monster plaguing them. But by their description, it's just a Lesser Wyvern. They're tough, but not impossible, not for the warriors who live here."




Drake tilted his head. "Why? What makes living here special?"

The Half Elf continued, glad to exposit. "Blood Gulch is actually on top of a Dungeon. Both Red and Blue teams raid it regularly, so they're all experienced and pretty high level. Some are even higher than you. The point being…they should be able to handle a Lesser Wyvern."

The human huffed a deep breath. "Let's go already. Newbie, take the Wyvern. We'll focus on the nest. We get more stuff if we destroy the places they spawn from."

"My name is Drake, for the record. That's what you can call me."

The Half Elf spoke next. "Korrim. Pleasure to Hunt with you."

"Sszerah. It'sss a pleassure." The snakekin woman hissed.

"And I'm Gary." The human finished. "Now let's go already!"




With that, they split up, and Drake shot into the air. Thankfully, and hilariously to him, he already knew the layout pretty well, it was definitely unlocking some core memories from his first time through teenagedom. He activated Battlefield Awareness, and instead of overlapping with his Godsight, Godsight actually made the skill even more ridiculously useful. He could scan for miles, and see intimate details of whoever was in range of his sight.

He laughed, loudly, as his eyes saw that both Red and Blue teams had the same cast of names he was familiar with, as well as many more he didn't recognize. There seemed to be about just over forty inside each base.

As he floated above the Blood Gulch, he sensed it, a massive high speed object that really should not have been able to move that fast. Thus, he encountered his first problem with Godsight. He could see what was coming, but even while flying and airbending, he was moving too slow to dodge. It was a credit to how fast the Lesser Wyvern was, but even with that deadly speed, Drake did manage to dodge it, by a matter of inches, which honestly tracked with the Monster Hunter vibes of his predicament.

He spun Prismrend as the wyvern came around again, and this time, he matched its speed and had Dual Swords ready to go. Drake's eyes burned crimson as he used Assassinate, and Beybladed himself along the wyvern's back. It was level fifty, and his much higher level and stronger skill absolutely wrecked the draconic monster in a single hit, but to its credit, it wasn't dead and it was nowhere near done.




With an enraged shriek even as it hemorrhaged blood from where Drake had struck its neck, inner thighs, and soft armpits, it launched a fireball at him, and surged forward through the air, claws extended towards the Monk. Unfortunately for the wyvern, it lost as soon as it brought an elemental attack into the mix. Drake shifted forms, bending, condensing, and then firing the energy back at the wyvern, directly through its skull, which shattered as it exploded in flames. Drake floated casually out of the way as the wyvern fell past him.

It was dead long before it hit the ground, and a minute after it landed, Drake's vision lit up with a system notification. The nest was clear. Not long after that, his party reconvened. "I wasn't sure what to do with its body." Drake started, as they approached. "I mean, I have some idea, but…"

"Now, we take it'ss partssss…" Szerah hissed, as she and the other two drew long carving knives from their belts.

Drake nodded. He'd been hoping the system did this part automatically, but alas, for the high quality monster mats, he'd have to get his hands gory.




With their mission complete and their questions unanswered about why eighty adventurers hadn't been able to handle one level fifty wyvern, Drake and his party were teleported back to their points of origin. Apparently monsters at this rank weren't usually so high level, and even though it hadn't been hard for Drake, he gained three levels from that single hunt. Satisfied for the moment, he stayed on Falkor, and shared how the draconic being had acted. Unfortunately, it had been exactly like the goblins and other monsters Drake had so far encountered. Barely any sentience, and bloodthirsty.

Seeing Falkor disheartened by that news, Drake said, "Y'know, I've been thinking about Prismrend, and why Laurelin would go out of her way to contact another universe's equivalent of a deity. You remember what I told you about Aurene, right?" Falkor nodded, still a bit confused by the concept of things his human friend had engaged in, that had been made up back on their world, were somehow now reality on a different world, with actual Gods involved. "Well what I didn't mention was that she had…offspring, I guess you could call them, that we got to train and ride on in game. Skyscales. Several other Elder Dragons made lesser dragons as well, so there's a good chance Laurelin asked Aurene how to make more." He patted Falkor. "Making another Luckdragon might be…rather difficult. But with Skyscales…you would no longer be the only good aligned Dragon, and, we'd have other riders before too long." Falkor seemed cheered up immensely by Drake's reasoning, and intended to ask the Goddess about it himself.

Drake separated from Falkor over Primus, leaving the dragon to return to Eldarheim. He came and went between the home of the Gods and the roost that Elowir had crafted for him in one of the academy's unused towers as he pleased.

Drake landed in the eerily quiet Wallow district, and glanced around. His godly sight revealed no one. Even the destitute who'd lived here were gone.




Then, he heard an intonation, and saw a blinding flash of light magic in the distance. Following it to the source led him to Aegis Bryllon, knee deep in low level goblin corpses, Divine Storming his way through the pack he'd found. Drake didn't wait for an invitation. As soon as the small mob took Aegis's attack, Drake landed in an Avenger's pose of fiery pain in their center, incinerating them all.

"Ahh. Drake Long! You are welcome on this hunt!" Aegis shouted, bringing his greatsword around through three goblins at once.

Drake summoned more fire, animated it with magic, and it took on Falkor's shape as it scorched and rampaged. "I learned that Dungeons can sometimes have den spawners around them. I figured the Wallow must've had a bunch."

Aegis nodded, slightly confused as to how Drake didn't know that already. "It did, and they respawned too fast to ever fully clear. But now that the Dungeon is empty, I was the only one willing to come out here and do cleanup. All those angry lower levels at the Guild would rather be mad at you than do their fucking jobs."

Drake tilted his head. "Angry low levels? Not the ones who were at the raid's beginning, surely…"

Aegis shrugged. "Some were there, quiet, but nodding in agreement. Quite a few of them just took cover and hid during the Pandarus Incident. And now they're angry at you, for clearing the best spot to grind low levels."




Drake sighed. "I'll deal with them when I go collect my reward for the Dungeon."

"I'm pretty sure that's what they're waiting for. Nobody in our Classes has had the fortitude to go and claim credit for the clear yet. They're waiting for you, I think." Aegis answered.

Drake sighed, and gestured to the goblin den, a hovel of mud and scrap built up between two buildings, long collapsed and ruined. "I'll send out a message. The fire dragon should be enough to take out the leaders if you keep the trash from running."

Aegis chuckled. "I'm surprised you can control it with no hand motions…"

Drake chuckled as well. "Magic requires Will…and my will to slay Goblins is quite strong."




As his aura farming dragon and Aegis cleaned up the low level goblins, Drake started individually contacting his former party members. Only Leif, Koreia, his own party of Rose, Lyria, and Garret, Varian Wrynn, and the Olephan Dragon Knight, Varan came to help search for goblin dens. The others were apparently heading to the Adventurer's Guild to claim their reward, and on hearing that, Drake and Rose decided to go with them, to make sure a fight didn't start.

By the time they rendezvoused with their raiding party, Drake received the all clear from Aegis. The Wallow's goblin dens were gone, and to no one's surprise, he was going to give the actual Dungeon a once over before personally sealing it off. Aegis had no interest in the Dungeon clearing reward, but thankfully his own party insisted they'd get his share for him. The guild was quite used to this.

With a louder bang than he'd intended, Drake airbended the guild's doors open, and strode in. He could feel the discontent, and his eyes showed him several of the lower levels reaching for their weapons, with anger in their eyes. For all the good they would do. Drake strode up to Kelista, the usual clerk, who met him with the usual fake courtesy smile. "Monk Hero. Goblin Slayers. I take it you're here for your reward."

"We are." Drake answered, as the others filed in behind him, most in their armor, and sporting their new weapons and higher levels.




Kelista looked them over with a sharp eye, and nodded. As you know…fully clearing a Dungeon is unprecedented. However, the Guild relied on the Wallow to train new-"

Drake held up a hand, cutting her off. "Galdurath himself ordered it purged. The atrocities the Guild has allowed, for millennia, are going to be something we discuss later, mark my words, but for now…the clear is complete. The dens are gone, and Aegis Bryllon is sweeping the Wallow one more time to make sure it's empty. The Adventurer's Guild has a long standing reward for parties that fully clear Dungeons. That's what we're here for."

"And what about us!?" Came an angry voice from the lower level adventurers. "Where's our reward!?"

Class One's leader, Rael, responded by scoffing. "A reward for what? Hiding while everyone else fought? I've spoken with our upperclassmen. The Orcs practically escaped the Filth Pit because they didn't have enough people. The majority of the lower level adventurers were at the Wallow. If you missed the call to action, it's because you chose to hide instead of fight."




A female low level stepped forward and spoke up then, a Light Cleric, like Rose. "How could we choose anything else!? Not all of us have powerful Attack Skills…and if Monsters get near a Demon Lord…we'd stand no chance."

Class Three's Leonid, Leander, answered her. "It doesn't matter what your chances are! Your city, your home was in Danger! And you hid! Some of you need to remember why you're fighting."

Drake put a hand on his shoulder, patted it, and the Leonid turned away and huffed. Drake stepped forward then, and patted the level five Cleric's shoulder as well. "You had the courage to step forward here and show your face. That's more than can be said of your peers. I think you would've stood more of a chance than you assume."

Drake turned to the crowd, then, and couldn't resist a light smirk as he said, "Where I come from, asking why we fight is…like asking why leaves fall. It is in their nature." He shook his head, as he continued shamelessly quoting some Monk wisdom. "The important question you should all be asking before continuing on this career path…is what are you fighting for?"

"Money!" Someone in the back shouted.

Drake rolled his eyes. "You think Guild Master Solus fights for money? What about Galdurath? You think the God of Magic spent more Magic Power than any of you will in your entire lifetimes, defending Primus, for glory and Gil?"




Drake saw the goon from before about to answer again, and cut him off. "NO!" His voice rolled through the crowd. "We are in a new Age, ladies and gentlemen. The Age of Eradication. One way or another, things are coming to a head. You all need to decide if being an Adventurer is worth risking your lives for, because that's what this Age is going to be. The one that decides what happens to Humans and Monsters in the future. Adventuring is no longer an easy ride to fame, money, and power. You will end up down on Tharvoss, if you grow stronger. And even if you don't get that strong, the Monsters aren't going to quietly disappear from the rest of the world. They will attack villages, towns, and caravans that hire you as guards. Their goal is Eradication. You will be fighting these things, probably for the rest of your lives, as they try to completely eradicate everything we've built." He gestured at the door, "Make your decision."

"Who died and made you Guild Master?" Another goon, a friend of the money hungry one, called out.

As if waiting for his cue, the heavy steps of Guild Master Solus filled the chamber, as he descended from his office. "Drake Long has so eloquently said what I was about to announce. The Age of Dungeons is over, and the Guild has to take things a lot more seriously. That Demon Lord was a test from the God of Monsters. A probing attack to see if fabled Primus still stands as strong as it used to. As Monk Hero Long said…you need to decide if risking your lives for the planet is worth it. Because loss and death are the only rewards for Adventurers in this new Age. As it was in the Age of Murder. You will not be penalized for deciding not to adventure anymore, but leave your plates with Kelista before you leave us."




With that, fifteen teen to young adult adventurers walked out the guild's doors, after giving Kelista their Adventurer plates. The rest, to their credit, stayed. "What about us, Guild Master?" The Cleric girl asked.

Solus smirked, at her, and then at Drake and the party. "Well, with the Wallow cleared, the Filthpit is the only option for Adventurers at your levels to grow. Luckily for us, we have strong Dungeon clearing Heroes willing to run you through it until you're strong enough to fight elsewhere."

Class Three's Juggernaut, the Orca patterned whale sentient known as Orlok, snorted. "And why should we? They could take years to level. I have better things to do."

"You don't actually, Orlok." Solus said with a grin. "Not if you want to continue to use the Guild's services, and get your Dungeon Clear rewards. But for some extra motivation…let's go over just what those rewards are! Kelista?"




"Of course, Guild Master." She pulled down a large white screen then, and Drake peered at it. It was not unlike the large classroom maps that had been used by teachers on Earth until Smartboards had become the preference. Kelista started projecting magic images onto it from behind, like a movie projector.

"As you'll see once our heroic Monk moves his fabulous hair out of the way, a full Dungeon Clear, including all surrounding Monster Dens, is worth two million Gil. Per participant. You also get your choice of Magic Items the Guild holds on to once their former owners pass on. This, in addition to what you get from a Final Boss Chest, should be more than enough motivation to help the lower levels out. For a time, at least. We don't expect you to shepherd them indefinitely."

Solus turned to Drake's party. "Before you focus on clearing the Filthpit, consider that we need fresh Adventurers. They have to level up somewhere. Galdurath agrees, and before you start Drake Long, I understand your anger. Leaving the most vulnerable among us to struggle and live among Monsters is not going to continue. It…should never have started in the first place, but that's a conversation for another time. Kelista. Pay these Heroes."




She ended the magical projection of different levels of Dungeon Clears, and went into a room behind the counter. And came back with a fat sack of Gil that seemed enchanted. "This will deposit the Gil directly into your Primus bank account. Are you first, Hero Long?"

Drake blinked. "Bank account? What if I don't have one?"

Kelista scoffed. "Everyone has one! You get one when you're-"

Solus held up a hand. "He uhh…doesn't have one yet. Don't worry, Drake, we'll get you your cut. In the meantime, I have someone here who's been trying to meet you for quite some time now."




The Guild Master led Drake into the crowd of low levels with the nonchalance of people who were completely sure the low levels couldn't harm them even if they wanted to. Drake wasn't thrilled, and Solus barely even glanced at them. He was focused on their target. He was, to Drake's eyes, an Ape man, with brown and reddish fur, and a Chimpanzee face, but a build and body that was far more Homo Sapien. It still had Ape traits though, like nearly full body hair, long arms, and slightly bowed legs that were about the same length as an average human's. And of course, the slightly curled monkey tail.

"This, is Wu Kong. I know you're still new to the species names here, so know that he's what we call a Siminid, a rare offshoot of High Humans, and he has yet to choose a Class. He has great potential though, and has expressed interest in learning to be a Monk. Like you. Train him well, Grandmaster."

Drake frowned at the Guild Master. "And I'm just being forced to accept him?"

"Has anyone else offered to become your Disciple? No? I would think you'd want more Monks in the world." Solus chuckled.

Drake sighed, and muttered. "Every single thing is Canon. And that makes me Tripitaka. Apparently." Louder, he said, "Wu Kong was it? I'm going to need to test your skills, but I'll pose to you the same question I posed to these others. What is worth fighting for, to you?"




The Siminid pondered for a moment, or pretended to, and then said, with a higher but still very much male tone, "For me…Freedom. For my Clan. But, if I'm being honest, Grandmaster…" His monkey face pulled up into a grin, "I want to be the Strongest. In the World."

"And what would you do with such strength, Wu Kong?"

The monkey man's face fell, and his eyes narrowed. "I'd punch Dagorath in the face. Until he stops making Monsters and Arcadia is safe for everybody!"

Drake chuckled. "You're in. How old are you?"

Wu Kong puffed out his admittedly well muscled chest. "Fifteen. I'll be old enough to join the Academy next year. Then the Bards will sing about my fabulous hair!"

"Sure they will. Do you…have a place to stay?"

"Weeell, uh, I was gonna hunt some Goblins, do some low level quests, earn some Gil, but…you cleared the Wallow. And the quests have slowed since the whole Demon Lord thing…you wouldn't be able to…put me up, would you Master?" Wu Kong asked, eyes big and wide as his Class shifted to Monk before Drake's eyes.




Drake smirked. Wu Kong definitely had a penchant for mischief, but he also had the potential for greatness. It wouldn't do to just leave his first disciple homeless and wandering the city alone and unsupervised. And if he was anything like Sun Wukong, it was a miracle he'd journeyed here without dying or starting a war. "I have a place you can stay. We'll discuss rent once the jobs start returning." He held out the Leisure Sphere and his smirk turned a shade of sinister. "Tell Falkor that you're going to be staying, and that he should work with you on dodging attacks."

With his class now officially Monk at level one, Drake sent Wu Kong into the Leisure Sphere, and chuckled as he watched the monkey teen's reaction to Falkor. They seemed to chat for a while, and then they started training. Drake smirked. If he left Wu Kong inside long enough, he'd be ready to start at the academy. It was technically still early days in the semester. Maybe he could take Elowir's classes too. That might even make the old tree focus on pertinent events.

He turned back to his current predicament, though, as Guild Master Solus stared with interest at the sphere. "Fascinating. Found that in the Wallow, did you?" Drake elaborated on how he'd found it and what Chronogrin had used it for. "Amazing how Monsters with high levels think to use our creations. In your hands, I'm sure it will be put to good use."




Drake nodded in agreement. "Speaking of use…I have some materials I need gathered and a beautiful girlfriend I'd rather be hanging out with. Think these low levels would be up to the task?"

Solus chuckled. "Here a few weeks and already posting Quests. By all means, Monk Hero. As a Draconic Adventurer you are free to post as many Quests as you need. I'll leave them to you."

Drake nodded, as Solus ascended to his office again. "Alright people. You may not be able to kill Goblins anymore, but I, at least, have work for you. I'll be posting some Quests. They shouldn't be too difficult. See Kelista if you're interested." With that, he returned to the counter, and found his former party mates were already gone. In short order, he had low level to intermediate quests for the materials he still needed for the Leisure Sphere.

He met the others outside the guild, and found out everyone was hitting the Groove Nexus again. Drake didn't really care for dancing, even though zero G dancing was actually absurdly fun, but Rose's big green eyes were his weakness. In short order he was once again grooving and consuming questionable magical substances with his friends.