Ch31. Level one

Diego stared at Miles, his mouth slightly agape as his mind tried to process what he'd just heard.

"Level one?" he echoed, disbelief etched into his voice. "You're kidding, right? Just a while ago, you were out there fighting like you were twice my level!"

Miles didn't answer immediately. His brow furrowed as he scrolled through his system window, his expression a twisted mix of shock and disbelief.

"I wish I was, Dee…" Miles finally said, his voice low.

"But… how? You just wiped out those Puppets like they were nothing! And you're telling me you're at level one? That doesn't make any sense." Diego blinked a few times.

"I know." Miles muttered, running a hand through his sweat-soaked hair. "It doesn't make sense to me either. But if that's how it is, we don't have time to figure it out, just yet. We'll check it with the Seers after we get some experience under our belts."

Before Diego could argue, a sharp ping echoed in his mind, followed by the familiar glow of a system notification appearing before them.

[New Quest Available!]

[Quest: Clearing the Depths]

[Objective: Eliminate the Goblin Raiders in the Sewers beneath downtown.]

[Bonus Objective: Kill the Sewer Trolls guarding the Goblin Camp.]

[Reward: EXP; Minor Loot Chest]

Diego frowned as he read the quest description.

"The sewers? That's… It's a labyrinth down there, and if you really are at level one…"

"I know it's risky, but I don't have a choice. If I don't start leveling up again, I'm as good as dead out here." Miles raised a hand, cutting him off.

He looked Diego square in the eye, his tone firm.

"I need your help, Dee. I know you have my back. And we'll be careful, okay? We just need to plan it out, and get out as soon as we complete the quest."

Diego hesitated, the weight of the decision pressing down on his young shoulders. He knew Miles well enough to understand that arguing was pointless.

Once Miles set his mind on something, there was no talking him out of it.

"Fine." Diego let out a resigned sigh. "But we don't charge in headfirst, no unnecessary risks. Deal?"

"Got it." Miles smirked, clapping a hand on Diego's shoulder. "Let's go."

The streets were now packed with other players going about their daily lives.

There were novice ones mixed up among the most experienced ones. Some grabbed a bite in a few improvised coffee shops, and others bought and sold equipment and items to players from the [Merchant] Class right there, out in the open. All of them were getting ready for the quests that were already popping up in their system windows.

If it were not for the Union Guild, one of the only current guilds in town, that killed the most powerful monsters and kept the city safe – as safe as it could get, that is – Diego was sure that there would be simply no time to get ready, and they would be massacred as soon as they opened their eyes.

After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at the entrance to the sewers. Hidden beneath a crumbled overpass, it was a simple jagged hole in the ground surrounded by debris. The stench hit him before they even got close, a rancid mix of rot and filth that made Diego gag.

"Lovely…" Miles muttered, summoning his equipment before descending into the darkness.

It was as fearsome and frightening as Diego remembered. The exquisite suit matched the waistcoat, the shirt, the trousers, and the bowtie in an elegant, yet strikingly contrasting manner. And the mask…

If Diego had not known that it was Miles hiding underneath it, he would have run for his life, having nightmares about those glowing red eyes and the carving of the stitched, grinning lips pursuing him for as long as he lived.

Before they descended, though, Diego's glance fell to the floor, and for a second, Miles seemed to have two shadows.

"Huh? What in the brick cottage…?" Diego frowned as they stepped into the darkness of the sewers.

"Did you say something?" Miles asked, his voice metallic and distorted by some special feature of the mask.

"Nothing." Diego shuddered. "It must've been a trick of the light."

Diego led the way, his knives held at the ready as his eyes adjusted to the dim light filtering through the cracks above. The tunnels were narrow and damp, the walls slick with moss and grime. The sound of dripping water echoed around them, masking the faint scuttling noises that hinted at the monsters hiding nearby.

They moved cautiously, their footsteps barely audible over the ambient noise. Diego's grip on his weapons tightened. Miles whispered before they could turn on a corner.

"Hey, Cheshire, can you turn into one of these?" After a moment of pause, he added. "Show-off…"

"Who're you talking to?" Diego tilted his head, not receiving an answer.

A few seconds later, though, a whirlwind of bright blue sparks enveloped Miles' hand, and a dagger the same size as Diego's coalesced from the light.

From Miles' question to whomever he talked to, Diego thought he would summon a rusted, chipped knife just like his, but no. The dagger that appeared in his best friend's hand was elegant and finely crafted, with small runes etched onto the blade.

"Who're you calling show-off, you show-off?" Diego's lips twisted in a mix of grimace and smirk as they rounded the corner and came face to face with their first group of Goblins.

There were four of them, their wiry frames hunched as they tore into what looked like a rotting carcass. One of them turned, its glowing red eyes locking onto Diego, and let out a guttural snarl.

"Here we go." Miles muttered, raising his shiny dagger. The weapon hummed faintly in his hands, almost as if it were alive.

The Goblins charged, their jagged weapons ready for carnage. Diego stepped forward to meet them, striking with his knives in a precise, practiced motion. The first Goblin fell with a gurgle, but the others pressed on, their shrill cries echoing through the tunnels as the system's voice echoed in Diego's mind.

[You killed a Creature – Goblin Raider.]

[You have received: 75 EXP.]

Miles sliced through two Goblins at once, performing a precise, compact horizontal arc while ducking to avoid the jumping foes. Diego tilted his head while dodging and striking with trained caution.

"Not bad for a level one, huh?" Miles called over his shoulder, grinning despite the tension in the air.

"You can't be serious…" Diego rolled his eyes, focusing on the last Goblin as it lunged at him. He sidestepped the attack, driving his knife into the Goblin's chest with a small effort. The creature let out a final shriek before collapsing, the system window announcing one more kill, and a few more experience points.

"Let's keep moving." Diego wiped his forehead. "We're not done yet."

The deeper they ventured into the sewers, the more oppressive the atmosphere became, and the larger the Goblin groups got. The air grew thicker, the stench was almost unbearable, and the faint glow of bioluminescent fungi cast eerie shadows on the walls.

It wasn't long before they found the Goblin camp, and the fight that unfolded was pure chaos.

The Goblins swarmed them in waves, striking with relentless, wild fury. Diego and Miles fought back-to-back, their movements a little bit clumsy due to the enclosed space, but they managed.

For a while, it seemed like they were standing on business. But then the Trolls joined came.

Diego barely had time to react as one of the massive creatures swung a club the size of a tree trunk, smashing through the remains of a tent and sending debris flying with astonishing speed. He threw himself to the side, the force of the impact rattling his bones.

"Diego, look out!" Miles shouted, but his warning came too late.

The second Troll lunged at Diego, its clawed hand swiping toward him with terrifying speed. He braced himself, closing his eyes shut, but the impact never came.

He heard the sound of squelching flesh and something solid rolling on the floor. When he opened his eyes, the Troll was dead, and Miles panted heavily.

"You owe me." Miles grinned, despite the blood dripping from a gash on his forehead.

"Get in line." Diego shot back, stabbing the Troll's corpse. He added after a moment, also panting. "It was… Quite easy, though."

The system's voice echoed in his mind with a welcomed relief.

[Quest Completed: Clearing the Depths.]

[Bonus Objective Achieved: Sewer Trolls Defeated.]

[You have received: 500 EXP; Minor Loot Chest.]

Miles let out a breathless laugh, collapsing against the wall as the dagger disappeared in a storm of bright sparks.

"We did it." Diego smirked, his legs trembling as he sank to the ground.

They found a small alcove near the chamber's exit, a place safe enough for them to catch their breaths.

Miles unsummoned his equipment, the black sparks swirling around him as the hat, mantle, and mask vanished. Immediately, he winced, his knees buckling. This time, though, he did not pass out or convulsed, sending a wave of relief through Diego's heart.

"For crying out loud…" Miles said, focusing ahead, on his system window. "I'm so damned."

"What's wrong?" Diego frowned.

"After the fight, I leveled up to level three, but now…" Miles said, his jaw tightening. "I'm back to level one again."

"That… Doesn't make sense." The weight of his words echoed through the walls.