As Hürs and Jibo stared at each other, tension rose between them. They had to talk to Saishi, but oddly enough, it was also a relief to see how strong he really was.
"Come on, let's talk to him," Jibo said.
"Let's get it over with," Hürs replied.
Saishi noticed them approaching and walked over.
"Hey guys, you're back early. Did something happen?" he asked.
"We got attacked… and we lost Burk," Jibo said with frustration in his voice.
"What?! How did that happen?" Saishi asked, his tone turning serious.
As both explained what happened in the dungeon, Saishi's mind went blank. One question kept spinning in his head:"Do you guys really need me for this?"
But he couldn't say it. Burk was his friend, too. He couldn't just abandon him. He took a deep breath and said:
"Let's get him back."
Even as he said the words, they didn't feel real. He had never been in a real fight before. He didn't feel fear—but he had never been put to the test, either. Still, the idea of letting a friend down? That was something he couldn't live with.
Hürs and Jibo both noticed the change in Saishi's expression—his clenched jaw, the pulsing veins on his forehead, and a look like he might throw up any second.
"Relax," Jibo said. "First, there's something important we need to talk about."
Hürs placed a firm hand on Saishi's shoulder.
"Saishi, we saw you carrying that log like it was nothing. Before we do anything else—we need to know: how strong are you?"
"Me? I never really thought about it. I just do the housework," Saishi replied.
Jibo and Hürs shouted in unison:"Show us your A-ID!"
Saishi rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a worn, dirty card. He handed it to Hürs.
"This card isn't even linked to you," Hürs said.
"What? My name's on it. My class too," Saishi answered, confused.
"Your stats are missing, Saishi," Jibo pointed out. "You need to activate it."
"Just prick your finger and drop some blood on the crystal," Hürs instructed.
"Alright, alright…" Saishi muttered. He broke a twig and made a small cut on his finger, letting a drop of blood fall on the A-ID crystal.
The card started to glow. A breeze suddenly rushed through the trees, rustling the leaves around them.
"Oh shit…" Hürs and Jibo gasped.
"You've got 73 in Strength and Dexterity?!"
"How the hell did you manage that?!"
"I… I don't know," Saishi muttered.
Jibo narrowed his eyes. "How?"
"You guys know I just chop trees and mine stone most of the time… I never thought of it as training."
"There you have it," Jibo said, turning to Hürs. "Now let's focus on the next step: Saishi, do you know how to fight?"
"I've only fought a bunny. And a boar, maybe…"
"Then we'll train you," Hürs said, "but we don't have much time. You'll have to learn on the way."
"To who?" Saishi asked.
"To him," Hürs replied.
----------------------------Scene Transition – The Journey Begins-----------------------
The three of them packed their gear and set out.
"So… who is this guy we're talking about?" Saishi asked as they hiked.
"My cousin," Hürs said. "He's going to help us deal with these bandits."
"Bandits?" Saishi raised an eyebrow.
"You do know that they're part of the Number 6 Guild, right?" Jibo added.
Hürs stood dramatically, facing the sky as sunlight bathed him in a golden glow. With his eyes closed, he said solemnly:
"They took our friend. We will take their lives."
Both Saishi and Jibo let out a sigh.
"Okay, Hürs…"
As they journeyed, Saishi carried a huge pack full of supplies—food, potions, pans, and, of course, his axe.
"Don't you have any other weapon?" Jibo asked.
"No. My father gave me this axe. I've never used anything else."
"Well, it still looks solid," Jibo replied. "Better to use a weapon you're familiar with."
Suddenly, two goblins appeared from the woods.
"Hey Saishi," Hürs grinned. "Look over there."
"Go get 'em, tiger!" Jibo teased.
"What should I do?!" Saishi mumbled. As he looked at Hürs for direction, one of the goblins charged at him.
He dodged instinctively.
After a few more dodges, Hürs yelled out, "Now kill them already!"
"Here goes nothing," Saishi muttered. He charged forward and swung his axe with the same force he used to fell trees. The blade sliced clean through the goblin's neck and embedded itself deep into the tree behind it.
"Damn it," Saishi cursed as he tried to pull the axe free.
The second goblin lunged with a rusty sword. Saishi dodged again, leapt back, and watched as the goblin tried to pull the axe out of the tree.
In a blink, Saishi was in front of the goblin, his eyes burning with intensity. The goblin froze in terror. Like a deer caught in carriage lights—it couldn't move.
Then it turned to run.
But Saishi grabbed its arm, the sound of bones cracking filled the air. He raised his other hand and crushed the goblin's head like a melon.
Turning back to his friends, Saishi smiled."Hehe… how was that?"
Jibo and Hürs were stunned. But both gave him a thumbs up, trying to play it cool.
Jibo leaned over and whispered, "Dude… that's not normal."
"I know," Hürs whispered back. "But I like it."
---------------------------------------------Portkar----------------------------------------------
After cleaning himself off in the nearby sea, the group continued their journey. Eventually, they arrived at Portkar, a small village along the western coast of Sirca, on the road to the capital.
"So this is Portkar, huh?" Jibo asked.
"Yes," Hürs replied. "We'll find my cousin here. He's going to help us train Saishi and get Burk back."
As they entered the village and hiked up a hill, they saw a small bungalow with a campfire nearby. Next to the fire was a huge pile of hay.
As they approached, the hay suddenly burst into flames.
"There's someone inside!" Saishi shouted. "We have to help—"
But Hürs laughed. "Just relax… and enjoy the show."