Chapter 4 : Misfortune

Steps resound through the hall he found himself in. He was in danger, three kobolds were running after him. He wanted to curse so much, how and why kobolds teamed up to run after him?

The answer is simple, he had the misfortune to be found by them, while normally the kobolds are in pairs or single, it happens to form bigger groups when they hunt.

His lungs were on fire, he didn't even feel his legs anymore, at least there was a cool air in the dungeon.

He ran, and ran. His eyes became enlarged. A wall. There's no place to run anymore. Fight or die is the answer.

He gripped his sword, thrown the backpack in a corner to have more flexibility. He didn't wait for the perfect opportunity, he jumped straight into the fray. The kobolds took by surprise didn't react in time.

Thrust, one of them falls to the ground, blood trickles down his sword.

An enraged kobold cut a long line on his arm. A sting, then a painful burn covered his arm. He changed his sword to the other hand. A sword was coming his way.

He parred it. From right, from left, attacks were coming. His hand injured, pincered by these monstrous creatures.

He can't evade all of the attacks. Injures appeared on his body. The brown robe in the likeness of Maich was tattered. Ripped by the attacks he endured. He blocked some of them, some passed through his defence.

One slash left a cut on his stomach, it didn't had enough force to gut him. He gritted his teeth and striked back. That kobold in its darring attack lost its hand.

Though it didn't lose the hand that mattered, the one with the sword.

Blows continued, the kobolds became more daring and daring. Sidhe was losing energy, he was tired. He ran out of breath, he had a hard time breathing. His muscles screamed at every swing.

The kobolds keep the pressure, not letting him escape. He blocked an attack to his eyes.

The kobold who lost its arm thrust his sword, forcing Sidhe to change positions. The other one swung his sword in that moment. Sidhe needed to make a decision, what pain was he willing to endure? To his arm or to his stomach?

He heard the sickening sound of meat being cut. Then pain spread like a wildfire through his arm. the blade entered deep, the bone was visible, to his luck, the strike wasn't strong enough to cut through his bone.

Sidhe was loosing blood, he needed to end the fight as fast as possible.

Metal was meeting metal. His back to the wall, on his right a kobold, on his left another one. He was trapped like a rat, his only way out was to fight.

He decied to kill the wounded kobold, right now. He parred one of its attacks, seeing that the other one didn't coordinate to attack together. Thrust his blade into the kobold's throat.

The last one woke up too late, when it attacked, Sidhe was easily able to block, then hit the kobold with his leg.

As the monster hit the ground, Sidhe sliced his throat.

Sidhe leaned on the cold wall, cooling his hot body, his trembling hands couldn't hold the sword, falling down after he lost he grip. He looked at his injuries, his left arm took most of the beating, with multiple cuts and a long slash that was bone deep.

His stomach had tiny cuts, and one long cut that almost broke through his muscles, he felt pain with every breath he took. This was the most dangerous situation he found himself, it reminded him just how mortal the dungeon was.

He drunk water, then cleaned his wounds with it. He ripped his robe and bandaged the wounds to not get dirty and infected.

Adventurers forget about taking care of your wounds, but this is one of the most common way people die in the dungeon. He knew some basic tips to do from his time spent with Lord Miach.

He sat on the cold ground, thinking on what to do. He was too tired to move even an inch.

He watched his sword that was on the ground, with blunt marks on its blade from the impact with the other swords. The sword shape started to change its shape after so much sharpening, he really needs a new sword.

A pity that he didn't take a potion with him, though he didn't have the money to spend on one. Naaza spends so much effort and time to make them, he just can't take them for free, he would be ashamed of himself if he would do so.

With a great effort he took the sword from the ground and started taking out the magical crystals. They are money, no way he would let them here, he had six more crystals In his backpack and with the kobolds we will have nine. Not great, but not bad either; he took a heavy beating today, he needs that coffee more than ever.

The bandages were now a dark red-brown, being imbibed with his blood, at least his bleeding stopped, he wouldn't fall unconscious from losing blood. He took his backpack, he winced in pain as the heavy bag put pressure on his injured arm.

He let the backpack on one of his shoulder, and moved towards the dungeon's exit.

He debated if he should go to headquarters and sell the crystals now, or later. He took another look at his clothes and decided it was better to do it later.

He passed by the Hostess of Fertility, while the smell of coffee and food was tantalizing, he didn't have any money on him, and even if he had, he wouldn't enter there in his situation. He would have spent a huge amount of money of food as he was hungry, thirsty and tired. A great combo for the pub; not for him.

He entered the house, no one was at home. Miach was working for Hephaestus as a shop keeper, while Nazaa was selling her potions. At least, they will not see his ragged state.

He changed his clothes, taking a light brown robe, changing his bandages for new ones and cleaning the wounds again. He wants to be sure that there will be no infection.

He took a nap for one hour. Feeling reinvigorated he left for the Guild's headquarters to sell the magical crystals. Misha was there drinking a cup of tea, talking with an half-elf. He approached her and asked, "How much money is on my personal account?"

Misha put the cup down, took some files from a mountain of them and said, "At the moment you have 6840 valis."

He nodded and said, "Can I retract all of them?"

Misha leaned closer, her face marked with intrigue, asked, "Yes. Do you plan to buy a nice gift for a lady? You kept such a secret from you dear receptionist. Sidhe, you are breaking my heart," wiping an imaginary tear from her eye.

Sidhe was at loss of words, he didn't know how to react, he looked at Misha like she grown a second head and said, "Ah. No? I am planning to buy a new sword, as the one I have at the moment is deteriorating."

The half-elf girl crossed her arms and looking with a piercing look at Misha, said, "Misha, this is unprofessional! Why you meddle in your adventurers private life."

Misha pouted, saying, "Sourpusses, both of you."

She gave Sidhe a file that he needed to complete to withdraw the amount of money he want. He signed it, then put the Miach's familia stamp, she took the paper and left to bring the money.

In that time, the half-elf said, "I am sorry for my friend Misha, she can be troublesome and too curious for her own good."

Sidhe shrugged, not really caring about his receptionist, he already knows that she can be a bit too much, at least she doesn't chide her adventurers like he heard other receptionists were doing. Though, isn't that their job to take care of their costumers? Now that he thinks about it, she is pretty lax when it comes to rules and regulations.

The half-elf, picked her glasses, and said, "My name is Eina, I am a receptionist here, what's yours?"

He responded, "Sidhe, I am a new adventurer."

Misha arrived with a pouch full of money and gave it to Sidhe, he took it and left. Not wanting to stay there anymore.

He entered a Goibniu's familia shop, there were a large variety of swords, daggers, spears, axes and other type of weapons. The shop keeper was a bulky middle-aged man with a short beard.

Sidhe was looking with sparkling eyes, his tail swishing excitedly, at the treasure trove, then he saw the prices. The prices, they were expensive to say the least, ranging from thousands of valis to millions.

A saber caught his eye, while he wouldn't be able to use it for piercing, the slashing power will be worth it, and for piercing he could get a knife or a dagger, that would be unexpected for his opponents.

The saber was plain, with a slight blade curvature, a cross-guard ,and a handle made from a type of leather unknown to him. He said to the gruff man, "I want to buy that saber," pointing at the saber he was looking at, the cost was 3400 valis.

The man took the saber and said, "Do you want to test the blade?"

Sidhe shook his head, he knows the reputation of Goibniu's familia, they rival the Hephaestus one in skills and business, the only difference was that Goibniu was catering to the beginners too, while Hephaestus was more to the high-level adventurers, though they did have beginner smiths making cheap weapons, their quality varies, but if you want to get a Hephaestus weapon, that's a good, and valid way to do so.

The man put the saber in its scabbard and put it on the counter. Sidhe took from his pouch 3400 valis and gave them to them man. He felt such happiness when he took the saber in his hand, again his tail was moving on itself. He disliked his tail for that, it was announcing all of his emotions way better than he could express them.

Sidhe continued to look in the shop, the man was sharpening a blade. The sound made from sharpening was pure torture, Sidhe had the suspicion that the shop keeper was doing it consciously.

He saw a dagger, it was a plain double-edged knife with a very sharp point, not too long and not too short, perfect for what he had in mind. The price was 3000 valis for it. With a bleeding heart he took the money.

He left the shop with 440 valis, he got new weapons though, maybe it was a bad decision, should he try to refund them? The old sword wasn't that unusable… It was still sharp and could pierce. He turned tree times back to the shop's door; leaving with a heavy heart each time.

He loved the new weapons more than the last sword. They were new! While the former sword was old, still had rust marks on it, and the blade wasn't as sharp as he wanted.

He felt the smooth touch of the scabbard, it was made from natural leather, the old sword didn't have even a scabbard! He finally made peace with himself and the acquisition, in the end he would use them to make more money, and that they will help him survive.

Yes he paid 3000 for a dagger, but he was sure that this dagger will save his life in the future, it wasn't possible to not be so.

He entered the house, Miach was having a fragment of his former bandages that were full of blood. Miach had a sad expression, tears welled in his eyes, He embraced Sidhe when he noticed his presence, saying, "My child, I am very glad that you are alive." Sidhe winced as Miach touched his cut on the hand.