The following days in Sekandaya Port passed in a monotonous yet exhausting routine for Reinh. Sleeping in a cramped, musty room at The Rusty Anchor inn, waking up with a rumbling stomach, then heading to The Valiant Hall to look for lowly Bronze Rank Quests he could manage. The rewards were meager, just enough for one meal a day—usually a bland Fisherman's Stew or a few pieces of Hardtack Biscuits—and to pay the room rent.
He had completed a few more missions: driving out Wharf Rats that were infesting the warehouse of a salt merchant named Master Borin Saltbeard, delivering a letter to a small fishing village called Prawn Village (漁村 - Prawn Fishing Village) located a few miles along the coast—a journey that left him soaked by waves and nearly lost among the steep coastal cliffs. He also tried to help an old woman named Mistress Hettle find her lost cat, Ser Pounce-a-lot, but the cat turned out to be more agile than him and returned on its own after Reinh spent half a day searching for it in Sekandaya's narrow alleys. Every mission, no matter how small, felt genuinely dangerous. The warehouse rats were the size of small cats and their bites were painful. The journey to Prawn Village had him facing Giant Crabs whose claws could break wood.
Although his physique was starting to get used to the harshness of life in Tierias, and he was beginning to control his basic magic like Ignis Minor and Glacies Scutum better (though it still drained his stamina quickly), Reinh felt frustrated. This wasn't the life he wanted. He was Luminere, the Awakener, one of the most powerful mages in Tale's of Aurora. Now, he was reduced to a lowly adventurer struggling for a mouthful of rice.
Memories of his lost power, devastating skills like Meteor Fall or Chain Lightning that he used to cast with ease, now only served as bitter fantasies. Every time he tried to access greater power, his head would spin and his chest would tighten, as if an invisible wall was blocking him. His reset level not only erased his stats but also his connection to the deeper essence of magic.
One morning, after a breakfast of hard bread and plain water, Reinh returned to The Valiant Hall. He stared at the Quest Board with a bored expression. The bronze-ranked missions felt like an insult. He needed a bigger challenge, something that could test the limits of his remaining abilities, and maybe, just maybe, reawaken a small fraction of his lost power. He also needed more money. Living on seven or ten Copper Pieces a day was agonizing.
His eyes fell on a slightly higher section of the board, where parchments with silver star marks—Silver Rank Quests—were hung. These missions were usually for more experienced adventurers, with much larger rewards, but also higher risks.
One parchment caught his attention: "Urgent: Clear Shadowfen Den of Giant Spiders – Reward: 75 Copper Pieces. Warning: Extremely Dangerous. Party of at least 3 required."
Shadowfen Den. Reinh remembered the place from the game. A dark, misty swamp on the outskirts of Whispering Woods, filled with poisonous spiders and other swamp monsters. Back then, he could clear the place alone in minutes. Now? He wasn't sure. But the reward of 75 Copper Pieces was very tempting. It was enough for a good meal for a week and maybe to buy a better magic staff than the Simple Wooden Staff he was using, which he had picked up from Barnaby's firewood pile.
He took the parchment, ignoring the "party required" warning. He would do it alone. He had to prove to himself that he still had something left of Luminere.
Livia Thorne looked at him with a raised eyebrow when Reinh handed her the silver-ranked mission parchment. "Reinh, this is a Silver Rank mission. It's usually for adventurers who already have a reputation and better equipment. And it clearly states, a party is required."
"I understand, Miss Livia. But I want to try it," Reinh said in a flat but firm tone.
Livia sighed. "Alright. But if anything happens to you, the Guild is not responsible. Shadowfen Den is notoriously deadly. Even experienced parties sometimes struggle there. There have been reports of a very large Venomfang Broodmother recently."
Reinh just nodded. He had made his decision.
The journey to Shadowfen Den took several hours on foot southwest of Sekandaya Port, passing through wheat fields that were beginning to turn yellow and a few small, poor-looking hamlets like Willow Creek Hamlet and Broken Stone Hamlet. The inhabitants looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and pity, seeing his clothes that were still not worthy of being called an adventurer's attire.
The closer he got to Shadowfen, the more humid and foul-smelling the air became. The trees grew denser and darker, their branches twisting like skeletal hands. A thin fog began to descend, limiting visibility. The sounds of nocturnal insects began to be heard even though it was still afternoon. This was exactly like the atmosphere of Shadowfen he remembered, but now with a real sensation of cold and smell.
He entered the swamp area. The ground beneath his feet was boggy and muddy, making his steps heavy. Dwarf mangrove trees grew here and there, their roots protruding from the murky water. Giant spider webs, thick and sticky, hung between the trees like eerie curtains. Some of them were as large as bedsheets.
Soon, the first attack came. A Shadowfen Stalker—a spider the size of a large dog with jet-black fur and eight glowing red eyes—leapt from behind a tree, trying to pounce on him.
Reinh dodged swiftly. "Ignis Minor!" A fireball hit the spider's body, making it shriek in pain (a high-pitched sound that never existed in the game) and retreat a few steps, its fur slightly singed. But it didn't die. The spider attacked again, this time spitting a sticky web from its mouth. Reinh managed to dodge again, but part of the web hit his wooden staff, making it feel sticky and heavy.
"Damn it!" Reinh cursed. He cast Ignis Minor again, this time aiming for the spider's legs. Several of its legs caught fire, slowing its movements. Reinh took the opportunity to smash his staff onto the spider's head with all his might. There was a soft cracking sound, and the spider collapsed.
One on one, and he was already exhausted. What if there were more?
As if answering his question, two more Shadowfen Stalkers emerged from behind the bushes, moving quickly to surround him. Reinh cursed inwardly. He cast Glacies Scutum to block one spider's attack, then turned and fired Ignis Minor at the other. The fight became chaotic. He had to keep moving, avoiding poisonous fangs and web sprays, while trying to find an opening to attack. His wooden staff felt useless against the spiders' hard exoskeletons.
After a fight that felt like an eternity, he finally managed to defeat both spiders, but at a heavy cost. His clothes were even more torn, there were several bloody scratches on his arms, and he was gasping for breath. He sat leaning against a tree, trying to catch his breath. This was much harder than he had anticipated. His arrogance as a former high-level player was beginning to erode.
Suddenly, the ground beneath him trembled. From behind a giant clump of bushes, a much larger creature emerged. The Venomfang Broodmother Livia had mentioned. The spider was as big as a small horse, with a swollen, blackish-green abdomen and long fangs dripping with purple poisonous liquid. Its eight compound eyes stared at Reinh with pure hatred. Behind it, a dozen Shadowfen Hatchlings the size of cats began to crawl out.
Reinh gulped. This was bad. Very bad. He couldn't possibly fight a broodmother this size and all her offspring alone. He tried to cast Ignis Major (Greater Fire), a slightly more powerful skill, but the energy required was too great. All that came out was a fireball only slightly larger than Ignis Minor, not enough to threaten the Broodmother.
The Broodmother shrieked piercingly, then lunged at Reinh with terrifying speed. Reinh could only close his eyes, raising his staff futilely to block the inevitable attack.
SRIING! SLASH!
Just before the poisonous fangs reached his face, two silver flashes streaked through the air. There was the sound of flesh being cut and a shriek of pain from the Broodmother. Reinh opened his eyes, shocked.
Standing before him was a woman with brown hair tied in a ponytail, moving with incredible agility. In her hands, she wielded a pair of gleaming short swords, Twin Daggers of the Swiftwind or perhaps Shadowdancer Blades, Reinh thought quickly. The woman danced between the attacks of the Broodmother and her young, her swords slashing and stabbing with deadly precision. Every movement was efficient, every attack hit a weak spot. It was Ghyfin.
The Broodmother roared in anger, several of its legs severely injured by Ghyfin's attacks. It tried to attack Ghyfin, but the woman was too fast, dodging easily and then launching a counterattack. The spiderlings that tried to help their mother were cut down one by one by Ghyfin without much difficulty.
Reinh was transfixed, witnessing an incredible display of fighting skill. Ghyfin moved like a storm, her swords an extension of her arms. She used no magic, purely physical skill and speed.
In a few tense minutes, the Broodmother finally collapsed with several gaping wounds on its body, oozing thick green liquid. Ghyfin stood over the spider's carcass, slightly out of breath, but her gaze remained sharp. She quickly wiped the spider's blood from her swords and then sheathed them at her waist.
She turned to Reinh, who was still sitting limply. "Are you alright?" she asked, her voice calm but with a slight hint of impatience.
Reinh could only nod, still too shocked to speak.
Ghyfin approached, looking Reinh up and down. "You're reckless, coming to Shadowfen Den alone. Especially with equipment like that." She gestured to Reinh's wooden staff with her chin. "You're a mage, right? But your fighting style... it's strange. Too reliant on basic spells, not tactical enough."
Reinh felt slightly offended, but he knew Ghyfin was right. "I'm... still adapting," he replied softly.
Ghyfin snorted quietly. "Adapting or committing suicide. In Tierias, the line is thin." She held out her hand. "Can you stand?"
Reinh accepted Ghyfin's offered hand and stood up, his legs still a little shaky. "Thank you. You... saved my life."
"Next time, don't take missions that are clearly beyond your capabilities alone," Ghyfin said, her tone slightly softer, but still firm. "Luck doesn't always strike twice."
There was an awkward silence between them. Reinh didn't know what else to say. Ghyfin looked around, making sure there were no more threats.
"You should head back to Sekandaya soon," Ghyfin said finally. "This place isn't for solo adventurers like you. At least, not yet."
"What about you?" Reinh asked.
"I have other business around here." Ghyfin didn't elaborate. She turned, ready to leave.
"Wait!" Reinh called out. "What's your name?" Even though he already knew, he felt he had to ask.
Ghyfin turned slightly. "Ghyfin." Then, without waiting for Reinh's reply, she leaped onto a large tree branch and disappeared among the dense foliage with an agility that left Reinh gaping again.
Reinh stood alone in the now quiet swamp, only the groans of the dying Broodmother audible. He felt a mixture of relief, shame, and immense curiosity about Ghyfin. The woman was strong, mysterious, and had just saved him. He owed her his life. And he hadn't even had a chance to ask why Ghyfin was in this dangerous place alone.
With his remaining strength, Reinh cut off a few poisonous fangs from the Broodmother's carcass as proof of his mission, then hurried to leave Shadowfen Den before night truly fell or other monsters appeared. His encounter with Ghyfin left more questions than answers in his mind.