Morning came slowly to Riverwood. Soft sunlight crept through the small window of Alex's room at the Silver Leaf Inn, lighting the wooden floor and the small table beside his bed. Outside, the town was already waking up. Merchants began opening their shops, carts rolled along the streets, and the distant clang of a blacksmith's hammer echoed through the air.
Alex stirred and opened his eyes. For a moment he stayed still, staring at the ceiling as he woke up fully. Then the memories of yesterday returned. The goblin hunt. The Goblin Brute. And most importantly… Kael. Alex sat up and rubbed his face.
"That guy is trouble," he muttered.
The man knew too much. Even worse, he had mentioned the system directly. Alex still had no idea if Kael truly knew the truth or if he was simply testing him. Either way, it meant one thing. Alex needed to be more careful.
He stretched his arms and stood up. Immediately, the familiar glowing system screen appeared in front of him.
Host: Alex VarynLevel: 6
Strength: 5Agility: 6Intelligence: 1Mana: 0
Skills:• Analyze Lv.1• Vital Recovery Lv.1
Equipment Bonus:• Ring of Minor Agility (+1 Agility)
Alex studied the screen for a moment.
"Still no mana," he sighed.
In a world where most fighters used magic or special abilities, having zero mana was a major weakness. But the system seemed to compensate by improving his physical abilities much faster than normal. Still, he couldn't rely on that forever.
"I need more skills."
He had already used the skill point from the goblin quest, but gaining new abilities would make future battles much safer. After putting on his leather armor and attaching his dagger to his belt, Alex headed downstairs. The innkeeper greeted him with a small smile.
"Good morning."
"Morning," Alex replied.
"Heading to the guild again?"
"That's the plan."
She handed him a simple breakfast of bread and eggs.
"Try not to start another monster war today."
Alex laughed lightly.
"No promises."
After finishing the meal, he stepped outside. The streets were lively as usual. Riverwood might have been a small frontier town, but it was an important stop for merchants traveling between larger cities. Which meant adventurers were always needed.
Alex made his way toward the Adventurer Guild. But before he reached it, something unusual caught his attention. A small group of townspeople had gathered near the notice board in the town square. They were talking loudly, their voices filled with concern.
"…I'm telling you, the guards found it this morning!"
"…Near the northern forest!"
"…Completely destroyed…"
Alex slowed his steps. Curious, he moved closer to the group. One of the men noticed him.
"You're an adventurer, right?"
Alex nodded.
"Yeah. Why?"
The man pointed toward the notice board.
"Something attacked a merchant caravan last night."
Alex frowned.
"Bandits?"
The man shook his head.
"Worse."
Another villager spoke up nervously.
"The guards said the wagons were smashed… and the guards who were protecting it were badly injured."
Alex felt a chill run down his spine.
"What did it?"
The villagers exchanged uneasy looks.
Finally, one of them said quietly:
"They think it was an Ogre."
The word hit Alex like a hammer. Even beginners knew what ogres were.
Large.
Brutal.
Extremely dangerous monsters.
Much stronger than goblins.
Much stronger than wolves.
Alex immediately activated Analyze on the notice board. A new quest paper was pinned there.
Emergency Quest
Monster Threat: Ogre
Location: Northern Forest
Reward: 40 Silver Coins
Danger Level: High
Alex stared at the paper. Forty silver coins was a huge reward. But the danger level told the real story. This was not a normal hunt. Ogres were powerful monsters that usually required multiple experienced adventurers to defeat.
"Looks like the guild is going to be busy today," Alex murmured.
Just as he turned to leave— A familiar voice spoke behind him.
"I was wondering when you'd notice that."
Alex turned around. Kael stood a few steps away, leaning casually against a wooden post. His gray eyes were calm, but there was a serious expression on his face.
"Ogres rarely appear near towns," Kael said.
Alex crossed his arms.
"You already knew about it."
Kael nodded slightly.
"The guild received the report earlier this morning."
Alex looked back at the quest paper.
"So what happens now?"
Kael smiled faintly.
"Now?"
He straightened up.
"Now the adventurers of Riverwood decide whether they're brave…"
His eyes locked with Alex's.
"…or foolish."
And something told Alex that this new monster threat was about to change everything.