Scroll 37: Assembling the Farming Party

The smell of sulfur and a scorching heat. Alaster could feel it directly on his skin as he stood atop a black, charred, and misshapen rock that loomed like a natural monolith. Some four meters below, a river of lava burbued and hissed with violence. Looking up, the sky stretched out in a blood-red hue, cut by the horizon of hundreds of smoking volcanoes.

The heat was so dense it warped the air, but to Joseph, all of this was already standard fare. It felt like just another day at the office—or rather, another night in an elven dream.

He knew perfectly well he was dreaming because, deep down, he could perceive the brush of soft sheets against his legs, just as he still remembered the kiss Mila had given him shortly before leaving. He was always conscious during the night, and worst of all, there was no time dilation; he felt every single hour pass. The only real advantage was that his body required no more than five hours of sleep, and he could bend the environment to his will.

Bored of playing the villain in his own mind, he decided to leap into the void. Instantly, a small island of rock surged from the lava to catch him in his descent.

The Mordor-style castle he had raised on the volcano's slope had already grown monotonous; he had spent four hours building it before blowing it to pieces with a pyroclastic flow that swept everything in its path. It was time to wake up. Besides, the air was beginning to smell like breakfast.

Alaster opened his eyes and saw Mila walking through the bedroom door. The space was vast. The bed was framed by a canopy draped in fine fabrics, and in the distance, a dresser with a mirror served as a vanity, alongside several bookshelves and paintings.

A glass window stretched from floor to ceiling, opening up to a terrace; the door was wide open, letting the wind play with the curtains and usher in a cool breeze that mingled with the aroma of coffee and bacon Mila carried on a metal tray.

"Good morning, Al!" Mila greeted him with a radiant smile.

She was perfectly dressed in a white skirt, a dark blue bodice that left her shoulders bare, and ankle boots matching the same blue hue. She set the tray down on the nightstand while Alaster watched her from the mattress.

"I really have to run," Mila mentioned. "It's ten o'clock, and I need to speak with Jinneth about some merchant permits."

"Morning, Mily," Alaster replied, blinking away his drowsiness. "Meeting up with Jin... What exactly do you two have to do together?"

Alaster made a move to get out of bed, but froze when he realized he was stark naked. He let go of the sheet he was about to throw off and stayed seated, ensuring the duvet modestly covered his legs and toned torso.

Turning around, he caught Mila watching him with amusement, resting in a patient pose with a hand hitched on her hip. She stood silhouetted against the terrace window; the morning daylight streaming in made the fabric of her skirt translucent, tracing the outline of her thighs.

"Uh... shouldn't you be leaving?" Alaster asked.

"Yes, but I can wait a little..." Mila took a step forward, her voice thick with mischief. "Why so shy now? You weren't shy at all last night."

Alaster narrowed his eyes.

«If you want to play, let's play.»

He whipped the duvet off and stood up at the side of the bed. Mila bit her lower lip upon seeing him fully, but the moment Alaster tried to close the distance, she held out her hands to check him.

"Not so fast, elf. I really have to go."

Joseph sighed internally.

"Breakfast it is, then."

He raised a hand and, after gathering mana for a few seconds, tore through reality with his fingertip. In an instant, several articles of clothing dropped directly into his hands: a white linen shirt, underwear, and a pair of sturdy-looking brown trousers.

He tossed them onto the bed and took a swift step toward Mila, remaining completely naked. She flinched slightly in surprise but planted her hands firmly against the elf's chest.

"I don't have time, Al, seriously..." she said.

"So you get to run off with my girlfriend to do who-knows-what, and I’m stuck here cooped up like a good, studious boy?" Alaster asked, leaning in slightly.

Mila slowly trailed her gaze up to lock eyes with his, her smooth hands starting to stroke the elf's torso.

"You're staying here because you're a bad boy wanted by the guard," the mature woman countered smoothly. "Besides, last night you told me you had plenty of spells to study, and if I recall correctly, I also handed you two quests. I highly doubt the guard will manage to find you now that you've changed your hair color anyway, and regardless, I'm sorting that matter out today. By tomorrow, you'll be able to go back to your beautiful blue hair."

«Back to studying then.» Alaster thought, resigned.

The short-range teleportation spell, Blink, was his ticket to freedom—or at least his best option to flee whenever a situation demanded it. He tried to pull Mila by the waist with a bit more force, but she held her ground, keeping him at arm's length.

"No, no, no," she warned.

Alaster finally let her go. Mila stepped back a few paces and tossed her hair, letting out a heavy sigh; the truth was, the moment had left her quite flushed.

With a graceful motion, she produced a key and set it on the nightstand. The second she saw Alaster take a step toward her, she bolted toward the bedroom door, looking back at him over her shoulder.

"I'm leaving... I'm leaving..." she managed to say before clicking the door shut. Alaster could hear her huffing in the outer hallway as she walked away.

A few minutes later, now dressed, Alaster spent some time exploring the mansion. Stepping through the white-varnished double doors of Mila’s room, he walked down a well-lit corridor lined with windows on one side. Through the glass, the garden was visible, bordered by a high wall facing the street.

Out in the courtyard, there was a tiled pavilion structure—open-walled, supported by wooden beams, and floored with sturdy planks. The area featured several chairs, a central table, and two sofas that, while not new, were immaculate. It was the perfect staging ground to review the magic texts.

Alaster settled onto one of the sofas and stacked the grimoires beside him. First, he leafed through the tome for Bending, the highest-tier spatial spell in his possession, but it proved to be a disappointment.

Not only was he incapable of memorizing the sheer volume of symbols it demanded, but it also required a staggering 10,000 mana points. Even with his spatial attribute reduction, it was completely out of reach; he would need to gain many levels to expand his energy reserves, increase his intelligence to visualize the thousands of diagrams, and secure a catalyst with a far greater storage capacity.

As for Disruption, it was considerably easier to pick up. It consumed a total of 2,500 mana points, which thanks to his attribute was slashed down to just 250 points for him. It would undoubtedly become his most potent spell once mastered, but anyone witnessing him cast it would instantly know he possessed the spatial attribute. He decided to learn it but ruled out using it lightly; he would reserve it strictly for emergencies.

Finally, there was Blink. This one was a mandatory learn. It carried a base cost of 200 mana points as a common B-rank spell, but it would only cost him 20 mana points due to his affinity, while also allowing him to cover a greater distance than usual.

Those were the grimoires that had practically cost him nothing. Then there were the ones he had actually purchased, like one Feralt had recommended. It wouldn't have crossed Alaster’s mind that such a spell existed, but he was determined to study it right after mastering spatial blinking.

It was a support enchantment, Iron Skin, which granted a physical defense boost to both the caster and all party members within the area of effect. It was a mid-tier, C-rank spell; according to the elven merchant, mastering it would make him highly sought after by warriors and frontline fighters. He had other volumes like Nebula, but that one would require at least five full days of dedicated focus.

«Right now I don't have much coin, but if I learn Blink for emergencies and Iron Skin for the party, I should be ready to head out on the adventure to hunt down that Golem.» he calculated in his mind.

The elf spent the next two days dividing his time between daytime study sessions in the pavilion and nighttime anatomical studies alongside Mila. Finally, by the third day, Alaster's spell repertoire had expanded from four to six, and he made his way to the guild to meet her.

Crossing through the building's double doors, Alaster already had a clear blueprint of what needed to be done. Through his interactions with the receptionist, he had not only enjoyed good times but had also gathered crucial information for his survival.

He knew he needed to form a temporary party to fulfill the suppression quest for the Sandstone Golem; Mila had explained that eliminating it was urgent due to how close it was to the town of Toel. To secure that temporary party, all he required was to recruit a couple of melee classes who could hold the frontline, allowing him to discharge his magic attacks from a safe distance.

"Nothing to it," he muttered to himself.

Technically, the process was identical to any role-playing video game back on Earth: just approach adventurers of a similar level to his own and pitch the contract.

«Someone under level twenty-five, some rookies... just like me.» he thought as he scanned the main hall packed with tables, searching for a vanguard in heavy armor.

As he surveyed the room, his eyes locked with Liena's. The halfling was sitting at a table flanked by other adventurers. Alaster decided to head over to say hello and see if an opportunity presented itself. As he navigated past the occupied tables, the voices of the group began to cut through clearly.

"It's unthinkable, it truly baffled me," Liena was saying, her brows furrowed. "I'm amazed you managed to kill twenty goblins with that formation—or rather, with your total lack of one."

The five adventurers seated around her exchanged glances, visibly uncomfortable.

"But, instructor," whined a burly, red-haired youth in metal armor who carried a massive greatsword strapped to his back, "it’s the fault of these useless clods. I told them they just needed to back me up, but..."

"Tagard," Liena cut him off sharply, "you're the absolute worst. You don't follow orders and you're never in the right position. This is the worst rookie party in the clan, and that's me being nice."

Liena paused as she noticed Alaster's presence. From the way she looked at him, she didn't seem to recognize him at first due to his altered appearance.

"A few days away and you don't even recognize your neighbor?" Alaster asked with a smirk, coming to a halt at the edge of the table.

The halfling's blue eyes widened completely as she identified the voice.

"Alaster?"

Liena evaluated him from head to toe for a second. Her heart skipped a beat looking at the elf; he looked entirely different dressed in those linen clothes, projecting the aura of a true professional.

Alaster, meanwhile, felt the weight of everyone's stare at the table. The party was a mixed bag: besides Tagard, the greatsword youth, there was another young man in full plate armor with spiky blonde hair; a girl in light leather armor; another young woman in light metal armor; and a female archer resting a bow across her lap.

Alaster cataloged them swiftly in his mind: two warriors, one tank, one archer, and one thief. They were all higher level than him, excluding Liena, who as a scout possessed an advanced class and a tier far above the rest.

"W... why don't you take a seat, Al?" Liena offered, shifting over slightly.

"Sure."

Alaster pulled a chair from the adjacent table and settled in beside the halfling, offering a general smile to the group.

"What are you up to these days, elf? I haven't seen you around the inn for days," Liena asked.

"It's a long story, but right now I'm actually looking for a party to complete a suppression quest."

Liena arched one of her thin brows, surprise registering on her face. "Aren't you level twelve?" she asked.

"No, I'm level fifteen," Alaster clarified.

From across the table, an irritated voice disrupted the exchange. It was Tagard.

"Instructor, who even is this elf?"

Liena let out a weary sigh. "This is Alaster, a... friend I met recently. Alaster, this is a group of rookies I’m training for my clan."

It was the second time Alaster had heard Liena mention the word "clan," but he still didn't quite grasp how that structure operated in this world.

"What's a clan? Is it like a large party?" he asked without an ounce of shame.

Liena smiled at his ignorance. "I forgot you're a rookie too."

"This elf is a rookie?" the archer inquired. She was a young woman with very light blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail and sharp green eyes.

"Yes, Elase," Liena confirmed. "But as you probably just heard, Alaster is already level fifteen."

Alaster smiled and extended his hand toward her in greeting. "Hey, Elase."

The girl gave him a soft squeeze. Alaster responded with a gentle, polite gesture; the archer flushed slightly and hastily withdrew her hand, suddenly finding herself very busy adjusting the bow in her lap.

Tagard, the greatsword user, glared at the elf with a deep frown. "Instructor, why are we wasting time on this guy?"

Liena glanced at him sideways but didn't bother responding to him directly. She turned back to Alaster.

"Al... a clan is a large organization registered with the guild, but it operates independently. It's much larger, more formal, and better structured than a common party."

Alaster nodded, processing the explanation.

"What quest are you running?" Liena continued. "Maybe these rookies can be of use to you. They're all between levels twenty and twenty-five."

Alaster observed them carefully. Despite their complaints, the team composition was actually quite balanced.

"I need to take down a Sandstone Golem," the elf explained. "I believe it's level twenty-seven. I'm paying ten silver coins to each person."

Liena let out a sudden chuckle as she saw the virtues' eyes go wide. She knew these rookies had never seen a mage-exclusive quest and had no clue that Alaster would pull in a vastly higher primary reward than that.

"What?!" the thief exclaimed. She kept her hood pulled low over her head, so only her mouth and a few strands of black hair were visible, leaving the rest of her features in shadow. "Why does it pay so much?"

Liena smiled knowingly.

"Is this some kind of trap?" asked the warrior in full plate armor, the youth with the spiky blonde hair.

"No, it's no trap," Liena interjected before Alaster could speak. "The thing is, Alaster is a mage. Since most of you have never worked alongside one, you wouldn't know, but a mage's offensive power is vastly superior to a warrior's."

Tagard scoffed, crossing his arms arrogantly. "We already do perfectly fine with my greatsword. Any damage that needs doing, I can handle by myself. Besides, why should we have to work with this...?"

"Because I say so," Liena cut him off with a firm tone that brooked no argument. "Furthermore, Tagard, if you don't want to go, I don't think they'll miss you much with a mage on the team."

Alaster looked at her with evident surprise. Liena was carrying herself completely differently from the shy girl he remembered back at the inn; here, executing her role as an instructor, she commanded absolute authority.

The thief leaned toward the light-armored female warrior next to her. "Hey, Remis! What do you think?" she whispered. "It's way more than we make hunting goblins."

Remis let out a long breath, weighing the situation. "I need the coin."

"And I want to buy another weapon," the thief added, a smile hidden beneath her hood.

Elase, the archer, also chimed in from her seat: "I want to pay for a real inn. I'm sick of sleeping in a tent at the campsite."

Liena smiled, seeing the proposal gain traction. "This is your chance," she told the five of them. "If you complete this quest, which is classified as D-rank, you'll earn a solid amount of guild points along with the silver. You’ll be one step closer to entering a real party within the Fire Blade clan."

The group began to murmur among themselves, visibly excited by the prospect of advancing. Liena turned back to the elf.

"Al... I really don't think you'll be able to do much damage to the golem using ice spears or fire arrows. Those basic elemental attacks are too weak against a stone enemy."

Alaster nodded, acknowledging the technical warning. "I also have two stronger spells," he explained. "Among them, a mid-tier, C-rank fireball."

Liena arched one of her thin brows, sinking into her thoughts.

«If he already knew that spell, why didn't he use it against the Wyvern?... Unless... unless he didn't know it back then. But it's impossible to learn a spell of that level in just five days... Or he simply lacked the necessary catalyst gear to channel it... Yes, that must be it.» she concluded internally.

Alaster averted his gaze for a split second toward the guild's main counter. Mila was there. Noting his glance, the receptionist flashed him a swift smile before returning her attention to the female adventurer in front of her. She had been very clear: no talking to her without a business reason while she was on duty.

Since he had no paperwork to file at the counter, it was best to head out the moment he finalized the deal with the party. First, they would have to travel to the town of Toel and seek out a man named Norde.

"Well," Liena concluded, standing up. "Al... I recommend you follow Remis's leads during the trek. She’s the party leader and has experience coordinating combat."

Alaster stood up as well and looked at the female warrior. "Remis, it’ll be a pleasure working with you."

The young woman returned the gesture with a firm nod and a smile.

"It's settled then," Elase and the thief added, while Tagard kept grumbling in his corner about how they didn't need outside help to finish off the monster.

As the party began to clear out from the table, Liena called over the leader.

"Remis... take my carriage. That way you won't have to walk the entire distance to the town."

The halfling stared fixedly at Alaster for a second before adding aloud for everyone:

"Don't be foolish. Don't go getting yourselves killed by that thing."