By the following week, the reality of his new situation began to set in on Neron.
He was officially a Three Star Adventurer now, and that came with expectations. Expectations he was determined to meet without relying on magic.
After collecting his Three Star badge the previous week, he had been approached by different recruiting agents who wanted him in their guilds.
He had turned down each and everyone of their requests as he thought it was too early to make a commitment and he wasn't sure of what exactly he wanted to do with his new status.
For some reason, this only increased his appeal to the guilds as they made their offers more juicy to entice him.
They refused to understand and understand his refusal.
He understood that most of his appeal was due to his mysterious persona. No one knew who he was behind the mask.
The news of how he had been the top scorer without using magic too had spread like wildfire and there were different theories about how strong he was.
Instructor Elda's words echoed in his mind as he made his way through the bustling training grounds of the guild he had taken his exams in.
For some reasons, he had a degree of loyalty to the guild which might have influenced his decision not to join a more prominent one.
He regarded it as a temporary affiliation though as he knew that he had to be unattached to build a reputation amongst the community.
The afternoon sun cast long shadows, but Nero's thoughts were focused inward, on the challenge ahead.
It wasn't long before he found himself standing before the quest board, a large wooden structure plastered with various missions, each one promising rewards and dangers in equal measure.
According to several Adventurers, the recent quest had been dangerous, but that was why the rewards were high.
As he scanned the notices, one quest caught his eye: Cave of the Wyrms - Exterminate the Monster Infestation."
The description was brief, but it didn't need to be elaborate.
The cave was notorious for being infested with a variety of monsters, many of which had driven out the previous adventurers who had dared to venture in.
There was a small map on the paper on the back of the paper on how to reach the cave and he knew the directions.
With a deep breath, Nero stepped into the cave. The darkness enveloped him immediately, the air thick with the scent of damp earth.
As soon as he entered, he could hear the faint skittering of claws on stone and the low growl of a creature hidden in the shadows.
His eyes adjusted quickly, and he moved forward with silent precision, his sword drawn and ready.
~WHOOSHHHH!!!~
The first creature that lunged at him was fast, a blur of scales and teeth. But Nero was faster.
He sidestepped the attack, his blade flashing in the dim light as it sliced through the creature's side.
GUARKK!!!
It let out a shriek before collapsing to the ground and he could see that it was an ogre.
Nero didn't stop to examine his work. There were more creatures deeper in the cave, and they would be drawn to the scent of blood.
The further he went, the more the cave seemed to come alive as he was attacked by creatures of all shapes and sizes.
He could now understand why the cave held that much of a reputation among the Adventurers.
It wasn't the strength of the monsters as much as their numbers. They were so much that he felt himself getting fatigued after a while.
He was almost tempted to use magic to quickly end it all.
Nero gritted his teeth, ignoring the pull, focusing only on the task at hand.
As he walked to the following floor, the ground beneath him suddenly gave way and he found himself falling.
He twisted himself in midair just in time to land upright as debris rained on him.
He dusted himself then looked around to see where he was.
"Shit?" He muttered feeling something akin to fear for the first time since he entered the cave.