Chương 23: Chapter 22 - The Dawn of Artigan

Everyone seen the new video? @Tiredmanis (Verified, R5) Holy shit, how the hell did the Adventurer's Guild drop the ball on this? @PTB (Verified, R5) *2025 Realmnet, in a group forum reserved for verified accounts that have passed the Fifth Trial. Ryan took a deep shaking breath. It wasn't that he was out of breath from jogging for two hours. It was more the fact that he was about to meet his maker. He knocked on the door of a fairly worn-down house. It wasn't his childhood home.

They had to downsize to something cheaper. He still blamed himself for that. At least the neighborhood wasn't terrible. Early risers were out and about, going through their morning routine. The birds chirpin- The door flung open.

"Ryan Robinson! What the hell is wrong with you?! We were worried sick!" The shouting was loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear. His mother, Mrs. Robinson, cared little for the looks as she glared at her son, hands on her hips, demanding answers. Ryan cleared his throat, more nervous about this than fighting the Skeleton Lord.

"I wanted to say sorry in person. Can I come in?" His mom narrowed her eyes. He had expected more yelling and maybe even an ear pulling, but she just moved aside and let him inside. Her expression softened slightly.

"So, why have you not answered your phone or any texts? Do you know how worried we were?"

"Sorry I had -""Your dad and I were worried sick! Money? Your health is more important than hospital bills!"

"Mom!" Ryan cut her off.

"Don't you mom me. What's so important that-""Sorry, I had a date." He winced as he said it. That had been Clara's brilliant plan. Now he regretted saying it. His mind had been stuck on The Realm for too much of the run, and by the time he'd gotten to his parent's house he hadn't come up with a better excuse. He continued.

"I wasn't thinking straight. I'm sorry." Mrs. Robinson's expression softened. She took a step back and took stock of her son's guilty demeanor. Ryan tried to look like he wasn't lying, but he just… couldn't. His mom was too good at spotting lies— She gave him a hug.

"Oh, Ryan-""Ryan! Is that my son down there?!" Ryan stiffened as his dad walked down the stairs, stern as a board.

"Hi Dad."

"Your mother and I were worried sick-""Not now, dear," his mom cut him off. Mr. Robinson looked betrayed at the sudden dismissal.

"But we promised-""Not. Now. You can have your time with him later." Ryan's eyes narrowed at his own parents. They had been planning to ambush him. One parent into another, the old one-two. His mom narrowed her eyes back, daring him to mention it. He decided retreat was the better option here. Then, his mom hugged him"I was so worried. Do you want to talk about it?" Ah. Ryan's eyes started to water. He couldn't believe he'd been thinking about ghosting his parents. He hugged her back. What a fucking idiot he was.

"Thanks, Mom, I - no, I don't want to talk about it. Sorry." His mom leaned back so she could look up at her son.

"That's fine. I can harass that Clara girl from the hospital until she tells me who dares to reject my baby boy." Ryan laughed. Everything was okay. – He had an awkward breakfast with his dad, who kept pelting him with questions. His mom had actually come to the rescue, telling his dad off for bothering him. He was somehow in the clear. Ryan had to give credit where credit was due. Clara's idea had actually worked. He went to bed in his old room. When he woke up, it was just a little past noon.

His body feeling great as it completely caught up to his realm two enhancements. He cricked his neck as he checked his phone. Milock: I'm outside your parents' house. Barry told me to pick you up whenever you were ready. Take your time. He blinked, then shook his head. What else could the old orc even teach him? Actually, that wasn't completely fair. He did learn a lot in such a short amount of time with the orc. He should at least give the trial run a go. There was just one problem.

-- His mother had an iron grip on his arm.

"Sorry, Mom, I want—need to go. I need to be out and doing stuff. Milo's got a thing ready and everything."

"Ryan! You were barely here for half a day, and you slept through most of it! I miss my baby boy—and the doctor said to keep you under watch!"

"It's okay, I'll have Milock and others to look after me. I won't be out of their sight!" His mom narrowed her eyes at Milock's beat-up car. His friend was distinctly trying to hide from Mrs. Robinson's glare. She pointed a finger at Milock.

"You! You tell me the moment something happens!" Milock waved nervously back at his mother.

"Of course, Mrs. Robinson! You can trust me to keep him safe." After a bit of escaping from his mother's vice grip, Ryan ran to his friend, surprised at how relatively painless it had been. The two of them drove off before his mother changed her mind. Milock let out a whistle.

"Holy shit, man, I'm surprised she's letting you go. Actually, I'm surprised you're still alive."

"All Clara's idea." Ryan paused as Milock reached over to open the glove box.

"What are you looking for?" Milock took out a thick homemade metal case. The outer layers looked like it was made out of junk, but it was lined with dampening fabric on the inside.

"We should have done this from the start. Here give me your phone." Ryan just looked at him.

"Really?"

"You never know. Phones are always listening. Better safe than sorry. Especially after that video."

"What video?"

"Oh shit, you haven't seen it, here let me pull it up. It's been posted on all the major sites. All with the user with a variation of GamGam." The video was titled: 'Dawn of Artigan' It started off with Garbolt.

"Today we're going to hunt the most evil first realm blacklister in the Guild's history. He is a true villain. A dangerous S achiever and a team killer. He has taken the life of a talented adventurer, a child of dragonslayers! Zedart! We hunt this monster for you!" This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Oh no. Garbolt heroically stepped into the portal without looking behind him. The video playing the tune of a familiar rising beat. It was the tune of dawn of the adventurers.

Lute, harmonica, soothing taps on wooden drums. It started off embodying the quiet rise of adventurers in the wake of a devastating war with the Tyrants. No more soldiers. Just adventurers fighting monsters and securing The Realm for the people. Then it switched views. The twang of the percussion snapped as it displayed Ryan in his full [Rogue] fitment. The lower half of the hood showing a sinister, psychotic grin. He stabbed Garbolt in the stomach and kicked him out of the portal.

"I destroyed Garbolt's camera… What the hell?"

"Shh." The only explanation was that Gamielle had recreated the scene with her illusions. What a bullshit way to use a goddamn Legendary skill. Then the video showed Garbolt's team looking like fools as they used the formation 'Storm Rush' into an empty chamber. The music started to change into an ominous beat as the team walked down the halls of the reliquary. The video sped up until the team was fighting off the guardian. The drums increased in tempo.

This drumbeat wasn't part of 'dawn of the adventurers' the drums were obnoxiously getting louder, ignoring the combat between Garbolt's team and the Guardian. The drums rose tempo and volume until suddenly, they stopped. Then Ryan revealed himself in the tunnel. The scenes captured seamlessly as he tore apart Garbolt's team in the quickest manner possible. He, no Artigan, kept grinning like a psychopath. The drums and music quietened as Artigan gave Garbolt's team an ultimatum.

They retreated with their heads held low. Then the music opened on another note as a crash echoed out in the tunnel. Garbolt's team argued and decided to go back and kill the blacklister. They all agreed in a righteous, heroic rush. The music of Dawn of the Adventurers started rising again. The strings and wooden drums coming in hot. Adventurers turning to hunt down a monster.

"He's trying to solo a six-scaled Trial." Garbolt's awed voice echoed through the video as it cut the music and sent chills down Ryan's spine. The video showed him dancing with the golem as he started to lose himself in the memory. One mistake and he'd be crushed to paste. Yet he wanted to do it again.

"We need to put him down now." The music rose to meet the determination in Garbolt's voice. Once again heroic. The video melded with memory as Ryan started playing it back in his head. He whispered the words at the same time as the video.

"I gave you all a chance!" Dawn of the Adventurers reached its crescendo as the sinister drumbeats started playing in tandem. The music clashed as Ryan started sprinting at Garbolt. A counter appeared in the corner of the video: 0/4"This is my favorite bit." Milock said. It snapped Ryan out of his daze. Artigan jump-parried and double-jumped in the air. The blacklister looked like an avenging angel. One arm holding Zedart's longsword, pointing down. His other arm pointing a black pistol at the cameraman. Trevolt.

Bang! Bang! The bullets followed the drumbeat. Dawn of the Adventurers now drowning out under the sound of the drums. 1 / 4 The cameraman fell down. The drums smashed down with every step that Artigan took. He sprinted at the other [Rogue] with his longsword. Chris broke and ran away, the shaky camera capturing footage of his terrified face. 2 / 4 The guardian smashed the [Warrior] into paste behind him. There was no gore. It just showed Kingsley's heroic sacrifice.

And the perspective of getting crushed by a giant golem. 3 / 4 The video skipped his words about how Zedart had attacked him first. But it captured everything else perfectly as Ryan finally realized how Gamielle had gotten the rest of the footage. He had never checked Kingsley's body. He had just assumed the device had been crushed. If Trevolt had a body cam then he'd missed it. There was no more music, no more drums. Just him.

"I gave you all a chance! I gave you two chances, Garbolt!" It somehow showed Garbolt with tears in his eyes. An angle born out of illusion magic, no doubt. The leader of the Storm Bears looked every bit like a tragic hero. Some part of Ryan wished Garbolt had won. That was what should have happened, adventurers were supposed to beat the monster or retreat in chaos. They weren't supposed to die like this. He stood heroically, bashing his weapon against his shield.

"Then finish me! One on one! Show me how you killed Zedart!"

"No, no more chances." And more lies showed as Ryan slowly made Garbolt into a pincushion as the man tried to hold out against both the Trial guardian and a [Rogue] shooting him from afar. It made him out to be a monster. The last scene was of Artigan walking through the devastation and towards the portal. An angle where there should have been no camera. The [Rogue] stepped into the portal to the boss room. No posturing, no declarations. Just the destruction of everything else in the chamber.

A stark contrast between Garbolt's entry to the Trial. The ending snapped him out of his memory.

"That was… That, uh." He wasn't sure how to explain himself. The video was exaggerated, enhanced and focused on the wrong parts. It made him look like a psycho. His lower face wasn't even the same, it was more angular, like an elf's. He didn't smile like that, did he?

"That was fucking amazing!" Milock was excited. Like Ryan hadn't just killed three people in the video. He gaped at Milock, his friend blissfully unaware of his turmoil as he scrolled down the video.

"Look at the Realmnet section." - Holy shit, someone's trying the black road from realm 2? Are they an idiot? @Driftnetm (Verified, R3) ↪What the hell is the Guild doing? How'd they manage to let this through? @Teckton (Realmer) - No Second Sector exits reported any sightings. Idiot probably died, right? A six scaled Trial. He's probably lost his safety life and is crying at home. @inversebolter (Realmer) ↪Haven't you heard? He's Destined. He might be camping Earth.

@asymptoppler (Unverified) ↪This is why I've been saying Destined shouldn't have their identity protected anymore. It was useful against Earthers, but we're not at war with them anymore. @orionsand ↪You're the idiot if you think we should let our guard down with Earth. Anyway, this blacklister needs to be put down. I'm putting more money on that bounty.

@Ta'kar (Realmer) The highest voted messages on the Realmnet were all of concern and debate, meanwhile the messages by Earthers on the regular internet were more mixed. Some having the same concerns, others… - Holy shit, the other team was garbo. Garbo Garbolt. That dumbass blacklister is dead too. Only one Common and an Uncommon against a six-scale boss. Is he stupid? @tricolo234 ↪He did get a gun. @Loterewr33 ↪Oh yeah, lmfao, holy shit, that team needs to get its status revoked. Garbo Garbolt. Losers.

@tricolo234 - Pause the scene here, man, holy shit, I don't think I've seen a realm one adventurer look that dangerous before. @Milococo2 ↪My new wallpaper. Gotta admire crazy idiots like that. Too bad he's probably dead. @Migiiiii ↪Holy fuck, get off his dick. Dude just killed an entire team of people. @Leaflegends2200"Milococo2 is me, by the way." Milock bragged, proud of getting the second most upvoted comment on a trending video. Ryan didn't know how to react to that. He settled on laughing.

– A few minutes later, they pulled up at an apartment complex.

"Wait, this isn't Barry's place."

"Nope, we're picking up someone. Barry's orders."

"What? Who?" Milock smiled mysteriously.

"Guess." They didn't have to wait long as a frazzled Clara opened the gate and stomped outside. It looked like she did her best to keep up a smile but gave up after five steps. She opened the rear door behind Milock and plopped herself in. She looked miserable. That was fair considering she had the graveyard shift last night. She looked up blearily.

"Could we get some coffee on the way?" Milock took out the phone lockbox and opened it for Clara.

"Phone, please." Clara gave an uncharacteristic death glare to Milock. She almost looked ready to fight to the death." Why?" Ryan decided to interject before Milock put his foot in his mouth.

"Just being safe. You'll see both our phones are here too. Uh, my identity is a little complicated." Clara was clearly tired after her graveyard shift. She gave him a stink eye as well, then put her phone in the box.

"So, the big man who's a Destined now gives orders, huh?" She scoffed.

"Yeah, that's right, I figured it out, me! Barry realized it, but you didn't, Haha!" Ryan looked at Milock.

"We should get her some coffee."

"Yeah."

"Duh." – After a coffee with an extra shot of berserker brew, Clara was back to her chirpy self. The change was so sudden that Ryan was certain it had to be mostly placebo.

"So… spill everything," Clara said.

"What class did you pick? Ooo what did the Manager look like to you? What about the skeleton boss? Was the undead as smelly as people say it is? Oooh ooh, did you find a team yet?" Oh boy, he thought. Ryan had no idea what Barry was thinking by inviting her.

"Well, uh."

"What's wrong? Thought you'd be more excited to share. Wasn't this your dream?" Ryan winced, then looked back. She'd noticed that and was now looking at him with concern. He sighed as he remembered Barry's lesson three. Maybe Barry had a point. Ryan would probably feel better if he told someone that wasn't Milock the truth.

"Well, just listen." On the thirty-minute drive, Ryan tried to tell her as much as he could. It shouldn't have taken so long, but she kept asking questions. Many of which made it clear that she didn't know half as much about The Realm as Milock did. He did omit the part about losing a safety life. He still hadn't told Milock about that yet, and he wasn't sure if he really wanted to. She still understood enough.

"That's insane." Clara said for the tenth time.

"A-are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so." When it was obvious she wasn't buying it, he decided to tell her the truth.

"I don't know. It comes and goes."

"What does?" Milock asked. Clara gave Milock a look that clearly showed her disbelief in Milo's inability to empathize what was going on in Ryan's mind. Milock looked at Ryan then turned back to Clara.

"What? Ryan's fine. He isn't any different from usual. He's been kicking ass in The Realm. It's shit what's happening to him but he's going to be so strong later it'll all be worth it."

"You're an idiot, Milock." Clara declared. – Ryan kept an eye out for any orcs hiding in bushes as they knocked on Barry's door. He wondered what it said about him when he was a little disappointed that Barry just opened the door normally.

"Barry!" Clara shouted.

"Alright, come in, I've made some tea."

"No thanks, we already had coffee." Clara politely but firmly declined. For a moment, Clara and Barry just glared at each other, finding another point in contention. Ryan chuckled, remembering the Manaburger confrontation from last night. This time, with the pride of coffee over tea on the line, Clara refused to back down. Barry just chuckled. Then the orc blinked and looked behind the three of them. His humor dying down.

"Goddamnit Seff, I said we'd meet at your place."" Bearry!" The voice shook the entire neighborhood and made the three friends jump in surprise. All three of them turned around. Ryan had been careful to check his surroundings this time. There shouldn't have been anyone— And there, a real adventurer stood. She had her arms up in celebration and pure joy. All three of them immediately recognized her. This one wasn't just an adventurer, but had fought in the war as well.

A large woman, quite a bit taller than Ryan, wearing bright silvery armor with a tint of blue. Enchantments woven into metal that was forged by the Dwarven Tyrant himself. THE heroine of America. She who first stood up against injustice. The first responder against the Tyrants. A ninth realm adventurer. Retired but not forgotten. Still more popular than any of the last three presidents. Seffara the Sapphire. It was the last person a blacklisted team killer would ever want to see.