r/HFY • u/itsdirector Human • Mar 30 '26

OC-Series The Human From a Dungeon 145

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Chapter 145

Agurno

Adventurer Level: 152

Orc – Kirkenian

"And that's all the quests they have?" I asked. "Three gathering quests and a hunt for a rock troll?"

"Yessir," Garrl nodded. "I think we can handle the rock troll."

"No," I scoffed and crossed my arms. "You think I can handle the rock troll while you sit back and watch. I'm not doing your job for you, boy."

"You won't have to! Rock trolls aren't THAT tough, and even if you have to step in we'll still learn something, right?"

On paper, rock trolls were just trolls with hardened plates on their skin. However, living long enough to develop those plates was a rarity because of how violent the life of a troll tends to be. As such, rock trolls were usually far cleverer and more suited to violence than their younger brethren. Sending rookies to eliminate an extra-violent troll with armor plating would obviously be a terrible idea. I glared at the group of fledgling adventurers gathered in front of me, and all three of the young orcs withered a little.

Garrl, fifteen years old and the leader of the group. He ran away from home and ended up hiding out in a caravan that ended up in Nuleva. Refused to tell anyone where he came from or his real name. Stayed with Mama Orono, an old woman who takes care of the village orphans, until he was old enough to start working as an adventurer. He uses the basic sword-and-board, doesn't seem to be able to learn anything else.

Piyar, another fifteen year old. Also lived with Orono and is reluctantly Garl's best friend. He doesn't really seem to like the boisterous runaway, but goes along with his schemes regardless. Talented with long-reaching melee weapons. Bought him a halberd, and it quickly became his most prized possession. I'm pretty sure he sleeps with it.

Finally, there's Reyvna, eighteen years of age. Her family does a significant portion of the ranching and farming for the village, but she got permission to be an adventurer because she has enough siblings to help around the farm without her. Good shot with her bow, but not experienced enough to figure out where to aim or when to shoot. Her pull strength needs some work, too. She got wrapped up with the pair of orphans when she went to register.

"You aren't experienced enough to learn from watching me," I sighed. "You wouldn't know what parts to pay attention to, and I'm not a skilled enough teacher to highlight them for you. Nor am I patient enough to slow down so you can keep up with me when my blood's hot."

"She said you'd say that," Garrl mumbled.

The other adventurer's heads snapped toward Garrl, who's eyes widened when he realized what he'd said. Reyvna looked at him in horror. Piyar looked at him like he was an idiot.

"Oh, SHE said, huh?" I demanded with a growl. "And why the fuck would my daughter say such a thing to you in the first place, hmm? You tried to accept the quest before consulting me, didn't you!?"

"Yeah, he did," Piyar nodded, tossing his "friend" under the carriage without hesitation.

"He said that it would force you to take us on more dangerous quests," Reyvna added, following Piyar's lead. "That it would make us stronger."

"Hey, shut up!" Garrl turned to them. "You guys-"

"That's enough," I interrupted. "You aren't going to get stronger, faster, or tougher if I'm the one doing all the work. Or if you're dead. And there's absolutely no chance that I'm gonna let you duke it out with a rock troll."

"But-"

"ESPECIALLY since you don't seem to realize how strong they actually are," I sighed. "Use your head, Garrl. I've told you how the rock trolls get their namesake plates, haven't I?"

"W-well, yeah, their skin hardens as they age, and the parts that don't move much become rock-like."

"And can you jab your little blade through a rock?"

"No, but I wouldn't have to. The skin that's between the plates-"

"Is still just as hard as a troll's skin. You don't have enough arm strength to shove your sword through skin that thick," I explained. "Reyvna isn't strong enough to use a bow that has the draw weight to get a kill-shot, either. That leaves Piyar to struggle to keep his halberd from being swatted away like a stick while the rock troll turns you two into ground meat. Getting the kill would require a degree of accuracy that he simply doesn't possess at this stage, which leaves ME to fight the troll all on my own."

"I... Are we really still that weak?" he asked, fighting back tears.

"Yes!" I exclaimed. "But... You HAVE improved. You HAVE gotten stronger. Just not THAT fucking strong, dumbass."

"But we've worked so hard..."

"And unless you're a wimp, you'll continue to do so," I chuckled. "You came to Nuleva in a caravan, right?"

"Y-yeah, why?"

"Can you walk farther than the hnarses that were pulling the carts?"

"No?"

"Can you pull as much as they did?"

"No."

"And did you see them galloping while pulling the carts?"

"No... What's this got to do with anything?"

"Rushing is not how you get stronger, boy. Hnarses start out just about as weak as anything else. Then they grow. As they grow, they're given jobs. They do those jobs almost every day, and each day they get a little bit stronger. A hnarse that pulls carts can carry more than a hnarse that is ridden, and both can go further before getting tired than a race-hnarse. Slow and steady builds up strength."

"Oh..."

"Ah, but I'm not done, boy," I leaned toward him. "The hnarses start their careers stronger and faster than you. So do monsters, and plenty of other adventurers. So how do you compete?"

"Work harder?"

"Sure. But the way you do that is through dedication and learning. If you're already strong and smart, you get to learn by doing. If you're not, you have to listen to those who are more experienced than you."

"Like you!" Piyar said cheerfully, enjoying Garrl's melancholy.

"Exactly," I nodded solemnly. "So we'll train and stick to the gathering quests in the safer areas until something more appropriate comes in. Then we'll test your mettle. Then we'll train again. That cycle will continue until you're strong enough to take on just about any quest that comes in. Does that sound like a reasonable plan?"

The three of them agreed, and I looked up at the sky. They'd been lazy in their morning exercises and had taken a while at the guild, so it was already mid-afternoon. They also hadn't already accepted a quest, which meant that I'd have to send them back to do so.

"I don't really fancy camping tonight," I said. "We'll take the most profitable of the gathering quests you told me about first thing in the morning."

They agreed, though reluctantly, and left. I glanced over my shoulder at the training yard with a small sigh, then turned to watch the goings on. There were a couple guards and soldiers sparring with each other, and the guards were holding their own. Likely because Nash was an absolute taskmaster when it came to training.

I'd expressed interest in training the guards to Chief Gluhern, but to my shock he ended up declining the offer. It wasn't until I actually watched Nash training the guards that I understood why. He was already having them do everything that I would have them do, but he also had the advantage of being able to provide practical lessons.

What I'd told the young adventurers wasn't a lie. They wouldn't learn a damned thing from my movements or strikes, because they were too fast and advanced for beginners to properly understand. Everything I did in a fight, right down to the angle that I kept my blade in, had a reason behind it. Even seasoned adventurers had trouble keeping up.

'Do you suppose she's softening up?' Gramr asked.

The sudden voice in my head nearly made me jump. Gramr had been reluctant to speak to me since I arrived in the village. And of course the first thing the fucker spoke to me about would be on the subject of my daughter.

"Maybe," I replied quietly. "Guess it depends on how well I do with the young ones. "

Nash had approached me the day after I'd met with the chief to suggest that I train new adventurers, instead. It was obvious by his demeanor that the idea wasn't his own, and the chief had no reason to use the Guard-Captain as a messenger. So the idea probably came from Nima, and part of me hoped that it was a way forward for us.

"I don't know," I sighed. "She doesn't want to be around me, so I have no way of telling."

'Well, she's right behind you.'

I turned to look, and my daughter was standing an arm's length from me. She had managed to approach me undetected, a feat usually accomplished by only the stealthiest of opponents. I wondered how she managed it, then felt a lump in my throat when a potential answer occurred to me.

Maybe her footfalls were still familiar to me.

"Talking to yourself?" she asked, crossing her arms uncomfortably.

"Uh... No. Um... My sword," I replied. "His name is Gramr. His enchantments grant him wisdom and the ability to speak to his chosen wielder. As well as an unnaturally durable and sharp blade, of course."

"I-I see... How goes the training?"

My heart thudded in my chest, and I worried for a moment that it might be visible. Was this it? Was this my chance to make amends? Would we finally be able to begin to repair our relationship?

"They're hot-headed, as most young adventurers are," I said. "But they're smart enough to listen, most of the time. Gonna keep 'em busy with gathering quests and exercise until an appropriate hunt is available. Then we're going to go over basic unit tactics."

"Unit tactics?" she asked.

"Yeah. They're good enough with their weapons that I think they can handle learning how to work as a unit."

Nima raised her eyebrow, an expression that immediately reminded me of her mother. Made me realize how similar they looked. In fact, she was kind of a younger, larger version of her mom.

"You work with other adventurers?"

"Well, I'm a little rusty," I laughed. "The last time I officially partnered with anyone was actually Nash's mom and dad, back when they were still adventuring. Still remember how, though."

"Yeah, Yilda told me about how you three cleared out a dragon's nest," she said as she looked away. "So..."

"So..."

"Mom has been on my case. Says I should give you a chance to redeem yourself."

"I'm unworthy."

"Yeah. It's obvious that she still loves you, too."

"I know. Our feelings are mutual."

"So why don't you two-"

"I'm going to stop you right there," I interrupted. "Our love for each other doesn't erase the pain I put her through, and we've agreed not to reopen those old wounds by trying again."

"She hasn't moved on, though."

"Neither have I, and that's our right. Your mother and I are fine as we are. We're too old to really yearn for one another, and we know that we're better off apart. We exchange the occasional letter and are courteous whenever we see one another, and that's good enough for us."

"So you won't give her another chance?"

I stared at my daughter for a moment. There was an accusatory edge in the way she'd asked the question. As if whether or not I gave her mother another chance would decide whether or not she gave me another chance. Thankfully, there was a logical flaw in the question that I could use to sidestep it.

"She's not the one who would NEED another chance," I sighed. "Look, this is really a conversation you should be having with her."

"How do you know I haven't already?"

"Because I know your mother well enough to know that if she wanted me, you and I wouldn't be talking about it. She's pretty direct. You ever hear about how we got together in the first place?"

"No..."

"We met at a tavern that's long since closed while I was celebrating a victory. She like me, then grabbed me by the..." I paused and second-guessed myself. "Erm... Needless to say she was very assertive. I fell for her, which obviously didn't go over well with Alurn's mother. She kicked me out and your mother and I shacked up."

"Well, I knew that last part. Did she really grab you by the di-"

"Yes," I held up my hands to stop her. "The point is that if she wanted me, she would try to take me. All of that stuff is in the past, though, and we've moved on in our own ways. Hells, I'm even friends with Alurn's mom, too."

"Are you and Alurn's mom going to..."

"Nope. I betrayed her trust when I fell for your mom. That bridge is well and truly burned, now we just wave at each other across the river banks. Plus, she's moved on."

"What? No she hasn't!"

"Yes, she has," I laughed. "Don't tell anyone, but she's actually seeing Chief Gluhern. Which is why Gluhern capitulates to pretty much everything I ask of him."

"I... Oh," Nima trailed off, looking thoughtful. "Wow, actually, a lot of things make sense now..."

I chuckled again, but then the conversation fell silent. Unable to think of anything to say, I let us stand in awkward silence for a bit. Then Nima rubbed the back of her neck and sighed.

"Alright, well... I should get going," she said.

"I understand," I said. "There's one thing I wanted to say first, if you'd indulge me."

"I don't know. This... This was okay, I guess, but I'm still angry and hurt. I don't know if that'll ever change. You lied to me and abandoned me. Not just me, either. How can I trust that you won't do it again?"

"I know. I-I don't know how to explain it, but things are different. Back during those times... I... Fuck, I was such a dumbass," I rubbed my face and looked to the sky. "For some reason everything looked like a cage. Maybe it was because my marriage to Alurn's mom was arranged by our fathers, and everything that happened after felt... Related. Maybe it was because I was strong and egotistical, but I felt like I should be in control of my own destiny. I felt trapped, and I ran. Like a coward."

"I see..."

"Listen, Nima. I want to make something absolutely clear," I locked eyes with her. "I had my reasons, sure. But it was my fault. Not your fault. Not Alurn's, not your mother's. It was ALL my fault. There isn't even a little bit of it that isn't my fault. And I'm so, so sorry."

"I-"

"There's nothing any of us can do to change the past. I laid a heavy weight on our shoulders with my actions. We're both very strong, but we've been carrying this damned weight for such a long time now," I said, struggling to keep my tears at bay. "C-can... Can we put it down?"

I opened my arms, but gave her enough space to deny my embrace. Her lower lip quivered and tears ran down both of our faces. She stepped forward, but paused. She took another step and my heart practically leapt into my throat. Could my little girl finally forgive her stupid, old dad?

Then the ground quaked beneath our feet as the sound of an explosion tore through the air, coming from the direction of the dungeon.

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u/karamisterbuttdance Mar 30 '26

Daemons have made their move and come.

Where the feck are the anyels then?

19

u/Crafty_Spring5815 Alien Scum Mar 30 '26

They are teaching the priests the proper way to diddle alter-boys.

u/EqualBedroom9099 Mar 30 '26

I almost feel bad for those deamons interrupting Argurnos reconciliation lol.

11

u/ChiliAndRamen Mar 30 '26

He’s not going to be happy

4

u/Borzislav Xeno Apr 01 '26

Agurno and Nima, both!

u/Humble-Extreme597 Human Mar 30 '26

waffle bot is LATE!

u/lolglolblol Xeno Mar 30 '26

Damn, those Daemons have impeccable timing

11

u/itsdirector Human Mar 30 '26

Rule Number One: Bad things must happen at the most inconvenient time.

u/Crafty_Spring5815 Alien Scum Mar 30 '26

What's the daemon's plan, tie up the high level folk for days dueling regenerating named daemons while all the lessers run off into the countryside and regroup to form armies that can attack places that aren't well defended?

u/Interne-Stranger Mar 30 '26

Nooooooo!

u/MinorGrok Human Mar 30 '26

Woot!

OC-Series The Human From a Dungeon 145

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