The sun bled across the horizon, painting the sky in fiery hues of orange and red. Long shadows stretched from Grone and Tyler as they sat, the silence heavy between them. A sigh escaped Grone's lips, a sound that seemed to carry the weight of years. He stood abruptly, the movement jarring in the stillness. "Well, time certainly flew by, didn't it? I told you it was going to be a long story. Let's head back," he said, his voice rough around the edges, a stark contrast to the vibrant sunset.

  Tyler, his gaze fixed on the ground, felt a familiar ache in his chest. The weight of Grone's story pressed down on him, a heavy cloak of sorrow. He pushed himself up, his movements slow and deliberate, each muscle protesting the effort. He needed a moment, just a moment, to process the raw emotion that had been laid bare.

  Grone noticed Tyler's somber expression. "What's with the long face all of a sudden? Don't worry about it. It all happened in the past. I've moved on. I don't have anything to do with my family anymore. To them, I'm as good as dead," Grone said, his voice softer now, tinged with a weary acceptance. He placed a hand briefly on Tyler's shoulder, a gesture of comfort, before stepping away. The touch, though fleeting, carried a surprising warmth.

  Grone turned to face the setting sun, his silhouette stark against the fiery sky. A small, almost hesitant smile touched his lips. He then turned back to Tyler. "Let's go," he said, the words carrying a lightness that belied the gravity of his confession.

  Tyler managed a weak smile in return. The sadness lingered, a persistent undercurrent, but Grone's resilience, his ability to find a smile even after such pain, offered a flicker of hope. He fell into step beside Grone.

  "Don't forget what you said earlier," Grone reminded him, his voice gentle. "You promised to tell your story. It would only be fair."

  Tyler nodded, his gaze fixed on the path ahead. "Right," he murmured, the words barely audible above the whisper of the wind. The weight of his own past, the burden of his family's expectations, pressed down on him. He began to speak, his voice low and hesitant, the story of his life unfolding in the fading light.

  *********

  Back in Hector's shop, the blacksmith meticulously organized his tools, placing them neatly into a metal container before snapping the lid shut. He approached the counter where Emily stood, seemingly lost in thought.

  "Hey, I'm closing up shop," Hector announced.

  Emily looked up, startled slightly. "Oh, alright," she replied, moving around the counter.

  Hector reached into his pocket, producing a single silver coin. He handed it to Emily. "You'll be receiving one silver coin a day for your hard work. But don't worry, this is just the start. If you work hard, I'll keep giving you a raise—one more silver coin each time I feel you've earned it."

  Emily looked up at Hector, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you," she said softly.

  "You're welcome," Hector replied. "We have to leave now that I'm closing."

  "Yes, of course," Emily said, exiting the shop and stepping out into the street, now bathed in the warm, reddish-orange glow of the setting sun.

  Hector locked the door, slipping the black metal key into his pocket. He turned to Emily, a thoughtful expression on his face. "By the way, do you have a place to stay?"

  Emily looked at him, a hint of hesitation in her eyes. "Oh, no, don't worry, sir. I'll… I'll stay at an inn tonight."

  "Alright. You take care now," Hector said, and with a nod, he left.

  "Oh, right," Emily thought, remembering something. *Sir Tyler gave me some money to buy some clothes. I wanted to do that after work, so I guess I'll buy some food after I get some new clothing.*

  Meanwhile, Tyler and Grone stood on the main road. Tyler let out a small, self-deprecating laugh. "In the end, I found myself here, in another world, totally different from my own."

  Grone looked at him, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Looks like we have something in common."

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Tyler looked up, surprised. "What do you mean?"

  "Well," Grone said, his voice softening, "you said you never managed to make your parents proud. You said you never felt or saw a genuine smile directed at you from your mother. And it's the same with me. The last time I saw her, she was crying, and it was all my fault." He paused, letting the weight of his words hang in the air. "That's one thing we share in common."

  Tyler looked down, a shadow falling over his face. Grone gently placed a hand on Tyler's shoulder. "But don't worry about it. Don't let those things wear you down. All of that is in the past. It's true that the past can haunt us, but the future heals. You're trying to be a better man now, aren't you?"

  Tyler nodded, a hint of determination in his voice. "Yes, I am."

  "And as far as I can see," Grone said, his voice warm with genuine approval, "there really isn't a problem at all. You may turn out to be the best hunter I've ever known. You can stand on your own two feet now. And because I've helped you, when I look at you, I smile, seeing the kind of man you are becoming. You don't have to feel like a burden anymore because you're not one."

  Tyler looked at Grone, his eyes welling up, though no tears fell. "Yeah, right. Thank you. And I wanted to tell you something—I've always wanted to thank you, you know? I wanted to pay you back for everything you've done."

  Grone smiled warmly. "You don't have to worry about that. You can take your time."

  Tyler hesitated, then spoke firmly. "Well, since I can provide for myself now, I don't think I should be staying with you anymore."

  A look of surprise crossed Grone's face. "Wait, so you mean you're not staying with us anymore?"

  Tyler nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry to say this, but I'm going to find my own place to stay. And I found a way to make some money at Hector's shop. I'll gather some of that money and pay you back. But right now, I'll just have to go hunt and get stronger so I can hunt more monsters and make more money from the system."

  Grone looked at Tyler silently for a moment, still pondering the meaning of "the system." He sighed. "Alright, I totally understand, but you don't have to be selfish. You have to come by one last time, so my wife and daughter can say their goodbyes, alright?"

  "Yes, right," Tyler said with a genuine smile.

  As they spoke, a wagon appeared down the road. Tyler and Grone climbed aboard, heading back to town. During the journey, Tyler posed a question. "Hey Grone, do you know anything about an Adas tree and where I can find one?"

  Grone considered this. "An Adas tree? Yeah, I know about them. They're mostly found in monster zones.

  "Can I find them at the monster zones near the Crossroads base? Because I really need one for something," Tyler asked urgently.

  Grone stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I'm not really sure. I've heard of people spotting them there, but it's really rare at the Crossroads base. It would be easier to find them somewhere else. But I don't recommend going there at your current rank. The monsters there are way more dangerous than the ones at Crossroads."

  "What do you mean?" Tyler asked, confused. "Do they have a higher level than the ones at Crossroads?"

  "No," Grone explained. "It's a bit similar, but different. How shall I put this? You know about Slimes, right? And Dracos? If we made a level one Slime and a level one Draco fight, which one do you think would win?"

  Tyler pondered this. "The Draco?"

  "Why do you say that?" Grone asked.

  "Well," Tyler replied, "it looks stronger."

  "Exactly," Grone said. "Just because they're the same level doesn't mean they have equal strength. There are monster zones with monsters similar to insects and animals, and then there are monster zones with humanoid monsters."

  Tyler's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wait, what do you mean by humanoid monsters?"

  "Well," Grone explained, "monsters that look human, but aren't human at all."

  "There are monsters like that?" Tyler asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

  "Yes, they are," Grone confirmed. "They're found in different monster zones. Oh, and I may have to apologize for not telling you this earlier. We categorize monster zones in three ways, based on how dangerous they are: yellow, orange, and red. You're currently hunting in yellow zones, but then there are orange zones—more dangerous, often with humanoid monsters—and then red zones, with monsters as powerful as dragons."

  Tyler considered this information. "So, are you saying the Adas tree is mostly found in orange zones, or the red ones?"

  "Oh, orange," Grone replied. "That's where they're mostly spotted."

  "Okay, then," Tyler said. "But what rank do you think I should be able to go to a orange, or even a higher-ranked monster zone?"

  "It's recommended that hunters be C-rank and above," Grone answered. "Though most C-ranks stick to lower-difficulty zones, like myself."

  "Well, they must be pretty tough then," Tyler commented.

  "Yes, they absolutely are," Grone agreed. "I won't go there until I'm a C-plus rank. They say the materials from orange-tier zones are expensive and fetch a higher price."

  "Alright then," Tyler said, "I guess I'll just have to keep hunting at the Crossroads base until I become a C-rank."

  "That isn't such a bad idea," Grone agreed. "Now that you know a bit more about monsters, I think I should tell you a bit more about hunters."

  Tyler raised an eyebrow. "A bit more about hunters? Didn't you tell me all of it?"

  Grone chuckled. "No, I thought it would be a bit too much. There are more different kinds of hunters. Hunters aren't that different, really; they fall into the same category but are kind of different, like how I told you about warriors—within warriors, we have archers and swordsmen, you know, things like that."

  "So, people who use different weapons?" Tyler clarified.

  "Exactly," Grone said. "But it's a bit more different than that. You see, there are knights, archers, and then there are other hunters like berserkers. These are similar to tank-type hunters, only more powerful. It's said that when a tank-type hunter reaches A+ rank, they become berserkers. They become much stronger and more durable. And the most terrifying thing about them is that they get stronger the more they fight; they have far more stamina than any other type of hunter. They can beat mages, assassins, and others on stamina alone."

  Tyler was clearly impressed. "Whoa, that's a really big advantage."

  "So the longer they fight, the stronger they become," He summarized.

  "Yes," Grone confirmed. "So fighting a berserker for too long is close to suicide. You'd want to take them down before they surpass you. Berserkers can be the strongest hunters around."

  "All right," Tyler said, "so what about the other hunters? What do you have to do to take them down? I mean, their weaknesses."

  Grone smiled, a hint of impressed amusement in his eyes. "Well then, I'll tell you about each one and how to fight them. With archers, it's very simple: distance. The more distance they have, the more dangerous they are. You just have to get in close."

  Grone proceeded to explain the strengths and weaknesses of various hunter types, detailing strategies for combating each one. Tyler listened intently, absorbing the information, until the wagon finally arrived in town. They paid the driver and set off toward Grone's home.

  "We're back," Grone announced upon entering.

  Grone's wife, Lisa, emerged from the kitchen. "Good evening. I was just about to make dinner."

  Tyler's eyes lingered on Lisa for a moment, and she noticed, causing him to look down. Lisa continued with her preparations. Grone went to his daughter, lifting her into his arms. The little girl giggled and said, "Papa," a word that surprised Tyler, as he hadn't heard her speak before.

  SPECIES: Human

  NAME: Tyler Evans

  RANK: D

  LVL: 40

  CLASS: Craftsman

  HP: 119/165 MP: 158/158

  STR: 152 AGI: 150

  DEF: 204 STM: 148

  STATUS: Healthy

  Skills: Armour Craft Lv2, Weapon Craft Lv2, Weapon Mastery, Alchemy, Accessory Craft

  Equipped Skills: Rush - MC 17