1 Prelude

"Oof!" Abel grunted harshly as he pushed off the body of a massive ground rat, one of the lowest ranked monsters on the first floor of the Relictomb he was in. Clouds of dust hung in the air, a sign of his struggle with the monster. He pulled out his dagger from where it was lodged in the monster's throat before stabbing it straight into where its heart was supposed to be. Warm red blood gushed out of the wound as he carved into its flesh, digging for its Core.

When he finally pulled out the core, he stared silently at the almost useless dull gray orb. The 'Core' of a monster was a container that acted as its heart. This Core contained all the memories, experiences and emotions of the monster it belonged to. Cores could fetch a pretty good price on the market, but sadly, that was only for Cores that weren't in excess, like the ground rat Core.

After a few moments of staring at the Core, he finally moved to a small pile of rocks. He pushed the rocks aside, revealing his travelling bag that contained all the necessary amenities he needed for this Tomb run. The bag contained a couple bottles of water, some dried rations, some bandages and medical supplies, a small blanket, and a few dull gray Cores.

He put the latest Core he had gotten into the bag before slinging it over his shoulder. He then turned around and began to make his way through the winding rocky path.

Not too long after, he finally arrived at a gateway that held a swirling portal. Several armed guards were stationed there, sitting down and playing a card game while chatting amongst themselves.

"Oi, Abel! Come join us!" The first guard that noticed him yelled, drawing the attention of the remaining guards.

"Kiddo!"

"Come over here, twerp!"

"Hahaha!"

The guards all laughed as they joked around. Although to anyone who was watching the exchange for the first time, it would look like they were mocking him, Abel and the guards here had been on good terms for a couple of years now. Ever since that happened...

"Hey guys. How's it going?" Abel smiled widely as he came to a stop before the guards.

"Same old, same old. How's Audu?" The first guard who spoke up earlier asked.

"Ah, gramps is still the same as before, but there's no need to worry, he'll be back on his feet in no time!"

"Ah, well, all the best, Kiddo. Send him our greetings!" The guards waved as Abel stepped through the swirling white portal.

His vision warped and the floor underneath his feet shifted. He was barely fazed, having gotten used to the feeling of it a long time ago.

He stepped away from the gateway on the other side and was greeted with the sight of a bustling city. Strange tamed beasts pulled carriages and wagons while owners of stalls were calling out to the various people passing by. By all means, it was a lively city, in every sense of the word.

Abel didn't linger in the area. He made his way down the street, careful to avoid bumping into someone who looked like they could beat him to death is he provoked them. He soon left the main town and diverted onto a lonely path that was barely used. The cobblestone that was used to form the path had started to give way to the plants that grew from between gaps.

The path led up a small hill. At the top of the hill, a medium sized cabin could be seen. Medicinal and decorative herbs were planted al around the cabin, giving it a homely look. The cabin itself was built with a very unique look. Every time Abel stopped to take a look at it, he couldn't help but feel awe and wonder at the fact that he lived in such a house.

He left his shoes outside the door of the house as he stepped in. It was hard enough to make sure the floor boards were squeaky clean. He didn't want to mess it up for himself.

"I'm back, gramps!" Abel yelled out when he closed the door behind him.

"Ah, Abel-cough cough- Abel! Welcome back." An aged voice called out from the backyard. Abel made his way through the house, making sure to keep the floor boards from creaking. If any one creaked, the old man he stayed with would surely bug him until he replaced them.

He pushed the door that led to the backyard open and stepped out. There, the old man he was staying with was seated, watching the decorative plants swaying in the gentle breeze.

"You're back, Abel." He stated without turning back. "How was the Tomb run this time?"

"Err... It was okay, I guess. I got six gray Gores this time." Abel grinned and opened his bag to show off the gray Cores to the elder.

"Bah! I could have gotten twelve back in my heyday. Back then, there wasn't a single monster that didn't quiver when the name of Audu was called!" The old man, Audu, seemed to brag as he reminisced of the old days. "Back then, I could kill ten ground rats in under five minutes! Goblins quaked at the sound of my boots!"

"Yeah, yeah. I think the whole city knows the story already." Abel replied while using his hand to pick his ear.

"Argh! Disrespectful child! Come over here, let me educate ya!" Elder Audu waved Abel over, patting the spot next to him. Abel chuckled lightly before making his way to the spot by the old man's chair.

He sat down on the soft green grass and Audu started telling his stories. There was one about him wiping a pack of Gnolls single handedly on the second zone of the city's Relictomb. There was another of how he managed to fool a pack of Ghost-Eyed Bears, and many other similar stories.

If there was anything they shared in common, it was that they were absolutely absurd. Of course, Abel would know. He had been stuck on the first zone for over a year now after all. A pack of ground rats was stressful enough, not to mention a pack of Gnolls.

Several stories later, the words of the elder began to slur, as though he was drunk, and Abel saw his chance. He stood up quietly before slowly and gently carrying Audu into the house.

After putting him in his bed to rest, Abel took out one of the gray Cores in his bag to examine it. With a low sigh, he finally dropped the Core before closing the bag and trying to find some sleep of his own.