Solo Strategy

A large man sitting behind a massive oak table placed a mug of warmed ale before him and looked intently at the person seated opposite. Behind the tightly shut shutters, the wind howled, and the firmly closed door of the only tavern for hundreds of miles around seemed about to be torn off its hinges by the blizzard raging outside.

Yesterday, he had brought this man, all wounded and somehow still alive, to the only human outpost in the area. He found him barely fending off a pack of young Ice Wolves, and if he hadn't helped, they would have torn him to pieces. But he did help—killed the pack leader, scattered the young wolves, and carried the wounded man to the fort.

Fraser scanned the small tavern hall with a heavy gaze, and everyone who met his eyes immediately looked down. They didn't like him here. Though they couldn't help but respect him. He was the only one who dared to venture beyond the fort's walls alone and, most importantly, always returned with prey.

A month and a half ago, he appeared in these parts, driven by shame and a promise made to himself. A promise that he would never again take the right to decide anything for others. After those who trusted him with their lives died because of him, Fraser decided to become a loner.

This desire led him to the northern wastelands—a place full of monsters and beasts, where one could only meet another person by chance. His base became an ancient fort, standing far to the north of other human settlements. An outpost where outcasts like him had gathered, those who had found no place in other, more habitable areas.

"So, you got thrown into these lands two months ago, and somehow you managed to survive?" asked Fraser, looking at the person sitting across from him. The man was still weak but could stand on his feet thanks to the alchemy poured into his throat. "Alone? In the snow? With so many monsters around?"

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"Yeah, that's how it happened..." his companion replied with a smile. "I happened to get caught in a spontaneous portal and got dumped in the middle of nowhere. Nearly froze to death, but got lucky and stumbled across a dying monster that looked like a cross between a bear and a badger—was able to finish it off and take its hide. Then I reached a valley of geysers and stayed there for a while, hiding from monsters and preying on the weaker ones. But then a large pack came to the valley, and I had to run."

"You should have run south!" Fraser grinned. "That valley is five days' journey south of the fort! You should've headed the other way!"

"If only I'd known which way was the right one!" the man rescued by Fraser said, spreading his hands innocently. "And it wasn't like I had a choice. I ran where they drove me. Nearly froze to death, but managed to lure the pack into the Ice Trolls' cave and escaped while they were tearing each other apart. Grabbed some flammable stone on the way out. Then, I nearly became lunch for an Ice Wyvern and had to run blindly again. Escaped the wyvern, but only to stumble into a herd of Frost Mammoths..."

The survivor's tale was like an unending dash along a razor's edge.

"And you did all this while being on Bronze?!" Fraser's eyes narrowed menacingly, resembling arrow slits.

"I moved to Steel quite quickly, finished off that bear–badger hybrid, then ran into the pack that had mauled it and looked even worse, and took down the wounded beasts one by one," the man shook his head. "Then, hunting small monsters and running from others, I reached Wootz in less than a month. And today, waking up and coming to my senses, as the locals say, I crossed the First Wall."

Even for these harsh places, such a rapid rise in ranks was abnormal. But that was without considering that sitting in front of Fraser was someone just like him... an earthling. He had found that out back during the night, while carrying on his shoulders the wounded man who had been rambling in English.

"So, what's your name again?" Fraser asked.

"Flavius," his companion replied and, rising slightly, extended an open palm over the table.

"Nate," Fraser introduced himself curtly.