Empoy had just finished tinkering with a new mana-thread device in his shack when the guild receptionist stormed in, waving a scroll like it was a war flag.
"Lowest rank! Team mission! Immediate departure!"
Empoy blinked. "Immediate? I was about to enjoy breakfast quietly…"
"Breakfast?!" she yelled. "Villages north of Bran are under attack by… something huge!"
Quiet life… postponed. Again.
The Team Assembles
Empoy's "officially his team" was now a motley crew of the village's low-level adventurers:
Kiko: still overly dramatic, insists on announcing battle cries
Lina: nervous, mumbling spells constantly
Bram: silent, deadly accurate with his arrows
Plus two new recruits: one strong but clumsy, one overly cautious
Empoy groaned. "Great. Four people, two extras, one quiet life. Perfect ratio."
Quiet life… now includes minor chaos.
The Adventure Begins
The team traveled to the northern forest, where reports indicated strange noises, fires, and collapsed trees.
Forest looked… lively.
A faint roar echoed. The team froze.
Kiko yelled dramatically: "Fear not, citizens! We shall—"
Empoy muttered: "Stop. Please. Quietly move forward."
Lina whispered: "Do you… think we'll survive?"
Empoy sighed. "Probably… if we don't trip over each other first."
The Monster Emerges
From behind the trees, a massive chimera appeared—lion body, serpent tail, eagle wings, fire coming from its mouth.
The team panicked. Kiko swung his sword… and tripped over a root. Lina misfired a fireball, which lightly singed her robes. Bram's arrows bounced harmlessly off the creature's armored chest.
Empoy sighed. "Step aside. Efficiently."
He pulled a bag of devices:
Mana-thread nets
Electric pulse coils
Small pivoting reinforced blades
Miniature shock traps
He carefully placed them along the forest path. Then, naturally, he tripped.
Perfect.
Sparks flew. Traps activated. The chimera yelped, flailed, and crashed into a tree. One net tangled its wings, while a subtle electric pulse left it dazed.
The team stared. "Did… he just…?"
Empoy dusted his hands. "All under control. Quietly."
The chimera tried to charge again… and hit another trap, sliding into a pit carefully disguised by fallen leaves.
Team Contribution (Sort Of)
Kiko dramatically jumped, swinging wildly—somehow distracting the chimera at a critical moment.Lina accidentally cast a minor buff on Bram.Bram fired a single arrow that distracted the chimera enough to trigger one of Empoy's traps.
Empoy muttered: "Yeah, teamwork… definitely teamwork."
Quiet life… minimally interrupted.
Guild Misunderstanding
Back at the guild, staff were panicking.
"How… HOW is the lowest rank extra handling a chimera with a team?!""Did he… train them?!""Official records say he's useless!"
Empoy returned to the guild later, holding his tinkering bag. "Morning. Chimera… handled. Team… mostly alive."
Kiko gasped. "We followed him! He led perfectly!"Lina whispered: "I… think he planned nothing…"Bram shrugged.
Empoy yawned. "Exactly. Quietly done. Nothing to see."
Villagers' Quiet Admiration
That evening, villagers quietly celebrated around their small campfires.
"He led a team… and they survived!"
"The extra… is stronger than anyone we know!"
"We should all just give him food… and let him tinker in peace."
Empoy sat alone in the corner, adjusting his mana-thread coil and quietly enjoying a piece of bread.
Protector, inventor, team leader… quietly unbeatable.
Lightning flickered across his fingers as he tested a small new invention.
Quiet life… maintained. Adventure… survived. Perfect.