EX-Grade Grass

Chapter 8

Ren’s fingers tightened around the black stone. The two men in dark coats kept walking toward him. Their steps were slow and sure, like they already knew how this would end.

He could feel Lisa and Luna inside the house. One shout from him and they would know something was wrong. One fight outside the door and the Kane family would have a reason to drag them into it.

Ren crushed the stone.

It broke with a soft crack. Black dust slipped between his fingers and vanished. For a second nothing happened.

Then a voice spoke right beside his ear, calm and clear.

“Decision received. Stay still.”

The two men were only ten steps away when the air behind them shimmered. Kael stepped out of nothing, like he had been waiting just out of sight. His sword was already in his hand.

The men stopped short.

“You again,” one of them said.

Kael did not answer with words. He moved once. The plain sword flashed. Both men staggered back, deep cuts across their coats. Not enough to kill, but enough to make them bleed and think twice.

“Leave,” Kael said. “The boy is under protection starting now. Tell the Kane family the matter is closed.”

The two men looked at the blood on their clothes, then at Kael’s sword, then at Ren. Anger burned in their eyes, but they were not ready to die on a quiet street. They backed away, turned, and disappeared around the corner.

Ren let out a breath he had been holding. His side still hurt, but the immediate danger was gone.

Kael slid the sword away. “You waited until the last moment. Cutting it close.”

“I didn’t want to,” Ren said. “But they were at my door.”

Kael nodded once. “Smart enough. Come. We talk away from the house.”

They walked two streets over to a quiet alley. Kael leaned against the wall and looked Ren over.

“You are level 3 now. You killed an elite on Floor 2 today. Not bad for someone who awakened less than a week ago. My employer is pleased you accepted.”

Ren kept his voice steady. “What do I have to do?”

“For now, keep growing stronger,” Kael said. “Hunt. Level up. Stay alive. In three days you will receive a simple task. Nothing that will get you killed if you are careful. In return, the Kane family will be told to stop. If they ignore the warning, we handle it. The two people in that house stay safe as long as you keep your end.”

“And if I try to walk away later?”

Kael’s eyes did not change. “Then the protection ends. And we will not be the only ones looking for you.”

Ren understood. The chain was soft for now, but it was still a chain.

Kael pushed away from the wall. “Go home. Rest. Use the medicine you bought. In three days, same place on Floor 1 where we first met. Do not be late.”

He turned and walked into the dark. In a few seconds he was gone again.

Ren stood alone in the alley for a while. The night felt colder than before. He had bought safety for Lisa and Luna, but he had also sold a piece of his freedom to a man whose real boss he still did not know.

He walked back to the house. The street was empty. No more dark coats. He opened the door quietly.

Lisa was still awake, sewing under the small lamp. She looked up the moment he entered.

“You’re later than usual,” she said. Then she saw his face. “What happened?”

Ren sat down. He told her most of it. The two men outside. The choice. Kael’s protection. He left out the part about future tasks that might be dangerous. Lisa did not need that worry tonight.

She was quiet for a long time. “You did it for us.”

“Yes.”

Luna’s voice came from the other room, soft and sleepy. “Ace… Ren? Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine,” Ren called back. “Go back to sleep.”

Lisa reached over and squeezed his hand once. “Be careful with these new people. Safety that comes with a price can turn into something else.”

Ren nodded. He knew.

He washed, took more medicine, and lay down on his thin mattress. Sleep came slowly. When it did, he dreamed of grass that grew too fast and black stones that whispered orders.

The next two days passed in a blur of hunting. Ren stayed on Floor 2. He avoided other adventurers. He killed rabbits and the occasional goblin. His level reached 4. The bruise on his side faded to yellow. He practiced new shapes with the grass—round shields that could block real hits, thin spears that flew farther, ropes that could pull a monster off its feet.

He did not see Drake or any Kane men. Kael’s warning seemed to be working. For now.

On the third day he returned to Floor 1 at the exact place Kael had first spoken to him. The rocky hill was quiet. No one else was around.

Kael was already there, leaning against the same stone.

“You’re on time,” he said. “Good. Level 4 already. Better than expected.”

Ren waited.

Kael took out a small folded map and a thin metal badge. He handed both over.

“Your first task is simple. There is a small cave marked on this map, still on Floor 1. Inside is a plant that glows blue at night. Pick three leaves. Only three. Bring them back here before midnight. Do not let other adventurers see you take them. Do not fight anyone if you can help it. That is all.”

Ren looked at the map. The cave was deeper than he had gone before, near an area where stronger goblins lived.

“What are the leaves for?”

“You do not need to know that yet,” Kael said. “Just bring them. Do this cleanly and the next task will be easier. Fail, and we will have a different conversation.”

He started to leave, then stopped. “One more thing. The Kane family accepted the warning, but Drake did not. He is young and angry. He may still try something on his own. Watch your back.”

Kael disappeared the same way as before.

Ren stood alone with the map and the new badge. The badge felt cold in his hand. It had no name on it, only a small mark he did not recognize.

He looked toward the deeper part of Floor 1.

Three blue leaves. A simple task.

But nothing had been simple since the day grass first grew under Victor’s feet.

Ren put the map away, checked his seeds, and started walking.

Somewhere behind him, in the city or in the dungeon, Drake Kane was still carrying a grudge.

And the person who gave Kael orders still had no face and no name.

Ren kept his eyes open and the grass ready.