"Rullzia Town. A seclusion created by Godkiller Apple during a double Divine War. She had to face and kill a god alone, while Shallies dealt with the other one." ~Stachie, Goddess of Loneliness and Isolation

As she nurtured the flowers in the Adventurer Guild Hall's gardens, Hydrangea found herself wondering.

While they were not as secluded as others that were out there, they were still pretty hidden from the outside world. Apple made it a point to only allow certain groups or factions to find them.

Yet, this no name party had suddenly left her a System Console message asking for a dungeon quest. Of course, she, as both the Guildmaster and Quest Handler of the Guild Hall, complied and provided it, as was protocol. Apple's Divine Mandate didn't prevent her from giving service to anyone who asked in the first place.

But, Hydrangea had sent the details under the condition that they must physically sign the documentations. They didn't seem to mind. Which made her wonder a bit more. Not skepticism, just curiosity.

They're probably in the area already… she concluded. With a smile, she went back to the Guild Hall and prepared to receive her new guests. I haven't brought out the big ones in a while!

She called anyone who was available and divvied up tasks. Within just ten minutes, the Adventurer's Guild Hall of Rullzia Town was ready to accept these strangers. Of course, the news that new people would be arriving soon spread amongst them like a wildfire.

Rullzia Town was pretty small, after all.

Shallies looked as her students gathered at The Premonition's dispatch hanger. There was a small mana-engine vehicle that was capable of flight. Valor'el was there as well, making sure that everything was operational.

"Remember, for the entirety of this journey, we will be pretending that Valor'el is your mentor," she started. "And that I'm just a Chef."

"My personal Chef," the seraph added.

The Godkiller gave him a look. "Fine. That works."

"Wouldn't that show up in a Scan?" Ren asked. "We're not exactly experts at deflecting such attempts, like you are."

"Stachie will help you out."

"Oh… That's good, then."

"Shallies mentioned that the first time," Tayin said, nudging the Shield Knight's shoulder.

"I just wanted to make sure," Ren reasoned. "Since Stachie's busy standing-in for Shallies and all that."

[I am, but it's manageable,] said the System Assistant.

"We're all set here," Valor'el said.

Everyone started boarding. While the flying mana-engine vehicle had enough seats for everyone, it was oriented differently from a normal one. There was only one seat at the front, for Valor'el's use, and there were two columns of seats behind it for everyone else, divided by a walkway that cut down the middle of the craft.

This allowed Shallies to stand in the center while the three took their usual spots on either side. Grace, sitting on her own bench with Chippy resting on her lap, re-raised a question that the Godkiller had been avoiding for a while now.

"I'm betting Rullzia Town's a town of gnomes," she guessed. "It sounds gnome-y. Is that stereotyping?"

Shallies nodded like a kid going through a sugar rush.

"Eh? Really?"

The Godkiller nodded even more enthusiastically, to the point of becoming unbelievable.

"Sorry?"

"It's fine. I was mostly kidding." Shallies turned to the other two. "What's your guess?"

"Dwarves," Ren guessed.

"Orcs," Tayin guessed.

Shallies smiled.

"No one got it then, huh?" asked the halfling.

"Well, you'll see."

As a precaution, Valor'el had their mana-engine vehicle land a little distance away from Rullzia Town. They didn't want to cause a commotion. And since their ride didn't come with clouds or any other form of camouflage, everyone immediately understood what they had to do.

Valor'el led the way, making sure their appearance was already according to plan. This allowed Shallies to be surrounded by her students, under the pretense of protection for her.

"I'm not going to use any Guiding Star Skills," she started. She motioned to lift a finger, which immediately caused her students to pay attention. But in the end, she stopped herself. "As far as we're concerned, I'm just a Chef."

Her students were visibly disappointed, to which she playfully made a face.

"Err… Where exactly are we?" Tayin asked, quickly moving on.

Shallies chose not to reply, allowing Valor'el to begin getting into the role.

"According to Godkiller Bernadette, Rullzia Town is a seclusion, just like Avel Paradise. I just found out about this just now, but apparently, Apple institutionalized this place. You wouldn't find the place through normal means. You won't even be able to contact them normally. Though, I must admit that their location is more loose when compared to ours."

"And it's in the middle of a forest?" Ren inquired.

"Correct. Though it's hidden, they're still able to monitor what's happening outside, so we should still be careful on how we approach the place. They're not overly defensive, I don't think. But it's better to be safe than to be sorry."

They walked a bit more. Shallies spent the time observing quietly while Valor'el and her students engaged in some discussions. They varied a little.

One topic, they were talking about the correct ways to engage a stronger foe. The seraph gave some pointers, all of which were directly influenced by Shallies' teachings. They were all theoretical, with only a few techniques that could be safely practiced. Of course, when she was asked, she promised them to show a more visual example in the future.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Another topic, Valor'el discussed some of his responsibilities as an Acting Deity.

"Basically, since the Godkiller couldn't find a god or mortal willing to take on our god's Concepts, I'm standing-in as a first line of defense."

"Defense for what?" Grace asked.

"In case the Concepts of Evolution and Advancement become unstable. If that happens, we will have a repeat of the seraphim event centuries ago."

"Why didn't you just become a god?"

That made Valor'el stop in his tracks. He turned to Shallies. She shrugged. They continued their march.

"Being Lady Bernadette's student, my path was oriented more towards becoming a Godkiller. I didn't make any preparations for godhood."

"Wait!" Tayin exclaimed. "You were about to be a Godkiller? Why didn't you take it?"

Valor'el didn't even spare a look this time. "There's a thing one must give up in order to become a Godkiller. We call it the Great Sacrifice. I cannot offer mine."

"We've heard about it," Ren said.

"What was yours?" Grace asked. "Supposedly, I mean."

"I do not wish to say," the seraph replied.

Shallies felt the eyes of her students. She simply shook her head.

"When our god died, there was no other choice but for me to take on the Burden of the Concepts," Valor'el continued, knowing Shallies wouldn't reply. "So now, even with the slim Divine Authority I can muster, I cannot enact any Divine Interventions, nor provide guidance and permission for Great Miracles.

"As Acting Deity, my sole purpose is to monitor those two Concepts. It's a good thing that there are other gods bearing them for me. Which means, I don't have that much of a responsibility, other than acting as an anchor for my kin's faith."

"You should aim for godhood," Shallies urged. "You've spent enough time. There should be a way for you now."

That made the seraph stop a second time. He kept his voice low. "But you mentioned something about our god resurrecting."

Shallies waved a hand. "We'll talk about it some other time. We're almost here."

She didn't want to deal with any of that stuff, yet. Fortunately, Valor'el didn't pursue the topic any further.

After a few more minutes of marching and discussing some lighter topics, they finally reached the seclusion.

An empty cave.

"Is there a hidden tunnel somewhere?" Ren asked, trying to tap the cave walls with the point of his sword. They all sounded the same. "Seems like there's none."

"Maybe a pit?" Tayin asked, staying on the sides. When Shallies stepped in the middle, the halfling shrugged. "Guess not."

"I'm not even going to try to guess," Grace said, patting Chippy's head. "I bet it's a magic phrase."

Shallies pointed at the half-orc. "Good job."

[Congratulations, Grace! You got some Good Job Experience Points! Fluke or not, you guessed it right!]

[By the way, Yoshelle and her party visited earlier. I just told them you three are on a secret training program. None of them noticed a thing. Anyway, ignore me! Have fun!]

"So, what's the magic phrase?" asked the half-orc.

Of course, Shallies presented a hand to the seraph. She had told him everything he needed to know during their flight, allowing him to act like he had known about Apple's involvement in this seclusion all this time. He played his role perfectly, being one of the teacup fairy's close friends.

"The phrase is 'An Apple Tree can grow inside this cave'."

Just like that, the seraph was gone.

Quickly, the others said the exact phrase. And of course, Shallies said it last.

Grace didn't expect a fanfare, and by the looks of it, neither did the others. Many things happened all at once. Small fireworks, flower ornaments, chilly fruit drinks, cushy seats, a harmony of string instruments playing on their own. Altogether, they were received with such a warm welcome that it definitely caught her and the others surprised.

Of course, she couldn't tell if Shallies was acting or genuinely caught off-guard.

Regardless, the one thing that really caught her attention was the fact that only fairies were in this seclusion. Grace couldn't tell if they were all teacup fairies, or some other sort. They were as tiny as her head, zipping and gliding and floating every which way, spreading sparkles of mana as they went.

That was when Grace realized that they were actually in a big building. Big, even from the perspective of someone her size. She looked outside, and even the streets were made for large folks. Even beasts of burden were there, in their natural sizes, with a bunch of fairies lounging on their backs.

And that was when she noticed other people there.

Eventually, the jarring orientation caused by her sudden teleportation disappeared, and Grace found her bearings. The party was small, made by tiny creatures, in a large building made for people her size.

This doesn't make sense… Or does it?

"Greetings, honored guests," said one of the fairies. She was dressed in an elegant silk robe, with an aura of mana flowing through the hems. She made an extremely formal bow, which compelled Grace and the others to do the same.

Nothing like Apple whatsoever.

"I'm Hydrangea," she continued as the fairies of the fanfare began to disperse. "The Guildmaster and Quest Handler of Rullzia Town's Adventurer's Guild Hall. Before we proceed, might I inquire of your names and to your allegiances. We need to verify the authenticity of your visit to our seclusion, as it is in accordance with Godkiller Apple's Divine Mandate."

"I'm Valor'el zel Valar," the seraph began, causing an expected wide-eyed reaction from the fairy Guildmaster. "I'm a close friend to Apple—"

"Yes! Apple gestures highly of you!" said Hydrangea. "You're certainly most welcome here in Rullzia."

Isn't it 'speaks highly…'? Grace began before she realized why they had to change it. "Ohh…

"Thank you," Valor'el said, gesturing behind him. "These are my mentees."

"Tayin Laughlap."

"Ren Salvatur."

"Grace Allturia," said the half-orc, realizing it was her turn.

"And the one behind is our Chef," Valor'el intervened, gesturing over the pretending Godkiller.

"Shallies," she said. "No last name. Pleased to meet you."

Grace blinked, realizing that the Chef's hair had grown a lot longer. Tied in a ponytail, it was now fully brown. The pink and blue highlights were gone. Her eyes had changed too, reflecting a dangerous red. The half-orc made sure not to mention anything about it. Clearly the others were holding back their surprise as well, except for Valor'el, who was expectedly already aware of this.

Hydrangea spent the next minute verifying everyone's profiles. Just like what Shallies had said, the fairy didn't detect any anomalies or inconsistencies from her Scans.

"Will Shallies be accompanying you in your quest?" the fairy asked.

"Yes," Valor'el replied. "We would like to acquire ingredients for Food Buffs as we clear the dungeon. Would that be a problem?"

"Oh, most certainly not," Hydrangea replied. "But I would note that we will not be held responsible for her safety. She doesn't have a Combat Class, after all."

"That won't be a problem. We're just dealing with an Advanced Dungeon, after all."

The fairy's eyes beamed with admiration, while Tayin, Ren, and Grace exchanged subtle but confused glances. No one had told them that they were dealing with an Advanced Dungeon. When they turned, Shallies had her poker face on.

"Alright," Hydrangea started. "If that's the case, please have everyone sign in the Quest Details, then allow me a few minutes to put it up on our Quest Board."

While the Quest handler went on with the procedures, Grace attempted to ask her burning question. Shallies quickly shut her down. Instead, Valor'el gave them some basic pointers on how they would proceed with the dungeon, until the fairy came back.

"Thank you for waiting," she said. "The Dungeon Gate is just at the edge of the seclusion. If you need more time planning, the Guild Hall's resources are at your disposal. Simply let me know."

"That won't be necessary, Miss Hydrangea," Valor'el said, standing up. Everyone followed suit. "We'll be on our way now. We intend to close the Dungeon in under four days anyway. The earlier we start, the better."

Hydrangea made a deep bow. "Good hunting, adventurers."

"You didn't tell us it was an Advanced Dungeon!"

"Can we even close something like that?"

"I'm completely under-leveled for this!"

Shallies exercised her patience as they neared the Advanced Dungeon. They were now completely outside of Rullzia Town, but still within its larger seclusion. So just as an additional safety precaution, she layered a veil over the entire group to prevent anyone from eavesdropping.

She asked for it in the first place, their complaints. Not telling them about it, this was the appropriate and expected reaction. She also thought it was extremely immature and stupid. But she chose not to tell them that. Instead, she pointed at Tayin and Ren.

"You two are Advanced Adventurers already," she began. "If I don't start sending you into Advanced Dungeons, you'll be completely stagnant. As for you, Grace, you have a second Class. You've progressed far more than any other Beginner Class holder in your entire generation. You're already used to facing foes far greater and stronger than you. There's no reason for you to stop now.

"Besides, you're not here to close the dungeon on day one. You'll spend your next two days hunting packs, gaining Levels, gaining combat experience, and polishing and re-polishing your teamwork. I'll also provide you with two Food Buffs and two Great Mana Potions of Sustained Recovery each day. That should help you with hunting more than you're supposed to be able to."

"What about the third day?" Grace asked.

"We'll talk about it when you've finished the first two days."

"We're here," Valor'el said.

The Advanced Dungeon Gate had a different look to it, compared to the Beginner one. This portal had a red outline, with a swirling white smoke in the middle.

Shallies didn't even hesitate to proceed. "First of all, we need to make camp."

She headed in, ignoring the groans from the young ones. Before she fully entered, she poked her head out.

"If you guys don't follow, I'll close this dungeon myself and we'll go back home."

The groans were quickly replaced with footsteps rushing into the portal after her.

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