William took the 1* Gather quest over to the receptionist, "Is this quest available?"
"Yes it is. Do you have a Guild License?" she responded quickly.
"No, I've never been here before."
William's reply didn't faze the receptionist, who recognized him even though he hadn't registered with the Guild before. She frowned slightly at his blatant lie, but didn't bring it up. She returned to her previous nonchalant look.
"Okay, well let me tell you about the process then. Please fill out this form so we can issue a Guild License." she pulled out a large sheet of parchment paper and passed it along the counter to William.
"Even if you're not a cultivator, you can still be a part of the Guild, you just won't earn any monthly benefits. You also won't be required to participate in any missions because you are too weak. Once you become a Qi Refinement Cultivator, you will be required to take part in at least one quest a month before you receive your benefits."
The paperwork only asked for basic information about William, so it was easy to fill out. Once the parchment was completed, a blood signature was required through a prick of his finger and dropping some blood on the paper. The receptionist told Will that this method was also widely used for contracts to bind both parties. If one broke the terms of the agreement, they would experience a severe lightning tribulation that could not be avoided.
The blood mixed into the parchment, then a set of array symbols appeared, causing the blood to move to the bottom of the page and change its shape to resemble a blood-red W.
-Discovered Arrays: +1 Potential Point
"Thanks for registering with us! Usually, we would require you to take a test to assign your rank, but because you are a non-cultivator, it's not required. You will start as a Semi-Bronze Adventurer, and will be eligible for Bronze rank once you have completed five quests of any Star Rating. We will evaluate your skills at that point.
Your Guild License will be available in a few hours, but you can still accept minor quests while we prepare it for you. For now, take this certificate and a rulebook." she handed William a small sheet of paper with a crest stamped in the shape of a G and a small red book with the same crest. "If anyone questions you, show them this certificate, so they know you are on a quest for the Guild. Also, if you break any of the rules listed in the book, you will be kicked out of the Guild permanently." she finished with a serious look.
-Registered with a Guild: +1 Potential Point
"Okay, thank you. I'm not a troublemaker, don't worry." William took the certificate and shoved it in a pocket, then grabbed the book that would collect dust at home. "Now that I have a Guild License, can I take this quest?" he pointed to the quest sheet still lying on the counter.
"Of course, I will write it down now. The location with Lifeshrooms isn't too far, but you will need to visit Livingwood Forest. I don't need the quest sheet back, but it shows a description of the Lifeshroom and where they grow. It can also give directions to Livingwood Forest if mana is poured into it.
The reward for this quest is 5 silver coins, plus 50 copper for each additional Lifeshroom you gather. Remember that the quest only needs 10 Lifeshrooms to be considered completed successfully. Good luck to you!" the receptionist waved to Will as he walked out with the new items in hand.
***
Inside his house, William threw the rulebook inside a random drawer and checked on his mother in the other room. Misha was still weaving baskets when William showed her the Guild Certificate and mentioned the quest he accepted in Livingwood Forest.
"Well, go on then. You're an adult anyway. If you make it big, be sure to send some money home to your dear mother so that I can cook us nicer meals." Misha waved Will on with enthusiasm before returning her focus to weaving.
Even though Misha wasn't William's birth mother, he felt somewhat disappointed in her reaction. There was an expectation that Misha would beg Will not to go or say that it was too dangerous for a man of his age to go out alone into an unknown land.
He couldn't be angry. After all, William was 20 years old, which is more than old enough for him to leave the house as an adventurer.
'Enough about that, I need to figure out where Livingwood Forest is.' William reprimanded himself. He looked at the quest sheet in hand and poured a tiny bit of mana into it. A blue arrow facing East appeared in front of Will with the number 2350 written in red.
Each step that William took caused the number to decrease by one as long as he walked in the direction of the arrow. I guess it really isn't that far away, I should get there in only half an hour or so.
While walking, William thought about the questions he had. Why was he sent to this world? How could he get back? What would happen if he died?
There were too many questions and not enough answers. William didn't know what to expect because all the books he read described the main character differently from what he was experiencing.
The part where the arrogant noble didn't try to ruin his life during their first meeting was especially surprising. William thought for sure that he would have to beat someone up on the first day.
Maybe it was too early. After all, William has only been awake in this world for half a day. The best option for him was to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
***
William underestimated the distance he would have to travel. He walked for nearly an hour before he could see a row of treetops that stretched over 50 meters into the sky. Upon closer inspection, William noticed that the leaves of each tree shimmered between different shades of light and dark green. The branches exuded a vitality that could not be compared to the trees of his old world, and the trunks of some trees were thicker than the redwoods William had seen in the past.
Status
———
STATUS:
—Health: 100/100
—Mana: 36/150
—Cultivation: None (no suitable techniques)
POTENTIAL POINTS: 8
SYSTEM RANK: F- (20PP to next rank)
———
It's been almost 3 hours since I last checked my mana, which was at 6 before. It looks like I currently recover 10 mana per hour at this rate...
William hoped that the amount of mana he had was enough, because waiting for his mana to replenish was out of the question. Will didn't even have a backpack, much less a tent for camping for a few hours in the unfamiliar environment.
There was no telling what William might encounter if he stayed in this area longer than what was needed. Despite the time of day, Will could hear various noises that made him nervous. Let's get this over with. Will thought during his first steps into the mysterious Livingwood Forest.
***
Fria held her phone up in joy, staring at the "Successful Purchase" screen on her phone. The new OtherWorld Prime game had just released, and she spent all Summer doing chores for her neighbors to earn enough money to buy it.
She was excited for the game to come in, but she also knew it would take a few more days before it arrived at her house. She closed the phone and laid on her bed, reminiscing on all her hard work the past few months.
Now she could play the game with her friends, but for some reason it felt as if something was missing. Fria's excitement turned solemn as she thought about what she had forgotten...