"So... are there any herb-gathering quests at my level?" I asked.
"I'm afraid not," the receptionist replied. "The lowest-rank herb gathering quest is for garlic, and it requires at least one rank C adventurer. If you would like to attempt it, you must first advance to rank D."
"If it's just garlic, that's easy - I can do it."
*It's not just that I can, but I literally have to.*
She sighed. "If you're that adamant about it, I can give you the quest details, but the Guild will not accept your completion as legitimate."
"That should be fine."
*I think, anyway. It's not like the system has specified that it be done through the Guild. I just have to gather herbs somehow.*
"I am curious, though. Why not? If I complete a C rank quest, shouldn't I be moved to D at least?"
"There are several reason, but the main one is to prevent power-leveling. Put simply-"
"I understand. Can I have a look at what herb-gathering quests are available?"
*They're probably trying to mitigate pay-to-win strategies.*
"... Of course," the receptionist said, handing me a papyrus brochure. "This is merely an information pamphlet, not a Guild-issued quest. These are available to everyone and are updated in real-time as long as you're inside the Guild building. If you would like to peruse the open quests, this is what you'll need."
"I see..." I said, flipping through the brochure.
"Do you need assistance with anything else?"
"That'll be all. Thanks for your help."
"You're welcome. Next!"
The receptionist waved me off and I turned my attention to the packet in my hands.
*Let's see... Looks like the quests are organized by rank.*
There were many pages' worth of "low-rank" quests, which seemed to be categorized as F or D rank quests. These were only available for completion at the local guild.
Next up was "medium-rank" quests which were classified as C and B. These could be completed and submitted for approval for any Guild building in the district.
*I assume Guild districts are somewhat like school or library districts?*
Finally, there were the "high-rank" quests ranked A and S. These could be completed anywhere in the nation, but there were only a handful of them. There was one more quest, but...
*Global quest... slay the Demon Lord?*
It was the sole rank X quest. Whereas all the other quests had some sort of description, this one had no information at all.
*...*
I waited for the system to say something, but it remained silent.
*Strange, I feel like this could be a System Quest moment...*
I'd gotten a general feel for when the system would assign me quests, and this felt like it should've been one.
*Apparently not.*
Suddenly, I heard a *thunk* followed by collective gasps.
The ambient hubbub died down to whispers, and a crowd began forming near a staircase.
*What's going on there?*
Obviously, I wasn't the only one curious, so I had to push past a whole lot of people to find the source of the ruckus, or lack thereof.
"Oh, it's you?" I said.
Fallen at the bottom of the staircase was none other than Hazel Blaze. Her face twisted in pain as she clutched the black burn mark on her abdomen.
For some reason, no one bothered helping, so I stepped forward. I immediately became the center of attention - it was as if Hazel Blaze had some human repellent on her, so there was a clearing that stretched a good 5 meters.
The whispers rose to become murmurs that grew louder the closer I got.
"Stay back!" Hazel Blaze said, swiping at me with a dagger.
"You're clearly hurt," I said, stepping back in avoidance. "It's real smart to lash out at someone trying to help you."
"I don't need your help!"
She pointed her dagger at me, and for a split second, it glowed bright orange. Then...
*fooom*
*Whoa.*
A tiny flame the size of an eyeball whizzed by my head.
*My first taste of attack magic in this world.*
"Are you *trying* to die?" I asked, a bit miffed.
"That's my line! Haaaaah-!"
Her dagger glowed orange again, this time it was even brighter and more prolonged.
*Really? Another one? It's way bigger, too.*
I sliced at the head-sized fireball with my bare hands. A simple karate chop was all it took to dissipate it.
"Why are you trying to kill someone that wants to help? If you want to die, why didn't you just ask?"
I quickly drew my sword, and her eyes widened for the briefest of moments. But, she was probably a skilled combatant as she wasted no time charging another, even bigger fireball.
"Die, moron! Haaaaaaaaa- *COUGH*... *COUGH*..."
"..."
The spell dissipated into thin air and her dagger clattered to the floor. Hazel Blaze collapsed vomiting what I thought was blood.
*It's a lot darker, though. Looks almost like tar. Maybe it's a mixture of blood and whatever DoT effect she's suffering.*
Despite practically having a seizure, she did not cry for help. Even in this state, the bystanders looked to be afraid of her and did not move a muscle to offer aid.
*Welp. It's clear she just wants to die.*
I turned around and started my way back towards the silent crowd, but...
"H... Help... me... *COUGH*..."
"What's that?" I sarcastically asked, turning my head to look back at her.
"H....."
Her outstretched arm flopped onto the floor.
"..."
I walked back over to her, picked up her body and threw it over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
*In the end, she really did want to survive.*
She wasn't dead yet, so I would try my best to grant her wish.