**Chapter 2: The Path of Adventure**
Kazuna and the injured girl stepped into a nearby shop, hoping to find something they could use for defense. The bell above the door chimed softly as they entered, revealing shelves lined with an assortment of weapons, trinkets, and supplies.
Kazuna's gaze was drawn to an eye-catching knife displayed prominently on the wall. It gleamed ominously, adorned with strange inscriptions that intrigued him. He approached the counter and asked the shopkeeper, "How much for this knife?"
The dealer looked up, a smirk on his face. "Ah, that beauty? It'll cost you one gold coin and five silver coins."
Kazuna frowned, glancing at the girl beside him. "Do you know how much that is? And why are they selling it in gold and silver? Shouldn't it be in yen?"
She shrugged, a mix of confusion and curiosity on her face. "I have no idea. But from what I can tell, this world has merged the past and the future. Maybe that's why they still use gold and silver as payment methods."
Disheartened, Kazuna shook his head. They left the shop, feeling the weight of hunger and concern about their pursuers.
As they walked through the bustling streets surrounding the plaza, Kazuna broke the silence. "How are we going to earn money?"
The girl thought for a moment before replying, "There might be a guild or something here that can help us navigate this big city. They might even have jobs or quests we can do."
With a renewed sense of purpose, they set their sights on the city center, believing it would hold the answers they needed. The streets were alive with activity, vendors calling out to passersby, and laughter mingling with the sounds of haggling.
When they arrived at the city center, they noticed a large building surrounded by a crowd of people. Curiosity piqued, they made their way over, only to find an array of strange creatures gathering outside. An uneasy feeling settled in their stomachs, but they quickly pulled their scarves tighter around their faces to conceal their identities.
Kazuna approached a tall figure with long ears and asked, "Excuse me, what is that building?"
The a elf looked down, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "That's the Adventurer's Guild. It's where you can become an adventurer."
The girl leaned closer to Kazuna and whispered, "That's exactly what we're looking for."
With renewed determination, they entered the building. Inside, a long line snaked through the lobby, filled with hopeful adventurers. They stood patiently, with anticipation. After a while, it was their turn.
Kazuna stepped up to the receptionist, a young woman with bright eyes. "I want to be an adventurer. What do I need to do?"
She smiled and handed him a form. "Just fill in your information—name, birthplace, and so on."
As they filled out the form, the girl hesitated when she reached the birthplace section. "I've never heard of a place called 'Japan' before," she said, bewildered.
Kazuna felt a chill run down his spine. It dawned on him that perhaps the people here had forgotten their origins, or worse, didn't know anything about the world outside. He took a deep breath, pushing the thought aside. "I have enough to worry about right now."
After a few moments, the receptionist returned. "Would you mind following me?"
They followed her through a corridor and into a small room. The only object inside was a glowing crystal, its surface shimmering with an ethereal light.
"Place your hands on the crystal," the receptionist instructed.
Kazuna complied, but when he did, nothing happened. The receptionist raised an eyebrow, glancing at him with a mix of surprise and curiosity. "Oh, your rank is F."
Kazuna frowned. "Is that a bad thing?"
"That's the lowest rank," she replied, her tone sympathetic. "It means you'll barely qualify for any quests."
Kazuna whispered to himself, "I know my luck is horrible, but this is on a whole other level of horribleness."
Next, the injured girl approached the crystal. With a mixture of hope and anxiety, she placed her hands on it. To their astonishment, a purple light began to grow around her.
The receptionist's eyes widened. "We rarely see this color! You have a unique ability. Your rank is B!"
"Really?" the girl said, excitement bubbling in her voice.
"Indeed," the receptionist explained. "You can control both lightning and fire."
Kazuna couldn't help but groan. "Oh man, that's unfair."
The injured girl chuckled softly, her spirits lifted.
After finishing the registration process, Kazuna and the girl thanked the receptionist and went to the quests wall. They found a free table with four chairs and sat down, scanning the various quests posted. Just as they were beginning to feel overwhelmed, two adventurers approached them—a boy and a girl who appeared to be around their age.
"Hey! I'm Kota, and this is Nuki," the boy said, flashing a friendly smile. "Wanna join our party?"
Kazuna and the injured girl exchanged glances, uncertainty flickering in their eyes. They were wary at first, but the reality of their situation pressed down on them. Entering quests alone would be far too risky. With a reluctant nod, they accepted the offer.
"Great! Welcome aboard!" Nuki exclaimed. She and Kota even handed them some weapons and supplies. Although the quality was questionable, Kazuna appreciated the gesture. Better something than nothing.
"Let's go for an E-ranked quest," Kota suggested, his enthusiasm infectious. "Even though you're an F rank, you can join us since we have high ranks as a party. Our first mission is to find a thief who's been stealing magical weapons on the northern side of the plaza. It's a bit of a trek, but it's far enough from where we came from that we shouldn't run into any trouble with those serial killers."
Kazuna nodded, feeling a sense of relief. They set off together, walking toward the northern part of the plaza. As they walked, Kota and Nuki tried to learn more about them, noticing the weary expressions on their faces.
"What happened to you guys?" Kota asked, concern evident in his voice.
Kazuna took a deep breath and recounted their harrowing tale—how they had encountered the serial killers and how the world had become so chaotic overnight. When he finished, he turned to Kota. "Do you have any idea what happened to this world?"
Kota's expression turned serious. "Honestly? This world has been like this since I was born. I don't know much about anything else."
Kazuna felt a sinking sensation in his stomach. So, no one remembered or knew of their world. They were truly alone in this new reality. Words failed him, and he fell silent, his thoughts racing as they continued their journey to find the thief.
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Let me know if there are any other changes or additions you'd like!
Certainly! Here's the complete Chapter 2, incorporating all the details:
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**Chapter 2**
Kazuna and Emilia arrived at the northern side of the big plaza, which was divided into various routes and towns. To cover more ground, they decided to split up—Kota and Nuki went left while Kazuna and Emilia headed right. As they walked, they saw nothing of interest until suddenly, a scream pierced the air: "Help me! I got stolen!"
Kazuna immediately sprinted toward the source of the scream and spotted a figure in a black scarf jumping between buildings. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't keep up with the thief, who quickly disappeared from view. Fortunately, Kazuna noticed that the thief was heading towards the left side of the plaza. He hoped that Kota and Nuki would spot him.
Shouting at the top of his lungs, Kazuna called out, "NUKI! KOTA! THE THIEF IS COMING YOUR WAY!" He carried Emilia on his back, urging her to hold on as he raced to the left side.
Upon reaching the left side, Kazuna saw Kota and Nuki cornering the thief. Emilia, wielding her staff and channeling lightning magic, struck the thief, rendering him unconscious. Kota lifted the subdued thief and headed back to the Adventurer's Guild.
At the guild, the receptionist greeted them with approval. "I knew you all could handle it," she said. The thief, regaining consciousness briefly, sneered, "You'll regret this! You'll see!"
The team received their reward: 20 silver coins, which they divided evenly—Kazuna and Emilia each took 10, while Kota and Nuki kept the remaining 10. Grateful for their assistance, they went to a nearby restaurant. The meal was a welcome respite, and Kazuna found himself savoring every bite, realizing how long it had been since he last enjoyed a proper meal.
After the meal, they returned to the Adventurer's Guild. The guild offered free rooms to active adventurers, so Kazuna requested two rooms. The receptionist provided them without hesitation.
As they headed to their rooms, Emilia finally introduced herself. She apologized for not doing so earlier, revealing her name and explaining that she was a high schooler from Kazuna's old school—just two chairs away. Kazuna, surprised, reflected on how lockdown and isolation had kept him from noticing those around him.
Kazuna and Emilia found themselves at the northern side of the big plaza, a sprawling area divided into various routes and towns. To maximize their search efforts, they decided to split up: Kota and Nuki headed left while Kazuna and Emilia went right. As they walked through the area, they found nothing of interest until a frantic scream pierced the air: "Help me! I got stolen!"
Kazuna immediately sprinted toward the source of the scream and spotted a figure in a black scarf leaping between buildings. Despite his efforts to follow, the thief was too fast and soon disappeared from view. Fortunately, Kazuna noticed that the thief was heading towards the left side of the plaza. He hoped Kota and Nuki would catch sight of him.
Shouting at the top of his lungs, Kazuna called out, "NUKI! KOTA! THE THIEF IS COMING YOUR WAY!" He carried Emilia on his back, urging her to hold on as he raced to the left side.
Upon reaching the left side, Kazuna saw Kota and Nuki cornering the thief. Emilia, wielding her staff and channeling lightning magic, struck the thief, rendering him unconscious. Kota lifted the subdued thief and headed back to the Adventurer's Guild.
So At the guild, the receptionist greeted them with approval. "I knew you all could handle it," she said. The thief, regaining consciousness briefly, snarled with typical villain bravado, "You'll regret this! You'll see!"
The team received their reward: 20 silver coins. They divided the loot evenly—Kazuna and Emilia each took 10, while Kota and Nuki kept the remaining 10. Grateful for their assistance, they all went to a nearby restaurant. The meal was a welcome respite, and Kazuna found himself savoring every bite, realizing how long it had been since he last enjoyed a proper meal.
Afterward, they returned to the guild, where adventurers could stay in free rooms by staying active within the guild. Kazuna asked the receptionist for two rooms, which she provided.
As they made their way to their rooms, Emilia finally introduced herself. She apologized for not doing so earlier, explaining that her name was Emilia and she was a high schooler. To Kazuna's astonishment, she revealed she had been in the same school as him in their old world, just two chairs away. This revelation made Kazuna reflect on how lockdown and isolation had kept him from noticing those around him.
Emilia thanked Kazuna for his help and support throughout their ordeal. They parted ways for the night, each retreating to their separate rooms. As Kazuna lay on his bed, exhaustion weighed heavily on him. The day's events felt like a relentless nightmare, and the guilt that gnawed at him was almost unbearable. He resolved that he needed to find a way to make things right.
Part 3 soon :