Ren stood in front of the massive quest board, his eyes scanning the list.
It stretched up to the second floor, and if he hadn't been in a bit of a hurry, he might've admired the sheer size of it.
Each quest had its own section, from simple deliveries to monster hunts that probably involved dealing with things that didn't want to be dealt with.
"Well, let's see. I'm rank E. Shouldn't be too hard to find something, right?" Ren muttered to himself, sizing up the board like it was a menu at a restaurant.
"Should I go for 'Rescue the Lost Cat' or 'Slay the Rabid Squirrel'? I mean, they both sound thrilling."
He took the stairs up to the second floor, carefully maneuvering around the adventurers already scanning the notices. They all seemed far too serious, as if this was the most important thing in the world.
Meanwhile, Ren just felt like a kid in a candy shop—except instead of candy, it was a bunch of dangerous quests he probably didn't understand the gravity of.
Reaching the top, Ren surveyed the quests. Some were clear, like 'Deliver Supplies to River Village' or 'Escort Merchant Caravan', while others were vague. 'Clear the Forest of Evil', for example, sounded ominous enough to make him raise an eyebrow.
Huh. Seems like they don't even bother to give details on these things. Ren thought, scanning through the descriptions. Great. Well, I'll pick one and hope it doesn't involve fighting a dragon or something. I mean, how bad could it be?
Ren tapped the board, debating between a couple of options, and then his eyes landed on a quest titled: 'Slay the Giant Rat in the Sewers.'
"Well, that sounds... not awful," Ren said to no one in particular. "Sewers, rats, not much of a surprise there."
Ren grabbed the quest, and as he made his way back down the stairs, he overheard a couple of adventurers laughing.
"Giant rats? What's he going to do? Charm them with his charisma?" one of them joked, gesturing toward Ren's casual attire.
Ren shot them a grin as he passed by. "Hey, I'm just here for the adventure. And the paycheck."
The adventurers exchanged a confused look. "Whatever works, man," one muttered as Ren walked out of the guild.
Ren was already plotting his next move. Sewers, rats, and a paycheck. It's a start. Not exactly the grand quests of legends, but hey—at least it's something to do.
_____________
Ren set off down the murky sewer path, the sound of running water mixed with faint echoes of metal clashing against something solid.
He rounded a corner and came upon the scene: a towering rat had cornered someone, its claws swiping in quick succession as its opponent struggled to fend off the creature with a sword that looked entirely too dented to be effective.
Ren called out, "Hey, uh, sewer warrior! Get away from the water!"
The stranger didn't waste time questioning him. With a quick jump, he threw himself clear of the shallow, grimy stream. Ren summoned a spark of thunder, sending an electric jolt through the water. The rat convulsed, freezing up as if every muscle had gone stiff.
"Now!" Ren shouted, gesturing with a flourish. The stranger lunged forward, raising his sword and, in a clean swipe, brought it down on the rat's neck. The beast collapsed, its oversized body hitting the ground with a satisfying thud.
The stranger straightened, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow before turning to face Ren. With a grin that was somehow both exhausted and smug, he chuckled.
"Thanks for the save, stranger. I'm Skorn—defender of the city's fine sewer system...apparently."
Ren smirked back, crossing his arms. "No problem, sewer warrior. Gotta admit, though, you looked like you had it totally under control."
Skorn let out a laugh, holding up his dented sword. "Oh, sure. Just me and my trusty, slightly traumatized sword here."
Ren raised a brow, glancing at the battered weapon. "Yeah, no wonder the rat didn't drop sooner. That thing's seen better days."
Skorn shrugged. "Guess it's true what they say—friends aren't made in clean places." He extended a clawed hand.
"Glad I made one today, though."
Ren took his hand with a chuckle. "Just try not to get eaten next time."
______________
After his unexpected team-up with Skorn, Ren made his way back to the adventurer's guild to report the quest. He handed the quest form to the clerk, who barely glanced up, just gave him a once-over, and then stamped it.
"Congratulations on clearing your first quest," the clerk said in a tone that suggested she'd rather be anywhere else.
Ren raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to ask for details? I did face down a massive rat, you know. There were heroics. Drama."
The clerk sighed, clearly unfazed. "E-rank quests rarely need an epic retelling. Giant rats in the sewer? Just another day."
"Just another day, huh? Figures," Ren muttered. He took the meager reward she offered, feeling the weight of it in his hand. Barely enough for dinner and tomorrow's breakfast.
Before he left, Ren glanced back at the quest board. The other adventurers were already back to their own business, some looking at him with mild curiosity, others outright ignoring him. He chuckled, shrugging to himself.
"Well, I guess every legendary adventurer starts somewhere. Today it's sewer rats; tomorrow…who knows?"
Ren stuffed his reward in his pocket and headed back toward the inn, deciding to walk through the city's bustling main street this time. With his first quest done, he felt like he should at least take in a bit more of the city.
As he strolled, Ren marveled at the vibrant market stalls lining both sides of the street. Exotic fruits, intricate jewelry, armor, and even magical items were on display, each one practically begging for his attention.
"Hey! Newbie adventurer, right?" a vendor called, waving a dagger at him. "Perfect for sewer rats. Just cleared my inventory!"
Ren gave the vendor a long, unimpressed look. "Oh, sewer rats. I've officially graduated from those. Got any dragon-slaying swords on sale?"
The vendor blinked, clearly unsure if he was joking or not. Ren just smirked and walked on.
Eventually, he spotted the inn sign up ahead and headed toward the entrance. As he opened the door, Olivia—now behind the counter with her usual warm smile—waved him over.
"Back so soon?" she asked, cheerful as ever. "Must've been a quick fight."
"Yeah, if you call dodging sewer sludge a 'fight,'" Ren replied, rolling his eyes. "But hey, that rat's head is rolling somewhere in the sewers, and I got my meager reward."
She laughed, though he could tell she probably didn't understand half of what he was saying. He couldn't help but smile back.
"Oh, and you'll be happy to know," he said, leaning on the counter, "I can actually pay for my room tonight."
"Wonderful! Your friend, uh, Peanut, I think it was? He's been waiting for you and refused to eat anything ," she said.
Ren chuckled and headed back side of inn, where Peanut was indeed resting, eyes bright and alert.
"Well, buddy, looks like we're officially adventurers now. Let's see what else this city has in store for us tomorrow." He gave Peanut a pat before heading back inside, ready to rest up for whatever awaited him next.