After pocketing his earnings from the rat quest, Ren looked at the quest board again. "First quest was too easy," he muttered, eyeing the more challenging quests posted on the higher levels of the board. "Maybe it's time for something a little more exciting."
He glanced down at his basic gear, which was barely enough for a starter quest. "But first… if I'm gonna look like an adventurer in another world, I should probably dress like one." With a grin, he headed out toward the market.
The shopping district was packed with stalls and shops filled with gleaming weapons, polished armor, and enchanted accessories that sparkled under the light of glowing crystal lamps. Ren's eyes lit up as he walked by.
"Ah, this is what I'm talking about," he said, scanning the stalls. "Time to see what cool gear an adventurer can get."
Ren stepped into the first shop, an old, slightly dingy place where the smell of leather and metal filled the air. A shopkeeper with thick spectacles looked up, squinting at him.
"Oh, are you here to buy or just browsing?" the man asked, adjusting his glasses.
Ren looked around, raising a skeptical brow. "Browsing? In this place? Honestly, I'm afraid if I touch anything, it might bite me."
The shopkeeper chuckled, unphased. "Good! Keeps you on your toes. Adventurers these days are soft."
"Soft?" Ren repeated, grinning as he picked up a rusty sword with a dubious look. "This thing looks like it'll turn me into a tetanus-ridden pincushion before it'll help me fight anything."
The shopkeeper snatched it back, wagging a finger. "That's a classic! Just needs a little polish… or maybe a lot of polish."
Ren put his hands up. "Okay, okay, I'll take your word for it. What else you got that doesn't look like it belongs in a museum?"
The shopkeeper grumbled something under his breath and pulled out a chestplate, this one actually looking sturdy. "Reinforced leather. Durable and enchanted. Perfect for rookies like you."
Ren slipped it on, patting it. "Feels nice! Though, you sure it's enchanted? I don't want to pay 'enchanted' prices for a normal chestplate that only has 'wishful thinking' on it."
The shopkeeper shook his head with a smirk. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood. For you, I'll throw in an actual enchantment on your gloves."
"Oh, wow. Now we're talking." Ren eyed the gloves skeptically, raising an eyebrow. "What does this 'enchantment' do? Make me punch like I haven't skipped arm day?"
"Close," the shopkeeper deadpanned. "It'll give your punches a slight stun effect. You know, in case you get in over your head and need an edge."
Ren slipped on the gloves, testing them out with a grin. "Not bad. I could get used to this whole 'looking the part' thing."
As he moved on to the next stall, a young vendor waved him over eagerly. "Looking for something unique, mister?"
Ren grinned, raising a brow. "Unique? Please don't tell me it's just another rusty sword."
The vendor shook his head and held up a small, shining dagger with intricate carvings on the hilt. "This one's special! See the markings? They say it's got an ancient blessing."
Ren inspected it, clearly skeptical. "Ancient blessing, huh? Did they bless it to look as impractical as possible?"
The vendor's face fell, looking at the ornate carvings. "Well, I mean, it's also pretty sharp."
"Pretty sharp, huh?" Ren handed it back with a shrug. "Guess that'll come in handy if I need to cut… air."
Another shopkeeper, overhearing the exchange, snickered from across the stall. "I like this kid's style. You want something useful, get over here. I've got real gear."
Ren's eyes lit up as he followed the man over, immediately recognizing the assortment of practical weapons and armor. He tested out a hefty dagger with a good grip and a faintly glowing edge.
"Now this… this feels like it could actually survive an adventure," Ren said, smiling.
The shopkeeper nodded approvingly. "Finally, someone who knows quality when he sees it."
Ren raised a brow, smirking. "Well, I don't know if I'd go that far, but at least it's not 'anciently blessed' by a toddler with a paintbrush."
The group of shopkeepers all burst into laughter, patting Ren on the back as he finalized his purchases, his bag of new gear in hand. As he left, one of them called after him,
"Try not to die too soon, eh? We'd hate to lose such a mouthy customer!"
Ren waved back with a grin.
"Don't worry, I'll be back! And maybe I'll bring a medal for 'Shopkeepers Who Almost Sold Me Junk!'"
Ren left the shop district, loaded with gear, and headed back toward the guild to look for his quest. As he neared the board, he couldn't help but feel a little thrill at the rows of posted adventures. Bounty hunts, monster exterminations, mysterious cave explorations—it was all here.
"Alright, let's see… If I'm going all out, I might as well find a quest with some action," he muttered, eyeing a poster with an ominous skull symbol on it.
Just then, a large, muscular adventurer next to him snorted. "You're lookin' at the wrong poster, rookie. That one's a B-class monster hunt. One scratch, and it'll eat you for breakfast."
Ren smirked, rolling his eyes. "Thanks for the advice, Mr. Muscles, but I think I can read."
Muscles leaned in, smirking back. "Just trying to keep the squishy ones alive. Don't wanna see you running back crying for mommy."
Ren sighed and grabbed an E-rank quest instead—something called "Lizard Problem." Just as he pinned it down, he heard a chuckle from another adventurer.
"Oh, the newbie's taking the lizard quest," she teased. "Hope you brought bug spray."
Ren shrugged, playing it cool. "Hey, we all gotta start somewhere. Besides, maybe I like a little challenge… even if it comes with scales."
The girl raised her hands in surrender, grinning. "Alright, hotshot. Just don't let it bite. They might look small, but they can latch on."
Ren's eyes widened, but he tried to keep his cool. "Noted. I'll, uh, make sure to keep my limbs intact."
As he left the guild, Ren scanned the quest details: Location: Sewer 15. Problem: Giant Lizard Nest. Reward: 10 silver coins. He sighed.
"Oh, sewers again… what a glamorous start to my adventure," he muttered, waving goodbye to his dreams of epic landscapes and castles.
Once he arrived at the entrance to Sewer 15, a scrappy, wiry kid ran up to him, waving his hands.
"Wait! You're going down there?" the kid asked, wide-eyed.
Ren looked him over, confused. "Um, yeah. Is that a problem?"
The kid grinned. "Nah, just impressed! Most adventurers don't like the lizards. They're… clingy."
Ren groaned, realizing what he was in for, but gave the kid a thumbs-up. "Great. Well, if I come back missing a boot, you'll know why."
"Good luck, sir!" the kid called, laughing as Ren stepped down into the darkness of the sewer.
The smell hit him first, followed by the distant sound of water dripping. He lit a small torch, holding it up to look around, but as he scanned the shadows, he could already see flickers of movement near the ground.
"Alright, lizard problem, let's see if we can't make this quick," he muttered, raising his weapon and inching forward carefully.
In the distance, he saw a cluster of small, greenish eyes gleaming at him.
"Oh, wonderful," he sighed, preparing himself. "This is exactly what I signed up for…"