We walked in together, the echoes of our footsteps swallowed by the vastness of the Grand Hall. Surprisingly, it was almost empty. The marble floor beneath us gleamed under the soft glow of hanging lanterns, their light reflected in intricate patterns on the smooth surface. Ahead of us stood a desk with an attendant.
"Missions or guild first?" I asked, glancing at Thea.
She let go of my hand and strode forward with purpose, addressing the attendant. "Where can we check the missions?"
The attendant, far friendlier than the gremlins masquerading as clerks in the Hall of Heroes, looked up at us with an expression that could almost be described as neutral. Progress. "You'll find the missions on the board to the left," she said, pointing to a large, grid-like board covered in neat columns of text and categories. It had the overwhelming presence of a high-stakes spreadsheet, and I was already too tired to even glance at it.
"They're separated by rank," the attendant continued, her voice patient but firm. "If you're new, you'll need to register at the desk behind me first. Once you find a mission you want to take, come back here to confirm. We highly recommend tackling missions in groups. Just keep in mind that the completion only counts for one of you per month. Each member of your group will need to complete their own mission to satisfy the our requirements."
Thea nodded, absorbing the information with her usual focus. "Thank you. And where do we go if we want to create a guild?"
The attendant shifted her gaze to the right and gestured with a vague wave of her hand. "Over there. Good luck."
Her tone was polite, but the slight raise of her eyebrows hinted at just how uphill this process might be. My stomach twisted at the thought of more bureaucracy, but Thea didn't hesitate, her confidence dragging me along like an over-ambitious mountain climber pulling their hapless partner.
We approached the guild counter together, and this time, I took the initiative. "I'd like to make a guild."
The man behind the desk barely glanced at me before grabbing something from behind the counter. He plopped it down with a resounding thud, and I immediately regretted speaking. A stack of papers, as thick as my fist, stared back at me like a challenge issued from the depths of bureaucratic hell.
"We have to read all of that?" I asked, staring at the stack with a mix of dread and disbelief.
The man looked up, his expression unimpressed, as if I'd asked whether water was wet. "Well, you could ignore them, I suppose, and just register your identities and pay the fee."
Suddenly, I didn't care about his attitude. This man was a saint. A beacon of hope in an otherwise soul-crushing process. "Great! We'll—"
"—be back once we go through them, thanks." Thea's hand shot out, snatching the stack of papers before I could finish. Her tone brooked no argument.
"At least one of you isn't a moron," the man muttered, smirking faintly.
I ignored him as we moved toward the desk for mission registration. "I'll handle the papers," Thea sighed, hugging the stack like a reluctant librarian. "Just don't agree to anything without thinking it through, alright?"
"Right." I didn't argue. She was volunteering to do the hard work, after all. "I'll make it up to you." Maybe I could make some techniques for her…or ask Elric to and just pretend like I did it.
When we reached the next desk, Thea didn't waste time. "We'd like to register."
"Orbs," the attendant said, holding her hands out expectantly.
This process was mercifully simple. She added a new line to each of our orbs before handing them back.
Mission Rank: Bottom (0/10)
"You can only take on one mission at a time," she explained. "You are required to complete at least one per month."
"So, we grab the missions from back there and… what? Pull them off the board and bring them to you?" I asked.
She nodded. "That's exactly right. A mission can only be assigned to one orb at a time. I'd suggest a group register for just one mission at first. Missing a deadline isn't something you want to deal with."
"Thanks. We'll be back soon," Thea said, her tone crisp as she turned us toward the board.
We approached the mission board, and I focused—carefully and slowly—on the section labeled Bottom Rank. My eyes skimmed the options, and one in particular caught my attention.
"Plant collection?" I glanced at Thea, raising an eyebrow. "Our instructor might've prepared us for some of these already."
She pointed a bit lower on the board, to a different mission. "Some are hunts for things like pack claws. Looks like all the bottom-rank missions come from people who work around here."
"Are there rewards for these?" I asked.
"Yeah, some better than others," she replied. "The highest one gives thirty points."
"Should we take one now?"
She nodded, tapping the mission description for the pack claws. "I think so. This one gives us three days to finish."
"Alright. You can register the mission first then we can read the paperwork and make the guild," I said.
"Alright," she replied with a smile, then laughed softly. "But seriously, don't worry about the paperwork." That smile of hers was getting better and better. "Catch up with the others. They're probably still training or signing up for battles."
"Are you sure? I can stay."
"You'd just keep making dumb jokes while I'm reading."
She's not wrong. "My jokes are great."
She snorted. "Sure, believe whatever you want."
"Oh, I will," I said with mock seriousness. "I'll head to the Greats' Training Hall first. If they're not there, I'll swing by the Hall of Heroes. I'll leave a message with Miss Star so you can stop there first.
"Alright, go on. I'll meet you later." She nodded firmly.
I grabbed her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. "Thanks." We exchanged a brief goodbye, and I headed out into the streets.
Of course, I wasn't in any rush. Taking my time, I wandered through the city, admiring the scenery that looked like it had been pulled straight out of a fantasy novel. The cobblestone streets gleamed faintly in the sunlight, lined with stalls selling everything from glimmering potions to ornate weapons. The air carried a mix of exotic spices and fresh bread, with a distant hum of chatter and laughter from nearby shops and taverns.
It was a world both strange and familiar, and for a moment, I let myself enjoy it. After all, it wasn't every day you got to stroll through a place like this.
But the calm didn't last.
Someone bumped into me, jostling my arm. "Oh, sorry," I called, barely turning before another person brushed past me, harder this time.
Then another.
Before I could process what was happening, a firm grip latched onto my arm. "Hey, let go!" I snapped, twisting to pull free.
They didn't.
Whoever it was, they were strong—unbelievably strong. My heart pounded as another hand clamped over my mouth, muffling my shout. Panic surged through me as I felt a third set of fingers fumbling at my waist. My orb.
"No! Stop!" My words were swallowed against the hand silencing me. I struggled, thrashing against their hold, but it was like trying to move a mountain. My breaths grew shallow, the world around me closing in.
The crowd pressed tighter. Faces blurred into indistinct shapes. Shadows flickered across my dimming vision.
My chest burned. Time slowed to a crawl.
And just as the edges of my vision began to fade, I caught a fleeting glimpse—a familiar face.
Was that real? Or just the last thought slipping through my mind before everything turned black?
When I started waking up, everything felt off. My senses were blurred, and my head throbbed. The setting was hazy, but as things started to clear, I noticed trees towering above me, their leaves swaying gently in the breeze.
"—to get him here. Our job is done."
"What, so you're leaving?" another voice said sharply. It sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.
Were they arguing? Also—who are they?
The voice spoke again, this time colder, more measured. "Alright, give me the orb. Just leave behind the second-year recruits. I may have paid you to grab him, but the others… I paid for the rest of the fun."
The rest? I'm no scholar, but that really didn't sound good.
Stay calm. Eyes closed. Play dumb. I'm just a guy taking a very deep nap. Focus.
Something rough was digging into my wrists. Ropes. My back pressed against something solid—a tree, judging by the bark scraping through my shirt. Perfect.
"Here, you three stay with them. I'm heading back," the voice continued, taking on a threatening edge. "We expect payment over the next couple of months… do not miss an installment."
Focus. I shifted my attention inward, trying to steady my breathing. Circulation, externalize my force just like Elric taught me. It's like a cord, a connection. I began to gather my energy, aiming to create my non-fireball shotgun blast. Slowly, I extended the energy to my palm, maintaining a thin wisp of internal force.
"Alright, let's wake him up. I want him to know who did this."
Wait. That voice… Rorik? Really? I mean, sure, I probably ruined his life, but this? This was extreme.
Focus, Peter. Keep the energy—
"Ugh!" A sharp kick to my stomach sent all my careful concentration flying out the window. The energy dissipated in an instant, leaving me breathless. My eyes snapped open just as the boot landed again.
Yep. That was Rorik. Standing there, looking smug, with three other guys I didn't recognize. Why again did this place seem totally fine with what I could only assume was attempted murder?
"Rori—Agh!" Another boot to the ribs from a burly man whose idea of fun clearly involved kicking helpless people. "Quit that!" I gasped, doubling over as much as the ropes would allow.
The burly guy laughed, his deep chuckle sounding like it belonged to a second-rate villain in a cartoon. Meanwhile, Rorik stepped closer, his face twisted in frustration. "This is all your fault! Do you know how much more I had to borrow to hire these guys? But it'll all be—"
"You borrowed more points?" I interrupted, disbelief cutting through his monologue. "Dude, that's actually insane."
I glanced up at the kind gentleman who seemed determined to provide me with a firsthand understanding of his shoe size. "How much did he pay you? If it's only one installment," I paused for effect, "I guarantee this guy isn't good for it."
Thankfully, this time I wasn't immediately kicked—progress. They actually seemed interested in what I had to say… or so I hoped.
"SHUT UP!" Rorik barked, his face flushed with anger. He turned to the other three, trying to rally them. "I'll just borrow more to pay you."
To my dismay, they shrugged as if this was entirely reasonable. Big Foot even chimed in, his voice a low rumble. "Just make sure to pay us first. Otherwise, you'll be the one strapped to a tree."
"Come on, Rorik! Are you really going to kill me over…" I trailed off, the realization hitting me like a boulder. This guy had almost killed Elric with his bare hands—why would he care about me?
"What? The fear setting in?" Rorik sneered, stepping closer. The moonlight caught the gleaming blade of a dagger as he pulled it out. And this one was sharp. Definitely not training equipment.
Wait… moonlight? How long had I been out?
"Hey, let's just relax. We don't have to do anything drastic," I said, my voice edged with false calm. Keep him talking. Keep him distracted. My hands were already in position, aimed at the rope binding me to the tree.
"Oh, don't worry. We'll take it slow," he said with a sadistic grin, raising the dagger. He dragged the blade across my face in a shallow cut, the sting sharp and immediate.
I winced, my eyes watering involuntarily. It did hurt. A lot.
"Are you crying?" Big Foot asked, his tone both mocking and curious.
"N—no, you're crying," I shot back, my voice cracking slightly. Definitely not crying. Just… tearing up a little.
"Wh—what?" Big Foot looked genuinely confused, his massive brow furrowing. Guess I'd invented a new form of insult in this world.
And then it happened.
The explosion tore through the air behind me, shattering the bark and splitting the ropes into fine, frayed threads. Splinters and shards of raw wood blasted outward, scattering in every direction like a storm of jagged needles. The force reverberated through the ground, a shockwave of raw power that left the others momentarily stunned.
That… was very different from my first attempt at this move. Back then, it had barely done anything. Now, the tree was obliterated, and I was free.
Definitely going to thank Elric for this.