Sin yawned deeply before sneakily crouching out of a wet, sticky domain.
Wiping off the dirt built up in the edges of his dark blue eyes after his short-lived hours of sleep, he turned to face the open jaws of a massive dark-green crocodile.
This was where he had spent the majority of the night.
After a long journey through harsh jungles, he found that this species of reptile was quite timid, and actually peaceful despite its horrifying looks.
If anything, it was like resting inside of a sleeping bag which doubled as a personal scarecrow for anything else that wished to devour him in the night.
It was a risk, but also came with a hefty reward that promised protection.
His stare was nonchalant, almost fierce as he stood straight with a fairly tall stature for his tender age of fifteen.
He had a build one could attain after a few years of weight lifting.
Lean, but athletic. And since he was only wearing a small hide rag around his waist, one could easily see he was about 12% body fat, fairly striated and vascular all over.
His eyes locked onto the crocodile, at which moment he tossed a stone into the beast's mouth.
*CHOMP*
The crocodile bit down with force, sending a waft of wind to brush past his face.
"Pew." He waved his hand in front of his nose with a sour expression, "Smells like shit..." But then he smiled, "Good thing it was nice to me though... no sudden movements."
As he turned to start his day, Sin giggled like a little girl, "Another day to live life to the fullest."
As he made his way through the forest ahead of him, he looked experienced in the way he moved.
It was only natural since he had been practically living in the jungle for a few years by now.
His strides were curt, but powerful, avoiding any slippery or sharp surface as he brushed aside all of the debris that appeared in his path.
Eventually, he pushed apart a mass of bushes and leaves with both of his hands, revealing a large drop-off to a vast expanse of plain grassland below.
A few miles ahead was a large city that looked to be busy with travelers and merchants coming in and out through its many trails.
Seeing this, Sin's eyes lit up while expanding. His pupils almost danced with awe as he reached behind him and pulled out a ragged poster with holes all over it.
It was hard to understand, but it read: "Nearest city near you with a Hunter Guild: Solstar. 1053 miles and 4002 feet away, toward the capital of Captainia."
"Finally..." Sin looked down at his palms, littered with healed scars and blisters galore: "I can test my Spirit Energy affinity..."
...
Before he knew it, Sin had managed to not only get inside of the city but stood before a large Hunter's Guild building that dominated the street.
All around him was a bustling atmosphere filled with dozens of pedestrians making rowdy noise.
Vendors were yelling to sell their merchandise. Carts carrying supplies and carriages carrying people roamed back and forth--with a few rare glimpses of more advanced, mechanical vehicles.
Or, sometimes even individuals riding atop large beasts: like a white tiger or spotted black-bear. These beasts weren't of ordinary size, but instead, as large as horses at the very minimum.
In this busy environment, Sin had managed to acquire clothes that made him appear normal and blended him into the crowd.
He had been in and out of several dozen cities in the past five years, so he knew how to sneak around without getting caught.
This time, he had bagged himself the clothes of a more wealthy individual it seemed.
A white robe with green lining, along with a pair of clean yellow trousers that complemented his golden locks of hair.
He brushed himself off, thinking, 'I hope I won't have any consequences for stealing something this expensive. Its more risky than what I usually go for... but when would be a better time to look my best than right now?'
When he entered the building, it took him seconds to find where he wanted to go.
The interior was large but simple. Near the entrance were a few filled seats beside the oblong windows.
At the far back of the building were multiple lines of over 100 people in total leading to booths, behind which were Hunter Guild associates providing their services.
To the right was a small canteen area, where food was being served freshly at an open restaurant to folks who wore various types of armor and wielded an array of weapons--from axes to swords, to bows, and more.
All of these areas were cool and all... but Sin's attention was immediately drawn to the left side of the establishment.
There, the sign of a large crystal ball instantly caught his attention.
A smirk formed on his face as he made his way toward a long desk with a few more Hunter Guild associate booths behind it.
But these associates were different from the ones in the back. These ones... had crystal balls in front of them.
'This is it... this is where I test my Spirit Energy affinity.' Sin eagerly mused, biting his lips so that a girlish chuckle didn't escape his mouth.
It had been over three years since Sin set out on a journey to find this city, solely to find out whether or not he had any potential for Spirit Energy in him.
'Now that I'm finally in a big city, where there are actual opportunities for me... I can gain power. I can finally get strong enough to get reve--' His train of thought was interrupted abruptly as another young man brushed past him--aggressively rubbing shoulders.
"Tsk..." The young man exclaimed under his breath with a tone of disdain as he walked past.
A couple more men walked in front of Sin, only to all join a single one of the five lines.
They muttered what Sin thought were cringe one liners as they strolled past him:
"Who's that posh little idiot?"
"Choose a line... pompous dickhead."
"Didn't he get the news who's visiting the guild today?"
"Good thing Dreli didn't mind him too much. He must be in a good mood, since he's getting his Spirit Energy affinity tested today and all."
Sin's smile immediately disappeared from his face. Naturally, his fists balled.
But then, he exhaled, and his fists turned back into loose palms.
'No... I won't let them ruin this moment. I've waited too long for this.'
He joined the line beside the guy who had pushed him.
Before long, he made it to the front of the line, where he was greeted by a young woman wearing a white button-up and a short black tie.
"Good morning sir! You are here to test your Spirit Energy affinity, am I correct to assume that?"
"Yep."
"Perfect! Please give me your name. It's only to track your affinity, in case it is updated in the future."
"Sure. Its... Sin."
"S-Sin? Just Sin?"
"Sin... Clemoth Falmerdic."
"Great!" The young woman wrote Sin's name down before turning to face him again, "Please place your hand on this crystal--" Sin's attention was swayed at that moment.
"Hahaha!" The guy who brushed past him a few minutes ago busted out into a peal of laughter, "Of course, I shall!" He said as he lifted his hand and reached toward the crystal in front of him.
"--and try to relax your arm." The young woman in front of Sin finished speaking.
Sin took in a deep breath and reached for the crystal orb, placing his hand on top at the same time as the guy beside him, 'We are getting our affinity tested at the same time huh?' Sin mused, noting that fact.
The eyes of the lackeys of the young man addressed as "Dreli," concentrated on their leader's orb.
Sin noticed that many other people around the guild seemed to be staring at the orb beside his.
'Dude must be popular around here...' He thought nothing else of it.
For the first ten seconds, nothing happened to either crystal of the two crystals.
Dreli looked up at the associate in front of him with furrowed brows.
Seeing the young man's face, the associate spoke up without needing to hear a word: "Don't worry... it usually takes up to half a minute to fully register one's affinity."
"W-worry? Who told you I was worrying? Keep your mouth shut, tramp." Dreli rolled his eyes as his friends chuckled behind him.
The associate shadowed her face, looking toward the ground with a grim expression.
At that moment, Sin's crystal began to spark with energy. Sin's eyes widened with intrigue, as Dreli's head quickly turned to face him.
The two made eye contact, creating a slightly tense and awkward moment.
'Don't tell me... this random rich brat has a more powerful affinity than me...' Dreli mused for a moment, shocked.
His friends were also silent. They, along with many other people in the guild, were staring at Sin's crystal ball which was beginning to glow brighter with each passing second in a bright white light.
But then, the light abruptly disappeared.
"Please remove your hand..." The Hunter Guild associate in front of Sin said, "Unfortunately, you have no affinities whatsoever. It's quite disappointing."