Hazuki slumped over, gripping his Adventurer Card like it had personally betrayed him.
"Lucky bastards…" he muttered bitterly.
"Those guys in other Isekai stories… they get tutorials."
He gritted his teeth.
"Overpowered. Over-harem'd. They got beautiful goddesses to guide them!"
His anger grew.
"They form parties with big boobs knights and overpowered archmages."
His fist clenched.
"Even the ones reborn as nobles get a harem of maids doting on them."
Hazuki let out a long, frustrated sigh.
"Those lucky bastards."
The wind blew gently, as if mocking his suffering.
Meanwhile, Hazuki sat there alone—no OP skills, no buxom knight, no goddess companion…
…Just a cursed pinky promise and zero clue how to use his skill points.
"Damn it all."
"Well…" Hazuki muttered, glancing at his Adventurer Card again. "Better find a way to learn the skill."
He rubbed his chin, thinking back to what Zaben had told him.
"Someone needs to teach me the skill, and then it'll show up on the Adventurer Card to learn."
Hazuki groaned.
"Great… now I have to find a teacher."
His mind wandered, but then he remembered something else—something important that Ahlem had said.
"Learn carefully," he muttered. "No rush. Skill points won't return or undo once learned… huh."
That definitely made him pause.
Hazuki stared at the skill points again. He could feel the weight of that advice. This was a one-time deal. One wrong choice, and he'd be stuck with a useless skill forever.
"Great," he groaned. "So I can't just throw these around like candy. They gotta be useful."
But…
"I'm sure no one's going to let me learn for free," Hazuki added with a sigh. "At this rate, I'll need more than a few silver coins to even learn the basics."
He slumped back against the stone.
Looks like he was stuck in yet another mess—no OP skills, no free lessons, and still not enough money to solve it.
Hazuki decided it was best to check out the Adventurer's Guild in Yumia Town first.
With a sigh, he sat up from the stone, stretched his body, and began walking.
As he strolled through the streets, his eyes naturally wandered—gorgeous women everywhere. Flowing dresses, tight armor, and curves that could make anyone take a second look.
But—
"Tch."
Every time he tried to admire the view for too long, a chill ran down his spine.
The pinky promise curse was watching.
Hazuki clicked his tongue in frustration and quickly focused on something else before another lightning bolt struck him.
After wandering a bit, he decided to ask for directions. He approached a middle-aged man who looked like a merchant.
"Excuse me, can you point me to the Adventurer's Guild?"
The man glanced at him. "Hmm? You new in town?"
"Yeah."
The merchant nodded. "From here, go straight. When you see a small fountain, the Adventurer's Guild will be right next to it. Can't miss it."
Hazuki gave a small nod of thanks. "Got it. Thanks."
With that, he adjusted his bag and continued down the road toward his next destination—the Adventurer's Guild of Yumia Town.
Once Hazuki arrived at the guild, he pushed open the door and stepped inside.
As expected, the place was lively—filled with adventurers of all kinds.
Some muscle-bound warriors were gathered around the quest board, scanning the available jobs with serious expressions.
Meanwhile, several groups of adventurers were already drinking.
In the morning.
Hazuki's eye twitched. "Damn… they really have it easy."
Shaking his head, he decided to head straight to the receptionist's area.
Approaching the counter, he cleared his throat. "Umm… hello?"
A young female receptionist looked up from her papers and gave him a polite smile. "Yes, sir? Are you here to post a quest?"
"Ah, no," Hazuki scratched the back of his head. "I'm an adventurer. Well… a newbie rank adventurer."
The receptionist blinked. "Oh."
Her reaction stung a little.
Hazuki tried not to let it get to him. "Do you have a quest suitable for me?"
The receptionist thought for a moment, then nodded. "Hmm… how about an herb-picking quest?" She gestured toward the quest board. "You can check for beginner-friendly quests over there."
Hazuki sighed internally. Gathering herbs…? So much for being a badass adventurer.
Still, money was money.
"Alright," he muttered, turning toward the board. "Guess I'll check it out."
Hazuki stood in front of the quest board, scanning the available jobs.
Quest 1: Goblin Extermination
Requirement: Rank D or higher, full party recommended.
Reward: 50 silver coins
Details: A large goblin nest has been discovered in a nearby cave. Requires full extermination.
Hazuki winced. "Yeah… nope. Not suicidal."
Quest 2: Test Subject
Requirement: Must have high endurance against magic and poison.
Reward: 20 silver coins
Details: Seeking volunteers for a new alchemical experiment. Must sign a waiver. Side effects unknown.
Hazuki's face twisted in horror. "The heck!? TEST SUBJECT!? HELL NO!!"
Quest 3: Hunting Horned Rabbits
Requirement: Rank F or higher, party recommended.
Reward: 50 copper per rabbit
Details: The local farmers are requesting help in reducing the horned rabbit population in nearby fields.
"Okay, this one is at least doable…" Hazuki sighed and continued reading.
Quest 8: Hunt a Titan Boar
Requirement: Rank C party or higher.
Reward: 150 silver coins
Details: A Titan Boar has been rampaging through farmlands. Requires a team effort to subdue it. Beware of its destructive charge.
"Great. It's basically a living battering ram."
Hazuki stepped back from the board, rubbing his temples. "Damn… these quests are either insane or suicidal."
He glanced back at the horned rabbit quest. "…Guess I'm stuck with the only one that won't get me killed."
With a long sigh of defeat, Hazuki took the quest paper.
Hazuki walked up to the receptionist and placed the quest paper on the counter.
"I want to take this quest."
The receptionist glanced at the paper, then at Hazuki, her expression slightly hesitant. "Umm… this quest is recommended for Rank F and above. Err… your rank is… below F."
Inside Hazuki's mind:
"Eeeeehh!? Just let me take it, damn it! There's literally nothing else I can do!"
He forced a smile. "Ah, don't worry! I'll just try. If I can't do it, I'll run back."
The receptionist sighed but nodded. "If you say so… Hand me your Adventurer Card."
"Here." Hazuki handed over his card.
The receptionist placed his card on a glowing orb, causing a faint light to shine. Then, she placed the quest paper over it, processing the request.
After a few seconds, she looked up. "Alright, the quest has been registered to your Adventurer Card."
She tapped the counter. "Just so you know, if you fail to bring back even one rabbit and forfeit the quest, there will be a penalty of 50 copper coins."
Hazuki's eye twitched. "A penalty!? I barely have money to start with!"
"And if you manage to bring back more than required," the receptionist continued, "we'll buy each one for 50 copper coins."
Hazuki let out a small sigh of relief. "At least there's a chance to earn more…"
He took back his Adventurer Card and pocketed it. "Alright, guess I better get started."
With that, he turned and walked out of the guild, unknowingly stepping into his next struggle.
( End of Chapter )