Ethan's body still trembled from the aftershock of Attribute Mimicry. The pain had dulled to an ache, but his muscles felt… heavier. Stronger.
He clenched his fists, feeling the unnatural power coursing through his arms.
Strength: 30
The number flashed in his mind again. Just moments ago, he had been an ordinary guy with nothing going for him. Now, his physical power exceeded that of the average human by three times.
And yet… the process had been agonizing.
Was that normal?
The system had given him no warning—no explanation. If copying an attribute hurt this much, then using it recklessly could kill him.
But before he could dwell on that, reality set in. He was standing in the middle of an unfamiliar city, surrounded by people dressed like they had walked out of a medieval fantasy novel.
Merchants shouted about their wares. Blacksmiths hammered away at steel in open workshops. Armored knights patrolled the streets, their gazes scanning the crowd. And scattered throughout were beastfolk, elves, and other races Ethan didn't recognize.
It was overwhelming.
He took a deep breath. Alright. Think.
The system had given him strength, but strength alone wouldn't help him survive. He needed food. Money. A place to sleep.
A familiar chime rang in his ears, followed by a translucent screen appearing before him.
[New Quest: First Steps]
Objective: Find the Adventurer's Guild and register as a member.
Reward: 5 Silver Coins + Basic Adventurer's Kit
Failure Consequence: None
Ethan exhaled in relief. At least I won't be wandering around aimlessly.
A small glowing arrow appeared in his vision, guiding him toward a wide street lined with larger buildings.
"Alright," he muttered. "Let's get this over with."
---
Ethan stood in front of a massive wooden building reinforced with stone. Above the entrance, a large metal emblem displayed a crossed sword and shield.
Pushing open the heavy doors, he stepped inside.
The guild hall was a chaotic mix of noise, laughter, and the clinking of tankards. Adventurers of all kinds filled the space—some fully armored, others clad in light clothing and carrying staffs. A massive quest board covered one wall, with missions pinned to it.
Ethan approached the reception desk, where a young woman with short brown hair and sharp green eyes greeted him.
"Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild! Are you here to register?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "I just arrived in town."
"Perfect! We'll just run a quick status check to determine your rank."
She placed a small crystal orb on the counter.
"Please place your hand on this," she instructed. "It will record your stats and assign you a starting rank."
Ethan hesitated. He still didn't fully understand Attribute Mimicry, but he had no choice.
Taking a deep breath, he placed his palm against the orb.
Immediately, a system screen appeared before him.
───≪ STATUS ≫───
Name: Ethan Cross
Race: Human
Class: None
Level: 1
Skills: [Attribute Mimicry]
Attributes:
Strength: 30
Agility: 6
Endurance: 4
Intelligence: 7
Mana: 2
The receptionist's cheerful expression froze.
Her eyes flicked between Ethan and the glowing orb, her mouth slightly open.
"Uh…" She blinked, as if making sure she wasn't seeing things.
Ethan frowned. "Is something wrong?"
She looked at him again, this time with a mix of confusion and curiosity.
"Not wrong, exactly… but your stats are strange." She turned the orb slightly so he could see.
"You have an absurdly high Strength stat for a complete beginner. Thirty? That's the kind of strength you'd expect from a veteran warrior. But…" She trailed off, looking at his other numbers.
Ethan followed her gaze.
Agility: 6. Endurance: 4. Intelligence: 7. Mana: 2.
Compared to his overwhelming Strength, the rest of his stats were pitiful.
"If I'm being honest," the receptionist continued, "your stats are terribly unbalanced. Most new adventurers have an average of 10 in all attributes. But your physical power is three times that… while your endurance is less than half of a normal person's. And your mana is basically nonexistent."
Ethan forced a laugh. "Guess I skipped leg day, huh?"
She didn't seem amused. "Are you sure you've never trained as a warrior?"
"Pretty sure," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Is this going to be a problem?"
She exhaled and shook her head. "No, it just means you'll need to be careful. High Strength is good, but with low Endurance, you might burn out quickly."
Ethan made a mental note of that. If he could copy Strength, maybe he could copy Endurance too.
"For now," the receptionist continued, "we'll register you as an Iron Rank adventurer. Let me explain how the ranking system works."
She pulled out a parchment listing the different ranks.
The Adventurer's Guild categorizes its members based on skill, experience, and power.
Iron Rank: The starting rank for beginners. Given basic gathering and low-risk monster-hunting quests.
Bronze Rank: For adventurers with proven survival skills. Can accept harder combat missions.
Silver Rank: Considered competent fighters. Often form teams to complete dangerous quests.
Gold Rank: Elite adventurers capable of soloing powerful monsters. Respected across the kingdom.
Platinum Rank: Heroes known for legendary feats. Few reach this level.
Mithril Rank: Reserved for the strongest in the world—those who can fight armies or slay dragons.
Ethan absorbed the information carefully.
"So, as an Iron Rank, I'll just be doing low-level jobs?"
"Exactly," the receptionist nodded. "You'll need to complete quests to rank up. If you survive long enough, you might reach Silver Rank within a year or two."
Ethan wasn't planning on waiting that long.
She handed him a small iron badge. "This is your identification. Keep it with you at all times."
A notification appeared before his eyes.
[Quest Completed: First Steps]
Reward: 5 Silver Coins + Basic Adventurer's Kit
Ethan checked the bag she handed him—some travel supplies, a dagger, and a handful of silver coins.
"Anything else I should know?" he asked.
The receptionist smiled. "Just one thing. If you're looking for work, check the quest board. And be careful—adventuring is dangerous, even at low ranks."
Ethan nodded and turned toward the massive board on the far wall.