Chapter Three: Yorsville

I wake up and see the fire has gone out. I get out of my hammock and stretch my arms and legs, including the spidery ones on my back.

I then sit by the smoldering fire for a bit, before another person wakes up, this one being the girl who lit the fire yesterday.

She sees me and smiles, before making her way over to me, "The embers are quite pretty, no? The remains of a once beautiful fire, now reduced to such a sad state, but able to be returned to its former glory if tended to in time." She says with a smile.

I giggle, "You remind me of myself. I'm the same way with insects and the like." We stay in silence for a moment, "My names Jennifer. I'm a Pyromancer, if you couldn't guess."

I smile, "My name is Dakota. I'm an Entomancer."

We then chat for a bit, before the rest of the group wakes up. We then douse the embers of the fire, much to Jennifers dismay, and continue going down the road.

After a while of walking, we reach a walled town. We reach the gates, the guards stopping us. After the group shows the guards the tags around their necks, they are allowed in, leaving just me standing awkwardly outside.

The leader of the party hands one of the guards a few silver coins, gaining me access to the town. I step through the gates and see a lively town.

I then go to the group waiting for me, "Sorry you had to pay the guard... I'll pay you back, I promise." The leader just chuckles, "Its fine. I have plenty of money."

I thank him, and me and the party go our separate ways. I then explore the town, finding a few interesting places. I stop in front of a large building, the words "Adventurers Guild" written on a sign just outside.

I go inside and am met with a few looks, not all of them nice.

I then go to what looks like a receptionist counter and talk to the receptionist, "Hm? Oh, hello there, and welcome to the Adventurer's Guild. How may I help you?"

I ask what Adventurers do, "Adventurers slay monsters, gather materials for crafters, and hunt bandits, among a few other things like guarding caravans. Would you like to sign up?"

I think about it for a second, before asking, "How much does this pay?" The receptionist smiles, "Adventurers are paid for every job they do, the amount depending on the job." I think for a moment, 'I need the money... And being an adventurer sounds enticing...' I turn back to the receptionist, "I'll sign up, sure."

The receptionist claps their hands, "Wonderful! I'll go get the papers for you, just wait here a moment."

The receptionist disappears into a room behind the counters. I am then left there to think to myself. I hear a set of footsteps behind me. I turn around and see a man with an unhappy look on his face, "What's a bug like you doing here?" I look at him, feeling strangely offended.

"I'm an Arachne, not a bug." I say. The man just clicks his tongue in annoyance, "A bugs a bug, even if it looks human."

I grow increasingly annoyed with this man, "I am not a bug. Spiders are not bugs; they are arachnids."

The man then mocks me, "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't know you bugs distinguished yourselves from each other, my bad!"

...

Would it be bad if I killed this idiot?

I go to reply, when the receptionist returns, holding a few papers attached to a clipboard. I look at them, "Here you go, I just need you to fill these forms out and bring them back to me.

I take the papers and a pencil and begin filling the papers out. I after I finish, I hand the papers, the clipboard the papers were on, and the pencil back to the receptionist.

They look at the papers and nod their head in satisfaction, "Alright, these papers look good. I'll go get your tag, and you can begin your new career as an adventurer."

The receptionist leaves again, leaving me with the dimwit, who keeps casually calling me a bug every chance he gets.

Eventually another person walks up and hits the man over the head with a karate chop hard enough to knock the man unconscious, "You ok miss?" I look at the newcomer and see a man with a fur coat and dark red hair smiling at me, "I was just about to so something I might have regretted later on, so thank you for intervening. And yes, I'm fine."

The man smiles before bending down and picking up the unconscious dude before putting them over his shoulder and walking out of the guild building.

I turn back to the receptionist counter just in time to see the receptionist exit through a door and walk over, "Here's your tag." The receptionist bows their head a little, "On behalf of all the staff here at the adventurer's guild, I would like to thank you for your future work."

The receptionist hands me the copper-colored tag, which I hang around my neck like the party that brought me here did. The receptionist then points towards a large board with a bunch of papers stuck to it, "Over there is the quest board, where you can find jobs and requests. I recommend you go look at it if you are low on funds, after all, there is never a shortage of work for adventurers. Just remember that you can only accept jobs within your rank."

I heed the receptionist's advice and go to look at the board. I spy a few jobs that look simple enough, 'Slay goblins, collect herbs, or help look for missing pet... Hmm...' I pick up the slay goblins quest and bring it to the receptionist.

The receptionist looks at the paper, "Goblins huh? I would recommend you get a party for this one. Goblins are usually weak, but they can be dangerous when they have a large numbers advantage."

I think for a moment, "Does the surrounding forest have any insect type monsters?" The receptionist thinks for a moment, "I believe it has a few, but not very strong ones. Just Giant Red Ants and Giga Mantis's"

I thank her for the information and decide to sign up for the quest. The receptionist sighs and stamps the quest paper, "Good luck."

I then leave the building and then the town, venturing back into the forest.