chapter 2: State of Eldoria

"What is your name again?" A bald burly man asked.

"I am Elias" Elias replied.

The bald man asked yet another question "do you understand what's happening right now?"

"I don't"

The man sigh "do you remember anything before that point?"

'I can't tell him what happened...' Elias thought to himself, and answered with "I don't"

"Well, it is what it is. let me brief you in case you have amnesia. This is the adventurers guild, we are in the City of Eldoria. You are found in the Eldoran Forrest, a place you shouldn't have survived, you are lucky to meet me there." The man explained.

"Thanks a lot, may I know your name?"

"Sure kid, I am Jack, Jack Winterborne" the man replied with a big smile.

"Mr. Jack, what should I do now? I'm lost and don't know what to do, I don't have any money nor a home to take shelter in." Elias said trying to get pity.

"Well, you seems pretty nice, and you have the vigor to survive from what I can see when I found you. Why don't you be an adventurer, the guild provide dorms and free meals for those who can't afford it."

"What does adventurers do?" Elias mutter asking.

"You will be brief about it when you register. alright, I must get going. Just be strong."

After registering as an adventurer, Elias learned that there are 2 guild that deals with request also known as quest; They are the adventurers guild and the mercenary guild.

The adventurers guild deals with request from killing monster to collecting herbs. While the mercenary guild deals with escort request and is often contracted with the military.

The adventurers guild and the mercenary guild has different ranking system, the adventurers guild uses F to A class from lowest to higher, there are also superior ranks like the S rank and EX rank.

Elias also recieve an adventurer's card which he can use as an identification.

And after all that, he also learned that this place, Eldoria, is called as the slum city.

After registering he took a herb gathering quest from the bulletin board.

After just opening the door to go outside, he saw the reason why this place is called the "slum city". The houses are ragged, you can kids being beaten up in the alleyways, people starving to death by the streets, and constant moaning coming from the dark corners.

Just walking through the streets he can see various sign of poverty, something a human would never dream. Children scavenging for food in the trash. Overcrowded shanties, pick pockets, and countless graffities.

Elias felt uncomfortable walking through this streets of poverty, but soon he reach the gate towards the Eldoran Forrest.

The guards in the gate are well endowed with fine clothing, with a body that seems to eat 3 times a day, and accompanied with half dressed womens with metal collar in there neck, and a shackle in their left ankle.

As Elias is walking through the gate, he heard a guard talk to him. "Hey kid!, Show me your ID" Elias thought for a while but he then gave his adventurers card to the guard.

After a while the guard let him pass the gate, and he soon entered the Eldoran Forrest.

'I remember the receptionist told me that the this herbs can be found in the outskirts of the Forrest, I'm glad I asked for a container and a picture of it.' Elias thought to himself with relief.

After a 3 hours of gathering herbs Elias heard chattering. As of then, 3 man walked in front of him as he is picking herbs, and suddenly kicked him in the stomach with great force. He was in great pain.

"Listen up kid give me your money right now before I break Amy bones" the man in the middle said.

"I don't have any" Elias replied.

"I don't believe you" after that they began searching all over Elias's body from pocket to pocket but they found nothing.

"Drat!" The man exclaimed, "he have nothing, just stupid scraps. whatever, jonh take all the herbs he gathered to this point and let's go back"

3 hours worth of herbs, lost in just that moment, Elias knows he's powerless but the only thing ne can do is grit his teeth and gather more.

After 3 more hours, it is getting dark so he went back to the city to exchance in more money he can use.

---Guild---

"This is the herbs I collected" Elias handed over the herbs he painstakingly gathered. And the receptionist gave him 5 copper coins.

"Miss, can I ask about the free food, and dorms?" Elias questioned.

"*Sigh* the free food is only available for E rank and up, and the free dorms is only available for D rank and up" the receptionist explained. "You can buy a stew with that 5 copper and sleep on street anyways" she added.

Feeling dismayed Elias roam around the streets, he manages to buy a stew for 5 copper, but he's still hungry.

Feeling tired, he sat at the alley way preparing to sleep. But as of then a beautiful girl with slightly better clothing sat besides him and handed him a stew. She looked the same age as Elias with brown hair and eyes paired with her slim yet plum body forming great curves.

Elias was shock, but he gladly accepted the kind guessture the girl is giving him.

"It's my first time seeing you, what's your name?" The beauty asked him.

"My name is Elias" Elias answered.

"Well then, I'm Belle" she said with a smile. "See you nextime" she said and left.

I'm that moment, Elias is frozen in time, his heart is pounding like never before, and he doesn't know why.