Aeloria

The town of Aeloria stood tall among the forest. Its cobblestone streets lay between wooden buildings with sloping roofs and chimneys puffing curls of smoke into the sky. The air buzzed with activity—merchants calling out their goods, children darting between the legs of the people, and the occasional burst of laughter from a nearby tavern.

At the center of the town, the Guild Hall stood like a stone-cold fortress. It's diamond white walls bore carvings that went up and down the wall and shone brightly when it rained. Banners fluttered proudly from its spires, bearing the crests of countless guilds that called Aeloria home.

Laila paused at the town's edge, her bow slung over her shoulder and her quiver resting heavily against her back. The weight of it felt comforting, though her heart pounded with an edge of nervousness. The smell of booze was heavy in the air.

Her Earthly self, was kicking back in, so as to speak.

"This is it," she whispered to herself. "No turning back now, right?"

"Quite right," the System chimed in, startling her. Its tone was as chipper as always.

"Your survival rate has already increased by 17% simply just by arriving here. Congratulations!"

"Great," she muttered. "Now let's see if I can keep that rate from crashing."

As she made her way through the town, her senses were assaulted by the energy of the place. The scent of delicious smelling meat wafted from food cart. Laila couldn't help but feel out of place among the people.

Back on Earth, she'd been invisible—just another face in the crowd. Here, everyone seemed larger than life. Confident. Purposeful.

-x-

The Guild Hall was bigger on the inside than it looked like on the outside. There were 2 long wooden tables that stretched from one end to the other and were complimented by benches. Various groups of people were talking in between themselves. As soon as Laila stepped in, she felt as if they all shot a sharp glare at her, judged her in a single second, and resumed their business as if nothing happened.

Laila hesitated at the door, her breath catching in her throat. Inside, she could hear murmurs of their voices, the scrape of chairs against stone, and their planning, probably plans of going on a quest.

"This is stupid," she muttered. "It's just a building."

"Incorrect," the System piped up. "It's a plethora of opportunity, social networks, and potential soulmates. Fear is unnecessary but understandable."

Soulmate, huh..?

"Thanks for that," she said shaking her head, and bracing herself before stepping inside.

The first thing that hit her was the warmth—a stark contrast to the cool evening air outside. A roaring fire burned in a massive fireplace at the center of the hall, its light dancing across the high ceilings. The space was chaotic yet organized, where adventurers like her gathered to talk, plan, and eat.

But what caught her attention was the bulletin board near the far wall. It stood tall and imposing, covered with scraps of parchment pinned haphazardly across its surface. Each note bore a quest or announcement, the writing ranging from neat script to scrawled urgency.

Laila approached it cautiously, her eyes scanning the various postings:

[Quest: Wild Boar Infestation]

"Seeking adventurers to clear out a herd of aggressive boars. Minimal pay, but good for beginners. Contact Warden Kile at the East Gate."

[Dungeon Alert: Fallen Hollow]

"Party required for an above-level challenge. Risk: High. Reward: 500 Lumen and unique loot. Register with the Guildmaster."

[Guild Recruitment Notice]

"Iron Fang Guild seeks new members. Skilled or willing to learn. No pussies needed. Inquire with Mack."

Her fingers brushed the edge of the recruitment notice as her thoughts swirled. Joining a guild was the logical next step, but the idea of throwing herself into a group of strangers made her stomach churn.

EXCUSE ME!

"EEK!!", Laila jumped up in surprise at the raspy feminine voice. She turned around and her eyes widened as she was greeted by a lady in her 20's(Earth years), and she surprisingly had a business suit on, one that people that probably work as Investment Bankers would wear, Laila thought.

"Y-Yes? W-What's the matter, ma'am?", Laila muttered out.

"Ma'am?", the Lady narrowed her eyes, before shaking her head. 

"I see that you're new to town.", she extended her hand towards her shoulder and started guiding Laila towards the back. Near the back of the hall, a large wall spanned the width of the room. A receptionist sat behind it, with almost a hollow expression. The one on the right was a stern-looking woman with slicked-back hair and a pair of glasses perched on her nose, while the left seat was empty. She worked methodically, her hands moving in a blur as she input data into a glowing screen that floated in front of her.

"You have to make an account first, to join a Guild. You know that, right?", the Lady whispered in a sweet yet smug tone as she just nonchalantly walked through the wall and back into the seat, beside the other lady, which now that Laila looked close enough, they looked almost exactly like each other.

"Y-Yeah. I-I know.", Laila said as her hand touched the wall making sure it was solid and she wasn't just dreaming. The things that magic and this system can do in this world, huh..,, she thought to herself

"Could I have your name, then? Please provide your IGN ID, as well.", the Lady said as she started to type into the holograph looking keyboard(or atleast that's what it looked like),

"Laila. And, uh..,", she glanced at the bottom right of her peripheral vision and sure enough, her IGN ID was ingrained into her vision, which she recited back to the lady.

"There.", she said while folding her arms smugly. "All done. Would you like to deposit some Lumen?"

"S-Sure. System!"