1.8 - Guild

Ilse had woken up energized, and revitalized her body buzzing with the effects of the transferred mana. She felt stronger, her momentary headaches were gone as were her disoriented ment. 

Her corruption was at an all-time low, she was satisfied. 

Katarina had already locked the temples just to secure the building, she had also given her instructions on how to find the nearest guild. 

But before trekking away, she gave Ilse a leather knapsack, filled with some essentials. A shark kitchen knife for protection, some fruits and dried nuts, and a small satchel filled with mana potions. She mentioned it was a bit extra for her "performance" the night before. 

Ilse had caught herself flustered at the woman's words, before heading out in search of a way to survive this strange world.

The streets were awfully quiet today, though there were numerous amounts of zeros moving from place to place. She realized that most of the busy ones must have classes and jobs and sedentary folks had to be [classless] like her. Perhaps they all tried, and perhaps they all failed miserably to escape Zerodom.

Hollowpoint guild, stood tall at the edge of the zero district. Its architecture was slick and minimalist, though the exterior grounds surrounding it were rugged and worn from constant activity.

Stepping inside she immediately feels out of place and scrutinized.

Everyone stared her down, their gazes lingering on the borrowed robe she held. 

Was it because she was a newcomer, a zero, or because she was inexperienced?

She nervously approaches, a receptionist at the counter, the woman greets her with a brow and an annoyed expression. 

"More fresh meat for the grinder," she commented, snark. 

Isle swallowed, she was used to rampant hostility before she had died. But at least she could hide in the comforts of her room. Here she was out in public.

"Um…hello?" she stammered." is this the guild?"

"No, you dolt, this is the graveyard." The girl at the counter stuck out her tongue. "Yes, you idiot, this is one of many guilds."

Ilse frowned. She at least expected some better treatment, the guild was part of an economic system isn't it, is this how you treat people who wish to engage in it? 

"I was hoping to an appraisal test, to attain a class."

"You and every other zero." the girl sighed." The test is simple. You need to pass an aptitude test, then a corruption test, then a mana test, followed by paying a fee."

Fee, what fee, Katarina never mentioned one.

"Fee!?" She blurted out. 

The receptionist girl chuckles. "Dumb zero, did you expect to move up in the world for free?"

Ilse's face flushes. The humiliation and everyone staring at her insulting whispers and snickering at her conversation. 

Ilse took out the knack sack, displaying the items, she had received from Katarina, rearranging them one by one. 

"Stop." The guild girl said. Ilse continued to back out. "I said stop, this is a guild hall, not market square!"

More laughter erupted from the passive crowd.

"Besides, that's barely worth ten gold, you need at least five more of those bags worth of stuff," she said dismissively shaking her head. 

Ilse thought Promiscuity was everything here, perhaps she could offer someone a favor, like these season adventurers here.

She turns to stare at the present adventures, most resembled middle-aged men, one particular ugly bastard was staring at her. Practically drooling.

Shit, maybe that's not a good idea.

"So… is there anything else I can do?"

The receptionist girl, smirking briefly, wondered for a while. Then dropped her smile. "You could always delve a dungeon, teeter your life on the edge. Kick your stats up a bit, and do some jobs for little money, your survival however is not guaranteed. "

"So how do I do that?"

The girl sighed again, she took note of her name this time, a little name tag displayed on her shirt. Ellette. 

"Check your stats, choose a suitable job, do the job, return to guild, profit."

Ilse started twiddling her thumbs "How do I check my stat?"

"Just say, status, and it should pop up."

She braced herself. Then said the magic words. "Status"

[Ilse – Zero - Human 

Class: Classless

Strength: 6

Dexterity: 8

Constitution: 7

Cunning: 9

Instinct: 8

Charisma: 10

Mana: 5 pl

Mana Capacity: 95%

Corruption: 1%]

Ilse stared in disappointment. She didn't expect much, but it was quite a pain to see. Even she knew as a gamer that it was incredibly mediocre. 

Ellette giggled at her. "Judging by your face, it's exactly as I expected."

She showed Ilse to the guild board, the quests for absolute mooks, and the lowest common denominator. Separated from the rest of the jobs.

A few things caught her attention.

Clean sewers of rat infestations - 100 gold

Chop wood logs under lumberjack supervision, manpower needed - 500 gold

Mucorrasp ivy, collect 5 samples - 30 gold.

4. Late night service - 1500 gold 

These were not suitable jobs for her. She had no idea if she could even kill a rat, how large were these rats if they were worth a hundred gold? Lumberjack, out of the question, she could barely move her prickly arms. Late-night service was expensive, but it could mean anything, she'd rather not get stolen in the middle of the night and trapped in someone's basement. Murrorrasp ivy seemed the most sensible, but what if it was poison? 

Ilse plucked the piece of paper off the board. Closing her eyes, she prayed, she didn't know to who but she prayed. Mysterious plant it was.

Elette laughed at her. "Good luck, zero!"

Ilse fled the building, a sarcastic Ellete, looking at her like she was the funniest thing. Her nerves were on the edge. She pocketed the kitchen knife near her waist.

She held on to Katarina's words if she could attain a combat class, Then she'll teach Ilse the path to power. She had nothing to hold on to–she needed to do her best here and now. 

Near one of the dungeon entrances, two guards stopped her. They glanced at her, barring her from entry. 

"You there, zero…" The main guard said with amusement. "Where do you think you're going?"

"The dungeon…"

The other guard started laughing mockingly. "Don't be stupid, you'll die in there,"

"Look missy, how about you take up a newer profession, if it's needs you have, for example, I'm always looking for a new wife… you look delectable."

Ilse, heart started beating. It's not that they were unattractive but that she hated being controlled by others, she didn't want to subject herself to the mercy of the dominant man. 

"I'm sorry, I have a paper, I'm going in," she said bowing her head. 

"Are you now," the guard took note of what she was wearing. "Nice robe you have on, awfully expensive for a newbie, you got some friends in high places."

She nodded. She was sure Katarina was of a higher standard than them. 

The guard opened the passageway into the dungeon. 

She squeezed her way through, and the guards stared at her like they were ready to pounce on her. But they let her go.

Fear grips as she enters the unknown, there is danger behind and in front of her. 

Ilse had woken up energized, revitalized her body buzzed with the effects on the transferred mana. She felt stronger, her momentary headaches were gone as were her disoriented mental fatigue.