Chapter:20-Copper Rank

Edwin knelt by the bodies, his eyes lingering on the faces of the dead. Their features were twisted with pain and fear, frozen forever in their final moments. Blood had soaked into the soil, darkening the ground beneath them.

He forced himself to keep looking. To acknowledge what he'd done.

"In the name of whatever peace you deserve... may you find rest."

His voice trembled, but the words came out steady enough. They weren't perfect. They weren't even particularly sincere. But Father Gabriel's teachings still had a hold on him, even here. Especially here.

He clasped his hands together, his fingers trembling slightly as he uttered the prayer. His chest felt tight, not with guilt, but with the cold weight of necessity. He couldn't let himself feel sorry for them. They would've killed him. They tried.

But killing them so brutally... it left something heavy in his chest.

He rose slowly, his knees creaking, his muscles aching from the strain of the [Rune of Enhancement]. He let out a long, shuddering breath before turning away from the bodies.

When he looked up, Eliza was standing a few paces away, her eyes wide, her complexion sickly pale. She looked like she was about to throw up.

"Gods..." she whispered, her voice choked. "That's... familiar."

Her gaze darted from one corpse to the next, her lips twitching as if she was fighting the urge to vomit. Her bow hung loosely from her hand, fingers trembling just enough to be noticeable.

"It had to be done," Edwin said quietly, his voice calm but hard.

Eliza let out a shaky breath."This...brings back some nightmares."

"I had to kill them.Or,they would have killed us."

He said,though he didn't himself know if without the influence of the system would he have killed those assasins.

He had to,right?.

Not completing or giving up a quest is death,rightm

"Yeah, but..." She shook her head, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Damn it, Edwin. You took them all down. I mean... I helped a little, but that was..."

"Necessary," Edwin said, cutting her off.

Eliza's eyes flickered with something that looked like a mixture of anger and fear. She looked away, swallowing hard. "I... I went and told the administrators about what happened. The assassins. The black wolf. And those... cultists."

"Good."

A tense silence stretched between them. She kept glancing back at the bodies, her expression torn between disgust and something else—something closer to respect. Or maybe it was just relief.

Before Edwin could say anything else, the sound of approaching footsteps broke the quiet.

A group of administrators emerged from the trees, their eyes cautious and guarded as they surveyed the bloody scene. Edwin counted five of them, each wearing the official Guild uniform.

But the man who stood at the front drew his attention most of all.

He was an older gentleman, probably in his fifties, with silver hair from aging rather than battle. His face was lined but strong, his frame moderately muscular despite his age. His posture was that of someone who had seen and survived countless dangers. The tailored, pristine clothes he wore seemed almost comically out of place in the rugged wilderness, but somehow he made them look fitting.

"Well, well," the man said, his voice smooth and confident. "Quite the spectacle, wouldn't you say?"

Edwin didn't respond, his gaze wary.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sir Donovan Hales, one of the senior administrators of the Guild." His lips curled into a polite, almost amused smile. "And I must congratulate you both on passing the test."

"Test?" Edwin repeated, his voice edged with confusion.

"Yes, young man. This exercise was meant to assess how new recruits would fare against monsters and various dangers. There was no single goal, only survival and performance." Sir Donovan's grin widened slightly. "Though... irregularities have arisen."

"Irregularities?" Edwin's eyes narrowed.

"Yes. You were supposed to encounter typical monsters, not assassins hired by cultists. That particular surprise was... unforeseen. But your response was impressive nonetheless." Sir Donovan's gaze shifted toward the blood-soaked ground, his expression unreadable. "Killing a black wolf—juvenile as it may be—along with several hired killers is no small feat.Though it was not supposed to appear."

Eliza spoke up, her voice shaky but defiant. "So... we passed?"

"Oh, indeed. And with flying colors. You passed because you single handedly killed the black wolf and killed tbe assasins with moderate assistance. Eliza here had already shown more than enough prowess to pass before meeting you." Sir Donovan's gaze flicked to her briefly before returning to Edwin.

"Though you've exceeded expectations, so the Guild is willing to compensate you both. We would also be happy if you would let us sell the bl—"

"Sorry, but I'll handle the black wolf myself." Edwin interrupted, his voice sharp and unyielding.

Sir Donovan raised an eyebrow but nodded approvingly. "Fair enough. Very well, Recruit Edwin. From now on, you are officially a Copper Rank adventurer."

A notification flashed in Edwin's vision, unseen by anyone else.

[Quest Cleared.]

[You have become an Adventurer.]

[For exceeding expectations, extra rewards will be chosen and given.]

"Copper?" Edwin asked, a note of confusion in his tone.

"Yes, Copper." Sir Donovan's eyes glinted with something akin to curiosity. "Frankly, I would place you higher, but there are rules I must follow. Still..." His gaze sharpened. "I look forward to seeing how far you'll rise."

The man's smile was pleasant, but Edwin sensed something calculating behind it. Then, Sir Donovan turned to leave, his entourage trailing behind him like obedient dogs.

"Sir," Edwin called out, his voice firm. "If you could, I want to talk to you tomorrow. In private."

The older man paused, a curious gleam in his eye. "...Sure." And then he was gone.

Eliza returned from selling the black wolf's hide and parts to someone she knew. "Made 400 Dravans," she said, handing Edwin a pouch containing 300 of them.

"I thought we were splitting it fifty-fifty," Edwin replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but I didn't really do anything..." she mumbled, her expression awkward.

"Your arrows saved my life." It would've been more accurate to say they made his job easier and less annoying. Still, her help had counted for something.

"Just take the damn money."

"Fine."

By the time he made it back to his inn, his body was screaming with exhaustion. He collapsed onto the creaky bed, staring up at the ceiling before calling up the system.

"Elora, what extra rewards have been given?"

[On top of the two points added to all of your stats each due to your title...]

[You have been given 1 extra point to each stat and an upgrade to your health.]

"Really? Let me see."

[Strength: 19]

[Speed: 17]

[Durability: 20]

[Sense: 18]

[Health: 2500/2500]

[Rune of Enhancement: Simple]

[Title: Bane of Wolves]

[You have ten unused points.]

"It became 2500... cool. Give 3 to Durability, 2 to Strength, 1 to Sense, and the rest to Speed."

[Strength: 21]

[Speed: 21]

[Durability: 23]

[Sense: 19]

[Health: 2500/2500]

[Rune of Enhancement: Simple]

[Title: Bane of Wolves]

"What should I do with the money?"

[It would not be wise to buy property. I advise you to allocate 50 Dravans for supplies for another three months, including adventurer gear. Some armor, weapons, and a better inn. Save the rest.]

"You've been talking a lot more than you did at first. Why is that?"

[I grow with you.]

"That's... weird."

[Those words are slightly hurtful]

He let out a soft chuckle before sleep took him.

End of Chapter-