Chapter 2 – The House Always Wins

The Adventurer's Guild had no rules.

Or at least, that's what it looked like at first.

Hikaru stood just inside the entrance, adjusting his glasses as he took in the scene. Tables packed with adventurers of all kinds, a roaring fireplace at the center, weapons leaned against walls, and the unmistakable smell of cheap ale and grilled meat in the air.

This wasn't some noble training ground.

It was a place where people survived on skill, reputation, and luck.

And Hikaru loved it already.

Elara, the scarred woman from the front desk, walked ahead without looking back. "Follow me, rookies."

Hikaru and the other Bronze-ranked students hesitated before trailing behind her through the crowded hall. Some adventurers glanced their way with amused smirks, others barely acknowledged their existence.

One man leaned back in his chair, boots propped on the table, watching them with lazy curiosity. He had a rugged, unshaven face and mismatched armor that made him look more like a bandit than a guild member.

That guy's dangerous, Hikaru noted.

The group exited into a courtyard behind the guild hall, an open space filled with training dummies, sparring rings, and a massive quest board covered in parchment.

Elara turned to face them, arms crossed. "Alright, here's the deal. You lot aren't special. You aren't chosen warriors. You're just Bronze-ranked nobodies dumped on us because the kingdom doesn't want to deal with you."

Some of the students stiffened. One, a tall guy from the basketball team named Ryou, scoffed. "That's ridiculous. We were summoned as heroes."

Elara gave him a flat look. "Heroes? You think a title means anything? Go ahead, summon your 'great power' and show me what you've got."

Ryou clenched his jaw, then raised his hand. A faint glow surrounded his palm before forming into a light-based spear. It hovered in the air, crackling with energy.

Elara raised an eyebrow. "Not bad. Now let's see if you can use it." She turned her head and barked, "Oi, Vargas! We got a fresh one!"

A groan came from near the quest board. The rugged-looking man from earlier stretched his arms before standing up and cracking his neck. "Again? Elara, I just sat down."

"You're the warm-up guy," Elara replied. "Deal with it."

Vargas sighed and trudged over. Up close, he looked even more dangerous—broad-shouldered, carrying a greatsword that looked like it had seen more action than the entire kingdom's army.

Hikaru could already tell. This guy wasn't just strong.

He was skilled.

Ryou, either confident or oblivious, twirled his glowing spear and grinned. "Alright, let's do this. First fight in another world? Let's see what I can—"

Vargas swung.

It wasn't fancy. It wasn't telegraphed. It wasn't fair.

A single, effortless slash.

Ryou barely had time to raise his spear before the force of the swing ripped the weapon from his hands and sent him crashing to the ground. He groaned, blinking up at the sky, his weapon now half-buried in the dirt several feet away.

The other students stared in stunned silence.

Vargas yawned. "Are we done?"

Ryou groaned. "What… the hell…?"

Elara snorted. "And that's the difference between a rookie and a real adventurer."

Hikaru pushed up his glasses. That was a lesson.

This world didn't care about summoned hero rankings.

Experience was everything.

Elara continued. "You lot want to survive? Then forget whatever system the kingdom drilled into your heads. The guild doesn't operate on rankings. You're as strong as what you prove you can do."

A hand shot up from one of the students. "Uh… so what exactly do we do?"

Elara smirked and jabbed a thumb at the quest board. "Simple. You take quests, earn coin, and don't die."

The students exchanged uncertain glances.

Hikaru stepped forward, hands in his pockets. "And what if someone doesn't want to go the standard route?"

Elara studied him for a moment, then grinned. "Then you find your own way. Some of the strongest adventurers here have never swung a sword in their lives."

Hikaru's grin widened. Now that's interesting.

Elara clapped her hands. "Alright, enough talk. Go check the board, pick a quest, and get to work."

The students hesitated before slowly moving toward the quest board. Hikaru took his time, reading over the options.

Gather 10 wolf pelts Escort a merchant to the next town Investigate missing livestock Eliminate goblins in the eastern forest

Standard beginner quests.

Too predictable.

He glanced at another section labeled unranked tasks. These were odd jobs, not official guild missions. Things like:

Find a missing cat Win a drinking contest Help an alchemist test a new potion

A spark of inspiration hit him.

Winning fights was one way to make a name for yourself. But winning the crowd? That was another game entirely.

Hikaru turned away from the board and walked toward a nearby table, where several adventurers were engaged in a heated card game.

Perfect.

A heavy-set man with a thick beard looked up as Hikaru approached. "You lost, kid?"

Hikaru slipped a card between his fingers and flicked it into the air. "Actually, I'm exactly where I need to be."

A few of the adventurers chuckled. The bearded man leaned forward. "You play?"

Hikaru took a seat and shuffled his deck effortlessly. "I deal in possibilities."

The bearded man grinned. "Alright, kid. You win? We buy you a drink. You lose? You buy us a round."

Hikaru adjusted his glasses, his grin never fading. "Sounds fair."

He glanced back at the other students, who were still debating over which safe quest to take.

That was fine.

Because while they were out hunting wolves…

Hikaru was about to pull off his first trick in this world.