Welcome to the Guild, Noob!

Isagi sat on the cold stone floor of the Forgotten Catacombs, still trying to catch his breath. The Ruined Guardian's remains lay scattered around him, the eerie blue flames in its helmet finally extinguished. His heart was still racing from the fight, but one thing was clear he was getting stronger.

He checked his status screen.

[Status Screen]

Level: 5

HP: 180/180

Mana: 10

Strength: 18 (+4)

Agility: 20 (+7 with Mana Reinforcement)

Endurance: 16

New Skills Unlocked: Mana Flow

Not bad, Isagi thought. At this rate, I might actually survive this world.

Then, his stomach growled. Loudly.

"…Oh, come on."

With all the excitement, he had forgotten one important thing food.

"I swear, if I die from starvation after beating a mini-boss, I'm going to punch the system in the face."

His system, apparently sentient enough to be sassy, immediately responded.

[New Quest: Eat Something, You Idiot!]

Objective: Find food before you collapse like an idiot.

Reward: Not dying of hunger.

Isagi groaned. "Even the system is roasting me now?"

Shaking his head, he picked up the mysterious glowing artifact from the pedestal and shoved it into his inventory. The ruins still felt unsettling, and he had a strong feeling that sticking around too long would only invite more undead horrors.

Time to leave.

A Very Dramatic Exit (Ruined by Reality)

Emerging from the ruins, Isagi stretched his arms, enjoying the feeling of fresh air against his skin.

The sky was painted in warm hues of orange and purple, the Twin Suns of Tenria setting beyond the mountains. It was a breathtaking sight.

"This… this is actually kinda beautiful," he whispered. "A whole new world, limitless potential, endless adventure"

Then, his stomach growled again.

"…A whole new world, limitless hunger, and endless suffering."

He trudged down the rocky path, hoping to find something anything to eat.

Ten minutes later.

Still nothing.

Isagi stared at a suspicious-looking mushroom growing near a tree.

Pros: It's food.

Cons: It might kill me.

He sighed and kept walking. He wasn't desperate enough to roll the "Did I Just Eat Poison?" dice yet.

Just as he was about to consider eating his own shoe, he saw something in the distance a town.

A wave of relief washed over him. "Oh, thank God."

Welcome to Ravennest! (Population: Mostly Not Dead)

The town of Ravennest was a bustling mix of wooden buildings, narrow streets, and suspiciously shady merchants trying to scam travelers.

Isagi's stomach immediately guided him to a nearby food stall, where a grumpy old man was selling skewers of grilled meat.

"Hey, how much for one of those?" Isagi asked, his voice filled with pure desperation.

The old man raised an eyebrow. "Two silver coins."

Isagi opened his inventory.

[Current Funds: 0 Coins]

"…I see."

An awkward silence filled the air.

Then Isagi, with all the dignity of a broken man, pointed at himself and said:

"Would you, perhaps, accept a very enthusiastic 'thank you' as payment?"

The old man immediately threw a wooden spoon at him.

"OUTTA HERE, BEGGAR!"

How to Get Money (Without Being Arrested)

After being violently rejected by the economy, Isagi wandered through town, thinking of ways to earn money.

Stealing? No, that would probably get him murdered.

Scamming? He wasn't smart enough for that.

Selling his sword? Not an option he needed it to stay alive.

Then, he noticed a massive stone building in the center of town. A large wooden sign above the entrance read:

[Ravennest Adventurer's Guild]

"Glory, Gold, and Guaranteed High Medical Bills!"

His eyes lit up.

A guild! That's it! I'll become an adventurer!

Excited, he marched up the stairs and pushed the doors open dramatically, stepping inside like a hero in an anime.

…Only to get hit in the face by a flying beer mug.

CRASH!

Isagi stumbled back, covered in foam and regret.

Inside, the guild was absolute chaos.

Drunken adventurers were brawling in one corner. A group of rowdy mercenaries were arm-wrestling so hard that the table broke. A small elf girl was standing on the counter, angrily yelling at a muscular orc about unpaid debts.

Isagi's eye twitched.

"…I expected a heroic adventurer's guild. This is just a medieval frat house."

Before he could turn and leave, a voice called out.

"Hey, newbie! You looking to sign up?"

He turned to see a young woman with long silver hair standing behind the counter. She had sharp, amused eyes and a confident smirk. Her nametag read:

[Guild Receptionist: Aria]

"Professional Adventurer Babysitter"

Isagi sighed. "Yeah… Might as well. I need money before I starve to death."

Aria chuckled. "Good attitude! You'll fit right in."

She handed him a form to fill out.

[Adventurer Registration Form]

Name: Isagi Khol

Level: 5

Class: (???)

Skills: Mana Reinforcement, Power Strike, Basic Magic Affinity

Specialty: Complaining, Not Dying

Isagi raised an eyebrow at the last entry. "Uh, did you write this?"

Aria winked. "Don't worry about it."

She took the form and stamped it.

[Congratulations! You Are Now a Registered Adventurer!]

New Rank: Bronze (F-Rank)

New Quest Board Unlocked!

Isagi pumped his fist. "Alright! Time to start making some"

A loud crash interrupted him.

A massive, angry-looking man stormed up to the counter. He was easily seven feet tall, with arms like tree trunks and a face that said "I kill people for fun."

"You there," he growled, pointing at Isagi. "You took my seat."

Isagi turned around. The barstool behind him was, indeed, slightly out of place.

"…This seat?" he asked.

"Yes."

"…I don't even"

Before he could finish, the man grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off the ground.

Isagi sighed.

"Oh great. My first day as an adventurer, and I'm already getting mugged."

The giant adventurer, whose size could rival a bear, still had Isagi by the collar. The crowd in the guild hall watched, some whispering and others barely able to hide their grins. A few people even cheered, likely seeing an opportunity for a quick fight and a free show.

Isagi flailed his arms in a dramatic manner, his feet barely touching the ground. He had a few options here:

1. Panic.

2. Panic some more.

3. Try to talk his way out of it.

Well, since option 1 and 2 seemed pointless, Isagi took a deep breath, trying to muster whatever confidence he had left. "Look, buddy," he said, struggling to keep his voice steady. "I wasn't trying to steal your seat. I'm new here, okay? This is my first day, and I didn't know it was reserved for... well, someone with the arms of a giant."

The giant adventurer narrowed his eyes. "So you think you can just take my seat, do you?"

"Listen," Isagi said, trying to hold back the sarcastic edge in his voice. "If I knew your seat was so sacred, I would've left a holy offering or something."

The giant's grip tightened, and Isagi's breath hitched. This wasn't going well. However, Aria, the receptionist, quickly jumped over the counter, stepping between the two men with the ease of someone who had handled far worse.

"Okay, Varek, that's enough!" she snapped. "Don't go picking on the new guy just because you're having a bad day."

Varek, the bear of a man, shot her a glare but slowly lowered Isagi back to the ground. "This better not happen again, rookie."

Isagi coughed awkwardly, straightening out his tunic. "Sure, no problem. I'll keep my distance from your precious seat."

Aria rolled her eyes, then turned to Isagi with a more amused expression. "I'm sorry about that. Varek's just a little... territorial. You'll get used to it, though. He's harmless once you get past the 'look how many people I've punched in the face' vibe."

Isagi tried to act casual, brushing off the dust. "Yeah, no worries. Just trying to get a quick start to my adventuring career. So, uh, where do I go to… you know… actually get a quest or something?"

Aria raised an eyebrow. "You serious about this? Just signed up and already itching for action?"

Isagi nodded enthusiastically. "I didn't come to get cushion training I came to level up!"

Aria burst into laughter, holding her stomach. "Oh, that's a good one! Level up? Rookie, you're on F-rank right now. Your first quest might be fetching mushrooms for a sick grandma or catching rats. You'll be lucky if your biggest challenge is making sure your armor doesn't chafe."

Isagi blinked in surprise. "Wait… that's it? I just signed up to do errands for old ladies and catch rodents?"

"Welcome to the world of adventuring!" Aria said with a mischievous grin. "Now, go take a look at the quest board. I'm sure you'll find something suitable for a newbie like you."

She gestured toward a large wooden board that was filled with an assortment of quests, some very basic, others looking a little too dangerous for someone with zero experience.

Isagi trudged over to the board, picking a random quest at the top left. It read:

[Quest: Rat Extermination]

Objective: Clear the sewers of Ravennest from giant rats.

Reward: 5 Silver Coins, plus a mystery item.

Level: F (Beginner)

"Alright, that's… manageable." He picked it up and returned to Aria. "I'll take the rat extermination job."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really? You want to get in with rats right off the bat? I would've thought you'd want to ease into it with something a bit more boring."

"Well, if you want to throw me in with the dragons, go ahead. But I'd rather kill giant rats than giant mistakes."

Aria laughed. "I like you. I'll put the quest in your name. Head to the sewers when you're ready just be sure to bring a torch and some armor. I know you're eager, but you're still squishy, okay?"

Isagi nodded eagerly, grateful that she was at least taking him seriously for now.

Rats: Not as Cute as They Look

Isagi didn't waste any time. He geared up with a rusted iron sword from the equipment stand and grabbed a small torch. After paying for a cheap light source, he headed out of the guild hall, now feeling like an official adventurer.

As he made his way to the sewer entrance, he felt an odd sense of nervousness bubbling inside him. Sure, rats weren't exactly a boss fight, but he had seen too many action movies to think that this would go smoothly.

The sewer entrance was dark and smelled of rotting wood and muck. A wooden sign beside the entrance read:

[Warning: Use at Your Own Risk. No Refunds if You're Eaten Alive.]

"Well, this is encouraging."

He stepped down into the musty tunnels, the air growing thicker as he descended. He had just entered the world of serious adventuring and it smelled like someone forgot to do laundry for a century.

Time to level up.