The Adventurer’s Guild & The First Party

Kim Minho adjusted his newly bought cloak as he walked down the stone-paved streets, his boots clicking against the uneven surface. The city was livelier than he expected, though it carried a sense of struggle—like a marketplace running low on goods but refusing to admit defeat. Merchants shouted out deals, adventurers gathered in groups, and armored guards patrolled with wary eyes.

His goal was simple: hire some guards. After yesterday's little incident with the innkeeper and his ridiculous over-tipping, Minho had no intention of walking around defenseless.

💭 "Spending money makes me stronger, right? Then hiring the best should be the most efficient way to burn through gold."

The only issue? He needed to understand the guild system first.

A Glimpse of Power

As he continued toward the Adventurer's Guild, Minho spotted several distinct figures among the crowd.

✨ Mages in long robes, their garments embroidered with runes, walked with quiet confidence. One man flicked his fingers, conjuring a small flame before snuffing it out instantly—just showing off. Their very presence carried an air of authority, making it clear that magic wielders were valuable assets in this world.

⚔️ Knights in full armor, carrying finely crafted swords, marched in formation. Their discipline stood out from the rugged adventurers. While adventurers were independent, knights clearly belonged to noble families or the military.

⛪ Clerics in humble yet well-kept robes, holding staffs adorned with glowing gems, moved with purpose. A few were treating injured adventurers on the side of the road, healing minor wounds with soft golden light. They were the closest thing to doctors in this world.

💭 "So this is the power structure… Mages are the elite, knights belong to noble factions, and clerics provide crucial support. Then you have adventurers who seem like the freelancers of this world."

As he approached the Adventurer's Guild, he noticed something peculiar—several rough-looking men unloading monster scraps from wooden carts.

Fanged wolf pelts, oversized claws, chunks of hardened exoskeletons, and even vials of strange glowing liquid were being exchanged for gold at the guild's entrance.

A man with a scarred face haggled over the price of a giant horn.

"That's a damn B-rank beast part! You trying to scam me?"

The receptionist, unfazed, sighed. "Sir, the damage to the core lowers its value. The best we can do is 8 gold."

The man grumbled but eventually accepted, snatching the gold pouch from the counter.

💭 "So monster parts hold real value here... That means hunting is a major industry. Noted."

With a newfound understanding, Minho stepped inside.

The Adventurer's Guild

The moment he entered, the scent of ink, leather, and sweat hit him. Wooden beams supported the high ceiling, and chandeliers provided dim yet cozy lighting. The guild hall was bustling—adventurers of all levels chatting, accepting quests from a massive board, and exchanging loot for money.

At the front desk, a young receptionist with sharp brown eyes and neatly tied hair greeted him with a professional smile.

"Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild. How may I assist you?"

Minho smiled back. "I'm looking to hire some guards. Price isn't an issue—give me the best of the best."

The receptionist blinked. Then, she let out a small, polite laugh.

"I'm afraid it doesn't work that way, sir."

Minho raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

She nodded. "For protection or escort requests, there are rank limitations. You may only hire Silver-ranked adventurers or lower. For mages and clerics, B-rank or lower is allowed. Higher-ranked individuals are exclusively for guild-sanctioned missions."

Minho sighed internally. So much for "just buy the strongest option"...

"Understood. Then I'll take what I can get."

The receptionist quickly filled out a form and retrieved a selection of available adventurers.

"For a standard escort or guarding request, you may hire up to five people."

Forming the First Party & Surprising the Receptionist

The receptionist adjusted her glasses, looking at Minho with a professional but slightly curious expression. "For a standard escort and guarding contract, the pricing is as follows:"

She pulled out a small wooden board with engraved price charts, neatly listing the costs.

💰 Cost Breakdown (Per Person, Per Day): B-Rank Mage → 50 Gold Cleric → 25 Gold Silver-Rank Adventurers (x3) → 15 Gold each

Minho quickly did the math in his head.

Total per day:

50 (Mage) + 25 (Cleric) + (15 × 3 Adventurers) = 50 + 25 + 45 = 120 Gold per day.

The receptionist smiled politely. "Most clients hire adventurers for a few days at most. How long will you be needing them?"

Minho rested his chin on his hand, pretending to think. Then, with a completely casual tone, he asked—

"Can I hire them for a month?"

The guild hall went silent.

The receptionist froze mid-note, her quill hovering over the parchment. "I—" She coughed, regaining composure. "I'm sorry, did you say a month?"

Minho nodded. "Yeah, thirty days."

The mage he was about to hire stopped fidgeting with his robe. The axe-wielding adventurer blinked in shock. Even the cleric, who had looked nervous before, now stared at him like he was insane.

The receptionist hurriedly checked her notes, as if making sure she hadn't misheard. "S-Sir, that would be…" She grabbed an abacus, her fingers moving with increasing urgency.

"For long-term contracts, we offer a discount," she explained quickly. "Since you're hiring them for a month, the rate is reduced to 80% of the original price."

She slid the beads, calculating out loud.

"Instead of 120 Gold per day, your adjusted rate is:

120 Gold × 0.8 = 96 Gold per day.

"For 30 days, that comes to:

96 Gold × 30 Days = 2,880 Gold."

The receptionist swallowed. "Ahem… Th-That's nearly three thousand gold. Are you certain you want to proceed?"

Minho didn't even blink. "Of course."

💭 That's the point. 💸

Without hesitation, he pulled out a heavy pouch of coins and dropped it onto the counter with a satisfying clunk.

"I'll pay in full."

For the second time, the guild went silent.

The receptionist's mouth opened slightly, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. Several adventurers had stopped what they were doing, now openly watching the scene unfold.

The B-Rank Mage, who had previously been half-distracted, raised an eyebrow. The axe-wielding adventurer let out a low whistle. The archer of the group muttered, "Did we just hit the jackpot?"

Even the Silver-Rank swordsman, who had seen plenty of strange things, looked impressed.

"W-Well then," the receptionist coughed, quickly regaining her professionalism. She wrote down the contract with newfound urgency. "Your party will be officially under contract for 30 days of escort and protection services."

💰 [2,880 Gold Spent!]🎁 [Loss Reward System Calculating...]

Minho felt a thrill as the system processed his massive spending spree.

The axe-wielding adventurer smirked. "Well, well… either you're loaded or insane."

The mage chuckled. "You're either incredibly confident or incredibly reckless. Either way, this is going to be interesting."

With that, Minho's first party was officially formed—and he had just made himself very, very noticeable in the guild.

📜 A Party Worth Investing In

The contract was signed, the gold was handed over, and now Minho stood before his newly hired party. Nearly 3,000 gold had vanished from his hands in an instant.

Any sane man would be sweating over that amount.

Minho? He was just excited to see what kind of ridiculous reward the system would throw at him this time.

Still, before anything else, he needed to evaluate the adventurers he'd just hired.

The five stood in front of him, each still slightly dazed by the absurdity of a month-long contract. The mage adjusted her robe with a skeptical look. The cleric clutched her staff as if trying to process the situation. The adventurers exchanged glances, as if silently confirming that this wasn't some elaborate prank.

Minho smiled, clasping his hands behind his back. "Since we'll be working together, I'd like to know more about you all."

🔥 B-Rank Mage: The first to step forward was a young woman with piercing green eyes and dark blue hair tied into a loose braid. She pushed back her hood and smirked.

"Selena Aldren. B-Rank Mage, fire specialist. I don't do babysitting, so I hope you're not completely useless in a fight."

Minho chuckled. If only she knew.

✨ Silver-Rank Cleric: The next was a soft-spoken woman with blonde hair and warm hazel eyes, her white robe lined with silver embroidery. She hesitated before speaking.

"A-Astrid Vale," she said, her voice steadier now. "I'm a Cleric. I provide healing, defensive blessings, and minor support magic. Pleased to serve you."

Minho gave her a reassuring nod before turning to the three Silver-Rank adventurers.

⚔️ Silver-Rank Swordsman: A lean man with short silver hair and a calm demeanor rested a hand on his sword's hilt.

"Darius Fenwick. Swordfighter, close-combat specialist. I handle the frontline."

🏹 Silver-Rank Archer: A wiry man with sharp brown eyes and dark skin, his confident smirk practically a signature at this point.

"Leon Varas. Precision shooting's my thing. If it moves, I can hit it."

🪓 Silver-Rank Berserker: The last was a burly man with thick arms and a massive battle axe resting lazily on his shoulder. He let out a booming laugh.

"Gunnar Henselt. I like smashing things."

Selena, Astrid, Darius, Leon, and Gunnar.

A well-balanced team. Minho nodded in approval.

He clapped his hands together. "Alright. Since you're all working under me for a month, I'll be providing additional bonuses to keep you motivated."

That got their attention.

💰 "Bonuses?" Selena raised an eyebrow.

Minho grinned. "Simple. Every week, I'll give each of you an additional 50 gold as a performance incentive. That's on top of your usual pay."

Silence.

Then—

Darius let out a low whistle. "You do realize that's an extra 250 gold per week?"

Minho shrugged. "It's a small price for loyalty."

Leon crossed his arms. "You sure you're not secretly a noble?"

Gunnar threw his head back and laughed. "I like this guy already!"

Astrid still looked uncertain. "M-Mister Minho, that's… very generous."

Minho waved a hand dismissively. "Don't think too much about it. Just focus on doing your job well."

🔥 Selena chuckled, crossing her arms. "Well, I won't complain about getting paid more. You've got yourself a competent mage."

With that, the deal was sealed. Minho had officially secured his first party.

🌲 Into the Forest

The next morning, the party set out toward the nearby forest.

Minho had one goal: gather intelligence.

He needed to understand this kingdom's ecosystem, its monsters, and how dangerous the wilderness actually was. So, naturally, he had them rent horses for faster travel.

It didn't take long before trouble found them.

⚠️ Darius, leading the group, suddenly raised a hand. "Stop."

Everyone pulled on their reins, halting in place.

🏹 Leon nocked an arrow, scanning the dense trees. "We've got movement."

Then—

👿 A chilling cackle echoed through the woods.

Rustling. Shadows darting between the trees.

Goblin ambush.

Dozens of the little green creatures emerged from the underbrush, armed with rusted blades and crude bows. Beady yellow eyes gleamed with malice.

Minho sighed. Figures.

⚔️ Darius didn't hesitate. "Formation!"

The party moved like a well-oiled machine.

🪓 Gunnar dismounted first, stepping forward with his axe. Darius followed, sword drawn. Leon kept his bow ready, while Selena and Astrid positioned themselves for support.

🔥 Selena smirked. "Time for some fireworks."

She flicked a hand forward—and fire erupted from the ground.

🔥 A roaring wall of flames cut off half the goblins, turning their cackling into shrieks of terror.

✨ Astrid raised her staff, voice steady. "Blessing of Light."

A golden glow surrounded Darius and Gunnar, enhancing their strength and reflexes.

🪓 "Let's go!" Gunnar roared, charging forward. His axe came down in a brutal arc, cleaving a goblin clean in half.

⚔️ Darius moved with precision, blade flashing as he cut down enemies with graceful efficiency.

🏹 Leon loosed arrows at an inhuman pace. Each shot found its mark. Goblin skulls split open like cracked eggshells.

👿 The goblins, realizing their ambush had turned into a slaughter, screeched in panic. Some turned to flee—

🔥 Selena raised her staff. "Not so fast."

🔥 A fireball burst from her palm, rocketing toward the retreating goblins.

💥 BOOM.

🔥 The explosion engulfed them, setting the forest floor ablaze.

Minho, who had been watching calmly from the back, crossed his arms. Yeah. Definitely made the right choice hiring these guys.

Within minutes, it was over.

🪓 Gunnar wiped blood off his axe. "That was fun."

🏹 Leon chuckled. "Too easy."

✨ Astrid hurried over. "A-Are you hurt?"

Minho smiled. "Didn't even have to move."

🔥 Selena raised an eyebrow. "That's rare. Most employers panic at least once when we get ambushed."

Minho shrugged. If only they knew he was used to much worse—like corporate meetings.

⚔️ Darius sheathed his sword. "Let's gather anything valuable and head back."

🛡️ Investing in Protection

Back in the city, Minho made a decision.

If these adventurers were going to act as his bodyguards, they needed the best gear available.

So, without hesitation, he led them straight to a blacksmith's shop.

💰 The party, still riding high from the earlier battle, had no idea what was about to happen.

Minho reached for his coin pouch.

💸 Time to burn through some more gold.

And this time, he had a feeling the system was going to reward him big.

[To Be Continued...]