A New Beginning?

A month had passed since Arlan left everything behind.

Since he left them behind.

Now, standing at the entrance of Veyleigh, a sprawling coastal city bathed in golden sunlight, he wondered if he had finally found a place to disappear.

The city was unlike anything he had seen before. Bright, colorful banners lined the streets, and the scent of salt and exotic spices filled the air. Merchant stalls overflowed with foreign goods, and lively music played from taverns spilling with laughter. The Holy Order had no influence here. No armored paladins patrolling the streets. No whispers of necromancers being hunted.

Just freedom.

Or at least, the illusion of it.

Arlan adjusted the hood of his cloak. He had changed since the last time he stood in a city. He was taller, his frame stronger, his once-starved appearance replaced with something more capable. But his eyes… his necrotic green eyes—those were harder to hide.

He would need to be careful.

He would need a new name.

Registering as an Adventurer

The Adventurer's Guild was a massive structure built from coral-white stone, its banners displaying the symbol of a roaring sea serpent. Unlike the small-town guilds, this one was bustling with people of all backgrounds—mercenaries, mages, beastfolk, and even pirates looking for legal work.

Arlan stepped inside, approaching the registration desk.

A grumpy-looking guild clerk—an older man with a burn scar across his jaw—glanced at him over a stack of papers. "New registrant?"

Arlan nodded. "Yeah."

The clerk grabbed a blank parchment. "Name?"

Arlan hesitated.

If the Holy Order ever sent bounty hunters this far, his real name would put a target on his back.

He glanced at Bones, perched on his shoulder, then at Shade, flickering beside him.

"…Rook."

The name felt foreign on his tongue, but the clerk barely reacted.

"Class?"

Arlan forced a smirk. "Summoner."

The clerk scribbled it down, barely looking at him. "Summoners are rare. What's your contract?"

Arlan tensed. This was the tricky part.

He couldn't exactly say "undead." If he did, they'd label him a necromancer immediately.

So he lied.

"Shadows," Arlan said. "I summon shadow creatures."

It was vague enough to be believable.

The clerk shrugged. "Whatever works. Alright, Rook—you're officially registered. You'll start as an G-Rank until you prove yourself." He tossed a small guild badge across the desk. "Lose that, and you're banned. Got it?"

Arlan nodded and took the badge. "Got it."

The clerk barely looked up. "Now, get outta my face."

The First Challenge – Making Money

Stepping out of the guild, Arlan finally exhaled.

He had made it in. No questions. No suspicion.

But now came the real problem.

"…I'm broke," he muttered.

Bones, still perched on his shoulder, clicked his skeletal jaw. "Steal."

Shade, flickering in and out of sight, whispered, "Kill."

Arlan rubbed his temples. "Neither of those are options."

Bones considered. "…Borrow?"

Shade clicked his claws. "…Eat?"

Arlan sighed deeply. This was his life now.

Before they could continue, a group of adventurers passed by, talking excitedly about a new dungeon job. Arlan's ears perked up.

A dungeon.

That was his way in.

The First Dungeon Job

The job board outside the guild was filled with contracts—beast hunts, escort missions, treasure dives—but one caught his attention immediately.

Job: Cleanse the Flooded Caves

A series of underwater caverns have become overrun with monstrous crustaceans. Clear them out. Reward: 10 silver.

Arlan hated water.

But 10 silver was more than enough to start fresh.

Bones read over his shoulder. "Crabs?" He clicked his teeth. "Weak."

Shade hummed. "Tasty."

Arlan grabbed the job notice. "We're doing it."

Bones groaned. "Disappointment."

Shade whispered. "Hunger."

Entering the Flooded Caves

The dungeon entrance was a natural cave on the outskirts of the city, partially submerged in seawater. The air smelled of salt and decay, and the deeper Arlan ventured, the more the sound of the waves faded into eerie silence.

Then—the first enemy appeared.

A Massive Tideclaw Crab lunged from the water, its thick, armored shell glistening in the dim light. Its pincers snapped, nearly as big as Arlan's head.

Bones hissed. "Kill."

Shade flickered. "Drown."

Arlan rolled his shoulders. "Let's see if this city was worth coming to."

With a flick of his wrist, Bones transformed.

The undead panther materialized from the small skeletal rat, His glowing green eyes locked onto the crab.

Then he pounced.

The battle had begun.