Chapter 8: New Adventure

The morning sun blazed down like it was trying to prove a point, bouncing off stone walls and glittering off the market stalls as I made my way through the streets.

My hoodie smelled faintly of lavender thanks to magical laundry, my coin pouch felt a little lighter after buying my new monster-slaying stick, and I was riding high on the fact that, for once, nobody was trying to murder me.

It was shaping up to be a damn fine day.

I stuffed my hands in my pockets and kept walking, half-watching vendors set up shop for the morning rush. Fresh bread came steaming out of ovens. A woman yelled about miracle hair tonics. A beastkin dude chased a runaway chicken into a crowd.

Basically, typical fantasy city chaos.

Then I glanced up between two rooftops—and froze mid-step.

Because towering in the distance, rising above all the other buildings like it wanted to remind the peasants who was boss, was a castle.

Not some crumbling old fort, either. I'm talking the kind of castle that would be the final dungeon in a JRPG.

White stone walls that sparkled in the sun. Towers so tall they looked like they were trying to poke holes in the sky. Huge fluttering banners—blue and gold, catching the breeze like sails.

It sat right in the middle of the city, perched on a slight hill so it could loom dramatically over the rooftops.

"Well… holy crap," I muttered. "Hello, Disney World."

I stood there gawking for a solid thirty seconds while people pushed past me, muttering curses under their breath.

Because yeah—I'd finally realized I was living in a place called the Kingdom of Rojan.

And apparently, that was where the fancy-pants royals hung out while the rest of us played dodgeball with monsters.

I squinted at the castle silhouette.

"Wonder if the king's hiring court gamers. Or snack testers. I'd kill at either job."

A breeze ruffled my hair, carrying the distant clang of bells and the faint echo of trumpets from the castle's direction.

For a second, I felt this weird flutter in my chest. Like… maybe someday I'd actually stand in that place.

Then I shook it off.

"Focus, Gideon. You've got monsters to kill. And a guild hall to hit up."

I gave the castle one last look, grinned, and turned down the road toward the guild.

Because sure, castles are cool and all…

But quests don't complete themselves.

•••••

By the time I made it to the guild hall, the streets were full-on gridlock with carts, merchants, and adventurers swaggering around like they owned the place.

And me?

I was swaggering too.

Mostly because I was carrying a greatsword the size of a surfboard across my shoulder.

Heads turned as I passed.

A couple of kids gasped and pointed.

One old lady crossed herself and hurried to the other side of the street like I was a serial killer.

"Yeah, yeah, keep staring," I muttered under my breath. "I'm compensating for something. It's called low self-esteem."

I reached the massive double doors of the guild hall, grabbed the handle, and shoved them open.

BAM.

Every single eye in the place turned toward me.

The room was already buzzing with morning chaos—adventurers yelling over each other, mugs clanking, weapons being polished, a dwarf snoring into his breakfast ale.

But now…

Silence.

Well… as silent as a room full of murder-hobos can get.

Because apparently, walking into the Adventurer's Guild lugging a sword taller than you are tends to draw a bit of attention.

I stepped forward, greatsword still balanced across my shoulders, trying to look casual even though my hoodie was stretched tight over my chest from the weight of the damn thing.

"Sup, everybody," I said, waving two fingers. "Just here for another day of monster homicide."

A group of armored guys at a nearby table gawked at me like I'd just stripped naked and started doing interpretive dance.

One of them whispered:

"Isn't that the Class Z guy…?"

Another chimed in:

"How's he carrying that sword?"

I pretended not to hear them, though my inner thought was screaming, "Yeah, baby, drink it in!"

I made a beeline for the quest board, ignoring the open stares, the hushed whispers, and the fact that my sword was accidentally bonking people in the shoulder as I squeezed past.

"Sorry. Excuse me. Oops. My bad. Occupational hazard."

The quest board was already swamped with adventurers elbowing each other out of the way, arguing over who saw which quest first.

I wedged my way in, greatsword clanking against the wooden board, causing at least three people to flinch like I'd just pulled out a chainsaw.

"Relax, people. I'm not gonna cleave anybody in half. Yet."

My eyes skimmed over the sea of parchment slips tacked to the board:

"Goblin Nest Extermination." Pass. Too cliché.

"Deliver a love letter to the Blackthorn Noble Family." Also pass. I'm not a fantasy UPS guy.

"Gather 30 Blueleaf Herbs." Hard pass. I'm not here to cosplay as an herbalist.

Then one slip caught my eye, pinned dead center on the board with a shiny brass tack.

"URGENT REQUEST: Investigate Monster Sightings in the Eastern Forest."

Unusual activity reported near forest edge.

Solo or party permitted.

Moderate danger.

Reward: 1 Gold Piece.

"One gold piece?" I said under my breath. "Helloooo, grocery fund."

I reached up, snatched the parchment off the board, and gave it a quick scan.

Monster sightings. Unknown types. Eastern Forest.

Sounded perfect.

Decent payout.

Not gathering herbs.

Not delivering love notes.

And with my new Titan's Strength passive, I was feeling downright invincible.

"Looks like I'm going forest trekking," I muttered. "Please don't let it be giant spiders."

I turned and stomped toward the counter, parchment in one hand, sword thumping against my back.

A couple of adventurers stared at me as I passed, whispering:

"He's going solo again?"

"Does he have a death wish?"

I just flashed them a grin.

"No death wish. Just trying to keep all the gold for myself."

Because if I'd learned anything in games, it was that sometimes the best loot drops were hidden in "moderate danger" quests nobody else wanted to touch.

And hell—I was ready to roll the dice.

I stomped up to the counter, parchment in hand, and dropped it dramatically in front of the guild clerk like I was slamming down a royal flush in poker.

"Sign me up. Eastern Forest. Let's go."

The clerk blinked up at me, lips twitching like she couldn't decide whether to laugh or sigh.

"Mr. Brangwen. Good morning." She eyed the slip. "You're… going solo again?"

"Yup." I thumbed toward the greatsword strapped across my back. "I've got my emotional support sword. I'll be fine."

She pressed her lips together.

"The Eastern Forest isn't a beginner's playground. You're sure?"

"Super sure. Double sure. Like, 'I'm betting my entire snack fund' sure."

She exhaled slowly, reached for a ledger, and started scribbling notes with a quill.

"All right. Please state your name for the record."

"Gideon Brangwen. Class Z. Slayer of kobold champions. Eater of suspicious fruit juice. Purveyor of excellent fashion choices."

She paused, quill hovering midair.

"Just… your name is fine."

"Gideon Brangwen," I repeated, winking.

She finished writing and held out the parchment for me to sign.

"One gold piece reward upon completion. But… please be cautious. Rumors say something unusual is lurking in the forest lately."

"Define 'unusual.'"

"Nobody's come back to define it," she said flatly.

I grinned.

"Even better. I'll be the guy who writes the wiki article."

She pinched the bridge of her nose, handed me my quest slip, and muttered:

"Good luck, Mr. Brangwen. Try not to die. It's… bad for paperwork."

"Hey, dying's bad for my paperwork too."

I tucked the slip into my hoodie pocket, gave the clerk a jaunty salute, and turned to leave.

Because as far as I was concerned…

adventure was calling.

I pushed away from the counter, tucking my quest slip into my hoodie pocket like it was a VIP concert ticket.

The guild hall was buzzing again. Adventurers had already gone back to arguing over loot splits and arm-wrestling contests.

But here and there, I still caught people sneaking glances at me.

Especially at the greatsword strapped across my back.

One guy in chainmail leaned over to his buddy and whispered:

"Is he seriously going solo again?"

His friend shrugged.

"Either he's an idiot… or a monster."

"Joke's on you," I muttered under my breath. "I'm both."

I stomped toward the door, my sword accidentally smacking a spear leaning against the wall, knocking it over with a clatter.

"Sorry! Occupational hazard!" I called over my shoulder.

Outside, the city was alive with morning sunshine. Merchants were hawking fresh fruit, kids were chasing each other, and a couple of guards stood at the gate arguing about whether a cat could be registered as an official adventurer's companion.

I paused on the steps of the guild, inhaling the crisp air.

"All right, Gideon. Checklist."

Giant-ass sword. Check.

Gold tucked away. Check.

Full stomach. Check.

Mild sense of invincibility. Double check.

I patted my hoodie pocket, feeling the parchment crinkle under my fingers.

"Time to see what kind of freaky forest critters want to kill me today."

I adjusted the sword on my shoulder, cracked my neck, and started striding toward the city gates.

As I passed the towering rooftops, I glanced back one more time.

The silhouette of the castle stood there on the hill, shining in the sunlight like it was watching me leave.

For half a second, I wondered if I'd end up there one day.

"Someday… maybe." I smirked. "Right after I clear the tutorial."

Then I turned around, tightened my grip on the greatsword, and headed off toward the Eastern Forest.