Curious, scrutinizing, evaluative, and even some ill-intended gazes fell upon him from every direction.
‘Tsk, tsk. If it were any other time, I’d really enjoy the local charm…’
Yize lamented internally. Those lively and lithe cat-girls, the valiant werewolf maidens, the cool and elegant elf girls… this was exactly what a fantasy world was supposed to look like!
But right now, he truly didn’t have the luxury of leisure.
The stares made him a bit uncomfortable, but he was long used to keeping a “low profile.”
Without changing his expression, he maintained a slightly restrained and dazed look as he pushed through the bustling crowd toward a reception window with a shorter line, staffed by a human woman.
Soon, it was Yize’s turn.
The receptionist appeared to be in her 20s, with delicate features and a gentle temperament, wearing a well-fitted uniform bearing the Adventurers Guild emblem.
She wore a professional smile and looked up at Yize.
“Hello, Sir. Please present your identity token. Are you here to accept a quest or submit proof of completion?”
“Hello.”
Yize returned a polite smile. “Actually… I don’t have an identity token yet. Could you tell me how to register as an adventurer?”
“Oh, a newcomer.”
The receptionist’s smile became a bit warmer, as she was clearly used to handling rookies.
She quickly pulled a parchment roll and a quill from under the counter, pushing them toward Yize.
“The process is very simple. You just need to fill out this basic information profile. Please accurately fill in your race, age, combat or support skills you’re proficient in, and the approximate level and attribute of your magic or martial arts.”
“This information will be used to create your identity token.”
Yize took the pen and paper. After a brief thought, he looked down and began to write.
Race: Human.
Age: 22.
Skills: Pharmacy (a little), Blacksmithing (a little), Medicine (a little)…
Magic/Martial Arts: Tier 2 Basic Elemental Magic (All Elements), Elemental Affinity: 5%.
He wrote down his public-facing status truthfully.
As Yize was filling out the document, a cat-girl with light brown ears and a matching tail, a petite but curvaceous figure, and a short sword hanging from her waist squeezed over with a grin.
“Whoa, a new face! Are you a new adventurer?”
The cat-girl, Eiffel, leaned in beside Yize. Her voice was crisp and full of lively amusement, and her tail swayed gently behind her.
“Want to consider joining our team? We’re actually short on long-range support! You look like a mage?”
Yize looked up and met a pair of curious feline eyes. He gave a polite smile and declined.
“Thank you for the invitation, but… I don’t plan on joining a team for now.”
He only wanted to sort out his identity as quickly as possible and then figure out how to level up his authority to use the teleportation array. Joining a team would waste too much time and make it easier to expose himself.
“Ehh~ It’s dangerous for a newcomer to be alone!”
Eiffel didn’t give up easily. She put her hands on her hips, assuming the air of a “senior.”
“While the area around Stana is relatively safe, many Iron and Bronze Rank quests require teamwork to complete. You’ll easily run into trouble alone! We can show you the ropes and share some experience!”
“Truly, there’s no need. Thank you.” Yize’s tone was gentle but his refusal was firm.
Just then, the receptionist began inputting the data from Yize’s profile into a glowing magic crystal to create the token.
A human male adventurer who had been watching coldly from the side, a man in his early 30s with a faint scar on his face, seemed to have finished his business and was waiting for his companions.
His gaze swept over Yize’s information as it briefly displayed on the magic crystal. His brow quirked, and a look of blatant mockery appeared on his face.
He strode over, his voice loud and carrying a deliberate arrogance, interrupting Eiffel’s persuasion of Yize.
“That’s enough, Eiffel. Don’t waste your breath. Look at what he wrote.”
He pointed toward the crystal plate, which had already dimmed, and sneered. “Tier 2 Basic Elemental Magic, All Elements?”
“Sounds impressive, doesn’t it? But look at what comes after. Elemental Affinity — 5%! Ha!”
“And ‘a little bit’ of every skill? Doesn’t that just mean he’s not good at anything?”
“With this kind of talent, he’s a genius rarely seen even among us human mages! He’s probably even weaker than a half-baked cat-girl like you. Taking him along? Isn’t that just asking for a burden?”
Eiffel was stunned for a moment. She looked at Yize, the original warmth and friendliness on her small face quickly draining away.
She curled her lip, making a very vivid expression of clear disgust and disdain.
“What the heck? So he really is a weakling! To have elemental affinity that low and still claim to have all elements… why act like such a big deal? What a waste of my time!”
After saying that, she turned around unceremoniously, her tail flicking with annoyance. “Let’s go, let’s go. How unlucky! I thought he might be a dark horse!”
Yize rubbed his nose, feeling a bit speechless. Was he really just looked down upon like that?
‘Though… that’s fine. It saves me the trouble.’
The scarred human man didn’t leave immediately. He crossed his arms and looked down at Yize, his tone carrying the “advice” of an experienced veteran mixed with a faint sense of superiority.
“Kid, for the sake of being fellow humans, let me give you a piece of advice.”
“Strength is everything here. Humans already don’t have much of an advantage, and someone as… well, ‘special’ as you should have some self-awareness. Just stick to the basic gathering and delivery quests to get by. Don’t even think about leaving the city to adventure, unless you want to die without knowing how it happened.”
“Of course, if you have money, my team might be willing to take you on quests.”
Yize ignored the man’s “advice,” not even giving him a second glance.
Right then, the receptionist walked back over with a freshly made square token.
“Mister Yize, your identity token is complete. The processing fee was one gold coin, which you have already paid. This is your token; please keep it safe. You can use it to accept quests that match your rank, submit proof of completion, and record your points.”
Yize took the token and asked, “Thank you very much. I’d like to ask one more thing: what requirements must I meet to use the Guild’s teleportation magic array?”
The receptionist explained patiently, “The Guild’s teleportation array is open to all registered adventurers, but a few conditions must be met.”
“First, you need sufficient points for the fee. The further the distance and the more unique the destination, the higher the cost.”
“Second, the corresponding adventurer rank authority. Many routes and destinations in the teleportation network have minimum rank requirements.”
“You are currently at the lowest rank, the ‘Iron Rank.’ If you want to use most of the conventional teleportation arrays connecting the major city-states, you must reach at least the ‘Silver Rank’.”
“How exactly are the adventurer ranks divided and promoted?” Yize pressed.
“Ranks are divided from lowest to highest: Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and the legendary ‘Supreme Rank.’ To promote each rank, you must accumulate enough quest points and complete the corresponding rank-up assessment task.”
The receptionist pulled up a small light screen, displaying a clear promotion path.
“Take you as an example. To promote from Iron to Bronze, you need to complete at least ten Iron Rank tasks and earn enough points. Finally, you must independently complete a moderately difficult Bronze Rank promotion task designated by the Guild.”
“To promote from Bronze to Silver, you similarly need to complete at least ten Bronze Rank tasks, accumulate points, and finally complete a Silver Rank promotion task alone. Subsequent rank promotions follow the same pattern, but the difficulty and requirements increase exponentially.”
Yize’s brow furrowed slightly.
The process sounded tedious and time-consuming.
“Is there… a faster way?”
“For example, if I independently complete a Gold Rank task or something higher to prove my strength, can I become a Silver Rank adventurer directly?”
Hearing this, the receptionist shook her head with a smile, though her tone left no room for argument.
“I’m sorry, Mister Yize. The Guild’s rank system is established to ensure the safety of adventurers and the reasonable distribution of tasks. You must progress step by step.”
“The authority of an Iron Rank adventurer only allows you to view and accept Iron Rank tasks.”
“You cannot accept tasks beyond your rank, so naturally, you cannot quickly promote by completing high-difficulty tasks. This is a rigid regulation.”
She paused, looking at Yize’s “ordinary” profile information. Out of professional courtesy, she added a friendly warning.
“And, if you’ll excuse my bluntness, based on the information you provided… with only Tier 2 basic magic and 5% elemental affinity, trying to independently complete a Bronze Rank, and especially a Silver Rank promotion task, will be very… difficult, if not dangerous.”
“I suggest you start from the most basic Iron Rank tasks, progress steadily, or consider finding a reliable team…”
She didn’t finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear.
Yize remained silent for a moment, his fingertip unconsciously rubbing the Iron Rank token.
Time. The thing he lacked most was time!
Just then, a small figure sauntered in through the Guild’s main entrance.
Yize froze.
‘Wait, isn’t that girl the Blood Race brat, Vivian?’
Vivian seemed to spot Yize as well. Her expression looked like she had seen a ghost, and she immediately turned and bolted.
Yize: “…”