Argh.
A low groan echoed through the dark alley. A young man, around 23 years old, sat slumped against the side of the road. His black hair swayed slightly as he brushed it aside, trying to massage his forehead to ease the throbbing pain.
"My head hurts so much," he muttered, his voice barely audible.
He had just woken up and had no idea what was going on. His head pounded relentlessly. Did someone hit me with a baseball bat or something? he wondered. If that were the case, it would explain why his head felt like it was splitting open.
As he opened his eyes, he realized he was in an unfamiliar place.
?????
Did I just get kidnapped??
Panic surged through him as he glanced around, searching for clues. All he saw was the empty alley surrounding him.
Oh, so I'm in an alley. That means I wasn't kidnapped... right?
He tried to stand up, but his legs wobbled, and he stumbled, dropping back to his knees. The headache was still there, but it wasn't as intense as when he first woke up.
Get a grip, Liam. You need to stand up and get out of this alley before something bad happens. What if some gang or crook shows up and tries to rob you?
Liam clenched his teeth, urging himself to move.
Liam steadied himself and finally managed to stand up. He took a deep breath, trying to ignore the lingering ache in his head, and began walking slowly toward the exit of the alley.
As he stepped out, the first sight that hit him was... a street straight out of a fantasy world.
It was surreal.
Liam blinked, trying to process what he was seeing. A towering man with wolf ear and a long, fluffy tail walked past. A wolf man? Liam thought, his mind racing.
But that wasn't all. The street was filled with creatures that looked like they belonged in the pages of a fantasy novel—beings with horns, wings, and fur, all mingling together as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
"Nya? What are you doing standing there, human sir?"
The voice snapped Liam out of his daze. Nya? Did I just hear someone say 'nya'?
He turned to his side and saw a girl with cat ears staring at him curiously. Her tail swished behind her as she tilted her head, waiting for his response.
"You're talking to me?" Liam pointed at himself, still trying to make sense of the situation.
The girl's ears twitched. "Of course-nya. Who else here is human?" She shrugged, as if stating the obvious.
"Ah..." Liam glanced around and realized she was right. The street was filled with animal people and other fantasy race, but so far there wasn't another human in sight.
"Helloooooooo-nya? Anyone there?" The girl waved her hand in front of Liam's face, trying to snap him out of his thoughts.
"Ahem, my bad. So, what can I do for you?" Liam asked, still unsure why this girl had suddenly approached him.
His mind raced with suspicion. Does this girl have bad intentions? After all, this place—whether it was a city or a town—was clearly populated by non-humans, and he, Liam, seemed to be the only human here so far. Is she trying to catch me and sell me to some black market?
He'd seen plenty of stories like this before, though usually, it was the humans doing the capturing. But, well, details aside, Liam couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. He kept his guard up as he waited for her answer.
"Nya? I just want you to stop standing there and blocking my path-nya!" the girl said, her tail flicking impatiently.
"Blocking?" Liam blinked, realizing he'd been standing in the middle of the busy street. Right, don't stop in the middle of a crowded area unless you want to cause a traffic jam. But still...
"Can't you just walk around me?" Liam asked, giving her a puzzled look.
"Nya?! Why would I-nya!" the girl protested, her ears twitching in annoyance.
Liam studied her carefully. Sure enough, his earlier suspicion seemed to be true—she was probably trying to approach him with bad intentions.
He glanced at her petite frame. She doesn't look that strong. Maybe if I punch her hard enough to distract her, I can make a run for it.
But then again, why flee? He didn't know much about the creatures in this world. What if they looked weak but were secretly strong? That could spell trouble.
And she was a cat-girl, a humanoid creature. He had no idea how human strength compared to hers. For all he knew, she could overpower him in an instant.
Then, Liam noticed the passersby. Some were whispering among themselves, while others glanced at him with looks of pity.
?!
So, she's not just some random slave trader? Is she some kind of black-hearted boss who runs the underworld black market?
The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. I almost got myself killed trying to punch her! The idea seemed impossible now. With no other options left, Liam knew what he had to do.
He looked at the girl seriously, his mind racing.
3...
The girl glared at him. "Nya! Move aside!"
2...
"Are you deaf-nya? I'm late now-nya!"
1...
"What are you trying to do, nya?!"
As soon as the count ended, Liam crouched down, grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground, and threw it straight at her face.
"What's wrong with you, nya?!" the girl yelled, coughing and wiping her eyes.
Without wasting another second, Liam turned and bolted, running as fast as he could away from the scene.
Huff... huff... Liam was completely out of breath. He had run as far as his modern, not-so-great stamina could take him. Glancing back, he sighed in relief.
Looks like the black-hearted underworld boss didn't follow me. Good.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Liam decided to keep walking. Just then, he noticed something strange—a shiny panel in his vision. No matter where he looked, the panel followed his gaze.
Wait... is this a system? A SYSTEM?! Oh, oh!!! This is amazing!
Excited, Liam glanced around. He was still on the street, but he needed a quiet place to study this new system he'd just discovered.
Hmmm?
His eyes were drawn to something he hadn't noticed before—a massive, towering structure in the distance. It was impossibly tall, its peak disappearing into the clouds.
How did I not see that earlier?
As he stared at the tower, a sudden chill ran down his spine, giving him goosebumps.
What was that?
Shaking off the strange feeling, Liam scanned his surroundings and spotted a building with a sign that read: Guild.
That could work.
He walked toward the building, the door creaking as he pushed it open. Inside, the guild wasn't too crowded. A few lines of adventurers—yes, that's what they were called in fantasy worlds—were waiting at counters to hand over their monster spoils.
Liam noticed an empty counter where an elf girl stood, looking bored. He decided to approach her, hoping to ask some questions and, if possible, register as an adventurer himself.
"Hello—" Liam began, but before he could finish, the elf girl cut him off.
"Sorry, I won't go on a date with you," she said flatly, her tone serious.
"..."
Liam blinked, stunned. "I just wanted to ask a few questions about becoming an adventurer..."
Even though he didn't consider himself bad-looking, the sudden rejection stung. Am I that unattractive? he wondered, unconsciously touching his face.
The elf girl's expression softened. "Ah, I'm sorry about that. That was unprofessional of me. Feel free to ask anything."
"Miss, how can I become an adventurer?" Liam asked.
If it weren't for the system he'd just discovered, he wouldn't have even considered becoming an adventurer. But now that he had it, why not give it a try? After all, wasn't becoming an adventurer one of those edgy, dream-like fantasies people often had?
Ahem, not me, of course. Ahem, this is just one of my countless dreams.
Shaking off the thought, Liam focused back on the conversation.
"One of the conditions to become an adventurer is to join a Familia," the elf girl explained, pushing her glasses up slightly. She then pulled out a book and placed it in front of Liam.
"This?" Liam asked, glancing at the book.
"This is a list of Familias you can apply to join," she replied.
"Ah, I see," Liam said, flipping through the pages. The book was filled with names of various Familias, but he still didn't fully understand why joining one was necessary.
"By the way, why do I need to join a Familia? Can't I just become an adventurer on my own?"
The elf girl sighed, as if she'd answered this question a thousand times before.
"You can become an adventurer without a Familia, but the risks are much higher. By joining a Familia, you gain the protection of a god or goddess when you enter the dungeon."
"Dungeon?" Liam asked, confused.
The girl gave him a strange look, as if she couldn't believe he didn't know what she was talking about—especially since they were in the Dungeon City itself.
"Ahem." Noticing the elf girl's weird look, Liam coughed, trying to hide his embarrassment.
Of course, I don't know about this stuff. I just spawned into this world less than three hours ago. How could I possibly know anything?
The girl nodded and began explaining the dungeon to him.
From what Liam could gather, the dungeon was the primary source of income for adventurers. Beyond that, her explanation became a blur of details he couldn't quite keep up with.
Yeah, I can't understand much more than that. All I know is I can make money from it...
"Did you listen to what I said?" the elf girl asked, eyeing Liam suspiciously.
"Ahem, yes, I did," Liam replied, though his tone wasn't entirely convincing.
The girl gave him another long look before sighing and deciding to explain further.
Ugh, I feel like I'm being lectured...
By the time she finished, Liam's head was spinning with information he never thought he'd need to know.
Please, just stop talking... This is way too much information. It feels like I'm about to take an exam. I just wanted to become an adventurer...
"There's no more, right, miss?" Liam asked weakly, hoping the explanation was finally over.
The girl noticed his troubled expression and smiled. "There's more you need to know."
Oh, for the love of—
"Miss, I'm sorry if I've offended you, but I don't plan on becoming an office worker or something. I just want to become an adventurer..." Liam said, crossing his arms into an 'X' to emphasize his point.
The elf girl sighed. "If you want to become an adventurer, you need to join a Familia. Understand?"
Liam nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, I understand! Let me join one!"
The girl nodded and smiled, then suggested a Familia for him.
"How about you consider joining this Familia?" She pointed to a name in the book.
Liam leaned in to read it. "Hestia Familia?"
The girl nodded. "Yes. Hestia is a new deity who just descended recently. You can try your luck applying to join her Familia."
"I'll try..." Liam said, though he wasn't entirely sure what he was getting into.
"I'll notify Goddess Hestia about you. If you're accepted, just come back to the guild to register as an adventurer."
"I will," Liam replied.
With that, he turned and walked away.
(A/n: i know i make to much fanfic... but hear me out)