They emerged from the dungeons exit, a blinding, almost painful sunlight washed over them. Before them lay not an open field, but a lush sprawling forest. The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, a welcome change from the stale, cavernous air they had endured.
Rin, ever cheerful, began to lead the way,
Humming a light tune as she navigated the dense foliage with practiced ease.
Shizuma, his purple eyes scanning the new environment with a sharp, calculating gaze, broke the silence. "Where are we going." He asked, his voice low and serious.
"Theres a village not too far from here called Veridia," Rin replied, turning her head with a smile. "Its the closest hub for adventurers in this region."
Kuren, his red hair seeming to glow under the sun, bounced on his feet with his usual playful energy. "Silas," he said, turning to his friend. "When we get there, what are we gonna do for money?"
Silas, in his new body and with his wavy, light green hair, looked at him with an exasperated sigh. "I dont know, why are you asking me?"
Rin, hearing their conversation, chimed in. "If you guys would like, you can register with our adventurers' guild! Its how most people make a living around here."
"There are guilds?" Kuren asked, his eyes wide with a gamer's excitement. The concept was familiar, a core mechanic of a world they knew well.
"Yeah!" Rin laughed. "You can take on commissions from the commission board, and in turn for completing the quests, they give you money! Its the best way to earn your keep."
"I guess we should probably head there first then," Kain said, his voice calm and steady as he fell into step with Rin, his pragmatic nature taking over.
"That would be wonderful!" Rin exclaimed, her elven ears twitching with excitement. "We're always accepting new members!"
Shizuma watched Rin's animated gestures with a quiet, analytical gaze. "What kind of quests do you guys usually take on?" he asked, his voice low and serious, his purple eyes scanning the new environment.
Rin, a small smile on her lips, continued to walk, the sunlight catching the simple silver earring she wore. "Well the quests you can take are dependent on your rank." she explained. "When you first join, you are required to do the magic ball test. When you put your hand on the ball, it will give you a rank depending on your mana level. There are eight ranks in total: F-rank, D-rank, C-rank, B-rank, A-rank, S-rank, SS-rank, and SSS-rank. There are a few people who surpass these ranks. We call them 'Transcendent's."
Her voice took on a tone of awe as she continued, "These people broke the magic ball and have to take a different test. They are given a world tree seed, and they pour their magic power into it. The power they possess is dependent on the growth of it." Her brown eyes grew wide with admiration. "The biggest tree made is almost half the size of the original World Tree. And the man who grew it… He's the worlds strongest adventurer. People say his arrows are able to pierce anything, and he never loses track of a target."
Kuren, his red hair seeming to glow under the sun, looked impressed. "Sounds strong."
Rin giggled. "Well his title isnt just for show."
As she spoke, they reached a clearing. "Were here!" She announced.
Coming out of the dense forest, they were met with a breathtaking sight: a lively village, bustling with people of various races and backgrounds. The sunlight hit them full force, and the cheerful sounds of vendors hawking their wares, children playing, and the general hum of conversation was almost overwhelming.
Silas took a deep breath of the fresh air and grinned. "Finally, other people!"
"Whats wrong with us?" Kain, his expression as calm as ever, teased with a slight smile.
"I didnt mean it like that," Silas replied, a friendly laugh escaping him as he clapped Kain on the shoulder.
Rin, a figure of bright, cheerful energy, led them through the lively streets. The village was a feast for their senses, a symphony of sounds and colors they had forgotten. They passed by various races—a stocky dwarf with a braided beard, a swift-moving lizardfolk carrying a spear, and a hulking beastkin with the head of a bear.
"Hey, look, its a dog person," Kuren whispered loudly to Silas, his voice a mix of awe and childish curiosity.
"Dont say those types of things in public," Silas whispered back, a giving Kuren a sharp look.
"Sorry," Kuren mumbled, though a mischievous glint remained in his eyes.
They soon came to a large, two story building with a wooden sign hanging over the door. The sign depicted a sword and shield and a sword crossed over a rising sun. "Here's the guild," Rin announced, pushing the doors open with a flourish. "WERE COMING IN!"
The interior was a bustling hub of activity. The air was thick with a scent of old parchment, sweat, and cheap ale. A large quest board covered one wall, littered with various notices. A women with a warm smile and kind eyes sat at a front desk, sorting through papers."
"Welcome back, Rin!" The receptionist greeted, looking up with a relieved smile. "You sure are back early."
"Glad to be back! I found these four down in the dungeon and brought them here to register with the guild." Rin explained, gesturing toward the group with a wide smile.
They instinctively lined up. Silas took the lead, followed by Kuren, then Shizuma, and finally Kain, creating a staggered line that reflected their physical sizes and their positions within the group.
Akemi slide four forms across the counter. "Alright, if you could fill out this form first."
Silas looked down at the form, his green eyes scanning various fields. When he reached the "Place of Origin," his brow furrowed. For place of origin, what should i put? He thought, a sense of helplessness creeping in.
He looked up at Akemi, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Excuse me," he said, his voice hesitant. "We actually suffer from memory loss and dont remember much. Is it fine if we leave 'place of origin' blank?"
Akemi's warm smile softened with a look of genuine sympathy. "Of course! Im sorry to hear that you guys lost your memories," she said kindly. Are you all related by chance?"
Silas back at his friends, a small, genuine smile on his face. "Not by blood," he replied, "but we do think of eachother as siblings."
"Alright!" Akemi said, taking the completed forms. "Now that you've filled those out, ill get the magic ball out for you guys."
She disappeared into a back room for a moment and returned with a large, dark blue orb that seemed to him a faint, internal light. It looked like a crystal ball, lighter in the middle, and it rested on a cushioned pedestal.
"Please put your hand on the orb." Akemi instructed, gestering to the first person in line—Silas.
Silas took a deep breath, extended his hand, and slowly pressed it against the surface of the orb. They all waited for a second, but nothing happend. The orb remained dark, silent, and completely inert.
"Uhm," Akemi said, a puzzled look on her face. "I dont know why its not working. Im sorry, allow me to get another magic ball."
She returned with a second orb, but when Silas rested his hand on this one, the same result occurred. The orb did nothing.
"I dont know what's going on," Akemi said, her voice filled with confusion. "Im very sorry, sir."
Silas just shook his head. "It's okay, i dont mind starting off at F-rank." He had a strange feeling that their powers simply didnt belong to this world's system.
Kuren went up next, his high-pitched voice a little quiet as he placed hand on the orb. The same thing happend. The orb failed to activate. He accepted the low rank but couldn't quite hide his disappointment.
The exact same result occured for both Shizuma and Kain. The orbs were completely inert for all of them.
"Im so sorry for the inconvenience, but im going to have to start all of you at F-rank." Akemi said, her voice filled with genuine pity.
Shizuma, ever the pragmatist, was already moving on. "Thats fine," he said. "Do we also sell magic stones here!"
Akemi's face brightened. "Yes! You can give them to us, and when we analyze them, we will give you appropriate rewards."
Akemi gestured toward a large, wooden bowl on the counter. "Just place your magic stones in there, and we will have them analyzed for you."
One by one, the group presented their meager findings. Kain had a small handfull, Shizuma had a few more, and Silas, with a grimace, placed his own small collection in the bowl.
"Wow, we really couldnt get much, huh?" Silas said, with a mixture of disappointment and frustration.
Kuren, however, simply flashed a mischievous grin. His red eyes glinted with a playful energy as he held his hand out over the desk, plam down. "Behold, team!" He announced with a high-pitched, theatrical flair.
With a shimmering ploop sound, a steady stream of magic stones began to pour from his hand as if from an unseen bag. The stream of stones continued until a small but respectable pile had formed in the bowl.
Silas and Shizuma both stared in disbelief. "What!" Silas exclaimed. "When were you gonna tell us you had this kind of ability?"
Shizuma simply nodded, his purple eyes wide with suprise. "Yeah, what he said."
Kuren, basking in their astonished expressions, puffed out his chest with a look of pure delight. "I like the suprised looks on peoples faces," He said, pouting slightly. "Go ahead and praise me!"
Shizuma, ever the pragmatist, immediately switched his focus towards the reward. "So how much will this give us?" he asked, ignoring Kuren's plea for praise, a fact Kuren would subtly remember later.
Akemi, who had been staring with her mouth agape, finally composed herself. "Hold on, there are alot of good stones in here! Give us a minute while we analyze them."
The group waited patiently, the scent of wood and magic filling the air. After a short minute, Akemi returned from the back room with a small, leather pouch.
"Your total came up to 15 gold coins," she said, her voice filled with a hint of awe. "Here you guys go." She handed the bag to Silas.
Shizuma bowed his head slightly. "Thank you. Also, what kind of quests can we take on as F-rank adventurers?"
"F-rank quests usually stem from things like plucking herbs, hunting small, non-magical animals, or eliminating common dungeon monsters," Akemi explained. "All the quests are posted on the quest board over there. You can pick whatever you feel comfortable with."
"Alright, thank you," Shizuma replied, already planning their next move.
As the walked away from the counter, Rin, with a hopeful smile, stepped forward to meet them. Her brown eyes full of curiosity, landed on silas. "So, how'd it go?" She asked, her elven hears slightly perked.
"We became F-rank adventurers," Silas said, a hint of wry amusement in his voice. He handed her his new id card, a simple wooden plaque with their rank etched into it.
"Amazing!" She exclaimed, her smile never fading. "If you guys ever need help, you can find me at the guild. Don't be strangers!"
"Thank you for all your help, Rin," Silas said, giving her a genuine smile. "See you later."
The group left the bustling guild hall behind them, stepping out into the lively streets of Veridia. The plan was to look for an inn, but Kain, his light blue eyes taking in the various shops and people, Had a better idea.
"I think we should explore a bit before finding an inn for the night," he suggested, his voice as calm as ever.
"Good idea," Silas agreed. The group began to walk down a cobblestone street, but before they had gone far, Shizuma froze.
His purple eyes widened, and a deep-seated chill ran down his spine. His unique senses, which had been dormant since they arrived, flared to life, sensing a malevolent, corrupted soul essence—an utterly overwhelming force of hatred and malice hurtling through the sky.
"What the hell is that!?" Shizuma shouted, his calm demeanor gone, his head tilted up toward the sky.
Everyone turned to look just in time to see a massive ball of fire, a searing meteor of red and black, screaming toward the town.
A streak of crimson light tore across the sky, followed by a sound like a mountain being split in two. The ground buckled, and a wave of superheated air hit the group, making their clothes whip and their eyes water. A blinding explosion of dust and debris erupted into the sky, swalling the adventurers guild whole. The air filled with the sent of burn wood and scorched earth, and as the smoke began to clear, all that was left was a smoldering ruin.
Kuren, his red eyes wide with a combination of fear and awe, managed to choke out, "What was that?!"
Shizuma, still staring at the crater, simply shook his head. "I dont know," he said, but his senses screamed at him: something truly terrible had just landed in their town.