The moment I pushed open the guild hall doors, the noise inside died like someone pressed mute.
Dozens of heads turned my way—adventurers in mismatched armor, drinking, laughing, gambling with copper coins. All froze, mugs halfway to their mouths, eyes glued to the shiny new guy with the premium-looking sword and polished leather gear.
Great. The "everyone stares when the protagonist walks in" trope. I always thought it was an exaggeration in anime. Turns out, nope. Full reality experience unlocked.
I cleared my throat and stepped inside like I owned the place. Confidence is half the game, right? Fake it till you make it.
*Relax, Kenji. You've been in worse lobbies than this. Remember the time you queued into a top-tier ranked match wearing only starter cosmetics? Same vibe.*
The guild hall was cozy compared to what I'd imagined: wooden beams, roaring fireplace, walls decorated with monster skulls and weapons. A huge quest board stood against the far wall, cluttered with parchment notices. Tables were packed with adventurers—most looked Level 5 or so. Some wore basic iron gear, others had scavenged leather like I did… except mine gleamed like it came from a premium store.
I strolled to the counter where a receptionist stood, smiling politely. Classic guild girl: neat uniform, tied-up brown hair, that "I deal with idiots all day" patience.
"Welcome to the Adventurer Guild," she said warmly. "Are you here to register?"
"Yep. First time." I flashed a grin.
"Very well. Please provide your name."
I hesitated for a second. *Should I use a fake fantasy name? Sir BladeMaster69? No… this might be permanent.*
"Kenji Sato," I said. She jotted it down on a ledger.
"Weapon specialty?"
I glanced at the Steel Fang Sword on my hip. "Sword."
She nodded. "You'll start as F-Rank—the beginner rank. Complete quests to earn points and rank up. Higher ranks grant access to tougher missions and better rewards. Do you accept the rules?"
"Sure," I said. *Sounds exactly like a ranked ladder system. Grind to climb. Same addiction, different skin.*
She handed me a small card that shimmered faintly.
> **Guild Card Acquired!**
> **Rank: F**
> **Permissions: Basic quests unlocked**
"Oh, and your equipment…" She eyed my sword, curiosity flickering. "It's… impressive for a new adventurer."
"Gift from a friend," I lied smoothly. No way I was explaining *'I watched three ads and got this beauty.'*
---
### The Quest Board
I wandered over to the board, Guild Card in hand. Dozens of notices fluttered in the breeze from the open windows.
> **Quests Available (F-Rank):**
> - Eliminate 5 Slimes – Reward: 10 Coins
> - Gather 10 Healing Herbs – Reward: 8 Coins
> - Escort Farmer to Nearby Field – Reward: 12 Coins
I stared at the board and snorted. "Daily quests. Actual daily quests."
Everything was low-risk, low-pay, the kind of grindy fetch stuff devs throw at you before the real content unlocks.
*Man, where's the battle pass? Where's the event banner?*
While I browsed, I heard whispers behind me.
"Look at that sword… that's not starter gear."
"Think he's a noble's kid?"
"Or maybe a retired hero?"
I hid my smirk. *Keep guessing, boys. This is what 'watch-to-win' looks like.*
---
### The Invitation
"Hey! New guy!" A voice cut through the murmurs.
I turned to see a trio of rookie adventurers approaching. The leader—a tall dude with spiky hair and a hand-me-down breastplate—grinned like he'd just found a rare drop. His two buddies, a skinny mage and a girl with a short spear, trailed behind.
"You look strong," Spiky said. "We're heading to the slime fields. Wanna join our party?"
"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow. *Ah, the classic party invite. And here I thought I'd solo grind to flex later.*
"Three's good, but four's safer," he continued. "We could use a sword like yours."
I considered it. If they found out I was Level 2, they'd laugh me back to the fireplace. But… with this sword, I could probably one-shot slimes. Plus, testing my ad skill in a group fight sounded fun.
"Sure," I said casually. "I'll tag along."
The mage fist-pumped. "Awesome! We'll split the rewards evenly."
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered. *Split the crumbs evenly. Meanwhile, I'm about to farm EXP like a seasonal event.*
---
### Party Dynamics Loading…
As we headed for the door, Spiky introduced himself as **Ronan**, the mage was **Lia**, and the spear girl **Mira**. They were all Level 4–5, which explained why they thought they were hot stuff.
"You must be at least Level 10, right?" Ronan asked as we walked.
"…Something like that." *Level 2. Don't worry about it.*
Before I could step outside, a glowing notification smacked my face.
---
> **System Alert:**
> *Ad Surprise Cooldown Reset in 4 hours.*
---
I nearly drooled. Four hours until I could spin the gacha wheel of destiny again. And judging by the sparkle in Ronan's eyes, we'd be knee-deep in slimes by then. Perfect timing.
I grinned, gripping my sword. "Alright, let's go kill some blobs."
We pushed through the doors, sunlight hitting our faces as we stepped into the open road..
*First guild quest. First real party. Time to show this world the true power of a Free-to-Play king.*