Wade stood before the Lion's Guild building, his throat dry.
He had seen it from afar these past few days, but this was the first time he had stood directly in front of its tall stone walls and golden crest.
The crest, an open jawed lion biting down on a sword, gleamed against the morning light. The symbol told everyone who passed that this guild was strong, rich, and untouchable.
He shifted on his feet, brushing at his trousers as if that would smooth away the tears in the fabric. His shirt was little better, patched together with uneven stitching.
No matter how many times he straightened the collar or tugged on the sleeves, the clothes screamed what he was. A beggar. Still, he could at least try to look less pathetic than the truth.
'This is the best chance I've got,' he reminded himself.
Drawing a breath, he forced his feet to move.
The Lion's Guild had two main doors.
One was wide, bustling with armored men and women carrying weapons on their backs, laughing with the pride of people who belonged here.
That was the member's entrance. Wade didn't even consider it.
He went to the smaller one at the side, the entrance reserved for outsiders, applicants, and petitioners.
Inside, the air had a faint floral scent. The lobby spread out like a small hall, filled with queues.
One line was long, filled with merchants, farmers, and noble attendants waiting to post quests.
Those with goods had it stacked in crates and sacks beside them, ready to be inspected. Wade didn't join them.
Instead, he turned to a smaller desk with fewer people, the one reserved for those seeking membership.
The receptionist there, a woman with a ponytail, and beautiful green eyes, lifted her head as Wade approached. "Yes? State your business."
"I… I want to join the guild," Wade said, trying to keep his voice steady.
She gave him a flat look. "Awakened or unawakened?"
"Unawakened."
That earned him a raised brow, but this was a usual occurrence to her. She simply wrote something down, then rang a small bell.
A guild guard appeared and gestured for Wade to follow. They walked down a hall into a quieter part of the building and stopped before a door. The guard opened it and waved him in.
The room was bare except for a table and two chairs. Wade sat down, fingers fidgeting against the wood. Waiting in silence was always the worst. His mind wouldn't stop racing.
A week ago he had been on a bus, half asleep after another long shift at the convenience store.
The accident had been sudden. One blink he was trying to stay awake as he stared out the window, and the next he was waking up in a body that wasn't his.
A body that had already died of hunger on the streets of one of the cities in the Kingdom of Vasaria.
He had been poor on Earth, but this… this was worse.
Hunger gnawed at him every day. His stomach cramped from the lack of food.
He'd begged and stolen scraps, but there was no future in it. He knew from the memories he inherited that most beggars here never saw their next winter.
'No. Not again. Not in this world,' he thought, jaw clenched.
The door opened.
A woman entered, tall and broad shouldered, her chest covered in breastplate, one pauldron resting across her shoulder.
She carried herself with confidence, like someone used to command.
"I'm Handler Calista," she said, her tone brisk but not unkind.
"Wade. Wade Barrett," he answered.
She nodded and took the opposite chair, setting down a neat stack of parchment. "You wish to join the Lion's Guild. All new members must sign a contract."
Wade said nothing. He already knew what was coming.
This body's memories had shown him how guilds worked.
They called themselves protectors, but in truth they were cartels. They controlled the dungeons, the loot, and the adventurers. Anyone who wanted to survive had no choice but to submit.
Calista slid two sheets across the table. "We offer two starting options. Basic and Standard. Premium contracts are only for veterans who have proven themselves. You should read both carefully. These are magical contracts. Once you sign, the terms are binding."
Wade pulled the parchments closer. His eyes traced the words written on them.
The basic contract promised access to guild dungeons and permission to take quests. That was all.
In exchange, the guild demanded thirty percent of his loot, plus the Right of First Refusal.
Every loot drop he got from their dungeons must be offered to the guild before he could sell it elsewhere. Worse, the guild would only buy at seventy percent of market value.
The standard contract offered more. Training, a bed in the guild dorms, and limited healing services.
The tax was ten percent instead of thirty. The guild would still take first pick of all loot he got from their dungeons, but at eighty percent of market value instead of seventy.
The buyout clause was almost laughable. One hundred million gold for the basic contract, fifty million for the standard contract.
Numbers so large they might as well have been infinity.
Both were lifetime contracts. The guild could renegotiate every ten years, but Wade couldn't leave without paying the ransom.
It was slavery. Slavery with polished words.
He clenched his teeth, but he kept reading.
The trick was obvious. The basic contract was poison, designed only to make the standard look generous.
But still. Training. Room and board. Food. Shelter. All the things he needed just to live. Without it, he'd die in the gutters like this body's previous owner.
He looked up. Calista's eyes watched him with calm patience, as if she already knew what he would choose.
Wade inhaled, steadying himself. Then he tapped the standard contract. "This one."
Calista gave the faintest smile. "Good. Then let us make it official."
She produced a small needle. "Prick your thumb and place your blood on the seal. The contract will recognize you."
Wade took the needle with steady fingers, though his chest felt tight.
He jabbed his thumb, pressed it against the parchment.
The inked symbols flared with light, then burned away into nothing. The contract was gone.
Calista stood and extended a hand. "Welcome to the Lion's Guild, Wade Barrett."
His throat felt dry again, but he managed to say, "Thank you."
She withdrew her hand and gathered the remaining papers. "Now comes the next step."
"All recruits must undergo their awakening before they can be placed. We'll head there immediately."
Wade's stomach knotted.
Awakening.
The moment where his fate in this new world would be decided.
The beggar whose body he had inherited had died without ever touching an Awakening Stone. Now Wade had no choice.
He followed Calista out of the room, his footsteps echoing loudly in his ears.
'This is it,' he thought. 'This is where everything changes. Whatever class I get… it decides if I'll live or die.'
But he also knew one thing. No matter what the guild thought, no matter what contract he had just signed, he would find a way to turn the rules to his favor.
He had been poor his whole life. He knew how to scrape and claw and scheme.
He wasn't going to die a beggar again.