The Adventurers' Guild hall was bustling with people.
Hestia tugged on Ying Ping's sleeve, afraid he would get lost in the crowd.
She stood on tiptoe and instructed, "Over here, over here! Eina should be on duty today!"
"Eina?"
Ying Ping bent down and asked doubtfully, leaning close to the loli goddess's ear.
Although he was a transmigrator, his impression of this name had long since blurred, and he couldn't recall who it was at the moment.
"She's a very famous half-elf receptionist~"
"She's very nice, and I have a good relationship with her too~"
Hestia puffed out her chest, saying rather proudly, "I used to often save the last fried potato ball for her, and that's how we got to know each other..."
As she spoke, the two arrived at a guild counter piled high with documents.
A brown-haired elf girl, wearing a guild uniform and glasses, was busy writing furiously.
The moment he saw this elf girl, Ying Ping's expression showed sudden understanding.
So the half-elf receptionist Hestia was talking about was her.
"Eina!"
"Goddess Hestia?!"
Eina looked up from the mountain of documents, and when she saw Hestia and Ying Ping appear, her emerald eyes behind her round glasses instantly lit up.
Hestia proudly puffed out her chest, though this action only made her height barely reach Ying Ping's chest, "My child is here, today we're registering to form a Familia!"
"That's wonderful! Congratulations on finally forming a Familia!"
Eina quickly came around the counter, gripping Hestia's small hands and shaking them up and down: "How delightful! I'll process the paperwork for you right away!"
She glanced at Ying Ping, then suddenly lowered her voice and continued to ask, "Do you need me to recommend a reliable equipment merchant? Newcomers get a big discount..."
"Ahem, not for now~"
"Just get that out later."
Hestia was a bit short on cash, but she pretended to be experienced: "My child is a new adventurer and doesn't need anything too good, so renting equipment from the Guild will be fine for now!"
"I see, then alright!"
Eina turned around, her quill pen rapidly gliding across the parchment: "Forming a Familia requires a 2000 Valis registration fee..."
"Here!"
Hestia pulled out a small cloth pouch from her person and poured out a few shiny gold coins.
Ying Ping noticed her swallowing hard, pained, and her fingers trembling slightly as she handed over the gold coins.
"Next is adventurer registration..."
Eina handed over a form, "Sir, please fill in your detailed information."
Ying Ping took the form and began to write diligently.
Since he had transmigrated to this world, thankfully the Shadow Monarch System had already given him the ability to communicate in otherworld languages.
Otherwise, if he couldn't even speak the language, that would have been terrible.
It was precisely because the system had provided language abilities beforehand that Ying Ping completely trusted the system.
So he had been pestering Hestia, wanting to join her Familia to officially activate the system.
Soon, Ying Ping filled out the form and handed it to Eina.
"Alright, let me see..."
She adjusted her glasses, discreetly scrutinizing Ying Ping while quickly scanning the information.
When she saw the age column on the registration form, she said with immense surprise, "Th-thirty years old and only now changing careers to become a new adventurer?!"
Eina's half-elf pointed ears twitched, "You didn't have any prior martial arts experience or any hunting experience, did you?!"
"Yes, I really didn't."
Ying Ping scratched his head awkwardly, his expression a bit embarrassed.
Eina's face immediately turned pale.
She 'swished' open a cross-section map of the Dungeon and slapped it hard on the counter: "Look here!"
"The goblins on the first three floors average 1.2 meters tall; you might be able to barely deal with them with equipment."
"But!"
"From the fourth floor onwards, stout kobolds will appear!"
"Their bodies are often stronger than an average adult male!"
"This is no longer a strength gap that a newcomer can compensate for with equipment!"
"I personally recommend that you should only go down to the third floor at most, and it's best to temporarily only operate on the first and second floors!"
Hestia, scared, hugged Ying Ping's arm: "Did you hear that! You absolutely, absolutely, must not go to the fourth floor!"
"I understand."
Just like a baby has to learn to crawl before walking, I will never rashly challenge monsters beyond my capabilities."
Ying Ping nodded seriously, his gaze sweeping over the red danger zones marked on the map.
Eina's expression softened slightly, but she still stamped a heavy red 'High-Risk Newcomer' seal on the form.
"Please report to the Guild at least once every day from now on!"
She suddenly pulled a whistle from a drawer and handed it to Ying Ping, "If you encounter danger in the Dungeon, blow this, and if the Ganesha Familia patrolling the upper floors hears it, they will come to save you."
"Of course, adventurers near the whistle will also hear it."
"But unlike the Ganesha Familia, they are not obligated to save you. Sometimes, if you encounter bad guys, it's good enough if they don't kick you when you're down."
"In short, be very careful when using it, and it's best not to put yourself in a dangerous situation."
Eina cautioned with a serious expression.
"I understand. Thank you very much, Miss Eina."
"I will be very careful!"
Ying Ping adopted a humble attitude.
"Ying Ping, why don't we not rush into the Dungeon yet?"
"Let's just honestly train your muscles for a while."
"Once you're strong enough, then we can go to the Dungeon, okay?"
Hestia showed an extremely worried expression, very afraid that Ying Ping would get into trouble.
In her opinion, since Ying Ping had amazing talent for training, it would be better to play it safe and just train at home every day.
"No, Goddess."
"The current me can only get stronger faster and better by training and adventuring in the Dungeon at the same time."
"Besides, we are both very short on Valis, aren't we?"
"Only by me going to get magic stones and materials from monsters to sell can we earn money more effectively."
Ying Ping shook his head, rejecting the suggestion.
Although he could train and get stronger by relying on the Shadow Monarch System's daily quests.
He believed that only by going to the Dungeon and killing real monsters would the Shadow Monarch System truly exert its power and bring more opportunities for growth.
Moreover, he and Hestia were both tight on funds.
In the future, they would have to face the Black Dragon, and perhaps even threats from other adventurers, so they probably couldn't continue to take it easy.
"Is that so? Then please be very careful."
Hestia sighed softly, her small face filled with worry.
Suddenly, Eina's expression became even more serious, and she said to Ying Ping: "Indeed, Mr. Ying Ping, your idea is correct."
"After all, at your age, continued training without adventuring wouldn't have much meaning."
"Because after 30, bone density and muscle flexibility no longer have much potential for improvement. Only by breaking through your limits in the Dungeon can you increase your ability scores…"
She suddenly stopped mid-sentence, awkwardly pushing up her glasses, "Ah, I apologize, I didn't mean to belittle you in any way…"
"It's alright."
Ying Ping said with a smile: "Honest words are harsh to the ear, Miss Eina spoke the truth because she was worried about me, and I'm very happy about that."
Next was choosing the adventurer equipment to rent from the Guild.
Because he was bound to the Shadow Monarch System.
The image of Sung Jin-Woo wielding dual daggers in the original work flashed through Ying Ping's mind.
"Dual daggers, well, they're cool, but they really don't suit me…"
"As the ancestors said, a short cold weapon is a short danger. I need to choose a long one…"
Ying Ping muttered to himself, finally saying to Eina, "Please give me a long spear and a round shield."
Hestia blinked in surprise: "Eh? I thought you'd choose a cooler weapon~"
"The Dungeon is no child's play. Only by surviving can you show off in front of Goddess."
Ying Ping smiled and ruffled Hestia's head, but his heart warmed as he took the equipment.
These rented pieces of equipment were clearly of a higher quality.
It was evident that the loli goddess, to preserve his self-esteem, had spent Valis or used a favor to prepare them with Eina.
"Hestia, I will definitely work hard to level up and get stronger. I will not disappoint you."
Ying Ping clenched his fists and vowed in his heart.
As they finished the procedures, Eina suddenly called out to them.
The half-elf took out a small cloth bag embroidered with a four-leaf clover from under the counter: "Mr. Ying Ping, here… This is a calming sachet I made myself, also considered a good luck charm for safety."
Her ear tips were slightly red, "If you put it under your pillow before sleeping, it can have a calming effect… because the aura of the Dungeon can easily cause nightmares…"
Hestia was incredibly moved: "I knew Eina was the best after all!"
She tugged at Ying Ping's sleeve, "Quick, say thank you!"
"Yes, thank you very much for your consideration."
Ying Ping bowed solemnly, "Miss Eina, I promise you, I will cherish this kind gesture as much as I cherish my own life."
…After leaving the Adventurers Guild, the two were about to part ways.
Ying Ping was heading to the Dungeon, while Hestia needed to continue selling her fried potato balls.
"Remember!"
Hestia emphasized for the third time, "Absolutely do not go down to the fourth floor!"
She suddenly pulled Ying Ping to a stop and took out another small cloth bag from her bosom, "Inside here is… 5000 Valis I saved up myself. It should be enough to hire a Level 2 adventurer to accompany you for half a day…"
"Thank you, Hestia, but I really don't need it."
Ying Ping crouched down slightly to meet her gaze and gently tucked the money bag back into her pocket.
"I promise you, I will definitely be back before sunset every day and never prolong a fight."
Ying Ping pointed to his back, "Besides, with this divine blessing, you'll always know my status, won't you?"
Hestia's large blue eyes welled up with tears.
She suddenly pulled off her hair tie and fastened it around Ying Ping's wrist: "Wear this! This is a blessing from me, a goddess!"
"If you dare to lose it, I'll punish you… I'll punish you by making you eat fried potato balls without sauce for a month, hmph!"
After doing all this, the petite figure of the loli goddess pretended to be huffing and disappeared around the street corner.
"Hestia…"
Ying Ping gently caressed the blue ribbon, feeling a warmth in his heart, which also provided motivation.
"Ding!"
At this moment, the Shadow Monarch Leveling System suddenly stirred.
A light screen unfolded before his eyes:
[First Day Dungeon Quest]
Kill 10 Goblins (0/10)
Collect 10 Magic Stones (0/10)
[First Day Quest Reward: Skill "Shadow Step" Unlocked]