He immediately thought back to the previous day.
To the long wait at the administrative office.
To the forms, the signatures, the repetitive questions.
To that infamous temporary ID card he'd carefully slipped into his satchel.
Venti: "I did go to some trouble for all this…"
His gaze flickered to his satchel, then to the guards.
Venti: "And they… they don't ask anything?"
He continued walking, perplexed, while keeping a watchful eye on the entrance. Still nothing.
No guard stopped him, none even seemed to notice the jar he was holding so carefully.
Venti: "Then why were they checking everyone the day before yesterday?"
He thought for a few seconds, letting his mind make the connection.
Venti: "Perhaps once I'm inside the city, it doesn't matter anymore..."
"Or maybe it's because I come and go alone..."
He glanced down at his bard's clothes, remembering the suspicious looks they'd earned him the first time.
Venti: "Or maybe they already recognize me as an adventurer..."
The last thought brought a slight smile to his face.
It was just a detail, but there was something reassuring about knowing that he was gradually becoming part of the scenery.
Venti: "In any case... it's better to have these papers."
He tightened his grip on the jar slightly and resumed a normal pace, blending into the flow of passersby entering and leaving the city, while Rillmont stirred around him as if his adventure was just beginning.
Venti ventured down the cobblestone streets leading to the Adventurers' Guild, the jar still clutched carefully against his chest.
As he walked, the town became more bustling. Merchants called out their prices, passersby hurried by, children ran between the stalls… Rillmont was alive with life.
But he soon felt the stares.
Insistent stares.
Curious. Sometimes mocking.
He didn't have to listen closely to understand why.
Villager #1: "Did you see how he's dressed?"
Villager #2: "He looks like a street musician…"
Villager #3: "Is he really an adventurer?"
Rumors of a young bard turned adventurer spread throughout the city. While not everyone was talking about it, most people understood that it was Venti.
Whispers rippled through the city's noise, quiet but clear enough to reach him.
Some citizens paused to observe him, while others simply murmured as they passed, glancing quickly at his bardic attire, his slender frame, and his youthful face.
Venti lowered his eyes slightly… then smiled inwardly.
Venti: "I suppose that's normal."
He glanced at his clothes:
- The light green
- The delicate patterns
- The flowing cape
- The beret adorned with a white flower
Nothing about him suggested the classic image of an adventurer clad in heavy armor or wielding imposing weapons.
Venti: "If only they knew…"
FFFFFFFFFFFFffffffffffffffffffff
He felt the wind gently brush against the back of his neck, like a familiar presence.
Part of him found the situation almost amusing.
Venti: "An adventurous bard…"
"It's not so strange, is it?"
He continued onward, ignoring the whispers, his calm and confident stride contrasting sharply with the doubts cast upon him.
Each whisper, each skeptical glance, only strengthened his resolve.
Venti: "One day, they won't even ask the question anymore."
The unmistakable silhouette of the Adventurers' Guild finally appeared at the end of the street.
Venti raised his head slightly, his gaze clear.
He didn't care what others thought.
He knew what he had accomplished.
And this was only the beginning.
After a few minutes, he finally arrived in front of the guild building.
Venti pushed open the door of the Adventurers' Guild, and immediately the familiar bustle enveloped him.
The hubbub of conversations, the clinking of tankards, the rustling of parchments… It all created a lively and almost reassuring atmosphere.
Compared to the whispered glances of the street, here, he felt more at home.
Venti: "It's rather surprising that the other adventurers stopped making fun of me so quickly."
He crossed the hall with a leisurely step, still carefully holding the jar.
Venti: "It would have been stupid to drop that jar now."
A few adventurers noticed him as they passed; some recognized him, others smiled with amusement at his attire, but no one laughed this time.
After the rumors of the Ruin Guard's defeat on the plains, more than one glance had turned cautious.
Venti approached the counter.
The receptionist looked up from her paperwork and blinked slightly as she recognized him.
The receptionist: "Ah, you're back already."
She said in a neutral but attentive tone.
She was the one who had authorized Venti to take the slime extermination quest, but she hadn't expected him to complete it so quickly since it was only the beginning of the day.
Venti carefully placed the jar on the counter, taking care not to bump it against the wood.
Venti: "Hello."
"I've come to deliver the proof of my slime extermination quest."
He replied calmly.
The glass clinked softly as he released his grip.
Venti carefully placed the jar on the receptionist's floor to avoid breaking it, as it was fragile.
Inside, slime slime glistened faintly, undeniable evidence of the recent battle.
The receptionist tilted her head, observing the contents with professional interest.
Venti waited, his back straight, his gaze calm.
Despite the murmurs he had heard outside, here, in the heart of the Guild, everything hinged on facts.
And the facts were indeed there, contained within a simple glass jar.
The receptionist glanced at the jar, then moved closer to examine it more closely.
The moment the lid touched her nose, an unusual odor reached her.
The receptionist: "...Salt."
She frowned almost imperceptibly.
The receptionist: "It's not supposed to smell like that."
Normally, slime had a neutral odor, sometimes slightly metallic depending on the element, or vaguely sweet in some cases.
Since the jar looked slightly dirty, she chose to accept the second possibility.
But there was something else.
A fresh, marine scent, almost like the smell you get walking on the beach in the early morning.
She had never smelled anything salty before, so:
- Either salt had been mixed with the slime's ooze.
- Or the jar already had that smell.
The receptionist: "It went all the way to the coast…!"
She examined the contents of the jar again. The elemental residues were still there, properly preserved, and yet that salty note persisted, subtle but undeniable.
The receptionist: "Strange… Slime quests are rarely this far for a new adventurer."
She didn't know that Venti had used his telekinesis to guide the slimes further.
Her gaze flickered briefly toward Venti.
His outfit, his calm demeanor, the way he had carefully placed the jar…
Nothing indicated that he was lying or trying to deceive the Guild.
She took a second, shallow breath, confirming her intuition.
The receptionist: "Sea air... damp sand..."
This meant one thing:
He hadn't simply dispatched a few stray slimes near the ramparts.
He had fought near the beach.
An area where much more unstable elemental slimes sometimes appeared.
The receptionist: "For someone of his skill level... that's audacious."
She carefully closed the jar, her expression remaining professional, but her mind was already silently reassessing the young adventurer before her.
The receptionist: "This boy is much more serious than he seems."
A few seconds later:
The receptionist examined the contents of the jar for a few more seconds, then jotted something down in a register before glancing back up at Venti.
He hesitated briefly… then savored the moment.
Venti: "Excuse me,"
He began calmly.
Venti: "I have a question."
She raised her head slightly, attentive.
The receptionist: "I'm listening."
Venti glanced furtively out the Guild window, toward the sea, then returned to her.
Venti: "The island out at sea… the one you can see from the shore."
"Is it really as dangerous as people say?"
At these words, the receptionist's expression subtly changed.
No visible fear, but an immediate sense of gravity.
She gently closed the register and placed both hands flat on the counter.
The receptionist: "You're talking about Spirale Abyss Island."
She replied after a short silence.
Around them, the noise from the Guild seemed to fade slightly.
A few nearby adventurers slowed their movements, clearly attentive to the conversation.
Venti: "Yes."
Venti: "I've been told that even experienced adventurers avoid going there."
She nodded slowly.
The receptionist: "That's not a rumor."
"It's a fact."
Venti remained silent, inviting her to continue.
The receptionist: "This island is connected to the Abyss."
She explained.
The receptionist: "The monsters found there are different."
"More aggressive."
"More intelligent."
"And above all… they get stronger the further you go."
She paused, then added:
The receptionist: "Many adventurers entered full of confidence."
"Few returned."
"And those who survived… never speak of what they saw there."
Venti felt a slight shiver run down his spine.
Venti: "Yet."
He said softly.
Venti: "The Guild still talks about it."
A thin, bitter smile appeared on the receptionist's face.
The receptionist: "Because the island cannot be ignored."
"It's a constant threat."
"And one day, someone will have to venture deeper than the others."
She observed Venti for a few seconds, her gaze seeming to carry more weight than her words.
The receptionist: "But that day won't be today."
Venti inclined his head slightly in understanding.
Venti: "I suspected as much."
Venti thanked the receptionist with a nod and left the Adventurers' Guild, collecting his reward for his mission (6,000 Mora), leaving the hubbub of the lobby behind.
The air outside felt fresher, freer.
He descended the few steps in front of the entrance and paused for a moment, letting his gaze wander over the bustling square.
Then a thought crossed his mind.
Venti: "Hmm..."
He frowned slightly.
Venti: "That's strange..."
Instinctively, he thought of his quest.
Of exterminating the slimes on the beach.
Of elemental dispersion, explosions, wind control.
It was a real fight, a confrontation that had required thought and energy.
Venti: "But my level hasn't increased..."
He found this odd.
After all, during his previous, much more dangerous fight, his crystal had reacted almost immediately.
BBBBBBbbbbbbbbrrrrrr
Now, nothing.
As if the progression had been put on hold.
At that precise moment...
The adventurer's crystal attached to his belt began to glow.
A soft, pulsating light emanated from it, immediately catching his attention. Venti stopped dead in his tracks, his heart beating slightly faster.
Venti: "...Ah"
The light intensified for a few seconds, then stabilized before slowly fading away, like a breath slowing.
Venti took out the analysis gem and examined it.
The numbers changed before his eyes.
Venti: "So it was just a delay..."
He then understood:
This fight hadn't been just a routine mission.
He had used several skills in a prolonged, controlled, and deliberate manner.
A subtle smile stretched across his lips.
Venti: "Interesting."
"I'll be able to see how far I've progressed."
Venti left the main square and slipped into a narrow alley, away from prying eyes.
The stone walls blocked some of the city's noise, letting only a distant murmur filter through.
There, sheltered, he finally stopped.
He slowly took out his adventurer's crystal.
The gem pulsed once more between his fingers, then projected before his eyes the information only he could see.
His breath caught slightly.
Venti: "...Seriously?"
The numbers had changed. Significantly.
[Level Up!]
Venti — Level 11
He remained silent for a few seconds, letting the information sink in.
Going from 8 to 11 in a single mission, even a simple one... that wasn't insignificant.
His gaze drifted to the rest.
His stats had increased:
HP: 2600 → 3200
ATK: 620 → 740
DEF: 360 → 410
Elemental Mastery: 145 → 180
He could feel the difference in his very body.
More stable stamina and improved coordination.
It wasn't just an abstract number; it was real, tangible.
Then he noticed the most important detail.
All the skills he had used had improved:
- Telekinesis — Level 1 → Level 2
- Stat Reduction — Level 1 → Level 2
- Resistance Reduction — Level 1 → Level 2
- Stat Boosting — Level 1 → Level 2
Venti felt his heart beat a little faster.
Venti: "So that's it..."
He closed his eyes briefly, thinking.
Venti: "Skills only improve when I actually use them."
"Not when I just gain raw experience."
That explained a lot:
- The Ruin Guard
- The slimes
- Elemental reactions
Every situation had forced him to experiment, to adapt, to feel the wind rather than simply use it.
Venti: "This system is incredibly fair..."
"But I wonder if I'm not progressing too fast."
A slow, almost amused smile appeared on his face.
Venti: "If I want to become stronger... I have to experience every fight."
He put away the crystal, his heart calmer but his mind alert.
In that dark alley, Venti understood one essential thing:
This world would give him nothing for free.
But as long as he moved with the wind,
There was no limit to what he could become again.
Venti glanced slightly up at the sky, where a narrow bluish band was visible between the tightly packed rooftops of the alley.
The light was still high and clear, lacking the golden hue of mid-afternoon.
Venti: "It's not even noon yet..."
He let out a small, amused sigh.
Venti: "I still have plenty of time."
The fatigue was definitely there, but it remained light and manageable.
On the contrary, his body still seemed to be carried by the momentum of the previous fight.
FFFFFFFFFfffffffffffffff
The wind moved peacefully around him, as if inviting him to continue rather than rest.
Venti placed a hand on the adventurer's crystal tucked into his belt.
Venti: "If I want to progress, doing nothing would be a waste."
He now had a better understanding of how his skills worked.
Each mission was an opportunity to learn, to experiment, to push the boundaries of his connection with the Anemo a little further.
And above all, the simpler quests were ideal for practicing without attracting too much attention.
He left the alley and returned to the busier streets of the city.
This time, he walked with a confident stride, unconcerned by the stares.
The morning whispers had lost their significance. He knew his worth, even if others didn't yet.
The familiar facade of the Adventurers' Guild quickly appeared before him.
Venti: "Very well..."
He thought as he approached the entrance.
Venti: "Let's see what the wind has in store for me next."
Without further hesitation, Venti pushed open the door and returned to the building, ready to accept a new mission, determined to continue his ascent one quest at a time.
The plan was simple:
Do another quest to pass the time and have some fun with his skills.
Venti: "Here we go again."
[Venti's Stats — Visible only to him]
Name: Venti
Level: 11/100
Max HP: 3200
ATK: 740
DEF: 410
Elemental Mastery: 180
Identified Skills:
- Telekinesis — Level 2/10
- Stat Boosting — Level 2/10
- Intangibility — Level 1/10
- Flight — Level 1/10
- Soul Manipulation & Lie Detection — Level 1/10
- Elementary Anemo Mastery — Level 3/10
- Illusion Creation — Level 1/10
- Resistance Reduction — Level 2/10
- Stat Reduction — Level 2/10
- Mass Increase/Decrease — Level 2/10
- Teleportation — Level 4/10
- Wind Communication — Level 1/10
Stock exchange: 9000 Moras
Chapter 20: Do not be weak
The End