In the bustling city hall of Greentown, the Chief and ten prominent jury members, all significant figures of the city, are seated around a large, ornate table.They engage in earnest discussions about town matters while awaiting a beast meat special culinary presentation by the chef.The room buzzes with anticipation and the clatter of silverware against fine china echoes softly in the grand hall.As Violet and I enter the spacious hall, we notice several chefs bustling about.Some chefs peer curiously towards the judges, trying to gauge the competition's outcome, while others, like us, are here to participate. The atmosphere is a mix of excitement and nervous energy."Quick, try to list our performance after this," I urge Violet as we make our way to a table marked 'Registration.'Violet dashes off and soon returns, her face flushed with success. "We've got number seven," she announces, glancing over at chefs’ number one and two who are already busy grilling meat.Curious, I sneak a
Later that night, as I lie awake, Violet's words echo in my mind. Perhaps she’s right—acting on principle could endanger us both and our livelihoods.She may lose her restaurant, her only means of living.Yet, the thought of many people consuming harmful food gnaws at my conscience. Some children may die.Over the course of a sleepless night, I wrestle with the weight of my choices, and by dawn, I arrive at a resolution.The potential harm to Violet, who has been nothing but kind and supportive, becomes my deciding factor."Violet, I've decided to leave this place," I announce as the morning light begins to fill the room.Violet looks at me, her expression a mix of concern and understanding. "Are you going to confront William directly?" she asks quietly.I nod solemnly. "I won't challenge him openly. But I will try to save some of this Greentown people."Marie, who has been listening, chimes in with a hopeful tone, "Alex, will we meet again?""I will always return here when I have tim
Half a year has passed since I joined the mercenary guild. I sit alone at the corner, staring down at my plate engraved with "Rank F." The lowest rank.Originally, I was part of a group of four—three men and one woman. However, after two months I join, they each chose separate paths.Their split stemmed from a heated quarrel over the woman, who had become romantically involved with all three.Their arguments escalated as they vied for her affection, only to discover she had left them for another— a Rank B hunter.Following the group's dissolution, on their recommendation, I tested for my place in the Mercenary Guild and found myself assigned the lowest rank of F.Now, my duties are mainly those of a porter or chef for larger groups embarking on journeys to other cities."Alex," calls Chris, an older man in his fifties. "Are you free?"I nod."There's a group called looking for ten people to join their original twenty-member expedition to Riverwood City. I've recommended you," he expla
As the monstrous B-rank beast, a gigantic puma, chases Yorcik and Evan, Sergei finally drags the last car into place, creating a temporary camp of stacked cars.All four mercenaries, including myself, are hidden in the middle.This makeshift fortress is meant to be a place of refuge and strategic advantage.We can hide within the hollows of the cars, making it difficult for the beast to reach us while allowing us easy opportunities to snipe at it.Yorcik and Evan, running for their lives in a panic, quickly slip through a small gap in the cars—a gap too narrow for the beast to follow. Inside, the air is thick with tension and the smell of oil and metal.“What will we do now?” another hunter asks Sergei, his voice trembling with fear. They all know the grim reality when Sergei had yelled "Rank B beast!"—such creatures are notoriously difficult to kill.The puma starts to dismantle the cars one by one with its sharp claws and fangs. The sound of tearing metal fills the air, adding to th
At the entrance of Riverside City's bank, my mind races, repeatedly chanting, "Space storage active, space storage active!"I'm not sure how quickly the puma's fang will find my neck, but I know it will be less than a second—just enough time for me to stash it inside my space storage.It's face is already really scary looking at me with open wide fangs.When time snaps back to normal, I feel the puma's head collide with me and then disappear into my storage space.Late one more second, I might die already.And I still have about 58 seconds to use my other power.With my chest painfully bleeding, I can feel the sharp, cold air hissing through my broken ribs and lungs.I rush to open the universal shop and buy the most expensive elixir available.I'm scared—if I opt for a cheaper one, my wound might not heal, and I’m running out of time for second chance.I remember having about a million gold coins last I checked, and the most expensive elixir costs exactly that.Without hesitation, be
This morning, I walk out of the hospital with all payments covered by the mercenary guild.With a sense of dread, I decide to walk into the mercenary guild, knowing that Joana is manning the reception desk today.My feelings really turn bad.Joana, wearing glasses, has a sweet voice and a pretty face, but beneath that exterior lies a temperament not many can stand.If you are ranked C or above, she treats you like royalty, sweet as honey. But if you're below that, prepare for a nightmare.Her gaze is condescending, and her words, venomous, wound every time she speaks.She always treats me like a burden, a dead weight at rank F.I choose to evade her and wait for other receptionist for my mental health and as I'm about to leave, her voice cuts through the air, taunting, “What a poor, useless guy here. Are you waiting for Lily? Sadly, she started her long vacation yesterday. You'll need to wait two weeks if you want her help.”I sigh, knowing I can’t wait that long. In a sour mood, I ap
When I return to the Mercenary Guild with five cores of the hyena beast, Joana’s beautiful eyes look at me in shock and disbelief.She asks, “I got the customer review over the application; you got five stars. Did you call someone else to help you? Because that’s illegal, and you're not allowed to do that.”“You can ask the customer. They were watching when I did the killing,” I respond confidently.Joana's eyes narrow, trying to maintain her calm, but she's clearly suspicious. It is no way the weakest F rank could kill the E rank hyena beasts in no more than half day.I decide to take another E-rank quest. This one is similar, involving hyena beasts, but this time it's in the northern part of Greentown.I employ the same strategy, luring the beasts rather than chasing them, which would take far too long.As soon as I kill each beast, the system sends a notification: [You absorb the darkness energy and convert it into light fuel, gaining 0.05 free attributes.]I've come to understand
I look over at the Black Dragon team. If I were still in my prime, I could wipe them out—all twenty of them—in a mere second, cleaning out all their arrogant smiles with their blood.But now is not a good time to confront them.I turn to Joana, “You will keep the secret of me taking the D-rank quest, right?”She gazes back to me and give a cruel smile, “Depend on who’s asking.”In the Mercenary Guild, members are not able to inquire about others' quests. It’s the rule.But it is different if Joana sells me out.Suddenly, one of the Black Dragon members strides over and grabs my shoulder. "Leader, I saw this man take the D-rank quest to kill 10 Rhino types. He’s taking it on alone."The entire guild, usually abuzz with murmurs and chatter of mercenaries, falls into stunned silence.The Black Dragon leader's face turns red, and a wave of laughter erupts around us. "The weakest member taking a D-rank and facing 10 Rhino types alone?" someone scoffs."What a great joke."I have to cover m