I enter the room. Inside, Paige stands near a desk covered in scrolls and crystal shards. Her silver hair gleams under the light spilling from the window. She looks up from her notes and smiles faintly.
"Ah, Izur, right? Come in."
I nod and step forward. The door closes softly behind me, and the quiet of the room swallows the outside noise. Paige gestures to a chair across from her. I sit, keeping my posture straight, still unsure why Raynor brought me here.
"I watched your test," she says finally. "You handled those wolves well. Clean cuts, efficient movement. Have you fought wolves before?"
Her tone is calm but sharp, like she's dissecting every answer before I even speak.
"I fought one before," I answer. "In the forest, a while ago."
I don't mention that the one I fought was larger, its fur black as soot and eyes red as coals. That it nearly tore me apart. She doesn't need to know that.
"Oh, really?" she says, raising an eyebrow. "Interesting."
She leans back slightly, crossing her arms. "And magic? You ever used it before?"
I shake my head. "No. I don't even know the most basic spell."
That's true. The runes I've seen, the strange forces I've felt… they weren't mine. They just happened around me.
"Ah," she says, her voice softening. "I thought you might. You've got that kind of… presence."
Her eyes glow faintly for a second, a shimmer of blue light dancing in them, like she's seeing something I can't. Then it fades.
"Well," she adds with a light smile, "if you ever want to learn how to use mana, I'll teach you."
I blink, surprised by her offer. "Thanks for the proposition," I say. "If I ever want to learn magic, I'll come."
Before I can say more, Raynor's booming voice fills the room. "And if you ever want a sparring partner, I'm your guy, pal!"
Paige sighs and looks at him. "A sparring partner? Who would want to train with a brute like you?"
Raynor places a hand dramatically over his chest. "Brute? Me? I'm a master of the blade, not a brawler, you little–"
"Little?" Paige cuts him off, glaring. "Say that again, and I'll turn your hair blue for a week."
Raynor laughs, unfazed. "Go ahead, might make me look stylish."
Their argument turns into playful bickering, the kind that sounds more like siblings than colleagues. I can't help but smile slightly. While they keep going, I stand up quietly, hoping to slip out unnoticed.
Step by step, I move toward the door. The wood creaks softly, and just as I grab the handle, someone outside speaks.
"Oh, greetings, Izur," says a thin man in a brown robe, the guild scribe. His voice echoes just enough for Paige and Raynor to hear it.
Raynor pops his head out of the room. "Morning, Variel!" Then he turns to me. "Leaving already, Izur?"
I nod. "Yeah, I was thinking of taking a few quests."
"Good!" Raynor says, walking closer. "Since you passed the exam, it's time to build some proper experience. You'll need to complete fifteen E-Tier quests before you can rank up again."
"Fifteen?" I say, surprised. "That's… a lot."
He chuckles. "If it were easy, everyone would be an A-rank by now. You can rank up faster based on skill, but that's only for the higher tiers."
I sigh and nod. "Alright. I'll start today then."
"That's the spirit," Raynor says, slapping my shoulder. "Go show them what you can do."
The guild is lively when I return to the hall. The smell of parchment, sweat, and ink fills the air. Adventurers are clustered around the quest board. I squeeze through them and see the quest.
One catches my eye.
"Eliminate the pack of three wolf threatening the east trade route. Reward: 18 silver."
A wolf pack again. I take the paper and hand it to the receptionist. She stamps it with the guild seal and nods. "Be careful out there."
"I will," I reply, slipping the paper into my pouch.
The road to Forest is quiet. The morning fog hasn't lifted completely, and my breath forms pale clouds in the cold air. I keep my hand close to the hilt of my sword. The forest looms ahead, dense and silent, as if waiting for me.
Once inside, the ground softens under my boots. Leaves crack softly beneath me. I walk for nearly half an hour before finding signs,–paw prints in the mud, deep and wide. A low growl echoes in the distance.
I draw my sword.
The first wolf bursts from the bushes, gray fur bristling, eyes locked on me. I sidestep and slash at its flank. It howls in pain, but two more emerge from behind. My pulse quickens.
Three wolves, no – five.
They encircle me, their growls forming a low, dreadful harmony.
One leaps. I pivot, blade slicing through its throat. Warm blood sprays across the ground. The second lunges from behind; I duck and thrust backward, feeling the steel meet flesh.
But the third is faster. Its claws rake across my arm. Pain flashes through me, sharp and burning. I grit my teeth and push forward, driving my sword into its chest before it can bite again.
The last two hesitate, snarling, circling. I'm bleeding, but my stance holds. I shift my weight, breathing steadily, eyes locked. The fourth wolf darts in, jaws open. I feint left, twist, and strike clean through its neck.
The fifth wolf hesitates, backing up slowly, its ears flat. I take one step forward, and it bolts into the trees, vanishing into the undergrowth.
For a moment, I just stand there, panting. My arm stings badly — the claw marks are deep. I tear a piece of cloth from my sleeve and wrap it around the wound. It's not enough, but it'll stop the bleeding for now.
By the time I return to the city, the sun is already low. My clothes are stained with dried blood. The guards at the gate glance at me but say nothing. It's not rare to see an adventurer come back like this.
I push open the guild doors, and the warmth of the hall hits me. The receptionist spots me immediately. "Izur! You're back."
I nod and drop the quest paper on the counter. "The wolves are gone."
She looks at me, then at my arm. "Looks like they didn't go quietly."
"They didn't," I say, trying to smile. "But the road should be safe now - and there were five of them."
Her eyes widen slightly. "Five? Really? I'll make sure your pay is adjusted, then. Sorry for the wrong information."
shake my head. "It's fine. Just glad it's
done."
She stamps the paper, confirming the quest. "Well done. But you should head to the church for healing. That wound looks bad."
"I'll go," I reply quietly. I remember seeing it on the way to the in
Outside, the air is cooler. The street lamps are flickering to life, casting long, soft shadows across the cobblestone road.
I walk toward the church, each step heavier than the last. My arm throbs with pain, but I keep going. As the tall spire of the church comes into view, the bell rings, echoing through the streets like a slow heartbeat.
I stop for a second and look up. The sound feels distant, almost unreal.
Fifteen quests. That's the road ahead.
I take a deep breath and step forward. The church doors open slowly, the smell of incense filling the air. Inside, the candles flicker gently, and a priest turns toward me.
"You look like you've had a rough day, traveler," he says softly.
"yeah," I answer.
He gestures toward the benches. "Sit. We'll take care of that wound."
I sit, letting the exhaustion wash over me. As he begins the healing spell, a faint light spreads across my arm, warm and numbing. The pain fades, replaced by a deep sense of calm.
For a moment, I close my eyes.
The wolves are gone, the test is behind me – but I can't shake the thought that something else is waiting. Something darker, lurking behind the ordinary rhythm of quests and guild ranks.
Maybe it's just the exhaustion. Or maybe not.
Either way, I'll be ready.