The dirt road curved downhill, and with every step, the walls of Elton grew larger.
From afar, they'd looked old from up close, they were downright ancient. The stones were uneven, some cracked and patched over with layers of newer material. Moss clung between them like veins on aging skin.
At the city gate, a pair of guards leaned against their spears. Their armor wasn't polished a dull iron, scratched and dented but their eyes were sharp enough.
When they saw me approaching, one stepped forward.
"Traveler?"
"Yeah," I said, lifting my hands slightly. "Just passing through. Looking for work."
He studied me for a moment, eyes landing on the wooden sword at my waist and my plain cloak.
"Another wannabe adventurer, huh? You folks have been pouring in lately."
He waved me through without much fuss, though I could tell he'd memorized my face just in case.
That was how Elton was friendly enough to take your coin, cautious enough to count your teeth before letting you smile.
The air changed as soon as I crossed the gate.
It hit me all at once the smell of iron and smoke, the buzz of chatter, the
Cobblestone paths spread like veins through the town, crowded with stalls selling fruits, weapons, and trinkets. Some vendors shouted about potions, others about armor polished to "shine like mithril." The crowd moved like a tide — merchants, mercenaries, thieves, and dreamers.
I passed by a group of young adventurers bragging loudly about their last quest it's a goblin nest, judging from the bits of green blood on their boots.
They were laughing, drunk on adrenaline and youth.
This is what Elton was it's a good place to start in as it's full of low class monsters
Mostly 12th tier up to 9th tier. And even so the 9th tier mosters are so rare
That's why most experienced adventurers left this place to gain more in other places
A good place to train before i tackle that dungeon. It isn't particularly hard but requires an preparation and effort
Thankfully this place is full of monster settlements.
It's basically the territory of monsters. Anyway the most common monsters here are goblins, silver wolfs, wild boars and poisonous spiders.
They'll be good for my trait which thrives more in the small things
Not to brag but I'm actually the only person who could use the broken vessels skill absorption to it's fullest potential
Which became my trademark in the fandom
'The devourer Nam'
With my trait absorption I absorb various powers and used them to my benefit. But this traits has its downsides
It cannot store what I absorb at all
Yes I might adapt some abilities but it's not that good as having that power directly
There is also a risk of self damage special if I'm dealing with cursed energies like dark mana, corrupted soul and chaotic divine energy
But of course I found the solution to that
It's actually simple. The reason why I cannot store energy is because my vessel is broken so they seep out of my body.
I can manually control the mana inside of my body
But that's mentally exhausting, After just a few hours of doing so I'll probably past out
So what's the solution?
If I can't store energy than why not let others do so?
Simple right
Of course not
Creating another storage requires an extensive effort in itself, and that's why its out of question
Then what is my solution
Let others control the energy for me. Preferably a being that is naturally an energy itself
Like a powerbank that not only would supply life to me but also benefits me to have a power pull out in need
I actually got Three choices one is an spirit of an Arch mage
It's actually possible I've done it before, with it I could mimic any mage and live normally or pretend to be a genius mage or something, but it's not what I need
Then an element spirit right? I got a cool ass powers that let's me control nature.
Impossible, the spirit will probably reject the proposal the moment I told them
Why? Because they don't benefit from it they need a contract but from the nature of my trait it cannot allow that
Of course I could force it by forcibly devouring the spirit, however that will be the least favorable situation I risk my soul to be corrupted and incur the wrath of elves
Then what is my decision.
It's to find an artifact that had an independent energy inside
And there is one, after I've discovered that method it's been my favorite one
For some reason it cannot mesh well with other energy specially mana that's why it doesn't seep out since the air is full of mana
If describe in metaphor it's like oil and water
But right now I would be hard to get it since it's in a special dungeon
Which is the entry is hard
The only way to approach it is to become an high ranked adventurer through the guild
That's where I am going to the guild
I turned left, following the familiar route. My feet carried me automatically, guided by the muscle memory of a player who'd walked these streets thousands of times through a monitor.
On my right was the blacksmith's forge, its front open to the street. Sparks danced in the air as a burly man hammered a blade on the anvil. His forearms were thick as logs, his face blackened by soot.
He looks pissed somewhat
The market square was next — the heart of Elton. A fountain sat at the center, its water shimmering faintly with traces of mana. Children ran around it, tossing coins and laughing while vendors yelled about the "freshest griffin meat in the borderlands."
Despite the chaos, there was warmth in the air.
Everyone had their own story, their own struggle.
And for a fleeting moment, I felt like I belonged here.
I finally reached a familiar building at the end of the street — large wooden doors, a crest carved above them: a sword crossed with a quill.
The Adventurer's Guild.
Even from outside, I could hear the muffled noise laughter, shouting, the clinking of mugs.
It felt nostalgic.
I pushed the doors open.
The guild hall smelled faintly of ale, parchment, and iron.
It was noisy, but not chaotic a kind of rhythm that only existed in places where danger and business mixed freely.
I stepped inside, earning a few curious glances.
A few men at the bar stopped their laughter mid-drink, eyes sliding my way. Maybe it was the clean cloak or the lack of scars. Maybe I didn't look like someone who'd risk his neck for coin.
Either way, I ignored them and approached the counter.
Behind it sat a woman with chestnut hair tied into a neat bun. Her uniform was clean but simple white shirt, brown vest, a small silver tag pinned on her chest.
Her amber eyes flicked up from her paperwork and scanned me from head to toe.
Just one glance.
But it said everything.
I could almost hear her thoughts.
'Another fallen noble's brat trying to play hero.'
I could guess because I know her
Elena she was a famous side character in the E.F.O. as the Steel faced clerk
Beneath that pretty face of hers is a nasty personality.
Especially when drunk
But even so everyone respects her specially the adventurers who had seen what she truly was
Her lips twitched into a polite, practiced smile.
"Welcome to the Elton Adventurer's Guild. How may I help you?"
"I'd like to register as an adventurer," I said simply.
She blinked. Once.
Then sighed softly
"Of course you do," she muttered under her breath, pulling a form from the stack beside her.
Her tone remained professional, but I caught the faint trace of pity there. Or maybe amusement.
She handed me the paper. "Fill this out. Name, age, birthplace, and if you have any prior combat experience."
"Nam Gi Won," I replied, writing neatly. "No previous experience."
"Oh, I see…" she said, her eyes darting over the form. "So you're a beginner in every sense."
The smile on her face didn't change — but the subtle curve of her brow did.
Then, leaning slightly forward, she began her explanation in a tone that was almost motherly..
"Adventurer Registration 101"
"Before you sign anything," she said, "let me make sure you understand what you're getting into."
Her voice was calm, measured the way people talk when they're about to say something that matters.
"There are five ranks: Wooden, Copper, Silver, Gold, and Mythril.
Wooden is the lowest — mostly errands, deliveries, gathering herbs, and cleaning monster nests close to town."
I nodded. "So I start from the bottom."
"Exactly," she said, eyes narrowing slightly. "And the bottom is… harsh. Most wooden-plates don't last a month."
She began listing the rules while stamping a few papers:
"Rule one: Never accept a quest above your rank.
Rule two: Always report back before dusk.
Rule three: Never hunt alone in unknown territory.
Rule four: Return the guild's equipment if you die — assuming someone finds your body."
She looked up.
"Still interested?"
Her tone was flat, but I could feel the weight behind her words — like she'd said that same line too many times to too many corpses.
I just smiled. "Yeah. I'll take the risk."
Her brow twitched. "Of course you will."
She continued, clearly against her better judgment.
"Every adventurer also receives a tag as identification. Yours will be wooden — for now. The color reflects your rank, and it must be worn visibly. Lose it, and you're fined."
"Got it."
"And last but not least," she said, voice dropping slightly, "this isn't a playground. You get things by paying through real blood."
She leaned closer, eyes sharp now — professional mask cracking just a bit.
"Adventuring isn't about glory. It's about survival."
I met her gaze and chuckled softly.
'she must've have been worried of me specially since I looks like a kid'
"Sure" I said accompanied by a fresh smile
Then she looked away, clicking her tongue.
Behind her calm demeanor, I know her, that sharp tongue, the sarcastic remarks, the woman who used to scold every newbie until they either improved or quit.
I couldn't help but smile.
"You haven't changed."
Her eyes flicked to me, confused. "Have we met?"
"Not… exactly," I said. "Let's just say I've heard about you."
She raised a brow but didn't pry. "...Whatever that means."
Then she handed me a small wooden plate with my name carved into it.
"Congratulations, Wooden-plate Nam Gi Won. You're officially registered."
She gave a faint, teasing smirk.
"Try not to die before your first payment, alright?"
As Nam Gi Won walked away a nearby adventurer casually strikes up an conversation with Elena
"Do you think he'll last long?"
"Not at all, Arrogant brats just what you expect with those noble who hadn't tasted the cruelty of the world"
"Hahaha" the adventurer laughed
"What's funny Dan!!" At his incomprehensible action of Dan made Elena angry
Although unknown to them Nam heard what they said
'If only she knew how wrong she was'
I left the guild and stood in the street again.
The sun was setting, bathing Elton in amber light.
"Five months until the academy," I murmured. "Plenty of time to prepare."
I looked toward the distant hills — toward the forest where the Wolf Fang Dungeon lay, its entrance hidden beneath layers of fog and myth.
A small smirk crossed my lips.
"Let's start small."
For now, I'd gather herbs. Hunt goblins.
Test the limits of this frail, broken body.
Because before saving anyone else —
I had to make sure Nam Gi Won could stand again.
---
✦ End of Chapter.