White radiance burst forth, washing over the monster. Where the light touched, flesh hissed and smoked. The creature seized mid-lunge, then crumpled as though its animating force had been severed. The body continued deteriorating, dissolving into a spreading puddle. The guildmaster arrived at my side, staring at the remains with evident surprise.
"Seems your capabilities extend beyond restoration," he said, clearly impressed.
I managed a nod, but my attention was fixed on the notification:
[ Health Mage has advanced to level 4. ]
[ New ability unlocked: Refresh. ]
---
Exhausted and aching, I made my way to the lodging house the guild had directed me toward. The common room buzzed with energy, and yet another attractive woman staffed the front desk. I was beginning to notice a pattern most establishments seemed to employ conventionally beautiful women in customer-facing roles. Whether that was intentional policy or coincidence remained unclear.
I presented the coin to her, and her face brightened. "Guild affiliate? PerfectI'll set you up in our premium accommodation!"
"Actually, this is being deducted from tomorrow's payment, so something basic would be better."
She blinked in surprise, then laughed warmly. "Fair enough, but at minimum, let me provide you with a proper meal. Word travels uncle received your treatment during the battle. Temple healers charge exorbitant fees for inferior results. This one's complimentary."
"That's very generous. Thank you." I settled into a seat at one of the available tables.
Shortly after, she delivered a plate laden with roasted poultry and creamed potatoes with sauce. I'd worried this world might offer only unpalatable fare, but this was genuinely delicious. My appetite was fierceI'd consumed nothing but instant noodles before arriving here. The fact that this attractive woman had prepared it personally added a certain warmth to the experience. Was she available? Would she consider... no. I was getting ahead of myself again, as I always did when someone showed me basic kindness. The memory of my recent rejection still stung.
Though perhaps things worked differently here. Maybe this world didn't apply the same superficial judgments. Maybe larger builds were considered desirableI'd read that historically, substantial physiques indicated prosperity and status. Marrying someone well-fed meant security. Perhaps women here valued that.
Of course, I lacked the confidence to test that theory, so I simply finished my meal in silence. Several patrons approached to offer appreciation for my battlefield contributions. A few suggested buying me drinks, but I'd never consumed alcohol and didn't want my judgment compromised on my first night in an alternate reality. I politely declined while maintaining friendly conversation.
As the evening progressed and the common room grew increasingly raucous with intoxicated celebration, I deemed it an opportune moment to withdraw to my quarters. Once inside, I released a long breath. Crowds always overwhelmed me, made me uncomfortable. The constant physical contact, the back-slapping and shoulder-grabbing created anxiety despite the positive intent behind it. I appreciated the recognition, certainly, but the touching was excessive. At least my restorative magic functioned at range. Eventually, I'd need to determine the maximum effective distance.
"So healing magic destroys undead," I mused aloud.
The system had a certain logic to it. A restoration-focused class, placed in the one context where those abilities dealt damage. Yet the enemies remained threatening. I'd witnessed dozens of injuries inflicted during the battle, many severe, on armored and experienced fighters. I possessed neither armor nor combat training. Close engagement terrified me. Eventually, though, the system would expect me to engage hostile entities directly. That seemed inevitable, regardless of my personal reservations.
I might be risk-averse, but I was also a gamer at heart. Games were meant to be experienced. I'd played horror titles before. This was simply another challenge to overcome.
I collapsed onto a mattress that had clearly seen better days. Perhaps I should have invested in better accommodations. Then again, without knowing how far currency would stretch here, conservation seemed prudent.
---
Morning arrived with my clothes feeling stiff and uncomfortable against my skin. Laundry services would need investigating. More pressingly, I needed additional garments. None of that was possible without funds, though. After making inquiries, I learned the town assembly would convene at the guild hall. Thankfully, I woke up with time to spare and arrived punctually. An hour of waiting followed as the crowd gradually swelled to an uncomfortable density. My anxiety spiked, but I maintained my position.
Someone I didn't recognize took the platform. The guildmaster stood behind himactually clothed this time, I noted. I'd wedged myself between a weathered-looking woman and an even more intimidating man. Fortunately, the proceedings began without excessive delay.
"Before addressing Chalm's defensive improvements, let's distribute compensation," the speaker announced. "Donald Cult, three silver."
The named individual approached to collect. They continued down the list. Some recipients appeared satisfied with their amounts; others visibly disappointed. Yesterday's job postings had shown C-rank contracts offering three to five silver total. With the guild's seventy percent cut, that translated to roughly one or two silver take-home.
What did that actually mean in practical terms? I'd spent my waiting time gathering intelligence through casual conversation. The currency system ran copper to silver to gold, ten-to-one conversions at each tier. Adventurers averaged one to two gold monthly, assuming weekly contract completion. Some assignments required multi-day expeditions with associated expenses.
My lodging ran five copper daily including meals in pricing, specifically. Most adventurers avoided permanent inn residence, instead sharing modest rental units costing several silver monthly depending on size and occupancy. Worth noting: since adventurers faced minimal mortal risk, the profession wasn't particularly lucrative. Dungeon delvers earned tenfold these amounts, but dungeon fatalities were permanent resurrection magic failed within those environments.
That restriction didn't particularly disturb me. I'd never experienced death initially and didn't intend to start now. I came from a world where death was universally permanent. Moreover, my soul originated elsewhere no guarantee existed that resurrection would even function on me. Any death might be final regardless of location. I had no intention of testing that hypothesis. Dungeons held no special terror compared to anywhere else.
The distribution continued. Several high-tier contributors received up to two gold. Impressive. I waited eagerly for my name.