“Please fill out this registration form.”
As Aiden accepted the parchment…
A new chapter of his life officially began.
For a brief moment, he simply stared at the sheet of paper.
It looked ordinary.
Yet to him, it represented freedom.
No king.
No prophecy.
No expectations.
Only his own choices.
The receptionist smiled patiently.
“Take your time.
There isn’t a rush.”
Aiden nodded and picked up the quill.
The form was simple.
**Name:** __________
**Age:** __________
**Place of Birth:** __________
**Occupation:** __________
**Specialization:** __________
He wrote carefully.
**Name:** Aiden Valen.
**Age:** 18.
When he reached the next question, his hand stopped.
**Place of Birth.**
He couldn’t write Earth.
He couldn’t write Aerithia.
After a few seconds, he simply wrote,
**Unknown.**
The receptionist glanced at the form but didn’t question it.
Many adventurers had mysterious pasts.
She continued reading.
“Occupation?”
Aiden thought for a moment.
“…Traveler.”
She smiled as she finished checking the document.
“Everything looks fine.”
She placed the form into a drawer before looking back at him.
“Before I register you officially, let me explain how the Adventurer Guild works.”
Aiden listened attentively.
“Every adventurer begins at the same point.”
She held up a small metal badge engraved with the letter **F**.
“No matter how talented or powerful you are…”
“Everyone starts as an **F-Rank Adventurer**.”
She pointed toward a large board hanging behind the counter.
“The guild ranks are simple.”
“E.”
“D.”
“C.”
“B.”
“A.”
“S.”
“SS.”
“And finally…”
“SSS.”
“To earn promotions, you’ll complete quests, undergo evaluations, and build your reputation.”
She smiled politely.
“The Guild values ability.”
“But it values trust just as much.”
Aiden nodded.
“I understand.”
He actually liked that system.
Strength alone wasn’t enough.
Everyone had to prove themselves.
The receptionist stamped several documents before asking another question.
“Do you have any monster materials to register?”
Aiden nodded.
“I do.”
“Wonderful.”
“The Guild purchases monster materials at fair market value.”
She gestured toward the empty counter.
“You can place everything here.”
Aiden hesitated.
There was far too much to carry by hand.
He quietly reached toward the air.
A faint ripple appeared beside him.
A small black portal opened.
One by one…
Monster materials emerged.
Gray Fang pelts.
Sharp fangs.
Monster claws.
Mana cores.
Neatly stacked bundles of preserved meat.
The receptionist blinked.
“So much…”
Several nearby adventurers also looked over.
“Space Storage?”
“He’s got a storage skill.”
“That’s pretty rare.”
Aiden calmly ignored the whispers.
The receptionist quickly regained her composure.
“Please wait while I sort everything.”
She began organizing the materials.
“Gray Fang Wolves…”
“F Rank.”
She made a note.
“Forest Boars…”
“E Rank.”
Another note.
“Horned Deer…”
“F Rank.”
Everything seemed routine.
Until…
Her hand stopped.
At the bottom of the pile rested several dark violet scales.
Beside them lay a broken horn.
Large claws.
And a glowing mana core unlike anything else on the counter.
The receptionist frowned.
She carefully picked up one of the scales.
“…What monster is this from?”
Aiden answered honestly.
“I’m not sure.”
“I defeated it near a river.”
“I never learned its name.”
The receptionist’s expression changed.
She examined the claw more closely.
Then the mana core.
A tiny bead of sweat rolled down her forehead.
“…Please excuse me for a moment.”
She carefully gathered the unusual materials into a wooden tray.
Turning toward another receptionist, she quietly said,
“Watch the counter.”
Without another word…
She hurried toward a door marked:
**Guild Appraisal Department.**
Aiden stood quietly where he was.
Around him, the guild continued its usual business.
No one knew why the receptionist had suddenly rushed away.
No one…
Except the elderly appraiser who had just received the tray.
The old man’s eyes widened the moment he saw the dark violet scales.
“…This can’t be…”
His hands trembled as he lifted the mana core.
He immediately recognized it.
And if he was right…
The young man waiting outside had just brought the remains of a monster that should have been impossible for a beginner to defeat.