Chapter 4: The Adventurers' Guild
The streets grew busier as Garrick Thorn led Abster deeper into the city.
Merchants shouted to attract customers while adventurers proudly displayed monster trophies from their latest quests.
Soon, a massive stone building came into view.
Above its entrance hung a bronze emblem—a sword crossing a shield beneath a pair of wings.
The Adventurers' Guild.
"So this is the guild..." Abster murmured.
Garrick smiled.
"It's where adventurers make a name for themselves."
As they stepped inside, the lively atmosphere hit them immediately.
Some adventurers celebrated successful missions.
Others argued over monster bounties.
A few quietly studied maps spread across wooden tables.
At the front desk stood a woman with silver hair tied neatly behind her head.
She wore the guild's official uniform.
"Welcome back, Garrick," she said with a warm smile. "Who's your friend?"
"This is Abster," Garrick replied. "I'd like him to register as an adventurer."
The receptionist nodded.
"My name is Rowan Steel. Please fill out this registration form."
Abster took the parchment.
It asked for only a few details:
Name
Age
Race
Place of Origin
He wrote:
Name: Abster
Age: 21
Race: Human
Place of Origin: Unknown
Rowan looked at the last entry and raised an eyebrow.
"Unknown?"
Abster smiled awkwardly.
"It's... complicated."
Rowan decided not to press the issue.
"Very well."
She reached beneath the counter and placed a crystal sphere on the desk.
"This is a Mana Appraisal Crystal. Place your hand on it."
"What does it do?"
"It measures your mana and magical aptitude. Every adventurer takes this test."
Abster placed his hand on the crystal.
For a moment...
Nothing happened.
Then—
CRACK!
A loud sound echoed through the guild hall.
The crystal split in half.
Silence filled the room.
Everyone turned toward the front desk.
Rowan stared in disbelief.
"...Impossible."
Garrick frowned.
"I've never seen an appraisal crystal break."
Before anyone could speak again—
A second crystal was brought from the back room.
"This one is reinforced," Rowan said nervously.
"It won't break."
Abster touched it.
The crystal glowed black...
Then gold...
Then white...
Finally—
It exploded into thousands of sparkling fragments.
BOOM!
The entire guild fell silent.
One adventurer whispered,
"What kind of mana destroys an appraisal crystal?"
Another shook his head.
"That's never happened before..."
From the second floor, a tall woman with icy-blue eyes stepped down the staircase.
The room immediately quieted.
It was the Guild Master.
Helena Frost.
She looked at the shattered crystals before turning her gaze to Abster.
"Follow me."
Her voice was calm, but her expression was serious.
Abster exchanged a glance with Garrick before following her upstairs.
Inside her office, Helena closed the door.
She studied him for several seconds.
Then she asked a question that caught him completely off guard.
"...Tell me honestly."
"Are you truly human?"
Abster looked down at his own hands.
"I... don't know."
Helena could tell he wasn't lying.
She sighed.
"Then we have a problem."
She opened an old book hidden inside her desk.
On one page was a faded drawing.
It showed a lone figure standing before a throne, surrounded by black-and-gold light.
Below the illustration were ancient words.
> "When the throne chooses its master once more, the balance of the world shall tremble."
Helena slowly closed the book.
"If this prophecy is about you..."
"...then your arrival will change everything."
Outside the office, hidden in the guild hall, a hooded woman watched the closed door.
Her violet eyes glowed faintly.
She smiled.
"So... I've finally found you, Hidden Sovereign."
End of Chapter 4
Character Introduced
Helena Frost – Guild Master of the Adventurers' Guild, a wise and powerful former S-Rank adventurer. She knows fragments of an ancient prophecy but not its full meaning.