The next morning, Arin stood outside the Adventurer’s Guild.
The building was much larger than the other buildings in the village.
Several people entered and left through the large wooden doors.
Some wore armor.
Some carried bows.
Others had swords hanging from their waists.
Arin looked at them with interest.
"So these are adventurers."
Mira stood beside him.
She sighed.
"Are you really going to do this?"
Arin looked at her.
"Yes."
"You were almost killed yesterday."
"But I survived."
"That isn’t the point."
Arin smiled.
"I’ll be careful."
Mira crossed her arms.
"You always say that."
Arin looked at her.
"Always?"
Mira was silent for a moment.
Then she sighed again.
"Sorry."
"For what?"
"Nothing."
She looked at the Guild building.
"Just remember that you don’t have to prove anything."
Arin nodded.
"I know."
Mira smiled slightly.
"Good luck, Arin."
"Thanks, Mira."
They entered the Guild.
The inside was noisy.
Adventurers were sitting at tables.
Some were eating.
Others were talking about their missions.
A few were cleaning their weapons.
Arin looked around.
There were several counters at the front.
He walked toward one of them.
A young woman sat behind the counter.
She looked at Arin.
"How can I help you?"
"I want to register as an adventurer."
The receptionist blinked.
"You want to register?"
"Yes."
She looked at him again.
Then she looked at Mira.
"Are you sure?"
Mira nodded.
"He is."
The receptionist sighed.
"Fine."
She pulled out a form.
"Name?"
"Arin Rahman."
"Age?"
"Eighteen."
"Occupation?"
Arin looked at the list.
There were several choices.
Swordsman.
Mage.
Archer.
Healer.
Merchant.
And more.
At the bottom was another option.
Dungeon Hunter.
Arin pointed at it.
"That one."
The receptionist raised an eyebrow.
"Dungeon Hunter?"
"Yes."
She looked at him for a few seconds.
Then she laughed.
"Are you serious?"
Arin frowned.
"Yes."
"Do you even know what a Dungeon Hunter does?"
"Explores dungeons."
"That’s part of it."
She leaned back.
"Dungeon Hunters enter dungeons, fight monsters, collect magic stones, and recover valuable items."
"I know."
"Then you should also know that people die doing it."
Arin looked at her.
"I know."
The receptionist sighed.
"Fine."
She continued filling out the form.
After a moment, she stopped.
"Wait."
She looked at the records.
"Arin Rahman?"
"Yes."
"You were already registered."
Arin paused.
"I was?"
The receptionist looked at him strangely.
"Three months ago."
She pulled another document from a drawer.
"You registered as an adventurer and accepted a gathering mission."
Arin searched through his memories.
The memories came slowly.
The previous Arin had needed money.
His parents were already gone.
Mira had taken care of him since then.
He wanted to become an adventurer because it was one of the few ways someone without a family could earn money.
But his first mission had gone badly.
He had failed to complete it.
Worse, he had returned injured.
The receptionist looked at him.
"You failed the mission."
Arin nodded.
"I remember."
"You haven’t taken another mission since."
"No."
The receptionist tapped the paper.
"Then why are you registering again?"
"Because I want to start over."
The receptionist looked at him.
"Start over?"
"Yes."
She sighed.
"Fine."
She took his old adventurer card.
"Your previous registration will be canceled."
She placed the card into a small magic device.
A blue light covered it.
Then the card cracked.
Arin watched quietly.
The receptionist handed him a new card.
"You’re now a Rank F adventurer."
Arin looked at the card.
Name: Arin Rahman
Rank: F
Occupation: Dungeon Hunter
He smiled.
"Rank F."
Mira stood behind him.
"Don’t get too excited."
Arin looked at her.
"It’s a beginning."
Mira sighed.
"I suppose it is."
The receptionist opened a drawer.
"Since you’re a new Rank F adventurer, you can only accept beginner missions."
She pulled out a sheet of paper.
"This one."
Arin took it.
Mission: Forest Herb Gathering
Location: Forest Edge
Difficulty: F
Requirement: Rank F or higher
Reward: 5 Silver Coins
Arin looked at the paper.
"Herbs?"
"Yes."
The receptionist smiled.
"You wanted to become a Dungeon Hunter, right?"
"Yes."
"Then start with this."
Her smile became wider.
"You need experience before entering a dungeon."
Arin looked at the mission.
He understood.
She didn’t believe he could survive a dungeon.
The receptionist leaned forward.
"Don’t worry. It’s simple."
She pointed toward the forest.
"Collect ten Moonleaf Herbs."
"Where?"
"Near the eastern forest."
Arin nodded.
"How long do I have?"
"One day."
He folded the mission paper.
"I’ll complete it."
The receptionist laughed quietly.
"Good luck."
Arin turned around.
Mira was waiting near the door.
She looked at the mission paper.
"Herb gathering?"
"Yes."
She sighed.
"Maybe this is good."
"Why?"
"Because you’re not going straight into a dungeon."
Arin smiled.
"I’ll still enter one eventually."
Mira shook her head.
"I knew you would say that."
They walked outside.
Arin looked at his new adventurer card.
Rank F.
Dungeon Hunter.
It wasn’t impressive.
Not yet.
But it was his first step.
He opened his System.
[Level: 3]
[EXP: 25/100]
Arin closed the window.
"Level 10."
Mira looked at him.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Arin looked toward the forest.
"I have a mission to complete."
Mira smiled.
"Then let’s go."
Arin nodded.
Together, they walked toward the forest.
Neither of them noticed the receptionist watching them from the Guild entrance.
She looked at Arin’s back and shook her head.
"That boy..."
She sighed.
"He’s going to get himself killed."