Shunya’s first morning as an “official cultivator” began with a cheerful knock on the door.
Too cheerful.
Naomi stood outside, already geared up in her crisp battle uniform, hair tied in a perfect ponytail.
“Get up, rookie.
Your first mission is today.”
Shunya rubbed his eyes.
“Morning… wait, today?
I thought they’d give me a week to enjoy being broke in peace.”
“NGCO doesn’t believe in peace,” Naomi said sweetly.
“They believe in sending underprepared rookies into dangerous situations so you either adapt or die.
Builds character.”
Vikoria’s voice floated from the end of the hall.
“And they also deduct the cost of your funeral from your stipend.”
Shunya froze.
“…You’re kidding, right?”
Neither of them answered.
✦✦✦
The NGCO mission hall was busier than he expected.
A huge board on the wall listed jobs in different regions.
Most sounded deceptively harmless: “Wolf Nest Clearing,” “Escort Village Supplies,” “Collect Rare Herbs.”
Jean spotted them and waved.
“Ah, Shunya!
Perfect timing.
You’ve been assigned to—” He tapped a parchment.
“—Escort Mission, New Fornia South District to Riverbend Village.
Low monster activity, minimal risk.”
Shunya narrowed his eyes.
“Minimal risk according to who?”
Jean smiled in a way that did not inspire confidence.
“The last team only lost two people.”
“Out of…?” Shunya asked.
Jean looked at another paper.
“Six.”
Naomi patted his shoulder.
“Don’t worry.
You’ve got me, and I never let my teammates die.”
Vikoria added, “Not physically, at least.”
Shunya muttered, “Why do I feel like I’m about to regret all my life choices?”
On the road.
The three of them set off in the late morning sun, walking alongside a cart stacked with crates of grain.
The merchant driving it was a round, cheerful man who whistled off-key and didn’t seem worried at all.
Shunya tried to relax.
Birds chirped, the road was smooth, and Naomi was actually making light conversation for once.
“See?
Easy job,” she said.
“We just walk, talk, and keep our eyes open.”
“Yeah,” Shunya said, “because nothing bad ever happens when someone says that sentence.”
As if the heavens were listening, a rustle came from the bushes ahead.
Shunya froze.
“Did you hear—”
Something burst out of the undergrowth— a large, boar-like creature with tusks sharp enough to gut a man in one hit.
Its eyes were wild, foam dripping from its mouth.
The merchant screamed.
Shunya instinctively reached for his sword.
“This thing looks more than ‘minimal risk’ to me!”
Naomi grinned like she’d been waiting for this.
“Perfect warm-up.” She dashed forward, blade flashing.
Vikoria raised her staff, muttering under her breath as faint blue energy gathered around her.
Shunya… mostly tried not to get trampled.
Naomi’s sword slashed across the boar’s flank.
It roared and charged toward Shunya.
His instincts screamed at him to dodge, and at the very last second, his body moved on its own— probably thanks to the “minimum bonus combat skill” the system had given him.
The boar stumbled, and Vikoria’s magic struck like a hammer, knocking it off its feet.
Naomi finished the job with a clean thrust to the throat.
It collapsed, twitching once before going still.
Shunya stared at it, panting.
“…Minimal risk, huh?”
Naomi sheathed her sword.
“What?
We handled it fine.”
Vikoria inspected the corpse.
“This is a Blood Tusker.
They don’t usually roam this far south unless—” She stopped, frowning.
“— unless something is driving them away from their usual territory.”
Shunya groaned.
“Great.
First mission, and we’re already in some kind of foreshadowing arc.”
✦✦✦
At Riverbend Village.
They delivered the supplies without further incident, but Shunya noticed something strange.
The villagers were unusually tense, avoiding the nearby forest and locking their doors early.
An old man approached them quietly.
“You’re from NGCO, yes?
Be careful going back.
Strange noises at night.
The forest isn’t safe anymore.”
Naomi accepted the warning with a polite nod, but Shunya could feel the weight in her gaze.
This wasn’t over.
✦✦✦
On the way back
The sun was setting, painting the road gold.
Shunya was sore, sweaty, and still thinking about how close the boar’s tusks had come to skewering him.
Naomi broke the silence.
“You did well today, rookie.
For someone who looked ready to faint.”
“Thanks… I think,” Shunya said.
Vikoria smirked faintly.
“Not bad.
But next time, try not to stand in the boar’s charging path.”
“I didn’t try to—” Shunya began, then sighed.
“…Fine.
Noted.”
They reached the city gates just as the lamps were being lit.
Naomi walked ahead, humming under her breath, while Vikoria fell into step beside Shunya.
“By the way,” she said softly, “that boar wasn’t alone.
There were claw marks on its back.
Something bigger drove it out.”
Shunya blinked.
“…Bigger?
How much bigger are we talking?”
Vikoria’s eyes glinted in the torchlight.
“Let’s hope we don’t find out too soon.”
Of course, Shunya knew exactly what that meant— he was definitely going to find out soon.
On Hiatus from today (14 August 2025) Sorry.