《Unusual Otherworlder》 Ch. 1 - Rude Awakening ¡°Hey, kid.¡± No response. ¡°I said, HEY KID!¡± An annoyed burly man¡¯s rugged face scrunched into a wrinkled ball. He glared dangerously at the young man with chestnut-colored hair, sleeping comfortably a few steps from him. Deep lines formed on his forehead. He walked over and kicked the knocked-out guy on the wood floorboards. Gil¡®s eyes jerked open. He twitched, squinting through one eye, grunting from the sudden pain throbbing from the side of his abdomen. Out of instinct, he used one hand to cover his injury while groggily getting up. ¡°Finally. Damn kid, the guild''s counter is closed. Either get a room or get out.¡± Gil looked around, half awake and not knowing who the ¡®kid¡¯ the man referred to was. He didn¡¯t believe the angry man was addressing him, seeing how he was an adult in his twenties. ¡°What? Can¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m saying? Don¡¯t play dumb, kid! Damn, otherworlders. I know all you leeches are granted a skill to understand our language!¡± Gil now grasped that he was the ¡®kid¡¯ the angry man referred to. ¡°What happened? Where did everyone go?¡± Gil asked. ¡°Sneaky bunch, playing dumb.¡± The man did not bother answering his question. Gil did not understand the man¡¯s disdain for him or his deep dislike of the so-called ¡®otherworlders.¡¯ He was certain he never met the guy in his life. After all, he just recently came to this world. ¡°I wonder what happened for this beefy guy to hate me and the otherworlders so much?¡± Gil pondered to himself. ¡°Now, get a room or get out!¡± The burly man demanded, spewing out saliva. Gil saw the deep breaths coming in and out of the angered man, pushing back and forth the thick curly dark brown beard that took up a third of his face. Gil was left in a predicament. He thought quickly, not wanting to trigger the man any further. Yet, he needed help, and the man before him could be of aid. ¡°Good sir, you are right. I¡¯m sorry for holding you up so late into the night. I will do as you say and leave. But I do not know what¡¯s happened to me. Could you please spare me a moment and help answer a few of my questions?¡± The burly man¡¯s glaring eyes narrowed further into a squint. His already massive frame, wrapped in thick leather armor, widened, becoming bulkier as his piercing eyes looked down at Gil. Gil gulped, wondering if he should have just left and found someone else. ¡°Haaaaa,¡± the man breathed out a hot breath of stress and deflated like a balloon. ¡°I still don¡¯t like any of you otherworlders. Many of you are not worthy of even being called trash, but I suppose you¡¯re a decent kid.¡± Gil¡¯s polite manners proved helpful. The large man disliked many things, but he especially loathed arrogant and rude individuals. However, it could not compare to the hate he held for the otherworlders. Gil¡¯s courteous approach calmed the angry man. Albeit, it only eased the disdain a tiny bit. ¡°Sir, um, I mean this to be no offense. Just to let you know, I¡¯m 23.¡± The burly man scowled at Gil, and he froze on the spot. Gil nearly doubted if he forgot to tell the man he held no negative intentions by his comment. But he was certain he told the man he merely was letting him know of the fact. Yet now, he somewhat regretted saying anything at all, but he felt the man should be aware that he wasn¡¯t a child. ¡°Damn cheeky brat! No matter how old you are, in front of me and the others here, you will always be a kid! You know nothing of the ways of our world! As such, you are still a kid!¡± The man grumbled, speaking his annoyance with Gil with heavy shouting. Gil flinched, lowering his head. The man sighed again, feeling somewhat reluctant and slightly sympathetic towards the respectful young man before him. He continued, returning to his disgruntled normal voice. ¡°This is why I did not want to work the counters. Unpaid overtime. Brat, I will only answer two questions. Make them count.¡± Life came back to Gil¡¯s eyes. He contemplated what to ask. ¡°Come on! I don¡¯t have all night! My woman is waiting for me!¡± Gil quickly nodded his head. ¡°No wonder, lucky,¡± he thought to himself. He refocused on his two chances to ask the man a question. His first priority was to survive, but that was not his ultimate goal. ¡°I want to go back home. How can I do that?¡± The man¡¯s eyes stretched wide, taken aback. The desire to return was unheard of. Otherworlders wanted to leave their world, not to go back. And here, in this world, they became drunk on their newfound power. The man scoffed, ¡°Damn. Had me fooled. And here I thought you were different. You¡¯re just like the rest! Leeches, every single one of you. Jokes on me. Out of my way! I¡¯m leaving!¡± The man brushed past Gil, stomping his way toward the exit. Gil was shocked and confused by the abrupt change in the man. He quickly followed after him. He tried to pull him back with one hand, but couldn¡¯t even reach around half of the man¡¯s massive arm. And so, he used both hands to barely grab around the man¡¯s thick arm and pulled him to stop. ¡°Wait! If I said something wrong, I apologize!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, unhand me right now, kid.¡± The man demanded, his voice, cold and an octave lower. He narrowed his eyes, gleaming sharply at the pair of hands around his arm that he was about ready to cut off.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°You said you¡¯d grant me two questions!¡± Gil retorted, not letting go and not backing down. Deep wrinkles formed on the man¡¯s forehead as he scrunched his face from fury. He lifted his free arm and clenched his massive fist, almost half the size of Gil¡¯s head. ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, kid.¡± Gil flinched, closing his eyes tightly, but he still did not let go. He braced his body for impact, slightly curling into himself. He waited, but the punch never came. Slightly opening his eyes, he peeked at the man. A deep bellow blasted into Gil¡¯s ear at point blank. ¡°DAMNNN KIDDDD!¡± The man grunted as he complained, ¡°Stop acting like a kitten! You¡¯re lucky I don¡¯t punch kittens!¡± ¡°Kittens?¡± Gil almost went deaf, but he courageously questioned the odd remark. He was now even more confused. ¡°Whatever! You dared lie to me! Return home? Don¡¯t you already know how!? It¡¯s part of your contract!¡± Gil looked at the man dumbfounded. He kept spiraling down the rabbit hole of confusion. He tilted his head back and forth, looking up at the high ceilings, trying to recall anything about a contract. But he was certain he never entered or signed one. ¡°Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t know! All you slippery otherworlders are always like this!¡± ¡°I swear I don¡¯t know anything about a contract! Why would I use one of my two questions to ask you about returning home if I already knew how!?¡± The man paused. He lifted the arm Gil held on to and rubbed his beard, causing Gil to lift up before he dropped flat onto the floorboards. ¡°I suppose that makes sense. But at the same time, how does that even make sense?! All otherworlders sign a contract with a god or some higher being to exploit this world! That¡¯s how you damn otherworlders were even able to come here in the first place! Which church or ruin did you come from?!¡± Flabbergasted by all the information, Gil could barely process the man¡¯s question, let alone respond. ¡°I SAID, where the hell did you pop out from?!¡± The angry bellow made Gil jump up into standing. He quickly replied, ¡°The forest! I came from the forest!¡± ¡°The forest? That¡¯s not possible. Was it a ruin, tower, or dungeon in a forest? Where? Which one?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It wasn''t any of those. There were no buildings. It was an open forest.¡± ¡°What the hell? Ugh, fine. Let¡¯s just say you did. Kid, we¡¯re surrounded by many forests. Wait, better question. Which way did you enter into town?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where it is, but the gates were heavily guarded before entering and after too.¡± The man went silent. He looked at Gil like he was some weird never before seen animal. The fortress city had a few entrances, all of them guarded. But there was only one that was heavily guarded on both sides of the gate. The man thought Gil was lying. But the pouting angry face the young man sported implied he was telling the truth. However, the man could not believe it. No ruins, churches, or buildings existed in the Endless Forest. Not even a dungeon or a tower. At least, none that anyone knew of. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me you don¡¯t have a contract, and you did not come out of your patron¡¯s church, dungeon, tower, or ruin? Don¡¯t lie to me, kid.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying! I came from the forest!¡± ¡°As in the forest? The Endless Forest!? So are you a native? No... No one would live there and still be alive. Besides, you said you wanted to return to your world. But this doesn¡¯t make sense at all. How did you enter our world without the help of a higher being? And from the Endless Forest of all places? Only monsters live there.¡± ¡°Bro. I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t even know if this is some crazy dream.¡± ¡°Bro? As in brother? Let me make this clear. Never call us natives your ¡®bro.¡¯ Even your fellow otherworlders, who by the way, are not all from your world. Don¡¯t mistake us or them for family. The otherworlders, especially. They will sell you as a slave if they can.¡± Gil shuddered from a sudden chill down his spine. ¡°It¡¯s just a manner of speech,¡± Gil told the man. ¡°It¡¯s too odd. Don¡¯t use it here. We will misunderstand and be offended. True brothers and sisters are important. Relations can either save you in a pinch or drown you in misery.¡± Gil nodded, taking the man¡¯s advice seriously. The burly man cracked a small smile. But suddenly, he frowned as he caught himself growing fond of an otherworlder. ¡°Damn kid, if you don¡¯t have a contract then I don¡¯t know how to get you home. Your sponsor was supposed to fulfill your wish and take you back after completing their request. There are no other known methods of returning.¡± ¡°Can I make a contract here and now?¡± Gil asked expectantly. ¡°Is that your final question, kid?¡± The man crossed his arms, giving Gil a serious look. Gil was about to open his mouth to respond with a ¡®yes,¡¯ but he stopped. He thought about doing so, but he wanted to know something else much more. ¡°No,¡± Gil said, shaking his head. The man kept looking at Gil and waited, a little curious about what could be more important than his goal of returning home. ¡°Could I know your name, sir?¡± The man¡¯s eyes stretched wide, shocked yet again. He grew curious about the peculiar otherworlder before him. The young man was definitely unlike the others he¡¯s dealt with before. ¡°And why would you want to know my name? It has no power or authority. You will get nothing from learning it. This could be your last chance to learn how to get home.¡± The man¡¯s last sentence caused Gil¡¯s heart to waiver, but he buckled down and shook his head. ¡°Not true. I am very grateful for our conversation. I¡¯ve learned much from our talk already. I want to thank you for your time and your knowledge.¡± ¡°I will ask you again. Are you sure you want to use your last question for something like my name? You will never return home if you don¡¯t ask now.¡± Determination filled Gil¡¯s eyes, and he confidently responded. ¡°I will find a way. Even if I must search the ends of this world to do so. But at his moment, gratitude is more important. I can always try searching for a way home again tomorrow, but I don¡¯t know if our paths will cross again. I don¡¯t have anything to give you except my words as thanks to show my appreciation. Will you please tell me your name so I can thank you properly?¡± The man could not help but show a toothy grin as he burst into a belly laugh. He rubbed his stout nose, feeling a bit abashed. ¡°Alright, fine. The name¡¯s Angus. You can call me Ang, kid. No need for thanks. Talking to a weird freak was enough thanks already. Here freaky kid, take these.¡± Angus tapped the plain silver ring on his finger. Suddenly, a crack appeared mid-air. Angus shoved his thick arm into the fracture of space, scavenging for something inside. He yanked his hand out, pulling with it two items. He tossed over a key and a circular wooden token. Gil caught the items, almost fumbling them out of his hands. He looked back at the giant man, not knowing whether to be grateful or offended. ¡°Your two questions are over. But since you¡¯re a good kid, I¡¯ll do you a couple of favors. And don¡¯t tell anyone I did this. Or else I really will punch the shit out of you. Got it?¡± Angus clenched his fist and cracked his knuckles. The loud crunching sound echoed in the largely empty and dimly lit room of the guild. Gil bobbed his head fervently, not wanting to find out if Angus literally meant what he threatened. ¡°First, I¡¯ll save you the harsh experience of living on the streets. But only for one week. You would be an easy target for god knows what evil intentions are out there. Learn to toughen up quickly. For now, at least your body will be safe from beatings and your chastity intact.¡± Gil shivered at the last words. Angus laughed at the skinny trembling young man and couldn¡¯t help but see a scared kitten shaking in fear. Gil was a curious oddity. Angus took a closer look at him. The young man stood two heads shorter than himself and was much thinner compared to his muscular hulking body. Angus did not know what kind of shirt, pants, and shoes Gil wore, but he saw the soft and smooth fabric, dyed with various vibrant colors. He noticed Gil¡¯s hands were soft with no calluses, and his skin was smooth with no scars. In the man¡¯s eyes, Gil was a lazy pretty boy like that of a noble¡¯s son, but a useless son who wasted his life with extravagances and knew not of hard work. Gil¡¯s physique spoke volumes to Angus. He thought Gil to be like the famous wastes, hiding away from the dangers of the world behind their powerful families, who were meant to protect the regular people. However, their interaction proved Gil to be otherwise. The young man was not arrogant or overly proud. Nor was he like the typical otherworlder. He held a simple wish to return home, which Angus respected and wanted as well. ¡°Damn, this is keeping up Heli and our fun time. What the hell has gotten over me?¡± Angus complained under his breath, but he finished explaining his favors to Gil. ¡°What¡¯s your name, kid?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, I¡¯m Gil.¡± ¡°Alright, kid Gil. I don¡¯t have any more time to waste with you. I need to return as well. It¡¯s unfortunate for you, but the items I gave you will help you out for now. Find the number on that key. And don¡¯t you dare lose it! It¡¯ll open the door of the same number. That will be your temporary room, located on the lower floors of the guild. Tomorrow, take that token and bring it to a receptionist here. Find three skills, preferably those to help you survive. Oh. Last piece of advice, if you want to live long, don¡¯t bother others. Later.¡± With his abrupt goodbye, like a raging storm, Angus grumbled, complaining as he stomped and swept through the guild, out the door, and into the darkness of night. Gil stood motionlessly, momentarily frazzled by the old-fashioned key in one hand and the wooden token in the other. Everything happened so fast that Gil was left overwhelmed about what to do. Suddenly, all the exhausting events since his transmigration hit his body. He yawned, tired of all that happened, especially by Angus and his strong personality. ¡°Shall I go to sleep for now?¡± Ch 2. - An Unusual Beauty Gil groaned, curling into a ball and tugging his thin blanket over his head. He twisted and turned on his temporary bed in an oversized pair of pajamas, unable to fall back asleep. But it was not due to the pajamas he wore that he found folded neatly on the bed for his use. Nor was it due to the bed being uncomfortable or anything else inside the room. Even the magically floating glowing orbs, illuminating the entire area that he did not know how to turn off, did not phase his sleep. He slept like a baby even with the light on. His attempt to return to sleep was futile due to the constant knocking on the wooden door to his room. ¡°Angus? Babe. Hello? Open up, darling. It¡¯s me, Darla.¡± An unknown woman announced with a seductive bedroom voice. Gil hoped his lack of a reply would make the bothersome lady looking for Angus leave. But she did not. The knocks turned into loud thumping as the woman pounded on the door and began to shout. ¡°Angus! I know you¡¯re in there! Get up! Let me in! Let¡¯s hang out!¡± Gil unfurled his blanket with a scrunched face, jerking it off the upper half of his body, and stared with a blank expression at the ceiling. He pondered whether his decision to ask and accept Angus¡¯s help was worth it. He sighed. Regardless of the annoyance at the door, he was still grateful to Angus. ¡°Seems Ang is a pretty in-demand guy by the ladies. Lucky oaf. But unlucky me. I can¡¯t sleep with all the hollering outside.¡± Gil complained to himself. ¡°You want me to wake your neighbors, Angus!? Come on! Open this door right now!¡± Gil worried about his neighbors. He recalled Angus¡¯s last piece of advice for living longer by not bothering others. And he considered the screeching lady to be a bother to others. ¡°Ang¡¯s not here!¡± Gil shouted to let Darla know. ¡°Who are you?! Why are you in Angus¡¯s room?! And why are you calling him Ang?!¡± A sudden earth-shattering thought crossed her mind. ¡°What are you doing with him?! Oh, my gods! No way! Angus?! Since when?!¡± If Gil thought Darla was shouting earlier, he did not know any better. It was nothing like what was to come. The inside of the room rattled from the outburst from the lady, freaking out in front of Gil¡¯s door. ¡°Open this door this instant! I must talk to Angus! When Angus?! How did this happen?! How many has it been?! Were you always-¡± Gil tightly covered his aching ears from the screeching scream, unable to hear the lady finish her sentence. With no other choice, Gil walked over to the door to let the lady see for herself that Angus was not in the room. The door was sturdy, but Gil was not certain how long of a beating it could take from all the constant pounding. ¡°Hold your horses, lady! Jeez! Ang, you have weird taste in women,¡± Gil complained. As Gil unlocked the doorknob and took off the latch, suddenly, the door swung open, smashing Gil in the forehead. He fell over with a loud thud, sprawled out on the wood floor. He was out of it, seeing double of everything. Especially the crazy voluptuous brunette, who nearly stepped on him and ran into the room. ¡°Angus?! Where are you, darling?! You¡¯re already out of the closet! There¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of! This just means we have new ways to play!¡± No response, but the lady did not give up. She flipped the entire room, opening the tidy wardrobe, looking under the spotless bed, searching the clean bathroom, and checking every hidden dustless corner and crevice. ¡°Hello? Angus? Where are you? Did you use a skill to become invisible? Or maybe a scroll? Honey, there¡¯s no judgment! Talk to me! Let¡¯s discover this new side of you together!¡± Angus could not respond or refute because he wasn¡¯t in the room. Gil could not respond either. His mouth stretched wide and froze, shocked by Darla¡¯s outrageous words. Countless thoughts spun in his mind, baffling him to no end. ¡°Was Ang into men as well? He didn¡¯t seem like it, dashing off last night to his lady, but you never know. But how many ladies does he have anyway? Men too, I guess? Not that I care. Good for him.¡± Suddenly, something clicked in Gil¡¯s head. Maybe it was because he was so tired yesterday, but Gil finally put two and two together. ¡°Wait. Does this mean this is Ang¡¯s room? I thought it was a hotel of sorts that provided towels and pajamas. No wonder these feel so big. Wait. Was he hitting on me? No, he threatened me with a beating. Ang wasn¡¯t going to try anything else was he?¡± Darla broke him out of his dark spiraling thoughts, hovering over him with her curvy body. ¡°You! Where¡¯s Angus?! Where¡¯s your secret lover?!¡± Gil glared up but then shyly averted his gaze. Still, he snapped up and immediately refuted, trying to focus only on her mesmerizing face. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°What on earth are you talking about?! Ang is not my lover! I barely even know him!¡± ¡°Oh. So you¡¯re his one-night stand. Ok, did he step out?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe what you¡¯re even saying! Ang was never here! There¡¯s nothing going on between us!¡± Gil¡¯s image of Angus deteriorated to that of a playboy. He didn¡¯t even know what to think of the mad woman before him. ¡°Huh? But you''re wearing his pajamas? So why are you in his room then?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know the room was Ang¡¯s! He told me I only had a week here. So I thought this was the guild¡¯s inn and that the pajamas were provided for guests along with the bedsheets, towels, and other furnishings.¡± Darla slightly drooped her shoulders but did not apologize for wrongly accusing Gil. Gil gave the woman an odd face, wondering what was going on in her head. She did not look one bit remorseful but rather let down. He did not dare ask any further. ¡°The guild does provide such rooms on the lower floors but not this first floor. These rooms are only for high-ranking guild members.¡± Darla pouted and made a confused face. ¡°This is so strange. Angus never lends his things. I know that for a fact. We can only share Angus. Never the other way around.¡± Gil¡¯s mouth nearly dropped to the floor from what he heard. ¡°Stop! I don¡¯t want to know anything more about Ang! Keep me out of all of his and your private life. I don¡¯t want to know! I already heard too much!¡± Darla acted cute, touching her puckered lips, and gave Gil a curious look. ¡°Hmm¡­ Such an innocent kid. No wonder Angus likes you. Fine, if you have no special relations to him, then what are you to him? You called him Ang. No one is allowed to call him that way, you know?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Gil scratched the back of his head, thinking honestly about Darla¡¯s question. He didn¡¯t consider Ang and himself to be friends, not even acquaintances. Darla¡¯s face brightened up. ¡°We¡¯re strangers. I just met him last night at the reception area. He let me stay here because I didn¡¯t have anywhere to go, and I can¡¯t return home.¡± Her wild expectations were slightly let down. But something else caught her attention. ¡°Hmmm¡­ Honest and straightforward, aren¡¯t you? I see¡­ I see¡­¡± Gil could not see what she was talking about. He only saw her weird drooling expression. He made a note to himself to avoid the weird lady as much as possible. ¡°Now I¡¯m curious. Tell me. Why can¡¯t you go home? What¡¯s your story? Were you kicked out by your family? Distressed? Needing to be saved?¡± Gil did not like where her narrative was going. He felt an inkling of what was going on in her head but wanted nothing to do with it. He corrected her version of events. ¡°No, I was not kicked out. I¡¯m lost, and there¡¯s no way back home.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s when Angus came in and saved the damsel from distress, right?! He helped you escape the cold and dark streets by lending you his room! And then you two-!¡± Darla bobbed her head up and down, holding her blushing cheeks and imagining her flowery version of events. Gil looked at Darla with a deadpan face. He shook his head, knowing nothing would change her imagined misunderstanding. But suddenly, a different thought crossed his mind. ¡°Hey!¡± A light bulb flicked on in Gil¡¯s head. ¡°Maybe you might know?! Can you help me? How can I make a contract with a god or higher being to return home?¡± Darla froze. The story and her future plans for Gil and Angus shattered. She now knew what Gil meant when he said he could not return home. But just in case, she asked to confirm since it was impossible. ¡°You. You''re not an otherworlder are you?¡± ¡°Yes! I want to go home but can¡¯t. Do you know how or who I should ask for help?¡± Darla¡¯s world turned upside down. Her understanding of Angus crumbled. The giant beefy muscular man she knew despised all otherworlders with a fiery and sometimes bloody passion. She was not fond of them either, but she knew not all otherworlders were necessarily evil. Some were, but everyone put their self-interest first. She understood that. The skinny young man before her broke all logical understanding of Angus. He was an otherworlder that Angus allowed to stay in his room, but that should never be able to happen. ¡°Um, hello? You ok?¡± Gil asked, worried by the lady¡¯s petrified face that was full of shock. ¡°You can¡¯t be an otherworlder! This doesn¡¯t make sense. Angus and otherworlders don¡¯t get along. The two don''t mix! It always ends horribly, and yet-!¡± Her words made Gil seriously question what Ang held so deeply against the otherworlders. But Gil suddenly shuddered at the weird drooling expression, appearing again on Darla¡¯s face as she stopped her speech short. He no longer knew what was going on now in that head of hers. ¡°Oh, my gods! This is so wicked crazy! It¡¯s like forbidden love! Star-crossed lovers with a tragic fate!¡± Gil did not know how the odd woman¡¯s head worked. He could not grasp how she connected everything so weirdly, but his face turned serious. He was not going to let the madness go on any further. ¡°No! Stop! I¡¯m putting an end to this twisted fantasy of yours! There is nothing between us! We will never cross paths again! Focus, lady! Can you help me? How can I go home? Where can I find a higher being that can take me back?!¡± The thought of Gil leaving put a roadblock on Darla¡¯s plans. She looked at Gil. Her interests would not work without him. ¡°Don¡¯t know, otherworlder. If you don¡¯t already know, then I think you''re stuck here. Maybe it¡¯s fate?¡± She did not lie. She knew of the contracts between otherworlders and the higher beings. An otherworlder with no contract was unheard of. ¡°Might as well get to know Angus really well. He¡¯s a dependable guy. I think you could live here permanently and become his roommate if you asked really nicely.¡± ¡°Not happening! Enough of this. Out. I need to change and find some real answers.¡± Gil attempted to shoo the unwilling lady out the door, but she did not budge, only smirking creepily at Gil. It resulted in him turning her around and pushing her out. ¡°Oh, so aggressive for such a cute kitten. We can explore that much more later, um, what was your name again?¡± She clung to the door frame, unwilling to leave. ¡°Go! I need to change!¡± Gil shouted while blushing from touching the soft and supple skin of the woman. ¡°Then change. I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°I do! Leave!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t leave until you tell me your name.¡± Gil grunted, giving in to the unreasonable lady. ¡°Gil! Now go!¡± ¡°Ok, Gil. See you upstairs,¡± Darla said with a wink and left. The door closed, and Gil collapsed onto the floor. He turned his back and leaned on the door, exhausted after waking up to the chaos called Darla. ¡°I want to go home,¡± Gil said, looking lifelessly at nothing on the wall. ¡°You¡¯re already home, just ask sweet Angus to make it more permanent.¡± Gil jumped up and turned around at the door in fright. Darla did not leave. She pushed the side of her head against the door, eavesdropping on Gil and his every action. ¡°Why are you still here!? Leave me alone!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll go!¡± Darla shouted back from behind the door. ¡°Ok, no more jokes from me. I¡¯m being serious. Angus is the most trustworthy man you can find here. And I mean out of everyone, be it a native or otherworlder. Keep in his good graces. Come on up when you¡¯re ready. I¡¯ll give you special service and help you out at the reception counter. I don¡¯t discriminate when it comes to my job or my men.¡± Gil could somehow picture the woman giving him a wink as she finished the last half of her talk. Darla whistled, walking her way to the stairs. She giggled at her sly attempts to keep Gil in Angus¡¯s room. She drooled, lost in her fantasy as she climbed her way up the first floor of the guild. Gil dropped face first into the pillow on the bed with a thud. His body bounced on the springy bed. He lay face down, tired and not wanting to move. ¡°Should I get going? I don¡¯t have much time to get myself in order. Ang gave me one week, and I sure as hell don''t want to become roommates. Crazy Darla, she¡¯s just as crazy as Ang. No wonder, birds of a feather flock together. Or I guess in their case, procreate together.¡± Gil blushed, thinking about the alluring voluptuous woman. Her fresh scent still lingered in his nose, and the sight and touch of her supple body still was fresh in his mind. ¡°No! She¡¯s crazy! And I need to get to work!¡± Gil jumped up, stopping the flow of thoughts to his lower half. He ran into the bathroom, undressed, and showered, trying to use as little of Ang¡¯s shampoo and soap as possible. Knowing he was now in someone else¡¯s room, he did not want to take advantage of Angus¡¯s kindness. After drying himself, he put back on his clothes from the previous day. He didn¡¯t want to wear anything of Angus¡¯s outside for fear of Darla saying any unwanted weird remarks. He hung his towel separately on an empty rack in the bathroom to dry and made the bed, ensuring all the folds lined up perfectly. He was a bit OCD in that manner. Walking out of the room with the circular wooden token in hand, which held the word ¡°Angus¡± on one side and the image of a broadsword and a grimoire on the other, he closed the door and locked it with the key in his other hand. He did not want to meet Darla again but knew she could help him with his next tasks. ¡°Ok, let¡¯s do as Ang said and find three skills. Not sure how exactly, but maybe Darla can aid me with that.¡± Gil dragged his feet, climbing the stairs, dreading what Darla might do. Or worse, find out about the illicit thoughts in that head of hers. Ch. 3 - To Run or Not to Run Gil walked uncomfortably, on guard of his surroundings and keeping his extremities tight to his body. He looked around, feeling pricked by the odd stares coming at him from all around. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is everyone looking at me? It wasn¡¯t like this yesterday.¡± Gil pondered to himself. Lively chatting filled the massive guild hall, packed full of merchants, adventures, mercenaries, and everyone in between. Many different types of life forms talked business or joked around with each other as usual in the enormous crowded area. However, some tried to subtly point Gil out to the others around them. All the smirks and subtle whispers made him self-conscious. Gil could not help but stare back, but not for the same reason as his onlookers. He was still shocked at the sight of sentient non-humans. Though, his reaction was not as bad as his first time yesterday. His mind practically collapsed, and he blankly froze from seeing all the new races. Having seen enough of the mysterious life forms, some humanoid-like and others not, Gil ignored the uneasy feeling from all around. He picked up his pace, speed walking from the entrance through the ever-crowded hall. He dodged, sifting around the different parties donned in various forms of armor and weapons, trying to make his way to the receptionist counter. The guild was a towering five floors high. Gil knew because he could see the upper floors all the way up to the enormous skylight on the high ceilings of the structure, letting in the beaming morning light. All of the upper floors curved around the center of the building with partially open hallways, allowing visibility down at the heart of the grand reception area on the first floor. The massive hall was divided into four main areas in a ¡°t¡± shape. A giant magically illuminated quest board stood in the center of the massive room, splitting into sections with different categories organized by ranks and rewards for tasks waiting to be completed. This zone had the most people, standing all around the display. However, there were too many people for everyone to be able to look directly at the quest board. Instead, those farther away opened up a connection interface by swiping down in the air. The quest board was able to identify the motion, popping up glowing translucent blue screens. All those around meticulously scrolled through the list of available quests, looking for their next job. The area off to the right further subdivided into two areas: one, filled with lines of adventurers waiting to turn in their quests and to receive their rewards, and the other, for anyone wanting to buy or sell items to the guild. Right behind the quest board was the loudest and most busy area of the first floor, also further split into two sections. Many adventurers competitively shouted out bids at a stage where a guild member auctioned off popular but limited quests. All quests needing to be auctioned listed requirements, information, and dates on their posts, giving ample time to potential takers to review and decide on their bids. The second half of the area held adventurers registering their quests, taken from the quest board or from direct requests for well-established parties. On the left side was the least busy area, but still full of people nonetheless. Many like Gil and the non-adventurers filled the place. Those registering to be new adventurers, but mainly those posting quests, lined up in the last of the four main areas of the guild. Only the center area was exposed to the upper floors. The two areas on the sides were covered beneath the ceilings of the next floor. Gil looked up at the signage hanging down from the ceiling. ¡°Registration for new adventures,¡± Gil read. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m at the right spot this time, I think,¡± Gil said, scratching the back of his tilted head. He wasn¡¯t sure. He arrived in town yesterday at dusk and entered the guild at one of its busiest hours. Many rushed to turn in their tasks and to peer at any new posts on the quest board. He asked someone for help. But when he explained that he came from the forest, they directed him to the counter to exchange for rewards, assuming that he was an odd noobie adventurer who completed a quest. Gil was in a shabby state yesterday. His clothes were disheveled, and he was exhausted. He mindlessly followed their advice with a bow of his head in a show of thanks before dragging himself to the edge of the crowd of adventurers. The endless line stretched and coiled like a snake in a maze. Being last in line and fatigued with the accumulated day¡¯s worth of troubles, he decided to lean against the wall and temporarily rest his eyes. But the next thing he knew was Angus abruptly and rudely waking him with a kick last night. ¡°Definitely should be the right area, right? I pray I don¡¯t meet that bundle of chaos called Darla,¡± Gil swung his head around, looking, making sure she was not at the counters. Relieved, he thought about his previous day. ¡°The lead knight at the gates told me to head to the adventurers guild for more information. About what exactly, I don¡¯t know. But, I don''t want to register with the guild. Hopefully maybe I can post a request to help me get back home? Would the guild accept such a request?¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Gil clenched his fist, feeling apprehensive. But he was reminded by the token Angus gave him and his instructions. He looked down at his clenched fist and cleared his messy inner thoughts. ¡°Ang¡¯s right. I need to be able to survive first if I want to go home. I need to swap this token for the three skills Ang mentioned. Not sure what that even is, but skills are a good thing, I think?¡± He looked at the long winding line of people waiting to place their requests. He wondered if another replay of yesterday¡¯s events would happen if he waited again in a lengthy line. He sure hoped not since he didn¡¯t want another Angus kicking him awake. ¡°The line for new requests is too long. But why is the line for registering as a new adventurer too short? It¡¯s kind of weird. But I guess that¡¯s a good thing? I think they can help me faster. There was no sign for exchanging tokens, so maybe someone there can help me out instead.¡± Gil walked over to the line for registering new members. There were only three people including himself. A receptionist lady called the first man over, while another soon called the second as her client left. Gil waited now first in line, thinking about what to ask. ¡°Next person in line!¡± A flaming red-haired receptionist lady in a light yellow robe called out. Gil broke out of his thoughts and walked over to the waving woman. ¡°Hello, fellow native. Seeing as you are a noble, you may already be aware of the guild registration procedures. Would you like for me to explain them again?¡± Gil tilted his head, giving the lady an odd look. He did not think himself to be even a distant relative of nobility. But the young lady saw his smooth and colorful clothing and assumed he was some sort of young aristocrat. ¡°Oh, sorry. I¡¯m not a native, nor am I a noble. Actually, I¡¯m not trying to register with the guild either. I was told to redeem something here and collect three skills.¡± The lady¡¯s jaw dropped as she looked at Gil with wary eyes, but she quickly restored her professional posture. However, unlike her light tone earlier, her demeanor turned icy cold. ¡°I see. An irregular otherworlder. Still popping up like weeds at this time of year. That is unusual, but not unheard of. Most higher beings forcefully break the barriers between worlds in the winter and send their contractors when the barriers are at their weakest. Your god must be desperate for resources.¡± Gil looked at the lady with wide eyes, being innocently accused of something he did not even know or understand. He felt the woman, who stood unmoved and a head lower than him, become distant and looked down upon him. ¡°There is nothing I can assist you with. Exchange services are for guild members only. Since I cannot help you, you may leave. The exit is over there.¡± Gil was taken aback, aghast at the sudden change in attitude. ¡°So I can¡¯t exchange this token if I¡¯m not a member?¡± Gil opened his hand and showed the lady the token of a sword and book in the palm of his hand. The receptionist stared wide-eyed at the token with Angus¡¯s name on it. She looked back a Gil, once again breaking her composure. ¡°By the Creator! It¡¯s you! You¡¯re the secret lover!¡± The sudden words shook Gil to the core. The lady¡¯s comment confirmed his suspicions. His face turned white as a ghost, now understanding why the others smirked and pointed at him. Though none of them dared to laugh directly in his face out of fear of retaliation from Angus. The bipolar changes of the woman¡¯s attitude made Gil not know what to think, but he definitely was not going to allow the misunderstanding to continue. ¡°Who the heck are you calling a secret lover?! There¡¯s nothing like that going on!¡± ¡°Oh, I guess it¡¯s not really a secret anymore. Darla sure gave us some big news. Who would have thought? Angus and a male otherworlder of all the possible choices?¡± Gil turned from pale white to fuming red to now embarrassed pink. ¡°I told you it¡¯s nothing like that! And I told that crazy lady Darla that too! Why won¡¯t she believe me?! And why is everyone else going along with it as well!? Ang and I both like women! He ran off last night to meet Heli or something. We have no interest in each other or other men!¡± Suddenly, Gil turned pale as a ghost again, voicing the thought crossing his mind. ¡°Ang¡¯s going to kill me. He told me he¡¯d beat the crap out of me if I told a soul about him lending me his room, and now the whole world knows. It¡¯s even worse with this weird rumor that Darla started. I won¡¯t live to see tomorrow.¡± The receptionist felt some pity, looking at the lifeless crestfallen young man before her. Knowing what she understood of Angus, she felt Gil¡¯s prediction was likely to happen. She sighed, seeing the unusual otherworlder before her. Darla told her he was unlike the many other otherworlders, and she now started to think so too. ¡°You have a week to figure out something. I¡¯ll tell you this much because even though you''re an otherworlder, you personally don¡¯t deserve the gruesome death Angus will give you. He¡¯s never gone easy on your kind. Anyway, lucky for you, the Clovers of Fortune took a monster subjugation request from Duke Haleson to the depths of the Endless Forest. They should be close to embarking or should have left already. Angus and his party won''t return for at least a week at the earliest. Use this time to figure out something.¡± A lightbulb came on in Gil¡¯s head. ¡°So that¡¯s why Ang gave me a week... Then that means I have to skip town before he comes back.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, that won¡¯t be easy. The closest town is about five days by pulled carriage. No offense, but seeing how you don¡¯t seem to have any belongings, nor any rings or bags of holding, I doubt you have the money to travel or pay a party to guide and protect you along the way. ¡° Gil suddenly felt naked and vulnerable even with his clothes on. The lady looked him over with a piercing gaze, evaluating everything about him. He couldn¡¯t help but cover his lower half when she glanced a tad too long, assessing his goods below. ¡°Oh? Shy one aren¡¯t you? Most would strut it more. No wonder Angus likes you. He is not fond of the showy types.¡± Diana gave Gil a devious look before innocently touching a finger to her lush lips. ¡°No need to hide. I¡¯ve evaluated plenty. Nothing makes me surprised anymore unless you''re Angus. He¡¯s a different breed.¡± Gil did not know what to think about the implications of the lady¡¯s admittance. However, it seemed she was not bothered by it. Gil was not sure if it was common here and that he was the weird one. She glanced over Gil¡¯s scrawny physique and shrugged. ¡°Also, no offense, but you wouldn¡¯t make it out there by yourself. You look the type in your world who did not deal with much physical labor. Nor did it seem like you trained in anything else either. It is especially more apparent for you to avoid leaving the security of the kingdom walls since you¡¯re likely to be a level zero right now. The Haleson Duchy is surrounded by mountainous terrain and many forests, all domains of savage monsters and worse, all sorts of dangerous sentient beings.¡± The receptionist shook her head, giving Gil a grim look but smirked with a weird gleam in her eyes. ¡°With your low level and poor physique, you might as well beg for mercy from Angus instead. Your survival rate outside the city walls right now is zero. If you¡¯re lucky, he might spare you and leave you with only some broken bones. After that, you two can kiss and make up. The guild can heal and mend your bones at a cost, but at least you won¡¯t be dead, and you can then rely on Angus.¡± Gil took the lady seriously until she uttered the last half of her advice. ¡°Can¡¯t you stop poking a dead horse? Nothing of the sort is ever going to happen. So stop the nonsense. It¡¯s no longer funny.¡± ¡°Why so serious? I was partially joking. But it¡¯s true. Depending on Angus would be your best bet for survival.¡± Gil huffed back, ¡°Absolute nonsense. He will be the death of me if we ever cross paths again. Is there no other way?¡± Ch. 4 - To Run or Not Diana looked up to the corner of her eye, thinking about how to answer Gil¡¯s question. ¡°Either that or hide. Fort Haleson is rather large and the second largest city of the duchy after the capital. If you keep to yourself and stay on the down low, you may be able to survive by avoiding Angus. However, I recommend taking quests to earn some gold to hire other members or mercenaries to take you as far away as possible.¡± ¡°Then what if I trade this token? How much money would I get?¡± The lady looked at Gil with an astonished face, thinking he was some kind of fool. ¡°Are you serious? Of course, the guild would be more than willing to take that precious token off your hands, but I guess you really do not know. I guess you really don¡¯t have a sponsor who took you here.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t know how you came here without a patron. But all otherworlders know how valuable the token in your hand is. Those tokens are what all the higher beings are trying to steal from this world. It¡¯s the sole reason they contracted and sent you all here. They are trying to collect as many of those tokens as possible.¡± Floored by the sudden information, Gill suspiciously looked at the seemingly simple wood token in his hand, doubting the receptionist¡¯s words. ¡°Ang gave me something so valuable?¡± The lady nodded her head. ¡°To the extent that we all wonder if the rumors are true.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not! I didn¡¯t know it was so precious! Why would he give such a thing away?¡± ¡°How would I know? You would have to ask Angus himself. If you dare, that is.¡± Gil fervently shook his head. He dared not face death anytime soon. ¡°What''s so great about this token? Why is it so sought after? Do you know the reason?¡± ¡°My name is not ¡®you.¡¯ It is Diana. It¡¯s a long story, but I will tell you since Angus somehow trusts you. Besides, it''s not something secret like an undercover lover.¡± The lady joked with a smirk. Gil huffed back and pouted with a frown. She let out a giggle, enjoying teasing and seeing Gil¡¯s reactions. For once, she felt at ease with an otherworlder. She did not know what to think of the sudden change of heart, but she felt Gil to be different. ¡°Like everything in the universe, resources are limited. Even the resources available to the higher beings are finite. Of course, a minor god is endowed with vast amounts of resources, but they require more for their purposes as well.¡± Diana took a deep breath before continuing her explanation. ¡°However, if a god used up all their resources, be it on their creations or themselves, then if they want to create something else, they would have to destroy something that they previously made to use the essence towards their new projects. Something cannot be made from nothing. Everything has a source. Except for the supreme creator, who made all. The Creator is the only true omnipotent and omniscient being. All the others are only minor higher beings, calling themselves as such.¡± The muscles of Diana¡¯s face went stiff with anger. ¡°But like with many limited resources, they are contested and fought over. Our world was made by the Creator and is considered a higher plane. As such, we have more resources. No one understands the Creator¡¯s intentions, but he made it a law of this world that the essence appears as fused tokens, dropping when someone or something is destroyed. Because of this, you foul otherworlders killed many inhabitants and recklessly harvested our plane.¡± Gil began to understand why many of the natives disliked the otherworlders. Diana''s fury grew even more, thinking about lost loved ones. The damn holding back her emotions slowly cracked. ¡°You people ravaged and plundered our lands, burning the fields that were our livelihoods and destroyed our towns! You raped and murdered innocents, not even granting them a quick death but instead enjoyed as we wreathed in agony! And all in the name of your so-called gods. Do you know how many of my-!¡± Diana calmed herself, catching her elevating breathing and rising tone of voice. But her eyes glared coldly at Gil. ¡°And that is why the Guild of Adventurers was formed, to give us a fighting chance against monsters in our world and those invading it. It is a powerful organization, designed to help everyone, even those who would be typically overlooked. It set laws and restrictions surpassing the boundaries of any single kingdom. Although many non-members and otherworlders don¡¯t abide by those rules, it can send massive forces to enforce the safety and regulations for this plane so that tragedies like the defilement and destruction of entire towns never happen again.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Gil did not know what to say. The mood was heavy. Diana went quiet with a stern face. Gil lowered his head, contemplating what he was told while looking at the seemingly simple token in his hand with a complicated mix of fear and respect. ¡°Everyone, otherworlders and natives included, wants the resources tokens our Creator made. Upon defeating your foes or harvesting materials, a token with the person¡¯s name deemed worthy as the owner will appear. Only the designated person can decide upon what to do with it. When used, they become essence points and have many applications. Most use them to upgrade themselves, like upgrading their stats or skills. But they can be added to items to make them superior. Or if enough is collected, they can even be used as a wish to materialize the imagination. However, after many millennia of exploitation, the tokens don¡¯t drop as often.¡± Her facial muscles loosened, and her eyebrows drooped in sadness as she recalled unpleasant memories. A light bulb turned on Gil''s head, but then it was shattered by the last piece of Diana¡¯s words. ¡°You otherworlders have taken almost everything from us, and yet there¡¯s not one bit of remorse or gratitude. Some of you even dared to harm us, trying to exploit us natives through slavery and force the ways of your world and customs. And yet, we cannot fully retaliate and eliminate all you invaders since the Creator is missing. We are practically defenseless without a guardian to fight against your invading gods. They sent you to do their bidding. You people never saw us as your equals. We will never get along or see eye to eye with those that ripped pieces of us and our plane.¡± Gil thought about the implications of her words. He looked at the glaring lady¡¯s face, warped with fury by the long accumulated history of abuse by the otherworlders, recklessly doing as they pleased in a new world. He knew her anger came from something more personal, but he did not ask. However, he understood and felt sympathetic to her explanation. Gil softened his eyes and replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know there¡¯s nothing I can do or say about the atrocities that happened here. The natives deserve better. It may be too much for me to say, but I am sorry for your loss.¡± Gil¡¯s last words pricked Diana¡¯s heart, unleashing a torrent of withheld heartache. She turned away, wiping away a tear, feeling some respite from her pent-up anger and hatred. Gil did not know, but his words dug up deeply buried tragic memories and emotions. She lost many dear to her to a gang of berserk otherworlders. The resentment she felt could not be allowed to surface while on the job. She did not think well of Gil, but his sympathy was something she didn¡¯t know she needed. Still, she adjusted her stance and straightened her posture, shifting back into business mode. Not fully understanding the new emotions, she locked them away, but they already influenced her next actions. ¡°So will you register? The guild gives two free points to new adventurers.¡± ¡°Now you tell me?¡± ¡°You previously said you didn¡¯t want to.¡± Gil went quiet. Diana smirked and continued. ¡°If you don¡¯t have a god, you will not have access to their library of skills. If you want access to the guild¡¯s library to obtain skills, you will first need to become a member. After that, registration and entry will cost you a quarter of an essence point, meaning you will only have four and three quarters essence points for use.¡± Gil contemplated about his next steps. He had a few inklings in mind, but he needed to know if they were feasible. ¡°Is there a way to obtain a contract with a higher being? Not that I don¡¯t want to become an adventurer, but I¡¯m trying to find my way home.¡± The lady widened her eyes at Gil¡¯s simple unusual desire, but she shook her head. ¡°No. The other minor gods are not able to interfere with this world beyond secretly allowing their contractors inside. Once here, even communication between the two is limited and requires large amounts of tokens. The only higher being you could contract with would be our Creator, but our god is missing.¡± ¡°Do you think I can put in a request? Would someone know?¡± ¡°You can, but I don¡¯t know if anyone can help.¡± She noticed Gil¡¯s shoulders droop and the hopelessness on his face. ¡°Then again, maybe someone might know something.¡± Gil lifted his head and smiled weakly at Diana¡¯s attempt to cheer him up. He knew it was unlikely. Suddenly, he remembered the light bulb from earlier. ¡°You said that the tokens can be used to manifest the imagination, right?¡± Diana caught on with wide eyes. ¡°Of course! Why didn¡¯t I think of that!?¡± But then she gave it some deeper thought. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit complicated actually. I don¡¯t know how many points you¡¯ll need, but it will be a lot. Wishing something into existence is in the realm of the gods. I¡¯m not too familiar with it because not many of those occurrences happen. But from what I hear, it¡¯s not simply wishing. You have to understand the concepts behind what you are trying to imagine. What that means exactly, I don¡¯t know.¡± Gil saw a murky path open for him. It was a murky road, full of unknowns. But he could see the flicker of light that would lead him home. He planned to collect tokens and form a wish to bring him back to his world. He smiled at Diana. ¡°I will register as an adventurer.¡± The receptionist lady gave him a dubious look. ¡°You¡¯re going to do it, aren¡¯t you? Do you even know how? You heard what I said, right?¡± ¡°Yup. But it¡¯s my only clue right now. I don¡¯t know exactly how, but I can start by collecting tokens. It won¡¯t be a loss either way. I¡¯ll have to figure out the rest as I go.¡± Diana sighed. She didn¡¯t have any better advice. ¡°That¡¯s true. Either way you¡¯ll need to find tokens to exchange for points. You¡¯ll need to be able to survive in the world first. Ok. So in addition to registering and access to the guild¡¯s skill library, do you also want to buy entry to the informational library? I recommend reading books about survival basics before leaving the safety of the fortress walls.¡± ¡°How much would that cost?¡± ¡°Depends on how long you want access. The guild¡¯s skill library requires payment per entry, but access to the informational library can be bought for longer lengths of time. Most noobie adventurers choose to buy for at least a month or two. You can get a discount if you buy out longer times. It will cost you a quarter of a point a week, half for a month, or four points for the year. And you can use your access at any guild building.¡± Diana did not mention that not all guild libraries were the same. Gil thought about what to choose. He knew he needed access to the informational library as well. ¡°I¡¯ll take a week for now.¡± ¡°Che,¡± Diana chided under her breath. Gil glanced at her with an arched eyebrow. He did not know she got extra commissions from selling the guild¡¯s services. ¡°Ok, fine. Member registration, one time entry to the skills library, and a week¡¯s entry to the informational library. Correct?¡± ¡°Um, yes,¡± Gil responded with a tone like he did something wrong. ¡°I didn¡¯t mention this before because I know you can¡¯t afford it now, but you can rent out the guild¡¯s other facilities and services. We have alchemy labs, training rooms, living quarters, a food area, blacksmiths for hire, skill mentors, job counselors, massage therapists, healers, the list goes on. You can check everything by connecting to the guilds interface by swiping down when facing the quest board.¡± Diana pulled out a square mirror and a pair of black goggles. ¡°Put these on and give me your hand,¡± she instructed Gil, handing over the goggles and dragging his hand to the mirror. ¡°Ok, this might hurt a little.¡± Diana said with a devious smile. Ch. 5 - Interface ¡°Huh?¡± Gil tilted his head, looking at the grinning receptionist lady through the black goggles he was wearing. Suddenly the lens turned blue and blotted out his sight. A sharp sensation tunneled through his vision and pierced into his mind, rippling out into his body. He gasped, tossing the goggles off and clutching strongly onto the receptionist counter. He leaned forward to hold himself up from collapsing. ¡°Ow! Holy hell! Mother- ¡± Gil stopped himself from fully cursing. His vision turned clear, returning to normal. But Gil shouted out again. ¡°Ow! What the-!¡± He yanked back his pierced fringer. Diana held a needle with his blood, dripping it down on the small square mirror. The mirror glowed, and a floating translucent blue screen appeared midair in front of Gil. Diana chuckled and gave an explanation. ¡°Alright. Welcome Gil! You are now officially a member of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild located in the Haleson Duchy. Please make sure to read the guild¡¯s policies in the handbook detailing proper rules and procedures. You can find it at the quest board interface. Failure to abide by the regulations will result in punishment.¡± Gil looked dumbfoundedly at the hovering blue screen, moving along with every movement of his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s this blue thing? Why is it blocking my sight?¡± Diana facepalmed her forehead. ¡°I forgot that you didn¡¯t have a contract. Is this your first time seeing the notification window?¡± ¡°Notification window?¡± Gil repeated, no longer trying to swat away the holographic screen. He focused and observed the couple of popup blue screens before him. ~~~ Guild Interface: Notification Window ~~~ Congratulations, new adventurer! Welcome to the Adventurer¡¯s guild. We look forward to working with you! Please feel free to seek any guild worker for assistance with any questions you may have. ~~~ ¡°You can swipe up to remove the screen.¡± Gil followed her instructions and cleared the first blue screen. ¡°What¡¯s this one?¡± Gil asked. Diana sighed and quickly glanced over Gil¡¯s screen. ¡°You really don¡¯t know, huh? That is your status window.¡± Gil looked closely at the screen. There were four tabs on the top of the screen followed by a display of the first tab below. ~~~ [Status] [Quests] [Inventory] [Settings] ~~~ Name: Gil Bweun Race: Human (Male) Level: ZERO Occupation: None Contractor: None Status: Healthy Point Balance: 4.5 Titles: Otherworlder The Odd Lost One Physical Stats: Strength: .7 Dexterity: .8 Agility: .8 Intelligence: 1.5 (+7) Stamina: .75 Energy type: N/A Available energy: N/A Satiation: Slightly hungry Skills: Universal Translator (LVL MAX) - granted to all holders of the Otherworlder title, translates all forms of communication Lost but Now Found (LVL 1) - granted to all Otherworlders without a contractor who did not lose their way, given as pity, increases Intelligence by five Quick Reading: (LVL 4) - through habitual reading, your speed of reading and comprehension is at the thresholds of a scholar, increases Intelligence by two ~~~ Gil arched his eyebrow. It twitched every now and then from re-reading his last skill. ¡°Given as pity? What the heck?¡± Diana looked at Gil with a curious face, but she kept her interest at bay and displayed her professionalism. It was not only considered rude but also malicious to peep at other people¡¯s stat windows without consent. The guild workers, specifically, were not allowed to see other¡¯s information without reasonable cause. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°You have to swipe up to remove the window. Or program it to open or close with your mental ques. I advise the latter for ease of use or emergencies. You can do that later though. Instructions will be in the handbook.¡± Gil swiped up and the screen vanished. ¡°I advise you to keep the information of your status window to yourself. Your personal stats and numbers can give others too much information. It can put you at a disadvantage or even be used against you.¡± Gil immediately shut his mouth. He wanted to ask more about who ¡®pitied¡¯ him, and Diana wanted to know more too. But the discussion on the topic stopped. ¡°How do I know if the values are good? What do they represent?¡± ¡°Good question. The numbers of the individual stats are based on the average male or female of this world without any added points. A value of one implies you meet the average of your respective gender.¡± ¡°So¡­ What the heck? Then I¡¯m not even average!?¡± Diana couldn¡¯t help but crack a joke, looking at his lower half. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not all about size. Be happy with what you''re born with.¡± Flustered, Gil covered himself and quipped back, ¡°What are you even saying!? I meant my stats! I¡¯m over average in that department!¡± A charming chuckle rang from the side, as a voluptuous brunette beauty walked over. ¡°Shall we find out, Gil?¡± Darla playfully asked with a grin. Gil¡¯s face warped with horror. He didn¡¯t even register what Darla implied. ¡°You! You spread those false rumors! Ang¡¯s going to kill me now!¡± Diana looked at the giddy Darla and rolled her eyes. Darla quickly hid her enjoyment of the situation and faked a shocked expression. ¡°Oh, dear! Did I misunderstand? I¡¯m sorry, Gil.¡± She suddenly acted surprised. ¡°Hey, I know! When Angus returns, why don¡¯t we both go to his room and apologize? Don¡¯t worry. I know exactly how to make him forgive us.¡± The provocative eyes drew Gil out of his worried mind. Darla was completely Gil¡¯s type, seductively entrancing with curves in all the right places. He momentarily forgot about being murdered by Angus. Diana broke him out of the enchantment Darla casted over him. ¡°Stop your nonsense fantasy, Darla. I¡¯m being serious. Angus really might kill this foolish otherworlder because of the baseless thing you started. You know how easily ticked off Angus can be at the slightest wrongdoing from them. It always ends in bloodshed. I even bet the token Gil received was collected from the last otherworlder Angus killed.¡± Gil froze, looking down with shock at the token in his hand. The thought of Angus being a murder shook his mind, changing his image of Angus further. He worriedly questioned if Angus meant anything else by giving him a token from killing someone just like himself. ¡°Oh my gods, Diana! Don¡¯t scare the poor kitten! Look what you did to him?! Gil, I know what you¡¯re thinking right now and it¡¯s nothing like that, ok?¡± Diana chuckled and added, ¡°He¡¯s such an easy read. Everything¡¯s written on his face.¡± Gil gave Diana the evil eye in return for her comment. ¡°See? He¡¯s pouting and cursing me right now!¡± ¡°Can it, Diana. Look, Gil. All teasing and real suggestions aside, Angus gave you the token to help you out. It might not even be from an otherworlder. It could have dropped from defeating a monster or from mining in a dungeon cave. The point is, don¡¯t let Diana¡¯s words get to you. Angus isn¡¯t like that. You know it too.¡± Gil thought about what Darla said. She was right. Angus genuinely helped him with his two favors. But Gil worried about Angus¡¯s threat about not letting anyone know or else be beaten to the point of shitting himself. He knew Diana¡¯s words regarding Angus were not empty puffs of hot air. Recalling the clenched fist about to beat him into a bloody pulp from last night made Gil shudder. He suspected Angus might have no qualms in killing him too. ¡°I¡¯m not going to wait and find out. I don¡¯t know Ang well. Yes, he helped me in a tight predicament, but I know he has a bad temper. Let¡¯s get this over with, Diana. I need to get my skills.¡± Diana smirked at Darla with a win. Darla huffed back with a glare before trying to make Gil reconsider. She would not give up her fantasy so easily. She lifted herself up and sat onto the counter, fixing her white dress, she crossed her slender legs and spun herself over to Gil¡¯s side. She clenched Gil¡¯s arm, pulling it to her bosom. Gil¡¯s cheeks turned pink, feeling the soft mounds pushing against his arm. He couldn¡¯t help it and looked down. His eyes widened, glued to the perfect supple mounds. Darla chuckled, causing Gil to quickly look away with a flustered face. Darla glanced back at Diana, smirked, and stuck out her tongue. ¡°Continue doing your job, I¡¯ll take Gil up to the next floor and help him select his skills.¡± ¡°My job? That is my job! Go do your own job, you bimbo!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous, Diana. I thought you hated otherworlders? I am simply helping you out. Let¡¯s go, Gil,¡± Darla cunningly retorted, dragging Gill off. Diana could not refute, but she launched herself across the counter and clenched onto Gil¡¯s other arm. She was not going to allow herself to lose against Darla. ¡°No worries, Darla. He¡¯s just like you said, he¡¯s nothing like those crazy arrogant typical otherworlders. I¡¯ll be fine. You can go back and exchange the rewards with the returning adventurers.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s ok, Diana. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not busy right now since it¡¯s still morning. The others can handle the short line right now.¡± A deep voice interrupted the two passively quarreling receptionists. ¡°Stop this nonsense! Get back to work! Both of you!¡± ¡°But small boss! Who will help out Gil?¡± Darla whined, still wanting to follow Gil up to pester him in changing his mind. Her determination to make her fantasy come true plastered all over her face. ¡°I will! Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know about the rumors you spread. Everyone heard them now.¡± Gil trembled. He knew it was spreading, but it was now an uncontrollable wildfire. ¡°Now back to work! We have adventurers to serve!¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Both receptionists replied with unenthusiastic voices. ¡°What¡¯s with the lack of determination in your responses? I told the both of you that we have lines of adventurers to serve!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The two shouted before scurrying off. Diana scurried off as well, even though she was already at her post. The tall burly older man, passable as a relative of the hulking Angus due to their massive figures, huffed out a sigh of stress. He rubbed his temples and focused on Gil. ¡°These dang receptionists need more training. Alright, kid. I didn¡¯t hear all the details, but seeing where you¡¯re at I¡¯m assuming you''re going to the skills hall or information library. Which one is it? I¡¯ll show you the way.¡± ¡°Oh. Um, both actually. But I want to get my skills first. Mr¡­?¡± ¡°Ah. My apologies. I¡¯m a vice guildmaster of this branch. My name is Liam, but most call me vice guildmaster.¡± ¡°Oh, nice to meet you, VIce Guild Master Liam. I was wondering why Darla called you little boss. I¡¯m Gil. I just registered as a new adventurer.¡± Liam sighed out a long breath. ¡°That dang girl. She drives me crazy everyday. Don¡¯t be like her or call me little boss. I¡¯m going to make her clean the gnarly public restrooms later as punishment.¡± Gil quieted, taking note that the vice guild master was vengeful in nature. ¡°All that chaos aside, it¡¯s nice to meet you too, kid. Welcome to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. There is no time like the present. Follow me, I¡¯ll take you to your destinations.¡± Gil nodded, speed walking to keep up with the long strides of the vice guildmaster. They moved further towards the edge of the building, heading towards the stairwell to the next floor. Climbing up the stairs, Liam explained a bit more about their destination. ¡°The second floor is split into three areas, all which need payment to enter. However in addition to payment, the forbidden section requires authorization from myself, second Vice Guild Master Selene, or Guild Master Terrace.¡± Exiting the stairwell, they entered a long corridor with floors of fine stone instead of wood. While the first floor had a rustic feel, the second floor was designed with more finesse. Vibrant paintings lined the walls, and beautiful carvings were etched into the ceilings. The two walked past others walking through the area and eventually moved past a large set of intricate mahogany double doors. ¡°This is the entrance to the informational library. When you¡¯re ready, you can go back and check in with your interface,¡± Liam explained. ¡°You can enter so long as you pay.¡± Gil nodded in understanding, noting the area in his head. They continued and the enclosed hallway opened up. Gil looked over the edge and stopped, amazed by the bustling first floor. Some below waved and shouted their greetings to Liam. The vice guild master laughed and waved back. Liam turned to Gil and smiled with a chuckle. ¡°Looks different, right? Seeing everything from here gives a different perspective of the magnitude and importance of the guild.¡± Gil could only nod, agreeing to Liam''s explanation. Liam patiently waited for Gil to take in the sight before they kept walking along the open hallway. ¡°This is the center of the building, and also where you can obtain your skills. You can choose whatever you like so long as you can pay for them. I recommend focusing on survival first. Look for skills related to attack, defense, escape, and healing. You can¡¯t obtain a basic occupation until level ten, but it would be good to start thinking about the skills you obtain now. Certain jobs require learning certain skills in order to be acquired. Skill trees can be seen inside as well.¡± Liam observed to see if Gil paid attention. Not many otherworlders did because they already received the explanation from their patrons along with a guided path of what skills to acquire for their designated job. But Gil knew nothing about it. But even if he did not, he would have listened intently regardless. Liam cracked a smile. ¡°One last piece of advice. You can also consider it a warning. Following this corridor will lead to you another set of doors to the forbidden section. Just don¡¯t. And don¡¯t listen to the rumors. It¡¯s true you won¡¯t be punished or fined for sneaking in. It may look unguarded, but entering will be your worst nightmare. That will be a punishment in itself.¡± Gil took Liam¡¯s words seriously and nodded his head. Liam liked diligence. Gil left him with good impressions. ¡°Alright, kid. Stay out of trouble. Good luck, you¡¯re going to need it with Angus.¡± Liam stated with a chuckle, walking in the direction of the forbidden library. Others walking by Liam gave him odd looks as the vice guild master could not help but laugh to himself, recalling the dumb look on Gil¡¯s face as he left. Gil kept looking in the direction Liam went. His blank face warped with confusion, bitterness, and annoyance. ¡°And where exactly is this luck I need to avoid the disastrous trouble called Angus?¡± Gil sighed, unable to do anything currently about his impending doom. His hopes lay inside the room before him. He turned to the door and twisted the doorknob. Opening it, he entered inside.