The Birth of an Adventurer

                                                                       He nodded weakly.

"You've been hurt since you arrived, haven't you? And you haven't said anything..."

He didn't answer. Perhaps out of weakness. Perhaps out of habit.

Seeing that he was struggling to speak, she went downstairs to prepare some hot soup for him and came back immediately.

"You haven't eaten anything since yesterday. Come on, sit still, I'll help you."

She persisted, and he finally agreed. Gently, with a spoon, she fed him every last drop.

For two days, Rose took care of him with patience and kindness. Care, meals, and everything he needed. At each visit, she reassured him with a sincere smile, a soothing word.

And, by the end of the third day, Kaito was back on his feet.

He appeared in the lobby, slightly stooped, his eyes tired, but standing.

 "Thank you..." he breathed, then took another gold coin from his purse and handed it to Rose.

"For everything. I owe you my life."

But Rose shook her head with a smile.

"I'm the manager here. And it's my duty to take care of my customers. Especially stubborn boys who keep quiet when they're about to die."

Kaito sensed that this woman, who had nothing to do with him, was sincerely concerned about his well-being.

This event created a bond between them.

They were no longer simply an innkeeper and a customer.

They had become friends.

Once fully recovered, Kaito—still using the name Kyle—approached Rose, the innkeeper.

"Tell me, Rose... How does one become an adventurer?"

She looked up from her counter, surprised by the question, then smiled. 

"Easy. You have to join the city's Adventurers' Guild. But in this city, entry isn't automatic. You have to pass an exam, and it's only held three times a year."

She paused, then added,

"The next one is in two weeks."

Kyle nodded.

"An exam? What kind?"

"A written test, and a physical test. I'm not worried about the physical part. I've seen how you move." She stared at him, curious. "By the way, have you ever fought monsters?"

Kaito hesitated for a second. He decided to lie a little so as not to arouse suspicion.

"Nothing crazy... just a treant."

Rose's eyes widened.

"Just a treant?" She gave a small, impressed laugh. "It's an E-rank monster. Not bad for a "beginner."

Kyle looked away, a little embarrassed.

"I was just really lucky."

Rose got up, went to get something from the back, then came back with four books, which she placed in front of him.

"For the written test, you're going to have to hang on. Take these books. If you start now, you'll be ready in two weeks," she said.

"Thanks, Rose. Really," he replied.

He took the books and went up to his room. An hour later, he came back downstairs.

"Already?" Rose asked in surprise.

"I'll just walk a little. No worries, I'll study hard," he replied.

She smiled.

"I'm counting on it."

Kaito finally left the inn to explore the town. He discovered a setting worthy of a classic RPG: cobblestone streets, bustling markets, merchants, beggars, and men in armor. Children ran around, bards played on street corners.

He strolled for a while, then his gaze was drawn to a blacksmith's shop. A sign in the shape of a sword stuck in an anvil hung above the door.

His equipment, worn from his adventure in the forest, deserved a replacement.

He hesitated for a moment in front of the forge, the smell of heated metal and soot tickling his nostrils, then decided to take a look.

Inside, a massive man, his bare torso covered in soot, was hammering metal with impressive precision. Each spark briefly lit his tense muscles. An aura of strength and wisdom emanated from him, mingled with the stifling heat of the furnace.

 Kyle approached timidly, the wood creaking under his feet, and placed his pouch filled with coins on the counter.

"I'm looking for a sword... the strongest you have," he said, his voice betraying a mixture of timidity and determination.

The blacksmith stared at him for a moment, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, before smiling wryly.

"Gold and Asterion coins too? Are you noble or something?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Kyle only responded with a slight smile, clutching the pouch in his palm.

"Hm. For fifteen coins, I'll forge you a complete set of custom-made equipment. Solid. Reliable," the blacksmith announced, his eyes twinkling with mischief and seriousness.

"Deal," Kyle breathed, relieved.

 The blacksmith nodded, the muscles in his arm tensing in the orange light of the fire.

"Come back in ten days," he said simply, his tone firm but reassuring.

Kyle was about to leave when an adventurer entered. He looked like one of those heroes you see in every fantasy story: a large sword, flashy armor, a determined look in his eyes, a look of firm belief in justice. The kind of character Kyle had always found irritating.

Their eyes met for a moment, silently. No words. Just a subtle tension, as if each was sizing the other up.

When Kyle had left, the adventurer asked the blacksmith,

"Who was he?"

"Just a young nobleman from Asterion, who wants to become an adventurer," the blacksmith replied.

The man nodded.

"I doubt he'll go far. Being from Asterion, he doesn't realize that, unlike in other cities, becoming an adventurer isn't something everyone can achieve." He'd be better off going somewhere else or taking the exam in the royal capital; the system favors people like him there."

The blacksmith smiled slightly, shook his head, and replied,

"As you say... But as long as his presence allows me to earn money, I'm not complaining."

Back at the inn, Kyle reflected on his past battles.

"Thanks to this walk in the forest, I've progressed a lot. There's no system like in video games. But killing these monsters earned me XP (Execution Points)," he murmured with a smile.

Magic in this world responded to the will, intention, and understanding of its user.

He spent the next few days practicing in the forest. He learned the skills Lightning Aura, Dark Veil, Flash, Detect, and Slash.

Every morning, he got up before dawn, isolated himself in a remote corner of the forest, and trained to the point of exhaustion.

As the days passed, Kyle noticed more and more young people in the city; every street corner welcomed new faces full of hope or ambition.

One evening, as they walked side by side in the central square, Kyle called out,

"They're here for the exam, eh?"

Rose nodded, a slight smile on her lips as she watched the crowd.

"Yes. Many leave their villages to try their luck here," she replied, clasping her hands behind her back.

Kyle frowned slightly, thoughtful.

"Aren't there any other adventure guides in the country?" " he asked, his voice betraying his curiosity.

Rose shrugged and gestured vaguely toward the city that stretched out before them, illuminated by lanterns.

"Yes, but there's something special about this city," she explained. "The kingdom's most powerful adventurers are here, that's why so many people come, especially young nobles seeking recognition."

She looked up at him, an amused smile playing on her lips.

"A bit like you."

Kyle shook his head, a soft chuckle stifled.

"I'm not noble," he replied, his eyes lowered to his worn boots.

Rose looked surprised, her eyebrows slightly raised.

"Is that so? Considering how you pay in gold pieces, I thought you were the son of a baron or something."

Kyle shrugged, relaxing his tense shoulders.

"I'm just the only child of a couple of doctors."

Rose laughed softly, a laugh that almost echoed like a whisper in the night.

That explains everything," she concluded.

The next day, Kyle returned to the forge. The blacksmith was waiting for him, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Here's your order."

The equipment gleamed in the light: lightweight armor, flexible yet sturdy, designed for someone who moved around a lot. And a black sword with silver highlights, engraved with mysterious symbols.

Kyle ran his hand over the blade, impressed.

"It's perfect."

The blacksmith crossed his arms.

"Good luck on the exam, noble or not."

The day of the exam arrived.

For Kyle, it was a formality. The written test included a few questions about monsters, guild rules, and equipment usage. The physical test, meanwhile, consisted of facing an enchanted dummy with a weapon, dodging a few magical attacks, and demonstrating a minimum of coordination.

He completed the test without breaking a sweat. In fact, he had been more tired reading the books than during the test.

Later that day, the list of successful candidates was posted.

Out of a hundred or so registered, only two had passed.

He was summoned to the guild for the next part of the exam. When he entered the great hall, a receptionist with dazzling red hair, dressed in an elegant uniform in the guild's colors, greeted them with a well-practiced smile.

"Congratulations to you, new adventurers," she announced. "You have passed the exam."

She unrolled a scroll, her tone suddenly solemn.

"You are now rank G, the lowest. By completing quests, you will gradually rise to the higher ranks: F, E, D, C, B, A... Then finally, rank S, reserved for the elites."

She paused for a moment, her eyes shining.

"In this guild, only five adventurers are rank S. And the guild master is one of them."

She continued, in an almost mysterious voice:

"There is also an SS rank, awarded to Heroes... and an SSS rank, reserved for legendary figures." In the entire history of the country, only one adventurer has reached it: the first founding king."

Kyle half-listened. His gaze drifted toward the golden chandeliers in the hall, and he fought the urge to yawn.

"Blah blah blah... SSS rank, legendary king, powerful guild... Seriously, why do NPCs talk so much in RPGs? I've always skipped the dialogue. Why don't I have a "Skip Cutscene" button here?" he thought, exasperated but amused.

The receptionist finally concluded.

"You may now come and collect your membership card. It's personal and enchanted to match your status."

The receptionist finally concluded.

"You may now come and collect your membership card."

Kyle stood up and took his card. He stared at it for a moment, frowning.

"Class: Swordsman?"

He blinked in surprise.

"But I only used magic during the exam... ah."

He then remembered: the exam was so easy that he had passed the physical test with a sword, without casting a single spell. No wonder the guild system classified him as a warrior.

He sighed, half amused, half annoyed.

"Well, too bad. We'll make do. I'm a mage-swashbuckler... or a magic-swashbuckler, eh."

He had to make do with that. Besides, he didn't want to draw too much attention to himself.

As he was about to leave to choose his first quest, his gaze met that of a young woman, the second accepted.

She was gorgeous. Blonde, long silky hair, white priestess attire, a crystal-adorned staff in her hand. The perfect embodiment of the pretty healer in love with the hero in any good RPG.

Kyle smirked.

"Oh, well. The author finally decided to introduce a little romance, huh?" This smacks of a secondary heroine, who falls into the protagonist's arms after he's performed a heroic deed."

But immediately, the young woman stared at him with contempt. Her eyes shone with a mixture of disgust and rage.

Kyle raised an eyebrow, taken aback.

"Huh?"

She turned on her heel, furious.

"Oh... Even in this world, I'm not popular with girls."

But that didn't demoralize him.

He decided to ignore it and headed for the quest board.

He took all the available G-rank quests.

Kill slimes in the fields to the north. Gather medicinal herbs near the river. Eliminate giant rats in the sewers and the garbage dump.

He returned to the counter.

The receptionist looked at him seriously.

"If you fail to complete these quests, a penalty will be recorded on your record. If you fail twice, you could be kicked out of the guild."

Silence fell around him. All the other newcomers turned to look at him.

Mutters of mockery could be heard.

"Fired on the first day?"

"That guy's too confident." »

"He'll cry when he sees the size of the rats."

Kyle rolled his eyes.

"That's all it took, the voices of the extras getting lost in the scenery."

Kyle rolled his eyes.

"That's all it took... the voices of the extras getting lost in the scenery," he whispered.

He smiled at the receptionist.

"No worries. It'll be over by tonight."

It was a long day. But Kyle, true to his avid gamer instincts, charged ahead. He squashed slimes, collected herbs, tracked rats in the sewers, avoided traps, and cleaned up the storage room in record time.

He didn't return to the guild until nightfall. Covered in dust and dried blood, he calmly deposited the evidence of his successes: slime cores, bags of herbs, and giant rat tails. 

The receptionist, mouth agape, checked each item.

"Are you... everything finished?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"Affirmative," Kyle replied calmly.

She looked at him in astonishment, then jotted something down in an enchanted ledger. A green light appeared on her membership card.

"Congratulations. For efficiently completing several quests at once, you've been promoted in rank."

He thanked him politely, then left the guild under the bewildered gaze of other Adventurers. Some stared at him like a monster. Others like a rival.

Kyle, for his part, stretched nonchalantly.

"So... Let's unlock the rest of the world as fast as we can, eh? What's next? A princess? Dungeons? Or maybe... a dragon?"

After his first day at the guild, Kyle was quietly returning to the inn when he ran into the young blonde priestess again. She recognized him immediately... and remained as cold as ice. To everyone's surprise, they were taking the same path. They both headed for Rose's Inn.

 Upon their arrival, a surprise awaited them: Rose had organized a small party to celebrate her new boarders' successful completion of the adventurer's exam. Kyle could have done without it, but it wasn't unpleasant.

What he didn't yet know was that the priestess... was actually Rose's niece.

Kyle's eyes widened. As for Lys—that was her name—she was also surprised to see how close Kyle and her aunt were.

Lys asked suspiciously,

"Aunt Rose... how can you be so close to a noble, after everything they've put us through?"

Rose replied calmly, a slight smile on her lips.

"Not all nobles are monsters. And besides, Kyle isn't one. He's a commoner. A doctor's son, from what he told me."

Then Rose introduced Lys to Kyle.

 "This is my niece, Lys."

"Nice to meet you," Kyle said, his tone neutral, without much enthusiasm.

"Forgive me for judging you too quickly," Lys murmured, a little ashamed, looking away.

Kyle shrugged and simply replied, "It's nothing. And I'm already used to this kind of treatment."

Rose explained that Lys had grown up here, but had gone to the capital to study the sacred arts after awakening the priestess class. Now she was back to become an adventurer herself.

"I see," Kyle replied with a shrug.

"Don't you want to know more about her and her parents?" Rose asked, a little surprised.

"No, and it's none of my business," Kyle replied with a casual smile.

 "No way my fantasy adventure is going to turn into a family tragedy," he thought to himself ironically.

The party continued in high spirits.

Rose congratulated them both on passing the exam, but warned them:

"The hard part starts now. You're going to have to work hard if you want to move up a rank."

"I've started," Kyle replied. "I'm already an F-rank."

A shocked silence fell.

"WHAT?!"

Rose exclaimed. "But it took me a whole week to get out of G-rank!"

"I've always been fast," Kyle replied with a mocking smile.

Lys, for her part, seemed increasingly intrigued by Kyle. She looked at him with a glint of admiration in her eyes.

The party continued for a while longer, then Kyle casually went to bed.

During the night, Rose and Lys chatted at length.

They talked about the convent, life in the capital, magic, and childhood memories. Finally, Lys returned to Kyle's case.

"What do you know about him, Aunt?"

"Not much... He comes from a powerful family, a family of doctors from the kingdom of Asterion. And apparently, he defeated a Treant before arriving here."

"A Treant?!" Lys repeated, shocked. "But... he's a rank E monster, sometimes even ranked D!"

She frowned thoughtfully.

"What if... what if he's one of the travelers?"

 "Impossible," replied Rose.

"The travelers are in the capital. And they have incredible classes, not just 'swordsman.'"

"You're right," admitted Lys, even though she wasn't entirely convinced.

The next day, Kyle went to the guild as if nothing had happened. Yet, he had become the center of attention.

After all, he was the first since Lys to advance to F-rank on his first day.

A feat no one missed... much to his regret.

He always hates attracting attention, whether in his world or this one.

He approached the quest board and selected two F-rank missions:

Eliminate wolves reported near the forest roads. Repel goblins attacking farmers in the same area.

Walking to the reception desk, he handed the papers to a young woman with brown hair tied back in a ponytail. She looked up at him.

"Name?" she asked simply.

"Kyle, and you?" He asked her out of reflex.

"Eris," she answered bluntly.

But seeing the two quests he'd chosen, his expression changed.

"You're planning on doing this... alone?!"

"Yeah. Is that a problem?" he replied with a small smile.

"It's dangerous. Even for a skilled adventurer. These kinds of missions... we normally do them in groups."

"It's not a problem," he said with a smile.

She frowned, visibly worried. But he persisted, paid for some healing and mana potions with the money he'd earned the day before, and left the guild without waiting for a reply.

Some time later, Lys arrived at the guild to accept her first mission.

She didn't have time to approach the board before a group of suspicious-looking adventurers intercepted her.

"Hey, you. The new girl? We're looking for a silk worker as pretty as you to collaborate with."

Their tone and looks left no doubt: they had bad intentions.

But before they could persist, a calm and confident voice spoke out:

"After every exam, it's always the same thing. Are you trying to scare the new recruits?"

It was Tristan, a C-rank adventurer. And he was the one Kyle had encountered at the blacksmith's. He was accompanied by three women: an elf, a mage in a purple robe, and a spearwoman in light armor.

With a single glance, he scared the guys away.

"Are you okay?" " he asked Lys. "We're looking for a priestess to join our group. To make the team fully operational, you're welcome."

Grateful, Lys accepted.

"A perfect team of heroes, just like in the books," she thought as she followed them.

Meanwhile, in the forest, Kyle entered the infested area.

Using [Detection], he spotted a dozen magical signatures. Six goblins were riding wolves, the others on foot were trying to surround him.

"They're organized, these bastards."

He immediately activated [Lightning Aura] to create a defensive field around himself. Then, he cast [Dark Veil] over his blade, darkening his form.

"And now... time for the show."

He cast [Black Lightning]. The impact, combined with the reinforced veil, pulverized half the group in a thunderous explosion.

"Wow. That's a bit of a cheat, isn't it?" he mocked to himself.

The survivors tried to flee. Too late.

He activated [Void Veil]—his perception of time slowed down, the enemies seemed to move in slow motion.

Kyle charged forward and cast [Slice] combined with [White Lightning]. In a flash, all were eliminated... except one.

A goblin had fallen to its knees, holding out its arms as if begging for mercy.

Kyle stared at it for a long time... then smiled coldly.

"That kind of thing doesn't work with me. I already know the drill, I spare you, and then you come back years later as the goblin king."

And he cut off its head.

He wiped his forehead, sighed, and said sarcastically,

"Honestly... the more it goes on, the more I'm starting to scare myself?"

After downing a healing potion and a mana potion, he set off again, heading for the area where the wolf attacks had been spotted.

Kyle headed deeper into the woods, where the trees were so dense that the light struggled to penetrate. The wolf tracks were fresh, and it wasn't long before he came across the first group.

 [Detection] activated… "Five signatures. That should do it."

Fast and precise, he took them out one by one without difficulty.

But just when he thought it was over…

A hoarse howl rang out. A cold shiver ran down Kyle's spine.

Heavy footsteps shook the ground. Then he stepped out of the shadows.

A wolf, but as big as a horse. Its fur was abysmal black, and its eyes glowed an unearthly red. Purple veins pulsed across its body, and black mist oozed from its mouth.

[Demon Wolf – Class D+]

A wolf corrupted by the magic of the forest. Faster, smarter, and a thousand times stronger and more vicious than its kin.

Kyle narrowed his eyes.

"Finally, a real fight," he said with a smirk.

The Wolf charged without warning.

Kyle barely had time to activate [Dark Veil] before the beast pounced. He narrowly blocked it, but the force of the impact sent him flying against a tree.

"Ugh... This is starting well."

The monster was already upon him. Kyle rolled to the ground, narrowly dodging the demonic fangs. He launched [Black Lightning], but the wolf sidestepped it, its movements strangely human.

"Tss... It's not just instinct. It's analyzing my attacks."

Kyle used [Lightning Aura] to push the beast back, then attempted [Slice]. But the Demon Wolf took the full force of the attack... and didn't even flinch.

Then, with a swift movement, it slashed through the air with its paw. A wave of dark energy shot out, striking Kyle head-on.

 He rolled several meters, his leather armor half-scorched.

He coughed, spat out blood. He wasn't smiling anymore.

"Okay... I admit it... You're a real Zone boss."

He hastily downed a healing potion. The monster was approaching, slowly, sure of its superiority.

But Kyle closed his eyes. He concentrated.

"If raw magic isn't enough... then we'll cheat a little."

He combined [Void Veil] and [Acute Detection] to anticipate the Wolf's movements. The world seemed to slow down... But this time, it didn't charge.

He waited.

The Wolf pounced, ready to rip his head off. Kyle pivoted sideways at the last second and plunged his blade, coated in [White Lightning], under the monster's jaw.

The beast howled, but it wasn't over.

Then a black flash erupted from its blade, piercing the already wounded monster's side. The Wolf recoiled, growling, one leg half destroyed.

But it wasn't giving up.

It attempted one last charge... and Kyle leaped back. The moment was critical.

It brought down its blade with a final [Night Slice], a mixture of slice and black veil concentrated in a single strike.

The Wolf froze, then collapsed with a final groan. A heavy silence fell over the forest.

Kyle fell to his knees, panting, covered in sweat and blood.

"Pff... That's it... for today."

He laughed softly, tiredly, looking up at the sky between the branches.

This world is really not a game.