S-Ranked

[Welcome to the Human System!]

[Name: Jason Grandhart]

[Rank: System Apprentice]

[Age: 18]

[Level: 3]

[Percentage: 89/100]

[Class: ——]

***

Jason was pleased that he skipped right past levels 1 and 2. He expected that to happen, but it was more pleasant to see it actually happen. He was also only 11% away from level 4.

'Let's test the effectiveness of Night Potion.' He thought before flicking the lightswitch, killing the light. A darkness engulfed the small potion-making room.

The human eyes often had to get used to the darkness before they would be able to walk without worrying about colliding with scattered items. Jason, however, was immediately able to see the outlines of nearby objects.

He still wouldn't be able to work without lights, and if he were ambushed by a night creature who lived in darkness, he wouldn't be able to see them until it was too late. Still, it was only the beginning, and the Night Potion's true power would be revealed during the moonlit night.

Jason didn't bother to put the light back on and instead left the room, returned the keys, and left the building. After walking through Second Iron Wall Street and then entering Iron Wall Street, he came across the inn where he had rented a room.

He approached the innkeeper's desk because he planned to inquire about the rent and if it was possible to pay for it slightly early. He had enough money to pay for it since it wasn't that expensive. If he happened to be robbed and lose all his money, he wouldn't have a roof over his head next week.

After ringing the golden bell, he began to wait for the innkeeper. But then he heard an interesting piece of news from the corner table, where two solo adventurers had been seated. They didn't even try to keep their volume low.

"I returned from the Adventurer's Guild and heard something interesting is happening with the Seven Guilds. They are known to be rivals, and often their members have engaged in small fights. Now, for the first time in three years, the Seven Guild Members are going to have a meeting..."

"Remember that rumor of the Golden Lion preparing for an important raid? It appears that it's not just them. All the core members of the Seven Guilds are returning from their missions..."

"There is definitely a storm brewing among the lofty Seven Guilds. They are definitely planning something. It is just a matter of time before they have to reveal what it is... It can't stay secret for too long!"

"I am, at least, planning to inquire more and perhaps join the raid! If all Seven Guilds are participating, the rewards must be unimaginable since all the core members who are making them money have returned from missions. Some of them had been on a mission for over six months and yet returned for this..."

Near the innkeeper's desk, a black-haired young man listened with perked ears. Then, the innkeeper returned from the backdoor with a stack of papers. Jason shook his head and asked about the rent from the innkeeper with a smile. In the end, he was allowed to pay his rent earlier.

After doing so, Jason walked up the stairs and returned to his room. After taking off his torn and dirty clothes, he went to take a long shower while thinking about the rumors he heard from the solo adventurers.

As he placed his hands on the tiled wall with water raining down on his drenched hair, he knitted his brows as he remembered Perseus mentioning the important raid.

The waterdrops moved across his naked body, overlapping with the small and twisted scars. There were a fair share of injuries in Jason's body, as if he had been cut and stabbed on more than one occasion.

'All the Seven Guilds have gathered in the Inner Circle? Indeed, something is happening. If I have time, I will try to find more information. It can't be something simple.'

Jason soon finished his shower, then wiped his drenched body with a towel before putting on his pyjamas and plopping down on the bed. His heavy eyelids were shut as if they weighed a ton. It didn't take long for darkness to engulf his vision as he took his first proper rest since the start of the mission.

...

Inner Circle, 12 Main Street. Inside a lofty five-story building.

"Lalalala~" A smiling man hummed with a gentle expression. He faced a table where different sweets and drinks were assembled. He took a cup, poured green tea into it, and tasted it with a pleasant expression. "I've got to admit it, Percy, your taste is lovely. That definitely deserves a kiss~"

A stern-looking blond-haired man looked coldly at the smiling man. He rapped his finger against the long, mottled table, waiting for the long-awaited meeting to begin. His blue eyes scanned the room, where the Seven Guild Masters had gathered!

The smiling man got seated and moved his left leg over his right. He twirled the teaspoon on his cup, mixing the sugar and the green tea. The liquid reflected his deep and beautiful green eyes.

"Enough of this chitchat!" The stern blond-haired man slammed the side of his fist against the table. "Lucas gave us one day to sort out our deal before he puts the mission on the public board. Everyone and their mothers will then know about this exploration!"

The stern blond-haired man was Percy, the Guild Master of the Golden Lions!

"Then, let's just get into an agreement." The green-eyed man smiled humorously while taking a sip of the green tea. "Peace? Just for the duration of the exploration."

The green-eyed man's name was The Poet; no one knew his real name, but he was the famous Guild Master of the Everlasting Song!

"Agreed. This meeting was a waste of time. We are not gullible people who will let greed blind us and jump into the gaping mouth of death without considering the consequences. That place is dangerous, and if this mission gets spread into other realms, we won't get anything!"

A handsome pale-faced man said hoarsely. He donned a strange purple suit with images of purple roses embedded in the fabric. There was also a silver-inlaid cane beside his seat.

He was Nicholas, the Guild Master of Dream Robbers.

A beautiful, slim woman agreed with Nicholas and the Poet. She was Rosa Ferwett, the Guild Master of the Scarlet Arrow. She didn't voice her agreement but agreed with a simple nod, which was enough.

"Good, good!" A loud, silver-eyed man shouted with a stretching smile. He was Ryan Crossword, the Guild Master of Metal Paladins. "Let's just write a temporary contract that says we won't fight for treasures and ingredients. Finders keepers, just like old times!"

A strangest Guild Master of the seven nodded silently. Even when he nodded, it looked like his neck was rusting. He wore an ugly iron mask that only had two eye holes, showing his black eyes that were void of life. It barely showed the corner of his eyes, which showed signs of burnt skin.

He was Era Dark Sideray, the Guild Master of Blood, Iron, and Fire.

As everyone came to an agreement, the adorable young maiden, who looked like she was in her early twenties, clapped her hands and summoned the servants, who opened the two-way doors and came with a stack of contract papers. She had already prepared the contracts as if she expected how the meeting would end.

She smiled sweetly as she watched everyone write their names on the paper. She was North, the Guild Master of War Armament. After receiving her contract paper, she wrote her name down and handed it over to the servant, who picked up all the contracts before leaving the room.

"Now that we are done here, I have matters to deal with." Percy buttoned his sleeves and rose to his feet in an attempt to leave the meeting early.

"You're leaving already; I missed you, Percy~" The Poet said with an amused expression. He enjoyed making fun of Percy ever since that one incident five years ago.

Percy's eyes had a tint of red, and only because of his extremely good patience did he manage to leave the conference room without exchanging blows with the Poet.

The Poet showed his tongue at the closed door before turning around to face the rest of Guild Masters. They all had to go prepare for the upcoming exploration; thus, they left their seats and departed from the room.

"See you soon~" North winked at the Poet while skipping toward the door with a giggle. Her vibrant energy echoed in the room even after her departure.

The Poet calmly touched the corner of the cup with his lips and took a short sip before grimacing. The tea had turned cold. He lowered the cup before looking at the empty conference room. The windows showed a blue sky with a yellowish wheel of fire hanging high above. It felt like the winter had finally passed and the warmth had returned.

"Voices, tell me. What do we encounter in the realm that even gods have abandoned?" The Poet spoke to the empty air before him. It was as if there were an invisible person in front of him. Then, the window opened slightly until there was a tiny gap. A gush of wind seeped through, carrying voices with it.

Whoosh... Whoosh...

"You don't know? I thought you were present in every realm?" The Poet asked in surprise.

Whoosh...

The wind blew once more and then drifted away from the conference room.

"Not in the Forsaken Realms..." The Poet let out a sigh, and then a smile returned to his lips. He felt like he was being silly. It was called the Forsaken Realm for a reason, but it was a vast place. The seas there churned with waves and with unspeakable monsters. However, the place they would go was only one island out of many.

"The tomb of False God... I can't wait."

...

The following morning, Jason left the inn with a refreshed expression. He went to sleep in the evening but woke up at eight this morning.

He stood on the sidewalk, knowing that crossing the street would lead him to the restaurant where he was going to enjoy breakfast. However, before that, he reached into his pocket and retrieved his phone.

He nonchalantly checked whether he had received any new messages from his father. There weren't any. The inbox showed a red zero. He didn't mind since it only meant that his father hadn't returned from his trip yet.

Jason didn't know where he went, but at ninety percent certainty, it might have been Action Realm. If he went on a highly secretive mission with his friends, he could be anywhere in the universe.

After pocketing the phone, he went to enjoy his breakfast. Since he didn't feel that much hunger, he ate lightly and then departed towards the Mission Building. He went to seek out some easier missions that were located in the Inner Circle, maybe even the Outer Circle if the mission was easy enough.

He wasn't ready to leave for another mission that needed realm travel. The stress and lack of sleep weren't worth trading for gold coins.

When the sun was at its highest point, he arrived at the alive Adventurer's Guild as if there were some kind of event happening. The entrance was packed with adventurers and guild members, making it hard to see inside.

Jason wondered what was happening until he heard shouting and the sound of fighting. That piqued his interest, and he found a gap between human bodies where he could see what was happening. In the middle of the lounge, two men were fighting.

The emblem on their shoulder pads hinted at their identity. The frisky man was a member of the Metal Paladins, while the person he fought was part of War Armament. They had ended up fighting because of some disputes. It was still common that members of the Seven Guilds fought against each other.

The Guild Masters wouldn't intervene as long as no one died. However, since the rumors hinted that the Seven Guilds were going to work together, this didn't seem to be a good sign.

"Enough!" A commanding voice sounded from upstairs. The two men fighting reeled in their fists that they were going to throw and humbly sat down. They didn't dare to anger the person who spoke. The loud lounge immediately quieted down as footsteps tapped against the wooden stairs.

A well-toned man arrived at the lounge, right next to the mission board, with a piece of paper. He looked coldly at the two who had just fought and then slammed the paper on the board. When he removed his hand, the paper was glued to the board as if it had been nailed.

It was a new mission bounty. However, it wasn't an ordinary one. The paper was a blood-red color, and there were letter "S" written in gold on the top. It was an S-ranked quest!

The Horror Realm quest to clear the Dark Dungeon was an E-ranked quest. This quest was immensely more dangerous and way more rewarding!

After the well-toned man returned to upstairs, all the adventurers that had gathered near the building rushed toward the mission board. After all, S-Ranked quests were rare!