Chapter 4 - Tutorial Start 04

Internet broadcaster Han Se-ah, now a novice adventurer named Hannah, talked more than I had anticipated. It might seem a bit negative to say it like this, so it's better to say that she's active and has good social skills? On our way to the vacant lot behind the guild building, she bombarded me with endless questions.

"Why do adventurers gather in this city?"

"What are the benefits of raising the level set by the Adventurer's Guild?"

"How is an adventurer party organized for climbing the tower?"

These are too basic questions even for a novice adventurer to ask. The level of these questions are similar to asking why hunter trainees don't make any noise when hunting. All of her questions lacked any common sense.

I assumed these were questions from her viewers. Han Se-ah tried not to draw too much attention to herself, but I caught her side glancing dozens of times, and maybe even hundreds. It was fascinating that she could still keep up with me despite constantly looking away.

Despite the numerous questions, I had no choice but to be polite. If I could somehow escape from this subtly uncomfortable medieval fantasy and go to reality, I would even lick someone's feet.

In this world, there were baths available, but the quality of bath products like soap was lower than even the disposable ones that cost 1,000 won. Occasionally, modern dishes like chicken were served, but the taste was comparable to a beginner's first attempt at cooking. And even though there is a sewage system for cleanliness, most people can't enjoy the benefits of this expensive magical civilization and are left with subtle discomforts like smell and dirtiness. This world can't compare to modern society when it comes to comfort.

"There's one big reason adventurers gather here. It's to climb the tower. For some reason, monsters appear in the tower and mana stones can be found there."

"If your level goes up, you can receive better requests. The requests on the bulletin board in front of the counter are public requests that anyone can take, but as your level improves, you can receive private requests. These requests come with better conditions and more generous rewards."

"Adventurers' parties are formed according to personal preference…most people prefer to have around 4 to 5 people, depending on the situation. If there are fewer than that, it becomes difficult for long-term requests, and if there are more, the amount of rewards distributed is lower."

To put it bluntly, the Adventurers Guild's system could be compared to a mobile game. It includes field exploration with a party of four and dungeon exploration with a party of five, as well as sending unused characters on expeditions and receiving rewards after a few hours.

As I kindly explained everything as if I were a babysitter, Han Se-ah's eyes sparkled with excitement. She seemed to have the basic knowledge of a gamer and quickly understood the overall structure.

"Oh! And where are we going now?"

"There's a fairly large open space behind the guild. It's mainly used for meeting up before forming a party."

Additionally, it is also used for breaking the spirits of low-level adventurers who try to hit on high-level beauties. I walked through the wooden door with the honey-filled words still lingering in my mouth and proceeded to the vacant lot. It looked like a large playground full of logs and hay bales.

As expect from a guild with many people, I could see men hitting logs with hammers in one corner. I didn't expect to see anyone here at this hour, but there were still some people hanging around. There were people practicing with weapons in their hands, a person throwing daggers at sloppy scarecrow made of straw, and a person who was wielding several spears of different lengths.

Han Se-ah's eyes were sparkling at the fantasy-like scenery. I dragged a sturdy log to Han Se-ah with one hand and pounded it into the ground like a pillar.

Thud!

"Wow…. Why did you bring this?"

She asked while looking amazed that I was able to drag a log that was thicker and longer than a person with one hand.

I used my fist as a hammer, after roughly pounding the log into the ground, I spoke to Han Se-ah.

"First of all, I want to see the weapon that Hannah is using."

"Oh, my weapon?" Han Se-ah asked.

"Yes. Do you have any weapons you usually use? If not, it's okay to learn the basic skills of the job you want."

"Um… that's…"

Judging by the way her eyes darted around, she must have come without much thought. It seemed like she was so taken aback that she didn't even blink as she stared off into space, and I felt like laughing. Of course, if I were to laugh now, I would just become a rude senior adventurer who mocked someone who didn't even know how to use a weapon.

I held back my laughter and continued, "The most common weapon is a sword. Since many people use it, it has spread widely."

Perhaps because the game is set in a medieval period, many adventurers use swords.

Most spears are used in the military, so they aren't used for hunting monsters personally, but they're used to subdue huge monsters with 6-meter or 10-meter-long pikes.

"Uh, what about wizards?" Han Se-ah asked.

"Wizards?"

If swords are common, wizards are the rarest. Wizards are not part of the Adventurers Guild but a separate branch where they get certified for their talent in magic.

This is common knowledge that even a young man living in a remote village would know if he dreams of becoming an adventurer. Everyone knew that there was a tower where spellcasters gathered. If you read some fantasy novels, you can guess how this all goes.

I think there's only one reason why Han Se-ah is asking this question.

'The first quest has begun.'

There's no prior information. If the game had already opened and Han Se-ah was a latecomer, the chat would have been filled with viewers scolding her. There are always one or two ignoramuses who proudly show off their meager knowledge and say things like, "Don't you know that wizards have to go to the magic tower?" on the internet.

As a broadcaster, Han Se-ah is a pioneer, which is why viewers ask her basic questions.

Whether it's an alpha test or preferential treatment for broadcasters, there's no information available for a situation that started at the same time as others. It may be a delusion, but I also think that the tutorial quest in front of me appeared at the same time as the game opened.

"Of course, very few people have the gift of being a wizard, so it's hard to find one unless you're in a fairly high-level party."

"Ah, I see," Han Se-ah said, a little sullen. As a gamer, it's clear that she had a romanticized view of wizards.

"Then we need to change the schedule.. Now, why don't we visit the Magic Tower first? If you have the qualities of a wizard, it's best to be a wizard."

"Is that okay!?"

"Of course. How unfair would it be if someone was registered as a swordsman and later found out that they had the qualities of a wizard?"

It would only benefit me if Han Se-ah became a wizard. No matter how bad she is, I think I'll have to stick with her, so I'd rather her be a wizard than a mere swordsman. It's also better balance-wise to have a warrior and a wizard than just two warriors.

Since the tutorial quest clearly stated to form a party, assuming that I would be with her, it was appropriate for me to arrange the party combination.

"Then… I'm sorry to bother you, but I want to go to the magic tower first."

"I see. There's nothing to be sorry about. I'm happy to help."

Not knowing Han Se-ah's broadcasting style, I politely replied with a favorable impression and turned back out of the guild yard. As I passed the adventurers on the street and headed towards the tower, the change in the street was evident.

Instead of dirty people armed with old armor and swords, the ratio of neatly dressed wizards in robes had clearly increased.

There are many junior adventurers on Adventurers Street, poor novice adventurers who do not benefit from this magic civilization. Many adventurers washed away the mud and filth on their bodies in the river, but could not wash for cleanliness and beauty. Coming to the street of wizards where everyone showered in warm water every day and used bath salts, shampoo, and perfume, the feeling had changed completely.

"Wow, this place is really… What a lovely street!"

Han Se-ah shone with wonder as she moved from a street full of dirty adventurers to a street of clean wizards with mana stone streetlights and paved roads. No matter how much you like fantasy, it would be human psychology to admire a wonderful wizard wearing a robe rather than a messy novice adventurer who can't even take a bath.

"The white building over there is the wizard branch of this city. In other cities, they are truly built like towers, but in this place, they built them in that shape."

"It's a tower, but it's not a tower. Why is that?"

"Because the word 'tower' in adventurer city has a lot of negative connotations."

Tower here is known as the killer of rural people, a machine for making widows, and a tomb for frozen corpses.