“Alright. Here’s your guild card.”

  Melinda passed over a small card. Veronica accepted it.

  It contained most of her basic information. At the top right sat her adventurer rank.

  Rank E.

  A frown was all Veronica could manage.

  Her expression, however, wasn’t left unnoticed by Melinda.

  “As I said before, E-rank is the highest I can grant you right now,” Melinda said. Her expression was complicated—like she was dealing with something deeply bothersome. “While you did defeat Warton quite easily, he is still an E-rank adventurer. I can’t place you in D-rank based on that alone. It’s very rare for someone to be assigned D-rank or higher when they first register without accolades, backing, or recommendation.”

  Veronica slipped the card into her pocket.

  In the future, they put me in S-rank immediately.

  Internally, she rolled her eyes—but she understood. This was likely beyond the clerk’s authority.

  Melinda sighed. “You know, you should’ve held back a bit against Warton. Even if he wasn’t badly injured, you gave me a scare when you sent him flying across the arena.”

  “I was holding back,” Veronica replied calmly. “I told you I wanted a D-rank exam. It’s not my fault you matched me against a E-rank.”

  Veronica noticed an invisible vein twitch at Melinda’s temple.

  “Yes… you’re right,” the clerk said tightly. “That was entirely my fault. I apologize.”

  As Veronica put away her guild card, she noticed that Melinda muttered something beneath her breath. Something about Yggdrasil.

  “So,” Veronica asked, “what now?”

  Melinda exhaled. “You’re officially a E-rank adventurer.” She gestured toward the right side of the hall. They were back in the guild’s main lobby now. Veronica’s gaze followed her hand to a large wooden board covered in pinned notices. “That’s the quest board for D-rank and below. Complete a few E-rank quests, and I can start the process to promote you to D-rank.”

  “Can I take D-rank quests?” Veronica asked. “I want to reach S-rank as soon as possible.”

  “S-rank?” Melinda chuckled. “If that’s your goal, you’re looking at decades of experience. While adventurers can climb the lower ranks fairly quickly, B, A, and S are entirely different matters.” She shook her head. “For now, you should focus on what’s directly ahead of you. As for taking D-rank quests—you can take them—but the guild has to approve them first.”

  “Actually,” Veronica said, remembering something. There was one commission she needed to take. “I’m here as a guest of Viscount Leopold. There was a commotion at the gates this morning.”

  Melinda seemed puzzled briefly, then her eyes widened slightly as she understood. “Oh—are you that woman?” She reached beneath the counter and retrieved a sheet of paper, placing it in front of Veronica. “We received a formal request from those two merchants about an hour ago.”

  She scanned the document. “The request is to retrieve stolen goods from a wagon that was attacked by goblins. Recover the cargo and eliminate the goblins. The reward is one thousand vix and two kilograms of Hartivel Vines.”

  “That’s the one,” Veronica said. “What rank would this quest be?”

  “F-rank,” Melinda replied. “Goblin extermination.”

  F-rank… not even E-rank?

  It was Veronica’s turn to sigh.

  “Alright,” she said. “I’ll complete it. But, I’d like to take a D-rank quest as well.”

  Melinda shook her head. “Fine. Do what you want. I’ve already given you all the required warnings. If you still insist, pick up a commission and bring it back to me.”

  Veronica nodded and headed toward the quest board.

  Several other adventurers stood nearby, clustered in small groups, talking amongst themselves. They all seemed familiar with one another—likely the parties Warton had mentioned. Teams that took on commissions together and split the rewards.

  Veronica found a vacant spot and scanned the board, searching for extermination requests.

  Most of the notices were mundane. Goblins near trade roads. Wolves encroaching on some distant farmland. A pair of oversized boars trampling crops. All F-rank. All relatively close to the city. Some, however, would be a few days’ journey elsewhere at a few smaller settlements.

  She peered up at the top listings.

  Pinned near the edge of the board—half-covered by newer requests—were the D-rank quests. One in particular, caught Veronica’s eye.

  D-rank Commission

  Location: Western Greenwood, beyond the low riverbed

  Details: Unidentified monster activity near a cave formation. Wild animal populations near the area have been declining. Possibly a type of troll or bear. One hunter injured.

  Notes: Area deemed unstable. Adventurers advised not to approach alone. Originally classified as E-rank. Upgraded to D-rank after two E-rank parties perished. This commission has also been failed once by a 3-person team of D-rank adventurers.

  Reward: 3,500 vix. Monster core, if recovered.

  Guild Reward: Recovering proof of past adventurers’ deaths (guild cards, weapons, or identifying items) yields 1,000 vix per adventurer.

  Veronica’s eyes lingered on the location.

  Western Greenwood? Sage, do you know where that is?

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  [Greenwood is a forest located about 14.2 kilometers west of Ronswick.]

  Veronica pulled the parchment free and studied it more closely.

  14 kilometers is pretty far… but the reward is quite good. She looked up at the other requests. None of these pay nearly as much. The highest one is 2,500 Vix, but it doesn’t have a guild reward.

  [You do have a current active quest to run 3 kilometers. This request would serve as an opportune catalyst.]

  That was right. She still had her quests. One of them involved running three kilometers straight as fast as she could.

  Her past self wouldn’t have lasted a minute—her legs would have cracked apart under the strain. Instead, flight magic was perfectly suitable for extensive travel.

  I guess you’re right… but still, that’s a lot of running. The reward better be worth it, Sage.

  [With high probability, I guarantee the reward will be beneficial to you]

  I don’t think guarantee and high probability mean the same thing, Sage.

  [Sorry, but even for me, nothing is 100% guaranteed. Not even time. Even if you do not appreciate the reward now, it will prove useful in the future.]

  “Alright, alright,” she muttered. “No need to get philosophical on me. I’ll do it.”

  For some reason, it seemed like Sage was adopting a more informal manner of speaking to her. She became less machine, and almost more human-like.

  Veronica rolled the commission up and walked back to the counter.

  Melinda had just finished helping another adventurer and spotted Veronica approaching. Her shoulders visibly sagged.

  “Let me guess,” Melinda said. “D-rank commission?”

  Veronica nodded and slid the parchment across the counter. Melinda took it and read.

  “…Seriously? This one?” she exhaled. “I was afraid you’d pick it.”

  “Why?” Veronica asked.

  Melinda hesitated, then shook her head and reached beneath the counter for her stamp. “A previous party of D-rank adventurers died on this request almost two weeks ago. We don’t even know what happened to them. That’s why.” She pressed the stamp down. “If another party fails it, the commission will be elevated to C-rank.”

  “I’m not taking it with a party,” Veronica said.

  Melinda’s lips pressed thin. She looked one breath away from either crying or losing her sanity.

  “You… you’re going to give me wrinkles.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Listen. This quest is dangerous. And doing it alone is even worse. If you understand these risks, then I’ll allow you to go. Your combat skills seem high—probably enough to reach D-rank. But if you die, it’s not on my conscience. I warned you and you chose to ignore it, understood? I don’t like seeing my adventurers die.”

  Veronica accepted the stamped commission and tucked it safely away. She paused, then looked Melinda over once more.

  “What?” Melinda asked warily.

  Veronica gave her a warm, genuine smile. She reminded her of Viya. A person who nagged and constantly worried about her. Despite the cultural dislike between elves and dark eleves, it seemed Melinda was earnest about her job. She showed genuine concern, even if she acted haughty before.

  “You might be a good person after all, Melinda. Thank you,” she said with a smile.

  Melinda blushed lightly and coughed into her hand. “Compliments won’t get you promoted any faster. Now shoo—I’ve got other adventurers to manage.”

  Veronica turned and noticed two others standing behind her, chatting idly. She looked back at Melinda. “Alright. I’ll get going.”

  Melinda waved her off. “If it gets too dangerous, run. Your life is worth more than some stupid request.”

  Veronica waved back without looking and headed out of the Adventurer’s Guild. As she headed out, she peeked at the other questboards. The ones for B and A-rank commissions. The board was entirely empty.

  It seemed that in a far away city like Ronswick, there wasn’t much opportunity for growth past D-rank.

  “Thank you for dining with us,” the server said, bowing politely. “We hope to see you again.”

  Veronica inclined her head in return and stepped away from the table.

  She crossed the second-floor landing and stepped onto a circular metal pad set into the floor. A small metal pole sat in the center platform, reaching up just slightly past her hip. On top was a glass orb with blue light emitting from the inside. She slid her hand across it.

  The pad hummed.

  The floor lifted just a centimeter before smoothly descending into the grooved slots. A few seconds later, she stepped off onto the ground floor and continued along the street.

  The afternoon sun hung lazily above the rooftops, warm but not oppressive. Judging by its angle, it was a little past noon—perhaps closer to two or three. The streets were busy with the usual flow of carts and pedestrians, merchants calling out to one another as the city went about its day.

  Among those in the streets, there were a few of the wealthier kind. Ones with magic-powered wagons and carts that had no use for horses. They were sparse, only owned by those of wealthy families or minor, title-less nobles.

  Unlike Greystone, Ronswick was much more updated on the technology that came forth from Annesheim. It was the perk of being a viscount’s city versus just a meager baron’s.

  She exhaled softly.

  It had been a while since she’d eaten a proper good-tasting meal without interruption.

  The food itself had been simple—roasted meat, bread still warm from the oven, and a small plate of sweets she hadn’t been able to resist. Chocolate-coated nuts, glazed with honey. She’d bought two servings and didn’t regret it in the slightest.

  Veronica touched the pouch at her waist. The coin inside clinked reassuringly. Between the funds from the mage tower and what she’d earned earlier, she had more than enough to be comfortable—for now.

  An inn came next.

  She chose one near the western edge of the city, both modest and clean. The innkeeper barely glanced up when she paid for a room, only offering a brief nod and a key.

  Upstairs, the room was plain. A bed. A desk. A small window that looked out toward the distant tree line beyond the city walls.

  It was perfectly normal, and much better than Greystone’s.

  Veronica set her things down and sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, stretching her shoulders and rolling her neck. Her body still felt good—loose, and more importantly, responsive. No lingering aches. No stiffness creeping in where stone used to claim her.

  She lay back briefly, staring at the ceiling.

  She wanted to take a rest, but rest had a way of stretching longer than intended.

  With a small sigh, Veronica pushed herself back up. She didn’t undress. Didn’t unwind and take a nap. She just gave herself a few minutes to breathe.

  By the time she stepped back outside, the city felt… smaller.

  Ronswick wasn’t unpleasant. But it wasn’t a place that demanded her attention either. The streets were orderly. The people went about their lives without urgency. No looming disasters. No hidden calamities waiting to be stopped—at least, none that mattered to her right now.

  Some places were just peaceful.

  Veronica made her way toward the western gate, passing beneath the shadow of the walls. The guards barely spared her a glance as she exited; the road beyond stretched out into fields and distant trees.

  Western Greenwood lay far beyond that.

  Fourteen kilometers.

  She rolled her shoulders once, loosening them.

  Running at full sprint for three kilometers didn’t sound too bad. Tiresome, yes—but doable? Definitely.

  With her new body, along with regular stretching and exercise, she felt flexible and full of energy. She’d finish the quest in no time.

  After all, when she escaped the mercenaries back in Greystone’s forest, she’d probably already run twenty, maybe thirty or more kilometers at night. Of course, it wasn’t at full speed. After she lost the mercenaries, she took turns alternating between running, jogging, and making several stops to rest. She’d used magic to supplement herself most of the way, but still—it had been manageable.

  Once the city walls disappeared behind her, Veronica stopped and gave her legs one final stretch.

  “Alright,” she muttered. “Three kilometers. Easy as cake.”

  And with that—she set off.

  It was only a minute later that she realized she had been sorely mistaken.

  Sage pointed out that her escape from the mercenaries, covering close to thirty kilometers, was significantly less taxing because she’d stopped frequently to rest. That for beginners, running like how she was now, was extremely difficult. The key part here was that Veronica needed to run at at her fastest for three kilometers without stopping or slowing.

  Her breathing was already heavier than she’d expected after just thirty seconds. This only grew worse and worse until she finally hit the one-kilometer mark, where she felt like an ice cube being roasted over a campfire.

  What should’ve been easy in her mind, might’ve been the hardest challenge she encountered in this life yet.

  So much for cake.

  Path of Ascension and Path of Focus