Chapter 2

"My Armament...,"

In that serene moment, time seemed to stand still, allowing him to bask in the extraordinary realization of his newfound bond with the ancient blade. He traced his fingers along the intricate engravings, feeling a faint hum resonating through the rusted metal.

he reluctantly tore his attention away from the ancient blade and realized,

'It's morning'

...

Town

In the busy streets, a young man walked, draped in a worn cloak. His appearance resembled that of a wanderer, Amongst the folds of his makeshift scabbard on his hip, a rusty sword was visible,

'I need a scabbard and a maintenance kit if possible, hiding my armament in my soul would be a waste.' he reasoned.

'but first..'

He looked at the building in front of him, adorned with a massive sign at its entrance,

Adventurer's Guild.

I need money.

Zephyr who was 14 years old, was well aware that his family's modest fortune could not sustain him for long, took a bold step and applied to join the Adventurers' Guild Over the course of a year, he earnestly took on various gathering quests to support himself financially. Through his dedication and hard work, he managed to make ends meet and even saved enough to embark on a journey to another town.

'now that I've got an armament maybe I can finally take on subjugation quests and make more money..'

In the adventurer's guild the ranks would typically follow a hierarchical system, with each rank representing a level of skill, experience, and achievements,

F-Rank - Gathering quests, Searching and etc.

E-Rank - Progressing from F-Rank, E-Rank adventurers have demonstrated some competence and are capable of handling delivery missions, or defeating weak and almost harmless monsters.

D-Rank - Adventurers at this rank are considered competent and have proven themselves in various quests, They can now handle more dangerous tasks, such as dealing with small monsters or bandit raids, where death is common.

C-Rank - C-Rank adventurers are skilled individuals who have gained a fair amount of experience and have successfully completed a wide range of quests, from monster hunting to exploration.

B-Rank: B-Rank adventurers are highly skilled and are often sought after for more challenging and high-risk missions.

A-Rank: At this rank, adventurers are considered elite and have earned a reputation for their exceptional abilities and accomplishments. They take on some of the most dangerous quests, facing formidable High-level monsters such as Drakes, etc.

S-Rank: S-Rank adventurers are legends within the guild, known for their unparalleled skills and achievements. They are the cream of the crop and often play pivotal roles in saving the world from powerful adversaries and imminent threats.

Since the change 5000 years ago only 2 were ever recorded to be S-Rank.

Zephyr took out his right arm to reveal a mark imprinted on it, and channeled his spirit into it,

-X-x-x-x-x-X-

Zephyr

Level: 11

Titles: E-Rank Adventurer, Wielder of ☐☐☐

Strength: 42

Endurance: 37

Agility: 39

Dexterity: 39

Spirit: 29

Skills: [Quick Sprint]

-X-x-x-x-x-X-

He stepped into the bustling hall of the guild, hardly sparing a glance at the sight of drunken men scuffling and fighting at a nearby table, an all-too-familiar scene from his old town's guild.

As he made his way through the crowded hall, his focused gaze locked onto the reception desk,

The receptionist stood tall behind the polished wooden desk, exuding an air of approachable professionalism. Her hazel eyes sparkled with a gentle glint of curiosity. Auburn hair cascaded down her shoulders, tied neatly in a braided bun, accentuating her composed demeanor.

"Hello, are you new here?" She greeted.

"I arrived yesterday".

"I see!, Welcome to the guild. My name is Tianne," she introduced herself with a professional nod, maintaining a courteous demeanor befitting her role as the guild receptionist. "So what can I do for you today?"

"I want to take a Rank Ascension quest." he said, his voice steady

Tianne looked at him with concern  "Are you sure?" she asked, her tone gentle but laden with caution.

"It's gonna be dangerous, you know. Rank Ascension quests are not to be taken lightly, you would need to be prepared to kill."

He met her gaze "I understand the risks, I'm ready for the challenge." he knew that embracing the responsibility of taking a life was part of the path he had chosen as an adventurer.

'I need to figure out my sword's abilities, I've been wanting to rank up for a while now, I'm confident in my abilities.'

Seeing the look in his eyes, she relented and handed him a paper scroll.

"This is a bandit extermination mission," she explained, her tone serious. "A group of ruthless brigands has been terrorizing the merchants' caravans on the trade routes to the nearby town south of here, we've already sent scouting quests there should be only 5 of them"

He accepted the scroll with a grateful nod, "I will take care of it".

The receptionist offered a word of caution, "Be wary"

A knowing smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "I will not underestimate them," he assured her,

With a final encouraging nod, he bid her farewell.

"I will set out tomorrow".

-X-x-x-x-x-X-

At the outer area of the town's forests,

Standing in the middle of a secluded clearing. Zephyr drew out his sword, and sought to test out his sword through a dedicated training arc.

The makeshift training arc began with the simplest of exercises – practicing basic strikes.

The young swordsman began a swift series of strikes, moving with swiftness. However, his movements lacked the finesse and precision of a true master, clearly not used to wielding a sword.

'well that's to be expected, I used a dagger before this..'

He gripped his sword firmly, feeling the weight, he positioned himself, locking eyes at the trees before him.

he brought the sword down upon the trunk of the nearest tree. The rusted sword cut through the tree as if it were butter, cleanly slicing it in half with a single stroke.

Amazement washed over Zephyr's face as he stared at the tree, now felled before him. The rusted sword had proven itself to be sharper and more formidable than he could have ever imagined.

"Well shit.." he breathed out.

His thoughts were suddenly disrupted by a flock of mischievous slimes, small, gelatinous creatures with glowing eyes, emerged from the nearby forest and swarmed the clearing.

Zephyr faced the sudden onslaught. Though slimes were considered low-level monsters, their sheer numbers posed a challenge.

[Quick Sprint!]

Gathering his spirit to his legs zephyr zoomed towards the slimes with a couple of strides, raising his sword and struck the slimes in front of him.

In one swift swing, Zephyr through over a third of the slimes, "...maybe not, just how sharp is this thing..?"

The remaining slimes, now wary of his prowess, hesitated for a split second. Zephyr's eyes gleamed, and without missing a beat, he charged forward once more.

With every slice of his blade, more slimes fell. The rusted sword radiated a glow that seemed to intensify with each foe defeated.

As his rusted sword met the gelatinous creatures, they seemed to dissolve like mist upon contact with his blade. Their glowing cores scattered around the earth.

As the last of the slimes dissipated, Zephyr breathed a sigh. The clearing was once again quiet, the only sound being the soft rustling of leaves in the breeze.

"Well that was unexpected" he said, catching his breath. "But I guess that's the kind of challenge I should expect on this journey."

he sheathed his sword in its new scabbard. And collected the dropped cores of the fallen slimes.

"I should cash this in and head to bed," he murmured to himself, "I need to be ready to set out tomorrow."

-X-x-x-x-x-X-

Rusty lantern Inn

Lying down on his bed, he threw a glance at his sword.

It was no longer just a blade but a beacon of hope and ambition,  he closed his eyes, his mind a canvas painted with dreams of greatness. The memories of the day's triumphs and the anticipation of tomorrow's journey intertwined in his thoughts.

he knew that his spirit would be restless no more. It burned with a newfound determination to leave a mark on the world, to be a legend in his own right.

He looked to the starlit sky. His voice carried the weight of unwavering determination and intense ambition as he declared, "With this sword, I shall etch my name in the annals of history as the strongest!".

The glow of his rusted sword intensified, mirroring the intensity of his resolve.

He knew that every step he took on this journey would be a brushstroke in the masterpiece of his legacy. The pages of history awaited his story, and he was determined to fill them with tales of triumph and valor.

And so, with the rusted sword as his companion and the stars as his witness, Zephyr embraced the night, eager to rest and awaken to the dawn of his grand odyssey.

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Kudos to mah homie helping me with levels

7/30/23