Part 2: A New Beginning

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside the window. The sun had just begun to rise, casting a warm glow across the room. I stretched my limbs and sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

As I got dressed in the clothes that the inn provided, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement tinged with nervousness. Today was a new day, and anything could happen.

After freshening up, I headed downstairs to the common area, where breakfast was being served. I grabbed a plate and filled it with eggs, bacon, and toast, savoring the aroma of the freshly brewed coffee.

As I ate, I couldn't help but overhear a group of people discussing something in hushed tones. I got interested, and I made my way over to them.

"Why the hushed voices?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

One of them turned to me, a grim expression etched on his face. "Haven't you heard? There's been a series of disappearances in the town. People have been going missing left and right. Nobody knows what's happening."

That's creepy I thought to myself, "Thanks for the info."

I made my way back to the table and as I sat down, I noticed the inn's door creaking open and recognized the familiar figure of Lucien stepping through the threshold.

He started walking over to my table with an apologetic smile on his face.

"Sorry about that, I had some stuff I needed to take care of."

"Don't worry about it" I replied while finishing the rest of my plate.

"So are you ready to go?"

I shook my head, "No rush, I'm actually enjoying the ambiance of this place."

Lucien nodded and pulled out a chair, taking a seat across from me. "This is one of my favorite spots in town," he said, gesturing around the room. "The owner is a good friend of mine and the food is always top-notch."

I understood why.- "So what is it that you have planned for today?"

"It's about you signing up for a guild."

"A guild? Like in video games?" Seeking clarification.

"Kinda, though you must have noticed that many people, including me and Haruto, have started displaying mysterious powers and the numbers keep climbing but that's not all. The forest, animals, and the weather are also behaving strangely. We don't know much yet, but these missions can help us understand this new world better."

"So, it's like exploring," I suggested.

"You're getting closer," Lucien corrected me. "The missions could involve hunting animals, gathering different types of flowers or plants, or protecting the town from threats like Haruto or monster-

"Monsters?" I abruptly stopped him. "What do you mean by that?"

"You don't know, there are mindless monsters that roam deep in the forest, but sometimes these monsters rear off track and happen to be near the town. I'm surprised you don't know about them yet." 

"What can I say, i'm not a person that's caught with everything going around.

Lucien took the bait, "I guess that can happen but as I explained before you caught me off- the main objective for most people is to earn money, which is why many people sign up for a guild, and that should also be the reason why you need to sign up too."

"I see,", intrigued by Lucien's explanation. "So, it's like we're living in an adventure-like game ourselves, with missions and a guild system."

Lucien nodded. "But this is no game, it's our reality now and we need to keep adapting to it if we want to survive."

I couldn't help but feel a sense of apprehension at the mention of the strange occurrences happening in the world. The idea of exploring and facing unknown dangers was daunting but the promise of money was alluring.

Lucien leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "And who knows, you might even discover that you have mysterious powers."

"Oh, what the hell, you only live once anyway. Count me in," I declared while steadily standing up.

"Great!" Lucien exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Let's go sign you up and get you started on your first mission."

I followed Lucien out of the inn, my heart pounding with anticipation. The thought of embarking on a new adventure filled me with a sense of excitement.

As we walked, Lucien explained the different guilds that were available in the town, each with its own unique set of missions and challenges. While also giving me a brief overview of the various skills and abilities that were required for each guild, helping me narrow down my choices.

After much deliberation, I settled on joining the Exploration Guild, intrigued by the promise of discovering new places and uncovering secrets. I also believed that if I joined the Exploration Guild, there was a slim chance of finding any hints about the whereabouts of my friends and family.

Lucien nodded approvingly to my choice, and we made our way to the guild.

As we entered the building, I was greeted by the hectic and lively activity of the guild members preparing for their next missions.

As we walked further inside, many of the members greeted Lucien while others gave me weird stares. It gave off the vibe that someone like me shouldn't be hanging out with a star like Lucien.

But I didn't give it much though as I was busy filling out the necessary forms. After everything was written down, I finally got accepted and officially became a member of the guild.

Lucien introduced me to the guild leader, a wise and experienced man. He gave me a warm welcome and assigned me to my first mission.

I was to explore the nearby forest and gather samples of various plants and flowers, while also keeping an eye out for any unusual activity.

Lucien patted me on the back and wished me good luck.

The next morning I set out on my mission. I couldn't help but feel a sense of nervousness and curiosity, ready to know more about this new world.