I had just stepped foot into the city—its sprawling streets buzzing with life, the noise of commerce, steel, and magic humming through the air like electricity. Thankfully, the map function embedded in my interface worked perfectly. Without it, I'd be hopelessly lost in this maze of stone roads and floating market stalls. My destination? The Adventurer's Guild, located near the edge of the city.
As I made my way through the crowd, I noticed something strange.
"There's a lot of people gathered here… Are they all adventurers?" I murmured aloud.
But then I caught the stares—dozens of them. No—hundreds. People turned to look at me, murmuring to each other, eyes wide with a mix of awe, suspicion, and curiosity.
"Wait... why are they all staring at me like that?" I whispered, glancing around nervously.
And then it hit me.
Oh. Right.
Floating gently behind my head was a radiant halo, faintly pulsing with divine light. It was a leftover visual from my character's celestial race in the game. I hadn't turned it off.
Idiot.
With a thought, I disabled the cosmetic aura. The light winked out instantly.
"Haaah… much better. Nobody's staring at me anymore," I muttered, relieved. The crowd quickly lost interest, returning to their conversations, deals, and duels.
Eventually, I arrived at the Guild's entrance—a large, oak-framed building with banners fluttering in the wind, bearing symbols of various ranked missions and monster sigils. Inside was even livelier. Armored adventurers argued over bounties, mages practiced cantrips in the corners, and rogues leaned against the walls, sharpening daggers while whispering secrets.
"That must be the counter," I said, stepping toward a long desk where several staff members attended to adventurers.
A girl with strawberry-blonde hair and sharp eyes smiled at me.
"Hello! Looking to register as an adventurer?" she asked brightly.
"Yes, I'd like to register," I replied.
She handed me a sleek-looking registration tablet.
"Just input your name and information here. Once you're done, someone will come test whether you meet the minimum requirements. Oh, and I forgot to ask your name."
"I'm Angel," I said, offering a small smile.
"I'm Diana," she replied, her cheeks reddening slightly. "Nice to meet you."
While I chatted with the charming Diana, someone else took notice of me—from the upper floor of the guild, a man descended the stairs, his boots heavy against the wood.
"That young man... what a majestic presence," muttered the older man, his deep voice drawing attention.
He was tall and broad, dressed in dark leather reinforced with plates and runes that glimmered faintly with mana. A large sword rested across his back.
"Guild Master," said a nearby assistant, "is something wrong?"
"Can't you feel it? The aura he's exuding?"
The assistant squinted at me, confused. "I don't feel anything at all."
"Hmph. That's precisely what bothers me."
Diana waved at him as he approached. "Guild Master! Over here!"
"What is it, Diana?"
"This young man is registering."
The man studied me, his eyes narrowing slightly. I met his gaze, calm and unflinching.
"My name's Angel. It's an honor to meet you."
"I'm Edward, Guild Master of this branch," he said with a gruff nod. "I'll personally be conducting your test."
"What kind of test?" I asked.
"It's a two-part exam," Edward explained. "First, we test magical reserves. Then we test combat ability. Follow me."
He led a group of us—about ten total—into a massive field behind the guild. It was reinforced with wards and surrounded by benches, perfect for safe combat tests.
"First up—mana capacity test!" Edward called, holding a glowing orb the size of a melon. "This orb reacts to raw mana flow. The brighter it glows, the higher your rating. It will consume a large amount of mana, so pace yourself if needed. We have potions ready if you overextend."
I grinned. Good thing I maxed out my Qi stat back in the game. Infinite internal energy means infinite fun.
The others went first. Some barely made the orb flicker. A few managed to get it to shine like a lantern. Only one or two produced a soft, radiant glow.
Then it was my turn.
"Next—Angel!" Edward barked.
I stepped forward and placed my hands on the orb.
Let's see how much it can take.
I channeled my Qi slowly at first. The orb glowed... then began to pulse. Then it shone like the sun.
"W-What the—!" gasped one of the contestants.
"It's still getting brighter!" another shouted.
Edward's eyes narrowed. "What kind of monster-level reserves does he have!?"
I kept pouring it in—until the orb cracked, then exploded in a burst of white-blue energy.
Panting slightly, Edward shielded his eyes. "What the hell was that!? I nearly went blind!"
I smiled innocently.
"The orb exploded!" someone cried.
Edward let out a loud laugh, impressed. "You definitely pass the first test. Now for the second—combat. Who among you has the courage to face me?"
Most of the participants hesitated, stepping back. A few brave souls tried, only to be quickly defeated. Eventually, I was the last one left.
"Looks like I'm up," I said, stepping forward.
"You may use a weapon," Edward offered. "I won't be holding back."
"No need," I replied, taking a relaxed stance. "If you're going bare-handed, I will too."
"Begin!" shouted the assistant.
We clashed. His strikes were powerful, seasoned. I matched them with measured ease, not revealing even a fraction of my full strength. I wanted to enjoy the fight, not end it too soon.
"You're good!" Edward exclaimed as I blocked a roundhouse kick.
"Thanks," I replied, countering with a palm strike that pushed him back slightly.
The duel intensified. His mana surged toward his fist.
"You're gathering energy into your right hand?" I asked, watching the glow ripple through his arm.
"You can even see that? You're something else," Edward said with a grin. "This is my final move!"
"Then I'll match it," I replied. "Prepare yourself."
He roared, "Ultimate Destruction Fist!"
I smiled. "It's not a fist—it's a palm."
"[Yang Striking Devastation Palm!]"
Our blows collided—an earth-shaking explosion rocked the field. When the smoke cleared, Edward was on one knee, coughing but laughing.
"You okay?" I asked, offering a hand.
He took it. "Hah! That was incredible! I haven't lost a fight in years. You've earned this!"
I blinked. "Earned what?"
"C-Rank. Effective immediately. You're the highest scorer we've ever had in a test."
"C-Rank!?" gasped Diana. "Most start at F-Rank!"
"Don't worry, kid. You earned it." Edward grinned, brushing dust off his armor.
"Also, I wanted to ask… can I sell monster materials here?" I asked.
"Yes, we buy them at a fixed rate—unless they're rare, in which case you might want a merchant."
"Great. I'd like to sell this."
I pulled out a sack and laid down the remains of several demonic beasts—fangs, cores, even rare pelts. The assistant's jaw dropped.
"This… this is all from demonic beasts!?"
I shrugged, smiling.
Guess I'm starting rich. Not a bad way to begin.