The weight of a few coins had never meant much to Arriel before.
He'd carried them as a child, handed them to vendors in the village market for bread or eggs. But now, as he slipped the small leather pouch into his satchel, he knew every Git inside had meaning. It wasn't just money. It was progress. Proof that he was moving forward—on his own terms.
The first rays of sunlight glinted off the Adventurer Guild's stone walls as he pushed the door open. Inside, the familiar scent of leather, ink, and woodsmoke filled the air. Adventurers chatted at tables, some boasting about recent kills, others hunched over quest boards.
Kael sat near the window, twirling his spear between his knees. He looked up and grinned.
"Another quest today, Arriel?"
Arriel nodded. "Yeah. Hoping for a D-rank this time."
Kael stood, slinging his spear across his back. "I'll tag along for the walk, at least. The newbies make the place more interesting."
They stepped outside together, the air crisp with morning mist. Though Kael was more experienced, he never treated Arriel like a tagalong. Since the day they confirmed Arriel's status as a Hero, he'd kept the secret without question. No pressure. No bragging. Just quiet support.
And Arriel appreciated that more than he could say.
At the board, Arriel scanned the available quests. An F-rank herb-gathering job caught his eye—quick and simple—but his attention shifted to a newly posted D-rank request.
"Horned hounds sighted near the old quarry. One confirmed kill required. 300 Git reward."
He grabbed it.
Kael raised a brow. "Confident, huh?"
"I need the money," Arriel said simply.
Kael gave a small nod. "You're getting stronger. I can tell."
They parted ways at the edge of town. Arriel traveled light: iron sword, waterskin, simple tunic reinforced with light leather plates. The walk to the quarry took less than an hour.
The horned hound was waiting.
It emerged from the brush with a guttural snarl—gray hide stretched over sinewy muscle, twin bone horns curving back from its brow. Arriel's heart thundered, but he didn't hesitate.
The fight was rougher than he expected. The hound was fast. Smarter than the horned hare. Its claws left a shallow gash across his arm before he managed to roll, pivot, and drive his blade into its side.
The hound collapsed with a dying whimper—and then it came.
The life energy poured out of it like golden mist, flowing into Arriel's body. Stronger than before. He gasped as it surged through him. His limbs burned briefly, but not painfully—like they were being reforged from the inside out.
He dropped to one knee, breathing hard. Then smiled.
That was definitely a level up.
---
By the time he returned to town, dusk had fallen.
At the guild, the clerk handed him a pouch of coins: 300 Git. He combined it with what he already had from herb-gathering, minor F-rank jobs, and one delivery mission.
He counted it carefully.
Exactly 500 Git.
He turned to Kael, who had just returned from his own patrol. Arriel held out the pouch.
"Know where I can get a status bracelet?"
Kael grinned, eyes gleaming in the lantern light. "Yeah. And I know a guy who'll give you a fair deal."
Arriel looked down at his callused hands.
This wasn't luck.
This was effort.
This was proof.
"Time to make it official," he said.