All eyes turned to Lan, and he felt his heart race a little. For a moment, he thought about playing dumb, but he didn’t want to, and it would only make those around him angry.

‘I want to be an adventurer.’

‘You know that’s not what I am asking you. but what makes you think that a level one has any right being a part of my Guild anyway.’ The guild master barked, followed by angry and confused whispers from those around Lan. ‘so you think this is some kind of game? How the hell does someone even manage to stay at Level One in adulthood?’

‘Guildmaster, Wolves!’ a voice called a moment before they heard the first howls.

‘Damn it, we don’t have time for this. Locke, he is with your team.’ Looking around, Lan guessed that the group scowling at him was Locke and his team. The same unwelcoming team that he had joined to come with and who were now looking seriously pissed off. ‘Keep him alive. I want to hear this story.’ The man Lan guessed was Locke, a tall, dark-haired man with a few days of growth on his face and a scar at the corner of his forehead, nodded before gesturing him over.

‘Don’t worry. I promise not to get in the way.’ Lan said, stopping in front of him all while trying to ignore the looks he was getting from those around them.

‘That’s nice, but it’s not exactly up to you now, is it. Just try not to scream when the monsters show or, in fact, do anything, and this should be over soon enough.’ Locke turned, taking up a position in front of the group as the others fell in around Lan, trapping him in the centre. However, Lan found that his first encounter with monsters would have to wait. As where they were positioned in the larger formation, they were close enough to hear the fighting going on around them but could not see any of it. Even still, Lan thought he would feel nervous, but he was oddly calm. His hands were steady, and his mind sharper than he could remember.

‘This is bullshit.’ A younger voice snapped. ‘first, we are dragged out here, and now, we don’t even get to make any coin because we have to babysit this simpleton.’ The one who had spoken was a thin young man who looked a little younger than Lan, with messy brown hair and the greenest eyes Lan had ever seen. he was dressed in light leather armour and carrying a short sword and a dagger. The latter of which he used the pommel of which to scratch the back of his head.

‘I am not a simpleton!’ Lan said, but the boy just ignored him.

‘Yes, well, I guess we will end up getting our day off anyway.’ A beautiful woman dressed in white with silver hair and eyes said, half leaning on her staff.

‘I have to say, of all the ways to make some quick coin, this is the dumbest.’ The large dark-skinned man with a large axe with sculpted lions around the axe head and a tower shield as tall as Lan, wearing silver armour, said while never taking his eyes off the trees to their left.

‘Speaking of which.’ The boy looked to Lan. ‘don’t you go thinking you will be making anything from this guild job. Every coin you get, you are giving to us for babysitting you.’ he said. Lan had never been under the illusion that he would be getting anything. All that mattered to him was gaining experience. If he could just gain even one level, he would be in much better standing than he was.

‘Is that so? Well, I will be expecting your share by the end of the day, seeing as I have been babysitting you for the last year now.’ A dwarf with a red beard and hair like copper thread waved into large plaits, said to a round of laughter from some of the others and a scowl from the boy.

‘That’s enough.’ Locke said, giving Lan an unreadable look. About half an hour later, the last of the fighting ended, and Lan was immediately dragged into a small clearing by the Guild Master and Locke.

‘Explain yourself in a way that makes sense.’ The guild master said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

‘Did you wander away from a sick home or something? if you have, then we can make sure that you get back in one piece.’ Locke added.

‘There is nothing wrong with me. I am not a simpleton, my soul isn’t broken, and I do not think this is a joke.’ Lan sighed. The two shared a look.

‘Then what are you doing here?’ The Guild master asked, sounding a little less patient.

‘I just… what other Class item has no level requirement and someone could make a lot of money from.’ Both men blinked at Lan.

‘Listen, son, I don’t know what you have gone through, but this isn’t a place for civilians, let alone someone of your Level. I commend you for even being able to keep up with us. But this is where it ends. Once you get back and have a moment to clear your head, I am sure you’ll come to your senses.

‘Like I said, I am not a simpleton. My mind has never been clearer, don’t think I am doing this because I'm crazy or I am just hoping for a monster to end things for me. I could have just thrown myself off the side of a cliff if I wanted to do that. I am here because even if there is the slimmest chance that I can make it as an adventurer, it is still a chance. I realize now that is more so than I have had in a long time. And it is something that I won’t give up easily’ Lan met the eyes of the Guild Master. ‘All I want is a chance. You can kick me out when we get back. But until then, I took this job like everyone else. And I intend on doing it.’ the Guild master looked at Lan and then frowned just like the first time he had met Leah. The guild master seemed to see something and then sighed.

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‘Fine then.’ He turned to leave.

‘What are you talking about.’ Locke called.

‘If he wants to get himself killed, then so be it. It’s not like I have stood in the way of others throwing away their life wanting to be adventurers. Don’t want others to think I am picking favourites. He is still with you, Locke.’

‘Fine.’ Locke said darkly, but the moment the Guild master left, he spun and slammed Lan against the tree hard enough that he almost lost a point of health. ‘This isn’t a game. You are going to not only get yourself killed but put my team and me at risk.’ Locke stopped as Lan fought to breathe, unable to pry the seasoned adventurer’s hand from around his neck. Locke loosened his grip, and Lan snapped.

‘I never said anything about needing or wanting to be a part of your group. I’ll do this on my own if I have to.’ Which was true. Even though Lan knew that without help, he would have less than a fraction of a chance of surviving, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t go it alone if he needed to.

‘And what can you do on your own?’ the adventurer challenged.

‘More than if I just did nothing and left.’ Lan said back as if it wasn’t just what he thought but what he knew, what he felt. Even if the night at the inn had been the seed and his mother selling her pin for him, the catalyst. The idea of turning back now made him angry. He didn’t know how, but Lan knew that if he didn’t go through with it, even if somehow, by the grace of the gods of light, he somehow found another apprenticeship, he would regret this moment for the rest of his life. Locke’s grip tightened slowly as if he could squeeze some sense into him, but when Lan braced himself to start prying at Locke’s hand again. The adventurer gritted his teeth and eased his grip before he dropped Lan and turned to leave.

‘You said you would do this alone?’ Locke waited as Lan pushed himself from the tree. Lan nodded. ‘Too bad, the chief said you are with us, so you are with us. Grab your stuff and bring it to our camp. For a moment, Lan watched the man go, wondering what he had said to cause that reaction before he heard someone coming near him. Turning to the sound, Lan found a sheepish-looking Leah creeping out of the dark.

‘Sorry,’ she said after a moment. ‘If I hadn’t dragged you to the Guild, you wouldn’t have ended up here.’

‘Why, I was planning on joining anyway. If anything, I should be thanking you.’ Lan smiled. Leah stared at him for a moment before smiling back.

‘You are weird.’ She giggled. ‘But you would have to be able to cow both the guild master and Locke like that. how did you manage that anyway.’ She asked as she walked up to him.

‘I really don’t know, after so long of having others make my decisions for me and feeling like I had to go with it. I decided I wouldn’t let that happen anymore, and it seemed to be working… somehow.’ Leah laughed again.

‘I told you that I had a good feeling about you. I am sure they see it too. You have the right look in your eyes’ Lan frowned, wondering what she meant before she went on, ‘although I wish you would have said something about your Level.’ She pouted and poked him in the ribs.

‘Sorry,’ Lan winced, ‘but you don’t seem as angry as the others.’ she stopped and looked Lan in the eyes.

‘I’ll be angrier if you get yourself killed because of me. But in reality, I am curious to see what happens.’ Lan waited to see if she would go on, “if he got himself killed? Even Lan thought “if” might be a little too confident a word, but she didn’t go on and nodded for him to follow her. ‘Come on, I'll help you move your things.’

Back to his old camp, where he found his reception nearly as bad as his new one promised to be; even before they reached it, it was clear they were talking about him. one even worried that by sharing a camp with him would lead others to think they were friends with him. and they all glared at him when they entered the camp, and although this was the same around the other camps most people seemed happy to ignore him. One of which was the platinum-blonde woman Lan saw as they entered Locke’s camp. Now dressed only in a form-fitting white suit that she had been wearing under the armour which was now scattered around her. Her reddish-gold eyes drew a line over the two of them before she went back to cleaning the claymore that was easily taller than he was.

‘I need to get back,’ Leah said, handing Lan’s sleeping bag back to him and saying goodbye. Lan nodded to her before turning to look for a place to lay down his stuff. Despite the situation, Lan couldn’t help but look back to the odd woman. He had never seen clothes like it before. He wasn’t even sure what material it was. When the light caught it, it shined slightly even though it was as pale as snow. The woman saw Lan staring and raised an eyebrow. In a rush to look like he wasn’t looking, Lan turned and tripped over the last member of the team. a girl with skin a little lighter than the large man, dressed in leather armour and carrying a bow.

‘Ah! Watch it.’ She snapped. ‘How the hell am I supposed to scout with a broken foot.’

‘Sorry.’ Lan said, not saying he didn’t think he could break her foot with a hammer, let alone by falling on it. Either way, it was his fault, and it didn’t matter as she pouted and walked away.

‘You know I am curious to see what a Razerwolf can do with a Level One. A goblin can go through a Level ten like they were made of book paper. So it should be quite the sight.’ The boy said. ‘I bet its jaws cut you clean in two.’ When Lan didn’t rise to the bait, he got even more annoyed. ‘Seriously, what did you think was going to happen? You know why even though other Class items cost entire life savings, they just gave you that one without blinking an eye. This is because there are more Tags than adventurers in the world. Even if they tried to give them all out, they never would manage it. Half of all first-timers die on their first job, the others are injured beyond healing or broken from experience, and those are people from real combat backgrounds. And you were stupid enough to take a guild job when no one has your back.’

‘The boy isn’t right often, but I have to say, as far as death sentences go, this is a new one.’ The dwarf said, picking at something on the head of his hammer, which looked to be as big as his own head. Lan took in their words, and as he lay down, realized the threat of no one having his back didn’t faze him. If he was going to die, it wouldn’t be because he hadn’t given it his all. The boy stood and started towards him. But before he could reach him, Locke spoke.

‘That’s enough. Get some rest, all of you. You will need it for tomorrow.’ he said, giving Lan a look that he could not read before laying down himself.