Grone walked over to Tyler, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Kid," he said, "that had nothing to do with luck. What I witnessed just now was pure skill."

Tyler looked at him, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he replied.

Grone removed his hand and looked down at the dead Hexhorn. "Can you use that skill of yours again?" he asked, gesturing towards the corpse.

"Right," Tyler said, and he began to extract materials from the creature. The materials appeared in his inventory; he saw a horn-shaped icon, with the number 12 displayed beside it.

Grone nodded. "So you have the horns in your subspace… thingy?"

"Yeah," Tyler confirmed, and one of the horns appeared in his hand. Surprisingly, it was longer than it had appeared on the Hexhorn itself, noticeably longer near the base where it had been thicker. Tyler noticed a small, brow-like circle near the thicker part of the horn's base.

"What's with this circle?" Tyler asked, pointing to the mark on the horn.

"Oh, that?" Grone said, taking the horn and examining it closely. "This is something all C-rank Hexhorns have. Fortunately, it's something we hunters use to determine their rank if we don't have the Uncover skill."

He handed the horn back to Tyler. "Here," Grone said. "Let's go see the other one," he added, heading back towards the location of the second Hexhorn Tyler had killed. Tyler followed. As they reached their destination, they saw a girl kneeling near the dead creature. She had silver hair, wore black leather boots, and light blue leather armor. Tyler watched as she reached for a dagger, as if she were about to extract materials.

"Hey!" Grone called out as they came into view. "That's our kill."

"Oh yeah? How do I know you're telling the truth?" she challenged, her eyes narrowing.

Tyler looked at the girl as she stood. Her level appeared above her head: Rebecca Sharp: LVL 44. Then, something surprising happened. The Hexhorn's hide and horns glowed a faint blue before vanishing completely, leaving only the bones and flesh behind. Rebecca stumbled back, startled.

"What did you just—what happened?" she demanded, raising her dagger defensively.

"It's a skill he has," Grone explained calmly. "He just took all the materials that rightfully belong to us."

Rebecca's eyes flickered with suspicion. "What an unusual skill," she thought, her gaze shifting to Tyler. She noted his unusual attire: no armor, no visible weapon, and most strikingly, no hunter's badge around his neck—no necklace at all.

"Come on, Tyler, let's go," Grone said, already turning and walking away from the scene.

"Wait!" the woman called out, her voice sharp. She pointed at Tyler. "You—"

"Yeah?" Tyler replied, wondering what she wanted.

"You're not a hunter, are you?" she stated, her eyes assessing him.

"What does that have to do with you?" Grone interjected, his tone hardening.

Rebecca grinned, a predatory gleam in her eyes. "You do know that entering a monster zone without a hunter's license carries a penalty, right? Even if you're just passing through."

"What?" Tyler exclaimed, his surprise evident.

"What are you trying to do here?" Grone demanded, his patience wearing thin.

Rebecca's grin widened. "If you give me the materials you have, I won't report this. Of course, if you refuse… we both know what happens," she said, the threat hanging heavy in the air.

Anger surged within Grone. He looked down at Rebecca's chest, spotting a D-rank hunter's badge. "You've got some guts, little girl," he said, taking a step closer, his voice low and dangerous.

"We outnumber you," Grone said, his voice dangerously low. "What if we end you right here and take all your gear, huh?" Tyler was taken aback by the threat; he'd never considered killing someone before.

"Oh yeah? You think I'm the only one in this forest? My partners aren't far from here. I'm sure they'll hear if I scream or call to them," Rebecca countered, her confidence unwavering.

"You're bluffing," Grone scoffed.

"You really think so?" she challenged, a smirk playing on her lips.

"Grone," Tyler interrupted, "let's just give her the Hexhorn materials. We already have more than we need for the quest."

Before Grone could respond, the materials materialized on the ground—the Hexhorn husks expertly cleaned, dry, and neatly arranged with six horns resting on top. Rebecca stared, surprised by the sudden, efficient display.

"Why would you do that?" Grone asked, his voice laced with disbelief. "How do you know she's not going to report us anyway?"

"Don't worry about it, I'm going to report you," Rebecca said, picking up one of the horns from the neatly arranged pile. "But if you don't get out of here soon, some hunters will most likely come through here," she added, a hint of something other than malice in her tone.

Grone clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Let's go."

Tyler followed Grone, glancing back one last time at Rebecca. Surprisingly, the confident, predatory grin was gone, replaced by a look that seemed almost… scared. Their eyes met for a split second before Tyler looked away and continued walking.

"Phew… That was a close one," Rebecca thought, relieved. "I was lucky his partner bought the bluff; otherwise, I would have been in trouble. That man was a C-rank hunter; even if he was alone, I wouldn't have been able to overpower him." She picked up a husk, examining it closely. "This ability of his… I've never heard of anything like it," she murmured to herself.

"Not only did he make it appear again, but it's completely clean," Rebecca mused, her voice low. "If people knew about his ability, I bet guilds would fight over him." She slipped the Hexhorn horns into her pocket. "My D-rank quest was to hunt a Brocklin here, but this looks like C-rank monster material. I'll fetch a good price with these," she said, hoisting the husk onto her shoulder. "That loser of an uncle better pay me my silver when I get back."

Meanwhile, Tyler and Grone found a narrow part of the river, a natural rock crossing where the water was shallow enough to jump across. They crossed easily. Tyler remained silent, his mind preoccupied. He thought about the quest reward—the gold from the base was expected, but the system had also promised a recipe for his success. He wondered what that would be.

As Tyler and Grone walked through the bushes, a wave of relief washed over him as the Crossroads base came into view. They approached the entrance, and Grone's sword hilt, catching the sunlight, momentarily distracted Tyler. It reminded him of his own broken weapons—the bashing hammer and copper dagger, both shattered beyond repair, reduced to dust.

As Grone and Tyler entered the Crossroads base, Grone said, "Hey, give me the materials." Without a word, Tyler produced six Hexhorn horns, which materialized in his hand, and handed them to Grone. "Let's go," Grone said, and they headed towards the main tent.

Inside, the scene was typical of a hunter's base. Hunters were accepting quests, submitting completed ones, and chatting amongst themselves. All were clad in armor and carried weapons—daggers, axes, and swords were all visible.

Serena looked up as they approached. "Oh, hi! You already finished your quest?"

Grone nodded. "Yes," he said, handing her the six Hexhorn horns. Serena's eyebrows rose in slight surprise. She turned to Tyler. "You didn't go with him, right?"

"Oh no," Grone answered. "We met up again when I returned here. We were supposed to go to town together."

"Oh, okay," Serena said, taking the horns. "Let me just take these. Here we go."

Serena placed the quest flyer on the counter. "All you have to do is sign here, as always," she said. Grone took what looked like a pencil and signed the document. Tyler was surprised to see such a familiar object; he'd expected something more archaic, like the quill pens he'd seen in historical movies.

"Since this mission was worth 120 silver coins," Serena said, "I'll just give you 12 gold coins." She ducked under the desk and placed the gold coins on the counter.

"Thanks," Grone said, starting to leave.

"Wait," Serena called out. "Aren't you taking any more quests? There are still about four C-rank quests available right now."

"No, that's all for now," Grone replied. "I'm heading to town."

Tyler was surprised. "Wasn't I supposed to get a recipe from the system after completing a mission?" He felt a pang of disappointment.

Grone clapped him on the shoulder. "See? We did a good job. I'll give you your share once we arrive in town."

Right then, Tyler saw a system text box appear before him, displaying:

C-Rank Quest Completed: Rewards:

Armor: Gloom Armor

Gloomfang Hides needed: 4

Before he could fully process this, another notification popped up:

Iron Axe

Iron Ores needed: 12

His excitement was quickly interrupted by yet another notification:

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Weak Healing Potion

Vital Flowers needed: 4

Water needed: 500ml

Vials Needed: 1 (can be crafted using Slime Cores)

Finally, one last notification appeared:

Quest Complete: All your stats have been raised by three points.

Grone looked at Tyler, who was standing still, staring blankly ahead. "What are you waiting for? Let's go," Grone said.

"Oh, all right," Tyler replied, snapping out of his reverie.

They headed around the back of the tent, expecting to find a waiting wagon. To their surprise, there were no horses, no carriages, nothing.

"Where are they?" Tyler asked, confused.

Grone shrugged. "They're probably in town waiting to bring people back here. Or maybe someone already took the carriages and left. Who knows? Anyways, we have to wait for them."

Tyler looked at Grone. "Oh, yeah, I have to tell you something."

"Remember when I said I was E-Rank?" Tyler said, a grin spreading across his face.

Grone frowned, "Yeah?"

"Well," Tyler continued, "I'm actually level 30."

"What?!" Grone exclaimed. "You're level 30 now ? You did kill a lot of higher-level monsters, but to think you jumped about ten levels with one quest... that's unheard of! Very impressive. I'm actually quite envious."

Tyler chuckled.

Grone shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. "Well, you still have a long way to go. And remember, the more you level up, the harder it gets. Which means you need to kill higher-ranked monsters," Grone finished, the unspoken dangers of such a pursuit hanging heavy in the air.

After a minute of waiting, a wagon drawn by two horses appeared. "Oh, there it is," Tyler said.

"Yeah," Grone agreed. They noticed it was a different driver than usual. Grone greeted the man, who returned the greeting, though he seemed to ignore Tyler. Tyler didn't mind; he took it as a general greeting to both of them. He climbed into the wagon, and they started their journey back to town.

Once they were underway, Grone turned to Tyler. "Are you ready to be a hunter?"

Tyler looked at Grone and said, "Yes, yes I am."

Grone looked at him with a concerned expression. "You know you almost died back there, right?"

Tyler looked down, the memory of his near-death experience flooding back. The terror, the feeling of his life slipping away—it was horrifying, a sensation he never wanted to repeat. But he wouldn't let that fear hold him back. Pain was the price of everything, wasn't it? The price of being a hunter, the price of success. There was always pain with success. He looked back up at Grone and said,

"I know, but I won't let that hold me back," Tyler said, his voice firm at first, then wavering slightly as self-doubt crept in. "I have to be a hunter. I have to level up. That's the only way..." His sentence trailed off, the conviction fading as he questioned the truth of his own words.

Grone, sensing his hesitation, finished the thought for him. "Go home."

"No," Tyler said, shaking his head. "I don't think I want to do that anymore."

Grone raised an eyebrow, surprised. "What? You don't want to return to your world?"

Tyler hesitated, "Yeah," Tyler said, a hint of bitterness in his voice. "Nothing is there for me. All I ever was out there was a burden. I never had good luck with anything. I always took advantage of people's kindness. But here... here I can become something more. I can live a life, actually become a higher-ranked hunter, can't I?"

Grone looked at him thoughtfully. "But don't you have family in the other world?"

"Yeah, but..." Tyler hesitated, then a small smile touched his lips. " My family never really loved me, in the first place."

"That's a lie," Grone said, his voice sharp. "There's no way someone—" He stopped, his sentence cut short by Tyler's confession.

"They all did," Tyler admitted, his voice low. "I don't really blame them, and I don't hate them for it either. It was all my fault, really. But here... here I can help out. As you can see, we did a quest together, didn't we? And after I become a hunter, I may not be a burden to you anymore. I can actually help you with shopping and everything—buy food, buy furniture. I can help with a lot of things. Maybe eventually I can even get a place of my own." Tyler smiled, looking at Grone with a hopeful expression.

Grone looked at Tyler, a genuine smile now on his face. Then, with a slight hesitation, he asked, "Tyler, did you happen to hear anything while you were unconscious?"

"What?" Tyler asked, tilting his head.

"Did you hear anything I said when you were about to die?" Grone clarified.

Tyler remembered Grone's words, the admission of a fatherly affection, but decided against revealing it. "No," he said, "I didn't hear anything. Did you say anything?"

"No, I didn't say anything," Grone replied. "I just wanted you to wake up, that's all. I actually thought you were dead for a second there."

"I thought I was too," Tyler said, "but it seems that whenever I level up, I heal, and my exhaustion lessens a bit."

"Huh," Grone said, thoughtfully. "That is very useful."

As they approached the town, the driver, who had been listening to their conversation, glanced back, a puzzled expression on his face. Grone talking to this young man about another world, about healing with each level-up… it was all very unusual. It sounded vaguely familiar, yet somehow profoundly wrong.

The wagon pulled up to the marketplace, and Grone and Tyler hopped down. Grone removed a gold coin and offered it to the driver.

"Gold?" the driver said, surprised. "Oh, I don't really have change for that right now."

"All right," Grone said, taking back the gold coin and replacing it with a silver one and six copper. He handed the silver coin to the driver. Then, with a nod to the driver, Grone and Tyler walked off into the bustling marketplace.

Grone walked alongside Tyler. "Oh, we're not going home by the way," Grone said. "We're going to the Guildhall."

"Guildhall?" Tyler asked, a little surprised.

"Yes," Grone confirmed. "It's on the edge of town; you'll see it when we're near. It's a very big building. That's where you'll register as a hunter. You want to do it today, don't you?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah," Tyler said, though his heart was beating a little faster. He was nervous, but this was what he wanted, what he was supposed to do. He wouldn't let fear stop him now; it was too late for that.

He and Grone continued walking, past Hector's shop. Instead of turning left towards Grone's house, they went straight, down a road Tyler had never traveled before. Then he saw it—a massive building, far larger than he'd imagined. As they approached, he noticed a small clearing in front of the Guildhall, and in the center, a surprisingly small fountain. "Fountains here?" he thought, surprised by this unexpected touch of elegance.

"Well, I shouldn't be surprised," Tyler muttered to himself. "I mean, I was pretty surprised when I realized they had flushing toilets here. The wooden seat was a bit off, but a flushing toilet? Not that surprising, really, since they don't need electricity. But to think they have that kind of plumbing... Anyway..."

He shook his head, pushing aside his musings about sanitation. They were nearing the entrance now. The Guildhall was enormous, a sprawling building that dwarfed even his expectations. Inside, a large hall stretched before him, bustling with activity. A long counter ran along one side, staffed by both men and women, presumably guild officials. Hunters milled about, some accepting quests, others lounging at tables, engaged in lively conversations. The sheer scale of the place was impressive, a testament to the importance of the hunter's guild in this world.

The entrance itself was impressive. A massive, double-doored opening, more of a wide archway than a traditional door, stood before them. The floor beneath their feet was polished wood, gleaming under the light. Beyond the counter, which stretched the length of the hall, Tyler noticed a small passageway on either side, leading to what he assumed were upstairs areas. Behind the guild officials, numerous quest flyers and postings were affixed to large notice boards, a chaotic yet organized display of available missions. The whole scene hummed with a vibrant energy, a mix of anticipation and camaraderie.

Grone and Tyler approached the counter, where a man with brown hair stood waiting. "Hi, how can I help you?" the man asked.

"We're here to—" Grone began, then gestured to Tyler. "—my friend here is here to apply for a hunter's badge."

The man's gaze shifted to Tyler, assessing him with a brief, appraising look. "Please wait a moment," he said, before turning and heading upstairs. Tyler and Grone exchanged a look, then settled in to wait for the man's return.

The man returned, saying, "Please come this way." Grone and Tyler started to move towards the side passage beside the counter. Before Tyler could pass, however, the man stopped Grone. "Sorry, only he's allowed. You're already a hunter, right?"

Grone nodded. "Oh, okay."

Tyler shot a nervous glance at Grone, who gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, kid. It'll be all right."

Tyler then followed the man through the passage and up the stairs. Reaching the upper level, or balcony, he saw a door at the end of a short hallway.

The man opened the door, holding it open for Tyler to enter. Stepping inside, Tyler gasped. The room was enormous, easily the size of a dojo or martial arts training hall. In the far corner, behind a large desk, sat a man wearing glasses—reminiscent of the officials he'd seen at the crossroads base. On the wall beside the man, Tyler spotted a familiar orb, the kind used to assess a hunter's level.

"What are you waiting for?" the man said, gesturing towards the desk. "Come in."

Tyler approached the desk. In the far corner, a man with neatly combed white hair sitting on a wodden chair with one leg crossed over the other, sipping from a teacup. Tyler sat down. "Good evening," he said to the man behind the desk.

"Good evening," the man replied. "I hear you wish to become a hunter."

"Yes," Tyler confirmed.

"And your name is...?"

"Tyler Evans," Tyler answered.

The man's eyebrow rose slightly. "Evans? I don't believe I've heard that name before." He leaned forward, his gaze steady. "So, Tyler, why do you want to be a hunter?"

Tyler's nervousness grew. Why he wanted to be a hunter? He hadn't anticipated an interview, a grilling of his motivations. He stammered, "Oh, um, I—"

The man chuckled. "Ha, I'm just joking with you. I don't really care why you want to be a hunter. People have all sorts of reasons, and frankly, I hate them all. So tell me something else. What do you think your level is?"

Tyler hesitated. He wanted to state his level, but then remembered the man likely didn't know about his hidden skill, and he wasn't ready to reveal that yet.

"Um, I don't know my specific level," Tyler said, "but I think I might be E-rank by now, right?"

"Good answer," the man said, a hint of amusement in his tone. He then called out, "Clyde!"

A man in the corner, sipping tea, responded, "Yeah?"

"Come over here and stop being a bum! I told you to stay close so you can assess new hunters!"

"All right, all right, I'm coming," Clyde grumbled, muttering under his breath, "There aren't always new hunters anyway. We get maybe two a week in this town...or just one." He then approached the desk. The man turned to Tyler. "Clyde, use your uncover skill on this one."

Tyler stared at Clyde, his eyes widening in surprise as Clyde's eyes began to glow an eerie white. A system notification then appeared before Tyler:

Clyde Rock has used skill [Uncover]. Skill resisted.

Clyde gasped, stumbling backward, clutching at his eyes. The man at the desk stood abruptly. "Clyde, what's wrong?"

Clyde removed his hands, revealing the shocking sight of blood welling up in his eyes. The system's resistance to Clyde's skill was clearly causing him pain.

Clyde glared at Tyler, a furious expression twisting his features. He grabbed Tyler by the collar. "What the fuck are you trying to do, huh?"

"What do you mean?" Tyler asked, completely bewildered.

The man behind the desk intervened. "Clyde, what the hell are you doing? What happened?"

"This little brat also has the Uncover skill!" Clyde snarled, his voice tight with anger. "You know if you block someone trying to Uncover you, you can hurt them! Why did you do that? Why did you tell us your level? We could have just checked you using the orb!"

"I don't know what you're talking about—" Tyler started to protest, but before he could finish, Clyde punched him hard, sending him stumbling backward.

Tyler glared back at Clyde, the urge to retaliate burning in his chest. But then he saw it—a system notification hovering above Clyde's head: Clyde Rock:Lvl 104. Shock rippled through him. 104? He glanced at the man behind the desk, and another notification appeared: James Frost Lvl 155. The sheer power radiating from these men was overwhelming. Swallowing hard, Tyler repeated, "I said I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh yeah?" Clyde sneered, lifting his fist. A faint blue glow emanated from his knuckles. James intervened sharply, "Stop! Are you trying to kill him?"

"Do you see what this bastard did to my face?" Clyde retorted, wiping at the blood still welling from his eyes. "I'm not using my Uncover skill anymore. I don't think I'll be able to use this for a whole week. We'll just have to use the orb from now on." James Frost turned his gaze to Tyler, his expression serious. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Are you stupid?" Clyde exploded. "Uncover skills don't malfunction! Plus, even if they did, why would blood just suddenly burst out of my eyes, huh? You're probably just getting too old for this!"

James Frost raised a hand, silencing Clyde instantly. Tyler stared, dumbfounded, as Clyde's mouth vanished completely. He was humming, but no sound emerged. A system notification appeared: James Frost has used skill [Silence].

James said calmly, "Okay, time to use the ord."

"All right," Tyler said, approaching the orb. James instructed, "Put your hand on the orb." As Tyler complied, a blue light pulsed from the screen mounted on the wall above the orb. The results appeared:

E-Rank

Level 30

Class: Assassin

Tyler frowned, utterly confused. Assassin? The system had always listed his class as Craftsman. Why was this showing Assassin?

James touched his chin thoughtfully. "Huh, Assassin, huh? You're pretty lucky, kid. Many people don't actually get the Assassin class."

"Why did I get the Assassin class?" Tyler asked. A system notification popped up: User is currently equipped with an Assassin item: Copper Dagger.

James Frost, not noticing the notification, said, "Well, I don't know, kid. No one really knows why they get their classes, but you're lucky to even have a class at all. Anyways, come sit down with me."

Tyler and James sat opposite each other at the desk. Clyde remained silent, still humming to himself.

Tyler looked at Clyde, whose frustrated humming filled the silence. "Ummm," Tyler started, but James interrupted.

"Don't worry, it'll wear off. I always do that to him when he's annoying. Anyways, since you're a Level 30 E-rank, what have you been doing to reach that level without being a hunter? Let me guess, you were farming, right?"

"Well, not exactly," Tyler replied. "I was training."

James nodded thoughtfully. "Well, that explains it. It was probably a good idea. Most people train before they come to assess their levels and take on being a hunter, thinking they've raised their levels far more than they actually have."

James Frost slid a document across the desk towards Tyler. Tyler was surprised; the language was completely unfamiliar, yet he understood it perfectly. James said, "Just sign where it needs to be signed."

"Oh, okay," Tyler replied.

James raised an eyebrow. "You do know how to read, right? I mean, some... most of the poorer folk don't, so maybe I can sign for you."

"Yeah, sure, I know how to read," Tyler admitted, "but I really don't know how to write."

"Oh, okay," James said, taking the document back. "You said your name was Tyler Evans, right?"

"Yes," Tyler confirmed.

James wrote Tyler's name on the document. "And you are level 30. I want to hear you say that yourself."

"Yes, I am a level 30," Tyler confirmed. James wrote it down. "And you want to be a hunter, correct? Tell us that."

"Yes, I want to be a hunter," Tyler stated.

Suddenly, both James and Tyler heard Clyde mutter, "A very stupid hunter," under his breath. Tyler was startled to see Clyde's mouth had reappeared. Tyler immediately regretted the return of Clyde's mouth, since he was already mocking him, his expression a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment.

James Frost sighed. "Well, that'll be all for now." He opened a drawer in his desk and produced a necklace. Tyler took it, examining it closely. At first glance, it seemed copper, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was bronze. The single letter 'E' was etched into the pendant.

"Thank you," Tyler said, looking up at James.

"You're welcome," James replied. He turned to Clyde. "Clyde, you may escort him."

Clyde scoffed. "Why would I want to escort this piece of crap?"

"All right, Tyler, you may leave," James said.

"Oh, all right," Tyler replied. He examined the necklace again, noticing small hooks at the end of each chain. He hooked them onto the back of his neck, securing the necklace. Then he left the room.

Groon saw Tyler descending the stairs. He noticed a slight injury on Tyler's face. Groon was concerned, but Tyler's surprisingly cheerful demeanor was confusing. Groon decided he needed to hear what Tyler had to say.

As soon as Tyler reached the first floor, the man who had brought him to the room asked, "How did things go?"

"It went well, as you can see," Tyler replied, gesturing to the E-rank necklace.

The man's face fell. "Oh, you're an E-Rank?" His disappointment was palpable, and Tyler felt a pang of his own disappointment in return. E-Rank was, after all, the lowest hunter rank. The man continued, "Oh, okay. We can't really give you an E-rank quest here."

"Oh, it's fine," Tyler said, trying to sound unconcerned.

He then approached Grone. Grone looked at him and exclaimed, "Oh, so you're a hunter now? That's great!"

Tyler smiled. "Yes!"

Grone's expression shifted to concern. "But what happened to your face? It's bruised."

"Oh, it's fine," Tyler said. "It was just a misunderstanding."

"Yeah, but what happened?" Grone pressed.

Tyler explained about the Uncover skill and how Clyde Rock had punched him.

"Oh, so that's what happened," Grone said thoughtfully. "Why didn't you want to tell them you have the Uncover skill?"

"I don't know," Tyler admitted. "I just don't feel like revealing it yet."

Grone smiled. "You're a pretty smart kid. You should keep that a secret. That would be a good thing to do, even in battle."

"Well, let's go," Grone said, and Tyler, now officially a hunter, stepped out of the guild hall and into the town.

As they walked, a man wearing a clearly visible D-Rank hunter's necklace approached them. "Oh, hey guys," he said.

"Hello," Grone replied.

"Hi," Tyler added.

The man continued, "Okay guys, I have a proposal for you. I want you to join my guild."

Grone and Tyler simultaneously exclaimed, "What?"