Tyler and Grone stood before the D-rank hunter, who had stopped them in their tracks. Grone, unimpressed, brushed past the man, muttering, "Not interested." He turned to see Tyler still engaged in conversation with the hunter.
"Just hear me out," the man said. "There are a lot of advantages to being a guild member."
Grone returned, his tone skeptical. "There are a lot of disadvantages, too. Why would a D-rank hunter want to start a guild anyway? You should be A-rank and above for that."
"I know," the hunter replied, "but we work together, we can build a guild faster. Some people have already done this before. Listen, I was already part of a guild before, so I know how everything works. With your help, I can build a guild from the ground up."
Tyler looked at the desperate-looking man and said, "Sorry, but I just recently became a hunter. As of right now, I just came from collecting my hunter's badge," he added, placing a hand on his E-rank necklace.
The hunter said, "Oh, that's all right, I'll teach you everything you need to know about hunting."
Gron interrupted, "I can teach him what he needs to know about hunting; he doesn't have to join a guild." He looked at Tyler. "Tyler, listen, joining a guild can be very dangerous. You don't need to trust some random people to help you reach success in life. Lots of people have been betrayed and killed in guilds, and there's nothing anyone can do about it."
The man started to say, "That's..." but was cut off. "It's not that I don't want to join your guild," Tyler explained. "It's just that I want to learn how to really hunt on my own. Plus, as I said, I just became a hunter, so I don't think I want to join a guild right off the bat. I'll think about your offer when I've achieved a higher rank, but for now, I just want to hunt on my own." Tyler then walked off with Grone, leaving the disappointed D-rank hunter behind.
The man muttered, "Damn it." Then, he said, "They do have a point. Why would anyone want to make a deal with a D-rank? It looks like I'll have to really rank up first to gain people's trust and judgment. Well, then I'll just have to go and accept some really difficult quests." He sighed and walked off in the opposite direction.
As Tyler and Grone walked, Tyler looked at Grone and asked, "Why don't you want me to join a guild?"
Grone said, "Guilds can be dangerous, Tyler. You don't just join a group of people and expect to work with them, especially if they're already established. Remember when we go into monster zones? There's no one else there to witness anything. People can kill you, take your gear, and no one would be the wiser. They could report you as dead, killed by a monster, when they were the real killers. Plus, even if you're starting a hunting group with someone, they can betray you. You shouldn't just trust everyone who says they'll help you. Understand that.
Tyler remembered Grone's threat against the girl they'd found in the woods. He looked at Grone and asked, "Grone, have you ever killed someone?"
Grone was momentarily taken aback by the direct question, but continued walking. He looked at Tyler and said, "Yes, I did kill someone before."
Tyler was shocked. Grone didn't seem like the type to kill someone—at least, not now that he knew him.
Grone continued, "It's a very long story, but it was something I had to do. It was either their life or mine."
Grone looked at Tyler and said, "Listen, I know your old world was probably hard, but this world can be worse. I don't really know what your world was like, but let me ask you this: have you ever witnessed a murder?"
Tyler replied, "Well, no. I once saw someone die, but I never actually witnessed a murder."
"You saw someone die before?" Grone asked.
"Yes," Tyler said. "It was a car accident, but that was a very long time ago. Why are you asking me this?"
Grone said, "When you become a hunter, you will probably witness a murder. Well, you will, and probably not just one. I'm certain you'll witness one, but maybe more."
Tyler said, "What? Why is that?"
Grone explained, "Well, you see, when people go into monster zones, they tend to fight and kill each other there. It happens a lot. The hunter business is very dangerous. That's why most people don't become hunters. It's a job with money and fame; you'll be respected, you'll level up, and gain power. But it's very dangerous. You already know that. You were already beaten by a hunter, remember?"
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Tyler said, "Yeah, I remember." He sighed. "You really should have told me this before I became a hunter."
Grone chuckled and hit Tyler playfully on the back. "Would you have said no if I told you that?"
Tyler admitted, "Probably not."
They both continued walking, turning right onto the street where Grone's house was located.
Grone said, "Oh, I almost forgot about something."
"What is it?" Tyler asked.
Grone said, "I wanted to give you this once you officially became a hunter." He handed Tyler six gold coins. "Remember when I told you I'd get this for you once we arrived in town?"
Tyler said, "Oh, I totally forgot about that! Thank you!"
Grone replied, "No, thank you. Because of you, I was able to complete that quest." A bitter excitement—the thrill of his first earned gold, and a significant amount at that—crept inside Tyler as he looked at the coins.
The coins shimmered blue, then separated and went into Tyler's inventory. They continued walking until they reached Grone's house. Grone opened the door, and they entered the sitting room, which was empty. Grone looked to the right, saw his bedroom door open, and then saw Lisa, his wife, emerge from the room.
Lisa said, "Good evening. How was your hunt?"
Grone replied, "It went well. And guess what?"
Lisa said, "What?"
Grone said, "Tyler's a hunter now."
Lisa gasped in surprise. She went over to Tyler, saw the E-Rank necklace, and exclaimed, "Wow, you really are a hunter now! Have we leveled up that much already?"
Tyler smiled. "Yes, I'm a level 30 now."
Lisa looked at Grone with a concerned expression. "Just how much training did you put him through?"
Grone said, "It wasn't that hard, right, Tyler?"
Tyler nervously chuckled. "Yeah, it wasn't that hard. It wasn't that hard at all."
Lisa smiled, gently fixing Tyler's hair with her hands. "You have to stop lying to me. I knew it was pretty hard for you to get to this level this fast. Anyway, I'll have to cook something for you guys. You're hungry, right?"
"Yes," Grone and Tyler said simultaneously.
She chuckled, walking off towards the kitchen. "Okay, you guys rest while I make us food, okay?"
Grone said, "All right," taking off his bag.
Tyler went into his room and threw himself onto the small bed, resting against it. He was already used to the slightly hard exterior; it was still squishy and comfortable enough. He opened his status screen and looked at his stats.
SPECIES: Human
NAME: Tyler Evans
RANK: E
LVL: 30
CLASS: Craftsman
HP: 98/98 MP: 93/93
STR: 87 AGI: 75
DEF: 69 STM: 71
STATUS: Healthy
Skills: Armour Craft, Weapon Craft, Weapon Mastery, Alchemy
Equipped Skill:
He realized all his stats had increased by three points each due to completing the C-ranked mission. He sat up, remembering he had the materials to craft the items the system had shown him. He recalled the recipes and then said, "System, craft Gloom Armor." A text box appeared, displaying: Craft Armor (Yes/No) ,and Tyler replied, "Yes, craft Gloom Armor."
The system replied: Crafting... Tyler watched the loading bar, his eyes narrowing as it slowly filled. He waited, and waited, the anticipation building. Finally, the bar filled, and the message Crafting Success! appeared. Tyler was excited to see the item he'd crafted. He already had the four eyes needed, he recalled. He got off the bed, standing on the floor, ready to equip the armor.
He went to his inventory and selected the item's icon. A separate status window appeared, displaying: Gloom Armor. Tyler was surprised. It had 70 Defense. Below that, it read: Skill: Rush. Tyler was even more surprised. "Seventy defense and a skill?" He just had to equip it. He said, "Equip," and something happened. His clothes shimmered, and the Gloom Armor appeared on him.
The Gloom Armor was striking. It wasn't quite a robe, but it shared some similarities. A long, flowing garment, almost cloak-like in its length, reached past his knees. The fabric itself seemed to shift subtly in the light, a deep, midnight blue with a soft, almost ethereal sheen. The sleeves were long and wide, flaring slightly at the wrists, and adorned with an intricate pattern: three concentric circles, perfectly rendered, repeated along the length of each sleeve. The high collar stood up sharply, framing his neck, and the overall cut was surprisingly fitted despite the flowing length, accentuating his physique without being restrictive. It wasn't bulky or heavy-looking; instead, it gave an impression of both power and grace, a garment that seemed both practical and elegant, the kind of attire one might expect a powerful, yet subtly mysterious, mage or warrior to wear.
Tyler looked at the armor, then at his hands. "Wow," he breathed, "this looks absolutely amazing." He added, "I wish I had a mirror in my room so I could actually check myself out." He then checked his stats.
SPECIES: Human
NAME: Tyler Evans
RANK: E
LVL: 30
CLASS: Craftsman
HP: 98/98 MP: 93/93
STR: 87 AGI: 75
DEF:139 STM: 71
STATUS: Healthy
Skills: Armour Craft, Weapon Craft, Weapon Mastery, Alchemy
Equipped Skill: Rush- MC 17
Tyler was surprised. His defense was now in the three digits—it was almost hard to believe. One of his stats had broken into three digits, and his HP was close behind. He thought, "It's actually crazy how the system works". If i kept leveling up, I'd receive more HP, meaning i would survive longer in battle. He then said, "Hey system, can you give me any information on the Rush skill?"
Tyler was surprised that the system answered him. A notification appeared: Rush Skill: Multiplies user speed by 30% for five minutes when activated. Tyler was surprised. This was a very useful skill. He said, "No wonder those Gloomfangs were so fast whenever they activated that skill; I could barely see them."
Tyler unequipped the armor, and his own clothes reappeared. He went outside and into the kitchen, where he saw Lisa cooking at the stove. He still didn't quite understand how the stove worked. It looked like a gas stove, but he couldn't see any gas lines or tanks. He didn't dwell on it; he simply grabbed a wooden cup and went to the water barrel in the corner, filling the cup before returning to his room. Tyler sat on the bed, pondering the alchemy skill. It was probably why he'd been given a potion recipe, and he already had the necessary water. All he needed was a vial. He said, "Craft vial," and the system responded, Craft item (Yes/No) Tyler said, "Yes." Unlike the armor, there was no loading bar. The system instantly replied: Crafted item and a vial materialized in his outstretched hand made of glass.
He muttered, "What do I do here?" He poured the water from the cup into the vial; it fit perfectly. He asked again, "Um, what do I do exactly here?" He then said, "Craft potion," and the vial in his hand vanished. The system instantly replied: Potion has been made. Tyler was surprised by the speed. He opened his palm, and the completed potion vial appeared.
The potion's liquid glowed faintly, a vibrant green. Tyler asked, "What do I do with this?" The system quickly replied: Consuming the potion will recover 30% of the usurer's health. Tyler was surprised. This would be very efficient. He wondered what would happen if he drank it now.
He wondered what it would taste like. He said, "Oh well," and gulped down the potion. The liquid was warm as it went down, a strange flavor. It tasted like water, but with an undercurrent of something like a powdered drink mix—a hint of lemon, yet somehow distant and not entirely pleasant. After he finished, a system notification appeared: Achievement Unlocked: The Potion Secret: User has drunk the potion at full health resulting in two additional HP points. He was surprised. "Wait," he said, "if I drink this every time I'm at full health, does that mean I can keep adding points to my HP?" The system then reappeared: Plus Virality.
" Wait, What?"