Chapter 9: Ranking Up. Part One
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Name: Coal
Race: 99% - Human, 1% - ???
Class: N/A
Titles:
Farmer’s Son - Learns farm-related things easier (+1 Strength/Endurance)
Mana/Qi/Aura: 40
Strength: 18
Endurance: 17
Intelligence: 21
Willpower: 15
Skills:
* Speech - Competent
* Farming Tools - Competent
* Agriculture - Competent
* Hunting - Novice
* Archery - Nil
* Spearmanship -Nil
* Swordsmanship - Competent
* Earth Skin - Beginner
* Earth Sense - Novice
* Fire Burst - Novice
Traits:
* Blessed by Earth (Minor)
* Blessed by Fire (Small)
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As Coal and his group made their way back to the adventurer's guild, he took a moment to review his stats and abilities. He felt encouraged by the progress he had made, and considered which areas he could focus on improving next.
Having gained a contract with an earth spirit, Coal was amazed at how much his energy had increased and the acquisition of a new skill. This newfound ability allowed him to slightly sense the surrounding environment through his earth affinity, giving him an expanded awareness of his surroundings.
As the group approached the city's gate, they prepared their identification for inspection. After they presented their IDs, Gwen turned towards Coal with a curious smile. She asked if she could hold his earth spirit and inquired about its name.
Although Coal was connected to the earth spirit within his energy center, he realized he had never thought to inquire about its name – an oversight that suddenly seemed quite absurd given the intimate nature of their contract.
Embarrassed, he sent a mental message to the spirit, hoping it wouldn't take offense to his tardiness in asking such a fundamental question. The spirit responded with a warm and excited presence, happy to tell Coal and reassuring Coal that no harm was done.
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The little cute mud turtle spirit was named Muddy, a simple name that Coal thought was quite fitting.
Coal extended his arm and, with a focused expression, channeled energy that flowed from his core along his arm and out through his hand.
In an instant, Muddy materialized as a small, rocky dirt turtle, squeaking with delight at being conjured into the physical realm.
Gwen and Gary, amazed by the manifestation, eagerly approached and gently petted the adorable creature.
Upon arriving back at the adventurer's guild, Coal and his companions were greeted by familiar faces near the entrance and inside the bustling hall. Their successful return drew the attention of fellow adventurers who congratulated them on their first completed quest.
As they approached the reception desk, Coal and his companions noticed Kelly, the helpful staff member, waiting for them with a smile. "Congratulations, you all finished the quest quite quickly! I hope everything went smoothly! Now, let's see the herbs," she said as Gary and Coal placed the bundled herbs on the desk.
With an experienced eye, Kelly carefully inspected the herbs that Coal and his companions had collected, assessing their quality and ensuring that they had been harvested without damaging the plants. Her expertise was evident as she deftly sorted through the bundles, nodding in approval at their selection.
It was evident that the group's hard work and diligent efforts had paid off, as the bountiful amount of herbs was a clear indication of their successful foray. Pleased with the results, Kelly praised the group for their exceptional work and ensured them that their careful harvesting would benefit many who need the paste the herbs would make.
Having gathered more herbs than required for their current quest, Coal and his companions faced a decision on what to do with the excess herbs. They could keep the surplus for personal use, sell them back to the guild, or turn in the herbs for another quest that needed them.
They decided to turn in the herbs for another quest since they desired to rank up quickly and more finished quests for their party would expedite the process.
Having made their decision, the group handed over all the herbs to Kelly, who assigned a nearby guild member to transport the bundles to their respective destinations. While the herbs were being taken care of, Kelly busied herself with paperwork to finalize the completion of not one, but two quests.
With a satisfied smile, Kelly presented Coal and his companions with their rewards: one silver coin and fifty copper coins, a sum sufficient for a night's stay at the local inn or a couple meals at the local tavern.
Now with their quests completed, Coal and his companions were informed by Kelly that their party only needed a few more successful quests within the kingdom to rank up to Rank F.
Since the quests had to focus on helping out within the kingdom, Coal and his companions decided on three tasks: helping a child find their lost cat, assisting a bakery with delivering goods, and aiding the local church in its daily activities.
This diverse set of missions allowed the group to not only give back to the community but also to familiarize themselves with the different aspects of life in the kingdom.
Bringing the quests to the reception desk, Coal and his companions registered all three tasks to their party. Believing that it would be more efficient to divide and conquer, they decided to split up to complete the quests.
Coal headed off to help the child find their lost cat, Gary took on the responsibility of delivering goods for the bakery, and Gwen ventured towards the church to provide assistance in its daily activities.
Gary's task involved completing thirty deliveries for the bakery, a time-consuming endeavor that could potentially take the rest of the day.
Meanwhile, Gwen's assignment would require her to spend several days assisting the church in their daily activities. As for Coal, the duration of his quest to find the lost cat was uncertain – it could be completed quickly or end up being the most time-consuming of all three tasks.
Once any of them finished their respective quests, they pledged to help the others who were still working on theirs, ensuring that the party would successfully complete all three tasks efficiently.
Recognizing the importance of serving the community, the Adventurer's Guild designed these quests as tests for its members. These tasks emphasized the fundamental belief that an adventurer should be a helpful, selfless individual rather than someone who only sought power and wealth.
By encouraging guild members to undertake quests such as these, which offered little monetary gain but proved invaluable to the community, the guild cultivated a sense of responsibility and empathy among its ranks. Coal and his companions, eager to prove themselves and embody the true spirit of adventuring, dedicated themselves to the successful completion of their assigned tasks, fostering goodwill within the kingdom.