It had been a week or so and Wynst had had some time to think. And experiment too.

He couldn’t remember a single memory relating to who he was or what he held dear in his past life. Only knowledge and perspective remained. It wasn’t a painful emptiness, which resulted in guilt, a phantom pain of sorts.

He wasn’t sure of his fate or his goal. He was, ironically, more of a wanderer than he initially thought. A [Realm Wanderer], he still couldn’t believe it.

There were no more hints forthcoming.

He was just, traveling—wandering.

The landscape was a beauty that was absolutely sublime. The kind of scene that made someone seem small, where the presence of a single entity could do nothing to ruin the view, even if he tried. Evergreen trees that reached for the sky, a sunset orange that painted everything with sunlight, the songs of the forest drifting through the canopy.

Maybe he had a soft spot for such aesthetics? Of course, he couldn’t remember. But, as he’d been doing the past week, he decided on another part of a crippled identity. He now liked such aesthetics.

Dirt crunched under his boots—which he had found in his [Soul Dimension]—and he hadn’t realized the difference in texture under his feet until he noticed a break in the trees. He looked down, the cut in monotony prompting him to take a look around.

It was a trail. The makings of a paved path. A road. It had curved from around a bend and Wynst followed its direction, staring up at the mountainous forest. The one clearly artificial thing since he’d arrived, barring his [Soul Dimension’s] contents.

He cut through a few branches and set upon the road properly.

Ghost had suggested practicing his particular brand of magic and Wynst had found creating mundane objects the easiest exercise. The machete in his hand disappeared and a walking stick appeared in his hands as he followed the road.

Two days later, he’d arrived at something much more developed than he’d thought to expect. It wasn’t a village or a town, not the normal sort at least. A stone wall greeted him, jutting up against the natural canyon between two forested mountains.

He saw figures moving on the wall as he walked up to the gate. When he got closer they held bows ready, hands rested comfortably on bladed weapons. No guns then? They didn’t make a move to draw said weapons though and instead called down.

“What business, lone traveler?”

They are saying—

“I’ve just been on the road too long. Looking for civilization.” He said tiredly. He didn’t have to fake it. Sure he could’ve stayed comfortable inside his home, but that wouldn’t have actually gotten him anywhere.

You can understand them? And speak to them? Ghost echoed in his mind.

“They’re speaking English, aren’t they?” The words slowed on his lips. That probably wasn’t right.

Ghost paused before responding. They are not.

Of course, they weren’t. That wouldn’t make sense.

One of the guards looked at his partner then turned back to him. “Where do you hail from, lone traveler?”

“Far, far away.” He said honestly. “Though I’ve been in the forest for a week.”

They seemed to raise eyebrows at that. “A week? The main road shouldn’t take a day at most.”

“Well, I wasn’t on the road.” He responded. “I think I cut through the valley up to the road. I’ve been kind of lost.”

They went quiet and a certain air took over the conversation. “You’re straight from the Uncharted then?” One of them said through the silence.

“Send him through! He’s probably an adventurer.” A voice called.

“He’s got a staff on him. A mage then?”

“Traveling alone and from the Uncharted? Unlikely.”

One of them called over the bustle. “Have you been to Kingsrest before?” It was a mustached man actually trying to be helpful over whatever gossip had just erupted. Wynst appreciated it.

“I’ve only just arrived for the first time.” He called up. “Haven’t been before.”

“Explains why you couldn’t find the road.” The mustached guard chuckled. “The Guild’s straight ahead at the plaza. The plaza’s the same place you’ll find lodging, adventurer.”

Then the gates opened and he walked through to a city made of stone and wood. Only it looked nothing like what he expected both in terms of modern architecture and medieval paintings. Instead of cobblestone buildings or wooden logs, he was met with structures that seemed to be raised from the forest itself. Buildings carved from the mountain, or grown from trees.

It is the work of skilled craftsmen, hired geomancers, or druids. Ghost explained, unprompted. I am surprised you were able to understand the local language.

Wynst was too.

In that case, it may be an effect of one of your Titles. A way to smoothen the transition from a previous life or a previous realm. To break one of the most prevalent barriers; language.

“You’re saying I might be able to understand every language here?” Now that was a thought. A whole new world and he hadn’t been thinking of what that might mean.

That may be the case.

People stared at him as he walked and he immediately recognized he looked strange. His clothing did not match anyone else’s. While they had more rough-hewn fabrics or more practical textiles, he wore a jacket and joggers. It was good for the cool temperature of the forest, but no doubt looked strange. Foreign for sure.

Do you know what the Guild is, Ghost? He tried mentally, ignoring the stares as much as he could. Talking to himself would only exacerbate the problem.

The Guild is the shortened moniker of the Adventurer’s Guild, a powerful organization that explores the world in an effort to discover all that there is to discover. As such, their members come across many Articles, consolidating their power. Overall, they are a force of good combatting problems as they threaten the general populace.

I thought you had a basic information package or something. Does that count as basic information? And how do you even have all this information anyway? Wynst rose a mental brow.

The creation of an [Omni Intelligence] involves powerful magics along with advanced technology. A combination of divination magic and information systems form the very foundations of my knowledge. As a result, my records are wide in scope and with respectable depth.

Wynst exhaled. He couldn’t really complain, without Ghost, he’d be in bad shape. It was the [Omni Intelligence] that allowed him to forage for edibles and survive in the wilderness the past week. He couldn’t even be certain he’d have been able to navigate out of the forest without Ghost’s help. He’d definitely avoided a myriad of dangers.

Wynst debated checking out the Guild. He didn’t really have business there, but if it was an organization dedicated to exploring, then maybe it was in his interest to do so. As he walked, he eavesdropped and realized he could understand everyone.

He heard the occasional comment or remark about him but nothing beyond that. Funnily, they seemed to grasp his heading before he himself realized it.

“An adventurer!” A little boy exclaimed, tugging on his mother.

Maybe Wynst did look strange because the mother was quick to pull the child away. “Don’t point at strangers.” She chided him, giving Wynst a passing glance.

A few more minutes and he found a building that was unmistakably the Adventurer’s Guild. He shrugged and walked inside. It was more spacious in here than it was outside. A handful of groups, obviously tightly knit, loitered around. Some men and women were staring at a wall full of papers and sheaves, others drinking and eating at tables. A lot of them eyed him curiously.

He paused, unsure, but found what he took as a receptionist.

“Hello.” He said, walking up to a wooden counter.

“Greetings, sir. How may I help you?” The spectacled man had strange patterns on his skin that Wynst didn’t immediately recognize.

He managed to push down his initial surprise. “Uh, is this the Adventurer’s Guild?” Well, maybe not entirely. The receptionist, as it turned out, was not entirely human.

The ‘man’ rose an eyebrow, the patterns on his face seeming more and more like beige scales. “Yes, this is the famous Adventurer’s Guild.” He said patiently. “Are you perhaps here to place a request?”

Wynst noticed, through the receptionist’s glasses, that his pupils weren’t typical either. “N-no, not at all. Could you tell me about the Guild? I was thinking of joining but wasn’t sure.” He said, recovering.

The man looked at him curiously. “It isn’t many who make the trek to a Guild branch unsure. Usually, anyone seeking membership has their heart already set on the path.”

“Well, I guess you could say I lost my path… uh, or something like that,” Wynst replied.

“Then can I assume you know the very basic benefits of being a member?” The man asked, then slowed when he caught Wynst’s face. “Ah, I see. Are you perhaps from somewhere without a Guild presence then?”

Wynst nodded. “That’s probably a good way to put it.”

“Hmm, where shall I start then?” He thought for a while before continuing. “Right, so, the Adventurer’s Guild is an organization that handles any number of problems. The greatest of our members are called to fight great foes, suppress monster hordes, chart new lands, and so forth. The weakest of us run messages, deliver packages, gather materials, or do other easier tasks.”

“The allure of the Guild comes from the opportunity inherent in its requests. Beyond the mundane rewards someone may promise for a request, the Guild is one of the few organizations known to produce Quests. Even putting aside the allure of Articles, a successful adventurer can make good money if they are brave enough to weather the dangers.”

A Quest?

A type of Article that requires something to be done. Upon completion, one may attain various rewards. Ghost responded wordlessly. It is a reliable way to attain other Articles as well.

Wynst hummed.

“So if I join, I can take on jobs to make money and potentially get powerful Articles? That sounds like a good deal, why doesn’t everyone do that?”

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The receptionist gave a wan smile. “There are safer ways to earn a living. A blacksmith with the appropriate Skill, for instance, can find reliable money much easier than an adventurer. An adventurer, if he wanted to make a living, must risk his life. To rely on the mundane requests as a stable income is folly, such requests do not last long, as they are highly sought after.”

Wynst thought he understood. “So the requests with the best rewards are always more dangerous which means they’re the last ones to be completed.”

“That is generally the case.” The receptionist nodded. “Therefore, those seeking the life of an adventurer are those resolved to risk their life, or those with no other way. It is not a safe life by any means.”

The receptionist smiled. “However, those that are successful live comfy lives in both power and wealth. A single stroke of luck can be the difference between poor living and the grandest of castles. That, sir, is the allure of this life.”

Opportunity, huh? Wynst couldn’t say he was wanting for power or wealth, or even a comfortable living. He was technically sitting on all three after all. Still, the Guild seemed like a good way to get acquainted with the world. He really did need the perspective.

And he didn’t really have money. His Articles, again, didn’t really convert. It was a strange conundrum.

The frown must have shown on his face because the receptionist was tilting his head at him. “If that’s not enough to convince you, perhaps the essence of the Adventurer’s Guild does. The Guild was made by adventurers after all. May I use an Active on you, sir? I assure you it is harmless.”

He nearly asked what that was but instead remembered what Ghost had told him when he’d been practicing his [Imagimancy]. An Active was the byproduct of a related Skill, some kind of powerful effect in an active capacity.

It is unlikely to be a hostile action. Doing so would harbor bad relations for the Guild. There are also a number of witnesses in plain view.

He only hesitated a second but realized Ghost was right. “Sure, go ahead,” Wynst said, shrugging.

The receptionist nodded. “[Show Appeal].”

Suddenly Wynst had the faintest visions of traveling. Seeing landscapes, not unlike the forest he’d walked to get here, but more than that. He saw places he hadn’t been, friends with no faces, trails overgrown. People fighting monsters, cheering over items or money. The vaguest impressions of strange cultures and magic.

Then he saw people doing things that looked miraculous. Slicing apart a monster with a single blow, blasting a pack of wolves with a ball of fire, dodging perfectly between the edge of two swords. And more, they flashed fast, faster, and—

He blinked the visions away and found the receptionist staring.

“It shows you the parts of what is offered that appeal to you. A receptionist trick.” He smiled. “Do you fancy yourself an adventurer?”

He looked at the receptionist. So this was the power of this world? He chuckled. The thing that appealed to him the most? Apparently, right now, it was learning about this world.

“What do I do to join?”

As it turned out, not much. The receptionist, Barv, turned out to be extremely helpful in that regard. Wynst should probably have expected that. He was a Kaelin, which was, apparently, one of many sentient races populating Xarath. That was a shocker, once Ghost mentioned it.

“All that’s left is your rank.” Barv spoke.

Adventurer ranks were based exactly upon the Rarities given by the World Tablet. Adventurers started with no rank at all, to mimic that which the World Tablet didn’t even bother to recognize. That rank was directly related to capability and strength as Rarity was to, well, rarity.

Hitting Common Rank in the Adventurer’s Guild was an immediate bottleneck most adventurers wouldn’t pass. The requirements were different for every rank. For Common Rank, it was proving you could stick to the work, survive, and succeed. More often than not, someone would fail at one of them.

“If you’re able to demonstrate some capability, we can elevate your rank, if not you’ll start as everyone does, without recognition.” Barv looked at him in askance. “It’s a boon to have a combat Skill or some helpful Article.”

Wynst shook his head. “I don’t think there’s anything to demonstrate.” He lied.

“Right, then you’ll be able to accept unranked requests from the job wall.” Barv replied. “We have your membership recorded and after enough jobs are completed you’ll reach Common. As you rank higher, you gain more benefits.”

Barv had Wynst place his palm on a crystalline card. According to Ghost, it was a simple bookkeeping method, syncing mana signatures across all branches. The card would keep track of his completed requests, contributions, and identity.

Wynst had been concerned about privacy but Ghost assured him there was no scrying magic involved. He hadn’t even known such a thing existed.

Barv smiled. “Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild, Wynst. Here’s your card, don’t lose it.” He handed Wynst the small crystalline rectangle.

“Thank you, Barv.”

After that, he gave Wynst a rundown of the Guild and its processes.

Wynst slumped at one of the tables. Apparently, he didn’t have that much social stamina. The whole Guild thing was already draining him. Granted, Barv had been talking for upwards of twenty minutes, but still.

According to Barv, Kingsrest was not only an isolated city but one which was located at the edge of the kingdom. Because of that, they had a lot of low-rank requests from the locals as well as high-rank requests for the surrounding area.

Given that, he supposed a peek at the Job Board wouldn’t hurt. There was also the small detail that Wynst was incredibly broke which may or may not have motivated him.

An entire wall of the building was dedicated to requests. Papers, scrolls, and more, pinned to the wall or otherwise attached. Wynst found he could actually read them once he approached, something he wouldn’t have questioned by virtue of how seamless it was.

Looks like I can read the language here too. He thought absently.

He was tempted to whistle at just how large the wall was. Barv was right, there were a lot of requests.

Would you like me to compile all requests? Ghost chimed.

Compile? Wynst directed after a moment.

I can scan the Job Board and detect each individual request. Ghost replied. Once complete, you’ll be able to peruse them at your leisure.

Maybe we should’ve gone over this the week in the forest. Wynst responded thoughtfully.

In truth, he hadn’t really been conversational, still grappling with his new reality. He’d spent most of the time just eating, exploring his magic, and sleeping.

You had much to process. And still do. Ghost said simply. My purpose is your wellbeing, nothing more. There will be time enough to introduce my functions in the future.

Wynst paused. Thanks.

Wordlessly, a grid appeared in his vision. Blue lines overlaid the entire wall. The grid broke into smaller segments, squares highlighting as if finding what they were looking for. They honed in on individual papers or scrolls, then flashed green for every job on the wall.

Wynst didn’t even have time to blink before it was done.

A list appeared in Wynst’s vision and he quietly sat down. He really should explore his Articles more. He was about to directly ask Ghost to sift through all the requests for him when all the unranked jobs appeared by themselves.

They floated around, ethereal copies of the papers or scrolls pinned to the wall. They became enlarged, words popping from the pages, once he focused on them. He scanned through one issued by the Guild itself, requesting the gathering of a particular herb. Once he was done, another floated into view, the other being swiped away.

During this time, he pretended as if he were looking at the wall despite his mind mentally sifting through every option.

“New to the Guild?” Someone said, breaking him out of his focus. “Can’t say I’ve ever seen anyone register at the Kingsrest Branch before. It’s a bit out of the way.”

Wynst turned, somewhat surprised anyone approached him. He’d resigned himself to thinking he looked like a weirdo.

The stranger wore leather armor, with buckles and straps holding a number of metal implements Wynst realized were knives. There was a bow across his shoulder with a quiver of arrows on his back. Aside from the medieval weaponry, he was a regular man as far as Wynst could tell.

“I got a bit lost in the forest,” Wynst admitted. It was partly true too. “Ended up finding the road here.”

The man seemed to laugh at that. “Lost, huh? Won’t pry then. I can understand a private individual. Half the charm of the outskirts is the isolation.” He chuckled.

He slid a drink across the table as he made his way around it, taking a seat across from Wynst. Wynst caught the tankard smoothly, feeling fairly cool as he did so.

“My name’s Lanard, Unusual Rank adventurer. And before you get antsy, don’t worry, I mean you no harm or ill will.” He seemed to weigh on something for a moment. He sighed, shaking his head. “Truth is, I’ve got a Passive that helps me find opportunities and whatnot. To be frank, it’s been nagging me to introduce myself ever since you walked through the doors.”

“There are things like that?” He blurted. This was not how he expected his first conversation in this world to go.

“If you’ve got the right Skill.” Lanard seemed to be genuinely amused.

“Uh, okay then, my name’s Wynst. Nice to meet you.” He tried.

“Likewise,” Lanard responded.

Wynst sipped his drink, stalling for time. Lanard didn’t seem to take the opportunity to speak more. “And that’s it? You’re just introducing yourself?” Wynst asked dumbly.

Lanard tilted his head. “Yeah. I think that’s it.” He looked as put out as Wynst. After a moment, he chuckled. “How about this? You ever need a friendly face or just the perspective of a senior adventurer, don’t think twice about coming to me. Sound good?” He seemed entirely amused.

“Uh, okay.”

“Then that’s that,” Lanard said with finality. He downed his drink the next moment and immediately strode over to the Job Board.

Wynst stared at him.

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Lanard Anvien plucked a request from the wall.

The last thing he’d been expecting today was his [Opportunity Sense] to go off. It had brought him back to the Guild so he’d assumed a profitable request had come in. He’d dropped everything on account of the fact that it had never resounded so strongly before in his life.

And then he had walked in.

Lanard resisted the urge to scratch his neck. It had been an awkward encounter, for sure, but his Passive had never reacted in this manner before. In more ways than one, he was caught off guard.

He could still feel the man staring at the back of his head.

There were a few things notable about Wynst. Lanard had suspected him as some kind of noble initially. He had the air of someone sheltered, his face was too clean, and his clothes too fine. The problem was that he had none of the mannerisms, nor etiquette, but neither did he seem from humble birth.

Lanard had literally watched him register. He was completely green. Not a single weapon on him, nor the hands of a fighter, or the look of someone experienced. By all accounts, the man was certainly strange, but nothing to garner any real attention.

It was incredibly perplexing.

His [Opportunity Sense] only went off on things he’d actually pursue. A person ripe for mugging wouldn’t ever appear on his radar, even if he was in possession of an Unusual Article. And Lanard was an understandably private person given his heritage so he was averse to mingling more than he needed to.

Which was why his [Opportunity Sense] was so baffling right now. It had never touched on his physical senses before. But right now, his skin was tingling with the strength of it.

And what exactly was it that it was telling him?

That was probably the worst part. He could handle goblins, kobolds, wolves, orcs, even an ogre if it came down to it. He was an Unusual Rank and there was prestige to that. But he’d achieved that rank on his own, under his own strength.

Beyond adventurer business, he hadn’t socialized in years.

So why the Depths does it want me to make friends so bad?

----------------------------------------

Wynst thought he saw the man twitch.

What do you make of that, Ghost? Wynst directed.

Wynst was pretty sure it didn’t take that long to read one of the papers. The request postings were fairly straightforward, after all. Lanard had been staring at the one in his hands for a few minutes.

Despite the strange approach, he seemed genuine. There is a small chance of duplicity but that is inherent in every interaction. Ghost replied. At worst, he has you marked as someone of note, somehow catching onto the Articles you possess. At best, he did simply want to introduce himself.

Is the former likely? Wynst thought worriedly.

An individual with the capability of doing so would most likely not be an Unusual Rank adventurer. In all likelihood, his given Passive found you notable in some other way. Ghost responded.

Being paranoid wasn’t going to do him any favors. Wynst decided to just focus on what he came here for. He wasn’t so naive to think he could get around this world without money.

Can you find a doable request then?

Immediately, one appeared. It was a scroll. A request issued by someone named Faria Ironknife. From the looks of it, the person was a butcher and the request was for meat. Simple and straightforward, with a list of all acceptable carcasses.

Hunting? Wynst asked, curiously.

There is a decent monetary reward for a relatively harmless activity that can get you acquainted with more of my functions, your magic, and combat in general. Ghost explained. It is perfect for your purposes.

Wynst looked over it again.

Let’s do it.