Are we already here?" Shelly asked, now fully awake.

Joe carefully lowered her from his back, his muscles burning from the effort. He hated to admit it, but carrying her the whole way had drained him more than expected—Shelly was a lot heavier than she looked.

"Yeah, I think this is it. The Adventurer’s Guild."

The building loomed before them, massive and imposing. Constructed from solid brick, it had the appearance of a fortress. A wide set of stairs led to a single wooden door at its center, and above the door, a large sign swayed slightly in the breeze.

"Adventurer’s Heaven" was etched in bold, ornate letters across the sign.

The pair ascended the short staircase, each step causing Joe’s heart to pound a little harder. When they finally reached the top, the towering wooden door stood before them, dominating their view. Attached to its surface was a piece of white paper, its intricate black lines forming patterns that seemed to shimmer faintly. There was no handle on the door.

Joe hesitated before stepping forward to knock. The moment his knuckles brushed the wood, an invisible force erupted from the door, hurling him backward with startling speed. He hit the ground hard, skidding across the dirt before coming to a painful stop.

Coughing as dust settled around him, Joe groaned and inspected his hand. A searing burn mark was visible on his knuckles, a sharp, stinging pain surged through his hand like a thousand poking needles.

Through the haze, he saw Shelly standing at the top of the stairs, hands on her hips and an exasperated look on her face.

"That's not how you open sealed doors! Are you crazy?"

Joe clenched his jaw, trying to ignore the irritation bubbling inside him. Shelly’s tone made him feel like an idiot, and maybe he was. After all, he knew almost nothing about how things worked here in Grisha.

Joe rubbed his rear as he regained his footing, a scowl on his face. He scrambled back up the stairs as quickly as he had fallen, brushing off the pain. "So, how does this thing work?" he asked, a little disappointed in himself for charging in without a second thought.

"You don't know how Sealed Doors work? Where in the world have you been living all these years? Were you born in the Lost Kingdoms or something?"

Joe forced a chuckle, scratching the back of his head. He remembered he hadn’t told Shelly about his strange circumstances as an Outsider, and he wasn’t about to start now. If Syr was right, revealing that information would bring more trouble than it was worth. Still, her mention of the Lost Kingdoms piqued his curiosity, but now wasn’t the time to dig deeper into that.

Shelly sighed in exasperation and turned to face the door. She gestured to the piece of paper affixed to its surface.

"Just place your hand on the paper and say the word Unseal. The door should open by itself. I'd try it myself, but I don’t think my mana is sufficient to open it right now. I've recovered some, but it’s still not enough."

Joe nodded. He had more than enough mana left, though his body felt like it had been through a grinder. Most of his wounds had healed after his transformation during the fight with Mikey, but the strain and fatigue still lingered.

Following Shelly’s instructions, Joe placed his hand on the paper. As he did, he felt his mana surge from his fingertips, flowing into the parchment.

"Unseal!"

[-3, 500 Rank Points To Your Mana Pool.]

[Current Mana Pool: 3 370]

The paper absorbed his mana, turning jet black in an instant. The once intricate black lines were consumed entirely, and the sheet now resembled a dark void.

Shelly’s eyes widened in shock.

"What's wro—"

Before Joe could finish his question, the paper began to smolder. Flames licked at its edges until it disintegrated into dust. The wooden door itself followed suit, its surface darkening and crumbling away into ash. In moments, the grand entrance was blown wide open, revealing the inside of the guild.

Every pair of eyes within the Adventurer’s Guild was now fixed on Joe and Shelly. The room fell silent, and Joe’s stomach sank as a cold realization washed over him.

He had definitely done something horribly wrong.

Joe gulped as he and Shelly stepped forward, feeling the weight of countless eyes on them. Shelly leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. "How much mana did you place on that thing?" Her expression was still frozen in shock.

"I placed... 3,500," Joe whispered back, not entirely sure why they were whispering.

"3,500? Are you insane? I've never heard of a Sealed Door requiring that much mana before! The usual amount is around 500, especially for low-level guilds like this one."

Joe scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well, I planned to place 2,500. From the way you talked, I thought it needed a substantial amount of mana. But the seal ended up draining more than I anticipated. To be honest, it was a complete accident."

"I don’t get it," Shelly hissed, her disbelief clear. "How can you throw around numbers like 2,500 like it’s nothing? How can you even possess that much mana? You’re not even registered!"

Before Joe could respond, a sharp voice cut through the room.

"Hey, stop right there!"

Joe and Shelly froze as a tall, lanky man stepped forward from the crowd. He was bald and wore a black jacket emblazoned with the symbol of a bird-like creature on the back.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The man’s glare was piercing. "What the hell did you two do to the seal? Are you here to pick a fight or something?"

Joe and Shelly immediately raised their hands in unison, shaking their heads frantically.

"It was an accident, I swear!" Joe stammered.

Before the man could respond, a calm voice from behind the counter cut in. "Give the kids a break, Adam. The seal must’ve been worn down or something. It’s been a while since I swapped it out for a new one."

The speaker was a woman standing at a counter further into the room. Her relaxed demeanor contrasted sharply with Adam’s intensity.

Adam scowled, crossing his arms. "Worn down? Come on, Sophia. We both know it takes years for that to happen."

Sophia shrugged. "Accidents happen. It’s still just a D-Rank Seal. They’re not exactly the pinnacle of reliability."

Adam looked unconvinced but seemed unwilling to argue further. "Fine. I’ll take your word for it, Sophia. Maybe it really was just an accident." He shot one last glance at Joe and Shelly before stepping away.

Joe and Shelly let out of sigh of relief before heading to the counter where Sophia stood.

Behind them, whispers broke out among the adventurers scattered across the guild, their curiosity and suspicion palpable.

"What is he, a monster? I get what Sophia’s saying, but I don’t buy it. The seal was fine all day."

"The kid must have an insane amount of mana," another muttered.

"Is he an Outsider?"

"No way. Outsiders wouldn’t waltz in here unless they had a death wish."

"Then what? A member of the Great Families?"

"That’s rare, but not impossible. I’ve seen a few of them in here before."

One adventurer leaned closer to his companion, voice brimming with determination. "I need that brat to join my party."

Joe and Shelly sat down in the chairs placed in front of the counter.

Sophia, standing behind the counter, was busy wiping glasses with a cloth and placing them neatly on the shelf behind her, one by one.

"So, what brings you two here?" she asked, her voice calm and even.

"I'm here to get myself registered," Joe said, a spark of excitement in his tone. "I'm ready to become an adventurer!"

"I see," Sophia replied, placing the last glass on the shelf. She turned around to face them fully, giving them her undivided attention. "Can I see your academy license first?"

Joe quickly placed his license on the counter without hesitation.

Sophia picked it up and examined it closely before glancing briefly at Shelly. "Are you here to get registered too?"

Shelly shook her head. "No, I'm just accompanying Joe, that’s all."

Joe leaned forward, grinning with excitement. "Well, it’s because Shelly and I are going to form a party together after I get registered!"

"Wait, I never agreed to that," Shelly protested, her brows furrowing.

"Come on, Shelly," Joe pleaded, undeterred. "We’re already familiar with each other now. Please join my party. I won’t take just any healer—it has to be you."

Shelly’s cheeks flushed faintly, and she looked away. "I told you, I’m not re—"

"I know, okay?" Joe interrupted, his voice softening. "I know what happened in the Black Forest with your party was awful. But please, join my party. You still want to be an adventurer, don’t you? I don’t think Kite and the others would want you moping around forever.

"Look, just because you’re joining me doesn’t mean you’re forgetting about them. We carry the fallen in our hearts and keep moving. That’s how it works. So please, I’m begging you here."

Shelly looked conflicted, her eyes dropping to the counter as she considered his words. Before she could respond, a group of adventurers walked up to Joe, interrupting the moment.

"Forget the girl, kid. Join us," a muscular, bald man said with a cocky smile. "The Stone Edge party could use someone like you."

"No, kid, join me!" another adventurer chimed in, stepping forward.

Two more joined the group, each trying to convince Joe to join their respective parties.

In total, four adventurers surrounded him, their voices overlapping as they pleaded their cases, each eager to recruit the young man with seemingly endless mana.

Joe cut through their words with a sharp retort. "You guys are complete weaklings. Why would I join you?"

The four adventurers froze, their faces a mix of disbelief and indignation. Joe could sense their mana signatures—they were even weaker than the Frozen Wing Party members he'd encountered before. To him, their strength wasn’t even worth considering.

The four exchanged quick glances before glaring at him. "Watch it, kid! You're talking to four party leaders here," one of them barked.

Joe stood up, his expression unwavering. "You’re weak. It’s not an insult; it’s a fact. Tell you what—if any of you can beat me, I’ll join your party. How’s that sound?"

With that, he strode confidently to the center of the room, where tables and chairs had already been pushed aside by the other adventurers eager to see a fight.

"You must be one arrogant son of a bitch," the muscular man growled, cracking his knuckles. "I’ll take you on myself."

"No way, that kid’s mine!" another interjected, stepping forward.

Joe smirked, raising a hand to silence their squabbling. "Guys, no need to argue. I’ll take all four of you at once." His grin widened, excitement coursing through him despite the lingering fatigue in his body.

The four looked at each other, their expressions hardening before they charged at Joe simultaneously, fists clenched.

[You Have Activated The Skill (Outsider’s Enhancement)]

[-100 Rank Points To Your Mana Pool]

[Current Mana Pool: 3 270]

[+40 Rank Points To Your Physical Attributes. (Total: 88)]

[+60 Rank Points To Your Mana Attributes. (Total: 115)]

Joe’s mana flared, erupting from him in a fiery aura that filled the room. He sidestepped their attacks with ease, his movements precise and lightning-quick. Each time he dodged, he retaliated with a single, devastating punch to the stomach.

One by one, the four adventurers crumpled to the ground, clutching their midsections in pain. Joe’s strikes had brought them down effortlessly. As the last of them fell, the room erupted in murmurs.

"No way... he took down all four with just a single punch each."

"He’s a monster! That’s what he is!"

Joe’s mana receded as he walked back to the counter, brushing his hands off like it had been nothing. He turned to Shelly with a confident grin. "You see that, Shelly? Joining me won’t be a mistake."

Shelly folded her arms, narrowing her eyes at him, but there was a faint smile tugging at her lips. "You’re persistent, aren’t you? Fine, Joe, I’ll join you. I’m not planning on quitting—I’ll still be an adventurer for my own reasons."

Joe’s face lit up with a triumphant smile. "Awesome!"

Sophia stared at Joe, her expression a mix of astonishment and disbelief. "First the Sealed Door, now this? That seal was in perfect condition—I checked it just yesterday. For an unranked adventurer to break it completely... it should be impossible. And then taking down four party leaders like it was nothing? This kid must have an abnormal amount of mana. Based on that fight, he still had plenty left in the tank. Just... who in the world is this kid?" she thought to herself.

Breaking her internal musings, Sophia leaned forward. "Hey, kid. Answer me this—why do you want to be an adventurer?"

Joe didn’t hesitate. His eyes burned with determination as he replied, "Why? I want to find my sister, Chloe. For that, I’m willing to search the entire world."

Sophia’s brows furrowed in thought before a realization struck her. "Chloe? Do you mean Chloena?"

Joe’s eyes widened, his heart racing. "Chloena? Could that be Chloe? Did she change her name? It has to be her, right?" he thought.

Sophia continued, "The only Chloe I know is Chloena. She’s by far one of the strongest adventurers in the world."

Joe stepped closer, his voice urgent. "This Chloena you speak of—does she have blue eyes and golden hair?"

Sophia nodded after a moment of thought. "Now that you mention it... yes, that’s her."

Joe’s heart pounded in disbelief. "Where is she? I need to find her!"

Sophia raised her hands in a calming gesture. "I don’t know where she is right now, but I know where she’s likely to be soon. A big Event is being held in a few days in the capital of Tania. It’s called The Hunt. If you want to find Chloena, that’s where she’ll be."

Joe’s breath hitched as a wave of hope surged through him. Finally—a clue. A tangible lead that could guide him to his sister. The fire in his heart burned brighter than ever.