After his bath, Travis spotted a bottle of moisturizer on the counter and smirked to himself. "Don’t mind if I do," he muttered, taking a generous amount and applying it to his skin. Feeling refreshed, he dressed quickly in his worn clothes, then stepped out of the bathroom.

Back in the dining room, Evan was already dressed in his farming attire—a sturdy shirt and trousers, both slightly faded from hard labor. His boots were laced tight, and he was adjusting a sunhat as Travis entered.

"By the way, is there an adventurers' guild here? I need a job too," Travis asked, dropping into a chair.

"Yeah, of course," Evan replied, nodding. "I can take you there if you want."

Travis shook his head. "Nah, that’s alright. Just give me the directions. I’d rather walk around town and get a feel for the place."

Evan scratched his chin, thinking. "Umm, sure. Well..." He began listing off landmarks and turns, and Travis nodded, committing the directions to memory.

"Got it," Travis said as Evan grabbed his tools and prepared to leave.

Evan paused at the door. "House is yours for now. Just don’t do anything stupid." He grinned before heading out.

Travis watched him go, leaning back in his chair.

' Wow, he really trusts me with the place. Back in my world, some people wouldn’t trust a guy like me for a second, let alone leave me alone in their house. '

Shaking the thought away, he rummaged through a chest near the corner of the room, eventually finding something better to wear—a simple tunic and trousers that fit well enough. After slipping them on, he left the house. Evan hadn’t left a key, so he simply pulled the door shut behind him and began walking toward the guild.

The streets of the town were lively but unassuming. Vendors called out their wares, children played in the alleys, and the scent of freshly baked bread mingled with the earthy smell of livestock. Travis followed the directions Evan gave him, navigating through narrow streets and bustling market stalls.

After a few minutes, he arrived at his destination.

He’d expected something grand and imposing, with banners and adventurers spilling out of a bustling hall. Instead, the building before him looked as though it had seen better days—many years ago. The paint was peeling, the wood was splintered, and the roof sagged ominously in one corner.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

'Man, this place looks like it’s one strong wind away from collapsing, ' he thought, steeling himself as he pushed open the creaky door.

Inside, the atmosphere wasn’t much better. The hall was dimly lit, and the air carried a faint mustiness. There were five groups of adventurers scattered around, most keeping to themselves, their conversations low and subdued. The employees behind the counters looked tired and dispirited, their eyes dull from what seemed like endless monotony.

' Man, this place sucks, ' Travis thought as he strode toward the reception desk, his boots echoing against the worn floorboards. Despite the underwhelming environment, his determination remained steady. If this was where he needed to start, so be it.

"Hey. I'd like to sign up as an adventurer," Travis said as he approached the reception desk, where a bored-looking man lounged behind the counter. The name tag on his chest read Tim.

Tim arched an eyebrow and straightened up slightly. "Oh, that's nice. Just need you to sign here." He slid a piece of paper across the desk, then hesitated, giving Travis a once-over. "Wait, can you read and write?"

Travis nodded confidently, but as soon as the paper was placed in front of him, a realization hit him—he was in another world. His heart sank for a moment.

' What if the language here is completely different? '

But the moment his eyes landed on the text, relief washed over him. It was in English. A grin tugged at his lips as he quickly scribbled his name and filled out the required details.

Tim took the paper, glanced over it, and handed Travis a small ticket. "Alright, you're good to go. There's a testing ground behind this building. Show this to the man there, and he'll test you."

He leaned back in his chair and added in a monotone voice, "Thanks for signing up as an adventurer. Your work is highly appreciated."

Travis gave an awkward nod and stepped out of the dimly lit guild hall. Walking around the building, he soon spotted what was supposed to be the testing facility. His shoulders slumped slightly.

' Man, this place really sucks ass, ' he thought, taking in the small, rundown training yard.

The training dummies were worn and splintered, the weapons rack was rusty, and weeds poked through cracks in the uneven ground.

Near the edge of the yard, a man was slouched against a barrel, head drooping. Travis approached and tapped him on the shoulder. The man startled awake, blinking rapidly before jumping back.

"Whoa there, kid! You trying to fight me or something?" he blurted.

"Uh, no," Travis replied, holding up the ticket. "I’m here to take my adventurer test."

The man, whose name tag read Jim, took the ticket and inspected it with a frown. "Alright, fine. Let’s get started. You’re a swordsman, right? Come on, I’ll grab you a sword."

Jim grabbed a wooden sword from the rack and handed it to Travis. It felt solid but unremarkable in his hands.

"First test’s simple," Jim said, leading him to a battered wooden dummy. "I need to see how deep you can cut into this thing. Some monsters out there have tough skin, so if you can’t make a deep cut with this wooden sword, you’re not ready for the field."

Travis stared at the dummy, his brow furrowing. ' What the fuck? How am I supposed to cut anything with a wooden sword? '

Behind him, Jim smirked, his eyes glinting with malice. ' Fucking kid’s got no chance. No one passes this test. It’s impossible. I’ll make sure this punk never gets to live his dreams. '

Jim had made it his mission to crush the hopes of everyone who came through this yard. Life had robbed him of his own happiness long ago, and now he thrived on dragging others down with him.

"Let’s see what you’ve got," Jim said, plastering on a fake smile when Travis glanced back at him.

Travis turned his attention back to the dummy, gripping the wooden sword tightly.

' Oh well, doesn’t matter, ' he thought, exhaling slowly.

Focusing his mana, he let a faint glow spread through the blade. The wooden sword vibrated slightly, struggling to hold the energy.

' Gotta make this quick before it breaks, ' he thought. In one swift motion, Travis slashed at the dummy with all his strength.

The impact was immediate.

SLING

CRACK

The dummy split clean in half, its top half tumbling to the ground in pieces. The wooden sword gave one last creak before snapping in two, leaving Travis holding a splintered hilt.

Jim stood frozen, his mouth hanging open, his face a mask of disbelief.

' What in the hell!? ' he thought, staring at the destroyed dummy.

Travis turned around casually, tossing the broken sword aside. "What’s the next test?" he asked, his voice calm and steady.

Jim struggled to form words, still gaping at the destruction in front of him.

TO BE CONTINUED