Jane pulled herself up off the floor and looked at the two halves of her hammer. She frowned and picked up the head, placing it into her pack with the handle. In the middle of the floor was a long belt with ten slots for vials. Four slots were filled, three of the red potions and one blue one that she guessed was for mana. She slung the belt across her shoulder with the potions easily accessible.

She quickly looked around the room to see if she had missed anything and left. She reached the shimmering exit and stepped through.

Congratulations, you are the first to clear the [Den of the Mother of Dogs]. Title awarded.

[Mother's Ruin] all stats +1%.

Shaking her head she returned to the Welcome Inn. She was greeted by a slightly more enthusiastic Stellaire, who called her father in from the kitchen.

"So brave adventurer, have you solved my little dog problem?"

Jane hesitated, "Yes, I think. I found a den and cleared it out "

Taiyo froze and looked at Jane, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. 'A den or a [Den]?"

"The second one, I got a title for clearing it for the first time."

The innkeeper lept in the air and shouted with joy. "A [Den]! A low level [Den] just a short walk away! Haha, this is perfect!"

"Why are you so happy? I assume that if I got a title for being first that means it will come back?"

"Exactly!"

Jane stood and stared, completely confused.

"A low-level Den will bring low-level adventurers to my Inn, and over time it will grow stronger and the people who come will also be stronger and richer! With refined tastes! Ha! I told you this was a good spot, Astrea!"

"Of course honey." Came the slightly condescending voice of Astrea."

"Now your reward! Stellaire! Bring out the reward please!"

Stellaire came out from behind the bar with a tray holding another of the bottles from the previous night, two glasses and a single gold coin.

The next morning Jane awoke under a table, her head pounding and no memory of anything after the first few rounds of shots. She struggled groggily to her feet, swaying slightly. She winced at the light streaming in through the windows. Reaching out, she steadied herself on the table. Someone had left a large mug of water for her on the table. She snatched it up and downed it in a single go.

"HI! FUN NIGHT?" came a voice in her ear.

Jane nearly jumped out of her skin and shrieked at the sudden noise, then clutched her head in pain, and then narrowly avoided throwing up as the world started spinning. She groaned loudly, turning slowly to see who could be so cruel. She found a grinning Stellaire holding a small cup. She groaned. Stellaire’s grin widened.

“Why are you so sadistic?” Jane complained.

Stellaire waved her off, “I have a hangover cure, I think that I can allow a little sadism.”

Jane’s hand flashed out and she threw back the small mug. The most foul concoction ever brewed by hand or man slid down her throat. She gagged but held it down. She shivered and instantly felt better.

“That's powerful!”

“My dad’s recipe, he needs it a lot.”

“Well thanks, I guess. Do I owe you for the night? From my head this morning I think I might need to give you the Aurum back.”

A sliver of gold appeared between her fingers. She flashed it around, under and over her fingers. She flicked the coin at Jane who managed to catch it after it bounced off her forehead.

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“Don’t worry, we are square, dad said so.”

“I’m off to Rimwall then. Thanks, I'll be back, I think.”

“Your pack is by the door, I’ll look forward to your return.”

Jane nodded to Stellaire and collected her belongings. The shattered handle of her hammer was still sticking out of the top of it. She touched it sadly with the tips of her fingers before shouldering her pack. Looking at how high the sun already was she would have to hurry to make it to Rimwall in time. Before leaving the Inn she turned to Stellaire.

“How come all of your names have to do with stars?” She asked.

“What do you mean? They are just names?” Stellaire replied, confused.

The evening was beginning to settle in when she saw the walls of the town. Two metres of stone topped with another three or four of wood ending in spikes. The path she was on joined another larger path that led to a pair of gates set in between two stone towers. That was obviously her way in. She joined the main road and approached the guards.

“Halt, state your name and purpose, please.” The guard called out to her.

Jane looked at the guards. They both stood easily in front of a normal-sized door. Both wore identical armour, a metallic breastplate, gloves and greaves, and heavy fabric dark blue under clothes. They both had a sword and a mace on their hips and a tall curved shield resting on the ground. The shields were painted the same dark blue with a golden brown tower in the middle. The same motif was on the flags and even the gates of the city, obviously the city crest, or the lord's crest.

“My name is Akaisha Wainwright, I wish to become an adventurer, and I wish to stay a while in an inn while I resupply.”

“Do you have at least one Aurum about your person, or held in trust in this city?”

“I do. May I ask why?” Jane asked, guessing at the answer.

“To ensure you have enough to survive a few days in the city without begging.” The guard shrugged slightly in a clank of metal. “Enter, please.”

Jane passed through the door and paused before they shut the door.

“Is there an adventurers guild or something?” she asked.

It took Jane a few minutes to find a large building with a sword, staff and mace on a shield for a sign. It was clearly the adventurers guild that she was looking for. It was starting to get dark but she stepped up and pushed at the door just in case. The door opened easily and she was greeted by a roaring tavern atmosphere. It was loud, despite there not being any noise from outside. Something magic was going on there, but Jane didn’t have time to think it over as ten people turned to look at her. She moved nervously towards the crowd.

“Can we help ya little missy?” inquired a huge, muscular man in barbarian style furs, as he moved towards her.

Jane swallowed nervously. “Oh, yes, I mean maybe. I came to town to become an adventurer. I thought that this was the place to do it.”

A silence met Jane's faltering declaration. The giant man turned and raised his glass high.

“A newbie! Welcome!”

Everyone raised a glass and all cheered “Newbie”.

“Come with me, little missy; It’s a bit late but we’ll get you sorted. I'm Klein, Klein Zuwak."

"Akaisha Wainwright, and I'm sorry that I arrived so late, I was waylaid at the Welcome Inn and only just made it to town."

Klein laughed, a big booming laugh that seemed to shake the corridor they had moved into.

"Let me guess, Taiyo got you so drunk that you slept on a table."

"Under one, actually. A common occurrence then?" The pair talked as they walked, and entered a large office. Klein just smiled and gestured to a chair by the desk. He crossed the room in a few oversized steps and banged loudly on the door opposite Jane.

"Plezie! Get your arse out here. We've got a newbie!" He roared loud enough to make Jane wince. From down the hall came a chorus of voices, all also shouting newbie.

Klein stepped back just before the door crashed into him. A strict looking woman, as tall as Klein and almost as muscular, stepped out. She was dressed all in black, tight leathers and was staring daggers at Klein. Jane noticed that Klein had stepped even further back, out of arm range. She took a moment to look around the office while the other two were occupied. It wasn’t a huge office, and every wall was covered with shelves full of books and scrolls. A large desk and chairs occupied the middle of the room, one of which she was sitting in. The desk was entirely uncluttered, with only a small neatly stacked pile of paper in one corner, and a few quills next to an inkpot. All of the furniture looked solid and well made, if entirely plain and non-descript. It was a working office, not a showing off to clients or subordinates like some people favoured.

Plezie turned to Jane. “Come back tomorrow, we are closed.” She turned to leave when Klein intervened.

“It’s not her fault, she was at the Welcome Inn last night.”

Plezie visibly sagged at the name.

“May Bibine, goddess of sobriety, preserve me from idiot brothers,” she grumbled, half under her breath. “Fine, we’ll sort this now.”

“You wound me, sister!” Klein replied with a grin. Plezie groaned again. She sat in front of the desk and pulled three sheets of paper out of a drawer.

“So, you want to be an adventurer. Fine. Name, main class, archetype you are aiming for and tasks you want to undertake please.” Plezie was brisk and professional, her quill ready.

“Oh, my name is Jane Wainwright, but I go by Akaisha, I’m a [Beginner Militiaman], I have no idea what you mean by archetype and I mostly want to hunt monsters.”

“What do you mean that your class is [Beginner Militaman].”

“Exactly that, that’s my class,” Jane replied confused.

“My I [Identify] you?”

“Sure, do you need my permission?”

Plezie’s eyes glowed blue for a second, as did Klein’s. Both of them sucked in a breath in surprise and turned to look at each other. They engaged in a silent conversation of looks and hand gestures as Jane looked on increasingly bewildered. After multiple minutes Klein seemed to cede defeat and turned to Jane.

“How old are you, miss Akaisha?” asked Klein softly.

“I’m twenty, why?”

“We both just used [Identify] on you, and it indeed came back with your name, Jane Akaisha Wainwright, and class, [Beginner Militiaman]. Frankly, that is far too low for someone your age, I wouldn’t have even thought it possible if I hadn’t used [Identify] on you just now.” He looked back at his sister who shrugged slightly and rolled a hand as if to signal to carry on. “I’m afraid we are going to have to sign you up another day, would you come with me, please, there is someone you need to meet. Oh, and of course, we need your permission before [Identify]ing you, it would be incredibly rude not to ask for it.”

“Well I had hoped to get this done sooner rather than later, but if you must lead on.” Jane gathered her bag and stood up to follow Klein. “Good evening Plezie, I hope to be back to finish registration tomorrow then.”

Jane and Klein left through a side door in the corridor without going through the main room. As soon as they left the building all of the boisterous drunken partying in the guildhall disappeared. Jane was impressed, they were making a lot of noise inside. Klein led her down the cobbled streets in silence until they reached a large open plaza. Most of the buildings were in the same familiar half stone half wood and plaster style but the giant church that dominated the square wasn’t. It was fully stone and massive, at least two hundred metres high and nearly as wide, the doors were bigger than the gates in the defensive wall. Despite its impressive size the church was exceedingly plain, with no decorations on the outside, no stained glass windows, just smooth solid stone and clear glass.

Klein led Jane across the square towards the corner of the church, and a much smaller, but also fully stone building sat. Above the door was a sign that read Rimwall Orphanage of the Church of Many Gods. Klein knocked on the door hard enough to rattle the hinges. A panel at head height slid open and a grumpy face appeared.

“This had better be important, it’s bloody late.” The voice was just as grumpy as the face suggested.

“You know I wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t, Father.”

The door opened to reveal an old man in simple black robes, who sighed and beckoned them in. Klein gestured for Jane to go in first. As she passed the door Klein grabbed the handle and pulled it shut. He turned and started leaving at a brisk pace, shouting over his shoulder.

“She is only Tier 1, so that makes her officially a minor and that makes her your problem Father, bye!”