[Quest Completion Alert]
[Side Quest 3: Standard Issue Healing Tutorial… Start! (Complete)]
[+20 System Points Awarded]
Miles mused to himself, 'Had I thicker skin, perhaps I wouldn't have thought twice about casting the Lesser Endow Healing Spell a couple dozen times to grind for these System Points. As things stand, though,' he paused to glance around the room at all the people in the Guild Hall staring at him as if he were some show pony, 'yeah… I don't need any extra attention.'
He looked down at the Crystel on his right hand and cringed.
[Guild Issued CrysTel:
Name: Miles Trainer
Guild Rank: C
Privilege Level: Ethereal Star
Welcoming Notice: Congratulations! Despite being a mere Primary Cultivator, your impressive Healing Talents have been recognized by both the Empire and Guild alike. You have been initiated in the Frontier Guild with the lowest privilege Level of a member of the Setting Stars. Feel free to make use of your access to C Rank Missions, Bounties, and Jobs, to quickly gain experience with more parties of veteran members.]
'I'm really not a fan of all these expectations,' He groaned before putting the artifact away and walked over to the Job Board. He still had his first Side Quest to finish.
"Now then, what to do… What to choose," Miles muttered as he walked past all the Low-Mid and above Rank options. Standing at the very edge of the left side of the Job Board he began to consider:
'Herb Collection? Seems safe enough for me,' Miles thought.
[New Quest Alert]
[Side Quest 4: F Rank Herb Collection Notice 1
...]
'Dungeon Escort? There are like fifty different requests for healers...' Miles blinked.
[New Quest Alert]
[Side Quest 5: F Rank Support Dungeon Run
...]
"Oi," a voice call out to Miles. But he ignored it…
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
[New Quest Alert]
[Side Quest 13: F Rank Metal Scavenging Notice 1
...]
"Hey!" the voice escalated in both volume and tone of annoyance. Miles, still failed to react to it…
[New Quest Alert]
[Side Quest 27: F Grade Mushroom Foraging Notice 1
...]
"You fucking ignoring on purpose?" Miles had yet to even notice there was a person attempting to gain his attention.
Then he felt someone gently tap his shoulder.
"Healer Boy, what say you 'n me team up for a dungeon run?" As Miles turned to face the owner of the unknown feminine voice, he was not prepared to see it belonged to the wolf in sheep's' clothing responsible for annihilating her practice dummies during the Class Testing with arrows.
"Hmm... Going by your look—" Miles unabashedly assessed her confident body posture and shit-eating grin, "—that insane power you showed off during Class Testing, and the fact that you were awarded C Rank Status, the same as me…"
Miles paused as his eyes narrowed onto hers, "You plan on taking on a C Rank Dungeon from the get-go, aren't you?"
"What of it?" The girl aggressively stepped closer, "Think I can't hold my own in a C Rank Dungeon?"
"You probably can." Miles ignored the hardly concealed pressure the girl was emanating as he continued to say, "You seem well trained, if you skills with a bow have anything to say for themselves..."
Just as the girl slowly stopped trying to pressure Miles, smiling with his analysis of her abilities, he said, "But, I refuse!"
"What?! Why?"
"You're clearly alone," Miles bluntly said.
"Huh?"
The girl didn't even have a chance to become upset as Miles continued, "Look, you may be able to clear a C Rank Dungeon, maybe even solo one after you get a bit of experience. But I know for a fact this will be your first run."
Pulling out his Crystel and checking the time, Miles showed the girl to emphasize his next point, "It's been over half an hour since we became guild members. Yet, you come to me alone asking if I, a healer who is normally the last in a group to be added in, want to duo run a C Rank Dungeon for my first mission? Yeah, thank you very much, but I don't have a death wish."
The girl clicked her tongue, looking frustrated and ready to snap when suddenly…
"Ha! Well said," a vaguely familiar voice to Miles said from the side. Turning to meet a boy who evidently had three others behind him, he continued, "It's fucking refreshing seeing that arrogant bitch get a taste of her own medicine."
Addressing Miles, the boy said, "Now… Seeing as you're not going to party with her, why don't you join us? I'm Harrold and not only am I the leader of a balanced party, with me, a spearman, and my friends, a tank, a dual elemental mage, and an assassin. But with you, we'd be more than ready to take on an D Rank Dungeon, but I'll settle for E Rank to start with so we can all get experience safely."
"Fuck off!" The girl snapped at Harrold. "I was here first, so—"
"So what?" Harrold cut her off. "Even if you agreed to take on a lower ranked Dungeon, why would he pick to follow an arrogant loner bitch like you over a group like us? Not only would he have better protection with more people looking out for him, but in a group there will be more chances for him to gain experience as a healer."
Flinching at the logical attacks that left no room for dispute, the girl's face shifted through no less than five emotions Miles identified — anger, frustration, hatred, panic, and humiliation — before she did the unthinkable.
She got on her knees, facing Miles, and adopted a kowtowing posture as she pleaded. No, begged, "P-please… I… You're the only plausible chance I'll have in getting a worthwhile healer to join me for a long time. I… apologize if I disrespected you…. and, I know you'll probably have hundreds of people lining up to party with you, but… I… I—"
"Ha! Is this for real?" Harrold laughed with almost palpable derision, "The exiled princess Jade Bunny is begging a Primary Cultivator, of all people? You can't write this shit, hahaha..."
Miles took in the sight of Guild Hall's state and paused. He saw half the people present laughing at the still begging girl, while most of the others watched impassively. Harrold and his party looked like they were taking some sort of sick pleasure in utterly trampling on the girl's dignity. But most worrisome of all…
[New Quest Alert]
The world had grown still once more as a new type of Quest emerged.
[Choice Quest: Past Promise Or Future Preparation
Description: You've come across the first major crossroads of your journey! Choose then between honoring a promise you made to yourself years ago and picking the path of least resistance. Resolve to help the girl you empathize with at the cost of becoming affiliated with her, or abandon her at her lowest, most vulnerable, point to more easily begin your path in saving the world.
Choice 1: Side with the girl.
Choice 2: Side with Harrold.
Choice 3: Refrain from picking a side.]