As I follow behind Elise, she points to the side that has become rather rowdy and cheerful. “This section here is the general section for those that wish to drink and eat. You’ll find most adventurers enjoy celebrating anything. Maybe they’ll survive a near-death experience, or they rescue a bonded monster from a tree. If they can celebrate it, they will. I believe most are celebrating because of the blizzard that is about to come through…good grief.”
Speaking like she thought it was silly, her smile didn’t escape my notice. It seemed she was rather fond of those who celebrated as she put it. She continues walking, leading me to a staircase at the far end of the room. She speaks as she climbs it.
“Since you’re a Bronze rank, you’ll only be able to come up to this floor. There is magic that will prevent you from going any higher, so don’t try. You don’t want to be laughed at by others.”
As I nod in response, we arrive at the next floor, and looking around there were very few people here. A massive room, and there were only about ten people floating around, some looking bored. On the far end wall, there was a massive noticeboard, or so Elise explained.
“The main attraction is the noticeboard on the wall over there. You’ll find jobs big and small listed on it. Once you find a job you want to undertake, you take it over to the reception desk on the right.” Pointing at the reception desk, there were two people, a male and a female, behind the desk that also looked rather bored. “They’ll accept your request as long as you meet the requirements.”
The two see us and perk up for a moment, smile and wave. Pointing to the opposite side, Elise points out another section, with stalls set up, currently empty.
“Usually there will be trade smiths and shopkeepers here selling their wares. They don’t sell any armour or weapons but will sell you everyday supplies, such as potions, maps, parchments and so on. Currently, because of the blizzard heading towards us, job listings have been put on hold, but it will be very very busy once it passes.”
As I’m glancing around the room, I notice two who looked my age sitting on the floor in the corner. Usually, I would skip past looking at them, but they were elves, reminding me of Olivia. They were nearly identical, a male and female pair. The male had long white hair and black eyes, the female had black hair and white eyes. A strange energy flowed between them, but it seemed…unstable, or incomplete.
Seeing one of them look over, I pretend to continue glancing around like I hadn’t been looking at them. Feeling Alice poke my head, I knew she was getting hungry. Keeping in mind that I should start training her again, I took her off my head and patted her.
“Let's take a quick look at the noticeboard so you know what to look for in the future. If you see a job you’d like to undertake for a while, feel free to take it.”
Following Elise, we arrived before the massive noticeboard. A few notes hang on it, but not enough to cover it. Elise mentions that once the blizzard passes it would be, as she said, bustling. When I asked her what that word meant, she giggled and said it would be busy.
As I’m about to look away, I saw a notice that piqued my interest. On it was listed a request, and what caught my attention was the title on it.
[Lily Pond Inn!
Temporary workers are needed. Level 15 or higher. Will assist in providing customers with catering during the blizzard and assist in any emergency repairs or fight off any monsters. Experience is not required.
Wind or Fire magic would be a plus, but not required.
You will be paid 2 silvers per day for the duration of the storm. Additional days may be required depending on the duration of the blizzard.]
Seeing this notice surprised me slightly. The name of the inn is the one I am staying in, and I could be paid to do some work. Thinking of the kindness of Floof, I decided I wanted to help him out, even if it was just this much. Noticing me looking at the request, Elise asked me if I wanted to take it. Nodding, she tells me what to do.
“Alright, so just take the notice off the board.” Doing so, I held the notice in my hands as she pointed to the desk with the two attendants. “Now simply take it to one of the people at the desk and they’ll issue you with a job token. You’ll just need to take that token to the requester.”
Doing as she mentioned, I take the job over to the male attendant. Smiling softly at me, I hand him the paper as he looks at it and turns around. Behind him are wooden tokens, and grabbing one, he checks it against the request paper and hands me the token.
“Head to the Lily Pond Inn and speak to the owner, Floof. He’ll get you set up.” As he speaks, I accept the wooden token and put it away. Making a note to get a new bag since my pockets were just too small for everything, I thank the gentleman and turn back to Elise.
“Congratulations on your first request. Floof is a very nice man, so he’ll surely be lenient in teaching you how to assist people.”
Smiling, I knew he was kind already. Before I could explain that I knew him, Elise turned and headed downstairs again.
“The tour is rather simple given you are Bronze grade, but did you have any questions?”
“Can I only take one request at a time?”
“Correct, unless there are special circumstances you’ll only ever be able to take one request at a time.”
Nodding, I then asked her “How did the gentleman know that I met the requirements for this request?”
“All employees here only need to glance at your Identity Plate around your neck to know your name, level, grade and rank. It’s a skill we get when we are employed by the Adventurer’s Guild. It’s so they don’t check your System every time you make a request, it’s also why you must keep that plate safe.”
As we arrive back on the first floor, she turns to me and smiles.
“I’ll take you to a shop to help buy some much-needed things. You need a bag, a weapon and some armour. The armour and weapon can wait till you make a bit more cash, but you need a bag. I’ll show you the way.”
As we exit the Adventurer’s Guild, we head down the busy street. Many people stopped to greet Elise as we passed by and she greeted them back without stopping. We quickly arrived in front of a small store, the sign read “Northern Hawk’s General Store”. Entering with Elise, I heard a bell chime as we entered a mostly empty building.
“This store is usually empty, but they have some amazing products here. Have a look around, the bags can be found over there.”
Looking around, the store had many shelves and judging by the smell it was clean. Around the walls were shelves as well, holding different assortments of equipment, clothing or as pointed-out bags. Just as I’m about to look towards where Elise pointed, I felt something…calling to me, something stirred deep within me.
Feeling like I had entered a trance, I looked towards the source and started walking towards it. I heard Elise calling out to me, but I ignored it…no, it’s more like I couldn’t respond to her, I needed to head towards whatever was calling me.
Approaching the back wall of the store, on the middle shelf laid a sphere. Within the sphere, it seemed to be snowing…I could feel a heavy cold coming from the sphere-like item. Feeling the monster side within me, I wanted to consume this sphere, feast on it. Every fibre of my being told me that this sphere would bring me great power and strength.
Reaching over to it with my hand…no, claw…when did I transform? Not minding it, I was about to grab the orb when I felt a powerful hand land on my shoulder as a strong energy swept over me. As this energy passed through me, the trancelike state I was in stopped. Blinking, my mind cleared up as if a fog had lifted and I noticed my surroundings.
Standing just in front of me to my right was an elderly man, with talons as feet, large bird-like wings coming from his back and a beck in place of his mouth and nose. His eyes were piercing, black with brown hair that had white streaks to it. Leaning on a cane, he looked at me with curiosity.
“Have you snapped out of it, little fox?” Speaking with a voice that had a slight squeak to it, I nodded to the man as I lowered my claw, which was reverting itself. Looking around, I saw Elise staring at me with concern in her eyes. Shaking my head, I turn back to the sphere.
“I see you resonated with this orb, little fox. However, you must be careful of what you are attracted to, it could consume you. Check the item, little fox, and see how close you were to death.”
Hearing these scary words from the old man who still had a hand on my shoulder, I do as he said and checked the item with my System.
Core of the Astral Ice Dragon.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
The monster core of an Astral Ice Dragon. A remnant soul of an Astral Ice Dragon resides in this core and will take over any who consume it.
Taking a few steps back with fear, the old man laughs as he places a hand on the orb. A large surge of mana erupts from him and taking his hand off the core I saw that it had turned completely black.
“Master Northern Hawk, why are you keeping such dangerous objects in your store?” Hearing Elise speak up, the old man, Northern Hawk, tsked and turned to her.
“I didn’t expect a little fox to resonate with it so strongly, so I didn’t think to seal it when it arrived this morning. Little fox, are you proficient in Astral Ice magicks?”
Shaking my head, I gave him a simple reply. “I don’t know what type of magic that is.”
Grunting with a slight annoyance, he looks me up and down and says “I doubt a Bronze grade could afford this anyway. It’s 2 Platinum coins, so you can’t have it.”
Feeling a bit guilty due to how I acted, I felt myself become a bit nervous. I knew I had done something wrong. Glancing at me once again, Northern Hawk grunts again and walks to another shelf. Pulling an old book down, he hands it to me.
“2 Silver coins.” Looking at the cover of the book, it read “Astral Ice Magicks”. Looking at the old man, he hobbled himself to the counter and sat down on the stool behind it. Looking at the book, it was rather thick and aged, the pages were slightly yellowed with some tears on them.
Looking at Elise, she smiled at me. “Your monster form is sorta cute you know.” Scratching my ear with a bit of embarrassment at that comment, I didn’t know what my monster form looked like, I’d never seen it before. It’s not that I was afraid of using it, I just didn’t feel the need.
“Alright, well other than Northern Hawk being a bit grumpy, he really does sell the best things around. Right, let's get you a bag and maybe some clothing that is more befitting of an adventurer. While your current dress is beautiful, you shouldn’t be kicking in it.”
Tiling my head, I was a bit confused. “Why? It’s easy to wear and fight in.”
Seeing Elise look stunned for a moment, she seemed to be speechless. Sighing after a few seconds, she simply says “Well, I guess it’s something that’s common sense for me but not you. It’s not something a young girl should be doing, kicking things with a dress or a skirt on, that is… never mind, lets just find you some good clothing while we’re here.”
As we moved to the bags, I picked out a bag that was quite big but wouldn’t get in my way. It was also cushioned at the bottom, so it could be dropped in a hurry and not break things within. For the clothing, Elise picked out some shirts and shorts while I grabbed two pairs of long gloves that covered my bracelet.
“Now, these shorts are comfy and easy to wear!” Showing the shorts to me, she had picked out a few colours for me, deep blue, black and white. The shirts were mostly black, they didn’t have anything special to them and looked normal. The material however felt good to the touch. After getting some underwear, I had thought we were done before Elise asked “Did you need any new bras?”
Confused, I asked her what a bra was. Looking at me in exasperation, she pulled out an item I’d seen way back in Cerberus’s Domain. A strap that had two half circles connected to one side and a latch on the other side, connecting the straps. Seeing my confusion at this item, Elise groaned and raised her palm, massaging her temples while muttering “I’d heard evolved monsters are a bit clueless but I had hope since you are part human part monster…alright, I’ll teach you.”
Grabbing a few of those things called bras, she pulled me into a small room before teaching me how to wear this clothing. After trying a few on, I found one that fit me, but it felt strange wearing it. As we leave the small room, I complain about it to Elise.
“Well…you’ll get used to it. Trust me, you want to wear one every day. A young lady like you should always wear one.”
Nodding at her words, she helped me get some more of these bras of the same size before heading to Northern Hawk. Without looking over what we’ve brought, he simply said “5 silvers for the lot.” Digging into my pouch, I provide him 5 silver coins as he takes them and puts the coins away. Putting everything into my new bag, as well as some of the items from my pockets, I walk out with Elise.
“It might seem Northern Hawk didn’t check, but he has very sharp eyes. He knows exactly what we took, and he always has. Never try to steal from him.”
A bit confused about what she meant by stealing, she faces me and smiles.
“Well, the tour ended a bit ago and now it’s time to head back and be bored at the Guild. From here on I will be your advisor, I’ll oversee your progress and from time to time I may seek you out to provide advice. You can also seek me out for any help you may need.”
Bowing slightly like I’d seen others do, I thank Elise for her help. Patting me on the shoulder, her smile vanished for a moment as she spoke.
“Be safe Alisha. Adventuring may seem like fun and games, but many adventurers die every day. Always treat it seriously, regardless of the job you take. And keep yourself healthy and happy, always. Never be afraid to talk to the other adventurers too. Some of them are grumpy, act all high and mighty or just might ignore you, but plenty will help you as well.”
Taking in what she said, I knew not to take anything lightly. After my time as a slave and through the dangerous times I’d spent in Crater Hell if I was heading off to do something dangerous I wouldn’t relax or take it easy. Nodding with determination in response to Elise, her smile returned.
“Right, off you hurry to the Lily Pond Inn. If you’re not sure where it is, I’m sure someone around here can guide you, or you can hire a guide.”
“O-oh, I’m staying at that inn, that's why I took the request.”
Giggling, Elise winked at me. “Well, that’ll make it easy to travel to. Floof is a very well-known person, he was in the Royal Guard before, so if he gives you advice it’ll be some of the best.”
“Thank you, Elise, for helping me today.”
“Oh, don’t mention it. I was bored anyway, thanks to the blizzard that's coming there is very little to do at the moment. I must hurry back though, we have a few things to prepare before tomorrow. See you around, Alisha.” Waving once more to me, Elise turns and walks away. Just as I waved back, I felt Alice pecking my head once again.
“Okay okay, let's go back and get some food for you.”
“Kraa!”
***
As I arrive back at the Lily Pond Inn after retracing my steps, I walk into the building to find it was busy like when I had first arrived. Seeing Floof at the front desk, I made my way over to him. Arriving before his desk, he spots me and gives me a nod.
“Young fox, congratulations on becoming an adventurer. How can I be of help?”
Getting the pouch of coins from my bag, I dig through and give Floof 3 silver coins. Handing them to him, he smiles and says “This will give you an extra six nights, is that okay?” Nodding, he puts the coins away and says “Alright, you have ten days in total. Is there anything else?”
Digging into my pocket next, I hand him the wooden token that I received from the Guild. Looking it over, he looks at me with a bit of surprise.
“I had requested an adventurer that is Bronze B rank or higher, young fox did you get B rank from the test?”
“I-I got A rank in the Bronze grade.”
Looking at me with a bit of surprise, he puts a hand to his chin as he nods. “That’s very good. Well now, what do you know about servicing customers?”
Shaking my head, I told Floof I didn’t know what to do. He smiles and says “It’s fine. I’ll attach you to Jessica tomorrow morning, for today just relax. I’ll have your lunch brought up to you shortly.”
Bidding Floof farewell, I moved upstairs back to the room I had been staying in. Sitting on the bed, I put Alice on my lap and hummed to her while looking over her Status.
Status
Alice
Bonded to Alisha through the use of Blood Oath.
Race: Dark Raven Level: 5 Experience: 500/20,000
Magic and Skills
Dark Magic Skills Blindness None
Seeing her at level 5, I recalled what the booklet mentioned about her unlocking her Stats at level 5 and called them up with the help of the System.
Stats
Alice
Strength: F 30 Agility: F
30
Intelligence: F+ 100 Toughness: F+ 100
“I know it’s been a while Alice, but once we figure things out, we’ll head out and do some training for you. After this blizzard has passed of course.”
“Kraa!”
Feeling her get excited, I hear a knock at my door, and opening it I find a young girl with a cart of food and holding some clothes.
“Pleasure to meet you, young fox. I am Jessica.” Speaking as if she was bored, she handed me the clothes. “Master requested I bring you this outfit and to train you, starting tomorrow.”
Taking the clothes from her, I found a near identical dress along with other pieces, like a scarf, socks and hat. Thanking Jessica, she pushes the cart in while saying “Please leave the cart in your room, we will collect it tonight.” She then turns and leaves. Closing and locking the door again, I sit down and wonder what to do for the time being as I place the clothing to the side.
Digging through my new bag, I picked out the book about Astral Ice Magicks. I wonder why Northern Hawk had recommended this book to me. Seeing as I didn’t have anything else to do for the time being, I decided to read the book.