Part 1: A New Path
Greg woke early, his heart racing with excitement. Today was the day he might finally escape the temple's dull routine. No more watery soup, no more endless healing shifts. The thought of adventuring like a real RPG kept him up half the night, his mind buzzing with possibilities. He threw on his robes, the glowing crest around his neck pulsing faintly, and hurried to find Elara before morning prayers.
"Elara," he said, catching her in the hall. "Am I ready for the next step? Like, adventuring for the guild?"
Elara's blue eyes sparkled, and she nodded with a warm smile. "You are, Greg. After lunch, I'll take you and two others to the adventurer's guild. You're ready to serve the Temple of Light out there."
Greg let out a huge sigh, relief washing over him. Finally, he thought. During morning prayers, though, his excitement got the better of him. The droning chants lulled him, and he dozed off, head lolling. A gentle tap on his shoulder jolted him awake. He looked up to see Brother Calen smiling down at him. "It's over, Greg," Calen said kindly. "Don't worry."
"Thanks," Greg mumbled, rubbing his eyes. He followed the others to the dining hall for lunch. The same sad spread awaited watery soup, bitter herbs, and hard bread. But his stomach growled, and somehow, the food didn't taste as bad. Guess I'm used to it, he thought, confused. Hunger made even this slop seem decent.
After lunch, Elara led Greg and two priestesses both young, with calm faces and neat robes to the adventurer's guild. The guildhall was just as Greg imagined, loud, chaotic, alive. Tables were packed with adventurers, humans, elves, even a burly dwarf with a braided beard laughing, arguing, or chugging ale. On one side, party leaders queued at a counter, handing in papers or grabbing new requests. At the back, a huge board listed jobs, labeled F to A rank. "There's no A-rank quests, though. Figures." Greg thought. Too many great things to absorb for an adventurer nerd like him.
Eyes turned to Greg and the priestesses as they entered. Stares lingered, some curious, some sizing them up. Greg shifted, uneasy. "Feels like we're up for auction" He thought. Did he even get a say in which party he'd join?
Elara finished chatting with a guild staff member, a cheery woman with a clipboard. Elara turned to them. "This is Greg, Livia, and Alina," she said, gesturing. "They're here to aid the guild."
The staff woman grinned. "I'm Tilda. Thank you for joining us." She pulled out a stack of documents, flipping through them with practiced ease. "These are available parties." She sorted them into piles, then looked up, her tone blunt. "Sorted by deaths. Some lost members. Choose wisely."
Greg's jaw dropped. Deaths? She's just… saying it like that? Was death so normal here? He glanced at the priestesses, but they didn't flinch, just nodded calmly. Tilda slid two documents forward. "These parties have no deaths. They're yours, Livia, Alina." The priestesses took them, looking relieved.
That left Greg with two options: a party with one death or one with two. He scanned the papers. Both had similar setups: fighter, scout, support but one name jumped out: Lila, a fighter with a greatsword, D-rank. Lila? He remembered her from the market square. Why was she D-rank? Shouldn't she be higher? Still, something about her name felt… right.
He pushed the two-death document back to Tilda. "This one," he said.
Tilda raised an eyebrow. "Sure about that?"
Greg nodded, his gut telling him to stick with Lila's party. Tilda shrugged, taking the paper. "Alright. Follow me, all of you." She led Greg, Livia, and Alina toward a side room. Elara waved, her voice warm. "Good luck on your journey."
Greg swallowed, the weight of it hitting him. He was really doing this, leaving the temple, joining a party, stepping into the unknown. Here we go, he thought, gripping his crest.
Part 2: Rules and Waiting
Tilda led Greg, Livia, and Alina through a side door into a quiet common room, away from the guildhall's chaos. The room was small, with plain wooden walls, a sturdy table, and a few creaky chairs. A flickering lantern cast soft shadows overhead. Tilda gestured for them to sit, her clipboard tucked under her arm. "Before you meet your parties," she said, "you need to know how the adventurer's guild works. Please pay attention."
Greg leaned back, his excitement bubbling. He'd watched enough anime to know every guild had its own rules, and he was itching to learn this one's system. Tilda's voice was sharp, like she'd given this talk more than a thousand times. "Adventurers start at F-rank, the lowest," she began. "You climb to E, D, C, B, and if you're legendary A. Each rank needs points from quests. The tougher the quest, the more points. For example, F to E takes 50 points. E to D needs 200. D to C, 800. It quadruples each time, so A-rank is a distant dream."
She pulled a worn sheet from her clipboard. "Quest types differ. Gathering quests, like picking herbs or fetching supplies are simple, 5 points. Investigation quests, like scouting ruins or checking strange rumors, give 15 points. Combat quests start at 25, and D-rank parties like yours, Greg, might get those. E-rank parties stick to safer stuff." She nodded at Livia and Alina.
Greg's eyes lit up. Combat quests at D-rank? Hell yeah. His gamer brain was already thinking on what to do, grind quests, stack points, level up. But 800 points for C-rank? That was a grind, but for him personally he is still F-rank.
Tilda raised a finger. "Rules. One, always report back after a quest. No report, no points. Two, no quests above your party rank without guild approval, as it is too risky. Three, parties share points, but a death can drop your rank. Keeps you sharp. Four, be honest about your skills. If you're a healer, say it. Lying gets people killed. And if someone tried to join your party but didn't say anything it's a red flag."
Greg grinned, his crest pulsing faintly. Gotta keep my chantless spells under wraps. Tilda's gaze flicked to him, but she continued. "Quests come from the board or guild orders. Clients, merchants, villagers, nobles post most. Others are guild mandates, like pest control or threat scouting. Pay's low at D and E-rank, so don't expect fancy rewards."
Greg's stomach growled, but he ignored it, too hyped to care. Tilda's words were like an anime opening setting the stage for epic adventures. "Last rule," she said. "Fail a quest such as losing goods, botch an investigation and you lose points. Too many failures, and you're stuck at F-rank forever. Don't mess up."
She set the clipboard down. "Livia, Alina, your E-rank parties are here. Come with me." She glanced at Greg. "Your D-rank party's still out on a quest. Wait here. They'll be back soon."
Greg nodded, practically bouncing in his seat as Tilda led Livia and Alina out. The door shut, leaving him alone. He leaned back, staring at the ceiling. Lila's party. D-rank. Two deaths. Combat quests. He'd picked them for a reason. Lila's strength in the market square screamed potential, even if they were stuck at D-rank. He wondered what went wrong to cost them two members. His knowledge told him every party had a story, and he was ready to jump in.
He continued to sit in the chair, despite the excitement he was still tired as he hadn't had much sleep.
Part 3: A Party's Pain
Greg slumped in the common room's creaky chair, the lantern's flicker barely keeping him awake. Hours dragged by, and his excitement fizzled into boredom. Where's this party? he thought, eyelids drooping. The guild's noise shouts, clinking mugs filtered through the walls, but the quiet room felt like a trap. His head nodded, and before he knew it, he was out, snoring softly, dreaming of burgers and XP.
A loud thump jolted him awake. The door swung open, and three figures staggered in, their armor scuffed, faces smeared with dirt. Evening light spilled through a window, painting the room orange. Greg blinked, heart racing, as a tall woman with a chipped greatsword stepped forward. Her auburn hair was tied back, but loose strands stuck to her sweaty face. She grinned, though her eyes looked tired. "You the new priest? I'm Lila, leader of the Dawnbreakers." She gestured to her companions. "This is Mira, our scout, and Tomas, our scholar acting as support. Welcome to the team."
Mira, a lean woman with sharp green eyes and a dagger at her hip, gave Greg a quick nod, her gaze sizing him up. Tomas, a lanky guy clutching a tattered notebook, offered a nervous wave, his glasses slipping down his nose. Greg stood, brushing crumbs from his robes. "Hey, I'm Greg. Nice to meet you." His eyes flicked to Lila. She reminded him of the fierce fighter from the market square, but up close, she looked worn, like the weight of something heavy clung to her.
He hesitated, then asked, "Uh, what happened to the last priestess? I saw her with you that day in the square."
Lila's grin vanished. Her face crumpled, eyes glistening as she looked away. "That was Nia," she said, voice low. She swallowed hard, her jaw tightening. "Sooner or later I will have to let you know so might as well tell it to you now. It happened on the day when the temple got attacked. We were coming back from a gathering quest, queuing at the kingdom gates. Everything was normal, people chatting, guards yelling. Then this… young woman in front of us changed." Lila's voice cracked, and a tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it angrily. "Her skin turned gray, eyes red, claws like knives. She became a demon, just like that."
Greg's stomach twisted, remembering the healing hall's horror. Lila's hands shook as she continued, her eyes distant. "It was a slaughter. She moved so fast, slashing, screaming. People got cut in half before they could blink. Our archer and priestess, Kael, and Nia…" Her voice broke, and she covered her mouth, tears streaming now. Mira looked away, arms crossed, while Tomas fidgeted, staring at the floor. "They didn't have a chance," Lila whispered. "Blood everywhere. I froze. Couldn't even swing my sword."
She took a shaky breath, forcing a grim smile. "A B-rank party saved us. The Iron Sentinels. They'd just returned from a hunt and had holy water. Shoved it right into the demon's mouth. It screamed, melted to dust. But Kael and Nia were gone." She glanced at Tomas, her expression softening. "Tomas joined us after. He's new, like you."
Greg nodded, his throat tight. "I'm sorry," he said. The demon attack in the temple flashed in his mind Amelia's body, the blood. He got it. This world didn't mess around.
Lila sniffed, wiping her face with her sleeve. "The Guild didn't dock us too many points. Wasn't our fault, technically happened at the gates, not on a quest. We only drop from C-rank to D-rank." Her voice steadied, and she squared her shoulders, forcing her usual fire back. "Anyway, you're with us now. Let's talk business. How's your healing? How many casts can you manage in a fight? How long will it take to recover?"
Greg was ready. He'd practiced his story. "I can cast Heal about ten times," he said, keeping his voice casual. "Takes a bit to recover, half an hour between fights if I used up all of my heals. I'm still learning other spells, though." Like Smite, Purify, and Divine Shield, he thought, but he wasn't spilling that. His mana could handle more, but ten Heals at 7 mana each sounded believable.
Lila nodded, her tired eyes sharpening. "Good. In a fight, I'm up front, tanking. Mira scouts, flanks if we're desperate. Tomas stays back, calls out weaknesses or provides supplies such as potions. You stick near Tomas, heal fast. If we're gathering or investigating, stay close, watch for traps. Got it?"
"Got it," Greg said, his gamer brain buzzing. Tank, DPS, support, healer. Classic party setup. He glanced at Mira, who was still watching him, one eyebrow raised. Did she suspect something? Tomas adjusted his glasses, scribbling in his notebook. Lila clapped her hands, a spark of her old energy returning. "Alright, Dawnbreakers. Rest up. Tomorrow, we hit the quest board. Greg, don't sleep through it."
Part 4: Roots and Risks
Greg trudged back to the temple, his pockets as empty as the dining hall's soup pot. No coin meant no inn, so his cramped room, smelling faintly of mold and old prayers was his only option. After fifteen days, it felt weirdly like home, creaky cot and all. Better than sleeping on the street, he thought, flopping onto the bed, his crest glowing faintly.
The next morning, he met the Dawnbreakers at the adventurer's guild. Lila, Mira, and Tomas sat around a small round table in a noisy corner, mugs of cheap ale scattered around. Lila's greatsword leaned against her chair, chipped but menacing. She cleared her throat, her face serious but her eyes flicking with determination. "Alright, team, let's talk. That demon attack at the gates tanked us. We're down to 30 points left. To hit C-rank, we need 800. That's a long grind."
Greg whistled low. 770 points? Ouch. Lila leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I heard C-rank quests mean more demons, like the one that…" Her face tightened, a flash of pain crossing her eyes. "I'm not sure we're ready for that yet. We need to gel, figure out everyone's strengths. No rushing."
She looked at each of them. Mira's sharp nod, Tomas's nervous fidgeting, Greg's eager grin. "So, a gathering quest to start. Easy, safe, gets us points. Is everyone cool with that?"
Greg nodded fast. "I'm in. Anything to get out there." He leaned in, lowering his voice. "Also, I'm broke. I need gold for new clothes. These robes suck. Something close to the kingdom's best for now." Mira smirked, her green eyes glinting, like she found his desperation amusing. Tomas just scribbled in his notebook, muttering about herb prices.
Lila stood, striding to the quest board with purpose. She snatched a posting and returned, slapping it on the table. "Spider Leaf gathering, 5 points. Easy stuff. These herbs look like tiny spiders, creepy but harmless. Grows in clumps near the forest edge, just outside the kingdom." She pointed at the sketch on the paper, the leaves' spiky, web-like shape oddly cute. "Don't clear them out. If you find a patch, leave one or two plants for regrowth. Guild's trying to start a plantation, so dig up the whole plant roots and all with a shovel. No plucking. Got it?"
Greg nodded, picturing himself as a glorified gardener. Better than healing duty. Mira asked about the herb's uses, medicine for fevers while Tomas babbled about soil types. Once questions were done, Lila clapped her hands. "Let's move, Dawnbreakers."
They stepped outside the kingdom gates, the morning sun harsh on Greg's eyes. He froze, staring as a rickety carriage rolled by, piled with bodies of adventurers, their armor dented, faces pale. Blood stained the wood. Lila caught his look, her voice low. "Unlucky ones. Died on quests. These are just the bodies they found. Plenty more turn to skeletons in the wild, with nothing but adventurer tags left." She glanced at Greg. "You're F-rank, so no tag yet."
Greg swallowed, his excitement dimming. No respawns here. He noticed people setting up rickety stalls just beyond the gates, pots, weapons, dried meat. Tomas, pushing up his glasses, spoke up. "You seem surprised, is it your first time seeing them? They can't afford kingdom booth fees, so they sell out here. Risky. Bandits, monsters, even greedy adventurers target them. Most don't last long."
Greg's stomach twisted. The stalls looked desperate, their owners' faces gaunt, eyes darting for threats. This world's brutal, he thought, gripping his crest. Lila led the way, her greatsword slung over her shoulder. "Stay sharp," she said. "Forest's close, but 'safe' doesn't exist out here." Greg nodded, his spells ready in his mind. He'd keep them secret, but if a skeleton popped up, he wasn't going down without a fight.
Part 5: Ghosts and Goblins
Lila led the Dawnbreakers to the forest's edge, her greatsword glinting in the morning light. The trees loomed, their gnarled branches casting eerie shadows. Greg trailed behind, his steps awkward, like he was dodging invisible puddles. Mira shot him a sharp glance, her eyebrow raised. "What's with the dance, priest?" she asked, twirling her dagger. Tomas adjusted his glasses, squinting curiously, while Lila just frowned, focused on the path.
Greg sighed, his heart sinking. Five times more ghosts out here? Are you kidding me? In the kingdom, apparitions were rare, a headless guy here, a shadowy figure there. But this forest was a haunted mess. They floated around him, silent and staring, a man with a rusty knife jutting from his back, blood dripping endlessly. A woman with a gaping hole in her stomach, her face frozen in agony, like someone had carved out her unborn child. A headless child, tiny hands clutching a tattered doll. Worst of all, they followed him, drifting closer no matter how fast he walked. "What do they want?" he thought, gripping his crest. He had no clue how to make them vanish.
Lila raised a hand, halting the group. "Goblins," she whispered, pointing to a clearing. A dozen small, green creatures huddled around a smoldering campfire, gnawing on bones and cackling. Their beady eyes glinted, unaware of the party. "We ambush them," Lila said. "Mira, flank left. Tomas, ready a potion. Greg, stay back and heal." Greg nodded, relieved to sit out the fight.
Mira vanished into the brush, silent as a shadow. Lila charged, her greatsword swinging. The goblins squealed, scrambling for crude spears. Tomas fumbled a vial of sticky goo, tossing it to slow two goblins, but one threw its spear injuring his arm, drawing blood. Mira darted in, her dagger slicing throats, but a goblin's club grazed her thigh. Lila roared, cleaving one in half, but another leapt on her back, clawing. The fight dragged on, fifteen minutes of chaos, with goblins dodging and screeching. Lila's strength, Mira's speed, and Tomas's potions finally won out, leaving a pile of goblin corpses.
Greg stepped forward, his mana at 163/163. "Heal," he thought, targeting Tomas's arm (7 mana, 156/163). The cut closed. He hit Mira next, sealing her thigh wound (149/163). Lila waved him off, her scratches minor. "Save it," she grunted, wiping blood from her sword.
As the party caught their breath, Greg's eyes caught a new apparition, a man sitting by the goblin camp, his face hollow, staring at the ground. Weird. He's not following me. Curious, Greg crept closer. A pale finger poked from the dirt, nearly buried. "Lila, can I borrow your shovel?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
Lila tossed it over, frowning. "What's that for?"
"Just… checking something," Greg mumbled. He dug, the soil soft but heavy. The party watched, silent, as he uncovered a naked young woman, her body bruised, eyes closed in death. The apparition sobbed, its ghostly hands covering its face. Mira gasped, hand on her dagger. Tomas paled, clutching his notebook. Lila's face hardened, her knuckles white on her sword.
Tomas spoke, voice shaky. "Goblins… probably kidnapped her. Young ones, maybe. They… they don't stop. Rape her till she dies. Older goblins keep women alive for… breeding." His words hung heavy, the forest silent.
Greg's stomach churned. This world's sick. He focused on the body, thinking, "Heal." A soft light closed her wounds, costing 7 mana (142/163). Then, "Purify" (10 mana, 132/163). The apparition's sobs softened, its form fading until it vanished, a faint smile on its face. Greg exhaled, realizing the truth, Purify works, but I need to know what had happened first. I also need to find out what they need.
The other ghosts? The man, the woman, the child still hovered, watching. Great. Now I'm a ghost therapist? He couldn't Purify them, not without knowing their stories. Lila clapped his shoulder, her voice gruff. "Good work, priest. Let's move. Spider Leaves are close."