As I blinked, the black-cloaked guy disappeared. I slowly touched my neck.What a relief—it's just a little blood.I stood up and immediately went to wash my neck. He hadn't stabbed too deep, which was good.
My first day in this world and I'm already getting killed. But one thing I'm sure of—the way he was dressed, it reminds me of assassins… or maybe ninjas?
It was dark. I grabbed a towel, poured some water on it, then lay down on the bed and placed the wet cloth on my neck.
The next day, as the sun shone through the wooden window into my room, I pulled the towel off and stood up.A new day, which means more adventure!I could feel my heartbeat go wild. I was really excited, though I'd almost been killed yesterday too.
I reached for the wooden door and went straight down to the reception. The woman from yesterday was there. I asked for a meal, which they later sent up to my room.
After eating, I headed out.
The streets were crowded again. The first thing I noticed was the difference in clothing between me and everyone else. I really needed new clothes. But I was broke… no money.Let's head to the Adventurers Guild and see if I can get some.
As I walked toward the guild, a familiar voice shouted my name.
"YOO, ARIO!"
I turned. It was the strong-looking guy from yesterday. He looked bulkier than me, but I was still taller.
"Yo, Vino. Are we always gonna meet like this, just on the street?"
"Haha, I guess so. By the way, Ario, you're headed to the guild, right?"
"Yup. I want to know if I can get some money."
"Of course you can, but we'll need to take tasks."
"Tasks?" I asked.
"Yeah. Don't worry, I'll show you how."
We entered the guild.
This time, unlike yesterday, people weren't staring at me. I guess they had gotten used to my clothes.
Following Vino, we stopped in front of a wooden board filled with papers pinned across it.
"Here, look Ario. You can take any task from this board. All you have to do is pick the paper you want, give it to the lady at reception, and when you finish, you come back for the reward."
"Alright… this seems simple. Exactly like games," I thought.
I leaned closer, scanning the papers. Then I realized—I could actually read them. I could also understand everyone around me perfectly. That meant this world spoke the same language, or maybe something magical was at work.
"Hmm, this one looks good," I said. "Yo, Vino, look—it says Kill 3 Goblins. That must be an easy task, right?"
Vino turned from the board to me. "Killing three goblins? Yeah, that's simple. What's the pay?"
I checked again. "Three silver coins. One for each goblin."
"Nice. Let's take it. And since you picked it, you can keep the reward."
"Wait, really? Thanks! That'll cover three days at the motel—
We went to the reception, reported the task, and then headed out.
Outside, Vino jumped into the air, shouting:"OUR FIRST TASKKK!"
"Wait, Ario, you don't even have a sword. Follow me—we'll buy you one. And some armor too."
"But Vino, I don't have—"
"Nah, don't worry, Ario. It's on me. I'll pay."
As we walked, I noticed the massive sword strapped to his back. I'd seen it before, but up close it looked huge and heavy.
Twenty minutes later…
"Now look at you, Ario," Vino laughed. "With armor and new clothes, you look like a real adventurer."
"Yeah, I guess you're right." I pulled the sword Vino had bought me. It was tall and thin, light in my hands, and easy to move. It had cost five silver coins. The armor and clothes cost eight more. I promised myself I'd work hard to pay him back.
"Now we're fully ready!" Vino clenched his muscles and strode toward the city gates."Follow me, Ario. We're leaving Edrin and heading into the forest."
So this city is called Edrin, huh…
Location: Edrin Forest
The scent of wood filled my nose as we walked beneath the trees. The armor weighed me down, but I was sure I'd get used to it.
"So, Vino, how do we find goblins?"
"Simple." He pulled a small knife from his pocket.
"What are you doing?" I asked as he stabbed it lightly into his hand, letting a few drops of blood fall.
"Goblins love the smell of BLOOD. This will draw—"
"WATCH OUT, VINO!"
In a blur, he drew his massive sword, spun like a whirlwind, and decapitated the goblin in one flawless strike.
It was the first time I'd seen something like this with my own eyes. Before, I'd only witnessed such things in movies and games.
"Alright, just two more to go," Vino said, flicking the blood from his blade before sheathing it. He stepped forward, slammed his fist into the goblin's body, and pulled out a glowing blue crystal.
"See, Ario? This is a goblin crystal. Small, blue… and worth a silver coin."
He straightened, eyes blazing with determination."Time to move on."
And just like that, three goblins were defeated, their crystals claimed, and we headed back to the guild. Vino handed me three silver coins—but really, he had done everything. I hadn't even gotten the chance to swing my blade.
With that, my second day in this new world came to an end.