Osric woke on the blanket before the light reached the cracks in the wooden ceiling.
His body felt heavier than he expected—not injured, not in pain, just worn in a deep, honest way. Muscles protested when he shifted, a dull reminder of strain rather than wounds. He lay still for a moment, listening to the familiar creak of the hut settling around him, breathing slowly until the weight eased.
Tired.
But beneath it, something else stirred.
Not adrenaline. Not urgency.
A quiet sense of growth.
Osric sat up and ran a hand through his hair, eyes drifting to the corner where his sword rested. Nothing about it looked different. Neither did the hut, or the thin blanket beneath him. And yet the thought of the previous day no longer carried the same uncertainty it once would have.
He was still alive.
More than that—he had held his ground.
The promise lingered in his mind as he stood and stretched carefully.
One silver crown.
An E-rank promotion.
Osric dressed quickly, hunger already gnawing at him, excitement kept tightly in check. There was no reason to rush—but for the first time, he found himself eager to step outside.
The guild was waiting.
Osric ate before he left.
Nothing elaborate—just a warm, filling meal taken without hurry. He noticed the difference immediately, not in strength but in awareness. The way his eyes tracked movement as people passed. How his body adjusted its balance without conscious thought when he stepped over uneven stone.
Small things.
Subtle.
Combat Instinct didn't announce itself. It corrected him quietly.
By the time he reached the guild, the noise felt familiar again rather than overwhelming. Voices layered instead of blurring. Footsteps carried direction. Tension stood out where it existed.
He hadn't been here long.
But he belonged more than he had yesterday.
"Osric."
The call came before he reached the mission board.
Franklin stood near the desk, already turning toward the back corridor. No preamble. No explanation.
"Office."
Osric followed.
The door closed behind them with the same soft finality as always.
Franklin didn't sit. He reached into a drawer and placed a small pouch on the desk, then slid it forward.
"One silver crown," he said. "Mission reward."
Osric took it, weight settling into his palm. A single coin—but heavier than any copper he'd ever earned.
Franklin didn't give him time to dwell on it.
He produced a second item and set it down beside the pouch.
An E-rank badge.
Simple. Clean. Official.
"Promotion effective immediately," Franklin said. "You're now E-rank."
Osric picked it up carefully. The metal was cool, solid—real.
The moment his fingers closed around the badge, the world flickered.
Blue light surfaced at the edge of his vision.
[Achievement Unlocked]
E-Rank Adventurer
You have been officially recognized by the Adventurers' Guild.
Reward: 1 Free Stat Point
Osric's breath stilled for half a second.
No pain.
No rush of strength.
Just the quiet certainty that something had been acknowledged.
He dismissed the screen without moving his expression.
Franklin continued, tone shifting slightly, becoming instructional.
"As an E-rank adventurer in Ashbrook, you're eligible for a monthly stipend. Three hundred and fifty copper." His eyes met Osric's. "Provided you complete at least five E-rank missions within the month. Solo or party, doesn't matter."
Osric listened closely.
"Fail once, and the stipend for that month is reduced," Franklin went on. "Fail again, and the reduction becomes permanent. A third failure results in demotion."
Clear.
Fair.
Unforgiving.
"I understand," Osric said.
Franklin nodded. "Mission rewards are separate. This is meant to keep you alive—not comfortable."
Osric felt something settle in his chest.
This wasn't just more money.
It was stability.
A foundation.
"I won't waste it," he said.
Franklin studied him for a moment longer than necessary.
Before, there had been curiosity. A measured interest in a quiet, capable newcomer.
Now, there was something sharper.
Potential.
Franklin made no comment on it—but he made a quiet decision all the same.
Osric would be watched more closely from now on.
"Get some rest today," Franklin said, already turning away. "Train if you want. Don't push yourself. Come back tomorrow ready to work."
Osric inclined his head. "I will."
When he left the office, the guild felt different.
Not louder.
Not warmer.
Just… closer.
He didn't take a mission.
Instead, he went to the small training grounds and moved slowly, deliberately—testing footwork, balance, awareness. Letting his body relearn itself without strain. Every correction felt smoother than before. Every decision came a fraction earlier.
He stopped before fatigue set in.
Tomorrow would be for danger.
Today was for growth.
Osric cleaned his blade, sat back, and let the quiet settle around him.
For the first time, the path ahead didn't feel like survival alone.
It felt like progress.
And he intended to keep it that way.