[Ding]
[Host: A new mission has been issued.]
[Mission: 1. Register your first Adventurer. 2. First Mission Posted.]
Sage's eyes lit up with glee when he heard the system notifications. He quickly opened the Adventurer Guild status panel to check.
--------
[ Adventurer Guild Interface ]
Guild Master: [Sage Alistair]
Guild Rank: F [Unproven]
Guild Funds: [0]
Reputation: 0 / 100 [Unknown]
Active Members: [0]
Guild Territory: [None]
Guild Facilities: [None]
[ Guild Objectives ]
Main Quest: [Establish The First Guild In The World Of Aetherion]
Side Quest 1: [Register the first Adventurer]
Reward: [ Unknown ]
Status: [ In Progress ]
Side Quest 2: [ First Mission Posted ]
Reward: [ Unknown ]
Status: [ In Progress ]
-------
Sage had a faint smile on the corner of his lips as he scrutinized the missions. They weren't quite difficult to complete, as long as he can register the first Adventurer and post his first mission, then these two missions will be completed without a sweat.
"I need to hurry up and complete these two missions. This will be my stepping stone to rise up in this world!" he whispered silently under his breath.
With that set in stone, he rose from his chair, stretched a little bit and locked the main entrance of the Guild Hall before heading to the second floor.
The second floor is his resting place; there is a bedroom and a small bathroom as well. To him, this is essentially all he needs.
By this time, the sun had already set. The sky was painted in an orange glow; Greyvale City was cloaked in this beautiful orange color as the day drew to an end.
Sage took a simple bath and headed to bed. Lying on the soft bed with a thin blanket covering his body, his hands rested beneath his head as he gazed at the ceiling of the room.
"Ughhh! I'm so hungry!" Sage smiled bitterly; being broke isn't for the weak at all.
He had no money on him currently, which meant his life was in the hands of anyone who would come to post a mission or a warrior to register as an Adventurer.
With hunger and expectations for tomorrow, Sage slowly drifted off to sleep, his snores filling the entire bedroom.
-----------
The next day, the sun peeked through the heavy fluffy clouds, and the golden rays of sunlight spilled into the bedroom through the window, landing squarely on Sage's face.
His brows twitched slightly as he slowly opened his eyes; they were extremely clear and filled with expectations.
"Today is a new day; time to get to work!" With that, he jumped off the bed and hurriedly took a simple morning bath, then rushed to the first floor and opened the Guild entrance.
What met him was just the usual cacophony of noises, carriages speeding past, warriors in armor constantly walking by.
Nobody even bothered to look in his direction; only faint confused glances were thrown at the Adventurer symbol hanging above the entrance,that's it.
Sage's lips twitched when he saw this; the hope and excitement in his eyes immediately disappeared.
"Well, looks like I was just expecting more. Things won't change in a single day; just take it slow!"
With that, he moved to the receptionist desk, propping up his chin with his hand as his eyes were locked on the entrance.But sometimes, expectations and hope can be crushed into pieces.
Time passed by like fine sand slipping through fingers, and five hours had already gone by.
Sage was still sitting in the same place, occasionally standing up to stretch a little before going back to sit down.
He sometimes walked to the entrance and stood there for a while with the most sincere and welcoming smile ever, but still, no one bothered to come close.
Apart from that, he was suffering from hunger; his stomach was constantly grumbling, the sound was too loud, especially in the empty, huge Guild Hall.
He slumped over the desk, his head in his hands, as another loud groan echoed from his stomach; he even dozed off for a few hours.
And just like that, the day came to an end. Sage, with disappointment and hunger, went back to sleep. He didn't even bother to take his bath; he just plopped himself on the bed and drifted off to sleep.
Three days passed by in the blink of an eye, and during these three days, Sage had really suffered a lot. In three days, still no one bothered to come to the Guild Hall or even come here out of curiosity. The entire Guild Hall looked like a cemetery, totally quiet.
What truly uplifted his mood on the third day was that he was able to eat on credit. A short distance away from the Guild Hall, there was a small stall with a woman in her thirties selling food. Her business was quite booming, as most of the people on this street bought food from her.
Sage had to thicken his face and went there to eat on credit, stating that he had used all his money to set up his shop and that currently, there was no business. But as soon as business started, he would pay her back.
Fortunately, the woman was kind enough to agree, and finally, after two days of forced fasting, Sage was able to eat a proper meal. He almost shed tears while eating the food. His heart was full of bitterness.
He couldn't remember how many times he had to wake up in the middle of the night due to hunger; he had to drink water constantly. Because of this, his already scrawny and thin frame became even more pronounced. Standing there, he looked like a twig.
As for the system, ever since it gave him the mission, it has totally gone quiet. Sage tried to talk to it, but he only received short and cold perfunctory answers.
Sage had no choice but to put a wooden board at the entrance, stating the kind of business he did. He had no choice; if he didn't do that, he had no idea when he would have his first adventurer.
And it's not like he didn't want to go out and promote his business, but the system forbade him from doing so. He could only hold up in the Guild Hall, expecting others to walk in.
But the system didn't say that he couldn't put a sign stating what business the Guild Hall was for; that's why he put a wooden board at the entrance. With this, at least people would notice him, and maybe out of curiosity, they might enter.
---------
"Sigh...if I don't find someone to help, the village will be in deep trouble!" Edmund stroked his long white beard as he walked along the side of the road.
His old and wrinkled face was crunched up in deep worry. He was wearing a long, elegant blue robe, with a purple belt wrapped around his waist, and in his hand, he was holding a wooden cane.
"Being a village head isn't easy at all. How can they expect an old man like me to find affordable help in this huge city? Nowadays, no one is willing to help us commoners. The Warriors only care for gold, not for people!" Edmund mused as he continued walking forward.
He walked around the city, looking for help, visited many places to find warriors to assist him, but none of them even looked at him, stating that the fee for helping his village was too small.
After hours of searching to no avail, Edmund was already tired. His old face was covered in sweat, and slightly pale from exhaustion.
"Nowadays it's simply too difficult to find help. Everyone is after quick success and money, and doesn't have integrity and morals anymore!" Edmund lamented, his old steel-gray eyes shifting around the place.
"Huh! What's this!" Edmund immediately halted in his steps as he looked at the building opposite him.
"Adventurer Guild?" His old eyes flashed with confusion. "What does that mean?" His eyes were looking at the beautiful symbol hanging atop the building, as surprise flickered in them.
"I have to say, this is quite beautifully made. The one who made this really knows how to do his job!" Edmund nodded in appreciation.
His eyes traced to the wooden signboard standing at the side of the entrance; immediately, the words written on it caught his attention.
He slowly approached the building and looked at the wooden board. Edmund stroked his beard as he read what was written on the board.
Adventurer Guild – Open.
Services Offered.
1. Mission Posting: Bring tasks, troubles, or monster problems here. We will find those willing to complete them.
Fair price. Fast results.
2. Adventurer Registration: Become an Adventurer and accept missions. Earn gold coins, glory, and a name. No noble background required. Everyone is welcome.
P.S.: Ask Inside For More Details.
Edmund's eyes were filled with confusion, but mostly excitement; this was what he had been basically flying around the city looking for.
He took a few steps back, looked at the symbol on top of the building, and then walked toward the entrance, which was wide open.
He stood at the entrance, took a deep breath, and stepped inside. The moment he entered, a creepy, hoarse, and shaky voice drifted into his ears. The voice was filled with excitement and desperation.
"Welcome To The Adventurer Guild!".