"Is he naked?!"
"Another victim of the bandits."
"Disgusting."
"Someone call security!"
The commotion taking place opposite the monolith was deafening. A great many people, humanoids, and representatives of all kinds of races stood in really long lines leading to the two monoliths.
Krystian was barely able to understand anything from the conversations coming from his surroundings, but based on individual remarks and, above all, the numerous looks, he quickly realized that the sight of an almost naked man, despite the improvised loincloth, was simply comical to many.
Several groups were even openly laughing at him, pointing their fingers at him.
It was not a pleasant feeling.
He felt an unpleasant tightness in his stomach, so, clenching his hand around the jewels he had obtained, he tried to leave the place as quickly as possible.
Only after looking around did he realize that he was standing in a sizable square. The entire area was surrounded by a high wooden wall, on which he noticed numerous magically glowing patterns.
Runes?
Probably.
He speculated that the walls had been reinforced with magic. It made sense if these monoliths could malfunction or if something could cause an army of monsters to escape from the Dungeon.
There were two monoliths in the square.
The first one, the one he had just emerged from, had a really simple form. It was an elongated stone block, something resembling the menhirs from Asterix and Obelix.
Except that in its upper, central part there was a perfectly round indentation, and in the very center was a brightly glowing green crystal. The front of the monolith was decorated with green runes.
The second one was similar, but made of dark granite. It looked more like a perfectly shaped mass than a natural stone decorated by man.
The crystal in the central part was red, and the runes surrounding it had exactly the same color.
The reason for the difference between the two monoliths was fairly easy to guess, especially after looking at the queues of Adventurers.
In front of the first monolith, the Adventurers were equipped with gear that looked cheap. Many of them even had simple wooden weapons, most often ordinary clubs carved from wood.
At the second Monolith, the situation looked completely different.
The Adventurers there had much more impressive equipment. Armor, weapons, and items that, judging by their appearance, had cost quite a lot of money.
The first monolith had to be the entrance to a weaker Dungeon, intended for beginners, while the second led to a much more advanced one.
It was not much information, but Krystian already knew that he would have to learn much more about this place.
Assuming, of course, that he survived long enough.
However, he could not afford to spend too long looking at the people around him.
Not only because he was almost naked, and the attention he was receiving was definitely not pleasant.
He also had to fight against his own eyes.
Especially when he looked at the women.
Almost all of them wore equipment that, through its peculiar craftsmanship, looked more erotic than practical.
Even women who looked like heavily armored knights, judging by the thickness of their armor, had outfits designed in a way that completely failed to match his idea of protecting the body.
The armor protected their backs and breasts, but their stomachs and thighs remained completely exposed. The heavy leather trousers also did not always cover as much as Krystian believed they should.
His brain was screaming about the lack of logic in all of this.
His second brain, however, seemed to have just arrived in seventh heaven.
He really liked it.
And that was precisely why he had to restrain himself from looking.
Krystian already felt embarrassed enough. His loincloth was neither too large nor particularly durable. He was afraid that another wave of emotions could cause his embarrassment to reach a critical point.
Therefore, he headed toward the building that was the only exit from the square.
This building was evidently the Adventurer's Guild.
Despite the people passing by him, he was able to spot several banners informing people about the possibility of selling loot, registration, as well as several stalls with equipment. Presumably offering prices slightly higher than the general market prices.
And although he felt like taking a closer look at the architecture of the building, the jewels held in his hand were becoming increasingly uncomfortable.
After all, he did not have a bag.
Therefore, his destination was the stall dealing with the sale of materials and equipment obtained in Dungeons.
The unpleasantness of the stares and nasty comments was still present. However, despite this, no one from the Guild approached him even for a moment.
Apparently, this was not a rare occurrence here.
Or perhaps the Guild simply did not deal with such things.
Even so, standing in line had never in his life been such a peculiar mixture of embarrassment and excitement.
Those were the most unpleasant thirty minutes of his life.
And this was only the first round.
He still had to get to the equipment stall to buy the absolute minimum necessary to cover his private parts.
The stall selling materials and equipment was truly lavishly decorated.
The tall counter made of solid dark oak had glass display cases beneath the countertop. Inside, one could see mystically looking swords, shields, gloves, and other items whose purpose Krystian could not even guess.
And although their designs were truly intriguing, his attention was drawn much more strongly to the price tags.
For instance, a mystical Claymore, looking like a weapon that could be wielded by a legendary Paladin, cost as much as 400,000 gold coins.
And although it was probably a high-end item, serving more as a decorative piece and a display of the Guild's prestige, the price alone gave Krystian a bit of insight into the economy of this world.
The other items had similar prices.
However, eventually, his attention was caught by the saleswoman.
She was peculiar.
Dressed in a white silk shirt with a truly deep neckline, she had enormous breasts. After looking around at the other stalls, however, Krystian realized that such an outfit was probably the Guild's standard uniform.
It was still difficult for him to tear his gaze away.
This time, however, it was not solely about her body.
It was her face.
Over the last several dozen minutes, Krystian had seen several truly stunning women. However, none of them had made such an impression on him.
The woman standing in front of him belonged to a race whose head resembled a dragon's head far more than a human's.
And for Krystian, who only a few hours ago had lived in a world where dragons existed exclusively in books, games, and anime...
It was a sight that was definitely more unusual than an enormous cleavage.
After serving the customer who had been ahead of Krystian, the Dragonic Woman spent a few more moments counting silver coins.
Now Krystian slightly regretted allowing himself to become absorbed by the exotic sight. He could have found out what the thirteen silver coins were worth. However, the customer who had spent the aforementioned coins had already disappeared from his field of vision.
"How may I help you... poor thing..."
Despite the facial features that differed from those of humans, Krystian easily recognized the kind expression of pity. He really disliked that feeling. Therefore, after taking a deep breath, he placed all the Minor Plant Gemstones on the counter in front of the woman and said in a calm tone:
"I would like to sell them..."
"Sir, please... One moment."
The woman had apparently intended to ask Krystian for something. Fortunately, in order not to think about his embarrassment and the few unpleasant aspects of his situation, he tried to occupy his mind by analyzing everything that was possible.
Several Adventurers behind him, besides backpacks filled with loot, pouches, or other containers, were holding cards in their hands, rectangular objects. The only thing he managed to notice was a brief glimpse of a photograph on the aforementioned object.
That meant that a membership card was required for sales or other transactions within the Guild. Krystian knew that he had to obtain one. Perhaps he would have to come up with a believable story and improvise a little.
"Ten Minor Plant Gemstones. They are F-rank, and their purity is not very high..."
"Purity...?"
The woman did not seem angry. Quite the opposite, the comedy of the situation made answering such common questions for the people of this world seem natural to her, even amusing.
"Every Minor Plant Gemstone you wish to sell, despite there being no visible differences to the naked eye, differs in the amount of magical power it contains. And even though these Gemstones are common and constitute one of the main commodities traded by our Guild, their purchase price depends precisely on the amount of magical power contained within them."
"For an F-rank Minor Plant Gemstone whose purity is flawless, the Guild pays twenty bronze coins. However, all the Minor Plant Gemstones you wish to sell contain a truly small amount of magical power. So I can offer you one silver coin and eight bronze coins."
And although this was a wealth of good information, if only because of the fact that this world's currency was divided into gold, silver, and bronze coins, with one silver coin being equal to one hundred bronze coins, his thoughts were occupied by something else.
He could not do much with one silver coin. He needed to come up with a plan of action. However, he needed funds to acquire even a simple pair of trousers.
Therefore, although he liked his first magical accessory, he removed the ring from his hand with a short sigh and handed it to the Dragonic Woman.
"Ring of Life-Giving Fragrance... E+ Rank. You were really lucky. The chance of obtaining this magical ring is truly small. That is why there are so few of them in circulation. However, its effect is not very strong, but it is valued in agriculture or alchemy. Its current value is estimated at twenty silver coins."
When the woman began taking twenty-one silver coins and eight bronze coins from beneath the counter, Krystian was slightly surprised by the value of such a simple magical accessory.
And although he wanted to ask the woman for more details about it, even about the exact number of these rings available on the market, he felt a gust of wind on his back and agreed.
He was grateful to her, but felt an unpleasant twist in his stomach when the Dragonic Woman, out of pity, handed him a small leather pouch.
Krystian appreciated her help. She had not mocked him like most of the Adventurers in this building. However, at present, surrounded by looks full of disgust, even such an act of kindness felt unpleasant to him.
Unfortunately, the line to the next merchant in the Guild was just as long, and the mocking sounds of the crowd, although slightly quieter after those several dozen minutes, still reached Krystian's ears more often than he would have liked.
After a dozen or so minutes, Krystian stood in front of the counter. Unfortunately, the person standing behind it was a rather old, gray-bearded dwarf who looked at him with slightly tired, slightly amused eyes.
"What can I get you? An Adamantine sword, Drawnir's Staff, or perhaps you would prefer LeeVord's Divine Katana."
"Pants."
"Haha..."
Although the Dwarf had probably expected that answer, he let out an amused laugh. Accompanied by the laughter of other people, the situation really was not pleasant.
Amid the laughter, the Dwarf pulled a pair of dark brown pants from a chest behind him and, after folding them into a neat square, placed them on the counter.
"Twenty silver coins, kid."
The price was colossal for ordinary pants, in his opinion. However, he speculated that the Guild did not sell cheap or low-quality items. And even if it did, they were not being offered here. The prices were certainly higher than those of ordinary craftsmen, as well. After all, buying snacks at an airport is several times more expensive than buying them at a grocery store.
And although many questions ran through his mind, in his current situation he simply grabbed the pants, paid, and walked away in search of a dark corner where he could put on his new equipment.
That place turned out to be a gap between a wall and crates containing, judging by the smell, more biological materials from monsters. The smell was significant, but this was the only place hidden from the sight of others.
The Guild employees had been watching him from the moment he headed toward the aforementioned place, but since none of them reacted or showed any desire to stop him, they must have figured out what he had gone there for.
After removing the makeshift loincloth and putting on the new leather pants, Krystian leaned against the crates and looked at the loincloth he had made himself.
"The idea was good... Fuck."
Now, being in a room with better lighting and having regained a bit of dignity after hiding his treasure in his pants, he noticed that the loincloth, which under the lighting of the Dungeon had appeared to be dark but slightly thick material, turned out to be quite see-through. The strips were black and gray, but they were so thin in both thickness and texture that, under the current lighting, everything beneath them was perfectly visible.
Krystian did not realize it, but he had evidently been exposing not only his Gladiator's torso, but, besides the club clenched in his hand, the adventurers nearby could also see his other club.
It took him a moment to process this unpleasant feeling before he began to wonder what he needed to do next.
After a brief analysis of his finances and estimating the costs, he understood that he had to return to the Dungeon before nightfall. Obtaining funds for basic necessities, such as even a roof over his head, was his priority.
He also had to obtain more information. Entering the dungeon without knowing how much he needed to earn, how much time remained until nightfall, and several other things prevented him from truly enjoying the fact that he had arrived in the place he had always dreamed of.
However, to accomplish all of this, he had to go to registration and, by providing some convincing story, obtain the license, or whatever that document carried by almost all of the Adventurers in the building was.
Therefore, he headed toward the shortest of the many lines in the Adventurer's Guild headquarters.
Apparently, there were not very many new Adventurers. There was only a pair of human adventurers standing in front of Krystian. Judging by their clothing, a warrior and a mage.
Classic.
However, the female mage's outfit was quite attention-grabbing, to say the least.
The woman looked more like an Indian dancer. She was wearing something that was a hybrid between a bra and a shawl, as if a long, rectangular, extremely thin piece of pink silk were wrapped around her neck, covering her breasts, with its two ends draped over her shoulders. Around her hips, she wore what was known as a "hip scarf," made of slightly thicker, but still translucent material. Finally—dark thong underwear.
And in her hand, she held an ordinary wand, with a rather simple appearance resembling a stick.
She looked really good, but unfortunately, Krystian could not enjoy the sight for long, as the Adventurer duo finished their registration and it was his turn.
The receptionist was an Elf with intensely green eyes and long, blonde hair tied into a ponytail. She was wearing the typical white shirt worn by Guild employees. However, unlike the Dragonic Woman, the Elf did not have a particularly well-developed chest.
It was a minimal improvement.
Minus one from the list of things that could distract him while selling his made-up story.
"Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild in Goldfang. As a receptionist, I must admit that watching your activities within the Guild over the past few hours has been... well, quite unusual. Before we begin the registration process, I have to ask you, how did it happen that you were forced to leave the Hot Flora Dungeon in such an unusual state?"
Krystian had a story ready in his mind. However, to make his story more believable, he adopted a more embarrassed expression, which was not particularly difficult given the circumstances.
"Actually, there isn't much I can say. I don't remember much. I was looking for temporary work on the outskirts of the city when a pair of Adventurers offered me a job as their porter. I would collect loot from monsters, that sort of thing. I remember a few fights with smaller groups of those little plant monsters. And suddenly... nothing. I don't know if they poisoned me with something or hit me. I didn't find any injuries on myself. Only my equipment was missing. Even my shoes."
"That is unfortunate..."
"And after that, it was basically improvisation. I knew I needed funds, and since I had no choice and had to fight anyway, I collected loot and made my way toward the exit."
"I understand. So why do you want to join us? After all, many Adventurers die while fighting monsters."
"To be honest, I wasn't good at... well, many things. However, this peculiar experience showed me that fighting, assessing situations, and coming up with tactics are precisely what brings me joy. I feel that I can become someone more. And the childhood dream of becoming a great mage or a legendary Adventurer is no longer just a dream."
"Well, I'm not here to question your dreams. So, if you don't wish to file a complaint against the aforementioned group of Adventurers, let's proceed with the registration. Please fill out this document."
The Elf handed Krystian a rather extensive document.
It contained more questions than he had initially expected. Apart from basic information such as first name, last name, family, or race, there were many questions that he had to leave blank.
For example, his current address.
After a brief conversation, he learned that the missing information could be completed at a later date.
There were also other pieces of information he could not fill in. His family's mailing address, the person who should be notified in the event of his death, and much more.
"I understand. Next, let's move on to measuring your magical energy. Please place your hand on the Crystal Ball. It may hurt a little, but please do not remove your hand."
The process was painful, like holding a kettle that was heating up with his bare hand. Unpleasant, but fortunately, it lasted surprisingly briefly.
"Your magical power is... E+ Rank. Quite good. Without training or using skills, spells, aura, and many other things, most beginner Adventurers are F Rank."
"As for your magical affinities, you have a strong affinity for the Water Element and Necromancy. That is a truly rare combination. And if I may suggest something, please avoid people from the Sunmight Kingdom. As you know, they consider many branches of magic to be... blasphemous."
"Well, here is your Adventurer's Card. It provides discounts at the stalls throughout the Guild and also serves as a locator. If you purchase life insurance of a rank higher than D Rank, the card will allow the rescue team to reach you more quickly."
After taking the card, Krystian walked toward the monoliths, calculating the prices and his current options while wondering what he should do first.
However, the examination of his magical potential seemed, for the moment, to overshadow all the other, more important information.
Magic was something he had always dreamed of. He often imagined what he could accomplish with it. Although the most common scenarios revolved around the realities of his original world, where his actions could be attributed more to the activities of a villain or a natural disaster.
However, now that he understood he had an aptitude for wielding magic—and specifically Water magic and Necromancy—his imagination began working at full speed.
Water magic alone gave him enormous possibilities. Setting aside basic spells such as a Water Ball or attacking an opponent with a stream of water, there were, after all, many more advanced applications. Blood manipulation or ice magic were just some of the possibilities that came to mind.
However, Necromancy magic might be what he needed more at the moment.
A companion. A meat shield. Or perhaps simply an extra pair of hands.
After today's performance in the Guild, Krystian doubted whether his fairy-tale dream of beautiful female companions could come true. He was under no illusion that his fresh reputation was still spotless. He remembered the insulting words thrown in his direction perfectly well.
Even now, while waiting for his turn to use the monolith, he could hear unpleasant whispers.
Therefore, having a skeleton, zombie, or some other undead creature as a companion seemed invaluable to him at the moment.
Looking at his makeshift club, Krystian began wondering whether, if he had his own skeletal warrior, he could modify it like a golem.