The walk back to Drakenridge took longer than Eren expected. Carrying the massive ogre tusk on his shoulder was not easy, even with the slight increase in strength he had gained from defeating the creature. The tusk alone weighed nearly as much as a full suit of armor, and its rough surface dug painfully into his shoulder with every step he took. Still, he refused to drop it. That tusk was proof of what had happened in the forest, and he knew very well that without proof nobody in the Adventurer Guild would believe his story.
Beside him, Cassian Voss walked calmly through the forest trail as if the journey were nothing more than a peaceful evening stroll. The tall swordsman occasionally glanced at the tusk resting on Eren's shoulder with an amused expression.
"You're really carrying the whole thing back?" Cassian asked after several minutes of silence.
Eren adjusted the tusk slightly and exhaled through his nose. "If I don't, the guild will never believe me."
Cassian chuckled softly. "They probably won't believe you even with it."
Eren grimaced. "That's what I'm afraid of."
The path gradually widened as they approached the outskirts of Drakenridge. The city itself was surrounded by thick stone walls designed to keep monsters out, though Eren knew very well that the real danger often came from the wilderness beyond the gates. Adventurers constantly left the city in search of glory and gold, but not all of them returned.
As the two men passed through the main gate, the guards immediately noticed the enormous tusk resting on Eren's shoulder.
One of them stepped forward with wide eyes. "Where in the world did you get that?"
Eren stopped and tilted the tusk slightly so the guard could see it clearly. "Blackthorn Forest."
The guard stared at the tusk for several seconds before slowly shaking his head. "That looks like an ogre tusk."
"It is," Eren replied.
The guard looked at him carefully from head to toe. Eren still wore the same simple leather armor and cheap iron sword that marked him as a low-rank adventurer. Nothing about his appearance suggested someone capable of killing a monster like an ogre.
The guard frowned slightly. "Did a hunting party bring it down?"
"No," Eren said calmly. "I did."
The guard stared at him.
Then he looked at Cassian.
Cassian shrugged. "He's telling the truth."
The guard opened his mouth as if to argue, then closed it again. After another long look at the tusk, he stepped aside and waved them through.
"Well," he muttered, "the guild can deal with that."
Eren continued walking through the city streets toward the Adventurer Guild. Drakenridge was busy as usual, with merchants shouting from their stalls and travelers moving between shops and inns. A few people stopped and stared at the enormous tusk on Eren's shoulder, whispering among themselves as he passed.
Cassian walked beside him with an amused smile. "You're drawing attention."
Eren sighed. "Good."
When they finally reached the Adventurer Guild, the familiar sounds of laughter and conversation spilled out through the open doors. Eren pushed the doors open with his shoulder and stepped inside.
The moment he entered, the room began to quiet.
Adventurers at nearby tables slowly turned their heads toward the entrance. One by one, their conversations stopped as they noticed the massive tusk resting on Eren's shoulder.
Bram Calder was sitting at his usual table with several other adventurers when he spotted Eren.
"Hey look," Bram called out with a grin. "The goblin hunter's back."
The room chuckled lightly.
Then Bram noticed the tusk.
His grin slowly faded.
"…what the hell is that?"
Eren walked across the guild hall and dropped the tusk onto the wooden floor.
The impact echoed through the entire building.
Several adventurers jumped in their seats.
Lyra Daven looked up from the counter with wide eyes.
"Eren?" she said.
Eren wiped the sweat from his forehead and leaned slightly on the counter.
"I completed the quest."
Lyra glanced past him at the enormous tusk lying on the floor.
"That… is not from a goblin."
"No," Eren agreed.
The entire guild hall was silent now.
Bram stood up slowly and approached the tusk. He crouched beside it and ran a hand along its surface, examining the rough ridges and the deep curve of the bone.
His eyes widened slightly.
"This is real," he said quietly.
Another adventurer stepped closer. "Is that… an ogre tusk?"
Bram stood up again and turned toward Eren.
"You expect us to believe you killed an ogre?"
Eren shrugged.
"I did."
The room exploded into noise.
"Impossible."
"He's lying."
"There's no way."
Eren crossed his arms and waited patiently.
Bram walked up to him and leaned closer.
"Tell me the truth," Bram said. "Did you find this on a corpse someone else killed?"
Eren met his gaze calmly.
"No."
Bram stared at him for a few seconds before looking toward Cassian.
"And you?"
Cassian leaned casually against a nearby pillar.
"I saw the body myself," he said. "The ogre's still lying in the forest."
The room fell silent again.
Bram frowned.
"You're serious?"
Cassian nodded.
"Completely."
Lyra slowly stepped out from behind the counter and approached the tusk.
She knelt beside it and examined the base where it had been cut from the ogre's skull.
"This was removed recently," she said.
Her eyes lifted toward Eren.
"You really killed an ogre?"
Eren rubbed the back of his neck.
"…yeah."
Bram let out a long breath and shook his head.
"This makes no sense," he muttered.
Another adventurer spoke from the back of the room.
"If he killed an ogre alone, he shouldn't be F-rank."
Eren chuckled slightly.
"That's what I've been saying for two years."
The guild master's door suddenly opened.
A tall older man stepped out, his grey beard hanging down to his chest. His sharp eyes scanned the room before settling on the ogre tusk lying on the floor.
"What is all this noise?" the guild master asked.
Bram pointed at Eren.
"He claims he killed an ogre."
The guild master slowly walked forward and examined the tusk.
His expression grew serious.
"This is genuine," he said quietly.
He turned toward Eren.
"You killed it?"
"Yes."
"With help?"
"No."
The guild master stared at him silently for several seconds.
Finally he sighed.
"Then we have a problem."
Eren blinked.
"A problem?"
The guild master nodded.
"If what you're saying is true, then your current rank assessment is completely wrong."
Murmurs spread through the room.
Bram crossed his arms.
"You're saying he should be promoted?"
The guild master looked thoughtful.
"Possibly."
Eren raised an eyebrow.
"Possibly?"
The old man nodded slowly.
"Killing one ogre could be luck."
Eren laughed.
"Trust me. It wasn't luck."
The guild master studied him carefully.
"Then prove it."
Eren tilted his head.
"How?"
The old man's eyes narrowed slightly.
"There's a dungeon near the eastern cliffs. A beginner dungeon we use for rank evaluations."
Eren waited.
The guild master continued.
"If you clear it alone… we will reconsider your rank."
The room buzzed with excitement.
Bram grinned.
"That dungeon has killed plenty of adventurers."
Cassian chuckled quietly.
"This should be interesting."
Eren thought for a moment.
Then he smiled.
"Alright."
The guild master nodded.
"You'll leave tomorrow morning."
Eren shrugged.
"No need."
Everyone looked at him.
He picked up his sword and turned toward the door.
"I'll go now."
Bram laughed loudly.
"Confident, aren't you?"
Eren paused at the doorway.
Then he glanced back at them.
"You have no idea."
Because none of them understood the truth.
The dungeon might kill him.
Once.
Twice.
Maybe fifty times.
But eventually—
He would clear it.
Because for Eren Thorne…
Death was no longer the end of the fight.
It was just another chance to try again.