The darkness of night spread across the area, bringing with it a variety of sounds—the chirping of crickets and the occasional hoot of an owl. In the black sky, countless stars twinkled, creating a breathtaking sight over the lush green land beneath the pitch-dark night. People could be seen retreating back to the illuminated town, while guards at the gates argued over who had the best dinner in the midst of the night's breeze.
After some time, an adventurer party approached the entrance. There were five of them. The first to stand out from a distance was Miro, towering over the others while carrying a sack full of something. To his left was Foxen, clad in leather armor, with sharp yellow eyes. In front of him walked a short demi-human girl, limping with difficulty—Penny. Leading the group was a young man with brown hair and cold green eyes, gripping his bow—Grell. And finally, a young man with white hair and green eyes, carrying a sword on his back and another at his waist—Laos.
This was our party. It seemed they had completed the Daemon quest, making their way out of the night's darkness and into the bustling town. The town was packed with people and shops, lit by hanging lanterns and streetlights powered by magic stones. Light spread everywhere, leaving no trace of the darkness that plagued the areas where adventurers struggled to make a living... A place like this would be wonderful for an adventurer.
Upon entering from the southern gate, they headed straight for Alis Guild, the massive establishment that was still open. Adventurers were seen coming and going, and as they advanced with their battered appearances—wounded, walking unsteadily, clothes torn, and small patches of blood staining their faces—their presence alone told others they had been through a tough adventure.
A perfect way to end the day… With everything that happened today, at least the conclusion was good. Everyone seemed to enjoy it… But even with the quest completed, I didn't feel much happiness. I felt cold. My stomach hurt. My heart felt empty. My emotions were all over the place, as if I were still terrified. There was some relief, sure, but with that relief came flashes of that goblin… the blood… those corpses. The quest was brutal—or maybe it was just the impact it left on me. And this is only the beginning.
I thought I'd feel really happy, but fear still grips my heart, keeping me from feeling the joy I expected. But that doesn't mean everything I'm feeling is bad. Right now, I can at least feel a great sense of relief, probably from finishing the quest… It seems that fucking Etomi's speech affected my happiness. I mean, we weren't the ones who defeated Daemon, and if it weren't for her, we would have died. But…
At the very least, I should feel happy that I survived. But in that moment, I felt something terrible—an emotion I despised. A feeling I had hated since my past life. I thought I had left it behind in the other world, but it seems it followed me here… Yes, that's it… The feeling I loathe—the same one I felt when I first opened my eyes in that palace… Self-contempt.
This always happens after I'm belittled. I sink into deep sadness, start seeing myself as trash, and think that everyone is better than me… even though I swore to change. I swore to see myself as the greatest, the best of them all, trying to lock this feeling away in a cage… But it seems Etomi's speech was the key that freed it, the key that stole my happiness… Fuck!
Power, huh? Power is what drives this world. Even though her words were meant to be motivational, they were more soul-crushing than inspiring. I even noticed that everyone felt completely demoralized. They weren't walking into the guild carrying the Daemon's head with pride, but with an air of defeat. Was it because this wasn't really their victory? Or was it because Etomi's speech crushed them?
I don't know… but what I do know is that her words shattered me in many ways. I will never forget what she said. She made me see myself as nothing more than a sewer rat rather than an adventurer. First, Daemon's shock… and now this crushing speech? What the hell happened to my luck all of a sudden?!
Fine. Etomi Selva joins the list of people who have insulted me in my life… I'll never forget you. And I'll make sure to get revenge. I won't rest until I crush that arrogance of yours. Not just her… I'll shatter the pride of every arrogant creature in this world. I am Laos… the adventurer who woke up today to the truth that power is everything. And I will start crushing my enemies without mercy!
I had set a goal to buy a house, but saving up money is difficult. Even with Maris helping me, it still feels impossible. So, I'll change my goal for now—I'll aim to become stronger. Yes, my new goal is to gain as much power as possible. I want to become the number one adventurer in Iveleth… My aura farming arc begins now!
"We've finally arrived," Penny muttered coldly, her face showing clear signs of exhaustion.
As we entered the guild, several gazes turned toward us. Some were shocked, others smiled, and it seemed they had figured out that we had slain Daemon after spotting the blood-stained sack. I won't lie—it felt great. I looked like a true, seasoned adventurer. This was my first accomplishment in aura farming… and the next would only be greater. Just wait!
Suddenly, loud applause erupted throughout the hall. Everyone was clapping, wide smiles on their faces. As I glanced around, I spotted different people clapping—even the receptionists. Smiles and applause filled the place. At that moment, an unfamiliar feeling crept into me—one that made me smile uncontrollably. And of course, I couldn't hold it back. I flashed a wide grin when I saw the rest of the party smiling too. Satisfaction.
"Congratulations, and thank you for killing Daemon!" a group of beginner adventurers called out.
At that moment, some adventurers approached us—most of them beautiful women with large boobs. They quickly gathered around and raised their pure hands toward us. Damn, we must have looked pitiful in this state… They looked like priests, judging by their long robes. Then, in unison, they chanted: "Heallisial."
A green light spread through the place—the same light that appears after any healing spell. It looked like the same midspell that Maris used, but it was cast multiple times by several people at once. I felt immense relief. Even though I didn't take any injuries in this fight, healing magic still helps with relaxation and pain relief. It seemed like the others had been healed too—Penny's facial wounds had closed, and Miro's shoulder wound had healed completely.
"Thank you," Grell said as he stepped forward with a faint smile.
At that moment, from among all the priests, a girl with stunningly long orange hair stepped forward. Her boobs were amazing. Even though her robe was loose, they still stood out. My god, how does she even have such an incredible boobs?! She moved closer to Grell, placed her hands on his cheeks, and started staring into his eyes with her violet gaze. Damn, why Grell and not me??
"Grell, you've become a reliable adventurer," the girl said.
"Nalla!" Grell exclaimed in surprise.
"I haven't seen you in two years, ever since you left town and decided to become an adventurer here."
"Nalla!! What are you doing here?!"
"What do you mean? Don't you want me to become an adventurer? Weren't you the same person who used to pester me as a child, begging me to become an adventurer?" The orange-haired girl laughed lightly. What a beauty.
"At least why didn't you tell me?!" Grell replied.
"I like surprising people. Aren't you the one who said that three years ago?" Nalla muttered.
"But at least… Since when have you been here?"
"Not for long. Oh, it looks like you've got a nice party," she said as she stared at us. This is embarrassing.
"Oh, are you Ponier?!" she added after focusing her eyes on the foxen standing in front of me, finally removing her hands from Grell's face.
"Nalla, you've grown," Ponier muttered shyly. Is he an introvert too?
"It's been seven years since I last saw you, I think," Nalla murmured.
"Time flies. Looks like the kids from Omila Town have reunited," Grell said.
"Oh, I remember this line… Who said it, I wonder?" Nalla pondered.
"Uncle Holdan, whenever he saw us playing in his garden," Ponier answered quickly as if he knew the answer before she even asked. Wow, this reunion is really something.
After that, they started laughing. It reminded me of when I reunited with Malin and the others in the palace. It's touching. And what a coincidence—they just happened to meet at the guild. Is this what they call the intertwining of fate?
"Well, this isn't the time to talk. You should finish your exhausting day first. Let's talk later, Grell and Ponier," Nalla said.
Then Grell moved forward, and we followed him. At that moment, Miro placed Daemon's head on the reception desk in front of one of the female staff members, then stepped back to let her check. Slowly, she opened the sack, stared at Daemon's head with cold eyes, then closed her eyes, covered her face with her hands, and began to cry. Fuck! This is not the time for this kind of thing, please!
"Thank you…" the receptionist said, tears streaming down her face.
Did she lose someone from her family because of Daemon? Damn, all of this is happening, and we're not even the ones who killed him. After that, everyone started clapping again, but this time, after the applause died down, someone suddenly shouted: "They're the strongest beginner party in the town! You guys need a name!"
"Yes, yes! How about the Rising Party?"
"No, no! The New Stars!"
Great, I feel like I'm the one who killed Daemon. Well, technically, I did, but we would've died without Etomi. It doesn't matter—a win is a win. This achievement is going straight into my aura farming records. Oh, right, to gain aura, you shouldn't smile. You need to maintain a stern expression that radiates strength and valor. But whatever, I'm still a beginner.
"Well, we have four promotions here: Laos, Grell, Penny, and Miro," the receptionist announced.
After that, she asked for our ID cards, then walked away to another area with them. Amazing, I'm getting promoted! Finally! I've been sick of this Leaf rank. My first promotion in this world at last. I failed to rank up before… but now, yes! After leaving the palace, I got my first promotion. It really feels like my life is getting better.
"Your efforts are blessed," Penny said, smiling at us.
"Well, you all look happy… Want me to make you even happier?" Ponier suddenly said.
"Yeah," Miro whispered.
"You guys can take the reward for yourselves. I won't take anything," Ponier added.
"No way! You contributed the most to this achievement, so we're sharing it between the five of us," Grell replied.
My god, they're acting like we're about to receive a king's fortune. It's just six fucking nova. But whatever, who cares about the reward compared to the promotion? From now on, I'll be able to take on better quests than those stupid Leaf-ranked ones. Yes, I'm changing. From now on, I'm taking a different path… the path of power. This feels like the stuff I say at 3 AM after listening to a hype song.
But now, I really have to change. This is another life, another world. I've set many goals in this world and achieved them, so obtaining power shouldn't be difficult, right? Yeah, it won't be! I'll do anything to gain power. From now on, I have to start changing and showing a new side of myself—or maybe even completely changing my personality all at once, just like Naofumi. From now on, after this first achievement, I'll dedicate my life to looking tuff to the max and becoming the most famous adventurer in this town… The number one adventurer. And to do that…
Another Laos must awaken.
"These are your cards and your reward," the receptionist said as she returned.
We received our new ID cards, and the first thing I saw was the drawing of a wooden circle… Yes, I really got promoted! I became a Wood-ranked adventurer! Meanwhile, the others reached Bronze rank, the same rank as poor Ponier. Honestly, Ponier contributed a lot to this quest, and I would've died without him. Even he deserves a promotion, but these are the dumb rules of this guild.
"Hah, I was sick of seeing that porcelain pot symbol. Finally, Bronze rank!" Penny said excitedly.
"By the way, Ms, was there a mistake in Daemon's tier ranking? I mean, he was strong. There were five of us, including a Bronze-ranked adventurer and three Porcelain ranks, and we still almost died. It's obvious something's wrong. There's no way Daemon was in the same tier as the Herboazes," Ponier suddenly said.
"Sorry, but ever since Mr. Avilat left the guild, the work hasn't been organized, and Mr. Sunell has been struggling with many things in his role as guild master. So if there was a mistake on our part, I apologize on behalf of everyone," the receptionist replied kindly.
"The absence of Mr. Avilat, huh…" Ponier muttered.
After that, we took our reward and left the guild as the adventurers clapped for us for the millionth time. But they can do that now, because I feel stronger with every clap. Even though Etomi was the one who killed Daemon, I still feel powerful and proud. Wow, my inferiority complex vanished all of a sudden. Now I feel like I'm on top of this guild… and I haven't even reached the peak yet. What if I do? Yes, this is my new path to happiness. I'll do it!
"So, one nova and twenty bils for each of us," Grell said as he divided the amount.
"There's no way I'm taking it," Ponier said, refusing.
"I swear you'll take it," Grell yelled, forcing it into Ponier's hand.
"Well, if you insist," Ponier muttered.
"Sorry, but I don't think I have the energy to celebrate in a tavern… I want to do something else," Grell said.
"No problem, man. I won't celebrate either. All I want is sleep," Ponier replied.
"Me too," I added, to be honest, I did want a little party.
"Alright, Ponier, let's meet up tomorrow and hang out with Nalla," the archer said as he left with his party.
After that, Ponier and I left. Night had fallen, yet the town was still filled with noise, lights shining everywhere, and shops still open. It's truly a lively town, and walking into it after a long day brings a sense of relief. It's one of the experiences I've gotten used to here. Maybe… no, not maybe. This is what belonging feels like.
"Well, Laos, see you tomorrow. I'm going to sleep," Ponier said as he left.
"Goodbye."
◆ ◆ ◆
Alright, I'm alone again. I kept walking, and after a while, I started hearing a familiar noise. A noise I knew well. It was Fiona's tavern. The road was dark, but the tavern's light shone outside through the open door. And near the entrance, a girl stood. Her hair was long, and she had droopy ears on top of her head. Ears I knew very well… Maris.
As I got closer, I saw her expression—her eyes wide open, her mouth stretched into a broad, open-mouthed smile. This was happiness. The kind that paints expressions on your face that you don't even care about, as long as you feel the joy behind them.
Then, she suddenly started running toward me after carefully staring at my white hair. She looked as stunning and beautiful as always. When she finally reached me, she hugged me so tightly that I felt a sharp pain in my stomach.
"What happened? Did you guys defeat him?" she asked loudly, squeezing me even harder.
"Let's talk inside," I replied, hiding my Astral sword to let my hair return to its natural color.
After that, she pulled away, wiping her eyes—it looked like she had shed a few tears. At this moment, I felt like a Swordmaster returning home after slaying a great dragon. This whole thing wasn't worth such a reaction, but whatever. We stepped into the tavern, and suddenly, an eerie silence spread across the place. That was strange—every other time I had walked in, nobody even acknowledged my presence.
Then, out of nowhere, everyone erupted into cheers. Some raised their beer mugs high, others whistled, and the rest clapped loudly. But they were all clearly drunk. Amid the commotion, someone shouted: "Since he came back without dying… Fiona, give everyone a beer! On me!"
The noise instantly intensified. Fuck, did Maris tell them I went on the Daemon quest? Whatever. At that moment, a wide grin spread across my face as I looked at the excited, happy crowd. What a night. I take back what I said—this is officially the best night I've had in this world! My first crushing victory!
"You fucker, you made her worry!" Fiona grumbled in her rough, manly voice while wiping down a mug.
"What was I supposed to do? It was a hard quest," I replied.
"Well. Just go upstairs and enjoy yourselves," she muttered with a sly wink. God, this is so embarrassing.
As we climbed the stairs together, the entire tavern suddenly shouted, "Good night!" Yeah, it's going to be a great night! I wrapped my arm around Maris' shoulder, pulling her close. She must've been really worried. But that's not a good thing—she needs to get used to it. I'm an adventurer now. This will be a part of my life—going on long and dangerous journeys. She can't be this anxious every time.
"Sorry," Maris murmured.
"For what? I should be the one apologizing," I said as I opened the door, only for my nose to be assaulted by the crazy smell of dinner!
"I was so worried. I thought you died," she whispered.
"Oh, it's fine. But you don't have to worry anymore."
"Alright... then let's enjoy the night!" Maris said excitedly.
"Yeah!"
And just like that, my day ended as usual—except this time, it was a fucking incredible day. I completed the hardest quest for beginner adventurers, survived, and even ranked up. This is the beginning of my journey toward strength, and I'll make sure the road ahead is even better. I'll push myself, break my limits, never settle for anything. I'll crave more and more. Power. Power. Power. I will become a machine that exists solely to grow stronger because, right now, my goal is clear—
Quest: Become the number one adventurer.