Adventurer's Guild

At dawn, Lin Mo woke to a soft knock on the door.

Honestly, he had not slept very well. Compared to his previous life, even with bedding laid out, the inn's bedboards were still as hard as steel plates, and the blanket could hardly be called soft. Most importantly, he was unfamiliar with the place and did not dare sleep too deeply, maintaining a certain level of vigilance the entire time.

So even the faint sound outside the door was enough to wake him.

After putting on his coat and opening the door, he found the same young woman who had visited the night before standing outside.

Their eyes met, and she immediately looked away. She handed him the tray in her hands. "Your breakfast. Please enjoy."

"Alright, thank you."

With interest, Lin Mo looked over the girl's slightly flushed cheeks, took the tray from her, and placed it on the table.

"There is no strict limit on how long you may use the room, so you can stay a while longer. However, someone will come to clean in the afternoon. Before then, please make sure you have all your belongings so nothing is left behind."

After saying that, the girl gave a slight bow, then hurriedly turned and left.

Lin Mo's gaze instinctively swept over her graceful figure before he rubbed his forehead. He really had been suppressing himself for too long.

Breakfast was not as lavish as dinner, but it was still decent: a bowl of oatmeal, a fried egg, several slices of sausage, and a few pieces of white bread.

As he ate, Lin Mo took the scroll still warm from his body out of his pocket.

He had only ever heard people brag about Skill Scrolls before. This was his first time seeing one, and he had no idea how to use it.

There had not been time to examine it carefully in the forest yesterday, and he had been too exhausted after returning. At last, he could properly study it now.

Lin Mo's eyes swept past the aphorism at the top of the page and continued downward.

The more he read, the more his head began to ache...

There were no obscure words on the scroll. He understood every single character, yet when they were put together, it became incomprehensible gibberish.

After forcing himself to read the entire scroll, Lin Mo suddenly felt as if he had returned to a high school math class.

In the end, he had never studied at a Mage Academy. He had no foundation at all and did not even possess magic power. It had never been realistic to expect him to master the magic on this scroll in one go.

He stared at the scroll for a while longer before finally sighing helplessly, putting it away, and setting the matter aside for now.

After finishing breakfast and gathering all his belongings, Lin Mo left the inn.

As he went downstairs, he saw the waitress again. Since it was morning and she had nothing to do after delivering breakfast, she was chatting with several companions. Whatever they were talking about had them laughing so hard their bodies trembled.

The proprietress was still dressed the same way, seated behind the counter with her head lowered, seemingly always busy with something.

Lin Mo paused and waved in her direction as a farewell.

"Um... please come again."

Noticing his gesture, the girl pressed her lips together and gave him a shy smile.

Come again?

Now that he knew this was not an ordinary inn, returning next time would mean something entirely different.

Lin Mo shook his head and decided not to think about it for now.

The weather was perfect today. As he stepped out of the inn, the dazzling sunlight made him squint.

The town in the morning had a different charm from the evening and appeared far more lively.

The less-than-clean streets were filled with pedestrians coming and going. It was probably a little after seven in the morning. That was early for Lin Mo, but for the people of this world, it was already working time.

That said, many of the people wandering around did not actually have work. They could not simply wait at home to starve to death, so they could only come out and try their luck, hoping some wealthy lord might need someone to sell their strength.

Every so often, he saw several young people dressed in splendid clothes, their bodies carrying an air of "nobility" utterly out of place among the poor. They held their heads high, like rulers inspecting their own territory. Some carried birdcages in their hands, while others held ropes. At the other end might be the fluffy head of a golden retriever, or the slender neck of a raggedly dressed young girl.

As he walked, Lin Mo observed the customs and atmosphere of this world.

So far, this world was more or less the same as the fantasy worlds he had imagined. Of course, his understanding of it remained limited to the surface, limited to this small town alone.

More unknowns and details awaited his exploration.

And it would all begin with becoming an adventurer.

There was no need to ask for directions. Experienced adventurers wearing all kinds of armor and carrying weapons naturally showed him the way. Following them, Lin Mo soon arrived before a building that could be called majestic when compared to the small houses around it.

It stood a full six stories tall, with an exquisitely decorated facade and colorful paint covering its exterior, all of it declaring the place's wealth and influence.

A sign hung over the entrance, bearing several prominent words in neat lettering—Adventurer's Guild.

At the lower right corner of the plaque was a much smaller label: Roland Town Branch, Doria Kingdom.

The Adventurer's Guild was a massive organization spread across nearly the entire continent. In every nation, including the Holy Kingdom, the Association had a presence.

Wherever an Association existed, it attracted a large number of adventurers, turning the area into a relatively prosperous town or city.

Normally, a small place like Roland Town would not have an Association branch specifically established there. However, being near Lorraine Forest made it a special case. For both the Association and adventurers, being stationed in this town meant considerable convenience.

Naturally, the branch established for that reason was of the lowest rank.

Even so, it was already an exceptionally eye-catching landmark in this poor and backward little town.

Lin Mo had learned all of this from Larry.

Lin Mo lingered outside the Association for a moment. As he watched adventurers going in and out, a subtle feeling rose in his heart when he finally stepped inside.

From this moment onward, he would truly embrace a new life.

Upon entering the Association, he saw an extremely spacious hall, several times larger than the inn from last night. Many tables and chairs were arranged throughout the hall, and adventurers of all styles sat together, eating breakfast while boasting to one another.

Lin Mo looked around and spotted many unusual figures.

For example, there was a particularly muscular warrior holding an axe. He had a rugged face, a large nose, a pair of sharp horns like a bull's growing from his head, and what seemed to be a tail behind him.

He also saw a middle-aged man barely one meter thirty tall. He had a long, thick beard, held a massive hammer, and was so broad that he looked square from a distance.

Half-beastmen, Dwarves... as expected, a fantasy world could not lack intelligent races other than humans. Though he did not seem to see any Elves.

Judging by the atmosphere among them, the various races seemed to get along fairly well. At the very least, there were no obvious conflicts.

Lin Mo's gaze continued toward the center of the hall.

There were five counters in the middle of the hall, each with a young woman seated behind it. They were the Guild's receptionists, mainly responsible for helping adventurers register and submit quests.

Naturally, that also included handling adventurer identification...