Registration

"If I had teammates like this, I'd feel incredibly safe..." He Xi thought. "This guy looks like he could smash a goblin into the ground and plant it like a radish. Maybe he has giant or orc blood in him?"

Unfortunately, the full-face helmet hid his features, so He Xi couldn't see his face.

Perhaps because He Xi stared a bit too long, the "iron tower" suddenly turned its head. The eye slits on the helmet, designed like a ferocious mask, seemed to emit two invisible beams of sight that landed on He Xi.

He Xi's heart tightened slightly, but he maintained a calm expression, offering a friendly smile and nod.

He figured someone with such a cool appearance and strength must be used to getting stares while walking around.

Not far away, a voice rang out.

"Zander, the commission is confirmed. Let's go."

The steel giant, addressed as "Zander," withdrew his gaze and began to walk towards the entrance with heavy steps, accompanied by the clanging sound of metal friction. The ground seemed to tremble slightly.

He Xi shook off his various speculations and walked towards the counter.

There was someone inquiring at the window on the right, while the one on the left was empty.

Behind the counter sat a young woman with neat short hair. She had a delicate appearance and a comforting, approachable demeanor.

Upon seeing He Xi approach, a flicker of surprise flashed in her eyes, followed by a professional, friendly smile.

"Good day, sir. I'm Clara, the receptionist. How may I help you?"

"Hello, I'd like to register as an Adventurer," He Xi said.

"Certainly, registering as an Adventurer." Receptionist Clara skillfully picked up a form and a quill pen. "Do you have an official professional certification issued by any of the guilds?"

He Xi shook his head. "No."

"I see," Clara said, not surprised. "Many newcomers are like that. Would you like to undergo a strength assessment test? If you're confident in your abilities, your initial Adventurer rank will be determined by the results. You can start as high as Silver Rank V and even have the registration fee waived. Otherwise, you'll start at the lowest rank, Black Iron Rank V."

This test must be the one Annis mentioned earlier.

Still, my own level is only 8. I probably won't get good results from the test.

"How much is the registration fee?" he asked.

"One Silver Scale."

He Xi decisively reached into his coin pouch, pulled out a Silver Scale, and placed it on the counter. "No need for the test. Please just register me directly."

Clara nodded without asking further questions and began to record in the ledger before her. "Alright. May I have your name?"

"Galen," He Xi used the temporary identity again.

"Galen..." the young woman said as she wrote, then naturally asked, "And what is your occupational focus? Warrior?"

He Xi blinked in surprise. Does this name sound that much like a warrior?

Seeing his hesitation, Clara's gaze fell on Bruce by his feet and she immediately corrected herself. "Ah, apologies. Ranger?"

He Xi quickly asked, "What exactly does 'occupational focus' refer to?"

"Oh, that," Clara explained patiently. "It refers to the type of skills you primarily study and excel at before you obtain formal professional certification. Registering this helps the system recommend suitable commissions for you and also assists parties recruiting teammates in their screening process. Of course, if you are already a formal professional, you can just fill in your profession."

He Xi understood. It was like a "pre-professional" classification.

He thought for a moment and replied, "Mage."

"Mage?"

Clara looked up, a clear look of surprise on her face. She scrutinized He Xi again – young, ordinary clothing, no staff, no mage robe, and a dog by his side... This combination was indeed far from the typical impression of an Apprentice Mage.

Seemingly realizing her lapse, she quickly offered an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. It's just... in Rose Town, spellcasters who register as Adventurers are quite rare."

He Xi nodded, understanding. He knew the reasons himself. For example, low-level Mages lacked effective self-preservation and sustained combat abilities, relying heavily on teammates for protection. He recalled Plint's fight against the goblins; without the guards holding the front line, his Earth Spike Technique would have been of little use. In the mine incident, the goblins were immobilized anyway. Another significant reason was that individuals with magical talent often came from affluent backgrounds or were quickly recruited by mage organizations, negating the need to start as a high-risk, uncertain-reward low-level Adventurer.

"It's alright."

"Done. You've been registered." Clara said, retrieving a smooth, unmarked black metal badge from under the counter. She placed the badge on a rune-inlaid stone slab on the counter and lightly tapped another spot beside the slab with her fingertip.

On the back of the badge, a few faint lights flashed, and characters formed as if branded by an invisible carving knife. She picked up the badge and handed it to He Xi. "This is your Adventurer badge. Please keep it safe."

"Congratulations on officially becoming an Adventurer, Mr. Galen."

As she spoke, the short-haired young woman glanced at He Xi a few more times, finding him increasingly pleasing to the eye.

"Thank you."

He Xi took the badge.

It was a black metal badge with a sturdy texture, feeling slightly heavy in his hand.

The front of the badge bore the Guild's "Frost Flower Burning Iron Crown" emblem, alongside a small number "Ⅴ," indicating his current rank was Black Iron Tier 5.

He flipped the badge over. The back was engraved with his newly registered name in simple Common Tongue—

Galen.

After completing the registration, He Xi fastened the Black Iron badge, which represented his new identity, and led Bruce toward the large notice board on one side of the hall.

This wall was constructed from thick wooden planks, densely covered with commission slips made of parchment.

According to the standards set by the Verlan family, commissions, like Adventurer ranks, were clearly divided into Black Iron, Bronze, Silver, and other zones.

Commission slips of different tiers had varying parchment colors and border decorations, allowing Adventurers to easily find commissions suitable for them at a glance.

Guild regulations stipulated that Adventurers could typically only accept commissions of the same or lower rank than their own.

He Xi's gaze first meticulously scanned the Black Iron zone.

"[Item Retrieval]: Seeking lost pet cat 'Ah Hua'. Notes: Calico, tip of tail is white, lost near the marketplace, very fat. Reward: 30 Copper Nails."

"[Escort]: Escort a batch of ale to the West City Mill. Journey time: half an hour. Reward: 50 Copper Nails."

"[Errands]: Assist stonemason with moving goods. Paid per piece. No stealthy types (last time someone slacked off)."

"[Assistance]: Old John's barn needs its roof repaired. Lunch provided, compensation negotiable."