The Next Morning
Louis woke up, feeling something strange.
"I was sure I was dying in this cave… so why am I still alive?" he thought.
Then, he realized—the pain from his injuries was completely gone.
His hand, which had been crushed the night before, was fully healed. He moved his fingers, feeling no discomfort, as if they had never been broken.
"This shouldn't be possible… Not without an A-rank healer. Am I not alone here?" he muttered.
Looking at his right palm, he noticed something unusual—a red, glowing symbol shaped like angel wings.
"Ahhh… huh?"
A sudden headache struck him, and memories of the goddess's blessing flooded his mind. Last night, he had been too weak to understand, but now, it all made sense.
The thought of dying had been fresh in his mind, yet it seemed like death would have to wait.
Louis carefully made his way out of the cave, squeezing through the same gap he had entered the night before. However, he still wasn't ready to face anyone.
He followed the path leading back toward town, heading toward the main gate.
A Sudden Encounter
"Hey! You! I'm talking to you!"
A girl's voice called out from the bushes.
Louis turned toward the voice and saw a girl dressed in leather clothing, with a red scarf tied around her head.
"Are you deaf or just plain stupid? Didn't you hear me the first time?" she snapped.
"Uh… I didn't know you were calling me," Louis replied hesitantly.
She scoffed. "Who else would I be talking to? There's no one else here!"
Then, she pointed at her ankle. "Now, take me to the medical clinic. I twisted my ankle so badly that I might die from this—and if I do, it'll be your fault."
Louis hesitated. "H-How do I take you there?"
The girl rolled her eyes. "Pick me up, stupid!"
"Okay… then get on my back."
She smacked him on the arm. "Are you brainless or what?!"
Louis flinched. "O-Okay, okay! No need to get mad. I'll carry you." He lifted her up and, after a few steps, muttered, "Whoa… you're heavy."
She glared at him. "You got a death wish or what? Shut your damn mouth and keep walking."
After a few minutes, she suddenly asked, "Wait… am I really that heavy?"
Louis, too honest for his own good, nodded. "To be honest, ye—"
"Shut up and keep walking!"
An Unusual Speed
As Louis picked up his pace, the girl yelped, "Hey! Hey! Slow down! I'm gonna fall!"
But something felt different.
"I don't know why, but I feel… faster. Maybe I can reach the clinic quicker this way," Louis said.
The girl screamed, "Aaaaahhh! I'm gonna die! Oh god, have mercy! Why are you going even faster?!"
Just 5-6 minutes later, they reached the clinic.
Louis grinned. "See? Told you we'd get here fast."
But as he set her down, a thought crossed his mind. "Wait… I should be exhausted from running this fast. So why am I perfectly fine?"
The girl panted, trying to catch her breath. "Damn… you've got some speed. What's your name?"
"Louis Corbin. And you?"
"Betty. Betty Hilsmith. And just so you know, it's not nice to meet you—you almost killed me!"
She winced and gestured toward the clinic entrance. "Now get me inside. My ankle still hurts like hell."
Louis carried her inside.
Joining the Adventure Guild
A healer at the clinic examined Betty's ankle. "This isn't serious. You'll be fine in a second."
A moment later, her injury was healed. (Most clinic healers were C-rank or B-rank.)
As Betty tested her ankle, she turned to Louis. "Hey, Louis. Want to join the Adventure Guild with me?"
Louis hesitated. "I've never left the safe shield before. And… I can't hunt magic beasts. I'm too weak."
(The Safe Shield was a magical barrier that protected the town from beast attacks.)
Betty smirked. "Don't worry, I'll teach you. Just follow my instructions. Plus, you'll make money selling magic beast drops." She glanced at his torn clothes. "And from the looks of it, you could really use the cash."
Louis didn't even think twice. "Okay, let's do this!"
At the Adventure Guild
Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the Adventure Guild.
"Wait here. I'll grab the registration forms," Betty said.
Louis nodded. "Alright."
After waiting for a while, he sighed. "Ugh… how much longer do we have to wait?"
A receptionist called out, "Number 24 and 25, please step forward."
Betty and Louis approached the counter.
"We're going to measure your rank. Just place your hand on the crystal," the receptionist explained.
(The ranking system worked by changing the crystal's color upon contact.)
White = F-rank
Orange = E-rank
Yellow = D-rank
Blue = C-rank
Green = B-rank
Red = A-rank
Black = S-rank (Extremely rare, only a few exist.)
The receptionist smiled. "Miss, please place your hand first."
Betty did as instructed.
Suddenly, the crystal turned GREEN.
The receptionist gasped. "Oh my… You're B-rank?!"
The entire guild hall fell silent. Everyone stared in shock.
A young girl at B-rank was incredibly rare.
The receptionist composed herself. "Alright, miss, which class are you choosing?"
"Archery class."
The receptionist handed her a B-rank adventurer card."Be careful, even if you're strong."
Betty nodded.
Then, the receptionist turned to Louis. "Okay, mister, now it's your turn. Step forward and place your hand on the crystal."
Louis took a deep breath and placed his hand on the crystal.
A moment later…
"Huh? W-WHAAAAAAT?!" the receptionist screamed.
To be continued…