Five days had passed since Raymond had transmigrated into this world. In those five days, the small hope that he held of somehow returning to his previous world had gradually been crushed by reality.
At first, he had searched for clues. He had questioned the system, testing some strange theories. Even looked for anything that resembled a quest or condition related to returning home.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
The world remained stubbornly silent on the matter. Eventually, Raymond stopped looking entirely.
Not because he had given up. But because he had accepted reality.
He was here.
And for the foreseeable future, he wasn't leaving.
Surprisingly, the realization didn't bother him as much as he thought it would. Maybe it was because there was no point dwelling on something that was beyond his control.
Or perhaps because this world was slowly becoming real to him.
The bustling streets, the guild, the forests and the people. None of them felt like game assets. No, they were all alive…living and breathing similarly to him.
So Raymond made a decision. A straightforward one actually.
If he couldn't return to his old world, then he would stop wasting time longing for it.
Instead, he would completely dedicate himself to this new life.
To become stronger. To understand this wretched world. To survive whatever future awaited him.
After all, he had been given a second chance that many people never received.
It would be foolish to squander it.
A faint smile appeared on his face as he sat atop a rocky cliff overlooking the forest.
The morning sun had only begun to rise, painting the horizon in shades of gold and crimson.
For some good moments, Raymond simply watched the sunrise leaning his back on the rock.
Then he stood. His black robe fluttered lightly behind him as he adjusted the sword hanging at his waist.
He glanced at the system window glowing faintly across his vision.
[Quest – Strength]
Kill 100 Novice-Ranked Monsters — [89/100]
Kill 10 Novice+ Ranked Monsters — [7/10]
Kill 1 Intermediate-Ranked Monster — [0/1]
Raymond silently read through the quest once more.
Five days. That was all it had taken to reach this point.
The first objective was practically almost complete. Most of the Novice-ranked monsters inhabiting the outskirts of the forest posed little threat to him now.
What had once been difficult battles had gradually become routine hunts. The second objective meanwhile was also progressing steadily as well.
Novice+ monsters were noticeably stronger and far less common than ordinary beasts, but they still weren't beyond his ability to handle.
The third objective, however- That was the real challenge.
An Intermediate-ranked monster.
Intermediate-ranked creature, Raymond knew very well that the gap between ranks wasn't something to underestimate.
A single Intermediate monster could easily slaughter groups of Novice-ranked creatures without much effort.
The White Spiked Wolves he had fought recently only reached Novice+ level due to their pack tactics. Individually, most of them were still closer to the Novice- or Novice level.
An actual Intermediate monster would be much more troublesome. Still, Raymond wasn't much worried.
In fact, he was looking forward to it. A challenge was exactly what he needed right now.
His growth over the past few days had been rapid, yes but growth born from easy victories was unreliable.
He believed real progress came from facing opponents capable of killing you. When did his thinking become like that he doesn't remember actually.
"Meh, who cares. Maybe this world is growing on me."
His gaze shifted toward the forest stretching into the distance. Deep within those woods, stronger monsters lurked.
They were true Predators.
The Hunters of this forest. Creatures that ruled territories through sheer power and
somewhere among them was the monster that would complete his quest.
"Almost there." He said then with a casual flick, he dismissed the quest window. Morning had arrived and now was his time to return to the guild hall.
****
Raymond arrived at the front of the guild hall, his strides calm and steady. His face was still partially hidden beneath the hood of his robe, but there was something different about him now.
Something that hadn't existed five days ago.
Confidence.
Certainly, anyone who knew him well would immediately notice the change. Of course, nobody would ever know the real reason behind it. Raymond had already decided that the secret of his transmigration would remain buried with him forever.
"Hm, they're certainly noisy today," he muttered, tilting his head slightly. The loud chatter pouring out from inside the guild was unusual.
Normally, yes…mornings were busy, as adventurers gathered with their parties, accepted quests, and headed out for the day.
But this was different. This was far louder than normal. Curious, Raymond pushed open the doors and entered.
The guild hall was bustling with activity.
Adventurers moved everywhere carrying weapons, armor, and supplies. Some were checking equipment while others discussed plans with their teammates.
Meanwhile, guild employees moved through the crowd, handing stacks of papers to party leaders. The atmosphere felt hurried.
Raymond's eyes swept across the hall before stopping on a familiar figure. Standing near the center was the guild manager, Dianna.
Her sharp gaze moved across the room as she supervised everything, missing nothing despite the chaos around her.
Without attracting attention, Raymond made his way toward her.
He was genuinely curious about what was happening.
"Good morning, Miss Dianna," he greeted politely.
Dianna turned toward him.
"Oh, Raymond. Good morning." Then she paused. "Good timing really, The Guildmaster left instructions for you."
Raymond raised an eyebrow.
"Is it related to all of this?" He pointed towards the crowded hall.
"Yes."
She nodded. Then a slightly annoyed look appeared on her face.
"Guess he didn't tell you."
"Tell me what?"
"We have orders. We're leaving for the Grand Duchy of Celendria."
Raymond froze. For a moment, he thought he had heard wrong.
"...What?"
His mind immediately became alert…very very alert.
The Grand Duchy of Celendria.
Who didn't know that place. Yet, the shock didn't come from that, no…the reason for his shock was that it was the house of the biggest villainess.
Before his thoughts could go on Dianna spoke once again. She seemed confused by his reaction.
"You look surprised."
Raymond quickly regained his composure.
"No... just caught me off guard. You know how far that place is."
"Oh, don't worry about that we will be using the teleportation gates. Now hurry and pack up things. We are leaving in the afternoon."
Raymond nodded absentmindedly.